Proverbs 28:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law contend with them.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

עֹזְבֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָה יְהַֽלְל֣וּ רָשָׁ֑ע וְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י ת֝וֹרָ֗ה יִתְגָּ֥רוּ בָֽם׃

Transliteration

ʿōzḇê tôrāh yəhaləlû rāšāʿ wə-šōmərê tôrāh yiṯgārû ḇām

Grammar Details

• *ʿōzḇê*: Qal participle, masculine plural construct - those forsaking/abandoning
• *tôrāh*: noun, feminine singular - law/teaching/instruction
• *yəhaləlû*: Piel imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they praise
• *rāšāʿ*: adjective/noun, masculine singular - wicked/evil person
• *wə-šōmərê*: conjunction + Qal participle, masculine plural construct - and those keeping/observing
• *yiṯgārû*: Hithpael imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they contend/struggle
• *ḇām*: preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - against them

Word Meanings

• *ʿōzḇê*: those forsaking/those abandoning/those leaving
• *tôrāh*: law/teaching/instruction
• *yəhaləlû*: they praise/they commend
• *rāšāʿ*: wicked person/evil one/guilty one
• *šōmərê*: those keeping/those observing/those guarding
• *yiṯgārû*: they contend with/they struggle against/they engage in conflict

Referenced Verses

• Eph 5:11 : 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
• Matt 3:7 : 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,“You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
• Rom 1:32 : 32 Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.
• 1 Kgs 18:18 : 18 Elijah replied,“I have not brought disaster on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the LORD’s commandments and following the Baals.
• Matt 14:4 : 4 because John had repeatedly told him,“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
• Ps 10:3 : 3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants; the one who robs others curses and rejects the LORD.
• Ps 49:18 : 18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:“May men praise you, for you have done well!”
• 1 Kgs 18:21 : 21 Elijah approached all the people and said,“How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.
• 1 Kgs 20:41-42 : 41 The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet then said to him,“This is what the LORD has said,‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life and your people will suffer instead of his people.’”
• 1 Kgs 21:19-20 : 19 Say to him,‘This is what the LORD has said:“Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him,‘This is what the LORD has said:“In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood– yes, yours!”’” 20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,“So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied,“I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD.
• 1 Kgs 22:19-28 : 19 Micaiah said,“That being the case, listen to the LORD’s message. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing beside him on his right and on his left. 20 The LORD said,‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 21 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said,‘I will deceive him.’ 22 The LORD asked him,‘How?’ He replied,‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said,‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 23 So now, look, the LORD has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the LORD has decreed disaster for you.” 24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said,“Which way did the LORD’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 25 Micaiah replied,“Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 26 Then the king of Israel said,“Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 27 Say,‘This is what the king says,“Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water until I safely return.”’” 28 Micaiah said,“If you really do safely return, then the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added,“Take note, all you people.”
• 2 Kgs 3:13-14 : 13 Elisha said to the king of Israel,“Why are you here? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets!” The king of Israel replied to him,“No, for the LORD is the one who summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to Moab.” 14 Elisha said,“As certainly as the LORD of Heaven’s Armies lives(whom I serve), if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you.
• Neh 5:7-9 : 7 I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with the wealthy and the officials. I said to them,“Each one of you is seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!” Because of them I called for a great public assembly. 8 I said to them,“To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say. 9 Then I said,“The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives and my associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! 11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.” 12 They replied,“We will return these things, and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised. 13 I also shook out my garment, and I said,“In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied,“So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.
• Neh 13:8-9 : 8 I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. 9 Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense. 10 I also discovered that the portions for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. 11 So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking,“Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.
• Neh 13:15 : 15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions.
• Neh 13:17-20 : 17 So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them,“What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!” 19 When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 20 The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.
• Neh 13:23-26 : 23 Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod(or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. 25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying,“You will not marry off your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! 26 Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin!
• Neh 13:28 : 28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight.
• Jer 5:30 : 30 “Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah:
• 1 Sam 15:14-24 : 14 Samuel replied,“If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul said,“They were brought from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD our God. But everything else we slaughtered.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul,“Wait a minute! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” Saul said to him,“Tell me.” 17 Samuel said,“Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD chose you as king over Israel. 18 The LORD sent you on a campaign saying,‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ 19 Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the LORD’s estimation.” 20 Then Saul said to Samuel,“But I have obeyed the LORD! I went on the campaign the LORD sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle– the best of what was to be slaughtered– to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 22 Then Samuel said,“Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the LORD’s orders, he has rejected you from being king.” 24 Then Saul said to Samuel,“I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the LORD commanded and your words as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I obeyed their voice.
• 1 Sam 22:14-15 : 14 Ahimelech replied to the king,“Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house! 15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse his servant or any of my father’s house. For your servant is not aware of all this– not in whole or in part!”
• 1 Sam 23:19-21 : 19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said,“Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 20 Now at your own discretion, O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.” 21 Saul replied,“May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.
• Acts 12:22 : 22 But the crowd began to shout,“The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
• Acts 15:2 : 2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate with them, the church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this point of disagreement.
• Acts 19:9 : 9 But when some were stubborn and refused to believe, reviling the Way before the congregation, he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
• Acts 24:2-4 : 2 When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,“We have experienced a lengthy time of peace through your rule, and reforms are being made in this nation through your foresight. 3 Most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way with all gratitude. 4 But so that I may not delay you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.
• Gal 2:3-6 : 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. 4 Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. 5 But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. 6 But from those who were influential(whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)– those influential leaders added nothing to my message.
• Matt 3:15 : 15 So Jesus replied to him,“Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him.
• 1 Thess 2:2 : 2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of much opposition.
• 1 John 4:5 : 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them.
• Jude 1:3 : 3 Condemnation of the False Teachers Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.