Proverb for the Day 28:10 — Traps or Inheritance!

Ancient Hebrew proverbs were typically written in parallel statements. Sometimes the second line was built on the first but, generally, was in contrast to it.  

Here “the blameless” of the second line is contrasted with “whoever leads the upright along an evil path.” Yet the focus on these two very different people isn’t their character or actions — but the consequences of their lifestyle choices.

“Whoever leads the upright along an evil path” is one who causes an innocent person (“the upright”) to go astray from the right road and then deliberately leads them in a direction that’s harmful (“along an evil path”).

While “the upright” will still have to answer for their own decisions here, this wise saying notes the one who does the leading “will fall into their own trap.”

We’ve seen this scenario play out before — many times. Remember Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote?!?!

The stark contrast in our verse notes “the blameless will receive a good inheritance.” These guys and gals not only don’t hurt others, they make decisions that set themselves up for “a good inheritance.”

Life’s all about choices. We can choose to help others — or hurt them. 

And our decisions, every day, will cause us to fall into traps of our own making or lead us to receive a good inheritance — something we can enjoy ourselves and even pass along to others.

We choose!