Verses 1-4
v1 Wine is like a man who insults you. Beer is like a man who shouts at you.
If wine and beer tempt you, then you are not wise.
v2 An angry king is like a roaring lion.
If you make the king angry, then you will die.
v3 If a man avoids arguments, then he deserves honour.
A fool always argues.
v4 A lazy man does not plough the ground during the cold weather.
When the harvest is due, he looks for food. He finds nothing.
Commentary
A drunk might say that alcohol is like a friend to him. Solomon does not agree. A friend would not insult you. But wine and beer do this. Alcohol insults your mind and confuses your thoughts. It can hurt your body and put you in danger. It causes divorces and upsets families. A wise person should not allow wine and beer to tempt him.
This verse is similar to Proverbs 19:12. Do not make a king angry! He might order your death.
See also the prayer in Acts 4:24-20. Sometimes people (and even kings) will oppose us, because we are Christians.
A wise man tries not to argue. He is polite - see Acts 26:2-3. Sometimes he says nothing, to avoid an argument - see Mark 14:61. But sometimes he must speak, although other people will be angry (Mark 14:62-65). His wisdom will guide him to know what to say.
A fool is evil and he hates wisdom. He loves arguments, because he loves his evil behaviour.
Solomon uses humor here. The farmer in verse 4 was too lazy to plough his land. When the harvest is due, he gets a bad surprise. There is no food.
Even a stupid farmer knows that he must plough the ground. This farmer was lazy, so he will be hungry.
If we work hard, then we shall have enough food. Work is good. We should not be lazy.
Verses 5-9
v5 Only a wise man can get water from a deep well.
So only a wise man can understand another person’s thoughts.
v6 Many men say that they are loyal.
But you cannot find a man anywhere who does not tell lies.
v7 A good man lives an honest life.
Because of his life, his children are glad.
v8 A king sits on his throne (royal chair) as a judge.
He does not permit anything that is evil in his court.
v9 Surely nobody can say, ‘My heart is innocent.
My behavior is always right. My actions are never wrong.’
Commentary
Sometimes it is difficult to help a friend. Often a friend does not want to talk. He does not want to explain his problems. A wise person will speak gently to his friend. The wise person will encourage his friend to explain the problem.
The wise man must be slow and patient. He acts like a man who takes water from a deep well. After a long time, he will succeed. Then the wise man will understand his friend’s problem. So the wise man can help his friend.
People often say that they are loyal to their friends. Troubles will test whether their words were true. Anyone can say such words. But when problems come, many people do not try to help their friends.
In verses 6 and 9, Solomon tries to find an honest man. Many people seem honest. They say the right words. But when Solomon inquires further, these people disappoint Solomon. Everybody does wrong things. See Psalm 53:3, Isaiah 53:6, and Romans 3:23.
Jesus was always honest and he always spoke the truth. John lived with Jesus for 3 years (1 John 1:1-3). John tells us that Jesus did nothing evil (1 John 3:5). This is why Jesus could take the punishment for our evil actions. Jesus did this when he died for us (1 Peter 3:18). This is how God forgives our evil actions.
The children benefit if their father is honest. If we are honest and good, then God will help our children.
But only Jesus was really honest. Jesus is God (Colossians 2:9, John 10:30). If we trust God, then we are God’s children (Isaiah 53:10). So God is kind to us (1 John 3:1).
In Solomon’s time, the king was also a judge. God is also a king and judge (Revelation 19:16; 20:11-12). God gives authority to human judges (John 19:10-11). So we must respect them. A human judge is God’s servant (Romans 13:1-5).
A human judge does not allow lies in his court. He does not allow any evil behaviour in his court. In the same way, God punishes all our evil actions (Revelation 20:13-15). Nobody can lie to God. He knows everything (1 John 3:20).
See verse 6. We cannot say this (1 John 1:8). Only Jesus can truly say this. However, if we trust in God, then God forgives our evil actions. We are God’s children. We do not continue to do evil things (1 John 3:9). But if we do evil things, then we should tell the truth to God. We should confess our evil action to God. We should tell him about our errors (1 John 1:9). Then God will forgive us, because of Jesus (1 John 2:1).
Verses 10-12
v10 There are false scales and false measurements.
God hates all lies.
v11 We test even children by their actions.
We watch whether their behavior is true and right.
v12 God made eyes that see.
God made ears that hear.
Commentary
Shops use scales and measurements. If these are false, then the shopkeeper is cheating the customer. Solomon says that the shopkeeper has lied. God hates all lies.
A good child behaves well. A bad child behaves badly. We test children by their actions.
God tests everybody by their actions. We all must do the things that please God. (Matthew 7:20)
God made our eyes and ears. Therefore, he knows how to see and to hear. God sees our actions. God hears our words. He knows the things that we have done. He is a fair judge. We cannot lie to God.
Verses 13-18
v13 If you love to sleep, then you will become poor.
Stay awake, and you will have plenty of food.
v14 The buyer says, ‘It is bad! It is bad!’
Then he goes away. Proudly, he tells everyone about his good purchase.
v15 There is much gold. There are many precious stones.
But a wise person’s knowledge is really rare and precious.
v16 If a man promises to pay a foreigner’s debt, then take his coat.
If he promises on behalf of a foreign woman, then keep his coat! Otherwise, he may never pay.
v17 When a man steals food, the food tastes sweet.
But he will not enjoy his meal. In the end, his meal will be like a mouthful of stones.
v18 If you are making a plan for a war,
then get advice!
Commentary
This is similar to Proverbs 19:15. Sleep is good, but it is not good to be lazy. The lazy man becomes poor because he refuses to work. The worker earns his wages so that he has plenty of food.
This buyer bargains for a cheap price. Perhaps he even cheats the seller. The buyer says that the seller is selling something bad. But later, he tells the opposite to his friends. He has bought something good at a cheap price.
People do not always mean the things that they say. And many people try to make a profit unfairly. We should be honest (Matthew 5:37).
Gold and precious stones seem valuable. They are beautiful and expensive. But many people own them. And these things are not very useful.
Knowledge is useful. Knowledge is more valuable than gold or precious stones. Knowledge is also rare. See Matthew 7:14.
You cannot trust this man’s promise. He has promised on behalf of a foreigner. Perhaps the man is hiding an evil secret. Therefore, you must keep his coat, until he pays. See also Exodus 22:26-27.
A man eats a meal. His food tastes good and sweet. He enjoys the meal.
But suddenly, something is wrong. The meal tastes awful. He breaks his teeth. His mouth is full of stones!
Evil actions are like this. Evil behaviour may tempt us and attract us. We might feel happy when we do an evil action. But soon it will feel terrible. In the end, we feel shame.
The man in verse 17 stole his food. Or perhaps he cheated someone else to get the meal. In the end, he receives his punishment.
Be careful when you make an important decision!
When a king goes to war, people will die. He must not decide to go to war while he is angry. He must think carefully. He must obtain good advice, from honest advisers. See Luke 14:31-33.
Verses 19-22
v19 If a man gossips, then he tells secrets.
Choose friends who do not speak much.
v20 A man may insult his father and mother.
Put out that man’s light, in total darkness!
v21 You can get money quickly,
but, in the end, it brings trouble.
v22 Do not say, ‘You have done wrong things to me. So I will punish you.’
Wait for God! He will save you!
v23 God hates wrong measurements.
False scales do not please God.
Commentary
You cannot trust this man. He gossips, so he will tell your secrets to everyone.
We should not gossip. See James 4:11-12.
We must respect our parents. God orders us to do this. See Deuteronomy 5:16, and Matthew 15:4-6.
The second line of verse 20 means that this man deserves death. A man who insults his parents deserves a terrible punishment (Exodus 21:17).
There are many ways to get money quickly. You might steal money. You might cheat other people. You might make an evil plan. These methods are all evil. If you do these things, then you will suffer punishments and troubles.
You should earn money from your work. This is slower than if you steal. But God will be pleased with you because you are honest.
Sometimes we want to punish people who hurt us. This is not a good attitude. We should forgive people (Romans 12:17-21). We should even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). But God will punish evil people if they do not ask God to forgive them. (See Deuteronomy 32:35.)
This is similar to verse 10. Many people think that small lies do not matter. Solomon does not agree with this idea. Solomon repeats the lesson because it is important. God hates all lies.
Verses 24-30
v24 God directs a man’s life.
This is why nobody can understand his own life.
v25 When you promise to give a gift, think first!
Otherwise, later you will be sorry.
v26 A wise king acts as if evil men are like the wheat harvest.
He scatters them, and he drives a wheel over them.
v27 God sees a man’s spirit.
God can see the man’s secret thoughts.
v28 Love and truth protect a king.
Love will make his government safe.
v29 The best thing about youths is their strength.
Grey hair gives honor to old people.
v30 When a wound hurts, the bad part heals.
So a whip punishes and removes evil behavior from a man.
Commentary
We try to understand our own lives. We try to understand our experiences. Often we do not know why things happen. But God knows. He directs our lives. And he guides us. He is like a farmer who looks after his sheep (Psalm 23; John 10:1-11).
Judges 11:30-40 explain this. Jephthah promised to kill and to give to God, whatever greeted him first. He expected an animal to greet him. However, his daughter greeted him.
We should be careful about gifts and promises. It is better not to carry out a promise, than to do something evil. But you should not make a promise that you cannot carry out. See also Matthew 5:33-37.
A farmer drives a wheel over the wheat, to separate the grain from the straw. Then he scatters the grain so that the wind blows away the straw.
A king attacks evil men. The king must protect his country, so his army fights against the evil men. This is like the farmer, who drives a wheel over the wheat to separate the straw from the grain.
If the king does not kill the evil men, then he scatters them. If many evil men work together, then they are strong and dangerous. After the king scatters them, they are alone and weak.
God also does this. He punishes evil people and he scatters them (Psalm 2). God does this so that God’s people are safe.
God even knows our thoughts. He knows whether our plans are good or evil. Other people might think that we are good and honest. But God knows the truth.
Some rulers think that they should be cruel. Solomon’s own son, Rehoboam, thought this (1 Kings 12:13-14). He was wrong. Cruelty does not make a king safe. If a ruler is cruel, then the people hate him. They want a revolution and a new government.
Love protects a king. A ruler should love the people. He should look after them and protect them. Then the people will love him. See 1 John 3:7-12.
We respect a youth’s strength. We call young people ‘champions’ and ‘heroes’ when they win in sports.
We must also respect old people. Their grey hair reminds us of their long lives. Often old people have great wisdom. They are too old to be champions in sport. But they can still be our champions and heroes, because of their wisdom.
Nobody likes pain. But a wound often heals, whilst it hurts. The body removes the bad part of the wound, and this hurts.
In Solomon’s country, judges might punish a guilty man with the whip. The second line means, ‘Punishment removes a man’s evil behavior.’ No punishment is pleasant. But the intention is to teach good behavior.
If we smack a child, then the child learns to behave. When a judge punishes a thief, the thief should learn not to steal.
God sometimes punishes Christians. He does this because he loves us. He wants us to learn how to be holy. See Hebrews 12:5-11.
This verse also reminds us about Jesus. Before Jesus died, the soldiers whipped his back. They made him suffer greatly, although he had done nothing wrong. Then they placed nails through his hands and feet. The nails fixed him to the wooden cross where he died.
Jesus suffered the punishment that we deserve for our evil deeds. He suffered because God loves us. God forgives us because Jesus suffered. We need simply to confess our evil deeds and to trust God. Because Jesus suffered our punishment, God removes our evil behavior. And because Jesus suffered our punishment, we can be friends of God. See 1 Peter 2:24 and Isaiah 53:5.
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