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Proverbs 25-26     Listen Podcast

Transcribed by Hezekiah's scholars
Notice Proverbs 25:1, "These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out." We find in these next five chapters of Proverbs sayings with a little different format than we saw in the earlier chapters. These sayings, according to the introduction, were collected by King Hezekiah's men (715-686); Hezekiah is found in II Kings 18-20 and II Chronicles 29-32 (see notes). So, according to verse 1 here, these proverbs in 25-29 were, indeed, written by Solomon, but not collected into book form until done so by Hezekiah's authority over 300 years later. Here, Solomon talks about reputation, integrity, wisdom and the fool.

Good social skills are important (Proverbs 25)

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from silver,
And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;
7 For it is better that he say to you,
“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go hastily to court;
For what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor has put you to shame?
9 Debate your case with your neighbor,
And do not disclose the secret to another;
10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame,
And your reputation be ruined.
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.
12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Whoever falsely boasts of giving
Is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.
16 Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be filled with it and vomit.
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,
Lest he become weary of you and hate you.
18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.
20 Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
And like vinegar on soda,
Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
24 It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 As cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a far country.
26 A righteous man who falters before the wicked
Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.
27 It is not good to eat much honey;
So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.
28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls.

Here are some I particularly like:

In Luke 14:7-14 (see notes) Jesus reiterated the principle found right here in verses 6-7, "Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. "

Proverbs 25:9 Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another;
Don't criticize someone behind his back; do it face to face.

Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
Appropriate speech is a beautiful thing.

Proverbs 25:17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.
Ever overstay your welcome?

Proverbs 25:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.
A man of his word stands by his word.

Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.
Paul quoted this one in Romans 12:20 (see notes), "Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Proverbs 25:24 It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Sorry, it just means what it means.

Let's talk about some fools Solomon had known (Proverbs 26)

1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall not alight.
3 A whip for the horse,
A bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the fool’s back.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling
Is he who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
11 As a dog returns to his own 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 lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “I was only joking!”
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.
23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;
25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Here are a few that may need some comment:

The word "fool" is used 11 times in this chapter. This particular Hebrew word ("kes-eel´") refers to one who has the propensity for making wrong choices.
Click here to see the definitions of the three words translated "fool" in the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 26:1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.
In other words, don't praise the actions of those who make wrong decisions.

Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back.
A harsh way to deal with a fool.

Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.
Don't drop down to his level of thought.

Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Rebuke a fool to discourage him from thinking too highly of himself.

Proverbs 26:6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
Watch out who you trust for important tasks.

Proverbs 26:7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Some people just don't get it.

Proverbs 26:8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool.
Of all the things one might carefully bundle up, a rock isn't one of them.

Proverbs 26:9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Because he just won't take a hint.

Proverbs 26:10 The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
But not in a good way.

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.
Makes you just wanna go kiss your dog!

And then there's the lazy man...
13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
We see in verses 13-16 that a lazy man just can't seem to catch a break

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”
People who say things to others in jest may cause unintended damage in the process.

Verses 20-28 deal with one subject - the wickedness of bearing tales. His intentions are bad and the outcome of his actions are hurtful to others.