Posted by Jeff Short on March 30, 2022 · Leave a Comment
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
– Proverbs 30:15
Verses 15-16 return to the numerical sayings of this collection, with five of the six sayings contained in verses 15-31. These sayings present mostly in the form of three, then three plus one, or four. This numerical device is a compositional structure that gives a representative rather than exhaustive list. The listed items may seem to be unrelated, but they share some important connection.
The saying opens with a figure of the leech, or particularly the horseleach, that has two daughters. The precise meaning of this figure has been debated for centuries. Why two daughters? Does two indicate twins? Is Give, give the names of the daughters or what they say, since there is no word for crying in the underlying Hebrew Masoretic text? Sometimes, wisdom sayings work by ambiguities and trying to button up every detail could miss the point.
The second part of the saying makes the point of the figure clear. The point is to illustrate never being satisfied, never having enough. The leech is a parasite that consumes insatiably and does not produce. We also see a subtle connection to the generation sayings previous to this one, because the figure is not just a leech, but the daughters of a leech. The sayings prior to this have condemned pride and greed within generations, and here the warning goes both ways. We can be quick to point out the faults of the younger generations to us, but wisdom bids us remember that the older generations produced the younger, and so they are a reflection. To the younger generation, the warning is to be aware and careful not to repeat the follies of the older generations.
Posted by Jeff Short on April 28, 2020 · Leave a Comment
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
– Proverbs 29:11
The first phrase literally says a fool vents all his breath. The picture is such a sheer quantity of words coming from a fool he is out of breath. Fools are characterized in Proverbs for much foolish speaking. They pour out words like water from a bucket (Proverbs 15:2, 28). It is such a common indicator that a fool might be thought wise by simply being quiet and offering no opinion (Proverbs 17:28).
A fool’s speech is not marked only by quantity, but also by content, all his mind. A fool is compelled to make his foolishness known (Proverbs 12:32; 13:16; 14:33). Such characteristic speaking is a product of the lack of self-control, particularly in terms of anger (Proverbs 12:16).
Most of the verses referenced have the contrasting characteristic of the wise that he has control over his tongue. The wise will understand many reasons for restraining speech: provide less to be used against him (Proverbs 10:14; 13:3), maintain relationships (Proverbs 11:12-13), calm heated tempers (Proverbs 17:27; 15:1), and even to lessen sin (Proverbs 10:19).
That a wise man keeps his words in till afterwards, can provide a cooling off period until minds are more reasonable, but also speaks to the characteristic wisdom of taking time to investigate, understand, and formulate a reasonable response (Proverbs 15:28; 18:13, 17).
Filed under 29, Proverbs, Short Comments · Tagged with Anger, Commentary, Folly, Fool, Proverbs, Self-Control, Speech, Understanding, Wise
Posted by Jeff Short on March 13, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
– Proverbs 29:3
This saying echoes a long line of wisdom sayings pertaining to sons who acquire wisdom blessing their fathers (Proverbs 10:1; 15:20; 23:15, 24-25; 27:11). The second line gives the contrasting parallel for the foolish sons (Proverbs 5:8-10; 6:26; 21:17, 20; 28:7, 19). The contrast is between loving and pursuing wisdom or loving and pursuing folly. Wisdom and folly are personified as women in Proverbs (Proverbs 9:1-18), and so loving wisdom is pictured through finding a virtuous wife (Proverbs 31:10-31) and folly through chasing prostitutes (Proverbs 5:1-23; 7:1-27). Jesus told of such a foolish son, who went on to forsake folly for wisdom (Luke 15:11-32).
Filed under 29, Proverbs, Short Comments · Tagged with Commentary, Father, Folly, Fool, Harlot, Proverbs, Son, Strange Woman, Wisdom, Wise
Posted by Jeff Short on October 21, 2019 · Leave a Comment
The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
– Proverbs 28:11
Being wise in one’s own eyes is a characteristic of a fool, regardless of the particular avenue the fool walks down (Proverbs 3:7; 12:15; 26:5, 12, 16). The foolish rich find false security in wealth (Proverbs 18:11) and here, they take credit for their situation in life. The saying contrasts the foolish rich man with the poor man who has wisdom,
understanding. Wisdom looks past the facade of riches and success.
Posted by Jeff Short on February 12, 2019 · Leave a Comment
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
– Proverbs 27:22
The
mortar and
pestle paints the image of grinding and crushing. The word for
bray means to pound. The imagery alludes to the beating of a fool he has merited through his folly (Proverbs 10:13; 18:6; 19:29; 26:3). The last phrase points to the deeper, spiritual problem of a fool and the fact that physical punishment alone is not sufficient to remove folly from him (Proverbs 17:10).
Posted by Jeff Short on January 10, 2019 · Leave a Comment
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
– Proverbs 27:13
Wisdom consistently warns against rash pledges and sureties (Proverbs 6:1-4; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26-27). This saying essentially parallels the one in Proverbs 20:16. The inclusion here could be an example or a warning for the previous saying that a simple person doesn’t perceive risks and comes to suffer the consequences.
Posted by Jeff Short on December 19, 2018 · Leave a Comment
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
– Proverbs 27:8
This saying is difficult and commentators vary widely on interpretation. The likeness between a bird leaving her nest and a man wandering, presumably, from home seems to be about vulnerability and leaving protection. We might make a connection of place with way of wisdom. In this sense, it is a fool that leaves the way of wisdom (Proverbs 17:24), which results in destruction (Proverbs 21:16).
Posted by Jeff Short on May 25, 2018 · Leave a Comment
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
– Proverbs 24:9
The word for
thought means plan, and usually refers to bad plans. The word for
foolishness means silliness, or folly. The first phrase refers to scheming, which is decidedly not according to wisdom. Such folly refuses instruction, embraces death, and goes woefully astray (Proverbs 5:21-23). Through such folly a woman destroys her own home (Proverbs 14:1), a hot headed man is exposed (Proverbs 14:17, 29), the character of a fool is known by the foolishness poured out of his mouth (Proverbs 12:23; 15:2, 14), and a man’s whole way is corrupted (Proverbs 19:3). Therefore, his love of folly and planning foolishness is
sin.
The scorner, or scoffer, then, becomes an abomination to men. He becomes disgusting, or detestable, even in the eyes of men. The scorner is fixed in his evil ways because he will not receive correction (Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12). He is odious to men because he is a meddler and bringer of problems (Proverbs 21:24; 22:10; 29:8). Wisdom teaches us judgment is “prepared for scorners” (Proverbs 19:19), and he shall receive tooth for tooth (Proverbs 3:32-35).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 10, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Wilt thou set thin eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
– Proverbs 23:5
Verse 5 uncovers the folly of exhausting yourself to be rich. The flying eagle is a figure of the fleeting nature of wealth. The eagle can be seen for a little while, but soon flies away out of grasp and eventually out of sight. This proverb doesn’t highlight any specific means of losing wealth, but such instances are mentioned elsewhere in Proverbs. A greedy man is in a hurry to be rich and his haste will actually turn to poverty (Proverbs 21:5; 28:22). Lovers of pleasure and indulgence will spread their wealth thin and come to rags (Proverbs 5:7-10; 23:20-21). The slothful fool will have trouble acquiring wealth, but what he will equally have trouble keeping what he has acquired (Proverbs 24:30-31; 27:23-27). Further, foolish managers and risk takers will exhaust their stores (Proverbs 21:20; 17:18; 22:26-27). So, in one way or another, riches tend to vanish away and wisdom teaches us not to set our hearts on material wealth.
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Proverbs 30:15
Posted by Jeff Short on March 30, 2022 · Leave a Comment
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
Verses 15-16 return to the numerical sayings of this collection, with five of the six sayings contained in verses 15-31. These sayings present mostly in the form of three, then three plus one, or four. This numerical device is a compositional structure that gives a representative rather than exhaustive list. The listed items may seem to be unrelated, but they share some important connection.– Proverbs 30:15
The saying opens with a figure of the leech, or particularly the horseleach, that has two daughters. The precise meaning of this figure has been debated for centuries. Why two daughters? Does two indicate twins? Is Give, give the names of the daughters or what they say, since there is no word for crying in the underlying Hebrew Masoretic text? Sometimes, wisdom sayings work by ambiguities and trying to button up every detail could miss the point.
The second part of the saying makes the point of the figure clear. The point is to illustrate never being satisfied, never having enough. The leech is a parasite that consumes insatiably and does not produce. We also see a subtle connection to the generation sayings previous to this one, because the figure is not just a leech, but the daughters of a leech. The sayings prior to this have condemned pride and greed within generations, and here the warning goes both ways. We can be quick to point out the faults of the younger generations to us, but wisdom bids us remember that the older generations produced the younger, and so they are a reflection. To the younger generation, the warning is to be aware and careful not to repeat the follies of the older generations.
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Filed under 30, Proverbs, Short Comments · Tagged with Commentary, Folly, Greed, Proverbs, Wisdom