Most of the Book of Proverbs is composed in classic Hebrew parallelism: the first line of a verse states an idea, then the second line “reflects” that idea. Sometimes that second line does this by repeating the idea of the first line in a similar way: “A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water” (Proverbs 11:25). Other times that second line is a contrast: “The righteous are delivered from trouble, and the wicked get into it instead” (11:8).

Most every verse is complete in itself; it is not part of a paragraph or an extended narrative, but simply functions as a brief independent piece of wisdom. That is, it’s a quick and clear statement of a generalized principle of life, rather than an infallible rule of how things always happen.

It’s not the case, for example, that the righteous are always delivered from trouble, so if you’re in trouble it must be because you’re one of the wicked. Instead, it’s practical wisdom about how to live your life: you’re a lot more likely to stay out of trouble if you aim for righteousness, and a lot more likely to cause problems for yourself if you’re making bad choices all the time.

One of my all-time favorites: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge; but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid” (12:1). This teaches me that when I am open to people pointing out my mistakes, I can learn a lot; but on those occasions when I refuse to let them tell me I’m wrong (alas, there have been many such occasions), that leaves me stuck in the swamp of my own stupidity.

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Teach us to be wise children who love discipline, O Lord. Fill our hearts with a readiness to learn, so that we may not be those scoffers who do not listen to rebuke; and indeed, so that we may grow in love and devotion to you, day by day.