Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 25 begins the SECOND SOLOMONIC COLLECTION (chapters 25–29) — 'more proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied' (v. 1). This superscription provides historical-evidence of Hezekiah-era (late-8th century BCE) royal-scribal-activity preserving Solomonic-wisdom-traditions. Verses 21–22 — 'if your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat … you will heap burning coals on his head' — is cited at Romans 12:20 as the foundation for Christian-enemy-love ethics.
Notable Variants
25:1 Hezekiah-era editorial activity superscription; 25:21–22 → Romans 12:20 enemy-love citation; 25:25 'cold water to a thirsty soul.'
Structural Notes
MT Prov 25 = LXX Prov 25. 28 verses. Opens the Second Solomonic Collection (Prov 25–29).
These also are proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
'These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied' tracks MT. HEZEKIAH EDITORIAL ACTIVITY — c. 715–686 BCE scribal-preservation. 2 Kings 18–20 / Isaiah 36–39 narrate Hezekiah's reign's reformist-piety. This superscription shows the compilation-process of biblical-wisdom-books.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search a matter out.
'It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out' tracks MT. DIVINE-CONCEALING / ROYAL-SEARCHING. Hiddenness-and-discovery theology. Deuteronomy 29:29 ('the secret things belong to the LORD'), 1 Corinthians 4:1 ('stewards of the mysteries of God') extend.
The heavens for height and the earth for depth, but the heart of kings — unfathomable.
'As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable' tracks MT.
Remove the dross from silver, and a vessel emerges for the refiner.
'Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel' tracks MT.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
'Take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness' tracks MT.
Do not promote yourself in the king's presence, and do not stand in the place of the great,
'Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great' tracks MT. Luke 14:7–11 (the parable of the wedding-feast seat: 'when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place') Christologically-extends this proverb.
for it is better to be told, 'Come up here!' than to be humiliated before a noble whom your own eyes have seen.
'For it is better to be told: Come up here, than to be put lower in the presence of a noble' tracks MT. Again, Luke 14:7–11 directly-draws on this verse.
Do not rush to bring a lawsuit, or what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
'Do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?' tracks MT.
Argue your case with your neighbor directly, but do not reveal another person's secret,
'Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret' tracks MT. Matthew 18:15 ('if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone') directly echoes this private-resolution ethic.
or the one who hears will disgrace you, and your bad reputation will never go away.
'Lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end' tracks MT.
A word spoken at the right moment is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
'A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver' tracks MT. WORDS-LIKE-APPLES-OF-GOLD proverbial-image for well-timed speech.
A gold ring and an ornament of fine gold — that is a wise rebuke to a listening ear.
'Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear' tracks MT.
Like the cold of snow on a harvest day is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
'Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters' tracks MT.
Clouds and wind but no rain — that is a person who boasts of a gift he never gives.
'Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give' tracks MT. Jude 12 ('waterless clouds, swept along by winds') echoes the empty-clouds imagery for false-teachers.
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
'With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone' tracks MT. SOFT-TONGUE-BREAKS-BONE — the power of gentle-speech-over-hardness.
If you find honey, eat only what you need; too much, and you will vomit it up.
'If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it' tracks MT.
Make your foot scarce at your neighbor's house, or he will grow tired of you and hate you.
'Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you' tracks MT.
A war club, a sword, and a sharpened arrow — that is a person who bears false witness against his neighbor.
'A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow' tracks MT.
A broken tooth and a twisted foot — that is trusting a treacherous person in a time of trouble.
'Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips' tracks MT.
Stripping off a garment on a cold day, pouring vinegar on an open wound — that is singing songs to a heavy heart.
'Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda' tracks MT. INSENSITIVE-SONG-TO-GRIEVING-HEART — pastoral-wisdom on emotional-contextualization. Romans 12:15 ('rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep') extends.
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Masoretic (WLC)
אִם־רָעֵב שֹׂנַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵהוּ לָחֶם וְאִם־צָמֵא הַשְׁקֵהוּ מָיִם
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου τρέφε αὐτόν ἐὰν διψᾷ πότιζε αὐτόν
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink
ROMANS 12:20 CITATION. Paul cites this verse verbatim from the LXX at Romans 12:20: 'To the contrary: IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO DRINK (all' ean peinā ho echthros sou, psōmize auton; ean dipsā, potize auton); for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Paul's citation matches the LXX exactly.
ENEMY-LOVE ETHICS. The Proverbs-verse is the SCRIPTURAL-FOUNDATION for Christian-enemy-love teaching, together with Matthew 5:44 ('love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'). The two-texts together — OT-ethical-axiom + Jesus' maximal-command — anchor the Christian-tradition of active-good-to-enemies.
For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי גֶחָלִים אַתָּה חֹתֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיהוָה יְשַׁלֶּם־לָךְ
For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you
Septuagint (LXX)
τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος ἀνταποδώσει σοι ἀγαθά
For in doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will repay you with good things
ROMANS 12:20 CITATION CONTINUED. Paul's Rom 12:20 continues the citation: 'for by so doing YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD (anthrakas gar pyros sōreuseis epi tēn kephalēn autou).' The BURNING COALS image has produced extensive interpretive-literature. Three readings: (1) the coals are shame-inducing for the enemy (producing repentance); (2) the coals are the ancient-Egyptian carry-coals-on-head sign of repentance; (3) the coals are divine-judgment if the enemy doesn't-repent. Most Christian-interpretation favors reading (1) or (2): kindness-to-enemies burns their-conscience into shame-and-repentance.
THE PROMISED REWARD. The LXX adds 'good things' (agatha) after 'the Lord will reward you' — making the reward-explicitly-positive. Paul's Rom 12:21 ('do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,' all' nika en tō agathō to kakon) extends the agatha-theme.
The north wind brings rain, and a secretive tongue brings angry looks.
'The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks' tracks MT.
Better to sit on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome woman.
'It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife' tracks MT. // Prov 21:9 repeat.
Cold water to a weary soul — that is good news from a distant land.
'Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country' tracks MT. COLD-WATER-GOOD-NEWS. Matthew 10:42 ('whoever gives one of these little ones even a CUP OF COLD WATER') Christologically echoes.
A muddied spring and a polluted fountain — that is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
'Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked' tracks MT.
Too much honey is not good, and searching for your own glory is no glory at all.
'It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory' tracks MT.
A city with broken walls and no defenses — that is a person with no control over his spirit.
'A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls' tracks MT. NO-SELF-CONTROL = CITY-WITHOUT-WALLS. Galatians 5:23 ('self-control' — egkrateia — as fruit of the Spirit) extends.