Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 17 continues the Solomonic-proverbs collection with proverbs focused on household-relationships, speech, friendship, and divine-observation. Verse 22's 'a joyful heart is good medicine' is one of the Bible's earliest psychosomatic-wisdom statements.
Notable Variants
17:3 'the crucible for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests hearts' — divine-heart-testing imagery; 17:22 'joyful heart is good medicine' — earliest psychosomatic wisdom; 17:27 'the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint.'
Structural Notes
MT Prov 17 = LXX Prov 17. 28 verses.
Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with conflict.
'Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife' tracks MT.
A shrewd servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance among the brothers.
'A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers' tracks MT. SERVANT-INHERITING — Luke 15 (Prodigal Son / faithful elder brother) shares the inheritance-theme.
The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests hearts.
'The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts' tracks MT. LORD-TESTS-HEARTS refining-metaphor. 1 Peter 1:6–7 ('the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire') extends.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
'An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue' tracks MT.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; whoever rejoices over disaster will not go unpunished.
'Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished' tracks MT. MOCK-POOR = INSULT-MAKER (// Prov 14:31). Matt 25:40 extends.
Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.
'Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers' tracks MT. MULTI-GENERATIONAL-BLESSING theology.
Fine speech does not suit a fool — how much less do lying lips suit a noble.
'Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince' tracks MT.
A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of its giver — wherever he turns, he succeeds.
'A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers' tracks MT. BRIBE-AS-MAGIC-STONE — describing corruption rather than endorsing it.
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but whoever keeps bringing it up separates close friends.
'Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends' tracks MT. COVERS-OFFENSE-SEEKS-LOVE — relationship-protecting discretion. 1 Peter 4:8 ('love covers a multitude of sins') echoes the theology.
A rebuke goes deeper into a perceptive person than a hundred blows into a fool.
'A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool' tracks MT.
A rebellious person seeks only evil, so a merciless messenger will be sent against him.
'An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him' tracks MT.
Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool caught up in his foolishness.
'Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly' tracks MT. SHE-BEAR-ROBBED better than fool — the extreme-comparison.
Whoever returns evil for good — evil will never leave his house.
'If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house' tracks MT. EVIL-FOR-GOOD curse. Romans 12:17 ('repay no one evil for evil') contrasts.
Starting a quarrel is like releasing water — so drop the dispute before it breaks loose.
'The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out' tracks MT.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent — both are detestable to the LORD.
'He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD' tracks MT. JUSTIFY-WICKED / CONDEMN-RIGHTEOUS — judicial-corruption abomination.
Why should a fool have money in hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?
'Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom, when he has no sense?' tracks MT.
A true friend shows love at every turn, and a brother is born for adversity.
'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity' tracks MT. FRIEND-LOVES-AT-ALL-TIMES — proverbial-friendship. John 15:13 ('greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends') extends Christologically.
A person who lacks sense shakes hands on a pledge and puts up security in his neighbor's presence.
'One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor' tracks MT.
Whoever loves conflict loves transgression; whoever builds his gate high invites ruin.
'Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction' tracks MT.
The twisted in heart finds nothing good, and the one who distorts with his tongue falls into trouble.
'A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity' tracks MT.
Whoever fathers a fool does so to his own grief; the parent of a senseless child has no joy.
'He who fathers a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy' tracks MT.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
'A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones' tracks MT. JOYFUL-HEART-GOOD-MEDICINE — pioneering psychosomatic-wisdom. Philippians 4:4 ('rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice') extends the joy-health theology.
The wicked takes a bribe from inside his robe to pervert the course of justice.
'The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice' tracks MT.
Wisdom is right in front of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool roam to the ends of the earth.
'The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth' tracks MT. WISDOM-FOCUSED-FACE.
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
'A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him' tracks MT.
Punishing the righteous is not right, nor is striking the noble for their integrity.
'To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness' tracks MT.
The one who has knowledge uses few words, and the person of understanding keeps a cool head.
'Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding' tracks MT. RESTRAIN-WORDS = KNOWLEDGE. James 1:19 ('slow to speak') extends.
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; whoever seals his lips is thought discerning.
'Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent' tracks MT. EVEN-A-FOOL-SILENT-WISE — silence-as-safer-than-speech.