Exploring Proverbs

We do not have enough space to discuss all the diverse subjects contained in these chapters, so we shall limit ourselves to several of the more frequently mentioned topics.

We begin with a piece of sound financial advice that is often ignored: "He who puts up security for another will surely suffer" (11:15). If you guarantee to pay a sum of money in the eventuality of someone else defaulting on a financial agreement, be prepared to kiss that money good-bye. And if you do this on behalf of a stranger, then you have only your own folly to blame when things go wrong. As two of the proverbs say, "Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger" (20:16; 27:13).

This does not mean that it is wrong to be surety for a friend, but it is risky. You take your chances. Judah offered his own person as surety for his brother Benjamin (Genesis 43:8-9). He later offered to become Joseph’s slave in an attempt to ensure Benjamin’s safe return (Genesis 44:32-33). These courageous actions resulted in the joyous reunion of Joseph with Judah and the rest of his brothers. This example illustrates that the proverbs are not laws, per se, but wise instructions and general principles.

This theme occurs right from the beginning of the book: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (1:7). Both knowledge and wisdom are intimately connected with a respectful fear of God: "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom" (15:33); and "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (9:10).

Fearing God leads to the godly attribute of hating evil: "Fear the Lord and shun evil" (3:7); "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (8:13); and "Through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil" (16:6).

Those who fear God do not need to fear any human: "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life" (14:26-27). Fearing God is to be preferred to having great wealth with trouble (15:16) because "the fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble" (19:23) and "humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life" (22:4).

In addition to being the major theme of the first nine chapters, the value of wisdom is discussed throughout the rest of the book. Solomon writes, "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!" (16:16). In fact, seeking wisdom is wisdom: "He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers" (19:8).

Another theme introduced earlier is the certainty of the sluggard, or lazy person, ending in poverty 6:6-11). Many proverbs repeat this message: "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" (10:4); "A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing" (20:4); and "The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him" (21:25).

Two longer passages reinforce this point. One shows that the sluggard will find the most outrageous excuse not to work and cannot be convinced of his or her folly (26:13-16). The other describes the property of the sluggard — broken down and overgrown with weeds and thorns — and warns that lack of diligence inevitably results in poverty (24:30-34).

Conversely, the diligent thrive: "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied" (13:4); "He who works his land will have abundant food" (12:11); "All hard work brings a profit" (14:23); "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty" (21:5); and "Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings" (22:29). The apostle Paul also understood the value of work: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Proverbs has much to say about riches and poverty. Even though wisdom, understanding and knowledge are far more precious than wealth (8:10, 19; 16:16), riches do have value: "The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor" (10:15); and "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (22:7).

Money is a power, and it can be put to good use. However, the rich must not become so engrossed with material wealth that they neglect their spiritual responsibilities. In the end, it is not riches but righteousness that is important (11:4). Of course, like everyone else, the rich must meet material obligations to God: "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops" (3:9). They should also remember the poor: "He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses" (28:27).

The proverbs are therefore in agreement with the law — human beings should love God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). The proverbs stress that the most important thing in life is not wealth but one’s relationship with God: "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all" (22:2); and "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death" (11:4).

The book of Proverbs has stern warnings for scorners and scoffers who refuse to accept rebukes: "A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke" (13:1); and "A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise" (15:12). Scorners are those fools who mock at making amends for sin (14:9), make light of justice (19:28) and are proud and arrogant (21:24). The wise person will drive out the mocker, and strife will cease as a result (22:10). In the end, "penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools" (19:29).

Rebuke, or reproof, is a theme dealt with extensively throughout Proverbs. The Hebrew word for reproof, tokhachath, is used 16 times in Proverbs and only eight times in the rest of the Old Testament. Wisdom despairs at those who refuse her rebuke (1:25, 30). Those who ignore correction lead others astray (10:17) and are stupid (12:1). In addition, those who hate correction will die (15:10).

On the other hand, those who heed correction are prudent (15:5). They shall gain understanding (15:32) and be honored (13:18).

The other side of the coin is instruction. The Hebrew word for instruction, musar, occurs 30 times in Proverbs and only 20 times in the rest of the Old Testament. A wise person will listen to the instruction of both parents: "Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching" (1:8).

Instruction is more precious than silver (8:10) and is the way to wisdom: "Listen to my instruction and be wise" (8:33); and "Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise" (19:20). Instruction leads to life: "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life" (10:17). Correction and instruction are part of a Christian’s life. We must learn to accept correction when we are at fault. We must also continually receive instruction as to how we can better live God’s way of life.

Slanderous words are swallowed greedily by those who listen to talebearers. Such words do not just make a superficial impression either — they corrupt the innermost being of the listener. Whereas, "without gossip a quarrel dies down" (26:20), a talebearer causes strife. Simply put, "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (11:13).

Specifically, a Christian is not to make other people’s sins public knowledge: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (17:9). How much grief has been caused by not applying this one basic principle! God tells us to avoid talebearers and gossips: "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (20:19).

Lying is condemned in no uncertain terms: "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment" (12:19); "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful" (12:22); and "Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor" (25:18).

Nor are we to boast about our achievements: "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips" (27:2). Often, the best course of action is to keep silent: "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wse" (10:19); "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent" (17:28); and "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control" (29:11). Proverbs emphasizes that "an evil man is trapped by his sinful talk" (12:13) and "a fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul" (18:7).

We can use the tongue positively, however. All those who give righteous instruction are commended: "The lips of the righteous nourish many" (10:21); "Kings take pleasure in honest lips" (16:13); and "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (25:11). However, the righteous will rebuke, if necessary, rather than flatter a person (28:23).

Throughout the book of Proverbs, the words of the righteous and the wicked are contrasted: "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked" (10:11); "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value" (10:20); "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (12:18); "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly" (15:2); and "The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him" (15:26). In short, "the tongue has the power of life and death" (18:21).

Chapter 30 of Proverbs contains the sayings of Agur, the son of Jakeh. We know nothing else about this man, but the wisdom within this chapter shows him to be an unusually astute observer of life.

He summed up the proverbs on riches and poverty by saying: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" verses 8-9).

A number of Agur’s proverbs are organized into sets of four observations. He notes that four things are never satisfied: "the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’" (verse 16). He also identifies four things that the earth cannot bear: "a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress" (verses 22-23).

Four things Agur mentions as too amazing for him to understand: "the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden" (verse 19). And four things Agur observed as moving with stately bearing: "a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him" (verses 30-31).

These sayings have a "there are three, no there are four" type structure, which puts the emphasis on the last item. For example, Agur’s real fascination is in regard to "the way of a man with a maiden"; and his real admiration is for a king at the head of his army.

Advice to a king or prince was not uncommon in the wisdom literature of the ancient Near East. Proverbs 31:1-9 is unique, however, in recording the advice of a queen mother to her son.
Illustration by Dan Andreasen

King Lemuel may have come from the kingdom of Massa in northern Arabia. The Hebrew word translated "oracle" in Proverbs 30:1 and 31:1 is massa’, which some scholars translatve as the place Massa. Proverbs 31:1-9 contains a mother’s advice about the responsibilities of a monarch.

In two short sentences, Lemuel’s mother enunciates one of the king’s most important duties: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy" (verses 8-9). If the kings of Israel and Judah had applied this one principle, God would not have needed to send prophet after prophet to denounce the gross injustices perpetuated in those nations.