Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22 gathers practical wisdom on reputation, money, raising children, and honest dealing. It warns against oppressing the poor, bad company, foolish debt, and cheating a neighbor. From verse 17 a new section opens, ’the words of the wise’, which urges us to take in wisdom so that our trust rests in the LORD.

Proverbs 22:1

Money can vanish, but a name built on honesty and kindness is a lasting treasure. Being known as trustworthy, and being well regarded by others, is worth more than silver and gold. Character comes first, and wealth is only a tool.

BSA: good (“reputable, honorable”): The name worth having is one that is honored because the life behind it is honest.

Hebrew: שֵׁם (shem, H8034) — “name, reputation.” In Hebrew thought a name stands for the whole person and what he is known for, so it means character as much as fame.

See also: Ecclesiastes 7:1.

Proverbs 22:2

Rich and poor are different in their circumstances but equal in their origin. God made every one of them. That should humble the wealthy, dignify the poor, and keep us from looking down on anyone.

BSA: Maker (“One who creates, forms”): Every person, whatever his bank balance, is shaped by the same Creator’s hand.

See also: Job 31:15; Proverbs 14:31.

Proverbs 22:3

A wise person notices trouble ahead and steps out of its way. The naive person charges on without thought and pays the price. Wisdom often looks like simple caution, and it saves a great deal of pain.

BSA: simple (“naive, easily influenced”): The simple are not wicked, only unguarded, and they are led wherever the crowd or their impulses take them.

Proverbs 22:4

Humility and reverence for the LORD go together. A person who knows his place before God receives what really matters: a rich life, honor, and life itself. Verse 4 says these are the rewards, not that they are earned as wages.

BSA: fear (“reverence, respect”): This is not terror but a deep awe that takes God seriously and lives accordingly.

See also: Proverbs 1:7; James 4:10.

Proverbs 22:5

The crooked road is full of thorns and traps. The one who values his own soul keeps well away from it. Guarding your life means choosing your path carefully and not flirting with danger.

BSA: guards (“protects, watches over”): Your inner life needs a watchman, and staying far from temptation is part of the watch.

Proverbs 22:6

Parents are to guide children early, in the way that is right and that suits the child’s own makeup. Proverbs states general patterns, not guarantees. Still, what is planted in youth tends to remain, and a good upbringing is a strong anchor for life.

BSA: Train up (“teach, dedicate”): Training is more than instruction. It sets a child apart and dedicates him to a way of life.

Hebrew: חֲנֹךְ (chanokh, H2596) — “train, dedicate.” The same root is used for dedicating a house or a temple, so raising a child is pictured as setting him apart for a purpose.

See also: Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4.

Proverbs 22:7

This is an observation about how the world works. Money brings power, and debt brings dependence. The lender holds the upper hand, so a wise person thinks carefully before borrowing.

BSA: slave (“servant, bond servant”): Debt is not just a number. It ties your time, choices, and freedom to someone else.

Proverbs 22:8

Injustice is a seed, and it grows into a harvest of trouble for the one who plants it. The anger a bully wields as his rod will itself be broken. God’s world is not indifferent to how we treat others.

BSA: sows (“plants, spreads”): Wrongdoing is planted deliberately, and it always comes back as a crop.

See also: Galatians 6:7-8; Hosea 8:7.

Proverbs 22:9

The generous person is happy and well spoken of because he shares his own food with those in need. Giving is not a loss. It brings God’s blessing and the goodwill of others.

BSA: generous (“bountiful”): Generosity here is an overflowing habit of the heart, not one occasional gift.

See also: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

Proverbs 22:10

One scoffing troublemaker can keep a whole community in turmoil. Remove him and the quarrels, insults, and bitterness often die down. Peace sometimes requires the courage to part ways with someone who will not stop stirring things up.

BSA: mocker (“scoffer, scorner, one who mocks or ridicules”): A mocker is not just rude. He ridicules what is good and refuses all correction.

Hebrew: לֵץ (letz, H3887) — “scoffer.” In Proverbs the scoffer is the hardest kind of fool, proud and scornful and closed to teaching.

Proverbs 22:11

Honesty of heart and graciousness of speech are rare and welcome. Even a king values a person with both. They show a clean inner life that comes out in kind words.

BSA: pure (“clean, undefiled”): The purity meant here goes down to motives, not just outward behavior.

See also: Matthew 5:8.

Proverbs 22:12

God guards truth and knowledge like a watchman. But He overturns the schemes of the treacherous, so their clever words come to nothing. God stands behind honesty, and deceit does not last.

BSA: frustrates (“overthrows and subverts”): God does not merely hinder the faithless. He turns their plans upside down.

Proverbs 22:13

The lazy man always has an excuse, and the more absurd the better. A lion in the street is the sort of danger he invents to avoid going to work. Laziness is skilled at making fear sound reasonable.

BSA: slacker (“lazy person, slothful man”): He is not unable but unwilling, and he finds reasons to stay put.

Hebrew: עָצֵל (atsel, H6102) — “sluggard, lazy person.” This is Proverbs’ favorite word for the idler, who is pictured as turning in bed like a door on its hinge.

See also: Proverbs 26:13-14.

Proverbs 22:14

Adultery is a trap with smooth words at the entrance and no way out. Those who have already drifted from God are the ones most likely to be pulled in. The warning is to stay far from the edge.

BSA: adulteress (“strange woman, immoral woman”): She is an outsider to the marriage covenant, someone who does not belong in your life.

See also: Proverbs 5:3-6; Proverbs 7:25-27.

Proverbs 22:15

Children are born with a tendency to folly, and it does not disappear on its own. Loving discipline helps drive it out. Scripture sees correction as care for the child’s future, not as cruelty.

BSA: bound up (“tied, deeply rooted”): Foolishness is knotted into the child’s heart and cannot simply be wished away.

Hebrew: אִוֶּלֶת (ivvelet, H200) — “folly, foolishness.” It describes the thick, stubborn kind of folly that ignores good sense, and it is the opposite of wisdom.

See also: Proverbs 13:24; Hebrews 12:11.

Proverbs 22:16

Two shortcuts to getting ahead both fail. Cheating the poor for profit, or paying off the powerful to win favor, ends in loss. Wealth gained or kept by injustice slips away.

BSA: gifts (“bribes, favors”): These gifts are meant to buy influence, so they are bribes under a kinder name.

Proverbs 22:17-18

A new section begins, and the teacher speaks like a father. Lean in, listen, and take the words to heart. They are pleasant when kept inside you and ready on your tongue, so that wisdom becomes the way you naturally speak.

BSA: Incline (“bow down, turn”): Listening to wisdom takes humility, like bowing the head toward the teacher. keep (“protect, attend to, guard”): Wisdom is something to guard carefully, not merely to hear once.

See also: Psalm 119:11.

Proverbs 22:19

The purpose of all this teaching is spiritual: that your trust may rest in the LORD. The father says ‘yes, you’, making it personal. Wisdom is not just general advice. It is addressed to each reader today.

BSA: trust (“confidence, faith”): Wise sayings are meant to lead beyond good habits to relying on God Himself.

See also: Proverbs 3:5-6.

Proverbs 22:20-21

The writer says he has set down thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge. They are true and dependable, so that you can give a sound answer to whoever sent you. Wise words equip you to speak truth with confidence when others ask.

BSA: thirty (“excellent things, wise sayings”): The word may mean thirty sayings or excellent ones, and either way the teaching is carefully chosen. reliable (“certain, reliable, and faithful”): These words can bear your weight, because they do not change or fail.

See also: 1 Peter 3:15.

Proverbs 22:22-23

Do not take advantage of the poor just because they cannot fight back. Court was held at the city gate, where the poor often lacked a defender. But the LORD pleads their case, and He will strip those who strip them.

BSA: take up (“plead, contend for”): God acts like an advocate in court, arguing for those who have none.

See also: Exodus 22:22-23; Proverbs 23:10-11.

Proverbs 22:24-25

Habits are contagious. If you spend time with a hot-tempered person, his anger rubs off on you, and you may not notice until you are caught. Choose your closest companions with care.

BSA: learn (“acquire knowledge of, become familiar with”): We pick up another person’s ways gradually, just by being around them.

See also: 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Proverbs 22:26-27

Do not rashly guarantee someone else’s debts. If he cannot pay, you will be the one who loses even the bed you sleep on. The warning is about reckless promises you cannot afford to keep.

BSA: pledges (“strikes hands, offers security”): Agreements were sealed with a handshake, and that single gesture could cost you everything.

See also: Proverbs 6:1-5.

Proverbs 22:28

Boundary stones marked each family’s inherited land. Moving one quietly stole from a neighbor and dishonored the ancestors who set it. The proverb forbids dishonest gain and respects what others rightfully hold.

BSA: ancient (“old, long-standing”): Long-settled boundaries carry the weight of family history and God’s gift of the land.

See also: Deuteronomy 19:14; Proverbs 23:10.

Proverbs 22:29

Skill and diligence get noticed. The person who does his work well may find himself serving before kings and not remaining unknown. The chapter ends by honoring faithful, excellent work.

BSA: skilled (“quick, diligent”): The word suggests speed and readiness along with real competence in the work.

Hebrew: מָהִיר (mahir, H4106) — “skilled, swift, ready.” The word describes a person who is both quick and expert, and who gets the job done well without being driven to it.

See also: Colossians 3:23.