CHAPTER 19 Apr. 9 
Discipline, Poverty and Families
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool. 2It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way. 3The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against Yahweh. 4Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend. 5A false witness shall not be unpunished; he who pours out lies shall not go free. 6Many will entreat the favour of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone. 8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding shall find good. 9A false witness shall not be unpunished; he who utters lies shall perish. 10Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger; it is his glory to overlook an offence. 12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favour is like dew on the grass. 13A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping. 14House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh. 15Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; the idle person shall suffer hunger. 16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is disrespectful in his ways shall die. 17He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; He will reward him. 18Discipline your son while there is hope; don’t be a willing party to his death. 19A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again. 20Listen to counsel and receive instruction, so that you may be wise in your very end. 21There are many plans in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail. 22That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness; a poor man is better than a liar. 23The fear of Yahweh leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. 24The lazy buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. 27If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity. 29Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools. 

Commentary

19:2 Zeal without knowledge- Applied by Paul to the Jews and all people who seek justification by works rather than faith in God’s grace which is in Christ (Rom. 10:2), which is for us the ultimate “knowledge”. This is like someone who walks earnestly but in the wrong direction, who has missed “the way”, which is Christ (Jn. 14:6).
19:8 This verse is in the context of the preceding reflections that in human life, people who have wealth have friends but the poor have few friends. Whether or not we have popularity with others and human friendships, the wonder of finding the ultimate “understanding” of God, relationship with Him, makes that irrelevant.
19:11 We are not to take up every offence against us with others. There are times when our silence under provocation is in God’s eyes our “glory”. This verse alludes to the fact that God is slow to anger and overlooks offences without always demanding our specific repentance (Ps. 103:8; 145:8). We are to reflect our experience of this to others.
19:14 A prudent wife is from Yahweh- Marriage is in one sense a gamble, as we never really know our partner until we have been married some time to them.  A good partnership is therefore a “grace” from God (18:22); whilst we can do our human best to have a good marriage, it is ultimately God who does the humanly impossible, of joining two different people together (Mt. 19:6); and marriage is therefore a grace from Him.
19:17 Our attitude to the poor is our attitude to God and will be the basis of our judgment (Mt. 25:40).
19:22 The implication is that the poor can still be kind; in our money-obsessed world, there’s the wrong impression that generosity and kindness must involve financial giving.
19:25 The simple will learn- We are to learn by observing how sinners are punished even in this life.