Source: https://929chapters.com/2009/04/27/proverbs-13-%E2%80%9Csayings-instructiondiscipline%E2%80%9D/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 06:17:33+00:00

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Proverbs 13 is a collection of twenty-five wisdom sayings, most of which contrast two opposites with each other (e.g. the wise and the foolish). While there is an emphasis on teaching/instruction, the chapter does not seem to have a single theme.
v. 3: He who guards his tongue preserves his life; He who opens wide his lips, it is his ruin.
v. 7: One man pretends to be rich and has nothing; Another professes to be poor and has much wealth.
v. 11: Wealth may dwindle to less than nothing, But he who gathers little by little increases it.
v. 20: He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, But he who consorts with dullards comes to grief.
v. 24: He who spares the rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him early.
Proverbs 13 is a collection of sayings which, for the most part, employ antithetical parallelism. In terms of structure, there are certain catchwords that unite certain verses, e.g. nefesh in vv. 2-4, and tov/zaddiq/chote’ in vv. 21-22. While verses such as 7 and 11 are not juxtaposed, they are in close proximity to each other and employ the same vocabulary (hon/rav).
In addition to accepting the discipline of a father, one is to accept the teachings of the wise. V. 20 says, “He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, But he who consorts with dullards comes to grief,” and v. 14 says, “The instruction of a wise man is a fountain of life, Enabling one to avoid deadly snares.” It is interesting that v. 14 is identical to 14:27 except that “the instruction of a wise man” is replaced by “fear of the Lord”: “Fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, Enabling one to avoid deadly snares.” The term maqor chayim “fountain of life” is a common Wisdom phrase (see 10:11, 16:22).
In v. 17 we again encounter the messenger: “Harm befalls a wicked messenger; A faithful courier brings healing.” Murphy writes, “In the absence of other means of communication, the role of the messenger was very important… Here the emphasis is upon the wicked character of the messenger who can distort the message, or even work deliberately against the will of the one who is trying to communicate with another.” See the comment to ch. 10 for a further discussion of messengers.

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