Proverbs 17 Commentary
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KEY THOUGHT: Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; [Proverbs 17:28a NKJV]
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Proverbs 17 NKJV
The Lord Tests Hearts
17 Better is a dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of [a]feasting with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a [b]spiteful tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.
15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17 A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man devoid of [c]understanding [d]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes [e]surety for his friend.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife,
And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He who has a [f]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A merry heart [g]does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe [h]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27 He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
Footnotes
a. Proverbs 17:1 Or sacrificial meals
b. Proverbs 17:4 Lit. destructive
c. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
d. Proverbs 17:18 Lit. strikes the hands
e. Proverbs 17:18 guaranty or collateral
f. Proverbs 17:20 crooked
g. Proverbs 17:22 Or makes medicine even better
h. Proverbs 17:23 Under cover, lit. from the bosom
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 17 Commentary
Chapter 17 begins by elevating the importance of peace. Without peace, all feasting is useless; be it a feast of money, entertainment, pleasure, fame, or indeed any other form of abundance.
The New Testament expands our understanding of the term peace. It is more than simply the absence of strife. Ephesians would put it this way: “For He himself is our peace.” Ephesians 2:14a.
Without Jesus, all feasting is useless! Ponder
The mention of a servant who rules over the disgraced son may draw the thoughts of the famous fall in Genesis 3. Humanity lost the blessing of dominion. By prudence, translated as Wisdom or otherwise, Jesus Christ, men and women can rule once again.
In the meantime, the LORD tests the heart. Is there prudence? The answer is NO if you still want to listen to liars, mock the poor, pay your way through, and feel salvation can be bought by human effort.
Then the chapter broadens the description of wickedness or the lack of prudence. Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent, you will have participated in wickedness.
We need to examine our hearts. All the wickedness in the world, what’s my heart’s position? If comfort and truce, then we are participants in the same evil we support. But let there be pain and constant discomfort because of idolatry.
What senselessness, and what stupidity to want to put your life on the line all for nothing. Verse 18. The scripture laments the poor reasoning behind wickedness. Why do you want to be part of it? For what and for whom?
Verse 21 seems to picture the Creator God grieving over the foolishness of His children. He knows the missing part: prudence – Wisdom it is.
In this book, the LORD explains the human problem: Lack of wisdom. Read Wisdom. Without Wisdom, nothing works.
The last verse is a masterpiece. Say nothing, and everyone thinks you are intelligent. The scripture encourages us to stop trying. Accept our poor condition and inability to solve our own problems. True wisdom comes when we keep quiet and let the LORD Jesus Christ do the talking.
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