Proverbs 19:1–29

¹ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. ² Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet. ³ The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the Lord. ⁴ Wealth makes many friends, But the poor is separated from his friend. ⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape. ⁶ Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts. ⁷ All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him. ⁸ He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. ⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish. ¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes. ¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. ¹² The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. ¹³ A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. ¹⁴ Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord. ¹⁵ Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger. ¹⁶ He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die. ¹⁷ He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. ¹⁸ Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. ¹⁹ A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. ²⁰ Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. ²¹ There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. ²² What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. ²³ The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. ²⁴ A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁵ Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge. ²⁶ He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. ²⁷ Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. ²⁸ A disreputable witness scorns justice, And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. ²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”

Far better is a poor person who is an honest and has integrity; even if it costs them financially for doing so; than the person who has perverse lips, and is a fool. Thus, perverse lips here equate with being devious and misleading, for such mean to mislead, scam, or take advantage of people or a situation in some way. These people then are fools who will be snared by their own deceitful words and ways.

Vs. 2 “Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet.”

It is never good for a soul to be without knowledge, knowledge of God and His Word and ways, which alone are right and truthful, and thus can guide one through the perils of this life safely, because in this world there is nothing but lies and deceptions forwarded and fostered by the father of lies, Satan. Thus, to begin anything hastily, without knowledge of God, only leads to sin and error.

Vs. 3 “The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the Lord.” 

When people knowingly engage and indulge in what God has forbidden, and their own foolish choices bring the consequences home to them, instead of confessing and forsaking their sin, as one should, often their heart only turns against the Lord and they try to lay the blame on Him. This is how nominal believers often fall away from the Lord and their faith in Him.

Vs. 4 “Wealth makes many friends, But the poor is separated from his friend.”  

This is a sad fact that peoples desire for wealth is often the impetus or driving force for them to seek “friendship” with those who have it. That the poor is only separated from his friend is simply because his ambitious friend only wants “friendships” with those that will profit him, or help him get ahead. And so as soon as they come then he immediately goes to them, forsaking his poor friend. However, those kinds of "friendships" are the most shallow and meaningless of all; especially when things go bad.

 Vs. 5 “A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.” 

Those who bear false witness against others, who slander and defame people; often to set others against them; will not go unpunished, for the Lord judges all liars (consider Rev. 21:8). 

Vs. 6 “Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.”

People always seek the favor of the rich, powerful, and influential, hoping that they will forward their cause and or prosper them. Similarly, people will always be “friends” with those who give gifts, that is until the gifts or blessings cease to flow, the prodigal son found this out when his wealth dried up and in his time of need no one gave him anything. One should not then put much stock in such “friendships”.

Vs. 7 “All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.”

In striking contrast to the previous proverb which saw the rich and powerful always being courted by those seeking their favor, who want to be like them, is the poor man who no one seeks the favor of. Indeed his own brothers turn against him and hate him when he falters and falls, being ashamed to identify themselves with him. Even his own friends have little patience for him in his plight, and so though he may pursue them with words, with appeals for understanding, yet they abandon him, because to them there is no point in remaining loyal to a poor man when he is on his way down, because they all wrongly assume that God is judging him. Sadly we see this played out in the life of Job, a truly righteous and just man whose his friends and loved ones all abandoned and turned against him, when they should have been consoling and comforting him. Maybe that's why Jesus chooses the poor in spirit for His Kingdom (Matt. 5:3). 

 Vs. 8 “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.”

 To love wisdom, is to love the Word of God, where all truth and wisdom is found, those then who do so love their own souls, because those who gain and keep understanding from it will always find good for themselves.

Vs. 9 “A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.”  

This proverb is again restated from verse five, by doing so the Word of God is making a strong point against bearing false witness against others and speaking lies. 

Vs. 10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes. 

Luxury is not fitting for a fool for they do not know how to conduct themselves with dignity and refinement. Servants should not rule over princes because they do not know how to exercise authority justly, for inevitably power and privilege goes to their head and they become unjust and ungodly rulers.

Vs. 11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. 

A mans discretion causes him to pause and consider, and thus be slow to anger, when faced with a provocation. Similarly he knows how to let offenses pass away, and so it is to his glory that he overlooks a transgression, rather then seeking to punish or repay every single offense.

Vs. 12 The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass.

The kings (or a ruler’s wrath) is like the roaring of a lion, (which roars loudly to strike fear in its prey), thus so is the kings wrath, warning all who arouse it of impending punishment and doom. In contrast having his favor is like dew on the grass, a gentle refreshing. (BBC was consulted for this proverb).

Vs. 13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.

A foolish son is the ruin of his father because his foolish lifestyle ruins his good name and squanders his wealth. Thus, the lesson is to raise your children to be responsible individuals. That’s one situation that takes away peace from a man’s house, the other is having a contentious wife whose constant nagging and bickering are as annoying as a continual dripping of water in a metal pan.

Vs. 14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Just as fathers give houses and riches to the sons they love, who obey and serve them, so the Lord gives a prudent (i.e., a wise wife) to those men who serve and honor Him. 

Vs. 15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.

Being lazy casts one into a deep sleep, thus laziness causes one’s life and opportunities to pass away or be missed by them (consider what happened in Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matt. 25:14-30). Similarly being idle will lead to ones own hunger and poverty.

Vs. 16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.

Keeping the commandments of God is mans whole duty, everything else one does is this life should then be born out of that (consider Ecc. 12:13-14; Rev. 12:17). Those then who are careless of their ways will die, and not just physically, but they will die in their sins and transgressions forever alienated from the Lord. Better then to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ while one can! 

Vs. 17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. 

Such is God’s care for the poor that He promises to repay everyone who has pity on them. Guaranteeing to pay everyone back abundantly for what they did with what He Himself first gave them.

Vs. 18 Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. 

The time to discipline your children is when they are still teachable, when chastisement will bring correction. That said, you never need to be overbearing or heavy handed when you do so.

Vs. 19 A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

A man of great wrath will suffer punishment because his wrath is unappeasable. Therefore, if you rescue him, thinking his heart will change, or he will change his ways you are wrong, for he will still keep his wrath and fury no matter what you say or do, and you’re trying to help him will only lead to your being used and or abused by him. Therefore, if you rescue him guaranteed you will have to do it again. Better then to leave him alone till the Lord, or his own ways humble and correct him.

 Vs. 20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. 

Being wise and having understanding doesn’t just happen by osmosis, it begins with first listening and then learning to apply what is learned. Ideally then this begins in one’s youth and continues throughout one’s life, ever increasing in the knowledge of and the fear of the Lord. 

Vs. 21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. 

Whatever plans a man may make, whether he is a common man, or even a ruler of a nation, no mans plans will ever supersede the Lord’s counsel, for He raises up men and nations or brings them low according to His own plans and counsels.

Vs. 22 What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. 

Of all the attributes that men think make them men, there is but one thing that is desired to be seen in us men from all and that is kindness. The true measure of a man then is not seen in his abilities, his accomplishments, or his conquests, nor is it found in his influence, his stature, or his wealth, it is only found in the size of his heart, for that alone is the true measure of a man. That a poor man is better than a liar is that he has nothing to offer you but his friendship, while a rich liar, though he promises you much, he will deliver nothing.

Vs. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. 

The fear of the Lord leads to life because by it one fears and departs from evil, one departs from the paths of sin and darkness, to God’s pathway of life and light. Now the Scripture promises that all who do so will abide in satisfaction, that they will not be visited with evil, for God always watches over the pathway of His saints who walk with Him on the road of goodness, righteousness, and truth. If there is an exception there it seen in the O.T. saint Job and the Redeemer of our souls the Lord Jesus Christ whom God allowed evil to visit for a season so as to do us all good in the end. 

Vs. 24 A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

This is a graphic picture of the lazy glutton, who after filling himself to the full, buries his hand in the bowl once more, but now it is to much of a burden for him to bring it back to his mouth again.

Vs. 25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

Though a scoffer is not likely to change when you strike or chastise him, nonetheless those simpletons who were following him and his ways will take note and will wary of doing so anymore when they see him punished. In contrast you do not need to use the rod on the back of one who has understanding, a simple rebuke is all he needs to discern knowledge and change.

Vs. 26 He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

Respecting and honoring one’s parents is foundational to living right before God and man. Those then who mistreat their father, whether by neglect or willful abuse, or chase away their mother, when she seeks to help or correct them, are only sons and daughters who bring shame and reproach to themselves and their families.

Vs. 27 Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

 When someone hardens their heart to the Word of God, to receiving its counsels and instruction, they will stray from the words of knowledge and be entrapped again by the world and its Godless ways.

Vs. 28 A disreputable witness scorns justice, And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 

The one who bears a false witness against others, justice is not revered or upheld, but only scorned by them. Similarly, the mouth of the wicked not only expounds inequity, but they also feed on it.

Vs. 29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools. 

Though the scoffer openly mocks and disdains God and others, (seemingly with impunity), and the fool also brazenly expounds his foolishness to all, yet there is a judgment that is prepared by God for them all.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Proverbs 18:1–24

 ¹ A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. ² A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. ³ When the wicked comes, contempt comes also; And with dishonor comes reproach. ⁴ The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. ⁵ It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. ⁶ A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. ⁷ A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. ⁸ The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. ⁹ He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. ¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. ¹¹ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. ¹² Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. ¹³ He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. ¹⁴ The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? ¹⁵ The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. ¹⁶ A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. ¹⁷ The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. ¹⁸ Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart. ¹⁹ A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle. ²⁰ A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. ²² He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. ²³ The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly. ²⁴ A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Commentary

Vs. 1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.  

Isolating oneself from the counsels of others is a grave error for those in the leadership, for decisions made like that, made without regarding the counsel of others, often leads to ill-conceived decisions with far reaching negative consequences. King David once fell victim to such an error when he commanded Joab to number the people, something which was only previously done at the command of God by Moses so as to know the number of people who came out of Egypt (Num. 1:1-2:34); then after their sojourn there God again commanded Moses along with and Eleazar the priest (for Aaron was then dead) to number the people again who survived, and who were coming out of the wilderness, so as to accurately divide the land of Canaan amongst them (Num. 26:1-64), and thus this was never to be done for such a frivolous reason so as to glory in the size of one’s own army, as David thought to do, and which he was counseled against not to do, for the wrath of God fell on them for this (see 2 Samuel 24:1-25; 1 Chr. 21:1-30).

Vs. 2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. 

Rather than shutting his mouth and listening and considering was is spoken to him, and thus begin learning, a fool only delights in expressing himself, even if no one else does. 

Vs. 3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also; And with dishonor comes reproach. 

When wickedness comes so does contempt for it, and thus dishonor brings with it the reproach of others. In the news now there is a Canadian military commander accused of gross sexual misconduct, and so this once revered officer is now bearing the shame and reproach of his wicked deeds. 

Vs. 4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. 

That the words of mans mouth are deep waters, often concealing who and what he is. In contrast wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook, just like every true believer whom the Holy Spirit pours forth rivers of living waters out of, thus in this context you don’t have to go to great depths to find out who and what they are. For they’re words reveal the life of Christ and bring the life of Christ wherever they are. 

Vs. 5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 

Showing partiality, or favor, to the wicked, simply because they hold a trusted office or position, or for any reason, is only an affront to all that is just and right and sound in the sight of the Lord (consider 1 Tim. 5:20). Similarly, to overthrow the righteous in judgment, to deny them justice, is again only an affront to all that God calls justice, equity, and moral soundness. 

Vs. 6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. 

A fool’s mouth always leads them into contentions and strife with others, even over the simplest of matters, and when things get heated, as they always do with them, they immediately call for blows, for a fight, never a pause for reflection and understanding. Zero to a hundred is the temperament of a fool.

Vs. 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. 

Because the fool’s mouth is nothing but a cesspool of foolishness, filthiness, pride and folly it leads them to their own destruction, just as their lips snare their own souls, keeping them back from the Gospel of salvation by their vilely rejecting it. 

Vs. 8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. 

People who love to feed on gossip only enjoy it for a moment, for the gossip that they love to feed on always has an inner working that corrupts their own hearts and souls. 

Vs. 9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. 

Being slothful is one’s work is only to align oneself with a great destroyer, and is all that is opposed to what is Godly and true. For shotty workmanship always brings about ruin and calamity to whatever one works on. This is most apparent in the construction trades where shotty workmanship can easily cost double to repair once its is identified. Not to mention the risk to life and limb when critical foundations, structures, and systems are involved. 

Vs. 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. 

The Lord’s Name is a strong a tower, a fortress of defense from the enemy of our souls, therefore in times of temptations and trouble the righteous run to it, call upon it, and are safe, safely secured in Christ because we trust and believe in Him. 

Vs. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. 

The rich man thinks his wealth is a fortress to him, that it will keep him secure from anything and everything. However, the Scripture teaches otherwise (consider Psalm 49:1-20; 52:6-7; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 28:16; Mark 8:36; Rev. 18:1-20 etc.). 

Vs. 12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. 

Haughtiness or pride always blinds one’s own eyes to error of their way, or the peril immediately before them, that is why it always precedes destruction. Conversely honor is always preceded by humility. 

Vs. 13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. 

Here we learn it is better to listen patiently then to blurt out opinions and answers without knowing all the facts. 

Vs. 14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? 

People can endure great physical infirmities and such, but few if any can bear a broken heart. 

Vs. 15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 

The heart of the prudent person is always acquiring more knowledge, always learning new things, just as their ears are always attentive to wise instruction. 

Vs. 16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. 

Bearing gifts buys influence, (or bearing gifts opens doors), and brings one before influential and powerful people. Sadly this is how our political system works. 

Vs. 17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. 

When someone pleads their cause or case they’re words always seem convincing, that is until someone near to them, who knows the matter well, begins to examine them, then the whole truth becomes clear.

Vs. 18 Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart. 

In O.T. times the casting of lots was the way for believers to know the mind or will of the Lord, and so disputes amongst people were often settled this way, as common people did not have access to the Urim and Thummim (Num. 28:21) which the high priest could consult. In the N.T. believers have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit by which God’s Will can be ascertained by ourselves for ourselves, for we who believe in Jesus all have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). 

Vs. 19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle. 

Getting reconciliation between offended brothers (or family members) is a hard arduous road, here the Word of God compares it to trying to conquer (i.e., “win”) a strong and well fortified city. Because people put up fortified walls and barriers in their hearts when they have been offended, mistreated, abused, or hurt. In the same vein then is contentions that the Word of God compares to the bars of castle by which people fortify their hearts against another. 

Vs. 20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 

What a person speaks is what they themselves will feed on, thus cursing and bitterness and wrath always brings its own poison and sourness that will fill one’s own person and life, just as loving and kind and generous speech brings much nourishment, refreshment and life, not only to others, but also nourishes one’s own person and life. 

Vs. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 

That death and life reside in the power of the tongue, i.e., the words that we speak which is why we must always strive to use our tongues for words of life, for the right use of the Words of Christ. For once again we are warned that how we speak will determine just what we eat, whether life or death. 

Vs. 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. 

Any notion that marriage to a woman for a man, especially for a Godly man in the N.T. era, is forbidden, or unholy, or unsound is apostasy (consider Heb. 13:4; 1 Tim, 4:1-3; 1 Cor. 6:9). 

Vs. 23 The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly. 

Here we see the pleadings of the poor being roughly responded to by the rich. Now this is not how Christians should ever act towards those in need. For we are to defend the cause of the widow, the orphan, the stranger (i.e., immigrant), the poor. 

Vs. 24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 

Having friends by default means that one must be friendly or hospitable, because nobody befriends a cruel or mean person for long. That said there are also those close most cherished friends who stick with you through thick and thin, even closer than a brother.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Proverbs 17:1–28

 ¹ Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. ² A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. ³ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. ⁴ An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. ⁵ He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. ⁶ Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. ⁷ Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. ⁸ A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. ⁹ He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. ¹⁰ Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. ¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. ¹² Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. ¹³ Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. ¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. ¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. ¹⁶ Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? ¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. ¹⁸ A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend. ¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. ²⁰ He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. ²¹ He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. ²² A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. ²³ A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. ²⁴ Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. ²⁵ A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. ²⁶ Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. ²⁷ He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. ²⁸ Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

 Commentary 

Vs. 1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. 

Managing one’s own family and home should be paramount to a man rather then just pursing wealth and promotions to their neglect, and ultimately to his own families disfunction and disharmony. 

Vs. 2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 

If anyone needs motivation for serving well this maybe it. Now in the realm of the Gospel a Gentile Christian who serves Christ well will indeed share an inheritance among all of God’s elect children, and may very well rule over those who only caused shame. 

Vs. 3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. 

Like with the testing of precious metals to see how pure they are, so the Lord is the One who tests our hearts. 

Vs. 4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. 

Evil people will listen to those who tell blatant lies, slander, or bear false witness against others. Similarly, a liar will eagerly listen to a spiteful tongue which harms or defames others. And so evil people are known by what they will listen too, and what they will unfoundedly believe about others. 

Vs. 5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

 In God’s Word He makes it very clear that we are to take care of poor, that we are to defend the defenseless, and always consider their plight and cause. Therefore, to knowingly mock them when it is our God given duty and responsibility to always watch out for them is only to reproach Him, which is a very perilous thing for anyone to do, since He makes rich and He makes poor, He makes peace and He makes calamity, He kills and He keeps alive etc. And so, to mock those whom God has called us all to watch out for is only to unleash His wrath and displeasure upon oneself (consider Ex. 22:22-24; Deut. 10:17-18; 24:17-18; Job 34:28; Psalm 12:5; James 2:1-12 etc.). In the same vein then is the one who rejoices at another’s calamity, pain, peril or misfortune. For all who do so will not go unpunished by the Lord. 

Vs. 6 Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. 

Children and grandchildren are the crown of old men, it is to their honor and delight that God has given them these (consider Psalm 127:3-5). Similarly, the glory of children is their father, for children inherently look up to and admire their father, and so fathers bear this responsibility well and be honorable with and merciful towards all. 

Vs. 7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. Excellent speech is the mark of dignity, and as such has no place in the mouth of a fool, neither than should lying lips have any place with a prince. 

Vs. 8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 

Here the word present may also be rendered, “a bribe”, and so the idea is that the possessor of it thinks that by it, they can obtain the favor of others, or have doors of influence and opportunity opened to them etc. (note: may be re-written)

Vs. 9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. 

This is the sign of a mature Christian who forgives a transgression in order to keep a Godly relationship intact, thus by covering it they seek love, not revenge. In contrast is the one who is wronged (or hears of a wrong), and then only goes on to repeat the matter to others, and thus in doing so they only destroy the relationship. Now there is a time when serious matters must come to light, but that is a whole other matter which is not being addressed here. 

Vs. 10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. 

Rebuking a wise man will bring about change, as they will consider the wisdom of your words and see the error of their way and want to change, while severely chastening a fool may never convince them that they are wrong about anything. 

Vs. 11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 

Evil people will not submit to God’s authority, in fact they never want to submit too any lawful authority, instead they only want rebellion and chaos and trouble. Therefore, a cruel messenger will be sent against them, which could be an earthly “messenger”, or a heavenly one. 

Vs. 12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 

Quite a graphic proverb, but the point is driven home that one should steer wide and clear of a fool when he has engulfed himself in his folly. 

Vs. 13 Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 

When someone repays someone with evil when they have been done good by them, they only set themselves up for ongoing evil to come to themselves. This proverb then speaks to the Sovereignty of God. 

Vs. 14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. 

Though disagreements can start of small they can soon become raging torrents! Therefore, when you see that the matter is not resolving, but only beginning to escalate, turn of the taps as it were rather than continuing to force the issue, and thus opening the flood gates of wrath and fury. 

Vs. 15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. 

God is a God of justice and those who pervert justice by justifying the wicked or condemning the just will give an account to Him who will not justify them for doing so. 

Vs. 16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? 

This proverb makes me think of those who are given God’s precious Word and yet only disdain it, or do not even know what to do with it. 

Vs. 17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. 

True friends stick with you through thick and thin. They’re the ones you can trust and lean on when things go south. Similarly, is the bond of brotherhood he will be there for you when adversity befalls you. 

Vs. 18 A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend. 

Acting as a guarantor for a friends debt, even for a close friend is never wise, for if they default then you will have to bear all their debt, which will only strain or ruin your friendship, and being friends does not guarantee that your friend is financially sound or will act prudent if your securing their debt. And so just follow basic wisdom rather then getting entangled in your friends financial burdens. For if they need a guarantor in the first place then they are already a bad credit risk, and if they ask you to secure their loan for them then they are not a "friend" that you need in your life. 

Vs. 19 He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 

Someone who loves transgression is an evil person whose heart is only bent on stirring up strife and trouble, often for their own pleasure and amusement. While he who exalts his gate, is a person who only loves to boast in the presence of others, of having this or that, of doing this or that, or being this or that, and thus they are unwittingly seeking destruction because many a strife, rebellion, and conflict has been born out of the boaster’s tongue. 

Vs. 20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. 

The person with a deceitful heart cannot find good because their own deceptive ways and lives will not allow them to find it. While the person who speaks with a perverse tongue likewise finds a similar fate, for the tongue not only directs the body, but also their own lives into evil.

Vs. 21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 

A scoffing child is always a grief to their parents, because they by their scoffing are always arousing the wrath of others. Consider that Ismael mocked Isaac when Isaac was weaned, and thus brought about his and his mother’s removal forever from their place with Abraham (Gen. 21:8-21). Similarly, the father of a fool has no joy because the foolish child is always getting themselves into all kinds of mischief and troubles. 

Vs. 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. 

Having a merry heart, a joyful heart, does indeed do a person good, and not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. Is it any wonder then that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In contrast a broken spirit only dries the bones, that is it takes away one’s vitality and health. 

Vs. 23 A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. 

Only wicked men accept and give bribes, and thus pervert the ways of justice by doing so (Psalm 26:10). Therefore every Godly man and leader is called to shun all such things, and such people (consider Ex. 18:21-23; 23:6-9; Deut. 10:17-18; 2 Chr. 19:7; Prov. 29:4; Isaiah 1:23-26; 33:15-16 etc.). 

Vs. 24 Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 

Wisdom is in sight of everyone who understands, who sees their error of their own way, and repents and believes in the Gospel! However, the fool never comes to understand anything, instead their eyes are only on the ends of the earth always looking at this thing or that. 

Vs. 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. 

Here we are warned to take heed to how we rear our children, because when one rears a fool, by never instructing or correcting them but instead only allows them to live a life of foolishness, recklessness, and irresponsibility, then that son will be a grief not only to others but also to his father, and he will bring sorrow to her who bore him. 

Vs. 26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. 

To punish the righteous is never good, nor is it good to strike princes (leaders) when they are upright and sound. For correction is not for the righteous and the Godly, but for the wicked, sinners, and the profane (consider 1 Tim 1:8-11). 

Vs. 27 He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 

Knowing when and what to speak is the sign of the mature Christian who uses knowledge rightly. In the same vein a man of understanding is of a calm spirit, and thus he is not quickly aroused to wrath (consider James 1:19-20). 

Vs. 28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. 

Continuing on from verse 27 exhortation to use knowledge in a timely and right way, to remain calm rather then be provoked verse 28 reveals that even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace, that when he shuts his mouth and listens even he is considered perceptive.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.