Verses 1-8
v1 A quiet answer reduces anger.
But an impatient word increases anger.
v2 A wise man’s words are full of knowledge.
A fool’s words are plentiful, but his words are all foolish.
v3 God sees everything.
He watches both good people and evil people.
v4 Words that comfort other people bring strength and health.
Lying words hurt a person’s spirit.
v5 A fool hates his father’s instructions.
If you learn from correction, then you are wise.
v6 A good man has precious possessions.
An evil man receives trouble as his wages.
v7 A wise man’s words teach knowledge to many people.
The heart of a fool cannot do this.
v8 A wicked man might sacrifice (kill) an animal to give to God. God hates this.
God loves the prayer of a good man.
Commentary
If we choose our words carefully, then we will get a good reaction. When we tell people about God, we should be polite.
We should not use angry words. These will upset people. However, sometimes, we must warn people. Jesus did this in John 2:13-16.
We love to listen to wise people. Their words teach us and encourage us.
We do not benefit from the words of a foolish person, who hates wisdom. A fool will say many things. However, everything that he says is foolish.
God knows everything (1 John 3:21). He knows what the result of our actions will be. He watches good people so that he can protect them. He watches evil people so that he can punish their evil actions.
Our words can comfort other people. Words can help people, and they can encourage people.
Lies never achieve these good things. Lies hurt other people. Lies upset people and cause great problems.
If someone hates wisdom, then he hates instructions. He is angry if someone corrects him.
A wise person learns from correction. He wants to know if he is wrong. Because he learns from correction, a wise person becomes even wiser.
A good man has precious possessions. He cannot buy these possessions with money, and he cannot sell them. They are not physical objects, but they are real. They are things like wisdom and knowledge. These things are really valuable.
An evil man also earns things. He might earn money, but he also earns something else. He earns trouble. He will suffer trouble because his actions are evil.
The wise man teaches the things that he knows. Other people hear and they benefit from his advice. If we are wise, then we can help many people.
The fool’s heart does not benefit anyone. A fool hates God, and hates wisdom. Solomon does not mean the fool’s physical heart. Solomon means the fool’s emotions, thoughts and spirit. There is no wisdom there, because the fool’s thoughts are all evil.
The people of Israel sacrificed (killed) animals as a gift to God (Leviticus chapters 1 to 7). If an evil person did this, God would not accept the gift. God wants us to be holy. He wants us to ask him to forgive us. He wants us to trust in him. No gift can forgive us. Only God, who loves us, can forgive us. See Psalm 51:16-17 and Luke 18:10-14.
Verses 9-14
v9 God hates the behaviour of a wicked man.
God loves people who do the right things.
v10 Correction is bitter for someone who starts to do the wrong things.
The person who hates correction will die.
v11 God can even see beyond the grave into hell.
So he also knows our thoughts.
v12 A person who insults other people hates correction.
He will not ask a wise man for advice.
v13 You smile when you are glad.
But when you are very sad, your spirit suffers.
v14 A wise man wants to learn more knowledge.
But a fool wants foolish things more than he wants food.
Commentary
Our behaviour shows what sort of people we are.
God hates the actions of wicked people. God hates their evil thoughts and plans.
We should do the right things. We should trust God. We should obey his instructions. God will help us to do the right things. He loves us.
Solomon explains about people who start to do evil things. God will correct them. Sometimes, as a father smacks his child, this correction will be bitter. God corrects the person so that the person will return to God. See John 15:2.
If a person does not accept God’s correction, then that person will suffer. See 1 Timothy 4:14. That person’s punishment will be severe. See John 15:6, Hebrews 3:7-13 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-30. But we must encourage that person to return to God. God forgives even very evil people, if they confess their bad behaviour to him.
Some people think that God does not know their thoughts and actions. They are wrong. God even sees beyond the grave into hell. God knows all our thoughts, and all our actions. We cannot escape from God. Even when we die, God will be our judge.
This person insults other people, because he is proud. Nobody can correct him. He always thinks that he himself is right. He will not ask for advice. He does not respect a wise person.
Your thoughts and emotions control your whole body. We smile when we are glad. We are sad if our experiences upset us. If we pray, God will comfort us (James 5:13).
Both a fool and a wise man have important desires. The wise man wants more knowledge. The fool wants foolish things. By ‘fool’, Solomon means someone who hates wisdom. For a fool, this is like his need for food. He is hungry, not for food, but to do an evil action. See Proverbs 4:16-17.
Verses 15-19
v15 When someone is unhappy, he feels miserable every day.
For a cheerful person, every day is like a party.
v16 A man who respects God may have few possessions.
But that man’s life is better than the wealthy man who has many troubles.
v17 A man with a loving family may have only vegetables to eat.
Another man eats the best meat, but his family hate him. The first man’s meal is better.
v18 If you are angry, then you will start arguments.
If you are patient, then you will cause quarrels to end.
v19 A slow man says, ‘Plants grew in front of me!’
But a good man is like someone who travels along a clear road.
Commentary
A Christian may be poor. But he has every reason to be cheerful. See Philippians 4:4, 1 Peter 1:8 and Psalm 96:11-13. God’s love is like a party. See Psalm 23:5, Isaiah 55:1-2, and Luke 14:15-23.
For other people, their lives can be difficult. They might be rich or poor, but they all need God’s help. And we, too, should try to help them.
Many people want the best meat, instead of a few vegetables. But love is better than hate. We want to eat in a place where people love us. Sometimes it is better to be poor than to be rich.
Some things matter more than money or wealth. Love matters more than wealth. Especially, the love of God matters more than wealth. This is why the poor man in verse 16 has a good life.
We should be patient. A patient man can even help enemies to become friends. This might take many years. But a patient person can often achieve success in the end.
Sometimes, it takes many years to help someone to trust God. This may be especially difficult if, at first, the person hates God. We must be patient. We should show God’s love to the person, when we get an opportunity.
A slow man can be very slow. He has lots of excuses. Solomon uses humour here. Nobody could be so slow that plants grew on his path. The truth is that the man was very lazy.
The good man is like someone who travels along a good, clear road. A good person is patient (verse 18). But, at the right time, a good person acts very quickly. He is not lazy! He will achieve the things that he desires.
Verses 20-27
v20 A wise son brings joy to his father.
A foolish son hates his mother.
v21 A man who is not wise is like a traveller who gladly chooses the wrong route.
A wise man is like a traveller who chooses a straight path.
v22 Without advice, plans fail.
With many advisers, plans succeed.
v23 A man is glad when he says the right words.
It is wonderful to say the right words at the right time.
v24 The wise man’s life is like a journey that leads upwards.
And his journey does not lead towards the graves or to hell.
v25 God destroys the house of a proud man.
But God protects a widow’s fences.
v26 God hates the thoughts of evil people.
Honest people speak words that please God.
v27 A person, who wants to make lots of money, causes trouble for his family.
But the person that hates bribes (secret gifts) will have a good life.
Commentary
This is like Proverbs 10:1, but the second line is different. ‘A foolish son causes pain to his mother.’ (Proverbs 10:1). ‘A foolish son hates his mother.’ (Proverbs 15:20)
The foolish (or evil) son might not think that he hates his mother. However, his evil actions prove that he hates her. He causes trouble and pain for her, because he does evil things.
If someone is not wise, then foolish (evil) things attract him. This is like a traveller who chooses the wrong route for a journey. Some people love to do evil things. They gladly choose to do evil things.
A wise person does not make this mistake. He is careful to do the right things. He is like a traveller whose path is straight and direct. Evil things do not attract a wise person. A traveller on a straight road does not want to wander onto the wrong path. And a wise person never wants to do anything that is evil.
Many people do not like to receive advice. Perhaps they are proud and so they do not like to hear other people’s ideas. If you do not obtain advice, then your plans will often fail.
We should not make this mistake. If we are wise, then we shall ask many people for advice.
Some of the advice that we receive will be bad advice. For this reason, we should have many advisers. We should obtain the best advice.
An adviser should always try to give correct advice. He thinks and he prays about his words. He considers the probable results of his advice. He wants to say the right words, at the right time. He wants to help, because his advice can bring success to his friend’s plan.
An adviser is glad when he gives good advice.
Solomon uses humor. Life is like a journey. When we live wisely, we are going towards heaven. This is like a journey where we are going upwards. So we are travelling away from the graves and from hell.
Solomon imagines that the wise man is walking up a hill. Sometimes, it is hard to walk up a hill. However, the wise man needs always to travel upwards. He cannot travel downwards (opposite of upwards), because that way leads to death, the grave and hell.
Everything that God does is right.
Some people will praise a proud man. Some people think that proud people are very great. God does not think this. In the end, God will punish proud people.
Some people do not care about widows. They might say, ‘That old woman has no husband to protect her. We can steal her wealth.’ But God will protect the widow. He does not only protect her house. He protects her land, too. He even guards her fences. See Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 10:18; Isaiah 54:4-5; Mark 12:38-44; 1 Timothy 5:3.
God knows our thoughts, and he hears our words. The evil person thinks about evil plans. He might plot against other people. He might try to steal from them. God knows these thoughts, and he hates these plans.
An honest person speaks the truth. God loves the truth, so God loves the words of honest people.
People give bribes (secret gifts) so that other people will do wrong things. For example, if a judge accepts a bribe, then he might punish an innocent man. If a government official accepts a bribe, then he might allow the giver to meet the king.
The Bible teaches that we should not give bribes (secret gifts). The Bible also teaches that we should not accept bribes. We should not do evil things to get more money. This behaviour will only bring trouble to us and to our families. Instead, we should refuse bribes. If we refuse bribes, then God will help us to have good lives.
Verses 29-33
v28 A good man thinks carefully before he answers.
An evil man answers immediately but his words cause trouble.
v29 God is far away from evil people.
But God hears a good man’s prayer.
v30 Smile, and make people happy!
Bring good news, and make people stronger!
v31 Listen to correction! Then you will be stronger.
You will become a wise man.
v32 If you refuse to follow instructions, then you hate yourself.
Listen to correction! Then you will learn to be responsible.
v33 Respect God, and learn to be wise!
It is more important to be humble, than to receive honor.
Commentary
Jesus answered questions in Mark 11:27-33 and Mark 12:13-40. Jesus studied the Bible. His answers were wise. Jesus thought about what the Bible says. And he knew the right answers.
We too need to think about problems. Especially, we must discover what the Bible says. Then we shall learn God’s wisdom.
An evil man hates God. The evil man does not think about what is right. Instead, he answers quickly. If an evil man does think about his answers, then he makes an evil plan. If he does not think about his answer, his plans are still evil.
‘God is not deaf or weak. The result of your evil actions is that you have moved far away from God.’ (Isaiah 59:1-2)
However, God is close to a good person. God even knows a good person’s silent prayers. See Matthew 6:6-8.
Even our smiling faces can cheer other people! People are glad, if we smile.
Our words can achieve more than our happy faces. The Christian message is good news. God can change people’s lives. He will forgive them, if they trust him. This good news will make people strong.
If someone learns from words of correction, then that person will become wiser.
We all make mistakes. A wise person learns not to repeat his mistakes. He knows that correction is valuable.
When other people correct us, we become wiser. And we become more responsible. Correction is a good thing.
But someone who refuses to obey instructions will suffer as a result. This is as if he hates himself. We should learn discipline. And we should learn to be wise.
Especially, we shall learn to be wise, if we respect God. Wisdom is God’s gift to us. We must respect God. This is the first and most important lesson in wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).
People want to receive honour. But many people do not want to be humble. We need to be humble, because we need to learn from God. We also need to learn from other people. If we are humble, then God will be pleased with us. God gives honour to humble people.
If we are humble, then the result is honor.
This is the first of a series of proverbs (wise words) about God. This series continues in the next chapter.
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