Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 18

Verse 1

Pro 18:1

Proverbs 18:1

"He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, And rageth against all sound wisdom."

"The Hebrew text of the O.T. here yields no satisfactory sense.” Hooke preferred this; "A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach.” Another various reading is, "The alienated friend seeks an occasion of quarrel to stir up strife.” We shall paraphrase the apparent meaning here: "When any man wishes to separate himself from former friends, he will seek some pretext for doing so; but his behavior is altogether reprehensible.

Proverbs 18:1. Selfish and self-centered people isolate themselves from others. And a self-centered person is conceited to the point that he goes into a rage against the sound words and advice of others. This is true in the field of religion also: “Mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly” (Romans 16:17-18).

Verse 2

Pro 18:2

Proverbs 18:2

"A fool hath no delight in understanding, But only that his heart may reveal itself."

"A fool has no pleasure in what is reasonable, but only in self-display.” What is evident here is the inherent selfishness of the unregenerated soul.

Proverbs 18:2. A fool does not like to take in, to learn, but only to talk. Facts, figures, and business have no interest for the fool—only to talk, talk, talk, and he really has nothing to say that is, worth listening to. How often the Bible represents the fool as contented without learning or improving himself!

Verse 3

Pro 18:3

Proverbs 18:3

"When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach."

"Three inevitable traveling companions of wickedness are mentioned here: contempt, ignominy and reproach.” "These three terms for shame give triple emphasis to shame, which is the corollary of sin, the antithesis of which is glory, the corollary of holiness (Isaiah 6:3; Romans 8:30).”

Proverbs 18:3. Another Hebrew parallelism, paralleling “wicked” and “ignominy” (no reputation) and paralleling “contempt” and “reproach”. The wicked loses a good name and turns despiser of all that is good and of all who are good. “When the wicked cometh,” watch out! He injects into the association contempt and reproach, The rule is, those who deserve no honor themselves are sure to dishonor all others, and those who themselves are good are the last to suspicion others of evil.

Verse 4

Pro 18:4

Proverbs 18:4

"The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook."

The two clauses contrast man’s teachings (the words of a man’s mouth) with the true wisdom. "Deep waters in the Old Testament are associated with the thought of darkness and mystery (Psalms 59:2; Ecclesiastes 7:24; Proverbs 20:3)." On the other hand, the true wisdom (God’s Words) are like the happy sparkling waters of a flowing brook. Christ seems to have had this passage in mind (John 7:37-38) on that last day of the feast.

Proverbs 18:4. The verse is not talking about just any mouth but the mouth of “wisdom”. A wise man’s mouth is likened to a “deep”, “flowing” spring. Such is a great blessing to all around him, and to such they turn for counsel and guidance.

Verse 5

Pro 18:5

Proverbs 18:5

"To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Nor to turn aside the righteous in judgment."

"It is not good to show favor to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.”

Proverbs 18:5. A “court” verse, Clarke: “We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man’s riches, influence, friends, offices, etc. but judge the case according to its own merits.” Many passages teach the same: Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 24:23; Proverbs 28:21. A nation’s principles are either maintained or crucified by its judicial officials.

Verse 6

Pro 18:6

Proverbs 18:6

"A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for stripes."

"When some fool starts an argument, he is asking for a beating." "When a stupid man talks, contention follows.” These translations are currently favored; but as the words stand, they also indicate that a fool joins in any controversy, calling for a judgment of stripes (scourging) upon others, not upon himself. When Jesus was crucified, the "fools" shouted, "Let him be crucified."

Proverbs 18:6. A fool’s lips show that he is a fool. He says the wrong thing or speaks at the wrong time, or he says what he does in the wrong place or to the wrong person. He is like a child who does not know these wise details of speech. Consequently, he gets himself into trouble with others, and his superiors correct him severely for it.

Verse 7

Pro 18:7

Proverbs 18:7

"A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul"

Again and again Proverbs returns to the dangers of irresponsible speech. For a full discussion of this, see James 3.

Proverbs 18:7. This verse continues the topic of Proverbs 18:6. Similar passages: Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 13:3; Ecclesiastes 10:12. “Soul” means “life” here, showing the serious destruction that his speech is capable of bringing.

Verse 8

Pro 18:8

Proverbs 18:8

"The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts."

"The words of a slanderer are like dainty morsels, swallowed and relished to the full.” The sinful delight of becoming the eager listener to slanderous talk is condemned in this proverb.

Proverbs 18:8. This saying is carried twice in Proverbs (see Proverbs 26:22 also), probably for a needed emphasis. A “whisperer” is one who goes behind people’s backs in talking about them, saying things that are not in the best interests of the one being spoken about. The verse brings out the sad fact that people are willing to listen to such cowardly, wrong, ruinous talk (They are as “dainty morsels”). They are swallowed without question (“they go down into the innermost parts of the belly”).

Verse 9

Pro 18:9

Proverbs 18:9

"He also that is slack in his work Is brother to him that is a destroyer."

"One by failing to get and the other by wasting what he has are brothers in that both their actions lead to poverty.”

Proverbs 18:9. The slacker (one who doesn’t work) doesn’t produce, and the destroyer destroys what has been produced. The results are the same: there is nothing to show for one’s time and efforts, Therefore, they are said to be “brothers”. Some who don’t take care of what they have, or who are spendthrifts, sometimes look down upon and criticize the person who has no ambition and produces nothing. But this saying relates the two groups.

Verse 10

Pro 18:10

Proverbs 18:10

"The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous runneth into it, and are safe."

"What a strong fortress is to the besieged, so is God to his persecuted, tempted and afflicted followers.”

Proverbs 18:10. Many passages teach that God is a refuge: sometimes a “tower,” sometimes a “rock”, sometimes covering “wings” (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 27:1; Psalms 61:3-4; Psalms 91:2 ff; Psalms 144:2). The ancients had their fortified cities with their walls, big gates, and towers. Sometimes the enemy was able to break through the gates and batter down the walls. That left a tower to get up into for their final safety. The Lord is able to take care of us when other helpers fail.

Verse 11

Pro 18:11

Proverbs 18:11

"The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And as a high wall in his own imagination."

"The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.” Effective as wealth is for many purposes, it is an unspeakably poor security for one’s soul. God help all wealthy persons to anticipate that hour when the death angel shall say, "Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee.”

Proverbs 18:11. The first statement is also in Proverbs 10:15. In contrast to the righteous person’s God, the rich man makes “wealth” that in which he trusts. This is forbidden in 1 Timothy 6:17 : “Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God.” Don’t overlook the connection of “high wall”, “strong city,” and “tower” in Proverbs 18:10-11.

Verse 12

Pro 18:12

Proverbs 18:12

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; And before honor goeth humility."

This proverb has the same thought as Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 15:33. Pride and haughtiness are frequently condemned in Proverbs; and humility is often cited as the necessary predecessor of honor.

Proverbs 18:12. While the righteous of Proverbs 18:10 find their “tower” (Jehovah) a place of safety, the rich man of Proverbs 18:11 finds that his false-trust (His “wealth”) did not save him from destruction. The first statement is similar to Proverbs 16:18; the last to Proverbs 15:33. The present verse actually brings these two contrasting statements found isolated in Proverbs and brings them together in one verse as a contrast, whose truths are witnessed numerous times in the Bible.

Verse 13

Pro 18:13

Proverbs 18:13

"He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him."

"To answer a question before you have heard it out is both stupid and insulting.”

Proverbs 18:13. Pre-judging (judging before the facts are known) gives us our word “prejudice”. Many misjudgments are made because of pre-judging: replacing investigation with rumor or making a judgment of a person on the sound of his or her name or where one is from (John 1:45-46), one’s looks, or first impressions. Nicodemus said, “Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?” (John 7:51). Jesus said, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

Verse 14

Pro 18:14

Proverbs 18:14

"The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a broken spirit who can bear?" "Spirit in this passage is the inner being of a man, the seat of his vigor and courage.” Men with a strong spirit are able to overcome misfortunes and even serious illness; but without such inner determination, faith and courage, it is much more difficult, or even impossible.

Proverbs 18:14. One who maintains a cherry, hopeful, bright outlook will rebound from his sickness sooner, but one who has a dark, pessimistic outlook does not recover so well. In fact, when one loses the will to live, he often dies. Pulpit Commentary: “The influence of the mind over the body, in a general sense, is here expressed.”

Verse 15

Pro 18:15

Proverbs 18:15

"The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge."

"We have a paradox here, that those who know the most know how little they know; and this is the same thought that Paul stressed in 1 Corinthians 8:2.”

Proverbs 18:15. The heart of the prudent desires knowledge, and it uses the ear as a means of acquisition. Or said again, the ear seeks knowledge, and the heart lays it up. It is too bad that we have many people who have no thirst for useful knowledge.

Verse 16

Pro 18:16

Proverbs 18:16

"A man’s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men."

Toy denied that there is any reference to a bribe here. What is meant is that gifts from benevolent people (such as a philanthropist) are effective in bringing many honors to the giver. "He thus has a free field, access,” not only to `great men’ but to respected institutions in society.

Proverbs 18:16. “Pulpit Commentary”: “The Oriental custom of offering suitable gifts to one in authority, when a favor or an audience is desired, is here alluded to (1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 4:21; 1 Kings 10:25).” See also Genesis 32:20; 1 Samuel 25:27. It is also true today that people’s gifts have opened doors to them in various realms.

Verse 17

Pro 18:17

Proverbs 18:17

"He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out."

"The evidence of one person alone is not much to be depended upon; this is a variation of the old proverb that, `One tale is good till another is told.’”

Proverbs 18:17. Leaders, be careful! The first person to come to you with his side of a story may not be true. See this even in children: “Johnny hit me;” and while he is speaking, in comes another child of the group and says, “And what did you do to Johnny first? You kicked him!” An old maxim is so true: “One story is good till the other is told.”

Verse 18

Pro 18:18

Proverbs 18:18

See comment under Proverbs 16:33.

Proverbs 18:18. The ancients sometimes resorted to this to settle important contentions. Moderns in our land sometimes draw straws and other means to settle minor matters. Pulpit Commentary: “If it were not for the decision by lot, persons...would settle their differences by violent means.” The apostle used this method in determining who was to succeed Judas (Acts 1:26). There is no doubt but what God directed the pagans’ lot to fall upon Jonah (Jonah 1:7). See comment on Proverbs 16:33.

Verse 19

Pro 18:19

Proverbs 18:19

"A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; And such contentions are like the bars of a castle."

The meaning here is uncertain. The underlined words are not in the Hebrew but were added by the translators. "A brother helped by a brother is like a fortified city; he holds firm as the bars of a castle.” "Help your brother, and he will protect you like a strong city wall; but, if you quarrel with him, he will close his doors to you.” In the three versions cited here there is no complete agreement.

Proverbs 18:19. When love is lost, bitterness sets in, and the bitterness is as strong and as intense as the love had previously been. “Pulpit Commentary”: “Bitter are the quarrels of friends”; and, “Those who love beyond measure also hate beyond measure.” “Clarke”: “When brothers fall out, it is with extreme difficulty that they can be reconciled.” The verse shows an offended brother is hard to be won, but it does not say it is impossible. Paul and Barnabas had a serious break (Acts 15:36-40), but there is evidence that such was not permanent. Paul refused to take Mark (Acts 15:37-38), which no doubt was an offence to Mark, but later Paul wrote, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering” (2 Timothy 4:11). Jacob and Esau had a notable falling out (Genesis 27:41-45), but later there was a reconciliation (Genesis 33:8-12). This verse gives a strong reason for being careful of what we say and do that may needlessly offend others. James 1:19 says, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Verse 20

Pro 18:20

Proverbs 18:20

"A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied."

A proposed various reading by Toy has this, "From the fruit of the mouth comes requital to men; the outcome of the lips they must bear.” This proverb reminds us of the words of Jesus, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:37).

Proverbs 18:20. This verse likens what a man says to the food he eats. If what he says is good, it is like eating good food: there is no bad after-effect. The verse is speaking of good speech. Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 13:2 contain similar statements.

Verse 21

Pro 18:21

Proverbs 18:21

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

The thought here is parallel with the previous proverb; but it adds an inference that, "One should not fall in love with talking too much."

Proverbs 18:21. The tongue can edify (build up), or it can destroy the heart or the reputation of another. By our words we can bring either the best or the worst out of a person. As James 3:9 says, “Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we man.” The last statement of our verse speaks of good speech and the pleasant results it brings.

Verse 22

Pro 18:22

Proverbs 18:22

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of Jehovah."

This writer has performed many wedding ceremonies, and this proverb was often quoted in the preliminary remarks.

Proverbs 18:22. Marriage is God’s plan for the human race (Matthew 19:4-6). His displeasure is against the growing trend in society to by-pass marriage by illicitly living together. A common-law situation is not equal to marriage in God’s sight (John 4:16-18). Other passages that show the divine plan includes marriage: Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 31:10; Hebrews 13:4. There are at least two abuses of this verse: (1) Jokers quote this in levity as if to prove that a wife is a “thing”; (2) Catholics have used it as a proof-text that marriage is a sacrament because of the words “obtaineth favor of Jehovah”. What the verse really means is that when one marries, he is entering into something good and is carrying out God’s will for the human race in that regard. If somebody argues back that many marriages are anything but pleasant and good, it is not God’s fault but the people who have made their marriages that way. If they would follow God’s instructions for marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33), they would find that it is good.

Verse 23

Pro 18:23

Proverbs 18:23

"The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly."

Here we have a proverb that states one of the realities of our earthly lives, although by no means a desirable one. "The poor man has to request things respectfully, hoping for help in his impoverished condition; but the rich man does not have to worry about the tone of his voice.” Sometimes a wealthy man will display a haughty attitude with little or no regard for the way in which his words may be received by others.

Proverbs 18:23. The poor man who is behind on his loan payments begs for mercy and consideration, and the rich man who loaned him the money and is afraid he is going to lose that money talks roughly to him. The same is true of the delinquent renter and his landlord. The poor man uses entreaties because he knows he is at a disadvantage and is at the mercy of the rich man, and the rich man answers roughly because he can, because he is afraid he is going to lose some money, and sometimes so that he can take undue advantage of the situation,

Verse 24

Pro 18:24

Proverbs 18:24

"He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

There are two kinds of friends contrasted in this proverb. Those of the first clause are like the `friends’ of the prodigal son while he was squandering his inheritance in the far country, those who drank his liquor and encouraged him to waste his substance, but who would not give him a crust of bread when he ran out of money.

The friend that sticketh closer than a brother is the true friend. Tate recommended the RSV here as, "A reasonable attempt to reconstruct a difficult verse.” "There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24. In what sense is the first statement true? In the many friends that people make, often there is one or a small handful of them that he would have been better off not to have known: the one or the group that turned against him and ruined him. In the long run they proved not to be true friends and are to be contrasted to the true friend who “sticketh closer than a brother”, such as Jonathan was to David, Jonathan was closer to David (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 1 Samuel 19:1-7; 1 Samuel 20:17; 1 Samuel 20:41-42; 1 Samuel 23:15-18) than his own brothers were (1 Samuel 17:28).

Proverbs of Solomon - Proverbs 18:1-24

Open It

1. When have you written or been tempted to write a "letter to the editor"?

2. What sorts of gossip did students in your school like to pass when you were younger?

Explore It

3. What main topics are explored in these verses? (Proverbs 18:1-24)

4. What sort of themes are developed in this chapter? (Proverbs 18:1-24)

5. In what does a fool delight? (Proverbs 18:2)

6. What did Solomon say about wisdom? (Proverbs 18:4)

7. How does a fool’s words affect his or her life? (Proverbs 18:6-7)

8. To what did Solomon compare gossip? (Proverbs 18:8)

9. What is the value in God’s name? (Proverbs 18:10)

10. What do pride and humility precede? (Proverbs 18:12)

11. What is the value of listening? (Proverbs 18:13; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 18:17)

12. What power does the tongue possess? (Proverbs 18:21)

13. What did Solomon say about the person who finds a wife? (Proverbs 18:22)

14. What’s the difference between a person’s closest friends and his or her larger group of friends? (Proverbs 18:24)

Get It

15. Why do people like to share their opinions?

16. How can a person’s words get him or her into trouble?

17. How is the tongue like a weapon?

18. Why do people enjoy spreading and hearing gossip?

19. How has the name of the Lord been like a strong tower in your life?

20. Why would someone speak before he or she has gotten all the facts?

21. What can we do to put a rein on our tongue?

22. How could the tongue "kill" someone?

23. How could the tongue be used to give life?

24. Why might it be good to find a wife?

25. Why is it better to have a few close friends than several companions?

26. What does it mean to be a loyal friend?

27. Who are your closest friends?

Apply It

28. In what situations do you want to be more careful about listening before you speak?

29. How can you use your tongue to help or encourage someone today?

30. How can you be loyal and trustworthy to your closest friends?