Proverbs 2:12

“To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], etc.] Who is so by nature and practice, who is hardened in sin and abandoned to it, whose course of life is evil, and who endeavours to draw others into the same evil practices; now the Gospel, and a spiritual knowledge of it, are a means of preserving men from following the examples of such persons, and from walking with them in the ways of sin: or from “the evil way”f43, from every evil way, from a vicious course of life; not from idolatry only, as some interpret it, though this may be included, and chiefly designed; but from all manner of sin, from everything that is contrary to the law of God and sound doctrine; from the man that speaketh…”

“To deliver--as from great danger (Pro 6:5). way . . . man-- (Psa 1:1). froward things--perversity (Pro 6:14; Pro 23:23), what is opposed to truth.”

“The evil-doers here include not robbers and murderers only Proverbs 1:10-16, but all who leave the straight path and the open day for crooked ways, perverse counsels, deeds of darkness. “To delight etc.” Proverbs 2:14 is the lowest depth of all. return to 'Top of Page'”

“2:12-15 Wisdom discerns when words are twisted to represent what is wrong as being right. The right way leads to life, the wrong way to death (1:10-19; 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 9:1-6, 13-18). • dark paths: In the New Testament, darkness represents the realm of evil, while light represents the realm of God’s goodness (Matt 4:16; 5:14-16; John 1:14; Rom 2:19).”

“deliver: Pro 1:10-19, Pro 4:14-17, Pro 9:6, Pro 13:20; Psa 17:4, Psa 17:5, Psa 26:4, Psa 26:5, Psa 141:4; Co2 6:17 from the man: Pro 3:32, Pro 8:13, Pro 16:28-30; Psa 101:4; Isa 59:3-5; Act 20:30; Co1 15:33 Proverbs 2:13”

“As in Pro 2:10, Pro 2:11, the אז תּבּין ("then shalt thou understand," Pro 2:5) is expanded, so now the watching, preserving, is separately placed in view: 12 To deliver thee from an evil way, From the man who speaks falsehood; 13 (From those) who forsake the ways of honesty To walk in ways of darkness, 14 Who rejoice to accomplish evil, Delight in malignant falsehood - 15 They are crooked in their paths, And perverse in their ways. That דּרך רע is not genitival, via mali, but adjectival, via mala, is evident from דרך לא־טוב, Pro 16:29. From the evil way, i.e., conduct, stands opposed to the false words represented in the person of the deceiver; from both kinds of contagium wisdom delivers.…”