Proverbs 20:1-10

CHAPTER 20
TEXT Proverbs 20:1-10

1.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler;

And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise,

2.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion:

He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own life.

3.

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife;

But every fool will be quarrelling.

4.

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter;

Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

5.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water;

But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6.

Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness;

But a faithful man who can find?

7.

A righteous man that walketh in his integrity,

Blessed are his children after him.

8.

A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment

Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

9.

Who can say, I have made my heart clean,

I am pure from my sin?

10.

Diverse weights, and divers measures,

Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 20:1-10

1.

According to Proverbs 20:1 have we as a nation been wise to legalize strong drink?

2.

Give a Bible instance of the truth of Proverbs 20:2.

3.

Cite other passages besides Proverbs 20:3 that teach us to avoid strife.

4.

What are other excuses besides Proverbs 20:4 that sluggards might give for not doing a job?

5.

He will draw it out of his own heart or out of the heart of another (Proverbs 20:5)?

6.

What is meant in Proverbs 20:6 by a faithful man?

7.

Why are the children of a righteous man blessed (Proverbs 20:7)?

8.

How does a king scatter away evil with his eyes (Proverbs 20:8)?

9.

What is the evident answer to the questions in Proverbs 20:9?

10.

According to Proverbs 20:10 with what is God displeased?

PARAPHRASE OF 20:1-10

1.

Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!

2.

The king's fury is like that of a roaring lion; to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

3.

It is an honor for a man to stay out of a fight. Only fools insist on quarreling.

4.

If you won-'t plow in the cold you won-'t eat in the harvest.

5.

Though good advice lies deep within a counselor's heart, the wise man will draw it out.

6.

Most people will tell you what loyal friends they are, but are they telling the truth?

7.

It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father.

8.

A king sitting as judge weighs all the evidence carefully, distinguishing the true from false.

9.

Who can ever say, I have cleansed my heart; I am sinless?

10.

The Lord despises every king of cheating.

COMMENTS ON 20:1-10

Proverbs 20:1. Wine as used in the Bible is not always intoxicating, but in this instance it is (note its connection with strong drink and also with what the verse says about it). It is a mocker, mocking and making a fool out of its drinker with ridiculous and senseless conduct. Strong drink is a brawler, leading to many quarrels and fights. One who drinks the stuff erreth, is making a great mistake, sins, and he is not wise. One can hardly err worse or be more unwise than to take up with strong drink. Oh, the sorrows, griefs, hardships, miseries, and you-name-it that strong drink has brought to the drinker, to his family, and to those who have been injured and killed just so that he could drink! For other passages see Genesis 9:21-22; Proverbs 23:29-30; Isaiah 28:7; Hosea 4:4. Strong drink is surely not for kings (Proverbs 31:4-5), yet they have often been big drinkers. God was highly displeased at the drinking Belshazzar and his antics at the big party of Daniel 5. Every nation that has turned to wine has only weakened itself. A German saying: More are drowned in the wine cup than in the ocean. Note the New Testament teaching in Ephesians 5:18; Romans 14:21.

Proverbs 20:2. Being a king, Solomon included numerous sayings involving kings. He especially liked those that showed the importance of having the king's favor and avoiding his disfavor (Proverbs 16:16; Proverbs 19:12). 1 Kings 2 shows three men encountering Solomon's wrath and suffering death: Adonijah, Job, and Shemei.

Proverbs 20:3. This verse shows that fools (not wise people) quarrel and engage in trouble while people of honor seek to avoid strife, Follow peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14); If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men, Romans 12:18); Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, Genesis 13:8). This does not mean we are to compromise God's Word in order to have peace. This is an altogether different field (Luke 14:31-33).

Proverbs 20:4. The lazy, indolent person can always find an excuse for not working. It may be the cold weather (as in this verse), or it may be too hot, rainy, it's too hard, I don-'t know how, I-'m not feeling good, somebody else will do it, it's not important, I-'ll do it later, etc. This is why some people have nothing.

Proverbs 20:5. Counsel in this verse stands for deep wisdom (like water of a deep well). But counsel is no good unless you can get it from its possessor. People with little to offer us are generally free with their advice, but people who really have knowledge tend to be more conservative with giving unsolicited advice. In fact, sometimes it takes just the right person who goes at the right time and approaches the subject in just the right way to get such valuable counsel. This verse shows that where there's a will, a man of understanding will find the way to get it.

Proverbs 20:6. The tendency of humanity is to tell those things that are personally commendable and to forget those things that are derogatory. As such we tell only a part of the story. A faithful man (one who tells it exactly as it is concerning himself) is almost impossible to find, according to the implication of this verse. There is much food for thought here for each of us.

Proverbs 20:7. Everybody is blessed when a man lives right, but especially himself and his family. Since influence and environment are such strong factors in life, those who are the closest to a righteous person are the ones who receive the greatest blessings from their influence. Integrity is honesty, uprightness. Other passages showing that one's offspring is blessed by his righteousness and because of his righteousness: Psalms 37:25-26; Psalms 112:2.

Proverbs 20:8. Not just any king, for some kings (like Ahab) have been the source and the multiplication of evil. But a good king is one who rules with a righteous sceptre, and his government praises the good and punishes the evil (1 Peter 2:13-14; Romans 13:3).

Proverbs 20:9. The implied answer is nobody. We can make our hearts corrupt and our lives sinful, but we cannot dispel the guilt nor cleanse away our sin apart from God's mercy. Let us re-say it: Man cannot direct his own way successfully (Jeremiah 10:23), nor can he save himself by his own righteousness (Titus 3:5), nor can he cleanse himself from a single sin (this verse). Notice how this is brought out in song: Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Saviour, or I die.

Proverbs 20:10. Proverbs 20:23 reads similarly. Man employs such means to gain personal advantage even though its disadvantage to his fellowmen equals the advantage that it is to himself. It is unscrupulous gain. It is plain and intentional dishonesty. And it is abomination to God. See Deuteronomy 25:13-16 and Proverbs 11:1 also.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 20:1-10

1.

How do we know that wine in Proverbs 20:1 is intoxicating?

2.

Comment upon erreth (Proverbs 20:1).

3.

Comment upon not wise (Proverbs 20:1).

4.

Name three men executed by King Solomon (Proverbs 20:2).

5.

Give some Bible statements showing that God wants us to be peaceable people (Proverbs 20:3).

6.

Why did the sluggard in Proverbs 20:4 not want to plow?

7.

Who is more apt to be free with counsel (Proverbs 20:5)? Who more conservative with it?

8.

Comment upon Proverbs 20:6.

9.

Give other passages besides Proverbs 20:7 that show the blessings that come to children because of righteous parents.

10.

What kind of king fulfills Proverbs 20:8?

11.

If Christ had not died, would there be any fountain for our sin (Proverbs 20:9)?

12.

Show from Proverbs 20:10 that godliness extends to our business dealings.