Bird's-eye view
This proverb describes the foul companions that always travel with wickedness. It is a tightly constructed piece of Hebrew parallelism that reveals a fundamental law of God's moral universe: sin is never a solitary affair. When a wicked man shows up, he doesn't come alone. He brings with him an attitude of contempt for all that is good, true, and beautiful. And in the same way, the objective state of disgrace that results from his sin inevitably attracts the subjective experience of public reproach and scorn. This verse is a spiritual diagnosis. It teaches us that contempt is a symptom of wickedness, and reproach is the wages of disgrace. Sin pollutes, and that pollution has social consequences that are as certain as gravity.
The structure is a classic A/B parallel. The arrival of the wicked (`rasha`) brings contempt (`buz`). In the same way, the arrival of disgrace (`qalon`) brings reproach (`cherpah`). The first line deals with the wicked man's active posture toward the world, which is one of scorn. The second line deals with the world's reactive posture toward his resulting shame, which is also one of scorn. It is a perfect and terrible symmetry.
Outline
- 1. The Inevitable Entourage of Sin (Prov 18:3)
- a. The Wicked Man and His Contempt (Prov 18:3a)
- b. The Disgraced Man and His Reproach (Prov 18:3b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs is built upon the great antithesis between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the fool. This verse fits squarely within that overarching theme. It is one of many proverbs that describes the character and consequences of wickedness. In the surrounding verses, Solomon discusses the fool's mouth leading to ruin (v. 2, 6, 7) and the destructive power of gossip (v. 8). Proverbs 18:3 adds to this portrait by showing that the wicked man's problem is not just what he says, but the arrogant and contemptuous heart from which it all flows. His presence fundamentally corrupts social interactions because he despises the very standards of righteousness that make true community possible. This verse explains the why behind the destructive words mentioned in the surrounding context.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Wickedness
- The Connection Between Pride and Contempt
- The Difference Between Objective Disgrace and Subjective Reproach
- The Social Consequences of Sin
- The Moral Structure of God's World
Sin's Shadow
There is a law of spiritual accompaniment described in this proverb. Certain things always travel together. You cannot have one without the other, any more than you can have a front without a back. This proverb tells us what travels with wickedness, and what travels with disgrace. Think of it as sin's shadow. Where the object of sin is, the shadow of contempt and reproach will inevitably fall.
The modern world wants to de-couple sin from its consequences. It wants to call wickedness a lifestyle choice and disgrace a form of victimization. But God has hardwired the universe in such a way that this is impossible. The apostle Paul says the same thing in the New Testament: the wages of sin is death. This proverb is a specific application of that principle to the social realm. The payment for wickedness is contempt, and the payment for disgrace is reproach. You cannot separate the action from the paycheck.
Verse by Verse Commentary
3 When a wicked man comes, despising also comes...
The verse begins with the arrival of a rasha, a wicked man. This is not someone who simply makes mistakes; this is a man whose character is set in opposition to God's law. And what is his calling card? What does he bring with him to the party? He brings buz, which means contempt, scorn, or despising. The wicked man is fundamentally arrogant. At the root of his wickedness is pride, the original sin of Satan. Because he has set himself up as the ultimate standard, he necessarily despises all other standards and all other people. He has contempt for God, contempt for God's law, and contempt for God's image-bearers. When he walks into a room, the spiritual atmosphere changes. A spirit of mockery, cynicism, and scorn follows him like a cheap cologne. This is because wickedness cannot live in the presence of genuine honor and respect; it must tear everything down to its own level.
...And with disgrace comes reproach.
The second clause is parallel and builds on the first. The word for disgrace is qalon, which refers to ignominy, shame, or dishonor. This is the objective state that the wicked man's actions earn for him. He has acted shamefully, and therefore he is in a state of disgrace. This is not primarily a feeling; it is a fact. And what is the inevitable result of this objective state of disgrace? It attracts cherpah, which is reproach, taunting, and scorn from others. When a man's honor is stripped from him because of his sin, the world does not, as a rule, rush in to cover him. Rather, it rushes in to point and mock. God has built this reaction into the fabric of social life. Disgrace is the bait, and reproach is the shark. This is a form of temporal judgment. The wicked man who deals in contempt finds that the only currency he gets back is the reproach that his disgrace has earned.
Application
First, this proverb is a powerful diagnostic tool. If you want to identify wickedness, look for contempt. A spirit of perpetual scorn, cynicism, and mockery is a flashing red light on the dashboard of the soul. It reveals a heart that has set itself against God and His established order. This is true for an individual, a family, a church, or a nation. When despising comes, know that a wicked man has come also.
Second, this is a warning against our own sin. When we indulge in wickedness, we think we can manage the consequences. We think we can sin in a corner and keep our public honor intact. This proverb tells us that is a fool's errand. Your sin will bring you into a state of disgrace, and that disgrace will attract reproach as surely as a carcass attracts vultures. You cannot sin and expect to be honored. The universe is not built that way. The only path to honor is the path of righteousness.
Finally, this proverb should drive us to the foot of the cross. Where do we find the ultimate fulfillment of this verse? We find it in the Lord Jesus Christ. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. He came, and though He was perfectly righteous, He allowed the contempt of wicked men to be heaped upon Him. He endured the ultimate disgrace, the ultimate qalon, of the cross. And with that disgrace came the reproach, the cherpah, of the crowds who mocked Him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself." He took the full force of this proverb upon Himself. He absorbed all the contempt and reproach that our wickedness and disgrace deserved. And He did it so that we, through faith in Him, could be delivered from our disgrace and clothed in His honor. He took our reproach so that we might receive His commendation: "Well done, good and faithful servant."