Deeper Commentary
Pro 25:1
These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah
copied out-
This begins the fourth section of the anthology of wisdom sayings which
Solomon put together in this book of Proverbs. It seems that just as Solomon
used these Divine truths to justify himself, and it led to his spiritual
undoing, so Hezekiah may have likewise used these Proverbs with an agenda of
self justification. This doesn't make them untrue or not Divinely inspired;
but Divine truth is being used at times with the subtext of self
justification, just as it can be today. There are 130 proverbs
following, matching the numerical value of "Hezekiah".
Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings
is to search out a matter-
This is not to be read as meaning that God plays hard to get, hiding
Himself, leaving the Bible as a riddle to be solved, with relationship with
God offered to those who crack it. God is in search of man, and is desperate
to connect with us. The idea may be that it is His glory which conceals Him,
but we can as it were see through that glory if we know Him. The reference
to the glory of kings being to search out God would sound like Solomon
implying he has the glory of having found God. And yet if so, he is totally
missing the point that man cannot by searching find out God (Job 11:7);
rather it is by grace that God reveals Himself to men. And God is in search
of man, far more than we are searching for Him. We only love because He
first loved us; and it is more a question of God knowing us than our knowing
Him.
LXX "The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business". This could be read as a justification of Hezekiah's wrongful handling of the business of the Babylonian ambassadors; see on :1,25.
Pro 25:3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts
of kings are unsearchable-
This appears to be Solomon implying that he as king was beyond analysis
or criticism by others, because his heart was unsearchable. But David his
father used the same word in saying that God is
unsearchable (s.w. Ps. 145:3; Job 9:10; 11:7). But Solomon lacked this sense
of wonder because he had no personal relationship with God, and so he comes
to use terms only appropriate to God in his own self defence and
aggrandizement.
Pro 25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for
the refiner-
"Dross" is used by David to refer to the house of Saul (see on Ps.
119:119). It would seem that Solomon has this in view. But "take away" is
LXX "beat out", and the Proverbs have much to say about beating. Solomon
ended up beating his own people (1 Kings 12:11, and he justifies this by
quasi spiritual reasoning, forcing his Proverbs to justify his poor
behaviour.
Pro 25:5 remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will
be established in righteousness-
This was justifying the way he killed Shimei at the establishment of
his kingdom. The promises to David involved the establishment of Solomon’s
throne. But God had declared clearly enough that this depended upon
Solomon’s personal spirituality. But he willfully failed to see this,
deciding that: “Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne
shall be established in righteousness” (Prov. 25:5 AV). He externalized
righteousness, believing in a form of guilt-by-association, which the
righteous would avoid. He redefined righteousness not as anything
personal, but a separation from sinners. And there is no lack of evidence
that the Christian community has in places and at times fallen into some
similar form of legalism. His concept of righteousness was not God’s. He
forgot all about personal holiness, and instead focused upon not being
guilty by association with sinners. And he thought this would justify him
as righteous. The same error has been made so many times since. For how
often has it happened that brethren who have had the most to say about
separation from “the wicked” reveal personal lives which are anything but
righteous. Solomon's attitude to being king was similar.
Pro 25:6 Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a
place among great men-
Solomon thought that his possession of theoretical wisdom placed him
in a God-like position above his people (see on :3), and therefore they
dare not even begin to question him or examine him; and none should
therefore dare to ‘put himself forth’ in the King’s presence (Prov. 25:6
AV). Truly, “knowledge puffs up”. And our very possession of ‘the truth’
of Christ and the word of God carries with it the same potential
temptations, leading us to consider the world so far beneath us, that we
can do what we wish with no accountability to anyone. And so brethren with
amazing Biblical knowledge end up in court for pedophilia, etc. etc.
Pro 25:7 for it is better that it be said to you, Come up here, than that
you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have
seen-
These words are worked by the Lord Jesus into His parable of the
final judgment (LK. 14:9). But Solomon's original idea is that he is the
undisputed prince, to whom there should be no opposition. Any who rise up
closer to the throne would do so by Solomon's express invitation; and any
who tried to rise up without that would be shamed. The Lord Jesus
reapplied all this to Himself and His Kingdom and judgment. Solomon
wrongly imagine his kingdom to be God's Kingdom, and himself the Messianic
ruler. And so the Lord's parable alludes to Solomon's words and corrects
them.
Pro 25:8 Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in
the end when your neighbour shames you?-
"Bringing charges to court" is AV "strive" and that may simply be the
meaning; it is the same word for "debate" in :9. But it is all the same
true that recourse to the judiciary is not the ideal thing for believers,
as Paul also says. Rather should there be discussion between individuals
and seeking for resolution (:9). But the motive for Solomon's advice is so
that you don't get shame if you are judged to be in the wrong (:10). This
desperate avoidance of shame at all costs is a major theme in Solomon's
Proverbs, and reflects his overall focus upon the external rather than the
internal. He does indeed talk about the heart, but on balance I would
conclude that he is more concerned about appearances before men than
before God. And this led to his own spiritual downfall.
Pro 25:9 Debate your case with your neighbour, and don’t betray the
confidence of another-
See on :8. The advice in :8 is not to "debate" at all (s.w. 'bring
charges to court'). The endless need to 'take the matter up' with others
really reflects much about our own insecurity. The 'debating' in view
appears to involve betraying the confidence of another. If we hear gossip
about another, we are to seek to disregard it, rather than go to our
neighbour and raise / debate the matter. We are not to gossip, nor are we
to distribute gossip; he that utters or distributes a slander is a fool
(Prov. 10:18). This is an Old Testament foretaste of the spirit of love
expounded in 1 Cor. 13 in the New Testament.
Pro 25:10 lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation
never depart-
This desperate avoidance of shame at all costs is a major theme in
Solomon's Proverbs, and reflects his overall focus upon the external
rather than the internal. He does indeed talk about the heart, but on
balance I would conclude that he is more concerned about appearances
before men than before God. And this led to his own spiritual downfall.
Pro 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver-
Appropriate speech to others is compared here to the spreading and
action upon gossip condemned in :9,10. The idea seems to be that good
words will be preserved as an ornament (:12), beautifully framed. This may
be true, but Solomon as ever has the subtext inserted of his own self
justification; for it is his words of wisdom which he knew were to be
preserved, and he was compiling the book of Proverbs as a permanent record
of his words, as an ornament. Settings is LXX "in a necklace of sardius",
connecting with the idea of body jewelry in :12. But Solomon was blown
away by the jewelry of his illicit Gentile girlfriend; he looked on the
external, rather than on the internal. "The necklace you are wearing has
stolen my heart" (Song 4:9 GNB).
Pro 25:12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a
wise reprover to an obedient ear-
This again may be Solomon's justification of his father David, who
was obedient to the reproofs of Nathan, regarding Bathsheba and the temple
building project. But again the hint is of external show; the obedient ear
is outwardly adorned with a gold earring. Wisdom is portrayed as
profitable because of the good public image it creates for the wise.
Pro 25:13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest-
This is hyperbole, because it contradicts Prov. 26:1, where snow in
harvest is a curse. What Solomon says is always true in a sense. But he
seeks to exaggerate wisdom and folly to such an extent that he ends up
with a simplistic dichotomy between good people and bad people which is
unrealistic to the point of being false. Because wise people suffer and
fail; and fools are sometimes wise. Human behaviour and its outcomes are
not so simply divisible. The wise don't enjoy wonderful lives, nor do
fools have miserable lives. The final outcomes are not in this life, as
Solomon wrongly implies, but at the last day and in the eternity of God's
future Kingdom- which perspective Solomon simply fails to adopt.
So is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes
the soul of his masters-
This positive comment about faithful ambassadors must be read in the
context of the fact that Prov. 25:13 was one of the Proverbs rewritten in
Hezekiah's time. He sinned with regard to the ambassadors of Babylon (2
Chron. 32:31), but perhaps he was led into this by willfully misreading
this Proverb, or at least getting it rewritten with the subtext of
justifying what he did. See on :2,25. Perhaps also in view is
Hezekiah's sending of messengers to Isaiah and their returning a positive
answer from him concerning the Assyrian threat.
Pro 25:14 As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts
deceptively-
LXX "As winds and clouds and rains are most evident objects, so is he
that boasts of a false gift". I suggested on :1 that these words were
rewritten at the time of Hezekiah. The boasting of gifts deceptively would
then refer to the false claims of Rabshakeh to give Judah a land of
blessing, or to offer them horses upon which to fight him.
Pro 25:15 By patience a ruler is persuaded; a soft tongue breaks the bone-
The Hebrew for "persuaded" is nearly always translated "deceived".
The connection of a soft tongue is with Prov. 15:1, where a soft answer
turns away wrath. This would have relevance to the soft answers of Isaiah
and Hezekiah to the princes of Assyria, which resulted in the turning away
of the angry Assyrian army. So whilst this verse is [as ever] true as it
stands, there is the subtext added which glorifies Hezekiah' response to
the Assyrian crisis; see on :1.
Pro 25:16 Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest
you eat too much and vomit it-
Solomon warns about only eating a limited amount of the honey you may
find. Yet Ecclesiastes 1 and 2 show how Solomon found honey as it were, he
had the opportunity to do and experience what he wanted- and he ate so
much he became spiritually sick.
Pro 25:17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbour’s house, lest he be
weary of you and hate you-
This must be connected with :18; the warning is against being such a
busybody in your neighbour's life that you end up falsely testifying about
him to others.
Pro 25:18 A man who gives false testimony against his neighbour is like a
club, a sword, or a sharp arrow-
Solomon has much to say about true and false witnesses (Prov. 6:19;
12:17; 14:5,25; 19:5,9,28; 21:28; 24:28; 25:18). Whilst his warnings are
true enough, he surely has an element of self justification in what he
writes. Because he was aware that his parents, David and Bathsheba, had
been accused of many things which had led to all the opposition against
David at the end of his reign, and which opposition Solomon had to contend
with in order to retain the throne for himself. David laments the false
witness of the house of Saul and his own sons, Solomon's half brothers
(Ps. 27:12; 35:11). The continual condemnation of false witnesses must be
understood in this context. Whilst it is all true so far as it goes,
Solomon is harnessing Divine truth to his own agenda of self
justification. And we who claim to hold His truths must take warning.
Pro 25:19 Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a
bad tooth or a lame foot-
There are many references to the "day of trouble" in David's Psalms.
Solomon appears to be boasting of his father's deliverance from various
'days of trouble'. But the phrase is used of the Assyrian invasion (s.w.
Is. 37:3). And this and some of the Proverbs were rewritten at the time by Hezekiah
(Prov. 25:1). "Confidence" is the word for "trust" associated with
Hezekiah's trust in Yahweh, and perhaps the relevance to his times is that
trust in Egypt for deliverance from the Assyrians didn't work out.
"Transgressors" or "unfaithful" is the term used by David of Saul and his supporters (Ps. 25:3; 59:5; 119:158). Solomon uses this term, teaching that "transgressors" must be rooted out of the earth / eretz promised to Abraham (Prov. 2:22), and that the "transgressors" are to face judgment (Prov. 11:3,6; 13:2; 21:18; 22:12; 23:28; 25:19). All Solomon says is true, but he clearly has in view the house and supporters of Saul, who were a group he felt he needed to repress in order to keep his own kingdom and power intact.
Pro 25:20 As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on
soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart-
The taking away of a garment may be a comment upon the man who
demands back the pledge of a garment overnight (Dt. 24:13). We marvel at
how the God who is so apparently far removed from this world actually
knows and feels for the desperately poor, and imagines their situations.
And wishes to legislate on their behalf. And He is no less sensitive
today. LXX "As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body
afflicts the heart".
Pro 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty,
give him water to drink-
This was a radical paradigm break with the general philosophy that
enemies were to be hated. Solomon however elsewhere urges strict judgment
upon others for their failures; and he showed no grace in his own life. So
we see the warning of knowing all about grace, but acting as if untouched
by it. Which is a challenging warning to we who profess to live under
grace. See on :22.
Pro 25:22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will
reward you-
"Hot coals" is the word used to figuratively describe condemnation
(Ps. 120:4; 140:10; Prov. 6:28; 25:22; 26:21). But God hates having to
condemn the wicked, he takes no pleasure in this, but rather wishes their
salvation. So although what Solomon says is true enough, and apparently
quoted with approval in the New Testament (Rom. 12:20), we wonder whether he really had
any kind of a heart for grace and the salvation of others. For he seems to
reason as if we should be kind to our enemy so that he might later be
condemned- rather than in the hope that our grace might lead him to
repentance.
But I don't understand this as meaning that our motivation for such kindness should be the gleeful thought that we will thereby earn for them greater and more painful condemnation at the last day. Such motives would surely be foreign to all we have seen and known in the Father and Son. Rather am I attracted to the suggestion that there is a reference here to the practice, originating in Egypt, of putting a pan of hot coals over the head of a person who has openly repented. In which case, we would be being taught to show grace to our enemies, in order that we might bring them to repentance. This would chime in with the teaching elsewhere in Romans that God's goodness leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). And this is how we should be, especially with our brethren. The idea of excluding our brethren seems to me the very opposite of the spirit of grace which we have received.
Pro 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain: so a backbiting tongue brings
an angry face-
GNB "Gossip brings anger". Solomon rightly condemns gossip and the
stirring up of divisions. But he is writing up his Divinely given wisdom
at the start of his reign, where there were various groups of opposition
to him. These groupings had all arisen from the divisions which arose
after his parents' sin with each other; they were a consequence for
David's sin, which Nathan had prophesied. Inevitably, David's behaviour
had invited all manner of gossip and strife. But Solomon seems to blame
this on the gossipers, and carefully considers they alone are guilty; for
he is ever glorifying and whitewashing his father David.
Pro 25:24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to
share a house with a contentious woman-
A man on a housetop recalls the story of David's sin with Solomon's
mother, Bathsheba. I detected on Prov. 18:22 Solomon's justification of
David's divorce with Michal. And here too there is a subtext, however
unconscious even. Solomon appears to have totally whitewashed his parents,
and any consequence of David's sins are blamed by Solomon upon his half
brothers and foolish men, as if they were totally guilty and David totally
innocent; for this was his worldview. See on Prov. 21:8,19.
Pro 25:25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far
country-
This is one of the Proverbs reapplied to Hezekiah (see on Prov.
25:1). The good news or gospel from a far country could refer to the news
from Ethiopia which made the Assyrians withdraw from Jerusalem. But "a far
country" in the Old Testament often refers to Babylon, and is the phrase
used about the ambassadors from there who were Hezekiah's undoing (Is.
39:3). This could be read as a justification of Hezekiah's wrongful
handling of the business of the Babylonian ambassadors; see on :1,2,13.
Pro 25:26 Like a muddied spring, and a polluted well, so is a righteous
man who gives way before the wicked-
David in his earlier Psalms exalts and boasts to God that his feet
have not slipped, indeed he was overly confident that his feet would never
slip / "be moved" (Ps. 17:5; 21:7; 55:22; 62:2,6; 125:1). His more mature
reflection is that he had wrongly said "I shall never slip [AV "be
moved"]" (Ps. 30:6), and his feet had indeed slipped, not least over the
Bathsheba incident (Ps. 38:16; 94:18). Solomon didn't learn this lesson,
for he likewise assumed that the righteous would never be moved / slip
(Prov. 10:30), although he appears to accept that even a righteous man
like his father had indeed slipped (Prov. 25:26). And Solomon himself did
so, not learning the lesson from his father's mistaken assumption that the
righteous can never slip.
Pro 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honourable to seek
one’s own honour-
See on :16. Solomon was so sure of his own rightness that he just
couldn't conceive that in reality he might sin or break the principles he
preached. He describes in Ecclesiastes how he indulged every possible
desire, and took each of his lusts to its ultimate term. Yet he warned his
son to only eat honey in moderation, i.e. don't gorge your natural
desires. This sense of the impossibility of spiritual failure is stamped
all over Solomon; and it has been the downfall of so many others too.
Pro 25:28 Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose
spirit is without restraint-
LXX "So is a man who does anything without counsel". Again as noted on :1,
this may be a justification of Hezekiah, who dealt with the Assyrian
crisis by saying he trusted in God's counsel to overcome the Assyrians (2
Kings 18:20). Like Solomon, Hezekiah's Proverbs are all Divinely inspired
and true, but he seems to insert into them a subtext of self
justification.
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