Posted by Jeff Short on February 7, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
– Proverbs 10:20
Solomon contrasts the
tongue of the just with the
heart of the wicked—righteous speech with the mind of the ungodly. A man’s speech is produced from the heart as if the heart were a treasure trove (Luke 6:45). Good treasure means good words and evil treasure means evil words.
Little worth indicates smallness. It is scarcity in the bad sense because the fool produces a multitude of words but scarcely any are good (Proverbs 15:28).
Choice silver is scarce in the good sense that makes it rare, valuable, and precious. It is also aesthetically pleasing, or pleasantly beautiful (Proverbs 25:11-12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 6, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
– Proverbs 10:19
Verses 19-21 deal with words, or our speech. This is one of the foremost themes throughout Proverbs. Wisdom affects what we say, the way we say it, when we say it, and how much we say. Kidner observed that three of the seven abominations in 6:16-19 have to do with sins with words. Here Solomon addresses the quantity of our words.
Multitude means abundance. Elsewhere, Solomon marks a fool by sheer quantity of words (Ecclesiastes 5:3; 10:14). Words aplenty means sins aplenty. The wise
refraineth, or withholds and restrains, their words. Seldom does our error lie in saying too little (James 1:19-20; Proverbs 17:27-28). Real wisdom discerns “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
– Proverbs 10:14
To
lay up means to hide or hoard. It isn’t a mere accumulation of knowledge here. It’s the picture of the wise householder Jesus painted (Matthew 13:52). Those who are wise know to take in knowledge and store it up to be used at the right time. This isn’t a utilitarian view of knowledge but rather a picture of discernment and discretion. The
foolish cannot store up knowledge because they speak more than they listen and readily devour foolishness (Proverbs 15:5, 14). Rather than storing up knowledge then, they are
near destruction (Proverbs 13:3; 18:7).
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 31, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
– Proverbs 10:13
The word for
understanding means to separate mentally. We would refer to that as discernment—thinking through something and being able to make distinctions and determine whether good or bad. We might also think of it as insight. The one who has an understanding mind, or heart, will speak forth
wisdom (Proverbs 10:11, 21; 15:7). Jesus also taught in the Gospels that the source of our speech is our heart, or mind (Luke 6:45). The man
void of understanding does not discern and goes on in the way of folly. Because he will not receive instruction, he will come to the
rod of correction (Proverbs 7:22; 26:3; Psalm 32:8-9).
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 29, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
– Proverbs 10:11
The
mouth is here put for speech, the things we say. Solomon contrasts the speech of the
righteous with the speech of the
wicked. The word for
well means a spring or fountain, and therefore, a source. Wisdom teaches the mouth of the righteous to be life giving (Psalm 37:30; Proverbs 10:21; 16:23). To
cover is to conceal and
violence points to malice. The mouth of the wicked cannot utter wisdom because it is covered by wrong and everything proceeding from it is tainted.
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
– Proverbs 10:10
Rather than a contrast, this proverb gives us a comparison going from bad to worse. Winking is a gesture often used as deception or to give reassurance (Proverbs 6:13). It is usually the means of one taking advantage in some way. The word of such a one is not trustworthy causes injury. As in Proverbs 10:8, the prating fool prefers his own foolishness and will not receive instruction. The result is being taken as in a snare.
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
– Proverbs 10:8
Solomon here contrasts characteristics of the wise and foolish. The parallelism also speaks of the results of each. The
wise in heart, or mind, are teachable and will
receive commandments. Having wisdom in Proverbs never amounts to being a know-it-all but being a learner (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9). It is a distinct mark of wisdom. The
prating fool is literally the foolish of lips. It refers to talkativeness in volume of words but also being opinionated where the fool delights more in his own foolishness than the counsel of wisdom (Proverbs 12:23; Ecclesiastes 10:14). Because the fool won’t hear instruction and prefers his own vain thoughts, he will fall or come to ruin (Proverbs 18:6-7).
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 13, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
– Proverbs 9:13
Verses 13-18 finish this chapter with the foolish woman and her feast of sweets that lead to the grave. The foolish woman’s despicable character is drawn against that of the lady Wisdom. The word for clamorous means roaring like the Niagra River going over the falls. It indicates a high volume in both loudness and quantity of spoken words. Solomon elsewhere marked the character of the fool as “full of words” (Ecclesiastes 10:14). To put it indelicately in modern speech, she is mouthy. Fools are known for emptying five gallon buckets of words (Proverbs 15:2) and they rather enjoy it (Proverbs 18:2). She is
foolish,
simple, and
knoweth nothing. She is no better in terms of wisdom than the foolish simpletons she calls out to.
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Posted by Jeff Short on December 2, 2016 · Leave a Comment
For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
– Proverbs 8:7
Wisdom continues explaining why she has called for attention to her words. The word for truth here is stable and reliable. The word for speaking is different from the previous verse. Here it means pondered or meditated speech. It isn’t rash or flippant speech. Wickedness is abhorrent to wisdom. The full picture suggests that wickedness is considered and found thoroughly disgusting and so put away from the lips.
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Proverbs 10:20
Posted by Jeff Short on February 7, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
Solomon contrasts the tongue of the just with the heart of the wicked—righteous speech with the mind of the ungodly. A man’s speech is produced from the heart as if the heart were a treasure trove (Luke 6:45). Good treasure means good words and evil treasure means evil words. Little worth indicates smallness. It is scarcity in the bad sense because the fool produces a multitude of words but scarcely any are good (Proverbs 15:28). Choice silver is scarce in the good sense that makes it rare, valuable, and precious. It is also aesthetically pleasing, or pleasantly beautiful (Proverbs 25:11-12).– Proverbs 10:20
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