A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
A prudent person sees danger coming and takes cover by refuge or precaution, while the thoughtless keep going without heed and suffer harmful consequences as their punishment. The danger foreseen includes both upheavals of nature and violence and conflict among men, announced beforehand by gathering signs, warnings, rising crime, and judgments. Above all it is a warning of the coming climax of the world's wickedness and its punishment reaching into eternity, for God gives foreknowledge of what is coming and it is folly to disregard it. The wise course is to heed alarming evils in the social, political, and religious world by God's Word, to seek the secure refuge He provides before destruction comes, and to warn and shelter others, for those who pass on carelessly will find it too late to escape.
Origin and Plain Meaning
The saying stands within the collection of Solomon's proverbs found in chapters 25 to 29. That collection was copied out of Solomon's writings and brought together by men appointed in Hezekiah's time, about three hundred years after Solomon.
A prudent person foresees approaching danger and hides himself by taking refuge, shelter, and precautions to avoid it. The simple or unwise or inexperienced instead pass on heedlessly, ignoring the warning, and are punished by suffering its harmful consequences. Prudence therefore lies in recognizing impending danger ahead and taking steps in time rather than continuing on into it.
The evil foreseen covers both natural disasters and human violence and conflict. Its approach is signaled by gathering clouds, warnings, increasing crimes, and judgments.
Prophetic Warning and Application
Prophecy warns of the approaching climax of the world's wickedness and its punishment, and prudence heeds that warning and takes shelter while simplicity ignores it and suffers the consequences, just as the end of Belshazzar was foretold before ancient Babylon fell. That warning reaches to the eternal future, for God gives warnings about what is coming and it is folly to disregard them, as the visions of the future given to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar stand as warnings to the rulers who followed. The same prudence applies to alarming evils in the social, political, and religious world, which are to be judged by God's Word and heeded as a warning to find refuge for oneself and for others.
In booming times the warning is that unwise ventures will collapse, and that evil days rather than a bright future in this world are foretold, so the prudent recognize impending danger and take steps to avoid it while the inexperienced continue heedlessly and suffer. The secure course is to seek the refuge God provides instead of passing heedlessly through danger, since the prudent recognize approaching danger and take refuge while the simple ignore it and suffer harm from both natural disasters and human violence and conflict. Sinners in particular are warned to recognize approaching danger signaled by gathering clouds, warnings, increasing crimes, and judgments, and to seek shelter before destruction comes, for those who ignore the warnings and continue carelessly will face punishment when it is too late.
The failure to foresee danger is seen in choosing a worldly, idolatrous affection in marriage, for pursuing such a relationship shows lack of recognition of the danger ahead and can bring trouble and even eternal ruin, while the prudent see danger ahead and avoid it and the simple continue into it and suffer. Anticipating danger and taking precautions is also prudent in temporal affairs, so insuring property can be such a precaution when a person judges it necessary, including because of others' carelessness or a mortgage requirement, with whether to insure left as a matter of conscience. When danger threatens, prayer should increase, for practical wisdom sees danger ahead and takes steps to avoid it, and it is wiser to foresee the danger and pray to avoid it than to enter it and then pray for deliverance.
A prudent person sees danger coming and takes cover by refuge or precaution, while the thoughtless keep going without heed and suffer harmful consequences as their punishment. The danger foreseen includes both upheavals of nature and violence and conflict among men, announced beforehand by gathering signs, warnings, rising crime, and judgments. Above all it is a warning of the coming climax of the world's wickedness and its punishment reaching into eternity, for God gives foreknowledge of what is coming and it is folly to disregard it. The wise course is to heed alarming evils in the social, political, and religious world by God's Word, to seek the secure refuge He provides before destruction comes, and to warn and shelter others, for those who pass on carelessly will find it too late to escape.
Origin and Plain Meaning
The saying stands within the collection of Solomon's proverbs found in chapters 25 to 29. That collection was copied out of Solomon's writings and brought together by men appointed in Hezekiah's time, about three hundred years after Solomon.
A prudent person foresees approaching danger and hides himself by taking refuge, shelter, and precautions to avoid it. The simple or unwise or inexperienced instead pass on heedlessly, ignoring the warning, and are punished by suffering its harmful consequences. Prudence therefore lies in recognizing impending danger ahead and taking steps in time rather than continuing on into it.
The evil foreseen covers both natural disasters and human violence and conflict. Its approach is signaled by gathering clouds, warnings, increasing crimes, and judgments.
Prophetic Warning and Application
Prophecy warns of the approaching climax of the world's wickedness and its punishment, and prudence heeds that warning and takes shelter while simplicity ignores it and suffers the consequences, just as the end of Belshazzar was foretold before ancient Babylon fell. That warning reaches to the eternal future, for God gives warnings about what is coming and it is folly to disregard them, as the visions of the future given to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar stand as warnings to the rulers who followed. The same prudence applies to alarming evils in the social, political, and religious world, which are to be judged by God's Word and heeded as a warning to find refuge for oneself and for others.
In booming times the warning is that unwise ventures will collapse, and that evil days rather than a bright future in this world are foretold, so the prudent recognize impending danger and take steps to avoid it while the inexperienced continue heedlessly and suffer. The secure course is to seek the refuge God provides instead of passing heedlessly through danger, since the prudent recognize approaching danger and take refuge while the simple ignore it and suffer harm from both natural disasters and human violence and conflict. Sinners in particular are warned to recognize approaching danger signaled by gathering clouds, warnings, increasing crimes, and judgments, and to seek shelter before destruction comes, for those who ignore the warnings and continue carelessly will face punishment when it is too late.
The failure to foresee danger is seen in choosing a worldly, idolatrous affection in marriage, for pursuing such a relationship shows lack of recognition of the danger ahead and can bring trouble and even eternal ruin, while the prudent see danger ahead and avoid it and the simple continue into it and suffer. Anticipating danger and taking precautions is also prudent in temporal affairs, so insuring property can be such a precaution when a person judges it necessary, including because of others' carelessness or a mortgage requirement, with whether to insure left as a matter of conscience. When danger threatens, prayer should increase, for practical wisdom sees danger ahead and takes steps to avoid it, and it is wiser to foresee the danger and pray to avoid it than to enter it and then pray for deliverance.