Proverbs 17:20-28

TEXT Proverbs 17:20-28

20.

He that hath a wayward heart findeth no good;

And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

21.

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow;

And the father of a fool hath no joy.

22.

A cheerful heart is a good medicine;

But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

23.

A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom,

To pervert the ways of justice.

24.

Wisdom is before the face of him that hath understanding;

But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

25.

A foolish son is a grief to his father,

And bitterness to her that bare him.

26.

Also to punish the righteous is not good,

Nor to smite the noble for their uprightness.

27.

He that spareth his words hath knowledge;

And he that is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28.

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace is counted wise;

When he shutteth his lips, he is esteemed as prudent.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 17:20-28

1.

What is a wayward Heart in Proverbs 17:20?

2.

What does fool mean in Proverbs 17:21?

3.

How can one's attitude affect one's health (Proverbs 17:22)?

4.

What is meant by out of the bosom (Proverbs 17:23)?

5.

Apply the last statement of Proverbs 17:24 to the Prodigal Son.

6.

A foolish son is what two things to his parents (Proverbs 17:25)?

7.

Cite Bible instances of smiting the noble or punishing the righteous (Proverbs 17:26).

8.

What does it mean to spare his words (Proverbs 17:27)?

9.

What does holding one's peace mean (Proverbs 17:28)?

PARAPHRASE OF 17:20-28

20.

An evil man is suspicious of everyone and tumbles into constant trouble.

21.

It's no fun to be a rebel's father.

22.

A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.

23.

It is wrong to accept a bribe to twist justice.

24.

Wisdom is the main pursuit of sensible men, but a fool's goals are at the end of the earth!

25.

A rebellious son is a grief to his father and bitter blow to his mother.

26.

How short-sighted to fine the godly for being good! And to punish nobles for being honest!

27, 28.

The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore, even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays him to keep his mouth shut.

COMMENTS ON 17:20-28

Proverbs 17:20. Another case of Hebrew parallelism in which the second statement is a restatement of the first, using different words. A wayward heart and a perverse tongue are two liabilities. The wayward heart is one that wandered out of the path that God has intended; it will find no good (no blessing from God), It is not pure so it will not see God (Matthew 5:8). It does not think upon the things listed in Philippians 4:8 so it will not know the peace that Philippians 4:7 mentions. Look at Jeremiah 17:9'S description of the wayward heart. The perverse tongue is perverted; that is, it is speaking contrary to God's intentions for it. Such will get itself and others into much mischief and wrong-doing, See James 3:6; James 3:8 for the evil that the perverse tongue can cause.

Proverbs 17:21. The behavior of one's children can greatly affect his own future happiness or sorrow (Proverbs 17:25; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 19:13). Think of the sorrow that Cain brought to Adam and Eve by killing Abel, that Absalom brought to his father David when he tried to steal his throne, and that Hophni and Phinehas brought to their priestly father Eli.

Proverbs 17:22. Those who have cheerful hearts and bright outlooks upon life have a physical blessing of health that others do not know. On the other hand nothing has such a direct tendency to ruin health and waste out life as grief, anxiety, fretfulness, bad tempers, etc. All these work death (Clarke). Other passages: Proverbs 12:25; Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 15:15.

Proverbs 17:23. Clarke: Above their girdles the Asiatics carry their purses. A wicked (not a righteous) man receives a bribe and perverts justice as a result. This was forbidden in Exodus 23:8. If officials are not to receive them, we should not give them in our desire to get some kind of preferential treatment.

Proverbs 17:24. The contrast between the fool and the one with understanding in this verse is that the fool's eyes are a long way off (to the ends of the earth), but the wise man sees wisdom right where he is. The fool misses the opportunities at hand and is always supposing that somewhere else, something else, is really better. An old saying: A rolling stone gathers no moss, meaning that one who is always moving about and not settled down will not accumulate much nor accomplish much. Remember the Prodigal Son in this connection (Luke 15)? See Proverbs 6:11 also.

Proverbs 17:25. Proverbs 17:21 spoke of the sorrow that a fool brings to his father. This verse speaks of the grief and bitterness he brings to both his parents. It is a tragedy when a son brings grief instead of joy to his father, and when he brings bitterness instead of satisfaction to his mother. But children must be reared and trained, not merely begotten and born. Similar passages: Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 15:20; Proverbs 19:13.

Proverbs 17:26. See Proverbs 17:15, also Proverbs 18:5. This represents corruption in government, a perversion of justice. God has ordained government, and He says, Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same (Romans 13:3). Both Jesus and Paul were smitten when innocent (Matthew 26:67; Acts 23:1-2).

Proverbs 17:27. Pulpit Commentary: He shows his common sense, not by rash talk or saying all he knows, but by restraining his tongue. We are to be slow to speak (James 1:19). In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely (Proverbs 10:19). Cool spirit means not losing one's temper and is parallel to slow to wrath (James 1:19) and is praised in Proverbs 16:32 (He that ruleth his spirit). This verse teaches us the wisdom of both not being too talkative and not losing one's temper.

Proverbs 17:28. This verse continues the thoughts begun in Proverbs 17:27. Ecclesiastes 5:3 connects a fool's voice with the multitude of words. Job exclaimed to his rash critics, Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom (Job 13:5). An old saying: Be silent, and they will think you are a fool; speak, and they will know it. Occasionally you will get acquainted with a fool who does not advertise it with his speech; it was his lack of talkativeness that caused you to think of him as a normal person until you got better acquainted with him.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 17:20-28

1.

What two things are condemned in Proverbs 17:20?

2.

How do they get their owner into trouble (Proverbs 17:20)?

3.

Cite some Bible examples of sons who brought grief to their parents (Proverbs 17:21).

4.

What is said to be a good medicine that does not come from the store (Proverbs 17:22)?

5.

What two people sin when a bribe is given (Proverbs 17:23)?

6.

What is the contrast in Proverbs 17:24?

7.

Give another passage that tells of the grief that children can bring to their parents (Proverbs 17:25).

8.

Cite a Bible example of one being smitten who was upright (Proverbs 17:26).

9.

Does the Bible commend or condemn talkativeness (Proverbs 17:27)?

10.

What does Proverbs 17:27 say about one who has a cool spirit?

11.

By what means is a fool sometimes counted among the wise (Proverbs 17:28)?