Proverbs 13 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Proverbs 13

13:1   A wise son hears his father’s instruction,
    but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2   From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,
    but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
3   Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
    he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4   The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
    while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
5   The righteous hates falsehood,
    but the wicked brings shame¹ and disgrace.
6   Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
    but sin overthrows the wicked.
7   One pretends to be rich,² yet has nothing;
    another pretends to be poor,³ yet has great wealth.
8   The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
    but a poor man hears no threat.
9   The light of the righteous rejoices,
    but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10   By insolence comes nothing but strife,
    but with those who take advice is wisdom.
11   Wealth gained hastily⁴ will dwindle,
    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
12   Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13   Whoever despises the word⁵ brings destruction on himself,
    but he who reveres the commandment⁶ will be rewarded.
14   The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    that one may turn away from the snares of death.
15   Good sense wins favor,
    but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.⁷
16   Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
    but a fool flaunts his folly.
17   A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
    but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18   Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is honored.
19   A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
    but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
20   Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
    but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
21   Disaster⁸ pursues sinners,
    but the righteous are rewarded with good.
22   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
    but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
23   The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,
    but it is swept away through injustice.
24   Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.⁹
25   The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
    but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

Footnotes

[1] 13:5 Or stench
[2] 13:7 Or One makes himself rich
[3] 13:7 Or another makes himself poor
[4] 13:11 Or by fraud
[5] 13:13 Or a word
[6] 13:13 Or a commandment
[7] 13:15 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew is rugged, or is an enduring rut
[8] 13:21 Or Evil
[9] 13:24 Or who loves him disciplines him early

Commentary

v1: Listening to kindly rebuke; this comes from a friend, a leader, or a father, one loved and respected.

v2: A man is blessed by the fruit of his own lips.

v3: Guarded lips, Eccl 5.2; the hasty word is often the hurtful word.

v4: Diligence brings fruitfulness, 12.24,27. In contrast, produce may be lost by laziness, see v23. The sluggard does have desires or ambitions, but is utterly unable to see them fulfilled.

v5-6: A walk of integrity and thoughtfulness; we do things from deep conviction, and to maintain a clear conscience. In contrast the man who chooses the way of wickedness finds shame and disgrace, he is easily overthrown and defeated.

v7: Pretence and desire; greed often leads to dishonesty, see 21.6. Money gained by dishonesty will be lost (v11,22), for God is Judge. Our attitude should be to be generous, see 11.24-26.

v8: Wealth brings its own burdens; a poor man may be less likely to be robbed.

v9: The light of the testimony of a righteous man; shining brightly, reaching many. For example, Job was well known on the earth, and beyond.

v10: Pride encourages dispute and argument. The wise are humble and teachable. Being willing to learn and submit means that arguments are avoided, and potential problems diffused.

v11: Since the Lord sees and knows, those who gain money by dishonest means will suffer loss. Those who work diligently will prosper. The words imply honest endeavour in whatever we do.

v12: The tree of life, 3.18; 14.4; when desire is fulfilled, hope is received, and faith becomes sight. When we set our hearts on something, which then does not happen, there is deep disappointment.Disappointment is a powerful destructive force, and can lead to bitterness.

Jewish thought links this verse with a woman’s betrothal for marriage. In such circumstances, a long wait before marriage “makes the heart sick,” whilst a shorter period is “a tree of life.”

v13-14: Proper respectful attitude to God's word;

there is a reward for obedience;
we drink from the fountain of life;
we are delivered from death;
we deliver others from death.

v15: The wise has understanding, and is faithful.

v16: We base our lives upon the truths of God carefully considered; our desires and motives are submitted to Him.

v17: See 2 Cor 5.20; the character of the messenger should match the content of his message.

v18: The wise man receives correction gratefully and humbly. To ignore correction and discipline means that we fail to learn, and we suffer the consequences.

v19: See v12 there is sweet delight in seeing a longing fulfilled.

v20: See 12.26, the value of godly company. Conversely, the companion of fools suffers loss.

v21: The O.T. believer enjoyed material blessing.

v22: The believer has concern for those after him. Having won blessing through his godliness and diligence, he is not so selfish as to keep it all for his own enjoyment. The sinner is selfish, and both he and those who follow him miss out on the blessing.

v23: A further observation of an apparent injustice. A man may work hard to feed himself and his family, but injustice steals it from him.

v24: Love for one's children leads to firm discipline.

v25: The righteous enjoy God's blessing, and that includes sufficient food.