Proverbs 3:27-35

TEXT Proverbs 3:27-35

27.

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

28.

Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again,

And to-morrow I will give;
When thou hast it by thee.

29.

Devise not evil against thy neighbor,

Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30.

Strive not with a man without cause,

If he have done thee no harm.

31.

Envy thou not the man of violence,

And choose none of his ways.

32.

For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah;

But his friendship is with the upright.

33.

The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked;

But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

34.

Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers;

But he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35.

The wise shall inherit glory;

But shame shall be the promotion of fools.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 3:27-35

1.

Where did Jesus teach that to withhold good is actually evil (Proverbs 3:27)?

2.

Why would one put off to tomorrow giving help that he is able to give today (Proverbs 3:28)?

3.

Should a neighbor's security be one of our concerns (Proverbs 3:29)?

4.

Who especially needs the instruction found in Proverbs 3:30?

5.

What is listed in Proverbs 3:31 as a possible cause of strife?

6.

How are the violent of Proverbs 3:31 described in Proverbs 3:32?

7.

According to Proverbs 3:33 what does God do to those who are wicked?

8.

Where in the New Testament is Proverbs 3:34 quoted?

9.

What do the wise have to look forward to (Proverbs 3:35)?

10.

What do fools have to look forward to (Proverbs 3:35)?

PARAPHRASE OF 3:27-35

Proverbs 3:27-32.

Don-'t withhold repayment of your debts. Don-'t say, Some other time, if you can pay now. Don-'t plot against your neighbor; he is trusting you. Don-'t get into needless fights. Don-'t envy violent men. Don-'t copy their ways. For such men are an abomination to the Lord, but He gives His friendship to the godly.

Proverbs 3:33-35.

The curse of God is on the wicked, but His blessing is on the upright. The Lord mocks at mockers, but helps the humble. The wise are promoted to honor, but fools are promoted to shame!

COMMENTS ON 3:27-35

Proverbs 3:27. Beginning with this verse Solomon discusses our relationship with those about us. First of all, he says we should pay what we owe just as soon as we are able to do so. But this verse is not limiting the subject to paying debts: it is talking about doing good to those about usa subject set forth in several important places in the Bible: Do goodPsalms 37:3; As we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of faithGalatians 6:10; Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devilActs 10:38. To learn the E, G, B, D, F, A lines of the musical staff, elementary teachers have long used the significant statement: Every Good Boy Does Fine Alwaysand it is true! A careful study of Mark 3:4 and its surrounding verses will show that it was lawful to do good on the Jewish sabbath (to heal a sick man) but harmful (or evil) not to. Jesus had the power to heal him, and He affirmed it would have been wrong not to do so. Everyone needs a growing conviction that what God has given him is to be used wherever needed and not merely squandered for his own selfish wants.

Proverbs 3:28. This instruction refers back to Proverbs 3:27. How many times people in urgent need have gone to someone of means and ability for help only to be put off until tomorrow or next week when it was only the slightest matter that could have been taken care of easily that kept them from giving the help that very day. God tells us not to dally with duty! We have a saying that says, Don-'t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.

Proverbs 3:29. At the bottom of every case of trouble, there is someone who got things mixed up or who purposely did wrong to begin it. Here is a commandment against purposely, knowingly devising evil and trouble for someone else. We have sayings that remind us to drive carefully and to live carefully, for the life we save may be our own. This verse, though, appeals strictly to our feelings of responsibility for the other person: take care of your neighbor, for he dwells securely through your dealings. But don-'t forget that trouble can be a two-way street: there is a sense in which you dwell securely by him.

Proverbs 3:30. If everybody heeded this, there could be no strife except that which might arise from some misunderstanding. Remember that it takes somebody to start trouble before there can be trouble. Some people who seem to live in a state of strife really need this instruction, for they are chief offenders.

Proverbs 3:31. Other similar passages: Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness (Psalms 37:1); I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked (Psalms 73:3); Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them (Proverbs 24:1). It is too bad that so many choose wrong models to follow. In this verse the father continues to warn his son about joining in with a life of violence (See Proverbs 1:10-19; Proverbs 2:12-15).

Proverbs 3:32. One who devises evil against his neighbor (Proverbs 3:29), one who strives with a man who has done him no wrong (Proverbs 3:30), one who envies the wicked (Proverbs 3:30) is said in this verse to be pervertedhe is doing what God never planned for a person to do. This verse tells of two contrasting classes of persons (the perverse and the upright) and of God's contrasting attitudes toward them (abomination for the perverse and friendship with the upright). Passages on God's pleasure with the righteous: The friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear him; And he will show them his covenant (Psalms 25:14); Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you (John 15:14); The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication (1 Peter 3:12). Passages on God's displeasure with the wicked: Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God (James 4:4); Alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works (Colossians 1:21); He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).

Proverbs 3:33. Another verse contrasting God's treatment of the wicked and the righteous. The law that they were under had a long list of curses in Deuteronomy 27:15-26 and a long list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28:3-6. God can send blessings upon people, or He can bring curses upon them. The basis on which God gives to each is set forth in Deuteronomy 11:26-28: Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah your God...and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah your God. Psalms 37:22 says, Such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land; And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off. One's relationship to God and His consequent attitude toward us is the main issue of life.

Proverbs 3:34. A double contrast: scoffeth vs. giveth and scoffers vs. the lowly. Scoffers are those who act as if they know it all; the lowly are those who recognize their deficiencies and who, as a result, trust in God and do not lean to their own understanding but who acknowledge Him in all their ways (Proverbs 3:5-6). James 4:6 refers to this verse (He giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble as does 1 Peter 5:5 (God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble).

Proverbs 3:35. A double contrast: wise vs. fools and glory vs. shame. The wise shall inherit glorywhat an inheritance to come into! Abraham was wise in following God's directions, and think of the glory he inherited as a result! Daniel was wise in his decision concerning the king's wine and dainties, and think of the glory he had before the book of Daniel closed! The Christian is the wise builder who builds his house upon the rock (Matthew 7:24-25), and the resulting Christian life is one of glory (Ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory1 Peter 1:8), and he will have his eternity in glory! On the other hand shame shall be the promotion of foolswhat a promotion to get! We detect irony in the use of promotion here. The fool has nothing to look forward to but shame. A fool lives a shameful life, and his eternity will be one of shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2). That which both the wise and the foolish come to will be because God will make it so!

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 3:27-35

1.

Where else besides Proverbs 3:27 does the Bible talk about doing good?

2.

What is Proverbs 3:28 condemning?

3.

What reason is cited in Proverbs 3:29 for not devising evil against one's neighbor?

4.

Who especially needs the instruction in Proverbs 3:30?

5.

Whom does the father not want his son to envy (Proverbs 3:31)?

6.

Cite the double contrast in Proverbs 3:32.

7.

What chapter of the Old Testament contained lists of both blessings and curses (Proverbs 3:33)?

8.

What is the double contrast in Proverbs 3:34?

9.

How is the word promotion used in Proverbs 3:35?

NOTICING THE NEEDS OF THE NEEDY

Proverbs 29:7 says, The righteous considereth (-taketh knowledge of-'R.V.) the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it. There are those who have never known what real shortage is. They have always had plenty. It is hard for them to realize how hard put people can be and how helpless they are before such conditions. So they go their ways, not bothering themselves to look into people's conditions. But, Proverbs 29:7 says the righteous look into their cases.

It is too easy for some people to be like the priest and the Levite, who did not want to be bothered with the needs of the needy. It takes time, it takes money, and it may even give one a headache to get next to the condition of the needy. No wonder, then, that is the righteous who considers the cause of the needy.
In the fast pace of present-day living, let us not permit sickness to go on in our communities, and we not know anything about it. Let us not permit death to strike, and we not be there to help. Let us not permit tragedies to happen, and we not concern ourselves.

DISCRETION IN SPEAKING

I marvel not that some people have trouble. Their customary way of speaking is loud, thoughtless, and rough. Unless one controls his speech, the other person will have a time controlling his temper.

Listen to this great memory verse: A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). A soft answer is just the opposite of a harsh answer. Like the virtuous woman, the law of kindness should be in our mouths. Oh, the cutting things that people sometimes say to the man at the store! It may be a neighbor. It may be to some person in the church. And yet they claim to be Christians. There isn-'t much Christianity to a person who has an unbridled tongue.

All it takes sometimes to get into a real fight is to say the wrong word. Many times everything is all set for trouble, and if you do not guard your speech, you are going to stir up anger rather than turn it away.