Life Project Blog

Chapter 19 deals primarily with the issues of poverty and wealth, Here in vv. 1-7, poverty comes to the fore…

19:1     Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.

This is very similar to Proverbs 28:6. There is often a connection between being poorer and honest and being dishonest and getting rich. The “fool” in this verse is apparently a rich fool, or at least, a fool who is comfortable. In any case, we see a common theme at work here in which a poor man who is without guile in his dealings, and who has integrity, is in a better position than an wealthier person who is lacking character and integrity.

V. 2: Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

As I read this verse in the NIV, it occurs to me that something is wrong. I checked King James: Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

That is way different, much more than usual, so I took a look at the New American Standard (NASB) which is very literal: Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And one who hurries his footsteps errs. {Lit. “sins”}. Still not satisfied, I used the Blue Letter Bible on line to see the Hebrew interlinear, and I came away with the opinion that the NASB is probably the best translation of a very tough verse to translate. So, let’s try again…

V. 2: Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And one who hurries his footsteps errs. (NASB)

It is not a good situation for anyone to be without knowledge and in the language of Proverbs, that person would be a fool. Also, it isn’t good to rush through everything carelessly for it leads to errors, mistakes and even sin.

V. 3: A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.

Rom. 1:19-32 gives a running account of the way mankind subverted its way: they began with a knowledge of God; there came a time when they did not glorify Him as they should; darkness set in upon their unspiritual hearts; in their conceit they began making idols, and the longer they went the worse representation of God they made; they came to be filled with all kinds of wickedness; God finally gave up on them until Gospel times, and that about sums up the verse, and our story.

V. 4: Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

Compare v. 7. People like to identify with someone who will be a credit to them in the eyes of men, not with someone who will discredit them. The poorest of families don’t have very many real friends: those who will claim them, invite them over, etc. (Prov. 14:20). Sometimes even relatives practically disown extreme poverty cases.

V. 5: A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

Another case of Hebrew parallelism in which the latter statement is a restatement of the first. This verse is almost identical to v. 9. For the punishment of false witnesses, see Prov. 21:28; Deut. 19:16-19.

V. 6: Many curry favor with a ruler,
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

People seek his favor for what he can do for them. A saying: “Be an unusual success, and you will have many false friends and true enemies.” This can raise the question: Do people love you or what you can do for them? Let a child show up on the school ground with a sack of candy, and everybody wants some; “you know me,” many will say.

V. 7: The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.

This is another verse that is tough to translate, but here the NIV seems to me to be on the right track. If you want to check it, you can use the method I mentioned above.

In v. 6 everybody wants to be a friend of the well-to-do, the one who gives gifts; but in this verse a man’s friends and relatives even go away from him, not wanting to have anything to do with him. Even the poor man’s words of appeal fall on deaf ears.

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
    with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

The tongue has the power of life and death,
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.

He who finds a wife finds what is good
    and receives favor from the Lord.

The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Prov 18:20-24

Chapter 18 winds up with these 5 verses that, once again, give us insight into the nature of disputes and their avoidance. Verses 20 and 21 are all about what people choose to say. Most people today do not quite understand how powerful their words can be, and most often, what is said is so careless that their speech seldom rises beyond nonsense. Words can be as destructive as a bomb, or they can build great cities. Our author describes the result of speech as “Fruit” that can satisfy and fill a person. It is an apt metaphor, as fruit can nourish a person or sicken a person.

Verse 22 takes quite a different angle about disputes, for a person who finds a wife not only finds what is good, but he finds himself within God’s will for creating humanity (cf. Genesis 2:20-25).

The final two verses reference the friends we keep. If we really think about it, we may have a lot of friends at any given time, yet

 If we are honest, most of those are more likely acquaintances and not true friends. Sometimes there may be someone who insinuates themselves into our circle of friends and who goes to great lengths to earn our trust, only to take advantage of us and bring about our ruin. Yet a true friend will remain at our side no matter what and will always have our back.

Proverbs 18:15-24 is a section that deals with disputes, both their avoidance and ways to blunder into them unnecessarily. The first several verses deal with ways to avoid disputes…

¹⁵The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

The ear of the wise person listens carefully, hoping to gain knowledge, and the heart of the wise person stores up the knowledge that can be used to work out problems that come up in life before they become disputes. This seems to me to be obvious, yet how many hundreds of times have I seen people jump right into a confrontation before finding out what the facts really are in something that came up. What a waste of time and energy!

¹⁶ A gift opens the way
    and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

I think this one is pretty obvious, and yet if you aren’t careful, you could find yourself being accused of attempted bribery, at least in the USA. Rules and customs vary of course, and the “great” isn’t necessarily a government official. The larger point is valid in either case, if you can gain access to a person of influence, you may head many problems off at the pass.

¹⁷ In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

This is very true- have courage! Equally important, don’t be over confident.

¹⁸ Casting the lot settles disputes
    and keeps strong opponents apart.

Casting lots is obsolete in modern times, but it used to be a method of settling important matters without violence. In the Law of Moses, it was a way to determine the will of God, as when it was used in Acts to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot. In our times, people have been known to decide minor questions by flipping a coin.

¹⁹ A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
    disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

When love is lost, bitterness sets in, and the bitterness is as strong and as intense as the love had previously been. The verse shows an offended brother is hard to win over, but it does not say it is impossible. Paul and Barnabas had a serious break (Acts 15:36-40) but there is evidence that such was not permanent. Paul refused to take Mark (Acts 15:37,38), which no doubt was an offence to Mark, but later Paul wrote, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering” (I1 Tim. 4:ll). Jacob and Esau had a notable falling out (Gen. 27:41-45), but later there was a reconciliation (Gen 33:8-12). This verse gives a strong reason for being careful of what we say and do that may needlessly offend others. Jas. 1:19 says, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”