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. Nevertheless this is only a change in proportion of emphasis. Both ends are present in both sections of the book (chs. 10-15 and 16:1-22:16).
In this section there is also a slight change in the form of the proverbs. Solomon expressed the earlier proverbs (chs. 10-15) mainly in antithetical parallelisms, but the proverbs in this section are mainly synonymous and synthetic parallelisms. Instead of the key word being "but"it now becomes "and."
16:1 The meaning of this proverb is similar to that of 16:9. Even though man has freedom to plan, in the end he only fulfills the will of God by what he says. Man plans his words, but what really comes out takes place because God sovereignly controls. "Man proposes, God disposes,"is a common equivalent.
". . . when someone is trying to speak before others, the Lord directs the words according to his sovereign will."129
16:3 When we cast (lit. roll) our cares on God (1 Pet. 5:7), He will arrange our plans. The AV and RV have "thoughts"for "plans,"but the idea is the same. This proverb stresses the importance of depending on the Lord.
16:6 We do not atone for our own iniquity by being loving and truthful. This proverb is not a denial of our need for God's atonement. However, we can and should cover (atone for) the mistakes of others lovingly and truthfully (1 Pet. 4:8) as God covers our sins. What will keep us all away from evil is the fear of Yahweh.
"The fear of Jahve is subjection to the God of revelation, and a falling in with the revealed plan of salvation."130
16:10 A king's edict becomes law for his people.131His ordinances are the will of God for them (unless he commands contrary to God's revealed will; cf. Acts 4:19-20). Consequently it is very important that the ruler not err in his judgment.132
16:22 Understanding (good sense) is a source of life for a wise person, but folly is a source of discipline for a fool. Thus a person's wisdom or lack of it determines his or her prospects in life. Proverbs has little that is positive to say about a fool.
"It is highly unlikely that Solomon would accept the idea that all men are created equal and thus deserve education at government expense."133
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 17:15 and 23.134
17:16 The idea here is that it is foolish for a fool to try to buy wisdom when he does not have the brains to comprehend it135or does not intend to follow that wisdom. Why go to school and pay good money for tuition if you do not plan to put into practice what you are learning?
17:19 Raising the door does not mean opening it but building a higher, more splendid door for the sake of impressing others. Just as a person who loves transgression thereby sets himself up for strife, so the person who loves to display his wealth is setting himself up for destruction. His door publicizes his wealth and attracts the interest of burglars. Other interpreters take the gate figuratively.
". . . the gate is the mouth, and so to make it high is to say lofty things--he brags too much (see 1 Sam 2:3; Prov 18:12; 29:23)."136
17:24 A man of understanding concentrates on wisdom, but a fool lacks concentration. His mind roams everywhere.
"The eyes of the mebin[discerning man] are riveted on the teacher, for he is fascinated by her instruction and is a picture of unbroken concentration. The kesil[fool] has the wandering eye and the vacant distracted mind, and his condition is expressed by a hyperbole. As a student who is hearing nothing of what his teacher says might let his eyes rove to every corner of the classroom, so the fool who is inattentive to the instruction of Wisdom is said to have his eyes on the ends of the earth."137
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 input from other people to make wise decisions. It is unwise to be antisocial in the schismatic sense of that word (cf. Gen. 13:11).138
18:11 Wealth does provide some security, but one may imagine that it is a higher safeguard against calamity than it really is.
18:16 "Gift"is not necessarily a "bribe."The Hebrew word here (mattan, cf. 15:27; 21:14) is not the same as the one translated "bribe"in 17:8 and 12 (sohad). It can be an innocent courtesy. It means what a person gives to someone else (cf. Gen. 43:11). Therefore it seems legitimate to apply it to one's personal abilities (gifts) that he or she uses in the service of others as well as to material presents.
18:20 The sense here is that we will have to be content to accept the consequences of what we say. "Satisfied"does not mean happy but filled. Yet "productive speech is satisfying."139
18:21 The antecedent of "it"is "tongue,"and "its fruit"refers to "death and life."This proverb is a warning to the talkative. Much talk will produce death and life, so be prepared for both if you determine to talk a lot.
18:22 The favor God bestows is His blessing.
"The wording, especially in the Heb., strikingly resembles that of 8:35, and so suggests that after wisdom itself, the best of God's blessings is a good wife. 31:10 makes a similar comparison, putting her price, like wisdom's (8:11), above rubies."140
Not just any wife is a good thing though; only a good wife is (19:13, 14).
18:24 The NASB translation of 24a is more true to the Hebrew than the AV that reads, "A man (who hath) friends must show himself friendly."The RV is perhaps the easiest of all to understand: "He that maketh many friends (doeth it) to his own destruction."
Why is it unwise to have many friends? Probably because when one has many friends the possibility that some of them will be false friends is greater (cf. Jer. 38:22). It is better to have one or two good friends than many false friends.
Christians have often applied the second part of this verse to Jesus Christ. While that is appropriate, Solomon's point was that in contrast to false friends (24a) some friends can be more faithful than our closest blood relatives. Such a friend is a true treasure.
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 make a point). The point is that people avoid the poor--their relatives do, and even more, their friends do. Even their own overtures of friendship are ineffective (7c).
19:18 If a parent does not discipline his child while there is hope of correcting him, he is really, though perhaps not consciously, willing for him to die. The child's folly will lead to his death if his parents do not curb it with discipline.141Some parents allow their children to go astray out of neglect. "Discipline"(Heb. yasser) includes chastisement as well as instruction.
"Better the child is corrected by a parent than by a law enforcement officer in a correctional institution."142
19:19 An uncontrolled temper will repeatedly send its owner into fresh trouble. The implication is that it is an exercise in futility to bail such a person out of the trouble he gets himself into with his temper.
19:24 This humorous picture is of a person so lazy that he cannot even lift his food from his plate to his mouth (cf. 26:15). The point is that a lazy person will bear the consequences of his own laziness. This warning is applicable to those who are too lazy to finish the projects they begin.143
20:16 Solomon advised that a person who takes on the obligations of another person who is a stranger or a foreigner to him is not very wise. Such a stranger is a bad risk. If you lend to him, make sure you have some collateral such as his garment or some other pledge so he will repay you. The proverb encourages us to hold people to their obligations. Much more than simply giving a pledge for a prostitute must be in view.144
20:21 The inheritance in view evidently comes prematurely by request or by dishonesty (cf. 19:26; Luke 15:12). In either case the consequence is often lack of divine blessing.
"Such wealth may be squandered and often squelches initiative and work."145
20:25 The situation in view here is that of a person who impulsively pledges something to God and then upon reconsidering wishes that he had not done so (cf. Eccles. 5:5; Mark 7:11). It is better to wait to make the pledge until we think through the implications of the decision carefully. In a larger application, we should aviod all unconsidered action.146
"Too many people will make promises under the inspiration of the hour only later to realize that they have strapped themselves; they then try to go back on their word."147
20:27 God searches out our innermost thoughts and feelings. Solomon compared our "spirit"(lit. "breath,"Heb. nishmat, cf. Gen. 2:7) to a lamp God uses to investigate all the darkened crannies of our being in this very graphic proverb. Here the spirit is almost equivalent to the conscience.
21:4 The "lamp"of the wicked seems to be their life (cf. 13:9b) or, more particularly, their conscience (cf. 20:27). If this is so, the verse is saying that arrogance and pride are the sum and substance of the life of the wicked, and that is sin.
21:9 This proverb makes sense if we keep in mind that roofs in the ancient Near East were flat and people used them as patios. It is better to live alone outside, exposed to the elements, than in the sheltered, comfortable interior of one's house if one has to share the inside with a scolding woman. Spartan conditions with peace are better than physical comforts with strife.
21:18 A ransom is a payment given to free a person from some penalty he has incurred similar to posting bail to get out of jail. In this case it appears that God punishes the wicked and in doing so sets the righteous free. Such would be the case if the wicked were oppressing the righteous (cf. 11:8). God delivers the righteous by punishing the wicked who oppress them.
21:28 The contrast is between the person who listens to falsehood and repeats it, and the person who listens to the truth and repeats it. The first person has little concern for listening carefully, but the second person does. Heeding the truth makes all the difference.
"The key phrase is a man who hears: his first aim is to know and understand, not to grind some axe. . . . the man who listens (Is. 50:4) is the man worth listening to."148
Ross believed that the verse teaches that "false witnesses will be discredited and destroyed."149
21:29 A wicked man puts up a show of confidence, but it is a bluff. His bold face reflects a hard heart that holds the opinions and views of others in contempt.150The upright on the other hand does not need to pretend to be something he is not because he is walking on the right path.
22:6 "Train"(Heb. hanak) means to dedicate (cf. Deut. 20:5; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chron. 7:5; Dan. 3:2). It has the idea of narrowing and in this verse implies channeling the child's conduct into the way of wisdom. That guidance might include dedicating him or her to God and preparing the child for future responsibilities and adulthood.151
"In the way he should go"is literally "according to his way."It may mean according to his own personality, temperament, responses, or stage in life. On the other hand it could mean the way in which he ought to go. The Hebrew grammar permits either interpretation. However the context favors the latter view. "Way"in Proverbs usually means the path a person takes through life, not one's personality, disposition, or stage in life. Consequently the verse is saying the parent should train up a child in the way of wisdom to live in the fear of God.152
The second part of this verse has challenged the faith of many a godly parent. Obviously many children who have received good training have repudiated the way of wisdom later in life. The explanation for this seemingly broken promise lies in a correct understanding of what a proverb is.
"A proverb is a literary device whereby a general truth is brought to bear on a specific situation. Many of the proverbs are not absolute guarantees for they express truths that are necessarily conditioned by prevailing circumstances. For example, verses 3-4, 9, 11, 16, 29 do not express promises that are alwaysbinding. Though the proverbs are generally and usually true, occasional exceptions may be noted. This may be because of the self-will or deliberate disobedience of an individual who chooses to go his own way--the way of folly instead of the way of wisdom . . . It isgenerally true, however, that most children who are brought up in Christian homes, under the influence of godly parents who teach and live God's standards (cf. Eph. 6:4), follow that training."153
This proverb clearly does not state a Scriptural promise. Rather, the revelation of Scripture elsewhere is that God always allows people to make their own decisions. He does not force them to do what is right.
22:7 This verse does not forbid borrowing. In Israel the Jews borrowed from one another. The Mosaic Law permitted this but condemned charging other Jews interest (Exod. 22:25; Deut. 23:19), though the Israelites could charge foreigners interest (Deut. 23:20). The New Testament does not forbid borrowing. It forbids not paying debts (Rom. 13:6-8). It may be unwise to go into debt in some situations, but it is going too far to say that the Bible condemns going into debt.
"While a certain amount of honest debt is expected in today's world, and everybody wants to achieve a good credit rating, we must be careful not to mistake presumption for faith. As the familiar adage puts it, When your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall.'"154
This verse warns the borrower that he puts himself in a vulnerable position by borrowing. He becomes dependent on another or others by borrowing. An unscrupulous lender might take advantage of him. Most lenders will not take unfair advantage of someone who borrows from them, but the borrower should be aware of this possibility.
"The verse may be referring to the apparently common practice of Israelites selling themselves into slavery to pay off debts (see Exod 21:2-7). It is not appreciably different from the modern debtor who is working to pay off bills."155
22:8 This verse provides encouragement for the oppressed. The last line assures the sufferer that God will eventually break the oppressing rod of the person who sows iniquity.
