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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 26

Proverbs 26:1-28 (NIV)

Proverbs 26


1
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

23 Like a coating of glaze a]">[a] over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 26:23 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text of silver dross

3 examples of failing curses:

1. Balaam's on Israel (Nehemiah 13:2)
2. Goliath's on David (1 Samuel 17:43)
3. Samuel's on David (2 Samuel 16:5,12)

10 proverbs about fools:

1. A rod on the back of fools is as suitable as a whip for a horse or a bridle for an ass (Prov. 26:3).

2. Do not answer a fool like a fool, lest you be considered one (Proverbs 26:4).

3. Answer a fool wisely to confute his folly and expose his senselessness, lest he be wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:5).

4. He that chooses a fool to be his messenger or to transact his business has to suffer the consequences of the fool's misconduct (Proverbs 26:6). He experiences in a large measure self-devised injury and deprives himself of attaining his end (Proverbs 10:26; 25:18).

5. Verse 7 is rendered several ways: As the legs of the lame are not equal so fools are not capable of uttering parables; as the legs of hte lame are useless, so are parables in the mouths of fools; as a lame man exposes his lameness, so fools expose their folly in expounding parables.

6. As it is folly to bind a stone to the sling if one wants to throw the stone, so it is folly to give honor to a fool (Proverbs 26:8).

7. As a drunkard is insensible to the prick of a thorn, so are fools in uttering parables (Prov. 26:9).

8. The word for God in verse 10 is rab and may mean either the great God or a great man. If it refers to God it means that He has created all things and will equally reward fools and transgressors accordingly to their works. If it refers to a great man it can be rendered, "A master (workman) forms all things aright: but he that hires a fool hires a transgressor who will spoil the work"

9. Fools repeat their own folly like a dog returning to his own vomit (Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:20-22). Here it isnot that foools merely make the same foolish assertions, but that they fall into the same course of action after brief endeavors or beginnings at improvement of their own lives, as in 2 Peter 2:20-22.

10.There is more hope for a fool than for men who are wise in their own eyes (Proverbs 26:12),


12 examples of returning to sin:

1. Aaron and Israel (Deuteronomy 32:8; Exodus 32:32-33; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Jude 5).
2. Nadab and abihu (Leviticus 10:1-20).
3. Korah and company (Numbers 16).
4. King Saul (1 Samuel 10:13-24; 1612-23; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
5. Many disciples of Jesus (John 6:66).
6. David (Psalm 51; 2 Samuel 12).
7. Judas (Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14; 69:25-28; 109:8; Matthew 26:24; John 13:18; Acts 1).
8. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-14).
9. Many Galatians (Galatians 1;6-9; 5:4; 6:7-8).
10.Many early Christians (1 Timothy 1:19-20; 5:8-20; 6:1-21; 2 Timothy 2:18-21).
11.Demas (2 Timothy 4:10).
12.Whole churches (Revelation 2-3).

4 proverbs against laziness:

1. Verse 13 is almost identical with verse 22:13. The lazy man uses this as an excuse for his laziness, that there is a lion in the street so he must stay inside or be killed.

2. As the door stays on i ts hinges and never goes any palce, so the lazy man never moves from his bed to fill a useful palce in life (Proverbs 26:14; 6:10; 24:33).

3. The lazy man puts his hand in his bosom, or in the dish, and he is too overcharged with laziness to lift it to his mouth to eat (Proverbs 26:15; 19:24).

4. A lazy man is more self-conceited and wise in his own eyes than 7 reputable wise men who can truly solve problems (Proverbs 26:16).

5 examples of falling into own pit:

1. Jacob (Genesis 27:14 with 37:31-32).
2. Saul (1 Samuel 18:11 - 26:2 with 1 Samuel 31).
3. David (2 Samuel 11:14-15 with 12:10).
4. Haman (Esther 7:10).
5. Accusers of Daniel (Daniel 6:4-24).