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Texts -- Proverbs 15:1-27 (NET)

Context
15:1 A gentle response turns away anger , but a harsh word stirs up wrath . 15:2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly , but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly . 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place , keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good . 15:4 Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree , but a perverse tongue breaks the spirit . 15:5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline , but whoever heeds reproof shows good sense . 15:6 In the house of the righteous is abundant wealth , but the income of the wicked brings trouble . 15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge , but not so the heart of fools . 15:8 The Lord abhors the sacrifices of the wicked , but the prayer of the upright pleases him. 15:9 The Lord abhors the way of the wicked , but he loves those who pursue righteousness . 15:10 Severe discipline is for the one who abandons the way ; the one who hates reproof will die . 15:11 Death and Destruction are before the Lord – how much more the hearts of humans ! 15:12 The scorner does not love one who corrects him; he will not go to the wise . 15:13 A joyful heart makes the face cheerful , but by a painful heart the spirit is broken . 15:14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge , but the mouth of fools feeds on folly . 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are bad , but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast . 15:16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth and turmoil with it. 15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox where there is hatred . 15:18 A quick-tempered person stirs up dissension , but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel . 15:19 The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns , but the path of the upright is like a highway . 15:20 A wise child brings joy to his father , but a foolish person despises his mother . 15:21 Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense , but one who has understanding follows an upright course . 15:22 Plans fail when there is no counsel , but with abundant advisers they are established . 15:23 A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer , and a word at the right time – how good it is! 15:24 The path of life is upward for the wise person, to keep him from going downward to Sheol . 15:25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud , but he maintains the boundaries of the widow . 15:26 The Lord abhors the plans of the wicked , but pleasant words are pure . 15:27 The one who is greedy for gain troubles his household , but whoever hates bribes will live .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • WAY

    [isbe] WAY - wa ('orach, orcha', 'erets, bo', derekh, halikhah, ma`galah, nathibh; hodos, parodos, poreia, tropos; "highway," mecillah, meclul; diexodoi ton hodon): The list just cited contains only a portion of the words translate...

  • Thorn

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. hedek (Prov. 15:19), rendered "brier" in Micah 7:4. Some thorny plant, of the Solanum family, suitable for hedges. This is probably the so-called "apple of Sodom," which grows very abundantly in the Jordan valley. ...

  • TREASURE; TREASURER; TREASURY

    [isbe] TREASURE; TREASURER; TREASURY - trezh'-ur, trezh'-ur-er, trezh'-ur-i (otsar, genaz, genez, ganzakh, chocen matmon, mickenah, mikhman, `athudh, saphan; gaza, thesauros): I. In the Old Testament. 1. Treasure The English word "...

  • Speaking

    [nave] SPEAKING. Evil Ex. 22:28; Job 19:18; Psa. 10:7, 8; Psa. 12:3, 4; Psa. 34:13; Psa. 35:21; Psa. 41:5-9; Psa. 52:2-4; Psa. 59:12; Psa. 64:2-5; Psa. 69:12, 26; Psa. 70:3; Psa. 102:8; Psa. 106:33; Psa. 119:23; Psa. 120:1-7; Psa...

  • OMNISCIENCE

    [isbe] OMNISCIENCE - om-nish'-ens: The term does not occur in Scripture, either in its nominal or in its adjectival form. 1. Words and Usage: In the Old Testament it is expressed in connection with such words as da'ath, binah, tebh...

  • GOD, 2

    [isbe] GOD, 2 - II. The Idea of God in the Old Testament. 1. Course of Its Development: Any attempt to write the whole history of the idea of God in the Old Testament would require a preliminary study of the literary and historical...

  • FOREKNOW; FOREKNOWLEDGE

    [isbe] FOREKNOW; FOREKNOWLEDGE - for-no', for-nol'-ej: 1. Meaning of the Term 2. Foreknowledge as Prescience 3. Foreknowledge Based on Foreordination 4. Foreknowledge as Equivalent to Foreordination LITERATURE 1. Meaning of the Ter...

  • FOOL; FOLLY

    [isbe] FOOL; FOLLY - fool nabhal, 'ewil, kecil, cakhal and forms; aphron, aphrosune, moros): I. In the Old Testament. 1. General: Taking the words generally, apart from the Wisdom literature, we find nabhal frequently translated "f...

  • DIE

    [isbe] DIE - (muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To ...

  • DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA

    [isbe] DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA - de-ses' (rapha', plural repha'im, "ghosts," "shades," is translated by "dead," "dead body," and "deceased" in both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and Ame...

  • DEATH

    [isbe] DEATH - (maweth; thanatos): PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Gen 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Gen 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Ki 4:...

  • Counsellor

    [ebd] an adviser (Prov. 11:14; 15:22), a king's state counsellor (2 Sam. 15:12). Used once of the Messiah (Isa. 9:6). In Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50, the word probably means a member of the Jewish Sanhedrim.

  • COVETOUSNESS

    [isbe] COVETOUSNESS - kuv'-et-us-nes: Has a variety of shades of meaning determined largely by the nature of the particular word used, or the context, or both. Following are some of the uses: (1) To gain dishonestly (batsa`), e.g. ...

  • COUNTENANCE

    [isbe] COUNTENANCE - koun'-te-nans: (1) The noun (see also under the word FACE) is the translation of a variety of Hebrew and Greek expressions, panim; prosopon, being the most frequent. Besides these there are found mar'eh, "appea...

  • CHEER; CHEERFULNESS

    [isbe] CHEER; CHEERFULNESS - cher, cher'-fool-nes: The English word "cheer" meant (1) originally face, countenance (Greek kara, "head," through Old French, chere, "face"), (2) then the expression on the face, especially (3) the exp...

  • Brier

    [ebd] This word occurs frequently, and is the translation of several different terms. (1.) Micah 7:4, it denotes a species of thorn shrub used for hedges. In Prov. 15:19 the word is rendered "thorn" (Heb. hedek, "stinging"), suppo...

  • APPEASE

    [isbe] APPEASE - a-pez': "To make one at peace." Esau is appeased, i.e. placated, won over by means of presents (Gen 32:20). One "slow to anger appeaseth strife," i.e. puts an end to it (Prov 15:18). the Revised Version (British an...

  • APOLLYON

    [isbe] APOLLYON - a-pol'-i-on (Apolluon; 'abhaddon, "destroyer"): Present participle of the verb apolluo, "to destroy." I. Definition. A proper name, original with the author of the Apocalypse and used by him once (Rev 9:11) as a t...

  • AGRAPHA

    [isbe] AGRAPHA - ag'-ra-fa (agrapha). 1. The Term and Its History: The word agraphos of which agrapha is the neuter plural is met with in classical Greek and in Greek papyri in its primary sense of "unwritten," "unrecorded." In ear...

  • ABADDON

    [ebd] destruction, the Hebrew name (equivalent to the Greek Apollyon, i.e., destroyer) of "the angel of the bottomless pit" (Rev. 9:11). It is rendered "destruction" in Job 28:22; 31:12; 26:6; Prov. 15:11; 27:20. In the last three...
    [isbe] ABADDON - a-bad'-on ('abhaddon, "ruin," "perdition," "destruction"): Though "destruction" is commonly used in translating 'abhaddon, the stem idea is intransitive rather than passive--the idea of perishing, going to ruin, be...

Arts

Questions

  • God forbids it (Ecc. 7:9; Matt. 5:22; Rom. 12:19); it is a characteristic of fools and a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 27:3; Ecc. 7:9). Anger is connected with pride, cruelty, clamorous and evi...
  • God forbids it (Ecc. 7:9; Matt. 5:22; Rom. 12:19); it is a characteristic of fools and a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 27:3; Ecc. 7:9). Anger is connected with pride, cruelty, clamorous and evi...
  • I've heard and read the same statement a number of times, but have never troubled myself to look up each passage. I'm not surprised that looking up "heaven" and "hell" in a concordance would give you contradictory results. T...
  • We have precedent for such a belief. A striking example is that of Manasseh (II Chron. 33:18). A greater sinner than he it would be difficult to imagine. We can understand prayers of sinners for temporal blessings being unhea...
  • God and Christ commanded us to love man. The Saviour gave us an example in doing it (I John 4:7,21; John 13:34; John 15:12; I John 3:23). It is taught by God and is a fruit of the Spirit (I Thes. 4:9; Gal. 5:22; Col. 1:8). Wi...
  • God gives joy and Christ was appointed to give it, since the Gospels, which treat of him, are the "good tidings" (Ecc. 2:26; Is. 61:3; Luke 2:10,11) and God's Word affords joy (Neh. 8:12; Jer. 15:16). Joy is promised to saint...

Sermon Illustrations

General; A Time to Keep Silence; Proverbs

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • At Jericho, Israel learned God's strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God's covenant."We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a grea...
  • The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
  • "Chapter 26 is one of the grandest recitals in the whole book. It is excelled only by the Lord's speeches, as is fitting. It sounds well in Job's mouth, and ends the dialogue, like the first movement of a symphony, with great...
  • Proverbs claims to be a compendium of the wise sayings of several different individuals.4Solomon originated some of them (10:1-22:16 and chs. 25-29 definitely, and probably chs. 1-9 as well).5Unnamed wise men (sages) wrote ot...
  • The Book of Proverbs contains no history. It is purely didactic. It is a book of explicit instruction. Like the other Old Testament wisdom books, Job and Ecclesiastes, it does not contain references to Israel's laws, rituals,...
  • I. Discourses on wisdom chs. 1-9A. Introduction to the book 1:1-71. The title of the book 1:12. The purpose of the book 1:2-63. The thesis of the book 1:7B. Instruction for young people 1:8-7:271. Warning against consorting w...
  • Verse one introduces both the book as a whole and chapters 1-9 in particular. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of at least five separate groups of proverbs. There are those that Solomon spoke and or wrote (possibly chs. 1...
  • This verse enjoys almost universal recognition as the key statement not only in Proverbs but in all the wisdom literature of the Bible (cf. 9:10; 15:33; Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Eccles. 12:13). Some people think of it as the mo...
  • In the pericope before us the wise way (vv. 8-9) does not have the personal appeal, the excitement and hope of power, that the second way does (vv. 10-19). Its only reward is goodness as opposed to acceptance by one's peers."...
  • The last pericope of this chapter emphasizes the importance of persisting in the good practices that will lead to life. Success usually comes to those who keep concentrating on and perfecting the basics in their work. Our tem...
  • Chapters 1-9, as we have seen, contain discourses that Solomon evidently wrote urging his sons to choose the way of wisdom for their lives.92At 10:1 we begin the part of the book that sets forth what the wise way is in a vari...
  • These proverbs are more difficult to group together under a general heading because there are fewer common ideas that tie them together.14:1 This verse makes better sense if for "house"we read "household."14:3 The antecedent ...
  • There is a shift in emphasis in Solomon's anthology here. Pleasing God (cf. Col. 1:10; 1 John 3:22) becomes a greater factor in the proverbs that follow whereas those in chapters 10-15 had living successfully more in view. Ne...
  • 18:1 Evidently the intent is, "He who separates himself [from other people]"does so because he wants his own way and does not want others to restrain him. Such an approach runs counter to sound wisdom because we all need inpu...
  • As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (16:1-22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends because there are fewer groupings of proverbs.19:7 The first part of this verse is hyperbole (overstatement to ...
  • A third major section of the Book of Proverbs begins with 22:17. This is clear from several indicators. The proverbs lengthen out again from the typical one verse couplet that characterizes 10:1-26:16 (cf. chs. 1-9). The phra...
  • 22:22-23 Note the chiastic structure in these four lines that unifies the thought of the passage: violence, litigation, litigation, violence. God will avenge the poor on those who oppress them.22:24-25 The writer gave a reaso...
  • We return now to the proverbs of Solomon (cf. 1:1-22:16). Chapters 25-26 contain proverbs that are mainly comparisons. The key words in these chapters are "like . . . so."Chapter 27 is a mixture of comparative and antithetica...
  • 25:1 A group of scholars who served during King Hezekiah's reign (715-686 B.C.) added more of Solomon's 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32) to the former collection (1:1-22:16). These men lived about 250 years after Solomon. Solomo...
  • Chapters 30 and 31 form a distinct section in Proverbs because neither Solomon (1:1-22:16; chs. 25-29) nor the unnamed sages (22:17-24:34) wrote them. Two other wise men whose names the text records did. Some expositors specu...
  • The quality of wisdom that Proverbs presents is much more than the ability to apply knowledge to various situations in life effectively. It also involves submission to the way of God that is the order of life God has revealed...
  • 1:15 Ezekiel also saw a prominent wheel standing upright on the ground beside each of the four living creatures.1:16 These wheels appeared to have been skillfully made of some valuable material, the exact identity of which is...
  • 26:1 An oracle concerning Tyre came to Ezekiel on the first of an unspecified month in the eleventh year of the captivity, namely, 587-586 B.C.35326:2 Divine judgment would come on this city-state because its people rejoiced ...
  • 1:19 James' readers already knew what he had just reminded them of in the preceding verses (vv. 17-18; cf. Prov. 10:19; 13:3; 14:29; 15:1; 17:27-28; 29:11, 20; Eccles. 7:9). Nevertheless they needed to act in harmony with thi...
  • An invitation preceded the promise, as in all the letters to follow (cf. 1:3). Jesus was the only person to issue this invitation in Scripture. The Gospels also record Him doing so seven times (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9...
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