Posted by Jeff Short on February 10, 2018 · Leave a Comment
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
– Proverbs 21:17
Loving
pleasure, or joy, and
wine and oil means pursuing and indulging in luxury. Wisdom warns such pursuits and indulgences lead to poverty. The word for
poor means need, or lack. The word for
rich means wealth, or abundance. The
just in Proverbs 21:15 do not pursue
pleasure (the same word is translated
joy there) as an end in itself, but rather pursue
judgment and find
pleasure. The problem is not with the
wine,
oil, or even
pleasure, but rather with the misplaced love that gluttonously pursues them. A greedy appetite will never be satisfied (Ecclesiastes 5:10) and will leave a man in rags (Proverbs 23:21).
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 9, 2018 · Leave a Comment
The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.
– Proverbs 21:16
Wisdom takes the long view and is concerned with outcomes throughout Proverbs. The word for
way mean road, or path. It is a metaphor for the course of one’s life. Just as roads lead somewhere, the way we go in this life has a somewhere we will come to. The word for
understanding means prudence, and to wander is go astray from the way of wisdom, or prudence. The
way of understanding is a way that leads to life (Proverbs 6:23; 15:24; 14:32). Despite diverse appearances, all other ways lead to death (Proverbs 5:32; 11:7). The fatherly addresses warn of the path to death with the strange woman (Proverbs 2:18-19; 7:26-27; 9:18). The word for
remain means rest, not in the sense of refreshing but rather in the sense of dwelling. This is the destination of the way that departs from wisdom. The word for
dead means shades and refers to the realm of the dead. So going in the way of wisdom or folly is literally a matter of life and death.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 7, 2018 · Leave a Comment
It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
– Proverbs 21:15
The word for
joy means gladness, or pleasure.
Judgment refers to justice, or just dealing. It can mean a legal verdict in the official sense of justice, or it can refer to the just respect and treatment of others in our dealings. The word for
destruction means ruin, or terror. The
just and upright delight in justice being done and it terrifies the wicked, because they want justice to be bendable to their advantage (Proverbs 17:23). This proverb complements Proverbs 10:29 where the
way of the Lord, which is the way of judgment, is a fortification for the
upright but a terror to the wicked.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 6, 2018 · Leave a Comment
A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.
– Proverbs 21:14
The word for
gift means present and the word for
reward means bribe. The first is neutral of itself and the second is usually negative. Commentators differ whether the proverb itself is positive or negative. The word for
pacifieth means smooth, or sooth. It refers to reducing, or calming,
anger and
strong wrath. The word for
secret means covered, or hidden, and this word gives a tinge of something untoward. The word for
bosom means to enclose in the more figurative sense. The figure could also speak of concealment, or it could refer to being at the ready. The second sense would highlight the timing of the gift given more than the hiddenness of it.
Perhaps the difficulty demonstrates the fine line between a good and bad gift. Gifts are always wicked when used to pervert justice (Proverbs 17:23). They are disgusting when used out of vanity to gain favor or place (Proverbs 18:16; 19:6). However, Proverbs praises the wisdom that calms anger and appeases wrath. Gentle words can sooth (Proverbs 15:1). Controlling one’s own anger can calm others (Proverbs 15:18). A well timed word can do good (Proverbs 15:23). So, if we have wisdom and discretion, we can also calm anger with a discreet and timely gift.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 5, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
– Proverbs 21:13
This proverb is the alternative to Proverbs 19:17, which promises recompense to the generous. Wisdom teaches eye-for-eye justice will be given. The warning here is similar to the warning to those who refuse to hear God’s word (Proverbs 1:22-33). The word for
poor means weak, or needy. It’s not just a lack of money, but a vulnerable helplessness. It may include lack of money or be a lack of connection due to low social standing, etc. One’s view and treatment of the poor is an important marker of wisdom (Proverbs 14:31; 17:5; 19:17). Oppressing the poor is wicked and shortsighted (Proverbs 22:16; 28:8, 27).
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 4, 2018 · Leave a Comment
The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.
– Proverbs 21:12
The wording of this proverb is difficult. I understand there is no change in subject between the first and second phrase in the Hebrew. The
righteous one in the first phrase performs both actions—
considereth and
overthroweth. The most natural reading takes God, Yahweh, to be the righteous one. If so, this is the only place in Proverbs where the term is used of God. Does the meaning of the proverb justify this?
The word for considereth means to look at, or give attention to. The house of the wicked likely refers to the wicked’s prosperity. Wisdom points out the temporary prosperity of the wicked is unenviable (Proverbs 24:19-20). The word for overthroweth means ruin. The second phrase points to ultimate justice for the wicked, where their own wickedness destroys them (Proverbs 11:3-5; 13:6; 14:32). Proverbs is clear that God is the one who sees and judges the wicked (Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; 16:2). This meaning is clear in a similar proverb in Proverbs 22:12. The natural and consistent meaning takes the righteous one to be God who sees and metes out final justice.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 3, 2018 · Leave a Comment
When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
– Proverbs 21:11
Teachability is a mark of maturing and growing in wisdom (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9). The proverb contrasts the
wise and the
simple. The wise receives instruction and the simple has to see the scorner punished to wise up. Proverbs teaches us wisdom is imparted by instruction, correction, warning, and punishment. The wiser we are, the less time we will spend toward the punishment end of that scale.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 2, 2018 · Leave a Comment
The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.
– Proverbs 21:10
Desire can be a wish, want, longing, hunger, ambition, and so on. The phrase
soul desireth speaks of appetite. The picture is sinfulness, not in terms of a misstep or mistake, but rather a strong desire to do evil, or calamitous harm (Proverbs 3:29; 12:12). The word for
favor means to bend, and so, pity or mercy. Wisdom properly infers it is better to avoid such a person bent on evil.
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
– Proverbs 21:9
This proverb is one of the “better-than” statements in Proverbs. For instance, in various ways, Proverbs states it is better to be poor and wise than to be rich and foolish. The formula compares two conditions and declares one better and therefore preferable to those who have wisdom. It doesn’t exclude other possibilities. It’s better to be poor and wise than rich and foolish, but it does not follow that being both rich and wise is not better still. It does prevent the assumption so common among people—it’s better to be rich than poor no matter the other conditions that attend.
The phrase corner of the housetop likely refers to a small visitor’s quarters on the roof of the house. The word for wide means in society, or in company, and house is just that. The parallel means the roof is a lonely place of solitude and the house is a place of society. Generally speaking, loneliness is not a desirable or better condition. But loneliness is better and desirable when the society includes a brawling, or contentious, woman. The same sentiment is expressed in Proverbs 21:19, where living in the desert is better than a house with a contentious wife. We could add, it is also better to live with a leaking roof than a quarrelsome woman (Proverbs 19:13; 27:15-16). A selfish, mouthy, hyper-critical wife destroys a man’s peace, deprives him of love, and ruins whatever prosperity he has gained. So, it is better to be poor and live on low means with a good and prudent wife from the Lord than the alternative (Proverbs 15:17; 17:1; 19:14; 31:10-12). And, it works the same way around for the woman with an angry husband.
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Proverbs 21:17
Posted by Jeff Short on February 10, 2018 · Leave a Comment
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
Loving pleasure, or joy, and wine and oil means pursuing and indulging in luxury. Wisdom warns such pursuits and indulgences lead to poverty. The word for poor means need, or lack. The word for rich means wealth, or abundance. The just in Proverbs 21:15 do not pursue pleasure (the same word is translated joy there) as an end in itself, but rather pursue judgment and find pleasure. The problem is not with the wine, oil, or even pleasure, but rather with the misplaced love that gluttonously pursues them. A greedy appetite will never be satisfied (Ecclesiastes 5:10) and will leave a man in rags (Proverbs 23:21).– Proverbs 21:17
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