John Gill Commentary Proverbs 29:8

"Scoffers set a city in a flame; But wise men turn away wrath." — Proverbs 29:8 (ASV)

Scornful men bring a city into a snare Such as despise dominion, speak evil of dignities; proud and haughty men, that speak loftily, and with a contempt of their superiors; or who make a mock at religion, and scoff at all that is good and serious; these bring the inhabitants of a city into a snare, to rebel against their governors, and so into mischief and ruin:

or, they "burn a city", as the Septuagint and Syriac versions ^F15 ; they inflame it, or blow it up into a flame; raise a combustion in it, and fill it with strifes and contentions; and bring down the wrath of God upon it, like fire: or, they "blow upon a city" ^F16 ; Raise storms and tempests in it; turn all things upside down, and throw it into the utmost confusion, or blow it up;

but wise [men] turn away wrath ; the wrath of men, by their wise counsels and advice, and appease tumults and seditions, and restore things to a quiet and settled state; or the wrath of God, by interposing with their prayers between him and a sinful people, as Moses did, (Psalms 106:23) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F15: "Inflammant urbem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
• F16: (hyrq wxypy) "suffiant, vel periflant civitatem", Gejerus; "diffiant civitatem", Gussetius, p. 667. "exsuffiant civitatem", Cocceius, Schultens.