It is important to have vision. If you don’t have any idea where you are going, how do you know you’ve arrived? Often, Christians will use Proverbs 29:18 to support this, admittedly good, idea. That passage says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” (NASV). The problem is, that’s not what the wise man is saying. He’s not talking about dreams and goals. What is he talking about?

First, remember that proverbs are written with a parallel format. That is, the second part explains either through elaboration or contrast the first part. So, “happy is he who keeps the law” explains what the wise man means (through contrast) by saying “where there is no vision.” This shows that “vision” is parallel to “law.”

The word for “vision” here (hazon) refers to a God-given message. It is used of prophets receiving their message from God. “In other words, where there is no instructional word from God (by way of the sages), people will lack restrain” (Bland, Dave. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Songs. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2002). Without a “Thus says the Lord,” man has no restraint. Consider the English Standard Version: “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”

One last point – the first part is collective (“people”), the second part is individual (“he”). In order for people to have “vision”, the individual needs to keep the law.

–Paul Holland