23 came in chiastic order, heightening the total impact of the psalm's two felony

23 came in chiastic order, heightening the total impact of the psalm's two felony

kings who succeeded Solomon, the theocratic anointing of the Spirit likely came on all of the descendants of David in connection with the Davidic Covenant. When the theocracy went out of existence as Judah was carried away into captivity, and the last Davidic king was disempowered, the theocratic anointing was no longer given (Ezek. 8–11). The kings of the northern tribes, on the other hand, being essentially apostate and not in the Davidic line, never had the benefit of this special ministry of the Spirit. ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 50:21 I have been silent . . . I rebuke you. God's longsuffering grace must never be looked upon as laxity (cf. 2 Pet. 3:3–10) nor abused. His reckoning for rebellion will indeed be manifested.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 50:22 Mark this. Before destruction mercifully comes an opportunity for deliberation and repentance.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 50:23 one who offers thanksgiving . . . glorifies me. Cf. v. 14. This remains the remedy for mere ritualism. The conclusions of vv. 22 and 23 came in chiastic order, heightening the total impact of the psalm's two felony charges (i.e., the recounting of ritualism, vv. 7–15; the recounting of rebellion, vv. 16–21; the remedy of repentance for rebellion, v. 22; the remedy of repentance for ritualism, v. 23).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:1–19 This is the classic passage in the OT on man's repentance and God's forgiveness of sin. Along with Ps. 32, it was written by David after his affair with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, her husband (2 Sam. 11–12). It is one of seven poems called penitential psalms (Ps. 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). To David's credit, he recognized fully how horrendous his sin was against God, blamed no one but himself, and begged for divine forgiveness.

I. Plea for Forgiveness (51:1–2) II. Proffer of Confession (51:3–6) III. Prayer for Moral Cleanness (51:7–12) IV. Promise of Renewed Service (51:13–17)

V. Petition for National Restoration (51:18–19)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:1 steadfast love. Even though he had sinned horribly, David knew that forgiveness was available, based on God's covenant love.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:4 Against you, you only. David realized what every

believer seeking forgiveness must, that even though he had tragically wronged Bathsheba and Uriah, his ultimate crime was against God and his holy law (cf. 2 Sam. 11:27). Romans 3:4 quotes Ps. 51:4.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:5 brought forth in iniquity. David also acknowledged that his sin was not God's fault in any way (vv. 4b, 6), nor was it some aberration. Rather, the source of David's sin was a fallen, sinful disposition, his since conception.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:7 hyssop. Old Testament priests used hyssop, a leafy plant, to sprinkle blood or water on a person being ceremonially cleansed from defilements such as leprosy or touching a dead body (cf. Lev. 14:6ff.; Num. 19:16–19). Here hyssop is a figure for David's longing to be spiritually cleansed from his moral defilement. In forgiveness, God washes away sin (cf. Ps. 103:12; Isa. 1:16; Mic. 7:19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:8 bones. A figure of speech for the framework of the entire person. He was experiencing personal collapse under guilt (cf. 32:3–4).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:11 your Holy Spirit from me. This is a reference to the special Holy Spirit anointing on theocratic mediators.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:12 willing spirit. God is generous, willing, and eager to uphold the believer. This mention of spirit possibly refers to the Holy Spirit.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 51:16 you will not delight in sacrifice. Ritual without genuine repentance is useless. However, with a right heart attitude, sacrifices were acceptable (see v. 19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 52:1–9 This psalm is a poetic lesson about the futility of evil, the final triumph of righteousness, and the sovereign control of God over the moral events of history. The event in David's life that motivated him to write this psalm is recorded in 1 Sam. 21–22.

I. The Rashness of the Wicked (52:1–5) II. The Reaction of the Righteous (52:6–7) III. The Rejoicing of the Godly (52:8–9)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 52:1 mighty man. A reference to Doeg, the chief of Saul's shepherds, who reported to Saul that the priests of Nob had aided David when he

was a fugitive (cf. 1 Sam. 22:9, 18–19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 52:5 God will break you down. Ultimately, the wicked are in the hands of a holy God (cf. Heb. 9:27).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 52:6 see and fear. God's punishment of the wicked serves as a reinforcement to the righteous to obey God. shall laugh at him. In the end, the wicked become a laughingstock in a universe controlled by God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 52:8 green olive tree. The psalmist exults (through this simile) that the one who trusts in the mercy of God is productive and secure.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 53:1–6 This psalm is nearly identical to Ps. 14 (Ps. 53:1–5a is from 14:1–5a; 53:6 is from 4:7). The major difference is 53:5, in which the psalmist celebrates a military victory over an enemy. Apparently Ps. 14 is here rephrased to apply to a specified war event, earning it a distinct place in the canon.

I. The Description of Those Who Reject God and His People (53:1–4) II. The Danger to Those Who Reject God and His People (53:5) III. The Deliverance of His People (53:6)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 53:Title Mahalath. The name of a tune or an instrument.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 53:1–4 See notes on Psalm 14. Romans 3:10–12 quotes Ps. 53:1–3.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 53:2 God. The reference to "God" rather than "Lord" is another difference between Ps. 14 and 53. "Elohim" is used three times in Ps. 14, but seven times in Ps. 53.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 53:5 in great terror. The verse describes a sudden reversal in the fortunes of war. The haughty enemy besieging Israel was suddenly terrified and utterly defeated. Historical examples of such unexpected terrors to Israel's enemy are recorded in 2 Chron. 20 and Isa. 37. scatters the bones. Perhaps nothing was more disgraceful to a nation at war than to have the bones of its dead army scattered over the land rather than buried.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:1–7 This psalm apparently comes from the same period of David's life as does Ps. 52. Even though David had recently rescued an Israelite

border town from the Philistines, he was still considered a traitor to Saul (1 Sam. 23 and 26). In the wake of this emotional devastation, David prayed to God for vindication. The psalm provides encouragement to any believer who has been maligned.

I. The Prayer for Deliverance (54:1–3) II. The Anticipation of Deliverance (54:4–5) III. The Thanksgiving for Deliverance (54:6–7)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:1 by your name. In the ancient world, a person's name was essentially the person himself. Here, God's name includes his covenant protection. vindicate. David requests that God will execute justice for him, as in a court trial when a defendant is declared not guilty.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:2 give ear. An anthropomorphism meaning "listen," "pay attention."

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:3 strangers. Either non-Israelites or Israelites who had broken the covenant with God might be called strangers. Since in this case Saul and the Ziphites are the oppressors, the strangers are apostate Israelites (cf. 1 Sam. 23:19; 26:1).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:5 in your faithfulness. Since God is omniscient, he can execute perfect justice against the wicked.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 54:7 looked in triumph. David anticipates with confidence that which he has seen in the past—the defeat of his enemies.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:1–23 In this individual lament, David pours out his heart to his Lord because a former close friend has betrayed him (vv. 12–14). There is a strong possibility that this psalm was occasioned by the betrayal of Absalom and/or Ahithophel (cf. 2 Sam. 15–18). Most of the psalm alternates between prayers for his enemy's ruin (Ps. 55:9, 15, 19, 23) and praises for God's blessings (vv. 16, 18, 22). The high point of the psalm for Christians who have been "stabbed in the back" by a confidant is v. 22. Though despairing, David expresses ultimate confidence in God.

I. The Prayer of Distress (55:1–8) II. The Prayer for Justice (55:9–15)

III. The Prayer of Assurance (55:16–23)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:3 drop trouble. The verb pictures something being tipped over, crashing down on the victim.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:6 wings like a dove! David expresses his escapist feelings.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:9 divide their tongues. Perhaps this is an allusion to the Tower of Babel, where God destroyed the force of the movement against him by multiplying languages (cf. Gen. 11:5–9).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:15 go down to Sheol alive. Since God had done this once with the enemies of Moses (Num. 16:30), David asks him to perform the same judgment on his enemies.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:19 they do not change. David's enemies were too set in their ways and too secure to pay any attention to God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:20 violated his covenant. This enemy had broken a treaty in his treachery, even against his allies.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:21 war was in his heart. Though the traitor talked peace, his intention was war.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord. The word for "burden" implies one's circumstances, one's lot. The psalmist promises that the Lord will uphold the believer in the struggles of life.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 55:23 the pit of destruction. Compare the unusual death of Absalom (2 Sam. 18:9–15) and the suicide of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 17:23).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:1–13 This psalm, apparently written when David had been endangered by the Philistines (1 Sam. 21:10–15), expresses the kind of confidence in the Lord that believers should exude when they find themselves in terrifying circumstances. David's natural reaction was to panic (Ps. 56:3, 4, 11). But he demonstrates in this psalm that the believer can replace potential terror with the composure of trust.

I. Fear and Faith (56:1–4) II. Destroyer and Deliverer (56:5–9)

III. Trust and Thanksgiving (56:10–13)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:Title according to The Dove. Possibly a tune name which links Ps. 56 with Ps. 55 (cf. 55:6ff.). See note on Psalm 16:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:3 I put my trust in you. Confidence in the Lord is a purposeful decision, replacing an emotional reaction to one's circumstances.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:5 All day. Anguish is intensified by unceasing harassment.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:7 In wrath. The anger of God is not an emotional loss of temper, but a judicial outrage resulting from God's holy nature reacting to wickedness and ungodliness.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:8 my tears . . . your bottle. David asked God to keep a remembrance of all of his sufferings, so that God would eventually vindicate him.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:11 What can man do to me? No human has the power to overcome God's providential control.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 56:12 vows. Confident that the Lord would deliver him, David had already vowed to present a thank offering to God (cf. Lev. 7:12; Ps. 50:14).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:1–11 This is another lament expressing supreme confidence in the Lord in the midst of calamitous circumstances. Though David finds himself hiding from Saul (see Title), he knows that his real refuge is not in the walls of the cave (cf. 1 Sam. 22:1; 24:3), but in the shadow of God's wings.

I. The Plea for Protection (57:1–6) II. The Proffering of Praise (57:7–11)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:Title Do Not Destroy. Possibly the opening words of a known song, implying that this psalm should be sung to the same tune. See note on Psalm 16:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:1 the shadow of your wings. Metaphorically, God cares for his own as a mother bird protects its young. Symbolically, there may be a reference here to the cherubim wings on the ark of the covenant where God was

specifically present (cf. Ex. 37:1–16; Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 61:4; 63:7; 91:1, 4). I will take refuge. When life becomes bizarre, only one's relationship with his God calms the soul.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:2 God Most High. God is transcendent, elevated far above his creation and all powerful. fulfills his purpose for me. God's transcendence (v. 2a) never removes him from intimate involvement in his peoples' lives.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:4 lions. The wicked are pictured as menacing animals, ready to destroy their prey with their razor-edged teeth (cf. 7:2; 10:9; 17:12; 22:13). fiery. The wicked are like a consuming fire.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:5 Be exalted, O God. A truly godly person wants God's glory to be exhibited more than he wants his own personal problems to be solved.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:6 a net . . . a pit. Set a trap, as a hunter might entangle an animal's feet with a net.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:7–11 These verses were borrowed by David for 108:1–5.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:8 my glory! The mind, that rational, intellectual, emotional part of a person that interacts with and praises God. See note on 16:9. I will awake the dawn. He cannot wait until morning to praise the Lord for all of his blessings. He must wake up the personified dawn so that he can praise the Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:9 the peoples . . . nations. References to Gentiles, nations that would not normally know Jehovah God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 57:10 to the heavens. David is thinking as broadly (v. 9) and as highly (vv. 10–11) as he can. God's mercy, truth, and glory are immense and unfathomable (cf. Rom. 11:33; Eph. 3:17–18).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:1–11 As a lament against tyranny, the first half of the psalm rehearses a series of charges against wicked leaders and judges; and the second half is an imprecatory prayer that they be obliterated. In the end, the psalmist is certain that God will act with ultimate justice.

I. The Indictment of Unjust Leaders (58:1–5)

II. The Imprecation Against Unjust Leaders (58:6–11)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:Title Do Not Destroy. See note on Psalm 57:Title. See note on Psalm 16:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:1 gods. The leaders were silent when they should have spoken up for righteousness.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:2 devise. These wicked rulers meditate on the strategy for wicked schemes.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:3 go astray from birth. All people are born totally depraved. Without being made new creatures in Christ by God's power, they are prevented by their wicked nature from pleasing God (cf. 51:5; Rom. 3:9–18; 2 Cor. 5:17).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:4 They have venom. The words and actions of these tyrants are like poisonous venom in a serpent's fangs. deaf adder. Like a cobra that cannot hear its charmer are these stubborn rulers, who ignore all encouragements to righteousness.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:6 break the teeth . . . fangs. The psalmist prays that the means of doing evil would be destroyed.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:7 vanish like water. An imprecatory prayer that the tyrants would disappear like water seeping into sand in a dry wadi. arrows . . . blunted. Apparently a prayer that the intentions of evil would be rendered as ineffective as broken arrows.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:8 snail that dissolves. A simile for that which is transitive, perhaps based facetiously on the idea that a snail depletes itself in its own trail as it moves along.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:9 Sooner than your pots . . . thorns. An obscure metaphor implying swiftness. The Lord will quickly destroy the wicked rulers.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:10 bathe his feet in the blood. The point of the figure is that the wicked will eventually be defeated and the righteous will share with the Lord in his victory.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 58:11 God who judges on earth. In the end, the righteous will see that Jehovah is not indifferent to injustices.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:1–17 This is another in a series of laments in which the psalmist pleads for God to defend him against his oppressors. The psalm is a mixture of prayers, unfavorable descriptions of the adversary, imprecations, and praise to God. Though written when David was king of Israel, the psalm recalls an earlier time of anguish when Saul sought to kill David (1 Sam. 19:11). Ultimately David's strong confidence in God's sovereignty transforms the lament into a song of assurance.

I. A Plea for God's Deliverance (59:1–15) II. Praise for God's Defense (59:16–17)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:Title Do Not Destroy. See note on Psalm 57:Title. Miktam. See note on Psalm 16:Title. Saul sent men . . . to kill him. The setting for the psalm is 1 Sam. 19:11. David's wife (Saul's daughter) helped David escape through a window in the middle of the night.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:5 God of hosts. "Hosts" represent God's angels as his army.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:6 howling like dogs. Dogs of the ancient world were often wild scavengers. Here, they serve as a simile for the messengers of Saul outside David's house setting an ambush.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:7 bellowing with their mouths. Pictures the coarse, uncouth character of Saul's henchmen (cf. v. 12). swords in their lips. Their conversation was dedicated to the assassination of David. "Who . . will hear . . . ?" A blasphemy implying that God either doesn't exist or doesn't know what happens in the affairs of mankind.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:8 all the nations. Gentiles (see note on Ps. 57:9). This phrase and "my people" in v. 11 imply that this psalm was written several years after the event when David was king and involved in international affairs. David wrote his psalms as a prophet under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit (2 Sam. 23:2).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 59:11 my people forget. The psalmist thinks that if the Lord were to destroy the wicked too quickly, the lesson of God's hatred of evil might

not be impressed on the minds of the people.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:1–12 This psalm is a national lament written after the unexpected military setback alluded to in 2 Sam. 8:13 and 1 Chron. 18:12. While David and the main part of his army were fighting in the northern part of the country, one of Israel's other neighboring enemies, Edom, successfully attacked the southern part of Judah. David ultimately prevailed in victory. The psalm expresses the feelings of a people shocked and confused by a tragedy that suggested that God had abandoned them. Psalm 60:5–12 is essentially repeated in 108:6–13.

I. The People's Contemplation of Abandonment (60:1–5) II. The Lord's Control over the Nations (60:6–8) III. The People's Confidence in God (60:9–12)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:Title Joab . . . struck down twelve thousand. The Lord soon rewarded their confidence in him, enabling the armies of Israel to slaughter the Edomites.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:2 land to quake. Earthquake imagery is used to illustrate that what appears secure sometimes is not.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:3 wine . . . that made us stagger. This metaphor compares the impact of wine on the mind with the confusion that comes from a bewildering event in life.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:4 banner. God and his truth serve as a rallying point for the perplexed people.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:5 beloved. Beloved refers to God's beloved people ruled over by David.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:6 Shechem . . . Succoth. These are two territories on opposite sides of the Jordan, occupied by Israel. Jacob had settled in Succoth (east of the Jordan) when he returned from his sojourn with Laban (cf. Gen. 33:17).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:7 Gilead . . . Ephraim. All of these key geographical locations in Israel ultimately belonged to God, who was more interested in their welfare than anyone else. helmet. Ephraim was the primary source of defense to the north of Israel. scepter. Judah was the tribe that was to govern Israel, and

from which David and his descendants came.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:8 Moab . . . Edom . . . Philistia. The three principal enemies surrounding Israel to the northeast, southeast, and west, respectively. Moab is my washbasin. The psalmist pictures Moab as a humble, menial servant to God, either being or bringing a washbasin for his use. upon Edom . . . shoe. The picture is that of a man entering his house and throwing his shoes to his servant. Edom, like Moab, was a servant under God's sovereign control. Philistia I shout. Here is a victorious battle shout from the pagans, who must realize God's power is behind Israel's victory.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 60:12 With God . . . valiantly. The nation relearned the truth that only God gives victory.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:1–8 David may have written this wonderful psalm when his own son, Absalom, temporarily drove him away from his throne in Israel (2 Sam. 15–18). The psalm is rich in metaphors and references to God's covenants with Israel. David once again demonstrates a godly response to overwhelming and depressing developments in life.

I. The Cry for Help (61:1–2) II. The Confidence in God (61:3–7) III. The Commitment to Loyalty (61:8)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:2 from the end of the earth. David's absence from his homeland compounds his feelings of discouragement and exhaustion. The phrase also hints at feelings of estrangement from God. my heart is faint. David's hope and courage were failing. the rock that is higher. David expresses his disregard of personal autonomy and his reliance on his God in this metaphor for refuge.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:3 strong tower. One of four figures of speech in vv. 3–4 for security; the strong towers stabilized the city walls and served as places of defense and refuge.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:5 heritage. Refers to the benefits, including life in the Promised Land (cf. Deut. 28–30), of participating in a covenant with God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:6 Prolong the life of the king. In the immediate context, David prays for himself in his struggle with Absalom. Beyond this, here is a prayer for the continuity of the divinely established monarchy. Because he

realized that one of his descendants would be the Messiah, David sometimes does not distinguish himself from the messianic dynasty.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:7 forever. The Davidic Covenant guaranteed that on the basis of God's merciful and faithful dealings with David and the nation, David's descendants would rule on the throne of Israel forever (cf. 2 Sam. 7; Ps. 40:11; 89:4, 33–37).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 61:8 perform my vows day after day. As a regular means of expressing thanksgiving for prayers answered, the psalmist promised daily obedience to his Lord (cf. 56:12).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:1–12 Whether Absalom's rebellion is the setting or not (2 Sam. 15–18), David writes this psalm while facing treason from someone. David faces the problem of his adversaries forthrightly (Ps. 62:3–4), but his thoughts focus primarily on God (cf. Phil. 4:4–13).

I. Affirming God's Covenant Relationship (62:1, 2, 5, 6) II. Confronting One's Treasonous Adversaries (62:3–4) III. Trusting God's Sovereignty (62:7–10) IV. Praising God's Power and Mercy (62:11–12)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:Title according to Jeduthun. An official temple musician. See note on Psalm 39:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:1 For God . . . waits in silence. Silence indicates trust that is both patient and uncomplaining (cf. v. 5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:2 greatly shaken. Means "demoralized."

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:3 leaning wall . . . tottering fence. A metaphor for imminent collapse. Some apply it to the victim, but as translated here it refers to the attacker.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:6 I shall not be shaken. David demonstrates his increased confidence in the Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 62:9 low estate . . . high estate. All men, regardless of social status, are woefully inadequate objects of trust.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:1–11 In deepest words of devotion, this psalm expresses David's intense love for his Lord. The psalm was written while David was in the Judean wilderness, either during his flight from Saul (1 Sam. 23), or more likely from Absalom (2 Sam. 15; cf. Ps. 63:11 "the king"). David writes from the perspective of these tenses:

I. Present—Seeking God's Presence (63:1–5) II. Past—Remembering God's Power (63:6–8) III. Future—Anticipating God's Judgment (63:9–11)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:1 earnestly I seek you. Eagerness to be with the Lord in every situation is more in view than the time of day. my soul thirsts. David longs for God's presence as a wanderer in a desert longs for water. in a dry and weary land. David writes this psalm while hiding in the wilderness of Judea, but longing to be back worshiping in Jerusalem.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:3 better than life. God's covenant love is more valuable to David than life itself (cf. Phil. 1:21; Acts 20:24).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:4 lift up my hands. As an OT posture of prayer, the upheld hands pictured both the ascent of prayer and the readiness to receive every good gift that comes from God (cf. James 1:17). It was thus a posture of trust in God alone.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:5 fat and rich food. A metaphor comparing the spiritual and emotional satisfaction of the divine presence with the satisfaction of rich banquet food.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:8 My soul clings to you. In response to God's repeated invitation to "hold fast" to him (Deut. 4:4; 10:20; 13:4), the psalmist clings to God. This signifies David's unfailing commitment to his Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:9 into the depths of the earth. A reference to the realm of the dead. See note on Eph. 4:9.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:10 jackals. Scavengers, feasting on unburied bodies (see note on Ps. 53:5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 63:11 who swear by him. The Mosaic Covenant instructed this practice expressing loyalty to the true God alone (cf. Deut. 6:13; 10:20; 1

Kings 8:31; Jer. 12:16).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:1–10 This psalm begins with a vivid description of the devious ways of the wicked, especially their speech (vv. 3–5, 8). Still, the psalmist does not fear that God will lose control of the situation. After seeing his justice at work, the righteous will be glad and trust all the more in him (v. 10).

I. The Malevolent Ingenuity of the Wicked (64:1–6) II. The Memorable Reciprocation by the Lord (64:7–10)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:1 preserve . . . from dread. The psalmist recognized that the fear of an enemy can be as destructive as an actual assault.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:3 whet their tongues. Their intent was to slander with their speech (cf. 59:7).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:4 from ambush. Anonymously.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:5 Who can see them? This was a question of brazen autonomy. They mock the omniscience of God (cf. 59:7).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:6 inward mind . . . heart . . . deep. The evil intent of the unrighteous flows from inward depravity.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:7 God shoots . . . arrow. The arrows of God, as OT history demonstrates, include natural judgments such as deadly disease, defeat, and calamity.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:8 brought to ruin . . . own tongues. God providentially steers the plots of the wicked to their own demise.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 64:9 tell. Believers should glorify God, not only for his love and mercy, but also for his marvelous acts of judgment on the wicked.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:1–13 This is a praise psalm, full of hopeful, confident, even enthusiastic feelings in response to God's goodness with no complaints or curses. The setting is a celebration at the tabernacle, perhaps at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, or the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, in the fall.

I. Praise for Spiritual Blessings (65:1–5) II. Praise for Natural Blessings (65:6–13)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:1 Zion. Specifically the hill in Jerusalem where Israel worshiped Jehovah, but also synonymous with the Promised Land (cf. 48:2; also 3:4; 9:12; 24:3; 68:5; 87). vows . . . performed. This is likely a reference to vows made by the farmers because of an abundant harvest (cf. 56:12; 61:8).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:2 all flesh come. Reference to the future millennial kingdom when all the world will worship the Lord (cf. Zech. 14:16–19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:3 atone. The word, found three times in the Psalms (78:38; 79:9), means to cover sin and its effects. In the OT, atonement was symbolized in sacrificial ritual (cf. Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:10–11), though actual forgiveness of sin was ultimately based on the death of Christ applied to the penitent sinner (cf. Heb. 9).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:5 hope . . . earth . . . seas. Unlike local heathen gods, Jehovah God is not just the God of a single locality. The universal worship of the Lord is required of all men (cf. Rom. 1:18–32) and will be a reality in the messianic era when the kingdom of God will cover the earth (cf. Isa. 2:1–4; Zech. 14:9).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:8 morning . . . evening. The nations who live in the east where the sun first makes its morning appearance, and those who live in the west where the sun disappears into darkness rejoice in the Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 65:11 wagon tracks overflow with abundance. Like a farm wagon dropping its overflow along the cart path.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:1–20 This joyful psalm begins with group praise and then focuses on the individual worship. The psalmist rehearses some of the major miracles in Israel's history and testifies that God has always been faithful in the midst of serious troubles.

I. Communal Hymn of Praise to God (66:1–12)

A. For Future Glory (66:1–4)

B. For Previous Faithfulness (66:5–7) C. For Continual Protection (66:8–12)

II. An Individual Hymn of Praise to God (66:13–20)

A. Through Fulfilled Vows (66:13–15)

B. For Answered Prayer (66:16–20)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:1 Shout for joy. A shout of loyalty and homage, as in 1 Sam. 10:24.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:4 All the earth worships you. This praise is not only an acknowledgment of God's universal Lordship, but also an intimation of the people's belief in a future worldwide kingdom where God will be worshiped (cf. Isa. 66:23; Zech. 14:16; Phil. 2:10–11).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:6 sea . . . river. A reference to the crossing of the Red Sea and possibly the Jordan River. The OT writers considered the Red Sea crossing the ultimate demonstration of God's power, as well as his care for Israel.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:9 feet slip. God had prevented them from prematurely slipping into the realm of the dead.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:10 tried us as silver. God had brought the nation through purifying trials.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:11 brought us into the net. The psalmist speaks of a hunter's net or snare as a metaphor for some extremely difficult situations into which God had brought Israel.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:12 ride over our heads. A picture of a hostile army riding in victory over Israel's defeated troops.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 66:13 perform my vows to you. Paying the vows is spelled out in the following verses as offering sacrifices of dedication that had been previously promised God (cf. Lev. 1; 22:18, 21; Ps. 56:12; 61:8; 65:1).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 67:1–7 This brief psalm develops two optimistic themes: the need and result of God's mercy, and the future universal worship of God. The psalm reflects the promise to Abraham that God would bless his descendants, and in Abraham, "all the families of the earth" (Gen. 12:1–3).

I. The Prayer for Divine Mercy (67:1–2) II. The Plea for Universal Worship (67:3–5)

III. The Prospect of Divine Blessings (67:6–7)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 67:1 face to shine. When a king smiled on a supplicant with pleasure, the petitioner was likely to receive his request (cf. Num. 6:24–26; Ps. 31:16; 44:3; 80:3, 7, 19; 119:135; Prov. 16:15).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 67:3 peoples. A reference to the inclusion of the Gentile nations in the millennial kingdom (cf. Isa. 56:3–8; 60:1–14; Zech. 14:16–19; Matt. 8:11; 25:31–46; Rev. 20:1–10).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:1–35 This exuberant psalm includes prayer, praise, thanksgiving, historical reminder, and imprecation. It expresses a pride in Jehovah God for his care over his people and his majesty in the universe. The writing of this psalm may have come out of David's jubilant restoration of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam. 6:12–15).

I. A Fanfare of Commendation (68:1–6) II. A Reflection on Faithfulness (68:7–18) III. An Acclamation of Majesty (68:19–31) IV. An Invitation to Praise (68:32–35)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:1 God shall arise. The first sentence in this psalm is essentially the same as Num. 10:35. It was perhaps a fanfare of words announcing the movement of the ark of the covenant (cf. Ps. 68:24–27; also 2 Sam. 6:12–15).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:4 name is the Lord. Other names for God in this psalm include God (Elohim, v. 1), Lord (Adonai, v. 11), Almighty (v. 14), Lord God (v. 18), God the Lord (v. 20), and King (v. 24).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:6 solitary in a home. God cares for those who have lost families, especially the orphans and widows (v. 5; cf. Ex. 22:22–24; Ps. 10:14; James 1:27). leads out the prisoners. Speaks of God's liberating prisoners of war.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:9 restored your inheritance. God sustains his covenant people.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:14 snow fall on Zalmon. "Zalmon" means "black" or "dark mountain." The "snow" pictures the contrast of corpses or bones scattered

over the mountain.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:15 mountain of Bashan. A mountain across the Jordan to the east, here figuratively described as jealous of Mount Zion (cf. v. 16), the place which had been chosen for the special presence of God (cf. Jer. 22:20–21).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:17 Sinai . . . in the sanctuary. God's presence had been with the armies in the same way it had been on Mount Sinai at the giving of the law (cf. Ex. 19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:18 ascended on high. Paul quotes this text in Eph. 4:8 where he applies it to Christ's ascending to the heavens in triumph.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:22 Bashan . . . sea. Whether the enemy tries to escape by land (Bashan) or by sea, God will bring them back to be destroyed by his people (cf. Amos 9:2–4).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:24 procession . . . sanctuary. A description of the celebration when the ark of the covenant, a symbol of God's presence, was brought to Mount Zion (cf. 1 Chron. 15:16–28).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:27 Benjamin . . . Naphtali. Representative tribes of Israel, two from the south (Benjamin and Judah) and two from the north (Zebulun and Naphtali).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:29 kings . . . gifts. This section of praise (vv. 28–35) looks forward to the Messiah's reign when the world will universally worship God in the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 2:2–4; 18:7; 45:14; 60:3–7; Ezek. 40–48; Hag. 2:7; Zech. 2:11–13; 6:15; 8:21–22; 14:16–19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 68:30 tribute. Tribute money, signifying subservience to God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:1–36 This psalm is a prayer of desperation. David realizes that because he is hated by others, he may shortly be killed. Though he begs for rescue, and calls down curses on his enemies, he concludes the psalm with a high note of praise, with inferences concerning the coming messianic kingdom when all enemies of God's people are dealt with swiftly and severely (cf. Rev. 2:27). Much of this psalm was applied to Christ by the NT writers. This psalm expresses the feelings of any believer who is being horribly ridiculed, but it

uniquely refers to Christ.

I. The Prayer of Desperation (69:1–28)

A. The Description of His Situation (69:1–3)

B. The Reason for His Situation (69:4–12) C. The Hope for His Situation (69:13–18) D. The Reproach of His Situation (69:19–21)

E. The Revenge for His Situation (69:22–28) II. The Promise of Salvation (69:29–36)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:Title according to Lilies. The name of a tune. See note on Psalm 45:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:4 hate me. Quoted in John 15:25.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:6 put to shame. The psalmist fears that his dismal situation may be a stumbling block to other believers.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:8 alien . . . sons. Even his family rejected him (cf. Matt. 12:46–50; John 7:3–5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:9 has consumed me. The psalmist has brought hatred and hostility on himself by his unyielding insistence that the behavior of the people measure up to their outward claim of devotion to God. Whenever God was dishonored he felt the pain, because he loved God so greatly. Jesus claimed for himself this attitude, as indicated in John 2:17 and Rom. 15:3.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:11 sackcloth. David's wearing of sackcloth, a symbol of grief, brought even more ridicule.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:12 sit in the gate. The highest in society, those who sat in the gate of a city, were usually governmental officials. Even there city leaders were gossiping about the psalmist. drunkards make songs. The dregs of society, the drunkards, ridiculed David in their raucous songs.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:15 pit close its mouth. The "pit" was another word for Sheol, the realm of the dead. The psalmist felt that death was imminent.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:21 poison . . . sour wine. The "poison" was probably gall,

a poisonous herb. Here it serves as a metaphor for betrayal. Friends who should provide sustenance to the psalmist had turned against him. Gall in wine was actually offered to Christ while he was on the cross (Matt. 27:34).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:22 table . . . become a snare. A snare was a trap for birds. The psalmist prays that the plots of the wicked against him would backfire and destroy them instead.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:22–23 Quoted in Rom. 11:9–10.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:25 Quoted in Acts 1:20 with reference to Judas.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:26 him whom you have struck down. Those hostile to the psalmist were ridiculing him as one suffering from God's chastisement. In its messianic application, the suffering of the Messiah was a part of God's plan from eternity past (cf. Isa. 53:10).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 69:31 more than an ox . . . bull. See 51:16; also Heb. 9:11– 12; 10:9–12. horns and hoofs. Implies a grown animal, one that would be especially valuable.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 70:1–5 This prayer for deliverance from one's enemies is nearly identical to 40:13–17. It substitutes "God" for "Lord" in 70:1, 4, 5.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 71:1–24 One of the features of the psalms is that they meet the circumstances of life. This psalm to God expresses the concerns of old age. At a time in his life when he thinks he should be exempt from certain kinds of troubles, he once again is personally attacked. Though his enemies conclude that God has abandoned him, the psalmist is confident that God will remain faithful.

I. Confidence in God Stated (71:1–8) II. Confidence in God Practiced in Prayer (71:9–13) III. Confidence in God Vindicated (71:14–24)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 71:3 continually. Psalm 71:1–3 is almost the same as 31:1– 3a. One difference, however, is the word "continually," which the elderly person writing this psalm wants to emphasize. God has "continually" been faithful (cf. 71:6, 14).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 71:7 a portent. A reference to his trials. People are amazed at this person's life, some interpreting his trials as God's care, and others as God's punishment.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 71:15 their number. The blessings of God's salvation and righteousness are innumerable.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 71:20 from the depths of the earth. Not actual resurrection, but rescue from near-death conditions and renewal of life's strength and meaning.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:1–20 This is a Coronation Psalm, dedicated to the prosperity of Solomon at the beginning of his reign (1 Kings 2). No NT writer applies any of the psalm to Christ. Still, since the Davidic kings and the Messiah's rule occasionally merge into each other in the OT literature, the messianic inferences here ought not to be missed (Ps. 72:7, 17; cf. Isa. 11:1–5; 60–62). This psalm describes a reign when God, the king, nature, all classes of society, and foreign nations all live together in harmony.

I. A Just Reign (72:1–4) II. A Universal Reign (72:5–11)

III. A Compassionate Reign (72:12–14) IV. A Prosperous Reign (72:15–17)

V. A Glorious Reign (72:18–20)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:1 your justice. A prayer that the king would faithfully mediate God's justice on the nation (cf. Deut. 17:18–20). the royal son. A reference primarily to Solomon, emphasizing his bond with the Davidic dynasty; but it also anticipates Messiah's reign as the culmination of the Davidic Covenant (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–13; Ps. 2:1–12).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:3 mountains . . . prosperity. When the king rules with justice and compassion, the earth itself radiates well-being.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:7 till the moon be no more. Primarily referring to the length of the Davidic dynasty, and possibly also specifically to the messianic reign (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:3–4, 29, 36–37; Luke 1:30–33). Jeremiah also makes the same kind of observation (cf. Jer. 33:23–26).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:8 the River. Israel's boundaries were to extend to the River Euphrates (cf. Ex. 23:31; 1 Kings 4:21; Ps. 89:25).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:10 Tarshish . . . Seba. Countries near and far that brought tribute to Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 4:21; 10:1, 23–24; Isa. 60:4–7; Jer. 6:20). Tarshish is probably in Spain; Sheba, a kingdom in southern Arabia (modern Yemen); and Seba, a north African nation.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 72:20 are ended. Asaph's psalms immediately follow after this (Ps. 73–83), though David did author some of the psalms included later in the collection (e.g., Ps. 86; 101; 103). This closes Book II (Ps. 42–72) of the Psalms.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:1–28 This psalm illustrates the results of allowing one's faith in God to be buried under self-pity. The psalmist became depressed when he contrasted the seeming prosperity of the wicked with the difficulties of living a righteous life. Beginning in v. 15, however, his attitude changes completely. He looks at life from the perspective of being under the control of a sovereign, holy God, and concludes that it is the wicked, not the righteous, who have blundered.

I. Perplexity Over the Prosperity of the Wicked (73:1–14)

A. Their Prosperity (73:1–5)

B. Their Pride (73:6–9) C. Their Presumption (73:10–14) II. Proclamation of the Justice of God (73:15–28)

A. His Perspective (73:15–17)

B. His Judgments (73:18–20) C. His Guidance (73:21–28)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:Title Asaph. Asaph was a Levite who led one of the temple choirs (1 Chron. 15:19; 25:1–2). His name is identified with Ps. 73–83, and also Ps. 50 (see note on 50:Title). He either wrote these psalms, or his choir sang them, or later choirs in the tradition of Asaph sang them.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:4 no pangs until death. The wicked seem to go through life in good health, without pain until they die. The Hebrew text could also be translated in the sense of dying a painless death.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:9 tongue struts through the earth. The insolent speech of the wicked can be heard anywhere one goes.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:10 find no fault in them. The Hebrew reads, "the waters of a full cup are drained by them" (see esv footnote). In this case, those who associate with the wicked person "drink in" everything he declares (cf. Ps. 1).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:11 Is there knowledge in the Most High? The wicked insist on living as if God is not omniscient and does not know what happens on earth.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:17 sanctuary of God. As the psalmist worshiped God at the worship center, he began to understand God's perspective on the fate of the wicked. This is the turning point of the psalm.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:20 despise them as phantoms. The wicked are like a bad dream that one forgets as soon as he awakens. Their well-being is fleeting.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:22 like a beast toward you. The psalmist confesses his sin of evaluating life secularly and faithlessly.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 73:27 perish; you put an end. The psalmist concludes that

those who abandon God and attempt to live an autonomous life based on selfchosen idols will eventually endure eternal death.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:1–23 This community lament expresses the agony of the people in the midst of the most excruciating of circumstances. It was bad enough that Israel's enemies had destroyed the temple (cf. 2 Kings 25). But even worse, it seemed to the psalmist that God had abandoned them. In this prayer he reminds God of his bond with Israel, his past supernatural deeds in the protection of Israel, and begs God to save his covenant nation now (cf. Ps. 137 and Lamentations).

I. The Terror of Abandonment (74:1–11) II. The Remembrance of Omnipotence (74:12–17) III. The Plea for Help (74:18–23)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:Title Asaph. If this psalm reflects the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., Asaph would have been dead by then. Thus this title may mean that this psalm was written by or sung by a later Asaph choir (see notes on Psalm 50; 73:Title).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:2 tribe of your heritage. The psalmist laments that even though God possessed Israel, he had not protected it.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:3 Direct your steps. An anthropomorphism meaning to hurry to come to examine the rubble.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:4 they set up their own signs for signs. The ravagers had set up their military and pagan religious banners in God's temple.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:5 swing axes. Like lumberjacks surrounded by trees, the enemy had furiously destroyed everything in sight in the temple of God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:8 the meeting places. God allowed only one sanctuary, and during Josiah's revival, the high places had been destroyed (cf. 2 Kings 22– 23). This may be a reference to the several rooms of the temple, or to nonsacrificial religious sites throughout the land.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:9 our signs. While hostile and pagan signs were everywhere, signs of true Jehovah worship, such as the altars for sacrifice, were missing.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:13 divided the sea. Most likely a reference to God's creation activity, rather than to the parting of the Red Sea (cf. Gen. 1:6–8; Ex. 14:26–31). sea monsters. This identifies whales, sharks, and other large sea creatures, including dinosaurs.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:14 Leviathan. See note on Job 41:1.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:15 split open springs and brooks. This may be a reference to the universal flood (cf. Gen. 7:11), or it may describe creation (Gen. 1:6–8).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:17 fixed all the boundaries. As Creator, God made day and night and the seasons (v. 16); he divided the land from the sea; and he even established national boundaries.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 74:20 the covenant. The people had apostatized (cf. Ex. 16:3–8). God, however, was still in an eternal covenant (the Abrahamic Covenant) with the nation (cf. Gen. 17:1–8).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:1–10 In this psalm, the believing community asserts that, in spite of physical, moral, and societal turmoil, God never loses control of the universe. He gives stability to earthly life, and he will judge the wicked at the appropriate time. Structurally, the psalm revolves around three metaphors: pillars of the earth (v. 3); horns (vv. 5–6, 10); and God's cup of wrath (v. 8).

I. Divine Stability of the Universe (75:1–3) II. Divine Justice over the World (75:4–10)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:Title Do Not Destroy. See note on Ps. 57:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:1 your name is near. God's name represents his presence. The history of God's supernatural interventions on behalf of his people demonstrated that God was personally immanent. But OT saints did not have the fullness from permanent, personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:1, 16–17; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:3 I . . . keep steady its pillars. In uncertain times, God stabilizes societies through his common grace.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:4 Do not lift up your horn. The horn symbolized an

animal's or human's strength and majesty (cf. Deut. 33:17; Amos 6:13; Zech. 1:18–21). Lifting up the horn apparently described a stubborn animal who kept itself from entering a yoke by holding its head up as high as possible. The phrase thus symbolized insolence or rebellion.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:8 cup. The cup of wrath describes God's judgment, which he forces down the throats of the wicked (cf. Job 21:20; Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:15– 29; Matt. 20:22; 26:39).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 75:10 horns . . . cut off. To cut off the horns of the wicked would be to humble them (cf. v. 4).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:1–12 This psalm teaches that God is willing to use his great power for his people. Some commentators, including the editors of the LXX, have suggested that this psalm was written to celebrate the destruction of Sennacherib's Assyrian army in 701 B.C., as well as the subsequent assassination of Sennacherib himself (vv. 5–6; cf. 2 Kings 18–19; Isa. 36–37). The psalm also includes eschatological overtones (especially Ps. 76:8–12), when Jehovah will defeat his enemies and bring them into judgment.

I. God's Nearness to His People (76:1–3) II. God's Deliverance of His People (76:4–9) III. God's Majesty to His People (76:10–12)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:Title Asaph. See notes on Psalm 50; 73; 74:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:3 broke the . . . arrows . . . shield . . . sword. God destroyed the enemy's weapons.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:4 mountains of prey. Probably a poetic description of the attackers.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:5 use their hands. God had crippled the enemy soldiers.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:10 wrath of man shall praise you. The railings against God and his people are turned into praise to God when God providentially brings the wicked down (cf. Isa. 36:4–20; Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:28).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 76:12 cuts off the spirit of princes. God shatters the attitude of proud governmental leaders who rebel against him.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:1–20 This psalm illustrates one cure for depression. The psalmist does not explain the cause of his despair, but he was definitely locked into gloom. When he thought about God, it only caused him to complain bitterly. But beginning in v. 10, the psalmist's mood starts to change because he commits himself to focusing on God's goodness and past acts of deliverance. His lament then changes into a hymn of praise.

I. The Irritations of a Depressed Soul (77:1–9) II. The Intention to Refocus the Mind (77:10–15) III. The Illustrations of God's Past Blessings (77:16–20)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:Title Jeduthun. See note on Psalm 39:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:2 hand is stretched out. This was the posture for prayer. The psalmist prayed throughout the night.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:4 hold my eyelids open. The psalmist was so upset that he could neither sleep nor talk rationally.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:6 my song in the night. The remembrance of happier times only deepened his depression. meditate in my heart. His spirit continually meditated on possible solutions to his problems.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:10 right hand of the Most High. The psalmist began to remember the times when God used his right hand (power) to strengthen and protect him.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:16 waters . . . afraid. A dramatic picture of God's parting the waters of the Red Sea (cf. v. 19; also Ex. 14:21–31; 15:1–19).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 77:17 your arrows. A metaphor for lightning flashes.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:1–72 This didactic psalm was written to teach the children how gracious God had been in the past in spite of their ancestors' rebellion and ingratitude. If the children learn well the theological interpretation of their nation's history, hopefully they would "not be like their fathers" (v. 8). The psalmist especially focuses on the history of the exodus.

I. Exhortation on the Instruction of Children (78:1–11) II. Lecture on the Graciousness of God (78:12–72)

A. Rehearsal of Israel's History (78:12–39)

B. Reiteration of Historical Lessons (78:40–72)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:2 parable. The word is used here in the broader sense of a story with moral and spiritual applications. dark sayings. Puzzling, ambiguous information. The lessons of history are not easily discerned correctly. For an infallible interpretation of history, there must be a prophet. The specific puzzle in Israel's history is the nation's rebellious spirit in spite of God's grace.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:9 Ephraimites. The act of treachery or apostasy of this largest of the northern tribes is not specifically identified in Israel's history.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:12 fields of Zoan. The regions of Zoan, an Egyptian city.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:13 waters stand like a heap. The parting of the Red Sea at the beginning of the exodus, which allowed Israel to escape from the Egyptian armies, was always considered by the OT saints to be the most spectacular miracle of their history (cf. Ex. 14).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:15 split rocks. Twice in the wilderness, when Israel desperately needed a great water supply, God brought water out of rocks (cf. Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:18 food they craved. Instead of being grateful for God's marvelous provisions of manna, the Israelites complained against God and Moses. God sent them meat, but also judged them (Num. 11).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:19 spread a table in the wilderness? The answer was "yes," but the question implied a sarcastic lack of faith.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:27 rained meat. A poetic description of the quail that dropped into Israel's camp in the wilderness (Num. 11:31–35).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:41 provoked the Holy One. The Israelites did this by doubting God's power.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:42 did not remember his power. The generations of Israelites who left Egypt and eventually died in the wilderness were characterized by ignoring God's previous acts of power and faithfulness. The following verses (vv. 42–55) rehearse the plagues and miracles of the exodus

from Egypt, which marvelously demonstrated God's omnipotence and covenant love.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:57 deceitful bow. This is a useless bow.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:60 dwelling at Shiloh. Shiloh was an early location of Jehovah worship in the Promised Land. The capture and removal of the ark from Shiloh by the Philistines symbolized God's judgment (cf. Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 1:9; 3:1; 4:1–22).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:65 strong man . . . wine. The picture is that of a furious, raging warrior entering the battle on Israel's side.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 78:68 the tribe of Judah. Instead of the prestigious tribes, God chose Judah. In Judah was Mount Zion where the central worship center of Jehovah was located. Also, David their king, as well as his royal descendants, were from this tribe.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:1–13 The historical basis for this lament psalm was probably Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the temple in 586 B.C. (cf. Ps. 74; 2 Kings 25:8–21; Lam. 1–5). The psalm contains prayer for the nation's spiritual needs, curses against the enemies of God's people, and praises in anticipation of God's actions. The psalm helps the believer express his anguish in a disaster when it seems as though God is aloof.

I. The Lamentation Over the National Disaster (79:1–4) II. The Supplication for Divine Intervention (79:5–13)

A. The Prayer for Vindication (79:5–7)

B. The Prayer for Forgiveness (79:8–9) C. The Prayer for Reprisal (79:10–12) D. The Praise for Response (79:13)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:1 nations. In this context, the word refers to heathen, pagan people. inheritance. The inheritance of God was national Israel, and specifically its capital city, Jerusalem, where the temple was located.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:9 atone. See 65:3. for your name's sake. A defeat of a nation was believed to be a defeat of its god. A mark of spiritual maturity is one's concern for the reputation of God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:10 Where is their God? The heathen were mocking Israel's God by saying that the destruction of the nation implied that its God was nonexistent.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:11 doomed to die! A prayer for the preservation of the prisoners awaiting execution in the enemy's dungeon.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 79:12 sevenfold into the lap. A petition that God would restore his reputation by bringing a destruction of the enemies much worse than what had happened to Israel.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:1–19 This psalm was probably written from Jerusalem in astonishment at the captivity of the 10 northern tribes in 722 B.C. The psalmist recognized that God's people had removed themselves through apostasy from the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant. So he begs God to act and to restore his people into covenant blessings (vv. 3, 7, 14, 19).

I. Prayer for Divine Restoration (80:1–3) II. Despair over God's Anger (80:4–7) III. Description of God's Vine (80:8–16a) IV. Prayer for Divine Restoration (80:16b–19)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:Title according to Lilies. The name of a tune. See note on Psalm 45:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:1 enthroned upon the cherubim. A reference to the ark of the covenant, a symbol for God's presence. The images of two cherubim sat on top of the ark, facing each other (cf. Ex. 37:1–9).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:3 face shine. See note on Ps. 67:1; cf. 80:7, 19.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:4 God of hosts. See note on Ps. 59:5; cf. 80:7, 14.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:8 vine out of Egypt. The vine is a metaphor for Israel, whom God delivered out of Egypt and nurtured into a powerful nation (cf. Isa. 5:1–7; 27:2–6; Matt. 21:33–40).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 80:17 son of man. In this context, this phrase is primarily a reference to Israel. In a secondary sense, the "son of man" may allude to the Davidic dynasty and even extend to the Messiah, since he is so frequently called by that title in the NT.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:1–16 This psalm was intended to be used in the celebration of one of the feasts of Israel, most likely the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles. After the call to worship (vv. 1–5), the psalm presents a message from God in the first person (vv. 6–16). This oracle pleads with Israel to "listen" to him (v. 13), so that he might pour out on the nation the blessings of the covenant.

I. A Call to Joyful Worship (81:1–5) II. A Call to Godly Obedience (81:6–16)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:Title to The Gittith. See note on Psalm 8:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:2 harp. A musical instrument with a long and narrow neck resembling a guitar. This word is rendered as lute by some translations.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:3 new moon . . . full moon. The seventh month of Israel's year (Tishri; September/October) culminated the festival year with a succession of celebrations. The month began with the blowing of the trumpets, continued with the Day of Atonement on the tenth day, and celebrated the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, on the fifteenth day when the moon was full. The Feast of Tabernacles praised God for his care in the wilderness wanderings, and also pointed to the coming kingdom (Matt. 17:1–4).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:5 language . . . had not known. Either the psalmist heard a message, the meaning of which he did not grasp, in which case this message is presented as an oracle in the following verses; or, the psalmist is referring to the Egyptian language, which the Jews did not know.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:6 hands . . . freed . . . basket. The Israelites in Egypt were forced to carry bricks and clay in baskets.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:7 secret place of thunder. Probably a reference to God's presence on Mount Sinai at the giving of the law (cf. Ex. 19:16ff.; 20:18ff.). waters of Meribah. Meribah, which means "strife" or "dispute," marked places where Israel tempted God (cf. Ex. 17:1–7; Num. 20:1–13; Ps. 95:8; 106:32).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:14 soon subdue their enemies. One of the blessings of obedience promised to Israel in the Mosaic Covenant was victory over its enemies (cf. Num. 33:52–56; Deut. 6:16–19; 7:16–24).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 81:16 honey from the rock. This phrase was first used by Moses in his song of praise (Deut. 32:13). Though honey is sometimes found in the clefts of rocks, the intent of the figure here is more likely to valuable food provided from unlikely places.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:1–8 This psalm, like Ps. 2 and 58, focuses on the injustices of tyranny. The psalmist pictures God standing in the assembly of earthly leaders, to whom he has delegated authority, and condemning their injustices. The final prayer of the psalmist (82:8) is that God hyimself will take direct control of the affairs of this world.

I. The Assembly of World Leaders Before God (82:1) II. The Evaluation of World Leaders by God (82:2–7) III. The Replacement of World Leaders with God (82:8)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:1 divine council. The scene opens with God having called the world leaders together. midst of the gods. The best interpretation is that these are human leaders, such as judges, kings, legislators, and presidents (cf. Ex. 22:8–9, 28; Judg. 5:8–9). God the Great Judge presides over these lesser judges.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:2–4 judge unjustly. God accuses the lesser human judges of social injustices that violate the Mosaic law (e.g., Deut. 24).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:5 darkness. Signifies both intellectual ignorance and moral iniquity. foundations of the earth are shaken. When leaders rule unjustly, the divinely established moral order that undergirds human existence is undermined.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:6 I said. Kings and judges are set up ultimately by the decree of God (2:6). God, in effect, invests his authority in human leaders for the stability of the universe (cf. Rom. 13:1–7). But God may revoke this authority (Ps. 82:7). You are gods. Jesus, in quoting this phrase in John 10:34, supported the interpretation that the "gods" were human beings. In a play on words, he claims that if human leaders can be called "gods," certainly the Messiah can be called God. sons of the Most High. Created by God for noble life.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:7 like men you shall die. In spite of being made in God's image, they were mortal and would die like human beings. fall like . . . prince. The unjust rulers would become vulnerable to the violent deaths that often accompanied tyranny.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 82:8 you shall inherit all the nations. The psalmist prayerfully anticipates the future when God will set up his kingdom and restore order and perfect justice to a sin-cursed world (cf. Ps. 96–97; Isa. 11:1–5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:1–18 This psalm, a national lament that includes prayer and imprecations, may be best studied with a map since several individual national enemies of Israel are noted. Second Chronicles 20:1–30 may record the specific historical event prompting this psalm, though some Bible students

believe that the nations mentioned are only symbolic of all of Israel's enemies. The psalmist begs God to rescue Israel from its enemies as he had done so many times in the past.

I. A Plea for Help (83:1) II. A Protest Against Israel's Enemies (83:2–8) III. A Petition for Divine Judgment (83:9–18)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:2 your enemies. Throughout this psalm, the hostile nations are described as God's enemies.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:4 wipe them out. The hostile nations, under Satan's influence, repudiated God's promise to preserve forever the nation of Israel (cf. Gen. 17:7–8; Ps. 89:34–37).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:6 Edom . . . Hagrites. The list of nations represents Israel's enemies throughout its history. Edom descended from Esau and lived southeast of Israel. The Ishmaelites, descendants from Abraham and Hagar, were Bedouin tribes. The Moabites descended from Lot (cf. v. 8) and were tribal people living east of the Jordan (cf. Judg. 11:17–18; Isa. 15–16). The Hagrites were a nomadic tribe living east of the Jordan (1 Chron. 5:10, 19–20).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:7 Gebal . . . Tyre. Gebal was probably a community south of the Dead Sea, near Petra in Edom. Ammon, a nation descending from Lot, was located east of the Jordan River. The Amalekites, nomads living southeast of the Jordan River, were descendants of Esau (cf. Gen. 36:12, 16; Ex. 17:8–13; Num. 24:20; Judg. 6:3; 1 Sam. 15:1–8). Philistia was located southwest of Israel (Judg. 14–16). Tyre was northwest of Israel (cf. Ezek. 27).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:8 Asshur. Probably a reference to Assyria, the dominant nation of the eighth century B.C. that took captive the northern 10 tribes of Israel in 722 B.C. Assyria used smaller nations, like Moab and Ammon (the children of Lot; cf. Gen. 19:36–38), to accomplish its military goals.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:9 Midian . . . Jabin. The psalmist reminded God of famous past victories. Gideon had defeated the Midianites (Judg. 7:19–25). Barak and Deborah defeated Jabin and his army commander, Sisera, near the Brook Kishon (Judg. 4–5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:11 Oreb . . . Zalmunna. These men were chiefs of the

Midianites when they were defeated by Gideon (cf. Judg. 6–8).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:13–15 The psalmist uses several dramatic similes in his prayer for the destruction of Israel's enemies.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 83:18 know . . . Most High. The purpose of the maledictions against the hostile nations is neither personal nor national, but spiritual: that the nations may know and glorify God. you alone . . . the Lord. The Gentile nations need to know that the God of the Bible is the only God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:1–12 This psalm, like other psalms of ascent (Ps. 120– 134), expresses the joy of a pilgrim traveling up to Jerusalem, then up into the temple to celebrate one of the feasts. The pilgrim focuses his attention especially on the thought of being in the very presence of the Lord God. The NT believerpriest, in an even greater way, can come into the presence of the Lord (cf. Heb. 4:16; 10:19–22).

I. The Expectation of Worshiping God (84:1–4) II. The Expedition to Worship God (84:5–7) III. The Elation at Worshiping God (84:8–12)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:Title to The Gittith. See note on Psalm 8:Title. Sons of Korah. These descendants of Levi through Kohath were the gatekeepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem (1 Chron. 6:22; 9:17–32; 26:1; see all Ps. 42–49; 84; 85; 87; 88).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:1 lovely is your dwelling place. The temple worship center was "lovely" because it enabled the OT saint to come into the presence of God (cf. Ps. 27; 42:1–2; 61:4; 63:1–2). Lord of hosts! "Hosts" represent God's angelic armies, thus God's omnipotence over all powers in heaven and on earth (cf. 84:3, 8, 12).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:2 longs . . . faints . . . sing for. The psalmist is consumed with his happy, but intense desire to worship God in the temple.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:3 sparrow . . . swallow. The psalmist admires these birds who were able to build their nests in the temple courtyards, near the altars of God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:4 Blessed. This word is used three times (vv. 4, 5, 12) to

describe the happiness of those who, like the Sons of Korah, "lodged around the house of God" (1 Chron. 9:27).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:6 Valley of Baca. "Baca" can be translated as "weeping" or "balsam tree." The valley was an arid place on the way to Jerusalem. they make it a place of springs. The pilgrims traveling to a festival of worship at Jerusalem turn an arid valley into a place of joy.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:7 from strength to strength. Anticipation of joyous worship of God in Jerusalem overcame the pilgrims' natural weariness in their difficult journey. Zion. See note on Ps. 87:2.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:9 Behold our shield. A metaphor for the king, who also would have participated in a festival at the temple (cf. 47:9; Hos. 4:18). the face of your anointed. The king is regularly described as God's "anointed" (Ps. 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51). The psalmist thus prays that God would look upon the king with favor, blessing his reign with prosperity.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:10 doorkeeper. One day standing at the door of the temple, or just being near even if not inside, was better than a thousand days fellowshiping with the wicked.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 84:11 sun and shield. This pictures God's overall provision and protection.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:1–13 The psalmist pledges that God will again demonstrate his covenant love to Israel. God has been merciful in the past; he is angry presently; but he will restore Israel in the future (cf. Deut. 30; Hos. 3:4–5). Though God judges, he is faithful to his promises. The feelings expressed in this psalm may describe those of the Jews returning from exile in Babylon. Though they were grateful for restoration to their land, they were disappointed that the conditions did not measure up to the glory of the preexilic life there (cf. Ezra 3:12–13).

I. Review of God's Past Mercies (85:1–3) II. Recognition of God's Present Anger (85:4–7) III. Revelation of God's Future Salvation (85:8–13)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:Title Sons of Korah. See note on Psalm 84:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:1 favorable to your land. In the past, God deemed his nation, Israel, to be acceptable.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:3 your hot anger. See note on Ps. 56:7.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:7 steadfast love. The word means "loyal love" or "unfailing love," and specifies God's faithfulness to his people through his covenant relationship.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:8 peace. Ultimately this comes in the Messiah's kingdom (cf. Matt. 10:34; Luke 2:14).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:9 salvation . . . who fear him. Only those who renounce their sinful autonomy and put their complete trust in the living God will participate in the blessings of salvation and the future kingdom (cf. John 3:3–5). glory may dwell in our land. The departure of the glory of God, which signified his presence, is described in Ezek. 10–11. He withdrew his glory because of the apostasy of the nation immediately preceding the Babylonian exile (cf. Ezek. 8–11). The return of the glory of the Lord in the future millennial temple is foretold in Ezek. 43:1–4 (cf. Ps. 26:8; 63:2; Isa. 40:3–5; 60:1–3; 62:1– 5). See note on Lev. 9:23.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:10 Steadfast love . . . faithfulness . . . righteousness . . . peace. These four spiritual qualities characterizing the atmosphere of the future kingdom of Christ, will relate to each other in perfect harmony and will saturate kingdom life (cf. vv. 10, 13).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 85:12 our land . . . increase. Increase in the fertility and productivity of the land will also characterize the future kingdom of Christ (cf. Isa. 4:2; 30:23–26; 32:15; Jer. 31:12; Ezek. 36:8–11; Amos 9:13–15; Zech. 8:11– 12).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:1–17 This psalm is an individual lament (cf. Ps. 56) in which David expresses his distress and overcomes that distress through praise and worship. There is a sense of urgency demonstrated by some 14 prayer requests. Undergirding the requests is the covenant relationship (86:2, 5, 13).

I. The Request for God's Attention (86:1–7) II. The Testimony to God's Uniqueness (86:8–13) III. The Plea for God's Deliverance (86:14–17)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:2 I am godly. David, though recognizing his sinfulness (v. 1), insisted that by the grace of God he had not broken his covenant with the Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:4 soul . . . soul. The psalmist requests that his inner person would be preserved according to the covenant agreements (cf. Deut. 7–8; 20).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:8 among the gods. David is here contrasting the true God with the imaginary deities of the heathen nations (cf. v. 10; also Ex. 15:11; Ps. 89:6; Isa. 46:5–11).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:9 All the nations . . . worship. The psalmists and prophets often look into the future messianic age when all the nations of the world will worship the Lord (cf. 22:27; Isa. 2:3; Zech. 8:21–22; 14:16–19; Rev. 15:4).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:11 unite my heart. The psalmist prays that he would have an undivided heart, single-heartedly loyal to his Lord (cf. Rom. 7:15; James 1:8).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:14 insolent men. The insolent (i.e., proud, arrogant) are those who act independently from God, rebelling against him and his people (cf. 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, 122).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:16 the son of your maidservant. David asks for special favor from God just as a servant born in the household would receive more than a servant brought in from outside the household (cf. 116:16).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 86:17 a sign. A request for a favorable indication that would demonstrate that God was truly on David's side.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:1–7 This psalm describes the Lord's love for Jerusalem and exalts this city as the religious center of the world in the coming messianic kingdom (cf. Ps. 48). Though the nations of the world (even including some of Israel's former enemies) will worship the Lord then, Israel will still be the favored nation (cf. Isa. 2:2–4; 19:23–25; 45:22–25; 56:6–8; Zech. 8:20–23; 14:16–19).

I. The Lord's Love for Zion (87:1–3) II. The Lord's Favor of Israel (87:4–6) III. The Musicians' Exultation over Jerusalem (87:7)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:Title Sons of Korah. See note on Psalm 84:Title.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:1 holy mount . . . he founded. The city founded by the Lord was Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judea.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:2 gates of Zion. Zion is a poetic description of Jerusalem, seemingly used by the OT writers when special spiritual and religious significance was being attached to the city. Though God certainly loved other cities in Israel, he did not choose any of them to be his worship center (cf. Ps. 122; 125; 132; 133). The gates represent the access of the potential worshiper into the city where he could come into a special worshiping relationship with God. more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. The other cities in Israel were not chosen by God to be the place of his special dwelling.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:3 O city of God. Jerusalem was God's city because there God met his people in praise and offerings.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:4 Rahab and Babylon. Rahab was a monster of ancient pagan mythology and symbolized Egypt in the OT (cf. 89:10; Isa. 30:7; 51:9). Two of the superpowers of the ancient world, fierce enemies of Israel, will one day worship the Lord in Zion (cf. Isa. 19:19–25). Philistia . . . Tyre . . . Cush. Three more Gentile nations, ancient enemies of Israel, whose descendants will worship the Lord in Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 14:28–32; 18:1–7). This multinational worship is pictured as a great joy to the Lord himself. This one was born there. To be born in Jerusalem will be noted as a special honor in the messianic kingdom (cf. Ps. 87:5–6; also Zech. 8:20–23).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 87:7 All my springs are in you. "Springs" is a metaphor for the source of joyful blessings. Eternal salvation, including the death and resurrection of Christ, is rooted in Jerusalem. The prophets also tell of a literal fountain flowing from the temple in Jerusalem that will water the surrounding land (cf. Joel 3:18; Ezek. 47:1–12).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:1–18 This lament is unusual in that it does not end on a happy note. The psalmist has been ill or injured since the days of his youth (v. 15) and bemoans God's failure to hear his prayer for good health. He assumes that God is angry with him, but like Job, he knows of no cause for that anger. But though he does not understand God's ways, the psalmist does turn to God, thus indicating an underlying trust.

I. Complaints Against God's Action (88:1–9) II. Challenges to God's Wisdom (88:10–12) III. Charges Against God's Conduct (88:13–18)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:Title Sons of Korah. See note on Psalm 84:Title. Mahalath Leannoth. "Mahalath" is either the name of a tune or an instrument, possibly a reed pipe that was played on sad occasions. "Leannoth" may mean "to afflict" and describes the despair that permeates this psalm. Maskil. See note on Psalm 32:Title. Heman the Ezrahite. Heman was a musician from the family of the Kohathites, who founded the Korahite choir (cf. 1 Chron. 6:33; 2 Chron. 5:12; 35:15). He may be the same person who was one of the wise men during Solomon's reign (1 Kings 4:31). "Ezrahite" may mean "native born," or may be the name of a family clan (cf. 1 Chron. 2:6).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:4 go down to the pit. "Pit" is one of several references to the grave in this psalm (cf. the dead, vv. 5, 10; Sheol, or the grave, vv. 3, 5, 11; Abaddon, v. 11).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:5 set loose among the dead. Expresses the idea that death cuts off all ties to friends and family as well as to God.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:7 all your waves. Like the waves rolling onto the seashore, so God has directed trouble after trouble on the psalmist (cf. v. 17).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:8 companions to shun me. The psalmist claims that the Lord has turned his friends against him. Some see this as a quarantine experience, as from leprosy (cf. v. 18; also Job 19:13–20).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:9 eye grows dim. This could be a description of the psalmist's tears, used as a figure for his entire collapse under this distress.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:10 wonders for the dead? The psalmist reminds God, through a series of rhetorical questions, that the dead cannot testify to God's goodness.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:14 hide your face. That is, not answer prayer.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:15 death from my youth The psalmist has had some serious illness or injury from the time of his youth.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 88:18 beloved . . . friend . . . companions. See note on v. 8.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:1–52 This psalm describes the author's attempt to reconcile the seeming contradictions between his theology and the reality of his nation's conditions. Through the first 37 verses, he rehearses what he knows to be theologically accurate: God has sovereignly chosen Israel to be his nation, and David's descendants to rule. The last third of the psalm reflects the psalmist's chagrin that the nation had been ravaged and the Davidic monarchy had apparently come to a disgraceful end. To his credit, the psalmist refuses to explain away his theology, but instead keeps the tension, hopefully to be resolved at a later time with the promised reestablishment of an earthly kingdom under one of David's descendants (cf. Ps. 110; 132).

I. God's Manifest Faithfulness to the Davidic Covenant (89:1–37)

A. God's Covenant Love (89:1–4)

B. God's Praiseworthiness (89:5–18) C. God's Covenant with David (89:19–37) II. God's Apparent Neglect of the Davidic Covenant (89:38–52)

A. The Psalmist's Lament (89:38–45)

B. The Psalmist's Consternation (89:46–51) C. The Doxology (89:52)

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:Title Ethan the Ezrahite. Possibly the Levitical singer mentioned in 1 Chron. 6:42 and 15:17, 19 (see note on Psalm 88:Title).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:1 steadfast love. See note on Ps. 85:7 (cf. Ps. 89:2, 14, 24, 28, 33, 49).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:2 you will establish . . . faithfulness. The psalmist exults that the Lord himself will guarantee the eternality of the Davidic dynasty (cf. 2 Sam. 23:5).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:3 covenant with my chosen. The Davidic Covenant, culminating in Messiah's reign, was established in 2 Sam. 7 (cf. 1 Kings 8:23; 1 Chron. 17; 2 Chron. 21:7; Ps. 110; 132). The covenant was in the form of a royal grant covenant as God, the Great King, chose David as his servant king. In this type of covenant, the person with whom the Lord established the covenant could violate the terms of the covenant and the Lord would still be obligated to maintain the covenant.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:4 offspring forever . . . throne. The covenant with David was extended to his descendants. The throne promise guaranteed that the rightful heir to the throne would always be a descendant of David (cf. vv. 29, 36; see also 2 Sam. 7:13, 16, 18; Luke 1:31–33). The genealogies of Jesus qualify him for the throne (cf. Matt. 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:5 faithfulness. The word suggests constant and habitual actions, meaning here that God was reliable. For God to violate this consistency of actions would be to violate his very nature (cf. vv. 1–2, 8, 24, 33, 49).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:6 heavenly beings. Lit., "sons of God," i.e., angels.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:7 council of the holy ones. This pictures a gathering of the angels around their sovereign Lord.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:10 Rahab. A figurative term for Egypt. See note on Ps. 87:4.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:12 Tabor and Hermon. Mountains in Israel pictured joining in praise with the rest of creation.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:15 festal shout. Refers to a cheer, a shout of joyful homage to God (cf. 33:3; 47:5; 95:1; 98:4; 100:1. See note on Ps. 66:1).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:17 our horn is exalted. See note on Ps. 75:4 (cf. 89:24).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:18 shield belongs to the Lord. The "shield" was a metaphor for the king (see note on Ps. 84:9).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:19 your godly one. The "godly ones" (cf. esv footnote) were people like the prophet, Nathan, whom the Lord used to tell David about his covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:4ff.).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:25 hand . . . sea . . . rivers. A reference to the promise of Ex. 23:31 that the Lord would give Israel the land between the Red Sea and the Euphrates River.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:27 the firstborn. The firstborn child was given a place of special honor and a double portion of the inheritance (Gen. 27; 2 Kings 2:9). However, in a royal grant covenant, a chosen person could be elevated to the

level of firstborn sonship and thus have title to a perpetual gift involving dynastic succession (cf. Ps. 2:7). Though not actually the first, Israel was considered the firstborn among nations (Ex. 4:22); Ephraim the younger was treated as the firstborn (Gen. 48:13–20); and David was the firstborn among kings. In this latter sense of prominent favor, Christ can be called the firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15), in that he is given the preeminence over all created beings.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:32 rod . . . stripes. The rod was an instrument for inflicting wounds, and the stripes were marks left by such a flogging. God's warning reflects his knowledge of the evident potential for disobedience among the descendants of David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:14). In the lifetime of David's grandsons, for example, the kingdom was split with the 10 northern tribes leaving the rulership of the Davidic line (cf. Jer. 31:31 and Ezek. 37:16–17 for the future reunification of the 12 tribes).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:33 my steadfast love. Though the Lord might have to severely discipline David's descendants, he would never remove his covenant from this family (cf. 2 Sam. 7:15). Thus the covenant could be conditional in any one or more generations and yet be unconditional in its final outcome (cf. Ezek. 37:24–28).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:37 faithful witness in the skies. God's covenant with David regarding his descendants was as certain as the establishment of the sun (v. 36) and the moon in the heavens (cf. Jer. 33:14–26). The promise involved a kingdom "in the land" (Jer. 33:15).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:39 renounced the covenant. The Hebrew word behind "renounced" is rare, and it may better be translated "disdained." It seemed to the psalmist that the condition of Israel indicated that God was neglecting his covenant with David (cf. Ezek. 37:1–14). defiled his crown. This depicts a serious insult to the dynasty because it is of divine origin.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:40–45 The ruin is depicted in several images: left with broken hedges, thus defenseless; a stronghold whose ruins invite invaders; a weakling plundered by all his enemies; a soldier with a useless sword; and a youth prematurely old.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:45 cut short the days of his youth. This is a figure for the

relative brevity of the Davidic dynasty. The dynasty was cut off in its youth.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:46 hide yourself forever? By God's seeming refusal to answer prayer and restore the Davidic kingship, it seemed as though God was hiding himself. Of course, the discipline of disobedient kings had been foretold (v. 32). According to the prophets, God would eventually restore Israel and the Davidic throne in an earthly kingdom (cf. Hos. 3:4–5). Never in the OT is there a sense that this Davidic promise would be fulfilled by Christ with a spiritual and heavenly reign.

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:47 The prosperity of the Davidic kingdom is linked to the welfare of all people (cf. 72:17; Isa. 9:7; 11:1–10). If the kingdom fails, who can survive? (Ps. 89:48).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:49–51 Here is a final plea for God to come to the help of his people, so as to avoid reproach (cf. Isa. 37:17–35).

PSALMS—NOTE ON 89:52 Blessed be the Lord. This blessing, indicating returning confidence, closes not only Ps. 89, but all of Book III (Ps. 73–89) of the Psalms.

Proverbs

Proverbs 1 • Proverbs 2 • Proverbs 3 • Proverbs 4 • Proverbs 5 • Proverbs 6 •

Proverbs 7 • Proverbs 8 • Proverbs 9 • Proverbs 10 • Proverbs 11 • Proverbs 12 • Proverbs 13 • Proverbs 14 • Proverbs 15 • Proverbs 16 • Proverbs 17 • Proverbs 18 • Proverbs 19 • Proverbs 20 • Proverbs 21 • Proverbs 22 • Proverbs 23 • Proverbs 24 • Proverbs 25 • Proverbs 26 • Proverbs 27 • Proverbs 28 • Proverbs 29 • Proverbs 30 • Proverbs 31 Introduction to Proverbs

Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes

Introduction to Proverbs

Title

The title in the Hebrew Bible is "The Proverbs of Solomon" (1:1), as also in the Greek Septuagint (LXX). Proverbs pulls together the most important 513 of the over 3,000 proverbs pondered by Solomon (1 Kings 4:32; Eccles. 12:9), along with some proverbs of others whom Solomon likely influenced. The word "proverb" means "to be like," thus Proverbs is a book of comparisons between common, concrete images and life's most profound truths. Proverbs are simple, moral statements (or illustrations) that highlight and teach fundamental realities about life. Solomon sought God's wisdom (2 Chron. 1:8–12) and offered "pithy sayings" designed to make men contemplate 1) the fear of God and 2) living by his wisdom (Prov. 1:7; 9:10). The sum of this wisdom is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:30).

Author and Date

The phrase "Proverbs of Solomon" is more a title than an absolute statement of authorship (Prov. 1:1). While King Solomon, who ruled Israel from 971–931 B.C. and was granted great wisdom by God (see 1 Kings 4:29–34), is the author of the didactic section (Prov. 1–9) and the proverbs of 10:1–22:16, he is likely only the compiler of the "sayings of the wise" in 22:17–24:34, which are of an uncertain date before Solomon's reign. The collection in chs. 25–29 was originally composed by Solomon (25:1) but copied and included later by Judah's king Hezekiah (c. 715–686 B.C.). Chapter 30 reflects the words of Agur and ch. 31 the words of Lemuel, who perhaps was Solomon. Proverbs was not assembled in its final form until Hezekiah's day or after. Solomon authored his proverbs before his heart was turned away from God (1 Kings 11:1–11), since the book reveals a godly perspective and is addressed to the "naive" and "young" who need to learn the fear of God. Solomon also wrote Psalms 72 and 127, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. See Introduction: Author and Date for Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

Background and Setting

The book reflects a threefold setting as: 1) general Wisdom literature; 2) insights from the royal court; and 3) instruction offered in the tender relationship of a father and mother with their children, all designed to produce meditation on God. Since Proverbs is Wisdom literature, by nature it is sometimes difficult to understand (1:6). Wisdom literature is part of the whole of OT truth; the Priest gave the Law, the Prophet gave a Word from the Lord, and the Sage (or wise man) gave his wise Counsel (Jer. 18:18; Ezek. 7:26). In Proverbs, Solomon the Sage gives insight into the "knotty" issues of life (Prov. 1:6) that are not directly addressed in the Law or the Prophets. Though it is practical, Proverbs is not superficial or external because it contains moral and ethical elements stressing upright living that flow out of a right relationship with God. In 4:1–4, Solomon connected three generations as he entrusted to his son Rehoboam what he learned at the feet of David and Bathsheba. Proverbs is both a pattern for the tender impartation of truth from generation to generation, as well as a vast resource for the content of the truth to be imparted. Proverbs contains the principles and applications of Scripture that the godly characters of the Bible illustrate in their lives.

Historical and Theological Themes

Solomon came to the throne with great promise, privilege, and opportunity. God had granted his request for understanding (1 Kings 3:9–12; 2 Chron. 1:10–12), and his wisdom exceeded all others (1 Kings 4:29–31). However, the shocking reality is that he failed to live out the truth that he knew and even taught his son Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:1, 4, 6–11), who subsequently rejected his father's teaching (1 Kings 12:6–11).

Proverbs contains a gold mine of biblical theology, reflecting themes of Scripture brought to the level of practical righteousness (Prov. 1:3), by addressing man's ethical choices, calling into question how he thinks, lives, and manages his daily life in light of divine truth. More specifically, Proverbs calls man to live as the Creator intended him to live when he made man (Ps. 90:1–2, 12).

The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the wise (the righteous who obey God) live longer (Prov. 9:11), prosper (2:20–22), experience joy (3:13–18) and the goodness of God temporally (12:21), while fools suffer shame (3:35) and death (10:21). On the other hand, it must be remembered that this general principle is balanced by the reality that the wicked sometimes prosper (Ps. 73:3,

12), though only temporarily (Ps. 73:17–19). Job illustrates that there are occasions when the godly wise are struck with disaster and suffering.

There are a number of important themes addressed in Proverbs, which are offered in random order and address different topics, so that it is helpful to study the proverbs thematically as illustrated.

I. Man's Relationship to God A. His Trust Prov. 22:19 B. His Humility Prov. 3:34 C. His Fear of God Prov. 1:7 D. His Righteousness Prov. 10:25 E. His Sin Prov. 28:13 F. His Obedience Prov. 6:23 G. Facing Reward Prov. 12:28 H. Facing Tests Prov. 17:3 I. Facing Blessing Prov. 10:22 J. Facing Death Prov. 15:11 II. Man's Relationship to Himself A. His Character Prov. 20:11 B. His Wisdom Prov. 1:5 C. His Foolishness Prov. 26:10–11 D. His Speech Prov. 18:21 E. His Self Control Prov. 6:9–11 F. His Kindness Prov. 3:3 G. His Wealth Prov. 11:4 H. His Pride Prov. 27:1 I. His Anger Prov. 29:11 J. His Laziness Prov. 13:4 III. Man's Relationship to Others A. His Love Prov. 8:17 B. His Friends Prov. 17:17 C. His Enemies Prov. 16:7 D. His Truthfulness Prov. 23:23 E. His Gossip Prov. 20:19 F. As a Father Prov. 20:7; 31:2–9 G. As a Mother Prov. 31:10–31 H. As Children Prov. 3:1–3 I. In Educating Children Prov. 4:1–4 J. In Disciplining Children Prov. 22:6

The two major themes that are interwoven and overlapping throughout Proverbs are wisdom and folly. Wisdom, which includes knowledge, understanding, instruction, discretion, and obedience, is built on the fear of the Lord and the word of God. Folly is everything opposite to wisdom.

Interpretive Challenges

The first challenge is the generally elusive nature of Wisdom literature itself. Like the parables, the intended truths are often veiled from understanding if given only a cursory glance, and thus must be pondered in the heart (1:6; 2:1–4; 4:4–9).

Another challenge is the extensive use of parallelism, which is the placing of truths side by side so that the second line expands, completes, defines, emphasizes, or reaches the logical conclusion, the ultimate end, or, in some cases, the contrasting point of view. Often the actual parallel is only implied. For example, 12:13 contains an unstated, but clearly implied parallel, in that the righteous one comes through trouble because of his virtuous speech (cf. 28:7). In interpreting the Proverbs, one must: 1) determine the parallelism and often complete what is assumed and not stated by the author; 2) identify the figures of speech and rephrase the thought without those figures; 3) summarize the lesson or principle of the proverb in a few words; 4) describe the behavior that is taught; and 5) find examples inside Scripture.

Challenges are also found in the various contexts of Proverbs, all of which affect interpretation and understanding. First, there is the setting in which they were spoken; this is largely the context of the young men in the royal court of the king. Second, there is the setting of the book as a whole and how its teachings are to be understood in light of the rest of Scripture. For example, there is much to be gained by comparing the wisdom Solomon taught with the wisdom Christ personified. Third, there is the historical context in which the principles and truths draw on illustrations from their own day.

A final area of challenge comes in understanding that proverbs are divine guidelines and wise observations, i.e., teaching underlying principles (24:3–4) which are not always inflexible laws or absolute promises. These expressions of general truth (cf. 10:27; 22:4) generally do have "exceptions," due to the uncertainty of life and unpredictable behavior of fallen men. God does not guarantee uniform outcome or application for each proverb, but in studying them

and applying them, one comes to contemplate the mind of God, his character, his attributes, his works, and his blessings. All of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge expressed in Proverbs are hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3).

Outline

I. Prologue (1:1–7)

A. Title (1:1)

B. Purpose (1:2–6) C. Theme (1:7) II. Praise and Wisdom to the Young (1:8–9:18) III. Proverbs for Everyone (10:1–29:27)

A. From Solomon (10:1–22:16)

B. From Wise Men (22:17–24:34) C. From Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (25:1–29:27) IV. Personal Notes (30:1–31:31)

A. From Agur (30:1–33)

B. From Lemuel (31:1–31)

Proverbs

The Beginning of Knowledge

PROVERBS 1 ‡†The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2‡†To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

3†to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4†to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— 5†Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6†to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7†The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8‡Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, 9for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. 10‡†My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11†If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; 12†like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13†we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"— 15†my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, 16for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17†For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 19Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20‡Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21†at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22†"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23†If you turn at my reproof, [1] behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you. 24‡Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26‡I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, 27when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. 28‡‡Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, 30would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31†therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. 32†For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."

The Value of Wisdom

PROVERBS 2 †My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my

commandments with you, 2†making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3†yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4†if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6†For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7‡he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. 9†Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10†for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11†discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, 12†delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, 13who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14†who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, 15men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. 16†So you will be delivered from the forbidden [1] woman, from the adulteress [2] with her smooth words, 17†who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; 18†for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; [3] 19†none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. 20So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21†For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

PROVERBS 3 ‡‡†My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep

my commandments, 2for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3†Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4†So you will find favor and good success [1] in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7†Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8†It will be healing to your flesh [2] and refreshment [3] to your bones. 9‡Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. 11‡My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

13Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, 14‡for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. 15She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 16Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18†She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. 19‡The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;

20by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22†and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. 23Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. 24If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25‡Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin [4] of the wicked, when it comes, 26for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. 27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, [5] when it is in your power to do it. 28†Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it"—when you have it with you. 29†Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. 30†Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. 31†Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, 32†for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence. 33The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34†Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. [6] 35The wise will inherit honor, but fools get [7] disgrace.

A Father's Wise Instruction

PROVERBS 4 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you

may gain [1] insight, 2†for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. 3‡When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, 4he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. 5Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. 6Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. 7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. 8†Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. 9†She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." 10Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. 11I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. 12When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. 13†Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. 14†Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. 15†Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. 16‡For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. 17For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. 18†But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. 19The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. 20My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21‡Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.

22For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their [2] flesh. 23Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. 25Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26Ponder [3] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Warning Against Adultery

PROVERBS 5 ‡My son, be attentive to my wisdom;

incline your ear to my understanding, 2that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. 3†For the lips of a forbidden [1] woman drip honey, and her speech [2] is smoother than oil, 4‡but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5†Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to [3] Sheol; 6†she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. 7‡And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, 9‡lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, 10lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, 11†and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, 12and you say, "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. 14†I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation." 15‡Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. 16‡Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? 17Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. 18†Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,

19†a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;

be intoxicated [4] always in her love. 20†Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? [5] 21‡For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders [6] all his paths. 22The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23†He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.

Practical Warnings

PROVERBS 6 †My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have

given your pledge for a stranger, 2‡if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, [1] and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, [2] like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6‡†Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11†and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. 12†A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13†winks with his eyes, signals [3] with his feet, points with his finger, 14†with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15†therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. 16‡There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20‡My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. 21Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22†When you walk, they [4] will lead you; when you lie down, they will

watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. 23†For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24†to preserve you from the evil woman, [5] from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. [6] 25†Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26†for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, [7] but a married woman [8] hunts down a precious life. 27‡Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? 28Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29†So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. 30‡People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, 31†but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. 32He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. 34For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. 35He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Warning Against the Adulteress

PROVERBS 7 ‡My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments

with you; 2†keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; 3†bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, 5to keep you from the forbidden [1] woman, from the adulteress [2] with her smooth words. 6†For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, 7†and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, 8†passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. 10†And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. [3] 11‡She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; 12now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. 13She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, 14†"I had to offer sacrifices, [4] and today I have paid my vows; 15†so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. 16‡I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; 17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18†Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. 19‡For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home." 21†With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22†All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast [5]

23†till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. 24†And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my

mouth. 25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, 26†for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. 27†Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

The Blessings of Wisdom

PROVERBS 8 ‡Does not wisdom call?

Does not understanding raise her voice? 2On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4‡"To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. 6‡Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9†They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 10‡Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 12"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13†The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate. 14I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. 15‡By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. [1] 17†I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 18‡Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. 19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 22‡"The LORD possessed [2] me at the beginning of his work, [3] the first of his acts of old. 23Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24‡When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

25Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27†When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28when he made firm the skies above, when he established [4] the fountains of the deep, 29†when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30†then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his [5] delight, rejoicing before him always, 31†rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. 32"And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. 33Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, 36†but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death."

The Way of Wisdom

PROVERBS 9 †Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. 2†She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3‡She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, 4"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks sense she says, 5†"Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6Leave your simple ways, [1] and live, and walk in the way of insight." 7‡Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9Give instruction [2] to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10†The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11†For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12†If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly

13‡†The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive [3] and knows nothing. 14She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, 15calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, 16"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks sense she says, 17†"Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." 18†But he does not know that the dead [4] are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

The Proverbs of Solomon

PROVERBS 10 ‡†The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. 2†Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. 3†The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. 4†A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5†He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. 6†Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 7†The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. 8†The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. 9†Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. 10†Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. 11†The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 12†Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. 13†On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense. 14†The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. 15†A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. 16†The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin. 17Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

18†The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. 19†When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. 20†The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21†The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. 22†The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. [1] 23Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. 24†What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25†When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. 26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. 27†The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. 28The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29†The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. 30†The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. 31The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. 32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

PROVERBS 11 †A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,

but a just weight is his delight. 2†When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. 3The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. 4†Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 5The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. 6The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust. 7When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth [1] perishes too. 8The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead. 9With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. 10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. 11†By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. 12†Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. 13†Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. 14†Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. 15†Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure. 16†A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. 17A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. 18†The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. 19Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.

20†Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight. 21†Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. 22†Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. 23†The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath. 24‡One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. 26The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. 27Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, [2] but evil comes to him who searches for it. 28†Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. 29†Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30†The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. 31†If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

PROVERBS 12 †Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates

reproof is stupid. 2A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns. 3†No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. 4†An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. 5The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. 6†The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them. 7†The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. 8A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised. 9†Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread. 10†Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. 11†Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. 12†Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. 13An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. 14†From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him. 15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. 16†The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. 17†Whoever speaks [1] the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. 18†There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 19Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. 20†Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace

have joy. 21No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. 22Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. 23†A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly. 24†The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. 25Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 26†One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, [2] but the way of the wicked leads them astray. 27†Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. [3] 28In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

PROVERBS 13 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. 3Whoever 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. 5The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame [1] and disgrace. 6Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. 7†One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, 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 hastily [2] 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 word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. 14†The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 15Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. [3] 16†In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. 17A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. 18Poverty 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†Disaster [4] 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. [5] 25†The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

PROVERBS 14 †The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her

own hands tears it down. 2Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. 3†By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, [1] but the lips of the wise will preserve them. 4Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. 5A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. 6A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. 7†Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. 8The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. 9†Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. [2] 10†The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12†There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. [3] 13Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. 14†The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways. 15The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. 16One who is wise is cautious [4] and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. 17†A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. 18The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19†The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20†The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. 21Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. 22Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet [5] steadfast love and faithfulness. 23In all toil there is profit,

but mere talk tends only to poverty. 24†The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly. 25†A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. 26†In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27†The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 28†In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined. 29†Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. 30†A tranquil [6] heart gives life to the flesh, but envy [7] makes the bones rot. 31†Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. 32†The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. 33†Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools. [8] 34†Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. 35†A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

PROVERBS 15 A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2†The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3†The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4†A gentle [1] tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. [2] 8†The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10†There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. 11†Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man! 12A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. 13†A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 14The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15†All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 16‡†Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. 17†Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. 18†A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. 19†The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.

20A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. 21Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. 22†Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. 23To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! 24†The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25†The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow's boundaries. 26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure. 27†Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. 28†The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30†The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes [3] the bones. 31†The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. 32Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33†The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

PROVERBS 16 †The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2†All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. 3†Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. 4†The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. 5Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 6†By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. 7†When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. 9†The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. 10†An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. 11†A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work. 12†It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. 13Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 14†A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. 15†In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. 16†How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17†The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. 18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19†It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20Whoever gives thought to the word [1] will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. 21†The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. 22†Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. 23†The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. 24†Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 25†There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. [2] 26†A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on. 27†A worthless man plots evil, and his speech [3] is like a scorching fire. 28†A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. 29A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. 30†Whoever winks his eyes plans [4] dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass. 31†Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. 32†Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 33†The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

PROVERBS 17 †Better is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting [1] with strife. 2†A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. 3†The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts. 4An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. 5†Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 6†Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. 7Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince. 8†A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers. 9†Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. 10†A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. 11†An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12†Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. 13†If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. 14†The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. 15†He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. 16†Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense? 17†A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 18†One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. 19†Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

20†A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. 21†He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. 22†A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 23†The wicked accepts a bribe in secret [2] to pervert the ways of justice. 24†The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25†A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. 26†To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. 27†Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28†Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

PROVERBS 18 †Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks

out against all sound judgment. 2†A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 3†When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. 4†The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5†It is not good to be partial to [1] the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. 6‡A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 7A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8†The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9†Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. 10†The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11†A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. 12†Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. 13If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. 14†A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16†A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. 17†The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. 18†The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders. 19†A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 20†From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. 21†Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. 22†He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. 23†The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. 24†A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who

sticks closer than a brother.

PROVERBS 19 †Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one

who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2†Desire [1] without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3†When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD. 4†Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5‡A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. 6†Many seek the favor of a generous man, [2] and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7†All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. [3] 8Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. 10†It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11†Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 12†A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13†A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14†House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. 15†Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. 16†Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. 17†Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. 18†Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19†A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

20Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. 21†Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. 22†What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23†The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. 24†The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. 25†Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26†He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. 27Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28†A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29†Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.

PROVERBS 20 †Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led

astray by it is not wise. [1] 2†The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. 3†It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. 4†The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. 5†The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. 6†Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? 7†The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! 8†A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. 9†Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"? 10†Unequal [2] weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD. 11Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. [3] 12†The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both. 13†Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. 14†"Bad, bad," says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. 15†There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16†Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners. [4] 17Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. 18†Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. 19†Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. [5] 20†If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness. 21†An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. 22†Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver

you. 23†Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good. 24†A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? 25†It is a snare to say rashly, "It is holy," and to reflect only after making vows. 26†A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them. 27†The spirit [6] of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. 28†Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld. 29The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair. 30†Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

PROVERBS 21 †The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the

LORD; he turns it wherever he will. 2†Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. 3†To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. 4†Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp [1] of the wicked, are sin. 5‡The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. 6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. [2] 7†The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just. 8The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright. 9†It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 10†The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes. 11†When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. 12†The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin. 13†Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. 14†A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, [3] strong wrath. 15When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. 16†One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17†Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18†The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright. 19†It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. 20Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. 21†Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22†A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold

in which they trust. 23Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 24"Scoffer" is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. 25The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. 26†All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. 27†The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent. 28†A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. 29†A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to [4] his ways. 30No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. 31†The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

PROVERBS 22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and

favor is better than silver or gold. 2The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all. 3†The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 4†The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. [1] 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. 6†Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 7†The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 8‡Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. 9Whoever has a bountiful [2] eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. 10Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. 11†He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. 12†The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor. 13†The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!" 14†The mouth of forbidden [3] women is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry will fall into it. 15†Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16†Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Words of the Wise

17‡‡Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you.

20†Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, 21†to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? 22‡‡†Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. 24‡Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, 25lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. 26‡Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. 27If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? 28†Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. 29Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

PROVERBS 23 ‡When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully

what [1] is before you, 2and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. 3Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. 4‡Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. 5When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. 6‡Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; [2] do not desire his delicacies, 7for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. [3] "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you. 8You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words. 9†Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. 10‡Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, 11†for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. 12Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. 13‡Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14†If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. 15‡My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16†My inmost being [4] will exult when your lips speak what is right. 17†Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. 18†Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 19†Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20†Be not among drunkards [5] or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. 22†Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23†Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. 24‡The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. 25Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe [6] my ways. 27‡For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress [7] is a narrow well. 28She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind. 29‡Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes? 30†Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. 31†Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32†In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. 33†Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. 34†You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. [8] 35†"They struck me," you will say, [9] "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake?

I must have another drink."

PROVERBS 24 ‡Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. 3‡By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5‡A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7†Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. 8Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9The devising [1] of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. 10If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11†Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12†If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay

man according to his work? 13‡My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14†Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 15‡Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. 17‡Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. 19†Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20†for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21†My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, 22†for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

More Sayings of the Wise

23‡†These also are sayings of the wise.

Partiality in judging is not good. 24Whoever says to the wicked, "You are in the right," will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25but those who rebuke

the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26†Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. 27†Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. 28‡Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 29Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done." 30‡I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

More Proverbs of Solomon

PROVERBS 25 ‡†These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2‡It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4‡Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6‡Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, 7for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen

8‡do not hastily bring into court, for [1] what will you do in the end,

when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, 10lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. 11‡A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13†Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. 15†With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. 16†If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. 18†A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. 19Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. 20†Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. 21‡If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. 23†The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24†It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 25†Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26†Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. 27†It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. [2] 28†A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

PROVERBS 26 ‡†Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2†Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. 3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. 4‡Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6†Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 7†Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8†Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. 9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10†Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. [1] 11†Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. 12†Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13‡The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" 14As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. 15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. 16†The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. 17‡†Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. 18‡Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death 19is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I am only joking!" 20‡For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22†The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 23†Like the glaze [2] covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; 25when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27†Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. 28A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

PROVERBS 27 †Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a

day may bring. 2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 3A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. 4†Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5‡Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6†Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 7†One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. 8†Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. 9Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. [1] 10†Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near

than a brother who is far away. 11†Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me. 12†The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 13†Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress. [2] 14†Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. 15‡A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; 16to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp [3] oil in one's right hand. 17†Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. [4] 18Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. 19As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. 20†Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. 21†The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.

22†Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. 23‡Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? 25When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, 26the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. 27There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.

PROVERBS 28 †The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are

bold as a lion. 2†When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. 3†A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. 4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. 5Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. 6Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 7†The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. 8†Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit [1] gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. 9†If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. 10†Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. 11†A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. 12†When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. 13†Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14†Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. 15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 16†A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. 17†If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; [2] let no one help him. 18Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. 19Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

20†A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. 21†To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. 22†A stingy man [3] hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. 23†Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. 24†Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, "That is no transgression," is a companion to a man who destroys. 25†A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. 26Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. 27†Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. 28†When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.

PROVERBS 29 †He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will

suddenly be broken beyond healing. 2†When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 3He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. 4†By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts [1] tears it down. 5†A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. 6An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. 7A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. 8†Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 9†If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. 10Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. [2] 11A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. 12†If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. 13†The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the LORD gives light to the eyes of both. 14If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever. 15†The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 16When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 17†Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. 18†Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, [3] but blessed is he who keeps the law. 19†By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. 20†Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21†Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir. [4] 22†A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much

transgression. 23†One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 24†The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing. 25The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. 26†Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice. 27An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

The Words of Agur

PROVERBS 30 ‡†The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. [1]

The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn

out. [2] 2‡Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. 3†I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4†Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name?

Surely you know! 5‡†Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6†Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. 7‡Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9†lest I be full and deny

you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God. 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. 11‡†There are those [3] who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12†There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. 13†There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! 14†There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth,

the needy from among mankind. 15‡The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. [4] Three things are never satisfied;

four never say, "Enough":

16†Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, "Enough." 17†The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. 18‡Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas,

and the way of a man with a virgin. 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have done no wrong." 21‡Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: 22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; 23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. 24‡Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: 25†the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26†the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; 27†the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28†the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. 29‡Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: 30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; 31†the strutting rooster, [5] the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. [6] 32†If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. 33†For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

The Words of King Lemuel

PROVERBS 31 ‡†The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2‡†What are you doing, my son? [1] What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? 3†Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4‡It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, 5lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6‡Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; [2] 7let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8‡Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. [3] 9Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the LORD

10‡‡† [4] An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11†The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13‡†She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14†She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15†She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

16†She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17†She dresses herself [5] with strength and makes her arms strong. 18†She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19†She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20‡She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21†She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. [6] 22†She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23†Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24†She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25‡†Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26†She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27†She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28‡†Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29‡"Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." 30‡†Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31†Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Footnotes

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 1

[1] 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 2

[1] 2:16 Hebrew strange

[2] 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman

[3] 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 3

[1] 3:4 Or repute

[2] 3:8 Hebrew navel

[3] 3:8 Or medicine

[4] 3:25 Hebrew storm

[5] 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners

[6] 3:34 Or grace

[7] 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 4

[1] 4:1 Hebrew know

[2] 4:22 Hebrew his

[3] 4:26 Or Make level

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 5

[1] 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20

[2] 5:3 Hebrew palate

[3] 5:5 Hebrew lay hold of

[4] 5:19 Hebrew be led astray; also verse 20

[5] 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman

[6] 5:21 Or makes level

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 6

[1] 6:3 Or humble yourself

[2] 6:5 Hebrew lacks of the hunter

[3] 6:13 Hebrew scrapes

[4] 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse [5] 6:24 Revocalization (compare

Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor

[6] 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman

[7] 6:26 Or (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) for a prostitute leaves a man

with nothing but a loaf of bread

[8] 6:26 Hebrew a man's wife

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 7

[1] 7:5 Hebrew strange

[2] 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman

[3] 7:10 Hebrew guarded in heart

[4] 7:14 Hebrew peace offerings

[5] 7:22 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac); Hebrew as an

anklet for the discipline of a fool

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 8

[1] 8:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint

govern the earth

[2] 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created

[3] 8:22 Hebrew way

[4] 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [5] 8:30 Or daily filled with

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 9

[1] 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple

[2] 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction

[3] 9:13 Or full of simpleness

[4] 9:18 Hebrew Rephaim

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 10

[1] 10:22 Or and toil adds nothing to it

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 11

[1] 11:7 Or of his strength, or of iniquity

[2] 11:27 Or acceptance

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 12

[1] 12:17 Hebrew breathes out

[2] 12:26 Or The righteous chooses his friends carefully

[3] 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 13

[1] 13:5 Or stench

[2] 13:11 Or by fraud

[3] 13:15 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew is

rugged, or is an enduring rut

[4] 13:21 Or Evil

[5] 13:24 Or who loves him disciplines him early

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 14

[1] 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride

[2] 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance

[3] 14:12 Hebrew ways of death

[4] 14:16 Or fears [the LORD]

[5] 14:22 Or show

[6] 14:30 Or healing

[7] 14:30 Or jealousy

[8] 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but

makes itself known in the midst of fools

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 15

[1] 15:4 Or healing

[2] 15:7 Or the hearts of fools are not steadfast

[3] 15:30 Hebrew makes fat

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 16

[1] 16:20 Or to a matter

[2] 16:25 Hebrew ways of death

[3] 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips

[4] 16:30 Hebrew to plan

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 17

[1] 17:1 Hebrew sacrifices

[2] 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 18

[1] 18:5 Hebrew to lift the face of

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 19

[1] 19:2 Or A soul

[2] 19:6 Or of a noble

[3] 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 20

[1] 20:1 Or will not become wise

[2] 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23

[3] 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems

pure and upright

[4] 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13) [5] 20:19 Hebrew with one who

is simple in his lips

[6] 20:27 Hebrew breath

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 21

[1] 21:4 Or the plowing

[2] 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew

manuscripts vapor for those who seek death

[3] 21:14 Hebrew a bribe in the bosom

[4] 21:29 Or establishes

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 22

[1] 22:4 Or The reward for humility is the fear of the LORD, riches and honor and

life

[2] 22:9 Hebrew good

[3] 22:14 Hebrew strange

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 23

[1] 23:1 Or who

[2] 23:6 Hebrew whose eye is evil

[3] 23:7 Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he

[4] 23:16 Hebrew My kidneys

[5] 23:20 Hebrew those who drink too much wine

[6] 23:26 Or delight in

[7] 23:27 Hebrew a foreign woman

[8] 23:34 Or of the rigging

[9] 23:35 Hebrew lacks you will say

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 24

[1] 24:9 Or scheming

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 25

[1] 25:8 Hebrew or else

[2] 25:27 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 26

[1] 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby

[2] 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 27

[1] 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest

counsel

[2] 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare

Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners

[3] 27:16 Hebrew to meet with

[4] 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 28

[1] 28:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor [2] 28:17

Hebrew until the pit

[3] 28:22 Hebrew A man whose eye is evil

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 29

[1] 29:4 Or who taxes heavily

[2] 29:10 Or but the upright seek his soul

[3] 29:18 Or the people are discouraged

[4] 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 30

[1] 30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa

[2] 30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal

[3] 30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14

[4] 30:15 Or "Give, give," they cry

[5] 30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins

[6] 30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up

Footnotes for Proverbs, Chapter 31

[1] 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?

[2] 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul

[3] 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away

[4] 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [5] 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins

[6] 31:21 Or in double thickness

Study Notes

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:1–7 These verses form the prologue, where the reader is called to serious study for his own benefit. In a few brief words, he is introduced to: 1) the genre of this literature (v. 1); 2) a clear twofold purpose (vv. 2–6); and 3) an all-important motto (v. 7).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:1 proverbs. See Introduction: Title. The proverbs are short, pithy sayings that express timeless truth and wisdom. They arrest one's thoughts, causing the reader to reflect on how one might apply divine principles to life situations (e.g., 2:12). Proverbs contains insights both in poetry and prose; yet, at the same time, it includes commands to be obeyed. God's proverbs are not limited to this book alone (see Gen. 10:9; 1 Sam. 10:12; 24:13; Jer. 31:29; Ezek. 12:22; 18:2). Solomon. See Introduction: Author and Date. As Solomon became king of Israel, he sought and received wisdom and knowledge from the Lord (2 Chron. 1:7–12), which led him to wealth, honor, and fame.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:2–6 The twofold purpose of the book is 1) to produce the skill of godly living by wisdom and instruction (v. 2a; expanded in vv. 3–4), and 2) to develop discernment (v. 2b, expanded in v. 5).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:2 wisdom. See Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes. To the Hebrew mind, wisdom was not knowledge alone, but the skill of living a godly life as God intended man to live (cf. Deut. 4:5–8). instruction. This refers to the discipline of the moral nature. understand. This word looks at the mental discipline that matures one for spiritual discernment.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:3 wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity. Expanding the purpose and terms of v. 2a, Proverbs engages in a process of schooling a son in the disciplines of: 1) wise behavior (a different Hebrew word from that in v. 2) which means discreet counsel or the ability to govern oneself by choice; 2) righteousness, the application of God's standards in dealing with others; 3) justice, the ability to conform to the will and standard of God; a practical righteousness that matches one's positional righteousness; and 4) equity, the living of life in a fair, pleasing way.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:4 prudence . . . simple. The purpose is to impart

discernment to the naive and the ignorant. The root of "simple" is a word meaning "an open door," an apt description of the undiscerning, who do not know what to keep in or out of their minds. knowledge and discretion to the youth. To make one ponder before sinning, thus to make a responsible choice.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:5 guidance. The wise believer will have the ability to guide or govern others with truth.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:6 understand a proverb . . . saying. Proverbs seeks to sharpen the mind by schooling one in "parabolic speech" and "dark sayings" that need reflection and interpretation. riddles. Study of the Scriptures is sufficient to provide the wisdom for the perplexities of life.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:7 The fear of the Lord. The overarching theme of this book and particularly the first nine chapters is introduced—reverence for God (see v. 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 14:26–27; cf. also Job 28:28; Ps. 34:11; Acts 9:31). See Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes. This reverential awe and admiring, submissive fear is foundational for all spiritual knowledge and wisdom (cf. Prov. 2:4–6; 9:10; 15:33; Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Eccles. 12:13). While the unbeliever may make statements about life and truth, he does not have true or ultimate knowledge until he is in a redemptive relationship of reverential awe with God. Notice the progression here: 1) teaching about God; 2) learning about God; 3) fearing God; 4) knowing God; and 5) imitating God's wisdom. The fear of the Lord is a state of mind in which one's own attitudes, will, feelings, deeds, and goals are exchanged for God's (cf. Ps. 42:1).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:8–9:18 This lengthy section features parental praise of wisdom in the form of didactic addresses. These chapters prepare the reader for the actual proverbs that begin in 10:1ff.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:10–19 Here is a warning against enticement by sinners, who will succeed if his son fails to embrace wisdom (v. 8).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:10 sinners. This term is reserved in Scripture to describe unbelievers for whom sin is continual and who endeavor to persuade even believers to sin with them (see note on James 4:8). The sins of murder and robbery are used as illustrations of such folly.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:11 Come with us. The intimidating force of peer pressure is often the way to entice those who lack wisdom.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:12 swallow. The wicked devise a plot of deception in which the innocent are captured and victimized like one who is taken by death itself—as with Joseph (Gen. 37:20ff.), Jeremiah (Jer. 38:6–13), and Daniel (Dan. 6:16–17). "Pit" is the place of death. For the wicked it is a place of no return (Job 7:9), darkness (Ps. 143:3), and torment (Isa. 14:11).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:13 we . . . plunder. This is the enlisting of the innocent without full disclosure of intent. Abundant spoil is promised by this outright robbery, which is made to appear easy and safe for the thieves and murderers.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:15 do not walk. This directly confronts the invitation of v. 11. Sin must be rejected at the first temptation (cf. Ps. 119:114–115; James 1:15) by refusing even the association that can lead to sin (cf. Ps. 1:1–6). Avoid the beginnings of sin (see Prov. 4:14).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:17 net spread. It would be ineffective to set up a net for catching a bird in full view of the bird. Taken with v. 18, this analogy means that the sinner sets up his trap for the innocent in secret, but in the end the trap is sprung on him (v. 19). This greed entraps him (cf. 1 Tim. 6:9–11). Stupid sinners rush to their own ruin.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:20–33 In this section, wisdom is personified and speaks in the first person, emphasizing the serious consequences that come to those who reject it. Similar personifications of wisdom occur in 3:14–18; 8:1–36; 9:1–12.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:21 cries out . . . the city. While enticement is covert and secret (v. 10), wisdom, with nothing to hide, is available to everyone, being found in the most prominent of public places.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:22 How long. Three questions reveal three classes of those needing wisdom, and the downward progression of sin: 1) the naive or simple-minded, who are ignorant; 2) scoffers or mockers, who commit more serious, determined acts; and 3) fools or obstinate unbelievers, who will not listen to the truth. Proverbs aims its wisdom primarily at the first group.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:23 reproof. God's wisdom brings to bear against the sinner indictments for sin that demand repentance. To the one who does repent, God promises the spirit or essence of true wisdom linked to divine revelation.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:24–26 Sinners who respond with indifference and

mockery at God's indictments increase their guilt (cf. Rom. 2:5) and bring upon themselves the wrath of God's mockery and indifference (Prov. 1:26–27). Some wait to seek God until it is too late. See Deut. 1:45; 1 Sam. 28:6; Ps. 18:41.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:26–27 calamity . . . terror . . . distress and anguish. All these terms describe the severe troubles of divine judgment. When sinners who have rejected wisdom call on God in the day of judgment, God will respond to their distress with derision.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:28–32 God's rejection of sinners is carefully detailed. This is the aspect of God's wrath expressed in his abandonment of sinners. See notes on Rom. 1:24–28. No prayers or diligent seeking will help them (cf. Prov. 8:17).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:28–30 I will not answer. God will withdraw his invitation to sinners because they have rejected him. Notice the rejection of wisdom (v. 7), knowledge (v. 22), reproof (vv. 23–24), and counsel (v. 25).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:31 eat the fruit of their way. The ultimate punishment is God's giving a people up to the result of their wickedness. Cf. Rom. 1:24–28.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 1:32 complacency. Willful carelessness or lack of appropriate care is intended.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:1 my words. Solomon has taken God's law and made it his own by faith and obedience, as well as teaching. The wisdom of these words is available to those who, first of all, understand the rich value ("treasure") that wisdom possesses. Appropriating wisdom begins when one values it above all else.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:2 ear . . . heart. See note on 4:21–23. Once wisdom is properly valued, both the ear and mind are captivated by it.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:3 call out for insight. This shows the passionate pleading of one who is desperate to know and apply the truth of God. The least bit of indifference will leave one bereft of the fullness of wisdom.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:4 seek . . . search. A desiring search, the most intensive of a lifetime. Cf. Job 28:1–28 for a parallel.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:6 his mouth. The words of his mouth are contained in Scripture. It is there that God speaks (cf. Heb. 1:1–2; 2 Pet. 1:20–21). Wisdom comes only by revelation.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:7–8 the upright. This identifies those who are true believers, who seek to know, love, and obey God and to live righteously. These covenant keepers alone can know wisdom and experience God's protection.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:9 righteousness and justice and equity. The ethical triad of 1:3.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:10 wisdom will come into your heart. See note on 4:21–23.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:11 discretion . . . understanding. Truth is the protector from all evil (see Ps. 119:11, 97–104).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:12 perverted speech. Twisted speech is typical of those who reject wisdom (cf. 8:13; 10:31–32).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:14 Fools love most what is worst.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:16 forbidden woman. She is the harlot repeatedly condemned in Proverbs (cf. 5:1–23; 6:20–29; 7:1–27; 22:14; 23:27), as in the rest of Scripture (Ex. 20:14; Lev. 20:10). She is "foreign" or "strange" because such women were at first from outside Israel, but came to include any prostitute or adulteress. Her words are the flattering or smooth words of Prov. 7:14–20.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:17 forsakes the companion. She leaves the guidance and friendship of her husband (cf. 16:28; 17:9). forgets the covenant. In a wide sense this could be the covenant of Sinai (Ex. 20:14), but specifically looks to the marriage covenant of Gen. 2:24, with its commitment to fidelity.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:18 sinks down to death. The destructive nature of this blinding sin leads one to walk alongside death (see vv. 8–9, 12, 15). Death in Proverbs is presented as both a gradual descent (5:23) and a sudden end (29:1).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:19 none who go . . . come back. The irreversible nature of continuing in this sin points to its devastating consequences. It leads to physical death, as expressed in the Hebrew euphemisms of v. 22 ("cut off " and

"rooted out"). After that comes the reality of eternal death.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 2:21 inhabit the land . . . remain. Exactly opposite to those who live in sexual sin and are headed for death, those who belong to the Lord will live. See note on 8:18–21.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:1–35 Here the study of truth leading to wisdom is commended to all. This is enforced by a contrast of the destinies of the wise and wicked.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:1–20 Solomon instructs that wisdom is: 1) rooted in sound teaching (vv. 1–4); 2) rests in trust in God (vv. 5–6), and 3) rewards those who obey (vv. 7–10). While wisdom demands chastening, it brings profound benefits (vv. 13–18), and its importance is clear since it undergirded God's creation (vv. 19–20).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:1 my teaching. Hebrew "Torah," from the verb "to throw, distribute, or teach," hence "teaching." It is used of God's law (29:18), but here, as in 2:1, it is used of the commands and principles that God gave through Solomon. heart. See note on 4:21–23.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:3 neck . . . heart. The virtues of mercy (the Hebrew word for lovingkindness and loyal love) and truth that come from God are to become part of us—outwardly in our behavior for all to see as an adornment of spiritual beauty, and inwardly as the subject of our meditation (cf. Deut. 6:4–9). Such inward and outward mercy and truth is evidence of New Covenant salvation (cf. Jer. 31:33–34).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:4 God and man. Cf. Christ in Luke 2:52.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:7 This is alluded to by Paul in Rom. 12:16.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:8 healing . . . refreshment. The renewal here is in the marrow, the inner parts (Job 21:24). God is promising physical well-being for those who live wisely according to his will. Such physical well-being is what David forfeited before he confessed that he had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah (see Ps. 32:3–4; 51:8).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:9–10 Honor the Lord . . . wealth. A biblical view of wealth demands using possessions for honoring God. This is accomplished by

trusting God (v. 5); by giving the best to God ("first"; cf. Ex. 22:29; 23:19; Deut. 18:4); by being fair (Prov. 3:27–28); by giving generously (11:25); and by expressing gratitude for all he gives (Deut. 6:10–12). The result of such faithfulness to honor him is prosperity and satisfaction.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:11–12 not despise . . . discipline. Since even the wisest of God's children are subject to sin, there is necessity of God's fatherly discipline to increase wisdom and blessing. Such correction should not be resisted. See notes on Heb. 12:5–11.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:14–15 Cf. Ps. 19:10–11. Divine wisdom yields the richest treasures, described in Prov. 3:14–18 as "gain," "long life," "riches," "honor," "pleasantness," "peace," "life," and "blessed."

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:18 tree of life. This expression is a metaphor referring to temporal and spiritual renewal and refreshment (cf. 11:30; 13:12; 15:4).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:19–20 Solomon is indicating that wisdom is basic to all of life, for by it God created everything. Since God used it to create the universe, how eager must we be to use it to live in this universe.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:22 life for your soul. The association of wisdom with the inner spiritual life (cf. vv. 2, 16) unfolds throughout the book (cf. 4:10, 22; 7:2; 8:35; 9:11; 10:11, 16–17; 11:19, 30; 12:28; 13:14; 14:27; 15:4, 24; 16:22; 19:23; 21:21; 22:4). adornment for your neck. The wisdom of God will adorn one's life for all to see its beauty (cf. 1:9).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:25–26 afraid . . . confidence. Living in God's wisdom provides the basis for the believer's peace of mind (v. 24) and removes fear (v. 25).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:28 neighbor. A neighbor is anyone in need whom God brings across one's path. See Luke 10:29–37.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:29 plan . . . dwells. Do not plan evil against one trusting in your protection.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:30 contend. This can mean "come to hand blows," or, with legal overtones, "accuse a man."

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:31 envy. Many law keepers wish they were lawbreakers (Ps. 37:1–7). They would like to be oppressors rather than the oppressed.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:32 abomination. Specifically, an abomination is an attitude or act that is incompatible with God's nature and intolerable to him, leading to his anger and judgment. This is an important theme in Proverbs (see note on 6:16–19). in his confidence. This means that God discloses himself and his truth to the upright (cf. Ps. 25:14).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 3:34 humble. Lit., "he who bends himself " (James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:2 good precepts . . . my teaching. There is no wisdom but that which is linked to sound teaching, which should be the focal point of all instruction (cf. 1 Tim. 1:10; 4:13, 16; 5:17; 2 Tim. 3:10, 16; 4:2; Titus 1:9; 2:1, 10).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:3–5 son with my father . . . my mother. This is Solomon's reference to David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:24).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:8 Prize . . . exalt . . . honor . . . embrace. The more highly one esteems wisdom, the more highly wisdom lifts that person.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:9 head. See note on 3:22.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:13 Keep . . . do not let go; guard. The father commanded his son in v. 5 to "get wisdom"; here he commands him to hold on to it.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:14 Do not enter the path of the wicked. Sin is best dealt with at its beginning by the application of necessary wisdom to suit the initial temptation (cf. Ps. 1:1).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:15 Four verbs identify aspects necessary in urgently dealing with sin at its start (v. 14): 1) avoid the sinful situation; 2) pass as far from it as possible; 3) turn away from the sin; and 4) pass beyond or escape the sin. The plan here fits exactly with the pattern of sin's enticement outlined in James 1:13–15.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:16–17 they cannot sleep. Cf. 3:24. They have to sin

before they can sleep, and they view their sin as food for their hungry, wicked souls.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:18 path of the . . . light of dawn. The path of the believer is one of increasing light, just as a sunrise begins with the faint glow of dawn and proceeds to the splendor of noonday.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 4:21–23 heart. The "heart" commonly refers to the mind as the center of thinking and reason (3:3; 6:21; 7:3), but also includes the emotions (15:15, 30), the will (11:20; 14:14), and thus, the whole inner being (3:5). The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech (4:24), sight (v. 25), and conduct (vv. 26–27).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:1–2 be attentive. The wise father marshals all the essential terms to sum up his call to wisdom (cf. 1:2; 2:2; 3:13; 4:5).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:3 lips . . . speech. Seduction begins with deceptive flattery (cf. 2:16). Lips of honey should be part of true love in marriage (Song 4:11).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:4–5 in the end. Lit., "the future" of tasting her lips is like "wormwood," a symbol of suffering (cf. Deut. 29:18), and a "sword," the symbol of death. She travels on the road to death and hell (cf. Prov. 2:18).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:5 Sheol. See note on 1:12.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:6 her ways wander. Her steps willfully and predictably stagger here and there as she has no concern for the abyss ahead.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:7–14 These verses describe the high price of infidelity. The focus here is on the guilty suffering of the one who yields to lust rather than obeying God's law. Contrast the proper response to such temptation in the case of Joseph (Gen. 39:1–12).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:9–10 take their fill of your strength. The consequences of this sin may include slavery, as a commuted punishment, instead of death that should have come for adultery (Deut. 22:22). In that case, "the merciless" was the judge and the "others" were the masters to whom all the energy of youth was directed in slavery. All personal wealth was lost to outsiders, and one served in a stranger's house helping him to prosper.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:11 flesh and body. This could be a reference to venereal disease (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18), or to the natural end of life. At that point, filled with an irreversible regret (Prov. 5:12), the ruined sinner vainly laments his neglect of warning and his sad disgrace.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:14 in the assembled congregation. A most painful loss in such a situation is public disgrace in the community. There can be public confession, discipline, and forgiveness, but not restoration to one's former place of honor and service. See 6:33.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:15–19 Using the imagery of water, the joy of a faithful marriage is contrasted with the disaster of infidelity (vv. 9–14). "Cistern" and "well" refer to the wife from whom the husband is to draw all his satisfying refreshment, sexually and affectionately (v. 19; cf. 9:17–18; Song 4:9–11).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:16–17 springs . . . streams. The euphemism refers to the male procreation capacity with the idea of the foolish as a fountain ("spring") scattering precious water—a picture of the wastefulness of sexual promiscuity. The result of such indiscriminate sin is called "streams of waters in the streets," a graphic description of the illegitimate street children of harlotry. Rather, says Solomon, "let them be for yourself alone" and not the children of such immoral strangers.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:18 fountain be blessed. God offers to bless male procreation when it is confined to one's wife. It should be noted that, in spite of the sinful polygamy of David and Solomon, as well as the disastrous polygamy of Rehoboam (cf. 2 Chron. 11:21), the instruction here identifies God's ideal as one wife from youth on.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:19 graceful doe. The doe has graceful beauty in her face and form and is often used in the poetry of Bible times for the beauty of a woman. breasts. This is imagery of affection (cf. Song 1:13; 4:1–7; 7:7–8).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:20 Such behavior is presented as having no benefit; thus, to justify such folly is senseless.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:21–22 before the eyes . . . held. The Lord sees all that man does and in mercy withholds immediate judgment, allowing the sinner time to repent or to be caught in his own sin (cf. Num. 32:23; Ps. 7:15–16; 57:6; Prov. 1:17; Gal. 6:7–8). Notice the example of Haman (Est. 5:9–14; 7:1–10).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 5:23 He dies. See note on 2:18.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:1 security . . . pledge. The foolishness here is making one's self responsible for another's debt and pledging to pay if the other defaults (cf. 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26). While there is precedent for such a practice, it is far better to give to those in need (see 19:17; Deut. 15:1–15) or lend without interest (see Prov. 28:8; Lev. 25:35–38).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:2–4 snared . . . come into the hand. Cf. 22:26–27. Anyone who becomes responsible for another person's debt is trapped and controlled because he has yielded control of what God has given him as a stewardship. The situation is so serious that it is imperative to take control of one's own God-given resources and get out of such an intolerable arrangement immediately ("save yourself," 6:5) before coming to poverty or slavery. Cf. Gen. 43:9 and 44:32–33.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:6–11 A warning against laziness is appropriate after the discussion on the folly of guaranteeing someone else's debt, since it is often lazy people who want sureties.

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:6 ant . . . sluggard. Cf. 30:25. The ant is an example of industry, diligence, and planning (6:7–8) and serves as a rebuke to a sluggard (a lazy person who lacks self-control). Wisdom sends a lazy man to learn from an ant (see 10:4, 26; 12:24; 13:4; 15:19; 19:15; 20:4; 26:14–16).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:11 robber . . . armed man. The lazy man, with his inordinate devotion to sleep rather than work (vv. 9–10), learns too late, thus coming to inescapable poverty just as a victim is overpowered by a robber (see 24:33–34). While laziness leads to poverty (cf. 10:4–5; 13:4; 20:4, 13), laziness is not always the cause of poverty (cf. 14:31; 17:5; 19:1, 17, 22; 21:12; 28:3, 11).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:12 A worthless person. A scoundrel (1 Sam. 25:25; Job 34:18), lit., a "man of Belial" (useless; cf. 1 Sam. 2:12; 30:22), a term that came to be used of the devil himself (see 2 Cor. 6:15).

PROVERBS—NOTE ON 6:13 winks . . . signals . . . points. Apparently this was common in the East. Fearing detection, and to hide his intention, the deceiver spoke lies to the victim while giving signals with his eyes, hands, and feet to someone else who was in on the deception to carry out the intrigue.

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