"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."
Proverbs 4:14-15
Solomon was concerned that his children (4:1) could go the wrong way instead of following God. In our verses for today, he’s given them six short, simple commands to help them avoid getting entangled with evil men. We are wise if we heed his thoughts.
“Enter not into the path of the wicked.”
“Avoid all temptations to the beginning of evil” [1] (JFB).
Who are these “wicked” people, and what are they like? This Hebrew word speaks of “the godless” [2] (KDC). These are those who are “hostile to God” and are guilty of sin “against God or man” [3] (BDB). These are the “habitually wicked” and “the vicious” [4] (KDC).
“While the way of wisdom is safe and peaceful… the way of the wicked is dark and crooked…” [5] (FSB).
The way of wisdom:
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17).
“As you walk on it, you will not step into a trap. Even if you run, you will not trip and fall” [6](Proverbs 4:12, HSB).
The way of the wicked:
“Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths” (Proverbs 2:15).
“The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble” (Proverbs 4:19).
What should we do?
“Never associate with those whose life is irregular and sinful; never accompany them in any of their acts of transgression” [7] (Clarke).
Don’t even enter his path, do not go that way. If we don’t start down that wrong path, we will never need to be rescued from it later!
The Bible gives us many examples of people who have made this incorrect choice. If Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had avoided the “well-watered plain toward Sodom,” he and his family would not have been captured in the first war in the Bible (Genesis 13:10-13). Abraham and his men had to rescue Lot’s family.
Why even King Solomon did not heed his own advice, he became entangled with falsehood and false gods (1 Kings 11:5; 2 Kings 23:13).
“The son is exhorted to hold on to the good and warned not even to try the bad…” [8] (CSB).
“And go not in the way of evil men.”
We observe the way of evil men, and we intentionally choose not to go that way with them!
Do not go the way that evil men are going!
“Avoid it, pass not by it.”
What do we do? We “avoid” their way. This means we turn loose of their way, ignore it, and leave it alone (see BDB).
“Let it be the serious purpose of thy soul to shun every appearance of evil” [9] (Clarke).
Well said! We, believers, are “children of the light!” (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5). Therefore, we live in the light. Our deeds are seen in the light. We avoid evil deeds of darkness. Why? Our God is the God of light!
“This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
We strive to emulate Him! How much darkness do you allow into your life, child of God?
“Never, for the sake of worldly gain, or through complaisance to others, approach the way that thou wouldst not wish to be found in when God calls thee into the eternal world” [10] (Clarke).
“Turn from it.”
“If, through unwatchfulness or unfaithfulness, thou at any time get near or into the way of sin, turn from it with the utmost speed, and humble thyself before thy Maker” [11] (Clarke).
“And pass away.”
“Speed from it, run for thy life, and get to the utmost distance; eternally diverging so as never to come near it whilst thou hast a being” [12] (Clarke).
“If through foolishness, the path of the wicked is entered, then one’s steps should turn from it soon. With urgency, wisdom speaks and says avoid it and turn away from it. Every further step on the way of evil makes it more difficult to depart from that path of the wicked” [13] (EWC).
Solomon tells us why we need to stay as far away from evil as possible –
“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27-28).
Quote: “Don’t be fooled: Bad friends will ruin good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33, HSB).
[1] JFB, Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 392.
[2] KDC – Keil & Delitzsch. Keil & Delitzsch’s Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] BDB – Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] KDC, ibid.
[5] FSB, John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Pr 4:14.
[6] HSB is the Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[7] ACC – Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[8] CSB, David K. Stabnow, “Proverbs,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 959.
[9] ACC, ibid.
[10] ACC, ibid.
[11] ACC, ibid.
[12] ACC, ibid.
[13] EWC – David Guzik. Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.