Verses 1-2
v1 It is better to be a responsible person than to have great wealth.
It is better that people trust you than for you to receive silver and gold.
v2 Rich people and poor people have this in common.
God made them all.
Commentary
Wisdom is more valuable than wealth (Proverbs 8:10). Other people should be able to trust us. Christians should be responsible people, who are always careful and sensible.
God made everybody. So we are all responsible to him. God made rich people. He gave wealth to them, so that they could help poor people (Proverbs 14:31).
God also made poor people. He cares about them (Isaiah 61:1). He will punish rich people who refuse to help poor people (Proverbs 17:5).
Verses 3-6
v3 When a wise man sees danger, he stays in a safe place.
But simple people do nothing, so they suffer.
v4 Be humble! Respect God!
You will receive wealth and honor. And you will have a life that satisfies you.
v5 There are many dangers for a wicked man. His life is like a path where there are sharp objects and traps.
A man who cares about his spirit avoids such dangers.
v6 Teach a child how he should behave!
When he is old, he will continue to do the right things.
Commentary
A simple person has not learned to be wise. He does not watch for dangers. He does not go to a safe place. (See Psalm 46:1-2.) He suffers, because he is not wise.
God is greater than we are. Therefore, we must be humble. The wise person respects God (Proverbs 1:7). God protects him and helps him.
Some wise people are not wealthy (Proverbs 19:1). But their wisdom is more valuable than money (Proverbs 8:10-11). Really, they are wealthy, because God will give great wealth to them in heaven. (See Revelation 21:3-4, Revelation 21:18-21 and Isaiah 55:2. See also Mark 10:29-20.)
Similarly, other people might not give honor to wise people (Matthew 5:11-12). But God gives honor to them (John 12:26).
In this book, Solomon warns us about many dangers. Wicked people suffer from all these dangers because they refuse to learn wisdom (Proverbs 4:19). They even suffer from their own evil actions. They are like a stupid hunter, who falls into his own trap (Proverbs 5:22-23).
But we can be safe from these dangers. If we are wise, then we shall not be wicked. We shall obey Solomon’s advice. We shall learn about dangers and avoid them. (Proverbs 5:8).
Verse 6 is a lesson for teachers to learn. It is also good advice for parents. We should teach even the youngest children. We should teach them about wisdom. We should teach them to obey God’s commands. And we should encourage them to trust in Jesus.
Science, languages, and maths are good subjects. Art and music can teach us many skills. But these things are not the same as wisdom. The first lesson about wisdom is that we must respect God.
When our children grow older, they will remember our lessons. Lessons about God will always be valuable to our children. God’s wisdom can guide our entire lives. This wisdom can protect us from danger. Also, wisdom teaches us to trust in God. So God’s wisdom will teach us the way to heaven.
Verses 7-11
v7 Wealthy people rule over poor people.
The borrower (a person who owes money on loan) must serve the lender.
v8 When a man is evil, he himself suffers troubles.
His cruelty and his anger will end.
v9 God is kind to a generous man.
This man shares his food with poor people.
v10 If a man makes trouble for other people, send him away.
The troubles will go with him.
v11 A king appreciates an honest friend who also speaks gracefully.
Commentary
Solomon collected 3,000 wise lessons (proverbs) (1 Kings 4:32). This section contains over 400 proverbs (Proverbs 10-22). Here, Solomon is almost at the end of his list. As he finishes his work, he repeats the main principles.
Wealthy people are powerful, because of their money. They should use their power wisely. They should be generous. They should not cause poor people to suffer. A wealthy man should care about his servants.
It is not good to owe a debt (Proverbs 6:1). We should work hard and save money. We should spend our money wisely. We should not waste it on luxuries. Then we may perhaps avoid the need for a loan.
Evil actions are like seeds. If a man sows seeds, then he will receive a harvest. If a man does evil things, then he will suffer trouble. Other people might suffer from his evil actions. But the man himself will also suffer. God knows that the man is evil. God will punish him (Hosea 8:7).
Sometimes evil people are strong and powerful. An evil king might rule a country with his large army. We might think that nobody could defeat him. But God is more powerful than any king or ruler (Ephesians 1:20-21). In God’s time, the rule of evil people over this world will end. But God’s words will not end. God’s power will not end. God will always be the only God. (Mark 13:31; Hebrews 12:26-28)
God wants us to be generous. He wants us to share the wealth that he has given to us (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). God cares about poor people. If we help other people, then we are doing God’s work (Luke 6:38). So, God will reward us (Mark 10:29-30).
People who cause trouble by their evil words do not deserve a welcome. Such people may lie or gossip. Or they may insult other people. We should send away these evil people (Matthew 18:17). The troubles will end when they leave. And perhaps our actions will warn them that their behavior was evil (1 Timothy 1:20).
Because Solomon was a king, his decisions affected many people. His friends needed to advise him and to inform him. He needed to choose the right friends.
Solomon needed honest friends who would speak the truth. He needed friends who spoke kind words. He did not want angry friends or dangerous friends. He did not want friends who told lies. It did not matter whether his friends were rich or poor. He needed wise friends.
Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, had the wrong friends. They were rich, and they loved luxuries. They were not kind. They were cruel. They gave bad advice. Because of their bad advice, there was a revolution. Rehoboam lost most of his country (1 Kings 12:10-16).
Everybody needs good friends. We need friends to encourage and to advise us. We want friends who will pray for us. We need to meet with other Christians. We should go to a church that believes the Bible.
Verses 12-16
v12 God protects knowledge about his truth.
But the plans of evil men will fail.
v13 A lazy man says, ‘A lion is outside!’
Or, he says, ‘A murderer will kill me on the road!’
v14 A married woman who tempts other men is like a deep well.
A man will fall into it if God is angry with him.
v15 A child is by nature foolish. He will do silly things.
A smack will teach him to behave more wisely.
v16 One man is cruel to poor people, in order to make himself wealthy.
Another man gives gifts to rich people.
Both of them will become poor in the end.
Commentary
People may fail, but God’s word will never fail. God preserves his truth. Nobody can successfully oppose God. God will not allow anyone to destroy the truth.
‘Knowledge’ here means knowledge about God, and about what he requires.
In Jeremiah 36:27-28, an evil king tried to destroy the words that God gave to the prophet (holy man) Jeremiah. The king threw Jeremiah’s book into the fire. The book burned, but God protected the knowledge about his truth. After the book burned, God told Jeremiah to write the book again. So the king’s plan to destroy the prophet’s words failed.
When Solomon writes about the lazy man, he usually uses humor. This lazy man has an excuse for everything. He cannot even leave his house.
The lazy man tells us that there is a lion outside. We look, but we cannot see any lion. He tells us that a murderer is outside. We cannot see any murderer, either.
The truth is that the man just wants an excuse to be lazy.
God needs people to work for him (Matthew 9:37-38). God wants us to teach his good news. God wants people to hear about the Bible. God wants to forgive people. We must work for God. We must not be lazy.
Sometimes there will be dangers. Sometimes these dangers are real (Matthew 10:34-38). We must be wise and careful. (Matthew 10:16-17). But if we suffer, God will reward us (Matthew 10:39). So we should not be afraid (Matthew 10:26). Read Matthew 10.
A deep well is very dangerous. If you fall in, then you cannot easily climb out. Perhaps nobody will hear your cries. Perhaps nobody can rescue you. Perhaps you will die.
Evil deeds are dangerous. If evil things tempt you, these things are dangerous. These things can cause many troubles.
Perhaps sex tempts you. Or perhaps money tempts you. Or, other things might tempt you. You should refuse. Then God will protect you (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
God is angry with evil people (Deuteronomy 1:26, 34). If a person does evil things, then he will suffer many troubles. But, if he asks God to forgive him, then God will forgive (Psalm 51:17).
By ‘foolish’, Solomon means ‘evil’. We all do evil things (Romans 7:19). This is because men and women refused to obey God (Genesis 3). Even a child does wrong things.
But the child can learn to do the right things. And we can all learn to obey God. First, we must ask God to forgive us. We must trust in God. Then God will teach his wisdom to us.
We should teach our children. We should explain how they should behave. We should encourage them to respect God. When they can understand this, they should ask God to forgive their evil behavior. Our children are not Christians merely because we believe. They themselves must trust in God.
Sometimes we must punish our children. We do not punish them because we are angry. We punish them because we love them. A smack does not always need to hurt. Often a smack should be gentle. It is like a lesson. It teaches the child to behave more wisely.
Solomon finishes this section of his book, with a puzzle.
Solomon describes two men. Each man has a plan. Each man thinks that his plan will make him wealthy. However, both plans will fail. Both men will become poor. These men become poor because their plans are not wise. Both plans are evil plans. So God opposes these plans. And God punishes the men.
The first man wanted to be wealthy. So he was cruel to poor people. Perhaps he was an employer. He decided to pay poor wages for hard work. Or perhaps he was a landlord. The rent was expensive and the houses were dangerous. Or perhaps he was just a thief. He stole money from the poor people. All these plans are evil.
The second man did not think about poor people. He wanted to get money from wealthy people. Perhaps his gifts were bribes (secret gifts). He wanted government officials to like him. Then they would help him to make a profit. He thought that this would make him rich. Or perhaps he gave gifts to impress other people. He wanted people to think that he was wealthy or important. In the end, he wasted all his money.
People make many plans to become wealthy. But, in the end, wealth does not matter. When we die, we shall lose all our money (Ecclesiastes 2:18; 1 Timothy 6:7). But when we die, we do not lose wisdom. Wisdom teaches us to respect God (Proverbs 1:7).
We must not trust in money. We must trust in God.
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