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 analysis of how things always happen.

It might be tempting, for example, to suppose on the basis of Proverbs 11:8 that the righteous are always delivered from trouble, so if someone is in trouble it must be because they’re one of the wicked. But proverbs don’t give us deductive tools; instead, they give us practical wisdom about how to live your life. We all know you’re a lot more likely to stay out of trouble if you aim for righteousness, and a lot more likely to get into it if you’re making bad choices all the time: and that’s what the proverb says, too. That’s how proverbs work.

One of my all-time favorites is this: “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 when I refuse to let them tell me I’m wrong, I’m stuck in the swamp of my own stupidity.

* * * * *

Teach us to be wise children who love discipline, O Lord; fill our hearts with a readiness to learn. Don’t let us turn into those scoffers who will not listen to rebuke; teach us instead to grow in love and devotion to you, day by day.

If you find these studies helpful, please Like, Subscribe, Comment, and Share. Thanks!