Proverbs 17, More on Words and Anger

We continue our bicolons of parallelisms: 

this..., 

but that....

each stressing some property of wisdom.

Proverbs 17:1, A piece of bread and peace

 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet 

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

Domestic peace is more important than wealth. Kidner says that traditionally a Jewish family feast might include a peace offerings to God but here the family feast has strife, not peace!

Proverbs 17:2, A fool's inheritance

 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, 

and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

Alter suggests that the idea here is that a fool's inheritance will not stay with him but will end up being passed on to others more deserving. Kidner says that Solomon's son Rehoboam should have paid attention to this verse! (See 1 Kings 12.)

Proverbs 17:3, Crucible

 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, 

but the LORD tests the heart.

Silver and gold are tested by mechanical means but it is YHWH who tests one's motives and desires.

Proverbs 17:4, Malicious words

 A wicked man listens to evil lips; 

a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

The wicked man, the liar, the fool, inhales falsehood and passes it on.

Proverbs 17:5, Don't mock the poor

 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; 

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

We have a responsibility, coming from God, to care for the poor and to be kind to the needy. See also  Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 17:5, and Job 31:13-15.

Proverbs 17:6, Grandchildren, a crown to the aged

 Children's children are a crown to the aged, 

and parents are the pride of their children.

In a stable family, good children raising good children of their own serves as a reward for their elderly parents. In the same way, those children can rejoice in their own parents. (In 16:31, the wise grandparents are rewarded with the honor of gray hair!) For the negative version of this image, see verse 21, below.

Proverbs 17:7, Nadib, not nabal

 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool--

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

The nadib (prince, nobleman) should not be a nabal (fool)! The book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of wisdom for any king.

Proverbs 17:8, Precious stones?

 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; 

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

The bribe here is literally a "precious stone". Alter suggests that the point of these lines is that the one with money or treasures believes he can open doors with his wealth. Kidner says "Money talks" and points out the counterpoint in verses 15 and 23 below.

Proverbs 17:9, Forgive one's hurts

 He who covers over an offense promotes love, 

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Repeatedly bringing up a past offense is damaging to friendship. There is a time to forget and move on in love. (See Proverbs 10:12.)

Proverbs 17:10, A simple rebuke

 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment 

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

A simple constructive remark is noted by the wise but a fool is blind to even punishment.

Proverbs 17:11, Rebellion put down

 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; 

a merciless official will be sent against him.

It is not good to rebel against the king.

Proverbs 17:12, A bear and her cubs

 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs 

than a fool in his folly.

This proverb, in its vividness, suggests a riddle: "What is worse than a bear robbed of her cubs?"

Proverbs 17:13, Longterm effects

 If a man pays back evil for good, 

evil will never leave his house.

See the life of David after his adultery and then murder of the faithful Uriah.

Proverbs 17:14, Breaching a dam

 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; 

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

There is no way of predicting the damage that occurs when a dam is breached. In the same way, a quarrel can have unanticipated consequences.

Proverbs 17:15, Calling evil good and good evil

 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent--

the LORD detests them both.

There is an echo of Exodus 23:6-7 and Isaiah 5:22-23.

Proverbs 17:16, Pay for wisdom?

 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, 

since he has no desire to get wisdom?

Does the fool try to pay for wisdom? Or is his money useless since he has no intention of learning?

Proverbs 17:17, Brothers, friends

 A friend loves at all times, 

and a brother is born for adversity.

Friends and siblings are committed to caring for one at all times and are especially important in difficult times.

Proverbs 17:18, Foolish financial pledges

 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

See Proverbs 6:1-5 for more on the foolishness of making a pledge for a neighbor (or stranger.)

Proverbs 17:19, Building walls

 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; 

he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

We all know people who seems to always be angry or who love to quarrel. Some literally build a tall wall to isolate themselves from others.

Proverbs 17: 20, Deceitful tongue

 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; 

he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

A deceitful and gossiping tongue leads (eventually) to trouble.

Proverbs 17:21, Father of a fool

 To have a fool for a son brings grief; 

there is no joy for the father of a fool.

This is the converse of verse 6.

Proverbs 17: 22, A cheerful heart

 A cheerful heart is good medicine, 

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Wisdom (and thus peace) is healthy. (See Proverbs 14:30) I have found that bitterness is corrosive. I don't have a good solution to bitterness other than agreeing with this proverb that we should attempt to reject envy (and bitterness.)

Proverbs 17:23, Bribes

 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret 

to pervert the course of justice.

The person who offers secret bribes to a judge is an example of the wicked man

Proverbs 17:24, Blind eyes to the ends of the earth.

 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, 

but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

Alter interprets this to say that a thoughtful person see wisdom everywhere he/she looks but a fool won't see wisdom even if he looks for it at the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:25, Foolish children

 A foolish son brings grief to his father 

and bitterness to the one who bore him.

A foolish child brings pain to both father and mother.

Proverbs 17:26, Punishing integrity

 It is not good to punish an innocent man,

or to flog officials for their integrity.

Another proverb on the importance of justice. See also Proverbs 18:5.

Proverbs 17:27-28, Words with restraint

 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, 

and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, 

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

These two verses elaborate on the importance of thoughtful, cautious words. Abraham Lincoln supposedly had a riff on this: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt." A similar message appears in Ecclesiastes 10:12-14.

We continue our bicolons of parallelisms: this..., but that.... in the next chapter.

Proverbs 16, Kings, Patience, Humility

We continue our collection of short proverbs, short easy-to-memorize teachings on wisdom.

Proverbs 16:1, YHWH guides the tongue

 To man belong the plans of the heart, 

but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

Can one's plans and one's tongue be different? Possibly this suggests that if one relies on YHWH, the words are thoughtful and ordered (Alter.)

Proverbs 16:2-3, Motives

 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, 

but motives are weighed by the LORD.

 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, 

and your plans will succeed.

It is important to commit plans and motives to YHWH.

Proverbs 16:4-5, Pride and arrogance punished

 The LORD works out everything for his own ends--

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. 

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Ultimately YHWH is in charge, seeing all. Pride and arrogance, the root of stubborn resistance to YHWH is noticed and (eventually) punished.

Proverbs 16:6, Hesed and emeth

 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; 

through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

Righteousness here is described as "atoning" for sin; one follows God by love and faithfulness. The first Hebrew word in this passage is a version of our favorite hesed. and the second has emeth as its root. "Love and truth" are the opposite of "sin"; indeed here they offer a kaphar, that is, propitiation, pacification for sin.

Proverbs 16:7-9, Pleasing to YHWH

When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, 

he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

 Better a little with righteousness 

than much gain with injustice.

In his heart a man plans his course, 

but the LORD determines his steps.

We have a number of proverbs all emphasizing one's attitude towards and relationship with God. The last verse is similar to verse 1; here it is a man's steps, instead of his tongue, that is the result of God's intervention. The middle verse, verse 8, echoes Proverbs 15:16 -- righteousness and integrity outweigh material gains.

Proverbs 16:10,

 The lips of a king speak as an oracle, 

and his mouth should not betray justice.

Proverbs has a hopeful view of kings -- they should be wise and just. Alter suggests that the book of Ecclesiastes might differ with this black-and-white stance of Proverbs.

Proverbs 16:11,

 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; 

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Scales and balances represent honesty in dealing with others. The importance of fair scales in commerce goes back to the Levitical Law; see Leviticus 19:35-36.

Proverbs 16:12-15, Wise kingship

 Kings detest wrongdoing, 

for a throne is established through righteousness.

 Kings take pleasure in honest lips; 

they value a man who speaks the truth.

 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, 

but a wise man will appease it.

 When a king's face brightens, it means life;

 his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

The Old Testament view of kings continues here. Kings are to be just and honest. Their kingdom is built on wisdom and righteousness. Assuming that kings will be just (as Proverbs tends to do), then one will want to please and appease the king, seeking his favor. Chapter 25 of Proverbs expands on these ideas.

Proverbs 16:16-17, Wisdom over gold

 How much better to get wisdom than gold, 

to choose understanding rather than silver!

 The highway of the upright avoids evil; 

he who guards his way guards his life.

There is great value to wisdom. In the second verse, Alter translates the first line as "The upright's highway is to swerve from evil." Here the geometry of the righteous is not straight because the righteous person recognizes potholes to be avoided.

Proverbs 16:18-19, Pride and humility

 Pride goes before destruction, 

a haughty spirit before a fall.

 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed 

than to share plunder with the proud.

The first verse is often summarized as "pride goes before a fall." The second verse emphasizes humility. A similar passage is Proverbs 15:33. (See also 18:12.) Appropriate humility is part of wisdom; pride and arrogance lead to a certain blindness.

Proverbs 16:20-23, Instruction

 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, 

and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

 The wise in heart are called discerning, 

and pleasant words promote instruction.

 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, 

but folly brings punishment to fools.

 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, 

and his lips promote instruction.

These four proverbs have a common theme on instruction -- it is assume that instruction is good, a part of wisdom and righteousness, and that the wise person seeks it. To promote instruction and learning, careful and kind words are necessary.

Proverbs 16:24, Sweet words

 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, 

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Pleasant words promote good health, physically, mentally, emotionally.

Proverbs 16:25, Careful -- it looks safe, but....

 There is a way that seems right to a man, 

but in the end it leads to death.

This is a duplicate of Proverbs 14:12. It is a warning about one's inability to see danger.

Proverbs 16:26, Hunger changes one

 The laborer's appetite works for him; 

his hunger drives him on.

As given, this verse seems to merely be an observation -- a hungry man will work hard for a reward. As the word pî·hū, translated "his hunger", really means "his mouth", Alter translates the second line as, "because his own mouth has compelled him." As Alter points out, this might suggest that that a man's speech gets him into trouble and so the man ends up in situations that force him to hard labor. That translation, on the danger of bad speech, would be consistent with verses 23 and 24 which describe the results of good speech.

Proverbs 16:27-30, Gossip and scheming

 A scoundrel plots evil, 

and his speech is like a scorching fire.

 A perverse man stirs up dissension, 

and a gossip separates close friends.

 A violent man entices his neighbor 

and leads him down a path that is not good.

 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; 

he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

The foolish man is here described as "a scoundrel", "perverse", "a gossip", "violent" and one who deceives and schemes. The last verse is a caricature (says Alter) of the wicked man, drawing an image of a face with winking eye and pursed lips.

Proverbs 16:31, Gray hair

 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; 

it is attained by a righteous life.

Ah, a praise of age -- here, in the black and white of Proverbs, old age is promised to the person who is righteous.

Proverbs 16:32, Patience and peace

 Better a patient man than a warrior, 

a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

The man who is patient and who control his temper will do better than the warrior who merely conquers. Patience and careful speech are once again emphasized as important attributes of character.

Proverbs 16:33, Randomness and YHWH

 The lot is cast into the lap, 

but its every decision is from the LORD.

Casting of lots appears again in 18:18 -- there it appears as a method to rescue friendship. Here the emphasis is that these supposedly random events are not hidden from YHWH; indeed He may control them. The casting of lots as a resolution in  decision-making occurs throughout the Old Testament and even, at times, in the New Testament (Acts 1:23-26) up until Pentecost.

Proverbs 15, Words of Man, Eyes of God

We continue pithy two-line proverbs contrasting areas of wisdom and folly.

Proverbs 15:1-2, Gentle and wise speech

 A gentle answer turns away wrath, 

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, 

but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Carefully chosen words are important -- a gentle answer health creates peace or provides knowledge; contrast that with words that stir up anger or gush uselessness.

Proverbs 15:3, Eyes of YHWH see all

 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, 

keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

A reminder that both righteous and unrighteous acts and thoughts are visible to God. This will be emphasized again in verses 8-9 in God's observation of evil and in verse 11, which stresses that nothing is hidden from the eyes of God.

Proverbs 15:4, Healing speech

 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, 

but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

We return to the theme of words and the tongue.

Proverbs 15:5, Correction leads to prudence

 A fool spurns his father's discipline, 

but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Another proverb on the importance of correction and constructive criticism. The word translated "prudence" here is, arom translated "shrewd" by Alter. The word differs by a single Hebrew letter from arum ; both mean "crafty" in some sense. Here there is a positive meaning to the word, implying patience and thoughtfulness.

Proverbs 15:6, Good money and bad

 The house of the righteous contains great treasure, 

but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.

Even money does not aid the wicked person.

Proverbs 15:7, Spreading knowledge

 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; 

not so the hearts of fools.

A fourth verse in this chapter on the importance of good speech. (It is assumed here that knowledge is a good thing, a theme that runs throughout this book.)

Proverbs 15:8-9, True religion

 The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, 

but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

 The LORD detests the way of the wicked 

but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

These two paragraphs are almost identical; the first emphasizes religious observance; the wicked can give sacrifices but it does no good while God sees the prayers of the upright. The second verse repeats the first but more generally. The word "detest" shows up in both verses; Alter's translation gives "loathing."

Proverbs 15:10-12, Correction under the eyes of YHWH

 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path;

he who hates correction will die.

 Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD--

how much more the hearts of men!

 A mocker resents correction; 

he will not consult the wise.

The first and third verses of these three emphasize the importance of correction and one's acceptance of it. Between them is a verse that says that since even Death, Destruction, Sheol are visible to YHWH, certainly He sees their hearts. (See also verse 3, above.)

Proverbs 15:13-15, Cheerful heart

 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, 

but heartache crushes the spirit.

 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, 

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, 

but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

The outlook of the heart is a subject in all three of these verses. In the first and third, a cheerful heart is praised -- it is implied that the happy, cheerful heart affects others. In the middle verse the emphasis is on a discerning (thoughtful) mindset.

Proverbs 15:16-17, The real treasures

 Better a little with the fear of the LORD 

than great wealth with turmoil.

 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love 

than a fattened calf with hatred.

The emphasis on correct happiness continues: even with little to eat, it is better to fear God and live with Love (God's love and the love of friends or family.) A rich meal in a room of turmoil and hatred will not be enjoyed.

Proverbs 15:18, Temper vs. Patience

 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, 

but a patient man calms a quarrel.

I read into this proverb again the emphasis on calming, patient and kind words.

Proverbs 15:19, A path of thorns

 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, 

but the path of the upright is a highway.

The lazy sluggard discovers that nothing is easy. (Is this because he does not adequately prepare? Or is this merely a mindset: "I can go that way, it is hard!")

Proverbs 15:20, Parents

 A wise son brings joy to his father, 

but a foolish man despises his mother.

In the classic parallelism, the gender of the parent is changed in the second line but also changed is the direction of the emotion. In the first line the father feels joy watching his wise son; in the second line the foolish man is described as disregarding his mother (and her training.) Nothing is said about her emotions.

Proverbs 15:21, Understanding and success

 Folly delights a man who lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.

The first line is almost a tautology -- the man who lacks judgment seems to like things that way. The second line continues the geometry of righteousness -- a man of understanding (and thus a man of righteousness) has a smooth straight path before him.

Proverbs 15:22, Seek counsel

 Plans fail for lack of counsel, 

but with many advisers they succeed.

Collect advisers and listen to them! (See Proverbs 11:14.)

Proverbs 15:23, A timely word

 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply--

and how good is a timely word!

Another verse emphasizing the importance of words.

Proverbs 15:24, Upwards/downwards

 The path of life leads upward for the wise 

to keep him from going down to the grave.

One is rewarded by wisdom. In the first line, the spatial change is upward; in the second line it is downward.

Proverbs 15:25-26, A widow's boundary stones.

 The LORD tears down the proud man's house 

but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact.

 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, 

but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

YHWH is looking over humankind, watching the proud, protecting the poor, pleased by the righteous, detesting the thoughts of the wicked.

Proverbs 15:27, Greed and honesty

 A greedy man brings trouble to his family, 

but he who hates bribes will live.

Greed hurts others. Here a "bribe" is a financial enticement to do wrong.

Proverbs 15:28, Gushing speech

 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, 

but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Once more there is an emphasis on the mouth and words. Alter has "bubbles" in place of "gushes"; surely there is an image of an evil mouth frothing with anger, with indignities and profanities. Verse 2, above, says something similar.

Proverbs 15:29, When does YHWH listen

 The LORD is far from the wicked 

but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

All people may pray at this times, but YHWH gives the righteous first priority.

Proverbs 15:30, New and health

 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, 

and good news gives health to the bones.

Cheer is healthy.

Proverbs 15:31-33, Be teachable

 He who listens to a life-giving rebuke 

will be at home among the wise.

 He who ignores discipline despises himself, 

but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom,

and humility comes before honor.

The chapter ends with an emphasis on humility and openness to correction. The last verse offers an inverse to the statement"pride goes before a fall" (see Proverb 16:18-20) by saying "humility goes before honor."

Proverbs 14, Wisdom, Wealth, Peace

We continue pithy two-line proverbs contrasting areas of wisdom and folly.

Proverbs 14:1, Wisdom vs. folly

 The wise woman builds her house, 

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

In Proverbs 9:1 we see Wisdom building her house. Here we have the house-building/house-breaking actions of the human women who follow Wisdom and Folly. The wise woman's actions are constructive and rewarding; the actions of the foolish are self-defeating.

Proverbs 14:2, Fear YHWH

He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, 

but he whose ways are devious despises him.

A reminder that wisdom is based on YHWH; a corollary is that to be devious (dishonest, scheming)  is to imply that there is no accountability to God.

 

Proverbs 14:3, Protected

 A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, 

but the lips of the wise protect them.

A fool gets punished (by the authorities?) but the wise, with honest lips, are protected.

Proverbs 14:4, Empty manger

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, 

but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.

A farmer's proverb: you can have a clean barn if you want but that means you are not using it! There are modern versions of this, including "No pain, no gain!" If you can't stand losing, don't play the game. I have encouraged math students to do their work and make errors; perfectionism can be defeating.

Proverbs 14:5, Honest witnesses

A truthful witness does not deceive, 

but a false witness pours out lies.

As Alter says, this is a tautology, defining truthful/false witnesses.

Proverbs 14:6-9, Fools, mockers, folly

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, 

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

Stay away from a foolish man, 

for you will not find knowledge on his lips.

 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

 but the folly of fools is deception.

 Fools mock at making amends for sin,

but goodwill is found among the upright.

There are dangers to the companionship of fools. The wise person is prudent, thoughtful, honest, open and willing to admit faults. Those who walk with fools are influenced by deception.

Proverbs 14:10, Lonely hearts

Each heart knows its own bitterness, 

and no one else can share its joy.

Like verse 4, this proverbs stands out as different. Here we are told that no one quite knows the others sorrows and joys.

Proverbs 14:11, Flourishing tent

 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, 

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

Righteousness leads to success; wickedness to destruction, a major theme of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:12, Avoid the shortcut

 There is a way that seems right to a man, 

but in the end it leads to death.

This proverb has a warning about appearances, about underestimating the seriousness or the dangers of certain "easy" actions. Kidner says that this proverb warns against foolish shortcuts. A similar proverb occurs in Proverbs 16:25.

Proverbs 14:13, Aching heart

 Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and joy may end in grief.

This proverb, although different from the previous, is also a statement about appearances. In the first lie we see someone outwardly laughing even if they are aching inside; in the second line we see someone experiencing joy, unaware that it is temporary.

Proverbs 14:14

 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, 

and the good man rewarded for his.

The Axiom of Retribution: one is paid in kind for their actions. Kidner calls this verse "Table for one" and suggests that the point of the verse is that each person must live with themselves; the faithless live a life in which they receive the rewards of dishonesty; the good man lives with honest and peace. See also Proverbs 9:12.

Proverbs 14:15, Easy to fool a simple man

 A simple man believes anything, 

but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

It is easy to believe anything if one knows little. (This explains the prevalence and popularity of conspiracy theories and motivates education.) I have known many people (even university faculty) who believed outrageous things simply because they knew too little about the topic to get a whiff of falsehood. In modern US culture, too often people try to give a "simple" answer for very complex problems. This proverb should encourage us to resist that that tendency. 

Proverbs 14:16-18, Temper and prudence

A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, 

but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

 A quick-tempered man does foolish things, 

and a crafty man is hated.

 The simple inherit folly, 

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

Wisdom and prudence, proper fear and respect for YHWH, are antidotes to anger, foolishness, impatient scheming. The Hebrew word arum, translated "prudent" in the last verse could also be translated "shrewd". In the Garden of Eden, the word is used to describe the crafty serpent, Genesis 3:1. Here the craftiness is a good, cautious thoughtfulness about complex problems.

Proverbs 14:19, Works rewarded

 Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good, 

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Ultimately, says this psalm, the righteous are recognized and receive honor.

Proverbs 14:20, Friends of the rich

 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, 

but the rich have many friends.

This is an observation, not advice. As Kidner points out, the next verse adds a counterpoint.

Proverbs 14:21, Care for the needy

 He who despises his neighbor sins, 

but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

Even if one is wealthy, there are still requirements to care for one's neighbor and for the needy. See also verse 31 and Proverbs 17:5. 

Proverbs 14:22, Led astray

 Do not those who plot evil go astray? 

But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

The lack of a moral compass leads one off the straight path.

Proverbs 14:23, All talk

All hard work brings a profit, 

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

A typical verse contrasting industry and laziness. Here the lazy one has a good talk but no work to put behind it. Each of us will see that it is easy to find examples of the person who is "all talk."

Proverbs 14:24, Crowns and garlands.

 The wealth of the wise is their crown, 

but the folly of fools yields folly.

The wise receive wealth; the fools only get folly and more folly. Alter suggests that a slight change in Hebrew consonants would change "folly of fools" into "garland of fools" in the second line, fitting the garment metaphors for wisdom and foolishness. Given standard Hebrew parallelism, one looks in the second line for a complement to "crown" of the first line and "garland" fits that need. Kidner seems to agree with Alter.

Proverbs 14:25, The importance of honesty

 A truthful witness saves lives, 

but a false witness is deceitful.

Our culture relies on honest witness, and honesty in general.

Proverbs 14:26-27, Fear of YHWH

 He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, 

and for his children it will be a refuge.

 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, 

turning a man from the snares of death.

"Fear" here (Hebrew yirah) involves recognizing the power and authority of YHWH, the Creator. As Job and Proverbs teach, YHWH not only created the universe, but created justice and so "fear" of YHWH leads one to also commit to justice. In the long run this fear is beneficial to both the individual and the society around them.

Proverbs 14:28, Kings without subjects

 A large population is a king's glory, 

but without subjects a prince is ruined.

This proverb does not seem to be a teaching on how to become wise but is more of an observation. As Kidner (in his Scottish English) writes, "solitary splendour is self-extinguishing." One can claim leadership but foolish leadership eventually leads to a loss of followers.

Proverbs 14:29, Patience and anger

 A patient man has great understanding, 

but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Impatience and a quick temper are disruptive; of course, patience (and wise speech) are encouraged. See verse 17.

Proverbs 14:30, Healthy heart

 A heart at peace gives life to the body, 

but envy rots the bones.

Wisdom -- and thus peace -- is healthy. (See Proverbs 17:22.) I have found that bitterness is corrosive. I don't have a good solution to bitterness other than agreeing with this proverb that we should attempt to reject envy (and bitterness.)

Proverbs 14:31, Care for the poor

 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, 

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

We have a responsibility, coming from God, to care for the poor and to be kind to the needy. See also Proverbs 17:5 and Job 31:13-15.

Proverbs 14:32, When storms come

 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, 

but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

The Septuagint and Syriac (says Alter) change the last line to "but even in innocence the righteous have a refuge." Kidner sticks to the Masoretic (translated above into English by the NIV) and argues that even in death the righteous are honored.

Proverbs 14:33, Wisdom at home in your heart

 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning 

and even among fools she lets herself be known.

Wisdom calls out to both the discerning and the fools. One group listens and lets her rest within.

Proverbs 14:34, Righteousness is good for all

 Righteousness exalts a nation, 

but sin is a disgrace to any people.

A nation that emphasizes righteousness will grow and prosper, because its individual citizens grow and prosper. (See Proverbs 16:12.)

Proverbs 14:35, A wise king wants wise servants

 A king delights in a wise servant, 

but a shameful servant incurs his wrath.

A king (at least a wise one) wants wise and honest counselors and servant (see Proverbs 11:14. and Proverbs 22:29.)