Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Proverbs 18:14-21
The Tongue Affects Man In Many Ways, Making Him Strong And Wise, And Giving Him Life, Or Causing Him Great Grief, Finally Resulting In Death (Proverbs 18:14).
In this subsection we have an emphasis on the different ways in which the tongue, both our own and the tongues of others, can affect our lives. They can make us strong (Proverbs 18:14; Proverbs 18:20) and produce harmony and abundant life, or they can bring us down, and finally destroy us. Thus the ear of the wise hears words which give him wisdom and spiritual knowledge (Proverbs 18:15); a man can speak through his wisely given gifts (Proverbs 18:16); the tongue can decide issues in court (Proverbs 18:17); God can speak through the lot (Proverbs 18:18); the tongue can cause offence and destroy close friendships (Proverbs 18:19); what a man says will have repercussions on him for good or bad (Proverbs 18:20); and the tongues of men can decide issues of living and dying (Proverbs 18:21).
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A A man's spirit will endure his infirmity, but a broken spirit who can lift up? (Proverbs 18:14).
B The heart of the shrewd obtains knowledge, and the EAR of the wise seeks knowledge (Proverbs 18:15).
C A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (Proverbs 18:16).
D He who PLEADS HIS CAUSE first, seems just (appears to be in the right), (until) his neighbour comes and thoroughly EXAMINES him (Proverbs 18:17).
D The lot causes CONTENTIONS to cease, and separates the mighty (Proverbs 18:18)
C A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and such CONTENTIONS are like the bars of a castle (Proverbs 18:19).
B A man's belly will be filled with the fruit of his MOUTH, he will be satisfied with the increase (revenue) of his LIPS (Proverbs 18:20).
A Death and life are in the power of the TONGUE, and they who love it, each will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).
Note that in A a man's spirit (if not broken) enables him to rise above his infirmity (and live), whilst no one can lift up a man with a broken spirit (a living death awaits him), and in the parallel the fruit of the tongue, the power of which determines death or life, gives each man the option to ‘eat' life or death. In B the ear of the wise seeks knowledge, and in the parallel the fruit and profitability of a man's mouth will satisfy him. In C a man's gift will find that it makes room for him before great men, but in the parallel nothing will make room for him before a man whom he has offended (compare Proverbs 6:34). Centrally in D we have described contention in court, and in the parallel that that contention can often be settled by casting lots.
‘A man's spirit will endure his infirmity,
But a broken spirit who can lift up?'
The point here is that where a man's spirit is whole it will enable him to endure any bodily weakness and sickness that he faces. It will enable him to ‘live', even through his troubles. But a man whose spirit is broken will not be able to do endure bodily weakness and sickness, because no one can ‘lift up' a broken spirit. Thus such a man will die. He can no longer cope with life. If only he had listened to the voice of Wisdom she would have put her spirit within him (Proverbs 1:23), and thus his spirit would not have been broken.
We can compare Proverbs 18:12 where, when ‘a man's heart' is proud and haughty it will (like the broken spirit) result in destruction, but where it is humble it will receive honour from both God and men. It will ‘live'.
In the parallel verse in the chiasmus death and life are in the hand of the tongue. What men hear and listen to will determine whether they find life (by following wisdom) or death (by rejecting wisdom). Each man will eat the fruit of what he hears and listens to, whether the voice of wisdom (Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 9:4), which will maintain his spirit (Proverbs 1:23) and give him life (Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 3:22; Proverbs 4:13; Proverbs 4:22; Proverbs 6:23; Proverbs 8:35), or the voice of the enticer (Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 5:3; Proverbs 7:5; Proverbs 9:14), which will in the end break his spirit (Proverbs 5:9) and give him death (Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:22; Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 9:18).
‘The heart of the shrewd obtains knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.'
The man whose spirit enables him to endure is the man whose heart has obtained knowledge (the knowledge of God and His ways). A man reveals himself as shrewd by obtaining such knowledge. Indeed, the ear of the wise man seeks knowledge. It listens to the voice of Wisdom (which give knowledge - Proverbs 8:8), and the voice of Solomon, and the voice of the wise. And it listens to the wise man's own voice as he proclaims wisdom to himself, giving him a bellyful of fruit and riches that satisfy (Proverbs 18:20). In those days much reading would be reading aloud, and men recited the Torah to themselves, and experienced blessing as they went through the liturgy at feasts. Thus they could ‘listen to themselves' as they read aloud
‘A man's gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great men.'
We can see this as meaning that Solomon is here bringing out the deceitfulness of human nature. A man who offers bribes, and bribes disguised as gifts, will obtain access to great men, men of political influence. (The world has changed very little). They will give him a hearing. It should not be so, of course. Influential men should give equal access to all. But that is what life is like. It can mean in terms of Proverbs 18:17 that a man by his gifts obtains the first hearing. But it certainly puts him at an advantage over those who cannot afford gifts.
We know from what we have seen previously that Israel saw this practise as wrong (Proverbs 15:27; Proverbs 17:8; Proverbs 17:23; Proverbs 18:5; Proverbs 25:14; Proverbs 29:4). Bribes were condemned in Israel (Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19; Deuteronomy 27:25; 1 Samuel 8:3; Job 15:34; Psalms 15:5; Psalms 26:10; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:23; Isaiah 33:15). Other nations were less stringent, for while they were frowned on if they affected justice, they were otherwise seen as acceptable and the only penalties were on those who failed to pay the promised bribe. That they did occur in Israel and were specifically seen as encouraging injustice is evidenced in Proverbs 17:23; Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19; Deuteronomy 27:25; 1 Samuel 8:3; Psalms 15:5; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:23; Micah 3:11. As Isaiah 5:23 says, ‘they justify the unrighteous for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous', words which parallel the idea in Proverbs 17:15 exactly. But they were specifically condemned.
YHWH, unlike the gods of other nations, is distinguished as being unbribeable. He is ‘the God of Gods and the Lord of Lords, the mighty and terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribes' (Deuteronomy 10:17), indicating just how wrong bribes were seen to be. They are contrary to what God is.
On the other hand the word used here is not the usual one for a bribe, and there is no mention of court proceedings. Thus it may be that Solomon, in the world in which he lived, did not see a wisely given gift as wrong, as long as its purpose was not to pervert justice (he himself would have given many such gifts). He would not have approved of bribing the justices, but he may well have recognised that a wisely given gift could enable someone to present their case against injustice in the right and proper quarters, and here be giving his people advice on how to obtain a hearing. Indeed, the next two proverbs make clear that he expects men to have a fair hearing, and is not suggesting that the gift will influence a judicial decision.
There are times when gifts reveal our estimate of the recipient, or are an expression of gratitude (in this case in advance). And most men have shown their appreciation of a girl by giving her gifts, and vice versa. Consider Jacob's gifts to Esau which were intended to reconcile him and thus save Jacob's own followers from possible disaster (Genesis 32:7). See also 1 Samuel 16:20. The provision of a large dowry would often ensure a satisfactory marriage for a girl (Genesis 24:22; Genesis 24:30; Genesis 24:53). Thus in themselves gifts are not necessarily wrong. What matters is the motive.
‘He who pleads his cause first, seems just (seems to be in the right),
(Until) his neighbour comes and thoroughly examines him.'
These two proverbs (Proverbs 18:17), which are central in the chiasmus, relate to judicial proceedings. In this one we have the evidence that Solomon saw justice in Israel as mainly fair. The one who puts his case first makes the first impression, and may well give the impression that his case is cast iron. But once his adversary comes and cross-examines him the situation can easily change. His carefully prepared case may begin to look as if it has holes in it, and the court may begin to think differently. Indeed, sometimes it might be better to have the last word before the decision is reached.
As a general principle it gives the warning not to accept what people say too quickly. It is necessary not to jump to a quick conclusion, but to wait until you have heard both sides of the argument. Then you will be in a better position to judge.
‘The lot causes contentions to cease,
And separates the mighty.'
And yet, often when both sides of an argument have been put, and both lots of witnesses have been heard, it may be difficult to choose between the two. A position of stalemate might be reached. This is especially important when the two parties involved are powerful men, with the consequence that if one is seen to be favoured above the other it could have dire consequences. (The case is clearly once concerning property or possessions, and disagreement as to whom they belong to). Often in that case it is better to get each party to agree to the drawing of lots. Then if that is done fairly, both will hopefully accept the result with equanimity. Neither will have lost face by being declared the loser, and they will be kept apart (separated) from hostile activity. The use of the sacred lot was in those days seen as bringing God, Who clear knows the facts of the situation, into the controversy. The lot would reveal His final decision (thus the land of Canaan was mainly divided between the tribes on the basis of the lot - Joshua 14:2).
As Christians we may resolve issues by praying together, which can have a similar effect, and in certain circumstances we may even combine that with an agreed prayerful use of ‘the lot' by ‘tossing up' a coin. When the referee tosses up a coin in order to decide which team enjoys a certain benefit (such as batting first or deciding which end to play from) it prevents dissension between the teams. Both sides agree that it was fair.
‘A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And such contentions are like the bars of a castle.'
One grounds for using the lot (Proverbs 18:18) is emphasised here. The alternative might be to cause great offence because a person does not think that he has been justly treated. And once the situation is left like that the brother (someone once very close) may become irreconcilable, and a barrier built up that can never be broken down. The one time ‘brother' might become as unapproachable as a powerful fortified city, and the causes of contention might become like the huge bolts on the gates of a city or fortress, effectively preventing entry.
Such a situation can, of course, occur outside litigation. This is thus a warning to beware of giving offence, and an indication that if we do so we should seek to deal with the offending matter immediately, either by means of an apology, or by making concessions, possibly accompanied by the giving of gifts (Proverbs 18:16).
Sometimes the offence caused may be so great that there is no hope of reconciliation. We have an example of this in Proverbs 6:32. A cuckolded husband may never forgive under any circumstances, and no matter what recompense is offered. In such cases the only way to avoid a permanent breach is not to commit the action in the first place.
‘A man's belly will be filled with the fruit of his mouth,
With the increase (revenue, produce) of his lips will he be satisfied.'
Here an agricultural metaphor is used to describe how a man can benefit himself (or otherwise) by his own words. What he says with his mouth and lips can be to him like fruit which fills his belly (his inner man), or like the produce of his land (his ‘increase') which satisfies him, first because of its quantity, and second because it feeds him and his family. In the same way a man can feed himself with his words, either because they directly affect him as he speaks them, or because they cause a reaction in others which then rebounds on him himself, whether for good or ill.
The general principle is that what we say affects not only others, but in the end, ourselves as well. If our words are sweet and reasonable, we will become sweet and reasonable. If our words are contentious it will arouse more contention within us. Thus what we say not only reveals what we are, but actually helps to shape us. But what is more, our words have an effect on others, and this will often come back on us. Thus the ‘fruit' of which we partake, and the ‘produce' that we enjoy will be the repercussions, for good or bad, of our own words. At some stage we will enjoy the fruit of our words.
But in the final analysis our words also have an effect on our relationship with God. They can either please Him, and make Him favourably disposed towards us, or they can anger Him, and bring His judgment upon us. And this will especially be so at the last Judgment, for, as Jesus said, ‘for every idle word that a man shall speak he will give account of it at the day of judgment, for by your words you will be accounted righteous, and by your words you will be condemned' (Matthew 12:36)
Especially in mind here may be the fact that in those days men, when reading, would read aloud and listen to their own words. Thus as they read the Torah of Moses, or recited it aloud, or as they went through the liturgy at their feasts (consider Exodus 12:26), it would feed their inner man and give them deep spiritual satisfaction. By this means ‘the ear of the wise' will seek knowledge, and the heart of the shrewd will obtain knowledge (Proverbs 18:15).
‘Death and life are in the power (literally ‘the hand') of the tongue,
And those who love it, each will eat its fruit.'
In Proverbs the issues of ‘death and life' have more in mind than just whether we die or live (see Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 8:35; Proverbs 12:28; Proverbs 13:14). ‘Life' is one of the aims of the book, and that means abundant life whilst living on this earth (John 10:10), as described for example in Proverbs 3:16, ‘length of days is in her (wisdom's) right hand, and in her left hand riches (especially spiritual riches - Proverbs 3:14) and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and in her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her, and happy is everyone who retains her'. And this is then seen as in some way continuing after physical death (see on Proverbs 15:24).
In contrast death is a way in which a man walks as well as an end to which he must come. He can be dead while he lives (Proverbs 5:9; Proverbs 7:22; Proverbs 9:18; 1 Timothy 5:6; Revelation 3:1), although it is always emphasised that in the end he will finish up in the gloom and darkness of the grave world (Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 5:11; Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 9:18).
Thus Solomon is saying here that the whole of a man's life, as well as his final destiny, is ‘in the hand of the tongue'. We have seen in the previous verse how our own tongues can affect us, but now the thought goes wider and includes the effects of other tongues. What we say, and what we listen to, affects our lives both now and in the hereafter. ‘Those who love the tongue will each one eat its fruit'. We become what we listen to most assiduously.
Those who seek God's wisdom (and God's word) will reap its fruits. It will be to them better than silver or gold, or precious jewels. It will sustain their spirits and make them strong against all adversity (Proverbs 18:14). Those who seek their own wisdom and the wisdom of the world will receive their due reward, in missing out on true life, and on God and all that He offers. For as the subsection has brought out, the effects of the tongue can be many (Proverbs 18:17).