chapter22

Good name

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold (Proverbs 22:1).

In this world, one has to earn a good name by good deeds than to attain great riches. One should have loving favour with all including enemies rather than seek merely material possessions (Proverbs 22:1).

Rich and poor

The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all (Proverbs 22:2).

In this world, the rich and the poor have to meet one another. A rich man in his bungalow has to face a poor man in his slum. The nameless rich man lived near the poor Lazarus but never bothered to take care of the latter. In the body of Christ also, the rich and the poor meet one another. The Lord is the maker of both of them. The riches and the rags are from the Lord only. The rich people should not ill-treat the poor because the Lord has made both of them.

Foreseeing evil

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished (Proverbs 22:3).

A prudent man who is able to distinguish the evil from the good does foresee the evil. He avoids himself from the evil things but the simple who are foolish enough not to distinguish the evil from the good are caught in the web of evil things and are ultimately punished by the rulers under the law.

Humility and fear of Lord

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life (Proverbs 22:4).

A child of God can get earthly riches by being humble before God and man and by fearing the Lord by abstaning from the sin. The child of God can get honor from God and man and can have long life in this world. Humility and the fear of the Lord are two virtues that make a child of God inherit riches in this world.

Thorns and snares

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them (Proverbs 22:5).

The way of the froward brisltles with thorns and snares. The froward is one who is perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish.

A froward person does not face realities in his life and does not do what is required of him to act in a particular situation but faces thorns and snares. A person who is prudent does keep himself from thorns and snares by acting in a judicious manner as required of him.

Training child

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

A child needs to be trained how he should behave in the society. He has to be taught morals and ethics so that when he is old, he may not depart from it. Today many people are becoming criminals because in childhood they were not taught morals by their parents.

Borrower and lender

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

In this world, the rich rule over the poor. The rich people own everything in this world whereas the poor have to look to the rich for their livelihood or sustenance. The poor who borrow become servants to the rich who lend to the former.

Sowing iniquity

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail (Proverbs 22:8).

Those who sow iniquity shall reap vanity as a divine punishment. It will apply to the children of God also. Dictionary Meaning of inquity is defined as follows:

Immoral or grossly unfair behaviour. "a den of iniquity".

synonyms: wickedness, sinfulness, immorality, impropriety, vice, evil, sin;

villainy, criminality, crime, heinousness, nefariousness, knavery;

vileness, foulness, baseness, odiousness, atrociousness, dreadfulness, egregiousness;

outrageousness, outrage, monstrousness, obscenity, reprehensibility;

ungodliness, godlessness, impiety, devilry, "the iniquity of his conduct".

The definition of iniquity is wide while the definition of sin is not wide.

Giving to poor

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor (Proverbs 22:9).

A person must have a bountiful eye, an eye with which he or she looks at a poor person with compassion. The compassion should emanate from his or her heart. It should not be a pretense. He or she has to give his own bread to the poor. Nowadays, people do charity after getting donations. But God wants us to share our own resources with the poor people.

Casting out scorner

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease (Proverbs 22:10).

A scorner is the one who creates all types of contention in a society. We have to identify the person concerned who is a scorner before identifying the problems being created by him. If we ignore him or if we do not attach importance to him, then we are casting him out of the scene. Once we cast him out, strife and reproach will cease automatically.

Pure heart

He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend (Proverbs 22:11).

One must have a pure heart devoid of hatred, hypocrisy and pride. He or she can be a friends with a ruler if he or she speaks of things to edify others. The heart of a person has to be holy without sin. The heart cannot be holy without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Eyes of the Lord

The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor (Proverbs 22:12).

The eyes of the Lord who watch us have all the knowledge of this world and of His Kingdom. Nothing is hidden before the Lord. If the Holy Spirit indwells you, you will have all the knowledge at your command. Through your mortal eyes, you can understand any riddles or puzzles. You will be a genius indeed. The Holy Spirit in you is the Spirit of wisdom and of knowledge. You can overthrow the words of your opponent who transgresses the law of the land. You need not require the services of an intelligent lawyer to defend you. If you, as a child of God, are guiltless in the eyes of God, you can overthrow the plaintiff in a court of law.

Slothful man

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets (Proverbs 22:13).

A person has to work hard with his or her hands and should not idle his or her time in any manner. A slothful man does not take risk but takes cover under some excuse of a grave danger. The slothful person is mortally afraid of taking any risk. This is applicable to the children of God who sit idle at home fearing of devil or dangers. They do not trust God at all.

Strange women

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein (Proverbs 22:14).

Proverbs always warn us of strange women or women of loose character. Their mouth takes the victims to the pit of the hell. Those who commit the sin of adultery are abhorred of the Lord. Whomsover commit this sin cannot escape the hell. He or she may be a child of God or an unbeliever.

Heart of child

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15).

A wayward child needs to be punished by his/her parents. Nowadays, parents do not use rods to correct their children. The rod need not be any physical object to cause pain or injury. It can be a word of rebuke. Foolishness is bound to get into the tender heart of a child and the parent should keep an eye on the child always. Once the child becomes an adult, the seed of foolishness planted in the heart becomes a poisonous plant which produces sin.

Oppressing the poor

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want (Proverbs 22:16).

An employer should not oppress the poor workers to earn undue profits. A person who employs a servant should pay due wages to the latter. Such people would always be in want ultimately and the money earned by them by depriving the poor of their money will never last. Similarly, the one who gives to the rich and not to the poor will also be in want even if the rich repays the giver.

Words of wise and of truth

(Verses 17, 18 to 21 are clubbed here).

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge (Proverbs 22:17).

We should incline our ears to the words of the wise. Solomon wants us to apply our heart to his knowledge. Solomon had wonderful words of knowledge which he had acquired out of the God given wisdom. He wrote the wonderful book of Song of Songs. If we meditate on this book, we can really apply our heart to his knowledge on the Heavenly Bridegroom and His bride, the Church.

The children of God have the words of the wise whereas the children of the world have the words of intelligentsia. There are people in this world who are highly educated but may not be in the category of the wise. Being moral does not make any person wise. Those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit and live the life of Jesus Christ are the wise. The education being acquired in this world does not make one a wise person. It may make him an intelligent or a scholar.

That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? (Proverbs 22:21)

Solomon again says here that he had written excellent things in counsels and knowledge and that the words of the wise are in fact the words of truth. Solomon vouchsafes the certainty of such words of the wise.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips (Proverbs 22:18).

We have to listen to and abide by the words of the wise. When we receive such words of the wise, we have to digest in our spirit and use it for our living. Under the Old Testament, prophets acquired the words of the wise as they walked with God. These words are recorded in the prophetic books. Under the New Covenant, we receive such words of the wise from the indwelling Christ when we walk with Him.

That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee (Proverbs 22:19).

Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge (Proverbs 22:20).

When we abide in such words of the wise, our faith is anchored on the Lord. Solomon as a prophet had made known his wisdom to the people of his day and even his words of wisdom speak to us this day.

Robbing the poor

(Verses 22 & 23 are clubbed here).

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate : (Proverbs 22:22)

The poor people should be given their due shares of their labor. They should not be robbed of what is due to them. The afflicted should not be oppressed in the gate by dening them justice. The afflicted people do not get justice when the wicked people exploit them and pervert justice in the gate. The gate means the place where justice is delivered by authorities concerned. The system of justice is bent by the rich and the mighty to their favour.

For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them (Proverbs 22:23).

Since the afflicted do not get justice, the Lord pleads their cause and punishes those who spoil the afflicted. The Lord is the Judge for the afflicted.

Friendship with angry man

(Verses 24 and 25 are clubbed).

Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: (Proverbs 22:24)

We should avoid friendship with angry people. Though we have to love and minister to these people, we should not have any kind of friendship with them. We should avoid their company.

Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul (Proverbs 22:25).

When we have friendship with such angry people, we are prone to learn their ways. Ultimately, we imbibe their character which becomes a snare to our soul. In other words, companionship with them influences our life greatly.

Surety for debt

(Verses 26-27 are clubbed).

Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts (Proverbs 22:26).

Let us not join hands with those who exploit the poor financially by lending to the latter at exhorbitant interests. We should not a party to such financial deals. We should not become sureties for those who take loans without security or who take loans in order to cheat the lender. We need to be wise in this world.

If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? (Proverbs 22:27)

When the lender cannot recover the debt from the debtor, you would be liable for the loan and the creditor takes your possession.

Ancient landmark

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. (Proverbs 22:28)

Your family must have some moral standards set by your forefathers. You have to follow such moral standards and to teach your children and grandchildren on such moral values followed by your forefathers. When you or your generation indulge in immoral activities, you do remove the ancient landmark.

Ethics in business

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. (Proverbs 22:29)

You need to be ethical in all your dealings. If your hands are clean, you will stand before the authorities boldly without any fear. But if your dealings are not ethical, you will fail before mean men. Evil men will blackmail you if you have dubious dealings to hide from the law.

Next....Chapter 23