Verses 1-7
v1 Here are more of Solomon’s proverbs (wise words). The officials copied these proverbs, when Hezekiah was the king of Judah.
v2 Mysteries prove that God is great.
But a king is great if he understands a mystery.
v3 The skies are high. The earth is deep.
And nobody can know the heart of a king.
v4 Remove the dirt from the silver!
And the skilled workman will make a beautiful object.
v5 Remove evil people from the government!
And the king will rule well.
v6 Do not try to be important.
Do not sit with the great men.
v7 Then the king will say to you, ‘Come here! You are important!’
But otherwise, he will say, ‘Go away! Other men are more important than you.’
Commentary
King Hezekiah lived 250 years after King Solomon. Hezekiah was a good king. He served God.
Hezekiah established again the temple (house of God in Jerusalem), which Solomon built. King Hezekiah’s officials found some more proverbs (wise words). So they added these proverbs to Solomon’s book.
Solomon wrote these proverbs (wise words). Or perhaps these proverbs were part of Solomon’s collection.
The style of these proverbs (wise words) is different from the style of the proverbs in chapters 10 to 22. Some of these later proverbs are longer than the earlier proverbs. And many of these proverbs are in subject groups.
Mysteries show one way that kings differ from God.
We know that God is great. We see many mysteries that are the works of God. We see plants and animals. But we do not know how God made them. We do not even know how our own bodies work. These things are mysteries to us. But they are the works of God. Because of such mysteries, we realize that God is great.
But a king is great if he understands mysteries. The king needs to realize if his people are unhappy. And he has to decide what he should do. The solution to the problem might be a mystery. The decision may be difficult. The king needs the best advisers. But if the king’s decision is right, then he is a great king.
We cannot see all the stars, because the sky is too high. And we cannot know a king’s emotions or secret thoughts. In public, the king might seem bold. But in private, he might be afraid.
The workman cannot make a beautiful object with dirty silver. And the king cannot rule well if his government is evil. Paul taught us to pray for kings and governments (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
This is similar to Jesus’ words in Luke 14:7-11. We should be humble. Then God will give honor to us.
Verses 8-15
v8 When you see something, do not argue too quickly.
Perhaps you are wrong about your neighbor. Then you will be ashamed.
v9 Instead, discuss the matter with your neighbor himself.
Do not tell his secrets to other people.
v10 Otherwise, someone may hear, who can make you ashamed.
And everyone will blame you.
v11 The right words are like gold apples on a silver tray.
v12 A wise man corrects someone who listens.
The wise man’s words are beautiful and valuable, like gold.
v13 Choose a man whom you can trust to deliver your message.
He will please you. He is like cool snow during the harvest.
v14 Sometimes there are clouds and winds, but no rain falls.
And sometimes a man promises gifts, but he gives nothing.
v15 A patient man can convince a ruler.
A gentle word is like a hammer that can break a bone!
Commentary
If you are unhappy with someone, you should discuss the matter with that person first. You should not gossip.
We should always want to say the right words. The right words are beautiful, like gold. The right words are valuable, like silver. But the right words are also rare, like silver or gold. People do not often say the right words. Instead, they say the wrong words. For example, people speak their own ideas. Or they make evil plans. Or they gossip. Or they insult people. Or they lie, or they argue. And these words are the wrong words.
But the right words are wise. The right words teach us about God. The right words help us. They comfort us. Let us speak the right words!
Many people do not like correction. These people do not want to know that their actions are wrong. But when someone accepts correction, that person is glad. That person is glad because he will not continue to do the wrong things. So that person praises the wise man.
The wise person has taught a beautiful lesson to the other person. And the other person thinks that the lesson was valuable, like gold.
You can trust this man. He does the things that he promises. He will deliver your letter. And you will be as happy as a man who finds snow on a hot day.
As Christians, we should do the things that we have promised to do. Then other people will be able to trust us. And these people will learn from us that they can also trust God.
Solomon lived in a dry country. His people needed rain for their crops. So the people were sad when the clouds did not bring rain.
This man behaved like these clouds. He did not do the things that he promised. His promises seemed genuine. But he never gave the gifts that he promised. He should not have promised these things.
Jesus said, ‘ “Yes” means “yes.” And “no” means “no.” Any other ideas are from the devil.’
A patient person can achieve great things. His gentle words may not seem as impressive as other people’s words. But the patient person will continue until he succeeds. And, in the end, his gentle words are very powerful.
Verses 16-20
v16 If you eat too much honey, then you will be sick.
v17 If you visit your neighbor too often, then he will hate you.
We must learn how to control our own behavior.
v18 Some people use a whip, a sword, or an arrow.
Other people lie about their neighbors.
v19 Some people have a bad tooth or a bad foot.
Other people trust a fool when they are in trouble.
v20 Some people will steal a coat on a cold day. Or, they will pour acid on soap.
Other people sing when someone is sad.
Commentary
Honey is good. But too much honey will make you sick. Friendship is good. And visits to your neighbor are good. But you must be careful. Your neighbor needs to meet other people. And your neighbor needs to do other things. If you visit your neighbor too often, then you will upset your neighbor.
There are many cruel people who want to attack their neighbors. They could hurt their neighbor with a whip. Or they might use a sword.
But you can also hurt your neighbor if you lie about him. You might argue, ‘My lie is merely words. Words do not hurt.’ But your neighbor will suffer because of your evil words.
A bad tooth causes pain. And it continues to cause pain. A fool is an evil man who hates wisdom. You cannot trust this evil man. He will not help you when you are in trouble. Instead, he will cause you to suffer. His advice will be evil. And his actions will be evil. So you will continue to suffer.
These people are all cruel.
If someone steals a coat on a cold day, then that thief is very cruel. If someone pours acid on soap, that person is cruel. He spoils the soap. Now, nobody can use the soap.
A singer might not seem cruel. But this singer is cruel also.
Someone is sad. But this singer is happy. The singer does not think about the sad man. And the singer does not try to help the sad man. Instead, the singer continues to sing. And this upsets the sad man. So the sad man becomes sadder. And the singer does not even realise that his actions are cruel.
Verses 21-25
v21 If your enemy is hungry, then give food to him.
If your enemy needs a drink, then give water to him.
v22 He will feel as if burning coal is on his head.
But God will reward you.
v23 The wind brings rain.
A secret whisper brings an angry reaction.
v24 One man lives on the corner of his roof.
His life is better than the man who lives with an arguing wife.
v25 Good news from abroad is like a cool drink.
Both comfort a tired person.
Commentary
Do not attack your enemy! Do not fight him! Instead, trust God! God will protect you. Pray for your enemy! Love your enemy!
Jesus taught this lesson in Matthew 5:43-48. While Jesus was dying, he prayed for his enemies (Luke 23:34). And Jesus forgave a criminal who insulted him (Mark 15:32 and Luke 23:39-43).
Your enemy might be upset when you help him. He does not want to accept your kind gifts. He might continue to insult you. But God sees that your actions are right. And God will reward you.
Perhaps you do not want a friend to hear your words. So you whisper. Your friend might not hear your actual words. But he knows that you are whispering. So your friend guesses that your words are not good. Or he guesses that you are gossiping. And he is angry.
If you whisper about another person, someone else may repeat your words to that person. Then you can expect an angry reaction from that person. As the wind brings rain, your whisper will cause this angry reaction.
If your husband or wife always argues, life is hard. This man has escaped. He has gone to his roof, to avoid the argument.
We should try not to argue. Forgive other people’s errors! Learn to be calm! Do not be like this man’s wife who continues to argue.
We wait for news about our friends and relatives. They may be distant, but we still care about them. And we are glad to hear their good news. We ourselves may have many troubles. But their good news comforts us.
Verses 26-29
v26 Muddy water is more useful than the good man who supports a wicked man’s plan.
v27 Too much honey is not a good meal.
And a man, who tries to be great, is not a great man.
v28 A man who has no discipline is like a city without walls.
Commentary
This is terrible. This good man is helping a wicked man with an evil plan. The good man is not trying to do evil things. But he has not realized that he must oppose the plan. He has not realized the evil effects of the wicked man’s plan. He did not know that a wicked man’s plans are always evil.
You should not drink muddy water. It is not safe. But even muddy water is more useful than that good man. The good man ought to be useful. So he ought to oppose the evil plan.
You might like honey. But you cannot eat only honey. So you make a mistake if there is too much honey in your meal.
This man also has made a mistake. He wants to be a great man. So he pretends that he is already a great man. But he is not a great man. Instead, he is stupid.
This man ought to be humble. Then other people will decide whether the man is really great.
When Solomon’s workmen built a city, they built strong walls around that city (1 Kings 9:15-19). The walls were important defenses. They protected the city from attack.
We ought to learn discipline. Discipline is like the city walls because discipline makes us strong. We may have many problems. But we shall act wisely if we have discipline.
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