Proverbs 18:11 - Exposition

In contrast with the Divine tower of safety in the preceding verse is here brought forward the earthly refuge of the worldly man. The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The clause is repeated from Proverbs 10:15 , but with quite a different conclusion. And as an high wall in his own conceit. The rich man imagines his wealth to be, as it were, an unassailable defence, to preserve him safe amid all the storms of life . בְּמַשְׂכִּתוֹ ( bemaskitho ) , rendered "in his own conceit," is, as Venetian has, ἐν φαντασίᾳ αὐτοῦ , "in his imagination," maskith being "an image or picture," as in Le Proverbs 26:1 ; Ezekiel 8:12 ; but see on Proverbs 25:11 . Aben Ezra brings out the opposition between the secure and stable trust of the righteous in the Lord's protection, and the confidence of the rich worldling in his possessions, which is only imaginary and delusive. Vulgate, Et quasi murus validus circumdans eum , "Like a strong wall surrounding him;" Septuagint, "And its glory ( δόξα ) greatly overshadows him;" i.e. the pomp and splendour of his wealth are his protection, or merely paint him like a picture, having no real substance. The commentators explain the word ἐπισκιάζει in both senses.