Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Peace and contentment, and especially domestic peace, are beyond all other blessings.’
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘All agree that the son in the family is more worthy than the servant, John 8:35, and yet sometimes it so happens that the servant is wise, and a blessing and credit to the family, when the son is a fool, and a burden and shame to the family.’
Solomon is basically saying that anyone who operates with skill and success can overcome disadvantages such as being poor or being a slave, Genesis 15:2-3 / Proverbs 19:24.
We can find out the value of gold and silver, but only God can determine the true quality of our hearts. What does it take to melt gold or silver? It takes intense heat to remove all the impurities.
Trials in our Christian life do the same thing: they purify our hearts. In the tense heat of the moment, we find out what we’re really like; we can lose our temper or say the wrong thing, James 1:2-4 / 1 Peter 1:7.
Gossiping has always been a problem in every community, Ephesians 4:29. The reason for this? There are always those willing to listen.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When silver is mixed, or suspected to be mixed, with base metal, it must be subjected to such a test as the cupel to purify it. And gold also must be purified by the action of the fire. So, God tries hearts. He sends afflictions which penetrate the soul, and give a man to see his state, so that he may apply to the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, to destroy what cannot stand the fire, to separate and burn up all the dross.’
There are always people who will turn themselves into this type of ‘monster’. They actually enjoy the weaknesses and problems of others. Why do people like to make fun of others? They think they are better, and it makes them feel good, Luke 18:31-33.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He who is pleased to hear of the misfortune of another will, in the course of God’s just government, have his own multiplied.’
The ideal family is one of harmony and mutual admiration; there is no ‘generation gap’ here.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
1. It is an honour to parents when they are old to leave children, and children’s children, growing up, who tread in the steps of their virtues, and are likely to maintain and advance the reputation of their families. It is an honour to a man to live so long as to see his children’s children, Psalms 128:6 / Genesis 50:23, to see his house built up in them, and to see them likely to serve their generation according to the will of God. This crowns and completes their comfort in this world.
2. It is an honour for children to have wise and godly parents, and to have them continue to them even after they have themselves grown up and settled in the world. Those are unnatural children who reckon their aged parents a burden to them, and think they live too long; whereas, if the children be wise and good, it is as much their honour as can be that thereby they are comforts to their parents in the unpleasant days of their old age.’
There are some things that do not belong together, but when they are together, something is amiss!
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This proverb is suitable to those who affect, in public speaking, fine language, which neither comports with their ordinary conversation, nor with their education. Often fine words are injudiciously brought in, and are as unbecoming and irrelevant as a cartwheel among clockwork.’
Unfortunately, a bribe is a powerful and effective tool. The wise person mustn’t close their eyes to the sad ability of its usage in government and business, in all areas of life. To charm literally means, ‘stone of favour’. In other words, this is the person’s ‘lucky charm’, their ‘ace in the hole’, that they will use to get their way.
Is Solomon teaching us that bribery is alright? Not at all, there are numerous passages which teach against offering and receiving a bribe, Exodus 23:8 / Matthew 28:11-15.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Both the offering and the receiving of bribes is sinful; but this proverb states a shameful truth that in our work-a-day world, ‘Bribes get the job done’! There is no endorsement here either of giving or receiving bribes. The many renditions and various readings indicate uncertainties in the text, but the RSV is probably dependable: “A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.’
Tolerance and sensitivity, as well as being forgiving, are the pillars of every true friendship, Ephesians 5:11. We should be willing to forgive those who sin against us, Ephesians 4:32. Can a marriage survive if couples aren’t willing to forgive each other? Some people bring up the past all the time; all this does is bring about destruction.
A rebuke is to use only words, and a hundred blows is speaking about physical force.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Though the rod, judiciously applied, is a great instrument of knowledge, yet it is of no use where incurable dullness or want of intellect prevails. Besides, there are generous dispositions on which counsel will work more than stripes.’
Solomon says that evildoers will find evil, it will come to them, Matthew 26:52 / Galatians 6:7-8.
Deane, in his commentary, says the following.
‘An evil man seeks many things that do not exactly fit the term ‘rebellion’; but from the viewpoint of an Eastern potentate (like Solomon), any prominent crime by a subject would have been considered rebellion.’ The cruel messenger would be the king’s response to it.’
Solomon is teaching us that there is great danger in the presence of a fool, a wicked man, because of the conflict which would incur.
We do truly reap what we have sown, Proverbs 13:21 / Galatians 6:7-8. David especially experienced the second part of this verse, 1 Samuel 25:21.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘As many persons are guilty of the sin of ingratitude, and of paying kindness with unkindness, and good with evil, it is no wonder we find so much wretchedness among men; for God’s word cannot fail; evil shall not depart from the houses and families of such persons.’
This is good advice concerning quarrels: stop them before they start! If not, the ‘dam will break’, and irreparable damage will be done.
The background to this verse is legal proceedings; God hates injustice of any kind, Proverbs 6:16-19 / Proverbs 17:13 / Isaiah 10:1-3.
A university student has their tuition money in their hand, but it will do no good if they lack the ability and discipline to learn how to use it wisely.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is a down-to-earth recognition that teaching can be wasted on a fool. This is not a snobbish remark, because, as always in Proverbs, the fool gets himself into his situation by his own stubbornness and wickedness.’
Are friends and brothers a parallel here? If so, real friendship has a strong and enduring quality, even during crises, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. What is the greatest evidence of friendship? Loyalty and sacrifice, John 15:13-15.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Equally in adversity as in prosperity. And a brother, according to the ties and interests of consanguinity, is born to support and comfort a brother in distress.’
Here we have another very stern warning against becoming another man’s guarantor or security. This is all about common sense; the person who builds their gate is a sign of someone who is proud and relies on their own strength, Ephesians 6:10.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Possibly, the gate is here taken for the mouth; and the exalting of the gate may mean proud boasting and arrogant speaking, such as has a tendency to kindle and maintain strife. And this interpretation seems to agree better with the scope of the context.’
Solomon is saying that there is nothing pure in people with corrupt hearts; they make everything dirty.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The first clause here speaks of a certain type of cynical, bitter men who cannot see good in anything or anyone. ‘The literal Hebrew regarding the ‘perverse tongue’ in the second clause is, ‘He who turns himself about with his tongue’; that is, he says one thing at one time, and something quite contrary at another.’
A foolish child who is godless, that is, without any wisdom and rejects God, Psalm 14:1, only brings grief to their parents. This verse, along with Proverbs 17:6, gives the two sides of parenthood: joy and sorrow.
There’s nothing like hanging around with people who make us laugh; they make us feel good, Psalm 32:1-4. On the other hand, when we spend time with others who are always complaining and moaning about something, this can become disheartening. Solomon says that anyone who accepts a bribe, Proverbs 17:8, either openly or secretly, is wicked, especially if the bribe is used to pervert the course of justice.
Solomon is speaking about how wisdom comes to the person who is able to concentrate and stay focused. They are able to give their attention to the task. Is there anything wrong with having dreams and expectations? No, as long as we don’t try to put them before God, 1 John 5:14.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Faithful and successful living require that one give close attention to the work at hand, that he diligently take care of the present business; but, ‘A fool fritters away the powers and opportunities that might have blessed him, having his attention continually diverted by a hundred different things.’
The idea behind this verse is that the parents of the child may wish they had never brought their child into the world, Proverbs 17:21.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
1. Wicked children are an affliction to both their parents. They are an occasion of anger to the father (so the word signifies), because they contemn his authority, but of sorrow and bitterness to the mother, because they abuse her tenderness. The parents, being joint sufferers, should therefore bring mutual comfort to bear them up under it, and strive to make it as easy as they can, the mother to mollify the father’s anger, the father to alleviate the mother’s grief.
2. That Solomon often repeats this remark, probably because it was his own case; however, it is a common case.
The lesson here is very clear: we must never condemn an innocent person, Matthew 27:19 / Revelation 6:10-11.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘To fall out with the ruler of the people, and to take off his head under the pretence of his not being a just or equitable governor, is unjust. To kill a king on the ground of justice is a most dreadful omen to any land. Where was it ever done that it promoted the public prosperity? No experiment of this kind has ever yet succeeded, howsoever worthless the king might be.’
Once again, we’re reminded to think before we speak! An even-tempered person is a composed, controlled person who is able to deal with emotional issues. Intelligence is like a river; the deeper it flows, the less noise it makes.
This is ironic humour. Even fools can come across as wise if they remain quiet. The lesson is simple enough: do not talk so much. What are the benefits of saying nothing? Sometimes we have nothing worthwhile to say, but the real benefits are that we can listen and learn. This helps to make us wise, James 1:19.
Harris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are two badges of a wise man: reticence and calmness of temper. This is the message of these verses; they reveal that even a fool who exhibits reticence may be mistaken for a wise man.’