- Proverbs 13 - honesty and hard work vs. laziness - guess which is better for you?
- 13:24 - Spare the rod, spoil the child. Theme alert: also see 20:30, 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14.
- 14:15 - "The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps." Have you seen the commercials on tv for the weight loss drug "akavar" where they say "eat all you want and still lose weight...and we couldn't say that on tv if it weren't true" - yeah, right.
- Proverbs 15 - wisdom in speech. 15:1 - soft answer turns away wrath
- Another theme - seeking wise counsel, avoiding listening to fools
- 16:18 - "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. "
- 14:12 & 16:25 are the same - "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."
I noticed repeated proverbs again on several other verses -they are repeated again exactly or in a very similar manner. Why? When chapter 1, 10 and 25 list Solomon as the author, are they the only ones written by Solomon? I was assuming that the entire book of proverbs was written by Solomon. Maybe not. Why the repeating?
- 16:33 - casting lots - the decision is from the Lord. Is this in reference to Urim and Thummin? Are they special dice of some sort that can be used to determine God's will? Also in 18:18 - " Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart." I don't think that this means if you want to avoid fighting, go to Atlantic City or Vegas.
- 18:10 - song - "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."
- 18:21 - another recurring theme is controlling your speech - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit."
- 17:9, 18:24 - friend closer than a brother.
- 19:9 - another theme - bearing false witness - don't do it!
- 19:11 - I need to keep this in my mind! - "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression." See also 20:3
Okay, what's with picking on nagging women? Maybe these poor women have to live with the unfaithful or lazy men that are described in the proverbs as bad news. 19:13b - "And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping" is repeated again in 21:9 as "Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman" and 21:19 as "Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman." and 27:15 - "A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike"
- Another recurring theme - having mercy on the poor. 19:17. There are many proverbs to encourage one who is poor (but not if they are poor because they are lazy!)
- Warnings about abusing wine and strong drink are in 20:1 and 23:29-35
- 20:21 - avoid get rich quick schemes - "An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end"
- 20:22 - revenge is God's to take care of, not ours.
- 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
- 22:7 - Dave Ramsey's key verse in Financial Peace University (take it - it can change your life!) - "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender."
- Another money theme, in regards to borrowing/charging interest - See 22:26-27, 23:4-5
- 22:28 - "Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set." (also 23:10). Is this because in the year of jubilee all the territory is to be returned to the rightful/original owner?
- Another recurring theme - proper use of weights and measures
- 24:17 - "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;" - This would seem to apply to David.
- 24:27 - Pioneers (at least the ones portrayed on tv) use this tactic - barn and fields first before the family gets a good house - "Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house."
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