Proverbs 26 Commentary
Underserved Curse Never Stays
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KEY THOUGHT: So a curse without cause shall not alight. [Proverbs 26:2b NKJV]
Kindly read your Bible before going through the commentary!
Proverbs 26 NKJV
Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool
26 As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall not alight.
3 A whip for the horse,
A bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the fool’s back.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling
Is he who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 [a]The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the [b]streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the [c]bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “I was only joking!”
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no [d]talebearer, strife ceases.
21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a [e]talebearer are like [f]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the [g]inmost body.
23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;
25 When [h]he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes
a. Proverbs 26:10 Heb. difficult in v. 10; ancient and modern translators differ greatly
b. Proverbs 26:13 Or plazas, squares
c. Proverbs 26:15 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit
d. Proverbs 26:20 gossip or slanderer, lit. whisperer
e. Proverbs 26:22 gossip or slanderer
f. Proverbs 26:22 A Jewish tradition wounds
g. Proverbs 26:22 Lit. rooms of the belly
h. Proverbs 26:25 Lit. his voice is gracious
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 26 Commentary
If these lines were not proverbs, verses 4 and 5 would be perfect examples of inconsistency, otherwise called contradictions by the spiritually uneducated. And they are sitting right next to each other!
So what should the saint do, follow 4, or follow 5?
We can contradict ourselves, but the LORD cannot contradict Himself. Our understanding of scripture can be contradictory, but the scripture itself remains infallible!
A square peg and a round hole won’t match. Don’t waste your effort. But when all is square, or when all is round, why not, go ahead and apply effort. That’s the application of verses 4 and 5!
Verse 4 is a warning to stay away from life on the fool’s terms. There is never a product in God’s creation branded ‘fool’. A man becomes one when he elects to go the fool’s way.
It’s all about mismatched designs.
“Righteousness and a curse” is a good example of mismatched designs. An undeserved curse never stays. On the other hand, wickedness and a curse are paired by design.
No one ever catches a curse like sand in the eye on a windy day!
A curse is always deserved! Interestingly, who hasn’t deserved one? This commentary functions to point all to God’s grace of salvation – the Jesus salvation.
What about the observed inconsistencies in the application of this rule? The righteous man appears more cursed than the wicked man. Of course, there is a simple answer to this question.
Deception is the fuel that runs satan’s operations. He is the author of lies, lying from the beginning. Let humanity go back to the lab and observe correctly.
And the saint comes back to these pages of scripture for comfort. The reality is here. But it’s not all about a set of “good” principles on diligence, gossip, hatred, and a couple of other subjects.
It’s all about wisdom (Wisdom). It’s not an external acquisition but a deep stream within a saved man’s life. It’s about Jesus, the wisdom (Wisdom) of God!
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