Proverbs-11&12

Proverbs 11

(6) What the Lord Abhors (11:1–21)

¹The Lord abhors dishonest scales,

but accurate weights are his delight.

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

⁴Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them,

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

⁷When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes;

all he expected from his power comes to nothing.

⁸The righteous man is rescued from trouble,

and it comes on the wicked instead.

⁹With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

¹⁰When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

¹²A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor,

but a man of understanding holds his tongue.

¹³A gossip betrays a confidence,

but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

¹⁴For lack of guidance a nation falls,

but many advisers make victory sure.

¹⁵He who puts up security for another will surely suffer,

but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.

¹⁶A kindhearted woman gains respect,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷A kind man benefits himself,

but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

¹⁸The wicked man earns deceptive wages,

but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹The truly righteous man attains life,

but he who pursues evil goes to his death.

²⁰The Lord detests men of perverse heart

but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.

Honesty, in business (11:1)

1Honesty pleases the Lord. This contrast between what the Lord abhors and delights in elaborates on the point. The Scriptures throughout condemn dishonesty in business (see Lev 19:35–36; Deut 25:13–16; Amos 8:5; et al.). Likewise, the law codes of the ancient world ruled against it (see ANET, pp. 388, 423). Whatever the Lord “abhors” (tôʿ^aḇaṯ) must be avoided. Thus to be accepted by God in one’s transactions, one must deal honestly (see 16:11; 20:10, 23).

Humility, wise and honorable (11:2)

2Humility avoids disgrace and leads to wisdom (notice the sounds of the first colon: bāʾ-zāḏôn wayyāḇōʾ qālôn, “when pride comes, then comes disgrace”). “Pride” (zāḏôn) is literally a boiling up; and so hubris, an overstepping of the boundaries and insubordination, is meant. Humility describes those who know their place; but those who are proud, Plaut says, are inflated to the level of self-bestowed divinity (p. 136). The proud will have their egos deflated (qālôn, “made light of,” “disgrace”).

Integrity, a preservation (11:3)

3Here is another proverb affirming the value of integrity. The contrast is between the upright and the unfaithful; those who use treachery (selep̱ bôg̱^eḏîm lit., “the crookedness of the unfaithful”) are destroyed rather than guided by it.

Righteousness, better than wealth (11:4)

4The focus of this saying is on what is most useful when disaster strikes: righteousness or wealth. Whybray is correct in taking the “day of wrath” as divine punishment in this life (Book of Proverbs, p. 67; see further Job 21:30; Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18). Righteousness, therefore, which is pleasing to God, is more valuable than riches when anticipating divine justice.

Conduct, righteous and wicked (11:5–6)

5–6Here are two proverbs contrasting the righteous with the wicked. The first teaches that the righteous enjoy security and serenity through life (t^eyaššēr darkô; NIV, “makes a straight way,” v. 5). The second one states that the wicked are caught by their own evil desires—their sins catch up with them (v. 6).

Prospect for life, of the wicked (11:7)

7The subject of the “hope” (tiqwāh) of the wicked is developed in this proverb, showing its consequences—his expectations perish with him (see Ps 49). Any hope for long life or success borne of wickedness will be disappointed. The LXX adds an antithesis to this: “When the righteous dies, hope does not perish.” The LXX translators apparently wanted to see the fulfillment of the hope of the righteous as the world to come. But this proverb is not antithetical.

Retribution, just (11:8)

8Here is an expression of confidence in God’s justice in bringing recompense into the world. The antithesis shows the consequences of actions with an unusual twist—the “trouble” (ṣārāh) the righteous escape falls on the wicked.

Speech, safety from slander (11:9)

9This antithetical verse stresses that a righteous person can escape devastating slander through knowledge. The “godless” (ḥānēp̱ i.e., the hypocrite or flatterer) is the one who “destroys” (yašḥiṯ) a neighbor. The righteous will have sufficient knowledge and experience to identify and end the slander.

Emotions, joy when righteousness prevails (11:10)

10The common theme of this line is joy; it comes from either the success of the righteous or the ruin of the wicked (so an antithetical idea is present). Samples are 2 Kings 11:20 and Esther 8:15. Kidner notes: “However drab the world makes out virtue to be, it appreciates the boon of it in public life” (Proverbs, p. 91).

Speech, helpful or harmful (11:11)

11This is a similar contrast expressing the social effects of words (see also Meri-ka-re in ANET, p. 415). The “blessing of the upright” (birkaṯ y^ešārîm) are the beneficent words and deeds that bring enrichment to a community. But the words of the wicked have a disastrous effect on society, endangering, weakening, and ruining it with demoralizing, slanderous, and malicious criticism.

Speech, silence rather than derision (11:12)

12The next four proverbs (vv. 12–15) follow the theme of talking. The first advises that it is proper to hold one’s tongue rather than deride a neighbor. The wise man is a “man of discernment” (ʾîš t^eḇûnôṯ; NIV, “man of understanding”); the other man lacks “judgment” (lēḇ). How one treats a neighbor is significant in Proverbs—one was expected to be a good neighbor. To despise (bāz; NIV, “derides”) a neighbor was contemptible.

Speech, keeping confidence (11:13)

13Verse 13 is a contrast between the gossip and the “trustworthy man” (neʾ^eman-rûaḥ; lit., “trustworthy spirit”). The talebearer goes from one to another and speaks disparagingly about someone in a malicious manner—he cannot wait to share secrets that should be kept (see Lev 19:16; Jer 9:3). The talebearer is despised in society because he cannot be trusted.

Speech, good advice (11:14)

14Verse 14 is framed in a contrast as well, showing that advice is essential for the stability of a nation. The term taḥbulôṯ (“guidance”) is comparable to steering a ship, here a ship of state (see Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 67; Prov 1:5)—without it the nation is in danger. Of course, the saying assumes that the counselors are wise and intelligent, if “victory” (t^ešûʿāh) is sure.

Speech, avoid pledges (11:15)

15The fourth saying instructs people to avoid pledges with strangers if they want to remain financially solid. The point of this proverb is to focus on the consequences of an action. The “stranger” (zār; NIV, “another”) could refer to an individual from a different nation or merely to an unknown person; but it may here refer to someone from another clan or family (see Toy, p. 228).

Kindness, brings respect (11:16)

16Two contrasts are here juxtaposed: “a kindhearted woman” (ʾēšeṯ -ḥēn) and “ruthless men,” and “honor” (kāḇôḏ; NIV, “respect”) and “wealth” (ʿōšer). The idea seems to be that one can seize wealth by any means, but “honor” is the natural reward for the gracious person. Two additional lines are found in the LXX, but they do not seem to provide the full sense (see Notes).

Kindness, better than cruelty (11:17)

17This saying contrasts the consequences of dispositions: “kindness” (heseḏ) is healthy, but anger brings trouble. One’s health and well being are at risk if the personality is volatile. We may say such raging works against a person as a part of divine justice. The word “trouble” may recall Joshua 7:25–26—Achan troubled Israel.

Rewards, justly earned (11:18)

18Ultimately, rewards are appropriate for different character traits. The line extols the benefits for one “who sows righteousness,” i.e., one who inspires righteousness in others while practicing it himself. What is sown will yield fruit (1 Cor 9:11; 2 Cor 9:6; James 3:18). Scott suggests that this verse teaches that one answer to the prosperity of the wicked is that it does not last (Proverbs/Ecclesiastes, p. 88). Notice the paronomasia in the line: “deceptive” is šāqer and “reward” is śeḵer.

Conduct, brings life or death (11:19)

19Since life and death result from moral choices, righteousness must be pursued. Some versions have “son of righteousness,” an idiom meaning “having the quality of righteousness.” The MT has kēn which KB² identifies as a participle from kûn and interprets to mean “steadfast in righteousness,” while Toy (pp. 231–32) and McKane (p. 435) read it as kān and interpret it to mean “strive after, pursue” (see also Notes). “Life” and “death” describe the vicissitudes of this life but can also refer to beyond the grave.

Conduct, pleasing to God (11:20)

20This contrast records other things that the Lord either detests or delights in. The “perverse heart” is a twisted mind, i.e., the whole spiritual being is influenced toward evil. This is an abomination to the Lord. Conversely, to please God one should follow a blameless course of life (see 2:21; 17:20).

Retribution, its certainty (11:21)

21God’s just retribution is certain. The initial expression, “Be sure of this” (lit., “hand to hand”), means that it is settled; one can depend on it (see M. Anbar, “Proverbs 11:21; 16:15: yd lyd sur le champ,” Biblica 53 [1972]: 537–38). Those who escape are called, literally, the “seed of the righteous,” a phrase that describes a class of people—the righteous and their kind (cf. Isa 1:4; 65:23) (Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 69).

Proverbs 11:22 (ESV)
²²  Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.

Character traits, beauty without discretion (11:22)

22This proverb uses emblematic parallelism to describe a beautiful woman without “discretion.” The word is literally “taste” (ṭāʿam); this can mean physical taste (Exod 16:31), intellectual discretion (1 Sam 25:33—Abigail had it), or ethical judgment (Ps 119:66). Here the description is probably of a woman with no moral sensibility, no propriety—unchaste. She is compared to a pig with an ornament. Why join a beautiful ornament and an unworthy body? The pig will not know its value. So is a woman who has no discretion.

Generosity and Selfishness (11:23–27)

²³The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴One man gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵A generous man will prosper;

he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

²⁶People curse the man who hoards grain,

but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

²⁷He who seeks good finds goodwill,

but evil comes to him who searches for it.

Prospect for life, good or bad (11:23)

23The consequences of hope are determined by moral character. God rewards the righteous with prosperity; wrath eventually comes on the wicked.

Prosperity, for generosity (11:24–25)

24The paradox presented here does not refer to financial investments. Rather, in God’s economy generosity often determines prosperity: one must give in order to gain (see Ps 112:9; 2 Cor 9:6–9).

25There are rewards for being generous—the person who is generous toward others will be provided for himself. The two lines are in synonymous parallelism. The first description, “a generous man,” is literally “the soul of blessing” (nep̱eš-b^erāḵāh). “Blessing” is used in the Bible to describe a “present” (Gen 33:11) or “special favor” (Josh 15:19). The verb “made rich” (ṯ^eḏuššān; NIV, “prosper”) is literally “to be made fat,” drawing on the standard comparison between fatness and abundance or prosperity (Deut 32:15). The second line makes a comparison between providing water for the thirsty with generously providing for those in need (see Jer 31:25; cf. Lam 3:15). The kind act will be reciprocated.

Business, socially responsible (11:26)

26This proverb reveals how a merchant’s response to supply and demand will influence the customer’s opinion of him. Some merchants hoard up the produce to raise the prices when there is a great need for the produce. Merchants must have a social conscience, too.

Prospect for life, realized desires (11:27)

27One generally receives the consequences of the kind of life he pursues, whether good or evil. The line stresses that there is a divine justice. The expression “seeks [NIV, ‘finds’] good will” (y^eḇaqqēš rāṣôn) could refer to seeking God’s favor (see Ps 5:12; Isa 49:8): whoever diligently seeks good is seeking divine favor.

The Source of Life (11:28–12:4)

²⁸Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

²⁹He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and he who wins souls is wise.

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates correction is stupid.

²A good man obtains favor from the Lord,

but the Lord condemns a crafty man.

³A man cannot be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

⁴A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

Security, object of faith (11:28)

28Security and prosperity are determined by the object of faith. The righteous trust in the Lord and flourish. The image of the “green leaf” is a figure of prosperity and fertility throughout the ancient Near East. The image of falling uses the analogy of the physical act to portray coming to ruin in life.

Laziness, trouble and poverty (11:29)

29This proverb describes an avaricious man who deprives his family of livelihood and brings them to nothing but distress. He gains nothing for his efforts, “wind” signifying that which cannot be grasped (27:16; Eccl 1:14, 17). The second line suggests that one who foolishly mismanages his accounts may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. So the ideas in the verse are complementary.

Righteousness, brings life (11:30)

30Righteousness brings life. Both “fruit” and “tree of life” are metaphorical, the first image signifying what the righteous produce and the second identifying that as a healthy, long life. The second half of the verse refers to “winning souls.” If the reading stands (see Notes), it would refer to capturing (lōqē^aḥ, “to lay hold of, seize, conquer”) people with ideas or influence (2 Sam 15:6). This is the wise course of action. (See further Daniel C. Snell, “ ‘Taking Souls’ in Proverbs 11:30,” VetTest 33 [1983]: 362–65; he interprets this as “comprehends souls.”)

Retribution, its certainty (11:31)

31Retribution for sin is certain, for the righteous and especially for the sinner. The proverb uses a “how much more” argument—if this be true, how much more this (argument from the lesser to the greater). The point is that divine justice deals with all sin; and if the righteous suffer for their sins, certainly the wicked will. The LXX introduces a new idea to the verse: “If the righteous be scarcely saved”; this is recorded in 1 Peter 4:18. See J. Barr, “בארץ—μόλις: Prov. 11:31 and 1 Pet 4:18,” JSS 20 (1975): 149–64 (see Notes).

Discipline, its acceptance (12:1)

1Those who wish to improve themselves must learn to accept correction and learn from it. This proverb adds the contrast that to refuse it is brutish (“stupid” is bāʿar descriptive of a dumb animal). It is almost as if one distinction between the human and the brute is this rational feature of receiving discipline.

Conduct, pleasing to God (12:2)

2Obtaining the Lord’s favor is the result of virtue. Here the “good man” is contrasted with the “crafty man” (ʾîš m^ezimmôṯ). The term m^ezimmāh is used of “plans” in a good sense in Proverbs 1–9 but in a bad sense in chapters 10–24.

Righteousness, brings stability (12:3)

3Only righteousness brings stability in life. This is true of society as well as individuals. Society cannot long endure if established on evil principles (see 10:25).

Character traits, noble wife (12:4)

4The moral character of a woman affects her husband’s enjoyment of life. The contrast is between a wife of noble character (ʾēšeṯ -ḥayil as in 31:10) and a “disgraceful wife” (m^eḇîšāh lit., “one who puts to shame,” i.e., lowers his standing in the community). A “crown” is a symbol of honor and renown; but the negative side, using the figure of “decay in his bones,” is that the disgrace will eat away her husband’s strength and destroy his happiness.

Plans and Schemes (12:5–7)

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷Wicked men are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous stands firm.

12:5–7The unity of this collection is indicated in the Hebrew structure. These three proverbs follow a logical progression: the righteous make plans that are just, but the wicked scheme with deceitful counsel (v. 5); the wicked attempt to ambush the righteous with their lies, but the righteous are delivered by their integrity (v. 6); the wicked are totally destroyed, but the righteous stand secure (v. 7).

Earned Respect (12:8)

⁸A man is praised according to his wisdom,

but men with warped minds are despised.

12:8Respect is gained by wisdom. The term here implies integrity and capacity to deal with problems in life.

On Providing for One’s Needs (12:9–11)

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹He who works his land will have abundant food,

but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

12:9–11Verse 9, a “better saying,” asserts that even modest prosperity is more important than status. Verse 10 teaches that a good man cares for those who provide for him, even if they are only animals. The wicked only exploit. Verse 11 teaches that prosperity comes by hard work rather than by chasing fantasies and schemes. The well-earned prosperity of the righteous contrasts with the feigned wealth, the acts of exploitation, and the idle plans of the foolish and wicked.

(13) On Fruit and Snares (12:12–14)

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,

but the root of the righteous flourishes.

¹³An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk,

but a righteous man escapes trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things

as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.

Type: Thematic(12:12–14)

12:12–14This collection employs two metaphors of gathering food: hunting with snares (symbolizing the wicked) and laboring to raise crops²⁴³ (symbolizing the righteous). The wicked are always looking for ways to defraud people (v. 12a) but are trapped by their own machinations (v. 13a). The righteous, however, allow their prosperity to grow gradually from deep, strong roots (v. 12b), escape the traps set for them (v. 13b), and see their way of life (“fruit of his lips”) yield a bountiful harvest (v. 14).

(14) Able to Take Advice (12:15)

¹⁵The way of a fool seems right to him,

but a wise man listens to advice.

Type: Single Bicolon Proverb(12:15)

12:15Fools are so sure of themselves that they never seek advice, but the wise readily seek it out. Those who think they know it all are foolish, but those who look for guidance and knowledge are wise (cf. Ps 1:1–6).

(15) The Use and Abuse of Words (12:16–22)

¹⁶A fool shows his annoyance at once,

but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

¹⁷A truthful witness gives honest testimony,

but a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸Reckless words pierce like a sword,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but joy for those who promote peace.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous,

but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips,

but he delights in men who are truthful.

Type: Linked Parallelism and Chiasmus(12:16–22)

12:16–22These seven verses are made up of four verses arranged in parallel (vv. 16–19) conjoined by a common verse to a four-verse chiasmus (vv. 19–22). The structure is as follows:

A:  Thoughtless reactions (v. 16)

B:   Honesty and lying (v. 17)

A´: Reckless words (v. 18)

B´: Honesty and lying (v. 19)

C:   Plotting evil and promoting peace (v. 20)

C´: Trouble to the wicked, not the righteous (v. 21)

B´´:      Honesty and lying (v. 22)

The characteristics of fools described in this text are that (a) they react thoughtlessly to real or imagined insults and hurt others with careless words (vv. 16–18), (b) they are liars but will last only a short time and incur the wrath of God (vv. 17, 19,22), and (c) they scheme and deceive but only bring trouble on their own heads (vv. 20–21). The wise, however, (a) react with patience in the face of insults and heal others with their words (vv. 16, 18), (b) are honest and gain long life and divine favor (vv. 17, 19, 22), and (c) seek the well-being of others and obtain the same for themselves (vv. 20–21). The text stresses the importance of the right use of the power of words (i.e., the benefit of all concerned).

(16) A Wholesome Life (12:23–28)

²³A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,

but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,

but laziness ends in slave labor.

²⁵An anxious heart weighs a man down,

but a kind word cheers him up.

²⁶A righteous man is cautious in friendship,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not roast his game,

but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.