2023
Proverbs 14:5 The anatomy of a lie
A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies. Proverbs 14:5 NASB Rotherham: A faithful witness, will not deceive, but a false witness, uttereth deceitful things. There is a subtle distinction in the Hebrew with how “lie” is used. The first translated, will not lie, is a verb from kazab, meaning to…
Read MoreProverbs 14:4 All those damn students
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. Proverbs 14:4 NASB When I worked at Bellevue College, there was a period when summer classes ended in August and fall classes began in late September — a time when most faculty and students spent time elsewhere.…
Read MoreProverbs 14:3 “Shoot!” says the shoot
A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Proverbs 14:3 NIV Literally: In a fool’s mouth is a shoot for his swelling, lips of the wise keep, watch, preserve. Lashes out with pride: “is a rod for his back” (NAS) “is a rod of pride” (NKJV), is a…
Read MoreProverbs 14:2 To juke or not to juke
He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. Proverbs 14:2 NASB The Hebrew word for uprightness means: straightness, evenness of path, often inferring rightness, what is due, right, or even predictable. In contrast, devious (in his ways) means: to turn aside, depart, the inferred…
Read MoreProverbs 14:1 Power in weakness
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1 NASB The Hebrew word for house is similar to the English word — it’s nuanced and has variety and depth. It can mean the physical home with roof and floor, or the place where you lay your…
Read MoreProverbs 13:24 Rods, whips and cattle prods
He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Proverbs 13:24 NASB Growing and maturing can be a risky business. Push someone too hard and they resent you. Don’t push him hard enough and they miss an opportunity to fulfill their potential. Prune a plant too much and…
Read MoreProverbs 13:23 Turning graves into gardens
Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, But it is swept away by injustice. Proverbs 13:23 NASB One could read this two ways: The fallow ground is producing the food on it’s own — a volunteer crop; or the land has much potential, if only there was one to cultivate it. Either…
Read MoreProverbs 13:22 Magnetism and money
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22 NASB There are a lot of similarities between people worldwide, but there is something extraordinary about the children of God: I have enough, and often more than enough. Humans must work,…
Read MoreProverbs 13:21 I don’t deserve this!
Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. Proverbs 13:21 NIV [Adversity, disaster, hurt] pursue [chase, hunt, follows] sinners [criminals, one guilty of offense], but the righteous [just, lawful] will be rewarded [make amends, make an end, finish, full, give again, make good, repay again, from a root meaning to be…
Read MoreProverbs 13:20 Hocus focus and becoming
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 NIV Friendship is empathy. Understanding, aligning with, and accepting another. When you associate with someone, it creates a natural context for the heart to follow. The tighter a relationship, the more I will become like what I’m observing, accepting,…
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