Posted by Jeff Short on July 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
– Proverbs 15:20
The word for
glad means to brighten, or cause to rejoice. A
son receiving and walking in wisdom makes a
father glad. This is a persistent theme in Proverbs (Proverbs 10:1; 23:15-16; 29:3). Parents cannot make their children wise, but they continually instruct and correct in hope they will receive wisdom. When the children receive correction and instruction, parents are blessed in numerous ways and rejoice. The contrasting line is a different perspective than the usual. The focus is not as much on the effect on the mother, but rather on the son who is
foolish. Such a man is hardened and dishonors his parents (Proverbs 23:22; 30:17), and sins against God (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 10, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
– Proverbs 15:19
The word for
slothful means sluggish and lazy. The first phrase indicates his personal affairs are a tangled mess. He is averse to hard work and will not receive wisdom (Proverbs 12:27; 19:24; 26:15-16). The immediate point is that laziness makes everything harder and more frustrating for others (Proverbs 10:26; 18:9). The word for
righteous in the contrasting phrase means upright or straight. The parallelism indicates there is unrighteousness with laziness. The
way of the righteous is clear and straight (Proverbs 3:6; 8:9).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 9, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
– Proverbs 15:18
Hatred, pride, and anger in a man is the root of stirring up strife (Proverbs 10:12; 28:25; 29:22). The word for
wrathful means heat, and we would say hot-headed, a quick temper, or a short fuse. He escalates strife and contentions like adding fuel onto a low burning fire (Proverbs 26:21). The contrast is with one who is
slow to anger. He has the patience and wisdom to defuse situations and persuade for good (Proverbs 15:1; 25:15).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
– Proverbs 15:17
This proverb also deals with wealth, though indirectly. Wealth is not the focus, rather the contrast of
love and
hatred. To have
love is to have good relationships with family and even friends. It is to have a home of peace and contentment. The
dinner of herbs is a modest meal as opposed to the
stalled ox, which is an indication of means. Love is absent where
hatred is present and it brings strife and contention to a house. Obviously, the first condition is better than the second with a house of strife, anger, and contentions (Proverbs 17:1; 21:19).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 7, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
– Proverbs 15:16
This is one of those proverbs that refute the notion the blessing and prosperity of wisdom is material. It is better to have wisdom than not (Proverbs 3:14; 8:11, 19; 16:16), and it is better to have
the fear of the Lord, a meager supper, righteousness, a humble spirit, integrity, and uprightness than riches (Proverbs 15:17; 16:8, 19; 17:1; 19:1; 28:6). The word for
trouble means tumult, confusion, and vexation. We might say it is a great grief or worry of mind. Material substance is not ultimate, and not to be preferred when it comes with trouble (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 6, 2017 · Leave a Comment
All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
– Proverbs 15:15
The word for
afflicted means depressed, as in mind or circumstances. The word for
evil means bad or painful. The parallelism makes plain the state of the afflicted comes from the state of the heart (Proverbs 15:13; 17:22). The word for
merry means good and agreeable. This is reinforced by
continual feast, which points to sustained pleasure and delight. The hint here is that even our experiences are affected by our state of mind and outlook (Proverbs 16:22). We might say to the miserable, everything is miserable, and to the happy, everything is happy.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 5, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
– Proverbs 15:14
The word for
seeketh means to search out and indicates a deliberate search. The word for
knowledge means cunning, perception, and discernment. Proverbs presents wisdom as accessible to all (Proverbs 8:1-11; 9:1-6), but acquired only by those who seek for it (Proverbs 2:1-6). One of the marks of wisdom is to continue to seek for wisdom (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9). The contrast speaks of feeding on
foolishness rather than seeking wisdom. The word for
feedeth means to pasture, or graze. The word for
fools is the most common word in Proverbs for fools. The word means stupid and obstinate. The usage in Proverbs shows the word describes one who chooses the way of folly and not one who is mentally impaired. The fool gobbles up foolishness and spews it out freely (Proverbs 15:2). The fool has no heart or patience for acquiring wisdom (Proverbs 17:6, 24). He prefers his easy foolishness so much he returns to it like a dog to its own vomit (Proverbs 26:11).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 4, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
– Proverbs 15:13
The word for
heart is often used in Proverbs and refers primarily to the mind, but the word does mean more generally the inner being of man, involving mind, emotions, will, etc. For
cheerful countenance we might say a happy face. The phrase means the inner thoughts and attitudes of a man affects his state of happiness (Proverbs 15:15; 18:14). The word for
sorrow in the contrasting phrase means pain or injury. Just as
cheerful can point to healthy,
sorrow can point to wounded. The thoughts of pain, or dwelling on injury, could also point to harboring bitterness. The effect is to crush the spirit (Proverbs 12:25; 17:22).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.
– Proverbs 15:12
The
scorner is at the hard end of folly. His obstinacy keeps him from wisdom (Proverbs 14:6). He hates reproof, and therefore will not go to or with the
wise (Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1). He refuses two primary means of receiving wisdom—reproof (Proverbs 3:11-12) and having wise companions (Proverbs 2:20; 13:20).
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Proverbs 15:20
Posted by Jeff Short on July 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
The word for glad means to brighten, or cause to rejoice. A son receiving and walking in wisdom makes a father glad. This is a persistent theme in Proverbs (Proverbs 10:1; 23:15-16; 29:3). Parents cannot make their children wise, but they continually instruct and correct in hope they will receive wisdom. When the children receive correction and instruction, parents are blessed in numerous ways and rejoice. The contrasting line is a different perspective than the usual. The focus is not as much on the effect on the mother, but rather on the son who is foolish. Such a man is hardened and dishonors his parents (Proverbs 23:22; 30:17), and sins against God (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3).– Proverbs 15:20
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