Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like so many in this book, draws a sharp, clean contrast between two kinds of men living in God's world: the wise man and the fool. The verse hinges on their respective reactions to evil. One man sees it, fears it, and gives it a wide berth. The other man, in his folly, barrels straight toward it, full of a misplaced and self-destructive confidence. The verse is a diagnostic tool. Do you want to know whether you are walking in wisdom or in folly? Look at how you respond to the presence of sin and temptation. The wise man's fear is not cowardice; it is a healthy and realistic assessment of the danger. The fool's confidence is not courage; it is a blind and arrogant presumption. Ultimately, the difference between them is their relationship to God. The wise man fears God, and therefore rightly fears sin. The fool does not fear God, and so he feels dangerously secure in the very shadow of death.
The structure is a simple antithetical parallelism. The first line describes the wise man's prudent retreat from evil. The second line describes the fool's reckless advance. The verbs are key: "fears" and "turns away" versus "gets angry" and "feels secure." This is not just about abstract knowledge; it is about practical, observable reactions to the moral realities of the world. Wisdom and folly are not just states of mind; they are ways of walking.
Outline
- 1. The Two Paths Diverge (Prov 14:16)
- a. The Reaction of Wisdom: Healthy Fear and Prudent Retreat (v. 16a)
- b. The Reaction of Folly: Arrogant Rage and False Security (v. 16b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs consistently presents a world with two paths and two destinations. There is the way of wisdom, which is the way of life, and the way of folly, which is the way of death. This verse fits squarely within that overarching theme. It echoes the foundational principle of the entire book: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov 1:7). The "fear" mentioned in our text is a downstream application of this foundational "fear of the LORD." Because the wise man fears God, he has a healthy respect for the moral order God has established. He knows that sin has consequences, that it is a venomous serpent, and so he wisely keeps his distance. The fool, despising this foundational wisdom, sees no real danger in evil. This verse is part of a large tapestry of such contrasts, painting a cumulative picture of what it looks like to walk as a wise man or a fool in the nitty-gritty of everyday life.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Biblical Fear
- The Definition of a Fool
- The Relationship Between Anger and Folly
- The Deception of False Security
- Wisdom as Practical Action
Wisdom's Caution, Folly's Confidence
In our therapeutic age, fear is almost universally seen as a negative emotion to be overcome. Confidence and self-assurance are lauded as the great virtues. But the Bible's moral universe is not so simplistic. There are things a man ought to be afraid of. A man who is not afraid of a rattlesnake is not brave; he is a fool. A man who is not afraid of leaping from a tall building is not courageous; he is an idiot. And a man who is not afraid of evil, of sin, is not a spiritual giant; he is a spiritual moron.
This proverb sets before us two postures. The wise man is cautious. He is circumspect. He looks where he is going. The fool is rash. He is cocksure. He is self-confident. And this difference is not a matter of personality type; it is a matter of spiritual orientation. The wise man knows he is walking through a world filled with snares and temptations. He knows his own heart is susceptible to temptation. He knows that sin promises pleasure but pays out in death. This knowledge produces a healthy, godly fear that makes him careful. The fool, on the other hand, trusts in his own heart, and as another proverb tells us, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool" (Prov 28:26). His confidence is the very proof of his folly.
Verse by Verse Commentary
16a A wise man fears and turns away from evil,
The first half of the verse gives us the portrait of the wise man. His wisdom is demonstrated in two connected actions: he fears, and he turns away. The fear comes first. This is not a cowering, neurotic anxiety. It is a clear-eyed recognition of danger. He sees evil for what it is: a threat to his soul, an offense to his God, a path to destruction. He understands that playing with sin is like playing with fire. This holy fear is the engine that drives his action. Because he fears, he turns away. The Hebrew word here means to depart, to swerve, to avoid. He doesn't flirt with evil. He doesn't see how close he can get to the edge without falling off. He doesn't try to "manage" his sin. He makes a decisive turn and puts distance between himself and the evil. This is the picture of repentance. It is not just feeling bad about sin; it is actively turning and walking in the opposite direction.
16b But a fool gets angry and feels secure.
Now we see the fool, and his reaction is the polar opposite. Instead of prudent fear, he exhibits anger. The word here can mean to be enraged, to fly into a passion. Why anger? Because the fool resents any suggestion that he should restrain himself. When confronted with a warning, when told that a certain path is dangerous, his pride flares up. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" He is not angry at the evil; he is angry at the warning against the evil. This rage is coupled with a profound and deadly sense of security. He is confident, sure of himself. He thinks he can handle it. He believes he is the exception to the rule. He strolls into temptation, absolutely certain that he will not fall. This combination of hot-headed rage and cool self-confidence is the fool's express train to ruin. He is secure in the very thing that will destroy him.
Application
This proverb forces us to ask some hard questions. When you are confronted with temptation, what is your gut reaction? Is it a healthy fear that leads you to flee, or is it a flash of resentment that someone would dare to impinge on your autonomy? Do you think of yourself as strong enough to dabble in a little sin without getting burned? That is the fool's confidence.
The wise man knows his own weakness. He knows that his only safety is in staying far from the fire. He doesn't trust his own willpower. He trusts in the Lord, and part of trusting in the Lord is obeying His command to flee youthful passions and to make no provision for the flesh. The wise man prays, "Lead us not into temptation," and then he has the good sense not to go running headlong into it himself.
The ultimate wisdom, of course, is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the wisest man who ever lived. He faced the ultimate evil, the ultimate temptation in the wilderness, and He did not flirt with it. He turned from it by wielding the sword of the Spirit. Yet on the cross, He did not turn away from the evil of our sin. He took it upon Himself. He entered into the heart of the danger for us, so that we, who are by nature fools full of rash confidence, might be made wise. The gospel is what transforms us from arrogant fools into cautious, wise men. We learn to fear sin precisely because we have seen what it cost the Son of God. We learn to turn from it because He has given us a new heart that desires holiness. The fear of the wise man is not the fear of a slave before a tyrant; it is the loving, respectful fear of a son who has been redeemed from folly and does not want to grieve the Father who saved him.