Proverbs: What makes good and bad government | In Focus
Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2025
King Solomon had a lot to say about what good and bad government looks like. We are living in a time when the messages of Proverbs are very appropriate for us to ponder.
Proverbs 13:23 “The field of the poor may yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.”
Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
Proverbs 17:15 “One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.”
Proverbs 24:29: “Do not say, ‘I will do to others as they have done to me; I will pay them back for what they have done.’”
Proverbs 28:3-4 “A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law struggle against them.”
Proverbs 28:15-16 “Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.”
Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
Proverbs 29:4-10 “The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet… A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge…”
Proverbs 29:12 “If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.”
Proverbs 29:14 “If a king judges the poor with equity, his throne will be established forever.”
Proverbs 29:16 “When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.”
Proverbs 29:26 “Many seek the favor of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that one gets justice.”
Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
Solomon’s proverbs are as relevant today as they were in the 900s B.C.E. .
