Proverbs 10:17-26

Peter J. Leithart, October 01, 2005

INTRODUCTION
Proverbs 10 begins a long central section of Proverbs. This is largely a collection of sayings, labeled "The Proverbs of Solomon" in 10:1. The organization is not random, but it is not obvious. At least one can discern topical categories in this section: speech, wealth, expectations for the future.

Verses 17-32 are divided into several sections (following Waltke). Verse 17 is self-standing. Verses 18-21 concentrate on speech ("lips" appears in vv. 18, 19, 21, and "tongue" in v. 20), and Solomon returns to this theme at the end of the chapter (vv. 31-32: mouth, tongue, lips). Between these sections, verses 22-30 are organized in a parallel pattern:

A. Lord's blessing: "adds" no sorrow, v. 22
B. Laughter, desire, vv. 23-24
C. Righteous are well-founded, v. 25
A'. Lord "adds" years, v. 27
B'. Gladness, vv. 28-29
C'. Righteous not shaken, v. 30

Verse 26 stands outside this structure, describing the sluggard.

In considering Proverbs it is always essential (as David Field recently reminded me) that the "son" of Solomon is ultimately Jesus Christ, the true wise Man and the incarnate wisdom of God. Proverbs, like the whole of Scripture, is about Jesus, and following wisdom means following him (and vice versa). We should make an effort to read Proverbs through the lenses of the gospel.

BEING A PATH OF LIFE
The NASB translation doesn’t quite capture what the Hebrew says. The proverb does not say that the one who heeds instruction is "on" the path of life, but that he "is" a path of life, and Waltke suggests that the second line of the verse might be translated as "he who forsakes reproof leads astray." The proverb is not merely about the fate of the person who heeds or rejects instruction; it's about his effect on other people.

"Instruction" implies an authority to which a student has to submit in humility (15:33), and is also acquired from watching the consequences of folly (19:25; 24:32) or through the rod (13:24; 22:15). Those who submit themselves to this discipline, and humble themselves before it, not only save themselves from destruction but lead others into life by their own example of humility and submission.

Jesus is the great fulfillment of this. Because he submitted to the instruction of His Father, humbly and gladly suffering for the joy set before Him, He is the Way of life, He is the life.

SPEECH
Solomon deals with several different forms of foolish speech. Verse 18 deals with slander. Solomon is talking about a man who hates another, but does not come out openly to express his hatred. Instead, he expresses his hatred by spreading lies and slander. Waltke suggests that the word translated as "slander" means "injurious report," and can include true reports that are spun to cause injury. This has implications both for our own talk – we should not be tale-bearers or seek to harm others with our talk – and also for our listening. Don't accept what you hear as true, because there are hateful people who twist everything you say and do to hurt you. Jesus certainly was the victim of multiple slanders from people who hated Him and His Father.

Verse 19 warns that sheer volume of talk is dangerous. When you express whatever comes to mind, you can't help but fall into sin. A wise man chooses what to say, and when to say it. This is applicable in all sorts of settings: Husbands and wives must learn to restrain their tongues, especially when they are disagreeing or arguing; friendships are broken by lack of restraint in speech. Our culture encourages babbling, a torrent of words. Everyone can now pontificate to the world on the web, and those who babble away on a blog will make mistakes and say things they oughtn't.

Verse 20 is interesting for the contrast it presents between the righteous tongue and the wicked heart. There is a dissymmetry in the verse. But the dissymmetry is deliberate, revealing the intimate connection between the heart and the tongue. As Jesus said, it’s out of the heart that all manner of evil flows. The problems we have with our tongue cannot be solved by addressing the tongue only. Ultimately, sins of tongue and lips reveal a heart problem.

Verse 21 makes a point similar to verse 17, though with a specific focus on the tongue. A man who heeds instruction leads many to life, and the speech of such a man also give life. Think of your speech as food: What are you serving up? Rotten words (Eph. 4:29)? Or are your lips a tree of life? The contrast in verse 21 is intriguing: The righteous man is not only well-fed himself, but also feeds others with his words, giving life and refreshment by what he says. But fools starve to death for lack of "heart." They cannot even keep themselves alive, much less feed others with their words. Jesus' words are life to His followers, and we should strive to make our own words nourishing food.

WORK AND THE FUTURE
Wealth is a blessing of God (v. 22). There is, of course, a way of pursuing wealth that causes weariness and sorrow; there is painful labor. But this is not the kind of labor that God calls us to. He doesn't call us to be workaholics constantly stressed and distressed by the demands of work. He calls us to work hard, but then to rest in Sabbath joy. If we truly believe that wealth is a gift of God, then we should labor in hope and faith. Too many Christians are economic Pelagians, who assume that the success of their calling depends on them.

Verse 23-24 speak about desire and delight. We are created for delight, and our desires drive us in various directions. The question is what delights us, and what our desires aim for. Do we delight in doing wickedness or in wisdom. The word translated as "sport" means "an occasion for laughter." This points to the relative ease of wisdom for a wise man, and also to the delight that the truly wise man takes in doing wisdom. This note of lightness and playfulness is crucial to biblical wisdom. Too often Christians have thought "wise" was inseparable from "grave"; but Chesterton reminded us that being serious was easy and that Satan fell by force of gravity.

Verse 25 warns about the consequences of wisdom and folly. The whirlwind is the storm cloud of Yahweh, the chariot He rides as He visits in judgment. When that whirlwind comes, the wicked are driven away like chaff, and their house built on sand falls to the ground. But the whirlwind of God does not destroy the house of the righteous, since he has built on a stable rock. Jesus uses this image in Matt. 7, saying that His words are the words of wisdom that provide a stable foundation for the house of Israel.

Verse 26 speaks of one of the recurring character in Proverbs – the sluggard. The sluggard suffers all kinds of harm himself – he is poor, beaten, and so on. But this verse highlights the effects that sluggards have on those who rely on them. Lazy people not only damage themselves but they pain their employers, parents, spouses, and all who rely on them.