Isaiah 3
KingCommentsIsaiah 3:1
Words of Truth Are Excellent Things
In Proverbs 22:17 a new collection of proverbs begins, the fourth part of the book. From Proverbs 10:1 onward, Solomon passed on more general observations to his son and left their application to him. He has done so through verses of two lines with only in a few cases a clear interrelationship. Now he again proceeds to address and instruct his son directly, as he did in Proverbs 1-9. He again switches his style of address. We also see that, as in Proverbs 1-9, several verses belong together, rather than separate verses of two lines as in the previous section.
Proverbs 22:17-21 form an introduction. In them Solomon urges his son to devote himself to studying “the words of the wise”. Then his spiritual life will have a firm foundation. He will also be able to give wise counsel to those who seek advice from him. Knowledge is given to us to serve others with, that others may learn from what we have learned. In this way, we may serve our generation according to the will of God. We must remember that the knowledge we gain may be brilliant, but it is powerless knowledge if we do not first and foremost apply it in our own lives (cf. Ezra 7:10).
“Tend your ear” (Proverbs 22:17) goes beyond just listening or paying attention to. It has to do with bowing down in an attitude of humility. Willingness to learn is shown in the humble mind a person displays. Those who are humble can listen to the teaching that is in the words of wise men.
Young people often believe that they already know everything. He who knows that he needs education and is also willing to commit himself to it, acknowledges his lack of knowledge and the need that he needs others to teach him. He will turn his heart to the knowledge that the wisdom teacher has. He will absorb into his heart the knowledge that the latter imparts to him.
The word “for” with which Proverbs 22:18 begins indicates that now follows the motivation of the call of Pro 22:17. “It will be pleasant” if the son keeps the words of wise men “within” him, that is, in his heart. It is about stockpiling knowledge in the innermost being. If it is there, that knowledge can also always be on the lips, words of knowledge can always be spoken. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34).
In Proverbs 22:19, the purpose of the call of Pro 22:17 is given. This is evident from the words “so that” with which the verse begins. That purpose is to trust in the LORD and not in one’s own understanding or abilities. That is a matter for “today”, for the present, and thus for every day, for every day is the present. It is also emphatically for the son personally – and for each person personally – for “I have taught you …, even you”.
What Solomon has told and written to his son, he unreservedly calls “excellent things” (Proverbs 22:20). Are we also so convinced of this? Whether the truths of God’s Word are “excellent things” for us as well is apparent from the time we spend reading and examining God’s Word. This also determines what we tell and write of it to our children. The counsel and knowledge we pass on will also become “excellent things” for them if they see in our lives that they are such things for us.
The father passes on to his son “words of truth” with the “certainty” of their “correctness” (Proverbs 22:21). This applies to the gospel and everything else that should give direction to our lives. The Word of God has come to us “with full conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) because they are words of truth. There is no doubt about their certainty.
The father does not relativize, contrary to what is often done with the Bible today. Statements of God can no longer be considered “correct” because for many it is nothing more than an opinion. You cannot say: ‘This is what Scripture says’, but you must say: I think or believe that Scripture says this or that. Simple, clear statements are presented as vague and difficult to explain. When God’s Word says that women should be silent in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34), contemporary interpreters argue that you shouldn’t read it that way.
The Word of God is the only reliable touchstone given to us. The form in which the words in God’s Word are given to us is also reliable. It is the model, the example, to which we must direct ourselves and arrange our life (Romans 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:13).
If we are convinced of the truthfulness of the words the wise man has made known to us, and those words are within us, we will speak correctly to those who have sent us somewhere for a particular task. We can be trusted. We are reliable in reporting and will not paint a more beautiful or worse picture than the reality is.
The Lord Jesus sent us into the world with a mission. We can carry out that mission well only if we are completely convinced of His Word and pass it on, either as gospel to unbelievers or as teaching in local churches. With the words we have spoken in His command, we can come back to Him and say that we have done what He has commanded us to do.
Isaiah 3:2
The LORD Will Punish Robbing and Crushing
After the impressive, introductory words of this new section in Proverbs, we might expect a series of new, unknown proverbs. This is not the case. They are often issues that have been addressed in other terms before, such as the inhumane practice of oppressing the poor and afflicted.
“The poor” is easy prey for predatory folks (Proverbs 22:22). The little that the poor has, he cannot protect. He is defenseless when violence is used against him. False charges can easily be brought against “the afflicted at the gate”. The gate is the place where justice is spoken (Rth 4:1-2; 2 Samuel 15:2; 2 Samuel 19:8; Job 5:4; Amos 5:15). He has no one to stand up for him.
The warning of Pro 22:22 is justified in Proverbs 22:23. He who robs the poor and crushes the afflicted in the gate will have to deal with the LORD. People may trample on the right of the afflicted because they cannot defend themselves, but let them count on One Who will plead their case, and that is the LORD (cf. Psalms 72:4; Jeremiah 50:34). And those who rob the poor precisely because he is poor will be judged by the LORD with the same judgment with which they judged. He will rob the robbers of their life.
Isaiah 3:3
The LORD Will Punish Robbing and Crushing
After the impressive, introductory words of this new section in Proverbs, we might expect a series of new, unknown proverbs. This is not the case. They are often issues that have been addressed in other terms before, such as the inhumane practice of oppressing the poor and afflicted.
“The poor” is easy prey for predatory folks (Proverbs 22:22). The little that the poor has, he cannot protect. He is defenseless when violence is used against him. False charges can easily be brought against “the afflicted at the gate”. The gate is the place where justice is spoken (Rth 4:1-2; 2 Samuel 15:2; 2 Samuel 19:8; Job 5:4; Amos 5:15). He has no one to stand up for him.
The warning of Pro 22:22 is justified in Proverbs 22:23. He who robs the poor and crushes the afflicted in the gate will have to deal with the LORD. People may trample on the right of the afflicted because they cannot defend themselves, but let them count on One Who will plead their case, and that is the LORD (cf. Psalms 72:4; Jeremiah 50:34). And those who rob the poor precisely because he is poor will be judged by the LORD with the same judgment with which they judged. He will rob the robbers of their life.
Isaiah 3:4
Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals
The son is again warned about wrong company (Proverbs 1:10-19), this time about a man who is “[given] to anger” and is “hot-tempered” (Proverbs 22:24). The issue here is not a necessary association, but a friendly one. At work or at school, we do have to associate with such people. We cannot escape that form of association. But we can stay away from those hot-tempered people in our private life. “A man [given] to anger” is literally “a master of anger”. “A hot-tempered man” shows the same character.
Proverbs 22:25 gives the motivation for Proverbs 22:24. The saying “bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33) applies here. Earlier, the father has talked about what dealing with different people does to his son (Proverbs 13:20). More than superficial intercourse with someone changes a person. If they are good persons, you change for the better. If they are bad persons, you change for the worse.
Hot-tempered people ignite in anger at the slightest thing. If they feel wronged by even the slightest thing, they loudly express their displeasure. You can adopt this hot-temperedness just like that. Through your dealings with hot-tempered people, you become accustomed to their hot-temperedness. You dull in your feelings of rejection of these bad traits and begin to accept and even understand them.
As a result, you draw a snare on yourself. That is, you unconsciously begin to behave the same way, quickly coming to words and/or actions that are sinful and deserve punishment.
Isaiah 3:5
Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals
The son is again warned about wrong company (Proverbs 1:10-19), this time about a man who is “[given] to anger” and is “hot-tempered” (Proverbs 22:24). The issue here is not a necessary association, but a friendly one. At work or at school, we do have to associate with such people. We cannot escape that form of association. But we can stay away from those hot-tempered people in our private life. “A man [given] to anger” is literally “a master of anger”. “A hot-tempered man” shows the same character.
Proverbs 22:25 gives the motivation for Proverbs 22:24. The saying “bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33) applies here. Earlier, the father has talked about what dealing with different people does to his son (Proverbs 13:20). More than superficial intercourse with someone changes a person. If they are good persons, you change for the better. If they are bad persons, you change for the worse.
Hot-tempered people ignite in anger at the slightest thing. If they feel wronged by even the slightest thing, they loudly express their displeasure. You can adopt this hot-temperedness just like that. Through your dealings with hot-tempered people, you become accustomed to their hot-temperedness. You dull in your feelings of rejection of these bad traits and begin to accept and even understand them.
As a result, you draw a snare on yourself. That is, you unconsciously begin to behave the same way, quickly coming to words and/or actions that are sinful and deserve punishment.
Isaiah 3:6
Do Not Become a Guarantor for Debts
The warning about becoming guarantor for one’s debts and give pledges, or confirm it, as it literally says, with striking hand, has also been done before (Proverbs 22:26; Proverbs 6:1-5; Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 20:16). That it is warned about repeatedly indicates that it is a great danger. It connects to the wrong friendships of the two previous verses. One who becomes guarantor grossly overestimates himself, for he does not know what the other intends, nor does he know whether he can fulfill his obligations as guarantor.
Here it seems to be about a situation where he becomes guarantor for a debt that he cannot meet if the other person defaults. We can possibly conclude this from Proverbs 22:27, where the motivation is given for the warning of Pro 22:26. If the one for whom he has become guarantor cannot pay his debt, he must pay that debt. But he cannot either. Then the creditor comes and takes away his last possession, his bed. Then he has nothing at all to rest on (cf. Exodus 22:26). Spiritually applied, he will have no rest anymore.
Isaiah 3:7
Do Not Become a Guarantor for Debts
The warning about becoming guarantor for one’s debts and give pledges, or confirm it, as it literally says, with striking hand, has also been done before (Proverbs 22:26; Proverbs 6:1-5; Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 20:16). That it is warned about repeatedly indicates that it is a great danger. It connects to the wrong friendships of the two previous verses. One who becomes guarantor grossly overestimates himself, for he does not know what the other intends, nor does he know whether he can fulfill his obligations as guarantor.
Here it seems to be about a situation where he becomes guarantor for a debt that he cannot meet if the other person defaults. We can possibly conclude this from Proverbs 22:27, where the motivation is given for the warning of Pro 22:26. If the one for whom he has become guarantor cannot pay his debt, he must pay that debt. But he cannot either. Then the creditor comes and takes away his last possession, his bed. Then he has nothing at all to rest on (cf. Exodus 22:26). Spiritually applied, he will have no rest anymore.
Isaiah 3:8
Do Not Move the Ancient Boundaries
The boundary has also been mentioned before (Proverbs 15:25). Now something is said about it in connection with the division of land that has been established from ancient times. It is about “the ancient boundaries”. That refers to the boundaries originally boundaries marked by the “fathers”, thus marking the individual pieces of land assigned to each tribe in the land. Moses speaks of boundary marks even before the people are in the land. He says that when the people come into the land, they must not move their neighbor’s boundary mark (Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:17; Isaiah 5:8; Hosea 5:10).
This had to be said because someone, driven by covetousness, could have the audacity to move the boundary mark that marked the separation between his land and that of his neighbor. By placing this boundary mark a little further on his neighbor’s land, he appropriated a piece of land that belonged to his neighbor. His neighbor’s land became smaller and his own larger. This was land grabbing. Moreover, it was a disrespectful act toward one’s ancestors.
A clear example of land grabbing is what Ahab did with Naboth’s land that bordered his own (1 Kings 21:1-2). Naboth would not sell it for any price, so much did he value his land as family property. He speaks to Ahab of “the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kings 21:3). However, to Ahab did not mean anything, and he robbed it from Naboth by having him, on the advice of his deeply depraved, wicked wife Jezebel, stoned to death.
Modern forms of boundary-moving are the equating of husband and wife, even though God clearly made them different and gave them a different position in life. Boundary-moving is also the equating of unmarried cohabitation with marriage, as well as the equating of marriage between two men or two women with marriage as God has instituted between one man and one woman.
Isaiah 3:9
He Who Is Skilled in His Work
Solomon asks his son if he does “see a man skilled in his work”. That seems to indicate that such people are sparse. You really have to search for them. It is someone who is active and diligent as well as skilled. He uses his time and talents optimally, with great commitment and also with wisdom. He will end up in the right environment, where his skill and expertise are valued, that is that “he will stand before kings”.
“He will not stand before obscure men.” The point is not about him feeling too good for those people, but those people maintain a depraved lifestyle. His skills would only strengthen them more in their depravity. He is a noble man with a noble profession and a noble mind, none of which is present in this company of low standing. Therefore, he does not belong there.
Kings gladly avail themselves of his services, for such people make an essential contribution to the glory and spread of their empire. Joseph and Daniel are examples of people who were skillful in their work and stood before kings at their service. It is to be wished that we as believers can also be used in this way by the Lord Jesus. Then, when we come to Him, He will say to us: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21; 23). Do we still see people who are skilled in the Lord’s work? Are we ourselves?
Isaiah 3:11
Dining With a Ruler
Solomon warns his son to be considerate if he is invited by a ruler to eat with him (Proverbs 23:1). He may feel flattered that the ruler invites him. In doing so, he may also be misled by the richly set table with the delicious food that makes your mouth water when you look at it. However, he should not look at ‘what’ he has before him, that delicious food, but at “who” (this is the better translation) he has before him, the ruler.
With that in mind, he must “put a knife” to his “throat” (Proverbs 23:2). This is especially true if he is “a man of [great] appetite”. The consumption of good food is not wrong, the craving for it is. The food on the table in front of him looks very attractive. Added to this, he is hungry and would like to swallow it in a moment. The father knows the danger of losing control of yourself and starting to feast. You are then a double prisoner. You are a prisoner of your gluttony and you are a prisoner of the ruler. You didn’t control yourself in his presence.
That is why the instruction to the son echoes “put a knife to your throat”, which means as much as “curb your appetite” or “control yourself”. It means to threaten your gluttony with death. The instruction is that it is better to put your knife to your throat than in the meat on the table. It comes down to what the Bible calls self-judgment. The Lord Jesus calls for this when He speaks of tearing out the eye and cutting off the hand as soon as we are tempted to do or look at something bad (Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 18:8-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24).
The reason for the warning and instruction of Pro 23:1-2 is given in Proverbs 23:3. The “delicacies” are a bait to get something done from him or to get information from him or to secure for himself his support. Let him not desire it, “for it is deceptive food”. The invitation to the meal was not made because he is such an important guest, but to put him in a good mood and then get something done from him. There are selfish motives behind it.
Therefore, as mentioned, he should not look at what he has in front of him (delicious food), but at who he has in front of him. Because Eve did not pay attention to who she had in front of her and only looked at what she had in front of her, sin entered the world (Genesis 3:1-6). Because we are no better and also for us the temptation is great to accept such an invitation and take in such a meal, it is necessary that we pray for protection, as David did (Psalms 141:4).
We can also apply “deceptive food” to false teachings about God’s Word. False teachers can present their false teachings about God in a ‘palatable’ way. For example, it sounds very appealing that God is love and yet He will not be so unmerciful as to let a man be eternally in hell in eternal pain. This false teaching is very ‘palatable’ to many people who thereby absorb the false teaching of ‘universal atonement’ into their heart, so that they are poisoned in their thinking.
Isaiah 3:12
Dining With a Ruler
Solomon warns his son to be considerate if he is invited by a ruler to eat with him (Proverbs 23:1). He may feel flattered that the ruler invites him. In doing so, he may also be misled by the richly set table with the delicious food that makes your mouth water when you look at it. However, he should not look at ‘what’ he has before him, that delicious food, but at “who” (this is the better translation) he has before him, the ruler.
With that in mind, he must “put a knife” to his “throat” (Proverbs 23:2). This is especially true if he is “a man of [great] appetite”. The consumption of good food is not wrong, the craving for it is. The food on the table in front of him looks very attractive. Added to this, he is hungry and would like to swallow it in a moment. The father knows the danger of losing control of yourself and starting to feast. You are then a double prisoner. You are a prisoner of your gluttony and you are a prisoner of the ruler. You didn’t control yourself in his presence.
That is why the instruction to the son echoes “put a knife to your throat”, which means as much as “curb your appetite” or “control yourself”. It means to threaten your gluttony with death. The instruction is that it is better to put your knife to your throat than in the meat on the table. It comes down to what the Bible calls self-judgment. The Lord Jesus calls for this when He speaks of tearing out the eye and cutting off the hand as soon as we are tempted to do or look at something bad (Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 18:8-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24).
The reason for the warning and instruction of Pro 23:1-2 is given in Proverbs 23:3. The “delicacies” are a bait to get something done from him or to get information from him or to secure for himself his support. Let him not desire it, “for it is deceptive food”. The invitation to the meal was not made because he is such an important guest, but to put him in a good mood and then get something done from him. There are selfish motives behind it.
Therefore, as mentioned, he should not look at what he has in front of him (delicious food), but at who he has in front of him. Because Eve did not pay attention to who she had in front of her and only looked at what she had in front of her, sin entered the world (Genesis 3:1-6). Because we are no better and also for us the temptation is great to accept such an invitation and take in such a meal, it is necessary that we pray for protection, as David did (Psalms 141:4).
We can also apply “deceptive food” to false teachings about God’s Word. False teachers can present their false teachings about God in a ‘palatable’ way. For example, it sounds very appealing that God is love and yet He will not be so unmerciful as to let a man be eternally in hell in eternal pain. This false teaching is very ‘palatable’ to many people who thereby absorb the false teaching of ‘universal atonement’ into their heart, so that they are poisoned in their thinking.
Isaiah 3:13
Dining With a Ruler
Solomon warns his son to be considerate if he is invited by a ruler to eat with him (Proverbs 23:1). He may feel flattered that the ruler invites him. In doing so, he may also be misled by the richly set table with the delicious food that makes your mouth water when you look at it. However, he should not look at ‘what’ he has before him, that delicious food, but at “who” (this is the better translation) he has before him, the ruler.
With that in mind, he must “put a knife” to his “throat” (Proverbs 23:2). This is especially true if he is “a man of [great] appetite”. The consumption of good food is not wrong, the craving for it is. The food on the table in front of him looks very attractive. Added to this, he is hungry and would like to swallow it in a moment. The father knows the danger of losing control of yourself and starting to feast. You are then a double prisoner. You are a prisoner of your gluttony and you are a prisoner of the ruler. You didn’t control yourself in his presence.
That is why the instruction to the son echoes “put a knife to your throat”, which means as much as “curb your appetite” or “control yourself”. It means to threaten your gluttony with death. The instruction is that it is better to put your knife to your throat than in the meat on the table. It comes down to what the Bible calls self-judgment. The Lord Jesus calls for this when He speaks of tearing out the eye and cutting off the hand as soon as we are tempted to do or look at something bad (Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 18:8-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24).
The reason for the warning and instruction of Pro 23:1-2 is given in Proverbs 23:3. The “delicacies” are a bait to get something done from him or to get information from him or to secure for himself his support. Let him not desire it, “for it is deceptive food”. The invitation to the meal was not made because he is such an important guest, but to put him in a good mood and then get something done from him. There are selfish motives behind it.
Therefore, as mentioned, he should not look at what he has in front of him (delicious food), but at who he has in front of him. Because Eve did not pay attention to who she had in front of her and only looked at what she had in front of her, sin entered the world (Genesis 3:1-6). Because we are no better and also for us the temptation is great to accept such an invitation and take in such a meal, it is necessary that we pray for protection, as David did (Psalms 141:4).
We can also apply “deceptive food” to false teachings about God’s Word. False teachers can present their false teachings about God in a ‘palatable’ way. For example, it sounds very appealing that God is love and yet He will not be so unmerciful as to let a man be eternally in hell in eternal pain. This false teaching is very ‘palatable’ to many people who thereby absorb the false teaching of ‘universal atonement’ into their heart, so that they are poisoned in their thinking.
Isaiah 3:14
Wealth Has Wings
Wealth has the same attraction as the food on a ruler’s table in the previous verses. Also, wealth is just as deceptive as the food on the ruler’s table. Therefore, wealth must also be handled very carefully. The warning is not to weary oneself to gain wealth (Proverbs 23:4). He who does weary himself for this purpose is absorbed and caught up in it. It is about wanting to become rich. He who wants to become rich runs great spiritual risks (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
We can imagine that the son is young and ambitious. He has many abilities and sees many challenges. But the father keeps telling him not to use his “consideration” to list all kinds of benefits that make wealth worth putting effort in to it, to toil for it. Let him stop looking for good reasons for doing something that is bad.
The reality is that just as his eyes ‘fly’ over the wealth, the wealth also “flies”, according to the literal translation of Pro 23:5: “Will your eyes fly upon it and it is not?” Solomon uses a pun here with the word fly. The eyes fly and the wealth flies. Just as quickly as the eyes fly, wealth make itself wings and flies away quickly. Wealth evaporates with the speed of “an eagle that flies [toward] the heavens”. You lose out, with no way to retrieve the wealth. One wrong speculation, a bank that fails, a thief who breaks in, and you have lost your entire capital at once.
The warning Solomon gives his son and us is not a warning against diligence and zeal, but against greed for money, against materialism with its dangers, the thirst for more wealth. It is better to use all our strength to gather treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). It is also better, in imitation of Paul, to give all our strength to the work for the Lord. In setting our priorities, we show what we use our “consideration” for.
Isaiah 3:15
Wealth Has Wings
Wealth has the same attraction as the food on a ruler’s table in the previous verses. Also, wealth is just as deceptive as the food on the ruler’s table. Therefore, wealth must also be handled very carefully. The warning is not to weary oneself to gain wealth (Proverbs 23:4). He who does weary himself for this purpose is absorbed and caught up in it. It is about wanting to become rich. He who wants to become rich runs great spiritual risks (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
We can imagine that the son is young and ambitious. He has many abilities and sees many challenges. But the father keeps telling him not to use his “consideration” to list all kinds of benefits that make wealth worth putting effort in to it, to toil for it. Let him stop looking for good reasons for doing something that is bad.
The reality is that just as his eyes ‘fly’ over the wealth, the wealth also “flies”, according to the literal translation of Pro 23:5: “Will your eyes fly upon it and it is not?” Solomon uses a pun here with the word fly. The eyes fly and the wealth flies. Just as quickly as the eyes fly, wealth make itself wings and flies away quickly. Wealth evaporates with the speed of “an eagle that flies [toward] the heavens”. You lose out, with no way to retrieve the wealth. One wrong speculation, a bank that fails, a thief who breaks in, and you have lost your entire capital at once.
The warning Solomon gives his son and us is not a warning against diligence and zeal, but against greed for money, against materialism with its dangers, the thirst for more wealth. It is better to use all our strength to gather treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). It is also better, in imitation of Paul, to give all our strength to the work for the Lord. In setting our priorities, we show what we use our “consideration” for.
Isaiah 3:16
Hypocritical Hospitality
It is a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person (Proverbs 23:6). With every bite you take, you see him looking angry. The literal translation of “a selfish man”, is “angry eye” – see the contrast with “he who is generous” (Proverbs 22:9), which is someone with an “abundant eye”; see the notes on Proverbs 22:9. This miser is ill-mannered and inhospitable. You should have no desire to eat with him of “his delicacies”, no matter how much your mouth waters when you see such an abundance of the most delicious food before you. There is really nothing appetizing about a meal with such a person.
The man you are eating with is not as he pretends to be (Proverbs 23:7). As you sit eating, he is calculating what he has lost in terms of what you devour. It causes a hole in his wealth. He does make the invitation to “eat and drink”, but he doesn’t do it wholeheartedly, he doesn’t mean it, he is stingy. He does it grudgingly. Inwardly, with his heart, he is not connected to you, even though a meal expresses fellowship. He pays more attention to how much you eat – and thus what it costs him – than whether you enjoy it.
As the meal progresses, the host’s face contracts, making the food taste increasingly bad to you (Proverbs 23:8). Finally, his lack of sincerity will make you lose your appetite to the point that you vomit up what you have already eaten. And oh, how you will regret your compliments. You have expressed your appreciation for the invitation and praised your host for his good taste, but it is all wasted tribute. The man turns out to be a miser who just sat and watched you grumbling over each bite you took.
Isaiah 3:17
Hypocritical Hospitality
It is a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person (Proverbs 23:6). With every bite you take, you see him looking angry. The literal translation of “a selfish man”, is “angry eye” – see the contrast with “he who is generous” (Proverbs 22:9), which is someone with an “abundant eye”; see the notes on Proverbs 22:9. This miser is ill-mannered and inhospitable. You should have no desire to eat with him of “his delicacies”, no matter how much your mouth waters when you see such an abundance of the most delicious food before you. There is really nothing appetizing about a meal with such a person.
The man you are eating with is not as he pretends to be (Proverbs 23:7). As you sit eating, he is calculating what he has lost in terms of what you devour. It causes a hole in his wealth. He does make the invitation to “eat and drink”, but he doesn’t do it wholeheartedly, he doesn’t mean it, he is stingy. He does it grudgingly. Inwardly, with his heart, he is not connected to you, even though a meal expresses fellowship. He pays more attention to how much you eat – and thus what it costs him – than whether you enjoy it.
As the meal progresses, the host’s face contracts, making the food taste increasingly bad to you (Proverbs 23:8). Finally, his lack of sincerity will make you lose your appetite to the point that you vomit up what you have already eaten. And oh, how you will regret your compliments. You have expressed your appreciation for the invitation and praised your host for his good taste, but it is all wasted tribute. The man turns out to be a miser who just sat and watched you grumbling over each bite you took.
Isaiah 3:18
Hypocritical Hospitality
It is a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person (Proverbs 23:6). With every bite you take, you see him looking angry. The literal translation of “a selfish man”, is “angry eye” – see the contrast with “he who is generous” (Proverbs 22:9), which is someone with an “abundant eye”; see the notes on Proverbs 22:9. This miser is ill-mannered and inhospitable. You should have no desire to eat with him of “his delicacies”, no matter how much your mouth waters when you see such an abundance of the most delicious food before you. There is really nothing appetizing about a meal with such a person.
The man you are eating with is not as he pretends to be (Proverbs 23:7). As you sit eating, he is calculating what he has lost in terms of what you devour. It causes a hole in his wealth. He does make the invitation to “eat and drink”, but he doesn’t do it wholeheartedly, he doesn’t mean it, he is stingy. He does it grudgingly. Inwardly, with his heart, he is not connected to you, even though a meal expresses fellowship. He pays more attention to how much you eat – and thus what it costs him – than whether you enjoy it.
As the meal progresses, the host’s face contracts, making the food taste increasingly bad to you (Proverbs 23:8). Finally, his lack of sincerity will make you lose your appetite to the point that you vomit up what you have already eaten. And oh, how you will regret your compliments. You have expressed your appreciation for the invitation and praised your host for his good taste, but it is all wasted tribute. The man turns out to be a miser who just sat and watched you grumbling over each bite you took.
Isaiah 3:19
Don’t Waste Wise Words on a Fool
It makes no sense to speak words that are wise to an incorrigible fool. It is not because he would not understand what you are saying. Neither is it because he would listen poorly or that he would not even listen at all. It is much worse. It is not a matter of ignorance or impropriety, but of contempt for those kinds of words. A fool despises wisdom and therefore it is a waste of time to try to say something wise to him.
Words in which there is something wise, he will take as a correction and thus as an attack on his activities. He does not wish to be confronted with this in any way. He will reveal himself as an enemy of it and turn against you.
What Solomon is saying to his son here corresponds to what the Lord Jesus says to His disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7:6).
Isaiah 3:20
Honoring the Property of the Powerless
Again the wise teacher points out to respect the rights of others to their property (Proverbs 23:10; Proverbs 22:28). This time he warns against moving “the ancient boundary” that demarcates the territory of the fatherless orphan. He who moves them violates his property. Not to “go into the fields of the fatherless” means that no one should come into those fields with hostile intentions, that is with the intention to move the boundary and thus rob some of their fields.
Proverbs 23:11 makes it clear why it is wise not to commit land grabbing and certainly not from the defenseless orphans. For he who does so will have to deal with Someone Who stands up for those who have no earthly father on whom they can lean and who stands up for them. They have a “Redeemer” Who is “strong” (Jeremiah 50:34). He takes their case to Himself and will deal with the transgressor by taking him to court and condemning him. He is Goel, the Savior, the Helper (Psalms 10:14), for those who can count on no man for help (Job 19:25). Widows and orphans, as defenseless, are under the direct care of God (Psalms 68:5; Psalms 82:3; Psalms 146:9; Hosea 14:4).
Isaiah 3:21
Honoring the Property of the Powerless
Again the wise teacher points out to respect the rights of others to their property (Proverbs 23:10; Proverbs 22:28). This time he warns against moving “the ancient boundary” that demarcates the territory of the fatherless orphan. He who moves them violates his property. Not to “go into the fields of the fatherless” means that no one should come into those fields with hostile intentions, that is with the intention to move the boundary and thus rob some of their fields.
Proverbs 23:11 makes it clear why it is wise not to commit land grabbing and certainly not from the defenseless orphans. For he who does so will have to deal with Someone Who stands up for those who have no earthly father on whom they can lean and who stands up for them. They have a “Redeemer” Who is “strong” (Jeremiah 50:34). He takes their case to Himself and will deal with the transgressor by taking him to court and condemning him. He is Goel, the Savior, the Helper (Psalms 10:14), for those who can count on no man for help (Job 19:25). Widows and orphans, as defenseless, are under the direct care of God (Psalms 68:5; Psalms 82:3; Psalms 146:9; Hosea 14:4).
Isaiah 3:22
A Renewed Call to Listen
This proverb or instruction to the son is again an introductory exhortation and recalls the way many a section in the first main section (Proverbs 1-9) begins (Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 7:1; Proverbs 8:1-6). The section on the words of the wise also begins with it (Proverbs 22:17). The son must open and apply his heart to discipline and listen carefully to the knowledge passed on to him by his father and mother. It is an activity required of the son.
“Apply” is an act, an activity, that is requested. A person must apply it to himself. This is not about a physical action, but his heart and his ear must apply it. It is not idly waiting for something to happen, a certain feeling or any such thing. The heart and ear must turn away from everything they are busy with to devote themselves to the teaching of wisdom.
Isaiah 3:23
Discipline Is Necessary
After the word is addressed to the son in Proverbs 23:12, the word is addressed to the parents in Proverbs 23:13-14. There have so far been two instructions about using the rod to correct (Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 22:15) and a reference to abusing it, which could result in the death of the son (Proverbs 19:18). Now the two types of instruction are brought together.
If a child son commits an act of disobedience, he must be disciplined (Proverbs 23:13). This can be done verbally, but sometimes it is necessary for him not only to hear, but to feel that he has been disobedient. Then he must be struck with the rod. As noted earlier (see comments on Proverbs 22:15), it is not to be beaten without restraint. It is to confront him with his sin in a painful way. Sin always causes pain. He will not die from it, but rather he will be kept alive by it, that is, in the life God purposed and which gives the greatest satisfaction.
The infliction of physical discipline must be done by the parent himself, “you” (Proverbs 23:14). He should not leave that to another person. By disciplining him, the parent indicates that he is personally involved in his son’s well-being. He does not discipline because he is better. He himself has needed that discipline and has benefited from it.
It is not cruel to strike a child man with the stick; on the contrary, it is cruel not to do it. A child who has never been disciplined becomes, in most cases, unruly in his dealings with others. One who has never felt the pain of the rod of correction is often cruel, without any compassion toward others. He ends up in death, in the grave and in eternal pain. He dies prematurely due to a fatal lack of education. The use of the rod for correction could have saved his life from this and he could have lived a valuable and blessed life.
Isaiah 3:24
Discipline Is Necessary
After the word is addressed to the son in Proverbs 23:12, the word is addressed to the parents in Proverbs 23:13-14. There have so far been two instructions about using the rod to correct (Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 22:15) and a reference to abusing it, which could result in the death of the son (Proverbs 19:18). Now the two types of instruction are brought together.
If a child son commits an act of disobedience, he must be disciplined (Proverbs 23:13). This can be done verbally, but sometimes it is necessary for him not only to hear, but to feel that he has been disobedient. Then he must be struck with the rod. As noted earlier (see comments on Proverbs 22:15), it is not to be beaten without restraint. It is to confront him with his sin in a painful way. Sin always causes pain. He will not die from it, but rather he will be kept alive by it, that is, in the life God purposed and which gives the greatest satisfaction.
The infliction of physical discipline must be done by the parent himself, “you” (Proverbs 23:14). He should not leave that to another person. By disciplining him, the parent indicates that he is personally involved in his son’s well-being. He does not discipline because he is better. He himself has needed that discipline and has benefited from it.
It is not cruel to strike a child man with the stick; on the contrary, it is cruel not to do it. A child who has never been disciplined becomes, in most cases, unruly in his dealings with others. One who has never felt the pain of the rod of correction is often cruel, without any compassion toward others. He ends up in death, in the grave and in eternal pain. He dies prematurely due to a fatal lack of education. The use of the rod for correction could have saved his life from this and he could have lived a valuable and blessed life.
Isaiah 3:25
Wisdom Causes Gladness
These verses continue the topic of the previous two verses. The choice a child makes is just as important as the parents’ discipline. Discipline saves his life, but he must do something with his life. The father’s greatest concern is that he teach his son wisdom. The instruction with the use of the rod is part of that.
The father tells his son that his heart rejoices when the heart of his son is wise (Proverbs 23:15). He has done his best to instruct him in wisdom, while using the rod in necessary cases. Now it is the son’s turn to speak. What a joy it will be to the father’s heart when his son demonstrates a wise heart by making good choices. The son’s wise heart brings joy to the heart of his father. There is connectedness of heart. A son has a wise heart only when he lives in fellowship with God. The father emphasizes the joy of his father’s heart by saying “my own heart”.
In addition to the wise choices the son makes, the wisdom of his heart is also evident in speaking with his lips “what is right” (Proverbs 23:16). He will express himself appropriately on the issues at hand, making a substantial contribution to the realization of a plan or the solution of a problem. His words demonstrate wisdom and understanding of the complexities of life. That wisdom and understanding come not from below, but from above (James 3:13; 17). It is wisdom that is “is vindicated by all her children” (Luke 7:35), that is, wisdom is evident in the lives of these children, from what they show and hear.
The father cannot conceal his joy when he hears his son speak like this. He expresses his deep joy at this by speaking of his “inmost being”, literally “kidneys”, that “will rejoice”. The kidneys, along with the heart, symbolically represent the deepest, innermost feelings (cf. Job 19:27; Psalms 7:9; Psalms 16:7; Psalms 26:2; Jeremiah 11:20). This is consistent with what the ancient apostle John says that he is “very glad”, that is, it is his deepest joy when he hears that his (spiritual) children are “walking in the truth” (2 John 1:4; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).
What makes us happy as parents? Is it when we can show them off because of their nice diplomas, good position in society or even in the church? If they are healthy and talented? None of these are wrong things, but if that is our joy, we are one level too low. The only thing that should be important to parents is that their children have a living relationship with the Lord Jesus and live from that relationship. That gives a joy that never disappears.
Isaiah 3:26
Wisdom Causes Gladness
These verses continue the topic of the previous two verses. The choice a child makes is just as important as the parents’ discipline. Discipline saves his life, but he must do something with his life. The father’s greatest concern is that he teach his son wisdom. The instruction with the use of the rod is part of that.
The father tells his son that his heart rejoices when the heart of his son is wise (Proverbs 23:15). He has done his best to instruct him in wisdom, while using the rod in necessary cases. Now it is the son’s turn to speak. What a joy it will be to the father’s heart when his son demonstrates a wise heart by making good choices. The son’s wise heart brings joy to the heart of his father. There is connectedness of heart. A son has a wise heart only when he lives in fellowship with God. The father emphasizes the joy of his father’s heart by saying “my own heart”.
In addition to the wise choices the son makes, the wisdom of his heart is also evident in speaking with his lips “what is right” (Proverbs 23:16). He will express himself appropriately on the issues at hand, making a substantial contribution to the realization of a plan or the solution of a problem. His words demonstrate wisdom and understanding of the complexities of life. That wisdom and understanding come not from below, but from above (James 3:13; 17). It is wisdom that is “is vindicated by all her children” (Luke 7:35), that is, wisdom is evident in the lives of these children, from what they show and hear.
The father cannot conceal his joy when he hears his son speak like this. He expresses his deep joy at this by speaking of his “inmost being”, literally “kidneys”, that “will rejoice”. The kidneys, along with the heart, symbolically represent the deepest, innermost feelings (cf. Job 19:27; Psalms 7:9; Psalms 16:7; Psalms 26:2; Jeremiah 11:20). This is consistent with what the ancient apostle John says that he is “very glad”, that is, it is his deepest joy when he hears that his (spiritual) children are “walking in the truth” (2 John 1:4; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).
What makes us happy as parents? Is it when we can show them off because of their nice diplomas, good position in society or even in the church? If they are healthy and talented? None of these are wrong things, but if that is our joy, we are one level too low. The only thing that should be important to parents is that their children have a living relationship with the Lord Jesus and live from that relationship. That gives a joy that never disappears.