Posted by Jeff Short on September 4, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.
– Proverbs 17:2
While possible, a servant rarely advanced beyond being a servant. A wise servant could merit reward (Proverbs 14:35). The emphasis of the proverb is on the
son that causeth shame. He is disinherited because of his foolishness and shall see the servant advance beyond him (Proverbs 11:29). Proverbs has many warnings to foolish sons and the consequences of their folly (Proverbs 10:5; 19:26).
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Posted by Jeff Short on September 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Introduction
Chapter 17 continues the “Proverbs of Solomon.” The proverbs in this chapter are general with no grouping. They touch on a variety of topics, such as fools, speech, friendships, etc.
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife.
– Proverbs 17:1
The overall statement of this proverb is being poor but having peace is better than being prosperous but having contentions. A dry morsel is a crust of bread without anything on it or to dip it in. It is a poor meal (Proverbs 15:17). The word for quietness means peace and security. A house full refers to abundance and sacrifices, by the parallelism, refers to a feast. The word for strife means controversy or dispute. Opportunities abound in life for strife, but wisdom avoids and appeases it, while folly starts it or enflames it (Proverbs 15:17; 17:14; 18:6; 20:3; 26:17, 21).
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Posted by Jeff Short on September 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
– Proverbs 16:33
The casting of lots in the Old Testament time was a way of making decisions deemed too difficult, or the settling of disputes. The word for
disposing means judgment, or verdict. The point of the proverb is God’s sovereign determinations and not random chance controlling events. This proverb closes chapter 16, which has strong statements of God’s sovereignty from the start (Proverbs 16:1, 9).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 31, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
– Proverbs 16:32
Self-control is a mark of wisdom found throughout Proverbs. A wise man controls his anger (Proverbs 14:17, 29; 15:18), his mouth (Proverbs 29:11), and his spirit (Proverbs 25:28). This proverb not only promotes the self-control of wisdom but describes it as
better. The
mighty and one that
taketh a city refers to a conquering warrior or king. The proverb concludes wisdom is better, as Solomon also said elsewhere (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
– Proverbs 16:31
The word for
glory means beauty and splendor. It can indicate honor and renown. The
hoary head refers to the gray head and is not only put here for old age, but a long life. A long life in the
way of righteousness is a life lived in wisdom. This proverb is another promise of the reward of long life for those who seek wisdom early and walk in it (Proverbs 3:16; 4:10).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 29, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeht evil to pass.
– Proverbs 16:30
Verses 27-30 are a group of proverbs about trouble makers. This proverb ends the group. Reference to
eyes and
lips means facial expressions or gestures. These gestures either serve to deceive or to convey some malignant purpose (Proverbs 6:13-14; 10:10). If connected with enticement in the previous proverb, he is masking the evil of his way and persuading his neighbor.
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A violent man enticeth his neighbor, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
– Proverbs 16:29
The word for
violent means cruel and often as a means of obtaining unjust gain. It is translated
oppressor in Proverbs 3:31, but most often it is rendered by violence in some form. To entice is to persuade and here it is the violent man that persuades his neighbor to violence (Proverbs 1:10-14; 2:12-15). The second phrase is the inevitable end of that path,
not good. The Proverbs begins with a warning against joining such schemes and the end of that way is plainly described (Proverbs 1:15-19).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
– Proverbs 16:28
The word for
froward means perverse, or fraudulent. The use of
soweth means to broadcast or spread, as a sower does with his seed. The perverse man spreads around
strife, or contention (Proverbs 6:14, 19; 15:18). A
whisperer is a gossip, talebearer, or slanderer. The sowing of strife and spreading of slander causes a rift between even
chief friends. Those who are close with a good relationship can be separated by strife and contention. The proverb focuses on the damage done by sowing strife and whispering (Proverbs 17:9; 18:8).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
– Proverbs 16:27
The figure of digging, i.e., digging a pit, is often used for the plotting of evil (Proverbs 26:27). Digging
evil also provides a contrast to the figure of searching for wisdom like buried treasure (Proverbs 2:4), so it is necessarily opposite of seeking wisdom. The
burning fire in his
lips describes the wicked use of the tongue to spread strife (Proverbs 26:20-21; 30:33). The figure is also used to describe deceitful speech (Proverbs 26:23). This proverb informs of the marks of the ungodly, or thoroughly wicked man, whose lips hide “seven abominations in his heart” (Proverbs 26:24-26).
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Proverbs 17:2
Posted by Jeff Short on September 4, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.
While possible, a servant rarely advanced beyond being a servant. A wise servant could merit reward (Proverbs 14:35). The emphasis of the proverb is on the son that causeth shame. He is disinherited because of his foolishness and shall see the servant advance beyond him (Proverbs 11:29). Proverbs has many warnings to foolish sons and the consequences of their folly (Proverbs 10:5; 19:26).– Proverbs 17:2
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
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