Let’s Look At Proverbs 17 Today In A Month Of Wisdom

While reading through today’s chapter, a common topic I see is that a fool doesn’t know when to keep their mouth shut. They continue on in an argument. It is easy to do. Most of us want our point heard as well, but let us pay attention to how the wise control their mouth instead of the way the fool runs their mouth. Let’s Look at Proverbs 17 today!

Keep The Peace

9 Verses in Chapter 17 speak of ending strife! It speaks of the destructive tongue and lying lips. Verse 19 tells us who loves sin! It is whoever loves to argue and fight! We need to be careful with what we say, even if it means saying nothing at all sometimes! It is real hard, I know! I feel often like I need to prove my point! This chapter reminded me how I should handle arguments and to hold my tongue.

Scripture Verses

Verse 1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

Verse 4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
     a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Verse 7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
     how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

Verse 9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Verse 14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
     so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Verse 19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
     whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

Verse 20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
     one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

Verse 27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
     and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Verse 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
     and discerning if they hold their tongues

Good Medicine

It really is healing when we are cheerful. It helps us and it helps other people around us! When we are upset, we get grouchy and it disturbs people we are around, especially in our own family and in our own home.

Verse 22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
     but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

The Wise Vs A Fool

Some of these verses on being wise or being a fool, are repeated from earlier in this chapter, such as verses 7 and 28. Verse 10 caught my attention as well where it says that “a rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.” A rebuke means something to a person who thinks and evaluates what they are doing, where as a fool can keep getting punished or have negative things happen in their life due to bad decisions that they made, but it still does not mean anything to them. They don’t learn from past mistakes. Some continue and make more. Verse 16 questions why a fool should have money in their hand to buy wisdom, when they don’t even understand wisdom. They just don’t get it! No time is taken to learn!

When our children do foolish things, it really does grieve us as parents. I see in a couple times in this chapter, that a “godless fool” is mentioned a few times. I thought about what this means. What I see in this phrase is a fool who has no relationship with God. He is not in their life and they make no effort to seek God and anything spiritually based. Verse 24- A fool does not focus at all! They don’t keep wisdom in view, it is far from them! Verses 21 and 25 are saying the same thing basically. It grieves us when our kids don’t listen. It really hurts. Verse 28 is mentioned above. Fools are thought of as wise when they hold their tongue!

Scripture Verses

Verse 7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
     how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

Verse 10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
     more than a hundred lashes a fool.

Verse 12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
     than a fool bent on folly.

Verse 16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
     when they are not able to understand it?

Verse 21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
     there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

Verse 24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
     but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

Verse 25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
     and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

Verse 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
     and discerning if they hold their tongues.

More Wisdom To Read…

• Let’s Look at Proverbs 16 Today In A Month Of Wisdom
• Wise Quotes From Current Godly Authors
• https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2017&version=NIV