|
This is a text reader for the article below:
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Wednesday 10/08/25
Thru the Bible: Proverbs 16
Message Video Player
Message Audio Player:
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:57 — 59.8MB)
Spiritual Indigestion
Proverbs 16
Now I know that since we began our trek ‘Thru the Bible’ you’ve all learned a fair amount about languages and the difficulties often incumbent upon translating one into another.
Since tonight we begin with a particularly interesting example of this, I thought I’d offer some modern examples just to clarify the point.
This will help you in your interactions with naysayers. MANY of those who argue against the reliability of scripture often point to passages like these as their token examples. Some thoughts and idioms are cultural and without understanding their roots, would be literally impossible to understand.
Here are a few modern examples taken from three languages:
German:
Literal translation: “You have tomatoes on your eyes.”
What it means: “You are not seeing what everyone else can see. It refers to real objects, though — not abstract meanings.”
Thai:
Literal translation: “One afternoon in your next reincarnation.”
What it means: “It’s never gonna happen.”
French:
Literal translation: “The carrots are cooked!”
What it means: “The situation can’t be changed.”
Once you know the meaning, the saying becomes intelligible, but without a cultural key to the idiom, you are left to your own devices to understand what is being said.
This difficulty in translating is not just due to idioms, but also to ways of speaking.
For example, in the culture of ancient Hebrew speaking Jews, it was common to use a part of a phrase to represent an entire well known quote. It was also common to use the word “day” to represent any division of a day or the whole 24 hours. It was also common to sometimes skip generations when introducing a person, so that a person might be called the sons of their grandfather, rather than their father.
Truth is, as Christians we are very fortunate. In scripture we have some very clear genealogies which clear these distinctions up for us, but an unlearned person could be excused for believing that such represent a mistake or contradiction.
Again I bring these things up, not only as reminders for you who are here, but also for those who happen to listen to our teachings. Not everyone is familiar with these minor difficulties. To them, explanations may very well sound like clever workarounds or special pleading, but such is not the case.
So, let’s begin with verse 1 of Proverbs 16…
Proverbs 16:1-33, (NET)
“(1)The intentions of the heart belong to a man, but the answer of the tongue comes from the LORD.”
This is a tough one.
However, this phrase possesses contrasting prepositions which places limits on the possible meanings.
The proverb cannot be taken as read, since that would contradict both experience and the whole of scripture. Something has to be supposed which is not clearly indicated.
Let’s enhance our understanding of what is said, so that we can move forward in ascertaining what it means.
The words “intentions of the heart” – refers to the aspirations and considerations, the preparations and plans that come from our hearts as humans.
This is said to “belong” to us – however the word “belong” is added for clarity since it is not in the Hebrew.
This word choice however, is not obvious to me.
I would think a more neutral word that does not influence the meaning would be better such as “comes from man”.
Since translators nearly universally CHOOSE the word “belong” however, I will bow to their expertise and assume this is somehow indicated in the Hebrew.
The word “answer” is a masculine noun and can have two meanings.
- It can indicate an answer, a response. Either something said or written as a retort or reply.
- It can indicate the ultimate goal and destiny of something or someone.
The word “tongue” can be literal or a metonymy of cause in which the instrument of speech, namely the mouth or tongue, is set forth as representing what is actually said.
The words “comes from the Lord” is actually just the single word “Lord”.
So the word “belong” in reference to man and the words “comes from” referencing the Lord are all added.
So what does this proverb mean? Well, I think it wise to begin with eliminating the obvious.
- Since people sin with what they say and God is NOT the author of sin, therefore this cannot mean that everything people say comes from God.
- A similar, but different point is that God does not use His sovereign power to commandeer our mouths, forcing us to say what He dictates. The overwhelming theme of scripture which calls people everywhere to choose to serve God and love Him, to turn away from evil toward good are clear indications that God has given mankind freewill.
Therefore, the only remaining viable options are these:
- We plan what we want to say, but the power to communicate comes from God. This sets speech forth as a stewardship given by God for which we will be judged. Since we know this IS true from other scriptures, it may be the intended meaning here, but I somehow doubt it. The reason I doubt it is because the construction is not set forth as a warning. Such would seem to be an important literary clue in this proverb if a warning was in view.
- It could be focusing on God’s people, in which case the meaning may be that while we ponder and plan what to say, it is God Who ultimately directs our words.
An assumption of this verse is that our words are the focus, which may not be true. So that this proverb could be saying that the ponderings of the heart which man expresses, can only result in something within God’s purposes and plans.
Meaning we can say something from our freewill with the intention of a specific result in our lives, but the only thing truly in our power is our words. The results are in God’s hand.
This understanding is in keeping with the way the International Standard Version translates this proverb.
“People do the planning, [Lit. Preparations of the heart belong to human beings]
but the end result [Or the response of the tongue] is from the Lord.”
I am inclined to believe this is the correct understanding, but you are free to assume what you will so long as it does not contradict other scripture.
Now we will see when we arrive at verse 9 that it offers a softer version of this, but its meaning differs just a little in that it has God directing the person’s will rather than the result.
Now there is no indicator that any of these proverbs are anything more than independent statements. Nevertheless, their arrangement we know to NOT be random.
As such, I often wonder if sometimes these individual proverbs are set in a series of escalating truths.
If so, then we have several examples of this in Proverbs 16 with verse 1 being the first in a series of 5 proverbial statements. If taken together, they offer us a broader theological truth.
“(2) All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the LORD evaluates the motives.
(3) Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
(4) The LORD has worked everything for His Own ends – even the wicked for the day of disaster.
(5) The LORD abhors every arrogant person; rest assured that they will not go unpunished.”
This places God’s work as something already established. It does not say God “works” everything, it says, the Lord HAS WORKED everything. That is important.
Each of these can stand alone as singular truths, but when taken collectively they establish wisdom for living a life which honors God and brings us to honor.
So understood this way, verse 1 would be telling us that what we intend with our plans cannot ultimately outstrip God’s purposes. Verse 2 informs us that our intentions (as God’s covenant people) seem right to us, but only God can uncover and reveal the motives behind them. Verse 3 encourages us to commit our works to God, and our plans (devoid of poor motives) will stand. Verse 4 concludes by saying, God has worked everything for His Own purposes – even the wicked for the day of disaster. The meaning here has to be what we have picked up from the beginning of our Trek ‘Thru the Bible’ – that while God does not always get what He wants or wills, He ALWAYS accomplishes His plans and purposes.
For God to always get His will – everyone would be saved – in fact, more than that – no one would have ever fallen into sin to begin with! However, God’s plan of redemption which includes multiple phases, will be accomplished!
So how does that fit into this series of proverbial statements? Again I think the ISV may have rendered it very well.
“The LORD made everything answerable to him, including the wicked at the time of trouble.” – Proverb 16:4 ISV
Finally verse 5 sums it all up as a matter of goodness and justice. God hates pride because it exalts a person in a lie. All who walk in pride will be brought to justice – meaning they will come to see just how deceived their exalted opinion of themselves is and reap the reward for such arrogance.
The notes in the NET offer this:
God ensures that everyone’s actions and the consequences of those actions correspond – certainly the wicked for the day of calamity. In God’s order there is just retribution for every act.
“(6) Through loyal love and truth iniquity is appeased; through fearing the LORD one avoids evil.
(7) When a person’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he even reconciles his enemies to himself.”
Traditionally we have always understood this passage as God being the One Who causes the enemies to be at peace, but I always had a bit of a problem with that idea. It would require God forcing His will upon another and that doesn’t fly in the face of scripture as we mentioned earlier.
The referent of the verb “he” in the second colon is unclear.
The straightforward answer is actually that it refers to the person whose ways please the LORD – that it is his lifestyle that disarms his enemies and this is in step with other proverbs we have read. [See – Proverbs 10:13; 14:9; 15:1 & 25:21-22.]
The life that is pleasing to God will be above reproach and find favor with others.
Others interpret this to mean that God makes his enemies to be at peace with him (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
While this is workable, this passage would seem to present God accomplishing this indirectly through the pleasing life of the believer, rather than directly by altering the enemy’s will (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).
“(8) Better to have a little with righteousness than to have abundant income without justice.
(9) A person plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.”
Now we again see a set of verses which are independently true, but seem to be arranged in series for a collective purpose of offering wisdom to kings and rulers. These include verses 10-15.
“(10) The divine verdict is in the words of the king, his pronouncements must not act treacherously against justice.”
You should know that the word “divine” is added and quite honestly I cannot see a justification for it. The word is qesem which is a masculine noun meaning divination. It was not uncommon for kings to seek knowledge of the future by supernatural means. The warning here is either singular or double.
If spoken regarding kings in Israel, it means their oracles better align with God’s law!
If spoken regarding ANY king, it means that regardless of what influences their decisions, their decisions better not act deliberately against justice.
If the word “divine” were to belong in this passage, another truth would emerge. Something which is almost certainly lost on our generation, at least in the western world, is that all governing authority comes from God.
This passage read with “divine” could not be saying that everything the king determines represents God’s will, but rather that the King speaks with divine authority.
Paul tells us that all governing power comes from God and no one occupies a position of authority apart from Him. What that person does with that authority does not always represent God’s heart, but the authority they have comes from God.
“(11) Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His handiwork.
(12) Doing wickedness is an abomination to kings, because a throne is established in righteousness.”
The idea here is that doing wickedness, a king is working against the stability of his reign and kingdom, because righteousness is what causes a kingdom to stand firm.
“(13) The delight of a king is righteous counsel, and he will love the one who speaks uprightly.
(14) A king’s wrath is like a messenger of death, but a wise person appeases it.
(15) In the light of the king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds of the spring rain.”
“(16) How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.
(17) The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; the one who guards his way safeguards his life.
(18) Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
(19) It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud.”
The Levite Asaph who was a prophet appointed by King David to serve as the chief musician of the Tabernacle and lead worship with music and singing, wrote the 73rd Psalm. I reference it often for the wisdom it gives.
I love Asaph for his unguarded candour. He tells on himself for some ungodly thinking he allowed himself to ponder. He looked at the wicked and how they seem to always prosper and seem to never have to face justice. He began to wonder if he had chosen the right path by serving God since he refrained from sin and selfish pursuits but in every little infraction he seemed to face judgment. This troubled him until he went to the tabernacle. There the Lord opened his eyes to see the end of those who live in selfish pleasures. God told him that His immediate judgment upon them was to allow them temporary impunity. He allowed them to pursue unrighteousness so as to mount up their judgment which would come on them all at once in the end.
God does not do this to be cruel, but because the proud will not listen to correction and so God resists them not offering counsel which would only continue to be rejected. So He allows them their pursuits until their harvest is ripe!
In similar fashion this verse is saying that running with the proud and partaking of their spoils is to put yourself in line to reap the whirlwind of their judgment with them when their day comes. It would be FAR BETTER to remain humble and associate with those who appear afflicted now. Their end is better by far!
Now we again have a series of 5 verses which seem to be along the central theme of the benefit of wisdom and insightful speech.
“(20) The one who deals wisely in a matter will find success, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.
(21) The one who is wise in heart is called discerning, and kind speech increases persuasiveness.”
The idea of “increasing persuasiveness” means receptivity to teaching and instruction.
“(22) Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools. (23) A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise and it adds persuasiveness to his words.
(24) Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
There is a danger here that I would like you to avoid. While sweetness in your words, does tend to disarm disagreement and increase receptivity, we can sometimes do this unrighteously. Knowing that such speech will often create an environment in which our words will be heard we can pad our speech with things which are either untrue or exaggerated just to offer a compliment. This is deceptive and dishonest and will not be blessed by God. So, do what you can to make your words easier to digest without resorting to lies to make that happen.
A great quote from Leonardo da Vinci,
“So vile a thing is a lie that even if it spoke fairly of God it would take away somewhat from His divinity; and so excellent a thing is truth that if it praises the humblest things they are exalted”.
“(25) There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way that leads to death.
(26) A laborer’s appetite has labored for him, for his hunger has pressed him to work.”
This is true regarding ANY appetite, including that for righteousness and the fear of the Lord. If this is what you truly desire, it will work FOR you and press you towards obtaining them in abundance.
According to Jesus the righteous soul will be satisfied. – Matthew 5:6
Now we have a series of 4 verses which uncover the rewards of ungodliness.
“(27) A wicked scoundrel digs up evil, and his slander is like a scorching fire. (28) A perverse person spreads dissension, and a gossip separates the closest friends.
(29) A violent person entices his neighbor, and then leads him down a path that is terrible. (30) The one who winks his eyes devises perverse things, and one who compresses his lips has accomplished evil.”
“(31) Gray hair is like a crown of glory; it is attained in the path of righteousness.”
A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are closely and logically related. In this phrase, the second clause elaborates on or explains the first, offering the reasoning behind the statement.
If you were to rewrite the sentence, you could use a connecting word like “WHEN” or “IF” to clarify the relationship, though the semicolon is a grammatically and stylistically correct choice.
So the meaning here is that…
“Gray hair is like a crown of glory WHEN it is attained in the path of righteousness.”
“(32) Better to be slow to anger than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper is better than one who captures a city.”
This is SO true and it is even graphically depicted for us sometimes in TV and movies, though not nearly as often as it used to be. Nevertheless I can recall examples of someone who attempted to start a fight with a noteworthy opponent but due to reasons of honor, they would not engage. They controlled their temper and withheld the free expression of their superior strength and skill leaving the audience impressed with their command over their emotions.
“(33) The dice are thrown into the lap, but their every decision is from the LORD.”
There are two ways to understand this verse, but only one is the intended meaning.
Under the Old Covenant, only prophets heard the Lord directly. Not even priests typically heard God’s voice directly. So God made provision for both priests and the common man to ascertain His guidance and will.
To the priests God gave the Urim and Thummim which were two of the stones in their sacred breastplates. The Hebrew words “Urim” and “Thummim” mean “lights” and “perfections or truths” respectively.
To the common Israelite God allowed for lots which were a type of dice.
The high priest used the Urim and Thummim with a breastplate to answer significant national questions, a practice which faded after the Babylonian exile around 607 B.C.
While the exact nature of the Urim and Thummim is lost, the practice of casting lots—like the actions of the apostles in Acts 1:26 to replace Judas. THis is the only example of the use of lots under the New Covenant. Once the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church the practice became unnecessary.
So this primary way of understanding Solomon’s proverb simply acknowledges that for a time God sovereignly controlled the outcome of the casting of these “dice” to offer guidance to His people.
The secondary way of understanding these words is that God created the laws of weights, acceleration, friction and motion so that it could be said, indirectly, that God’s laws determine the outcome of every “roll of the dice” – though not towards a predetermined outcome.
Blessings!
Tri
