STUDIES ON PROVERBS
Proverbs 27:1-27
Proverbs 27:1 “Boast not
thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Man not only does not
control the future: he doesn’t even know what it holds, and so he is not to
boast even of the next following day as to what he will do, either of good or
of bad, or what he will be, nor of what opportunities he will have. “Events are
called by the Hebrews sons of time. Time brings them forth, as the pregnant
woman knows not whether her child will be male or female, living or dead,”
[Faussett]. Most people die even while yet expecting to live and fulfill other
desires. “Death is certain to all men, as the fruit of sin, by the appointment
of God; and there is a certain time fixed for it, which cannot be exceeded; but
of that day and hour no man knows,” [Gill]. Men ought to always be prepared to
stand before the Lord at any time He calls, for one day He will. “This does not
forbid preparing for tomorrow, but presuming upon tomorrow,” [M. Henry].
Proverbs 27:2 “Let
another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” From the danger of boasting of future
opportunities, Solomon passes to the folly of boasting of one’s own deeds or
excellencies, which is usually repugnant to others. Boasting of self smacks of
egotism and self-righteousness. To praise others is to attract them (they like
to be around people of such “good judgment”), but to praise self is to run all
others off. “To be commended by others, by any but a man’s self, is to his
credit and reputation; but nothing more hurtful to it than self-commendation;
see 2 Corinthians 10:18,” [Gill]. Many however, have the philosophy that: “He
that tooteth not his own horn, the same shall not be totted.” This is sometimes
true, but if so, it is generally because it does not deserve to be tooted.
Proverbs 27:3 “A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty: but a fool’s wrath
is heavier than them both.” A fool’s wrath is often directed against
others, since it is a characteristic of the unsaved to hate others, (1 John
3:10-18). Hate always does more harm to the hater than to the hated. In fact, a
fool’s wrath may or may not eventuate in the physical death of the hated one,
but it certainly results in the spiritual death of the hater, (Job 5:2), for
hatred, wrath, etc., are all works of the flesh, (Gal. 5:20), but the first
fruit of the Spirit is love, (Gal. 5:22). The heaviness of this wrath will sink
the fool to the bottom of the pit: this is simply a matter of spiritual
gravity.
Proverbs 27:4 “Wrath is
cruel and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” “Outrageous” is so
rendered only here: more commonly it is rendered “a flood” or “overflowing of
waters”, which pictures it as unexpected, powerful, overwhelming, destructive,
etc. The second half of the verse shows envy to be similar to these things.
“All mankind in Adam fall before the envy of Satan; for it was through the envy
of the devil that sin and death came into the world….Abel could not stand
before the envy of Cain; nor Joseph before the envy of his brethren…and, where
it is, there is confusion and every evil work, (Jam. 3:14, 16),” [Gill]. Envy
is a work of the flesh, (Gal. 5:21), and part of the unregenerate life, (Rom.
1:29), but it is also a pitfall of the saved as well, (Gal. 5:26; Rom.
13:13-14).
Proverbs 27:5 “Open rebuke is better than secret love.” When a
brother sins, it is an act of charity to rebuke him in love, (Lev. 19:17), but
in so doing, care must be taken not to do so proudly nor self-righteously lest
one also be ensnared, (Gal. 6:1). Jesus directed such to be done privately,
(Matthew 18:15). He does not forbid public rebuke on occasion, (1 Tim. 5:20),
nor does our lesson mean that rebuke must always be public. Rather open rebuke,
as distasteful as it is to us, is shown to be better than a secret love which
is not moved to seek for the betterment of the loved one by rebuking his sin.
It is both the privilege and the duty of believers to endeavor to convert
fellow saints who err to the truth, (
Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful
are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” A wound is always
painful, but it may be necessary to correction, and so it ought to be
appreciated, as proceeding from love. “The physician’s care is to cure the
patient’s disease, not to please his palate,” [M. Henry]. Alas, how many false
shepherds care not for the sheep, but heal them with a false peace, (Jer.
8:11). A true friend is always interested in the ultimate and best interests of
his friend, not just in temporary ease, (Ps. 141:5). No greater illustration
can be found of deceitful kisses than in Judas Iscariot, (Mark 14:43-45; Luke
22:47-48). A kiss doesn’t always mean love, nor does a wound make one an enemy.
Proverbs 27:7 “The full
soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is
sweet.” Nothing
improves one’s appreciation of food like having to do without for a while.
Picky eaters generally have too much luxurious food, and would have a better
appetite if they had to go hungry a little “Solomon here, as often in this
book, shows that the poor have in some respects the advantage of the rich…Those
that fare sumptuously every day nauseate even delicate food,” [M. Henry]. “
Proverbs 27:8 “As a bird
that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.” Too frequently or too
long from the nest can cause the eggs not to hatch, or the eggs or little ones
to be devoured. This illustrates the danger of loss that may come to the man
who, through dissatisfaction with his place or lot, frequently moves about. How
easy it is to look about and to desire the “greener pastures,” not realizing
that they may be “artificial turf,” and so, not so desirable, (1 Cor. 15:58; 1
Pet. 5:9-10).
Proverbs 27:9 “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the
sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” Ointments and perfumes
(or incenses, as it is rendered over fifty times) were widely used, probably
made necessary by the infrequency of bathing, as compared with our times. This
was not the
Proverbs 27:10 “Thine own
friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s
house in the day of thy calamity; for better is a neighbor that is near than a
brother far off.”
Our father’s friends should continue to be ours also after our father has died.
Solomon followed this counsel, (1 Kings 5:1-7). His son Rehoboam, however,
rejected this counsel, and lost ten of the tribes, (1 Kings 12:1-16). One
should not always be dependent upon family alone for counsel, but should have
friends who will also give counsel when needed. “A sincere friend is to be
preferred in adversity to a brother that is not a true friend (1 Kings 18:24).
Joseph found more kindness with strangers than with his brethren. Jonathan’s
friendship afforded David’s sympathy which his own brethren did not. Rehoboam’s
forsaking his ‘father’s friends’ cost him the most of his Kingdom (1 Kings
12:6-8),” [Faussett].
Proverbs 27:11 “My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer
him that reproacheth me.” Nothing so gladdens a parent’s heart like
having a wise child, and well-behaved children give parents much to answer the
reproaches of those who may accuse him of being too strict, being a poor
parent, or of having a foolish son. Children are the products of the parents,
and will generally reflect upon them either good or ill, according to the
teaching and examples given them. In every parent’s life there will come a
reaping time for what has been sown in the children.
Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent
man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Identical to Proverbs 22:3. It takes
spiritual discernment to see through Satan’s camouflage and recognize evil. The
truly wise man will betake himself “To Christ, who is the city of refuge, the
stronghold, the rock, in the clefts of which the people of God hide themselves;
even in his wounds, or in him as a suffering crucified Saviour, and who is the
hiding-place from the wind, and covert from the storm of divine wrath,” [Gill].
Proverbs 27:13 “Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a
pledge of him for a strange woman.” Identical to Proverbs 20:16. “Some
think these words are to be taken as a prophecy of what would be the case of
such a man that is a Surety for a stranger; in the issue he will be stripped of
all he has, and have not a coat to put on,” [Gill].
Proverbs 27:14 “He that
blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be
counted a curse to him.”
The loud voice, the early rising to bless suggest that he is a sycophant and
flatterer, with ulterior motives for his supposed blessing, and this will raise
suspicion in the one so praised that there are sinister reasons for this,
instead of receiving what he desired from the one blessed, his blessing may be
accounted a curse instead. Also, sometimes to heed such “blessings” may become
a curse to the one so praised, as it was to Herod, (Acts 12:22-23).
Proverbs 27:15 “A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious
woman are alike.” See Proverbs 19:13 and notes. Men can tolerate much
trouble from without, but what can one do when the home-life is miserable:
there is not much place to retreat to for refuge and comfort. Home is the one place
where men expect to be able to retreat to when trouble arises and to find peace
and comfort, but if one is here regularly faced with a warfare, it is like a
badly leaking house in a very rainy day—no better than the outside.
“Contentious is the same word used in Proverbs 21:19, and that rendered
“brawling” in Proverbs 21:9 and Proverbs 25:24. Contentiousness springs from a
spirit of discontent, bossiness, and self-righteousness, and marks a woman who
is out of her God-given realm.
Proverbs 27:16 “Whosoever
hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewraveth
itself.” Loved
ones often try to keep the evils of such a contentious person from being known
by outsiders, but such a person will proclaim her own shame so that it is as
hard to conceal as a howling wind, or the strong smell of ointment. “He does
the same as if he tried to hide the odorous oil wherewith he has anointed his
right hand, which betrays itself (lit. cries
out) by the smell,” [Faussett]. Wind howls all the more from being pent up
in a tight place, and so a woman with a bitter spirit becomes all the more
contentious from attempts to restrain her.
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of
his friend.” As a file is used to sharpen an edged tool, so friends
sharpen friends. “Good men’s graces are sharpened by converse with those that
are good, and bad men’s lusts and passions are sharpened by converse with those
that are bad,” [M. Henry]. It is often true that a man is known by his friends,
and not only known by them, but also comforted and encouraged in good or evil,
according to the character of his friends. Hence, it is extremely important
that we use great care in choosing friends, for they will shape our attitudes.
Proverbs 27:18 “Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so
he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.” This has to do with
rewards. It was a law that the caretaker of fields and orchards were to have
priority in eating of them, (1 Cor. 9:7; 2 Tim. 2:6). This principle is carried
over into the spiritual realm also, which is what is intimated in the second
part of our verse. Jesus promised this in John 12:26. “If even he who keeps a
fig tree is rewarded with a share of its fruits, surely he that has the more
honorable office of waiting on his master shall be honored by that master,” [Faussett].
But we must also remember the limitation of 1 Corinthians 3:8: our rewards will
only be according to our “own labor,” not the labor of others.
Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face answereth a face, so the heart of man to
man.” The reflective properties of water are used to illustrate that
men’s hearts are all the same—sinful and rebellious—until God’s grace changes
them, and then all the saints’ hearts are the same—purified by grace and
submissive. The sinful sameness of all men’s hearts is declared in Romans 3:9,
22f-23. Because of universal sinfulness, man can never rightly judge of himself
by comparing and contrasting himself with other men; the true standard is found
by looking into the mirror of God’s Word. “The law is a glass, in which the
enlightened person sees not only the perfections of God, the nature of
righteousness, but also his sin, and the sinfulness of it; this glass neither
magnifies nor multiplies his sins, but sets them in a true light before him, by
which he discerns heart-sins, and sees and knows the plague of his heart,” [Gill].
Proverbs 27:20 “Hell and
destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” Some things cannot be
satisfied, Proverbs 30:15-16. Hell and destruction never run short of space for
sinners, (Isa. 5:14), so that none will ever be turned away. Man’s lustful eyes
can never be satisfied because of his sinful heart is not satisfied. Sin, as
has been said, has created a “God-shaped vacuum” in man, and nothing but God
can satisfy that. Sin can surfeit but it cannot satisfy. Only the Lord can
fully satisfy, and this will be done at His return in glory, (Ps. 17:15; 65:4;
Jer. 31:14).
Proverbs 27:21 “As the refining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so
is a man to his praise.” “Refining pot” refers to a crucible which was
used to smelt and test ores and metals. Praise may be a test of men. “The
meaning is, either a man is known by the persons that praise him, according to
what their characters are; if he is praised by good and virtuous men, he may be
thought to be so himself; and if by wicked men, he may be concluded to be so
likewise; see Proverbs 28:4; or he is known by the effect that praise has upon
him,” [Gill]. “The believer transfers the praise from himself to God. The
unbeliever, like Herod (Acts 12) takes it to himself to his own hurt,” [Faussett].
Proverbs 27:22 “Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat
with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” This shows
the innate depravity of the unsaved person who has been hardened through many
years indulgence in sin. The rod of correction used in youth drives foolishness
from a child’s heart, (Prov. 22;15), but when one is allowed to grow up without
discipline or spiritual training, the result will be incorrigibility when
maturity is reached, and he is hardly able to be turned from his wickedness.
Only God’s sovereign grace can do it. Such are described in Isaiah 1:5-6;
Jeremiah 5:3-4 and 13:23. God alone can change the nature of the sinner into a
holy nature. The fact that he is considered only “among wheat,” as something
alien and worthless, like chaff, not the good grain itself, suggests this.
Proverbs 27:23 “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look
well to thy herds.” “The calling of the shepherd is here particularly
mentioned, because valiant, honorable, innocent, and useful; but the same
diligence is to be used in all other callings and business men are employed in,
that they may provide for themselves and their families,” [Gill]. This is an
especially applicable admonition for pastors, since the very word “pastor”
means a shepherd, and church members are called “sheep” and the church a “flock.”
However, this was a common figure of speech for leaders long before churches
existed, (Isa. 56:10-11; Jer. 23:4), but Jesus Christ is the ultimate good
Shepherd, (Ps. 23:1; Isa. 40:10-11; John 10:11-16; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25).
Proverbs 27:24 “For riches
are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation.” “For” shows that this
verse has to do with the diligence commanded in verse 23. It is but common
sense to be diligent in one’s business while opportunity for profit presents
itself, for things will not always remain the same. It is noteworthy that the
unwise shepherds before referred to, made this very mistake, of thinking that
things would always be as easy and as profitable as they then were, (Isa.
56:12). Many people today who are too young to remember the great depression of
the 1930’s, think that things can never be different than they now are, except
that perhaps they will become even better. Sad mistake! Churches today ought to
use wisely the riches the Lord gives them, for the day may come when they will
not have the money to support missions as they now have. There are crowns to be
earned.
Proverbs 27:25 “The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and
herbs of the mountains are gathered.” This is an argument for the
pastoral calling, for it shows that God has caused the earth to spontaneously
bring forth pasturage for flocks, making it one of the easier and less involved
callings. Canaan was especially well adapted for the pastoral life, and most of
the people of
Proverbs 27:26 “The lambs
are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the
field.” Here is a further argument for the country life: under bad
conditions a pastoral family can practically live off the land, and can get by
comfortably when a city family is starving. Sheepskin garments have been common
since earlier times, for even modern garments have hardly surpassed the warmth
and practicality of woolen garments. “Goats” refers to he-goats which were
sold, while the nannies were generally kept to increase the herd. Thus, the
price obtained for the he-goats could be used to rent or purchase land, pay
taxes, etc. “Plain food and plain clothing, if they be but competent, are all
we should aim at,” [M. Henry].
Proverbs 27:27 “And thou
shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.” The herd not
only provides milk, but also butter and cheese, besides meat, so that there is
both a sufficiency and a variety. “The flocks and herds supplied all their
needs in those days, without superfluous luxuries,” [Faussett]. Though, without
most of the luxuries of our day, we doubt not that these ancient people were as
happy in many ways, and even happier in some, than most modern people. The
secret of true happiness is not in having much, but in trusting the Lord for
our needs, and being content with what He gives us, (1 Tim. 6:6-10). Life does
not consist in the abundance of the things that we possess, (Luke 12:15). May
God give us the grace of contentment!