Chapter 11
This chapter is organized like 10. A few to notice:
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. [Pro 11:2 ESV]
The majority of vss 3-11 contrast the righteous and the unrighteous, in behavior, in reputation, in legacy. These would be a good study.
1-15 are set up so that the undesirable (behavior, action, etc) is stated first, then the desirable, as vs 2 above.
2021 - These verses about personal honesty/integrity/truth:
5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust. ...
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead. [Pro 11:5-6, 8 ESV]
I can't help but read these in light of Jordan Peterson's "rule": "Always tell the truth, or at least don't lie". In the first one, blameless surely means no lies were told. A lie even for a good reason is still a lie, and there would be blame. Deceit trips up those who depend on it. In 6, just the fact that one is truthful leads to a better outcome. Bad people and liars associate with bad people and liars. It will get you. In 8, better outcomes are expected and more likely when we are truthful in our dealings. Peterson seems to think this concept of truth being a better choice than lies somehow evolved as man evolved, and the repeated, empirical evidence of the results of each choice was gradually evaluated and it was found, in all groups, types, cultures and geographies, that truth/righteousness was the high road. Yet it is only man that reached this conclusion, and even in men, there is still not 100% agreement, as in "Nice guys finish last". It makes far more sense to me that the "in His image" aspect of our creation included innate recognition of good over bad, right over wrong - and even more fundamentally, we understood which was which! I can't see that ever ever ever evolving so consistently over so many diverse groups and cultures on the entire planet. Somewhere, most likely man somewhere, would have decided strong and weak were the primordial concepts and that strength was the ultimate determiner of behavior. That didn't happen. (2024 - I can't figure out what this sentence should have said. I surely don't understand it this way?)
Could be a FB post here, but it will take a lot of time to work out.
2021-11/6, this verse: 12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. [Pro 11:12 ESV]
I think it is interesting that this verse is not about whether the neighbor is a deserving candidate for belittling. Perhaps he is dumb as a rock, foolish as it gets. BUT, it is still best for us to remain silent. Belittling someone is to belittle one of God's creations. It just isn't a smart thing to do.
But this changes for verses 16 and 17. For emphasis? Or just coincidence?
16 A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.
17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. [Pro 11:16-17 ESV]
18 is back to the first pattern, 19 is the second, 20 and 21 are the first,
22 is yet another pattern. There is no contrast, just a comparison of one thing to another:
22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. [Pro 11:22 ESV]
Three proverbs with good first, then bad. 23-25.
26 bad good
27 good bad
28 bad good
29 bad bad
30 good good
31 good bad, but really a different kind of proverb.
This cannot be random. It may well be arranged this way so that reading them is easier. They don't get boring if the pattern is changing. It is easier to keep reading, because you have to stop and think about each proverb.
The first six verses are compound, with "but" to contrast the first with the second.
7 is an "and", and is continuation, not contrast.
8 uses "and", though "but" would work. It is a contrast. Vss 9-15 are contrasts, using "but".
16 is divided by gender. Contrasts good women with violent men. And.
"but" through 21.
22 is comparison, not contrast.
It continues like this. I see no end to the "dissection" of these proverbs. Their structure and organization are as much a study as the wisdom they impart.
Here's one for FB:
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. [Pro 11:25 ESV]
Feeling isolated and alone? Feel like you're being taken advantage of by one and all, and that it is high time someone comforted you instead of the other way around? This little proverb says the cure to the problem is not receiving, but still more giving. We need to get our minds off ourselves and our "needs", and instead give until it hurts.
2021 - 26 The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. [Pro 11:26 ESV]
This is about profiteering. About letting people suffer a lack of basic provision, and selling into high demand for high profit while people are starving. This is NOT about sharing everything that we wisely provisioned for ourselves and so starving with them. This is about cruelty in the name of profit. Prescription drugs come to mind.
These last three verses are all very compelling:
29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. 31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! [Pro 11:29-31 ESV]
To me, 29 says don't stir up trouble within the walls of your own home. If you do, what you've built is going to fall apart. MSB says it is more about managing the economics of your house properly. If you neglect it, then your house literally gets "blown away, and you end up working for a better manager. Or...what if Solomon is looking back to "Honor thy father and they mother..." and saying that aggravating your parents can result in a loss of inheritance completely. No money, no property, just wind? And if you are such a fool as to lose your inheritance, then for your lifetime, you serve someone wise.
"captures souls" is an interesting phrase. In MSB's NASB version,it reads "wins souls". The note there says it literally means "to take lives" in the sense of doing them good or influencing them with wisdom's ways. It is also used for capturing people for evil purposes. Several references are given.
31. Would be nice (I guess we all think of ourselves as righteous) if this was literally and constantly true. But it is not. MSB explains (and I'm paraphrasing that note) it well, saying that ultimately, God's justice - reward to the righteous and punishment to sinners - is meted out AFTER we are dead, and we arrive in either heaven or hell. What we get here are the foretastes of both, as the righteous experience God's personal care and goodness, and the wicked are void of that experience. Back to my words...this verse does not in any way promise the downfall of the wicked during his/her life on earth. It sometimes works that way, but there are many exceptions.