Proverbs 10-12     Listen

All right! Now that the introduction is done...
You'll notice that chapter 10 begins with the words, "The proverbs of Solomon." That's because chapters 1-9 are really just the introduction to Solomon's collection of proverbs. In those chapters he made certain that his readers understood the contrast between the wisdom of God and the foolishness of men...along with the resulting actions of each.

The fear of the Lord extends your life (Proverbs 10)

1 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
23 To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.
27 The fear of the LORD prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the LORD is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

Each of the proverbs in chapter 10 has a part A and a part B. Remember, all of these are based on the morality of the Law of Moses. I have my own proverbial derivative based upon Proverbs 10:12, "Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins." From the principle expressed in that verse you may have heard me say, "If someone likes you, you can't do anything wrong; if they don't like you, you can't do anything right." Do we get a little bit of insight into the state of dentistry during that era in verse 26? I would imagine that a mouth full of vinegar may very well irritate one's cavity-filled teeth...just like the lazy man who doesn't get the job done you sent him to do.

Verse 27 is worth memorizing, "The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened." As a matter of fact, this is actually part of the fifth Mosaic commandment in Exodus 20:12 (see notes), "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." You will notice that many of these proverbs deal with conversation. You do not need to hear someone speak very long before you usually determine your level of respect for them. Foolish people talk foolishly...and many times slanderously. Solomon also identifies a problem in society...then and now - laziness. One difference is evident: apparently Solomon had no welfare system in place that rewarded laziness; today...most societies do.

Nobody likes to see the wicked prosper (Proverbs 11)

1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,
But a just weight is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.
13 A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
15 He who is surety for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates being surety is secure.
16 A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
17 The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked man does deceptive work,
But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness leads to life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD,
But the blameless in their ways are His delight.
21 Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
26 The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.
29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.
31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

Most of the proverbs in this chapter contrast the difference between the righteous and the wicked. As a matter of fact, the word "wicked" is used 9 times in this chapter. For instance, in selling goods, verse 1 speaks of intentionally over stating the weight of one's merchandise. You gotta love verse 10, "When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation." Who likes to see wickedness prosper?!

A simple principle of decision making is found in Proverbs 11:14, "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." I memorized Proverbs 11:22 years ago. I like the way it sums it up. "As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." I find amusing the visual image of dressing up a pig.

In verse 25 we see the reward of our generosity, "The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself." That's talking about being generous in sharing one's personal resources; it's not a reference to certain politicians you may have seen who are generous with the money of others. Finally, notice that wise people care about the spiritual welfare of others in verse 30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise."

Work hard...and don't be so talkative (Proverbs 12)

1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
3 A man is not established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”
But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
9 Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.
16 A fool’s wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame.
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.
28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.

Here we have "wicked" used another 9 times (along with 9 times in chapter 11). How do you learn your lessons of life? Take note of verse 1, "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid." Add to that verse 15, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise." Notice verse 8, "A man will be commended according to his wisdom, But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised." People take note of those who speak wisely.

Solomon deals with laziness in verses 11 and 14, but notice particularly verse 27, "The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession." He seems to be a big advocate of eating what you hunt.

As in previous chapters, the words one speaks define his character. Here's a verse that seems to say the most talkative person in the room is not necessarily the one you should be listening to: Proverbs 12:23, "A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness."