Proverbs 28:15-16
Rulers and Princes
1. These two proverbs deal with the subject of leadership… violent, oppressive government rulers and princes.
2. We already saw a similar theme in verse 12, which compares the effects of wicked leaders to righteous leaders.
a. The righteous leader causes the people to rejoice.
b. The wicked ruler coming into power causes men to run and hide!
3. The effect of rulers on the people is expanded in vs. 15-16.
1. This proverb compares wicked rulers to ferocious, wild animals.
a. A roaring lion
• One Hebrew dictionary defined “roaring” as “the deep guttural, piercing growl of a lion, especially as it grasps its prey.”
• Lions are mighty fierce animals. They sit quietly in the wings waiting for the innocent deer to come to the river. Then they pounce on their prey, easily overpower them, tear them to shreds, and then devour them.
• I’m sure we’ve all seen National Geographic videos of lions attacking their prey. It’s pretty graphic.
• Solomon’s readers never saw a video of it—but they probably all had seen the real thing. It must be frightening to witness such a thing. Lions are fierce!
b. A ranging bear
• Ranging: Thirsty, unquenched; to long for something and rush towards it; thus, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting creature.
• We sometimes think of bears as cute and cuddly, but they too are vicious animals when confronted.
• They may look slow and lazy as they lumber about; but in fact they are fast and ferocious and can be deadly.
c. By using these two illustrations, Solomon has painted a mental picture that all of his readers can relate to:
• They are animals you want to avoid.
• They are animals that can do much harm… and can be deadly.
• They are fierce and bloodthirsty creatures that can easily overpower mere humans and devour us… leave us as a pile of bones on the side of the road for the scavenger birds to pick over.
2. A wicked ruler
a. Wicked:
• This is the same term used to describe rulers in vs. 12.
• “Wicked” is defined as unrighteous; evil; not innocent; guilty.
• The term is often used of the enemies of God.
• The word indicates the guilt engendered by sinning against others.
b. Ruler: one who reigns; one who has dominion over others; one who governs and is in control; in charge.
c. All people have rulers over them. All people are under the leadership and dominion of someone. All people are under a government headed up by a ruler… one who has control over how people are governed.
d. To have a wicked person in control can be fearful and frightening. They have the power to make life miserable for all those under their rule.
e. We have seen many examples of that in world history: Germany, Russia, Middle East, etc.
3. Solomon likens wicked rulers to savage beasts: lions and bears.
a. Daniel also had a vision of four future Gentile empires and likened those empires and their rulers as vicious beasts.
b. Of the four beasts in Daniel’s dream, one was a bear and one was a lion.
c. They were good symbols of the power a ruler has over his people and the fear they instill in the hearts of people.
d. Solomon used these symbols before:
• Prov. 19:12 – “The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.”
• Prov. 20:2 – “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.”
• BECAUSE kings and rulers have such power and are like roaring lions, Solomon advises his readers not to get them angry. They might pounce on you!
• There is no reasoning with a lion or a bear. Don’t expect mercy or pity from them.
4. This is how the wicked ruler treats POOR people.
a. The word translated “poor” means poor, weak, and helpless – those who are on the opposite end of the social scale from the rich and powerful.
b. The point here is that wicked rulers rule over poor people as lions and bears rule over their prey: they devour them!
c. Verse 15 states that some rulers are greedy and violent and take advantage of the poor. They devour the poor because they are easy targets.
d. Ecc. 4:1 – Solomon was sensitive to the poor and the fact that they were often trampled over and had no comforter. He noted that this is what happens “under the sun”—in a world that excludes God.
1. Verse 15 spoke of rulers; verse 16 speaks of a prince (which can mean a prince or any person of nobility).
2. The difference is relatively insignificant here.
3. Here the main distinction is the way the prince is described:
a. The rulers were described as vicious and devouring.
b. This prince is described as ignorant – lacking understanding.
4. The prince that “wanteth understanding.”
a. Want is an old English word that means “lack.”
b. Ex: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (It does not mean that we don’t want the Lord—it means that if He is our shepherd, then we won’t lack anything we need.)
c. In our proverb, Solomon describes the prince who LACKS understanding.
d. “Lacking understanding” speaks of one who lacks good judgment.
• Prov. 6:32 – “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
• Prov. 9:4 – “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding.” The one who lacks understanding is likened to one who is simple.
• Prov. 10:13 – “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.” This proverb speaks of the one who lacks understanding as a fool!
• Just because a person has risen to national prominence that does not mean that he is wise or sensible.
• God raises up the basest of men to rule and govern—and God uses them for His purposes.
• The prince that lacks understanding is a ruler who lacks good sense and good judgment. He is simple—like the town simpleton. He is in many ways like the fool of Proverbs too.
• It is a bit frightening to think that men of such low caliber and character make it to such high places in government—but it happens!
5. The prince that lacks understanding is a great oppressor!
a. Oppressor: The Dictionary of Biblical Languages defines this term as “the obtaining of goods legally but immorally from a victim, by taking extra-ordinary, unfair advantage in a dealing, and so a kind of theft.”
b. Foolish leaders oppress their people.
• This is an interesting description.
• We might normally think of an evil ruler oppressing… or a greedy and vicious ruler oppressing.
• But here Solomon describes the oppressor as a FOOL – one who lacks good sense and good judgment.
• It is foolish for a ruler to oppress the people—because people can only be pushed so far before they revolt… and the ruler is rejected… replaced… or executed.
• A wise ruler should know that. Foolish leaders don’t.
• This brings to mind Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, who refused to listen to the wise counsel of the older men and instead did what his younger contemporaries told him to do: oppress the people even MORE than they had been in the past.
• I Kings 12:10-11 – Rehoboam said, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
• Foolish rulers oppress their people in hopes of increasing their treasury – becoming even more rich and powerful.
• Greed and covetousness motivates wicked rulers to take advantage of the poor and the weak.
• They will learn the hard way that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and calamity.
• For Rehoboam, this led to civil war, a division of the nation, and he lost his rule over the nation except for Judah.
• As Solomon his father would have said, It is a foolish prince who oppresses his people.
6. “But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.” (Worth repeating!)
a. In contrast to the foolish ruler who oppresses others and abuses his power, the one who hates covetousness prolongs his days.
b. Prov. 10:2 – “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.” It requires good judgment to understand this principle. Good and wise rulers understand… they are not lacking understanding.
c. It leads to a long term in office and perhaps a long life. (Many evil rulers are assassinated.)
d. The implication here is clear: A ruler’s real longevity and security in his throne arises not from his own wealth and power, but rather from the welfare of the people.
e. Ex. 18:21 – “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
f. The Mosaic Law made it clear what kind of men should be placed in leadership positions: men of character.