Source: https://929chapters.com/2009/04/28/proverbs-15-%E2%80%9Cvarious-sayings-proper-speech-accepting-rebuke%E2%80%9D/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 02:19:27+00:00

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Proverbs 15 is a collection of thirty-three individual sayings. While there is no unifying theme to the chapter, certain verses focus on topics such as speech, accepting rebuke, prayer, and taking things into perspective.
v. 1: A gentle response allays wrath; A harsh word provokes anger.
v. 3: The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, Observing the bad and the good.
v. 8: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
v. 15: All the days of a poor man are wretched, But contentment is a feast without end.
v. 16: Better a little with fear of the LORD Than great wealth with confusion.
v. 17: Better a meal of vegetables where there is love Than a fattened ox where there is hate.
v. 18: A hot-tempered man provokes a quarrel; A patient man calms strife.
v. 22: Plans are foiled for want of counsel, But they succeed through many advisers.
v. 23: A ready response is a joy to a man, And how good is a word rightly timed!
v. 25: The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the homestead of the widow.
v. 27: He who pursues ill-gotten gain makes trouble for his household; He who spurns gifts will live long.
v. 28: The heart of the righteous man rehearses his answer, But the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.
Proverbs 15 is a collection of thirty-three sayings. While the chapter continues to use antithetical parallelism (like the previous five), that type of parallelism begins to dwindle. For example, antithetical parallelism is absent in vv. 3, 10-11, 12, 23-24, 30-31, and 33. In terms of the chapter’s structure, there are certain catchwords that unite juxtaposed verses: body organs in vv. 2-4, tov “good” in vv. 2-3, “abomination to the Lord” in vv. 8-9 (and 26), and shema’ “hear” in vv. 29-32. Also, the word lev “heart” plays a prominent role, appearing in vv. 7, 11, 13 (2x), 14, 15, 21, 28, 30, and 32.
Chapter 15 begins a new trend in the book’s “core” (ch. 10-29): it has sayings which use God’s proper name. One of them is v. 3, “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, Observing the bad and the good.” The theme of omniscience is taken up again in v. 11: “Sheol and Abaddon lie exposed to the LORD, How much more the minds of men!” Prov. 24:12 turns this message into a warning, “If you say, ‘We knew nothing of it,’ Surely He who fathoms hearts will discern the truth, He who watches over your life will know it, And He will pay each man as he deserves.” In regards to the “eyes” of God, see a similar usage in Prov. 22:12 and 24:18.
V. 15 is an example of the book’s no-nonsense approach to poverty: “All the days of a poor man are wretched, But contentment is a feast without end.” The book of Proverbs is honest: the rich have it much better than the poor. For example, 22:7 says, “The rich rule the poor, And the borrower is a slave to the lender,” 10:15 says, “The wealth of a rich man is his fortress; The poverty of the poor is his ruin,” and 14:20 says, “A pauper is despised even by his peers, But a rich man has many friends.” But, as shall be seen, our chapter also says that things should be taken into perspective.
Vv. 16-17 incorporate the “better… than…” formula: “Better a little with fear of the LORD Than great wealth with confusion. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love Than a fattened ox where there is hate.” Murphy writes, “The “better” saying is a common literary form in wisdom literature… [it] is made [in] order to express a paradox, to overturn what would normally be considered a plus, e.g., riches, into a minus.” Other examples are 16:8, 16, 19; 17:1; 28:6. It is also interesting that vv. 16-17 show a strong affinity to The Instruction of Amenemope (ca. 1200 BCE, see Context of Scripture 1.47 section 9 lines 5-8): “Better is poverty in the hand of the god, Than wealth in the storehouse; Better is bread with a happy heart Than wealth with vexation.” The Instruction of Amenemope’s relation to the book of Proverbs will be further dealt with in ch. 22.
V. 22 speaks about seeking advice, “Plans are foiled for want of counsel, But they succeed through many advisers.” Also see 13:10, “Arrogance yields nothing but strife; Wisdom belongs to those who seek advice.” Yet, again Murphy points out that no proverb says it all: even plans can go wrong. For example, see 14:12, “A road may seem right to a man, But in the end it is a road to death.” Also see 19:21.
V. 27 says, “He who pursues ill-gotten gain (botzea’ betza’) makes trouble for his household; He who spurns gifts (mattanot) will live long.” The antithetical parallelism indicates that the word mattanot “gifts” has a negative connotation, i.e. they are a bribe. Waltke points out that the word mattanah, which usually means “gift,” is synomous with shochad “bribe” in wisdom literature. For example, 18:16 speaks about gaining favor with a ruler by means of “gifts”: “A man’s gift (mattan) eases his way And gives him access to the great.” Similarly, 21:14 says, “A gift (mattan) in secret subdues anger, A bribe (shachad) in private, fierce rage.” Note how mattan is parallel to shachad in this last verse. Waltke also notes that the term botzea’ betza’, which was used in the first half of the verse, is also used to describe the murderous thieves of ch. 1 (cf. 1:19).

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