Chapter 13
Seems to be a continuation of the section labeled proverbs of Solomon. Single verse proverbs, contrasting the wise way and the unwise way.
First three are wise/unwise.
2021 - Here is vs 1:
1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. [Pro 13:1 ESV]. I don't think the son in the first part and the scoffer in the second are related. You could do this without the "but" in between. It is not needed, and it seems to me that by putting it in there, there is an implication that the opposite of wise son is scoffer, but it isn't, and that instruction and rebuke are synonyms, and they are not. Why do they put that word in there? I was hung up on this same thing this morning, but I do not, as yet, have any answers. I got very excited about cantillation marks, but that kind of fizzled out.
Ahhh, here is something; in the KJV and NKJV, supplied words are italicized. This is not the case in the ESV. So you get this:
1 A wise son [heareth] his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. [Pro 13:1 KJV]. They supplied "hears" in the first to correspond with what is in the second.
1 A wise son [heeds] his father's instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. [Pro 13:1 NKJV] Note further that "but" is not italicized in either one. So that word must somehow be included in the Hebrew, and I just don't understand how that works. Makes sense, because every single translation puts that conjunction in there and in the very same place.
And here in vs 2, they do it the same way. In this case, "eat good" is actually there in the first half of the proverb, but is supplied in the second part.
2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of [his] mouth: but the soul of the transgressors [shall eat] violence. [Pro 13:2 KJV]. This is a bit of a difficult verse anyway. I read many translations and they are all over the place. Nothing consistent at all. Eat good by the fruit of his mouth? What does that mean? That a well spoken or maybe an honest man will always be at peace with those he deals with, but "bullies", bold talkers, threateners will get a punch in the nose? Hmm...that might actually be pretty close. In fact, the next verse, if taken as context for vs 2, seems to bear that out:
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. [Pro 13:3 ESV]
Fourth is unwise/wise.
Five and six are w/u
Seven is an exception. Does not really say which way is best.
Eight is the same. It tells how things are, but makes no judgement of which is preferred. Both of these verses concern wealth and poverty.
Nine is w/u.
10 is one of my favorites: It is u/w.
10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. [Pro 13:10 ESV]
KJV says it this way:
By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.
I looked up insolence and I looked up pride. They are not at all the same thing. Not by definition anyway. I need to find the original word, and see how it is translated elsewhere in each version. Until I got this ESV, I always read this as pride. It seemed to say that any argument, any contention, any interpersonal stress of any kind was because of one's own pride. Not the other persons, but our own, because we would feel that the other person was thinking they were better than us, more deserving, and believed they had authority over us. They believed they came first. But...if that bothers us, it is because that is in fact how we feel about that other person. Now...insolence? I don't think I'm insolent. More study is needed here.
2021 - Here are the definitions of the word per the BLB Interlinear: pride, insolence, presumptuousness, arrogance. Really, any one of them is appropriate in the verse, and perhaps that is why Solomon chose it. He covers a lot of ground with this one little word. "zaw-done'" is the pronunciation. If you look at it backwards, and note the wise take advice, then who is the opposite of "advice takers"? Advice rejectors. It seems to me that presumptuousness or arrogance are the appropriate translations.
11 is another contrast, but not necessarily a judgement.
2021- I might well call this the "Dave Ramsay Verse:
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. [Pro 13:11 ESV] In some translations, it is Wealth gained by fraud that dwindles.
12 also. There doesn't seem to be a choice, but there is a contrast.
13 u/w.
14 Still another form. Wise action is stated, and the result it will bring is stated.
15 w/u
16 w/u
17,18 u/w
19 is unusual. It states a truth - that desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul. Then describes how evil people pervert that truth. Those who are evil desire evil things - they think achieving that desire will be sweet to them. But in fact turning away from evil desire is the best course, and they consider that turning away to be abomination.
20 is w/u
21 is u/w
22 w/u
23 A statement of how things could be, except for evil.
24 u/w
25 Contrasts the state of wise vs unwise behavior. The unwise are always in want. The wise are satisfied with what they have.