| Proverbs 13:1-14:35 Wisdom's Virtue
Just as there is an extreme contrast between the results that come to the righteous and the wicked, so there is between the wise man and the fool. Wisdom is elevated above all other treasures acquired in life. Wherever wisdom has taken root, it will intrinsically bring prosperity and good. No matter what area of life you choose, if you pursue God's wisdom for that area, you'll be amazed at the results. From discovering God to building a business, from developing a healthy emotional life to coping with your enemies, wisdom will bring you to a path that is honorable to God. I would like you to take the time to do what we did with righteousness and wickedness in chapters 11 and 12. Go through chapters 13 and 14 and make your list, contrasting what wisdom will do for you versus what foolishness will do. From there, give yourself time to meditate on and integrate the wisdom that you have discovered. An exercise such as this could literally transform the destiny of your life.
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| Proverbs 13:1-14:35
2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, 3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, 4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; 5 A righteous man hates lying, 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, 7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; 8 The ransom of a man's life is his riches, 9 The light of the righteous rejoices, 10 By pride comes nothing but strife, 11 Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, 13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, 14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, 15 Good understanding gains favor, 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, 17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, 18 Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, 19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, 20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, 21 Evil pursues sinners, 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, 23 Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, 24 He who spares his rod hates his son, 25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, 1 The wise woman builds her house, 2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, 3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, 4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; 5 A faithful witness does not lie, 6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, 9 Fools mock at sin, 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, 11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, 13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, 14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, 15 The simple believes every word, 16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, 17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, 18 The simple inherit folly, 19 The evil will bow before the good, 20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, 21 He who despises his neighbor sins; 22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? 23 In all labor there is profit, 24 The crown of the wise is their riches, 25 A true witness delivers souls, 26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, 28 In a multitude of people is a king's honor, 29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, 30 A sound heart is life to the body, 31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, 32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness, 33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, 35 The king's favor is toward a wise servant, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Proverbs 13:1-14:35 v. 1 a wise son – A wise son is one who cherishes the words of his parents. Because they are wiser and more experienced than he is, his obedience of their instructions gives him the appearance of a young man with great wisdom. To the foolish son, the correction and advice of his parents are a joke. He does not listen and continues in his way (see 12:1 study note.). v. 2 by the fruit of his mouth – Wholesome speech used correctly will bring forth good fruit. "A soft answer turns away wrath" (Prov. 15:1) and "a good word brings gladness" (Prov. 12:25). The cruel and insensitive tongue will be avenged by other evils. v. 3 guards his mouth – "I will guard my ways lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle" (Psalm 39:1). The foolish man cannot hold his tongue when it is necessary and it leads to his demise. "Be swift to hear, slow to speak" (James 1:19). The wise man listens and observes when it is the right time to speak and when it is right to remain quiet. Proverbs 17:28 says, "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." v. 4 lazy man desires – The lazy man will always long to be filled. He has nothing because he does nothing. His laziness leads him to poverty and keeps him there (Prov. 6:10-11). The diligent works hard to fill his needs. His diligence promotes him and brings him riches instead of poverty (Prov. 12:24). v. 5 hates lying – The righteous love what is good. He cherishes that which is godly for he longs to be close to the heart of God. Thus he clings to what is good and abhors what is evil (Rom. 12:9). A wicked man is the antithesis of the righteous. His cruel heart and lying tongue make him loathsome and he is disgraced by his neighbors. v. 6 righteousness guards – Righteousness is the state of being in the right/doing the right thing. God is the One who defines what is right and thus protects and approves of the one who believes Him and obeys Him. The wicked, by contrast, are hostile toward righteousness. It is not the righteous they oppose, but He who set the guidelines for righteousness. Their wickedness will always place them outside of the hand of God's protection because He is the very One they refuse and resist. v. 7 makes himself rich yet has nothing – "What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26). A man who toils to gain many riches and burns all of his bridges in the process has nothing. He will never be satisfied with what he has (Prov. 27:20). Though he is rich he is his poorest of all. Spiritually it is the same; his joy is lacking because he is missing the gifts of impoverished in the treasures God gives to those who love Him. v. 8 ransom of a man's life – Men will go for money and possessions first because they stand out as means of retribution/ ransom. The poor man will never be threatened in this way. He has nothing to take and cannot pay it. Note that "he does not hear rebuke" does not mean the same thing as Proverbs 13:1. It is not that the poor man is not listening. He will literally never hear this kind of rebuke because he does not have anything to take. v. 9 the light of the righteous – Note the distinction between the use of the words light and lamp. The righteous have the true light and it will forever shine from generation to generation. The temporary lamp of the wicked will be extinguished before long. Some passages have used the word "light" to speak of a man's posterity (1 Kings 11:36, 15:4). If this passage is speaking either about the lives of the righteous and the wicked or their legacies, it is stating that righteousness is eternal and wickedness will someday cease to exist (Prov. 10:25, 10:30). v. 10 by pride comes strife – Too proud to heed counsel and listen to rebuke, the fool consistently runs into calamity. To heed counsel, listen to a rebuke, and then weigh its value against the Word of God leads to wise decisions and educated choices. v. 11 Wealth gained by dishonesty – The King James Version uses the word "vanity" instead of dishonesty. This is a better rendering of the verse because dishonesty can be a form or vanity and the word vanity better depicts the ease by which a squanderer comes into his wealth. "Easy money, easy spending." A man who labors for his riches will not take them for granted. He will be more careful because of all the hard work that went into earning them. v. 12 makes the heart sick – This is a poetic description of disappointment. Hope raises our spirits in eager expectation of its arrival. When that hope is stripped away or delayed, we are let down and our hearts grow sick. Yet when it comes we celebrate its arrival with elated emotion. v. 13 He who despises the word – God has established the way to salvation and the way to a good life. As God, He has the authority to institute a right way and wrong way. Anyone who chooses to reject what God has founded to be right has willfully chosen the wrong way and the consequences associated with the wrong way. This verse makes the consequences of rejection and obedience clear. One yields destruction and the other a reward. v. 14 law of the wise – Verses 13 and 14 are connected in their themes. Verse 14 is elaborating on a portion of the reward for the righteous. God's wisdom is part of the incentive God gives for those who obey His word. It is useful for turning one away from evil and the snares of death. v. 15 Good understanding – Wisdom, knowledge and understanding are used interchangeably throughout the Proverbs. Remember in verse 14 that the "law of the wise" is a fountain of life. This is another portion of God's reward to those who love Him and His word. Not only does it give wisdom to the righteous but that wisdom leads to favor with God and with men. For those who reject the word of God, there is the barren and difficult life opposed to God waiting. In contrast, those who love him experience a the fountain of life. v. 16 acts with knowledge – a prudent man makes an educated decision about what he should do. He is well informed (see v. 10) and acts according to wisdom. The fool continues forward in his folly and displays his thoughtlessness to all. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." v. 17 wicked messenger – A messenger with ulterior motives or perhaps a streak of rebellion will endure the punishment of his crimes against the king. It is his wickedness that brings him trouble. A faithful ambassador helps his king rest easy. v. 18 him who disdains correction – A person who cannot listen or be swayed by words of wise advice is headed for destruction (Prov. 1:5, 20:18, 24:6). This is why God tore the kingdom of Israel from underneath the rule of King Saul (1 Sam. 28:17-18). v. 19 it is an abomination to fools – The first and second parts of this verse are nearly two different topics and seem to have an obscure connection. "A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." Thematically this repeats what is stated in verse 12 of this chapter, "It is a tree of life" or a world of pleasure. The connection is that pleasure is sin's hook and a foolish person will find reason to justify his foolishness in order to keep on doing it. To some it becomes as a religion and they would be offended that someone would dare separate them from their evil pleasures. v. 20 he who walks with wise men – "Evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Cor. 15:33) and "the righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Prov. 12:26 ). The friends we love and are near to have our admiration. Admire the wisdom of a wise man and grow wiser. Admire the foolishness of a fool and grow more foolish. v. 21 good shall be repaid – Evil will follow after sinful men and shall eventually catch up with them. Their wicked deeds will eventually be repaid back to them (Prov. 28:5). The righteous follow God's commands and will be rewarded for it (Rev. 22:12). v. 22 an inheritance – It is often the sins of the wicked that come back to them and catch them in their sinful works. According to the Jewish law, under certain circumstances, a man could have his possessions taken and given to the one he offended in order to pay restitution for his crimes (Ex. 22: 1-15). So in very real cases the goods of the sinner are taken and given to the righteous. A good man has no crimes to repay and thus his inheritance is given to the children of his children. v. 23 fallow ground of the poor – The impoverished farmer sweats and toils in order to eat. Because of his hard work and skill there is fruit from his grounds. The lack of proper management can cause the fruit of the hardworking farmer to go to waste. v. 24 hates his son – Metaphorically speaking, a man who does not discipline his son's life treats him as if he hates him. Withholding correction where it is needed is showing approval of the foolish behavior. That folly will stay in a child's heart unless he/ she is shown it is wrong (Prov. 22:15). God has even given us the model of chastening and it is proven to yield the fruit of peace and righteousness in the child's latter life (Heb. 12:7-11). v. 25 satisfying of his soul – The righteous has learned to be content with the provision God brings into his life. He is more enamored with the Provider than the actual provision, thus when God yields him sustenance he is contented in knowing that God will take care of him (Phil. 4:11-13). This is not so for the wicked. Their stomachs never have enough, their eyes are never satisfied, they will always want more (Prov. 27:20). Proverbs 14v. 1 builds her house – A wise woman invests in her home in many fruitful ways (Prov. 31:10-31). The foolish woman promotes herself and her lusts. She is noisy and shameful (Prov. 12:4). Her deeds bring a bad name and division to her household. v. 2 fears the Lord – A man walks in uprightness because he fears the LORD. If there is no regard for God then there is no regard for what He established as righteousness and (Prov. 1:7). No regard for God will ultimately lead to a place of hopelessness and ill regard for humanity. God is despised by such men. They have convinced themselves that God is not true therefore there is no judgment for their perversity (Psalm 14:1-3). v. 3 rod of pride – The foolish man will speak pompous things and it will eventually bring down trouble upon him. The lips of the wise speak with discretion and humility. It is a help to them and not a harm (Prov. 2:11). v. 4 the trophy is clean – Labor happens with sweat, pain, and great effort and yields great rewards when it is done diligently. With no work to do things are clean and tidy but there is also no income. Getting dirty and sweaty under the hot sun is a part of the curse but God gives the payoff in the fruit that hard work yields (Gen. 3:17-19). v. 5 faithful witness – A faithful witness is a good and proper witness who can be trusted. He will speak the truth. A false witness is one with little moral integrity. He is questionable and deceitful. Who can trust him? (Prov. 25:18, 6:16-19) v. 6 scoffer seeks wisdom – A scoffer by definition is one who will degrade and curse. He takes that which is honorable and serious and makes a dishonorable mockery out of it. His pursuit of wisdom is not for learning but for better sneering. He will not find wisdom this way (Prov. 15:12, Prov. 22:10, Prov. 21:24). He who is hungry for knowledge and genuinely seeks it out will easily find it. v. 7 Go from the presence – A vain, empty person who knows it all but cannot receive instruction will add no more than strife to your life. Because he refuses to receive knowledge or a rebuke he should be left to himself. Avoid intimacy with him so you do not become polluted by his vanity. v. 8 wisdom of the prudent – A prudent man does his research in order to understand his role. When put to the test, he is familiar with what he is to do or how he is to behave. The fool does his best to fake it and appear to know what he is doing with little, if any, knowledge of the subject at all (Prov. 11:14). v. 9 Fools mock at sin – The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God" (Ps. 53:1). The latter part of that verse says that there are none who seek God. The fool has denied God and his justice upon sin. Thus his ways are purposefully corrupt and perverse in the face of God as to mock at his judgments (Prov. 1:22, 10:23). among the upright there is favor – God gives favor to those whose hearts are loyal to Him (2 Chron. 16:9; Prov. 3:3-4, 8:34-35). They believe God to act and thus experience His promised blessings. v. 10 heart knows its own bitterness – There is solitude in the experiences of our emotions because no one can feel what we are feeling. We carry our own burdens within ourselves and no one else can know the sentiments of our heart the way we do. Even our outward joyful expressions are not the joy itself. Only we can truly experience it. Everyone else must wait for some form of expression to distinguish it. v. 11 wicked will be overthrown – Do not envy the prosperity of the wicked. Though their house is large and strong, its foundation is weak and brittle. It is made of deception, maliciousness and spite. These devices can overthrow a house from the inside out. The righteous will flourish even in the most meager conditions because their residence is built upon the foundation that endures forever; the righteousness of God (Matt. 7:24-27, Prov. 23:17-18). v. 12 a way that seems right to a man – "The way of the foolish man is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise" (Prov. 12:15). The ways of the Lord are above our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Is. 55:9). It is foolish to assume that we know better than Him or even that there could be another way other than what He has established. This sort of thinking keeps many from experiencing the salvation God gives. v. 13 the heart may sorrow – Even the sinner has a conscience and sometimes feels the sting of sin. Some who give themselves to drunken celebrations are seeking something deeper. Their emptiness and sorrow run deep within but they attempt to put the cheerful mask upon their face in order to cover up their heavy hearts (James 4:8-10). v. 14 backslider in heart – A man whose heart has turned away from the Lord is a man who has begun to view his will as more important than word of his Creator. He will be cursed to have all he desires without true and lasting satisfaction. That is reserved for those who walk with the Lord their God (Prov. 19:23). v. 15 considers well his steps – The simple buy into every word spoken to them and sometimes rush into their demise. They never looked into a matter (Ps. 119:6). The prudent man does his research and makes a judgment based on his findings (see v. 8 study notes). v. 16 departs from evil – A man is considered wise if he sees danger and removes himself from its path (Prov. 22:3, 4:25-27). He wants nothing to do with evil but his desire is for the good (Rom. 12:9). The fool sees the evil and rages on (Prov. 1:16, Is. 59:7). v. 17 quick tempered man – There is a contrast of evils here. "Quick tempers" or explosive reactions don't allow the man to contemplate the consequences of his outburst. He speaks foolish things and simulates a madman in his rage. "Wicked intentions" are developed by a vindictive and malicious thought process. It is thought out before the act takes place. Both forms of evil are meant to cause injury to the victim. v. 18 inherit folly – "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child" (Prov. 22:15). The untrained man has never had folly driven from him as a child. He has grown up with it and it keeps working in him to make him the scoffer. The prudent man has been trained to seek knowledge and it becomes his crown (Prov. 2:1-9). v. 19 evil will bow before the good – Some people are often reduced to begging because of their irresponsible lifestyle. They find themselves begging for food and for prayers from those who are good. Others, who are God fearing are blessed by God and have benevolent hearts because they are filled with the Word of God. They have it to give and they give generously to those in need, both good and bad. v. 20 poor man is hated – Proverbs 19:7 says that the poor man's friends abandon him even though he may pursue them to stay. Job knows this best. Once rich, having many friends, he loses everything and is stricken with sickness and those friends abandon him (Job 19:13-19). While there is wealth there will be many friends but poverty provides few who genuinely care. v. 21 He who despises his neighbor sins – This verse elaborates on the thoughts of the previous verse. The poor neighbor is he who is despised. We are told in scripture to care for the needy not despise them (Acts 20:35; 1 John 3:17-18). Luke 6 exhorts us to have mercy on the needy because God is merciful to the good and the evil (6:30-36). v. 22 mercy and truth – Those who do evil have gone astray. Should they continue in it they will be shown no mercy before the judgment seat of God (Prov. 12:2). Those who do good will be shown mercy and walk in God's true promises (Ps. 25:10, 61:7; Matt. 5:7). v. 23 in all labor there is profit – A diligent worker is a great asset to any team (Prov. 10:4). Putting in hard work, time and effort will have its payoff. The sluggard is exhorted to consider the diligent ways of the ant (Prov. 6:6). Otherwise, his ways will lead to poverty (Prov. 6:10-11, also see study notes on v. 4). v. 24 foolishness of fools – The foolishness of fools leads to more foolishness (Rom. 16:19). The lawless acts of the scoffer are his honor. They draw him into more lawlessness because his heart and mind are blinded to the light of the righteous knowledge of God (2 Cor. 4:3-6). v. 25 true witness delivers souls – A witness who is faithful and true is a good witness (Prov. 14:5, Rev. 1:5). A true witness helps him whom he defends to rest easy in the salvation of his testimony. Jesus is called the Faithful and True witness is Revelation 1:5 and 3:14. v. 26 The fear of the Lord – Consider King David's life. His confidence was in God. There he found protection against evil. David experienced the advantages of knowing and honoring God. This produces security and peace of mind. Those who make God their confidence by faith will be encouraged by the promise of God as their place of safety. Communion with God is an overflowing fountain of comfort to the soul yielding satisfaction, joy, and life abundant. v. 28 king's honor – It was not gorgeous dress, conquest, or splendor the eastern kings of old paraded their name by. It was a happy and a numerous people (Ex. 1:12, 1 Kings 4:20-21). A lack of people and a miserable kingdom were translated to mean a dishonorable king. v. 29 slow to wrath – denotes patience and understanding. A wise man holds his tongue and thinks a circumstance through before he responds to it (Prov. 11:12). A foolish man is (hasty of spirit) impulsive. Even the foolish are perceived to be wise when they keep their silence and don't react irrationally (Prov. 17:28). v. 30 sound heart – A sound heart is content, peaceful and satisfied. It is that in which emotions and desires have a good and healthy balance. An anxious, unhappy envious heart is a catalyst to all kinds of bodily ailments and poor decisions. v. 31 reproaches his Maker – Oppression upon the poor is directly in conflict against God's heart. God loves people too much to see their needs unmet. Pure an undefiled religion is to care for the widows and the orphans in their time of need (James 1:27). If God's people see a need and are able to fill that need then we are compelled to do so by God's exhortation (1 John 3:17). If anyone oppresses the poor they dishonor God. v. 32 refuge in his – The wicked long to cling to the lusts and possessions of this world but are torn away from it in death. His vain pursuit of worldly lusts has earned him nothing but a condemnable marriage to the sin incurred in his chasing (Ecc. 8:12-13; Prov. 10:30). The righteous are comforted in their death as their hope is fulfilled in the life to come; better things in another world that are unimaginable in this one. Though everyone is uncertain about death the righteous have hope even in it. v. 33 in the heart of fools – Jesus says to the Pharisees in one of many disputes that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34-35). He elaborates to say that an evil man brings forth evil things out of the treasures of his heart. Foolishness in the heart of a man will bring forth bring forth foolishness and that mans thoughts will be made known to all. v. 34 righteousness exalts a nation – Justice and honor are foundational for righteous national leaders. Impartial equity, practice of profession, preserving virtue and respect, all of these uphold a righteous nation and give them favor with God. National sin builds an offensive reputation and a dishonor before God. v. 35 The king's favor – Respect and preference are an advantage for any servant in the master's house. Those who behave wisely and are loyal to their masters shall have protection and honor before him. Those who behave foolishly and betray their masters and sow discord bring down the master's wrath against themselves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| "Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly." –Proverbs 13:16 We see how important godly knowledge is, Jesus, and we know that we can ask for this gift from You. We pray, Lord, for You to sow Your wisdom in our minds. We pray that Your knowledge will grow and choke out every weed of foolishness and folly that resides in our lives. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.
A wise son heeds his father's instruction,
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