Proverbs 24a

As I wrote earlier, the Book of Proverbs has its own headings. At 22: 17 there was “The Words of the Wise,” and that ran through 24: 22. Now, at 24: 23 we have a new heading: “These also are Sayings of the Wise.” This might be the time to outline the book according to its own headings.

1:1–9:18. The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.

10:1–22:16. The Proverbs of Solomon.

22:17–24:22. Sayings of the Wise.

24:23-34. These are also Sayings of the Wise.

25:1–29:27. These are other Proverbs of Solomon that officials of King Hezekiah copied. 

30:1-33. The Words of Agur son of Jakeh. An Oracle. 

31:1-31. The Words of King Lemuel. An Oracle that his Mother Taught him. .

The headings are probably an indication that whoever put this book in its final form, the editor or editors who are not named, tried to gather proverbs, sayings, and wise speeches from different sources, and they identified those sources…to a point. For example, “The Wise” tells us only that these proverbs were thought to be important wisdom sayings, but their provenance could not be determined. In fact, there are two groups of such sayings likely from two different sources. Further, we do not know any more about a person named “Agur” other than that he was “the son of Jakeh.” Nor do we know who King Lemuel was, except that he is not in the list of Israelite kings and so he is likely a foreigner. 

All this to say that the book is a collection of ‘folk wisdom’ that was deemed by the editors to be worth knowing. It is not a book of theology since many of the themes of the Old Testament are not subjects in these proverbs. So, we need to think about why this book is in the Canon, that is, why it was authorized by the Jews first, and then by the Christian church. And, what exactly was it canonized or authorized as? As the word of God? There is no claim that “God said this” anywhere in the book. Or, are they authorized as folk wisdom, things said by wise people (remember that last section are the teachings of King Lemuel’s mother).  

As folk wisdom, some are outdated, such as the occasional admonition to parents to beat their children with a rod to keep them on the right path (Proverbs 23: 13-14). Some are timeless, and I tend to choose those for my devotionals. Here is one such timeless set of sayings.

24: 23-26 These also are sayings of the wise:

Partiality in judging is not good.                                                                                                                                                      

Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”   

will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,

but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,   

and a good blessing will come upon them.

One who gives an honest answer   

gives a kiss on the lips.

This sounds right, but it seems difficult to maintain. Was the Supreme Court being partial when they ruled for Sanford in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case (1857) which stated that Negroes were not citizens of the United States with rights before the law? Was the Supreme Court being partial when they ruled for Ferguson in the Plessy v. Ferguson case that ruled that a Black man had no right to ride in a White railway car as long as the facilities were “separate but equal”? Is the Supreme Court partial today? Of course they are. Every case is based on certain assumptions, and some of those assumptions are terribly partial.

What does ‘partiality’ mean? The Hebrew word here can be translated as ‘to recognize’ a person or ‘to examine’ a face. Perhaps that is why our image of ‘Lady Justice’ holds scales for judgment, but she also wears a blindfold. The King James Version concurs in this; it even has phrases such as, “you shall not respect persons” (Deuteronomy 1: 17).

In the United States, we have a proverb that says: “No person is above the law,” which is a reflection of the idea that the law should not be partial to the rich and powerful nor biased against the poor and powerless. Our judges and juries are expected to act without seeking favor from the powerful and without fear of retribution by the defendant. Therefore, honesty in the courtroom is as welcome as an old friend.

24: 28-29.    Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,   

and do not deceive with your lips.

Do not say, “I will do to others as they have done to me;   

I will pay them back for what they have done.”

The Ten Commandments, which are so valued by those who ignore them anyway, includes a rule that says, “Do not bear false witness.” The proverb here says the same, and warns against lying to protect oneself.

This proverb forbids seeking revenge, justified or not. This echoes Leviticus 19: 15-18 which concludes: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 

How can so many warnings that we should be impartial in our judgments, to tell the truth about our neighbor, and to neither carry a grudge nor seek revenge, be ignored so often in our society and our world? 

Simple: There is not a nation alive today that follows God in all that God says and does, not the USA, not Russia, not England, not China. However, there are, scattered among the nations, a people who are devoted to the Lord God Almighty, who trust in the Bible, and who imitate the behavior of Jesus in all respects. They reflect the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Ephesians 5:22-23). When you see a leader like that, follow him or her. The people of God are clients in the Kingdom of God which is planted and growing wild in many nations’ gardens though wicked leaders try to pull it out and discard it. They will not succeed.