Promises, Sluggard, Wicked, Adultery

This proverb is divided into a few sections with different topical advice. The first is to avoid putting oneself into an oath or promise. If already done so, then request to be relieved of that obligation, as graceful as a gazelle.

The second is an advice to not be lazy or slack. The ant is given as an example. The ant works tirelessly, even without supervised by any boss, so that he can prepare food for the future. The consequence of being lazy could be poverty.

The third is a warning against being a wicked man which the Lord hates. Many of his actions are wicked and self serving. He is described as worthless and perverse in his heart. He is proud, lies, plans evil, creates trouble amongst people. He is an abomination to the Lord, and calamity will come to him suddenly.

The last and longest section again warns of adultery, but it starts off by encouraging us to keep the law as close to us as possible, even to tie them around our heart and neck. The danger of adultery is compared to walking on hot coals and asking - how can that not hurt? The seriousness of adultery is compared to a thief who can repay his debt by repaying what he stole seven times. But for adultery, there is no repayment that can satisfy the victim, that is the partners of those involved in adultery.


Proverbs 6
Dangerous Promises

1 My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.[a]

The Folly of Indolence
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

The Wicked Man
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

Beware of Adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you roam, they[b] will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
And an adulteress[c] will prey upon his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

For The Lips of an Immoral Woman Drip Honey

This proverb warns against falling to the seduction of an immoral woman. Although it seems desirable in the beginning, the consequences are grave. The wise thing would be to stay away as far as possible and not go anywhere near her door to begin with. It is better to prevent ourselves from sinning than to have regrets later.

Instead of looking outside and being in danger of sinning, the proverbs teaches to look inside and find satisfaction from the wife we have married since we were young. It warns that the eyes of the Lord is on the man. This kind of sin is foolishness and that can lead a man astray.



Proverbs 5
The Peril of Adultery

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,

2 That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;

4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.[a]

6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.

7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,

9 Lest you give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;

10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;

11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,

12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!

13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

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

16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.

18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.

20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He ponders all his paths.

22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.

23 He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

For They Are Life To Those Who Find Them

As before, this proverbs starts as if it is advice given from father to son. The focus is to get wisdom and understanding. It describes the many wonderful blessings in life that will follow those who have wisdom such as glory, honour and long life.

Wisdom will also keep us from stumbling. This includes stumbling into the wrong path or influence by wicked peers. A significant emphasis in keeping away from the company of evil is mentioned here and other chapters. Wisdom is one of the keys to avoid the wicked path.

Finally, a few practical examples of wisdom in walking the righteous path. This includes keeping the Word of God, control our lips and avoid lying, focus straight ahead on where we are going with our eyes and feet, and don't get distracted by turning right or left from our intended destination.



Proverbs 4
Security in Wisdom

1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;

2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.

3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,

4 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.

5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun,[a]
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;

22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.

26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Let Not Mercy and Truth Forsake You

Again this takes the form of a father giving advice to a son but the father here is none other the the Lord God, talking to His children Israel. The advices are to keep God's laws and commandments and trust God in our hearts, i.e in our spirit. We are told to keep mercy and truth, which will impress both man and God. Don't think to highly of ourselves. For our own sake, we are told to fear the Lord and do no evil. Honour God with our tithing.

The psalm encourages the reader to find wisdom because it is more profitable than precious metals or precious stones. It gives a list of all the blessings that would accompany wisdom. It encourages us to keep wisdom and God would keep our paths safe and protect us. Clearly this wisdom is not secular wisdom, but the wisdom revealed by God. Having such wisdom will also make us fearless (except for God), and we will have peaceful sleep. Finally it reveals God will give grace to the humble and mercy to the wise, but shame to the fools


Proverbs 3
Guidance for the Young

1 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;

2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,

4 And so find favor and high esteem
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 shall direct[a] your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8 It will be health to your flesh,[b]
And strength[c] to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;

12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;

14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;

20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.

23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.

24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
34 Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Then You Will Understand the Fear of the Lord

The proverbs are given like wisdom given by a father to a son. Here the advice to the son starts by ensuring the son seeks wisdom first. And by gaining knowledge the son will understand the fear of the Lord. God is the one who gives wisdom, so that His children can understand His attributes such as righteousness, justice, and all that is good.

Wisdom can be in our spirit, then our soul will embrace its knowledge. It results in discretion and understanding and keep us from walking in the evil way.

Wisdom in our spirit is able to keep us away from those who pursue evil and may those who try to lead us into their wicked ways. Wisdom in our spirit can keep us away from being tempted - the illustration is that of the immoral woman as the temptress. The stern warning is that those who fall to such temptation, without wisdom in them, are unable to regain their paths.

In summary, wisdom is to keep us walking in goodness and righteousness, to be upright and blameless. The consequence of walking in the wicked and unfaithful ways is to be separated from God.


Proverbs 2
The Value of Wisdom

1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For her house leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge

The first chapter of proverbs here begins by summarising what it is for. Wisdom is the main theme of Proverbs. Here it prepares and challenges the reader to want to increase knowledge and wisdom. But perhaps the main achievement out of wisdom and knowledge is to begin to develop the "fear of the LORD".

An illustration is given about sound advice given by the father and mother to a son. It encourages the son to heed his parents advice. In addition, it warns the son against listening to sinners who will entice him to sin and wickedness. The consequence of following the sinners who plot evil against others is that they will reap destruction on themselves.

Wisdom is often pictured as describing itself as a female, as in the last section of this chapter. Wisdom describes herself but as we read, it appears that wisdom mentioned here could also be the Holy Spirit. One clue which indicates this is verse 23 "Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;". In fact this last section sounded like the Holy Spirit describing what will happen to those who turn from following her.

In verse 29, the "fear of the Lord" is again related to knowledge where those who hated knowledge do not have the "fear of the Lord". The following warnings were very similar to people who rejected God and God let them live their own ways which leads them to destruction. On the other hand, those who listen will live safely and securely.



Proverbs 1
The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,[b]
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Praise Him According to His Excellent Greatness!

A short but definite call to Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord with all sorts of instruments. Praise the Lord for his greatness and mighty acts. It is quite clear who this magnificent God is. Besides creating the universe, He also blesses and protects His people. No wonder the people who really know him, like the psalmist, cannot stop praising Him.




Psalm 150
Let All Things Praise the Lord

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!