27:1–2 The first two verses bring together two sayings about speech. The first saying chastises overconfident boasting about the future and resembles memorable sayings from both Jesus and James (Luke 12:19–21; James 4:13–14). Jesus emphasizes a related lesson in the Sermon on the Mount, both in the pattern of prayer for “daily bread” and in the wisdom of focusing on “today” and not worrying about “tomorrow” (Matt. 6:11, 34; cf. Response section).

Proverbs 27:2 shifts the first lesson on speech to address praise from others. In a chapter focused on friends and family it is striking that the opinion of the “stranger” counts higher than that of a friend. This is because the stranger represents an opinion unclouded by interpersonal issues, either good or bad—a wisdom that avoids conflicts of interest.

27:3–4 The second pair uses the provocative physical metaphors of fire,184 heavy objects, and floods to condemn the fool’s “provocation,” “wrath,” “anger,” and “jealousy.” In 12:16 the fool’s “vexation” or provocation disrupted the peace of society—so too here, where it feels like a heavy burden.

“Overwhelming” (27:4) might also be translated “flood,” reflecting the focus on creation in these verses (“stone,” “sand”). In this section “jealousy” is the most dangerous vice. Our first instinct is probably to think we would rather have someone covet or envy our life and things than to have them pursue us in hot anger. But that seems to be the point of the proverb: the fires of jealousy can give way to the worst forms of anger and revenge (cf. 6:34; 12:16; 17:25; 1 John 3:12).

27:5–6 The chapter now turns to true and false types of love. Too often we use so-called love to justify silence in the face of a friend’s sins and faults. But wise friends help one another to avoid sin rather than ignoring it (Prov. 15:5; 17:10; 28:23; cf. Phil. 4:2–3). The wise thus receive the corrective love of others, even if it feels like a “wound” when it comes. The psalmist, too, welcomes the reproof of the “righteous” as the anointing of “oil for my head” (Ps. 141:5; cf. Prov. 9:8; 19:25; Eccles. 7:5). Oil and friendship both appear again in Proverbs 27:9.

The reverse of the previous lesson is true as well: kisses can be deceptive. While appearing to offer affection, kisses may only disguise a deeper hatred. (Cf. Response section on Proverbs 26: Hypocrisy and Self-Deception, which discusses judging others’ motives.)

27:7–8 If these verses are a pair, the connection lies in the paradox regarding things normally considered good (i.e., honey and homes) that lose their value for one reason or another. This idea is not far from the nuanced differences between friends and enemies above. As for honey, a rare treat often surrenders its beauty when misused. The virtue is in knowing the right measure in which to enjoy all good things (cf. Prov. 23:1–3).

In 27:8 the man who wanders from his home (possibly even homeland) is like a bird that abandons its place of safety. The Hebrew uses the broader term “place” (ESV “home”), signifying the intersection between community in general and belonging. The saying helps the reader to appreciate the cost of Abram’s call to leave his place of community and home (Gen. 12:1), as well as the desperate state of those forced to sing happy songs while in captivity in a foreign land (Ps. 137:3).

27:9–10 The saying in Proverbs 27:8 was probably composed with the family in mind; these two verses turn to extol the rare value of friends above family. Verse 9 compares the wisdom of a close friend to expensive oils (cf. 16:24). There may be some connection to this same image in the Psalter, in which unity among brothers is as “oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes” (Ps. 133:2), while reproof from a friend is as “oil for my head” (Ps. 141:5).

Proverbs 27:10 follows from the previous praise of friends with an admonition to treasure them and rely on them in times of need. No doubt meant to shock the reader, the saying contradicts the familiar aphorism “Blood is thicker than water.” Any doubt the reader may have about this truth is easily answered by pointing to the conflict among the sons of Jacob and David and contrasting these to the close friendships between Ruth and Naomi and Jonathan and David. Jesus too recognizes that friends can replace family in the kingdom of God (Matt. 12:46–50).

27:11–12 These sayings about being safe are joined by their use of the words “wise” (Prov. 27:11) and “prudent” (v. 12). The first saying (v. 11) looks back to the father and his friend in verse 10. While they bring benefit to the son, here the wise son’s good behavior offers help and protection to the father.

Verse 12 turns to a broader observation about safety: the “prudent” recognizes risk and steers aside to avoid suffering the consequences.

27:13–14 This pair is about the refined skills required to maintain neighborliness. The admonition in verse 13 warns those in the community to place appropriate limits around those who lend their money unwisely. It is probably no coincidence that the word for “stranger” here is most often a reference to the “adulteress” or “forbidden woman” (cf. 2:16; 5:10, 20; 6:24; 7:5). In those contexts the woman in question had dangerously seductive speech.

Proverbs 27:14 may pick up on the theme of the unfitting speech of fools—early morning loud-talkers and those prone to be noisy in libraries, movie theaters, or churches. It helps to remember that “neighbor” here is the same Hebrew word as “friend” throughout the chapter. Friendship is more than simply liking to hang out with people like oneself, involving the skill of navigating interactions in love and self-restraint (cf. 25:17).

27:15–16 This saying is a variant of several others in Proverbs (cf. 25:24), perhaps inserted in this place to follow the adulteress in 27:13. The quarrelsome wife follows two other types of difficult and annoying people (vv. 13–14).

27:17–18 These verses extol types of virtuous relationships, using metaphors derived from metallurgy and farming.

Verses 17 remains close to the teaching about the delicacy of friendship in verses 13–14, comparing the value of friends to the sharpening of irons—an image that is rough and violent, yet necessary to bring forth excellence in metal. So too are the interactions among true friends (cf. v. 9).

A related lesson is found in the asymmetric relationship between the servant and the master (cf. 1 Cor. 9:7). One’s loving, diligent, and often dangerous care of his master bears fruit in the long run. It is a timely saying in a generation that constantly thinks of the “boss” and the “company” only in terms of the obligation to satisfy a list of rules or to keep out of trouble. Wisdom turns the relationship the other way round: “Ask not what your country can do for you . . .”

27:19–21 These verses address very different topics, but they might have been organized as a trio. This can be seen in the way the first and the last sayings address discerning the difference between outward appearances and inner character.

As water effortlessly reflects the face back to a person (Prov. 27:19), so does the heart reflect the person. But, in contrast to water, the heart’s reflection to a friend or neighbor is not so easily perceived (cf. 20:5). This is probably why the trio ends with the testing of the crucible of public praise in 27:21—public opinion is often the best reflection of a person’s character (cf. the crucible in v. 2). The stories of Job and Jesus make it obvious that this is no hard and fast rule. Indeed, knowing the inner thoughts of a person requires careful discernment and wisdom.

The center saying in verse 20 uses “eyes” as a metaphor for the insatiability of human desire (cf. Eccles. 1:8). The same is true for “Sheol and Abaddon,” which appear elsewhere as metaphors for things never satisfied (cf. Prov. 30:15–16; Hab. 2:5). These two mysterious places of death are also used to reflect God’s all-seeing powers into even the lowest depths of the world (Job 26:6; Prov. 15:11).

27:22 The final saying before the concluding poem returns to the fool in 27:2, perhaps to bring the sequence of proverb pairs to an end. The savage imagery of a fool under “mortar with a pestle” reminds us of violent sayings in previous chapters, and the fool’s failure to achieve his goal reinforced his utterly helpless state of self-reliance and self-deception.

27:23–27 This final poem resembles the closing poem in 24:30–34, in terms of both their placement and their concern with the divine gift of daily labor. However, whereas the earlier poem depicted the neglect of the “field” and “vineyard” of the lazy person, this poem encourages virtues of diligent and thoughtful work.

The poem can be divided in half. The first part (27:23–24) sets a tone of urgency: “riches” and inheritances rarely last long, and so even the privileged should attend closely to their animals (a symbol for resources and income). The second part of the poem paints an idealistic, if not romantic, picture of the good use of natural resources: hard work with careful attention to the seasons nurtures animals that provide the essentials of food and clothing. In the end one’s livelihood depends on diligence, careful observation, compassion, and an appreciation for the beauty and order of the world.

This poem is part of many literary connections within Proverbs, especially chapters 24–31. For example, the “field” in 27:26 appears rarely in the book but surfaces in and near the similar poem on work in chapter 24 (vv. 27, 30), as well as in the description of the work of the valiant woman in chapter 31 (v. 16). Also, the word in 27:27 for “girls” (a reference to young female servants) appears elsewhere only at 9:3; 31:15, two passages about wisdom’s insight into work that aligns with the created order. Finally, the “clothing” of 27:26 is mentioned three times in chapter 31 (vv. 21, 22, 25). At the very least this short passage appears to anticipate the book’s concluding portrait of the valiantly wise woman.185