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Wednesday 11/05/25
Thru the Bible: Proverbs 20
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The human spirit ILLUMINATES the soul
Proverbs 20:1-20,
“(1) Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
(2) The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.”
Last week in chapter 19 verse 12 we were told the same about a king’s wrath, but that his favor is like “like dew on the grass.”
Here we are further instructed to avoid aggravating and provoking the anger of a king. When a Proverb is repeated or emphasized we can take that as strong instruction – something that warrants special attention.
“(3) It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel.”
This one is self-evident but I really want to stress a few points.
Obviously it would be better to never enter into a quarrel in the first place but this verse is referring to stopping something that has already gained some momentum. Technically, it is also referring to the person who started the quarrel.
Regardless of whether we started it or not, we all our human tendencies. If as is the case in this verse, we’ve already entered into strife, it is an indication that the flesh already has the upper hand. This further proves that at least initially, we were not sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit, to dodge the bullet.
So His voice has caught up with us, how do we get out of strife? That is as much a part of wisdom we need to extract from this proverb as knowing that any fool can quarrel.
You know your aggravation leads you to want to finish making your point and we also enjoy having the last word. So how do you pull back from this? You know as well as I do that there are right ways and wrong ways even to end strife. It’s not just what we say, but the way we say it. Many examples spring to mind of ending the quarrel in such a way as to appear self-righteous, or more pious than they, or too superior to be “lowered their level”… the possibilities are many! This is where living a lifestyle of fearing the Lord is of immeasurable help to us. When our respect for God is deep and sincere, it may not always keep us from a quarrel, but it won’t take long into it to pull the reins back on our hearts. If you truly love and respect God, your heart will not allow you to finish the fight, but will draw out of your compassion and sorrow over your part of it. At that point, owning your fault and seeking forgiveness of the other person actually comes pretty easy and it will nearly always be recognized as genuine.
Now you know that this does NOT mean they will respond in kind. It may only trigger them, but you have already stepped back from engaging and no amount of prodding from them will ignite the anger in you again and so the quarrel will end. It is impossible to fight against someone who will not engage. Especially if you find valid reasons to agree with some of their accusations, which at this point would usually not be too hard to do.
We need to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves!
“(4) The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.”
If you’re like me, though you understand the jist of this proverb, the supplied setting seems to make no sense. That is because in North America there are very few crops which begin by planting seed in the winter. However, in this verse the noun “winter” refers to the time for sowing seed and having the early growth of crops in spring. In parts of the middle east, the right time for planting was after the autumn harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began. So this person had good reason to not want to go out in the cold, wet fields, but if they want a harvest to sell and eat come spring, they better get out there and do it!
“(5) Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.”
The word “counsel” here is a noun which here means “advice or counsel” but it can have the connotation of planning or making decisions.
Those who possess understanding, insight or are wise can sort these plans out. The idea is a lot like drawing water up from a well.
“(6) Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?”
This topic has been raised before only as a statement.
“What is desired in a man is faithfulness” (Prov. 19:22).
In that verse it ends by saying, “a poor man is better than a liar.”
Here it begins with “most men will proclaim each his own goodness” making these two proverbs connected but quite different in focus.
Perhaps this proverb is implying that if one boasts about their own goodness, there is likely less truth to it than they report. Nothing quite gives the lie to a person’s “good qualities” like them sounding the horn about them. “Well, I’m a good person! I never cheat, I don’t lie, I help poor people, I… I… I…” – I don’t know about you, but in most cases I’ve already tuned them out and am at least slightly inclined to suspect the opposite is true. When a person truly exemplifies these virtues from the heart, they possess no need to tell others about it. Their lives are a testimony to the truth of their virtues.
The NET suggests a slightly different reading which changes the idea from “goodness” to “loyalty” and being a proverb, this is more likely, so I find it helpful.“
“Many people profess their loyalty, but a faithful person – who can find?” – NET
Indicating that faithfulness is easy to claim, but far less likely to be lived out. This agrees with Proverbs 12:22 , “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
“(7) The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
(8) A king who sits on the throne of judgment, scatters all evil with his eyes.
(9) Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?
This is clearly a rhetorical proverb. Only One can cleanse us of sin. Though many may seek to set their course right, they cannot undo the past, nor can they live out true righteousness without the aid of the Righteous One!
“(10) Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.”
There are several passages like this in Proverbs and at least one in Deuteronomy. God hates lying. He finds it abhorrent! It is an abomination to Him!
“(11) Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.
(12) The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both.”
Not to make a play on words but there is more to this verse than meets the eye. The verse focuses on two primary senses, though it silently implies them all. However, these are chosen here and used throughout scripture, especially in a spiritual context. Jesus often said, “Those who have eyes to see let them see and those with ears to hear, let them hear…” by which we know He was referencing spiritual hunger, preceptiveness and receptivity.
It was suggested in the notes of the NET that “hearing” by usage implies “obedience” and “seeing” implies “perceiving and understanding”. I believe this is very likely how Jesus used it as well.
“(13) Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.”
While I certainly have to pay attention to this, especially the older I get, I believe this is more geared towards one who loves sleep enough to be slack or altogether lacking in their duties and responsibilities.
(14) “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer; But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.”
This is a coy way of pointing out the detestableness of lying and in this case, it was probably used to obtain a lower price on something than was rightly warranted. The upcoming verse 17 tells us the reward for such treachery.
“(15) There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
(16) Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger, And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.”
This is all but repeated in Proverbs 27:13, and I must confess that I don’t quite understand the logistics involved. Typically surety was what was offered in pledge for something borrowed. In this case, you have a person who has become surety for a stranger (a co-signer if you will) and a third person is encouraged to take his garment and hold it as a pledge.
The “foreigner” is also translated as stranger or even “strange woman” which is in fact a possible translation and it would add a completely different dimension to the riddle.
In both cases though, it “can” be translated as foreigner and in that case I can extract some meaning.
The words, “Take his garment” — implies severe exaction – something not so much offered but, as it said, taken. This is in order to justify the surety’s rashness. If someone is willing to stand as surety for a stranger, who could literally flee the city overnight, already possessing something he values as collateral would seem prudent.
Worthy of mention here is that in the ancient world, the common man did not possess anything approaching the wardrobes of today. It was evidently not uncommon to only possess a few changes in clothes. So to lose even one, was a serious matter.
“(17) Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.”
“(18) Plans are established by counsel; By wise counsel wage war.”
The first line of this proverb can serve as a sister line to the proverb we read in verse 5.
“(19) He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.”
It seems to me that the idea here is to avoid those who will butter you up, because that will often loosen the tongue and what you say in an unguarded moment will be used against you by such a person.
“(20) Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
(21) An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.
(22) Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
(23) Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, And dishonest scales are not good.
(24) A man’s steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?
(25) It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.”
Jephthah springs to mind. [See – Jephthah’s Vow]
“(26) A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.”
This is a clever way to say that he extracts the grain of truth out of their concealed statements.
“(27) The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart.”
To me, this is one of several key verses which make it hard on the dichotomist to maintain their position, if they truly understand the meaning of the words. A lamp does not shed light on itself!
The spirit of man is that part of him that is most like God, since God is a Spirit and the father of spirits. Genesis tells us that it was by the breathe of God that man became animated and a living entity. We are also told that when God gathers our spirit from our bodies, they die. The spirit of mankind is their true self, without it, our bodies have no life. It is our very spirit and it is that which sheds light on the inner most parts of our being.
It would be understandable to misunderstand the meaning here. God does not require the human spirit to shed light on our inward parts. NOTHING is outside of His sight. The night and the day are both alike to Him. What this means is that it is the spirit of mankind that God uses to illuminate our inward life TO US. In other words it is the voice of our conscience.
The NET notes have this to say…
“The “lamp” is the metaphor in the line; it signifies that the human spirit functions as a conscience, enabling people to know and please God, and directing them in choices that will be life-giving.”
So I believe this verse is saying that rather than God using the human spirit as a candle casting light into the crevices of our hearts so that He can better get a look at want’s really going on there, I think this is saying it is the candle or lamp of God since it is His breath, and for us it serves as a moral compass and conscience regarding what is right and what is wrong.
[For more on this see – Dichotomy or Trichotomy – what people are made of]
“(28) Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.
(29) The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head.
(30) Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.”
Blessings!
Tri
