Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like its immediate predecessor, deals with the nature of true and false security. Verse 10 established that the name of the Lord is a genuinely strong tower into which the righteous run and are safe. This verse now presents the counterfeit. The rich man looks to his wealth as his strong city, his high wall, his source of safety. But the crucial qualifier, delivered with the sharp point of divine insight, is that this high wall exists only "in his own delusion." The contrast is stark: the righteous find objective, absolute safety in the character of God, while the rich man finds only a subjective, imagined safety in the height of his financial walls. It is a proverb about idolatry, contrasting the refuge of faith with the refuge of fantasy.
The core issue is one of trust. Where does a man place his ultimate confidence when the storms of life begin to rage? The righteous man, who may have very little in this world's goods, runs to the Lord. His security is in Another. The rich man, however, trusts in what he possesses. His security is in himself and his accomplishments. But Solomon tells us that this confidence is a grand self-deception. The walls may be high, but they are built of smoke. When the judgment of God comes, such walls offer no protection whatever. This proverb is a sober warning against the perennial temptation to find our security in material things rather than in the living God.
Outline
- 1. The Sinner's Fortress (Prov 18:11)
- a. The Rich Man's Perceived Security (Prov 18:11a)
- b. The Imaginary Nature of that Security (Prov 18:11b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 18:11 must be read as a direct counterpart to Proverbs 18:10. They form a diptych, a pair of contrasting pictures. Verse 10 says, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." This sets the stage for the true and ultimate source of security. Then, verse 11 immediately follows with, "A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own delusion." The literary structure forces the reader to compare these two foundations. One is the unshakeable reality of God's covenant name; the other is the self-constructed fantasy of wealth. This theme is woven throughout Proverbs. For example, "He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf" (Prov 11:28). The book consistently pits the wisdom of fearing God against the folly of trusting in anything created, whether it be one's own strength, intellect, or, as in this case, material possessions.
Key Issues
- The Deceitfulness of Riches
- Idolatry as False Trust
- True vs. False Security
- The Nature of Delusion (Self-Deception)
- The Relationship Between Faith and Material Possessions
The High Wall of Hot Air
Every man builds a fortress for his soul. The question is not whether you will seek security, but where you will seek it. God created us to be dependent creatures, to find our ultimate safety and meaning in Him. But ever since the fall, man's central project has been the attempt to build a tower of Babel, a fortress of his own making, so that he might be secure on his own terms. He wants to be his own god, his own savior, his own strong city.
Proverbs 18:11 dissects one of the most common materials used in this doomed construction project: money. Wealth feels solid. It can buy things, influence people, and solve a great number of earthly problems. It can build literal walls and hire literal guards. From a worldly perspective, there is nothing more practical or secure. But the wisdom of God cuts through this entire way of thinking. God says that the security wealth provides is not just inadequate; it is imaginary. It is a high wall, to be sure, but a high wall in a dream. The man standing on top of it feels safe, but he is standing on nothing. The proverb is not just saying that riches can be lost; it is saying that even while you have them, the security they provide is a lie you tell yourself.
Verse by Verse Commentary
11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city...
The proverb begins by stating the rich man's own assessment of his situation. In his mind, his wealth functions as a fortified city. In the ancient world, a strong city was the ultimate symbol of security. It had high walls, strong gates, and armed watchmen. It was a place of refuge from invading armies, marauding bandits, and the general chaos of the world. This is precisely how the wealthy man views his portfolio. It is his defense against uncertainty, his provision against famine, his protection from the unexpected calamities that befall the poor. He sleeps well at night because he believes his assets have made him untouchable. He has, in effect, made his wealth into his god. The apostle Paul tells us that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5), and this is the practical outworking of that principle. The rich man is not simply enjoying his possessions; he is trusting in them for his ultimate safety and well being. That is a role that only God can fill.
And like a high wall in his own delusion.
Here is the devastating punchline. The Holy Spirit, through Solomon, adds a marginal note to the rich man's blueprint, and that note reads: "This is all in your head." The Hebrew word for delusion here (maskith) refers to an image, a fantasy, or an imagination. The security is not real. The high wall is a mirage. Why is it a delusion? Because wealth cannot protect a man from the things that truly matter. It cannot stop the finality of death. It cannot bribe the final Judge. It cannot heal a guilty conscience. It cannot purchase a single drop of God's favor. It cannot prevent a rebellious son from breaking his father's heart. It cannot protect a nation from the judgment of God when it turns its back on Him. The rich man in Jesus' parable had his barns full to bursting and was planning a comfortable retirement (Luke 12:16-21). But God called him a fool, because that very night his soul was required of him. His high walls could not keep God's summons out. The delusion is the belief that material strength can provide spiritual security. It is the oldest lie in the book, and men are still falling for it every day.
Application
We must not read this proverb and imagine that it only applies to the one-percenters. In our affluent Western society, nearly all of us are "the rich man" by global and historical standards. The temptation to find our security in our bank account, our retirement plan, our career, or our home equity is a constant and subtle danger for every one of us. The question this proverb forces us to ask is this: When I am anxious, where does my heart run for comfort? When I think about the future, what is the foundation of my confidence?
If our first instinct is to check our account balance rather than to fall on our knees, then we are living in the rich man's delusion. We are standing on the top of his imaginary wall. The application is not that wealth is inherently evil; Abraham was very rich, and he was a man of faith. The application is that trust in wealth is always idolatry. God gives us material blessings as tools to be used for His kingdom and as gifts to be enjoyed with thanksgiving. But the moment we begin to see them as our "strong city," they have become a curse to us. We must repent of this idolatry and, like the righteous man in verse 10, learn to run into the strong tower of the name of the Lord. He is the only security that is not a delusion. Our hope is not built on what we have in the bank, but on the fact that Christ's blood was banked for us, an infinite treasure that can never be depleted or destroyed.