We continue a collection of pithy two-line proverbs contrasting areas of wisdom and folly.
Proverbs 12: 1, Value correction
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.
A common theme of Proverbs: the wise listen to criticism and correction.
Proverbs 12:2-3, Favor and stability
A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but the LORD condemns a crafty man.
A man cannot be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
The word "crafty" in verse 2 is used as a negative attribute; hear it means "deceitful scheming." (It is wrong to lie for Jesus!) The righteous man is favored by YHWH and stable, while the wicked man's career is tenuous and unstable.
Proverbs 12:4, Noble/disgraceful wife
A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
Just as a good man achieves success, so too a good woman, appreciated by her husband. (The Hebrew word translated "noble" carries with it strength and value, says Kidner.) Proverbs will devote a chapter to the noble woman: Proverbs 31:10-31.)
A disgraceful wife's actions eat away at her husband's health. Alter points out that a crown on a head cannot compete with rotting bones; the word translated here "disgraceful wife" is mə·ḇî·šāh, and is held to the end of the verse for dramatic effect.
Proverbs 12:5-7, Justice and deceit
The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
Wicked men are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.
Righteous vs. wicked: The righteous are just, give speech that leads others to trust them, are stable and firm. The wicked are deceitful, speech encourages bloodshed, they are destroyed.
Proverbs 12:8, Wisdom, not warped
A man is praised according to his wisdom,
but men with warped minds are despised.
The wise man is praised while the warped, foolish man is despised. (One might say something here about those who fall for conspiracies and then pass these on.)
Proverbs 12:9, Comfortable image
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
Humility (but with a servant!) is better than arrogance in poverty. Kidner's commentary suggests that "have a servant" may mean "works for himself" or "is his own servant."
My family, and some other loved ones, joke about the value of being "pluggers" (See this comic.) In the same way, J. R. R. Tolkien, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, promoted the simple life of hobbits, as opposed to wizard; hobbits are content to worked the land, doing what is necessary for a good life, without outrageous expectations and fantasies.
Proverbs 12:10-11, Steward of animals and land
A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
He who works his land will have abundant food,
but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.
Here is a rare Old Testament statement about stewardship of animals and land. The wise cares for his animals and carefully works the land. The wicked are thoughtless, chasing fantasies. The righteous man sense the needs of his animals; the wicked man, even when he thinks he is being kind, is cruel.
More will be said about the lazy person who follows fantasies. In modern terms we have people always following get-rich-quick schemes and so always in need. Proverbs 28:19 is a verse very similar to verse 11.
Proverbs 12:12-13, Trapped by evil plans
The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,
but the root of the righteous flourishes.
An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk,
but a righteous man escapes trouble.
The wicked look to take another man's wealth and is caught in his thoughtless boasting and plans. But (again) the righteous man, deep rooted, is successful and secure.
Proverbs 12:14, Good lips and hands
From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things
as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.
Wise talk and wise work go together.
Proverbs 12:15-16, Correction and insult
The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
,
A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
The wise man listens to counsel and shrugs off insults while the fool ignores the first and reacts to the second. (See verse 1.)
A wise man examines himself and listens to suggestions for improvement. While not in Scripture, there was a wise man who once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Proverbs 12:17, Truthful witness
A truthful witness gives honest testimony,
but a false witness tells lies.
Righteousness coincides truth telling, wickedness with lying.
Proverbs 12:18-19, Reckless words
Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Words can hurt, piercing like a sword, while the wise speak words that comfort and heal. Lies are temporary and shallow; truth endures.
Proverbs 12:19-22, Promote peace!
There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace.
No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in men who are truthful.
For the righteous, who promote peace, there is not just security for joy! The wicked, with lying lips, live lives of anxiety and trouble.
Proverbs 12:23, Discretion
A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Here discretion is described as an attribute of wisdom. All my life I have believed in the importance of "transparency". I have been slow to learn that sometimes "discretion" trumps "transparency."
Proverbs 12:24, Diligence/laziness
Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
In the ANE, laziness could lead to debt could lead to a long contract as a bond-servant. Even in the best societies. In the worst Israelite times, there was genuine slave labor; even Solomon had slave labor (1 Kings 5:13-14, 1 Kings 11:28.)
Proverbs 12:25, Reaching out to the anxious
An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
The "kind word" here, says Kidner, is an encouraging word to help the anxious man deal with his difficulties.
Proverbs 12:26, Slow friendship
A righteous man is cautious in friendship,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Like making a pledge to a stranger, a righteous man is careful in his friendships, developing them with care.
Proverbs 12:27, More diligence/laziness
The lazy man does not roast his game,
but the diligent man prizes his possessions.
The Hebrew here is unclear (say our commentators.) Apparently the lazy glutton hurries to eat, not even taking time to make his meal enjoyable, while the wise person is careful and diligent, making the most of his possessions.
Proverbs 12:28, Path no death
In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.
The way of the righteous leads to life, even, here, to "immortality"! The last line is apparently difficult in the Hebrew (say both Alter and Davidson), with an ending being something like "path no death." There is little said in the Old Testament about immortality, so that the difficulty of the Hebrew text gets no aid from other Old Testament verses.
These short bicolon sayings continue in chapter 13.
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