Proverbs 12:10-19

TEXT Proverbs 12:10-19

10.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast;

But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

11.

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread;

But he that followeth after vain persons is void of understanding.

12. The wicked desireth the net of evil men;

But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

13.

In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man;

But the righteous shall come out of trouble.

14.

A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth;

And the doings of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

15.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes;

But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.

16.

A fool's vexation is presently known;

But a prudent man concealeth shame.

17.

He that uttereth truth showeth forth righteousness;

But a false witness, deceit.

18.

There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword;

But the tongue of the wise is health.

19.

The lip of truth shall be established for ever;

But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 12:10-19

1.

Does Proverbs 12:10 teach that a person's righteousness will include the way he treats his animals?

2.

What is meant by the tender mercies of the wicked (Proverbs 12:10)?

3.

Who are vain persons in Proverbs 12:11?

4.

Give the meaning of Proverbs 12:12 by rewriting in it your own words.

5.

Cite Bible instances of the righteous coming out of trouble (Proverbs 12:10).

6.

Cite Bible instances of the doings of men's hands being rendered to them (Proverbs 12:14).

7.

What thought-connection is there between the two statements in Proverbs 12:15?

8.

Is all vexation wrong (Proverbs 12:16)?

9.

In what other Bible passages are both truth and righteousness found (Proverbs 12:17)?

10.

In Proverbs 12:18 rash speech is contrasted with what kind of speech?

11.

There is a saying that truth crushed to the ground will .................. again (Proverbs 12:19).

12.

How can Proverbs 12:19 be a comfort when one has been misrepresented?

PARAPHRASE OF 12:10-19

10.

A good man is concerned for the welfare of his animals, but even the kindness of godless men is cruel.

11.

Hard work means prosperity; only a food idles away his time.

12.

Crooks are jealous of each other's loot, while good men long to help each other.

13.

Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own defense.

14.

Telling the truth gives a man great satisfaction, and hard work returns many blessings to him.

15.

A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others.

16.

A fool is quick-tempered; a wise man stays cool when insulted.

17.

A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies.

18.

Some people like to make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise soothe and heal.

19.

Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.

COMMENTS ON 12:10-19

Proverbs 12:10. A proverb for farmers, some of whom can be very cruel to their animals. Children should be taught not to torture nor abuse animals. As a child I learned:

Be kind to your animal,
For it cannot complain;
Be thoughtful when

Using the whip or the rein.

Clarke: One principal characteristic of a holy man is mercy; cruelty is unknown to him, and his benevolence extends to the meanest of the brute creation. Pity rules the heart of a pious man; he can do nothing that is cruel. He considers what is best for the comfort, ease, health and life of the beast that serves him: Pulpit Commentary: God enacted that the rest of the sabbath should extend to the domestic animals (Exodus 20:10); that a man should help the overburdened beast even of his enemy (Exodus 23:5); that the unequal strength of the ox and ass should not be yoked together in the plough (Deuteronomy 22:10); that the ox should not be muzzled when he was treading out the corn (Deuteronomy 25:4); that the sitting bird should not be taken from her little brood (Deuteronomy 22:6), nor a kid seethed in its mothers-' milk (Exodus 23:19), God was concerned over both man and animals in Nineveh's threatened destruction (Jonah 4:11). There seems to be irony is speaking of the tender mercies of the wicked as it labels them as cruel. All that some people know is cruelty but no tenderness.

Proverbs 12:11. Proverbs 28:19 is much like this verse. Plenty is the expected pay-off of work. The implication is that one who joins vain fellows (non-workers in this contrast) lacks understanding and will come to poverty. The elder son in the parable had plenty of bread, but the prodigal son who ran with useless people came to want (Luke 15:11-14; Luke 15:17; Luke 15:25-26).

Proverbs 12:12. The wicked (thieves, embezzlers, kidnappers, cheaters, etc.) desire and try to obtain by evil ways, but they are usually caught and end up with nothing while the righteous (who honestly work for what they have) are fruitful in their honest labors (Psalms 1:3-4).

Proverbs 12:13. The net of evil men desired by the wicked in order to get dishonest gain here becomes a snare in which one himself is taken. A liar's memory is not always good enough to keep him from contradicting himself and thus getting himself into trouble (Proverbs 18:7), but the truthful, forthright speech of the righteous brings them out of difficulties.

Proverbs 12:14. Compare Proverbs 13:2 for a similar statement. One who has answered kindly is satisfied with the peace that results (Proverbs 15:1). A good man's doings will also bring him blessings (Luke 6:38; Proverbs 31:28-31).

Proverbs 12:15. A fool knows little, actually not enough to know that he might be wrong, actually too little to seek out the advice of one who does know. Both testaments tell us not to be wise in our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7, Romans 12:16). A wise man can (and will) be warned, but a fool will go on his own way, not seeing his error, and will suffer for it (Proverbs 22:3; Proverbs 27:12).

Proverbs 12:16. A writer has said: A foolish man, if he is vexed, insulted, or slighted, has no idea of controlling himself or checking the expression of his aroused feelings; he at once....makes his vexation known. The wise man keeps a cool head and copes with the problem rather than cursing. Proverbs 29:11 is a companion verse: A fool uttereth all his anger; But a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it.

Proverbs 12:17. Truth and righteousness are properly associated together (1 Kings 3:6; Isaiah 48:1; Zechariah 8:8). Christians are to have their loins girt about with the truth and are to have on the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). One speaks truth who has an eye to righteousness, but one who is untrue utters deceit (Proverbs 14:5). We are commended before God by speaking right words but condemned before Him by speaking wrong words (Matthew 12:37).

Proverbs 12:18. A double contrast: Speaketh rashly vs. tongue of the wise and like the piercings of a sword vs. health. Rashness is always opposed to reason, for in rashness one speaks or acts before he thinks or beyond his thinking. Such a tongue can be like a destructive, cutting sword (Psalms 59:7; Psalms 64:3). Who hasn-'t sometime been cut (even cut down) by the thoughtless words of others? And yet speech can perk one up (Proverbs 12:25), actually build one up. Edify means to build up, and speech can be edifying (Ephesians 4:29).

Proverbs 12:19. It is always right to speak the truth instead of lying, and in the long run it is profitable to have told the truth, for most lies are ultimately found out. Never misrepresent anybody or anything, and if misrepresented by others, remember and take comfort from the fact that in time the truth will be known. Men may have killed Jesus as if evil, but God raised Him as His own Son (Acts 2:23-24).

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 12:10-19

1.

According to Proverbs 12:10 what two ways can a person treat animals?

2.

Show from the Scriptures that God in His laws was concerned about animals (Proverbs 12:10).

3.

Who are the vain persons in Proverbs 12:11?

4.

What well known person in one of Jesus-' parables followed vain persons and ended up with nothing (Proverbs 12:11)?

5.

Instead of honest work how do wicked people try to obtain things (Proverbs 12:12)?

6.

What is the double message of Proverbs 12:13?

7.

What will both a good man's words and his doings do for him (Proverbs 12:14)?

8.

What is right in the eyes of a fool (Proverbs 12:15)?

9.

What does a fool not seek nor heed (Proverbs 12:15)?

10.

How does a fool make his vexation known (Proverbs 12:16)?

11.

Ephesians 6:14 speaks of being girt with ............... and having on the breastplate of ...............

12.

What is rashness contrasted with (Proverbs 12:17)?

13.

A wicked tongue is likened to a

in Proverbs 12:18.

14.

What does edify mean (Proverbs 12:18)?

15.

We know misrepresentation is not right. Show from Proverbs 12:19 that it is also not wise.