We now continue with the second batch of proverbs extending from 13:4-15:19. Chapter 13 has as its theme the need for us to accept instruction and discipline. It breaks into two sections: Instruction from a father to his son (13:1-13) and then instruction from the wise (13:14-25). We covered the first part of the chapter last time, and we move on to the second part now.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
turning a person from the snares of death.Good judgment wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.All who are prudent act with knowledge,
but fools expose their folly.Proverbs 13:14-16
In these first three verses, you can see that we have shifted from a father advising a son, to a wise person advising everyone. You can also see that our parallelisms are continuing with their antithetical pattern, which is the dominant patter for a proverb in Proverbs. Let’s focus on this interesting example which is not one of the more often quoted in this section:
An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
but injustice sweeps it away.Proverbs 13:23
In the times in which this was written, poor people were able to grow food in small plots that were set aside for their use; it was part of the social safety net of those days. Even such a field that was left unplowed had the potential to feed a family. So far, so good, but here comes the contrast: An unjust person claims that field as his own, and that family starves.
Want a revolution? In the old days, that was one of the best ways to make one happen.
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