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Proverbs 18

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The Pursuit of Wisdom and Justice 1–5

1
He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, And rageth against all sound wisdom. ​
2
A fool hath no delight in understanding, But only that his heart may reveal itself. ​
3
When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach.
4
The words of a man’s mouth areasdeep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook. ​
5
To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Norto turn aside the righteous in judgment. ​

The Danger of the Fool's Speech and Sloth 6–9

6
A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for stripes.
7
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8
The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts. ​
9
He also that is slack in his work Is brother to him that is a destroyer. ​

True and False Security 10–12

10
The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. ​
11
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And as a high wall in his own imagination. ​
12
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; And before honorgoethhumility. ​

Wisdom in Judgment and Inner Strength 13–18

13
He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him. ​
14
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a broken spirit who can bear? ​
15
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
16
A man’s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men. ​
17
He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out. ​
18
The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty. ​

Relationships and the Power of the Tongue 19–21

19
A brother offendedis harder to be won than a strong city; Andsuchcontentions are like the bars of a castle. ​
20
A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied. ​
21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. ​

Marriage and Friendship 22–24

22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of Jehovah. ​
23
The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly.
24
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Proverbs 18

Verse 1

intermeddleth with all wisdom — Gala, to be obstinate or quarrelsome, found only here, in Prov 17:14 ('before it be meddled with') and Prov 20:3 ('every fool will be meddling'). The man 'separated' (parad, the verb of 'parteth' in v.18) from others follows his own desire. The KJV has him seeking 'all wisdom' (tushiyyah, sound wisdom); others read the verb as quarrelling against it.

Verse 2

no delight in understanding — This is the reverse of Ps 1:2, where the blessed man's 'delight is in the law of the LORD'. The fool has no pleasure (chaphets) in 'understanding' (tebunah); he wants only that his heart 'may discover itself', be uncovered (galah) in speech. Prov 12:23 says, 'the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.'

Verse 4

deep waters — The words of a man's mouth are 'deep waters', as counsel is 'like deep water' that 'a man of understanding will draw it out' (Prov 20:5). The wellspring (maqor) is the word of Prov 10:11, 'the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life'. Christ speaks of the same image: 'out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water' (John 7:38).

Verse 5

accept the person of the wicked — Literally to lift up the face (nasa, panim) of the wicked, to favour him. The law forbade it: 'thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty' (Lev 19:15). Prov 24:23 says the same: 'It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.' 'Overthrow' is natah, to turn aside.

Verse 8

the words of a talebearer — Nirgan, a whisperer; the verse is repeated word for word in Prov 26:22. 'Wounds' (laham) is a rare word for hurt that rankles, found only in these two verses. The words 'go down' into the 'innermost parts' (cheder, the inner chambers) of the belly.

Verse 9

brother to him that is a great waster — 'Slothful' is raphah, to go slack; the idle worker and the 'waster' (shachath, one who destroys) are called brothers. The sluggard's field in Prov 24:30–34 shows the kinship: work left undone ends in loss, and 'poverty' comes 'as one that travelleth'.

Verse 10

a strong tower — The 'name of the LORD' is the LORD as he has made himself known; compare Ps 61:3, 'a strong tower from the enemy'. The righteous 'runneth into it, and is safe': sagab, set on high out of reach, as in Prov 29:25, 'whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe'. The same verb makes the 'high wall' of v.11.

Verse 11

his strong city — The first clause is Prov 10:15 word for word. The rich man's 'high wall' is built from the same verb (sagab) as the 'safe' of v.10, but it stands only 'in his own conceit' (maskit, an imagined picture). Ps 52:7 names the man who 'trusted in the abundance of his riches' and not in God.

Verse 12

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty — The pairing is a fixed one in Proverbs: 'Pride goeth before destruction' (Prov 16:18), and the second clause is Prov 15:33 word for word, 'before honour is humility'. Peter takes up the same two sides: 'God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble' (1 Pet 5:5).

Verse 13

answereth a matter before he heareth it — The Hebrew says he 'returns a word' (shub, davar) before he hears it. Nicodemus states the same rule of the law: 'Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?' (John 7:51). 'Folly' (ivveleth) and shame are his reward. Verse 17 gives the other side of the same case.

Verse 14

a wounded spirit who can bear? — The spirit (ruach) sustains 'infirmity' (machaleh, sickness) but cannot carry itself when 'wounded' (nakeh, smitten). Prov 15:13 says 'by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken', and Prov 17:22 that 'a broken spirit drieth the bones'. Paul records Christ's word on infirmity: 'My grace is sufficient for thee' (2 Cor 12:9).

Verse 16

A man's gift maketh room for him — Mattan, a gift; rachab, to enlarge. Gifts opened doors in Scripture: Jacob sent a present ahead of him to Esau (Gen 32:20), and his sons carried 'a present' to the man in Egypt (Gen 43:11). The law forbids the gift that corrupts a judge: 'a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise' (Deut 16:19).

Verse 17

seemeth just — The first to state a case (rib) 'seemeth just' (tsaddiq), until his neighbour 'searcheth him' (chaqar, to probe), the verb of Job 29:16, 'the cause which I knew not I searched out'. The law required it: 'the judges shall make diligent inquisition' (Deut 19:18). Verse 13 is the same rule applied to the hearer.

Verse 18

The lot causeth contentions to cease — The lot (goral) ended disputes because its outcome was held to be the LORD's: 'the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD' (Prov 16:33). The land was divided by it, 'by lot was their inheritance' (Josh 14:2), and it chose Matthias to be 'numbered with the eleven apostles' (Acts 1:26). 'Parteth' is parad, as in v.1.

Verse 19

harder to be won than a strong city — The 'strong city' is the same two words (qiryah, oz) as the rich man's 'strong city' in v.11, there a false refuge. The 'bars' (beriach) are those of a city's gates (Deut 3:5). The contentions between brothers hold as firmly as a fortress's bars, and the offended brother is the harder to win.

Verse 20

shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth — This is the sentence of Prov 12:14, 'A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth', and Prov 13:2, 'A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth.' The 'increase' (tebuah) is the produce of a harvest: what the lips sow is what the man is later fed with. Verse 21 carries the figure of eating further.

Verse 21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue — Literally 'in the hand of the tongue' (yad). The 'fruit' (peri) that those who love the tongue eat is the 'fruit of his mouth' of v.20. Christ states the same weight: 'by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned' (Matt 12:37).

Verse 22

findeth a good thing — 'Findeth' (matsa) is used twice, and the 'good thing' answers God's own verdict on the man alone: 'It is not good that the man should be alone' (Gen 2:18). The 'favour of the LORD' is what Wisdom promises: 'whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD' (Prov 8:35). Compare Prov 19:14.

Verse 24

a friend that sticketh closer than a brother — 'Friend' is ohev, one who loves, the word of Prov 17:17, 'A friend loveth at all times'. 'Sticketh closer' is dabeq, joined and clinging. Christ takes the title and its measure: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13).