Proverbs 25-29
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
VI. Second Solomonic Collection, Collected Under King Hezekiah[a]
Chapter 25
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon.(A) The servants of Hezekiah,[b] king of Judah, transmitted them.
2 [c]It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
and the glory of kings to fathom a matter.[d]
3 Like the heavens in height, and the earth in depth,
the heart of kings is unfathomable.
4 [e]Remove the dross from silver,
and it comes forth perfectly purified;
5 Remove the wicked from the presence of the king,
and his throne is made firm through justice.
6 [f]Claim no honor in the king’s presence,
nor occupy the place of superiors;
7 For it is better to be told, “Come up closer!”
than to be humbled before the prince.(B)
8 What your eyes have seen
do not bring forth too quickly against an opponent;
For what will you do later on
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 [g]Argue your own case with your neighbor,
but the secrets of others do not disclose;
10 Lest, hearing it, they reproach you,
and your ill repute never ceases.
11 Golden apples in silver settings
are words spoken at the proper time.
12 A golden earring or a necklace of fine gold—
one who gives wise reproof to a listening ear.
13 Like the coolness of snow in the heat of the harvest
are faithful messengers for those who send them,
lifting the spirits of their masters.
14 Clouds and wind but no rain—
the one who boasts of a gift not given.
15 By patience is a ruler persuaded,(C)
and a soft tongue can break a bone.
16 [h]If you find honey, eat only what you need,
lest you have your fill and vomit it up.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbors’ house,
lest they have their fill of you—and hate you.
18 A club, sword, or sharp arrow—
the one who bears false witness against a neighbor.(D)
19 A bad tooth or an unsteady foot—
a trust betrayed in time of trouble.[i]
20 Like the removal of clothes on a cold day, or vinegar on soda,
is the one who sings to a troubled heart.
21 [j]If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat,
if thirsty, give something to drink;(E)
22 For live coals you will heap on their heads,
and the Lord will vindicate you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop
than in a mansion with a quarrelsome wife.[k](F)
25 Cool water to one faint from thirst
is good news from a far country.
26 A trampled fountain or a polluted spring—[l]
a just person fallen before the wicked.
27 To eat too much honey is not good;
nor to seek honor after honor.[m]
28 A city breached and left defenseless
are those who do not control their temper.
Chapter 26[n]
1 Like snow in summer, like rain in harvest,
honor for a fool is out of place.[o]
2 Like the sparrow in its flitting, like the swallow in its flight,
a curse uncalled-for never lands.[p]
3 The whip for the horse, the bridle for the ass,
and the rod for the back of fools.(G)
4 [q]Do not answer fools according to their folly,
lest you too become like them.
5 Answer fools according to their folly,
lest they become wise in their own eyes.
6 Those who send messages by a fool
cut off their feet; they drink down violence.
7 [r]A proverb in the mouth of a fool
hangs limp, like crippled legs.
8 Giving honor to a fool
is like entangling a stone in the sling.
9 A thorn stuck in the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 An archer wounding all who pass by
is anyone who hires a drunken fool.
11 As dogs return to their vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.(H)
12 You see those who are wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for fools than for them.
13 [s]The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the street,
a lion in the middle of the square!”(I)
14 The door turns on its hinges
and sluggards, on their beds.
15 The sluggard buries a hand in the dish,
too weary to lift it to the mouth.(J)
16 In their own eyes sluggards are wiser
than seven who answer with good judgment.
17 Whoever meddles in the quarrel of another
is one who grabs a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a crazed archer
scattering firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 Such are those who deceive their neighbor,
and then say, “I was only joking.”
20 [t]Without wood the fire dies out;
without a talebearer strife subsides.
21 Charcoal for coals, wood for fire—
such are the quarrelsome, enkindling strife.(K)
22 The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels:
they sink into one’s inmost being.[u](L)
23 Like a glazed finish on earthenware
are smooth lips and a wicked heart.[v]
24 With their lips enemies pretend,
but inwardly they maintain deceit;
25 When they speak graciously, do not trust them,(M)
for seven abominations[w] are in their hearts.
26 Hatred can be concealed by pretense,
but malice will be revealed in the assembly.[x]
27 Whoever digs a pit falls into it;
and a stone comes back upon the one who rolls it.(N)
28 The lying tongue is its owner’s enemy,
and the flattering mouth works ruin.
Chapter 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what any day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, not your own mouth;
a stranger, not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy, and sand a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.(O)
4 Anger is cruel, and wrath overwhelming,
but before jealousy who can stand?[y]
5 [z]Better is an open rebuke
than a love that remains hidden.
6 Trustworthy are the blows of a friend,
dangerous, the kisses of an enemy.[aa]
7 One who is full spurns honey;
but to the hungry, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird far from the nest
so is anyone far from home.[ab]
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
but by grief the soul is torn asunder.
10 Do not give up your own friend and your father’s friend;
do not resort to the house of your kindred when trouble strikes.
Better a neighbor near than kin far away.[ac]
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart,
so that I can answer whoever taunts me.[ad]
12 The astute see an evil and hide;
the naive continue on and pay the penalty.(P)
13 Take the garment of the one who became surety for a stranger;(Q)
if for a foreign woman, exact the pledge![ae]
14 Those who greet their neighbor with a loud voice[af] in the early morning,
a curse can be laid to their charge.
15 For a persistent leak on a rainy day
the match is a quarrelsome wife;(R)
16 Whoever would hide her hides a stormwind
and cannot tell north from south.
17 Iron is sharpened by iron;
one person sharpens another.[ag]
18 Those who tend a fig tree eat its fruit;
so those attentive to their master will be honored.
19 As face mirrors face in water,
so the heart reflects the person.
20 Sheol and Abaddon can never be satisfied;(S)
so the eyes of mortals can never be satisfied.[ah]
21 The crucible for silver, the furnace for gold,
so you must assay the praise you receive.
22 Though you pound fools with a pestle,
their folly never leaves them.
23 [ai]Take good care of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 For wealth does not last forever,
nor even a crown from age to age.
25 When the grass comes up and the new growth appears,
and the mountain greens are gathered in,
26 The lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats, the price of a field,
27 And there will be ample goat’s milk for your food,
food for your house, sustenance for your maidens.
Chapter 28
1 The wicked flee though none pursue;
but the just, like a lion, are confident.
2 If a land is rebellious, its princes will be many;
but with an intelligent and wise ruler there is stability.[aj]
3 One who is poor and extorts from the lowly
is a devastating rain that leaves no food.[ak]
4 Those who abandon instruction[al] praise the wicked,
but those who keep instruction oppose them.
5 The evil understand nothing of justice,[am]
but those who seek the Lord understand everything.
6 Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than rich and crooked in one’s ways.(T)
7 Whoever heeds instruction is a wise son,
but whoever joins with wastrels disgraces his father.
8 Whoever amasses wealth by interest and overcharge[an]
gathers it for the one who is kind to the poor.
9 Those who turn their ears from hearing instruction,(U)
even their prayer is an abomination.
10 Those who mislead the upright into an evil way
will themselves fall into their own pit,
but the blameless will attain prosperity.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes,
but the poor who are intelligent see through them.
12 When the just triumph, there is great glory;
but when the wicked prevail, people hide.[ao]
13 Those who conceal their sins do not prosper,
but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy.[ap]
14 Happy those who always fear;[aq]
but those who harden their hearts fall into evil.
15 A roaring lion or a ravenous bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 The less prudent the rulers, the more oppressive their deeds.
Those who hate ill-gotten gain prolong their days.
17 Though a person burdened with blood guilt is in flight even to the grave,
let no one offer support.
18 Whoever walks blamelessly is safe,
but one whose ways are crooked falls into a pit.
19 Those who cultivate their land will have plenty of food,
but those who engage in idle pursuits will have plenty of want.(V)
20 The trustworthy will be richly blessed;
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.(W)
21 To show partiality is never good:(X)
for even a morsel of bread one may do wrong.[ar]
22 Misers hurry toward wealth,
not knowing that want is coming toward them.[as]
23 Whoever rebukes another wins more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.
24 Whoever defrauds father or mother and says, “It is no sin,”(Y)
is a partner to a brigand.
25 The greedy person stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are safe.
27 Those who give to the poor have no lack,(Z)
but those who avert their eyes, many curses.
28 When the wicked prevail, people hide;
but at their fall the just abound.(AA)
Chapter 29
1 Those stiff-necked in the face of reproof
in an instant will be shattered beyond cure.[at]
2 When the just flourish, the people rejoice;
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.[au](AB)
3 Whoever loves wisdom gives joy to his father,
but whoever consorts with harlots squanders his wealth.
4 By justice a king builds up the land;
but one who raises taxes tears it down.[av]
5 Those who speak flattery to their neighbor
cast a net at their feet.[aw]
6 The sin of the wicked is a trap,
but the just run along joyfully.(AC)
7 The just care for the cause of the poor;
the wicked do not understand such care.[ax]
8 Scoffers enflame the city,
but the wise calm the fury.(AD)
9 If a wise person disputes with a fool,
there is railing and ridicule but no resolution.
10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
but the upright seek his life.[ay]
11 Fools give vent to all their anger;
but the wise, biding their time, control it.(AE)
12 If rulers listen to lying words,
their servants all become wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor meet:(AF)
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king is honestly for the rights of the poor,
his throne stands firm forever.(AG)
15 The rod of correction gives wisdom,
but uncontrolled youths disgrace their mothers.(AH)
16 When the wicked increase, crime increases;
but the just will behold their downfall.[az]
17 Discipline your children, and they will bring you comfort,
and give delight to your soul.
18 Without a vision the people lose restraint;
but happy is the one who follows instruction.[ba]
19 Not by words alone can servants be trained;(AI)
for they understand but do not respond.[bb]
20 Do you see someone hasty in speech?(AJ)
There is more hope for a fool!
21 If servants are pampered from childhood
they will turn out to be stubborn.
22 The ill-tempered stir up strife,
and the hotheaded cause many sins.(AK)
23 Haughtiness brings humiliation,
but the humble of spirit acquire honor.[bc](AL)
24 Partners of a thief hate themselves;[bd]
they hear the imprecation but do not testify.
25 Fear of others becomes a snare,
but the one who trusts in the Lord is safe.
26 Many curry favor with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that one receives justice.
27 An abomination to the just, the evildoer;
an abomination to the wicked, one whose way is straight.
Footnotes
- 25:1–29:27
Chaps. 25–29 make up the fifth collection in the book, and the third longest. King Hezekiah reigned in Judah in 715–687 B.C. According to 2 Kgs 18–20 and 2 Chr 29–32, he initiated political and religious reforms after the destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. Such reforms probably included copying and editing sacred literature such as Proverbs. Prv 25:1 is an important piece of evidence about the composition of the book, suggesting this collection was added to an already-existing collection also attributed to Solomon. The older collection is probably 10:1–22:16 (or part of it). By the end of the eighth century B.C., therefore, there existed in Israel two large collections of aphorisms.
Chap. 25 has two general themes: (1) social hierarchy, rank, or position; (2) social conflict and its resolution.
- 25:1 The servants of Hezekiah: presumably scribes at the court of Hezekiah. Transmitted: lit., “to move, transfer from,” hence “to collect,” and perhaps also to arrange and compose.
- 25:2–7 The topic is the king—who he is (vv. 2–3) and how one is to behave in his presence (vv. 4–7).
- 25:2 God and king were closely related in the ancient world and in the Bible. The king had a special responsibility for divine justice. Hence, God would give him special wisdom to search it out.
- 25:4–5 Wisdom involves virtue as well as knowledge. As in Ps 101 the king cannot tolerate any wickedness in the royal service.
- 25:6–7 An admonition with a practical motive for putting the teaching into practice. Pragmatic shrewdness suggests that we not promote ourselves but let others do it for us. See Lk 14:7–11.
- 25:9–10 Another admonition on the use of law courts to settle personal disputes. Speak privately with your opponent lest others’ personal business become public and they resent you.
- 25:16–17 The two admonitions are complementary, expressing nicely the need to restrain the inclination for delightful things, whether for honey or friendship.
- 25:19 “A time of trouble” defeats all plans (cf. 10:2; 11:4). At such times human resources alone are like a tooth that falls out as one bites or a foot that goes suddenly lame.
- 25:21–22 A memorable statement of humanity and moderation; such sentiments could be occasionally found even outside the Bible, e.g., “It is better to bless someone than to do harm to one who has insulted you” (Egyptian Papyrus Insinger). Cf. Ex 23:4 and Lv 19:17–18. Human beings should not take it upon themselves to exact vengeance, leaving it rather in God’s hands. This saying has in view an enemy’s vulnerability in time of need, in this case extreme hunger and thirst; such a need should not be an occasion for revenge. The motive for restraining oneself is to allow God’s justice to take its own course, as in 20:22 and 24:17–19. Live coals: either remorse and embarrassment for the harm done, or increased punishment for refusing reconciliation. Cf. Mt 5:44. Rom 12:20 cites the Greek version and interprets it, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
- 25:24 A humorous saying about domestic unhappiness: better to live alone outdoors than indoors with an angry spouse. Prv 21:9 is identical and 21:19 is similar in thought.
- 25:26 “Spring” is a common metaphor for source. The righteous should be a source of life for others. When they fail, it is as if a spring became foul and its water undrinkable. It is not clear whether the righteous person yielded to a scoundrel out of cowardice or was simply defeated by evil. The latter seems more likely, for other proverbs say the just person will never “fall” (lit., “be moved,” 10:30; 12:3). The fall, even temporary, of a righteous person is a loss of life for others.
- 25:27 Nor…honor: the text is uncertain.
- 26:1–28 Concrete images describe the vices of fools (vv. 1–12), of sluggards (vv. 13–16), of meddlers (vv. 17–19), of talebearers (vv. 20–22), and of flatterers (vv. 23–28).
- 26:1 There is no fit (“out of place”) between weather and agricultural season.
- 26:2 The point is the similarity of actions: a hovering bird that never lands, a groundless curse that never “lands.” It hangs in the air posing no threat to anyone.
- 26:4–5 There is no contradiction between these two proverbs. In their answers, the wise must protect their own interests against fools. Or perhaps the juxtaposition of the two proverbs suggests that no single proverb can resolve every problem in life.
- 26:7–9 Fools either abuse or are unable to use whatever knowledge they have. A thorn: a proverb is “words spoken at the proper time” (25:11). Fools have no sense of the right time; their statements are like thorns that fasten on clothing randomly.
- 26:13–16 Each verse mentions the sluggard, whom Proverbs regards with derision. The criticism is not against low energy but failure to act and take responsibility. Proverbs’ ideal is the active person who uses heart, lips, hands, feet to keep to the good path. The verses are examples of the sardonic humor of the book.
- 26:20–22 The three proverbs have a common theme—the destructive power of slanderous words. Certain words are repeated: wood and fire, talebearer.
- 26:22 Malicious gossip is compared to delicious food that is swallowed and lodges in the deepest recesses of one’s body. Negative comments are seldom forgotten. Prv 18:8 is a duplicate.
- 26:23 Heart = what is within, and lips (words) = what is expressed, are compared to an earthenware jar covered with glaze.
- 26:25 Seven abominations: many evil intentions.
- 26:26 Hate may be concealed for a time, but it will eventually issue in a deed and become known in the public assembly. There is a play on words: the consonants of the word “hatred” (ś’n) are literally concealed in the word “pretense” (mś’n).
- 27:4 Anger generally subsides with time but jealousy coolly calculates and plots revenge.
- 27:5–6 Verses 5 and 6 are concerned with true friendship. “Better than” sayings often declare one thing superior to another in view of some value, e.g., 15:17, vegetables are better than meat in view of a milieu of love. In v. 5, a rebuke is better than an act of affection in view of discipline that imparts wisdom.
- 27:6 The present translation is conjectural. The meaning seems to be that a friend’s rebuke can be life-giving and an enemy’s kiss can be deadly (like the kiss of Judas in Mt 26:48).
- 27:8 The bird symbolizes vulnerability as it flees before danger as in Is 10:14; 16:2; and Ps 11:1. For the importance of place in human life, see Jb 20:8–9. People are defined by their place, but, tragically, war, poverty, or illness can force them from it.
- 27:10 The adage is about the difference between friends and kin in a crisis. Two admonitions are grounded in one maxim (colon C). The same Hebrew word means both “one who is near” and “friend.” The whole proverb urges the reader to cultivate old family friends and neighbors and not to rely exclusively on kin in times of trouble, for kin may not be there for us.
- 27:11 A father’s command to a son to be wise, another way of saying that sons or daughters bring joy or shame to their parents.
- 27:13 See note on 20:16.
- 27:14 One interpretation takes the proverb as humorous and the other takes it as serious: (1) an overly loud and ill-timed greeting (lit., “blessing”) invites the response of a curse rather than a “blessing” (greeting); (2) the loud voice suggests hypocrisy in the greeting.
- 27:17 Iron sharpens the “face” (panim = surface, edge) of iron, and a human being sharpens the “face” (panim = face, words) of another. Human beings learn from each other and grow in wisdom by conversing.
- 27:20 Sheol, the underworld abode of the dead, is personified as a force that is never satisfied and always desires more. Cf. Is 5:14 and Hos 13:14. The saying is applicable to modern consumerism.
- 27:23–27 A little treatise on farming in the form of admonitions. It proposes the advantages of field and flock over other forms of wealth. Herds are the most productive wealth, for their value does not diminish; they are a source of money, clothing, and food. The thought is conservative and traditional but the development is vivid and concrete.
- 28:2 The first line expresses the paradox that rebellion, far from doing away with rulers, actually multiplies them. The second line is corrupt.
- 28:3 The reference may be to tax farmers who collected taxes and took a commission. The collectors’ lack of wealth was the cause of their oppression of poor farmers. They are like a rain too violent to allow crops to grow.
- 28:4 Instruction: torah; the word is used both for the teaching of the wise and the law of Moses.
- 28:5 Understanding nothing of justice plays on the twofold sense of justice as righteousness and as punishment that comes on the wicked. On the other hand, those who seek the Lord understand everything, i.e., that the Lord punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous (themselves).
- 28:8 Interest and overcharge were strictly forbidden in the old law among Israelites because it was presumed that the borrower was in distress; cf. Ex 22:25; Lv 25:35–37; Dt 23:20; Ps 15:5; Ez 18:8. Divine providence will take the offender’s wealth; cf. Eccl 2:26.
- 28:12 People react in opposite ways to the triumph of good and evil. To the triumph of good, they react by public display, public celebration, and to the triumph of evil, by hiding.
- 28:13 Concealing the faults of another is a good thing in Proverbs (17:9), but concealing one’s own sins is not. Ps 32:1–5 expresses the anguish caused by concealing one’s sins rather than bringing them to light so they can be healed by God.
- 28:14 Fear is a different verb than in the phrase “to fear (or revere) the Lord.” In its only other biblical occurrence (Is 51:13), the verb means to dread an oppressor. The saying states a paradox: those who fear in the sense of being cautious are declared happy, whereas those who are fearless will fall into traps they did not “fear.” In short, there is good fear and bad fear.
- 28:21 Cf. 24:23. Verse 21b warns that even in a light matter one must remain impartial.
- 28:22 “Bad of eye” is the Hebrew idiom for miserly. Misers fail to see that poverty is hurrying toward them because of their wrong attitude toward wealth. Because misers are “bad of eye,” they do not see the danger.
- 29:1 The idiom “to stiffen one’s neck” occurs in a context of not heeding a message in Dt 10:16 and 2 Kgs 17:14. To stiffen one’s neck in this sense risks having it broken, as in 1 Sm 4:18.
- 29:2 Popular response to a just or unjust ruler is expressed in sound—shouts of joy or groans of anguish. “Rejoice” can mean to express one’s joy, i.e., joyous shouts.
- 29:4 In Hebrew as in English high and low are metaphors for prosperity and depression. A king who is just “causes the land to stand up,” i.e., to be prosperous, and one who makes taxes high brings a country low.
- 29:5 When one addresses deceptive words to someone’s face, one equivalently throws a net at their feet to snare them.
- 29:7 As in 12:10 (on care for animals), the righteous care for those who are without a voice and often treated like animals. Colon B has a double meaning: the wicked have no such knowledge (care for the poor) and they have no knowledge (wisdom), for they are fools.
- 29:10 An enigmatic saying in that “seek one’s life” is a common idiom for killing. The saying probably plays on the idiom, interpreting “to seek the life of another” not as killing but as caring for another (as in 11:30).
- 29:16 When the wicked grow numerous they sow the seeds of their own destruction, for there is a corresponding increase in offenses calling down divine retribution.
- 29:18 This much-cited proverb has been interpreted in several different ways. “Vision” and “instruction” mean authoritative guidance for the community. People are demoralized without credible leadership, but any individual heeding traditional instruction can still find happiness. As in 15:15 wisdom enables an individual to surmount days of trouble.
- 29:19 The give and take of reproving is not possible for servants or slaves. Ancient custom dictated silent acquiescence for them. There is no open and free dialogue, which is part of ancient discipline.
- 29:23 One’s prideful height brings one down and one’s lowly state brings glory.
- 29:24 Hate themselves: because they not only incur guilt as accomplices but, by their silence, bring down on themselves the curse invoked on the unknown guilty partner. Such a case is envisioned in Lv 5:1. After a theft, a public proclamation was made, enforced by a curse. No one in a town or city could avoid hearing it. The curse hung over the accomplice. By doing nothing, neither directly stealing nor confessing, accomplices put themselves in serious danger.
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