Proverbs 14
Proverbs 14:1-5:
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies.
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies.
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Proverbs 14:7:
Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. |
A wicked one; avoid him, shun his company, depart from him, have no fellowship with him, it, being dangerous, infectious, and hurtful; when thou perceivest not [in him] the lips of knowledge; when it is observed that his lips pour out foolishness, what is corrupt and unsavoury, unchaste and filthy; what does not minister grace to the hearers, nor is for the use of edifying, nor any ways improving in useful knowledge, but all the reverse: the Targum is, ``for there is no knowledge in his lips,'' in what is expressed by them; some understand this ironically, and render the words thus, "go right against a foolish man" ; join in company with him, "and thou shalt not know the lips of knowledge", or learn anything by him; if you have a mind to be ignorant, keep company with a foolish man; so Jarchi and Gersom: or rather to this sense the words may be rendered, "go to a foolish man, seeing thou knowest not the lips of knowledge" , since thou dost not approve of wise and knowing men, whose lips would teach knowledge; and despisest the Gospel, and Gospel ministers the pope of Rome, as Cocceius on the text serves, and hear him, what his holiness and infallibility says; or some other false teacher. --Gills Exposition of the Whole Bible |
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Proverbs 14:8: The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
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We shall read the oracles of God: the doctrines for belief, and the precepts for practice; and shall thus learn to cleanse our way by taking heed thereto, according to God’s word. It will moreover induce us to guard against the dangers of the way. We shall not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, nor of the numerous temptations to which our age, times, circumstances, and propensities expose us. It will influence us to keep our eye upon the end of the way. A foolish man will go that way in which he finds most company, or can go most at his ease; but wisdom will ask, “What shall I do in the end thereof?” To understand the end of the wrong way will deter; but to keep our eye upon that of the right will attract. Christ himself kept sight of the joy that was set before him. Finally, as holy wisdom possesses the soul with a sense of propriety at all times, and upon all occasions, it is therefore our highest interest to obtain this wisdom, and to cultivate it by reading, meditation, prayer, and every appointed means.
Andrew Gunton Fuller, The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller, Volume 1: Memoirs, Sermons, Etc., ed. Joseph Belcher (Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1988), 465-66. |
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Proverbs 14:9:
Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor. |
The Bible says that fools make a mock at sin. To understand the import of this passage, one must biblically grasp more fully the meaning of the word mock. According to the scripture, to mock is to deceive (Judges 16:10, 13, 15; Proverbs 20:1), deride (Matthew 27:29-31), laugh at (2 Chronicles 30:10; Job 12:4; Proverbs 1:26), or make light of (Job 39:22). Additionally interesting, the word mock came into English from a word that meant to blow the nose. Men who make light of a statement or event often demonstrate their mockery by this type of nose-blowing gesture. However, sin is not to be considered a light matter and this type of attitude should never be demonstrated toward sin. God is not to be mocked (Galatians 6:7) and sin is not to be mocked. -Learn The Bible
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RA Miller
A great sermon from the Proverbs that deals with foolishness is “The Fool and His Sport” by Thomas Adams (1583–1652). The discourse describes four types of fools we may encounter, all with varying outlooks on life. By highlighting the faults of this foolish foursome, Adams provides examples of behaviors and attitudes that are to be avoided. Additionally, these portraits provide us with key evangelistic insights for dealing with a wide variety of people.
To begin, we meet the sad fool. He will never be happy to hear of another’s success, as he languishes in his discontentment at hearing news of his neighbor’s profit. He may even get upset with God when he sees others with blessings he lacks. Adams says this person is “A man of the worst diet,” because he consumes himself in his repining. The sad fool is a bit of a paradox since he is most satisfied when lamenting. If he is to be converted, he must learn to be content with Christ.
Second, we have the glad fool. When I think of the word “fool,” this type of person comes to my mind. For him, everything is a joke. Religion is something to be mocked. You will find it quite difficult to have an earnest conversation with him about sin, as he finds the subject rather amusing. The English clergyman writes, “His mirth is to sully every virtue with some slander, and with a jest to laugh it out of fashion. His usual discourse is filled up with boasting parenthesis of his old sins.” He must begin to understand the seriousness of his offenses, lest he laugh himself out of heaven.
The next fool is the haughty fool. This is the kind of person who thinks too highly of himself. His pride is blinding, and it prevents him from properly assessing his abilities and faults. Adams notes that he “is ever climbing high towers, and never forecasting how to come down.” The haughty fool is above reproach, at least in his own mind. He never reflects on his failures. “When he receives disappointments, he flatters himself still with success,” says Adams. If such a prideful individual is to be right with God, he must see himself for who he truly is, a sinner.
The naughty fool is the fourth and final fool that Adams evaluates. As a particularly greedy individual, the naughty fool would do anything to acquire more wealth for himself. He will, “lose his friends, starve his body, damn his soul, and have no pleasure for it,” remarks Adams. This kind of person’s covetousness trumps any kind of fear they may have for God’s retribution. While Adams has noted several different kinds of fools already, he notes that the avarous fool is the “very fool of all,” which is to say that he is the king of all fools. In his heart, the idol of wealth needs to be torn down. --RA Miller; G3 Ministries; Four Types of Fools 8.24.23
To begin, we meet the sad fool. He will never be happy to hear of another’s success, as he languishes in his discontentment at hearing news of his neighbor’s profit. He may even get upset with God when he sees others with blessings he lacks. Adams says this person is “A man of the worst diet,” because he consumes himself in his repining. The sad fool is a bit of a paradox since he is most satisfied when lamenting. If he is to be converted, he must learn to be content with Christ.
Second, we have the glad fool. When I think of the word “fool,” this type of person comes to my mind. For him, everything is a joke. Religion is something to be mocked. You will find it quite difficult to have an earnest conversation with him about sin, as he finds the subject rather amusing. The English clergyman writes, “His mirth is to sully every virtue with some slander, and with a jest to laugh it out of fashion. His usual discourse is filled up with boasting parenthesis of his old sins.” He must begin to understand the seriousness of his offenses, lest he laugh himself out of heaven.
The next fool is the haughty fool. This is the kind of person who thinks too highly of himself. His pride is blinding, and it prevents him from properly assessing his abilities and faults. Adams notes that he “is ever climbing high towers, and never forecasting how to come down.” The haughty fool is above reproach, at least in his own mind. He never reflects on his failures. “When he receives disappointments, he flatters himself still with success,” says Adams. If such a prideful individual is to be right with God, he must see himself for who he truly is, a sinner.
The naughty fool is the fourth and final fool that Adams evaluates. As a particularly greedy individual, the naughty fool would do anything to acquire more wealth for himself. He will, “lose his friends, starve his body, damn his soul, and have no pleasure for it,” remarks Adams. This kind of person’s covetousness trumps any kind of fear they may have for God’s retribution. While Adams has noted several different kinds of fools already, he notes that the avarous fool is the “very fool of all,” which is to say that he is the king of all fools. In his heart, the idol of wealth needs to be torn down. --RA Miller; G3 Ministries; Four Types of Fools 8.24.23
Proverbs 14:10-11:
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
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Proverbs 14:12:
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. |
The wise man, Solomon, said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). God said through the prophet Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). The prophet Jeremiah said, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). The apostle Paul thought he was doing right when he was following the law of Moses and persecuting the Lord’s church. Standing before King Agrippa, he stated, “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). He went on to explain that he was in the very act of that when the Lord appeared to him, and when he realized that what he thought was not the truth. In a prior defense, Paul had stated, “…Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God unto this day” (Acts 23:1). He had never violated his conscience when persecuting the church, for he thought he was right to do so. That which one feels is a product of what one believes to be true and that which one believes to be true can be skewed with false information. When Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers, they took his coat of many colors and dipped it in animal blood and presented it to Jacob with the words, “This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no” (Gen. 37:32). Jacob recognized the coat like that of his dear son and the text says, “And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days”…saying, “…I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning” (Gen. 37:34-35). His feelings were real, he hurt just as bad inside as if his son really was dead, but his son was alive and destined to be second in command of all Egypt. Feelings can be misled, they are not a proper standard in the realm of religion. -Robert C Oliver
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Proverbs 14:13-25:
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches, But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25 A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches, But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25 A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
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Proverbs 14:26-27:
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. |
“Fear of the LORD” contrasts with the fear of other lords, such as the ancient Canaanite gods Baal, Ashtoreth, or Moloch, evil gods behind whom demons lurked. (Psalm 106:37, I Corinthians 10:20) “Fear of the LORD” protects one from the fear of man, which leads many into sin. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25) -Dr Bill Edgar
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When people who look for wisdom and can’t find it, it is because they are seeking wisdom for the wrong reasons. For example, they seek wisdom because they want to be able to boast, or advance in life for their own benefits, or when they are in a crisis and praying to God is a hail Mary to them. But God wants us to use the wisdom that he has given us to be able to honor and serve Him. God doesn’t have to help us ever but He does it out of love. We ask because we want and we need to change our perspective. We need to go before God as humble people and not full of pride because the human race is a despicable race. It is horrid and will never change to societies views, we are just rebels. We need to be submissive to God and do His bidding. The mocker is someone who is a hypocrite, someone who doesn’t always rely on God, while the discerning are people who want the truth. The whole truth. So we should ask God if we have the correct perspective and attitude for wisdom. [SOURCE: Cats Soup for the Soul: http://johnathanwu.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/proverbs-14-141012/]
When we choose to fear God now - we will not have to cower in terror later. We fear God now - looking in absolute terror at the cross and what God truly requires in His holiness to pay for the debt of sin. It is in seeing what had to be done to Christ Jesus to pay for sin that we cringe in horror at what our wickedness truly costs. But when we embrace Jesus Christ, receiving the gift of repentance and faith, our sins are gone. Thus there is no longer the "terror of the Lord" at the thought of judgment, but rather a strong confidence that our anchor will hold. Jesus Christ has paid all that there is to pay - and we are forgiven and free. -Calvary Chapel Jonesboro
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 John Piper
If the Lord says, "Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed, I will help you," (Isaiah 41:10), then it is a fearful thing to worry about the problem he says he will help you with. Fearing that problem when he says, "Fear not, I will help you, is a vote of no confidence against God's word, and that is a great dishonor to God. And the fear of the Lord trembles at such dishonoring God.
If the Lord says, "I will never fail you nor forsake you," so you can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6) - if the Lord says that to you, then not to be confident in the Lord's promised presence and help is a kind of pride. It puts our reckoning of the trouble above God's. That is why we read the amazing words of the Lord in Isaiah 51:12, "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass?" Who are you to fear man, when God has promised to help you? So it is pride to fear man. And pride is the exact opposite of the fear of God. -John Piper; Desiring God; How to Be a Refuge for Your Children 8.22.00 |
Proverbs 14:28:
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
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Proverbs 14:29:
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly. |
The value of a patient hopefulness that is nurtured by 'patient endurance' is a recurring theme in world religions. In the Hebrew Sacred Scripture we read: "He that is patient, is governed with much wisdom: but he that is impatient, exalteth his folly." (Pv 14: 29) In the Islamic Koran (2: 155-156) are these words: "Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere; . . . who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return". Buddhism ascribes a cognitive-emotional control nuance to patient endurance: when under attack hold fast. The Dhammapada, the collection of the sayings of Buddha (184) states: "enduring patience is the highest austerity." Likewise, in the classic Hindu text, the Tamil Veda, written between 200 BC and 400 AD, are these words about hope: "Smile, with patient, hopeful heart, in troublous hour; Meet and so vanquish grief; nothing hath equal power. If troubles come, laugh; there is nothing like that, to press upon and drive away sorrow." (2.1.25. 621). --Orthodoxy Today
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Proverbs 14:30-33:
A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
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Proverbs 14:34:
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” |
I think this takes the case largely out of President’s hands and places responsibility right into the laps of the people who are called by His name since righteousness can only come through our Lord. The President is just a tool (no pun intended) placed in office by God as He saw fit. A chisel, maybe, but a tool nonetheless. While the politicians act out the phrase “foolishness chasing the wind” (a script they have memorized very well), it is we who can exalt the nation through exalting the one who is the source of righteousness: our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is a disgrace not just to God…….or Christians……but to ANY people. We have a lot of work to do.
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Proverbs 14:35:
The king’s favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame. |
The king's favour is toward a wise servant,.... Who does his prince's business well, committed to him; manages all his affairs wisely and prudently; is diligent and careful to do everything for the king's honour, and the good of his subjects; such an one has a share in royal favour, a place in the affections of his master; and is sure to be promoted to honour by him, and exalted to higher places of trust and profit, as well as to be protected and defended by him: so Christ, the King of kings, shows favour to his wise and faithful servants, Luke 12:42;
but his wrath is against him that causeth shame; who neglects his business, or does it foolishly; in such a manner as his prince is ashamed of him, and which brings shame and disgrace to himself; all which provokes the anger of his master, who discharges him from his service, and this fixes a mark of infamy upon him; see Luke 12:45. --Gills Exposition of the Whole Bible |