Proverbs 14
OGCNOTICEABLE GROUPINGS IN CHAPTER 14
Fools
The foolish plucketh it down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1).
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride (Proverbs 14:3).
Go into the presence of a foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge (Proverbs 14:7).
The folly of fools is deceit (Proverbs 14:8;.
A trespass-offering mocketh fools (Proverbs 14:9).
The fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident (Proverbs 14:16).
He that is soon angry will deal foolishly (Proverbs 14:17).
The simple inherit folly (Proverbs 14:18).
The folly of fools is only folly (Proverbs 14:24).
He that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly (Proverbs 14:29).
That which is in the inward part of fools is made known (Proverbs 14:33).
The simple
The simple believe every word (Proverbs 14:15).
The simple inherit folly (Proverbs 14:18).
The wise
Every wise woman buildeth her house (Proverbs 14:1).
The lips of the wise shall preserve them (Proverbs 14:3).
Knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding. (Proverbs 14:6).
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way (Proverbs 14:8).
The prudent man looketh well to his going (Proverbs 14:15).
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil (Proverbs 14:16).
The prudent are crowned with knowledge (Proverbs 14:18).
The crown of the wise is their riches (Proverbs 14:24).
He that is slow to anger is of great understanding (Proverbs 14:29).
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding (Proverbs 14:33).
The king’s favor is toward a servant that dealeth wisely (Proverbs 14:35).
Fear
He that walketh in his uprighteness feareth Jehovah (Proverbs 14:2).
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil (Proverbs 14:16).
In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26).
The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27).
Speech
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them (Proverbs 14:3).
A faithful witness will not lie; But a false witness uttereth lies (Proverbs 14:5).
A foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge (Proverbs 14:7).
The talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (Proverbs 14:23).
A true witness delivereth souls; But he that uttereth lies causeth deceit (Proverbs 14:25).
The righteous
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah (Proverbs 14:2).
Among the upright there is good will (Proverbs 14:9).
The tent of the upright shall flourish (Proverbs 14:11).
A goodman shall be satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14).
Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good (Proverbs 14:22).
The righteous hath a refuge in his death (Proverbs 14:32).
The wicked
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown (Proverbs 14:11).
A man of wicked devices is hated (Proverbs 14:17).
The evil bow down before the good; And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous (Proverbs 14:19).
Do they not err that devise evil? (Proverbs 14:22).
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing (Proverbs 14:32).
Knowledge
Knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding (Proverbs 14:6).
Thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge (Proverbs 14:7).
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way (Proverbs 14:8).
The prudent are crowned with knowledge (Proverbs 14:18).
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding (Proverbs 14:33).
GOD CREATED US ALL
The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all (Proverbs 22:2). The rich may feel superior to the poor, but they need to remember that God is the poor man’s God just as much as He is their God. They should not overlook the fact that the poor man is rich in the fact that he too is a recipient of God’s love and concern. On the other hand, the poor many times hate the rich, but they need to remember that God is just as much concerned about the soul of the rich as He is their souls. All have been created in the image of God, and we have gone a long way in living right in the earth when we come to regard each person as one who bears the image of God. Because of this fact, we are to have a regard and a love for each individual.
The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the Lord lighteneth both their eyes (Proverbs 29:13). God does not rejoice in their deceitfulness, but He bears with them in His great longsuffering and loving kindness, hoping that the time will come when they will be what they should be. That we too might not abandon people without any future hope whom God continues to sustain!
GOD CREATED AND SUSTAINS THE UNIVERSE
The thought that all things came into existence through millions of years of struggle via the evolutionary route is all too common today. That all things merely govern themselves in a natural way without any personal God behind it all seems even more common. But, both concepts are wrong. Proverbs is strong on the fact of God’s creation, and it also shows that He governs His universe today: The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew (Proverbs 3:19-20).
Proverbs 14:1-12
CHAPTER 14 TEXT Proverbs 14:1-12
Every wise woman buildeth her house;
But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah;
But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride;
But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean;
But much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A faithful witness will not lie;
But a false witness uttereth lies.
A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not;
But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.
Go into the presence of a foolish man,
And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way;
But the folly of fools is deceit.
A trespass-offering mocketh fools;
But among the upright there is good will.
The heart knoweth its own bitterness;
And a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown;
But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man;
But the end thereof are the ways of death.
STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 14:1-12
Find the two contrasts in Proverbs 14:1.
Name some blessings of walking uprightly (Proverbs 14:2).
Name some blessings of being perverse (Proverbs 14:2).
Reword the first statement in Proverbs 14:3 so as to bring out its meaning.
What is the meaning of clean in Proverbs 14:4?
We talk about, As strong as an ………….. (Proverbs 14:4).
What are some of the reasons why some people bear false witness (Proverbs 14:5)?
Why does a scoffer have trouble learning (Proverbs 14:6)?
Are there people who you judge to be wiser than they prove to be (Proverbs 14:7)?
What does prudent mean in Proverbs 14:8?
How could a trespass-offering mock fools (Proverbs 14:9)?
What is good will (Proverbs 14:9)?
Write an elaboration on Proverbs 14:10.
Find the triple contrast in Proverbs 14:11.
What other verse in Proverbs restates Proverbs 14:12?
Cite an incident in the Bible, in history, or in your own personal knowledge illustrating Proverbs 14:12.
PARAPHRASE OF 14:1-12
A wise woman builds her house, while a foolish woman tears hers down by her own efforts.
To do right honors God; to sin is to despise Him
A rebel’s foolish talk should prick his own pride! But the wise man’s speech is respected.
An empty stable stays clean-but there is no income from an empty stable.
A truthful witness never lies; a false witness always lies.
A mocker never finds the wisdom he claims he is looking for, yet it comes easily to the man with common sense.
If you are looking for advice, stay away from fools.
The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won-’t face facts.
The common bond of rebels is their guilt. The common bond of godly people is good will.
Only the person involved can know his own bitterness or joyno one else can really share it.
The work of the wicked will perish; the work of the godly will flourish.
Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death.
COMMENT ON 14:1-12
Proverbs 14:1. People can either build or pluck down. The wise build (Proverbs 24:3-5); the foolish destroy. Owners usually build and take care of things; renters often let everything run down. Rachel and Leah are said to have built the house of Israel (Rth 4:11). Contrast the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 with the adulterous woman often pictured in the first part of Proverbs with reference to building and destroying.
Proverbs 14:2. This verse deals with two classes of men just as Proverbs 14:1 did with two classes of women. What a wonderful life results for both and for their offspring when he that walketh in his uprightness (this verse) marries the wise woman (Proverbs 14:1)! When people properly fear God, they keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13); when people don-’t fear God, evil results (Romans 3:15-18; Genesis 20:11). Jehovah is the antecedent of him in the second statement. Those who are perverse in their ways pay no attention to God, and the world is full of them.
Proverbs 14:3. American Bible Union version and Young’s Literal give, A rod of pride. Septuagint: From the mouth of fools cometh a staff of insolence. The foolish can have a cruel tongue (rod). Other passages compare the wicked tongue to a cutting sword (Psalms 57:4; Psalms 64:3).
Proverbs 14:4. The ox was used for agricultural purposes then (1 Kings 19:19; Deuteronomy 25:4). A clean crib meant an empty crib. We, too, talk of the strength of an ox in our saying: As strong as an ox. Through the wise use of animal power (and now much more of mechanical power), man has been able to increase his agricultural (and other) output. Man shows that he is of a higher sphere than the animal world, for he constantly utilizes the strengths and abilities of lower forms of life to serve him.
Proverbs 14:5. The one difference between a faithful and a false witness: one will lie; the other one won-’t. Some are false because it is not always easy to tell the full truth. Others are false on purpose (for material gain, to ruin others, etc.). The soldiers who guarded Jesus-’ tomb lied and were paid for it (Matthew 28:11-14). Men told lies in Jesus-’ trial to bring about His condemnation (Mark 14:57-58). Other passages against bearing false witness: Exodus 20:16; Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 6:19; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 14:25. The apostles would neither lie nor suppress the truth about Jesus (Acts 4:18-20). Such conscientious souls are needed in every age.
Proverbs 14:6. A scoffer is strong on his own ideas and reluctant to take the word of others. Learning is not gullible, but there is still a strong element of trust involved in learning, which the scoffer does not have. Therefore, he cuts himself off from some wisdom that he could have if he were otherwise in attitude. But it is much easier for an humble man of understanding to increase his knowledge, for he has no barrier of pride. One who has understanding easily picks up additional knowledge from what he reads, hears, studies, and is instructed in, for he can understand and comprehend what he comes in contact with. See Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 17:24.
Proverbs 14:7. There is some doubt as to which rendering is correct. The King James has: Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. The American Standard gives a truism (the foolish man has nothing to give you by his presence), but the King James tells you what to do about it (depart from his unprofitable presence). Enroll under teachers who know what they are talking about; doctor with those who know what they are doing; listen to religious teachers who accurately know the Bible. People would save themselves much disillusionment if they would regard this instruction.
Proverbs 14:8. The prudent wisely watch every aspect of their lives (Proverbs 14:15). They do not jump and then look for a place to land. They do not shoot and then investigate whether it was a deer or a man. They do not sign the contract and then study to see what they signed. And spiritually they are just as careful (Ephesians 5:15). The foolish foolishly suppose they can deceive others, but seldom are they successful in their attempt.
Proverbs 14:9. A trespass-offering was ordained of God if properly offered (Leviticus 6:1-7), but if one thought he would pull the wool over God’s eyes by such an offering when he intended to keep on in the trespass, he was mockednot God (Galatians 6:7). For this reason God did not accept the acts of worship mentioned in Isaiah 1:11-17. The upright gain the good will and favor of God by their honest dealings with themselves before Him.
Proverbs 14:10. There is a portion of each person’s inner-self that no one else can fully enter into. After others have sought to assuage our grief with their words lovingly administered, there is still a portion that they have not touched not known. On the other hand after we have sought to share our joys with others, we have probably enlisted their polite ears more than we have their hearts-’ feelings. We cannot fully communicate our joys, nor can they fully enter into our joys.
Proverbs 14:11. A triple contrast: house vs. tent; wicked vs. upright; and shall be overthrown us. shall flourish. This verse blends the material found is Proverbs 14:1-2; study it until you can see this fact.
Proverbs 14:12. Proverbs 16:25 gives the identical statement. The importance of the truth may account for its double appearance in the book. Men are often talked into things that do not end as they expected. Sometimes people do the wrong thing when they think they are doing the wise and desirable thinglike mice eating bait on a trap or fish eating bait on a hook. This is even true religiously (John 16:2; Acts 26:9; Romans 10:1-3). False teachers may look like sheep even though they are ravening, devouring wolves (Matthew 7:15). Counterfeits are made to resemble the genuine. So the devil pawns off denominations started by men for the church started by Christ.
TEST QUESTIONS OVER 14:1-12
The wise woman who builds her house and the foolish woman who tears hers down are likened to what two women in the earlier and the latter Chapter s of Prov.?
Proverbs 14:2 shows what to be a motivation for uprightness?
What is the perverse person’s attitude toward God or the idea of God (Proverbs 14:2)?
Some passages liken a wicked tongue to a sword; what does Proverbs 14:3 liken it to?
How was the ox used in Bible days (Proverbs 14:4)?
What saying do we have involving the ox (Proverbs 14:4)?
What was the case where there were no oxen (Proverbs 14:4)?
How has man used his head for greater productive output (Proverbs 14:4)?
How does this fact distinguish him from the animal world (Proverbs 14:4)?
What two kinds of witnesses are there (Proverbs 14:5)?
Why will people bear false witness (Proverbs 14:5)?
Who said, We cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard (Proverbs 14:5)?
Why does a scoffer sometimes cut himself off from the opportunity of learning (Proverbs 14:6)?
Why is acquiring knowledge easy for the person who has understanding (Proverbs 14:6)?
How does the King James and American Standard differ on Proverbs 14:7?
How do people bring disillusionment upon themselves by not regarding Proverbs 14:7?
What are the prudent very careful about (Proverbs 14:8)?
Comment upon the folly of fools in deceit (Proverbs 14:8).
How does a trespass-offering mock fools (Proverbs 14:9)?
How do the upright acquire God’s good will (Proverbs 14:9)?
Comment upon Proverbs 14:1.
What triple contrast is found in Proverbs 14:11?
Show that Proverbs 14:11 blends the material found in Proverbs 14:1-2.
What explanation was suggested for Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 being in the book of Proverbs since they are identical statements?
Illustrate the truth of Pro 14:12.
Proverbs 14:13-24
TEXT Proverbs 14:13-24
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful;
And the end of mirth is heaviness.
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways;
And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
The simple believeth every word;
But the prudent man looketh well to his going.
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil;
But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident.
He that is soon angry will deal foolishly;
And a man of wicked devices is hated.
The simple inherit folly;
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
The evil bow down before the good;
And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
The poor is hated even of his own neighbor;
But the rich hath many friends.
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth;
But he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he.
Do they not err that devise evil?
But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
In all labor there is profit;
But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
The crown of the wise is their riches;
But the folly of fools is only folly.
STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 14:13-24
Are there people who try to act happy when they really aren-’t, or is life an admixture of happiness and sorrow (Proverbs 14:13)?
In the Bible whose mirth ended in heaviness (Proverbs 14:13)?
A blackslider in heart is filled with his own ways instead of whose ways (Proverbs 14:14)?
At what stage of life is one of the most apt to believe every word (Proverbs 14:15)?
Cite other passages connecting fear with departing from sin (Proverbs 14:16).
What does insolent mean (Proverbs 14:16)?
Who hates a man of wicked devices (Proverbs 14:17)?
Does life become better for the simple (Proverbs 14:18)?
What are some Bible instances of Pro 14:19?
Why do people not want to be companions of the extremely poor (Proverbs 14:20)?
Do you see in Proverbs 14:21 a man despising his neighbor because he is poor, or is the first clause to be so limited?
What are illustrations of devising evil (Proverbs 14:22)?
What are illustrations of devising good (Proverbs 14:22)?
What does penury mean (Proverbs 14:23)?
What is meant by crown in Proverbs 14:24?
PARAPHRASE OF 14:13-24
Laughter cannot mask a heavy heart. When the laughter ends, the grief remains.
The backslider gets bored with himself; the godly man’s life is exciting.
Only a simpleton believes what he is told! A prudent man checks to see where he is going.
A wise man is cautious and avoids danger; a fool plunges ahead with great confidence.
A short-tempered man is a fool. He hates the man who is patient.
A simpleton is crowned with folly; the wise man is crowned with knowledge.
Evil men bow before the godly.
Even his own neighbors despise the poor man, while the rich have many friends.
To despise the poor is to sin. Blessed are those who pity them.
Those who plot evil shall wander away and be lost, but those who plan good shall be granted mercy and quietness.
Work brings profit; talk brings poverty!
Wise men are praised for their wisdom; fools are despised for their folly.
COMMENTS ON 14:13-24
Proverbs 14:13. Fun and sorrow are found in both statements. Many who laugh may have inward sorrows they are either trying to suppress or cover up (first statement). Some who laugh easily cry just as easily. An old saying: Laugh before breakfast, and you will cry before night (probably superstition). Mirth sometimes precedes heaviness, like Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel 5:1-6) and loose living (Proverbs 5:4).
Proverbs 14:14. A backslidden life is no longer filled with God’s ways but with one’s own. A backslider is one who has returned to selfish living. Clarke: Who is the backslider? 1. The man who once walked in the ways of religion but has withdrawn from them. 2. The man who once fought manfully against the world, the devil, and the flesh but has retreated from the battle or joined the enemy. 3. The man who once belonged to the congregation of the saints but is now removed from them and is set down in the synagogue of Satan. One backslides in heart before he does in his ways: people cease enjoying the assembly before they actually quit attending; they lose their touch with God in prayer before they drop the practice of prayer; etc. A good man (contrasted with the backslider) will be satisfied from himself because he is actually filled with God’s good and holy ways which bring blessings and satisfaction.
Proverbs 14:15. Such are like children (Ephesians 4:14). Older people often amuse themselves by taking advantage of an innocent child’s gullibility by telling him all kinds of yarns and tales. And some people grow up and never doubt anything they hear. In contrast the prudent man considers whither the advice given will lead him; he always acts with deliberation (Pulpit Commentary).
Proverbs 14:16. A wise man does not take dangerous chances, but a foolish man will (Proverbs 22:3). Joseph was a wise man who feared God and departed from the evil in which Potiphar’s wife would have ensnared him (Genesis 39:9-12).
Proverbs 14:17. The Bible is against quick-temperedness: Titus 1:7; James 1:19; Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 16:32. An angry man will deal foolishly because anger momentarily blurs one’s judgment (a good reason for not losing one’s temper). Jokingly, keep your tempernobody wants it. A man of wicked devices is hated of God (Proverbs 12:2), but two human groups who hate or abhor him are those who are hurt by his devices (like people who get robbed or cheated by some slick maneuver) and those who do not approve of them (Revelation 2:2).
Proverbs 14:18. Those at the low end of wisdom (the simple) participate or know only folly (foolishness) (Proverbs 18:2; Ecclesiastes 7:5-6); those at the top end (the prudent) are blessed with knowledge (Proverbs 9:9). A Stoic saying: The wise is the only king.
Proverbs 14:19. Pulpit Commentary: The final victory of good over evil is here set forth. However triumphant for a time and apparently prosperous the wicked may be, their success is not lasting; they shall in the end succumb to the righteous even as the Canaanite kings crouched before Joshua’s captains (Joshua 10:24) and, hurled from their high estate, they shall stand humbly at the good man’s door begging for bread to support their life (1 Samuel 2:36). The contrast here indicated is seen in our Lord’s report of the rich man and Lazarus when the beggar is comforted and the rich man is tormented, and when the latter urgently sues for the help of the once despised outcast to mitigate the agony which he is suffering (Luke 16:24). When troubles hit the wicked and ungodly (those who never go to church;, they often turn to the righteous for sympathetic help and comfort (a preacher, the church, or some good Christian). Ultimately the wicked will bend (Daniel 3:24-26; Daniel 3:28-30; Daniel 5:13; Daniel 5:16; Revelation 3:9).
Proverbs 14:20. There is a certain shame and disgrace to extreme poverty that causes even neighbors not to be associated with such in people’s minds. This is why people are often ashamed of their poor relatives (Proverbs 10:7), their clothes, their car, their home, their ways, etc. But people are usually glad to claim relationship and friendship with the financially successful (a saying: Success makes false friends and true enemies). The rich have many friends, especially if they are generous -with their gifts or have powers and offices to bestow.
Proverbs 14:21. But we are not to despise our neighbor (even if he is poor, as in Proverbs 14:20). Some have no sense of respect or honor, seemingly despising, belittling, and running down everyone continually. Let us not thus violate the second commandment (Mark 12:31), but let us have pity upon the poor (Galatians 2:10; Matthew 25:35-36), for those who do will be blessed of God (Psalms 41:1; Acts 20:35; Proverbs 19:17; Luke 14:13-14).
Proverbs 14:22. Such a question is an emphatic way to state truth. The man who invented the atomic bomb went out of his mind after it was used on the Japanese, and the widow of the man who invented television is extremely remorseful because of the evil it has become associated with and promotes. This verse speaks of two devisings (evil and good). Some are devising evil (the wicked), and some are devising good (the godly). What are you devising? Mercy and truth belong together (Proverbs 3:3; Psalms 61:7; John 1:17; 1 Timothy 1:2).
Proverbs 14:23. There is often a difference between being a talker and a worker. It is not those who talk about what they are going to do but those who go out and get it done that counts. Sometimes children come to look down upon their lazy, wind-bag, good-for-nothing dads who are always talking about the trip the family is going to take, the house they are going to build, etc. but who never get any of it done. This verse has two contrasts: talk vs. labor and penury vs. profit. Penury means to want or to suffer need.
Proverbs 14:24. Notice folly all the way in this triple contrast: The crown vs. the folly; of the wise vs. of fools; and is their riches vs. is only folly. Pulpit Commentary: Decorate folly as you may, deck it out in gaud and ornament, it is still nothing but folly and is discerned as such, and that all the more for being made conspicuous.
TEST QUESTIONS OVER 14:13-24
Comment upon Proverbs 14:13.
2
Who is a backslider (Proverbs 14:14)?
Why is a good man satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14)?
What is Proverbs 14:15‘S contrast between the simple and the prudent?
What is Proverbs 14:16‘S contrast between the wise and the foolish?
What does the Bible say about being quick-tempered (Proverbs 14:17)?
What is Proverbs 14:18‘S contrast between the simple and the prudent?
Cite examples of the truth set forth in Proverbs 14:19.
Why do people disdain the poor (Proverbs 14:20)?
Why do many want to claim the rich for friends (Proverbs 14:20)?
What commandment is violated by despising your neighbor (Proverbs 14:21)?
Where else are we taught to have pity (help) the poor (Proverbs 14:21)?
Have people ever lived to regret evil they one time devised (Proverbs 14:22)?
What two contrasts are found in Proverbs 14:23?
What does penury mean (Proverbs 14:23)?
Cite the triple contrast in Proverbs 14:24.
Proverbs 14:25-35
TEXT Proverbs 14:25-35
A true witness delivereth souls;
But he that uttereth lies causeth deceit.
In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence;
And his children shall have a place of refuge.
The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life,
That one may depart from the snares of death.
In the multitude of people is the king’s glory;
But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
He that is slow to anger is of great understanding;
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh;
But envy is the rottenness of the bones.
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker;
But he that hath mercy on the needy honoreth him.
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing;
But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding;
But that which is in the inward part of fools is made known.
Righteousness exalteth a nation;
But sin is a reproach to any people.
The king’s favor is toward a servant that dealeth wisely;
But his wrath will be against him that causeth shame.
STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 14:25-35
A true witness delivereth souls from what (Proverbs 14:25)?
How is fear used in Proverbs 14:26?
What is meant by fountain of life in Proverbs 14:27?
Give a synonym for want in Proverbs 14:28.
Give illustrations of hasty of spirit exalting folly (Proverbs 14:29).
What is a tranquil heart (Proverbs 14:30)?
What passage in Matt. does Proverbs 14:31 remind one of?
What is the righteous person’s refuge when death comes (Proverbs 14:32)?
What is the meaning of resteth in Proverbs 14:33?
Trace the truthfulness of Pro 14:34 in Israel’s up-and-down history.
Cite the double contrast in Proverbs 14:35.
PARAPHRASE OF 14:25-35
A witness who tells the truth saves good men from being sentenced to death, but a false witness is a traitor.
Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security.
Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life; its waters keep a man from death.
A growing population is a king’s glory; a dwindling nation is his doom.
A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes.
A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life; jealousy rots it away.
Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them To help the poor is to honor God.
The godly have a refuge when they die, but the wicked are crushed by their sins.
Wisdom is enshrined in the hearts of men of common sense, but it must shout loudly before fools will hear it.
Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
A king rejoices in servants who know what they are doing; he is angry with those who cause trouble.
COMMENTS ON 14:25-35
Proverbs 14:25. Proverbs 14:5 of this chapter speaks of the faithful witness and of the lying witness mentioned in this verse. A true witness delivereth souls or persons from their false accusers in court; a false witness, on the other hand, will tell lies of deceit in order to bring about one’s condemnation. This verse has a ready application today to the true gospel preacher who delivers souls from the clutch of sin and the doom it would bring upon him and to the false teacher who utters falsehood deceitfully (Ephesians 4:14). The tongue of man is either a mighty instrument for good or a mighty monster for bad (Proverbs 18:21).
Proverbs 14:26. This and the following verse both refer to the fear of Jehovah. The fear of Jehovah here is that reverence for Him that causes one to commit one’s whole self to Him, and when this is done, both he and his children are blessed: he has strong confidence or assurance that God will take care of Him (Hebrews 13:5-6; Psalms 23:1-6), and his children (brought up to live the same way) will be likewise blessed.
Proverbs 14:27. This verse and Proverbs 13:14 strongly resemble. Also compare it with Proverbs 14:16. One who fears Jehovah departs from evil that he may escape the snares of death (this verse), which characterizes him as wise (Proverbs 14:16). Instead of death he is drinking of the fountain of life. Because Adam and Eve sinned, they were banned from the tree of life, and they brought death upon themselves (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:22-24).
Proverbs 14:28. To be too small in number was to invite invasion, and the rule was that the lesser-in-number lost to the greater-in-number. This is why the men of Gideon’s army were so fearful (Judges 6:33; Judges 7:3). In somewhat a different thought Pulpit Commentary says, This maxim is not in accordance with the views of Oriental conquerors and despots, who in their selfish lust of aggrandizement cared not what suffering they inflicted or what blood they shed…The reign of Solomon, the peaceful, gave an intimation that was and conquest were not a monarch’s highest glory; that a happy and numerous people, dwelling securely and increasing in numbers, was a better honor for a king and more to be desired (1 Kings 4:24-25; 1 Kings 4:20).
Proverbs 14:29. Proverbs 14:19 of this chapter deals with the man who is soon angry while this verse deals with one who is slow to anger. The quick-tempered man will deal foolishly (Proverbs 14:17), while the calm-headed man is of great understanding (this verse). The man of understanding does not burst into a rage, for to do so is to exalt folly, for an angry man will say and do things before he thinks, which are both unwise and often disastrous. Compare Proverbs 16:32 and James 1:19 with this teaching.
Proverbs 14:30. There is nothing better for the health of one’s body than a tranquil, calm, and peaceful heart. Oh, the health disturbances that are brought on through a distraught mind and heart! All the doctor’s prescriptions and all the doctor’s operations cannot put one’s health together again. God wants us to live right that we might be at peace with Him (Numbers 6:24-26. He wants us to live at peace with our fellowmen (Hebrews 12:14). When our consciences are void of offence toward both God and men: (Acts 24:16), what a blessing of peace follows (Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7; Romans 8:6) Psalms 37:37) 1 Peter 3:11), one of which is the life of the flesh (this verse). Proverbs 12:4 also speaks of the rottenness of the bones. When one’s very framework is thus deteriorated, one’s health is in an extremely bad way.
Proverbs 14:31. One’s action toward the poor and needy is here judged in relation to God (Matthew 25:44-45), who is the Maker of the poor as well as any other (Proverbs 22:2). Proverbs 17:5 speaks of mocking the poor, which also results in reproaching their Maker. Proverbs 14:21 of this chapter speaks of having pity on the poor which he does by having mercy upon him (this verse). People of Job’s day understood this teaching (Job 31:13-15). In life there are some who help make people poor (like the thieves in the Good Samaritan parable, Luke 10:30) and others who help the needy (like the Good Samaritan himself, Luke 10:33-34); and then there are also many (like the priest and levite of that parable) who neither made the man poor nor help him get better (Luke 10:31-32). In which class are you?
Proverbs 14:32. The wicked are cut off because of their sins (Psalms 37:1-2), sometimes right while they are committing it (Acts 5:1-10; Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 11:33). The godly have always had the refuge of hope and God’s help in death (Psalms 23:4; Philippians 1:21; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8). Even wicked men, like Balaam, have wished to die the death of the righteous (Numbers 23:10). Thus the Christian martyrs went joyfully to the stake, and gentle women and little children smiled on the sword which sent them home. It is natural to See in this clause a belief in a future life, and a state of rewards and punishments (Pulpit Commentary). This verse causes us to ask, Which is really more importantto enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and be rejected and punished of God forever or to live the way that is always right and that will end right?
Proverbs 14:33. A triple contrast: Wisdom vs. that which is in the inward part of fools; him that hath understanding vs. fools; and resteth vs. is made known. From the contrast we understand the word rest as meaning it quietly resides. Therefore, a wise, informed, and knowledgeable person is not always telling all he may know (he couldn-’t, and he has no disposition to flaunt his knowledge;. But with fools it is different: they are always talking, and they will tell you everything (Proverbs 29:11; Proverbs 12:16). For the last clause a few Hebrew copies give, In the midst of fools it maketh itself known.
Proverbs 14:34. An oft-quoted verse because its message is pertinent. God sees that righteousness does build up, bless, and make a great nation, and history surely shows that sin deteriorates a nation (many nations have fallen from the inside through moral degradation). Who could better understand this verse than the Israelites themselves who could certainly see that when they had good kings and were following God’s way, the nation was up, and that when they had bad kings and were following wickedness, the nation was down? This is observable throughout Kings and Chronicles.
Proverbs 14:35. Every leader that Joseph was under (Potiphar, the jailer, and Pharaoh) could see that he was wise, and they respected that wisdom and showed favor toward him (Genesis 39:3-6; Genesis 39:21-23; Genesis 41:39-43). Daniel, too, though a part of a captured people, was in every king’s favor and service that he was under (Daniel 1:19-20; Daniel 2:46-48; Daniel 5:29; Daniel 6:1-3). For the promotion of the wise see Matthew 24:45; Matthew 24:47. Even heathen governments have punished those who did things contrary to its laws and things against its best interest. In this age of softening-punishments (in the government, at work, at school, in the home, etc.) there is a need to return to stricter trials and just punishments.
TEST QUESTIONS OVER 14:25-35
How might Proverbs 14:25 apply to preachers?
What does the-fear of Jehovah cause one to do (Proverbs 14:26)?
What else does one do who fears Jehovah (Proverbs 14:27)?
Why was Gideon’s army so fearful in Judges 6, 7 (Proverbs 14:28)?
How does one hasty of spirit exalt folly (Proverbs 14:29)?
Relate both a peaceful heart and an envious heart to one’s health (Proverbs 14:30).
What are three classes of people in relation to the poor (Proverbs 14:31)?
Name some wicked people who were cut down right while doing their sin (Proverbs 14:32).
State the contrast in Proverbs 14:33 concerning the understand and the fools.
How was the nation of Israel in a good position to understand Proverbs 14:34?
What Bible heroes served their governmental superiors well (Proverbs 14:35)?