Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
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Wisdom Loves Righteousness
Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
- The first works for his food, the other steals, murders etc to sustain him.
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Proverbs 13:5 A righteous man hates lying,
But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner.
Proverbs 13:7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
- What is life if it is not in the living? God, family, friends, and relationships make one rich. The riches of possessions lead to loneliness, is the target of others, and paranoia.
Proverbs 13:8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Proverbs 13:10 By pride comes nothing but strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom.
- Pride: Trying to become more than that which God made you.
- Dignity: Using your God given gifts to serve others which brings about the fruit of that which the the prideful desire.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire (The Desire) comes, it is a tree of life.
- A true and accurate expression of life often experienced by men. It also has a prophetic flavor since Jesus is compared to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden and the Hope of Man.
- 1 Timothy 1:1 Greeting: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope…
- Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
He is also our heart’s desire:
- Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
We hope and wait for His return:
- Acts 1:9 Jesus Ascends to Heaven: Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
- Zechariah 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
- The symbolism of “The Tree of Life”:
- Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord (יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah) God (אֱלֹהִים ‘Elohiym) made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The two trees: one brings life and the other death.
The Tree of Life: man is totally dependent on God for one’s resources, like children who totally depend on their parents. These children are innocent and as long as they are innocent there is no need for law.
The other tree changed innocence into rebellion. It demands a law. Unfortunately, men are not able to keep the law and therefore the tree is the curse of death for men.
(Imagine the tree of good and evil (which brings the curse of death) being chopped down, sawed into beams, and made into a cross from which Jesus died on – in order to remove the curse of death and sin.)
The Tree of Life is symbolic of Jesus:
- Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the Desire (Jesus) comes, it (He) is a Tree of Life.
- Haggai 2:7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations (Jesus), and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.
Proverbs 13:13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
- John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life (Jesus),
To turn one away from the snares of death.
- Jesus is the fountain of life, the law of the wise, and the tree of life. All are eternal life.
Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding gains (gives) favor,
But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
Proverbs 13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly.
- Discretion is wisdom.
Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
But a faithful ambassador brings health.
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains (Lit. ignores) correction,
But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.
Proverbs 13:19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.
- The desire of the evil is to do evil.
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
- To walk with wise men is wisdom.
- Wisdom is being able to discern that which is most valuable.
Proverbs 13:21 Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
- Evil pursues sinners, hunts them down, tackles them, then drags them into hell.
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
- An intentional sinner is a fool. The fool and his money are soon parted.
- The inheritance of the righteous is the knowledge of God, a good name, a healthy respect toward authority, hard work, the reward of hard work and eternal life.
Proverbs 13:23 Much food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there is waste (Lit. what is swept away).
- Fallow ground is left fruitless. It becomes desolate and the poor go hungry. Prophetic of the land of Israel that was left desolate.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly (early).
- The rod is for direction and discipline, not for abuse.
- A child without appropriate consequences (a loss of something pleasurable) is a criminal in the making.
- “A scrawny calf is better than an over protected healthy one” ~Gunsmoke 06/09/22
Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
The stomach of the wicked is never satisfied, it is a bottomless pit of greed.