Proverbs 18:1-12

CHAPTER 18
TEXT Proverbs 18:1-12

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 are as deep waters;

The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.

5.

To respect the person of the wicked is not good,

Not to turn aside the righteous in judgment.

6.

A fool's lips enter into contention,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

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.

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 honor goeth humility.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 18:1-12

1.

What kind of person do you visualize in Proverbs 18:1?

2.

What kind of person do you visualize in Proverbs 18:2?

3.

What does ignominy mean (Proverbs 18:3)?

4.

How are words like deep waters (Proverbs 18:4)?

5.

What is the wellspring of wisdom (Proverbs 18:4)?

6.

What verse in Chapter 17 goes with Proverbs 18:5?

7.

Were these stripes public stripes (Proverbs 18:6)?

8.

Cite personal instances where you know people's mouths have cost them jobs, marriage, tranquility, etc. (Proverbs 18:7).

9.

Comment on dainty morsels (Proverbs 18:8).

10.

How is a slacker a brother to a destroyer (Proverbs 18:9)?

11.

Comment on tower as used in Proverbs 18:10.

12.

Does the rich man's strong city and high wall ever

fail him (Proverbs 18:11)?

13.

What other passages in Proverbs teach the same as Proverbs 18:12?

PARAPHRASE OF 18:1-12

1.

The selfish man quarrels against every sound principle of conduct by demanding his own way.

2.

A rebel doesn-'t care about the facts. All he wants to do is yell.

3.

Sin brings disgrace.

4.

A wise man's words express deep streams of thought.

5.

It is wrong for a judge to favor the wicked and condemn the innocent.

6, 7.

A fool gets into constant fights. His mouth is his undoing! His words endanger him.

8.

What dainty morsels rumors are. They are eaten with great relish!

9.

A lazy man is brother to the saboteur.

10.

The Lord is a strong fortress. The godly run to Him and are safe.

11.

The rich man thinks of his wealth as an impregnable defense, a high wall of safety. What a dreamer!

12.

Pride ends in destruction; humility ends in honor.

COMMENTS ON 18:1-12

Proverbs 18:1. Selfish and self-centered people isolate themselves from others. And a self-centered person is conceited to the point that he goes into a rage against the sound words and advice of others. This is true in the field of religion also: Mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly (Romans 16:17-18).

Proverbs 18:2. A fool does not like to take in, to learn, but only to talk. Facts, figures, and business have no interest for the foolonly to talk, talk, talk, and he really has nothing to say that is, worth listening to. How often the Bible represents the fool as contented without learning or improving himself!

Proverbs 18:3. Another Hebrew parallelism, paralleling wicked and ignominy (no reputation) and paralleling contempt and reproach. The wicked loses a good name and turns despiser of all that is good and of all who are good. When the wicked cometh, watch out! He injects into the association contempt and reproach, The rule is, those who deserve no honor themselves are sure to dishonor all others, and those who themselves are good are the last to suspicion others of evil.

Proverbs 18:4. The verse is not talking about just any mouth but the mouth of wisdom. A wise man's mouth is likened to a deep, flowing spring. Such is a great blessing to all around him, and to such they turn for counsel and guidance.

Proverbs 18:5. A court verse, Clarke: We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man's riches, influence, friends, offices, etc. but judge the case according to its own merits. Many passages teach the same: Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 24:23; Proverbs 28:21. A nation's principles are either maintained or crucified by its judicial officials.

Proverbs 18:6. A fool's lips show that he is a fool. He says the wrong thing or speaks at the wrong time, or he says what he does in the wrong place or to the wrong person. He is like a child who does not know these wise details of speech. Consequently, he gets himself into trouble with others, and his superiors correct him severely for it.

Proverbs 18:7. This verse continues the topic of Proverbs 18:6. Similar passages: Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 13:3; Ecclesiastes 10:12. Soul means life here, showing the serious destruction that his speech is capable of bringing.

Proverbs 18:8. This saying is carried twice in Proverbs (see Proverbs 26:22 also), probably for a needed emphasis. A whisperer is one who goes behind people's backs in talking about them, saying things that are not in the best interests of the one being spoken about. The verse brings out the sad fact that people are willing to listen to such cowardly, wrong, ruinous talk (They are as dainty morsels). They are swallowed without question (they go down into the innermost parts of the belly).

Proverbs 18:9. The slacker (one who doesn-'t work) doesn-'t produce, and the destroyer destroys what has been produced. The results are the same: there is nothing to show for one's time and efforts, Therefore, they are said to be brothers. Some who don-'t take care of what they have, or who are spendthrifts, sometimes look down upon and criticize the person who has no ambition and produces nothing. But this saying relates the two groups.

Proverbs 18:10. Many passages teach that God is a refuge: sometimes a tower, sometimes a rock, sometimes covering wings (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 27:1; Psalms 61:3-4; Psalms 91:2 ff; Psalms 144:2). The ancients had their fortified cities with their walls, big gates, and towers. Sometimes the enemy was able to break through the gates and batter down the walls. That left a tower to get up into for their final safety. The Lord is able to take care of us when other helpers fail.

Proverbs 18:11. The first statement is also in Proverbs 10:15. In contrast to the righteous person's God, the rich man makes wealth that in which he trusts. This is forbidden in 1 Timothy 6:17: Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God. Don-'t overlook the connection of high wall, strong city, and tower in Proverbs 18:10-11.

Proverbs 18:12. While the righteous of Proverbs 18:10 find their tower (Jehovah) a place of safety, the rich man of Proverbs 18:11 finds that his false-trust (His wealth) did not save him from destruction. The first statement is similar to Proverbs 16:18; the last to Proverbs 15:33. The present verse actually brings these two contrasting statements found isolated in Proverbs and brings them together in one verse as a contrast, whose truths are witnessed numerous times in the Bible.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 18:1-12

1.

How does selfishness show up in Proverbs 18:1?

2.

According to Proverbs 18:2 what is and what isn-'t a fool interested in?

3.

When the wicked come, what else comes (Proverbs 18:3)?

4.

Find three words in Proverbs 18:4 that are related in a natural world?

5.

What is the setting of Proverbs 18:5?

6.

How does the fool's mouth prove to be his destruction (Proverbs 18:7)?

7.

Why will people play the role of the whisperer (Proverbs 18:8)?

8.

Who besides the whisperer is condemned in Proverbs 18:8?

9.

Prove that a slacker and a destroyer are relatives (Proverbs 18:9).

10.

Find three things in Proverbs 18:10-11 that are related in life.

11.

Compare the strong tower of the righteous with the strong city of the rich (Proverbs 18:10-11).

12.

What fact was brought out about the two statements in Proverbs 18:12?

13.

He that giveth answer before he hearteh,

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 might.

19.

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city;

And such contentions 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.

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.