I forgot how much I loved Proverbs, especially Pv. 25:28.

It’s already powerful stuff, but with a more direct translation without any interpretive analysis added in from the original Hebrew it really hits you. My best translation would be as follows:

A Broken City, without a wall.
That is a man who has no restraint
Over his spirit.

It’s even more forceful that way, I think, because it isn’t just a broken-walled city, the entire city itself is broken.

And the city isn’t just vulnerable to attack. It’s broken, unlivable, and disgusting.

And it’s a restraint on the spirit, generally, that’s lacking, which broadens from just anger to all kinds of emotions that, without being constrained, cause humans problems.

Which means that the verse is teaching us, if a person doesn’t control their emotions (anger, sadness, despair, humorousness, etc...) then they are a broken person, desolate and destroyed, until they fix the breach and rebuild.

And like the broken city is unlivable for humans, the brokenness from not restraining one’s anger, sadness, despair, etc... makes the person’s body and mind unlivable for the soul itself.

Proverbs is really awesome, no?

Thanks for reminding me how much I love this!