Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 13 continues the antithetic-Solomonic-proverbs. Verse 24 — 'whoever spares the rod hates his son' — is the canonical-text-behind the 'spare the rod, spoil the child' proverbial saying (which Samuel Butler coined in Hudibras, 1664, paraphrasing this verse).
Notable Variants
13:7 'one pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth' — the inversion-of-appearances; 13:12 'hope deferred makes the heart sick'; 13:24 'spare the rod' proverbial basis.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 13 = LXX Prov 13. 25 verses.
A wise son accepts his father's discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
'A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke' tracks MT.
From the fruit of his mouth a person eats what is good, but the appetite of the treacherous feeds on violence.
'From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence' tracks MT.
Whoever guards his mouth protects his life, but whoever opens his lips wide invites ruin.
'Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin' tracks MT. GUARD-YOUR-MOUTH. James 3:2 ('if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man') extends.
The lazy person craves but gets nothing; the appetite of the diligent is richly satisfied.
'The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied' tracks MT.
A righteous person hates a false word, but the wicked makes himself repulsive and disgraceful.
'The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace' tracks MT.
Righteousness guards the person of blameless conduct, but wickedness brings down the sinner.
'Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked' tracks MT.
One person pretends to be rich but has nothing; another appears poor but has great wealth.
'One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth' tracks MT. APPEARANCE-INVERSION — 2 Cor 6:10 ('as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything') directly Christologically-extends.
A rich person's wealth is the ransom for his life, but a poor person never even hears a threat.
'The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat' tracks MT.
The light of the righteous burns brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
'The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out' tracks MT.
Arrogance only breeds conflict, but wisdom is with those who take advice.
'By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom' tracks MT.
Wealth gained from nothing dwindles, but whoever gathers little by little grows rich.
'Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it' tracks MT.
Hope drawn out makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
'Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life' tracks MT. HOPE-DEFERRED-HEART-SICK. The DESIRE-FULFILLED-TREE-OF-LIFE — second wisdom-tree-of-life reference (cf. Prov 3:18).
Whoever despises a word will be ruined by it, but whoever respects a command will be rewarded.
'Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded' tracks MT.
The instruction of a wise person is a fountain of life, turning one away from the snares of death.
'The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death' tracks MT. FOUNTAIN-OF-LIFE teaching (// Prov 10:11).
Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is unyielding.
'Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin' tracks MT.
Every shrewd person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his foolishness.
'Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly' tracks MT.
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
'A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing' tracks MT.
Poverty and disgrace come to whoever rejects discipline, but whoever heeds correction will be honored.
'Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored' tracks MT.
A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools find it detestable to turn from evil.
'A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools' tracks MT.
Walk with the wise and become wise; keep company with fools and suffer harm.
'Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm' tracks MT. WALK-WITH-WISE. 1 Corinthians 15:33 ('bad company corrupts good morals,' citing Menander) reflects the same ethic.
Trouble pursues sinners, but good rewards the righteous.
'Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good' tracks MT.
A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
'A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous' tracks MT. WEALTH-OF-SINNER-TO-RIGHTEOUS — the eschatological-transfer. Ecclesiastes 2:26 echoes.
Abundant food lies in the fallow ground of the poor, but it is swept away through injustice.
'The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice' tracks MT.
Whoever withholds his rod hates his son, but the one who loves him applies discipline early.
'Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him' tracks MT. SPARE-THE-ROD proverbial-source. The 'spare the rod, spoil the child' proverb was coined by Samuel Butler (Hudibras, 1664), paraphrasing this verse. The text's corporal-discipline has been a matter of ongoing interpretive-debate in Christian parenting-ethics.
The righteous eats enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked goes empty.
'The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want' tracks MT.