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Texts -- Proverbs 17:7-28 (NET)

Context
17:7 Excessive speech is not becoming for a fool ; how much less are lies for a ruler ! 17:8 A bribe works like a charm for the one who offers it; in whatever he does he succeeds . 17:9 The one who forgives an offense seeks love , but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends . 17:10 A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person than a hundred blows on a fool . 17:11 An evil person seeks only rebellion , and so a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 17:12 It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs , than to encounter a fool in his folly . 17:13 As for the one who repays evil for good , evil will not leave his house . 17:14 Starting a quarrel is like letting out water ; stop it before strife breaks out ! 17:15 The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent – both of them are an abomination to the Lord . 17:16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool , since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom ? 17:17 A friend loves at all times , and a relative is born to help in adversity . 17:18 The one who lacks wisdom strikes hands in pledge, and puts up financial security for his neighbor . 17:19 The one who loves a quarrel loves transgression ; whoever builds his gate high seeks destruction . 17:20 The one who has a perverse heart does not find good , and the one who is deceitful in speech falls into trouble . 17:21 Whoever brings a fool into the world does so to his grief , and the father of a fool has no joy . 17:22 A cheerful heart brings good healing , but a crushed spirit dries up the bones . 17:23 A wicked person receives a bribe secretly to pervert the ways of justice . 17:24 Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth . 17:25 A foolish child is a grief to his father , and bitterness to the mother who bore him. 17:26 It is terrible to punish a righteous person, and to flog honorable men is wrong . 17:27 The truly wise person restrains his words , and the one who stays calm is discerning . 17:28 Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise , and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning .

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Bible Dictionary

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Surety

    [ebd] one who becomes responsible for another. Christ is the surety of the better covenant (Heb. 7:22). In him we have the assurance that all its provisions will be fully and faithfully carried out. Solomon warns against incautiou...
    [isbe] SURETY - shoor'-ti: This word is used in three different connections or groups: (1) As a derivative of the word "sure" it means "of a certainty" or "surely."--In Gen 15:13 the infinitive absolute of the verb is used to give ...
    [nave] SURETY, Gen. 44:32; Ex. 22:26, 27; Deut. 24:10-13; Job 24:3; Prov. 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26, 27; 27:13; Ezek. 18:7, 12; 33:15; Amos 2:8.

  • Bear

    [ebd] a native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked...
    [isbe] BEAR - bar (dobh; compare Arabic dubb): In 1 Sam 17:34-37, David tells Saul how as a shepherd boy he had overcome a lion and a bear. In 2 Ki 2:24 it is related that two she bears came out of the wood and tore forty-two of th...
    [nave] BEAR Ferocity of, 2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; 28:15; Isa. 11:7; 59:11; Lam. 3:10; Hos. 13:8; Amos 5:19. Killed by David, 1 Sam. 17:34-37. Two destroy the children of Beth-el, who mocked Elisha, 2 Kin. 2:24. Figurative Dan....

  • Love

    [nave] LOVE. Of Children for Parents See: Children. Of God See: God, Love of. Of Mankind for God Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Deut. 6:5; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 30:6 vs. 16,20.; Josh. 22:5 Deut. 11:1, 13...

  • Bribery

    [nave] BRIBERY. Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:18, 19; Deut. 27:25; 1 Sam. 8:1, 3; Job 15:34; Psa. 26:9, 10; Prov. 15:27; Prov. 17:8, 23; Prov. 18:16; Prov. 21:14; Prov. 25:14; Prov. 28:21; Prov. 29:4; Eccl. 7:7; Isa. 1:23; Isa. 5:22, 23; Isa...

  • GIFT

    [isbe] GIFT - gift (mattanah, minchah, shochadh; doron, dorea, chairisma): In Gen 25:6; Ex 28:38; Nu 18:6,7,29; Ezek 20:26, etc., mattanah, "a gift," is so rendered; minchah, an offering or present, used especially of the "meat off...

  • Friendship

    [nave] FRIENDSHIP. Deut. 13:6-9; Job 6:14, 15; Job 16:2, 20; Job 19:13-22; Psa. 35:13, 14; Psa. 41:9; Psa. 55:12-14; Psa. 88:8, 18; Prov. 11:13; Prov. 17:9, 17; Prov. 18:24; Prov. 22:24-27; Prov. 25:17, 19; Prov. 27:6, 9, 10, 14, ...

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • PROVERBS, BOOK OF

    [smith] The title of this book in Hebrew is taken from its first word, mashal , which originally meant "a comparison." It is sometimes translated parable, sometimes proverb as here. The superscriptions which are affixed to several po...

  • Fool

    [nave] FOOL: Psa. 5:5; Psa. 14:1 Psa. 53:1. Psa. 74:18, 22; Psa. 107:17; Prov. 1:7, 22; Prov. 3:35; Prov. 9:6-8, 13-17; Prov. 10:1, 8 v. 10.13,14,18,23Prov. 14:1, 7-9, 15; Prov. 15:7, 20, 21; Prov. 17:24, 25; Prov. 18:2, 6, 7; Pro...

  • Justice

    [nave] JUSTICE. Ex. 23:1-3, 6-8; Lev. 19:13-15; Deut. 16:18-20; Deut. 25:1-4; Ezra 7:26; Psa. 72:1, 2; Psa. 82:2-4; Prov. 17:15, 26; Prov. 18:5, 17; Prov. 20:8; Prov. 22:27; Prov. 24:23; Prov. 28:21; Prov. 29:26; Eccl. 3:16, 17; E...

  • Medicine

    [isbe] MEDICINE - med'-i-sin, med'-i-s'-n (gehah, teruphah, rephu'ah): These words are used in the sense of a remedy or remedies for disease. In Prov 17:22 the King James Version, a merry heart is said to do good "like a medicine."...
    [nave] MEDICINE. Prov. 17:22; Isa. 1:6; Isa. 38:21; Jer. 8:22; Jer. 30:13; Jer. 46:11; Jer. 51:8, 9; Ezek. 47:12; Luke 10:34; Rev. 22:2 See: Diseases; Physician.

  • Strife

    [nave] STRIFE. Gen. 13:8; Gen. 45:24; Deut. 1:12; Psa. 31:20; Psa. 55:9; Psa. 80:6; Prov. 3:30; Prov. 6:12-14, 16-19; Prov. 10:12; Prov. 13:10; Prov. 15:18; Prov. 16:28; Prov. 17:1, 14, 19; Prov. 18:6, 19; Prov. 19:13; Prov. 20:3;...

  • LOAN

    [ebd] The Mosaic law required that when an Israelite needed to borrow, what he asked was to be freely lent to him, and no interest was to be charged, although interest might be taken of a foreigner (Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19, 20; Lev...
    [smith] The law strictly forbade any interest to be taken for a loan to any poor person, and at first, as it seems, even in the case of a foreigner; but this prohibition was afterward limited to Hebrews only, from whom, of whatever r...

  • Wisdom

    [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...

  • Disease

    [nave] DISEASE Sent from God, Lev. 14:34. As judgments, Psa. 107:17; Isa. 3:17. Instances of Upon the Egyptians, See: Plagues; upon Nabal, 1 Sam. 25:38; David's child, 2 Sam. 12:15; Gehazi, 2 Kin. 5:27; Jeroboam, 2 Chr. 13:20; J...

  • Evil for Good

    [nave] EVIL FOR GOOD. Psa. 7:4, 5; Psa. 35:12; Psa. 109:5; Prov. 17:13 Instances of Joseph accuses his brethren of rendering, Gen. 44:4. Israelites, to Moses, Ex. 5:21; 14:11; 15:24; 16:2, 3; 17:3, 4. Nabal returns, to David, ...

  • Tongue

    [nave] TONGUE Language, Gen. 10:5, 20; Isa. 66:18; Rev. 7:9. Confusion of, Gen. 11:1-9. Gift of, Acts 2:1-18, 33; 10:46; 19:6; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; 14. Chatters, Prov. 10:8, 19. Restrained by wisdom, Prov. 17:27; 21:23; Eccl. ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 17:8 The owner of the bribe is the person who gives it. A bribe is an effective tool. It works like a charm. This proverb is not advocating bribery, only acknowledging that money talks. God's view of bribery becomes clear in ...
  • 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...
  • 5:18-19 The Israelites were deliberately sinning. They had not innocently fallen into sin, but they were pursuing it willfully. Rather than fleeing from it, they were holding it to themselves. Even worse, they were doing so i...
  • 13:4 Yahweh had been Israel's God since the Israelites had lived in Egypt.83He had commanded the Israelites not to acknowledge any gods beside Himself because He was the only God who could save them (cf. Deut. 11:28; 32:17; J...
  • 5:38 Retaliation was common in the ancient Near East. Frequently it led to vendettas in which escalating vengeance continued for generations. Israel's "law of retaliation"(Lat. lex talionis) limited retaliation to no more tha...
  • 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...
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