Proverbs Chapter 16
The subject of the book now begins to change. In earlier chapters, the main subject is the difference between wise actions and evil actions. The earlier proverbs (wise words) compare a good man with an evil man (Proverbs Chapters 10-15). Later chapters do not emphasize this (Proverbs Chapters 16-22). Instead, they explain wise thoughts, actions, and advice.
Verses 1-9
v1 A man makes plans in his heart.
But God brings about the result that he wants.
v2 A man supposes that all his actions are right.
But God knows a man’s secret thoughts.
v3 Give all your plans to God.
And then your plans will succeed.
v4 God uses everything for his own purposes.
He even uses evil people for a day of punishment.
v5 God hates all proud people.
Be sure that they will not avoid God’s punishment.
v6 God forgives our evil actions, by his love and truth.
A man who respects God will avoid evil behavior.
v7 When a man’s actions please God,
God will change that man’s enemies into friends.
v8 A good man may have few possessions.
His life is better than the life of a man who gets many possessions unfairly.
v9 A man chooses his route.
But God directs each step.
Commentary
We should ask God to help us to speak the right words. The ‘plans of our hearts’ are our thoughts and ideas. We do not know everything. God knows the things that we do not know. We need his help to say the right words. See Mark 13:11.
Even an evil man thinks that he is right. He even persuades himself. Other people might believe him. But God knows the truth about that man.
When we pray, we should give our plans to God. We ask God to bring about the best result. We cannot control our own plans. We do not even know what will happen tomorrow. See James 4:13.
A man’s plan may succeed, or it may fail. God’s plans will always succeed. God can use an animal (Numbers 22:21-28). Or God can use a stone (Luke 3:8). Or God can even use a foreign king (Ezra 1:1).
God can use evil people to punish other evil people. God used King Nebuchadnezzar to punish the nation of Judah (Daniel 1:1-2).
A proud person refuses to listen to God or to other people. He has his own ideas. He thinks that he is better than everyone else. God will punish proud people. God wants us to be humble.
God does not want to punish us. God loves us. We must trust in him. Jesus died to suffer the punishment for our evil deeds. God wants to forgive our evil actions.
We respect God, so we should not do evil things. However, sometimes we still make mistakes. If we ask God, then he will forgive us, because of Jesus. See 1 John 2:1.
Our lives should please God. We should do the things that are right. We should respect God.
God can cause our enemies to become our friends. This does not always happen immediately. First, we ourselves must become friends of God. God accepts us because Jesus died for us. See Ephesians 2:13-14 and John 14:27.
Most Christians are not wealthy. See 1 Corinthians 1:26. We may have few possessions. However, we should earn our money fairly. God helps the poor man who is honest. God will punish the rich man who is not honest.
We all make plans for the future, but we cannot control everything. Events that we do not expect will happen. There will be problems. We might need to change our plans. We might not understand the reasons.
In all these changing circumstances, God is directing us. God will show us where we should go. He will teach us what we should do. See Acts 16:6-10.
Verses 10-15
v10 A king speaks as if he speaks God’s words.
So a king must be fair in his judgments.
v11 Honest measurements come from God.
God made the kilo, pound, and ounce.
v12 Kings think that evil behavior is terrible.
A king establishes his government by good actions.
v13 Kings want to hear honest words.
Kings need advisers who speak the truth.
v14 If a king becomes angry, somebody may die.
A wise man will aim to please a king.
v15 If a king smiles, then his people will not worry.
His pleasure is like rain in spring.
Commentary
Solomon was a king. In verses 10-15, he explains how kings and other rulers behave.
God has given authority to kings. Their decisions are important and affect many people. So a king must always be responsible.
At the time of King Solomon, the king was also a judge (see 1 Kings 3:16-28). This is why the king makes a ‘judgment’.
God rules the whole world, but a king rules a country. We must pray for kings and rulers (1 Timothy 2:2).
Honest attitudes are important to God. We must not cheat people. Everybody must respect other people’s possessions. Even a king must not cheat people.
If a king is evil, his nation will suffer. A king should not behave in an evil way.
A good king wants his people to do good things. He encourages the people to be honest. He makes fair laws. Then the people will respect the law and do right things. God will be pleased with the king and the people.
If a servant is honest, then the king should reward him. The servant might bring bad news. His honest words might upset the king. But the king needs honest servants to speak wise words of advice. If the adviser is not honest, then he cannot help the king. Compare the advisers in 1 Kings 12:6-16.
An angry king is very dangerous. Many people may suffer if the king is unhappy (Matthew 2:16). When the king is angry, his servants must call a wise man. The wise man will know what to say to the king. Then the king will make a wise decision, instead of an angry decision.
The wise servant wants the king to be happy. The king should not be angry. Events should not upset the king. Then the king will make good decisions. He will care about his people. He will serve God and act fairly.
Verses 16-26
v16 Learn to be wise! Wisdom is better than gold.
Choose to be intelligent! Intelligence is better than silver.
v17 The honest man is like a traveler who selects a high, safe road.
Choose a safe road! You will save your life.
v18 The proud man will fall with a crash.
He tries to make himself great. But, in the end, he will lose everything.
v19 It is better to be humble and poor
Than to be proud and rich.
v20 You will succeed if you obey instructions.
Trust in God. Then you will be really happy.
v21 People say that a wise person is sensible.
People learn more easily if the words are pleasant.
v22 If you have knowledge, then you will have a good life.
A fool will suffer because he is foolish.
v23 A wise man’s words come from his heart.
People learn more willingly, when they listen to him.
v24 Pleasant words are like honey.
Like honey, pleasant words bring pleasure to the spirit.
Like honey, pleasant words are good for the body.
v25 A road might seem to be the right route.
But the person that travels on that road will die.
v26 Hunger makes a man work harder.
He knows that he must work to buy food.
Commentary
Gold, silver, and money are not really valuable. If we only want to earn money, then we are wasting our lives.
Wisdom and knowledge are really valuable. Especially, we should learn how to respect God.
Life is like a journey. The honest man is like a traveler who chooses the high road. It might be a difficult road because a high road goes over mountains. However, the traveler chooses this road because it is safe.
The honest man has a guard for his journey. God is his guard. God will protect you, if you are honest.
To be proud is especially evil.
The proud man thinks that he is better than anyone else. He thinks that he deserves every luxury. God does not approve of this. God wants people to be humble so that they can learn wisdom.
God will punish the proud person. A proud man will fall down with a crash. God will force the man to be humble.
A man who is rich and proud is selfish. He will want to keep his possessions to himself. Humble but poor people are much more likely to share what they have.
A wise person obeys instructions. He learns more, and so he becomes even wiser.
We must trust in God. People may trust many different things. They may trust in money, or governments. But the wise person trusts God, so God helps him.
Another translation of the second line is, ‘Pleasant words persuade people.’
A wise person is sensible because he is careful. He thinks about his actions, and obtains advice.
People like to listen to pleasant words. They can learn from nice words. If we are careful, we can use pleasant words to teach the Christian message. See Matthew 10:16.
Solomon does not only mean the life of our bodies. Rather, he means the life, or energy, of our spirits. Knowledge helps us to respect God. Our spirits are more important than our bodies, because our bodies will die. (See Luke 12:4-5.) However, if we trust in God, our spirits will continue to live, in heaven.
Another translation of the second line is, ‘So his words persuade people.’
A wise man’s words are honest. He does not think one thing but say something else. He does not lie.
People trust the words of a wise person because they know him. They know that he speaks the truth. So he can persuade them to do the right things.
Honey was a favorite food for Solomon. It has a beautiful smell and a good flavor. Solomon also used it as a medicine.
Pleasant words are like honey. Both are good for the body. Both bring pleasure. Both can help you.
In our lives, there are many dangers. People might trust in false religions. They might follow evil leaders. Or they might drink too much alcohol. There are many other dangers also.
Like the road, these things might seem good. The truth is that they are dangerous. They are dangerous for our bodies and for our spirits. We need to ask God for wisdom to avoid these dangers.
People should not be lazy. See Proverbs 6:6-11. They should work to earn what they need. This is a natural way to behave. Our hunger reminds us that we should work. See 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10.
Verses 27-30
v27 An evil man makes evil plans.
His words are like fire. They burn and destroy.
v28 An evil man starts arguments.
A person who gossips turns friends into enemies.
v29 A cruel man uses force on his neighbor.
He wants to make him go along a dangerous path.
v30 A man shuts his eye for a moment. He is plotting an evil plan.
With a quick movement of his lips, he arranges his evil plot.
Commentary
Verses 27-30 are about different types of people who cause trouble. They have many different methods to cause trouble:
--- lies and insults (verse 27)
--- gossip and whispers (verse 28)
--- the use of force (verse 29)
--- silent signals (verse 30).
This evil man makes evil plans. He is dangerous. It is even dangerous to listen to this man. If you listen to his words, they are like a fire. His plans will destroy you. Do not even go near him!
Here is another evil man. This evil man gossips. He starts arguments. He will turn your friends into enemies. When this evil man has spoken, your best friend will hate you.
A cruel man will try to make other people behave like him. He will try to frighten them with a loud voice. He will even use force.
The cruel man’s neighbor should be very careful. He cannot trust the cruel man.
This man hardly says anything. But he has an evil plan. See Proverbs 6:12-15. The movements of his face are signals. You might be able to recognize his character if you watch his face.
When this man is ready, he will take action. Then everyone will suffer from his cruelty.
Verses 31-33
v31 An old person’s grey hair is like a crown.
Live a good life to receive this crown!
v32 It is better to be patient, than to fight.
It is better to control your temper, than to overcome a city in battle.
v33 Men think that things happen by chance.
But God controls everything.
Commentary
This person is an old man, who respects God. The man’s grey hair looks like a crown.
This old man deserves a real crown because he is wise. We should respect God and do good things. Then, we too shall deserve honor, like the old man.
This man is not like the man in verse 30. The man in verse 30 caused trouble for other people. But the man in verse 31 did good things. He spoke wise words. And the result was that other people benefited. So the man in verse 31 deserves great honor.
The last man in this passage is a patient man. He is not angry. He does not fight. He achieves results because he works slowly and carefully. He can achieve more than a man who wins a war.
In the Bible, people sometimes made decisions by lot (that is, by a game of chance).
Jesus had 12 disciples (special students). One of these was Judas, who helped to arrest Jesus. Then Judas killed himself. Afterwards, the Christians decided to appoint a new disciple (a special student of Jesus). They asked God to guide them. Then they chose Matthias by lot (Acts 1:21-25).
We do not need to use lots like this today, because God has given his Holy Spirit to guide us. (John 16:13).
However, often we cannot explain some events in our lives. Things happen, and we do not always know why. Some people might say, ‘This happened by chance’ (that is, by accident). But we know that God is guiding us by his Holy Spirit. We know that God controls these events.
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