Proverbs 14:1-12

CHAPTER 14
TEXT Proverbs 14:1-12

1.

Every wise woman buildeth her house;

But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.

2.

He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah;

But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

3.

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride;

But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

4.

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean;

But much increase is by the strength of the ox.

5.

A faithful witness will not lie;

But a false witness uttereth lies.

6.

A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not;

But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.

7.

Go into the presence of a foolish man,

And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.

8.

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way;

But the folly of fools is deceit.

9.

A trespass-offering mocketh fools;

But among the upright there is good will.

10.

The heart knoweth its own bitterness;

And a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.

11.

The house of the wicked shall be overthrown;

But the tent of the upright shall flourish.

12.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man;

But the end thereof are the ways of death.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 14:1-12

1.

Find the two contrasts in Proverbs 14:1.

2.

Name some blessings of walking uprightly (Proverbs 14:2).

3.

Name some blessings of being perverse (Proverbs 14:2).

4.

Reword the first statement in Proverbs 14:3 so as to bring out its meaning.

5.

What is the meaning of clean in Proverbs 14:4?

6.

We talk about, As strong as an .............. (Proverbs 14:4).

7.

What are some of the reasons why some people bear false witness (Proverbs 14:5)?

8.

Why does a scoffer have trouble learning (Proverbs 14:6)?

9.

Are there people who you judge to be wiser than they prove to be (Proverbs 14:7)?

10.

What does prudent mean in Proverbs 14:8?

11.

How could a trespass-offering mock fools (Proverbs 14:9)?

12.

What is good will (Proverbs 14:9)?

13.

Write an elaboration on Proverbs 14:10.

14.

Find the triple contrast in Proverbs 14:11.

15.

What other verse in Proverbs restates Proverbs 14:12?

16.

Cite an incident in the Bible, in history, or in your own personal knowledge illustrating Proverbs 14:12.

PARAPHRASE OF 14:1-12

1.

A wise woman builds her house, while a foolish woman tears hers down by her own efforts.

2.

To do right honors God; to sin is to despise Him

3.

A rebel's foolish talk should prick his own pride! But the wise man's speech is respected.

4.

An empty stable stays clean-but there is no income from an empty stable.

5.

A truthful witness never lies; a false witness always lies.

6.

A mocker never finds the wisdom he claims he is looking for, yet it comes easily to the man with common sense.

7.

If you are looking for advice, stay away from fools.

8.

The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won-'t face facts.

9.

The common bond of rebels is their guilt. The common bond of godly people is good will.

10.

Only the person involved can know his own bitterness or joyno one else can really share it.

11.

The work of the wicked will perish; the work of the godly will flourish.

12.

Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death.

COMMENT ON 14:1-12

Proverbs 14:1. People can either build or pluck down. The wise build (Proverbs 24:3-5); the foolish destroy. Owners usually build and take care of things; renters often let everything run down. Rachel and Leah are said to have built the house of Israel (Ruth 4:11). Contrast the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 with the adulterous woman often pictured in the first part of Proverbs with reference to building and destroying.

Proverbs 14:2. This verse deals with two classes of men just as Proverbs 14:1 did with two classes of women. What a wonderful life results for both and for their offspring when he that walketh in his uprightness (this verse) marries the wise woman (Proverbs 14:1)! When people properly fear God, they keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13); when people don-'t fear God, evil results (Romans 3:15-18; Genesis 20:11). Jehovah is the antecedent of him in the second statement. Those who are perverse in their ways pay no attention to God, and the world is full of them.

Proverbs 14:3. American Bible Union version and Young's Literal give, A rod of pride. Septuagint: From the mouth of fools cometh a staff of insolence. The foolish can have a cruel tongue (rod). Other passages compare the wicked tongue to a cutting sword (Psalms 57:4; Psalms 64:3).

Proverbs 14:4. The ox was used for agricultural purposes then (1 Kings 19:19; Deuteronomy 25:4). A clean crib meant an empty crib. We, too, talk of the strength of an ox in our saying: As strong as an ox. Through the wise use of animal power (and now much more of mechanical power), man has been able to increase his agricultural (and other) output. Man shows that he is of a higher sphere than the animal world, for he constantly utilizes the strengths and abilities of lower forms of life to serve him.

Proverbs 14:5. The one difference between a faithful and a false witness: one will lie; the other one won-'t. Some are false because it is not always easy to tell the full truth. Others are false on purpose (for material gain, to ruin others, etc.). The soldiers who guarded Jesus-' tomb lied and were paid for it (Matthew 28:11-14). Men told lies in Jesus-' trial to bring about His condemnation (Mark 14:57-58). Other passages against bearing false witness: Exodus 20:16; Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 6:19; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 14:25. The apostles would neither lie nor suppress the truth about Jesus (Acts 4:18-20). Such conscientious souls are needed in every age.

Proverbs 14:6. A scoffer is strong on his own ideas and reluctant to take the word of others. Learning is not gullible, but there is still a strong element of trust involved in learning, which the scoffer does not have. Therefore, he cuts himself off from some wisdom that he could have if he were otherwise in attitude. But it is much easier for an humble man of understanding to increase his knowledge, for he has no barrier of pride. One who has understanding easily picks up additional knowledge from what he reads, hears, studies, and is instructed in, for he can understand and comprehend what he comes in contact with. See Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 17:24.

Proverbs 14:7. There is some doubt as to which rendering is correct. The King James has: Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. The American Standard gives a truism (the foolish man has nothing to give you by his presence), but the King James tells you what to do about it (depart from his unprofitable presence). Enroll under teachers who know what they are talking about; doctor with those who know what they are doing; listen to religious teachers who accurately know the Bible. People would save themselves much disillusionment if they would regard this instruction.

Proverbs 14:8. The prudent wisely watch every aspect of their lives (Proverbs 14:15). They do not jump and then look for a place to land. They do not shoot and then investigate whether it was a deer or a man. They do not sign the contract and then study to see what they signed. And spiritually they are just as careful (Ephesians 5:15). The foolish foolishly suppose they can deceive others, but seldom are they successful in their attempt.

Proverbs 14:9. A trespass-offering was ordained of God if properly offered (Leviticus 6:1-7), but if one thought he would pull the wool over God's eyes by such an offering when he intended to keep on in the trespass, he was mockednot God (Galatians 6:7). For this reason God did not accept the acts of worship mentioned in Isaiah 1:11-17. The upright gain the good will and favor of God by their honest dealings with themselves before Him.

Proverbs 14:10. There is a portion of each person's inner-self that no one else can fully enter into. After others have sought to assuage our grief with their words lovingly administered, there is still a portion that they have not touched not known. On the other hand after we have sought to share our joys with others, we have probably enlisted their polite ears more than we have their hearts-' feelings. We cannot fully communicate our joys, nor can they fully enter into our joys.

Proverbs 14:11. A triple contrast: house vs. tent; wicked vs. upright; and shall be overthrown us. shall flourish. This verse blends the material found is Proverbs 14:1-2; study it until you can see this fact.

Proverbs 14:12. Proverbs 16:25 gives the identical statement. The importance of the truth may account for its double appearance in the book. Men are often talked into things that do not end as they expected. Sometimes people do the wrong thing when they think they are doing the wise and desirable thinglike mice eating bait on a trap or fish eating bait on a hook. This is even true religiously (John 16:2; Acts 26:9; Romans 10:1-3). False teachers may look like sheep even though they are ravening, devouring wolves (Matthew 7:15). Counterfeits are made to resemble the genuine. So the devil pawns off denominations started by men for the church started by Christ.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 14:1-12

1.

The wise woman who builds her house and the foolish woman who tears hers down are likened to what two women in the earlier and the latter Chapter s of Prov.?

2.

Proverbs 14:2 shows what to be a motivation for uprightness?

3.

What is the perverse person's attitude toward God or the idea of God (Proverbs 14:2)?

4.

Some passages liken a wicked tongue to a sword; what does Proverbs 14:3 liken it to?

5.

How was the ox used in Bible days (Proverbs 14:4)?

6.

What saying do we have involving the ox (Proverbs 14:4)?

7.

What was the case where there were no oxen (Proverbs 14:4)?

8.

How has man used his head for greater productive output (Proverbs 14:4)?

9.

How does this fact distinguish him from the animal world (Proverbs 14:4)?

10.

What two kinds of witnesses are there (Proverbs 14:5)?

11.

Why will people bear false witness (Proverbs 14:5)?

12.

Who said, We cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard (Proverbs 14:5)?

13.

Why does a scoffer sometimes cut himself off from the opportunity of learning (Proverbs 14:6)?

14.

Why is acquiring knowledge easy for the person who has understanding (Proverbs 14:6)?

15.

How does the King James and American Standard differ on Proverbs 14:7?

16.

How do people bring disillusionment upon themselves by not regarding Proverbs 14:7?

17.

What are the prudent very careful about (Proverbs 14:8)?

18.

Comment upon the folly of fools in deceit (Proverbs 14:8).

19.

How does a trespass-offering mock fools (Proverbs 14:9)?

20.

How do the upright acquire God's good will (Proverbs 14:9)?

21.

Comment upon Proverbs 14:1.

22.

What triple contrast is found in Proverbs 14:11?

23.

Show that Proverbs 14:11 blends the material found in Proverbs 14:1-2.

24.

What explanation was suggested for Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 being in the book of Proverbs since they are identical statements?

25.

Illustrate the truth of Proverbs 14:12.