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Deuteronomy 4:6-8
Keep therefore and dothem; for thisis your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nationis a wise and understanding people…

Deuteronomy 28:1-14
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observeand to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: …

Judges 2:6-14
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land…

but

Deuteronomy 28:15
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Deuteronomy 29:18-28
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to goand serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; …

Psalm 107:34
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

but sin is a disgrace to any people
Sin, in this context, refers to actions and attitudes that go against God's commands. It encompasses both personal and communal transgressions. The disgrace brought by sin can manifest in various forms, such as social unrest, moral decay, and divine judgment. This principle is evident throughout the Bible, as seen in the downfall of nations like Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) and Israel's own periods of exile due to disobedience (2 Kings 17). The disgrace is not limited to a specific group but applies universally to any people who turn away from righteousness. This phrase serves as a warning that sin has consequences not only for individuals but for entire communities and nations.

Proverbs 14:34 opens with the word itself: “Righteousness.” Scripture consistently portrays righteousness as living in harmony with God’s revealed standards.

•Proverbs 13:6 reminds us, “Righteousness guards the man of integrity.”

•Psalm 106:3 celebrates those who “practice righteousness at all times.”

Living this way reflects God’s own character (Psalm 145:17) and brings stability to personal and public life alike (Proverbs 11:5).

The verse continues, “Righteousness exalts a nation.” When people and leaders honor God’s moral order:

• Communities prosper (Proverbs 11:11: “By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted”).

• Nations receive God’s favor (Psalm 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”).

• Crises can be averted or reversed (2 Chronicles 7:14).

History—biblical and modern—shows that societies founded on justice, honesty, mercy, and respect for life flourish more than those that trample these virtues.

A stark contrast follows: “but sin.” Sin is any thought, word, or deed that breaks God’s law (1 John 3:4). It corrodes both the heart of a person and the fabric of a nation.

•Isaiah 1:4 depicts the consequence: “Oh, sinful nation… they have abandoned the LORD.”

•Hosea 4:1-3 shows that widespread wrongdoing leads to societal breakdown—“Therefore the land mourns.”

Sin “is a disgrace.” Disgrace implies shame, reproach, and public humiliation.

•Proverbs 3:35 warns, “The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.”

•Daniel 9:7 contrasts God’s righteousness with Israel’s “shame” when they turned from Him.

A society that normalizes sin eventually experiences loss of credibility, unity, and divine blessing (Romans 1:18-32).

The principle is universal—“to any people.” God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34;Romans 2:9-11).

• Whether a superpower or a small tribe, moral obedience brings elevation; moral rebellion brings ruin.

•Deuteronomy 28 lays out blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, applying equally to all generations.

Every culture stands accountable to the same righteous standard.

Proverbs 14:34 teaches a timeless national equation: collective righteousness lifts a country up; collective sin drags it down. God honors societies that honor His ways, while moral compromise invites disgrace, regardless of a nation’s size, wealth, or history. The verse calls each believer—and every community—to pursue righteousness personally and promote it publicly, trusting God to bring the promised exaltation.

Οἱ δὲ δίκας ξείνοισι καὶ ἐνδήμοισι διδοῦσιν
Ἰθείας καὶ μή τι παρεκβαίνουσι δικαίου
Τοῖσι τέθηλε πόλις λαοὶ δ ἀνθεῦσιν ἐν αὐτῇBut sin is a reproach to any people;to peoples. The words for "nation" (goi) and "peoples" (leummim) are usually applied to foreign nations rather than to the Hebrews; and Wordsworth sees here a statementafortiori: if righteousness exalts and sin degrades heathen nations, how much more must this be the case with God's own people, who have clearer revelations and heavier responsibilities!חֶסֶד (chesed) occurs in the sense of "reproach," inLeviticus 20:17, and with a different punctuation inProverbs 25:10 of this book. Its more usual meaning is "mercy" or "piety;" hence some have explained the clause: "The piety of the peoples,i.e. the worship of the heathen, is sin; and others, taking "sin" as put metonymically for "sin offering," render: "Piety is an atonement for the peoples." But there is no doubt that the Authorized Version is correct (comp.Proverbs 11:11). Thus Symmachus renders it byὄνειδος, "shame;" and in the same sense the Chaldee Paraphrase. The Vulgate and Septuagint, owing to the common confusion of the lettersdaleth andresh, have readcheser instead ofchesed, and render thus: Vulgate, "Sin makes peoples miserable;" Septuagint, "Sins diminish tribes." The sin of nations contrasted with the righteousness in the first clause must be injustice, impiety, and violence. See a grand passage in the fifth book of St. Augustine's 'De Civitate Dei,' ch. 12.

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