Those who forsake the law ¹  praise the wicked, ²  but those who keep the law contend ³  with them.

biblegateway Pro 28:4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them.

Those who reject the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law battle against them.

Those who abandon God’s teachings praise wicked people, but those who follow God’s teachings oppose wicked people.

biblegateway Pro 28:4

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

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.

bibleoremus Pro 28:4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law struggle against them.

Those who abandon God's law applaud the wicked; those who keep it contend with them.

biblegateway Pro 28:4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

biblegateway Pro 28:4

Those who forsake the law ¹  praise the wicked, ²  but those who keep the law contend ³  with them.

¹ sn Some commentators do not think that the word refers to the Mosaic law, but to “instruction” or “teaching” in general (cf. NCV “who disobey what they have been taught”). However, the expression “keep the law” in the second line indicates that it is binding, which would not be true of teaching in general (J. Bright, “The Apodictic Prohibition: Some Observations,” JBL 92 [1973]: 185-204). Moreover, Proverbs 28:9 and 29:18 refer to the law, and this chapter has a stress on piety.

² sn The proverb gives the outcome and the evidence of those who forsake the law – they “praise the wicked.” This may mean (1) calling the wicked good or (2) justifying what the wicked do, for such people are no longer sensitive to evil.

³ tn The verb is the Hitpael imperfect of גָּרָה (garah), which means “to stir up strife” but in this stem means “to engage in strife” (cf. NIV “resist them”). Tg. Prov 28:4 adds an explanatory expansion, “so as to induce them to repent.”