The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 16th on Proverbs 16:11-15

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 11-15.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 16

1 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.


2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.


3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.


4 The Lord works out everything to its proper end —
even the wicked for a day of disaster.


5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.


6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.


7 When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peace with them.


8 Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.


9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.


10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.


11 Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.

11) EVERYTHING is "of his making," Solomon may have added.  But of special note here, is all truth, all honesty, all validity, all unselfish, compassionate dealing, all good business practice, all ethics and all things objective.  And people think they want to stop Christians from practicing their faith!  And what would happen if all peoples were prohibited from practicing anything Biblical?  The world would fall apart in a minute.  (For one thing, we would all have to work seven days per week!)


12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.

12) And all of those living in the Kingdom detest wrongdoing as well.  At least the King has a bodyguard to protect him from the rabble.

13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.

13) Again; we all value such lips, and such speaking.    Of course such honesty is vital to the good business of a King, for his decisions effect us all.

14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but the wise will appease it.

14) Perhaps this is why every court has a jester.  Someone had to be ready and available, 24/7, to appease the King's wrath.  But the "wise" have a much better approach; one that is more important and longer lasting than the jester's.

15 When a king’s face brightens, it means life;
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

15) It should be noted here that anything said of "the King" probably applies to God, at least as a matter of principle.


16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight rather than silver!


17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.


18 Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.


19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.


20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,[a]
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.


21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.[b]


22 Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,
but folly brings punishment to fools.


23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,
and their lips promote instruction.[c]


24 Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.


25 There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.


26 The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.


27 A scoundrel plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.


28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.


29 A violent person entices their neighbor
and leads them down a path that is not good.


30 Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.


31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained in the way of righteousness.


32 Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.


33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.



By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?