Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

$5.00

Flourish Like a Green Leaf

Proverbs 11:28 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
²⁸He who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

He who trusts in his riches will fall: Again, the Hebrew form of he who means the one trusting, with trust (בָּטַח batach) meaning he has strong confidence or reliance upon his riches, that is his abundance of accumulated material possessions. Fall (נָפַל naphal) means that his unwavering, obsession with riches will lead to his suffering defeat, failure, or ruination in some way.

but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf: The righteous (צַדִּיק tsaddiq) refers to one who is in a righteous standing before God, who is characterized by righteous actions and morals in accordance with God’s moral standards. He will flourish (פָּרַח parach), prosper or flower in a favorable state because he has adhered to the moral standard set out in God’s Word. (Prov. 2:9) This favorable state or property is like a green leaf (וְכֶעָלֶה wekealeh), in that he is well nourished and growing spiritually.

Money or rather the excessive pursuit of money, the love of money, is a common factor in divorces. This reliance on riches has also led to many suicides. Some people have placed their love of money above their marriage vows, and as being more important than their life. On the other hand, there are those righteous ones with a balanced view, who trust God’s Word to lead them but realize they need enough money to take care of their family’s needs. These righteous ones recognize the wisdom of Jesus’ words: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” – Luke 12:15.