PROVERBS 5:1-23

The Peril of Adultery
Proverbs 5:3
For the lips of an immoral woman
drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;

Bible commentary:
Strange woman. See on ch 2:1
As an honeycomb. The words of temptation are smooth and sweet to the ears because they are carefully calculated to appeal to the inherited and cultivated weakness of mankind. An example of such words is given in ch. 6:14-20.

Proverbs 5:18
Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your
youth.

Bible commentary:
Rejoice. If marriage remains a sharing, if there is always a mutual desire to please, the passing years will but deepen and strengthen the joys of companionship. It is only when the attentions of courting days are lost in the humdrum toil of daily life and the partner is taken for granted, that either is likely to turn and seek unlawful satisfactions. Especially should a husband remember to express his pride in his wife and his enduring love for her in the years when age is taking its toll. Such expression will deepen his own affection and will support his companion during the period when it is necessary to make adjustment to advancing years (se Prov. 2:17; Mal. 2:15,16).

Proverbs 5:19
As a loving deer and graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all
times;
And always be enraptured with her love.

Bible commentary:
With her love. A man's love for his wife should be a strong affection that enters into every facet of life. It should be in a good sense--- an obsession, so that is thought or done without being affected by the thought of the one who shares the life. In this sense love is an inebriation. The word for "ravished" may literally mean "intoxicated."

Proverbs 5:21
For ways of man are before the
eyes of the Lord,
And He ponders all his paths.

Bible commentary:
Eyes of the Lord. Fidelity to the marriage vow is good sense and infidelity is folly, even if there were no judgment and no afterlife. But there is an afterlife, and entrance to it is dependent upon a willingness to be cleansed from all defilement. The adulterer meets a double condemnation. He loses the true joys of this life and is barred from the greater and more enduring joys of the life to come (Prov. 15:3; Mal. 3:5; Heb 13:4).

PROVERBS 4:1-27

Security in Wisdom
Proverbs 4:5
Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from
the words of my mouth.

Bible commentary:
Get wisdom. If this is typical of the counsel David gave to his favorite son, it is not surprising that Solomon requested wisdom when given an opportunity to ask for a special blessing (1 kings 3:5-15). These verses contain an epitome of much of the instruction in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is like the
shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Bible commentary:
Path of the just. As the light steals almost imperceptibly across the sky at dawn and then grows brighter at an ever-increasing rate, until the full glory of the day is seen, so the light of truth shines upon the pathway of the righteous. The closer a man comes to his Lord, the more time and effort he gives to gaining a knowledge of God through prayerful Bible study, and the brighter shines the light
It is not only the light shining upon the Christian that increases. The reflected light that shines out from the just man is also magnified in the same measure. The darkness of the last days will accentuate the growth of this radiance. Translation will bring the outward appearance into harmony with the inner brightness of the sinless saints (see GC 470, 476)

Proverbs 4:19
The way of the wicked is like
darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

Bible commentary:
Way of the wicked. The darkness that blinds those who insist on following their own ways is so deceptive that such men think they are the ones who have the real light. They stumble and fall without knowing it. For them, the revelations of the judgment will come as a fearful surprise (see Matt. 25:44; GC 640,645).

Proverbs 4:22
For they are life to those who find
them,
And health to all their flesh.

Bible commentary:
Health. The close relation between the mind and body seems here to be indicated. Wisdom and understanding bring healing to the body as well as to the soul. Folly misundertanding, anxiety, and guilt are common causes of physical and mental trouble (MH 241)

Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

Bible commentary:
Keep thy heart. That is, "keep the mind" (see on ch. 2:10). Purity of mind is the first requisite for a sinless life. It is out of the abundance if the heart (mind) that good or evil comes into our lives (Luke 6:45). Sin is the indulging of the desires of the sinful, deceitful human heart (Jer. 17:9), hence the need for diligence in keeping the mind surrendered to God, who alone can keep it pure (see Eph. 4:17, 23)

Proverbs 4:24
Put away from you a deceitful
mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.

Bible comment:
Perverse lips. The tongue is the hardest member to control (James 3:1-12). Only purity of mind and a close watch upon the tongue will eventually subdue this wicked member. What the tongue says is a food indication of the state if the mind. Gossip, especially about unsavory things, shows a mind still filled with earthy interests. Angry words show that pride and selfwill still rule. Every slip of the tongue should send us ti the Lord for cleansing of the mind (Ps. 101:5) Prov. 6:12; Matt. 12:34 Rom. 12:2).

Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.

Bible commentary:
Look right on. When the heart is set upon righteousness, the eyes will cease to rove. Modern city life besets the passer-by scription, and there is no better protection that the straightforward walk, with the eyes fixed with singleness of purpose upon the goal. In the walk through life we must keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus if we are to attain salvation (Heb. 12:2).

Proverbs 4:26
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be
established.

Bible commentary:
Ponder. Heb. palas, "to weigh," "to make level," here perhaps to weigh mentally. Such a course would lead to the removing of every obstacle that might cause the foot to stumble. Purity of heart, truthfulness of speech, and singleness of purpose make possible the advancement of our ways in peace. These qualities bring their own reward, and to this God adds His own blessings.

PROVERBS 3:1-35

Guidance for the young
Proverbs 3:1,2
1 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my
command;
2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

Bible commentary:
Length of days. Loving obedience to the teaching of God will result in an extension of the life span. Though this promise will be fulfilled for many in the attainment of a peaceful old age in this life, it will be true of all the righteous in the ever-rolling years of eternity.


Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your
heart,
And lean not on your own
understanding;

Bible commentary:
Trust in the Lord. Entire trust in God is the only logical position for Christians to take. God has all knowledge and all power, and foresees and prepares against all the troubles that come upon man as sudden emergencies. For anyone to rely on his own understanding under such circumstances is foolish indeed. It is also folly to alternate between trust in self and trust in God.
To place little confidence in one's own understanding does not mean that a man must lay aside intelligence and give up the power of choice. Intelligence is needed to determine from the Word of God and from God's guiding providences what is the divine will. A will strengthened and cleansed by God is needed if one is to follow a true course through to the end.

Proverbs 3:35
The wise shall inherit glory,
But the shame shall be the legacy of
fools.

Bible commentary:
Shall inherit glory. The parallelism suggests that the lowly of v. 34 are the wise, and the scorners are the fools. This is in harmony with Solomon's whole argument concerning the value of true wisdom. The humble servant of God has been reborn into the family of heaven and inherits glory by the right of sonship. The appearance of exaltation that the proud, willful sinner sometimes gains is but a prelude to the shame that he will feel when the plan of salvation and the history of each sinner are opened before the assemble universe for inspection (Prov. 16:18 2Cor. 5:10)

PROVERBS 2:1-22

The Value of Wisdom
Proverbs 2:5
Then you will understand the fear of the
Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.

Bible commentary:
Find the knowledge. Treasure hunts may fail, but one who truly seeks will never fail to reach an understanding of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Although as exhaustive knowledge of God can never be obtained, even though a happy eternity is spent in learning ever more of His loving nature, knowledge sufficient for salvation is promised to every searcher for truth (Matt. 7:7,8)

Proverbs 2:10,11
10When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,

Bible commentary:
Knowledge is pleasant. Many acquire learning upon the urging of parents or teachers, and gather a measure of wisdom, but there is a vast difference between such learning and that which is inspired by a love of wisdom. Especially is this the case when the wisdom to be learned is the way of eternal life. Salvation from sin demands an active love for truth and a delight in right knowledge.
Discretion shall preserve thee. Love for truth leads to a consideration of right and wrong and a purposing in the heart to avoid that which is evil. Daniel had thus counted the cost and determined not to partake of meats offered to idols , whatever might be the outcome. Such preconsideration arms against temptation and protects from failure under sudden pressure (Dan. 1:8).

Proverbs 2:21,22
21For the upright will dwell in the
land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22But the wicked will be cut off from
the earth,
And the faithful will be uprooted
from it.

Bible commentary:
In the land. Or, "in the earth." the word translated "land" is also frequently translated "earth." Not only will obedience to the voice of wisdom bring present good; it will also lead to eternal life in the beautiful new earth. Disregard of the Word of God brings trouble in this life and results in the plucking up from the earth of all who continue in sin. So complete will be this rooting out that no trace will be left (Obadiah 16; Mal. 4:1).

PROVERBS 1:20-33

THE CALL OF WISDOM
Proverbs 1:33
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil."

Bible commentary:
Whoso hearkeneth. Those who give heed to the wise counsel of God and obey the precepts of the wisdom remain peaceful in a world of woe. While their hearts are touched with pity for those who suffer, they have no fear for themselves. They look forward with confidence to the salvation that has been promised ( see Ps. 16:9).

PROVERBS 1:8-19

SHUN EVIL COUNSEL
Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

Bible commentary:
Consent thou not. A reminder that the will is sovereign. Neither man nor devil can make us sin except by persuading us to will to do it (see Rom. 6:13). The soul must purpose the sinful act before passion can dominate over reason (see 5T 177). Sometimes men who have long resisted, submit to iniquity, feeling that they have done all that can be expected of them. But temptation, no matter how strong, is never an excuse for sin. Even though the pressure mounts with continued resistance the will can and must learn to say No-- to the very end.

Proverbs 1:11-12
11If they say, "come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent
without a cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like
Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down
to the pit;

Bible commentary:
Lay wait for blood. This bald appeal to cruelty and greed may seem to have few parallels in these civilized times. But the passions of unregenerate man have not change. Cold-blooded murders, carried out for such trifling reasons as a desire for publicity or the satisfaction of curiosity, mark our age. Callous robberies, bringing great suffering to the innocent and needy, are the daily occurrence. These verses are a much-needed warning to young men today.

Proverbs 1:19
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of it's owners.

Bible commentary:
Taketh away the life. The covetous man is heedless of the sufferings of the poor whom he oppresses and whose lives he may shorten be deprivation, whether by violence or by recognized commercial practices. The solemn warnings here enumerated indicate that such sin will bring its own evil consequences in the life as well as in the day of judgment (see Rom. 6:23; James 1:14,15).

PROVERBS 1:1-7

THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom
and instruction.

Fear of the Lord. that is, reverence for the Lord. The fear of the Lord is that reverent attitude compounded of love, awe, and gratitude that distinguishes men who have realized their own unworthiness and have found salvation in God's gracious plan. There is no form of mental training that can compare with the earnest study of the Scriptures.
Beginning. Heb. re'shith. This word can also mean "principal part." The fear of the Lord not only is the first step in the acquirement of all true knowledge but is also the central emphasis of knowledge. If knowledge does not lead to a surrende of life to Jesus Christ, it has missed its aim. "Call no man brilliant who has not the wisdom to choose the Lord Jesus Christ- the light and life of the world. The excellence of a man is determined by his possession of the virtues of Christ" (EGW letter 106, July 15, 1902).
Fools despise. In the Old Testament two different words are commonly used for fool, (1)'ewil and (2) kesil. Both designate stupid persons. Both occur frequently in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and seldom in any other book of the OT. Because the fool is contrasted with the wise man who has the fear of God, he stands portrayed as an impenitent sinner. Solomon presents the contrast between those who are continually learning more and more of God and His ways, and those who turn from righteousness and tread the path to everlasting death. The fools- those who do not fear the Lord, whether through a careless love of pleasure or willful defiance-reject all genuine wisdom. However much knowledge they may accumulate, the lack of the true center leaves them unbalanced, slaves to vain philosophies.