Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Proverbs 25

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

Proverbs 25:¹ These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

Proverbs 25:² It is the glory of God (‘ĕlōhîm) to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

• God conceals His wisdom from those who refuse it, but elevates a low man to glory who hungers and searches for it.
  
  • Matthew 5:6
    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
    
  • Wisdom is getting to the heart of the matter and understanding its truth.
    
• When Jesus spoke in parables, he concealed the meaning, but revealed it to His disciples.

Proverbs 25:³ As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

• The heart of the king is the heart of authority and power. The King of kings is Jesus.

• The heart of King Solomon is revealed in his proverbs.

Proverbs 25:^4-5 Take away the dross from silver,
And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.
Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.

• The wicked are like the dross.
  The righteous throne of the king is compared to silver.

Proverbs 25:^6-7 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;
For it is better that he say to you,
“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

• Luke 14:10
  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

Proverbs 25:⁸ Do not go hastily to court (Lit. contend or bring a lawsuit);
For what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor has put you to shame?

• Matthew 5:²⁵ 
  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

• No one wins in a lawsuit. It brings out the worse in everyone and usually, whatever the amount of justice comes, it is split between many.

Proverbs 25:⁹ Debate your case with your neighbor,
And do not disclose the secret to another;

• Discretion. A secret is heavier than an anvil. It is better to forget a secret than to carry it.

Proverbs 25:¹⁰ Lest he who hears it expose your shame,
And your reputation be ruined (the evil report concerning you not pass away).

• Gossiping is like building your reputation with sand.

Proverbs 25:¹¹ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.

• A wise word is as rare as gold; to say wittingly for the right occasion is a beautiful thing, like apples of gold in settings of silver. It is as pleasant to the ear as apples of gold in settings of silver are to the eye.

Proverbs 25:¹² Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

• Exodus 21:6
  then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.
• Psalm 141:5a
  Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him (a righteous one) rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it.
• Luke 15:10
  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

• Pride is a wall to block wise instruction.

Proverbs 25:¹³ Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

• A harvest is hot, hard work. A cold, icy glass of water is refreshing.
  • Harvesting wheat and separating the chaff, Jesus compares to the resurrection of men’s souls. The fields (the world) are ripe for harvest, but the laborers are few and the work is hard.
• The Seven-Year Tribulation is a time of trouble like no other, yet a harvest is to follow.
  • Jesus is the faithful messenger who returns to earth at the end of the tribulation when men are in great distress.
  • Messenger: H6735 sir: hinge, pains, messenger
    
  • The tribulation is called the time of sorrows when a woman is in childbirth, but delivery gives great joy.
  • The Father sends the Son.
  • Jesus refreshes the divine soul of the Father.

Proverbs 25:¹⁴ Whoever falsely boasts of giving
Is like clouds and wind without rain.

• Empty in meaning, empty in content, and empty in character.

• “If we got 1/10th of what was promised to us by leaders and politicians, there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven.” ~Will Rogers~

Proverbs 25:¹⁵ By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

• A soft word can break an inflexible person’s persuasion over time.
• Luke 18:² “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. ³ Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ^[b]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ ⁴ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ⁵ yet because this widow troubles me I will ^[c]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

Proverbs 25:¹⁶ Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

Proverbs 25:¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,
Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

• After three days, fish and visitors stink.

Proverbs 25:¹⁸ A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

• Hebrew for arrow is to cut, cut in half, divide: A false witness cuts his neighbor’s heart in half and causes divisions between men.

Proverbs 25:¹⁹ Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

• An ache that overtakes.

Proverbs 25:²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
And like vinegar on soda,
Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

• Like putting salt on an open wound.
• It is better to share the pain with a heavy heart by listening, and asking “How can I help?”

Proverbs 25:²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Proverbs 25:²² For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) will reward you.

• Romans 12:20 “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
  If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
  For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Proverbs 25:²³ The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

• The north wind is closely related to spiritual judgment.
  • The north is a place of things that are hidden in the darkness.
    • ṣāp̄ôn H6828 hidden, obscure, unknown or unseen, both positive and negative. The spiritual unknown treasures of God which are hidden in the darkness, as well as dark principalities and powers.
• A heavy rain is associated with trembling. It is symbolic for judgment which bring trials/affliction. The word for rain in this verse specifically means a heavy rain, violent rain, hard showers.
  • gešem H1653
    
• Solomon is comparing a backbiting tongue to spiritual darkness, resulting in relational anger like the misery of trembling in cold, heavy rain.

Proverbs 25:²⁴ It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

• Peace is more precious than a big house.
• (If no peace can come from a contentious woman: then a very big house is good.)

Proverbs 25:²⁵ As cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a far country.

• The soul and the spirit both need refreshment.
• A heated time of trouble makes for weariness, and good news is as refreshing as cold water on a hot day.

Proverbs 25:²⁶ A righteous man who falters before the wicked
Is like a murky spring and a polluted (ruined) well.

• A murky spring is partly fresh and partly muddied. The moral is that one should never falter (balk/back-up/compromise) when confronted with wickedness.

Proverbs 25:²⁷ It is not good to eat much honey;
So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.

• Eating an ounce of honey delights the senses, but eating a pound of honey ruins even the original bite.
• Seeking one’s own glory is like eating too much honey. It turns one’s glory into something sickening.

Proverbs 25:²⁸ Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls.

• In medieval times, castles were built to keep enemies out. Towers with windows saw danger coming from afar. From this comes the saying “A man’s home is his castle”. In today’s culture, the castle is in ruins. The walls are breached when the enemy is invited into the home with porn, adultery, divorce, alcohol and drugs. The family is not only unprotected but left sitting like ducks during duck season, abandoned and “kicked to the curb”.