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Proverbs

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Understanding who is in charge and who speaks truth consistently is necessary to begin comprehending the broken world in which we live.  Fools reject that anyone outside of themselves has anything to contribute, resulting in further brokenness.

Proverbs 1:28 – 29, “They will call on Me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find Me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.”  Throughout history, in times of trouble, many have turned to God for rescue when a life without God has turned out badly.  Unfortunately for them, God believes in letting consequences play out.  However, continuing to seek God during those self-inflicted bad times may gain God’s attention.

Proverbs 2:3 – 5, “If you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her [wisdom] as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”  God expects effort from those who would follow Him, at least to the degree that one labors for the comforts of this life.  We demonstrate what we value by the time we dedicate to it.

Proverbs 2:7 – 9, The Lord “stores up sound wisdom for the upright…then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.”  Understanding escapes most people because they take bits and pieces from a plethora of incomplete sources.  God promises understanding to the faithful so they will be able to choose the logical path to what is good.

Proverbs 2:10 – 12, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil…”  Fortunately for the modern faithful, wisdom is available through prayer (James 1:5 – 8).  Unfortunately, many consider knowledge to be a chore.  Others are afraid of discovering that they were wrong.  But having confidence that an increase in knowledge will lead to good places allows the faithful to escape the corruption of this world (2 Peter 1:4).

Proverbs 3:3, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find good understanding and also find favor in the sight of God and man.”  In Hebrew, the seat of the character is the heart.  Mercy (seeking to fix the source of the problems of others) and truth (reality) develops a character highly valued by all.  Most people prefer the temporary respite of illogic, but such departures from reality always result in disaster.

Proverbs 3:5 – 6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Trusting the promises of God implies knowing what those promises are.  Those who have not taken the time to read them carefully either trust in promises God did not make or substitute their own opinions as if they were from God.  God directs the paths of the faithful through those promises.  The brokenness of the planet demonstrates what happens when we go with our own best ideas.

Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.”  The faithful have no fear of God, but they fear for those who guide themselves with their own best efforts.  Humanity has a terrible track record of convenient excuses to justify bad behavior.  Solomon, the wisest man of all time, recommends not being full of oneself, but rather recognizing that the ideas of God are always far superior to ours.

Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.”  The couplet goes on to promise good results for the generous.  In the Law, the tithe was not given to a central organization, but was distributed as needed by the individual.  The generous were to share in such a way that God, not the sharer, was honored.  That generosity came from the first of the harvest, not a portion after all was accounted.  The faithful are generous because they recognize the spiritual benefits they have received.

Proverbs 3:11 – 12, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”  This passage is cited in Hebrews 12:5 – 6.  God does not punish until Judgment, but He does provide discipline and correction.  Some of the discomforts the faithful experience are natural results of their own bad choices, or of the actions of others.  But sometimes God finds it necessary to teach the faithful lessons about trust and selflessness.  It’s called training.

Proverbs 3:35, “The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.”  Glory is a parade of whatever makes you important.  For the faithful, this parade is of godly character traits.  Those who seek godly wisdom will leave a legacy of superhuman godly character, whereas the legacy of the unfaithful is the revealing of a lifetime of folly.  The point is not monetary gain, but a consistent and integrated personality built on truth, wisdom, and selflessness.

Proverbs 4:18 – 19, “The ways of the just are likened to light – they radiate.  They go before and give light until whatever should set up the day.  But the ways of the impious are dark; they do not know how they stumble.”  The wise are like light in a dark place, illuminating the path for both themselves and others until the dark is replaced by light.  Those who walk in darkness are constantly amazed when things go wrong.

Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  In the language of the day, the heart was the seat of the character, whereas emotions were figuratively housed in the kidneys or liver.  Maintaining one’s character is the key to long-term success.  Although the deceitful may accumulate short-term gains, good character results in respect from both God and man.

Proverbs 5:21 – 23, “The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He weighs all his paths.  His own iniquities entrap the wicked, and he is caught in the cords of sin.  He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.”  As my good friend, a forensic chemist, remarked, “If it were not for the fact that criminals are generally stupid, we wouldn’t have a chance.”  In addition to tripping themselves, God sees all and remembers.

Proverbs 6:6 – 9, “Go to the ant, you sluggard!  Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no leader, overseer, or ruler, provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.  How long will you lie down, O sluggard?  When will you rise from your sleep?”  Six centuries before Aesop, Solomon advised the lazy to consider the ant as a model of industry and preparedness.  Yet, the indolent are surprised again and again when winter comes.

Proverbs 6:16 – 19, “These six the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to His soul: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”  The middle five are reproduced in the vast majority of civil law codes.  God includes in behaviors He despises an arrogant attitude and a divisive nature.  Looking down on others fosters excuses for abusing the lowly.  Division promotes the devious to leadership.

Proverbs 8:30 – 31, “I [wisdom] was beside Him as a master craftsman [during Creation]; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men.”  Certainly, people can find much evil and brokenness in this world.  Yet, the personification of wisdom announced in Solomon’s time that her delight was interacting with people.  Seeing what wisdom found so enchanting about people makes this planet a much nicer place.

Proverbs 8:32 – 36, “Listen to me [wisdom], my children, for blessed [above the cares of earthly life] are those who keep my ways…For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.”  The wisdom promised to the faithful who ask for it (James 1:5 – 8) dissolves the anxieties brought by living on a broken planet, yielding a life worth living.

Proverbs 9:1 – 6, Wisdom, having laid out a sumptuous banquet, “cries out from the highest places of the city, ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.  He who lacks understanding,’ she says to him, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.  Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.’”  Most of the world wanders about without much in the way of sensibility or rational thought.  Christianity promises understanding, wisdom, and insight to those who trust God.

Proverbs 10:1, “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.”  Teaching children to recognize how others think is invaluable.  As they mature, they can be independent yet still have limits.  They will rise above self-absorption and be able to be their own persons while at the same time pleasing, not grieving, their parents.

Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”  Biblical love is doing what is best for another without regard to the effect on oneself.  Look to the outcome of a confrontation to determine if love or hate was the motivation.  Hatred of another results in further discord.  Working to fix the underlying problem results in the objectionable behavior going away.

Proverbs 10:23, “To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom.” 

Proverbs 10:25, “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”  Adversity happens to the just and the unjust.  The quality of the foundation determines if rebuilding is possible.

Proverbs 11:10, “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.”  Solomon made this observation of a culture that, at least nominally, cared about the One True God.  A culture that gets this one backwards is doomed.

Proverbs 11:16, “A gracious woman retains honor, but the ruthless retain riches.”  We accumulate that which we value.  Taking inventory of one’s possessions may be revealing.

Proverbs 11:17, “The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”  Mercy, seeking to resolve the root of someone’s problem, has great reward in terms of satisfaction and feeling useful.  To the contrary, he who seeks to magnify someone’s problem will find no real peace.

Proverbs 11:22, “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks taste.”  The literal, lacking taste, represents that which is without delicacy or discretion.  Solomon picked women as his example because it is easy to visualize, but could refer to anyone who, by appearance, could have been quite handsome or dignified, but has chosen to dress or act in a crude or unseemly manner.  Tactless or tasteless behavior or attire overshadows whatever good traits might be present.

Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”  Any fool can prove himself right.  The wise seek to prove themselves wrong or their opponents right.

Proverbs 12:18, “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.”  Look to the result of words rather than the words themselves.  Skillful speakers can make evil sound good, or cruelty sound like discipline.  The proof of wisdom is in its ability to heal the wounded soul.

Proverbs 13:7, “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great wealth.”  One must be able to distinguish between tools and goals, between comfort and value.  The best toolbox has no value unless the tools enable completion of the task.  True value is rarely comfortable.

Proverbs 13:9, “The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”  The righteous are not afraid of being exposed, whereas the wicked do all they can to avoid it.  So, be suspicious of those who want to hide things, and interested in those who display all their steps.

Proverbs 13:15, “Good understanding gives favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.”  Those who gain understanding of the ways of God gain peace and soon forget the anxiety of those who do not.  The unfaithful are not the enemy, but the pitiable.

Proverbs 13:19, “A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.”  This couplet is both a parallelism and an antithesis.  Obviously, accomplishing a good desire is sweet; but the fool rejoices in the accomplishment without discerning its potential destructiveness, having neglected to define what is good and what is evil.  So, to the fool, accomplishing an evil desire is still sweet, and abandoning it makes no sense.

Proverbs 13:20, “The one going with the wise, as well as the one going with the fools will be known”  Not only will one’s company color public perception, but also that same company colors the development of the ability to think well.

Proverbs 13:21, “Evil pursues sinners, whereas the righteous overtake good.”  Those who are trying to make their own way seem to fall prey to evil at every turn.  In contrast, those who track the things of God overtake what they pursue.

Proverbs 13:25, “The righteous eats to the satisfying of the soul, but the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.”  Those who serve God are content; the wicked always want more.

Proverbs 14:2, “He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.”  Remember that the righteous are not afraid of God for themselves, but for the outsider.  So, the contrast is between how each group perceives justice.  The righteous understand judgment and the plight of the wicked, whereas the wicked despise anyone who disagrees with their chosen path.

Proverbs 14:8, “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.”  The fool always has an angle, a shortcut, a clever manipulation which he sincerely believes will bring him success.  The prudent, in contrast, are much more interested in understanding the path, so succeed by wisdom.

Proverbs 14:14, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.”  Those who turn away from God have plans and objectives, but never seem to be satisfied.  In contrast, God supplies contentment to the faithful in all situations.

Proverbs 14:15, “The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.”  Whether in politics, religion, or business, the simple fail to evaluate what is told them, and are thereby deceived.  The prudent check the references, scrutinize the logic, and find other sources.  God expects people to think.

Proverbs 14:16, “The wise fear and depart from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.”  Evil always has a poor long-term result or a hidden danger.  The wise investigates that which seems too good to be true, and often finds that it is.  The fool reacts to being questioned with rage to protect a self-image in need of repair.

Proverbs 14:21, “He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has mercy on the poor is above the cares of this life.”  Leviticus 19:18 contains , “Love your neighbor as yourself,” so to despise a neighbor is obviously wrong.  In contrast, he who has compassion on the poor and seeks to solve the problems (which is mercy) that brought such poverty has ceased to think about himself, to is above the brokenness of this world.

Proverbs 14:22, “Do they not go astray who devise evil?  But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.”  Evil plans end up in bad places because such plans are self-centered and unrealistic.  But good plans consider both the problems of others and reality.  Living in the real world ends in selflessness.

Proverbs 14:30, “A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”  In ancient Hebrew and Greek, the heart was the seat of the character.  Sound character yields a life worth living, whereas envy causes any potential good to collapse.

Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.”  Mercy is one step beyond compassion, incorporating a desire to fix the problem.  Those who honor God seek to provide a cure for poverty, to provide the skills to escape it.  Oppressors deceive the poor with gifts that keep them where they are.

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  Difficult subjects must be addressed.  How they are addressed determines success.

Proverbs 15:14, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.”  The universe makes sense because of the nature of the Creator.  Those who expect logic will find it.  The others will build castles of folly that collapse from within.

Proverbs 15:32, “He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.”  The arrogant see themselves as above correction, resulting in their own destruction.  The humble consider suggestions and are developed.

Proverbs 16:2, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.”  Of course, some devise what they know to be evil, but, in general, all people think that their chosen direction is correct.  God does not endorse what people call right, but instead evaluates the ethics (the heart) that conceived that path.  So, our focus should be on character development, not righteousness through rationalization.

Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  The heart is the seat of character or ethics.  So, one’s ethics are manifested in one’s plans.  Using God’s ethics would result in a better plan. 

Proverbs 17:3, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.”  Just as high heat is used to recover and to purify precious metals, God refines the characters of the faithful with adversity.

Proverbs 17:6, “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.”

Proverbs 17:14, “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.”  Once begun, conflict soon forgets the issue and lives on the animosity.  Like spilled water, the controversy seeps into everything.  So, resolve differences without divisiveness.  Respect, listening carefully, and seeking common ground allow everyone to learn.

Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  The foundation of Hebrew poetry, parallelism, here makes friends and siblings equal.  A true friend does what is best in good times and bad, regardless of the effect on himself.  Many cultures use “brother” to describe close friends and countrymen, emphasizing that they are thereby promising to show up in bad times.  If they do not, they are neither friends nor brothers.

Proverbs 17:21, “He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.”  This raises a question.  Does the scoffer, the one whose primary tool is ridicule, care that such behavior saddens his father?  Does the fool, the one with no wisdom, who never discerns the catastrophe on the horizon, care that his father has no joy from him?  Children grow up and should make their own way, but considering how their adult lives may grieve their parents would be a big help toward success.

Proverbs 18:2, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.”  Taking the time to understand is contrary to the desire for instant gratification.  Fools are willing to accept the self-deception of perceived fulfillment because learning appears to be too hard.

Proverbs 18:4, “The words of a man’s heart are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.”  Deep waters hide many motives.  Flowing brooks are simple and direct.  Deep waters require study and dissection.  Flowing brooks are uncomplicated and immediately useful.  If it sounds complicated, it is probably wrong.

Proverbs 19:17, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.”  Generosity is a gift in itself (Romans 12:8, 13). 

Proverbs 19:21, “There are many plans in a man’s heart.  Nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel – that will stand.”  People make many plans throughout their lives, but few of them come to fruition.  The Lord’s counsel – to build a character like that of Jesus through the power of the indwelling Spirit – always leads to mastery of life.

Proverbs 20:3, “It is honorable for a man to stop contending.  Any fool can start an argument.”  The honorable stop debating when no one is listening.  Fools find self-importance in mere conflict.

Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.”  People devise many justifications for their behaviors.  God evaluates the character (the heart).  So, transform the character.  The rest will fall into place.

Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”  One’s goals are defined by what is valued.  Money is cold and empty.  Loving relationships are greatly to be prized.

Proverbs 22:13, “The lazy says, ‘There is a lion outside, I shall be slain in the streets.’”  Reasons for procrastination may sound like prudence, but the resourceful would have found a way around the delay.

Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.”  The “rod” may take on many forms.  Sometimes parents use a controlled failure as a teaching tool.  Sometimes children learn by being introduced to those who chose the same foolish and destructive path.  The point is that foolishness cannot be ignored, neither can children be trusted to make life-altering decisions.

Proverbs 22:24 – 25, “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.”  Some react to the disappointments of life with rage, learning nothing.  Unfortunately, anger is an attractive escape, a sort of immediate gratification.  Anger can be contagious and ruin another life.

Proverbs 23:9, “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.”  As Solomon also wrote in Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Proverbs 23:17 – 18, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”  Short-term comforts and pleasures can be enticing when the long-term goal is obscured.  The cure is to fuel a confident expectation with evidence that Judgment Day is real.

Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”  The truth is reality.  Living in reality is precious in every phase of life.  From that vantage point, wisdom, instruction, and understanding are accessible, resulting in a life of contentment, peace, and joy.

Proverbs 24:6, “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.”  The value of counselors is that they may expose factors not previously considered or find flaws overlooked.  But, at the end of the day, you still wage your own war.

Proverbs 25:2, “The glory of God is to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”  God does not make us privy to all His plans so that people may live by faith.  An earthly king, however, is not God.  In contrast, to the king falls the task of finding and publishing why things are the way they are.

Proverbs 25:4 – 5, “Take away the dross from silver and it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.  Take away the wicked from before the king and his throne will be established in righteousness.”  World leaders have forsaken this eternal truth, thinking that expediency or emergency justifies ethical shortcuts.  Dross is dross, cheapening the whole.

Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in setting s of silver.”  A preacher in a Third-World country asked me to send a message for his congregation, “Something that will build them up.”  The same Good News can be presented in a way to build up or tear down, to assure or frighten, to build confidence or create doubt.  The word fitly spoken presents what is true while at the same time imparting a confident expectation for the hearer that what is true is within reach.

Proverbs 26:18 – 19, “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking.’”  Whether the product of a perverse sense of humor, or as a defense after being found out, this timeless excuse overlooks the damage that has been done.

Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”  Certainly we express our plans and expectations, especially when seeking counsel.  But pursuing importance based on our prospects is foolish. 

Proverbs 27:2, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips.”  Humility should prevent us from singing our own praises.  Further, self-promotion may ruin the effects of an otherwise good deed.  In addition, this extends to my perception of reality.  What I find praiseworthy may not be such to others.

Proverbs 27:3, “A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.”  Wrath arises from injustice or treachery or ridicule or, for some, simply when someone refuses to agree with them.  Only a fool lets it weigh him down.

Proverbs 27:14, “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted a curse to him.”  A more amusing, non-Biblical version says, “He who rises early and prays loudly from the housetop will be cursed by his neighbor.”  Even praises need to consider the context.

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the appearance of his friend.”  The interactions of friends should seek to culture and polish one another, making both bright and smooth.

Proverbs 28:6, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways though he be rich.”  In a culture controlled by power and pleasure, integrity is ridiculed and attacked.  Yet, integrity yields contentment, peace, and joy.

Proverbs 28:12, “When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; but when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.”  Glory is a parade of whatever makes one noteworthy.  In the case of the righteous, that would be their godly character.  So, the rejoicing of the righteous results in people extolling their fine character.  On the contrary, only those looking for deceitful gain will attend the parade of the wicked.

Proverbs 28:19, “He who tills the land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have plenty of poverty.”  Many have adopted the attitude that life is for pleasure, so they work only as much as necessary for the moment, not considering that expenses may rise or health may fail.  Poverty is their plight.  Those who see work as an honorable duty through which they provide for family and friends will be satisfied in body and soul.

Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”  Not everyone agrees with those in power; such is the history of the world.  But when an honest man leads, things tend to work out for the best.  When the wicked are in power, the destruction of fairness, truth, reason, and justice ruin everything.

Proverbs 29:8, “Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.”  Those who make their case through ridicule bring destruction, as though the flames will make their point.  Such behavior only proves their illogic.  The wise seek to calm the rhetoric to enable civil discourse.

Proverbs 29:9, “If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.”  The fool has few tools, generally classified as rage or ridicule (laughter).  He has neither facts nor logic.  Debating with a fool has no good outcome.

Proverbs 29:27, “An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.”  Generally, both sides fail to understand the viewpoint of the other, so effective communication is impossible.  The wise learn the values and thought processes of the other side to know how to reach the lost.

Proverbs 30:6, “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.”  The history of Christianity is littered with examples of those who, probably unintentionally, drew more out of a passage than God put into it.  The explanation must not be longer than the verse.  Biblical faith trusts God’s explicit promises, and is comfortable not knowing that for which God did not give details.