The Speech of Fools versus the
Speech of the Wise (18.1-21)
Mostly synthetic parallels the new unit contrasts
in its almost equal sub-units the antisocial speech of fools (18.1-11) and the
reconciling speech o the wise (18:12-21).
(a) The Fools Antisocial Speech versus the
Defense of the Wise (1-11)
1) The Fool’s Antisocial Nature,
Speech, and destiny (1-9)
The
first partial unit continues the topic of the fool, who by c0referenntial terms
is mentioned explicitly in vv.1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 and inferentially in vv. 5
and 9. –Waltke in NICOT
(a.) Intro: The Fool’s Alienation
from Society (1-3)
1
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages
against all wise judgment.
isolates… He
is not merely anti-social; he is a problem for society since he will defy sound
judgment. The Mishnah uses the verse to teach the necessity of being part of a
community because people have social responsibilities and need each other (m.
Avot 2:4). --NET Bible translation notes
2
A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in
expressing his own heart.
3
When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with
dishonor comes reproach.
the wicked… Wickedness (rsv) seems a
preferable reading of the Heb. Consonants to the wicked (av, rv).
The three terms for shame give triple emphasis to theis corollary of sin
(the antithesis of the glory which is the corollary of holiness: Is. 6.3; Rom.
8.30); and the Bile elsewhere shows it to be one of sin’s first (Gen. 3.7) and
final (Dn. 12:2) fruits. –Kidner in TOTC
The
MT has “a wicked [person].” Many commentators emend the text to רֶשַׁע (resha’, “wickedness”) which makes better
parallelism with “shame” (W. McKane, Proverbs
[OTL], 521; R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 112; C. H. Toy,
Proverbs [ICC], 355; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). However, there is no external
evidence for this emendation. --NET Bible textual
criticism
(b) The Fool’s Perverse Speech
(4-8)
The introduction’s abstract descriptions of the
wicked are now narrowed down to specific instances of his misanthropic speech,
framed by the inclusion “the words of” (vv. 4a, 8a)… –Waltke in NICOT
4
The words The wellspring
of a man's
mouth of wisdom
are deep
waters; is a flowing brook.
There
is debate about the nature of the parallelism between lines 4a and 4b. The
major options are: (1) synonymous parallelism, (2) antithetical parallelism
(e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV) or (3) formal parallelism. Normally a vav (ו) would begin an antithetical clause; the structure and the ideas
suggest that the second colon continues the idea of the first half, but in a
parallel way rather than as additional predicates. The metaphors used in the
proverb elsewhere describe the wise. --NET Bible
translation notes
Comparison with 20:5 suggests that the deep waters
stand for concealment,
‘For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within.’
If this is so, the proverb is contrasting our human
reluctance, or inability, to give ourselves away, with the refreshing candour
and clarity of the true wisdom. –Kidner in TOTC
5
It is not
good Or
to show
partiality to overthrow
to the
wicked, the righteous in
judgment.
wicked… Or “the guilty,” since in the second colon
“righteous” can also be understood in contrast as “innocent” (cf. NRSV, TEV,
NLT). --NET Bible
translation notes
6 And
A fool's his
lips mouth
enter into
calls for
contention,
blows.
contention … “Strife” is
a metonymy of cause, it is the cause of the beating or flogging that follows;
“flogging” in the second colon is a metonymy of effect, the flogging is the
effect of the strife. The two together give the whole picture. --NET Bible study
notes
7 And
A fool's his
mouth is lips are
his
destruction, the snare of his soul.
8
And they
go down into the inmost body.
tasty trifles… The word כְּמִתְלַהֲמִים (kÿmitlahamim) occurs only here. It is related to
a cognate verb meaning “to swallow greedily.” Earlier English versions took it
from a Hebrew root הָלַם (halam, see the word לְמַהֲלֻמוֹת [lÿmahalumot] in v. 6)
meaning “wounds” (so KJV). But the translation of “choice morsels” fits the
idea of gossip better. --NET Bible translations notes
(c) The Fool Plunders the
community (9)
9
He who is
slothful in his work
Is a
brother to him who is a great destroyer.
Heb “Also, the one who.” Many commentators and a
number of English versions omit the word “also.” --NET Bible translations
notes
Waster (av)
means one who lays waste, not who wastes time.
‘The sage teaches that he who leaves a work undone is next of kin to him
who destroys it’ (Oesterley). Cf. 28.24.
–Kidner in TOTC
10
The name
of the Lord is a strong tower;
The
righteous run to it and are safe.
2) Defence of the Righteous in the
Lord (11-12)
11
The rich
man's wealth is his strong city,
And like a
high wall in his own esteem.
in his own esteem … The MT reads בְּמַשְׂכִּיתוֹ (bÿmaskito, “in his imaginations”). The LXX, Tg.
Prov 18:11, and the Latin reflect בִּמְשֻׂכָּתוֹ (bimsukato, “like a fence [or, high wall]”) that
is, wealth provides protection. The MT reading, on the other hand, suggests
that this security is only in the mind. --NET Bible textual criticism notes
(b) Janus
(12)
Note the conceptual sequence form “destroyer”
(v.0b), to true and false protection (vv. 10-11), to the contrasting destinies
of the haughty’s destruction and the humble’s honor (v. 12). –Waltke in NICOT
12 And
Before
destruction before honor
the heart
of a man
is
haughty, is humility.
(c) The
Educated Person's Behavior in Conflict and His Speech (13-21)
The unit consists of an introduction, laying the
foundation in being teachable (vv. 13-15), and then moving on to a courtroom to
deal with settling disputes (v. 16-19) and to the power of speech (vv. 20-21). –Waltke in NICOT
1) The Incorrigable Fool versus the
Teachable Wise (13-15)
A …a
person’s heart v. 12
B
…The non-listening fool v. 13
A’ …a
person’s spirit v. 14
B’ …The
listening v.15 –Waltke in NICOT
13
He who
answers a matter before he hears it,
It is
folly and shame to him.
14
The spirit
of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who
can bear a broken spirit?
15 And
The heart the ear
of the
prudent of the wise
acquires seeks
knowledge,
knowledge.
knowledge… The repetition, knowledge . . . knowledge is for emphasis, and the emphasis is on
no platitude, but on the paradox that those who know most know best how little
they know. See 1 Corinthians 8:2;
Philippians 3:1 off. Cf. 15:14 –Kidner in TOTC
seeks
… This line features a mixed metaphor: The
“ear” is pictured “seeking.” The “ear of the wise” actually means the wise
person’s capacity to hear, and so the wise are seeking as they hear. --NET Bible translation
notes
2) Teachings about Justice and
Conflicts (16-19)
The
setting of vv. 16-19 is the courtroom…
vv.
16-17 …need for an impartial judicial
system…
vv.
18-19 present resolutions in light of the limitations of the best of
courts… –Waltke in NICOT
16
A man's
gift makes room for him,
And brings
him before great men.
gift… The Hebrew term translated “gift” is a more
general term than “bribe” (שֹׁחַד, shokhad), used in 17:8,
23. But it also has danger (e.g., 15:27; 21:14),
for by giving gifts one might learn how influential they are and use them for
bribes. The proverb simply states that a gift can expedite matters. --NET Bible translation
notes
17
The first
one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his
neighbor comes and examines him.
18 And
Casting
lots
causes
contentions to cease, keeps the mighty apart.
Casting lots… The Christian equivalent of
the implied advice of this proverb is to seek God’s leading, when interests or
opinions clash, and to accept it with a good grace. –Kidner in TOTC
Cf. 16:33 comments:
The Old Testament use of the word lot shows that 16:33 is not about
God’s control of all random occurrences, but about His settling of matters
properly referred to Him. Land was
‘aloted’ (Jos. 14:1, 2), likewise temple service (1 Ch. 25:8)’ problably the Urim and
Thummim were lots. But God’s last use of
this method was, significantly, the last event before Pentecost (Acts 1:26);
thereafter He has not longer guided His church as a ‘servant who knoweth not
what his lord doeth’: cf. Acts 13.2;
15.25, 28. –Kidner in TOTC
19
A brother
offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And
contentions are like the bars of a castle.
3) Teachings about he Power of
Speech (20-21)
… the catchword “fruit,”
the first word of v. 20a and the last of v. 21b in the outer frame and by the organs of speaking in the inner core… –Waltke in NICOT
The second of this pair of proverbs, with its
warning to the toalkative, throws a sobering light on the first. Both of them urge caution, for satisfied (20)
can mean ‘sated’: the meaning, good or bad, will depend on the care taken. Moffatt paraphrases 20 well, but one-sidedly;
A man must answer for his
utterances,
And take the consequences of
his words.’
Oesterley, quotes the witty saying of Ahikar: My
son, sweeten thy tongue, and make savoury the opening of thy mouth; for the
tail of a dog gives him bread, and his mouth gets him blows.’ –Kidner in TOTC
20
A man's
stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of
his mouth,
From the
produce of his lips he shall be filled.
stomach… Heb “his midst.” This is
rendered “his stomach” because of the use of שָׂבַע (sava’,
“to be satisfied; to be sated; to be filled”), which is usually used with food
(cf. KJV, ASV “belly”). --NET Bible translation notes
21
Death and
life are in the power of the tongue,
And those
who love it will eat its fruit.
its … The referent of “it” must be
the tongue, i.e., what the tongue says (= “its use”). So those who enjoy
talking, indulging in it, must “eat” its fruit, whether good or bad. The
expression “eating the fruit” is an implied comparison; it means accept the consequences
of loving to talk (cf. TEV). --NET Bible translation notes
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