Another Bible Commentary: Proverbs

Proverbs are wise generalizations to apply in specific situations. They can be contradictory, as with other common platitudes like “Look before you leap” and “He who hesitates is lost”. Part of being wise is knowing which wise generalization it is time to employ. What we’re after is how to use knowledge rightly for daily living.

These Proverbs are grouped into sections: Proverbs 1 through Proverbs 9; Proverbs 10 through Proverbs 22:16; Proverbs 22:17-Proverbs 24:22 (which has drawn comparison to the Egyptian “Instruction of Amenemope”); Proverbs 24:23 through Proverbs 24:34; Proverbs 25 through Proverbs 29; Proverbs 30; Proverbs 31:1-9; and Proverbs 31:10-31. Some themes repeat, as if wise people recorded their own inspired thoughts about a collection of subjects, such as Proverbs 22:17 through Proverbs 24:22.

Some things are true because God said it; other things God says because they are true. If wise Solomon collected Egyptian sayings (Ecclesiastes 12:9), so what? Since wise words of rulers are the subject matter of Proverbs, and we know Genesis 41:33,39, it would seem that the “Instruction of Amenemope” might be recycled Joseph material.

“Mockers” are godless fools throughout Proverbs; they are the immorally overconfident. They don’t make moral decisions because they can’t make moral decisions.

A character in Proverbs, Lady Wisdom, smells like the Egyptian Maat, goddess of truth, harmony, feeding the poor so your tomb stays cared for, etc. She was considered the opposite of chaos. Her feather weighed against the heart in their conception of the last judgment. Lady Wisdom was how the audience thought of the Logos, or Word of God (John 1). Since the courtly audience for this work was familiar with Egyptian literature, they expected Wisdom to be a Lady like “Lady Luck” or “Mother Earth”. That was a long way to go just to clear up the fact that the New Testament’s use of Proverbs to show us Jesus as the Word/Wisdom shouldn’t cause us consternation with the gender swap. Also, don’t confuse Maat with Mot, the Canaanite god of death. Now, on to the first section of Solomon’s stuff (which seems like a commentary on the rest of the book):

1:7 He is God, and I am not (Proverbs 22:4). The same sentiment is expressed in Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 (and Proverbs 14:7 phrased differently). See also Proverbs 8:13.

1:8 See also Proverbs 23:22-25.

1:10-19 expands Proverbs 16:29. “Sinful men” here in the context of verse 14 are what an older generation would describe as gangsters/thugs/commies/Jacobins/etc. Since patriarchs controlled the purse strings, sharing loot in an egalitarian scheme was a perversion of youth.

1:12 Sheol/the Pit/the grave looks like Mot.

1:18 seems like a variation of Proverbs 22:24-25.

1:19 See also Proverbs 23:17-18 and Proverbs 24:19-20.

1:23 like James 1:5.

1:28 See Proverbs 8:17.

1:31 much like that ill-advised fruit in Eden.

2:7-8 Think of the world to come and eternity rather than of earthly mishaps. Scenarios that look like Ecclesiastes 7:15 and Job are still possible.

2:10 “wisdom will enter your heart” See 1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 8:10, and 2 Corinthians 13:5.

2:16 A foil for Lady Wisdom is introduced here: Folly, or Godlessness. Solomon, son of Bathsheba, whose older sibling died because of adultery, picked the adulteress as Folly’s symbol. The worship of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; the prophets consistently treat failure to honor Him as adultery against God as Husband.

2:17 This was what happened to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Even wise Solomon got into idolatry contracted from “strange” women.

2:18-19 like Proverbs 23:27-28. If it looks like I’m pointing to the section that resembles the “Instruction of Amenemope” repeatedly as a collection of topics that could have inspired much of the rest of Proverbs, you’re not wrong.

2:22 like Deuteronomy 29:28.

3:2 “peace and prosperity (NIV)” See also Proverbs 24:3-4.

3:3 “love and faithfulness”, “kindness and loyalty”, however you want to say it. See Leviticus 19:18, Galatians 5:22, and 1 Corinthians 13.

3:5-6 Read these a few times. According to 1 Corinthians 13, love trusts, therefore see Deuteronomy 6:5 too. How to submit to Him, you ask? See John 6:28-29.

3:9-10 This was faith that He had more with which to bless believers under the Old Covenant. He owns everything. Only Jesus had anything worth giving, and He did it. See also Matthew 17:24-27.

3:11-12 like Proverbs 23:13-16 plus Exodus 4:22. God does not abuse His children (Ephesians 6:4). He’s not sending you illnesses, etc. (Matthew 7:11). His discipline is usually just imparting wisdom (John 15:3), and familiarity with Scripture accelerates that learning (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He’s training you for the future, not punishing you for the past (Hebrews 8:12). Learning and growing isn’t always fun (Hebrews 12:11).

3:13 “Blessed are those” is in the same style as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Saying “blessed are” is the same as saying “happy are”; God has the market cornered on fulfillment.

3:18 Since God’s Law or “teaching” was guarded in the Ark by cherubs similar to those that guard Eden (Genesis 3:24), the “tree of life” comparison to wisdom is apt.

3:19 Christ is our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30), and through Him all things were made (John 1:1-4, Colossians 1:15-17). Plus, think about the “Goldilocks conditions” that make this world semi-hospitable for us. If many variables were not exactly what they are (as God in His omniscience intended), human life as we know it would be impossible. We experience a reality with three spatial dimensions. Gravity is neither too strong nor weak to support the existence of life. Our planet is neither too close nor too far from our sun. We have liquid water, a sufficiently stable climate, a breathable atmosphere that also protects us from some forms of radiation, neighboring planets running interference against asteroid hits, etc. All of that is rare, and all of that is for you (Ephesians 2:10) as His masterpiece.

3:21-22 like Proverbs 24:3-4.

3:25 like Psalm 91:7-8.

3:27-28 The rabbis emphasize the importance of doing a good deed immediately when the opportunity presents itself.

3:30 like Proverbs 24:28.

3:31 like Proverbs 24:1-2.

3:34 like Proverbs 22:22-23.

4:4 “He” being David.

4:18 Remember that Christians are righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), so our path shines ever brighter.

4:23 “guard your heart” The Hebrew concept of the heart includes the mind. What you see/hear affects what you think which affects what you say, etc., in a big feedback loop. Regarding “everything you do flows from it”, Jesus taught that evil comes from the unregenerate heart in Mark 7.

Proverbs 5 – An extended adultery metaphor to warn against folly/godlessness/idolatry. David knew his son and what his “poison” was so to speak, and he chose his literary device accordingly. While rightly wed to him, Solomon’s wives belonged to other gods; they helped bring about the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28. Proverbs 9 helps explain chapters 5 through 8.

5:3 like Proverbs 6:24 and Proverbs 23:27-28. The “adulterous woman” is Folly or Godlessness in contrast with Lady Wisdom.

5:10 like Deuteronomy 28:30.

5:11-14 Lest I be accused of promoting promiscuity in my attempts to re-contextualize the adultery references here (and redefine the New Testament sin lists in a first century historical and cultural context), here’s a word from our sponsors: “Stove hot = Ouch. Don’t want the bell to ring? Don’t reach for the rope. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder to an extent. Clinical detachment and professionalism are possible.”

5:15-17 is another way of stating Job 31:9-10. What goes around comes around.

5:18 The wife of his youth would have been Hebrew. This is as much an endorsement of in-group marriage as the works of Ezra and Nehemiah.

5:19 “may her love satisfy you always” In Hebrew, “love” and “breasts” differ by a vowel. Written Hebrew is all consonants, and translators decide the vowels.

5:20 Further reinforcing that the “wayward woman” is specifically an adulteress rather than the generically promiscuous modern interpretation.

6:1-4 like Proverbs 22:26-27.

6:10-11 like Proverbs 24:33-34.

6:13 secret signaling as in Proverbs 16:30.

6:15 like Proverbs 24:19-20.

6:17-19 For those investigating the hypothesis that Solomon was providing commentary on the Instructions of Amenemope, these verses are like Proverbs 23:17-18 and Proverbs 24:1-2, 8-9, 12, 17-18, 21-22, 28.

6:21 like Deuteronomy 6:8.

6:22 like Deuteronomy 6:7.

6:24 Again, the wayward woman is the neighbor’s wife.

6:26 “For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread…” but another man’s wife is a capital offense.

6:31 “sevenfold” is a way of saying “completely”, like the week of Creation or similar to falling every day of the week in Proverbs 24:16. In Exodus 22:1, the legal payment is fourfold.

7:5 “the adulteress” As we will see in Proverbs 9:13-18, this is Folly. Stupidity kills people just as dead as a jealous husband would.

7:7 This next bit seems to be an expansion of Proverbs 22:3.

7:18 Regarding “love”, see the Proverbs 5:19 note.

7:19 “husband” This is admitted to be adultery without trickery.

7:27 like Proverbs 23:27-28.

8:1 In contrast to Folly, Lady Wisdom offers life in this section. On this side of history, we see Christ as Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30); the characterization in Proverbs fits the expectations of a courtly audience familiar with the Egyptian material of the day.

8:13 “pride and arrogance” are specifically a lack of respect for God and His authority (Proverbs 22:4); “perverse speech” are lies, blasphemy, fraud, etc.

8:17 like Deuteronomy 4:29.

8:22 “brought me forth” or begat in Hebrew in this instance can also be translated as “possessed me (already)”. The Logos is co-eternal with the Father (John 1).

8:24 As the things in this passage were before time (Genesis 1:5), Christ is co-eternal with the Father.

8:30 There are alternative translations like “artisan”, “little child”, and “the Amen” (Revelation 3:14).

8:31 He saw that it was good.

8:35-36 sounds like Jesus.

9:1 Wisdom (James 3:17-18) has a large, durable, richly-appointed house with “seven” pillars, complete like the week of Creation.

9:2 Wine was mixed with honey and spices.

9:4-5 like Luke 14:23.

9:6 Repent, which is to say “turn around” or “change your mind”. Modern thought-for-thought translations interpret what the KJV translates as “repent” in Hebrews 7:21 as a change of mind.

9:7-8 like Matthew 7:6.

9:10 like Proverbs 1:7 and Job 28:28; “knowledge” is similar to “knowing” a spouse – “being devoted to”.

9:13 In contrast to Lady Wisdom, Folly the Adulteress leads to death in verse 18.

9:14 Teachers sat.

9:17 This bread and water is in contrast to the menu in verse 2.

Chapters 1 through 9 were a summary/introduction for the aphorisms that follow them:

10:1 like Proverbs 23:24-25.

10:2 like Proverbs 23:17-18 and Proverbs 24:19-20. Think eternally.

10:4-5 like Proverbs 24:30-34 and Proverbs 23:22-25.

10:6 like Proverbs 24:1-4.

10:7 like Proverbs 23:17-18 and Proverbs 24:19-20.

10:10 like Proverbs 24:8-9.

10:11 like Proverbs 24:1-2.

10:12 like Proverbs 3:3-4; quoted in 1 Peter 4:8.

10:13 like Proverbs 23:9.

10:16 quoted in Romans 6:23.

10:18 They’re acting like Psalm 14:1.

10:19 Don’t talk too much. See James 1:19.

10:21 They can’t nourish themselves.

10:22 True blessings have no sorrowful price tag (James 1:17). On a more earthly level, consider a nest egg built wisely through dollar cost averaging into index funds compared with an equivalent amount scratched together through backbreaking gig work.

10:23 like Proverbs 24:8-9.

10:24 like Job 3:25 and Romans 8:32.

10:25 like Matthew 7:24-27.

11:1 like Deuteronomy 25:13-16. Jesus’ quotation of Leviticus 19:18 in Matthew 19:19 is recounted in Mark 10:19 as a prohibition of fraud.

11:2 like Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 29:23.

11:4-8 is like Psalm 112:9 and Proverbs 10:2 in the sense that tzedakah “righteousness” is also like “charity/obligation”. Only Jesus had anything worth giving, and He gave it; we rely on Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

11:8 Specific examples abound in the Bible; the Egyptian army, Haman, etc.

11:10 like Proverbs 28:12, Proverbs 28:28, and Proverbs 29:2.

11:12 See James 1:19.

11:13 like Proverbs 20:19. See Leviticus 19:16.

11:14 like Proverbs 24:5-6.

11:15 like Proverbs 22:26-27.

11:18 Again, compare fleeting earthly gains with things of eternal worth.

11:24-25 like Proverbs 21:26 and Proverbs 22:9. Paul mentions this principle in 2 Corinthians 9:11.

11:26 In this instance, the one who “hoards grain” waits for the price to increase versus the one willing to sell to a hungry person today. The motive matters. Compare Deuteronomy 2:26-31 with Genesis 41:56-57. Joseph had to be prudent and “hoard” in order to be providential later.

11:28 See Proverbs 23:4-5.

11:31 “if the righteous are scarcely saved” per the Septuagint, as quoted in 1 Peter 4:18.

12:1 like Proverbs 23:13-16.

12:2 like Proverbs 24:8-9.

12:6 like Proverbs 13:2 and Proverbs 24:1-2. See Luke 6:45 and Romans 10:9.

12:10 “cruel” Having seen the malicious pranks and teasing that pass for affection among some that claim to have Jesus in their hearts, I can only imagine what the unsaved were up to in the Old Testament days. Also, compare Proverbs 11:17. A person that is kind to their farm animals protects their investment and earning potential.

12:11 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

12:12 “desire the stronghold of evildoers” aka the stuff that comes with a criminal lifestyle, like a bunch of thieves jealous of each others’ loot. The root of the righteous “endures” to productivity; the righteous enjoy their own fruit.

12:16 Most people are doing the best they know how to do with what little we as humans comprehend. Assuming someone made an honest mistake is usually a better explanation of reality than assuming outright malice on their part. See also Proverbs 19:11 and Proverbs 20:3.

12:17 If this is like Proverbs 14:5, the false witness tells “only” lies, like a pathological liar that would rather come up with a story than tell you the truth no matter how small the stakes.

12:19 There will come a day when only saved people remain.

12:20-21 “evil” and “harm” are interchangeable.

12:24 like the scenario in Leviticus 25:39.

12:27 “do not roast” Whether they don’t succeed in hunting the game or don’t bother to finish cooking it, the lazy go to bed hungry.

13:2 like Proverbs 12:6. See Luke 6:45. To paraphrase the Beatitudes, the merciful will receive mercy, and those who hunger and thirst for evil/harm will be filled with that, too.

13:7-8 are a unit. The poor, and those who similarly avoid conspicuous consumption, are less likely to get threatened/kidnapped/etc., for money than the openly affluent.

13:10 “Where there is strife, there is pride…” is worth re-reading repeatedly.

13:21 “trouble pursues the sinner” instead of the goodness and mercy hunting us down in Psalm 23.

13:22 See Proverbs 28:8.

13:23 See Exodus 23:10-11.

13:24 We’d like the “rod” to be the nudging staff of Psalm 23:4, but this is the club for predators. Usually, sheep only need the shepherd’s voice to obey. Discipline is not unloving. Before anyone gets any ideas, this is stuff wise old men said to young men which was preserved to honor fathers in a culture of hyperbole. For example, they said elsewhere that gossip murders three people: the speaker, the subject and the listener. They also said elsewhere to throw yourself into a fire before embarrassing anyone. Usually, such things were not taken literally. Physical violence is not the only effective method of correction and should not be the first option most of the time. That being said, I was beaten severely in a church parking lot at the age of two (because some other kid was misbehaving, in order to prevent me from getting any ideas), and I love the people that cared enough to make sure I knew how to act right.

14:1 “wise woman” There’s more about her in Proverbs 31.

14:4 Oxen are messy and take work to maintain. A clean desk and a silent phone can mean trouble for a business.

14:7 can be derived from Psalm 14:1 and Proverbs 1:7.

14:8 “deception” Self-deception in context.

14:11 “tent” We are only visitors here.

14:12 like Proverbs 16:25.

14:17 has the same themes as Proverbs 22:24-25 and Proverbs 24:8-9.

14:19 We will rule with Him (1 Corinthians 6:3).

14:21 like Leviticus 19:18.

14:23 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

14:25 like Proverbs 24:10-12.

14:28 See 1 Kings 12:16.

14:29 “patient” as in “slow to anger”; be like Father (Exodus 34:6). Don’t fight reality; accept it as it is.

14:30 Be content with the good things God has given you and will give you.

14:31 like Proverbs 22:22-23.

14:33 “...but in the heart of fools she is not known.”

15:1 This is one worth re-reading a few times.

15:6 like Proverbs 10:22 and Proverbs 10:16.

15:8 Such sacrifices amounted to attempts to control Him. See Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 1, Matthew 9:13, and Matthew 23:23 for clarification. For more about the “prayer of the upright”, see Psalm 34:15-17.

15:10 See Proverbs 23:13-14 and Matthew 7:13-14.

15:12 like Proverbs 24:26.

15:16 Compare Proverbs 16:18.

15:17 like Proverbs 17:1.

15:18 like Proverbs 15:1.

15:20 like Proverbs 23:20-25.

15:22 like Proverbs 24:5-6.

15:23 like Proverbs 24:26.

15:25 See Proverbs 22:28 and Proverbs 23:10-11.

15:27 See Deuteronomy 16:19. There are cultural nuances missing when our English translations use “bribe” in different contexts. Bribery/perverting justice is bad (Proverbs 17:23), but gifts to curry favor can be good (Proverbs 18:16, Proverbs 21:14). Our black and white morality and HR policies sometimes don’t line up with the, let’s say, blue and orange of the Bible. There is a distinction here between paying someone to declare the guilty innocent or the innocent guilty and, “Hey, Bob’s a cool guy who gives me muffins, let’s negotiate favorably with him about negotiable things.” Of course, the New Testament encourages being a good citizen and good employee, so do the “right thing” for the situation.

15:29 like Psalm 34:15-17. He’s eager to hear those who earnestly want to come home to Him, too (Luke 15).

16:2 like in the Egyptian tale of weighing the heart against a feather.

16:4 He’d much rather save the wicked, of course (even with the old performance-based deal in Ezekiel 18:23; even more so with the New Covenant in 2 Peter 3:9 and John 3:16-17).

16:5 “proud” Again, those who do not acknowledge God’s superiority.

16:6 See Ezekiel 18:21-23.

16:8 Compare Proverbs 15:16.

16:10 “his mouth must not betray justice” like Proverbs 17:7.

16:12 e.g. 2 Kings 22:2.

16:13 like Proverbs 24:26.

16:18 like Proverbs 11:2 and Proverbs 29:23.

16:24 See Proverbs 24:13-14.

16:25 See Proverbs 14:12.

16:28 See Leviticus 19:16.

16:29 like Proverbs 24:1-2. Proverbs 1 elaborates.

16:31 See Leviticus 19:32.

17:1 like Proverbs 15:17.

17:5 Compare Proverbs 24:17-18. Imprecation amounts to taking comfort that God will make things right, not taking joy in anyone’s suffering.

17:7 see Proverbs 16:10.

17:8 See the Proverbs 15:27 note.

17:10 More hyperbole, since forty lashes was the limit (Deuteronomy 25:3).

17:11 “the messenger of death” The Angel of Death (e.g. 1 Chronicles 21:15).

17:14 Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).

17:15 like Deuteronomy 16:18-20. Rather than letting us off the hook without the Cross, Jesus really became Sin for us, and we really became the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

17:16 Are tax-funded schools a waste for many, then?

17:17-18 These verses contrast each other. Love and fulfilling familial duty make virtuous actions that would be stupid otherwise.

17:19 like Proverbs 18:1.

17:20 like Proverbs 22:21.

17:21 See Proverbs 17:25 and Proverbs 23:24-25. Kesil and nabal are two flavors of fool featured here, ranging from immorally obstinate to practically atheistic.

17:22 Proverbs are situational; see Psalm 51:17, Matthew 5:3, and 2 Corinthians 12:9.

17:23 See the Proverbs 15:27 note.

17:24 “keeps wisdom in view” See Hebrews 12:2.

17:25 See Proverbs 17:21 and Proverbs 23:24-25.

17:26 Valuable, honest feedback is not always pleasant. Don’t shoot the messenger. See Proverbs 24:26.

17:27-28 is a recurring theme in Proverbs summarized in James 1:19.

18:1 like Proverbs 17:19. “An unfriendly person” is alternatively translated “a recluse from God and man”.

18:4 The words of (a wise person’s) mouth are deep waters (plentiful but finite), but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream (infinite), which is to say that there is more to know than can be said.

18:8 is Proverbs 26:22.

18:9 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

18:10-11 Don’t rely on the imaginary security, but stay with the fortified tower.

18:12 like Proverbs 16:18.

18:16 A “gift” like Proverbs 15:27 as well as a gift like Joseph’s dream interpretation.

18:19 People with integrity sometimes take things very personally because they would have never done that to you.

18:20-21 Some Christians obsess over “word cursing” themselves or others or walk around like little gods speaking things into existence. Yes, we’re made in His image; yes, what we say matters. However, don’t equate the power of human words with God’s. See Deuteronomy 32:29. If the word of faith stuff were accurate, Paul would have told Timothy to declare himself well in 1 Timothy 5:23 rather than drinking, and the persecuted early Christians would have just spoken victory over their circumstances instead of being fed to lions or burned. James 3 elaborates on the principle of speaking positively and speaking less. If you have said something regrettable, Proverbs 26:2 says an undeserved curse won’t land.

18:22 Proverbs 19:14 clarifies that this is a prudent wife, not just any woman. See also Proverbs 19:13, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 25:24, and Proverbs 27:15-16.

18:24 See John 15:12-15.

19:3 Again, a “fool” is defined as in Psalm 14:1.

19:9 See Proverbs 24:28. The wages of sin here is death, too (Proverbs 23:17-18, Romans 6:23).

19:11 like Proverbs 12:16 and Proverbs 20:3.

19:12 See Proverbs 20:2. Dew on grass was an important nourishment in a desert land. Because of the Cross, there is no more roar for us (John 5:24 and 1 John 4:17-18). The Accuser impersonates the roar (1 Peter 5:8) to make you think God’s mad.

19:13-14 See Proverbs 18:22 note.

19:15 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

19:16 like Proverbs 23:17-18. See Leviticus 18:5.

19:17 like Proverbs 22:22-23, Proverbs 23:10-11, and Proverbs 24:12. Having the “good eye” is faith that He can be trusted to repay. Jesus gave His life for us, and God gave it back to Him.

19:18 like Proverbs 23:13-14.

19:19 See also Proverbs 22:24-25.

19:20 like Proverbs 23:12-14.

19:22 “unfailing love” can be understood in Hebrew as “loyalty”.

19:23 See Ephesians 2:6.

19:24 like Proverbs 26:15.

19:25 Compare Proverbs 27:22. The official position seems to be that you can beat out “simple”, but only God can fix godlessness.

20:1 Compare Psalm 104:15, Jesus’ miracle at the wedding at Cana, the four drink minimum at Passover, etc. Enjoy God’s blessing responsibly.

20:2 like Proverbs 19:12.

20:3 like Proverbs 12:16 and Proverbs 19:11.

20:4 like Proverbs 24:30–34.

20:9 Only Jesus (John 8:46).

20:10 See verse 23.

20:11 No (Psalm 51:5 and Romans 5:12-14).

20:12 Idol makers cannot do either. See Exodus 4:10-12.

20:13 See verse 4 and its note.

20:15 like 1 Kings 10.

20:16 like Proverbs 22:26-27 and Proverbs 27:13. Translations variously contain foreigners and/or adulterous women as financially untrustworthy.

20:17 “gravel” seems to be another method of breaking the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 3:7) in Lamentations 3:16.

20:18 like Proverbs 24:5-6.

20:19 like Proverbs 11:13.

20:20 See Leviticus 20:9.

20:21 This is the desire of verse 20 as seen in Luke 15:11-13.

20:22 See Deuteronomy 32:35.

20:23 See verse 10.

20:24 See Philippians 1:6 and 1 Corinthians 13:12.

20:26, 28 Machiavelli is credited with saying that it is better for a ruler to be loved than hated, but safer for a ruler to be feared than loved.

20:30 Compare Proverbs 19:25, Proverbs 23:13-14, and Proverbs 27:22. The Old Testament saw through a glass darkly; Christ’s punishment (Isaiah 53:5) actually purged our evil (Colossians 2:11 and Hebrews 10:10, 14).

21:2 Again, we see the Egyptian feather vs. heart weigh-in. The attitudinal focus of the Sermon on the Mount was always part of the Old Covenant.

21:3 See Isaiah 1, Hosea 6:6, and 1 Samuel 15:22.

21:4 A “proud heart” forgets God (Deuteronomy 8:14).

21:5 Please figure out your retirement plan now, regardless of how young you are. A buy-and-hold approach of regularly purchasing (don’t let jargon like “dollar cost averaging” put you off) index funds worked for me. Take full advantage of any employer match and tax-sheltered retirement accounts that your job offers. Time really is money; a 25 year old that invests for ten years and then lets it ride will still have more when they are eligible to withdraw without penalty than a 35 year old that waited to start preparing for retirement who invests the same amount the other investor did annually every year until retirement age, all other things being equal. Effective investment strategies may be different in whatever year this gets read, so do your homework.

21:6 “fleeting vapor” sounds like Ecclesiastes.

21:9 See the Proverbs 18:22 note.

21:11 Again, two levels of fool: the merely simple and the godless.

21:13 like Proverbs 22:22-23 and Proverbs 23:10-11.

21:14 See the Proverbs 15:27 note.

21:16 like Proverbs 23:17-18.

21:17 like Proverbs 23:19-21.

21:18 Compare Proverbs 11:8. Christ did the opposite, praise Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

21:19 See the Proverbs 18:22 note.

21:23 See the Proverbs 18:20-21 note.

21:25 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

21:26 See Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 22:9, Psalm 112:9, and 2 Corinthians 9:11.

21:27 like Isaiah 1.

22:3 like Proverbs 27:12. Chapter 7 addressed these themes.

22:4 Ergo, humility before God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).

22:6 See verse 15.

22:9 “generous” in the KJV is “bountiful eye” or the proverbial “good eye”, the faith that God can be trusted to repay. Its opposite is the “evil eye” that begrudges, is jealous, focuses on scarcity, and is faithless. See Matthew 6:22 and Matthew 20:15. Also, see Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 21:26, Psalm 112:9, and 2 Corinthians 9:11.

22:10 like Proverbs 24:2 and Proverbs 26:21.

22:11 See Proverbs 19:12.

22:13 like Proverbs 26:13.

22:14 See Proverbs 23:26-28.

22:15 This is Proverbs 23:13-14 plus Proverbs 20:30. Also, see verse 6.

22:16 “gifts to the rich” This is beyond the gifts to curry favor that are praised elsewhere in Proverbs; God would have repaid them for feeding the poor, but supporting those who have no need of it (and likely no appreciation of it) has no guarantee attached.

“Thirty Sayings of the Wise” as it is called in the Septuagint. There are some similarities to the Egyptian “Instruction of Amenemope”, which could be Joseph’s leftovers (Genesis 41:33, 39). My attempts at intertextuality throughout Proverbs have been in part to explore whether it consists of collections of sayings that are commentaries on this core source material, i.e. Solomon’s thoughts on it, etc.

22:21 This section is presented as advice for a courtier.

22:22-23 See the Exodus 3:9 note. Your translation might say “at the gate” because that is where court proceedings were held.

22:24-25 See Leviticus 19:17-18.

22:28 For more on this topic: Genesis 13:15, Genesis 17:8, Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 27:17, Job 24:2, and Isaiah 5:8-10.

22:29 Remember Joseph? Or Genesis 47:6?

23:1-3 Earthly kings were generally viceroys of Satan and were exploiters. The invitation has a hidden price.

23:4 See verse 21. In between the extremes of worn out and lazily hungry is working diligently with a healthy work-life balance while investing passively without resorting to get-rich-quick schemes.

23:5 For more about how everything is vanity, see Ecclesiastes.

23:6-7 There’s the begrudging evil eye again.

23:9 like Matthew 7:6. Bees don’t waste time telling flies that honey tastes better than feces.

23:10-11 See Proverbs 22:22, Proverbs 22:28, Deuteronomy 27:17-19, and Job 24:2-3.

23:12 like Proverbs 22:17.

23:13-14 “death” For example, Deuteronomy 21:18-21.

23:17-18 See Leviticus 18:5.

23:21 See Deuteronomy 21:20 and Proverbs 28:7. The drowsiness-induced poverty is a contrast to verse 4.

23:27-28 Proverbs 2:16-19 and Proverbs 5 elaborate on these verses. The “unfaithful” are transgressors of God’s Law, in this instance the prohibition against other mens’ wives, more than the newer notion of monogamy. Run from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).

23:30-35 Compare this section about drinking with Psalm 104:15. Enjoy God’s blessing responsibly.

24:8 “schemer” or as Romans 1:30 calls them, “inventor of evil”. See Ecclesiastes 12:14 and Mark 4:22.

24:10 Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

24:11-12 A call to evangelism like 2 Corinthians 10:10-11. All humanity is to be judged, and we that have taken the plea bargain (John 5:24) are tasked with helping God’s wish to save everyone (Ezekiel 18:23) come true.

24:13-14 See Proverbs 25:16, Proverbs 25:27, and Proverbs 27:7.

24:16 “seven times” as in “daily” or “completely” like the week of Creation. The righteous are like Weebles that wobble but don’t really fall down, whereas the wicked fall once and stay there.

24:17-18 Much like an American football coach would encourage his players to act like they’ve stood in the end zone before.

24:22 concludes the quasi-Amenemope material, but the bonus tracks continue through verse 34.

24:23 like Deuteronomy 1:17.

24:24 Therefore, God had to actually make us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:14, and many more we’ll see in the New Testament).

24:27 Since “house” is also understood as “family”, this was taken to mean getting financially established before getting married and having children. Women were married off at or soon after puberty; men waited longer because getting established in business and saving a bride price (while perhaps caring for widowed family members in the role of firstborn) took time.

24:33-34 like Proverbs 6:10-11.

And now, more material by Solomon compiled by Hezekiah’s administration:

25:5 See Psalm 101.

25:6-7 See Proverbs 29:23 and Luke 14:8-10.

25:13 Compare Proverbs 26:6.

25:14 See Jude 1:12’s “clouds without water”.

25:16 Compare Proverbs 24:13 and Proverbs 25:27.

25:19 like Proverbs 26:6.

25:21 Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39) wasn’t new. The next verse explains the reasoning for it: vengeance is His (Deuteronomy 32:35, Leviticus 19:18).

25:22 “burning coals” like Psalm 11:6. This verse is referenced in Romans 12:20. See also Genesis 19 and Revelation 8:5.

25:24 The Proverbs 18:22 note lists the comparable wife verses.

25:27 Compare Proverbs 24:13 and Proverbs 25:16. In other translations, “search out matters that are too deep” is “search for one’s own glory”.

26:3 like Proverbs 19:25 and Proverbs 20:30.

26:4-5 Proverbs can contradict each other. Verses 7 and 9 point out that one must be wise enough to know when to apply which of these wise generalizations (or reach for verse 3 and a club). One attempt to harmonize verses 4 and 5 is that we shouldn’t stoop to yelling, name-calling, etc. like the fool except to lovingly demonstrate how inappropriate they are being.

26:6 Compare Proverbs 25:19.

26:8 Bonk!

26:12 See also Proverbs 26:16 and Proverbs 29:20.

26:13 like Proverbs 22:13.

26:15 like Proverbs 19:24.

26:16 See also Proverbs 26:12 and Proverbs 29:20.

26:21 like Proverbs 22:10.

26:22 is Proverbs 18:8.

27:1 As James 4:15 says, tack on a “God willing” to such statements.

27:5 As “love” connotes loyal action more than fuzzy feelings in Hebrew, giving someone a sandwich that needs a sandwich is an example of love revealed.

27:7 See Proverbs 25:16, Proverbs 25:27, and Proverbs 24:13-14.

27:8 Plop! See Proverbs 23:4-5, Exodus 20:12, and 2 Corinthians 12:14 alongside this verse to see that staying home is wise, thereby honoring parents, therefore honoring God.

27:12 See Proverbs 22:3.

27:13 Compare Proverbs 20:16.

27:15-16 The Proverbs 18:22 note lists the comparable wife verses.

27:21 See Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 29:5.

27:22 Compare Proverbs 19:25, Proverbs 20:30, and Proverbs 26:12. There’s the teachable “simple” and there’s the godless.

27:23-27 is sage advice about keeping track of your finances in whatever form that presents itself in your year.

Since clothes, field, food, household, servant, and goats are of concern in Chapter 31, some people see Chapter 28 as starting a new section.

28:2 For example, the short reigns in Israel after Jeroboam II.

28:3 “ruler”, “poor man”, and “destitute leader” have all been offered as translations.

28:5 like Proverbs 1:7.

28:6 “poor whose walk is blameless” in the sense of not being poor as a result of evil or laziness in the worldview of Proverbs.

28:7 like Deuteronomy 21:20 and Proverbs 23:21.

28:8 like Proverbs 13:22. See Exodus 22:25.

28:9 This verse seems to equate wisdom with Law. For more on that, the deuterocanonical Sirach exists.

28:11 This goes deeper than finances. King David was “poor and needy” before God (Psalm 40:17). The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18 perfectly illustrates “rich” and “poor” attitudes.

28:12 See Proverbs 11:10 and Proverbs 29:2.

28:13 seems similar to 1 John 1:9, but in the New Covenant the Savior cleanses us of all unrighteousness once we admit our need for Him.

28:14 Don’t be like Pharaoh.

28:17 “Murderers go to the pit quickly”; preserve lives, but don’t obstruct justice (Genesis 9:6).

28:18 in the eternal sense. See Proverbs 23:17-18.

28:19 like Proverbs 24:30-34.

28:20 Back then, get-rich-quick schemes meant robbery, theft, moving boundary markers, etc. See Proverbs 1:10-19. Mutually beneficial free exchange among people associating voluntarily as a path to wealth didn’t gain a lot of traction until many centuries later, so in Bible times, getting rich usually involved someone else getting poor or dying.

28:21 See Proverbs 24:23-25.

28:22 “The stingy” is how some English Bibles translate the aforementioned “evil eye” here. See the Exodus 20:17 note if you need a refresher. See also Proverbs 21:13 and Proverbs 23:10-11.

28:23 like Proverbs 24:26.

28:24 Jesus addresses such a scheme in Mark 7:9-13.

28:25 Evil eye vs good eye.

28:27 See Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 22:9, and Proverbs 21:13.

28:28 like verse 12 and its note.

29:2 like Proverbs 28:12, 28.

29:3 like Luke 15:13.

29:5 Compare Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 27:21.

29:7 Since “justice for” is sometimes translated “the rights of”, the Old Covenant would require perusing Deuteronomy 15:1-18, Deuteronomy 23:19-20, Deuteronomy 24:6, Deuteronomy 24:10-15, Deuteronomy 24:19-22, and Deuteronomy 26:12-15. Under the New Covenant, let’s look to Jesus (Matthew 5:3).

29:8 There is wordplay: loosely, mockers set a fire but the wise turn away burning anger.

29:11 See Proverbs 12:16.

29:13-14 See Proverbs 31:5, 8-9.

29:15, 17 See Proverbs 23:13-14.

29:20 See Proverbs 26:12.

29:22 See Proverbs 22:24-25.

29:23 See Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:18, and Proverbs 25:6-7.

29:24 Con men know better than to con an “honest” person who can inform the police; a grifter often makes sure that their victim would have to admit commiting crimes themselves to tell anyone they were robbed.

29:27 The righteous may detest sin, but the righteous also agree with God; He loves the world (John 3:16).

That concludes Solomon’s section.

30:3 like Job 40:4.

30:4 His name is Jesus.

30:6 See Deuteronomy 4:2 and Deuteronomy 12:32.

30:7-9 Lead us not into temptation, give us today our daily bread, hallowed be Thy Name, etc. See Deuteronomy 6:10-12 and Deuteronomy 8:12-14. On the other side of it, thieves imply God doesn’t provide and question His judgment of blessing whom He does.

30:11-14 provides a good summary of Jesus’ opinion of the Pharisees and Sadducees during His earthly ministry.

30:15 “daughters” Suckers.

30:16 See Genesis 30:1.

30:17 is Exodus 21:17 plus the threat of improper burial and thus no rest.

30:18-19 “How does the sky hold the bird up? How does the snake move with no legs? How does water hold the boat up? Why would a man ever get married after reading Proverbs 19:13, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 25:24, and Proverbs 27:15-16? It’s enough to make you want to quote Matthew 19:10.” Other explanations of the last line, such as the gravity-defying mystery of erections (or airy philosophy about love that sidesteps the context of the rest of the examples), exist.

30:20 lends credence to the misogynist explanation of Proverbs 30:18-19.

30:22-23 lists people prone to taunt others. See Proverbs 19:10; for a “servant who displaces her mistress”, see Genesis 16.

30:26 Hyraxes are also known as rock badgers.

Here ends Agur’s bit.

31:1 Here is an inspired utterance from a woman to balance some of the misogyny in Proverbs (although even she is a misogynist in verse 3). Lemuel means “Belongs to God”; it is either an otherwise unknown nickname of a Hebrew king or a foreign ruler deemed worth reading (which is possible given Daniel 4:34).

31:2 like Hannah.

31:3 “strength” can also be translated as “wealth”. Your money is your life energy. You expend effort and time you can’t get back in exchange for the ability to buy things. Make sure that everything you buy is worth the finite percentage of your life it costs (calculated on a pre-tax basis). The big expenses and the little repeated expenses are worth examining.

31:6-7 “perishing” or “ready to perish”, laid low by life. In addition to forgetting misery, booze is also there for the happy times (Psalm 104:15).

31:8-9 like Proverbs 29:14.

It seems that Lemuel’s bit ends here.

The Wife of Noble Character, briefly mentioned in Proverbs 12:4, is similar to Lady Wisdom.

31:10 See Proverbs 3:15.

31:13-19 Work outside the home and entrepreneurship for women is encouraged in the Bible.

31:20 See Proverbs 11:25.

31:23 He has the free time to do this since she’s helping with the economic and domestic problems.

Feel free to skip this section, but I figured that since pastors use so many unbiblical stories to make sermon points, I will record some practical notions here that might be helpful to someone:

It is not external events that perturb us, but our reaction to them or the meaning that we give them. Focus on things you have some control over (like most of your own thoughts and behaviors while being present in this moment), and trust everything to God. Remember you are a new creation to be your best self always. Don’t want what you can’t have. Be slow to anger. There is a step between stimulus and response where you can decide to let Christ’s life show through you instead if you choose to. You are not your body, you are not your thoughts (Sin feeds you its thoughts and accuses you of having them); “you” observe these things. To let go of suffering, let go of wanting, especially things that are out of your control (and it all belongs to God anyway). (Wanting is distinct from coveting. The Hebrew concept of “covet” involves plotting to take in Exodus 34:24, Deuteronomy 7:25, Joshua 7:21, Proverbs 6:25, Micah 2:2, etc. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament we call the Septuagint or LXX, “covet” is represented by the Greek word epithumeo “set the heart upon” or strong desire is not as precise. Rabbis even discussed finding their own mothers objectively attractive without coveting fulfillment in the real world.) Whatever is happening, this too shall pass. You tend to find what you are seeking, including funny stories at your job or reasons to be grateful while being stuck in traffic. What is great about having this specific problem? Be a detached observer of a world giving you the finger. Don’t answer every barking dog. The world is a dog barking behind a fence; nothing of real value is threatened once you trust God. See 2 Samuel 12:16-13; have faith, pray about it, but be able to accept reality as it is and adapt. A dog on a leash can accept its circumstances or stubbornly drag along (suffer). Choose not to suffer. Would whomever is being grieved want those who remain to be miserable, or to be grateful to have known them and to move on? When frustrated, blame your own unrealistic expectations. Don’t be angry, those who are wronging you are crippled in their most important faculty. Pity them instead. Everyone more or less thinks they’re doing the right thing. Why value their opinion of you more so than your own? Why accept criticism from people you would never ask for advice? They probably aren’t even thinking of you now; others are focused on their own problems and insecurities. Relax and realize that it’s not about you. If you know the extent to which other people are projecting, you wouldn’t take anything personally. Stop attaching meaning to everything. Instead of reacting to a mishap, say to yourself, “for such a small price, I buy tranquility instead.” Regarding anything important: I can’t, but God can. Let Christ do the next right thing through you. Know that you are perfectly loved and totally forgiven no matter what, then reflect that love into the situations in which you find yourself. The Stoics who wanted to “tame the tongue” (like James wanted to) said that speech was ideally 1) correct with regard to content/grammar/vocabulary/etc. 2) clear/understandable 3) concise, few words 4) clean of vulgarity and/or emotion 5) appropriate to the audience and setting. A more modern construction is whether a statement is true, kind, necessary, and an improvement upon the silence. Speak about others as if they have you wiretapped. Always remember the whole list of quality people that made and taught you. Other people lack their influence. The Bible repeatedly says “Fear not; I am with thee”; this tells your amygdala “Shut up, lizard! We’re doing this!” Stepping away from all stressors is hard. Choosing to be unfazed is less hard. There are people that know not to give their body to everyone who comes along that will yield their mind and emotions to any distraction. No matter who someone is or how attractive they are, someone is probably sick of their behavior. 

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