Bird's-eye view
This proverb sets in stark contrast two types of men, distinguished by their handling of that potent emotion, anger. On the one side, you have the man of great understanding, whose defining characteristic is his slowness to wrath. On the other, you have the man of a hasty spirit, the quick-tempered man, who in his heat does not just commit folly, but actually exalts it, lifting it up for all to see. The verse is a masterpiece of Hebrew parallelism, where the second line intensifies and clarifies the first. It teaches us that a long fuse is a mark of genuine wisdom, while a short fuse is a public advertisement of foolishness. This is not a commendation of passionless stoicism, but rather a call for a Spirit-governed restraint that reflects the very character of God, who is Himself described as "slow to anger."
At its heart, this proverb is about self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit. The quick-tempered man is a slave to his passions; he reacts without thinking. The discerning man has his passions on a leash; he responds with considered judgment. The one is driven by the moment, while the other is governed by principle. The end result for the fool is public shame, as his anger makes a spectacle of his lack of wisdom. The reward for the wise man is the quiet dignity of understanding, the ability to navigate the provocations of a fallen world without being constantly upended by them.
Outline
- 1. The Character of Wisdom and Folly (Prov 14:29)
- a. The Wise Man's Restraint (Prov 14:29a)
- b. The Fool's Expression (Prov 14:29b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 14 is a chapter dense with contrasts between the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. This verse fits squarely within that recurring theme. It follows verses that discuss the fruit of a man's lips, the integrity of a witness, and the nature of true knowledge. It precedes verses that deal with the tranquility of the heart versus the rot of envy. The immediate context, therefore, is a series of character studies. The book of Proverbs is intensely practical, designed to equip God's people, particularly young men, to live skillfully in the world. A crucial part of that skill is the mastery of one's own spirit, especially the powerful and dangerous emotion of anger. This verse is one of many in Proverbs that warns against the destructive nature of a hot temper (Prov. 15:18; 16:32; 19:11; 22:24; 29:22) and commends the virtue of patience.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Biblical Discernment
- Righteous vs. Unrighteous Anger
- The Relationship Between Temperament and Folly
- Patience as a Reflection of God's Character
- The Public Nature of Folly
The Long Fuse of Wisdom
The Bible does not teach that all anger is sinful. After all, Paul commands us, "Be ye angry, and sin not" (Eph. 4:26). Jesus Himself looked upon the hard-hearted Pharisees "with anger" (Mark 3:5). God is frequently described as being angry with the wicked. So the issue is not the presence of anger, but the nature and handling of it. The problem is what the Scriptures call "the wrath of man," which "does not produce the righteousness of God" (Jas. 1:20). This is carnal, selfish, thoughtless, reactive anger. It is what this proverb calls being "quick-tempered" or "hasty of spirit."
The virtue commended here is being "slow to anger." This is a divine attribute before it is a human one. The Lord reveals Himself to Moses as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex. 34:6). When we cultivate a long fuse, we are being conformed to the image of our God. This slowness is not an inability to be angry, but a refusal to be mastered by anger. It provides the necessary space for wisdom to operate. It allows time to assess the situation, to distinguish a genuine affront to God's righteousness from a mere slight to our own pride, and to determine a constructive, rather than a destructive, course of action. The man of great understanding has his passions under dominion; the fool is under the dominion of his passions.
Verse by Verse Commentary
29a He who is slow to anger has great discernment,
The first clause establishes the positive principle. The man who is "slow to anger" is literally "long of nostrils" in the Hebrew. The imagery is of a person who breathes slowly and deeply, as opposed to the snorting, flared nostrils of an enraged bull. This deliberate pace in response to provocation is not a sign of weakness or apathy, but rather of great discernment. He has profound understanding. Why? Because he does not let his emotional reaction hijack his rational faculties. He gives himself time to see the situation for what it is. He can distinguish between an insult and a critique. He can weigh the consequences of his words before he speaks them. He can see the bigger picture beyond the immediate offense. This discernment is a form of spiritual strength. It is the wisdom to rule one's own spirit, which Proverbs elsewhere says is greater than the strength required to capture a city (Prov. 16:32).
29b But he who is quick-tempered raises up folly.
The contrast is sharp and vivid. The one who is "quick-tempered" is "short of spirit." He has no buffer, no delay mechanism. The spark of provocation immediately ignites the powder keg of his temper. And what is the result? He "raises up folly." The Hebrew word for "raises up" can also mean to exalt or to lift on high. The quick-tempered man doesn't just do a foolish thing in a corner. He puts his folly on a flagpole for the whole world to see. His outburst, his tirade, his slammed door, his cutting remark, all of it is a public spectacle. He erects a monument to his own foolishness. He thinks his anger demonstrates strength and that he is taking charge, but what everyone else sees is a man who is utterly out of control, a slave to his temper. He thinks he is vindicating his honor, but he is actually broadcasting his lack of wisdom.
Application
This proverb forces us to look in the mirror. Are we known as people with a long fuse or a short one? When we are crossed, contradicted, or inconvenienced, what is our default response? Is it a deep breath and a moment of consideration, or is it a flash of heat and a sharp word? The world often mistakes a quick temper for strength, for being a "go-getter" who doesn't take any nonsense. But God calls it what it is: folly.
The mortification of a hot temper is a central part of Christian sanctification. It requires more than just counting to ten. It requires a fundamental reorientation of the heart. We must first recognize that our carnal anger is an offense to God and a public display of foolishness. We must confess it as sin. Second, we must look to the character of God, who is gloriously slow to anger with us, and pray that His Spirit would produce that same fruit in our lives. Third, we must look to the Lord Jesus Christ. On the cross, He absorbed the full measure of God's righteous wrath against our sin, including the sin of our sinful anger. He was the truly discerning man, who, "when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Pet. 2:23).
Because Christ has pacified God's wrath, we are freed from the slavery of our own. We no longer have to vindicate ourselves with outbursts of temper. Our vindication is in Christ. We can afford to be slow to anger because our ultimate standing is not on the line in every petty squabble. We can breathe deeply, trusting that our Father is in control, and that true strength is not found in exalting our folly, but in the quiet discernment that comes from a heart at peace with God.