Original Meaning
THIS FINAL SET of the contrasting proverbs in chapters 10–15 comes to a crescendo with the frequent appearance of Yahweh proverbs, particularly in the closing of 15:25–33. Yahweh knows the thoughts and actions of the wicked and righteous and responds accordingly. Looking back to the prologue (1:7), the last proverb of chapter 15 commends “the fear of the LORD” as an instructor in wisdom (15:33). No obvious structure or outline shows itself in this chapter, although there is some sense that the second half recapitulates the first.1 The outline proposed here shows that some proverbs serve as links that tie sections together (15:8, 11) and that smaller clusters can be imbedded in larger ones.
Words and Speech (15:1–8)
Yahweh Sayings (15:8–11)
Death and Hatred/Life and Love (15:11–18)
“heart” sayings (15:11–15)
cheerfulness (15:13–17)
eating and feasting (15:14–17)
“good” sayings on contentment (15:15–17)
“better than” sayings (15:16–17)
Sluggards and Fools (15:19–24)
“joy” sayings (15:20–23)
Yahweh Sayings (15:25–33)
“hear” sayings (15:28–32)
Words and Speech (15:1–8)
IN THIS CLUSTER of sayings gathered around the theme of speaking and listening, proverbs about the soothing reply, teaching, healing, and even prayer are included.
15:1. The first saying of this chapter picks up the topic of anger from 14:35 and turns the focus toward speech that turns away wrath (cf. 15:2). It may be that this proverb, like the one before, speaks to the king’s wrath, but the advice is well taken in most situations; just as a gentle response calms anger, a hard word provokes it. The Bible has many examples; Nabal’s inhospitality and Abigail’s appeal is probably the most famous (1 Sam. 25:1–35). However, the gentle answer is not weak; a soft tongue is powerful enough to break bones (Prov. 25:15).
15:2. Another saying on the topic of speaking, this one distinguishes the wise and foolish by what their mouths produce. We rarely use the word “gushes” for something good, whether we are speaking of blood or emotion, and this is also true when we are talking about folly. The image compares speech to water or some other rushing liquid—too much spouting out too quickly, neither controlled nor contained. Knowledge, by contrast, is (lit.) “made good” by the tongue of the wise, perhaps by taking the time and effort to make it attractive; when it comes out, its product is worth keeping. It comes out in moderation, not excess, so that nothing is lost.2
15:3. Human tongues speak and heavenly eyes watch. “Wicked” and “good” is a merism, spanning the range of human behavior to make the point that God not only sees all but judges all. The Hebrew root for “good” (ṭob) links the saying with the “tongue of the wise” in 15:2, taking speech as representative of a person’s intentions and way of life. The emphasis is on God’s knowledge, and recompense is only implied. By contrast, in speaking of the Egyptian god Thoth, The Instruction of Amenemope warns: “His eyes encircle the Two Lands; when he sees one who cheats with his finger, he carries his livelihood off in the flood.”3 But Proverbs rarely draws a direct line between outcomes and God’s action; the exception in 22:12 proves the rule.
15:4. This proverb on speaking contrasts the “tongue that brings healing” or promotes health with the tongue that “crushes the spirit” (cf. 15:1–2). Speech that does damage is deceitful; by implication, then, speech that heals is truthful. One is a “tree of life,” the other is literally twisted like a crooked branch. The tree of life is only found in Proverbs; Genesis 2:9; 3:22–24; and Revelation 2:7; 22:2 (cf. Ezek. 47:12). In Proverbs, it is associated with wisdom (Prov. 3:18), the fruit of the righteous (11:30), and a longing fulfilled (13:12). “Healing” (marpeʾ ) or perhaps calming (after the related Heb. root rph) is typically associated with wise speech (4:20–22; 12:18; 13:17; 14:30) and is mentioned once in every chapter from 12–15.
15:5. Even the most helpful speech must be accepted in order to do its work; as in the instructions, the one who rejects “discipline” (musar, cf. 1:7) is a fool. Here the discipline is paired with “correction,” stressing that aspect of teaching central to the chapter (cf. 15:10, 12, 31–33). Wisdom to speak and teach others is learned in listening, a sign of “prudence” (cf. 12:16, 12:23; 13:16; 14:8). Note the similarity of 15:5–6 to 10:1–2, possibly marking the beginning and ending sections of the contrasting proverbs.
15:6. The first righteous/wicked saying in the chapter (cf. 15:9, 28–29) contrasts possessions with payback; one is “treasure,” the other, “trouble.”4 Only the righteous receive rewards that one would like to keep and share. The saying in 10:2 is the reverse of this picture; the wicked may gain treasures, but they profit little in matters of life and death.
15:7. Like the speech saying of 15:2, this proverb contrasts the “knowledge” of the “wise” with the lack of that knowledge in the “hearts of fools.” An intimate connection between lips and the heart is assumed, for the sages knew that what we say has its source in our hearts. Here the idea is extended; the desire to spread knowledge as an antidote to folly is the mark of a wise person and a caring teacher. Sayings about the “heart” gather in 15:11–15, 28–30. The reference to prayer that pleases Yahweh in 15:8 adds this proverb to the cluster; it is treated below as one of the Yahweh proverbs in 15:8–11.
Yahweh Sayings (15:8–11)
THREE SAYINGS ABOUT Yahweh’s view of human affairs form an envelope around a proverb about final outcomes.
15:8. The second of the righteous/wicked sayings (cf. 15:6) is about proper worship. Sacrifice in itself is not spoken against here, nor does the saying hold up prayer as superior. Sacrifice by itself is nothing, it is the “sacrifice of the wicked” that Yahweh finds abominable. Like right sacrifices, prayers are pleasing when offered by those whose walk is upright or straight (cf. Ps. 51:16–17). Worship may never be divorced from our day-to-day actions (Isa. 1:10–17; 29:13; 59:1–2). What is detestable is “an abomination to the LORD,” as echoed in the next proverb (Prov. 15:9; cf. 15:26; 16:5).
15:9. In this second saying that uses the words “detests” and “wicked,” the truth of 15:8 is made more explicit. The scene shifts from acts of worship to the affairs of daily life, affirming that they are inseparable. “The LORD detests the way of the wicked,” yet we should probably not assume a “hate sin, love the sinner” contrast is at work here. Instead, the proverb contrasts between two paths, indicated by use of the words “way” and “pursue” (the contrast extending to 15:10).
15:10. There are two connections with 15:9: the one who leaves the “path” of righteousness (cf. “way” in v. 9a) “hates” discipline (cf. “loves” in v. 9b). The warning is not just for the wicked; whoever wishes to stay on the path had better prepare for correction or reproof (cf. 15:5, 12, 31–33). However unpleasant it may be, correction is preferable to death. There are echoes of wisdom’s speeches here (1:29–32; 8:32–36; 9:6–8).5
15:11. “How much more” (a fortiori) sayings are infrequent in Proverbs. Instead of arguing via contrasts, they take an accepted truth and apply it to a new situation. In this case, all agree that Yahweh knows, sees, and understands the mysteries of “Death and Destruction” (cf. “die” in 15:10). If these causes of uncertainty and terror are simple matters to Yahweh, easily examined and explained, then it is no great wonder that he searches and knows the secrets of the human heart.6 Whereas in 15:3 Yahweh seems to be watching in every place, examining everyone’s deeds, here the interior regions of the human person are exposed. God not only looks on behaviors, but the intentions that motivate them (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7).
Death and Hatred/Life and Love (15:11–18)
VERSE 11 IS DISCUSSED above, for it also fits in the previous cluster, functioning as a hinge. In this cluster, each proverb but one (15:12) uses the word “heart.” Perhaps the cluster includes the first use of “heart” in 15:7; those sayings that do not use the word are similar in theme, especially on the reactions of love and hate toward either wisdom or wicked behaviors (15:8–10). The many overlapping themes of this chapter weave a rich tapestry of life lived in joy and contentment, yet death, poverty, and oppression are always close at hand (15:11, 15). The sayings do not intend to justify the plight of the poor but rather to restrain readers from taking advantage of them for gain.
15:12. The “mocker” appears in wisdom’s speeches and a number of individual sayings (1:22; 9:7–8; 13:1; 14:6, 9). Like the one who leaves the path (15:10), the mocker “resents” (lit., “does not love”) correction and proves it by failing to “consult the wise.” One becomes wise through both association and instruction, and the mocker avoids both. If the two sayings on correction form a frame around 15:11, the intent may be to assure readers that perverse intentions of the heart are not always secret (cf. 14:10, 13). Mockers make their intentions known right away.
15:13. Both verses 13 and 14 begin with the word “heart”; verse 13 is (lit.) “a heart of joy makes good the face.” This proverb repeats phrases taken from 15:2 (“makes good” of knowledge) and 15:4 (the “crushed spirit”; cf. 17:22; 18:14). The saying sounds like a health and medicine report from the evening news, but it means to show that the difference between a heart that rejoices and one full of sorrow can be seen on the face and sensed in the spirit. This proverb does not contrast external joy with internal sorrow but rather the wide range of our emotional states and their effects. Again (cf. 15:12), that which is deep within often does leak out.
15:14. Like the previous proverb, this one also begins with the word “heart.” The pairing of “knowledge” with “mouth of fools” and “folly” is echoed in 15:2; a similar comparison of heart and mouth is made in 15:28. Whereas folly and evil gush from the mouth in those proverbs, here the mouth of the fool feeds on folly, perhaps its own. One can choose to act on the basis of an understanding heart or an unthinking appetite. The proverb implies that a heart that seeks knowledge will find it; folly, by contrast, is hardly gourmet fare. Verses 14–17 form another cluster around the theme of eating and feasting (cf. 13:2–4, 23–25).
15:15. Connected to the previous verse by the image of the feast, this saying completes the contrast begun there. The “cheerful heart” is (lit.) the “good heart”; while the translation “cheerful” may offer a contrast with the “wretched” days of the oppressed (raʿ, “evil, trouble”; cf. 15:10), a “good heart” may also connote a contented and trusting heart (or even a “discerning heart” after 15:14). This last of the heart sayings sets the stage for another pair of sayings on contentment in 15:16–17.
15:16. Verses 16–17 are a pair of “better than” sayings7; both begin with ṭob (“better”) and both end with bo (“with it”).8 In each line, the negative component is matched with a positive. Thus, having “a little” (a negative) can come with “fear of the LORD” (a positive), and the sum is “better than” the positive of “great wealth” since the negative of “turmoil” often comes “with it,” especially if the wealth is gained fraudulently. The saying points out that things are never as simple as they may seem. Mitigating factors may make having little preferable to having much; by implication, “fear of the LORD,” like wisdom, is worth more than gold or jewels (cf. 3:13–15; 8:10–11). “Fear of the LORD” connects this saying with the pair at 14:26–27.
15:17. This second “better than” saying extends the idea that humble circumstances are not to be despised. While the best situation would be to have both meat and love, if we must choose, a good relationship is always more important than material gain.9 When read on its own, the saying depicts conflicted demonstrations of hospitality; there can be plenty on the table but scarce goodwill (cf. 17:1). When read together with 15:16, some of the compensations of poverty stand out.10 Taken together, 15:15–17 redefine what is to be considered a good feast, namely, the cheerful heart reminding the reader of Wisdom’s sumptuous table in chapter 9.
15:18. The comparison here shows that one’s response to a situation influences it for good or bad. While some people typically create dissension, others can quiet it down. “Hot-tempered” and “patient” sound like qualities of temperament one is born with and cannot change, but this saying urges self-control, similar to 15:1. One chooses how to respond, just as one chooses to keep a good heart, fear Yahweh, and love (15:15–17).11
Sluggards and Fools (15:19–24)
VERSES 19–24 APPEAR to take a chiastic pattern formed by repetition key words:
A Path of the upright (v. 19)
B Joy of a wise son, joy of folly (vv. 20–21)
C Plans and counsel (v. 22)
B′ Joy of an apt reply (v. 23)
A′ Path of life (v. 24)
15:19. The saying seems unconnected to its immediate context apart from the image of the path (cf. 15:24; see also 15:9–10). We have met the sluggard before (6:6–9; 13:4), and we will meet him again12 as he appears throughout Proverbs as a fool who inspires laughter, at least at the start. It may be that coming after the praise of patience, this saying emphasizes that patience is not to be confused with passivity and its negative outcomes. The surprise comes in the contrast between a sluggard and the upright, for it implies that the lazy one is not upright, that is, not ethically responsible. What picture is conjured by a hedge of thorns? Thorns and briers in the path certainly slow the way and make traveling miserable; they may be a sign of folly, for who would choose such a route? They are also a sign of neglect (cf. 24:30–31). Thorns and briers are associated with evil in Micah 7:4: “The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.”
15:20. Verses 20–21 are paired by use of the Hebrew root for “joy” (śmḥ). Note the similarity of verse 20 to the first proverb of the collection (10:1), nearly identical except that this son “despises” his mother whereas in 10:1, he brings her grief.13 The second line of 15:20 implies the link between wisdom and love; if the fool despises his mother, then the wise son’s gift of joy is a sign of love for his parents (cf. “father” in 15:5). One never leaves the family, even in entering relationships with God and community.
15:21. Folly is (lit.) “a joy” (cf. 15:20) to one who “lacks heart”; the “straight course” links this proverb with 15:19. This proverb itself implies that folly has its delights, but the person of understanding is not misled. Only a fool finds joy in the foolishness of putting self and pleasure first, not considering the consequences of actions or caring about the effects on self or others.
15:22. Just as destinations are reached by walking straight ahead (15:21), so goals are met when plans are submitted to the wisdom of others. Others can often spot flaws or shortcomings that we cannot, and to fail to consult them is to court trouble. Plans “fail” and are frustrated (lit., “broken”). The point is not to gather as many opinions as possible in a flurry of indecision but to consider more opinions than one’s own. A wise person listens to advice (cf. 11:14; 12:15); fools like Rehoboam rejected counsel (1 Kings 12:8–13). Certainly the principle applies to the counsel wisdom offers (Prov. 1:25, 30) as well as to the counsel of Yahweh (cf. Ps. 32:8).
15:23. The first line might also be translated, “Some may find joy in the answer of their own mouths,” describing those who like to hear themselves talk. This reading follows the idea of 15:22, that some people take no one’s counsel but their own. By contrast, a “timely word,” that is, one that comes from outside one’s own perspective, is desirable. However the proverb is translated, it celebrates the wisdom that knows how to speak the right word at the right time. This saying reminds the reader of the famous “seasons” poem in Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, that there is a “time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl. 3:7). “Joy” connects this saying with Proverbs 15:20–21, the “reply” (maʿ aneh, “answer”) with 15:1 and 16:1.
15:24. Here is another “path” saying (cf. 15:9–10, 19). The downward path goes in the opposite direction of the path of life, it ends in “the grave” (šeʾol; cf. 15:11). “Upward” is not so much a reference to heaven or life eternal as to the path that avoids untimely death or the death-dealing forces of hunger and sickness.14 At root, everyone wants “life,” but too many pursue it in ways that lead to death. Surely this saying brings us back to the most basic contrast of the proverbs, the ends toward which our lives are directed, the way we will travel.
Yahweh Sayings (15:25–33)
THE SECTION IS tied together by the significant number of Yahweh sayings, thus associating his judgments with the benefits of God-fearing wisdom.
15:25. The house of the righteous with its wealth and security (15:6) seems to be in view as the house of the proud and perhaps powerful is brought down (cf. 14:1). By contrast, the widow’s boundary stone is the symbol of all that is humble and vulnerable about poverty. In Scripture, the moved boundary marker comes to stand for all injustice against weaker persons (cf. Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Hos. 5:10).15 Yahweh makes sure it continues to stand right where it is (cf. Prov. 22:28; 23:10–11). So in the songs of Hannah and Mary, Yahweh brings down the high and mighty and lifts up the lowly (1 Sam. 2:1–10; Luke 1:46–55). It is the wise way of life that leads upward, not the proud way of lifted hearts and eyes (Prov. 15:24).
15:26. In this Yahweh saying, the theme is again his opposition to those who turn from him. He finds the “thoughts” (maḥšebot, “plans” in 15:22) of the wicked to be a detestable abomination (cf. 15:8–9). The second line reads (lit.) “pure, pleasant words” (cf. 16:24; “compliments,” 23:8), perhaps an association with acceptable sacrifice. There is some question whether “pure” should describe the speaker or the words/thoughts; if the latter, the line reads, “but pleasant words, acceptable (or pure).” Read alongside 15:25, the saying highlights Yahweh’s look at intentions (cf. 15:3, 11) that motivate right and wrong behaviors. A negative example follows in 15:27; in 3:17, wisdom’s ways are pleasing or “pleasant” (noʿam).
15:27. The greedy person thinks only of gains, not consequences. Thus, the one “greedy for gain” (or “unjust gain,” 1:19; 28:16; cf. Jer. 6:13; 8:10; Ezek. 22:7; Hab. 2:9) neither sees nor cares how those actions bring trouble to the family (cf. Prov. 11:29). The “bribe” (mattanah, “gift”) plays on the desire for power (18:16; 19:6; 21:14); one can choose to hate the bribe or, as the proverb implies, to hate one’s own “house” or family.
15:28. Verses 28–29 form a pair of righteous/wicked contrasts. The first, one of the “heart” sayings of the chapter (15:7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 30), compares the foresight of the righteous heart that “weighs its answers” by an internalized standard against the impulsive speech of the wicked that “gushes” forth evil like a broken dam. A similar comparison in 15:14 implies that if one pays attention to the intentions of the heart, then the speech of the mouth will bear the fruits of wisdom. When that inner work is ignored, the mouth pours out folly and its close cousin, evil. The verb and syntax of 15:28b is similar to 15:2b: “The mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
15:29. This companion to verse 28 turns its attention from the workings of righteous and wicked hearts to Yahweh’s response to both kinds. “Far” is not so much a measure of distance as of disposition; the wicked stay far away from God, and they are repaid in kind. The “prayer of the righteous” drives the point home, since readers assume the wicked do not pray. If we read 15:28 and 29 together, the evil speech of the wicked is the counterpart to the prayers of the righteous, which are Yahweh’s delight (15:8).
15:30. Verses 30–32 are linked by catchword šmʿ (“hear”) in “news” (i.e., what is heard, 15:30), “listens” (15:31), and “heeds” (15:32).16 In the first of the three, the direction of 15:13 is reversed; here a “cheerful look” from another (lit., “light of the eyes”) makes a heart joyful. Similarly, good news gives health (lit., “puts fat”) to the bones. The heart guides a person’s words and actions, but it is also receptive of kindness from others. The condition of the heart influences a person’s health (cf. 14:30). The “light of the eyes” is not explained; the parallel with the good news suggests that it refers to positive communication brought either by a messenger or a teacher (see 15:31 for a corrector or teacher). Set in the context of this chapter, the proverb is about messages that come from the good heart and bring health and life to those who receive them. If we look to the context that follows, we must include life-giving rebuke (15:31).
15:31. It is not stated whether the “rebuke” is given with a “cheerful look” (15:30), but we do recognize that it is an invitation. The one who “listens” (šmʿ ) to it finds a home among the wise. Thanks be to wise ones who make that invitation appealing and persuasive! Like 15:30, the two parts of this saying do not present a contrast; rather, the second line expands the thought of the first line. Rebuke brings life because it brings wisdom; in addition, it brings a place to live, a “home with the wise.” If there is any contrast, it is in the reversal it brings to 15:12. Hating correction, the mocker will not go near the wise, as we also heard in wisdom’s final speech (9:8). This key theme continues in the next proverb (cf. 15:5, 10).
15:32. This saying begins with words similar to 13:18, describing “the one who ignores discipline.” It is also the companion piece to 15:31 (cf. 15:5, 10, in which “discipline” and “correction” are also paired). Those who ignore discipline not only disrespect others such as the wise, they hate themselves. Conversely, to “gain understanding” is to respect and love oneself. The thought echoes 9:12 (lit.): “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.” The proverb also connects with 15:30, in that the one who heeds (lit. “hears”) correction “gains understanding” (lit., “heart”; cf. “lack judgment [heart]” in 9:4).
15:33. The second mention of “the fear of the LORD” in this chapter, like the first (15:16), compares what is “great” with what is “little.” In this saying, however, what seems small leads to what is greater or better. Fear of Yahweh, a stepping down from self-rule (becoming small), is instruction in wisdom, and the proverbs often show how learning wisdom increases one’s standing in the community. In the same way, before one is honored, one must learn humility. Whereas 15:16 spoke of material gain, this verse speaks of an increase in status. The first line incorporates terms from 1:7, 17 while the second line is identical with 18:12b (on “humility,” see 3:34; 16:19; 22:4). Thus, the last proverb of the antithetical collection not only lacks a contrast; it also looks for like-minded companions—backward at the prologue and forward to the synonymous collection.
Bridging Contexts
AMONG THE MANY tones sounded by these proverbs, three themes draw them together and bring the collection of contrasts to a crescendo: (1) new insights into speaking and listening as functions of the heart, (2) repeated statements that Yahweh sees and understands all of those heart functions, and (3) multiple images of life lived in fear of Yahweh, a life of “cheerfulness” and “joy.” We will look at each in turn, remembering that nearly half of the sayings in the chapter speak to matters of teaching and gaining knowledge.18
Speaking and listening. The importance of speaking and listening comes up again and again. The proverbs that mark the beginning and middle of the chapter exalt the patient person whose “gentle answer turns away wrath” and “calms a quarrel” (15:1, 18). In between are sayings about a wise tongue that “commends knowledge” and “brings healing” (15:2, 4), the “apt reply” and “timely word” that bring joy (15:23), and the “good news” that gives health to the bones (15:30).
Two aspects of communication are in view here: managing situations of conflict and the communication of knowledge through teaching. Social interaction and business dealings always have an element of conflict and difference of opinion, but conflict can be aggravated or it can be calmed, depending on how one answers. The wise person knows how to get at the matters of concern and work toward solutions so that all parties involved are reasonably satisfied. Fools, thinking only of their own interests, throw gasoline on the fires of conflict, leading others to respond in kind. Not “weighing answers” (15:28) to consider their effects, fools “gush” folly and its resulting evil (15:2, 28); rash speech is rarely profitable.
While there are times when we must overcome our tendencies to stay quiet just for the sake of getting along, impulsive words of anger never accomplish what we hope and usually bring regret. Wise persons not only make sure their words do not provoke a situation, they also learn to speak words that bring peace.19 However, one does not come by such wisdom naturally, and it must be learned by listening to the wise words of others; teaching takes place by example as well as formal instruction. These proverbs not only urge us to listen and learn but also to become examples and teachers ourselves, always considering the good of all as the best way to achieve good for ourselves.
The work of learning wisdom takes place in the heart, for the wise heart informs the lips that spread knowledge (15:7), makes the face cheerful (15:13), seeks knowledge (15:14), and weighs answers (15:28). The heart can be cheered by good interaction with others (15:30), and this cheer provides a continual feast (15:15). Therefore, these sayings recognize that the intentions of the heart cannot be hidden for long, especially from Yahweh (15:11). A wise person recognizes the need to store good intentions there, particularly the humility and fear of Yahweh that leaves one open to teaching (15:31–33). While the need for a renewed or transformed heart sounds again and again throughout the Old and New Testaments, proverbs such as these seem to have been the inspiration for Jesus’ teaching on good and bad fruit (Matt. 12:34–37, TNIV):
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Good people bring good things out of the good stored up in them, and evil people bring evil things out of the evil stored up in them. But I tell you that people will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.
Believers should always reflect on the effects of their words, but they should also take the next step and examine the intentions and desires of the heart that inform them.
What Yahweh sees. The proverbs of this chapter affirm that Yahweh sees and understands the workings of the human heart. This chapter contains nine Yahweh sayings (15:3, 8–9, 11, 16, 25–26, 29, 33; nine more cluster in 16:1–11). Two “fear of the LORD” sayings come at the middle and end of the chapter. Most of the Yahweh proverbs deal with what pleases and displeases the One who sees all, even the intentions of the heart. Beginning with verse 11, these sayings move from behavior to matters of the inner life, adding that God sees them too. Therefore, just as the real work of learning wisdom takes place in the heart, so Yahweh examines the intentions that are stored there (15:11), sorting out the thoughts that are detestable and pure (15:26) and befriending the righteous while opposing the wicked (15:25, 29).
There is some implication that while we humans often value good looks and talent as the qualities that matter, Yahweh looks beyond appearances to reflect what is within. Even the prophet Samuel was fooled by appearance and stature when he saw the eldest of Jesse’s sons. In reply, Yahweh said to Samuel, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
Two of the nine Yahweh sayings in the chapter point to the appropriate heart response, “the fear of the LORD.” Like the humility that comes before honor, humble reverence and obedience teach wisdom (Prov. 15:33)—a treasure so great that it multiplies the net worth even of those of modest means (15:16). These two sayings imply that desirable commodities such as wealth and honor are never separated from the attitude that we bring with them or use to acquire them. If we choose fear of Yahweh, we will practice humility and make peace; if we do not, we may have wealth, but pride and contentiousness will bring turmoil and endanger our houses (15:16, 24). If we must choose, it is better to have a little and keep what is truly valuable (15:16–17). Those open and willing to be instructed and learn have the richest fare, whether the table is as sumptuous as wisdom’s feast (9:2–5) or as simple as a plate of greens. Wisdom and fear of Yahweh, as we have seen throughout Proverbs, are both the requirements and the goals of wisdom teaching, both beginning and end.
Life lived in the fear of Yahweh. Life lived in Yahweh’s presence is a feast of cheerfulness and joy. For every image of the turmoil and trouble of the wicked, there are corresponding pictures of happiness, cheer, and rejoicing. Moreover, it is striking that these images of gladness are not associated with riches, honor, or status but rather with simple pleasures of life together. “The cheerful heart has a continual feast” even when there is little, if it is accompanied by the fear of Yahweh and love (15:13–17).
A wise son brings joy to his father (15:20), and an apt reply brings joy to both speaker and hearer (15:23). Folly may be a joy (root śmḥ) to the one who lacks heart (leb; NIV “judgment”), but a cheerful look brings the heart joy (15:21, 30). The proverbs here resonate with the observation of C. S. Lewis that nothing lasts forever except God and the people he has given to us. Sadly, the folly that tempts us all attempts to get us to love things and use people when it should be the other way around.
In commending the simple pleasures of wise living, the proverbs of this chapter sum up this life lived in fear of Yahweh with the word “good” (ṭob). The tongue of the wise makes knowledge “good” (15:2), just as the happy heart makes “good” the face (15:13); the “good” heart has the continual feast (15:15). Like a timely (lit., “good”) word (15:23) and “good news” that brings health (15:30), the better life of moderation and love is also “good” (15:16–17). The eyes of Yahweh keep watch on the “wicked and the good” (15:3), for Yahweh finds any incursion of evil that would spoil that good to be detestable, an abomination (15:8–9, 26). Here is why God hears the prayer of the righteous but detests the sacrifices of the wicked (15:8, 29), why God opposes the proud and tears down their houses (15:25); their way of folly spoils and ruins this world, which God created for good. In answer to Marcion’s declaration that a loving God would not judge or condemn the wicked, Tertullian wrote about this portrait of Yahweh:
What a prevaricator of truth is such a God! What a dissembler with his own decision! Afraid to condemn what he really condemns, afraid to hate what he does not love, permitting that to be done which he does not allow, choosing to dictate what he dislikes rather than deeply examine it! This will turn out an imaginary goodness.20
Thus, the contrasts we have seen again and again between the righteous and the wicked are meant to show us what true goodness looks like—goodness of life to be sure, but even more important, the goodness of God, who will not allow his intentions to be thwarted forever.
Contemporary Significance
POWER OF SPEECH. The principles we have discerned in this chapter about wise speaking, the heart’s desires, and the goodness of life lived in the fear of Yahweh translate easily into the concerns of our own day, and preachers and teachers may be surprised to find examples in every walk of life. These sayings on speech commend gentleness and truthfulness. Such speech turns away wrath (15:1), brings healing (15:4), and calms quarrels (15:18).
Yet such speech often involves stating uncomfortable truths in the form of rebuke and correction (15:31–32). Eva Jefferson Patterson is a civil rights attorney in the San Francisco Bay area. During the turbulent time of the late 1960s and early 1970s, she became the first African American president of the student government at Northwestern University. After the shooting of four students at Kent State University, she led thousands of students in a peaceful strike; Northwestern was the only campus in the Chicago area that did not shut down. A few days later, she confronted a small group of students heading toward the building that housed the ROTC building. They carried torches, intending to set the building on fire. Patterson convinced the group to turn around, saying, “These torches remind me of torches in another place and time.” By using the imagery of racially motivated violence, she was able to calm their anger and move them to reconsider their action.21
On the other side, I once heard a rhetorical critic who is also a Viet Nam veteran speak about the ways societies talk themselves into war. He studied the famous speeches of Roosevelt and Churchill, Johnson and Nixon, editorials from those time periods, and art. When he published his findings, he was surprised to receive requests to speak and consult from sports teams, corporate executives, and foreign military advisors! Our human capacity to influence and persuade can be used to quiet conflict or to stir it up.
Intentions of the heart. However, these proverbs do more than simply urge us to watch what we say and how; they also inspire us to examine the intentions of our hearts. We should take those occasions when we are inclined to speak harshly as opportunities to reflect on our motives for speaking and to ask whose interests we have at heart. We may find that our motives are more complicated than we imagined, that we want what is right but all too often seek what benefits us at the expense of others. A heart that weighs its answers will also remember that little with love is better than meat with hatred (15:17, 28).
Connections. These proverbs also urge us to make the connection between listening to instruction and speaking wisely. That is, they require of us a willingness to admit when we are wrong. Someone who is willing to “stand corrected” is less likely to get agitated and quarrel, more likely to hear another person’s point of view, more able to build trust with another, and better able to speak. The interweaving of these images of speaking and listening, teaching and learning implies that learning is not finished once a person goes on to speak and teach others.
Preachers especially need to heed this call to a humble, teachable spirit. We may have correction to offer, but if it is offered in anger with harsh words or self-righteousness, we may be caught in an irony Jesus encountered. Throughout the Gospels he was opposed by religious leaders who wanted to do the right thing but did it in a way that alienated the population and the Son of God. A similar irony in our day is that we can be talking about the right things and alienating our listeners with judgment and crankiness. How can we balance the Lord’s hatred of evil with love for our listeners? Let us never forget that in a sense everyone teaches—some in pulpits, some in schools, some at family tables, and some through friendship (I have been deeply influenced by friendship with wise elders).
We should note too that the chapter begins with the potency of a gentle answer and ends with the honor that comes to humility. One can speak softly yet authoritatively. If the message is not heard by those who love swagger and bluster, we can take hope that if we chose not to play with that form of fire, we may keep it from spreading.
The full life. Therefore, these proverbs of joy and feasting mingled in with proverbs of judgment can shed new light on what it means to love what God loves and hate what God hates. The self-denial taught here is not a denial of the good life God intends but rather a “renunciation of a self-directed life, for the very purpose of attaining a far greater fullness under the direction of God.”22 This fullness, says Paul Tournier, is the fullness of attaining maturity and bearing much fruit, as Jesus promised to those who would abide in him (John 15:5). Thus, it is that the tongue of the wise that brings healing is a tree of life (Prov. 15:4). Fear of Yahweh is better than a great treasure, and it comes before any great honor. In other words, while wisdom promises to fulfill one’s desires for provision, long life, and honor, it does not come if those things are put first. Instruction and humility, contentment with adequate provision—these are the indications of a heart that fears God.
As the number of contrasting proverbs decreases and the synonymous proverbs begin to dominate the collection of 10:1–22:16, chapters 15 and 16 present a number of transitional clusters that blend the two kinds of proverbs. So the contrasts in 15:29 and 32 together tell us that Yahweh is far from the wicked, but that those who ignore instruction and correction even hate themselves. The synonymous proverbs of 15:30–31, 33 present the positive picture of one who listens to others and fears Yahweh, finding a home among the wise. Having made the contrast between the two ways of life as clear as possible, the sages of Proverbs now present the beauty of wisdom in harmonious colors. Drawing together this chapter’s proverbs about the joys of wisdom and its contentment (15:17, 23, 30), the composer Michael Torke said about his work Four Proverbs:
Proverbs, especially poetic and witty ones, make me laugh, and I write music to celebrate that state. Wisdom can be both fun and responsible, I see no contradiction. Ethical questions can weigh us down. Here they have lift, inspiriting intense shots of happiness.23
Even as these sayings depict a maturity of life that enjoys fullness and bears its fruit, so those who know the life of wisdom have a growing sense of knowing God’s mind and heart, even as God knows theirs. They begin to value what God values; they begin to see the truth in this teaching and the benefits of walking in his way. They yield and are richly supplied; they surrender and are set free.
The contentment that comes when one surrenders a self-determined life of achievement and acquisition for one that offers good work and good rewards is better than any hoard of selfish riches. It is striking that the connections between instruction (musar) and Yahweh’s oversight of human affairs sound very much like the instructions of chapters 1–9, but also here Yahweh’s presence is more strongly felt and receives greater emphasis. As the proverbs tell us more and more about Yahweh and his intentions and desires, we will find ourselves all the more wanting the same. “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil” (15:16).