Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Proverbs 16:30-33
Solomon Contrasts The Behaviour Of The Perverse And Worthless Man With The Life and Attitudes Of The Man Grown Old In Righteousness, Who Is An Exemplar Of All The Righteous (Proverbs 16:30 to Proverbs 17:7).
The subsection begins with a contrast between the perverse and worthless man who closes his eyes and purses his lips (compare Proverbs 6:12 a) in preparation for planning perverse things and bringing about evil (Proverbs 16:30), and the one whose hoary head is a crown of glory, as he walks in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31). Perhaps included in this is the thought that as men grow older they grow wiser, but the main aim is to contrast folly with righteousness and wisdom. The old man personifies the wise. He is crowned with glory (compare Proverbs 4:9; Proverbs 1:9). It may also be an underlining of the fact that it is to the wise that long life is promised (Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 9:11; Proverbs 10:27).
In the same way, it is the old, rather than hot-headed young men, who tend to be slow to anger and learn to rule their spirits, a task more difficult than conquering a city (Proverbs 16:32). Such men have learned that all is in YHWH's hand and that they can safely leave it with Him (Proverbs 16:33). They pay less heed to lies and gossip (Proverbs 17:4), and live to see their grandchildren who glory in them (Proverbs 17:6). But again they are examples to all the righteous.
In contrast are the unrighteous. They devise perverse things, and bring evil (mischief) about (compare Proverbs 16:27). They may be strong and take cities, but they cannot rule themselves (Proverbs 16:32). They bring shame on sacrifices, quarrelling over them (Proverbs 17:1). They listen to rumours and lies (Proverbs 17:4). They mock the poor and celebrate the coming of calamity on others (Proverbs 17:5). Their talk is low level and they have lying lips (Proverbs 17:7). YHWH tries their hearts and they will not go unpunished (Proverbs 17:3; Proverbs 17:5).
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A He who shuts his eyes, it is to devise perverse things, he who compresses his lips brings evil about (Proverbs 16:30).
B The hoary head is a crown of glory, it will be found in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31).
C He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).
D The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing of it is of YHWH (Proverbs 16:32).
E Better is a dry bit of food, and quietness with it, than a house full of quarrelsome sacrifices (Proverbs 17:1).
E A servant who deals wisely will have rule over a son who causes shame, and will have part in the inheritance among the brothers (Proverbs 17:2).
D The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but YHWH tries the hearts (Proverbs 17:3).
C An evildoer pays heed to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity will not be unpunished (Proverbs 17:4).
B Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children are their fathers (Proverbs 17:6).
A Excellent speech is not suitable for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince (Proverbs 17:7).
Note that in A the one who compresses his lips bring evil about, whilst in the parallel lying lips are not suitable for a prince. In B the hoary head is a crown of glory, and in the parallel a man's grandchildren are his crown, while he is a glory to them. In C the one who is slow to anger and rules his spirit (conquers himself) is better than the conqueror of a city, whilst in the parallel in contrast the evildoer and liar allow themselves to be aroused, and they mock the poor, and are glad at calamity (at cities being conquered). In D YHWH decides the disposing of the lot, thus deciding the future for men, and in the parallel He tests out their hearts, also determining their futures. Centrally in E a dry bit of food with quietness is better than shameful quarrelling over sacrificial food, whilst in the parallel being a servant is better than being a shameful son.
‘He who closes (‘atsah) his eyes, it is to devise perverse things,
He who compresses his lips brings evil about.'
The verb ‘atsah is found only here but in Arabic means ‘to close'. Thus the idea may be of closing the eyes as an indication that he will not listen to advice, and then the pursing of the lips might indicate an unwillingness to say anything because he knows it would be unwelcome. (Compare Proverbs 17:7, ‘excellent words are not suitable for a fool'). In other words he is obstinate in evil. He ignores what others have to say. Or it may refer to winking the eye as in Proverbs 6:13 indicating that he is not to be trusted (but in that case why not use the same verb?), and in that case the pursing of the lips may have in mind the ‘perverse mouth' of Proverbs 6:12. So either he is obstinate, or he is deceitful and perverse.
And the reason that he is so is because he is scheming to do perverse things, and is intending to bring ‘evil' about. ‘Evil' may indicate calamities (such as conquering a city (Proverbs 16:32), or may simply signify morally evil things. He is so worthless and foolish that he closes himself off by unspoken signs from considering the concerns of people.
‘The hoary head is a crown of glory,
It will be found in the way of righteousness.'
In contras to this obstinate and perverse man is the old, grey-haired, righteous man. His hair is to him like a crown of glory, the crown given by wisdom to those who heed her (compare Proverbs 4:9; Proverbs 1:9). For such a man is found in the way of righteousness. Not for him the closing of the eyes and the pursing of the lips. He is open and honest with all. He plans what is good, he does not devise what is perverse. He does not bring evil about. Rather his children are a credit to him, and they glory in him (Proverbs 17:6).
‘Better is he who is slow to anger than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.'
This may simply be saying that the one who is slow to anger and who is able to rule his spirit, in other words who conquers his emotions, shows such strength that he is more to be admired than a mighty warrior, or the conqueror of a city. He is able to be patient in the face of all that may come at him. He never acts in anger. Or it may be saying that he is morally superior. He has taken the better road. Indeed Solomon may in recent memory have been faced with just such a dilemma. Either way the sacking of the city may possibly be seen as one of the evils in the mind of the one who purses his lips (Proverbs 16:30). The grey-haired man of wisdom is seen to be a peacemaker who makes wise decisions, whilst the perverse man is seen to be a war-monger who is simply after spoil.
‘The lot is cast into the lap,
But the whole disposing of it is of YHWH.'
Both men in Proverbs 16:32 could have been seen as ‘tempting fate', unsure of what the outcome would be. But the writer assures us that it was not so for it is YHWH Who determines all things. (Shall evil be in a city and YHWH has not done it?' - Amos 3:6). The implication may be that the grey-haired man was aware of this, which explains why he was so wise. He was prepared to leave things in the hands of YHWH ‘who tries the hearts' (Proverbs 17:3). Note the parallel. YHWH disposes of the lot as He wills, YHWH tries the hearts. All is in His hands.
In general the proverb is an indication that nothing happens by chance. Even when a lot is cast, what it reveals is determined by YHWH. For YHWH is in control of all things. He determines how the lot falls. He determines our destinies. (But it does not guarantee that God will reveal His will in this way. This is not an indication that this is a useful way of discovering God's will. It is rather seen in Proverbs 18:18 as a way of settling a dispute where there is little to choose between options or where all have to be agreed about a decision. While being used by the Apostles before the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:24) and only then after they had come down to a final choice between two, it was never so used afterwards).
The ‘lot' would probably be a small stone, or a piece of wood, or a number of them, tossed into the lap in order to ‘determine YHWH's will'. They may have had markings on them to assist the decision. For example Urim and Thummim in the High Priest's breastpouch may have been ‘lots'. But they were only used on solemn occasions. Examples of their use may b given in Joshua 7:16; 1Sa 14:41-42; 1 Samuel 23:9; 2 Samuel 2:1. But we have no details of how they were used.
‘Better is a dry bit of bread, and quietness with it,
Than a house full of quarrelsome sacrifices.'
For this proverb we can compare Proverbs 15:17, ‘better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a sacrificed ox and hatred with it'. But here there is a closer connection between the quarrelsomeness and the sacrifice. To partake of peace offerings, which would be slain at the Temple with their meat then being brought home for a sacrificial meal, and to do it while engaging in a family quarrel, was a contradiction in terms. It demonstrated a total disregard for YHWH. Far better then to have a bit of bread which had not been dipped in any kind of sauce (and was therefore dry), and be at peace, which would be more likely what was eaten by the servants. To them sauce would have been a luxury.
Note the deliberate contrast between the dry bit of bread, and a houseful of sacrificial meat. But in a quarrelsome household someone would be better off eating among the servants than shaming their family by quarrelling while partaking of a peace offering. The comparison of peace with strife connects this proverb to Proverbs 16:32 where the one who rules his spirit (and is thus at peace) is contrasted with one who takes a city (and is thus engaging in a quarrel).
‘A servant who deals wisely will have rule over a son who causes shame,
And will have part in the inheritance among the brothers.'
The quarrelsome sacrifices of the previous proverb explain the ‘son who causes shame'. Indeed, all who had participated in the sacrifices in a quarrelsome mood had brought shame on the family, while it may well have been the servants who had to be satisfied with undipped bread. And yet such a servant would have been better off religiously because he did so at peace.
This then leads on to the idea that the servant, who is clearly of the wise for ‘he deals wisely', will have rule over the one who causes shame, either by his irreligious and foolish behaviour, or by any other means. The wise will triumph over the fool. And what is more, he may well so prosper that he will be adopted by the father of the family and have his part in the family inheritance along with the brothers. Solomon may well have had some example in mind. He would certainly know of cases where a wise, and therefore beloved servant, had been adopted as a son as a consequence of his ‘wise dealing' (compare Genesis 15:2).
‘The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold,
But YHWH tries the hearts.
The testing, and if necessary, refining, of silver and gold was carried out in special smelting pots or ovens, heated by furnaces. The pots or ovens would be heated up, with bellows often being used to intensify the heat. Smaller ones would be made of clay. A smelting oven would have one or more openings through which to use the bellows to fan the flames and another opening or openings through which the impurities could be siphoned off. In exceptional cases such furnaces could be large enough to hold three men (Daniel 4:19). The metals would be heated up and melted, releasing their impurities which would be siphoned off leaving the purified silver or gold.
The idea is used metaphorically for God's activities in testing and trying men and women through circumstances (see Psalms 66:10; Isaiah 1:25; Isaiah 48:10; Jeremiah 6:29; Jeremiah 9:7; Zechariah 13:9; 1 Corinthians 3:13). It is through such chastening that men learn wisdom (Proverbs 3:11). Here YHWH is figuratively depicted as so testing the hearts of men. ‘Nor is there any creature which is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do' (Hebrews 4:13). It is a reminder that God constantly tests the hearts of men, including our own.
The testing of the silver and gold parallels the ‘testing' of the servant of the previous proverb who had proved himself worthy to be a son (the verdict from the testing was that he ‘dealt wisely'). But in this case the testing is of all men, and YHWH is the tester. This parallels the casting of the lot which tested options, and came out as YHWH determined.
‘An evildoer pays heed to wicked lips,
And a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.'
‘Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker,
And he who is glad at calamity will not be unpunished.'
In Proverbs 16:32 we learned of the one who was slow to anger and who ruled his spirit, controlled and thoughtful in all that he did. Now we have described those who reveal the opposite traits. They do not control themselves. They hear and react unwisely. They listen to unrighteous lips and do evil, because they are evildoers. (The righteous man would not have done it). They listen to mischievous gossip and slander, and, with some relish, pass on the lies, thereby revealing themselves as themselves liars. They see a man's poverty and deride him, not realising that thereby they are reproaching the One Who made him. They see calamity coming on men and are even glad at it, revealing themselves as callous and uncaring. But none of them will be unpunished, for in each case what they are doing is reproaching the One Who made their victims, and the One Who tries the hearts (Proverbs 17:3) will see and will repay.
And this is especially so in the case of their derision of the poor. YHWH made all men, both rich and poor (Proverbs 22:2). They were made in His image. And so to deride the poor is to deride YHWH. It may be that their poverty is due to their own slothfulness and refusal to listen to advice (Proverbs 6:11; Proverbs 10:4), for it is in parallel with calamity, which comes on those who refuse to hear wisdom (Proverbs 1:26; Proverbs 6:15). Thus both may be getting their deserts. But that is no reason why others deride them for it or be glad at what comes on them. For YHWH is the Maker of all men, and especially of the poor, and we should weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
‘Children's children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children are their fathers.'
In stark contrast with the evildoers and liars are the children of the righteous. Just as the grey head was a crown of splendour, found in the way of righteousness, so will his children's children be righteous, for they too will be a crown to him. They too will be found in the way of righteousness. They too will be slow to anger and rule their spirits (Proverbs 16:32). They too will rely wholly on YHWH and His sovereignty (Proverbs 16:33). They too will love quietness and peace (Proverbs 17:1). They too will deal wisely (Proverbs 17:2). When their hearts are tested they will come out as pure gold (Proverbs 17:3). They will not pay heed to unrighteous lips, or mischievous tongues (Proverbs 17:4), nor will they mock the poor or be glad at the sufferings of others (Proverbs 17:5).
And in turn their splendour lies in their fathers. It is to their fathers that they owe the upbringing and disciplinary instruction that has made them what they are (Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 4:1). And any credit that they have is due to him. The whole family reveal their splendour, and the splendour of each generation. And all stems from the righteous grandfather.
‘Excellent speech is not suitable for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a ruler.'
The subsection commenced with ‘he who purses his lips brings evil about' (Proverbs 16:30), and it now closes with two clauses referring to the speech of fools and rulers (nobles, those in authority). ‘Excellent speech' probably refers to wise and sensible words. The idea is that fools, and wise and sensible words, do not go together. Nor do lying words and a prince (someone in authority). Indeed, the opposite should be the case. We would expect wise and sensible words from one in authority, and lying lips from a fool.
This word for ‘fool' (nabal occurs only here and in Proverbs 16:21 in the Solomon section, but also occurs in the words of Agur in Proverbs 30:22, where the verbal form is also found (Proverbs 30:32). It is the word used in Psalms 14:1. Here the nabal lacks wise and sensible speech, in Proverbs 16:21 his father has no joy in him, and there the nabal is the equivalent of the kesil (the normal word for ‘fool' in Proverbs). But we can gather its emphasis from elsewhere.
We should expect nothing agreeable from a fool (nabal). He says in his heart that there is no God (Psalms 14:1), and he behaves in that way. He disapproves of God all day long (Psalms 74:22); he deals corruptly with God and is not one of His children (Deuteronomy 32:6); he obtains wealth dishonestly (Jeremiah 17:11); and if a woman she is sexually immoral (2 Samuel 13:13). Because he is bullheaded he behaves foolishly and with ingratitude (1 Samuel 25:25). These are the things that we expect of a nabal. But of someone in authority we expect much better. For they judge others, and should therefore live as those who will