Proverbs 29:18

Where [there is] no vision, the people perish,.... That is, "no prophecy", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and which is often the sense of the word, as the vision of Isaiah is the prophecy

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Where (there is) no vision, the people perish.

No vision, i.e. no prophecy, for the prophets were anciently called seers, , i.e. no public preaching of God’ s law or word, (as appears by the opposite clause,) which is called prophecy, , &c., where the people are destitute of the means of instruction. The people perish, because they want the only means of salvation. Or, is made naked; stripped of their best ornaments, God’ s favour and protection, as this word is taken, . He that keepeth the law: this he saith rather than he that hath vision, which the laws of opposition might seem to require, to teach us that, although the want of God’ s word be sufficient for men’ s destruction, yet the having, and hearing, or reading of it is not sufficient for their salvation, except they also keep or obey it.

Proverbs 29:18 Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.Ver. 18. Where there is no vision the people perish.] Or, Are barred of all virtue; laid naked and open to the dint of divine displeasure; scattered, worsted, and driven back. Great is the misery of those Brazilians, of whom it is said that they are sine fide, sine rege, sine lege, without faith, king, or law. And no less unhappy those Israelites about Asa’ s time, that for a long season had been "without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." Then it was that God’ s "people were destroyed for lack of knowledge"; and not long after, that they sorrowfully complained that there was "no more any prophet among them, nor any that knew how long" - no minister, ordinary or extraordinary. How did it pity our Saviour to see the people "as sheep without a shepherd!" This troubled him more than their bodily bondage to the Romans, which yet was very grievous. And what good heart can but bleed to think of those once flourishing churches of Asia and Africa, now overspread partly with Mohammedanism and partly with heathenism; and that by the most miserable occasion might befall - namely, famine of the word of God, through lack of ministers! What a world of sects, superstitions, and other horrible abuses got into the Church of Rome, when prophecy was suppressed, and reading the Holy Scriptures inhibited! - and what a slaughter of souls ensued thereupon! Letters were framed by some, as sent from hell to the Popish clergy (A.D. 1072), wherein the devil and his angels give them many thanks for such a number of souls sent them down daily, by their neglect of preaching, as had never been before. Hence it was that in this kingdom, at the first Reformation, for want of ministers, readers were sent; whence one of the martyrs wished that every able minister might have ten congregations committed to his charge, till further provision could be made; for of preaching it may be said, as once David did of Goliath’ s sword, "There is none to that" for conversion of souls; as where that is wanting people go tumbling to hell thick and threefold. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.] Though to want the word preached and sincerely handled, rightly divided - for as every sound is not music, so every pulpit discourse is not a sermon - be a great unhappiness, a ready road to utter ruin; yet is not the bare hearing of it that which renders a man blessed, unless he "hide it in his heart," with David, and "lift up his hands" to the practice of it. The words of the law are, verba vivenda non legenda, as one said - words to be lived, and not read only. Let not your lives be Antinomians, no more than your opinions, saith another.

(18) Where there is no vision.—No revelation of God’s will (Isaiah 1:1), when God teaches none by His Spirit that they may instruct others. So it was in the evil days of Eli (1 Samuel 3:1), and Asa (2 Chronicles 15:3). The people perish.—Or, run wild. (Comp. Hosea 4:6.) But he that keepeth the law.—The teaching of those whom God has instructed (Comp. Isaiah 1:10.)

Verse 18. Where there is no vision] My old MS. Bible, following the Vulgate, translates: Whan prophecye schal failen, the peple schal ben to scatered. Where Divine revelation, and the faithful preaching of the sacred testimonies, are neither reverenced nor attended, the ruin of that land is at no great distance. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.] Go how it may with others, he shall be safe. So our Lord: "Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."

18. vision … law] “The vision is the actual contact between God and the human spirit, which is the necessary condition of any direct revelation; the law is the recorded result of such a revelation, either passed from mouth to mouth by tradition or written permanently in a book. We may then a little amplify the proverb for the sake of exposition: ‘Where there is no living revelation, no perceived contact between man and God, there the bonds which hold society together are relaxed and broken; but he that holds by the revelation that has been given, obeying the law, so far as it has been presented to him, happy is he.’ ” Horton. It was this keeping the law, as they had received it, which was enjoined upon the Jews by the last of their prophets, in view of the coming centuries during which there should be no vision. Malachi 4:4. perish] Rather, break loose, as the same word is rendered in Exodus 32:25, R.V.; where, as here in the marg., A.V. has, is made naked. In this place R.V. renders, suitably enough, cast off restraint; but it seems desirable to adopt the same rendering in both places, because the historical incident affords a good and possibly an intended illustration of the proverb.

Vision - The word commonly used of the revelation of God’s will made to prophets. Compare Isaiah 1:1; Nahum 1:1.

18. No vision — Revelation, divine instruction, prophetic guidance. The people perish — éôøò, (yippara’h,) variously translated, are scattered, become dissolute, apostatize, are unrestrained, are unbridled, etc.