(The previous post covered proverbs that presented wisdom as an excellent woman and contrasted that with deception as being a strange woman/harlot. The reader's response to correction determined whether he had understanding or not.)
Proverbs 10
1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death.
(Righteousness brought profitability in the long term. Righteousness was the measure for eternal life and therefore, delivered from death.)
3 Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
(God would not allow the soul of the righteous to famish. This did not mean the righteous would not be physically famished.)
4 He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
(The word slack in verse 4 literally meant "deceit." These verses spoke of two men who worked. One worked deceitfully, the other diligently. The difference between these two men was how and why they were working.)
6 Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot.
(Even the names of the righteous last in the long term.)
8 The wise in heart will receive commandments; But a prating fool shall fall.
9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
(The reason those who walked uprightly "walk surely" was because those who walked uprightly were intentionally walking that way for the right reason (why) and the right way (how).)
10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow; But a prating fool shall fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
(The righteous spoke life: the ability to repair.)
12 Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love covereth all transgressions.
(Love covered all sins between people: 1 Peter 4:8. Notice how the rest of this post focused on the interaction between people.)
13 In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
(Discernment was the ability to differentiate between truth and deception. In order to have this ability, the person must know the right how and right why.)
14 Wise men lay up knowledge; But the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction.
15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin.
(The works of the righteous led to life (the ability to repair). This was because the works of the righteous were wisdom: profitable decisions.)
17 He is in the way of life that heedeth correction; But he that forsaketh reproof erreth.
(More proof that we ought to take heed to correction. We ought to consider we are wrong.)
18 He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely.
20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.
22 The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.
23 It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
(Those who were fools wanted to do wickedness. Those who had understanding wanted to be wise.)
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
(Again, Righteousness was the measure for eternal life.)
26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him.
27 The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
29 The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
(God's way was as a fortress to those who walked uprightly.)
30 The righteous shall never be removed; But the wicked shall not dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom; But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness.
(More examples of how the righteous' words brought wisdom and understanding and the wicked's words brought destruction and death.)
Proverbs 11
1 A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; But a just weight is his delight.
(A false balance represented injustice. God was Just and He delighted in Justice.)
2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.
(Pride brought shame while humility brought wisdom.)
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivereth from death.
(On Judgment Day, it will not matter what you have. What is important is how you live.)
5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.
(The wicked fell by their own wicked actions.)
7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish; And the hope of iniquity perisheth.
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked cometh in his stead.
9 With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.
(The word godless in this verse was also translated as "hypocrite." An effect of those who lived godlessly and in hypocrisy was that they destroyed (sinned against) their neighbor.)
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
(The actions and words of the righteous and the wicked impacted all those around them.)
12 He that despiseth his neighbor is void of wisdom; But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
(If you make profitable decisions, you will not despise your neighbor. Therefore, those who despised their neighbor did not have wisdom. Also, a man of understanding knew when to speak.)
13 He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.
14 Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
(Where there was no wise guidance, people fell. Leaders supplied their followers with a right why and a right how in accomplishing their purpose.)
15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.
16 A gracious woman obtaineth honor; And violent men obtain riches.
17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
18 The wicked earneth deceitful wages; But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.
(The wicked earned wages in the wrong way and for the wrong reason (deceit) while those who sowed righteousness could be sure they would receive Reward.)
19 He that is stedfast in righteousness shall attain unto life; And he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death.
20 They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah; But such as are perfect in their way are his delight.
(Those who lived perfectly (maximum profitability) did so by living wisely. These people were a delight to Jehovah.)
21 Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, So is a fair woman that is without discretion.
(A beautiful woman without discretion was compared to a pig with a gold ring in its nose. This woman without discretion would be focused on gaining attention solely for her physical appearance.)
23 The desire of the righteous is only good; But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat; And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
26 He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him; But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
(If you had, you ought not hold it for yourself. Notice, it said to sell what you had. This was Just. This was value for value.)
27 He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favor; But he that searcheth after evil, it shall come unto him.
28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
(Putting your trust/faith in riches (what you have) would cause you to fall while the righteous would flourish. This was because the righteous put their trust/faith in God and therefore, lived by wisdom.)
29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.
(The fruit, or effects, of righteousness was the tree of life. This fruit was the effect of wisdom.)
31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: How much more the wicked and the sinner!
(All people would be recompensed for their actions, the righteous and the wicked.)
Proverbs 12
1 Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
(Those who loved correction (being shown where they were wrong) loved knowledge (right what). Those who hated reproof (correction) were brutish. Brutish simply meant "stupidity.")
2 A good man shall obtain favor of Jehovah; But a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
(Good meant "right and just." A good man gained favor from God while a wicked man was condemned.)
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness; But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
4 A worthy woman is the crown of her husband; But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
(The thoughts of the righteous were just. The counsels of the wicked were deceit: a right what with a wrong or no how/why.)
6 The words of the wicked are of lying in wait for blood; But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not; But the house of the righteous shall stand.
(The wicked were short term. The righteous were long term.)
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom; But he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
9 Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, Than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain persons is void of understanding.
(Those who did good work would have plenty of bread but those who followed unprofitable people did not have understanding.)
12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
13 In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man; But the righteous shall come out of trouble.
(Transgression of the lips caused a trap for an evil man while the righteous escaped this trouble. This was because the righteous had wisdom and understanding and would be able to escape words that were transgression.)
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth; And the doings of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
(A fool was right in his own eyes (pride) but he that listened to counsel (humble) was wise.)
16 A fool's vexation is presently known; But a prudent man concealeth shame.
17 He that uttereth truth showeth forth righteousness; But a false witness, deceit.
(When we spoke truth (right what with a right how/why) we showed righteousness.)
18 There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever; But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
(Truth was long term, eternal even. Lies were short term.)
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; But to the counsellors of peace is joy.
(Those who devised evil did so by supplying a wrong how/why.)
21 There shall no mischief happen to the righteous; But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.
(Lying lips spoke wrong what’s and were an abomination to God. Those whose actions were true (right how/why) were God's delight.)
23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge; But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; But the slothful shall be put under taskwork.
(The slothful needed to be bossed in order to do work. Being slothful was resting without having worked.)
25 Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop; But a good word maketh it glad.
26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor; But the way of the wicked causeth them to err.
(Our actions could either guide or cause to err the people we interacted with.)
27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting; But the precious substance of men is to the diligent.
28 In the way of righteousness is life; And in the pathway thereof there is no death.
(The way of righteousness was life: the ability to repair.)
(This post covered proverbs that focused on the interaction between people. Again, a measure for excellence was the person's response to correction.)
Day 189
Proverbs 11:15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.
ReplyDeletewhat does this mean exactly?
Good question Nathaniel. This means that there is danger in taking on a debt (surety) for a stranger. "Smart" means that you will be distraught and possible destroyed...you take on this "strangers" injustice.
ReplyDeleteThose who "hateth suretyship" are "sure" means that those who see injustice as a bad thing have faith...these people have understanding and experience of Justice.