TEXT Proverbs 6:12-22

12.

A worthless person, a man of iniquity,

Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;

13.

That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet,

That maketh signs with his fingers;

14.

In whose heart is perverseness,

Who deviseth evil continually,
Who soweth discord.

15.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;

On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16.

There are six things which Jehovah hateth;

Yea, seven are which are an abomination unto him:

17.

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood;

18.

A heart that deviseth wicked purposes,

Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19.

A false witness that uttereth lies,

And he that soweth discord among brethren.

20.

My son, keep the commandment of thy father,

And forsake not the law of thy mother:

21.

Bind them continually upon thy heart;

Tie them about thy neck.

22.

When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;

When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 6:12-22

1.

Worthless is what sense (Proverbs 6:12)?

2.

Does Proverbs 6:13 make winking a sin?

3.

What is discord (Proverbs 6:14)?

4.

Where is the emphasis in Proverbs 6:15?

5.

Why not say seven things to begin with instead of the way Proverbs 6:16 words it?

6.

Comment on each item in Proverbs 6:17.

7.

Comment on each item in Proverbs 6:18.

8.

Comment on each item on Proverbs 6:19.

9.

What does keep mean in Proverbs 6:20?

10.

Comment on bind and tie as used in Proverbs 6:21.

11.

What within a person will do the 3 things mentioned in Proverbs 6:22?

PARAPHRASE OF 6:12-22

Proverbs 6:12-15.

Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and finger. Next, his heart is full of rebellion. And he spends his time thinking of all the evil he can do, and stirring up discontent. But he will be destroyed suddenly, broken beyond hope of healing.

Proverbs 6:16-19.

For there are six things which the Lord hatesno, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, and sowing discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:20-22.

Young man, obey our father and your mother. Tie their instructions around your finger so you won-'t forget. Take to heart all of their advice. Every day and all night long their counsel will lead you and save you from harm; when you wake up in the morning, let their instructions guide you into the new day.

COMMENTS ON 6:12-22

Proverbs 6:12. One with a perverse mouth is doubly described as a man of iniquity and a worthless person. He is the former in that perverse speech is sinful; he is the latter in that he does neither God nor man good with his speech.

Proverbs 6:13. One who gives you signals with his eyes, feet, and fingers to speak to some but to conceal what he is saying from others is a character to be on guard against. He too is described as being a man of iniquity and a worthless person. Other references to this type of winking: Psalms 35:19; Proverbs 10:10.

Proverbs 6:14. Such a worthless, iniquitous man is further described as having a perverse heart, a heart that is continually devising some kind of evil (in this verse, discord). On Pentecost the apostles were all together with one accord (Acts 2:1)unity, harmony. Discord is just the opposite. It can be sown among very dear friends by subtle-hearted person. Such takes time to grow, but in time it will produce such a crop. Proverbs 6:19 also refers to sowing discord among brethren.

Proverbs 6:15. He has plotted the downfall of others; he himself will meet his own destruction. The destruction is described in two ways: suddenly and without remedy. Other passages on being ruined without any hope of remedy: 2 Chronicles 36:16; Proverbs 29:1; Jeremiah 19:11.

Proverbs 6:16. God may love the worldthe people (John 3:16), but there are things that He hates. In fact, His hatred can run to holding things in abomination (detestable). Why the unusual construction here? Evidently not only to give emphatic position to sowing discord among brethren but to call particular attention to it.

Proverbs 6:17. This verse shows that eyes, tongue, and hands can and do sin, and that God hates and holds in abomination sinful things done by them. Haughty eyes are also condemned in Psalms 18:27 and Psalms 101:5. A lying tongue is called a deceitful tongue in Psalms 120:2-3. Pulpit Commentary aptly observes, Lying is the wilful perversion of truth, not only by speech but by any means whatever whereby a false impression is conveyed to the mind.

Proverbs 6:18. Two more ways that one can displease God to the fullest: to have a heart that thinks up evil (evil intentions, evil plots against people, etc.) and to have feet that are quick to carry the above out. With so much evil in the world (1 John 5:19)all stemming, of course, from the devilthere are many such wicked hearts through which the devil works to cause it. Jeremiah 17:9 speaks of the heart being corrupt. Prior to the Flood (and bringing it on) was the fact that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). The implication of John 2:23-25 is that what is in man is not good. On the last part of our verse Isaiah 59:7 and Romans 3:15 say the same: Their feet run to evil and Their feet are swift to shed blood.

Proverbs 6:19. These two are twins: bearing false witness and sowing discord among brethren. What an act (to utter lies about a person)! What an achievement (to divide good friends)! Jesus pronounces a blessing upon the peacemaker (Matthew 5:9), and this section shows the utter contempt that God has for the opposite of the peacemakerthe discord-sower. The 9th Commandment (Exodus 20:16) forbade bearing false witness against one's neighbor, and yet is has often been done.

Proverbs 6:20. The important instructions in Proverbs 6:24-35 are introduced by Proverbs 6:20-23. Our verse is reminiscent of Proverbs 1:8 (My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother) and parallel in instruction with Ephesians 6:1 (Children, obey your parents).

Proverbs 6:21. Bind them and tie them would be to secure them in your heart and mind; don-'t let them get away. The continually would assure him of always having them to bless his life. Similarly does Proverbs 3:3 say, Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart, and Proverbs 7:3 says, Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

Proverbs 6:22. Such binding and tying would cause the understanding imparted to him to do three things for him: (1) lead him when he walked; (2) watch over him when he slept; and (3) talk with him when he awoke. In other words one's childhood teachings should accompany him at all times to instruct him constantly as to what to do (compare Proverbs 3:23-24; Proverbs 2:11). Even when one is older in life, memory and conscience will combine to say to him, Dad always told me such-and-such; and, I can still hear Mother say such-and-such.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 6:12-22

1.

Comment on the person with a perverse mouth (Proverbs 6:12).

2.

What kind of person is Proverbs 6:13 describing?

3.

What kind of heart sows discord (Proverbs 6:14)?

4.

How is such a person's downfall described in Proverbs 6:15?

5.

What does God not love (Proverbs 6:16)?

6.

What all does lying include (Proverbs 6:17)?

7.

What other verses of Scripture go along with what is said in Proverbs 6:18?

8.

What commandment would be violated by bearing false witness (Proverbs 6:19)?

9.

What previous verse in Proverbs is Proverbs 6:20 like?

10.

What is the significance of bind and tie in Proverbs 6:21?

11.

How long will some childhood teachings remain with a person (Proverbs 6:22)?

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