Posted by Jeff Short on July 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
– Proverbs 15:11
The word for hell is
sheol and means the unseen place of the dead. It is like the Greek
hades. The word for destruction is
abaddon and means a place of destruction. It emphasizes the state of suffering or punishment more than the location. It is also a name given to Satan as the king of the bottomless pit, or the
abyssos (Revelation 9:10). The first phrase refers to the underworld, a place unseen to men, but not to God (Psalm 139:8). The point is that such a place we have so little conception of is entirely open before God. It follows then that human flesh is no covering to hide the hearts of men from God (Hebrews 4:12-13). The force of the proverb is to teach wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
– Proverbs 15:10
This proverb does not make a contrast, but shows a progression from bad to worse. Forsaking
the way amounts to leaving the path of wisdom and walking in the way evil (Proverbs 2:12-15). He does not like correction but trusts to his own understanding (Proverbs 12:15; 15:5). He progresses to hatred of
reproof. This marks a fool as a scorner, or scoffer. This is the hardened end of folly. He hates reproof (Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1), and inherits the “judgments … prepared for scorners” (Proverbs 19:29; 3:34). Such scorners love and inherit death (Proverbs 8:36; 5:23; 11:7).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
– Proverbs 15:9
This proverb parallels the previous one. The former addressed religious acts and this one the life, or the
way. The
wicked do not pursue
righteousness as the upright do. The way of the wicked is characterized as darkness, proud, and perverting the way of wisdom (Proverbs 4:19; 21:4, 8). Their way is an
abomination to God. The word for
followeth after means to run after, or pursue. God loves those who pursue
righteousness in life and not merely pious rituals (Proverbs 21:21).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 29, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
– Proverbs 15:8
This proverb deals with worship and our approach to God. It is consistent with the rest of Scripture in that worship is a matter of spirit and not outward form (1 Samuel 15:22). The word for
sacrifice refers to the slaughter of an animal, and contextually to the purpose of offering to the Lord. It is a ritual act. Even if the outward act is performed impeccably, the wicked condition of the offerer’s heart makes it an abomination to God (Isaiah 1:10-15). The wicked despise God’s word and want to perform a ritual for acceptance, but God hates and rejects it (Proverbs 21:27; 28:9; Luke 6:46). The contrast is the
delight, pleasure or acceptance, of the
prayer of the upright (Proverbs 15:29; 1 Chronicles 29:17).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.
– Proverbs 15:7
The contrast between
lips and
heart causes difficulty among commentators. The
heart is put for the mind and
lips obviously refer to speech. There is a similar contrast in Proverbs 10:20. The
wise will spread
knowledge with their
lips because they have wisdom (Proverbs 14:18). The
heart, or mind, of the
foolish is not filled with wisdom, so they obviously cannot speak or spread wisdom (Proverbs 10:21). Fools pursue folly and take delight in it (Proverbs 15:21). He takes in folly like a panting dog licking up water and dirt (Proverbs 15:14). He in turn pours out folly because that is what he has (Proverbs 13:16; 15:2).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
– Proverbs 15:6
The
righteous and the
wicked are both gaining. The gain of the
righteous is stored up as
treasure, or wealth. The point of the first phrase is that through wisdom, the gains made by righteousness are a blessing (Proverbs 8:21; 21:20). These blessed gains come through honest and hard work (Proverbs 10:4; 21:5). The word for
revenues means income, or produce. The word for
trouble means to roil water, i.e., to stir up or disturb. The
wicked pursue gains hastily and craftily, so they come with much trouble (Proverbs 20:21; 21:5-7; 28:22).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
– Proverbs 15:5
Proverbs teaches wisdom is had by instruction and correction (Proverbs 1:2-4, 23). The
prudent, or wise, will heed it (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9). The
fool despiseth, or scorns, sound correction and instruction (Proverbs 10:1; 13:1). They will not hear wise counsel (Proverbs 1:7; 10:8; 12:15) and they mock sin (Proverbs 14:9). Referring to
his father’s instruction shows his foolishness early on (Proverbs 22:15), which can lead to an irremediable scoffing fool (Proverbs 27:22). This proverb also reveals character by how we respond to correction and instruction.
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the Spirit.
– Proverbs 15:4
This proverb contrasts the power of words to either heal or hurt (Proverbs 18:21). The word for
wholesome means curative, or healing. The
tree of life imagery speaks of life-giving, as here with the
wholesome tongue. Wise and apt speech gives health and life (Proverbs 16:24). The word for
perverseness refers to distortion or crookedness. What is bent or distorted is obviously the way of wisdom. Such perverseness is a mark of transgressors (Proverbs 11:3). The word for
breach means a fracture, or crushing. These words are damaging inwardly and outwardly (Proverbs 18:8).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 24, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
– Proverbs 15:3
This proverb expresses the omniscience of God. His knowledge is full and complete. It’s not that he can know, but that he does know. Wisdom knows this and that knowledge provokes wise speech and actions (Proverbs 5:21). This is a comfort to the righteous (2 Chronicles 16:9; Job 23:10) and a terror to the wicked (Psalm 1:6; Proverbs 15:8-9, 11).
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Proverbs 15:11
Posted by Jeff Short on July 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
The word for hell is sheol and means the unseen place of the dead. It is like the Greek hades. The word for destruction is abaddon and means a place of destruction. It emphasizes the state of suffering or punishment more than the location. It is also a name given to Satan as the king of the bottomless pit, or the abyssos (Revelation 9:10). The first phrase refers to the underworld, a place unseen to men, but not to God (Psalm 139:8). The point is that such a place we have so little conception of is entirely open before God. It follows then that human flesh is no covering to hide the hearts of men from God (Hebrews 4:12-13). The force of the proverb is to teach wisdom and the fear of the Lord.– Proverbs 15:11
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
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