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Introduction
The book of Proverbs is just that – an aggregation of many proverbs, just as the book of Psalms is an aggregation of many psalms. While the number of psalms is clearly 150, most scholars count the number of proverbs to be in the high hundreds. The reason the number is not certain is that it depends on how you count them. One person might think that two verses amount to two proverbs, but another person might think that the subject matter is so similar that it’s just one proverb. While most of the proverbs in the collection are one verse long, many of them are clearly longer – and some of them much longer. In fact, some are so long – such as those in the beginning of the book, that they are mostly not proverbs per se, but rather introductions or preambles to proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon even though some of the proverbs nearer the end are attributed to others. This situation is also similar to the Psalms – a collection that is attributed as a whole to David even though some of the individual psalms are attributed to others. 1 Kings 4:2 states that Solomon “spoke 3,000 proverbs,” so the majority have been lost to history.
Like Psalms, there is not a logical order to the collection that is Proverbs – at least not one that is obvious. At least the Psalms are numbered; the Proverbs are just stacked one right after the other. As usual, the chapter and verse divisions don’t help much because they were only added more than a thousand years after the collection was finished (Chapter and Verse Divisions). The NASB translators didn’t detect much of a logical order. As you’ve probably observed, they assign a unique heading to every chapter in the Bible, and often to sub-chapters. However, consider that of the 31 chapters in Proverbs, 20 of them have been given very generic headings that are either identical or very similar. These headings are so generic and similar that they hardly do any good in helping a reader discriminate between topics.
- “Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked” – Prov 10 (1)
- “Contrast the Upright and the Wicked” – Prov 11-18 (8)
- “On Life and Conduct” – Pro 19-23 (5)
- “Precepts and Warnings” – Prov 24 (1)
- “Similitudes, Instructions” – Prov 25-26 (2)
- “Warnings and Instructions” – Prov 27-29 (3)
Therefore, while the book of Proverbs addresses a great many practical subjects – such as discipline, prudence, frugality, righteousness, faithfulness, and many more – Solomon did not organize his proverbs according to those subjects.
Notwithstanding this lack of categorization, the book of Proverbs provides a wealth of wisdom for modern minds. We just have to adjust our reading pace, mainly by slowing down as needed when at times it seems like the subject being discussed changes with each new verse. Many of these proverbs can only be appreciated if they are pondered individually…and that takes time.
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The First Nine Chapters
The first nine chapters are different from the remainder of the book in that they read a little more like standard prose. Their content is general and introductory; the prose flows more smoothly. The hundreds of pithy proverbs presented in staccato fashion don’t begin in earnest until Prov 10.
The theme of the first nine chapters is wisdom – that is, godly wisdom. This wisdom is a fountain of righteousness, and likened to a faithful wife. The counter-theme is worldly wisdom. It is a fountain of unrighteousness, and likened to an “adulteress” or “woman of folly.”
The framing of the first seven chapters is a father extolling wisdom and exhorting his son to seek and find it – and to be faithful to it. In the eighth and ninth chapters, wisdom is personified speaking boldly and extensively of all it has to offer humanity.
Thus a nine-chapter ode to wisdom paves the way for hundreds of pithy proverbs.
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Proverbs 1
The Usefulness of Proverbs
Prov 1:1 – Let this book become the “proverbs” of Jesus since…
- “Solomon” is a type of Christ.
- “David” is a type of Christ.
- “Son of David” is a name of Christ.
- “King of Israel” is a name/title of Christ.
For more, see Types and Shadows of Christ and Names and Roles of Christ.
Prov 1:2-6 – Here’s the purpose that the entire collection is to serve.
Prov 1:7 – Here’s our starting point…the foundation of all we seek to learn from this book. If we don’t lay the foundation correctly, the building will not stand.
***** “fear” – reverence, awe
***** “the Lord” Who is the Lord? If we do not have a clear and specific understanding of the identity of the Lord, how is “the fear of the Lord” going to have a clear enough meaning for us?
***** “The fear of the Lord” – Of the 26 times this phrase appears in the Bible, 14 of those times are in the book of Proverbs*: Prov 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26, 27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17. This phrase is rendered as a command – “fear the Lord” – in Prov 3:7; 24:21-22.
*There are multiple variations of this phrase in the Bible – such as “the fear of God” – which are not included in these counts.
The Enticement of Sinners
Prov 1:12 – “Sheol”
Wisdom Warns
Prov 1:23 – What a wonderful promise of the Holy Spirit from Jesus!
Rev 3:19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
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John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 16:14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Prov 1:29 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see also the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 1:33 – Listening to Jesus brings peace.
Luke 10:38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.
Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”
Luke 10:41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
Luke 10:42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
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John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
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John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
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Proverbs 2
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
Prov 2:5-6 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
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Proverbs 3
The Rewards of Wisdom
Prov 3:5 – “The Lord” is Jesus. See note about this at Prov 1:7 above. Same for Prov 3:7, 9, 11, 12, 19, 26, 32, 33, and throughout the book.
Prov 3:7 – As for “fear the Lord,” see the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 3:11-12 – Here, with some context, is how Paul quotes these two verses in his letter to the Hebrews.
Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
Heb 12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
Heb 12:6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
Heb 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Prov 3:34 – James and Peter both quote this verse in their letters. I included a little context for each.
James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?
James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
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1 Pet 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
1 Pet 5:5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
1 Pet 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
1 Pet 5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
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Proverbs 4
A Father’s Instruction
Prov 4:18-19 – Notice the subtlety in the first half of this couplet. It’s not just that light is being contrasted with darkness. It’s that the light is given progressively – not all at once. God is being consistent with us. He doesn’t start the morning with the noonday sun; rather, He gets to high noon gradually, beginning with the tiniest light of dawn. Otherwise, we’d be blinded if we got the full light of the sun all at once. It is the same with the light of knowledge.
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Proverbs 5
Pitfalls of Immorality
Prov 5:5 – “Sheol”
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Proverbs 6
Parental Counsel
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Proverbs 7
The Wiles of the Harlot
Prov 7:27 – “Sheol”
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Proverbs 8
The Commendation of Wisdom
Wisdom was previously personified in Prov 1:20-33 and Prov 3:13-20. Now it will be personified throughout chapters eight and nine.
Prov 8:13 – “The fear of the Lord” – see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 8:22-31 – In this part of the chapter, personified wisdom is described as the means by which God created the heavens and the earth. The New Testament reveals this person of wisdom through whom God made the universe to be the Messiah.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
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John 1:9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
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1 Cor 8:5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
1 Cor 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
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Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
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Heb 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Heb 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
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Heb 1:10 And,
“YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,
AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;
Heb 1:11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;
AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,
Heb 1:12 AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;
LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED.
BUT YOU ARE THE SAME,
AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”
Messiah (Christ) is actually called wisdom by the apostle Paul.
1 Cor 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
1 Cor 1:31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
Thus the incarnation of Jesus was the incarnation of wisdom – the very wisdom that the book of Proverbs is extolling.
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Proverbs 9
Wisdom’s Invitation
The personification of wisdom we saw throughout chapter 8 continues throughout this chapter.
Prov 9:10 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see the note on Prov 1:7 above. As for the identity of “the Holy One,” see The Holy One. (There is one other verse in Proverbs that uses this expression “the Holy One” – it is Prov 30:3.)
Prov 9:18 – “Sheol”
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Proverbs 10
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
Prov 10:1 – There is Solomon the man; and there is Solomon, one of the many types of Christ found in the Old Testament.
Prov 10:2 – Never was this more true than with Jesus. His righteousness got Him raised from the dead. And so great was His righteousness that we are raised from the dead by it as well.
Prov 10:5 – There is the physical dimension of life, and there is also the spiritual dimension. Jesus is always using the physical dimension to teach us about the spiritual dimension.
John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
John 4:36 “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
John 4:37 “For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
John 4:38 “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”
If we don’t recognize the spiritual dimension, we’ll sooner or later be one of those “who sleeps in harvest” – “a son who acts shamefully.” Jesus’ apostles picked up this way of looking at things and passed it on to others.
2 Tim 2:6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
We today are not apostles, but we as men are sent to our wives and children; we should sow and reap in them.
Prov 10:11 – If ever a “mouth” was “a fountain of life” it was Jesus’ mouth. That’s because he was righteous.
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
1 John 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
Prov 10:12 – Jesus “covered all transgressions” with His love. Everyone is going to heaven.
Prov 10:15 – Jesus was Nazareth was the richest man who ever walked the earth. And he gave it all away.
2 Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
By giving it all away, Jesus died penniless – but in that process made Himself the richest man in heaven.
Matt 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
Matt 6:20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
Matt 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Prov 10:21 – The “lips” of Jesus fed thousands, physically speaking – and billions, spiritually speaking.
Prov 10:27 – “The fear of the Lord” – see notes on Prov 1:7 above. ***** Since Jesus died young, does this mean He was wicked? Hardly.
Eccl 8:14 There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.
Jesus died young for our wickedness – not His own.
Prov 10:29 – Jesus is “the way…of the Lord.”
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Proverbs 11
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 11:1 – The exercise of good judgment is a theme of Proverbs…and of Jesus’ teaching.
John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
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Rom 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Prov 11:2 – We see this every June.
Prov 11:8 – This is Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, and Haman in the book of Esther. A proverb making the same point is Prov 26:27.
Prov 11:29 – Our families have to deal with enough trouble in life; let us not add to their troubles.
Prov 11:30 – “soul“
Prov 11:31 – The apostle Peter is apparently quoting from the Septuagint, wheras our Old Testaments are translated from the Hebrew text.
1 Pet 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Pet 4:18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
1 Pet 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
The point is that life is hard enough for the righteous; it is pure foolishness to bring hell on yourself through unrighteousness.
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Proverbs 12
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 12:1 – Plain talk. It’s a blessing…though it can be like being doused with a bucket of cold water.
Prov 12:4 – An extended description of an “excellent wife” is given in Prov 31:10-31.
Prov 12:16 – There is a place for anger in the righteous life, but it is not a place that should be frequented.
James 1:19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
James 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Prov 12:18 – The first man mentioned looks like he’s wildly swinging a machete; the second like he’s a good surgeon with a scalpel.
Prov 12:25 – This is why we go to the Bible every day. It’s also why we underline it – to make it easier to find words that have proven to be “good.”
Prov 12:26 – Jesus came to be the righteous guide for the whole human race.
Prov 12:28 – This is the way of Jesus.
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Proverbs 13
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 13:4 – “soul“
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Proverbs 14
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 14:4 – Having children is messy, but without them we are poverty-stricken.
Prov 14:5 – Did Jesus lie or did He tell the truth? If He told the truth, why do we have so little regard for what He said?
Prov 14:12 – This is what happened to Eve. Adam, however, does not have this excuse. He knew he was doing wrong.
1 Tim 2:14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
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Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
Gen 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Gen 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”
Gen 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
Gen 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Eve had known the word of the Lord on the subject through her husband, for God had told him just before He created Eve.
Gen 2:16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
Gen 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
We, however, know the word of the Lord on all subjects from the Bible. Therefore, let us not do what seems right to us; let us do what we know is right by the word of the Lord. We have something Eve did not have: the Bible.
Prov 14:26-27 – As for both occurrences of “the fear of the Lord,” see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 14:30 – By all accounts, it seems likely Jesus had “a tranquil heart.” And it certainly gave life to His body on the third day after His death!
Prov 14:31 – “gracious“
Prov 14:34 – In America, we are learning this verse the hard way.
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Proverbs 15
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 15:1 – Some things never change.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Fathers, take heed. Children need constant course correction, but they also need the vast majority of it to be delivered gently.
James 1:19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
James 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
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Eph 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Prov 15:9 – The Old Testament and the New Testament both extol righteousness – it’s just that righteousness is more clearly defined in the New Testament because it is there that the Messiah comes to light.
Matt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Prov 15:11 – “Sheol“ ***** “Abaddon“ also appears in Prov 27:20.
Prov 15:13 – “spirit“
Prov 15:16 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 15:24 – “Sheol“
Prov 15:33 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
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Proverbs 16
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 16:2 – “The Lord” is Jesus Christ. If you are unsure of this, see the notes above on Prov 1:7. As for His ability to discern our motives, consider how Paul described it in his letter to the Hebrews.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Prov 16:4 – See Ex 9:16 and accompanying BSN note for an example of how God can use evil men in the execution of His plans as well as good people.
Prov 16:6 – “lovingkindness“ ***** As for “the fear of the Lord,” see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 16:7 – In the case of Jesus and a great many of the prophets, the peace with enemies was only achieved at the price of life itself – but God granted His saints a much greater life in its place.
Prov 16:20 – This is why we have a daily PDT’s, FDT’s, and even ODT’s. The Bible is “the word” where everyone “will find good.”
Ps 16:24 – “soul“
Prov 16:25 – This verse is identical to Prov 14:12. See the BSN note on it above.
Prov 16:32 – “spirit“
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Proverbs 17
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 17:9 – Joseph illustrates what this verse is calling for.
Matt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Matt 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
Matt 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Prov 17:27 – “spirit“
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Proverbs 18
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Prov 18:14 – “spirit
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Proverbs 19
On Life and Conduct
Prov 19:8 – “soul“
Prov 19:12 – God’s judgments (cursing) make noise; His blessing is quiet.
Prov 19:16 – “soul“
Prov 19:17 – “gracious“
Prov 19:23 – “The fear of the Lord” – see notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 19:27 – Sadly, I have to say from experience that this verse is true. Beware, any of you who consider skipping your PDT’s or FDT’s!
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Proverbs 20
On Life and Conduct
Prov 20:8 – This is Jesus. He can stop us in our tracks with a look – unless we’re blind.
Prov 20:27 – “spirit“
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Proverbs 21
On Life and Conduct
Prov 21:1 – Because Lydia had put her “heart” in God’s “hands” (that is, she was “a worshiper of God”), He was able to “turn it wherever He wished” (“opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”)
Acts 16:11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis;
Acts 16:12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.
Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.
Acts 16:14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.
Keeping our hearts in the Lord’s hands allows Him to shape our thinking and, through it, our lives…and through our lives, even the lives of others. The church at Philippi (and all the good that came from it, including the letter Paul wrote to it that still edifies us 20 centuries after the fact) began from the tiny seed of Lydia responding to Paul’s preaching. And that happened because she first put her heart in God’s hands.
Prov 21:2 – Without a Lord, we have no higher standard than “what is right in our own eyes.”
Judg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
America at its founding had a Lord – the God of the Bible. This is undeniably clear if you read its founding documents. America today has renounced that worldview. And from there we’ve descended into the kind of chaos – moral and otherwise – that existed in Israel during the time of the Judges.
Prov 21:10 – “soul“
Prov 21:11 – It’s cheaper to go to school on the scoffer’s tuition than to have to pay for yourself.
Prov 21:13 – Do you recognize the following lines? If not, read the entirety of Matt 18 which is just one parable Jesus told in response to a question from Peter about forgiveness.
Matt 18:28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’
Matt 18:29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’
Matt 18:30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
Because the slave was “unwilling” to listen to the “pleading” of his fellow slave (“shuts his ear to the cry of the poor”), he will find himself “crying” to the Master and “not being answered.”)
Prov 21:22 – Jesus scaled heaven and brought down Satan.
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,
Rev 12:8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
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Luke 10:17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
As long as the devil was in heaven, he could keep us confused about God’s nature; but once Jesus replaced him, we had no room for doubting God’s thoughts toward us.
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Jesus Christ reveals that God is not part light and part darkness; He’s all light.
Prov 21:23 – “soul“
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Proverbs 22
On Life and Conduct
Prov 22:1 – According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word translated as “favor” in this verse is translated as “grace” in the following three verses.
Ps 45:2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
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Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
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Prov 3:34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
I’m not second-guessing the translators; I’m just reporting an interesting and useful fact. The New Testament idea of grace is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. This is true of all important New Testament ideas.
Prov 22:4 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 22:11 – “gracious“
Prov 22:21 – Who is “him who sent you”?
John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Through Jesus – and through Jesus only – we know God. This is why we read the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament, and not the other way around.
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Proverbs 23
On Life and Conduct
Prov 23:4-5 – Paul builds on the wisdom that was given by Moses, embellished by Solomon, and ratified by Jesus.
1 Tim 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
1 Tim 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
1 Tim 6:8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
1 Tim 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Prov 23:14 – “soul“ ***** “Sheol“
Prov 23:15-16 – How nice that Jesus tells us what makes Him glad and doesn’t keep us in the dark!
Prov 23:17 – As for “the fear of the Lord,” see the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
Prov 23:23 – Where is the store that sells truth? Jesus. With what do we pay? Attention.
John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
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Proverbs 24
Precepts and Warnings
Prov 24:1-2 – A man is known in heaven by the company he keeps on earth.
Rom 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Rom 16:18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
Prov 24:3-4 – But in all your building, O wise man, do not forget the importance of the foundation!
Matt 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matt 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Matt 7:26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Matt 7:27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.”
Prov 24:12 – “soul“
Prov 24:17-18 – Although King Saul made himself David’s enemy, David never sought his own revenge against Saul; neither did he take joy in any of Saul’s setbacks or even in Saul’s death.
Prov 24:19-20 – This goes well with the previous two verses. God will take care of a man’s enemies so that the man can focus on more productive activities with his friends.
Prov 24:21-22 – As for “fear the Lord,” see the notes on Prov 1:7 above.
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Proverbs 25
Similitudes, Instructions
Prov 25:2 – We return to the Bible every day for the same reason that a miner returns to his gold mine every day.
Prov 25:3 – This is why we ask for God’s help in searching our hearts.
Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
Ps 139:24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Prov 25:4 – Jesus Christ – the Savior of Israel as prophesied by men like Malachi – is the “refiner’s fire,” the “smelter,” the “purifier” of our hearts.
Mal 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
Mal 3:3 “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Mal 3:4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
Prov 25:6-7 – Sooner or later, a Bible reader comes to the point that he recognizes where Jesus got all His ideas.
Luke 14:7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,
Luke 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,
Luke 14:9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.
Luke 14:10 “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.
Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Prov 25:13 – “soul“
Prov 25:14 – Jude seems to be using the language of Proverbs in this verse.
Jude 1:10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Jude 1:12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
Jude 1:13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.
Prov 25:21-22 – The apostle Paul finds a use for this proverb in his letter to the believers in Rome.
Rom 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Rom 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Rom 12:20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Prov 25:25 – “soul“
Prov 25:27 – If Satan succeeds in robbing us of self-control, what’s to keep him from taking all the other fruit of the Spirit along with it?
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
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Proverbs 26
Similitudes, Instructions
Prov 26:11 – Here’s how the apostle Peter used this proverb in his second letter.
2 Pet 2:17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.
2 Pet 2:18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,
2 Pet 2:19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
2 Pet 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
2 Pet 2:21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.
2 Pet 2:22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”
Prob 26:15 – I can’t help but smile whenever I read this proverb. That’s really lazy!
Prov 26:17 – You get more out of these proverbs if as a part of your meditation (pondering) of them, you visualize what’s being described as vividly as you can. It makes them more memorable, and opens your mind to see things you might not otherwise see.
Prov 26:25 – “graciously“
Prov 26:27 – See note for Prov 11:8 above.
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Proverbs 27
Warnings and Instructions
Prov 27:1 – Did this verse partially inspire what James wrote here?
James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”
James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
James 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
Prov 27:18 – Christ Jesus is our master.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude 1:4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
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Eph 6:9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Prov 27:20 – “Sheol“ ***** “Abaddon“ also appears in Prov 15:11.
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Proverbs 28
Warnings and Instructions
Prov 28:4 – “law“
Prov 28:7 – “law“
Prov 28:8 – “gracious“
Prov 28:9 – “law“
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Proverbs 29
Warnings and Instructions
Prov 29:10 – Consider how this proverb speaks of the day Jesus was crucified – how some cried out for His execution while others were deeply grieved about it.
Prov 29:17 – “soul“
Prov 29:18 – “law“
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Proverbs 30
The Words of Agur
Prov 30:3 – As for the identity of “the Holy One,” it is Jesus Christ our Lord. See The Holy One.This title is also used in Prov 9:10 above.
Prov 30:4 – Yes, we surely do! #FJOT
Prov 30:5-6 – We are to neither add to them nor take away from them.
Deut 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
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Deut 12:32 “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
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Rev 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;
Rev 22:19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Thus, from one end of the Bible to the other, the Lord instructs us to let His word stand.
Is 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.
Prov 30:7-9 – The goal of this verse – avoiding the extremes of rich and poor – is carried through in the new covenant. Note how Paul as well urges moderation and contentment. For there are always those who equate either wealth or poverty with righteousness; but that is the wrong focus.
1 Tim 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
1 Tim 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
1 Tim 6:8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
1 Tim 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
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1 Tim 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
1 Tim 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
1 Tim 6:19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
Stay on the road – avoiding the ditch of seeking riches on the one side, and the ditch of reveling in one’s poverty on the other.
Prov 30:16 – “Sheol“
Prov 30:26 – “shephanim” – Make sure your NASB 1995 has the footnotes, which for this word say, “Small, shy, furry animals (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and the region round the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB badgers.”
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Proverbs 31
The Words of Lemuel
Prov 31:4-7 – Alcohol has undone many a man. I learned the hard way that it’s not for me, and I have observed over and over that it’s not for many others as well. Yet it would be wrong for me or anyone to say that the Bible forbids alcohol. If you can drink it in moderation, and find more benefits in it than problems, then partake of it without guilt. But don’t let it – or anything else – get in the way of becoming the most useful servant of Jesus Christ you are capable of becoming.
Description of a Worthy Woman
Prov 31:10-31 – This passage about “An excellent wife” has received a lot of attention over the centuries, and deservedly so. Many good comments have been made about it. But there is one comment that has struck me as the most useful of all I’ve heard. It is that a woman doesn’t have to be doing all of these things at the same time in order to be excellent. I have had an excellent wife for over 50 years, and she has achieved some of these things in one season of her life, and other things in another season. When the children were small, her achievements were centered in them, but as they matured, she was able to excel in other arenas of life. As Solomon would put it in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything.”
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