Commentary - Proverbs 16:7

Bird's-eye view

This proverb is a compact marvel of practical theology, linking a man's private walk with God to his public peace with men. It presents a foundational principle of God's moral government of the world: personal righteousness has public consequences. The verse is structured as a conditional promise. The condition is that a man's life, his "ways," are pleasing to the Lord. The promise, executed by God Himself, is a supernatural pacification of that man's enemies. This is not a promise of a conflict-free life, for pleasing God often creates enemies in the first place. Rather, it is a promise of God's sovereign intervention in those conflicts. He is able to take the very enemies that righteousness stirs up and cause them to be at peace. It is a profound statement about God's sovereignty over the hearts of all men, and a call for believers to focus on their vertical relationship with God as the key to their horizontal relationships, even the hostile ones.

In essence, Solomon is teaching his son that the best foreign policy is a domestic policy of righteousness. If you get your heart and conduct right before God, God will take care of your adversaries. This runs contrary to all the world's wisdom, which would have us manage our enemies through manipulation, appeasement, or intimidation. The proverb tells us to forget all that and to concentrate on the one thing that matters: walking in a way that pleases our covenant Lord.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 16 is a chapter saturated with the theme of God's sovereignty over human affairs. It begins by contrasting man's plans with the Lord's answer (v. 1) and declaring that the Lord weighs the motives (v. 2). It instructs the reader to commit his works to the Lord (v. 3) and states that Yahweh has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil (v. 4). The chapter climaxes with the declaration that "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of Yahweh; He turns it wherever He wishes" (v. 21:1, a related theme). Our verse, 16:7, fits perfectly within this stream of thought. It is a specific application of the general principle of God's meticulous rule. If God can turn the heart of a king, He can certainly soften the heart of a troublesome neighbor or a business rival. This proverb is part of the Bible's consistent teaching that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that a life lived in submission to Him is the path not only to eternal life, but to temporal blessing and peace.

Key Issues

Let God Handle Your Enemies

There is a profound security offered in this proverb, a security that the world cannot begin to comprehend. The world's approach to dealing with enemies is one of frantic management. You have to strategize, placate, intimidate, form alliances, or run and hide. It is exhausting work, and it places the Christian on the same carnal level as his adversary. This proverb offers a radically different strategy: ignore your enemies. Not in the sense of being naive or foolish, but in the sense of making them a secondary or even tertiary concern. Your primary, all-consuming concern should be this: are my ways pleasing to Yahweh?

If the answer to that question is yes, then God takes responsibility for your enemies. The verb is active: "He makes" them to be at peace. This is a divine intervention. This is God stepping into your personal conflicts, your business rivalries, your church squabbles, and your political battles. He reaches into the heart of the man who hates you and, for His own reasons and for your good, He quiets that man's spirit. We see this throughout Scripture. Abimelech came seeking a treaty with Isaac because he saw that God was with him (Gen. 26:28). Jacob, terrified of Esau, wrestled with God, not Esau, and God turned Esau's heart of vengeance into a heart of forgiveness (Gen. 32-33). Daniel's ways were so pleasing to God that God gave him favor with pagan kings and shut the mouths of lions. The principle is clear: you handle the righteousness, and God will handle the results.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to Yahweh, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

We must begin with the condition: "When a man's ways are pleasing to Yahweh." The word for "ways" here is derek, which refers to a path, a course of life. This is not about isolated good deeds or a decent Sunday morning performance. This is about the entire trajectory of a man's life, his business dealings, his family conduct, how he speaks, what he thinks, what he loves, what he hates. It is comprehensive. And the standard is not whether these ways are pleasing to his wife, his pastor, or his neighbors, but whether they are pleasing to Yahweh, the covenant God. This means a life lived by faith, according to His revealed will in Scripture. It is a life characterized by humility, integrity, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This is the root.

Now for the fruit: "He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." The actor is God. This is not a natural, psychological phenomenon where being a "nice person" eventually wins people over. This is a supernatural work of the sovereign God. He actively intervenes. And the object of His work is what makes the promise so stunning: "even his enemies." The text anticipates that a righteous man will have enemies. A life that is pleasing to God will inevitably be displeasing to a fallen world. Righteousness is abrasive to the wicked. So the proverb does not promise that you will not have enemies. It promises that God will deal with them. He will cause them to be at shalam, at peace. This can take many forms. It could be a change of heart in the enemy, a grudging respect, or a situation where the enemy is simply restrained from acting on his hostility. The point is that God orchestrates a cessation of hostilities for the sake of His faithful child. This is God's vindication of His servant in the sight of the world.

Application

The application of this proverb is wonderfully simple, though profoundly difficult. Stop spending so much time and emotional energy trying to manage the opinions of other people, especially the opinions of your adversaries. Your primary business is not public relations; your primary business is private righteousness. Pour your energy into conforming your "ways" to the Word of God. Study the Scriptures, pray for a heart of obedience, and walk in faith.

When conflict arises, as it will, your first instinct should not be to strategize about how to defeat your opponent. Your first instinct should be to look in the mirror and ask, "Are my ways pleasing to the Lord in this matter?" If you are in sin, repent. If you are walking faithfully, then stand firm and trust God. Pray for your enemies, yes, but leave the disposition of their hearts in the hands of the one who holds all hearts in His hand. This proverb is a call to exchange the heavy yoke of fearing man for the light yoke of pleasing God. Do your duty, which is to please Him, and trust Him to do His work, which is to govern the world, including everyone who hates you.