Two Bits Media of Kansas City: The Book of Proverbs

Updated: September 5, 2007

The Bible Commentary

The Lord is the source of true wisdom and knowledge, and that He reveals His wisdom unto us in His Word. So, if man is to find true wisdom for living, he must seek it in the pages of the Holy Scripture. The source for wisdom is not man's autonomous reason, "natural law," or experience. The source of true wisdom is the revealed word of God.

[C]2000-07 by Richard L Zorek

Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or meter but on parallelism of thought. The parallelism of a great deal of Proverbs is anithetical, meaning that the idea or statement of the first line is paralleled by its opposite in the second line. It is especially adapted to the purpose of the book, which is to contrast the way of the wise with the way of fools.
"Praised is the Lord by day and praised by night; praised is He when we lie down and praised when we wise up."

Prov 1:1: The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of IsraelSolomon may not have written all of it, but is the main contributor.
Prov 1:2: "To know wisdom and instruction: to perceive the words of understanding." The word "wisdom" in the scriptures means the ability to use knowledge properly. It occurrs in "Proverbs" alone 37 times. It is an important word. It means the right use of knowledge. There are a great many brilliant people who have knowledge, yet they lack wisdom. They dont see, to use their knowledge properly.
Prov 1:5: let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance- The wise know they do not know it all and still have things to learn.
Prov 1:7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. No one truly begins to know anything of value until they fear God. One is foolish to rely upon his own understanding and to ignore the Word of God.
Prov 1: 8: Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Had this proverb been honored from generation to generation, we would have very little of the problems we face today in society.
Prov 1:9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. It will shine like jewelry
Prov 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. And if you are on the way, they probably will try.
Prov 1:11: If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause They don't need a reason to do evil, they just do.
Prov 1:19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. The one that pursues it loses.
Prov 1:20: Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; Wisdom is not hiding?
Prov 1:26-27: I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Not an expression of personal heartlessness, but of absurdity of choosing folly, the complete vindication of wisdom, and the incontestible fitness of the disaster.

Prov 2:6: For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh understanding." The Lord is the source of true wisdom and knowledge, and that He reveals His wisdom unto us in His Word. So, if man is to find true wisdom for living, he must seek it in the pages of the Holy Scripture. The source for wisdom is not man's autonomous reason, "natural law," or experience. The source of true wisdom is the revealed word of God.
Prov 2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. It will be pleasant because your soul was designed for it to be.
Prob 3:2: for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Promise of both long life and prosperity.
Prov 3:4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Pious religiousness creates enemies. Wisdom does not.
Prov 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding;. In all they ways acknowlegde him, and he shall direct thy paths." Our own understanding is corrupt.
Prov 3:7: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. It could possibly be said that if one is wise in their own eyes that they do not fear the Lord or shun evil.
Prov 3:8: This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Fear God and shun evil.

Prov 3:9: Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; Tithe. It seems to be a forgone conclusion that there will be "wealth."

Prob 3:10: then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. And more wealth than one can handle.

Prov 3:12: because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. If the Lord disciplines you...take joy... you are legitimate! And, He delights in you.
Prov 3:14: for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Much more profitable and enduring than worldy treasures.
Prov 3:18: She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. A promise of blessing.
Prov 3:22: they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Something that can be seen. That will give you the appearance of maybe, wealth, or royalty?
Prov 3:24: when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. No nightmares. Pleasant relaxing sleep.
Prov 3:25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, As I write this, the middle east is in great turmoil. Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, North Korea, and the United States is involved. "Have no Fear."
Prov 3:27: Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. You may be their hope. You may not get another opportunity.
Prov 3:29: Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Don't be a busybody. Keep peace in the neighborhood.
Prov 3:31 Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, He may appear to be powerful. He is unstable in all his ways.
Prov 4:7: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding," Need to be able to get this any time, any day.

Prov 4:19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. When things go wroong they never truly understand why.
Prov 4:20-22: My son attend to my words; inclince thine ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh The most comprehensive instructions on how to receive healing.
Prov 5:3: "For the lips of a strange woman drop as honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil" Her mouth is full of deception and flattery.

Prov 5:23: "He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray." This is a self imposed lack of instruction. God is always willing to give wisdom.
Prov 6:25: Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, Do not even lust after her in your heart. She is not worth the eye contact.
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

Prov 6:27: "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" Many flirt constantly with death. Their "life style" can better be called a death style. The world around us is suicidal.

Prov 6:28: Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? They cannot, of course, but that does not mean they won't try.

Prov 6:31: Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. We may have sympathy, but the man must pay the price for stealing. Does it suggest ones lack of trust in God for provision? Or laziness?
Prov 6:33: Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away; Never.
Prov 7:1: My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. The merits of memorization?
Prov 7:2: Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. "That which one holds dearest, as in 'You're the apple of my eye.' The phrase is from the Bible (Deut. 32:10), which says the Lord kept Israel 'as the apple of his eye.' 'Pupillam,' or pupil, is actually the Latin for the 'apple' of the phrase, but English translation of the Bible used 'apple' because this was the early word for the pupil of the eye, which was thought to be a solid apple-shaped body. Because it is so essential to sight, the eye's apple, or pupil, is to be cherished and protected and 'the apple of one's eye' came to mean anything extremely precious.
Prov 7:15: So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! You did not stumble upon the adulteress. She came out to meet you and look for you.
Prov 7:26: Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. You are not her one and only.
Prov 8:4: "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. Wisdom is for all mankind. Not just a select few.
Prov 8:7: My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. Love truth=detest wickedness. So much for the "truth is what it is" argument because wickedness is. It should be detested.
Prov 8:13: To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. The more one fears God, the more he hates evil. Not fear evil. But hate it.
Prob 8:22: "The Lord possesed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." Wisdom is eternally begotten.

Prov 8:35: For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. Seek wisdom above all.

Prov 8:36: "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." As we can see from so many manifestations in our culture, interest in the occult, the surreal, and otherworldy powers is tremendous. People dress in black and paint their faces white as a "lifestyle". Man without God runs head-long toward death. Some are just a little more self-conscious of where they are going.
We live in a death loving society which will in time destroy itself. The more it separates itself from God, the more it separates itself from life. How much clearer can the importance of wisdom be?
Prov 9:4: "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. Wisdom calls out to to the ones who totally lack wisdom.

Prov 11:3: The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." Our integrity should guide us. The "transgressors" are destroyed by their own crookedness.

Prov 11:6: "The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but trangresors shall be taken in their own naughtiness." They become enslaved by their own desires.

Prov 11:14: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the mutltiude of counsellors there is safety" The Greek word for "safety" here means rescue, deliverance, help, salvation, victory.

Prov 11:27: "He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him." He gets what he searches for

Prov 12:2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man. You can't con God.

3 A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
Prov 12:4 A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. Underlines the importance of being a righteous husband. Your wife often reflects how you treat her.

Prov 12:10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Your animal or pet is one of God's creation.

Prov 12:11 He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Pass over all the "get rich" schemes. This seems to be an apt commentary on many people and political parties.

Prov 12:17: "He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit." Truthfulness is a way of life.

Prov 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Words have a powerful impact on people and how they feel.

Prov 12:25: "Heaviness in the heart maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad." Encouragement frees people from emotional strain.

Prov 12:28 In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. Good things you do will be remembered.
Prov 13: 2 From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence. They don't just do it, they have a craving for it.

Prov 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Hence, putting your faith in something false can be deadly.

Prov 13:25: "The righteous eateth to the satyisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want." The needs of the righteous shall be satisfied.

Prov 14:9: "Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor." A very different translation appears in the Berkeley version: "The bond between foolish men is guilt, but between the upright it is good will." We can say that sin unites the guilty by their hatred of the Godly, whereas those who know atonement manifest good will.

Prov 14:12: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" An illustration of human philsophy. This is repeated in Prov 16:25 and Prov 21:2.

Prov 14:30: Evy is the rottenness of the bones Jealousy is a hidden rot of passion in the depth of your being. And because you know your own heart, you accuse others of what you know you are capable of. Jealousy really reveals that you do not trust yourself.

Prov 14:34: "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." "Righteousness"=those that would hold up moral and spiritual values.

Prov 15:12: "A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise" He hates the one who reproves him and won't consult the wise.

Prov 15:18: A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. Don't get net out of shape about something you do not know everything about. Take in all the information before you react.

Prov 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And they may not be the same.
Prov 16:20: Whos trusteth in the Lord, happy is he True happiness depends on your trust in Him.
Prvo 16:29: A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good." God says you are a violent person of you entice or seduce someone to do evil.
Prov 17:13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house. Anger grows and grows.
Prov 17:17: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." A friend will be with you in times of trouble.

Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Or, loses hope.
Prov 18:6 A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. Emp the word "invites." Some translations use the word "contentious." Our mutual strifes give the devil something to beat us with. Contention puts the soul into disorder and the Law of grace does not work freely when the spirit is in commotion. And what folly is is for us to bite and devour one another to make hell sport!!! We are prone to mistake our heat for zeal.

Prov 18:8: "The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles. And they go down into the inmost body." The flesh loves hot, juicy gossip. The talebearer, or gossip, is one who seeks to destroy another's credibility with damaging information. The "gossip" is primarily a power broker who employs slander and gossip to discredit an individual in a position of authority in order to elevate himself.

Prov 18:9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. Being lazy is destructive.

Prov 18:14: A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Other translations use the phrase "wounded spirit" or "broken spirit." A crushed spirit takes away strength, it takes away initiative, it tales away the joy of living. It saps the very life force. Rejection can lead to a crushed spririt.
Prov 18:17 The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him. The first to present can seem persuasive. His story needs to be questioned if one desires to find the truth. For every group of experts who claim to know something authoritatively, there are always other groups of experts who claim they can dispute the findings of the first group of experts.
Prov 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.Those who love life will eat its fruit, and vice versa to those who love death.

Prov 18:22: He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. Have you a good wife? rejoice! God has shown you favor.

Prov 19:3 A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. God gets the blame
Prov 19:8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. Your soul was designed for wisdom.

Prov 19:14: "House and riches are the inheritance of fathers; and a prudent wife is from the Lord." A wise wife is not an inheritance....one chooses the prudent wife.

Prov 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoseoever is decieved thereby is not wise." A person who becomes drunk is a fool and is deceived to think that it makes something out of him that's positive.
Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Ultimately, God controls all nations.

Prov 21:13: "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." We literally invite God's judgment if we ignore the need of the poor.

Prov 22:1: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold" A good reputation has great value.
Prov 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. Death is not the only equalizer.

Prov 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" The Hebrew verb here translated "train" means to imbue, to instruct, make experienced, educate, give training and sound judgment. Interestingly, "train" is related to the Hebrew word for the roof of the mouth (the palate), and its usage in this verse probably stems from the practice of putting a bridle in the mouth of an animal for the purpose of guidance and training. When God commands us to "train up" a child, he commands us to bring the child into submission to our authority and to fully train him "in the way that he should go." The Hebrew term for "way" indicates a way of living, acting, habits, or manner of life. The phrase "he should go up" means, literally, "in accordance with." So the, "to train up a child in the way he should go" is to train him in accordance with the way of wisdom and truth as given by God in the scripture. Our Lord reassures parents that if they train their children according to his law when they are young, it will come to pass that when they reach adulthood, they will not turn from the path they have been taught. This does not mean that a parent decides the childs future. God has made each and every individual with certain gifts and talents. Find that talent in your child and teach him in the way that he should go..

Prov 22:7: "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Debt is the equivalent of bondage or slavery. America's debt level puts us into slavery in a very deep way.

Prov 23:3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. The preacher of the gospel must not velvet his trumpet with social niceties. He must at all times proclaim the crown rights of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prov 23:7: The term "heart" sometimes refers to human reason. It is a mistake therefore to say," I have something in my heart you are not going to reach through my head," as though the "head" is somehow not within the province of what the Bible terms by "heart." this naturally creates an antithesis between the mind and the other functions of the heart: spirituality, volition, emotion, and so forth.

Prov 23:33: "Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things." Overindulgence in drinking produces hallucinations. One becomes uninhibited morally.
Prov 24:9: "The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men" He's a disgrace to all mankind.
Prov 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter God is not obligated to explain Himself to you.
Prov 25:3: "The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable." No one knows the inner struggles of a leader.

Prov 25:11: A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Especially a word from the Lord.

Proverbs 25:20: Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart . Sometimes silence is golden.

Prov 26:11: As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. The root of his problem is not mental. He Likes his folly, going back to it like a dog that returns to its vomit. He has no revernce for truth, preferring illusions. And the language here suggests how ridiculous the illusion is.
Prov 27:1: "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Proud men assume a great deal of life centers on themselves, and that their resolve determines outcomes. They often rejoice in their boasting, and such and attitude is evil. To the extent men ascribe power and consequences to themselves, they declare themselves independent of God. Their boastings are wicked because they gave replaced God's providence with their own.

Prov 27:4: "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?" Jealousy is not just unhealthy, counterproductive and destructive, it is also wrong. It is not based on love. It is based on greed, the lust to possess what one does not or cannot. One cannot possess another person. Our coveting of that which we cannot, or should not, possess produces the agony of jealousy.

Prov 27:20: "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied." Death and destruction are never satisfied..and neither are the ambitions of man.

Prov 28:1: "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." He is full of fear, paranoid, because deep down he understands that he needs judgment in his life.
Prov 28:5: They that seek the Lord understand all things Keep seeking and praying--God will give you an understanding of what you are facing.
Prov 29:1: "He, that being reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Continual rejection of God's reproof will result in disaster.

Prov 29:10: "The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever" God is present and viewing all things.

Prov 29:16: "When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall." The righteous will see and learn from the downfall of the wicked.

Prov 29:18: Where there is no vision, the people perish..." the Hebrew word translated "vision" refers to prophetic vision, or the word of God as revealed by his prophets. ("Where there is no word from God..."

Prov 29: 22 An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. The root of bitterness spreads and spreads and spreads.

Prov 31:28-29: "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Such praise may be an underlying cause of her fruitfulness. Repeated, reinforced compliments will bring out the best in others.