11:1 The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but an accurate weight is his delight.
Chapter 11 continues some of Solomon’s various 350 plus proverbs which were recorded in this book. The Lord hates dishonest business practices. The Lord places commercial matters into the spiritual realm. Most of America worships the “Almighty Dollar” instead of the One who gave them their wealth.
11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
A man with pride will be disgraced, but a humble person will possess wisdom (Bible doctrine).
11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the unfaithful destroys them.
A righteous man is guided by integrity. Integrity comes from the mastery and application of sound Bible doctrine. Those who lack Bible doctrine will be morally corrupted. This moral corruption will grow and increase until it eventually destroys them.
11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from mortal danger.
When the day of wrath comes, no one will be able to bribe God. Only the righteous will be delivered.
11:5 The righteousness of the blameless will make straight their way, but the wicked person will fall by his own wickedness.
One who lives a righteous life will walk on a straighter path. Those who live a wicked life will trip over their own evil and fall to the ground.
11:6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the faithless will be captured by their own desires.
Those who live a righteous life will escape troubles. Those who live a godless life will be destroyed by their own evil desires.
11:7 When a wicked person dies, his expectation perishes, and the hope of his strength perishes.
Death will rob a wicked man of his evil desires. God will not allow an evil man to exist on his earth with evil motives. Wealth, power, or fame will not be able to rescue the wicked from death.
11:8 The righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked turns up in his stead.
A righteous person will be delivered out of trouble. The wicked will inherit his own trouble. For example, wicked Haman planned to impale the righteous Mordecai on a torture pole, but the situation was reversed.
11:9 With his speech the godless person destroys his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
The godless hates the godly so much, that he will use slander to destroy a godly man. The righteous will be delivered by his knowledge of Bible doctrine.
11:10 When the righteous do well, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there is joy.
Righteous men exalt the public life of a city. Wicked men debase the public life of the city.
11:11 A city is exalted by the blessing provided from the upright, but it is destroyed by the counsel of the wicked.
God gives men the kind of rulers in which they deserve. The ruler's political decisions can save a city or bring down a city.
11:12 The one who denounces his neighbor lacks wisdom, but the one who has discernment keeps silent.
It is not beneficial to slander a neighbor who lives or works nearby. It is best to just keep quiet.
11:13 The one who goes about slandering others reveals secrets, but the one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
It is not wise to spread gossip about one’s neighbor, even if it is true. It betrays trust and causes dissension.
11:14 When there is no guidance a nation falls, but there is success in the abundance of counselors.
The Hebrew word for “guidance” is תַּחְבֻּלוֹת (tachbulot), meaning to steer a ship. When a nation does not possess strong Bible doctrine, then the ship will crash and the nation will fall. If a nation possesses an abundance of counselors with strong Bible doctrine, then it will succeed. America was strong under its founding fathers, because they possessed strong Bible doctrine. Many liberals claim that these men were deists, but 55 of 57 of the founding fathers were strong Christians. Liberals like to concentrate on the two deists (Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin), but they ignore the influence of these other 55 men. Even many Christian authors have been deceived into thinking that America was founded by a nation of deists.
11:15 The one who puts up security for a stranger will surely have trouble, but whoever avoids shaking hands will be secure.
It is not wise to co-sign a loan for a stranger.
11:16 A generous woman gains honor, and ruthless men seize wealth.
The Hebrew word for “ruthless” is עָרִיץ (aritz), meaning to use one’s wickedness in order to strike terror into others. A generous woman brings honor to a community. A ruthless man seizes wealth by using his power to strike fear into others.
11:17 A kind person benefits himself, but a cruel person brings himself trouble.
Kindness and cruelty are reciprocal. Kindness benefits its giver, but cruelty boomerangs and brings down the wicked person.
11:18 The wicked person earns deceitful wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a genuine reward.
Anyone can become wealthy if they wish to sell their soul to the devil. Assassins, thieves, muggers, extortionists, drug dealers, and prostitutes can make a lot of money, but it will cost them their eternal life. The only genuine reward is that which one can be taken into eternity. Eternal crowns will be given to believers who follow God’s will.
11:19 True righteousness leads to life, but the one who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
Those who are righteous will receive eternal life. Those who are unrighteous will receive eternal death. Solomon and his children were living under the Mosaic Law, so material wealth was also a result of righteous living. In the dispensation of the church, Christians are promised suffering.
11:20 The Lord abhors those who are perverse in heart, but those who are blameless in their ways are his delight.
The Hebrew word for “perverse” is עִקֵּשׁ (akush), meaning that which is crooked or not normal. The Lord hates those who are crooked and not normal in their heart. He will not allow them to live in His heaven. He does not want any evil in His Kingdom. The Lord delights in those who are righteous.
11:21 Be assured that the evil person will certainly be punished, but the descendants of the righteous will not suffer unjust judgment.
Many men think that they are getting away with their sin here on earth, but this is simply not the case. They will eventually be judged. The righteous will not suffer unjust judgment. They will be spanked and disciplined by a loving Father, but they will not lose their eternal life.
11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who rejects discretion.
Jewish women wore earrings in their noses for ornamental purposes, just as women wear rings on their fingers and ears today. A beautiful woman without Bible doctrine is like an ugly pig wearing a ring in her nose. All of the beautiful Hollywood sluts are basically pigs with earrings in their noses!
11:23 What the righteous desire leads only to good, but what the wicked hope for leads to wrath.
The righteous desire for God to return and establish His heaven on earth. This is called theism. The wicked desire for a long and prosperous life in the satanic world system. This is called humanism. These are the two main philosophies which are in conflict in the world today.
11:24 One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty.
Solomon recorded a paradox of strong Bible doctrine which unbelievers and carnal Christians do not understand. The more one gives, the more one receives. The more one saves, the more one approaches poverty. No one can out-give God.
11:25 A generous person will be enriched, and the one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied.
God causes the generous person to be more enriched and satisfied.
11:26 People will curse the one who withholds grain, but they will praise the one who sells it.
Grain was the medium product of exchange in ancient Israel. Hoarding it would cause price increases. Those who sold their grain to others helped the economics of the community.
11:27 The one who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but the one who searches for evil—it will come to him.
The one who pursues to help his neighbor will in return be helped by his neighbor. The one who does evil to his neighbor will receive evil from his neighbor.
11:28 The one who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
There is nothing wrong with having money, but one should not trust in it. Instead, one should trust in God.
11:29 The one who troubles his family will inherit nothing, and the fool will be a servant to the wise person.
A person who brings trouble upon his family will be disinherited from the estate. He will receive only wind, which is nothing. Instead of becoming wealthy and owning many servants, he himself will become a servant.
11:30 The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.
A righteous person is like a tree of life which produces eternal fruit for the kingdom.
11:31 If the righteous are recompensed on earth, how much more the wicked sinner!
If God spanks His own, then He will also judge unbelievers who harm His children with their sin.