Proverbs 30:21-23

Introduction
Agur’s proverbs continue here in sets of four. He comes as a climax to the book of Proverbs which frequently lays out wisdom in the black and white, sin and righteousness, wisdom and folly. Agus says he’s a fool and stupid, he second guesses himself. He agrees with the rest of Proverbs but encourages us to allow for exceptions.

30:21: For three things the earth is perturbed, yes, for four it cannot bear up

The word for “perturbed” may mean quarrel or trouble (Gen. 45:24, Job 3:26); it may also refer to trembling and fear (Ex. 15:14, Dt. 2:25). This same trembling is promised to Israel if they break covenant with the Lord (Dt. 28:65). This is the panic of a war camp under a surprise attack (1 Sam. 14:15, 28:15). It can also refer to an earth quake (2 Sam. 22:8, Job 9:6, Ps. 18:8, 77:18). The command to “be angry and do not sin” is the command to be “perturbed” but do not sin (Ps. 4:5). The word is only used one other time in Proverbs to refer to the “ragings” of a fool (Pr. 29:9).

The earth is not able to “bear up” because of this trouble, quaking, raging. The word for “bear up” is related to a very common word that means “lift up.” This form can mean “acceptable, bearable, or swelling.” Given the fact that the image here is of the “earth,” the translation “bear up” seems right. The image is of the earth on the verge of collapse. Given that these four things are people, the point is that these kinds of “ragings” have enormous consequences are not minor or little. These are acts of folly that can cause great trouble in the world.

30:22: For a servant when he reigns, a fool when he is filled with food.

Here the servant is probably a member of the king’s cabinet, another subordinate official who has usurped the crown (Gen. 24:2, 1 Sam. 27:12). If the king is supposed to be a rock, a steady leader for the stability of his people, a revolt causes great tumult in the earth. The seizing of glory and power is rarely a good sign, and rarely are those who do so prepared for the task. Frequently, rebels who oust tyrants merely establish more tyranny or worse. People who are not ready to rule, who are suddenly given great power and authority frequently abuse it.

A fool filled with bread is parallel to the first “trouble” in the sense that there is a situation that does not seem natural, does not seem just, or safe. Just as it is frequently unwise to allow hot headed captains to become the next king, a fool with a full belly is like a drunk with a full tank of gas. Instead of nourishing wisdom, instead of being a blessing (Pr. 3:10, 12:11, 14, 20:13), fullness here is a curse. Recall that previously Agur has referred to the curse of “fullness” (30:9, 15-16).
30:23: A hateful woman when she is married, and a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

The theme of usurpation and events that are unsafe continues here with a “hated woman” when she becomes a “lady.” The masculine form for the word for “married” means “husband” or “lord” and can refer both to marriage and to rule or authority. And it seems likely that both are in view here. A hated woman is an unloved woman, and love exactly what she wants and needs. This is the opposite of a “virtuous woman” who is a crown to her husband (Pr. 12:4).

A maidservant succeeds her mistress by becoming one of the king’s concubines. This is the scene in Gen. 16 where it seemed like a good idea initially for Abram to conceive a child through Hagar, but Sarai knows that this is a mistake after Hagar has his child (Gen. 16:4). Whether intentionally or not, the crossing of loyalty and trust and intentions is too complicated to avoid even the appearance of usurpation. A more devious maidservant may seduce a husband in hopes of displacing the wife. And if that wife is the queen, the maidservant is not only grasping for security but also power (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:19, 2 Kgs. 10:13).

In all four of these instances there is a breach, some break with the usual process, order, etc. And they seem chiastically arranged:

A. A servant who reigns
B. A fool filled with bread
B’. A hated woman married
A’. A maid who becomes queen

In the first and last, power and authority are taken up by those without power and authority, and in the middle two, physical and emotional satisfaction is provided. The first and last perhaps represent psychological desire whereas the middle ones represent physical desires.

The earth is shaken when these things occur, and it seems safe to say that is usually a bad thing. However, it is striking how the gospel accomplishes all of these things. In the gospel, God has become a servant so that He might become Lord over all, and in Him all of His servants reign. In the gospel, fools are filled with bread. The church was a hated and scorned woman who has been loved by a faithful husband, and the maidservant has become a queen. And it is this gospel that has “turned the whole world upside down” (Acts 17:6). While these reversals can be terrifying and create great upheaval, by the working of the Spirit they can be for the blessing of the world.

In the context of Proverbs, Agur’s wisdom is perhaps a warning, a cautionary tale (e.g. watch out for servants, fools, hated women, and ambitious maid servants), but it may also be the wisdom of the gospel that recognizes how God works: “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has given help to His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, Abraham and to his seed forever” (Lk. 1:52-55). Or Paul puts it this way: “If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:18-19). And this seems to be what Jesus is calling His disciples to in the gospel: “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:26).

In other words, grasping for power and authority and satisfaction is always dangerous and tumultuous, whether by kings or slaves, but God loves to show His glory and wisdom and power in the weak and foolish and unlikely.

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Proverbs 30:15-17

Introduction
We continue the proverbs of Agur who enjoys organizing his points around short, repetitive numerical outlines. In the immediately preceding context, he has prayed for neither riches or poverty (30:7-9) and then proceeded to explore cultures and societies of pride and greed (30:11-15).

“There are three things that are never satisfied, four never say, ‘enough!’: the grave, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water – the fire never says, ‘enough!’” (30:15b-16)

This verse on the surface seems to shift topics slightly while continuing the theme of greed. But while the previous section was focused on human greed, this verse turns to “naturally occurring” greed. The hinge for that transition is the leech who has two daughters (30:15). That image combines human/natural imagery intentionally and nicely summarizes the previous section while giving an easy introduction to the four things that never have enough.

The four things that never have enough are grouped into two pairs:
The grave
The barren womb

The earth
The fire

The first two are more directly part of human life, and the second two are more general to the created order. In the first two, we note that the grave is constantly hungry to take life, and the barren womb is constantly hungry to create life. Dry ground always needs more water to sustain life, and fire is always looking for more ground to devour. Waltke points out that the four are listed in a rather chiastic order with the first and fourth in the list concerned with taking or destroying life while the second and fourth on the list are concerned with giving and creating life.
The four also answer to the initial thesis which points to those things which are never satisfied, which never say ‘enough.’ The list grows to develop this: Sheol, restrained womb, earth not satisfied, fire doesn’t say ‘enough’. And in this sense, they are all in agreement that they stand as constant reminders of the gravity of death and destruction.

“The eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it.” (30:17)

This recaps a previous theme, and suggests that Agur has not left his initial subject. Here we return to the primal sin of dishonoring parents (30:11), as well as locating that sin in the “eyes” (30:12-13), and devouring things (30:14).
We noted previously that people who dishonor their parents reject their provision. They are already unsatisfied with the womb that bore them, and they are not thankful for their instruction. This unthankfulness is always the beginning of idolatry, because parents are the first gifts of God and because parents are ordinarily the first presentation of God’s grace. To reject parents is to reject God and to insist upon finding another god. This is a futile mission because all other gods are tyrants and blood suckers, and this blind arrogance always oppresses the weak, sucking life from society and creation like a parasite.

But the implication of this whole section seems to be that these four “naturally occurring” insatiables are pictures of proud and greedy people. Pride and greed and idolatry create a world of pain and death and are never satisfied. People who dishonor their parents and have evil eyes devour the lives of the poor and the needy: these people have embrace a hell and a curse and therefore they only deal out hell and cursing.

But this also has to do with a big picture view of the world. Is the world governed by a loving Father who provides for all the needs of His people or is the world some sort of chaotic, survival of the fittest competition? If there is no loving, providential God, then the latter conclusion is the only logical option. If the world isn’t God’s gift, then it must grabbed and raped.

In so far as people become these life sucking forces in the world they are surrendered to that sort of culture, that sort of life. When people become living graves, they will have become friends with vultures and worms. It’s no accident that these are carrion birds; they gather wherever there are corpses. The implication of course is that children who mock their parents end up dead. People who devour the poor end up being devoured themselves.

Here the created order is teaming up with God’s justice. Ravens fed Elijah in the wilderness (1 Kgs. 17:4-6). A dove and a raven served Noah following the flood, and Jesus says that God provides for the ravens (Lk. 12:24). But this points to how we view God and the world that He created. The created order groans under the weight of our sin and curse, but it is fundamentally on God’s side. It serves Him and His purposes, and this means that even Hades and barren wombs and deserts and fire are under His perfect control and can and will be used for His good purposes.

Consider Sheol which gave back our Lord Jesus from the grave, the barren womb which has become fruitful in the virgin birth, the deserts that have become fruitful gardens, and the fire that has been tamed by the Spirit.

In Christ, all of these things have said, 'it is enough.'

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Cute Piggy Banks

Saving for retirement, saving up an inheritance for our grandchildren, saving up for the disaster that might hit is like little kids putting their nickels and dimes and pennies in a piggy bank. This is good practice; there is wisdom here (Pr. 13:22). But it's also kind of cute because we have a Father in heaven who provides us with all that we need (Mt. 6:25-34).

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Proverbs 30:13-15

Prov. 30:13 There is a generation -- oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.

This proverb links to the previous one with the word “eyes.” “These generation” cannot see themselves, and therefore they cannot see others around them either. They cannot see the fact that they are covered in their own excrement, and this is because they are proud and greedy.

Here, the pride is underlined. As we have noted many times, eyes are the organs of judgment, and when people only do what is right in their own eyes, they set themselves up as the standard and the judge and are sure to quickly fall into folly. The reason people cannot see their own sins is frequently not because of pure ignorance but because of vigorous systems of self-justification, lowering the bar and reformulating the standards to make ourselves fit. We frequently do this through comparisons: well, I’m not as bad as so and so. But the standard is always Christ. The law is the law of love.

Jesus warns against “evil eyes” and “bad eyes” (Mt. 6:22-23, Mk. 7:22, Lk. 11:34) which according to the law is refusing to be generous to the poor (Dt. 15:9) and the flip side of this is greed (Prov. 28:22). The parable of the laborers in the vineyard uses this expression in the same way (Mt. 20:15). But the difference between good eyes and bad eyes is the difference between wisdom and folly (Eccl. 2:14).

Eyes can be lifted up to the Lord in faithfulness (Ps. 121:1, 123:1, Is. 40:26, etc.). But lifted up eyes are also idolatrous and this is connected with injustice and oppression of the poor (Ez. 18:6, 12, 15, 23:27, 33:25). This contrast suggests some sense of dependence, hope, refuge sought in wherever the eyes are lifted toward. And anything other than God and His provision is clearly arrogant and proud.

But this also adds another dimension to the healing of blind eyes. To open eyes and restore sight is to restore the ability to see our own sin and poverty and the ability to see the needs around us. To open the eyes of the blind is to transform graspers into givers (Is. 42:7). When our eyes are lifted to the God of heaven, we see His provision and inheritance which is far more than we need and this makes us generous (Acts 28:16). But John says that greed and pride has a spiral effect: hating a brother is itself darkness and a blinding of the eyes (1 Jn. 2:11). And hatred is not merely active assault. Hatred is the lack of active love and mercy in actions and deeds and in truth (1 Jn. 2:16-18).

Prov. 30: 14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.

And just in case we did not catch what Agur meant by “lifted up eyes,” it becomes more explicit in this next proverb where the oppression of the poor is central.

This proverb hinges on the main verb “devour/eat” which makes the swords and butcher knives more graphic. This generation feasts on the poor and the needy, and this generation chews them with their teeth and fangs. The language of cutting and chopping with fangs and teeth is beastly and savage. Literally, they consume the needy from Adam which underlines the image of God in these human beings. This generation devours the poor like beasts, but they are like predators of human beings. They are like beasts hunting and devouring people. In other words, the poor are more human than the rich and powerful (cf. Dt. 32:24).

We noted in back in 30:12 the sacrificial/ceremonial connotations of this generation considering themselves “pure.” They are covered in shit, but they think they are ceremonially clean and appropriate for worship. They justify themselves and lift up their eyes in prayer and worship, and here they are ironically offering sacrifice as well.

Throughout the sacrificial system, worship of Yahweh with sacrifice included meals, eating before God, and even the fire of the offering “consumes” the pieces of the animal symbolizing God’s own “consumption” of His people. But here, this arrogant generation is feasting on the poor and the needy. They are dismembering the poor and the needy and eating them up.

This is why David prays that God would break the teeth of the wicked (Ps. 3:7, 58:6), and this is why God broke Israel’s teeth in the exile, making her harmless to the poor and needy that she was devouring (Lam. 3:16). Micah suggests that when people are chewing up the poor, they do not do it with diabolical laughter, but they are frequently talking about peace and listening to the preachers and prophets (Mic. 3:5).

These generation’s greed and selfishness is aptly summarized by the following verse:

Prov. 30:15: The leech has two daughters – Give and Give!

The leech is a bloodsucker that is never satisfied. This is what “this generation” is like, and it flows out of the “three things that are never satisfied, four that never say ‘enough!’” Waltke says that this is probably a reference to the “horse leech” which has two sucking organs, one to attach itself to its host and the other to suck blood with. The leech is a parasite; it lives off the life of others. And this is exactly the opposite of love. This is hatred of neighbors, living without care or concern for how our actions may affect others.

This underlines the greed of the “this generation” again. And it may be more helpful to think of “this generation” as a culture, a culture that trusts the provision of Yahweh, or a culture that demands to be its own god, its own provider. Think of Israel in the wilderness. The beastly empires that Daniel seas in his vision have “huge iron teeth” to devour everything in their way (Dan. 7:5, 7, 19, cf. Joel 1:6). Thus, "generation" is not merely people born in particular century or decade, but in this context "generation" is a way of life, a culture, an empire.

This kind of arrogant greed starts with dishonoring parents because parents are one of God’s first provisions of us. Long before we "woke up" in this world, God was generously providing for all of our needs through our parents, but rejection of parents’ provision and wisdom occurs because of pride and selfishness, and this necessarily results in the oppression of the poor and defenseless.

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CRF: Why Words Matter

1. God created the world with words (Gen. 1:3-2:3). (Words are magic.)

2. God created the world through the Son, who is the Word (Jn. 1:2, Col. 1:16). Words are like people. The created world is words that speak (Ps. 19:1-11) and is upheld by the Word (Heb. 1:3). (Very magic.)

3. God gave man the glorious task of imaging Him in his use of words/naming/ruling (Gen. 2:19-20). (Words are still magic).

4. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:1, Heb. 1:1-3). This is the proof that God’s Word does not return void (Is. 55:11). (Deep magic.)

5. That same Word is spoken in the words of Scripture by the working of the Spirit, and it is sharp and powerful (Heb. 4:6). This is why the prayer of the righteous man avails much (Js. 5). (Our spell book.)

6. Some warnings about the power of words:
a. Some words pierce like a sword (Pr. 12:18)
b. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life (Pr. 15:4).
c. He who has a perverse tongue falls into evil (Pr. 17:20).
d. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Pr. 18:21).
e. Guarding the tongue is guarding your soul (Pr. 21:23)
f. Bridling the tongue has everything to do with the central tenets of the faith (Js. 1:26).
g. The tongue is powerful and dangerous (Js. 3:5-8).
h. A good life is does not proceed from an evil tongue or speaking deceit (1 Pet. 3:10).

7. Therefore, put away filthy language (Col. 3:8) and coarse jesting (Eph. 5:4). Let it not even be named among you (Eph. 5:3). We begin speaking the truth and speaking words of healing when we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:5ff).

8. Ultimately, the way we use our words has everything to do with the gospel. Our words either conform to the Word and His word in Scripture or they are at odds. They are either gospel words of resurrection and forgiveness or they are satanic words of condemnation and accusation. The gospel is the declaration of the Kingdom of the Risen Jesus. Is the resurrection true? Has God invaded this world with the Kingdom of His Mighty Word?

9. Tell good jokes. Love the best stories. Curse like Jesus. And bless those who persecute you.

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Proverbs 29:11-13

29:11
“A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.”
This proverb can be illustrated by its six word structure:

All of his wind
Goes out
A fool
A wise one
Behind
Stills it

The “it” suffix of the final word is feminine singular and refers back to “wind.” Thus, the proverb begins with wind blowing – a storm. And the proverb ends with the storm being stilled.

All of the wind goes out of a fool. Like the “scoffer” who blows on his city (29:8), the fool blows wind as well. This is one of the ways a wise man turns away wrath (29:8): he holds back his temper. Actually, it is all of his “spirit” that goes out in the case of a fool.

As we noted lasted time, there is something of a reverse negative of the fool with God. God pours out His Spirit in creation and re-creation (e.g. Ps. 104:30, Jn. 14:26, 15:26).

Literally, the wise man holds/soothes his spirit. This is like God who stills the noise of the seas (Ps. 65:8, 89:10).

Dr. Leithart previously suggested that the difference between the wisdom of God who sends forth His Spirit and the fool who lets it all out is perhaps the difference between timing. Perhaps another difference is control. God sends forth His Spirit and His Spirit goes forth in perfect obedience and love, whereas the spirit of the fool goes forth as a sort of chaotic release valve.

The other obvious difference would be one of result. If 29:11 is a further explanation of 29:8, the destruction of cities is different than the establishment and renewal of cities. The Spirit of God renews and creates while the spirit of a fool destroys and tears down.

At the same time, we should not miss the similarities. There is something wild and reckless in the Spirit of God that comes upon Samson for instance. And when the Spirit came upon Jesus they said that He was out of His mind (Mk. 3:21). The ministry of the apostles also tended to stir up trouble in cities (e.g. Acts 17:5, etc.).
Literally, the proverb says that wise one stills the wind “back” or stills it “behind.” Perhaps this is a play on words giving the picture of a wise man holding his spirit behind himself. But regardless, the point is that the wise one rules his spirit, rules the wind and tames it, holding it back at his command.
This reminds us of Jesus of course who is the Wisdom of God and the one who calms the storm, who speaks to the wind and waves and they obey Him.

29:12
“If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.”

Ruler
Listens/pays attention
To the word of falsehood
All his ministers
Wicked

This proverb intentionally suggests two readings, one emphasizing result, one emphasizing present reality. The ruler who listens to falsehood will end up with a court full of wicked servants because they will be necessarily included in the deception. But where is the ruler hearing words of falsehood? From his ministers of course, and therefore this proverb is also a statement of fact.

And if his ministers are wicked, the ruler is wicked – either as a result or again as a statement of fact.

“Words” of falsehood could be translated “speech, saying, charge, story, advice, counsel…” and this gives the proverb a fairly wide range of warning. This could include false charges, false reporting, false ideology, etc. This is the same word used in Ex. 20:16 in the ninth commandment.

Literally, this is describing the ruler who “gives attention” to words of falsehood which could be several sorts of things: This could describe a relatively good king who gives falsehood the time of day. In this scenario, the proverb warns against falsehood slowly gaining credibility through repetition. Perhaps another scenario would have a ruler who does not adequately judge against falsehood and allows his servants/ministers to believe and become wrapped up with lies. Finally, the statement of fact scenario suggests that a ruler who does not drive falsehood far from his kingdom is already in some way compromised.

Waltke notes the various ways this might play out in live political scenario: “words of falsehood” could very well be false testimonies, either in court resulting in exonerations or convictions of the wrong sorts of people or the ministers of the king merely give those judgments and pursue those policies they thing the king most desires (regardless of truth and justice).

29:13
“The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.”

We should note that this proverb is sandwiched between two proverbs explicitly describing kings (29:12, 14).

Poor
And the man of oppressors
Meet together
Lighting the eyes
Of both
Yahweh

At the very least you have Yahweh as the Great Light Giver, the Creator, giving light and life to all men (cf. Prov. 22:2)

But this seeming obvious/simple fact also has implications for both the “poor” and the “oppressors.” If God gives life to both, this means that He is sovereign. Oppressors should beware lest their oppressing be judged and the “light of their eyes” is taken away. Conversely, the poor should not grow weary or bitter because it is Yahweh who continues to preserve them (however difficult their circumstances) and they can hope in Yahweh as the deliverer or the poor (Ps. 14:6, 22:26, 34:6, etc.).
Literally, it says “man of oppressors” which may also imply a kind of fellowship among the oppressors over against the singular “poor.” It may also describe social pressures to capitulate to the oppressive ways of some rather than to defend the poor.

The word for “meet together” is frequently used in highly emotionally charged situations: Jacob meeting Esau (Gen. 32:18, 33:8), Yahweh trying to kill Moses/his son (Ex. 4:24), David meeting Abigail (1 Sam. 25:20), meeting a she-bear robbed of cubs (Prov. 17:12). This may suggest that the proverb is insisting that both parties recognize the sovereignty of God in the moment of oppression. At the moment of conflict and oppression, both need to remember Yahwheh.

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Proverbs 29:8-10

29:8 “Scoffers set a city aflame, but wise men turn away wrath.”
The word translated “set aflame” ordinarily means “blow/breath” and is used a number of times in the proverbs to describe liars who “breathe lies” (Pr. 6:19, 14:5, 25, 19:5, 9). In one place it seems to refer to the opposite: breathing out the truth (Pr. 12:17) which is what God does. Likewise, at least once it describes the poor and needy longing for safety (Ps. 12:6).

The verb is causative suggesting that the scoffer is himself a small storm/coal that drives breath (maybe smoke) up out of a city, and it is used sometimes to describe judgment (Ps. 10:5, Ez. 21:36). The meaning here seems to be similar to Pr. 22:10 where the scoffer causes strife, quarreling, and abuse. In Ps. 10:5, the word seems to describe a kind of righteous derision/scoffing that Yahweh does toward his enemies. Given the parallel line “turn away wrath,” the “set aflame” in the first half seems consistent.

Interestingly, the word is used twice in Song of Songs to describe what “the day” does when the “shadows flee” which seems to suggest a poetic image perhaps like “giving up the ghost/breathing out the last” (Song 2:17, 4:6). It is used once more in the Song as the hope that the wind will “blow” upon the garden causing it’s spices/aroma to flow out. Here, the opposite is in view: a scoffer is a bad wind that cause a stench to rise up out of the city.

In one sense this proverb describes a basic cause and effect principle in a community. Scoffers/scorners have a particular effect on other people while the wise have another effect. The participle form of this verb is sometimes used more generically to mean “interpreter” (Gen. 42:23, 2 Chr. 32:31, Job 33:23). Elsewhere, a “scoffer” is described as “arrogant” and “proud” (Pr. 21:24). Back in Pr. 1:22 and Ps. 1:1, there is an implicit ranking of a “scoffer” which seems consistent with Is. 28:14 where “scoffers” are the rulers of Israel who have gotten drunk and disregarded the word of the Lord. Likewise, rulers are warned not to “scoff” in Is. 28:22,
Given the context, it is probably safe to assume that this proverb likewise has people in authority and responsibility in mind who do not receive instruction and then lead their people astray (Is. 43:27). They are like false prophets/interpreters.

29:9 “If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.”

This proverb is clearly comparing two kinds of men. Unusually, the first line uses the noun/adjective combination twice: Literally: “man-wise enters judgment man fool.” The proverb is explicitly comparing two kinds of men.

But interestingly, where the first half is overly explicit, the second half of the proverb is rather ambiguous.

Literally, the second half of the proverb says “he rages and he laughs and there is no peace.” It is ambiguous as to exactly how the two halves relate.

Waltke suggests that the point of the proverb is comparing the two actions in the two halves. A wise man “contends” (probably in court) with a fool, but fools merely rage or laugh and there is no peace. In other words, the sign of a wise man is that he prosecutes folly in an orderly fashion. Fools cause disorder.

This might also be a parallel proverb to others that describe the response of scoffers/fools to correction, ie. what happens when you try to contend/go to court with a fool. They hate correction and will hate you for it (Pr. 9:7-8, 13:1, 15:12). A fool despises his father’s instruction and isn’t likely to receive it well from anyone else (Pr. 15:5, 16:22, 27:22).

29:10 “The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, but the upright seek his well-being.”

This proverb begins echoing 29:8 with “men of …” 29:9 Here we have “men of blood.” But the parallel may imply that the “men of scoffing” from 29:8 who bring judgment on the city are in that sense “men of blood.” These men of blood hate the blameless.

The proverb is structured:
Men of blood
Hate the blameless
Upright
Seek
His soul

And this could be taken in at least two ways: Perhaps the two halves describe a contrast: while the men of blood hate the blameless, the upright seek their own well-being (as my translation has it). Or the second half could be understood to be filling out and amplifying the first half: the men of blood who had the upright are the ones who seek the soul of the upright. This latter reading seems a little more convincing to me.

If the first reading is plausible perhaps there is something of a defense of the perfect/upright man within the broader context of shedding blood. While the upright is only seeking a good life, men of blood want them dead. If there is some continuity with the last couple of proverbs, you have scoffers who cause harm to their communities, and fools who rage and laugh and disrupt the peace, and the ultimate end of these kinds of activities is the shedding of blood. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

“Blameless/perfect” may also have sacrificial connotations which fits with the “blood” theme of this proverb. The “blameless” are sacrificial quality, but here, the “sacrifice” is a murder. This suggests that murder is always an attempted sacrifice, but perhaps there is also the implication that God sees and values the blood of the innocent/perfect. Abel’s blood cries out.

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Proverbs 29:3-7

29:3: “Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.”

This proverb returns to some of the basic themes from the beginning of proverbs. Here we have a comparison and contrast between certain kinds of love. In the first instance, love attaches to wisdom which is described as a woman early in proverbs (Prov. 3-4, 8-9). This wisdom is specifically the instructions of a father to his son, and this is one of the reasons why loving wisdom makes a father rejoice. In contrast, early in Proverbs the harlot/adulteress was the competitor to Lady Wisdom (Prov. 5, 6:24ff, 7:6ff).

The odd thing is that the comparison doesn’t seem completely symmetrical. The father rejoicing doesn’t seem quite parallel with the wasting wealth. It doesn’t seem to contrast neatly at first glance. However, wisdom is part of the inheritance of a father to his son, and wisdom is itself a kind of wealth and the ability to live and work in order create and maintain wealth. On the other hand, folly wastes wealth.
We might also note that the wealth wasted may be more general than just family inheritance (though it seems to include that). Loving wisdom is familial and economic blessing in general, and the pursuit of family-destroying lifestyles is a bad economic policy. This suggests that the repercussions for these decisions can be quite broad and public, especially for a king/prince.

Literally, the word for “companion” is “pasture” or “graze.” A man who feeds upon wisdom is a blessing to his father and receives his wealth. But the son who feeds on harlots despises his father.

There’s something of an interesting comparison in the person of Jesus. We know that Jesus was the great lover of wisdom and made his father rejoice, and at the same time, he was known as a “companion of harlots” and sometimes this was associated with the “waste of wealth” as well (e.g. Mt. 21:31-32, Lk. 7:37ff, Jn. 12:3ff).

Finally, we should note that the prodigal son is the “fool” of this proverb squandering his inheritance on harlots and displeasing his father (Lk. 15:11ff). But the father is the eager forgiver, and when the son returns there is great rejoicing. And there are always temptations for the “wise” to reject this kind of mercy like the older brother.

29:4: “The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.”

Literally, a king causes a land to stand by justice, but the man of offerings tears it down. So this proverb is about building and tearing down land. Justice makes a land stand up, but relying on money and gifts makes it fall. Part of the proverb is built on an ironic play on words. These offerings are T’rumah which are literally lifted up. This is the word of generic offerings taken up in Israel (e.g. Ex. 25:2-3, 30:13-15), and it is used specifically for the “heave” and “wave” offerings which were lifted up into the air when they were offered at the tabernacle (Lev. 10:15, Num. 6:20, 15:19). Offerings may seem like glory; they may appear like exaltation but a land does not stand by offerings. It stands by justice and just judgment.

Part of the point may also be that a king who receives or exacts offerings is acting like God. God calls for T’rumahs, but a king who calls for them or accepts them is acting like Yahweh. In other words, perhaps T’rumahs are only for Yahweh. Frequently maintaining justice is for the defense of the weak and the poor (e.g. Ex. 23:6, Dt. 10:18, 24:17, 27:19). Specifically, justice is contrasted with bribes and inability to see righteousness, and this is bound up with inheriting the land (Dt. 16:19). If justice is particularly for the protection of the poor, then “offerings/bribes” can describe the ways that the rich steal justice from the poor and the defenseless. Even if these “offerings” are not all bribes, the proverb could be pointing out that even virtues must be prioritized.

The description of “tearing down” the kingdom suggests martial imagery. The king is either attacking and throwing down his own land or allowing others within the kingdom to seriously compromise its stability.

Waltke points out that 29:5-6 both employ hunting imagery to describe different kinds of deceitfulness.

29:5: “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.”
This man is a “strong man” and a hunter and at first glance it is not clear whether he is catching the feet of his friend in the net or his own feet. He is literally “smooth/slippery” with his friend. He uses smooth words and flattery to lull the victim into a sense of false security. As a “strong man” he ought to be protecting the weak, but instead he is using his strength to exploit. This may be thematically related to the previous proverb with regard to justice for the poor.

Another related meaning of the word for “flatter/be smooth” is “to divide up/apportion” which suggests that this “strong man” is conquering and plundering his neighbor. This man apparently thinks that he is setting a net for his friend, but the following proverb makes it clear that he is actually setting a net for his own feet.
Rather than the usual word for feet/legs, literally the proverb says that the net is spread for his “footsteps,” suggesting even more hunting, stalking imagery. The deception is like a hunter moving through the forest incognito aiming to kill and plunder. But all the stealth will ultimately backfire.

29:6: “By transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices.”
Here the contrast is between an “evil man” and the “righteous.” The “righteous” is like the king who causes his land to stand up through “justice” in 29:4, and he rejoices like the father of a son who loves wisdom in 29:3 (cf. 29:2).

While the “transgression” is not specified, the result of being snared fits with 29:5 and suggests some kind of deception. His own action is the cause of his being snared. The word can also mean “bait” or “lure” which underlines what was probably an attractive pursuit at first.

In a positive sense, Moses was described by the Egyptians as a “snare” who was causing the downfall of Egypt. Likewise, those who worship idols in Israel are described as “snares” which will cause Israel to perish from the land (Ex. 23:33, 34:12, Dt. 7:16, Josh. 23:13). This connects back with the king who either establishes his land or tears it down. Various forms of idolatry are a sure way to tear down a nation.

The verb for “sings” means to shout out loud or even sing. It might suggest being rescued or barely avoiding various snares. The righteous do not fall into the traps all around them, and they rejoice in deliverance and protection. They are full of thankfulness and recognize the mercy that surrounds them. Righteousness is always a gift of grace.

29:7: “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.”

We have suggested that protection of the poor and careful use of wealth and strength stands behind several of the previous proverbs, and this proverb seems to make that explicit. Here the righteous literally “know/learns the judgment of the poor.” This may mean studying the situation of the poor, but it is the mark of the righteous man and presumably the righteous man with means and ability and strength to do something about it. But the wicked man does not understand this knowledge. He doesn’t understand why this matters.

On the other hand this may also be a more general statement about authority and responsibility. Those in authority have the responsibility to know the weakest members of their kingdom, and when they act wisely this is righteousness. Whereas there are plenty of fools with good intentions who crush the poor with their economic policies and programs which amounts to wickedness.

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Proverbs 28:28-29:2

Proverbs 28:28

“When the wicked arise, men hid themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase.”

This connects back with 28:12 which had a similar point: “When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; but when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.” In both places the word translated “men” is literally ‘Adam’. And while there is a different word used to describe Adam hiding himself (Gen. 3:7), the parallel is there, and the same word is used when Cain describes his exile (Gen. 4:14).

The second half of the proverb continues some of the allusions: first, the word for “when they perish” has all three letters in the word ‘Adam’ and sounds and looks similar. But when the wicked perish, the righteous “increase” or “multiply,” the same word used in Genesis for men and animals are supposed to do under the blessing of God (Gen. 1:22, 28).

Peter Leithart points out that this suggests that the story of the Fall is not merely the story of Adam’s failure and shame, but it suggests that Adam hides because Sin and Death have begun to rule. They have listened to the voice of Satan and given him authority, and this drives them into hiding. In some ways, human history continues in this state until Jesus comes to be lifted up so that these wicked rulers may be cast down and the righteous may be revealed and come out of hiding. So that they might multiply and fill the earth.

This proverb may be a simple description of fact: when the Nazis are in power, the Jews hide. But part of the conclusion of this proverb also implies that the way to “multiplying” in obedience and righteousness is through making sure that the wicked die/perish.

29:1

“He who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

This echoes 28:14: “Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

The archetype of “hardness” is Pharaoh who hardens himself to the correction and rebuke of Yahweh (Ex. 7:3, 13:15). He was suddenly destroyed in the sea and that without remedy. But this specific phrase “hard neck” is what later describes the people of Israel that God brought out of Egypt (Ex. 32:9, 33:2, 33:5, 34:9), the generation that died in the wilderness for their hard hearts and unbelief (Ps. 95:8, Heb. 3:7ff). God likewise destroyed generations of Israel in the time of the judges who persisted in their hardness. (Judg. 2:19).

The point of the proverbs is that at some point correction and rebuke are no longer valuable. There is no hope for certain kinds of fools (cf. 6:15). Perhaps this really only at death where there is no more hope of remedy, but certainly humanly speaking there are points at which people seem truly beyond remedy because of the depth of sin and deception. Clearly this is a warning about the nature of refusing to listen to correction. Disregarding instruction and correction once can seem harmless enough, but the implication is that this kind of “hardness” is hard to back out of. The phrase “no cure/remedy” suggests that “hardness of the neck” is like a cancer, a disease that if allowed to grow is ultimately fatal (cf. 2 Chron. 21:18). By contrast the tongue of the wise brings healing (Prov. 12:18).

This suggests that while Israel was offered the wisdom/healing of God through the law and the covenant, they ultimately clung to the hardness disease of Pharaoh and were destroyed in the wilderness. And the same warning applies to Christians who have been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gifts.

29:2

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

This proverb is like 28:12 and 28:28. The word for “authority” is the same word used for “multiply” in 28:28. Here instead of hiding, the people “groan” when the wicked rule. Again, there seems to be an allusion to the Exodus story where the same word is used to describe Israel’s groaning because of their slavery (Ex. 2:23). Interestingly, this is the word used to describe the groaning that God heard. When they groaned and cried, it came up to God.

The proverb contrasts the responses of “the people” rejoicing and groaning, and the difference is between the wicked ruling and the righteous multiplying. The implication is that authority and numbers are related. Sometimes numbers precede authority and sometimes authority precede numbers, but they frequently go together and this is consistent with God’s original commissioning of Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:27).
There is also an implied difference between the ruling of the wicked and the righteous based on the responses of the people. The people rejoice because the righteous use their authority to serve and bless while the wicked use their authority to crush and grab. Again, the wicked rule like Pharaohs fearful of competition and threat, while the righteous rule like Christ, leading through self sacrifice.
We might also use this proverb to suggest a kind of litmus test for all sorts of communities. Are the people “rejoicing” or “groaning”? In your family, school, business, church, nation? Of course sometimes people groan out of laziness and hardness of heart, but a wise ruler/authority knows when he is generally heading in the right direction because there is the right tone among the people, the right kind of joy.

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Proverbs 28:19-21

Proverbs 28:19: “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”

This is a near quotation of Prov. 12:11.

This proverb is tied together by the repetition of the main verb, to be satisfied or full. One kind of action results in fullness of bread, and another kind of action results in a fullness of poverty. And a “fullness of poverty” is a striking and ironic image.

“Working the land” is reminiscent of Genesis 2-3. Adam was originally placed in the garden to “work” it (2:5, 15). And in the curses for his sin, the ground is cursed and Adam is told that he will have to toil to eat anything from it. Adam followed worthless/empty things when he listened to the voice of his wife and disobeyed God. Thus, he and the ground he was taken from were cursed, and he was filled with poverty.

Adam was sent out of the garden to work the ground he was taken from (3:23), but where Adam is cursed with hard toil, Cain is cursed with the promise that the ground will not give its strength to him (4:12). From these early episodes, it is clear that poverty is not merely lack of material goods. Poverty has everything to do with estrangement from God and from His blessing on our labors. Cain may have been a very hard worker, but the curse of God promises poverty.

Another way of looking at this proverb is as a promise for the renewal of creation. The original creation scene suggests that God Himself was the original “worker” of the ground. God worked/tilled the ground, and out of the ground He formed animals and plants and ultimately Adam. God causes good things to come up from the ground. This was Adam’s original mandate and part of his image bearing. He was called to imitate God’s work in creation.

This proverb suggests that the image of God is being renewed. Working the ground will produce plenty again. Perhaps this is bound up with another meaning of the word “work.” The word can and frequently does mean “serve.” The word becomes particularly significance in the Exodus narrative. Pharaoh makes Israel serve him, but Yahweh comes for His people so that they may serve Him (Ex. 1:13-14, 3:13, 4:23). And the Israelites begin their service of Yahweh in the Passover (Ex. 13:5) and it ultimately takes place in the worship of God in the tabernacle (Num. 3:7-8, 4:23-47).

It’s after the Exodus that God explicitly says “You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.” (Ex. 23:25) The covenant rescue and love of God is beginning to turn back the curse. This was to be constantly pictured in the tabernacle with the Levites and Priests who “served” or “worked,” offering the Lord’s food offerings, the bread of their God (Lev. 21:6).

28:20: “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”

The Proverbs have previously warned against “haste” as a sure method of falling into sin and getting lost (Pr. 19:2). Likewise, “haste” is a sure recipe for poverty (Pr. 21:5). The Proverbs go so far as to say that a man who is hasty in his words is worse off than a fool (Pr. 29:20).

Following the last proverb, this one distinguishes between different kinds of diligence, different sorts of “work.” Abundance and blessing comes to the man who works “faithfully.” Haste can seem like hard work and sometimes looks like diligence. But as the previous proverbs have warned, it is frequently a high-handed sort of folly.

“Faithful” means steady or truthful. Moses hands are held up by Aaron and Hur and made “steady” (Ex. 17:12). God is faithful like a “rock” (Dt. 32:4). Repeatedly, God is described as truthful and faithful. He keeps His promises and saves and defends His people (e.g. Ps. 89, 96:13, 98:3).

He who hastens to get rich will “not go unpunished.” The word for “unpunished” means “free” or “innocent.” He who takes the name of God in vain will not be “guiltless” (Ex. 20:7, Dt. 5:11). God shows mercy to thousands who fear Him, but He by no means will “clear” the guilty (Ex. 34:7, Num. 14:18). The word is used again in Numbers 5 to describe the jealousy rite for the husband who suspects his wife of infidelity (cf. Pr. 6:29. The word is also used in a few contexts with regard to loyalty to the king/nation (1 Sam. 26:9, 1 Kg. 2:9). All of this seems to indicate a kind of treachery, a guilt specifically of covenant breaking, betrayal.

This fits with the previous part of the proverb. A faithful man imitates God’s covenant faithfulness. But a greedy and hasty man is a covenant breaker. And this leads us back to the previous proverb and the point about poverty having to do with one’s standing before God. A man who just scrapes the ground and digs everywhere looking for treasure will ordinarily find nothing because he does not know or want to believe that God’s blessing is necessary for success. The man who seeks God and imitates His faithfulness will find that the earth produces blessings.

28:21: “To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.”

Literally, to show partiality is to “regard/recognize faces.” Isaac did not “recognize/regard” Jacob (Gen. 27:23). Later Jacob identifies Joseph’s robe by recognizing it (Gen. 37:33). But regarding or recognizing faces is not good because it distorts justice (Dt. 1:17, 16:19). Someone’s reputation or one’s own reputation before that person’s face can lead people to judge wrongly. Bribes can be implicit (reputation) as well as explicit (a bribe). And perhaps this proverb points to how little it can sometimes take for a decision to waver. Partiality in judging is not good (Pr. 24:23).

Waltke suggests that this proverb should be understood in a parallel way to Pr. 6:26 where a prostitute reduces a man to a “piece of bread.” And the thought may be that the prostitute is actually fairly cheap (see ESV), and it is that very cheapness that reduces the man’s worth. The word for man in this proverb is gever which is related to the word givor which means “mighty man.” This is a man who is strong enough to work the ground and under the blessing of God cause it to produce fruit. But instead of an honest wage, a man may take a bribe for a crust of bread.

Not only can the verb mean recognize, but in some forms it means to be “unrecognized” or “foreign/stranger” (Gen. 17:12). In Dt. 32:27 the meanings seem to converge when Moses sings about how God would have destroyed Israel except for what their enemies would have thought. They would have “misunderstood” or as the KJV puts it “behave themselves strangely.”

This ambiguity points to the fact that in some sense justice must always be done by both recognizing faces and not recognizing faces. There is a proximity and distance necessary to execute justice. And absolute objectivity is simply impossible.

The law forbids “sons of a foreigner” from eating the Passover (Ex. 12:43). Neither may Israelites bring animals for sacrifice which they have purchased from a son of foreigner or stranger (Lev. 22:25). Perhaps there is some covenantal connection here as well?

Parents can sometimes fail in this regard when they neglect basic justice for the sake of a moment of silence.

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Proverbs 28:9-11 Notes

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (28:9)

This continues a section on the Torah (cf. 28:4, 7). The Torah was to be heard and obeyed (Dt. 6), and failure to “listen” was failure to obey. The task of faithful Israelites was to “hear” so that they might have the words of the law in their hearts (Dt. 6:6). This “hearing” was to take place through putting the law all over their lives and talking about them with their children constantly. Hearing means loving God with all that we are, and that love flows out and fills the lives of those hearers.

Turning away from hearing is a sin of omission, a lapse of obedience which is disobedience, but the proverb says that when this occurs it affects everything, even acts of piety. An abomination is something detested by God, and perhaps a parallel we might imagine in human life are the articles of a loved one who has betrayed us. All memories and reminders of someone who has committed treachery become reminders of the treachery. Likewise, God says that those who do not listen to Him, those who neglect His Word, and fail to love it with all that they are commit treason and adultery, and when we speak to Him, it only reminds Him of the fact. An adulterous husband who refuses to repent of His sin cannot protest that at least he called home every once in a while.

Notice too that the one who refuses to listen gets the same treatment. God promises to turn His ear from hearing that one who has turned away from hearing. At some point, justice becomes an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth affair.

The structure of the proverb:

Turns away
His ear
From hearing
Torah
Also his prayers
Abomination

The structure emphasizes these basic parallels. He who turns away his ear will become detestable to God. God’s ear will turn away from the one who has turned away from Him, and He will not hear his prayers. The center is the necessity of hearing the Torah.

Jesus and the prophets emphasize the fact that God’s people frequently have ears but do not hear. Isaiah’s ministry is explicitly for the purpose of lulling God’s people into presumption and Jesus says that His parables have the same effect. Those who have hard hearts will compliment themselves on hearing and understanding because they have heard with their ears, but God says they have not really heard or understood and therefore they cannot turn and be forgiven. This seems to be how the prayers of these traitors are abominations. God lulls them into a deeper, self-righteous sleep so that they cannot turn and be forgiven.

1 Pet. 3:7 exhorts husbands to dwell with their wives in understanding, honoring them, so that their prayers are not hindered. This seems to be a parallel idea to this proverb. Listening to Torah means knowing and honoring your wife, but refusal to do so will result in hindered prayers.

Refusing to hear is a kind of arrogance and pride, but humility listens and obeys.

“Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; but the blameless will inherit good.” (28:10)

This proverb promises what others also predict, namely, that those who do evil will eat the fruit of their labors (Pr. 26:27, Eccl. 10:8). They will fall into the pit they have dug for others. But this proverb specifically targets leaders, and even more specifically, leaders who lead the “upright” astray. Thus, this proverb includes a promise of hope for blameless followers. Those who follow the “evil way” ignorantly will be rescued by God and inherit good.

Peter Leithart notes: “A form of the verb “lead astray” (shagah) is used in Leviticus 4:13 to describe sins of wandering or ignorance. This is not a high-handed sin, but a sin of deception, ignorance, confusion. The proverb gives us a specific scenario involving such a sin: A sin of ignorance or wandering may be one that is “caused” by another, that is, one in which we are encouraged by someone we think trustworthy to sin. Sins of ignorance are removed in sacrifice. They are not counted as defiant, high-handed sins. Scripture, in short, recognizes degrees and varieties of sin. Sins are always sins, but sometimes sinners are victims as well as perpetrators.”

This proverb acts as a great warning to leaders. Obviously those who knowingly lead their people in an evil way should be warned, but even those unintentionally lead in an evil way. This places great responsibility on leaders in general. While the promise to the “blameless” seems to run most directly parallel to the “upright” who are led astray, we might also recognize the possibility that a leader might also be blameless and also rescued from the pit.

The word for “blameless” is the same for “perfect” or “spotless.” Noah was blameless (Gen. 6:9), as was Jacob (Gen. 25:27) and Job (Job 1:1). The same word used in this proverb describes the quality required of sacrifices (e.g. Ex. 12:5, Lev. 1:3ff). This sacrificial theme fits with the proverb’s point: though the “blameless” may endure persecution or hardship, they may trust the Lord to use these trials providentially, to draw them near to Him – the ultimate “good inheritance.” The sacrificial knife may not be pleasant, but the promise is that we will ascend into the Lord’s presence.

Of course the ultimate “human sacrifice” is Jesus, the truly blameless and perfect man. Peter Leithart points out that Jesus is the “blameless” one who committed no sins either willfully or ignorantly, but he was still cast into the pit. Our sins and transgressions were placed upon Him, and He suffered for our evil ways, but God raised Jesus out of the pit and vindicated Him. Jesus was granted a good inheritance, and it is through Christ that we are also offered the status of “blameless” and the same good inheritance through the Spirit. If Jesus was vindicated, those who cling to Him in faith will also be vindicated and raised from every pit.

“The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding searches him out.” (28:11)

This economic proverb addresses the connection between riches and wisdom. Here riches can act as confusion and blindness. Riches are a great temptation for self-justification. Earlier in Proverbs the wise father instructed his son to trust in the Lord with all his heart and lean not on his own understanding. This included a commitment to not be wise in his own eyes but to fear the Lord. It is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom and understanding. Riches always tempt those who have them to believe in some measure of self sufficiency. “And you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” (Dt. 8:17)

The opposite of this arrogance is fearing Yahweh and trusting Him. This is doubly hard since Yahweh is perfect and just, and we are not. Allowing God’s word to judge us and be our eyes (Js. 1:22-25) means allowing God to mess with us according to His wisdom. It doesn’t seem accidental that James goes directly from a discussion of what the Word of God should be for us to the description of pure religion, caring for orphans and widows and then directly into a discussion of poor and rich in Church. Riches easily distort our understanding.

On the other hand, the poor man may have understanding that is very great. He may have understanding that is able to truly search matters out. Here the Hebrew is ambiguous enough to admit several possible objects. A direct contrast to the first half of the proverb, suggests that the poor man is able to search himself, unlike his rich counterpart. The poor man may not know much, but at least he knows himself honestly. But since the rich man is only wise in his own eyes (and therefore blind), it may also mean that the poor man may be able to understand the rich man better than the rich man can understand himself, underlining the blindness. The poor man may be a better judge of the rich man than the rich man is of himself. A third possible meaning is that a poor man who has understanding is merely one who searches matters out. He is not satisfied with his own opinion. He knows enough to know that his own eyes are not enough. He recognizes that in the presence of many counselors there is wisdom. A poor man knows that he is dependent and not self sufficient, and this is the beginning of wisdom too.

Peter Leithart points out that this pattern fits with the incarnation since Jesus became poor for us in order that He might be the wisdom of God (2 Cor. 8:9). Like the poor man who understands and searches out even the rich man who is wise in his own eyes, Jesus understands us and our self-sufficiency. And His knowing and understanding of us is effectual for our salvation.

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Proverbs 28:1-5

28:1: The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

This proverb is structured chiastically with “wicked” and “righteous” in the center:

Flee
When no one pursues
Wicked
Righteous
Like a lion
Is Bold

This structure is designed to make the contrast explicit at every point. In every way, they are different.

The point seems to be that all the difference is really in the moral qualities. Righteousness results in boldness and wickedness results in cowardice. It also suggests that the righteous are pursuers while the wicked are the pursued. The righteous are likened to a lion, a beast that hunts for prey. But the Proverb says that the wicked run away even when no one is pursuing. The proverb suggests that the righteous will be perceived as a threat by the wicked and the wicked will act in fear even when there is no danger. The proverb says that the righteousness of the righteous is really boldness, but the wicked see only a predator, a fierce lion on the loose. There is also an implicit comparison of fear. The righteous fear the Lord and are therefore bold, but because the wicked do not fear the Lord they are fearful. Fearing God means we have no fear of man. Conversely refusing to fear the Lord is a guarantee that we will fear men. Waltke also points out that there is good objective reason for this fear and lack of fear. The promises of God surround the righteous, but only warnings of punishment and disaster surround the wicked. In one sense their fear is unfounded (“no one pursues”), but on a deeper level it is actually very well founded. Living antagonistically with the King/Lion who rules the world is never safe.

28:2: Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; but by a man of understanding and knowledge right will be prolonged.

The parallels here are as follows:

In the transgression of the land
Many are its princes
In a man [ADAM] of understanding and knowledge
The right will long continue

The parallel sets up a contrast between “transgression” and an “Adam.” With the contrast in mind, we might think of “transgression of the land” as something like Adam’s first sin. The contrast is even stronger when we note that this Adam has understanding and knowledge which is what the original sin focused on, the tree of knowledge and the question of whether it would make one wise and give understanding. There is also the parallel between the “land” and “ADAM(AH).” A man is a sort of ground which can have produce, fruit grows out of it. A land full of transgression grows and multiplies princes. The implication is that princes are a sort of weed, a curse on the sins of the land. On the other hand where the soil is mixed with understanding and knowledge, right is maintained.

The political statement seems to be that where a people is unlawful, laws and law enforcers multiply, but where wisdom and prudence characterize a people, righteousness is maintained. Given the implied contrast, we assume that this righteousness is without many rulers. People know what is right and they do it without having to be forced or without enforcing what is right, i.e. its princes are few and do their jobs well. It may also be implied that the multiplication of princes is a futile attempt at dealing with transgressions. Many princes is not the same thing as righteousness being maintained, but in the implication is that princes were not doing their jobs well and so the burden of the transgressions can justly rest on weak rulers as well. The proverb says that only understanding and knowledge can produce sustainable justice. Remembering that Proverbs is written to a prince or perhaps multiple princes makes this a pointed warning to the original audience.

28:3: A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

The obvious point seems to be that rain ought to be a source of nourishment for crops. A poor man ought to understand the plight of a fellow poor person. The word for man often has connotations of strength. So this is a weak-strong-guy which is an oxymoron. And this weak-strong-guy is oppressing the poor apparently with his strength. The weak-strong-guy is probably a leader who has had some misfortune befall him. He’s had a bad year; there’s a recession, etc. And he grasps at what the poor-diligent have produced. This weak-strong-guy (leader) parallels that “driving” rain, the rain that is meant for nourishment has become a source of ruin. Literally the “driving” rain is a “prostrate” rain, a rain that lies down (Jer. 46:15). This highlights the oppression as a sort of laziness. Perhaps it also suggests a foolish impatience: ie. If I dump a lot of water on my plant right now, maybe it will grow faster. But overwatering is a good way to kill crops too. The final thought is: “there is no bread.” And this is ambiguous enough to cover a specific instance of oppression as well as broader national policies in any given land. There is a way of pouring resources into a land that is actually a form of oppress and results in less food for everyone.

28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

This proverb is about antithesis. It describes those who have the law (Torah) and then abandon it and thereby align themselves with the wicked. And it describes those who guard the law (Torah) and thereby fight against the wicked. We are either for God and for His people or we are against the Lord and against His people.

Lawlessness is itself a compliment to the wicked. It praises them. It is also compliment because it is imitation. It also praises the wicked as an encouragement to be wicked, setting the apostate up as an proof of their pseudo-wisdom.

Conversely, Torah-keeping is a kind of warfare. This parallels 28:1 somewhat where the righteous are bold like lions and threaten the “wicked.” While in one sense the righteous are not a real threat to the wicked (in the way they think of a threat), in other sense the righteous are always a threat to their way of life. The righteous keep Torah, and that will always create contention and warfare with the wicked.

28:5:Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all.

Here the proverbs return to the necessity of having “understanding.” An Adam of understanding prolongs justice (28:2), but here evil guarantees the lack of understanding. And specifically, it is no understanding of judgment. And the contrast is radical: those who are seeking YHWH understand everything. The comparison may also be in the “seeking.” Evil from earlier in Proverbs are looking for evil to do, plotting to do wickedly. The only other option is to plot righteousness, seeking Yahweh. And the promise is that in the seeking, understanding will come. But we do not understand in order to seek; we seek in order to understand.

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Proverbs 27:19-22

“As in water face reflects face, So a man's heart reveals the man.” (Pr. 27:19)

The creation narrative sets something of a tone for two different uses of the word “man.” Peter Leithart has pointed this out, and I think he said he got it from Jim Jordan. (But I went back and checked, and it’s true.) In the Genesis story, the man is called Adam all the way up to when the woman is created. At the creation of woman (ishah) man is suddenly called ish (Gen. 2:23). And thereafter, the next couple of contexts for ish are usually in the context of marriage (2:24, 3:6, 3:16, 4:1). Thereafter, the distinction is not quite so obvious, but here in a highly poetic context in Proverbs, it’s interesting to note the different uses.

So far, in Proverbs 27, man has been referred to as 'ish' but here in 27:19, he is called 'adam' (also in 27:20). Thus far much of the emphasis has been on man and his neighbors, friends, and his wife (27:8, 17, 21). The switch to 'adam' suggests perhaps two things: first, that the concern here is with mankind in general and not man as male per se (cf. Gen. 1:27). Second, perhaps the emphasis is on our relationship to God or our standing in creation before God. Notice that here we have “water to water” and the in the following verse (also adam) we have 'sheol' (the grave) and 'abaddon' (lost/destruction). There’s something of a cosmic scope in view in these two verses.

We should recall that the idea of “reflecting” and “revealing” goes back to the creation narrative. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, to reflect and reveal his Creator. Our actions are always a faithful and unfaithful reflection of the face of God. Creation too displays the glory of God (Ps. 19), and it displays His Godhead and attributes (Rom. 1). The second day of creation even sets up something of a structural reflection in the “waters above” and the “waters below,” inviting us to already wonder about earth reflecting/revealing the glory of heaven.

We should also note the parallel to Js. 1:23: “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

In Pr. 27:19, we might ask, how do we see the heart of man? Is this just something reflexive? Do we meditate on our own hearts and evaluate? Or is this something more objective, something people and neighbors can see? Note that 27:21 suggests the latter.

“Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.” (27:20)

Taking these two verses together, the general appraisal of adam is negative. He’s grasping, hungry, greedy, and full of lust for more. This also suggests that “man’s heart” is reflected in creation broadly. This fits with the curses on sin, that creation will be infected with sin and death. Romans 8 says that creation groans with eager expectation looking forward to the redemption of the sons of God.
The word for destruction avadon is usually used to describe things which are lost (Ex. 22:8, Lev. 5:22-23, Dt. 22:3). We might paraphrase this by saying that the “As cemeteries and the lost and found are never empty...” The root verb means to destroy.

The eyes are organs of judgment and evaluation. Think again of Adam and Eve who “saw” the fruit and evaluated it as good for food and for making one wise.
Literally, the comparison has to do with hunger. Graves, destruction, and eyes are never full; they’re always hungry.

On the flip side, if this does go back to the Fall and sin in general, then part of our salvation is satisfaction and contentment. And perhaps this is something of what Jesus is getting at when he says that he will water which will cause us to never thirst again (Jn. 4:14). Whoever comes to Jesus will not hunger or thirst (Jn. 6:35).

“The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.” (27:21)

Here “man” is 'ish' again, and here we have a natural image of how people effect one another. Here’s an example of how creation teaches us about people.

We can take this proverb in several possible ways:

1. If the parallel is on “refining” then the emphasis may be on the man who is talked about. He is refined perhaps as he takes criticism and correction.

2. Literally, it says “A smelting pot for silver and a furnace for gold, and a man for a mouth of praising.” This may suggest that a man is refined by his own mouth, that is, who and what he praises.

3. If the emphasis is on value – these are processes of testing precious metals for purity – then the point taking either 1 or 2 above has more to do with revealing “man’s heart) (cf. 27:19) either through the praise he receives from others or the praise he himself gives.

“Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.” (27:22)

Here we have another natural sort of image. You can refine or process lots of things in nature, but there are some kinds of fools that will not change. If you crush grapes they can be used to produce wine; crush olives and you can produce oil; crush wheat and you can produce flour. But there are some kinds of fools that will not produce any good.

This can serve as a conclusion to the last few proverbs where evaluation, testing, and proving are themes. Here, the point is that you can only test and prove for so long. If there’s nothing good coming from the man then don’t think you can bring something out of nothing.

Of course we should remember that this is our condition apart from Christ. We are hopeless fools who cannot produce any good. Only the grace of God can transform fools into anything good.

This also comes as a concluding thought to this entire section. The emphasis has been on relationships, friends, family, and neighbors, and warnings concerning fools.

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Proverbs 26:8-9

8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool.

The next proverb continues to build on similar themes, principally the danger of fools. Giving honor to a fool is the overarching theme (26:1), and sending messages, giving proverbs, etc. are ways in which we honor fools. This was the opening warning of this section as well (Pr. 26:1). Remember the word for honor is the same for glory or riches. To consider a fool weighty, trustworthy in any way is dangerous, destructive, and absurd. To honor a fool is to only encourage him, to pay him for his folly, and this occurs by giving him tasks, paying him too much attention, believing him more trustworthy than he is. To honor is ultimately to treat someone like a king, and a king is someone who should be trustworthy and wise. A king is also a ruler as we have seen. Honoring a fool as a king is to give a fool authority and power for destruction. This points to the real horror of actually having a fool as king.

Remember that Prov. 25 was all about the glory of kings (25:2ff, 27-28). 26:1-12 is all about dealing with fools, but Solomon says that the real issue comes back to not honoring fools. Perhaps part of the contrast is between those who “conceal” and “search out” matters and those who have everything given or refuse to search. A number of the warnings in 26:1ff have to do with not giving fools certain honors. Part of the point of glory is the necessity of searching for it, working for it, etc. The process of getting glory is a significant part of being qualified to handle it.

The word used for sling here is not used anywhere else in Scripture. The word is MARGEMAH. The root is RAGAM which means to kill by stoning (e.g. Lev. 20:2, et al), and this points to the point of the proverb. Binding to the stone into the “stoning thing” may be suggesting that the stone cannot be released and it will fly around until it hits the one swinging it. The proper thing to do with a fool is to fling him far away. But honoring a fool is keeping him around longer than proper, and the longer he is around, the more dangerous he is.

There is also a suggestion here that honor ought to be used strategically (Pr. 18:16, 21:14). Honor is a weapon. But folly “binds up” honor and makes it useless and dangerous. The overall action of giving honor to a fool is itself also in view. Rather than flinging a fool far away, giving honor to a fool is a way of keeping a fool around. As we have seen previously there is just as much warning to those who interact with fools. Paul makes a similar point in 2 Cor. 11:19 when he addresses the way the Corinthians “put up with fools gladly.” They think they are wise, but the way they put up with them is itself a form of “bondage” for all the problems fools bring, including getting struck in the face (2 Cor. 11:20). In this context, the “fools” Paul is warning the Corinthians about are others who are preaching a different Jesus than Paul (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4). Notice again the theme of being messengers.

9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Here a proverb is likened to a “thorn” or “bramble.” It can also mean “hook,” and either way it’s sharp and can stick a hand. A proverb is meant to be sharp and pointy, but a fool is like a drunkard who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Perhaps there is also a suggestion again of danger here. Literally, it’s a thorn/hook “going up in the hand of the drunkard.” The implication may not only be the danger of harm to oneself, but also the danger it poses to others. In some contexts the word is used as “fetters.” Here we may have almost an exact parallel to Paul’s point in 2 Cor. 11 about fools bring people into bondage.

This is the second time Solomon has described a proverb in the mouth of fools. In 26:7, it was pictured as the victim of a hunt. Remember too that the word for proverb is MASHAL, and its verb form means “to rule” (e.g. Gen. 1:18, 3:16, 45:8, etc.). But the noun form is a “dark saying, a riddle, a proverb” (Pr. 1:1, 6, 10:1) and can also refer to “prophesying” (e.g. Num. 23:7, Job 27:1, Ez. 17:2, 24:3). In the curses of Deuteronomy, God promises to bring all sorts of horrors upon Israel if they are not faithful, and one those curses is for things to go so badly with them that they become a “proverb” among all the nations in their exile (Dt. 28:37). Israel will become an object lesson for the nations, a riddle. The verb and noun meanings converge in Ecclesiastes where Solomon says that the words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shout of a ruler among fools (Eccl. 9:17).

Waltke suggests that in the ancient world the people most likely to be drunkards would have been fairly rich: nobles, princes, kings. All of this reminds us again of the “glory of Kings” and the great dangers of folly in the court of a king and foolish kings. To put a proverb in the mouth of a fool is to give a fool a kingly calling. To put a proverb in the mouth of a fool is not only to give him something dangerous, but to also put him in charge of everything.

Remember too that the “proverb” finds its fulfillment in the gospel, and the image here is of someone getting their hand pierced. The structure of the proverb suggests that the center upon which the principle turns is the connection between a drunk and a fool. But the parallel between the thorn in the hand and the proverb in the mouth may still stand. So what if we inverse the proverb? What if a proverb is put in the mouth of a wise man? David himself was a king who found himself surrounded by dogs, the congregation of the wicked, who pierce their victim’s hands and feet (Ps. 22). In 26:11, fools will be likened to dogs as well. The wise who have proverbs in their mouth run the risk of having their hands pierced. Ruling well runs the risk of suffering. Of course Ps. 22 itself alludes to Christ who is the Wise King, Wisdom incarnate who speaks in riddles, parables, and proverbs, and his hands are pierced by the fool-dogs who encircle him. And all those who follow him run the same risk. The apostles repeatedly speaking about sharing in the suffering of Christ, takin up into themselves the sufferings of the Christ (e.g. 2 Cor. 1:5). Perhaps this is why there is also a repeated emphasis on sharing in the sufferings of Christ and glory. Pursuing the glory of kings means participating in the sufferings of kings.

This also makes more sense of Paul's logic in 2 Corinthians. He describes the gospel as "foolishness" and the ministry of evangelists and apostles as a ministry of "fools," and this is probably because they are being treated as fools. They are suffering like Jesus, their hands are pierced like his, as though they were all drunks and fools. And yet this is their glory, this is the wisdom of God, the great and wonderful riddle of God.

Epilogue: As we discussed this in the study this morning, Peter Leithart also pointed out that this matches up with the accusations against Jesus that he is a disobedient son, out of his mind, and a wine bibber and a glutton. Jesus is accused of being a drunkard and a fool, and his hands are pierced. And if they have accused the master of this, they will of course also accuse his disciples of the same. Being wise always runs the risk of being mistaken as a fool, a drunk, and insane. Proverbs are dark sayings, riddles, and difficult to understand, and to the foolish they make no sense and sound ridiculous.

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Proverbs 26:7

26:7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Notice that this connects back with the previous verse, likening the effect a fool can have on someone’s legs. The word here for legs is different, but there’s still a parallel in play. Like wise words in the mouth of a foolish messenger, their effect is lost. And if a simple message by the hand of a fool is like inflicting violence on yourself, it doesn’t make matters better if you put a really good message in his hands. It doesn’t help if it’s a wise saying even. Your legs (ie. message) are still worthless and lame. It cannot accomplish what it is meant to accomplish. And this may even be suggesting a chronological order of sorts: i.e. after you have cut off your own feet with a foolish messenger, even putting a proverb in his mouth won’t help things.

The imagery also suggests that the fool is some sort of predator. He’s like a wolf with a chewed off elk leg hanging limp from his jaws. The proverb is in his mouth as a message, as wisdom, but the image is that it is a limp/lame leg hanging from his mouth. The suggestion is that wisdom in the mouth of fools is actually more dangerous. Fools going around with a proverb or a wise saying or more than likely going around making trouble, comparable to our saying, “I know just enough to be dangerous.” Or we might refer to the various kinds of “cage stages” in maturity and education.

The word for proverb is MASHAL, and its verb form means “to rule” (e.g. Gen. 1:18, 3:16, 45:8, etc.). But the noun form is a “dark saying, a riddle, a proverb” (Pr. 1:1, 6, 10:1) and can also refer to “prophesying” (e.g. Num. 23:7, Job 27:1, Ez. 17:2, 24:3). In the curses of Deuteronomy, God promises to bring all sorts of horrors upon Israel if they are not faithful, and one those curses is for things to go so badly with them that they become a “proverb” among all the nations in their exile (Dt. 28:37). Israel will become an object lesson for the nations, a riddle. The verb and noun meanings converge in Ecclesiastes where Solomon says that the words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shout of a ruler among fools (Eccl. 9:17).

The word for legs here is the one used frequently in conjunction with sacrificial instructions. It’s frequently translated “thigh.” This portion of the sacrifice is a fat, meaty part, and it was the portion given to the priests (Ex. 29:27, 7:32-34, Num. 6:20, 18:18). Interestingly, Samuel sets aside this portion of a sacrifice for Saul when he is being chosen to be king (1 Sam. 9:24).

Being “lame” restricted men in the priestly line from serving as priests (Lev. 21:18), and animals that were lame could not be offered as sacrifices (Dt. 15:24, Mal. 1:8-13). The point seems to be that a proverb, words of wisdom, ought to be a priestly and sacrificial ministry. It ought to be the fatty meat that is the portion of priests. But in the mouth of fools, even proverbs become unclean and unfit for sacrifice. You can’t take wise words and put them in the mouth of a fool and expect them to be spoken as wisdom. Wise words in the mouth of a fool still come out as foolish words. This is a great reminder of reputations and the time it takes to make and break them.

The word for “lame” is “PESAYACH,” and it is very close to the word for Passover “PESACH.” If anything, this pun may be suggesting a reverse Passover; they are images of the covenant broken.

Elijah says that people of Israel are “lame” between two options when they cannot choose between Yahweh and Baal (1 Kgs. 18:21). This reveals a kind of ambiguity or double-mindedness in the word. It is untrustworthy. A proverb in the mouth of fools is not trustworthy and may be twisted in various directions.

Christ’s ministry includes the healing of many lame (Mt. 15:31, 21:14, Lk. 7:22). From the perspective of this proverb, the implication is that Jesus is not only restoring the bodies of Israel, but he is restoring wisdom. He is restoring proverbs and wise sayings. But beyond that we can say that he is restoring the ability of his people to speak and be heralds and messengers (26:6). Jesus is giving Israel her reputation back. His people are called to be ministers of grace and this always includes being witnesses of the resurrection. The resurrection is the great proverb, the riddle, the wise saying that transforms lives. This action of sharing the good news is a priestly calling, it is our fatty portion. And when we invite others to this feast, we are inviting them to be priests with us. But it is also a kingly and prophetic function. When we explain the wisdom of the gospel, we are ruling/prophesying to the nations. And it is the fact that we have been healed in numerous ways that converts us from fools to wise, and makes the proverb of the gospel real wisdom in our mouths.

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More on Proverbs 26:6

A few more thoughts generated by the study this morning:

First, the application of the message, messenger principle for today goes in a number of directions. Part of the point of the proverb is that the messenger is an extension of the sender. If the messenger is foolish, the sender is marred by that reputation. The messenger is the "feet" of the sender, and if the messenger is unfaithful, the "feet" of the sender are cut off.

This applies to families. Wisdom is justified by her children, but the reverse is also true. The folly of wayward children damns their parents. This is why the standards for office in the church are high. A man who cannot rule his house well is not qualified to rule the church. Children are the "feet" of their parents. If children are foolish, the "feet" of their parents are cut off. A minister who tries to tell his flock how love a wife or raise children has no "feet" to stand on if his own house is a wreck.

This introduces covenantal language to the whole picture. The messenger is the "feet" of the sender; he is part of his body. Paul says that we are all related to one another. If one member suffers, we all suffer. We are members of one another in Christ, and this means that we have responsibility for one another. Sending a fool on an errand may seem like one fairly isolated sort of thing: dumb but isolated. But the effects can be disastrous and violent. Likewise, our communications, how we send our words to one another (via email, text messaging, voice mail, phone calls, etc.) are all modern day messengers. Our words are part of us, and they have the ability to take on lives of their own. They have the ability to cut off our reputation. They can make or break us.

Last, it should not be forgotten that God the Father is the great "word sender." He sent his Son, the Logos, the Word, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God sent the perfect representative, the Word who is Wisdom incarnate to reveal himself to us, to declare the good news of the gospel, forgiveness, peace, and justice. Of course part of that message is embodied in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Sender revealed his message in the death and resurrection of the Messenger. And this could go several ways: First, this connection confirms the generational nature of words. It was noted in the previous post that "feet" are sometimes euphemisms for the male sexual organ and reproduction. Of course Jesus is the eternal Son, eternally begotten of his Father, and therefore the perfect Word of the Father.

Second, notice that Jesus drinks the violence. He drinks the cup of God's wrath on the cross. Rather than creating violence and strife and turmoil, Jesus takes that violence into himself. He absorbs the wrath in his own flesh on the tree.

Third, even though Jesus is pierced and killed, the Word does not stay dead. The resurrection is the proof that we cannot break the Word of God. In fact, in the crucifixion, soldiers go to break the legs of Jesus, and they do not need to because he is already dead. Not a bone was broken. While the foolish messenger cuts off the feet of the sender, Jesus is the Wisdom of God, the Message that cannot be broken. And therefore, the feet of the Sender are secure and established.

And that leads to the last part of this: The Messenger reveals the Sender. A foolish Messenger proclaims that his Sender is foolish. But the converse is also true and better. A wise Messenger is the glory of his Sender. How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good new. Jesus the glory of the Father, the wise Messenger whose feet are beautiful because he reveals the even greater glory and beauty of his Sender, His Father. If He's the Messenger, how much more the Sender.

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Proverbs 26:6-7

Introduction
26:1-12 is a section dealing with “fools,” and nearly every verse mentions a “fool” or “folly” of some sort or another.

26:6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

On the surface, this seems pretty extreme. Literally, it’s “sending words by a hand of a fool.” On the other hand, it’s also meant to emphasize the absurdity of foolish messengers. Having a foolish messenger is about as dumb as cutting off your own feet and drinking violence.

Messengers are meant to be extra sets of legs, carrying messages on your behalf. A foolish messenger is worse than not having an extra set of legs. You will not only fail to have the message delivered, your own ability to deliver the message will be severely hampered. The word for “feet” is sometimes used euphemistically to the sexual organs (e.g Jdg. 3:24). This adds another layer to the self inflicted pain of a foolish messenger. Carrying words to someone else is a way of reproducing yourself. A good messenger carries the words well, and re-presents the master to the other part. A fool cuts off your ability to reproduce.

Surely this is part of what is meant by “poisoning the well.” After a fool has delivered the words, you are no longer in a position to deliver them yourself. No matter your standing or the wisdom of the words, the fool has damaged the goods.

After Rechab and Baanah bring news that they have killed Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, David has them executed and their hands and feet cut off. This is probably related to what they have done. Their hands shed blood, and their feet were used to bring this news to David (2 Sam. 4:8-12).

Contrast this with Isaiah: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Is. 52:7)

Jesus famously exhorts his followers to cut off their hand or foot if it causes them to sin (Mt. 18:8, Mk. 9:45). The application here would be to cut any feet that make your words cause others to stumble. Your messenger would be included in your feet. Cut those off before you end up having your own removed.

“Drinking violence” was used back in 4:17: “ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.” This was in the context of describing the path of the wicked and the way evil. The evil and the wicked celebrate violence like a sacrament (e.g. Job 15:16).

The sacramental character of words is perhaps in play here. Part of the message the gospel is a call to the feast of the Lord’s Supper. The cup of wine is a cup of violence, but it is violence to end all violence. Yet, Paul says that if we eat and drink in an unworthy manner, not receiving the words of God rightly, we will be “guilty of the body and the blood.” The violence of the cup will become ours.

Perhaps “drinking violence” is meant to emphasize the folly of the one sending the messenger. And if the one sending the messenger is not a fool, he must be trying to pick a fight.

26:7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Notice that this connects back with the previous verse, likening the effect a fool can have on someone’s legs. The word here for legs is different, but there’s still a parallel in play. Like wise words in the mouth of a foolish messenger, their effect is lost. And if a simple message by the hand of a fool is like inflicting violence on yourself, it doesn’t make matters better if you put a really good message in his hands. It doesn’t help if it’s a wise saying even. Your legs (ie. message) are still worthless and lame. It cannot accomplish what it is meant to accomplish.

The imagery also suggests that the fool is some sort of predator. He’s like a wolf with a chewed off elk leg hanging limp from his jaws.

The word for legs here is the one used frequently in conjunction with sacrificial instructions. It’s frequently translated “thigh.” This portion of the sacrifice is a fat, meaty part, and it was the portion given to the priests (Ex. 29:27, 7:32-34, Num. 6:20, 18:18). Interestingly, Samuel sets aside this portion of a sacrifice for Saul when he is being chosen to be king (1 Sam. 9:24).

Being “lame” restricted men in the priestly line from serving as priests (Lev. 21:18), and animals that were lame could not be offered as sacrifices (Dt. 15:24). The point seems to be that a proverb, words of wisdom, ought to be a priestly and sacrificial ministry. It ought to be the fatty meat that is the portion of priests. But in the mouth of fools, even proverbs become unclean and unfit for sacrifice. You can’t take wise words and put them in the mouth of a fool and expect them to be spoken as wisdom. Wise words in the mouth of a fool still come out as foolish words. This is a great reminder of reputations and the time it takes to make and break them.

The word for “lame” is “PESAYACH,” and it is very close to the word for Passover “PESACH.” James Jordan has pointed out that the strange incident in Exodus 4 is a proleptic Passover. In that incident when God comes to kill Moses, Zipporah circumcises their son, and smears the blood on his legs. This appears to be a mini-passover event where the blood is displayed like at Passover, and the angel of death passes over. Thus, in the actual Passover, the door posts are to be seen like legs that are being covered with blood, and that would remind Israel of circumcision, the sign of the covenant and the promised seed. Again this goes back to the “feet” of the previous verse. Feet that are “limp” and “lame” and “cut off” are images of castration, barrenness, and death. They are images of the covenant broken.

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Proverbs 25:16-22

The entire chapter is thematically related by the repeated themes of the court, kings, and rule. If vv. 2-5 are the introductory material 6-15 seem to be related to God and kings while 16-27 perhaps are more concerned with the broader court and kingdom and particularly the relationship to wickedness and righteousness (cf. v. 5). But the entire chapter still has to do with “rule” (25:28). The end of the chapter is also a return to the theme of “glory” (25:27, cf. 25:2).

Vv. 16-27 are structured by the inclusio related to eating honey. While the first exhortation seems to have more to do with temperance and moderation, v. 27 is clearly concerned with selfishness and vainglory. This final form of overeating is parallel to the first exhortation not to exalt yourself in the presence of the king (25:6).

Waltke cites a commentator who notes the inclusio between eating-hating (v. 16-17) and hating-feeding (v. 21). “In verses 16-17 ‘eating’ runs the risk of creating a ‘hater,’ while in verses 21-22 the problem of the ‘hater’ is positively resolved by giving him something ‘to eat.’” (325)


25:16-17
16-17 are tied together in a couple of ways. First, the principle is one of moderation as opposed to excess. Too much of a good thing can have negative consequences. The Hebrew bears this out by using the same verb twice. “Lest you be filled and vomit it” and “lest he be filled and hate you.” Literally the exhortation is to make your foot precious and valuable to your neighbor. And value is frequently related to scarcity. Not “setting foot” in your neighbor’s house is the second geographical exhortation in the chapter, perhaps parallel with the idea not to go to court swiftly (v. 8). And the following verse is again related to how we treat our “neighbor” (cf. 25:8-9). The overarching principle is one of self control.

25:18-20
18 continues the theme of treatment of “neighbors” which is parallel to vv. 8-11. Verses 18-20 are all negative proberbs with a similar structure and syntax. First, structurally there is a simple comparison taking place in all three, and in the Hebrew, the image comes first followed by the concrete situation being considered. Second, there are at least three puns running through these proverbs. Neighbor, bad, and heavy; sharp, tooth; unfaithful man in a time of… , garment on a day of… are all echoes of each other in the Hebrew.

The three proverbs also seem to be running in a sort of descending order. Beginning with the false witness, it moves on to the unfaithful man in a day of trouble, and it finally descends to someone who is just thoughtless or rude. The comparisons descend accordingly: from images of assault violence and inflicted pain, to more passive pain as a rotting tooth and unstable/shaking foot. While the former pictures the false witness as a more active enemy, the latter is simply untrustworthy and painful especially in a day of trouble. Waltke points out that the three weapons listed in the arsenal of the false witness are the basic weapons of a warrior and ascend from close range to long range. On the other hand, the untrustworthy man is passively treacherous by leaving his friend wounded on the battlefield.

The final proverb in this series returns to weather imagery (cf. 13-14), but here the “cold” is uncomfortable and bothersome. The one who sings songs to a “bad heart” is being unseasonable. Again, the pain and discomfort is related to timing, singing songs on a “day of cold” like the untrustworthy man on a “day of trouble.”

vv. 21-22
As noted previously, this proverb is the answer to eating too much (v. 16); rather than eating too much, the son/prince ought to give food to the one who “hates” him. Literally, the text says to give your “enemy” bread if he is hungry, water if he is thirsty. This action, will “snatch up” burning coals onto his head and Yahweh will make a covenant of peace with you.

A number of possibilities here: First there may be something sacrificial being implied here. Coals were used for burning the incense that was burned in the tabernacle (Lev. 16:12). The result that Yahweh makes peace with you is an idea that is bound up in the sacrificial system. The same root is of course used for the “peace offering,” but the verb to “make peace” is used in the context of restitution (Lev. 5:16, 24, 24:18, 21). Previously, Proverbs has exhorted the son not to say “I will repay [make peace] with evil” (20:22).

The Psalmist prays for something like this to happen as more of a straightforward judgment from God (Ps. 140:11). But given the context of neighbors and being at peace, the implication seems to be that “snatching coals” is actually a way of bringing reconciliation, a way of removing the cause of contention (cf. Pr. 26:21). Ezekiel watches the man in linen who is called by God take colas from “between the cherubim” and scatter them over the city of Jerusalem (Ez. 10:2ff). This is part of the process of God’s glory leaving the city. But of course the judgments of God are usually include elements of punishment and deliverance so it does not seem that we must choose.

Heaping coals of fire on the head is at least vaguely reminiscent of a crown and thereby kingly. Not only is the command to treat an enemy as a neighbor, but perhaps the implication is that doing so is an act of bestowing glory, one which God honors by bringing peace. But this act of friendship and glory combined with food means that hospitality has far more potency than we might think. Hospitality is one of the instruments that God uses to bring his judgments to bear in the world. We leave room for God’s wrath, but that does not mean that we are not involved in overcoming evil (Rom. 12:19-21).

If the cross is God’s greatest act of hospitality, laying his life down for his enemies in order to make them friends, Pentecost is the completion of that hospitality. Christ pours out gifts on his enemies, crowning them with coals of fire which is for the peace of the world. And we ought not to forget that the Eucharist is related here as well. God is pleased to feed those who disobey, betray, and misuse him. We are the false witnesses, the untrustworthy friends, and the rude neighbors, and God invites us in our hunger and thirst to his table. And God is pleased to heap burning coals on our heads, and we confess our sins, we are forgiven, and we are crowned with peace.

Structurally, it looks as if many of the themes of vv. 6-15 are being repeated in vv. 16-22, and the implication seems to be that the lives of individuals and their neighbors and friends has a great deal to do with how a kingdom goes. The son being trained to be a king must see the day to day interactions of his subjects as directly related to the wellbeing of his kingdom. The final proverb of the chapter finally makes this plain: self-rule is likened to the security of a city (25:28).

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