Bridges on Proverbs 29:4
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 29:4
 
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4.  The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. {he...: Heb. a man of oblations}
 
Of what avail are the best laws, if they be badly administered? Partiality and injustice absolutely make them null and void. And yet it requires great integrity and moral courage to withstand the temptations of worldly policy and self-interest. God's own throne is built and established by judgment. This then can be the only establishment of the land. The compromise of it to some private ends provokes the anger of God to the chastisement, if not the overthrow, of the land. The article in our Magna Charta — ‘We will sell justice to none’ — is but too plain evidence of the recklessness of all social principles, ere the great standard was erected among us.
Under the godly government of Samuel the land was established by judgment. “But his sons walked not in his ways.” They were men of oblations. They received gifts; and the Theocracy — the great palladium of the land — was overthrown. The righteous administration of David “bore up the pillars” of the land, at a time of great national weakness. The same principles in the godly successors were the source of strength and prosperity. The want of uprightness in Saul shook the kingdom from his grasp; and the covetousness of Johoiakim destroyed its foundations, and buried him in its ruins. Let the same consistency pervade every grade of official responsibility. No respect will be paid to dignity, temporal or spiritual, except it be established with judgment. Let men of God be in our high places; and “righteousness will exalt a nation,” and our Church will be “the joy and praise of the whole earth.” (Chapter 14:34.)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 89:14; 97:2. Isaiah 9:7.
 

 
Psalm 89:14
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. {habitation: or, establishment}
 
Psalm 97:2
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. {habitation: or, establishment}
 
Isaiah 9:7
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
 
 
Footnote:
Verse 14; 16:10-12; 20:8, 26; 25:5. 2 Chronicles 9:8.
 

 
Proverbs 29:14
14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.
 
Proverbs 16:10-12
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. {A divine...: Heb. Divination} 11 A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work. {the weights: Heb. the stones} 12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
 
Proverbs 20:8, 26
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. 26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
 
Proverbs 25:5
5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
 
2 Chronicles 9:8
8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
 
 
Footnote:
1 Samuel 7:3-12, 15-17.
 

 
3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. 5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. 7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. {Cease...: Heb. Be not silent from us from crying} 9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. {heard: or, answered} 10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. {Ebenezer: that is, The stone of help} 13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. {in circuit: Heb. and he circuited} 17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.
 
 
Footnote:
Ib. 8:2-7.
 

 
1 Samuel 8:2-7
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. {displeased: Heb. was evil in the eyes of} 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
 
 
Footnote:
Psalm 75:2-6, 10. 2 Samuel 8:15.
 

 
Psalm 75:2-6, 10
2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. {receive...: or, take a set time} 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. {south: Heb. desert} 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
 
2 Samuel 8:15
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
 
 
Footnote:
2 Chronicles 1:1; 14:2-7; 19:6, 7, with 20:27-30; 31:20, 21. Isaiah 32:1, 2.
 

 
2 Chronicles 1:1
1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
 
2 Chronicles 14:2-7
2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: {images: Heb. statues} 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. {images: Heb. sun images} 6 And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest. 7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
 
2 Chronicles 19:6, 7
6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. {in...: Heb. in the matter of judgment} 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
 
with
2 Chronicles 20:27-30
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. {forefront: Heb. head} 28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
 
2 Chronicles 31:20, 21
20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
 
Isaiah 32:1, 2
1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. 2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. {great: Heb. heavy}
 
 
Footnote:
1 Samuel 13:13.
 

 
1 Samuel 13:13
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
 
 
Footnote:
Jeremiah 22:13-19.
 

 
Jeremiah 22:13-19
13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. {large: Heb. through-aired} {windows: or, my windows} 15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. 17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. {violence: or, incursion} 18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
 
 
Proverbs 14:34
34 ¶ Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.