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PROVERBS 14:1-35

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

BACKGROUND STUDY

1. It is very important in studying a book like Proverbs, which is almost impossible to outline, to look for major themes that run through the entire work.

   Proverbs is an example of wisdom literature that moves from one theme to another. The rabbis call this "pearls on a string" and used it to keep the attention of their audience. There is usually no contextual relationship between chapters like this, which have two lines of poetry on one subject.

   SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

2. It will be very helpful in studying Proverbs to read the passage in several English translations. This will help one to see the fluidity and different connotations of the words and phrases.
   
   
3. Review the note in the Introduction to Proverbs, VIII. E. by Douglas Stuart.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 14:1-35
 ¹The wise woman builds her house,
 But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
 ²He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
 But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.
 ³In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
 But the lips of the wise will protect them.
 ⁴Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
 But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
 ⁵A trustworthy witness will not lie,
 But a false witness utters lies.
 ⁶A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
 But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.
 ⁷Leave the presence of a fool,
 Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
 ⁸The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
 But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
 ⁹Fools mock at sin,
 But among the upright there is good will.
 ¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness,
 And a stranger does not share its joy.
 ¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
 But the tent of the upright will flourish.
 ¹²There is a way which seems right to a man,
 But its end is the way of death.
 ¹³Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
 And the end of joy may be grief.
 ¹⁴The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
 But a good man will be satisfied with his.
 ¹⁵The naive believes everything,
 But the sensible man considers his steps.
 ¹⁶A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
 But a fool is arrogant and careless.
 ¹⁷A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
 And a man of evil devices is hated.
 ¹⁸The naive inherit foolishness,
 But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
 ¹⁹The evil will bow down before the good,
 And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
 ²⁰The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
 But those who love the rich are many.
 ²¹He who despises his neighbor sins,
 But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.
 ²²Will they not go astray who devise evil?
 But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
 ²³In all labor there is profit,
 But mere talk leads only to poverty.
 ²⁴The crown of the wise is their riches,
 But the folly of fools is foolishness.
 ²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,
 But he who utters lies is treacherous.
 ²⁶In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
 And his children will have refuge.
 ²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
 That one may avoid the snares of death.
 ²⁸In a multitude of people is a king's glory,
 But in the dearth of people is a prince's ruin.
 ²⁹He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
 But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
 ³⁰A tranquil heart is life to the body,
 But passion is rottenness to the bones.
 ³¹He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
 But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
 ³²The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,
 But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.
 ³³Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
 But in the hearts of fools it is made known.
 ³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,
 But sin is a disgrace to any people.
 ³⁵The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
 But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

14:1 "The wise woman" Proverbs elevates the wife (cf. Prov. 18:22; 19:14; 31:10-31). Notice the antithetical parallelism. The first line has a PERFECT VERB (godly woman) and the second an IMPERFECT VERB (foolish woman).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

14:2 "He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord" Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (cf. Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Job 28:28; Eccl. 12:13). Our lifestyle choices reflect our relationship with God. Proverbs is extremely concerned, not only with knowledge, but a godly lifestyle (i.e., "hear," shema, cf. Deut. 6:4-9).

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

▣ "But he who is devious in his ways despises Him" Even if the wicked man does not recognize the presence of God, by his very actions he despises Him. All the Hebrew words for sin reflect a deviation from a standard. In the Bible the standard of measurement is God, Himself (i.e., Rom. 3:9-18,23).

SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS

This VERBAL root (BDB 531, KB 522, Niphal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE; NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 770) has one positive meaning in the Qal and Hiphil stems and a negative sense in the Niphal stem.

1. positive ‒ Prov. 3:21, Qal
   ‒ Prov. 4:21, Hiphil
2. negative ‒ Prov. 2:15; 3:22; 14:2; Isa. 30:12

The MT has "a rod of pride" (BDB 310 CONSTRUCT BDB 144). The UBS Text Project, p. 491, gives this an "A" rating (highly probable). Verse 3 is antithetical parallelism.

1. גאוה ‒ of pride
2. גוה ‒ of his back (cf. Prov. 10:13)

The MT is unusual but this is one of the tenets of textual criticism (i.e., the most unusual text is probably original). See NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 106. See SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM.

This verse highlights the truth that "words matter." They can build up or tear down. The tongue is a weapon or a blessing (cf. James 3:1-7). Words reveal the heart, the true self (cf. Mark 7:18-23).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN SPEECH

14:4 There are two possibilities for this verse.

1. Orderliness can reflect emptiness. In the Tyndale OT Commentary the title of this section is "Neat but Negative."
2. Take care of your working animals and they will take care of you.

Number 2 fits the context best.

14:5 "A faithful witness will not lie" Identifying parallel passages is the best way to study Proverbs. Verse 5 is an antithetical parallelism.

There are two types of roots for "witness."

1. faithful witness ‒ BDB 729 CONSTRUCT BDB 53
2. false witness ‒ BDB 729 CONSTRUCT BDB 1055

There is some confusion about the VERB "speaks lies" found in the second line (BDB 806, KB 916, Hiphil IMPERFECT, cf. Prov. 6:19; 12:17; 14:5,25; 19:5,9). Lying in court was condemned because usually a conviction meant death, so a lying witness was a murderer! This is why it took two witnesses to convict (cf. Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). YHWH's people must reflect His character. He does not lie!

14:6 "A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none" Wisdom is easy to find if one seeks her for the right reasons (cf. Exod. 23:1; Prov. 2:3-6; 2 Tim. 3:7; James 1:5).

The terms "wisdom" (BDB 315, KB 314) and "knowledge" (BDB 395, KB 228) are used in a synonymous parallel relationship (cf. Prov. 1:7; 2:6,10; 9:10; 14:6; 21:11; Eccl. 1:18; 7:12). Surprisingly just as there is no distinction between social and religious laws in the Pentateuch, there is no distinction between

1. academic knowledge
2. experience training

YHWH gives both and both are needed in a godly, productive society. All of life belongs to God and all human knowledge is from Him (see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 563; #6, 1276-1285).

14:7 "Leave the presence of a fool" The VERB "leave" (BDB 229, KB 246, Qal IMPERATIVE, literally "walk") is the only IMPERATIVE in the chapter. Watch out for the company you keep. It will determine who you are. This is a recurrent theme in Proverbs.

14:8 "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way" Wisdom helps put human life in perspective.

14:9 "Fools mock at sin" The term "sin" is the term "guilt" (BDB 79 KB 95). It may refer to a "guilt offering," KB 96, JPSOA). This possibly relates to the fool's rejection of God, either intellectually or what is more probable, practically. Proverbs is a book about life and how to live it in a way pleasing to YHWH.

The second line is textually uncertain but the UBS Text Project gives the MT wording a "B" rating.

14:10 "The heart knows its own bitterness" This seems to be an affirmation of each of our own experiences of the loneliness of evil (cf. v. 14; Prov. 9:12).

This verse is not in a parallel structure.

14:11 "The house of the wicked will be destroyed" "House" and "tent" refer to one's family. Sin bears the seeds of its own destruction and it moves through families (i.e., Exod. 20:5).

The word "wicked" (BDB 957, KB 1295; NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 1201-1204) is used often in Wisdom Literature. It is contrasted with "the righteous" (cf. Prov. 14:11,32). This was a way to illustrate "the two ways" (cf. Deuteronomy 30; Psalm 1).

The MT has the VERB (BDB 827 I, KB 965, Hiphil IMPERFECT) which is literally "cause to bud" (cf. Prov. 11:28; Job 14:9; Ps. 92:13; Isa. 17:11; Ezek. 17:24).

The LXX translation seems to come from Prov. 12:7, which also mentions "the house of. . ." This thought is also discussed in Matt. 7:24-27.

14:12 "There is a way which seems right to a man" This same proverb is found in Prov. 16:25. It seems to refer to shortcuts or self-oriented living, not the desire to follow God. All humans are affected by the Fall of Genesis 3 (cf. Rom. 3:9-18,23). Only God "knows" what is true and right (cf. Isa. 55:6-11).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL

14:13 "Even in laughter the heart may be in pain" There are two possibilities for interpreting this proverb: (1) laughter is fleeting, (2) laughter is no ultimate answer to life's problems.

There are two books that have helped me in this area. I commend them to you.

1. John W. Wenham, The Goodness of God
2. Hannah Whithall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life

The author of Ecclesiastes has also helped me by his recurrent admonition to "enjoy the simple pleasures of life daily" (i.e., Eccl. 2:24; 3:12,13,22; 5:18; 8:15; 9:7-9). The fall of Adam and Eve has affected everything negatively!

14:14 "The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways" See the parallel thought in Prov. 1:31; 12:21. Real joy is found only in God and His ways. See note at v. 22.

14:15 "The naive believes everything" Be careful not to accept all testimony as ultimate truth (i.e., 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). For "naive" see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 714-716. Basically it means "inexperienced."

14:16 "A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil" Proverbs 14:16a is parallel to v. 15b. This refers to daily choices based on God's word, not human selfishness.

▣ "fool" See note at Prov. 1:22 and NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 678-689.

14:17 "A quick-tempered man acts foolishly" Temper is bad but evil scheming is worse.

The MT has the VERB (BDB 971, KB 1338, Niphal IMPERFECT) which means "hate," but the LXX and Peshitta have "he bears" (BDB 669, #2).

1. ישׂנא ‒ "is hated"
2. ינשׂא ‒ "he bears"

The UBS Text Project, p. 493, gives the MT a "C" rating (cnsiderable doubt).

The MT has the VERB (BDB 635, KB 686, Qal PERFECT; NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 745) which basically means "to get" or "to take as a possession." In Proverbs it is often translated "inherit" (cf. Prov. 3:35; 8:21; 11:29; 13:22; 28:10). The naive receive folly from their family and friends.

14:19 "The evil will bow down before the good" Righteousness will ultimately overcome (i.e., Prov. 11:29). This is not "positive thinking" but the Mosaic covenant's worldview.

14:20 "The poor is hated even by his neighbor" True friends are hard to find (cf. Prov. 19:4). Often one's relationships are based on personal gain or advantage, not friendship.

The MT has "his neighbor" (BDB 945). The UBS Text Project, p. 494, gives this a "B" rating (some doubt).

1. "his neighbor" ‒ לרעהו
2. "a hungry (man)" ‒ לרעב

▣ "But happy is he who is gracious to the poor" God is pleased when we share what we have with those in need (cf. Prov. 14:31; 19:17; 28:27). Humanity is one family made by God (cf. Prov. 22:2; Gen. 1:26-27). SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH

The NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 204, #3, has an interesting list about the use of the adjective "gracious" (lit. "kind," BDB 335, KB 334, Poel PARTICIPLE). This root expresses regular gracious actions toward

1. the young or the old ‒ Deut. 28:50
2. those who suffer ‒ Job 19:21
3. the poor ‒ Prov. 14:21,31; 28:8
4. the oppressed ‒ Dan. 4:27

Remember, YHWH defends the poor (cf. Deut. 10:17-18) but opposes the proud, arrogant, and wicked.

14:22 "But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good" We reap what we sow (cf. Gal. 6:7). See full note and list of biblical texts online in Galatians 6.

14:23 "In all labor there is profit" The author of Ecclesiastes says that labor without God is vain (cf. Eccl. 2:24-26). The author of Proverbs says that work can be meaningful (cf. Prov. 12:11; 21:17; 28:19). God gave mankind work before the Fall (cf. Gen. 2:15).

The MT has "their riches" (BDB 799, KB 898) but the UBS Text Project, p. 494, gives this only a "B" rating (some doubt).

1. עשרם ‒ "their wealth"
2. ערמתם ‒ "their cleverness"

SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH

▣ The second line of verse 24 is a play on the words "fool" and "folly."

1. NOUN ‒ folly (BDB 17, KB 22)
2. NOUN ‒ fools (BDB 493 I, KB 489 I)
3. NOUN ‒ folly (BDB 17, KB 22)

The UBS Text Project, p. 495, gives a "B" rating to RSV "(but folly) is the garland of (fools)"; also note the REB.

14:25 "A truthful witness saves lives" This refers to faithful/truthful witnesses in court. It took two witnesses in a trial (cf. Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15) to convict.

14:26 "children will have refuge" This NOUN ("refuge," BDB 340, KB 337) is a recurrent them in Wisdom Literature, especially the Psalms. Humans seek refuge in Israel's covenant God.

1. 2 Sam. 22:3,31
2. Ps. 2:12; 5:11; 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 17:7; 18:2,30; 25:20; 31:1,19; 34:8,22; 36:7; 37:40; 57:1 (twice); 61:4; 64:10; 71:1; 91:4; 118:8,9; 141:8; 144:2
3. Prov. 14:26,32; 30:5

He and He alone is fallen mankind's only hope (cf. Deut. 32:37; Ruth 2:2; Nah. 1:7; Zeph. 3:12). Where do you seek refuge?

We pass on who we are to our children (cf. Deut. 5:9; 7:9). Parents are admonished to teach their children about God (cf. Deut. 4:9,10; 6:7,20-25; 11:19; 32:46)

SPECIAL TOPIC: REFUGE (OT)

14:27 "The fear of the Lord" This is a recurrent theme in Proverbs (cf. Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 14:2,26,27; 15:33). It is a worldview and a daily guide!

SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT)

▣ "a fountain of life" This same imagery is in Prov. 13:14. For desert people this was powerful life-saving imagery!

NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 1088, #2, lists the ways this phrase is used.

1. YHWH's lovingkindness ‒ Ps. 36:9
2. the mouth of the righteous ‒ Prov. 10:11
3. the instruction of the wise ‒ Prov. 13:14
4. the fear of the Lord ‒ Prov. 14:27
5. understanding ‒ Prov. 16:22

YHWH can dry up this life-giving fountain (cf. Jer. 51:36; Hosea 13:15).

14:29 Anger is another recurrent theme in Proverbs. Being "slow to anger" is specifically mentioned in Prov. 16:32; 19:11; also note Eccl. 7:9; James 1:19.

The CONSTRUCT "slow to anger" is literally "long-faced/nostril" (BDB 74 CONSTRUCT BDB 60 I). The opposite is "quick tempered," which literally is "short of face/nostril" (cf. v. 17).

The ADJECTIVE ruah (BDB 924) is used in the sense of "disposition," "attitude," "mood," or "inclination" (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 1074-1075, #4).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE

14:30 "A tranquil heart is life to the body" Anger and bitterness will destroy our physical and spiritual lives (cf. Prov. 15:13; 17:22). They are an emotional cancer (TEV) only God can handle!

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART

BDB 888 lists several possible meanings.

1. ardor
2. zeal
3. jealousy

KB 1111 adds "enmity," "animosity," "anger," or "wrath." This term is used of human attitudes towards other humans in Job 5:2; Ps. 119:139; Ezek. 35:11. These attitudes are an emotional cancer that destroys the person who harbors them, not the object of their anger!

14:31 "He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker" All humans are important to God! (cf. Prov. 17:5; Job 31:15). We are all in this world together; we need to act like it.

When believers help other believers they do it as unto the Lord (cf. Prov. 19:7; Matt. 10:40-42; 25:35-46; Mark 9:41; Eph. 6:7-9; Col. 3:23-24). This really makes it very important to show mercy to other believers in need (i.e., James 2:14-26).

14:32 "The wicked. . .the righteous" All humans are important to God! However, there is a distinction in the afterlife (cf. v. 27). The rabbis affirmed this in their theory that Sheol is divided into a righteous section (i.e., "paradise") and a wicked section (i.e., "tartarus"). See full note online at Luke 23:43.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEOL, I. B.

The MT has "in his death" (BDB 560). The UBS Text Project, p. 496, cannot decide whether the MT or LXX ("in his integrity") has the original text.

This line of poetry affirms a belief in an afterlife (i.e., Dan. 12:2; and possibly Job 19:25-27). Rashi said it referred to the Garden of Eden. The choices made in life have consequences into the afterlife!

14:33 "Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding" This line of poetry has two possibilities:

1. wise men do not flaunt knowledge
2. even fools have some knowledge

▣ "heart. . .bosom" The "heart" was seen as the intellectual and volitional center but "bosom" (BDB 899, KB 1135; NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 978-979) denotes the lower organs of the abdomen, which were seen as the seat of the emotions.

The textual question is over the word "not," which is not in the MT but makes the parallel between the two lines of poetry better. The UBS Text Project, p. 497, gives its absence a "B" rating.

14:34 "Righteousness exalts a nation" Covenant obedience is corporate as well as individual (2 Chr. 7:14).

This Hebrew root, חסד (BDB 338-340 II) has two distinct meanings, therefore, probably originally two separate terms.

1. lovingkindness, covenant loyalty, BDB 338 I (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS)
2. shame, reproach, BDB 340 II, NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 210 (cf. Lev. 20:17)

14:35 "The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely" Efficiency is rewarded.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Look in a reference Bible and run the parallels to each of these Proverbs to find the themes that run through Wisdom Literature. This is the best interpretive approach in this genre. See Introduction to Proverbs.
2. How does Proverbs balance the honoring of women with the ANE patriarchal society?
3. Is there any difference between the words
   1. fool
   2. scoffer
   3. naive/simple?
4. Is there a semantic difference between "wisdom" and "knowledge"?
5. Define "wisdom" in Wisdom Literature.

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