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Text -- Proverbs 18:1-20 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
18:1 One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires ; he rejects all sound judgment .
18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind .
18:3 When a wicked person arrives , contempt shows up with him, and with shame comes a reproach .
18:4 The words of a person’s mouth are like deep waters , and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook .
18:5 It is terrible to show partiality to the wicked , by depriving a righteous man of justice .
18:6 The lips of a fool enter into strife , and his mouth invites a flogging .
18:7 The mouth of a fool is his ruin , and his lips are a snare for his life .
18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels ; they go down into the person’s innermost being .
18:9 The one who is slack in his work is a brother to one who destroys .
18:10 The name of the Lord is like a strong tower ; the righteous person runs to it and is set safely on high .
18:11 The wealth of a rich person is like a strong city , and it is like a high wall in his imagination .
18:12 Before destruction the heart of a person is proud , but humility comes before honor .
18:13 The one who gives an answer before he listens – that is his folly and his shame .
18:14 A person’s spirit sustains him through sickness – but who can bear a crushed spirit ?
18:15 The discerning person acquires knowledge , and the wise person seeks knowledge .
18:16 A person’s gift makes room for him, and leads him before important people.
18:17 The first to state his case seems right , until his opponent begins to cross-examine him.
18:18 A toss of a coin ends disputes , and settles the issue between strong opponents .
18:19 A relative offended is harder to reach than a strong city , and disputes are like the barred gates of a fortified citadel .
18:20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied , with the product of his lips is he satisfied .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Pro 18:1; Pro 18:1; Pro 18:1; Pro 18:2; Pro 18:2; Pro 18:2; Pro 18:3; Pro 18:3; Pro 18:3; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:4; Pro 18:5; Pro 18:5; Pro 18:5; Pro 18:5; Pro 18:6; Pro 18:6; Pro 18:6; Pro 18:6; Pro 18:7; Pro 18:7; Pro 18:8; Pro 18:8; Pro 18:8; Pro 18:8; Pro 18:9; Pro 18:9; Pro 18:9; Pro 18:9; Pro 18:10; Pro 18:10; Pro 18:10; Pro 18:10; Pro 18:10; Pro 18:11; Pro 18:11; Pro 18:11; Pro 18:11; Pro 18:11; Pro 18:12; Pro 18:12; Pro 18:12; Pro 18:13; Pro 18:13; Pro 18:13; Pro 18:14; Pro 18:14; Pro 18:14; Pro 18:15; Pro 18:15; Pro 18:15; Pro 18:15; Pro 18:16; Pro 18:16; Pro 18:17; Pro 18:17; Pro 18:17; Pro 18:17; Pro 18:17; Pro 18:18; Pro 18:18; Pro 18:18; Pro 18:18; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:19; Pro 18:20; Pro 18:20; Pro 18:20
NET Notes: Pro 18:1 Heb “breaks out”; NRSV “showing contempt for”; NLT “snarling at.” This individual breaks out in contention against...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:2 Heb “his heart.” This is a metonymy meaning “what is on his mind” (cf. NAB “displaying what he thinks”; NRSV ̶...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:3 The term “comes” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
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NET Notes: Pro 18:4 The point of this metaphor is that the wisdom is a continuous source of refreshing and beneficial ideas.
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NET Notes: Pro 18:5 Heb “to turn aside” (so ASV); NASB “to thrust aside.” The second half of the verse may illustrate this reprehensible action. T...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:6 Heb “blows.” This would probably be physical beatings, either administered by the father or by society (e.g., also 19:25; Ps 141:5; cf. NA...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:7 What a fool says can ruin him. Calamity and misfortune can come to a person who makes known his lack of wisdom by what he says. It may be that his wor...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:8 When the choice morsels of gossip are received, they go down like delicious food – into the innermost being. R. N. Whybray says, “There is...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:9 Heb “possessor of destruction.” This idiom means “destroyer” (so ASV); KJV “a great waster”; NRSV “a vandal....
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NET Notes: Pro 18:10 Heb “is high” or “is inaccessible.” This military-type expression stresses the effect of the trust – security, being out...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:11 The proverb is an observation saying, reporting a common assumption without commenting on it. The juxtaposition with the last verse is a loud criticis...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:12 The way to honor is through humility (e.g., Prov 11:2; 15:33; 16:18). The humility and exaltation of Jesus provides the classic example (Phil 2:1-10).
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NET Notes: Pro 18:13 Heb “it is folly to him and shame.” The verse uses formal parallelism, with the second colon simply completing the thought of the first.
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NET Notes: Pro 18:14 The figure of a “crushed spirit” (ASV, NAB, NCV, NRSV “a broken spirit,” comparing depression to something smashed or crushed)...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:15 This line features a mixed metaphor: The “ear” is pictured “seeking.” The “ear of the wise” actually means the wis...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:16 The two verbs here show a progression, helping to form the synthetic parallelism. The gift first “makes room” (יַרְ...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:17 The proverb is a continuous sentence teaching that there must be cross-examination to settle legal disputes. There are two sides in any disputes, and ...
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NET Notes: Pro 18:18 The word is the adjective, “mighty” (so KJV, NAB, NASB) used here substantivally as the object of the preposition.
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NET Notes: Pro 18:19 The proverb is talking about changing a friend or a relative into an enemy by abuse or strife – the bars go up, as it were. And the “walls...
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