What is the meaning of Proverbs 29:25? The fear of man - “Fear” here is not healthy respect; it is the anxious need to win approval, avoid criticism, or dodge opposition. - Examples the Bible gives of this unhealthy fear: • King Saul confessed, “I have sinned… because I feared the people” (1 Samuel 15:24). • Religious leaders believed in Jesus “but… loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43). • Paul contrasts this attitude with true discipleship: “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). - When the opinions of people loom larger than the Word of God, our motives, decisions, and even our worship become distorted. is a snare - A snare is a hidden trap that clamps down suddenly. Fear of what others think quietly sets itself, then springs at the crucial moment. - Scripture pictures sin’s traps often: “An evil man is caught by his own sin” (Proverbs 29:6); “My eyes are ever on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the net” (Psalm 25:15). - Real-life snares: • Peter, intimidated by a servant girl’s question, denied Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62). • Pilate, fearing the crowd, handed over the innocent Savior (Matthew 27:24). - The result is bondage—compromise, silence, spiritual paralysis. but whoever trusts in the LORD - Trust is the deliberate choice to lean the whole weight of life on God’s character and promises. - Proverbs circles back to this theme often: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5-6); “He who trusts in the LORD will prosper” (Proverbs 28:25). - Trust shifts our focus: • From people’s changing moods to God’s unchanging faithfulness (Psalm 56:3-4). • From self-protection to God’s sovereign care (Isaiah 26:3). - Trust is active: we obey even when it might cost us socially, financially, or physically, believing God’s verdict outweighs every human verdict. is set securely on high - The phrase pictures a fortified height—safe, out of reach of danger. - David testifies: “He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5). - Additional assurances: • “Because he loves Me, I will set him securely on high, for he knows My name” (Psalm 91:14). • “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). - God does not promise the absence of earthly threats, but He guarantees ultimate security—spiritual, eternal, and often practical protection right now. summary Proverbs 29:25 contrasts two ways to live. Let the dread of human opinion drive you, and you step into a hidden trap that tightens around your soul. Place your confidence in the Lord, and He lifts you to a place of safety beyond the reach of those same pressures. One path leads to bondage; the other to freedom and unshakable security. |
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