Commentary - Proverbs 11:2

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 11:2 presents a stark and foundational contrast that runs through all of Scripture: the way of pride versus the way of humility. This is not merely a bit of good advice for getting along in the world, though it certainly works for that. This is a statement about fundamental spiritual realities. Arrogance, or pride, is the native language of the fallen heart. It is the original sin of Satan, who was not content to be what God made him, and it was the hook that caught our first parents. The result of this pride is always and inevitably disgrace. It is a law of the universe, as fixed as gravity. On the other hand, true wisdom, the kind that builds a life, a family, a culture, is found with the meek, the lowly, the humble. This proverb is a signpost pointing to two paths and two ultimate destinations: the shame that comes from self-exaltation and the wisdom that comes from God to those who humble themselves before Him.

The gospel is shot through this proverb. The ultimate display of arrogance was man trying to ascend to God on his own terms, culminating in the cross, where man in his pride sought to execute God. The ultimate disgrace was Christ bearing our sin and shame on that cross. And the ultimate expression of meekness was the Son of God humbling Himself, taking on the form of a servant. With that meekness came the ultimate wisdom, the wisdom of God in salvation, which confounds the proud and saves those who believe. This proverb, then, is a pocket-sized summary of the cosmic battle between the kingdom of self and the kingdom of God.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 2a When arrogance comes, then comes disgrace,

The Hebrew word for arrogance here is zadon, which carries the sense of insolence, presumption, and pride. It's not just a feeling of self-worth; it is an attitude that puffs itself up at the expense of God and others. Notice the cause-and-effect relationship. It is not "when arrogance comes, disgrace might follow." No, the connection is as certain as the sunrise. "When arrogance comes, then comes disgrace." The one is the herald of the other. Pride is the advance man for shame. Think of it as a law of spiritual physics. What goes up in pride must come down in humiliation.

This is because arrogance is a declaration of independence from God. The arrogant man is his own god, his own lawgiver, his own savior. He is the captain of his own fate, and he wants everyone to know it. But since the one true God is actually running the universe, this posture is fundamentally delusional. It's a man standing on the beach, commanding the tide not to come in. Disgrace is simply the collision of this fantasy with reality. Haman builds a gallows for Mordecai and ends up swinging on it himself. Nebuchadnezzar boasts of his great Babylon and is promptly sent to eat grass like an ox. The Pharisees preen in their righteousness and are blind to the Son of God standing before them. The pattern is unbreakable. Arrogance is a seed, and disgrace is the guaranteed harvest.

v. 2b But with the meek is wisdom.

The contrast is absolute. On the one side, you have the loud, boisterous, self-important parade of arrogance, which always ends in a train wreck. On the other, you have the meek. The Hebrew word here is related to humility and lowliness. The meek are not weaklings or doormats. Moses was the meekest man on earth, and he was no pushover. Meekness is strength under control. It is a right estimation of oneself in relation to God. The meek person knows he is a creature, a sinner saved by grace, and utterly dependent on God for every breath. He is not "puffed up."

And notice what the meek have. "With the meek is wisdom." Wisdom isn't something they achieve through their own cleverness; it is something that takes up residence with them. Wisdom makes its home with the humble. Why? Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and arrogance knows no fear of the Lord. The humble man, aware of his need, is teachable. He listens. He receives correction. He looks to God for guidance. The proud man already knows everything, or so he thinks, and so he is unteachable, a fool in the making. Wisdom, true biblical wisdom, is the skill of living righteously before God. It is a practical, moral, and spiritual understanding of how the world really works. This wisdom is a gift from God, and He gives it to the humble. He resists the proud but gives grace, and wisdom is a central part of that grace, to the humble.

So, the choice presented is clear. You can have arrogance and its ever-present companion, disgrace. Or you can have meekness and its resident guest, wisdom. You cannot have both. The path of pride leads to a cliff. The path of humility leads to life, because it is the path that leads to God Himself, who in Christ is the very wisdom of God for us.

Application

This proverb is a diagnostic tool for the heart. Where do you see arrogance budding in your life? In your conversations, are you quick to speak and slow to listen? In your disagreements, are you more concerned with being right than with being righteous? When you are corrected, do you bristle with defensiveness or receive it with gratitude? These are the vital signs of pride.

The application is repentance. We must turn from our native arrogance, which is a constant temptation, and actively cultivate meekness. This is not done through navel-gazing or self-flagellation. It is done by looking away from ourselves and looking to Christ. He is the ultimate embodiment of meekness. The King of the universe washed His disciples' feet. He was silent before His accusers. He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. When we are united to Him by faith, His Spirit works this same humility in us.

Therefore, we are to put on humility as we would put on a shirt in the morning. We are to walk in meekness, which means dealing with our spouses, our children, our coworkers, and our critics with a gentle and quiet spirit. It means recognizing that any wisdom we have is a gift, any success is from God, and any righteousness we possess is the imputed righteousness of Christ. Living this way is the path of wisdom, and it leads to glory, not the fleeting glory of man, but the eternal weight of glory that God gives to His humble children.