Deeper Commentary
Pro 13:1 A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a
scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke-
The book of Job makes it clear that it is the content of an
elder's instruction which should govern whether or not it is accepted. But
Solomon demands submission to him simply because he is a king and a father.
Being "wise" is predicated therefore upon accepting Solomon's truths;
personal behaviour and spirituality doesn't come into the picture with
Solomon, and his own apostasy shows the end of this line of thinking.
Pro 13:2 By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the
unfaithful crave violence-
"Transgressors" or "traitors" is the term used by David of Saul and his
supporters (Ps. 25:3; 59:5; 119:158). Solomon uses this term, teaching that
"transgressors" must be rooted out of the earth / eretz
promised to Abraham (Prov. 2:22), and that the "transgressors" are to face
judgment (Prov. 11:3,6; 13:2; 21:18; 22:12; 23:28; 25:19). All Solomon says
is true, but he clearly has in view the house and supporters of Saul, who
were a group he felt he needed to repress in order to keep his own kingdom
and power intact.
Pro 13:3 He who guards his mouth guards his soul; one who opens wide his
lips comes to ruin-
This continues the common theme of Proverbs, that the advantage of
wisdom is that it benefits you in this life; and the unwise are only
hurting themselves. Whilst this is true, it seems an altogether human and
secular approach to God's truth. Because the purpose of our believing,
obedient lives is for God's wider glory, and to pave the way for life in
His Kingdom in the future. But these things seem almost unknown to
Solomon.
Pro 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire
of the diligent shall be fully satisfied-
The Proverbs contain repeated condemnation of laziness. Lack of a
zealous work ethic is a rejection of wisdom, according to Solomon. As
Solomon explains in Ecc. 1, he was an active person, not lazy by nature.
And yet he lacked spirituality. He claimed that his service of God was due
to his spirituality, but it was in reality merely a semblance of serving
God when it was really just reinforcing his own personality type. His
mocking of the "sluggard" or "lazy one" is so frequent (Prov. 6:6,9;
10:26; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13-16). But it is
a reflection of his own works-based approach to righteousness; the 'wise'
"do" good things, and the wicked don't do enough good things. Personal
spiritual mindedness and relationship with God are simply not emphasized.
Solomon sees the advantage of generosity and wisdom generally as being for this life. He totally lacks any sense of a judgment and Kingdom yet to come. And this was the root of his own spiritual undoing. David saw himself as being "made fat" by God's grace (Ps. 23:5, s.w. "anoint"), whereas Solomon sees this as a direct result of the good deeds of the righteous, such as generosity (Prov. 11:25) and hard work (Prov. 13:4). This is exactly the kind of justification by works which Paul argues against in Romans.
Pro 13:5 A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and
disgrace-
Again, Solomon is justifying his father David, who uses these words
to describe how he "hates lies" (Ps. 119:104,128,163). The reality was
that David had brought shame and disgrace through his sin with Solomon's
mother, Bathsheba. But Solomon seems at pains to make a case that the
righteous don't do this kind of thing, and the shame and disgrace which
arose was due to Solomon's half brothers and court politics. Whereas
Nathan is clear that it all came as a consequence for David's sin.
Pro 13:6 Righteousness guards the way of integrity, but wickedness
overthrows the sinner-
David by contrast felt he was kept or guarded in the way of integrity
by God constantly pointing out that way to him (s.w. Ps. 119:33). Solomon
seems to think that mere possession of Divine truth made him "righteous",
and this of itself kept him in the way. He has none of the constant desire
to be taught which David had, because he assumed he had received total
truth. Those who consider they hold "the truth" as a package of
doctrinally correct propositions can make the same mistake as Solomon.
Pro 13:7 There are some who are made rich, yet have nothing. There are
some who are made poor, yet have great wealth-
The Hebrew grammar makes these reflexive verbs, as if the making rich
or poor are done to the person by themselves, possibly referring simply to
their own perceptions of themselves. Solomon's own words were so true of him: “There is that maketh himself
rich, yet hath nothing [quoted in Rev. 3:17 about the rejected]: there is
that maketh himself poor, yet hath great wealth” (Prov. 13:7 AV). This
last phrase is quoted about the Lord Jesus, who made Himself poor on the
cross (2 Cor. 8:9). And yet Solomon, who made himself rich, is the very anti-Christ,
the only specific person associated in the Bible with the number 666 (1
Kings 10:14).
Pro 13:8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no
threats-
Prov. 13:8 speaks of how our
attitude to wealth is a crucial factor in our eternal destiny: “The ransom
of a man’s life are his riches”. Just prior to that we read in Prov. 13:7:
“There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches”. This verse is
actually part quoted in 2 Cor. 8:9 and Phil. 2:7, about how on the cross,
the Lord Jesus made himself poor, of no reputation, and now has been so
highly exalted. Our living out of the Lord’s cross is shown in our making of
ourselves poor. That is surely the unmistakable teaching of this allusion.
Pro 13:9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the
wicked is snuffed out-
"The righteous" in :5 and elsewhere in Proverbs refers to David, and
Solomon was the "lamp" or descendent given to David, shining brightly in
his kingdom (1 Kings 15:4). But Solomon was not the Messianic "lamp" of
David in its ultimate term (Ps. 132:17). He failed to fulfil the
conditions to become the Messianic son of David. But he prides himself
that he is shining brightly, whereas all other contenders for the throne
had been snuffed out. Again, what he says is true, but is harnessed to his
own personal self-justification.
Pro 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is
wisdom-
Again this is true, but almost every verse in this section has
included some self justification. "Quarrels" is the word used in the
parable about the strivings between David's sons (2 Sam. 14:6). He is
implying that all the quarrels about his being the one to have the throne
merely came from pride, and the wise will accept Solomon's kingship.
Pro 13:11 Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by
hand makes it grow-
Solomon believed that his own wealth was a result of his wisdom. But
wealth is given by God, and in his case, he was told that right at the
start of his reign. It didn't come from his own hard work, but from God's
gracious gift, in recognition of his desire for wisdom to teach Israel.
And again, the Lord's parable of the rich fool shows that the rich
sometimes take their wealth to the grave. But the ultimate perspective
upon wealth is that it cannot affect in any way our eternity, nor be taken
into God's Kingdom. Indeed, it must be shed if we are to enter the needle
gate into the Kingdom- whether or not the wealth was attained by our hard
work or by dishonesty.
Pro 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is
fulfilled, it is a tree of life-
Access to the tree of life has been taken away because of human sin;
only in the restored Eden of the Kingdom of God on earth will we be able
to eat the fruit of the tree of life. Indeed God in His grace and wisdom
barred access to the tree of life, knowing that eternity in our present
state would be a curse. But Solomon likes to think that his kingdom is the
Kingdom of God, and the life according to his wisdom was effectively the
life eternal. Again we see a failure in Solomon to perceive that the true
life and restoration of Eden was yet future. This would explain why as he
got older and approached death, he became disillusioned; for clearly his
life had not been the life of the Kingdom.
Pro 13:13 Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who
respects a command will be rewarded-
Again this is true, but the instruction and commands which Solomon
has in immediate view is his own teaching in the anthology of Proverbs we
are reading. He would tolerate no disobedience to it.
Pro 13:14 The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn others
away from the snares of death-
Pro 13:15 Good understanding wins favour; but the way of the unfaithful is
hard-
Solomon teaches that material blessings (Heb.) come as a result of
using wisdom. But Ecc. 9:11 shows his rejection of Prov. 13:15: “The race
is not to the swift… neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men
of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance
happeneth to them all”. He concluded life was just a random sequence of
events.
Pro 13:16 Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly-
The idea may be that the actions of the wise and foolish are openly
displayed for public view. That may sound obvious, but the sense is that
the way of wisdom earns approval from observers, whereas the unwise appear
foolish in public. And Solomon seems all too concerned about appearances,
being shamed or avoiding looking foolish, in the court of public opinion-
rather than before God's final judgment.
Pro 13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy
gains healing-
"Trouble" is the word for "evil", and Solomon uses the idea of
falling into evil / trouble as the ultimate judgment for the wicked, to be
avoided by all means (Prov. 13:17; 17:20; 28:10,14). But by the time of
Ecc. 9:12, Solomon concludes that death is the ultimate falling into evil,
and this shall come upon all men, and therefore being righteous or wicked
is irrelevant in the face of death.
Pro 13:18 Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline, but he who
heeds correction shall be honoured-
This appears to be an out of context allusion to David's words in Ps.
38:14, reflecting on his sin with Bathsheba, and how he felt unable to
give reproof to others: "Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose
mouth are no reproofs". Solomon was obsessed with David his father,
speaking hundreds of times of "David my father". But he failed to have his
humility; he endlessly dishes out reproofs in Proverbs, indeed he sees his
Proverbs as reproofs to people (e.g. Prov. 1:25; 6:23; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18;
15:5,31; 29:15); whereas David humbly felt unable to do so because of his
awareness of his sins. And at the time David wrote the Proverbs, when he
received wisdom at the start of his reign, he was sinning likewise [in
essence] by marrying foreign women.
Pro 13:19 Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning
from evil-
Removing / turning or departing from evil is a major theme of
Proverbs (Prov. 13:19; 14:16; 16:6,17). Solomon uses the same phrase in
Ecc. 11:10, but he gives the reason as being because youth is vanity; old
age will prove that there is no point in not departing from evil, and
going the way of evil, like going the way of righteousness, is all the
same vanity. This nihilistic approach is because Solomon failed to discern
that the end point of the path of righteousness, departing or removing our
foot from the way of evil, is the redemption of the body in God's future
Kingdom. But because he failed to understand that, he ends up concluding
as he gets older that the choice between evil and good is all the same
vain and meaningless. It is the hope of the resurrection of the body, the
reality of judgment to come and the future Kingdom of God, which make
morality of so much meaning today. We may also note again Solomon's overly
simplistic idea that if a man removes himself from evil, all will go
wonderfully for him in life. The same phrase is used of how Job removed
himself from, or "eschewed", evil; but his life was traumatic and without
all the blessings for wisdom which Solomon liked to imagine.
Pro 13:20 One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools
suffers harm-
Solomon sees wisdom as being mediated through men. Whilst this may be
true, and it certainly was in an illiterate society, he fails to perceive
the direct, personal relationship possible and preferable between God and
man. David's desire was for fools to repent: "Understand, you brutes...
You fools, when will you be wise?" (Ps. 94:8). But Solomon makes little
appeal to the fools, but instead divides men into the righteous and the
fools, and almost gloats over the foolishness of the fools, relishing in
describing their position.
Pro 13:21 Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the
righteous-
This again is how Solomon wanted to imagine things, assuming that
others would follow his pattern, and be given prosperity. But spiritual
reality is different. The righteous suffer and don't get prosperity now,
whereas the wicked prosper. Reality is far more complex than the simple
dualism Solomon presents, and the final rewards for human behaviour are
yet future, at the day of judgment. But he had no desire to perceive that,
as he imagined his kingdom to be God's Kingdom, under his own Messianic
rulership.
Pro 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but
the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous-
This may be true, but the children of the wicked prosper, apparently
(Job 21:11), and wealthy sinners leave prosperous houses to their children
(Job 21:9; 22:18; Ps. 49:11). Again, Solomon's simplistic dualism fails to
perceive the nuances of spiritual reality, because Solomon seems to have
never experienced the ups and downs, paradoxes and tensions which are all
part of spiritual experience in practice.
Pro 13:23 An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields, but injustice
sweeps it away-
AV "want of judgment", as if the failure to have enough food is the
fault of the poor. This would be in line with :18 and Prov. 28:19. Solomon repeatedly sees
poverty as being the fault of the poor, and their refusal of his teaching
of wisdom (s.w. Prov. 6:11; 10:4,15; 13:7,8,18,23; 24:34; 28:19; 31:7).
Many of these passages are effectively mocking the poor, which Solomon
condemns in Prov. 17:5. He fails to take his own wisdom, as we also see in
his behaviour with foreign women. Again we see Solomon's works based
approach to righteousness, and lack of grace; refusing to accept that we
are all poor men before God, as David himself exemplified when he cried to
God as a poor man (Ps. 34:6). But his much beloved father David was
unashamed to say he was a materially "poor man" (1 Sam. 18:23); and Uriah,
whom he wronged, is described also as a "poor man" (2 Sam. 12:1). The poor
were to be defended and given to (Ps. 82:3), and the Bible is clear that
poverty isn't necessarily a result of sin or unwisdom. But Solomon fails
to appreciate this, so obsessed is he with works, and the idea that
obedience to his anthology of Proverbs will make the poor prosperous, as
if God's truth is a kind of wealth creation scheme.
Pro 13:24 One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is
careful to discipline him-
Solomon has so much to say about "correction" or "instruction" coming
from the possession of wisdom (Prov. 8:10,33; 10:17; 12:1; 13:1,24;
15:5,10,32; 16:22; 19:20,27; 22:15; 23:12,13). But in the end he chastised
or corrected his people by whipping them (s.w. 1 Kings 12:11,14). Solomon
initially asked for wisdom in order to guide his people, but he ended up
whipping / physically chastising them into conformity with his wishes
rather than allowing wisdom to correct. Again, he was playing God; for it
is God through His wisdom who chastises, and not man. But Solomon thought
he was effectively God to his people. This is why Solomon argues that
servants cannot be corrected by words (Prov. 29:19 s.w.), and a child must
be physically chastised (s.w. Prov. 19:18; 29:17 cp. Prov. 13:24; 23:13),
regardless of his screams of pain. This kind of thing is a denial of his
claims elsewhere that it is Divine wisdom which chastises / corrects, and
such correction is from God and not man. Solomon's final description of
himself as an old and foolish king who refuses to be admonished says it
all (Ecc. 4:13); he admonishes others (s.w. Ecc. 12:12), but refuses to be
admonished or corrected by his own wisdom. He failed to personalize it.
Pro 13:25 The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the
belly of the wicked goes hungry-
But we think of the righteous Paul often going hungry, and hardly having a
satisfied soul (2 Cor. 6:5; 11:27). As I have observed so often, Solomon
is presenting an overly simplistic view of blessing for the righteous now,
and cursing for the wicked. The book of Job, and his father David's
experiences, ought to have taught him that this was not the case. Solomon
later concludes that despite having every material blessing, a man can
still not be satisfied (s.w. Ecc. 4:8; 6:3). But in Proverbs he thinks
that the righteous do satisfy their souls in this life (Prov.
13:25). But he thought that this would be experienced in this life, rather
than in any future Kingdom of God on earth. As he got closer to death, he
realized that he had not satisfied his soul despite all his wealth. And so
he concluded that righteousness was vain, and turned away from Yahweh.
This is what happens when we lose the perspective of the future Kingdom of
God.
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