Posted by Jeff Short on June 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
– Proverbs 14:17
This proverb gives two types of foolish anger. Being
soon angry is what we call hot or quick-tempered. It applies to a man who is quick to react in anger and doesn’t have appropriate self-control (Proverbs 14:29; 16:32). His lack of control of his temper causes him to deal
foolishly. He speaks and acts rashly and foolishly in the heat of anger, whereas a calmer head can see the situation better (Proverbs 14:29). The second is a
man of wicked devices. This describes one who plots and contrives (Proverbs 6:18; 12:2). We call this a cool or cold anger, which may plot elaborate schemes of revenge. Such a person is
hated and seen as more loathsome.
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
– Proverbs 14:16
Proper fear marks a
wise man. Through wisdom and fear he identifies
evil and departs from it to go in the way that is upright (Proverbs 22:3; 3:7; 16:6, 17). The contrasted mark of the
fool is confidence. He is overconfident in his own wisdom and way (Proverbs 26:12; 14:12), so he
rageth, or passes on his determined way despite warnings or counsel (Proverbs 7:22).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
– Proverbs 14:15
Verses 15-17 speak directly to wisdom and folly, while verse 18 speaks to the reward to each. This proverb contrasts the gullibility of the
simple with the discernment of the
prudent. The simple thoughtlessly take in what they hear and are easily led astray. To him it is all in good fun (Proverbs 15:21). The naïveté of the simple leads them to trouble (Proverbs 22:3). The word for
prudent means shrewd and can be negative or positive given the context. It can refer negatively to schemes, or positively to making plans. His character is described here as discerning, so he proceeds cautiously (Proverbs 4:26; 14:8). Because he looks ahead with discernment, he can foresee evil and avoid it (Proverbs 27:12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 31, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
– Proverbs 14:14
The word for
backslider means to flinch or turn back. Isaiah and Jeremiah both used the word to describe those who apostatized from the truth, or true way. The backslider is then added to the list of fools, i.e., the foolish, the wicked, the scorner, the sluggard, etc. It describes one who has started in the way of wisdom but doesn’t continue in it. They may turn back because of simplicity or supposed gain, but the end is getting their own reward (Proverbs 1:31-32). This proverb speaks to the sowing and reaping principle. The second phrase emphasizes the good reward to the
good man (Proverbs 12:14).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
– Proverbs 14:13
This proverb is a wise observation. Our emotional circumstances change, and can change quickly. As we grow in wisdom, we are more aware that joy and sorrow are mingled together (Ecclesiastes 1:18). The wisdom taught here instructs us not to put too much by our present experience. For good or bad, it will change, and probably soon.
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 29, 2017 · Leave a Comment
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
– Proverbs 14:12
The word for
right means straight and level. It can also express moral uprightness. When taken with the contrasting phrase, it refers to an apparent good way to good ends. Obviously, the way seems good because the man will not listen to wisdom (Proverbs 12:15). The
end refers to the outcome or even the reward. The word for
death means death in a natural or penal sense. It can refer to the state of death or can symbolize ruin. Taken here as a symbol, death speaks to the complete ruin of the plans of the man on the way that seemed right. In other words, it is not that he might find a little disappointment but complete ruin. More bluntly, the word indicates the ultimate destination of fools who refuse wisdom but go in the way of folly (Proverbs 5:5; 7:27; 9:18; 15:24).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
– Proverbs 14:11
A house is a structure of some permanency, whereas a
tabernacle is a tent. Those figures suggest a subtle point of comparison between life now and the life to come. Regardless of the materials and methods of construction, the house of the
wicked will not stand but be overthrown. The wicked man’s house is cursed from within (Proverbs 3:33) and shall ultimately fall (Proverbs 21:12). The
upright are not trusting in their tents (Proverbs 11:28). They have wisdom and take the long view knowing that unjust gains are not profitable, but rather damaging (Proverbs 10:2-3).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
– Proverbs 14:10
This proverb does not contrast
bitterness and
joy, but treats them both alike as unknowable to a
stranger, or another person. It is a wise observation that a person knows his own deep sorrows and profound joys. These cannot be fully expressed to or known by another. Wisdom would mean being careful to speak into someone’s joy or pain, or assuming you fully understand it. We do have comfort in suffering knowing that God sees and understands (1 John 3:20; Hebrews 2:18; 4:15).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
– Proverbs 14:9
The wording here is difficult with various interpretations. The general sense comes out in the antithetical parallelism of the two phrases. The word for
sin means guilt or an offense. The word for
favor means delight or acceptance. Both words are used elsewhere in reference to sacrifices, but that seems beyond the scope of the interpersonal relationships suggested in this proverb and the Proverbs as a whole. So
fools scoff at guilt, or the sense of personal offense (Proverbs 10:23; 26:18-19). They see no need of reconciliation or making right any action (Proverbs 30:20). The word for
righteous means straight or upright. It’s a term often describing a man’s relation to another as being a just one. The contrast is the righteous have a sense of wrong done and strive to maintain a good conscience (Proverbs 12:2; 13:15; Acts 24:16).
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Proverbs 14:17
Posted by Jeff Short on June 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
This proverb gives two types of foolish anger. Being soon angry is what we call hot or quick-tempered. It applies to a man who is quick to react in anger and doesn’t have appropriate self-control (Proverbs 14:29; 16:32). His lack of control of his temper causes him to deal foolishly. He speaks and acts rashly and foolishly in the heat of anger, whereas a calmer head can see the situation better (Proverbs 14:29). The second is a man of wicked devices. This describes one who plots and contrives (Proverbs 6:18; 12:2). We call this a cool or cold anger, which may plot elaborate schemes of revenge. Such a person is hated and seen as more loathsome.– Proverbs 14:17
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