Proverbs chapter 14 (part 3) - In all toil there is profit #Wise sayings of Solomon

Bible study of Proverbs chapter 14 verses 20-27. Aided with Wesley's Explanatory Notes, and Matthew Henry's Commentaries.


20 20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
21 21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. (Proverbs 14:20-21) (NKJV)

20 20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    but the rich has many friends.
21 21 He who despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but happy is he who is kind to the poor. (Proverbs 14:20-21) (RSV)

20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.

21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. (Proverbs 14:20-21) (NIV)

Hated - Despised and abandoned.
Despiseth - That does not pity and relieve the poor.
Friendship in the world is governed by self-interest. It is good to have God our Friend; he will not desert us.
To despise a man for his employment or appearance is a sin.

Friendship in this world is very artificial. If you have lots of money, if could buy your friends gifts, throw a party, buy them food and drinks, you have many friends.

But the poor have few friends. Even his neighbours dislike him, looking down upon him.

The rich may have friends who are not true friends. They may be around for some free food and drinks, for free entertainment. The poor may have fewer friends but these friends are truer because there is no advantage they can get from this poor guy.

Those that are sincere to all friends, including the poor, will be happy and blessed. God looks with favour upon those are good-hearted, those who are good to other people. But the people who are negatively biased toward his poor neighbour, is disdained by God. So let us be nice to our "neighbours", other people around us, rich or poor, great or small.

22 22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good. (Proverbs 14:22) (NKJV)

22 22 Do they not err that devise evil?
    Those who devise good meet loyalty and faithfulness. (Proverbs 14:22) (RSV)

22 22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?
    But those who plan what is good find[a] love and faithfulness. (Proverbs 14:22) (NIV)

Those who plan what is good will be rewarded with love and faithfulness, loyalty and faithfulness, mercy and truth.  Those who plan and do good to friends and relatives will be loved and appreciated by the friends and relatives, and they will also respond by being loyal and faithful and loving.

23 23 In all labor there is profit,
But idle chatter[b] leads only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23) (NKJV)

23 23 In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk tends only to want. (Proverbs 14:23) (RSV)

23 23 All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty. (PRoverbs 14:23) (NIV)

The talk - Idle talking will bring a man to poverty.
Labour of the head, or of the hand, will turn to some good account. But if men's religion runs all out in talk and noise, they will come to nothing.

Diligence and hardwork will bring success in career, and success in business, which will bring about more money, riches and wealth. Another person may think of great ideas and ambitious plans, but if he only fantasize about it, if he only talks but takes no action, the reality does not happen and the money does not come in. Idle talk and no action will eventually lead to mediocrity and poverty.

24 24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly. (Proverbs 14:24) (NKJV)

24 24 The crown of the wise is their wisdom,[h]
    but folly is the garland[i] of fools. (Proverbs 14:24) (RSV)

24 24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly. (Proverbs 14:24) (NIV)

The rich, wise person who use his wealth in wise way, honouring God, giving to charitable causes, contributing to gospel missions, will earn much respect and honour. The rich, wise person will be glorified for his good deeds and his smart usage of his money.

The rich, foolish person, on the contrary, may use his money for unhealthy activities, satisfying the many desires of the flesh, and not managing his finances wisely. Whether rich or not, the foolish person's actions are folly.

25 25 A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies. (Proverbs 14:25) (NKJV)

25 25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but one who utters lies is a betrayer. (Proverbs 14:25) (RSV)

25 25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful. (Proverbs 14:25) (NIV)

Souls - Such as are innocent, from false accusations.
An upright man will venture the ( proverbs 14:26-27 ) Those who fear the Lord so as to obey and serve him, have a strong ground of confidence, and will be preserved. Let us seek to this Fountain of life, that we may escape the snares of death.

In the court of law, when a suspect is falsely accused, the truthful witness is honest in telling the truth. This truth as told by the truthful/honest witness may save the life of the suspect.

False witness or deceitful witness is committing sin by telling lies, or biased answers in the court of law. 

A man of integrity will venture the displeasure of the greatest, to bring truth to light and rescue those who are injured by falsehood. A faithful minister, who truly witnesses for God against sin, is thereby instrumental to deliver souls from eternal death.

26 26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27) (NKJV)

26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
    and for their children it will be a refuge.

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:20) (NIV)

Fearing the Lord and loving God is like a strong fortress that we could have total faith and full confidence in. Fearing the Lord will help us to live righteously, with good thoughts and speech, good deeds and charitable deeds. We will hence be blessed. Our children will also be blessed due to our good deeds and righteous living. Fearing the Lord is the constant source of a meaningful life in this world and also eternal life. Fearing the Lord will help us to avoid the snare of spiritual death.


Sunday, Feb 9, 2014.
Michael Yeap


NIV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+14&version=NIV

RSV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+14&version=RSV

NKJV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+14&version=NKJV

Commentaries:
Wesley: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/proverbs/proverbs-14.html
Matthew Henry: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-concise/proverbs/14.html

20)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.20
21)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.21
22)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.22
23)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.23
24)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.24
25)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.25
26)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.14.26-Prov.14.27
27)

Proverbs chapter 12 (part 3) - Diligent hands will rule #Wise sayings of Solomon

Proverbs chapter 12.

Summary:  God delights in the righteous who are truthful and trustworthy, and will live for eternity, with peace and joy. God hates the liars and deceivers, who bring upon themselves many troubles and tribulations as a result of their lies and deceit. Worries and anxiety will cause a person to be depressed. Good word, such as encouragement, exhortation, praise, meditation on God's promises, could being joy and cheerfulness. Choose our friends and companions carefully. The diligent will earn much income but the lazy is too lazy even to collect his due earnings. The righteous will have eternal life.


19 19 Truthful lips endure for ever,
    but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
    but those who plan good have joy.
21 21 No ill befalls the righteous,
    but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
    but those who act faithfully are his delight.  (RSV)

19 Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
    but those who promote peace have joy.

21 No harm overtakes the righteous,
    but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

22 The Lord detests lying lips,
    but he delights in people who are trustworthy. (NIV)

19 19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,But those who deal truthfully are His delight.  (NKJV)

Comparison between Righteous and the Wicked:
Righteous: The words of the righteous are lasting, will be remembered forever. The good deeds and good sayings of the righteous are remembered in this world and will be acknowledged in the heaven. The righteous say things and do things that promote peace and unity, and brings joy to himself and other people. The righteous will be save from trouble, with the good speech and good interrelationship with other people. God delights in the righteous who are trustworthy in their dealing with other people.
Wicked: The lies, the false accusation, the deceitful talk, the slander will be finally exposed. Those who deceive and lie will not have eternal life. The life of the wicked is only for a short moment, i.e. in this world only. The wicked has deceitfulness in their hearts, with various kinds of deceitful plots and schemes. Because of the untruthful sayings and doings of the wicked, they will cause many troubles and tribulations to themselves. God hates those who lie and deceive others. Lying and deception are abomination to our Lord God.

Righteousness is a sure protection. If men be sincerely righteous, the righteous God has engaged that no evil shall happen to them. He will, by the power of his grace in them, that principle of justice, keep them from the evil of sin; so that, though they be tempted, yet they shall not be overcome by the temptation.

23 23 A prudent man conceals his knowledge,
    but fools[b] proclaim their folly.  (RSV)

23 23 The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
    but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.  (NIV)

23 23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.  (NKJV)

A wise and prudent person is not proud, and does brag or "show off" their knowledge. The prudent person is humble with knowledge, does not boast that he knows a lot but ever willing to learn and gain more knowledge. The prudent person is eager to learn, unlearn and relearn. The prudent and wise person is earnest about continual learning and lifelong learning.

On the contrary, the foolish person is proud and brags about his knowledge which is rather limited. He thinks that he knows a lot, and is too proud to want to learn more and additional knowledge. He is resistant to new knowledge. From his bragging of his knowledge, other people could see the "lack of knowledge" or "limited knowledge" that he has, hence his "folly."

24 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
    while the slothful will be put to forced labor.  (RSV)

24 24 Diligent hands will rule,
    but laziness ends in forced labor.  (NIV)

24 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.  (NKJV)

Those who are diligent, hardworking and work smart will be the leaders, and be promoted to higher positions. Success belongs to the the diligent and hardworking people. Although God promise to bless his faithful and obedient believers, they must also play their part: by being diligent and hardworking.

On the contrary, those who are lazy and slothful will end up being mediocre. Lazy and slothful persons will be fated to work like slaves, manual labour and forced labour. They will find it difficult to rise to higher position, to get higher income, to have a more luxurious life. For those who have the habit of procrastination, they should also beware, lest they fall into the similar trap of laziness.

25 25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
    but a good word makes him glad.  (RSV)

25 25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,
    but a kind word cheers it up.  (NIV)

25 25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.  (NKJV)

Good words, such as encouragement, exhortation, praise, motivating statements, will cheer up our hearts and make us happy and joyous. Positive thinking, pep talks (self-talk on positive and encouraging matters) will make us happier and more motivated in our life. Peace and joy will fill our hearts.

On the contrary, worry and anxiety over various matters may cause us to feel depressed. Negative thinking and pessimism will also cause us to be depressed. Hence, when a person is troubled with many problems, such as financial problems, relationship problems, death or sickness of loved ones, separation, divorce, retrenchment, jobless situation, he should raise the problem to God, pray to God, giving thanks to God with faith and assurance that God will deliver him from his problems. Trust God always!

It is heaviness in the heart; it is a load of care, and fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits, depressing them, and disabling them to exert themselves with any vigour on what is to be done or fortitude in what is to borne; it makes them stoop, prostrates and sinks them. The cure of it: A good word from God, applied by faith, makes it glad; such a word is that (says one of the rabbin), Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; the good word of God, particularly the gospel, is designed to make the hearts glad that are weary and heavy-laden.

26 26 A righteous man turns away from evil,[c]
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.  (RSV)

26 26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.  (NIV)

26 26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.  (NKJV)

The righteous person should choose his friends and companions carefully. Because friends and companions can influence. If in constant circle of the godly people, there will be positive influence to walk in the path of righteousness. If in constant circle of diligent and hardworking friends, there will positive influence to work hard and work smart, toward bigger success. If in constant circle of positive thinking friends, there will be tendency toward optimistic and positive thinking, hence a satisfying life with much joy and peace.

On the contrary, if in the constant circle of greedy persons always looking at extra income using deceitful or corrupt ways, there will be negative influence towards greed of money using whatever manner (by good or by crook). If in constant circle of gamblers and those who always fantasize about sudden windfall (winning lottery, big gain at speculative stocks, big gain playing commodities, a lucky hand at poker), there will be negative tendency toward thinking of easy money and slothfulness. If in constant circle of the pub goers and womanisers, there will be negative tendency toward drunkenness and sexual immorality.

27 27 A slothful man will not catch his prey,[d]
    but the diligent man will get precious wealth.[e]  (RSV)

27 27 The lazy do not roast[a] any game,
    but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.  (NIV)

27 27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.  (NKJV)

The lazy person is so lazy that after he successful hunts his animal, he does not bother to cook it for food. The lazy person is so lazy that after he had done his service to the customer, or sell his products to the customer, he does not bother to invoice the customer or neglects the collection of payment from the customer. The lazy person is so lazy that he does not bother to collect rental from the tenant.

For the diligent and hardworking person, his greatest asset is his spirit of Diligence. Because with diligence, he is able to earn much income, and gain riches and wealth. Because of his diligence, he is able to provide his family with enough money,  enough food, comfortable house, fulfilling all the needs, and extra money for some wants and wishes. Because of his diligence, he can afford good and rather expensive education for his children.

28 28 In the path of righteousness is life,
    but the way of error leads to death.[f]   (RSV)

28 28 In the way of righteousness there is life;
    along that path is immortality.  (NIV)

28 28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.  (NKJV)

In conclusion of this Proverbs chapter 12,
The righteous person who lives a godly life will have eternal life.

Monday, Jan 27, 2014.
Michael Yeap.

NIV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+12&version=NIV

RSV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+12&version=RSV

NKJV:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+12&version=NKJV

Commentaries:
19)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.19
20)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.20
21)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.21
22)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.22
23)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.23
24)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.24
25)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.25
26)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.26
27)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.27
28)  http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.12.28