Proverbs 29c

 One verse will not do, one chapter will not do, one book of the Bible will not do. It takes the whole Bible to disciple true believers. Overemphasis on one verse to the exclusion of the others tends to distort, as if all the messages of the Bible could be so condensed. 

 Proverbs 29: 18 is such a verse that is often wrongly applied. It appears to be a favorite verse of some; perhaps they love it because they can twist it to their own use.

 Another guideline for biblical interpretation is to examine the context, although that is difficult with the proverbs because they seem to be independent sayings often without connection to the one that came before and the one that comes after. They are not stories like most of the Bible. 

The most common form of this proverb, sometimes found on bumper stickers, is: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” If a parent is quoting this to their wayward child, perhaps they mean that a person without a purpose, a plan for the future, just dies on the vine and fades away. If a political party deploys this proverb, perhaps they mean that if you don’t vote their candidate in, along with his or her perspective and program, then ‘the nation’ (substituted for ‘the people’) will perish. Both of these uses reveal shoddy hermeneutics; that is, their interpretation is off the mark. If they want to say these things, then they will have to go elsewhere in search of Biblical support.

 It turns out that this phrase is only half of the proverb. Also, there are some nearby proverbs that touch on the same theme. So, this proverb does have some context to help us understand what it means. 

 What does the proverb actually say? Let’s compare different versions. 

29: 18. Where there is no vision, the people perish:                                                                      but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.                                                                                                                             (King James Version)

 Let’s examine a few words here. A key word is translated as ‘vision’. The word is chazon in Hebrew, and it does mean vision, but not your child’s plan for skipping college, or your pastor’s plan for drastic changes in your church. That is not the ‘vision’ that this verse talks about. This word does not refer to human insight or wisdom. Let’s check other places where this word occurs in the Bible. 

Isaiah 1:1. “The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem…. Hear, O Heavens, and listen, O Earth; for the LORD has spoken: ‘I reared up children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me’.”

 Who is speaking in this ‘vision’? God spoke to Isaiah and Isaiah proclaimed what God said to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. What do we usually call the work of people like Isaiah? We call it prophecy.

Ezekiel 12: 21-28. “The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Mortal, what is this proverb of yours about the land of Israel, which says, The days are prolonged and every vision comes to nothing? … But say to them, the days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision. … I the LORD will speak the word that I speak, and it will be fulfilled. … Mortal, the house of Israel is saying, The vision that he sees is for many years ahead; he prophecies for distant times. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord GOD’.” 

 It seems pretty clear in Ezekiel that God is equating three words and phrases: ‘vision’, ‘the word of the Lord’, and ‘prophecy’.

Hosea 12: 10.  “I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets I will bring destruction.”

 Once again, the word in Hebrew that is translated ‘vision’ is a synonym for prophecy. Indeed, many newer versions translate the proverb that way.

29: 18. Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint,                                                   but happy are those who keep the law.                                                                                                                (New Revised Standard Version)

29: 18. Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are     unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].                                                                        (Amplified Version)

29: 18. Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint;                         but he who keeps Torah is happy.                                                                                                  (Complete Jewish Bible)

29: 18.  Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.                           (New International Version)

 Now, without such a detailed approach, let’s look at the rest of the parable. The other translations tell us that ‘perish’ is not the proper modern English word since none of them use it. The word ‘perish’ may have been appropriate when the King James version written in late Medieval English came out; however, by my calendar, it is no longer 1611 A.D. 

 For a contemporary audience, the meaning is that, without an understanding of the word of God, the people cut loose. It is the job of the preacher to provide a fresh prophetic word; ‘to prophesy’ also means ‘to proclaim the word of the Lord’. Without good preaching, who knows what mischief the people who call themselves Christians might get into? 

 The second half of the proverb is about what happens when people do hear good preaching. May God save us from a watered down sermon that is light on the Biblical text and thus able to be twisted toward the liberal side with a sloppy and overly tolerant application, or able to be twisted toward the conservative side with a cold and judgmental application.  

 This proverb is not about the Republican Party’s plan nor about the Democratic Party’s program; so let’s not pretend that it is. This proverb is not about whether the nation will survive or not; so let’s not pretend that it is. 

 Rather, this proverb is about the ‘vision’ sent by God, the ‘prophecy’, ‘the word of God’ that we read in the Bible. And, one hopes and prays, this proverb is about the sermon that we hear from the pulpit. Once again we have to learn the lesson of the universe: “It’s not about us.” It’s about God. What is God’s vision for a good godly society? What wisdom can be found in the Bible for those who call themselves ‘the people of God’. What guidance and empowerment is waiting for those who diligently search for God? We will have to read and read and read to see.