Verses 1-9
v1 An unfriendly man is selfish.
He is not sensible.
v2 A fool does not like knowledge.
A fool likes to speak his own opinions.
v3 The words ‘evil’ and ‘hate’ belong together.
The words ‘shame’ and ‘punishment’ belong together.
v4 A man’s words are like deep waters.
But wisdom flows like a stream.
v5 Do not prefer evil people!
Be fair to innocent people!
v6 When a fool speaks, he may start an argument.
He deserves a punishment because of his words.
v7 A fool receives punishment for his words.
His own words cause his problems.
v8 When someone gossips, his words are like a favorite food.
The words, like the food, enter right into a man.
v9 A lazy man will cause trouble.
Commentary
Look after people that you do not know! Sometimes angels (God’s servants from heaven) are our guests. (Hebrews 13:2) A sensible person should be friendly.
If someone is not friendly, then he is selfish. He cares about himself, but he does not care about other people. And he refuses to consider their opinions.
A fool hates wisdom. He really knows nothing, but he loves his own ideas. He thinks that his thoughts are more important than the truth.
We should not behave like this. Instead, we should listen to other people. Then we shall learn to be wise.
Often, an evil person hates other people. He hates because he is evil. He is evil because he hates.
This person will receive both shame and punishment. He will feel shame when he receives his punishment.
A man’s words may be hard to understand. The man may try to hide his real thoughts. It is difficult for a swimmer to dive down to the deep water.
Wisdom is easy to understand. It is easy to distinguish good things from evil things. It is easy to distinguish right things from wrong things. Wisdom is like a flowing stream. Anyone can easily collect water from a flowing stream. Anyone can easily learn to be wise.
We should be fair to everyone, especially in court.
An evil person does not deserve honor. He should not benefit from his evil actions. If he is guilty, he deserves punishment.
We should respect an innocent person. He should not receive punishment. Be fair to him!
A fool hates wisdom. A wise man thinks carefully about his words. But a fool does not think before he speaks. So the fool’s words cause arguments. His words cause trouble. And the fool deserves punishment for his evil words.
This verse is the same as Proverbs 26:22.
People listen when someone gossips. They enjoy the stories. They even believe that the stories are true. This is dangerous. These stories are like food, because of how they affect us. The stories enter the mind, even as food enters the stomach. These stories can cause troubles, even as bad food causes illness. And such stories can even make friends into enemies.
We should be careful about the words that we hear. We should not encourage people to gossip.
If you are lazy, then this may cause trouble for other people. To be lazy is almost the same thing as to be dangerous.
Verses 10-14
v10 God is like a strong castle.
Good men are safe when they trust in God.
v11 A rich man’s wealth is in his castle.
He thinks that nobody can enter it.
v12 A man is proud until he falls.
A man must be humble before he can receive honor.
v13 Only fools answer before they have listened.
v14 A man’s spirit brings strength to him when he is ill.
But if his spirit is weak, the man must suffer.
Commentary
Verses 10-11 are about different castles. A castle was a strong building, which would be safe, even during a war.
A good man trusts in God. He can relax because God will keep him safe.
A rich man trusts in a strong building. He thinks that his money is safe in his castle. He trusts his castle. He does not trust God. This rich man thinks that thieves cannot enter the castle’s high walls. He is wrong. He is not safe.
The Bible teaches that a truly great man is a humble man. See Mark 9:33-35.
A wise man listens carefully before he advises anyone. A fool (that is, an evil man) does not need to listen. He already has plenty of foolish ideas to tell you.
The fool thinks that he knows everything. Really, he knows nothing. He is wrong because he hates wisdom. So he has never learned anything.
Your spirit needs to be strong. Your spirit can help you when your body is weak. If your spirit is weak, then you will struggle.
Our spirits will become strong if we trust God. Like our bodies, our spirits need exercise. We should study the Bible and pray to God. We should go to church and meet other Christians. We should look after and encourage other people. All these activities will help us. If we do these things, God will make our spirits stronger. See 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, Hebrews 13:1-10 and Philippians 4:13.
Verses 15-19
v15 A wise man’s mind is always ready to learn knowledge.
A wise man’s ears listen for knowledge.
v16 A bribe (secret gift) makes new opportunities.
Even rulers listen to men who pay bribes (secret gifts).
v17 The first person to speak seems right
until someone asks him questions.
v18 A lot (that is, a game of chance) could settle an argument
when strong men oppose each other.
v19 Do not upset your brother! It is easier to win in battle than to agree with him.
It would be easier to enter a castle.
Commentary
King Solomon was also a judge. These verses are about judgments in court.
This verse is a little poem about the parts of the body.
The wise man’s mind loves wisdom. So he studies to be even wiser.
The wise man always listens with his ears. He listens so that he will hear more knowledge. Then his mind can learn it, and the man will become wiser.
In particular, a judge needs to listen carefully. Then he will know the truth in a matter.
Bribes (secret gifts) are evil. They tempt people to do wrong things.
Judges must be aware of the dangers of bribes (secret gifts).
A judge must listen to both opposing sides. Everyone believes the first person to speak. The lawyers must ask hard questions. Then they will discover whether this person’s words are true.
We should not believe everyone who speaks about God. The speaker might seem right. But we must ask questions, to discover whether the speaker really believes the Bible. See 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 17-23.
If strong men oppose each other, then they might want to fight. The argument could cause great pain and trouble. This problem seems impossible to solve.
However, a very simple solution might be possible. The two men might settle their argument by lot (that is, by chance).
People in the Bible often used lots to make decisions. They trusted God to make the decision when they used lots. God is wiser than any human judge is. So the people respected God’s decision and settled their arguments. See Proverbs 16:33.
We do not need to use lots today, because God has given his Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit will guide us to make the right decisions.
Family arguments can be serious problems. Relatives can struggle to solve an argument if you upset them. It is hard to persuade your brother to forgive you. If you have hurt him, then he might refuse to accept you. When the relationship is close, it can be much harder to solve such problems.
We should avoid arguments. If we have done something wrong, then we should confess our error. We should say that we are sorry. If someone else makes a mistake, we should forgive that person. We should care about other people. So we should try not to upset them.
Verses 20-24
v20 A man’s words are like his food.
Good words are like the harvest.
v21 Words can bring life or death.
Words have effects.
v22 When a man finds a wife, God has been kind to him.
v23 A poor man asks for help.
But a rich man refuses to help.
v24 A man might have many friends, but none would help him.
Another man has only one friend, but that friend is closer than a brother.
Commentary
Our words make us what we are.
Bad food makes a man weak. Bad words will also make a man weak. Bad words are, for example, lies or evil plans.
Good food makes a man strong. Good words will also make him strong. Good words are, for example, true words or words that encourage. Good words bring many benefits. This is why good words are like the harvest.
When a judge makes his judgment, he can punish a man with death. When a thief makes an evil plan, his words can plot a man’s death.
Our words also bring results. We can tell people how to become Christians. We can advise people wisely. We can help people with our words. Words are powerful.
See Proverbs 31:10-21. When a man marries a woman, this is good. See Genesis 2:20-24. God has been good to them, so they love each other. They should look after each other. They should encourage and help each other. They must try to be a good husband and a good wife. God has been kind to them, so they should try to be kind to each other.
This is terrible. The rich man is greedy. He does not think that God cares about the poor man. The rich man does not use his wealth to help the poor man. Instead, the rich man wastes his money on luxury. God will punish him.
The friends ought to help the first man. But when he needs help, they all avoid him. This often happens. Many friends are not loyal. When troubles come, such friends leave.
The second man has only one friend. But this friend is a different type of friend. There is real love in this friendship. When troubles come, this friend is like a brother. This friend really cares. Jesus is like this friend. He cares for us, even if nobody else cares. He even died for us, so that God would forgive us. Jesus said, ‘Nobody loves more than the man who dies for his friends. You are my friends, if you obey me.’ (John 15:13-14)
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