The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 7

Proverbs 7:1-27 (NIV)

Proverbs 7

Warning Against the Adulteress

¹ My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

² Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

³ Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your kinsman;

⁵ they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

⁶ At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.

⁷ I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.

⁸ He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house

⁹ at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰ Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

¹¹ (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

¹² now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

¹³ She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

¹⁴ "I have fellowship offerings ^a]">[a] at home; today I fulfilled my vows.

¹⁵ So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

¹⁶ I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!

¹⁹ My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

²⁰ He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon."

²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

²² All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer ^b]">[b] stepping into a noose ^c]">[c]

²³ till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

²⁶ Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

²⁷ Her house is a highway to the grave, ^d]">[d] leading down to the chambers of death.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 7:14 Traditionally peace offerings
2. Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint Hebrew fool
3. Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
4. Proverbs 7:27 Hebrew Sheol

8 commands to sons:

1. Keep my words - guard against breaking God's commandments (v 1)
2. Lay up my commandments - take them into your bosom and into your heart (v 1)
3. Keep my commandments and live (v 2)
4. Keep my law as you would the pupil of the eye (v 2; Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8; Zechariah 2:12)
5. Bind them upon your fingers (v 3)
6. Write them upon the table of your heart (v 3)
7. Make wisdom your sister (v 4)
8. Make understanding your kinswoman.

These last two expressions indicate acquaintance with wisdom and knowledge. The word kinswoman is used only here and in Ruth 2:1

These commands are warnings preparatory to the longer admonition against adultery, which is an often referred to subject with Solomon due to his many bitter experiences with strange woman.

He generally gave such commands before dealing with the subject (2:1-10 with 2:12,16; 5:1-2 with 5:3-6; 5:7 with 5:8:14; 5:15-19 with 5:20-23; 6:20-23 with 6:24-35; 7:1-4 with 7:5-23; 7:24 with 7:25-27; 9:1-6 with 9:13-18)

8 facts: A foolish young man I saw:

1. Among the simple, the young man (v 7; 1:4)
2. He was void of understanding. He did not have wisdom to discern the evil intended by the whore, nor did he have the character and courage to resist her flatteries (v 7)
3. He walked along the street near her corner where she waited for victims (v 8)
4. He went the way to her house (which was not necessarily on the corner (v 8, 12)
5. In the night he passed by where she waited on the corner (v 9)
6. He was met by the harlot (v 10)
7. He was persuaded by her to spend the night with her (v 11-21)
8. He went to his doom as an ox to the slaughter, as a fool to his punishment, and as a bird to the snare (v 22-23)

10 points about harlots:

1. Their attire or marks that advertise them for hire (v 10; Genesis 38)
2. Their subtilty of heart (v 10)
3. Their boisterous and loud disposition (v 11)
4. Their gad about disposition (v 11-12)
5. Their stubbornness and persistence in pursuing innocent victims (v 11).

They have no respect for the good of men, married or unmarried, innocent or guilty of immoral crimes. They gloat over causing young men to fall into sin and husbands to go astray

6. They are bold, unashamed, impudent, and unlawfully familiar (v 13)
7. They are flatterers (v 5, 14-21)
8. They are deceitful of heart (v 13-21)
9. They are liars (v 14-21)
10. They are tempters and seducers (v 13-21)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 6

Proverbs 6:1-35 (NIV)

Proverbs 6

Warnings Against Folly

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

2 if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. [a]

12 A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

13 who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,

14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart—he always stirs up dissension.

15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Warning Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.

22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,

26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;

34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 6:11 Or like a vagrant / and scarcity like a beggar


5 facts of suretyship

1. Command against suretyship (Proverbs 12:26)
2. Command to get out of suretyship as quickly as possible (Proverbs 6:1-5)
3. Suretyship is a sign of lack of understanding (Proverbs 17:18)
4. Suffering and disappointment are what is promised in suretyship (Proverbs 11:15)
5. To refrain from suretyship is the only safe way (Proverbs 11:15)

15 ways of ants (6:6-8; 30:25)

1. Most laborious insects in existence
2. Most highly industrialized
3. Collect food in proper season
4. Fondly attached to the young
5. Have keen foresight for others
6. Work quietly without show
7. Work unweariedly until work is done
8. Work together in astonishing systems of organization to the best good of the whole community
9. Are ingenious carpenters and masons, building their own system of homes and underground tunnels
10. Keep their homes scrupulously clean
11. No one among them exists without a definite job in life to help meet the needs of the community
12. Fight to death to protect their own homes and young from enemies
13. Their social life compares with that of human beings in many respects
14. They are intelligent and wise
15. They carry out life's work without being forced to do so by a guide, overseer, or ruler

A worthless man; of Belial - His 7 sins:

1. Forward (perverse)
2. Winketh with his eyes
3. Speaketh with his feet
4. Teaches with his fingers
5. Frowardness (deceitfulness of heart)
6. Continual plots, schemes, and plans of sin
7. Soweth discord in familiies, churches, communities, or nations

3 places to bind truth:

1. Upon the heart (v 21)
2. Around the neck (3:3; 6:21)
3. Upon the fingers (7:3)

3 things truth is:

1. A lamp (v 23; Psalm 119:105)
2. A light (v 23; Psalm 119:105, 130)
3. Reproofs of instruction (v 23; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

7 things to be kept from:

1. The evil woman (v 24)
2. Her flattery (v 24)
3. Lust after her beauty (v 25)
4. Captivity by her eyelids (v 25)
5. Poverty through her (v 26)
6. Death by sin with her (v 26)
7. Sin with her (v 27-29)

6 evil effects of adultery:

1. Spiritual death (v 32; Romans 8:12-13)
2. Physical death (v 32; Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22)
3. Eternal death (v 32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8; 22:15)
4. A wound and dishonor. Among the Romans one caught in the act was delivered to the injured husband to be punished with infamy, disgrace, and even death if he willed (v 33-35)
5. Lasting reproach (v 33)
6. Blinding rage of the husband (v 34-35)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 5

Proverbs 5:1-23 (NIV)

Proverbs 5

Warning Against Adultery

¹ My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,

² that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

³ For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;

⁴ but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.

⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. ^a]">[a]

⁶ She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

⁷ Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.

⁸ Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,

⁹ lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel,

¹⁰ lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man's house.

¹¹ At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.

¹² You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!

¹³ I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors.

¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly."

¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.

¹⁶ Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷ Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

¹⁸ May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife?

²¹ For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths.

²² The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.

²³ He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 5:5 Hebrew Sheol

15 reasons to be removed from a whore:

1. She is an apostate (v 3)
2. She is deceptive (v 3)
3. She is a flatterer (v 3)
4. Her end is like a wormwood (v 4)
5. Her end is destructive (v 4)
6. Her feet go down to death (v 5)
7. Her steps lay hold of hell (v 5)
8. Her ways are unpredictable (v 6)
9. She will ruin your reputation (v 9)
10. She will cause years of trouble (v 9)
11. She will bring material ruin (v 10)
12. She will ruin your health (v 11)
13. She will bring remorse (v 12-13)
14. She will reduce to wickedness (v 14)
15. She will cause eternal ruin (v 23)

10 examples of man's ways before God:

1. Cain (Genesis 4:5-6)
2. Babel's builders (Genesis 11:1-11)
3. Sodom and Gomorroh (Genesis 18:21)
4. Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6-7; 1 Chronicles 13:10
5. David (2 Samuel 12)
6. Baasha (1 Kings 15:29)
7. Ahab (1 Kings 21:19)
8. Belshazzar (Daniel 5:22-28)
9. Nathaneal (John 1:48)
10. The 7 churches (Revelation 2:2; 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15)

4 examples of men held by sin:

1. Saul (1 Samuel 18:8-9; 28:5-20)
2. Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23)
3. Judas (John 12:6; Matthew 26:47-49)
4. Paul (Romans 7:7-25)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 4

Proverbs 4:1-27 (NIV)

Proverbs 4

Wisdom Is Supreme

¹ Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

² I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother,

⁴ he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.

⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, ^a get understanding.

⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

⁹ She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor."

¹⁰ Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³ Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

¹⁴ Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

¹⁶ For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.

¹⁷ They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.

²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

²² for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴ Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶ Make level ^b paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 4:7 Or Whatever else you get
2. Proverbs 4:26 Or Consider the

3 examples of avoiding wicked paths:

1. Rechabites (Jeremiah 35)
2. Joseph (Genesis 39:7-23)
3. Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16)

3 examples of entering wicked paths:

1. Lot (Genesis 13:10-13)
2. Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-8)
3. Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 18:1, 21:6)

5 examples of increasing light to men:

1. Jacob (Genesis 32:24-32; 49:10, 18)
2. Nathaniel (John 1:46-51)
3. Eunuch (Acts 8:27-39)
4. Cornelius (Acts 10)
5. All Christians (Acts 26:18)

5 examples: darkness in way of wicked:

1. Korah (Numbers 16:16-19)
2. Ahab (1 Kings 16:31)
3. Babylon (Isaiah 47:11)
4. Jews (Jeremiah 5:19, 25; 44:15-23)
5. Gentile world (Romans 1:21-32)

4 secrets of health and eternal life:

1. Attend to my words (v 20)
2. Incline your ears to my sayings (v 20)
3. Constantly look into God's Word (Psalm 1:2-3; James 1:21-27, 2 Timothy 3:16)
4. Keep the Word in the heart (v 21; Romans 1:16; 10:17)
These secrets are life and health to ALL who find and obey them (v 22; Romans 1:16; Psalm 91; 107:20; John 15:7)

7 examples of pondering the right path:

1. Abraham (Genesis 24:1-9)
2. Eleazar (Genesis 24:5)
3. Joshua (Joshua 24:15)
4. Ruth (1:16-18)
5. David (Psalm 39:1)
6. The good wife (Proverbs 31:27)
7. Daniel (1:8, 6:3-4)

6 bodily parts to be controlled:

1. Keep heart with all diligence (v 23)
2. Put away the froward mouth (v 24)
3. Put away perverse lips (v 24)
4. Look straight with the eyes (v 25)
5. Look straight with the eyelids (v 25)
6. Guide feet in righteousness (v 26-27)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 3

Proverbs 3:1-35 (NIV)

Proverbs 3

Further Benefits of Wisdom

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

² for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ^a]">[a]

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

⁸ This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke,

¹² because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father ^b]">[b] the son he delights in.

¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

¹⁹ By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

²⁰ by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹ My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;

²² they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

²³ Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;

²⁴ when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵ Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶ for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—when you now have it with you.

²⁹ Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰ Do not accuse a man for no reason— when he has done you no harm.

³¹ Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways,

³² for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³ The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴ He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

³⁵ The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
2. Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint / and he punishes

3fold blessing to those who remember and keep the commandments:

1. Length of days (v 2)
2. Long life (v 2)
3. Peace (v 2)

7 examples of heart trust

1, Abraham (Genesis 24:1-8)
2. Eleazar (Genesis 24:12-27)
3. Jephthah (Judges 11:11)
4. David (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
5. Asa (2 Chronicles 14:9-15)
6. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4-7; 19:14-37)
7. Nehemiah (1:4-11; 2:4-8)

4 illustrations of being self-wise:

1. Ahab (1 Kings 22:30-35)
2. Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33)
3. Asa (1 Kings 15:19)
4. Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20:10-11)

3 illustrations of chastening:

1. David (2 Samuel 15-16:23:5)
2. Hezekiah (Isaiah 39:5-8)
3. Israel (Deuteronomy 11:2; 2 Chronicles 6:24)

8 beatitudes in Proverbs:

1. Proverbs 3:13; 8:32-34; 14:21; 16:20; 20:7; 28:14; 29:18)

Wisdom and understanding better than:

1. Silver (v 14)
2. Fine gold (v 14)
3. Rubies (v 15)
4. Other things (v 15)

6 blessings of wisdom-knowledge

1. Lengths of days (v 16)
2, Riches and honor (v 16)
3. Pleasantness (v 17)
4. Peace ( v 17)
5. Tree of life (v 18)
6. Happiness (v 18)

8 things that will bring life:

1. Law and commandments (v 1-2)
2. Mercy and truth (v 3-4)
3. Trust in God (v 5)
4. Acknowledgement of God (v 6)
5. Reverence for God (v 7-8)
6. Departure from evil (v 7-8)
7. Wisdom-understanding (v 21-24)

4 illustrations of not being afraid:

1. Moses (Exodus 14:13-14)
2. Rahab (Joshua 6:24-25)
3. Elisha (2 Kings, 6:16-17)
4. Ebed-melech (Jeremiah 39;15-18)

4 examples of withholding good:

1. Jacob (Genesis 25:29-33)
2. The Ammonites (Deuteronomy 23:3-4)
3. Nabal (1 Samuel 25:10-11)
4. The priest and Levite (Luke 10:30-35)

3 examples of not withholding good:

1. Abraham (Genesis 13:9; 14:23)
2. The widow (1 Kings 17:9-16)
3. The good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)

3 examples of plotting evil:

1. Rebekah and Jacob (Genesis 27)
2. Joseph's brethren (Genesis 37:18-23)
3. Daniel's enemies (Daniel 6)

3 examples of strife without cause:

1. Saul (1 Samuel 18:8-9)
2. The Ammonites (2 Samuel 10)
3. Ahab (1 Kings 21)

2 examples envying not oppressors:

1. Moses (Hebrews 11:25-26)
2. Elijah (1 Kings 21:17-24)

20 things an abomination to God:

1. The froward man (perverse; one who turns aside)
2. A proud look (6:16-17)
3. A lying tongue (6:17; 12:22)
4. Hands that shed innocent blood (6:17)
5. A wicked scheming heart (6:18)
6. Feet quick to sin (6:18)
7. A false witness that speaks lies (6:19)
8. A sower of discord (6:19)
9. Wickedness (8:7)
10. A false balance (11:1)
11. Sacrifice of the wicked (15:8; 21:27)
12. The way of the wicked (15:9)
13. The thoughts of the wicked (15:26)
14. The proud of heart (16:5)
15. Justifying the wicked (17:15)
16. Condemning the just (17:15)
17. Divers weights (20:10, 23)
18. Divers measures (20:10)
19. Refusing to hear the law (28:9)
20. Prayer of the rebel (28:9)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 2

Proverbs 2:1-22 (NIV)

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

¹ My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

² turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,

³ and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

⁴ and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

⁷ He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

⁸ for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.

¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹ Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

¹³ who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

¹⁵ whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

¹⁶ It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. ^a]">[a]

¹⁸ For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

¹⁹ None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹ For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God

5 examples of getting wisdom:

1. Joseph (Genesis 41:38-39)
2. Moses (Exodus 4:12)
3. Solomon (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29)
4. Daniel (1:17; 2:23)
5. Stephen (Acts 6:6, 10)

5 examples of preserving saints:

1. Noah (Noah 6-8)
2. Lot (Genesis 19)
3. Joseph (Genesis 37-41)
4. David (1 Samuel 18:8 - 26:25)
5. Peter (Acts 19)

10 rewards for pursuing Jesus Christ (the Word) with all your heart:

1. Understanding the fear of God (v 5)
2. Find the knowledge of God (v 5)
3. Receiving wisdom of God (v 6-7)
4. Receiving knowledge of God (v 6)
5. Receiving protection from God
6. Having security ( in God (v 8)
7. Having preservation in life (v 8)
8. Receiving true understanding in righteousness, judgment, equity, and every good path (v 9)
9. Receiving discretion that preserves
10. Understanding that keeps (v 11)

7 sins of evil mankind:

1. Speaks perverse things, civil or religious (v 12)
2. Leaves path of righteousness (v 13)
3. Walks in ways of darkness (v 13)
4. Rejoices to do evil (v 14)
5. Delights in sins of others (v 14)
6. Walks in crooked ways (v 15)
7. Walks in perverse paths (v 15)

7 sins of the prostitute:

1. Flatters with her lips (v 16)
2. Forsakes parental guidance (v 17)
3. Forgets God's covenant - renounces true religion or marriage vows (v 17)
4. Shortens her life (v 18)
5. Leads other to hell (v 18)
6. Destroys men utterly (v 19)
7. Leads to permanent ruin (v 19)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 1

Proverbs 1:1-33 (NIV)

Proverbs 1

Prologue: Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools [a] despise wisdom and
discipline.

Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against Enticement

8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some
harmless soul;

12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-

15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;

16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.

17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!

18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!

19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;

21 at the head of the noisy streets [c] she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her
speech:

22 "How long will you simple ones [d] love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in
mockery and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my
thoughts known to you.

24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,

26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.

29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,

31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old
Testament, denote one who is morally deficient.
2. Proverbs 1:12 Hebrew Sheol
3. Proverbs 1:21 Hebrew; Septuagint / on the tops of the walls
4. Proverbs 1:22 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs generally denotes one without
moral direction and inclined to evil.

15-fold purpose of Proverbs:

1. To know wisdom (v 2)
2. To know instruction (v 2)
3. To perceive understanding (v 2)
4. To receive instruction in wisdom (v 3)
5. To receive instruction in justice (v 3)
6. To receive instruction in judgment (v 3)
7. To receive instruction in equity
8. To give subtilty to the simple (v 4)
9. To give young men knowledge (v 4)
10. To give young men discretion (v 4)
11. To attract the wise man (v 5)
12. To increase learning (5)
13. To help attain to wise counsels
14. To make known the words of the wise in proverbial form (v 6)
15. To express dark sayings (v 6)

5 examples proving wise men will hear:

1. The Eunuch (Acts 8:27, 39)
2. Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7)
3. The Bereans (Acts 17:11-12)
4. Apollos (Acts 18:24-28)
5. Jesus Christ (Isaiah 50:4-6)

5 examples of despising wisdom:

1. Cain (Genesis 4:6-8)
2. Hophni and Phinetias (1 Samuel 2:12, 25)
3. Nabal (1 Samuel 25:25)
4. Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:13)
5. Athenians (Acts 17:18, 32)

5 examples of hearing instruction:

1. The Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:18-19)
2. Samuel (1 Samuel 1:28; 2:18; 3:19-21)
3. Jesus Christ (Luke 2:51)
4. Paul (Acts 9; 26:19)
5. Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15; Acts 16:1)

5 examples of consenting not to sin:

1. Joseph (Genesis 39:9-10)
2. The unknown prophet ((1 Kings 13:8-9)
3. Jehosaphat (1 Kings 22:49)
4. Joash (2 Chronicles 24:17-18)
5. Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16)

5 places wisdom preaches:

1. In open places (v 20)
2. In streets (v 20)
3. In mobs (v 21)
4. In gates (v 21)
5. In cities (v 21)

3 classes wisdom preaches to:

1. Simple ones (v 4)
2. Scorners
3. Fools

6fold message of wisdom:

1. How long will you simple oens love deception and flattery (v 22)
2. How long will you scorners continue to scorn wisdom (v 22)
3. How long will you fools hate knowledge (v 22)
4. Turn you (v 23)
5. I will pour out my spirit unto you (v 23)
6. I will make known my word to you (v 23)

12 reasons for being damned:

1. Refusal of wisdom's call (v 24)
2. Disregard of her invitation (v 24)
3. Setting at naught her counsel (v 25)
4. Rejection of her reproof (v 25)
5. Hatred of her knowledge (v 29)
6. Refusal of fear of the Lord (v 29)
7. Rejection of wisdom's counsel (v 30)
8. Despising her reproof (v 30)
9. Reaping fruit of own way (v 31)
10.Being filled with own schemes (v 31)
11.Turning away or backsliding (v 32)
12.Being satsified with prosperity (v 32)

10fold end of the wicked:

1. His calamity laughed at (v 26)
2. His terror mocked (v 26)
3. Fear and desolation a reality (v 27)
4. Destruction like a whirlwind
5. Distress coming upon him (v 27)
6. Anguish seizing him (v 27)
7. Not being heard when praying to God in punishment (v 28)
8. Seeking God when it will be too late to find Him (v 28)
9. Reaping what has been sown (v 31)
10.Being required to be satisfied with own plans (v 31)

5 examples of sowing and reaping:

1. Cain (Genesis 4:3-15)
2. Israel (Numbers 11:4-6; Psalm 106:13-14
3. Saul (1 Samuel 15: 1 Chronicles 10:13)
4. Haman (Esther 5:1-7:10)
5. Judas (Matthew 26:24; Acts 1:20-25)

5 examples of destruction:

1. Israel (Deuteronomy 32:15-25, Hosea 13:6-8)
2. Babylon (Isaiah 47:7-9)
3. Moab (Jeremiah 48:11-15)
4. Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49; Genesis 19)
5. Tyre (Ezekiel 28:2-7)

2fold end of the righteous:

1. He shall dwell safely
2. He shall be quiet from fear of evil

5 examples of dwelling safely:

1. Noah and family (Genesis 6-8)
2. 3 Hebrew children (Daniel 3)
3. Daniel (Daniel 6)
4. Christ's sheep (John 10:28-29)
5. David (Psalm 23)

The Proverbs; Words & Contrasting Sentences of Wisdom - Dark Sayings - Doctrines and Instructions to the Wise

Editors Note

To the general reader, the book of Proverbs, with its common-sense epigrams and sententious aphorisms, might seem to be the last portion of Scripture requiring any attempt at elucidation. But it is just because its chapters abound in pithy truisms that the marrow is often lost sight of by those who have been accustomed to hearing or reading them all their lives.

This present work is an attempt to press home upon the heart and conscience, with a view to the increase of every-day godliness, this distinctively practical portion of the Word of God.

Thus we encourage you to read not only the complimentary facts that follow each chapter in this blogspot, but also the daily "Discussion Topics" in the 'Facebook' site that features the classical commentary, by the late internationally beloved Bible preacher and teacher, H.A. Ironside, at:

http://groups.to/proverbsschoolofwisdom/

The New International Version (NIV) is used in this blogspot and the 'Facebook' "Discussion Topics," save where a uniform rendering of certain words seemed conducive to clearness, and where some other translation better expressed the thought of the original. Wherever changes have been made, the reader may rest assured competent authorities have been consulted, the marginal readings of the Englishman's Hebrew Bible being generally preferred.

Throughout, an effort has been made to bring tot ht reader's attention some Scriptural example fo the proverbial statements. this feature of the work will, it is sincerely hoped, be a means of stimulating the reader to more careful, earnest Bible study.


Introduction of Facebook "Discussion Topics"

The royal preacher, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, after relating so graphically the story of his weary search for happiness "under the sun," with its disappointing result, leading to the oft-repeated lament, "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity and vexation of spirit," directs those who would escape the devious paths he had himself trodden to the consideration of the collection of proverbs which he had "sought out, and set in order."

The last seven verses of Ecclesiastes (Ecc. 12:8-14) form a fitting introduction to the book which in our Bibles immediately precedes it.

Such is the arrangement of the book we purpose studying. As a part of "all Scripture," we may rest assured we shall find it "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness," helping to perfect the man(kind) of God unto all good works.

H.A. Ironside, LittD

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 30

Proverbs 30:1-33 (NIV)

Proverbs 30

Sayings of Agur

¹ The sayings of Agur son of Jakehan oracle ^a]">[a]: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: ^b]">[b]

² "I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding.

³ I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!

⁵ "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶ Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷ "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:

⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

¹⁰ "Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹ "There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;

¹² those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

¹³ those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;

¹⁴ those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵ "The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!':

¹⁶ the grave, ^c]">[c] the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'

¹⁷ "The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸ "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:

¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.

²⁰ "This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'

²¹ "Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

²² a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food,

²³ an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴ "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶ coneys ^d]">[d] are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷ locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸ a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.

²⁹ "There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:

³⁰ a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

³¹ a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him. ^e]">[e]

³² "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

³³ For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 30:1 Or Jakeh of Massa
2. Proverbs 30:1 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew declared, "I am weary, O God; / I am weary, O God, and faint.
3. Proverbs 30:16 Hebrew Sheol
4. Proverbs 30:26 That is, the hyrax or rock badger
5. Proverbs 30:31 Or king secure against revolt

10 Facts About God:

1. He can ascend to heaven (v 4; Genesis 18:33, Genesis 28:12; John 3:13; Deuteronomy 30:11-12; Romans 10:6-7)
2. He can descend from heaven (v 4; Zechariah 14:5; Titus 2:13; Jude 14; Revelation 21:2,10)
3. He controls the wind (v 4; Ecclesiastes 1:6; Psalm 19:6; Matthew 8:27)
4. He controls the waters (v. 4; Job 26:8; Psalm 104:6-9; Proverbs 8:28)
5. He established the land out of the waters (v 4; Genesis 1:9-10; Jeremiah 5:22; Job 38:4-11; Psalm 102:25)
6. He has a name (v 4; Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:13-15; 6:3; 34:14; Psalm 68:4; Isaiah 57:15)
7. He has a Son (Psalm 2:7; John 3:18; Matthew 1:21; Isaiah 9:6-7; etc.)
8. His every word is pure (v 5; Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
9. He is a protector of all who put their trust in them (v 5; Psalm 91)
10.He will not tolerate additions to His Word (v 6; Deuteronomy 4:2; 12;32; Revelation 22:18)

6 Requests in 2 Petitions:

1. Deny not my petitions before I die
2. Remove vanity far from me
3. Remove lies far from me
4. Give me not poverty
5. Give me not riches
6. Feed me only my necessary food

6 Reasons for His Requests (v 9):

1. Let I be full, and
2. Deny the LORD.
3. Lest I say, Who is the LORD?
4. Lest I be poor, and
5. Steal, and
6. Take the name of God in vain

4 Classes of People:

1. Those who do not honor parents ( v 11; 20:20; Exodus 21:17; Mark 10:10-13).
2. Those who are self-righteous (v 12; Isaiah 64:4; Luke 18:9-14; Matthew 23)
3. Those who are full of vanity, pride, and insolence (v 13; Psalm 10:4; 73:6; Proverbs 8:13; 16:18; Daniel 4:37; 1 John 2:16)
4. Those who are cruel, greedy, and oppressive to the poor (v 14; 14:31; 22:16; 28:3; James 2:6)

5 Examples of Being Brought Low:

1. Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-17; Ephesians 2; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10)
2. Angels (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6-7)
3. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:5-6)
4. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)
5. Belshazzar (Daniel 5)

4 Examples-Honor Upholds the Humble:

1. Solomon (1 King 3:7-14)
2. John (John 1:26-27; 3:29-31)
3. Mary (Luke 1:38)
4. Angels (Isaiah 6:7)

6 Quartets (11-31):

1. 4 classes of men (v 11-14)
2. 4 insatiable things (v 15-16)
3. 4 inscrutable things (v 18-20)
4. 4 disquieting things (v 21-23)
5. 4 little wise things (v 24-28)
6. 4 graceful things (v 29-31)

4 Insatiable Things (v 15-16):

1. Hell , Hebrew: sheol, not the grave, but the place of departed spirits. Hell is never full, but constantly opening its mouth to swallow men)
2. The barren womb. It always craves a child (Genesis 16:2 (Genesis 16;2; 29:31; 30:1-2; 1 Samuel 1:6-20).
3. The dry earth. It longs for water to quench its parched surface (Deuteronomy 28:23-24; 1 Kings 18:1-6; James 5:13)
4. The fire. It is greedy for everything that burns (Mattthew :12; Mark 9:43-49; James 3:5; Jude 7)

4 Inscrutable Things (v 18-19):

1. The way of an eagle in the air
2. The way of a serpent upon a rock
3. The way of the ship in the sea
4. The way of a man with a maid

4 Disquieting Things (v 21-23):

1. An insolent slave when made king
2. An ill-mannered overfed fool
3. An ill-tempered woman
4. A servant maid married to her master becomes dominating and haughty

4 Little Wise Things (v 24-28)

1. The ants. They are diligent in preparing for the future. They have houses, towns, public roads, etc. They have some amazing habits

2. The conies. They are shrewd in protecting themselves from larger animals. Those referred to here were brown and larger than the ordinary rabbit, and lived in holes and clefts of the rocks.(v 26; Psalm 104:18). They were unclean for food (Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7). Their feet had sharp hoofs which enabled them to leap from rock to rock with great rapidity like a squirrel. They were so wary they were seldom caught by the hunter and it was almost impossible to trap one.

3. The locusts. They are harmonious creatures, having no king yet they band together as one and are very destructive (v 27; Judge 6:5; 1 Kings 8:37; Joel 1:4; 2:25). They always travel with the wind (Exodus 10:12-13, 18-19)

4. The spider. They are noted for their great flexibility and are curious creatures in the matter of building their houses and taking their prey. Some spiders spin webs, some dig holes in the ground making trap doors to them, while others having no webs, chase their prey upon the ground. The Bible deals only with those that spin webs.

4 Graceful Things (v 29-31):

1. The lion who is more majestic than any other beast
2. The greyhound who is exceedingly graceful and fleet
3. The he-goat who is both fierce and majestic as the head of the sheep
4. A king who walks boldly and gracefully among his loyal subjects and against whom there is no hope of rebellion.

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 29

Proverbs 29:1-27 (NIV)

Proverbs 29

¹ A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

² When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴ By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

⁵ Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

⁶ An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸ Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰ Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹ A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

¹² If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.

¹³ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.

¹⁵ The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷ Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

¹⁹ A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond.

²⁰ Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹ If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief ^a]">[a] in the end.

²² An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

²³ A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴ The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

²⁶ Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.

²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.