Tag: Proverbs 17

Considering just how many proverbs are in this book, I have only remembered the one in verse 28 all my life, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut (silent).” Not saying that I have kept it, but it usually brings up a laugh from someone else. Talk about miss use […]

Punishment is not the same as discipline. The former is only for the guilty fool. The latter is for the righteous, but not the fool (17:10). It is not good to punish the innocent. Punishing those who follow God’s way with integrity is not wise nor right. Don’t punish those who follow righteousness. Since these […]

Since wisdom is directly in the view of the discerning wise person, then I chose to keep my eyes fixed on Christ, the author and perfecter of my faith, my life, and my all. (Hebrews 12:2) People will come and go in and out of my life, but Christ Jesus always remains with me. I […]

Human justice no matter the system has a weakness because humans are involved. Humans are susceptible to temptation, including those involved with court systems. Legal systems are tainted when the magistrate says to themselves, “What is in it for me.” Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion displayed this well. People in power were threatened by the […]

A cheerful (joyful) heart has been the subject of several proverbs (14:30, 15:13,30, 16:15, 18:14) as a crushed spirit has been too (3:8, 12:4, 14:30). More people state they are depressed in recent years. They have an inability to concentrate, insomnia, and feelings of extreme sadness, dejection, and hopelessness. They have a weakened will. Is […]

The two factual statements about the emotions a foolish son or daughter brings his father or mother are obvious. No one can deny them. The parent’s self-query is, “Can I prevent this or change the course attitude of my son or daughter?” Apostle Paul instructs fathers, “Do not embitter your children, or they will become […]

Proverbs has judgments and predictions based on the condition of the heart. The heart in the original Hebrew is “leb” which can be equated with the center of personality including feelings, will, intellect, and imagination. “The heart is as the heart does,” goes an old saying. Thus, a person with a perverse heart does not […]

When I love something I am inviting it into my life and being. When I love my spouse they are in my life and being. When I love my children they are in my life and being. When I love God he is in my life and being. If I love a quarrel I invite […]

“Putting up security for our neighbor” and “striking hands” are explained in the comments for 6:3 at FreeBbileStudyHelp.com. That this warning is placed after the proverb in the previous verse is fitting. Though “a friend loves at all times and a brother is born in adversity” one must be very careful when putting up security […]

A friend and a brother are compared. Or is it that a friend becomes (is born) a brother when their love is displayed no matter the situation or circumstance? This is seen in a few relationships in the Bible, especially in Jesus who stated, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not […]

My intention and will are the points of this proverb. What do I intend? What is my heart’s will? For what I will establishes my intention and my intention is what I seek to fulfill. If I am given money to seek an education to gain wisdom but have no desire to gain it, then […]

Acquitting means “to free or clear from a charge or accusation.” God does not acquit the guilty. (Exodus 23:7) So how can a Christian say that they are acquitted of all sins? Apostle Paul wrote, “We maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16, 3:11, 24) […]

Quarrels and disputes are continued for inconsequential viewpoints. I knew a couple, though married more than forty years, would quarrel each time they drove home about which way was the shortest. The difference was less than a minute, whether her way or his depending on traffic. The retired couple were rather serious as if they […]

The person who believes this proverb will make it change their life just as any other proverb. (Romans 12:17-21) When I believe that if I do good to another and am repaid with evil and yet continue to do good then I am living this verse. How can I do this when at times every […]

Once upon the frontier time, a young hunter was tracking in the woods when he heard peculiar sounds – yelps and moans that almost sounded human. He followed them to an opening in the canopy where a large tree had fallen. The laying trunk extended what appeared to be several hundred feet into the forest. […]

A rebellion is not only an open, armed, and organized resistance to a constituted government. It is also an act or a show of defiance toward an authority or established convention. This proverb defines people who seek rebellion as evil people. Even when we were a toddler learning to walk our parents experienced the rebellious […]

A subtle truth in this proverb is that even the discerning need a rebuke now and then. Even if I have keen insight and good judgment I still need someone to firmly voice fault in my error in word or action. A rebuke expressed with love and fact will subdue me if I am the […]

Cover over an offense is forgiving someone who sins against me. Forgiving another is often not easy. This proverb gives a reason to forgive. Forgiving someone promotes and seeks love. Furthermore, if I do not forgive and the matter is repeated a mental and emotional rift is established. “Whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” […]

This proverb appears to endorse giving a bribe as does 18:16 and 21:14. The original Hebrew word “shohad” (a transliteration) is translated into English as “gift, reward, present, and bribe”. It comes from the root word “shachad” meaning a donation. The point of a bribe is to pervert the course of justice (17:23) and this […]

The person this proverb addresses is anyone who has authority over others. A prince, a noble, a ruler, a supervisor, a manager, a judge, a professor, a teacher, and a parent are to ponder the meaning and application. Do I lie to those under my authority whether in actions or words? A fool is known […]

To live to see one’s grandchildren is a great blessing. (Genesis 48:11; Psalm 128:5-6) This is a state of fact whether it is recognized or not by everyone today. While it is true that for millenniums every human culture experienced this truth just as it did in Solomon’s day when this was written, it is […]

The way I react to others is a gauge of my relationship with God. If I mock the poor, then I show contempt for my Maker. Mock is “laag” in the original Hebrew meaning to make fun of, to laugh at, and to scorn. Contempt is “harap” in the original Hebrew meaning to reproach, defy, […]

Human nature is to gather around us people who think, talk, and act like us. “A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.” A righteous man listens to virtuous lips; a truth-teller pays attention to an honest tongue. Apostle Paul warned Timothy, “For the time will come when […]

A crucible is a vessel made of a refractory substance such as graphite or porcelain, used for melting and calcining silver at high temperatures. A gold furnace is an enclosure of clay bricks where intense heat is generated by the combustion of coal or wood. Both have such a highly concentrated heat that the silver […]

This prophecy proverb would have been shocking in Solomon’s day. No one would even consider their servants anything but subjects let alone ruling over their sons and daughters. Furthermore, nobody would allow them to share the inheritance as one of the brothers. Yet that is just what happened with Joseph, Jacob’s second youngest son. He […]

A house that experiences much arguing knows this proverb to be true. A home of peace and quiet is better than a house with strife, even if that house doesn’t have an abundance of food and extravagant decor. The proverb does not directly say how to have peace probably because the reader is supposed to […]