Bird's-eye view
Proverbs 22:3 is a masterful piece of Hebrew parallelism, setting two kinds of men, two kinds of responses, and two kinds of outcomes in stark contrast. On the one hand, you have the prudent man, who sees. On the other, you have the simple man, who is blind. The man who sees, acts. The man who is blind, plods on. And because God is not mocked, the man who acts finds refuge, and the man who plods on finds ruin. This is not just practical advice for checking the weather before a picnic; it is a fundamental spiritual diagnostic. It reveals that true wisdom involves seeing the world as it actually is, a place filled with both moral and practical dangers, and taking godly, decisive action. Folly, in contrast, is a kind of willful blindness, an assumption that everything will be fine if you just keep strolling down the broad path. The proverb teaches us that reality has teeth, and it bites the simple.
Outline
- 1. The Wise Man's Response to Danger (v. 3a)
- a. His Perception: He Sees Evil
- b. His Action: He Hides
- 2. The Foolish Man's Response to Danger (v. 3b)
- a. His Inaction: He Passes On
- b. His Consequence: He is Punished
Context In Proverbs
This verse sits in the second major section of Proverbs, the "Proverbs of Solomon" (Prov. 10:1-22:16). This collection is the heart of the book, filled with couplets that contrast the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. Proverbs is not a book of promises in the same way the covenants are. Rather, it is a book of divine wisdom that describes how the world, under God's governance, typically works. These are not platitudes; they are inspired observations about the grain of the universe. Proverbs 22:3 fits perfectly within this framework, illustrating a central theme: the way of wisdom leads to life and security, while the way of folly leads to destruction. It is a call to live skillfully in God's world, a world that is not neutral but is charged with moral consequence.
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Proverbs 22:3
"A prudent man sees evil and hides,"
The Hebrew word for "prudent" here is arum. This is not a word for a nervous, hand-wringing fellow who is afraid of his own shadow. This is a word for shrewdness, for cleverness, for being savvy. The prudent man is nobody's fool. He has his eyes open. He is a realist. He "sees evil." This means he is able to recognize calamity, trouble, or danger up ahead. This could be a looming financial crisis, a coming persecution, or the subtle moral compromise being offered by a colleague. He doesn't have a Pollyanna view of the fallen world; he knows that there are snares and traps for the unwary. And what does he do? He "hides." This is not cowardice; it is sanctified common sense. When you see the tornado coming, you get in the cellar. When you see the moral compromise coming, you get out of the room. This is the action that wisdom demands. The ultimate evil, of course, is the righteous judgment of God against sin. And the prudent man, seeing that judgment coming, hides himself in the only place of refuge there is: the finished work of Jesus Christ.
"But the simple pass on, and are punished."
Here is the contrast. The "simple" (peti) are the naive, the gullible, the open-minded ones who are open to every foolish suggestion that comes along. They are not necessarily malicious, but they are culpably ignorant. They don't see the evil. Or if they do, they don't believe it's really that bad. They think the warnings are for other people. And so, they "pass on." They just keep walking. They stroll right into the ambush they were warned about. They continue on the broad road, whistling a happy tune, utterly oblivious. And the result is not an unfortunate mishap. The text says they "are punished." The Hebrew carries the sense of paying a penalty. There is a bill that comes due for this kind of willful blindness. God has woven cause and effect into the fabric of creation. If you ignore the "Danger: Cliff Edge" sign, you don't just have an accident; you receive the necessary consequences of your folly. The simple man who hears the gospel, who is warned of the wrath to come, and who just "passes on" to more interesting things will not be excused. He will be punished.
Key Issues
- The Nature of Prudence: Godly prudence is not the same as faithless anxiety. Prudence is a virtue that sees clearly and acts decisively, trusting that God honors the use of ordinary means. It is foresight that leads to faithfulness.
- The Blindness of Simplicity: The "simple" man is not a victim of circumstance but of his own character. His inability to see danger stems from a lack of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. He is a fool in the making.
- Foresight and Responsibility: This proverb places a premium on foresight. We are responsible for looking ahead, for considering the consequences of our actions and the trajectory of our culture, and for taking appropriate steps to protect ourselves and our families.
- The Gospel as the Ultimate Refuge: All our lesser acts of prudence point to the ultimate act of prudence. The greatest danger is the wrath of God, and the only hiding place is Christ. Fleeing to Him is the first and most essential act of a prudent man.
Application
There are two men walking down a road. A report comes that a lion is loose up ahead. The prudent man hears the report, evaluates it, and takes a different road, or climbs a tree, or bars the door of a nearby house. He hides. The simple man hears the same report and says, "Oh, I'm sure it will be fine. Lions don't eat people like me." And he keeps walking. This proverb tells us what happens next.
We are called as Christians to be the prudent ones. This means we must cultivate the skill of seeing. We must see the clear and present dangers of the sexual revolution. We must see the economic calamities that our governments are preparing for us. We must see the theological poison being peddled in countless books and pulpits. And seeing, we must act. We must hide our children in the shelter of a robust Christian education. We must hide our resources through wise stewardship. We must hide our souls in sound doctrine and fellowship.
But above all, we must remember the great lion, the roaring lion of God's perfect justice, which is loose in the world seeking to devour sin. The only hiding place from that lion is the Rock of Ages, cleft for us. The most prudent act any man can ever perform is to abandon all trust in himself and run to Jesus Christ. To hear the gospel invitation and to "pass on" is the essence of being simple. And the punishment for such folly is eternal.