Lexical Summary matsar: Distress, siege, constraint Original Word: מַעְצָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rule From atsar; subjectively, control -- rule. see HEBREW atsar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom atsar Definition restraint, control NASB Translation control (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַעְצָר noun [masculine] restraint, control; — ׳מ Proverbs 25:28 a man whose spirit is without control. עקב (√ of following, meaning dubious: Thes assumes be protuberant, whence both עָקֵב heel and II. עָקֹב hilly). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery מַעְצָר evokes the idea of restraint, control, or governance. In Proverbs 25:28 the term is set in contrast to a breached, wall-less city, picturing the human spirit as a fortified place that requires protective boundaries. When those boundaries are absent or compromised, the whole person is exposed to invasion, disorder, and eventual ruin. Usage in Proverbs 25:28 “Like a city broken down without walls is a man without self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28) The verse employs vivid, military-urban imagery familiar to the original audience. Walled cities in the Ancient Near East represented security, dignity, and orderly civic life. A shattered wall signified shame, vulnerability, and impending defeat. By equating lack of מַעְצָר with such a city, the sage teaches that self-control is not a peripheral virtue; it is the primary defense of one’s inner life. Wisdom Literature and Moral Self-Governance Within Proverbs, mastery of one’s spirit is repeatedly placed above feats of outward prowess: “Better a patient man than a warrior, and one who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32). Wisdom instruction thus considers restraint a greater conquest than military victory. The term מַעְצָר crystallizes this priority—inner rule safeguards every other aspect of life: speech (Proverbs 13:3), emotions (Proverbs 29:11), finances (Proverbs 21:17), and sexual integrity (Proverbs 5:1-23). Historical Background Israelite cities were often defined by their fortifications; loss of walls meant capitulation. Archaeological strata at Lachish and Megiddo reveal burned gates and breached defenses in times of invasion. Listeners in Solomon’s court would have grasped intuitively that an unwalled city was doomed. The proverb harnesses that collective memory to warn the covenant community that moral laxity invites devastation just as surely as crumbling masonry invites an enemy army. Integration with Broader Biblical Teaching on Self-Control Although מַעְצָר appears only once, its theological theme permeates Scripture: Theological Significance 1. Image of God: Humanity is created to exercise dominion (Genesis 1:28). Properly governing one’s own spirit reflects the divine King whose rule is righteous and orderly. Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Spiritual Disciplines: Prayer, fasting, and meditation habitually strengthen the inner walls. Christological Dimension Jesus embodies perfect מַעְצָר. In the wilderness He resists Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11); in Gethsemane He submits His will to the Father (Matthew 26:39), and on the cross He restrains legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). His obedience restores the breached walls of fallen humanity and enables believers to walk in the same self-governed freedom. Homiletical Observations A sermon or teaching series might trace the metaphor of walls through Scripture—Jericho’s collapse, Nehemiah’s rebuilding, Ezekiel’s prophetic measuring—culminating in Revelation’s New Jerusalem whose walls symbolize complete and eternal security. The consistent thread is that God supplies the ultimate fortification, yet He commands His people to cooperate by guarding their hearts (Proverbs 4:23). Conclusion מַעְצָר, though rare, captures a critical biblical principle: self-control is a spiritual bulwark without which every other virtue is exposed to plunder. Wisdom calls believers to maintain and reinforce their interior walls through the power of the Spirit, preserving holiness, witness, and joy until the heavenly city’s gates close forever against all unrighteousness (Revelation 21:27). Forms and Transliterations מַעְצָ֣ר מעצר ma‘·ṣār ma‘ṣār maTzarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 25:28 HEB: אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵ֖ין מַעְצָ֣ר לְרוּחֽוֹ׃ NAS: who has no control over his spirit. KJV: He that [hath] no rule over his own spirit INT: who has control his spirit 1 Occurrence |
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