Category: Proverbs

The Spirit of a Man – Part 1

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Proverbs 18:14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? 

This proverb teaches that inner strength, courage, and hope, the “spirit” of a man, can enable him to endure physical suffering or external hardship. The “spirit” refers to the inner person: the heart, will, emotions, and attitude. A resilient and trusting spirit gives a person the capacity to persevere through great affliction.

A strong spirit doesn’t remove pain but provides the grit to bear it with faith, patience, or even joy. When your inner person is whole and anchored, even the worst external conditions can be endured.

Examples of being sustained in infirmity:  Job – though he lost wealth, health, and children, Job still blessed the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Even in physical suffering, his faith-driven spirit sustained him (Job 2:8-10). Paul recounted many sufferings (beatings, shipwreck, hunger, imprisonments), yet said: “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2Cor. 12:10). His unshakable trust in Christ gave him strength through extreme trials (2Cor 11:23-33). To be continued…

Folly and Shame – Part 2

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Proverbs 18:13 He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him. 

Here are four scriptural examples where people judged or acted rashly before fully hearing or knowing the facts: David hastily gave Ziba all of Mephibosheth’s land based on his one-sided report. Later, David realised he had misjudged Mephibosheth, who had remained loyal, resulting in a sense of injustice and regret (2Sam. 16:4; 19:24-30). Ahasuerus gave Haman authority to destroy the Jews without fully investigating the matter. This hasty decree nearly led to the destruction of an innocent people (Est. 3:10). King Darius signed a decree (manipulated by jealous officials) that led to Daniel being cast into the lions’ den. After realising the trap, Darius regretted acting too quickly (Dan. 6:9). The Magistrates at Philippi had Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned without trial. When the magistrates later discovered they were Roman citizens, they were filled with fear and shame and tried to quietly dismiss them (Acts 16:37-39).

Listening precedes wisdom. Proverbs repeatedly teaches that wisdom begins with hearing, not speaking (cf. Pro. 18:2; Jas. 1:19). Justice requires both sides to be heard (cf. Pro. 18:17). Hasty answers misrepresent truth, damage relationships, and discredit one’s reputation.

In conversations: Pause and let others speak fully before forming a response. Ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions. In conflict: Avoid jumping to conclusions or reacting emotionally without hearing all perspectives. In leadership or parenting: Don’t discipline or decide before gathering full context. Justice depends on careful listening. In social media or news: Don’t react based on headlines or snippets. Seek full context before forming or expressing an opinion.

Wise people are listeners before they are speakers; fools are talkers before they are thinkers. “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jas. 1:19).

Folly and Shame – Part 1

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Proverbs 18:13 He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him. 

This refers to someone who jumps to conclusions, interrupts, or gives an opinion or judgment without first listening fully to the facts or both sides of an issue. The Hebrew word for “heareth” (shamaʿ) implies attentive, discerning listening, not just physically hearing, but understanding.

To “answer” before hearing suggests rashness, presumption, and impulsiveness, traits that are both intellectually careless and relationally damaging.

This proverb highlights a violation of justice, wisdom, and humility: you cannot rightly respond to what you don’t fully understand. “It is folly and shame unto him”

Folly (ivveleth in Hebrew) here denotes not just silliness, but moral and practical stupidity, a failure in wisdom. Shame (kelimmah) implies disgrace, public humiliation, or embarrassment resulting from such foolish behaviour.

The person who rushes to speak reveals his ignorance and earns dishonour; not only is he wrong, but he is also humiliated.

To be continued…

Destruction vs. Honour Part 2

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Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. 

Contrasting Paths – Pride vs. Humility: The Path of Pride: A haughty heart refuses to yield and trusts in itself. It neglects God, ignores warnings, and ultimately leads to a sudden fall (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11). The Path of Humility: A humble spirit is willing to serve and trusts in God alone. It depends on Him, reveres His guidance, embraces correction, and receives lasting honour.

Five examples of destruction through pride: Lucifer exalted himself above God and was cast down (Ezek. 28:11-17; 1Tim. 3:6). Jezebel had pride in power and idolatry and ended in a violent death (2Kin. 9:30-33). Goliath mocked God’s people and fell by a shepherd boy (1Sam. 17). Nebuchadnezzar boasted in his kingdom and was humbled by madness (Dan. 4). Belshazzar defied God by profaning holy vessels and was slain that very night (Dan. 5).

Five examples of humility before honour: Joseph was humbled through slavery and prison, then exalted in Egypt (Gen. 37-44). Gideon called himself the least, and God made him a mighty deliverer (Jdg. 6). David was a humble shepherd and was chosen as king after Saul (1Sam. 17-18). Solomon asked not for riches, but wisdom; God gave him both (1Kin. 3). Jesus Christ humbled Himself unto death; God exalted Him above all (Php. 2:5-11).

Pride goes before a fall (cf. Pro. 16:18); humility precedes honour. Destruction may not always be immediate, but pride sets a person on a collision course with God’s justice.

Humility, on the other hand, invites God’s grace: “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6).

Evaluate your heart and depart from any form of pride, whether in success, relationships or talents. Repent from them by asking God to forgive you in those areas and to change you. Practice humility: be quick to listen, slow to speak, open to correction, and willing to serve. Don’t chase honour, pursue humility, and let God raise you up in His time (Jas. 4:10; 1Pet. 5:6).

Pride brings collapse; humility brings elevation. The proud build on sand. The humble build on the Rock. In God’s economy, the way up is down; only the lowly are lifted.

Destruction vs. Honour Part 1

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Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. 

The word “haughty” refers to arrogance, self-exaltation, or pride, an inflated view of oneself and a disregard for others or for God. The “heart” in Hebrew thought is not just the seat of emotion, but the core of thinking, willing, and desiring. A haughty heart is one where pride has infected the deepest inner life of a person.

‘Before destruction…’ This pride is presented as a predictor or precursor to destruction. It’s a downward moral spiral: pride leads people to overestimate themselves, ignore warnings, and resist correction, making destruction inevitable. Pride blinds. Pride isolates. Pride hardens. Then comes the fall.

‘Before honour is humility.’ The counterpart to destruction is honour, which here implies public recognition, blessing, promotion, and favour, especially from God. The road to such honour is not pride, but humility, a low view of oneself in relation to God, and a willingness to submit, serve, and obey. Humility opens the heart to wisdom, growth, a relationship with God, and favour before man.

Jesus emphasised this principle repeatedly: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12)

To be continued…

His Own Conceit

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Proverbs 18:11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit. 

This verse parallels the previous one (v.10), but offers a contrast rather than a continuation. The “rich man” (Hebrew: ‛âshı̂yr) has accumulated wealth and earthly resources. His wealth, in his mind, functions like a “strong city”- a metaphor for security, defence, and independence.

In the ancient world, walled cities were considered the safest places from enemies and disasters. A man without a city was vulnerable; a city meant safety. However, this trust is misplaced. While the righteous find refuge in the name of the LORD (v.10), the rich trust in their money and possessions as their source of safety.

A “high wall” suggests complete protection, something that no enemy can scale. The key phrase is: “in his own conceit” – meaning, in his imagination, in his own eyes, or in his self-delusion. In reality, wealth cannot guarantee protection from life’s ultimate dangers, sickness, death, divine judgment, or inner emptiness.

This is a warning against prideful self-reliance. The rich man builds mental and emotional walls of confidence around his money, believing it to be impenetrable, yet it’s only secure in his own imagination.

Wealth is not inherently evil, but it becomes dangerous when it replaces God as one’s source of hope. Trust in wealth can be subtle; it doesn’t require arrogance, just misplaced confidence in “what I can control.” True safety is not in what you possess, but in whom you trust.

1 Timothy 6:17 warns those who are rich that they not trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. Wealth can tempt us into self-reliance, slowly replacing our prayer life and dependency on God. Build your confidence not in what you own, but in who owns you.

A Strong Tower – Part 2

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Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe.

‘And is safe.’ The Hebrew word used here implies exaltation and inaccessibility, being lifted above danger, untouchable by enemies. This isn’t just physical safety, but also emotional, spiritual, and eternal security. God is a high refuge (Ps. 91:1-2), not just a hiding place, but a place of perspective, rest, and victory.

These examples illustrate the truth of Proverbs 18:10: Job – Though stripped of everything, he declares: “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25-26). Habakkuk – When facing famine and failure: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD… The Lord God is my strength” (Hab. 3:17-19). King Asa – In battle, he prayed: “LORD, it is nothing with thee to help… help us, O LORD our God” (2Chr. 14:11). King Hezekiah – Surrounded by Assyria, he spread the enemy’s threats before God and trusted Him (2Kin. 19; Isa. 38). The early Christians – In persecution, they prayed: “Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” (Acts 4:24-33). Each one ran to the name of the LORD, and in Him, they were defended, strengthened, and delivered.

When danger threatens, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or relational, do you run first to God, or to people, strategies, or distractions? Make a habit of calling on the name of the LORD in every situation. His name is more than words; it’s a place of power.

God is not a last resort; He is a strong tower. To the righteous, His name is safety, shelter, and strength. The wise don’t wait until all else fails; they run immediately to Him, knowing that in Him, they are lifted above the reach of the enemy.

A Strong Tower – Part 1

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Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe. 

‘The name of the LORD.’ In biblical thought, a “name” is more than a label; it represents the character, authority, power, and presence of the one named. The LORD here refers to Jehovah (Hebrew: Yeh-ho-vaw’), meaning Self-existent or eternal; this is the Jewish national name of God: – Jehovah, the Lord, the covenant name of God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:14).

To speak of the name of the LORD is to speak of everything God is: His holiness, faithfulness, love, justice, mercy, and sovereignty.

‘Is a strong tower.’ This metaphor paints the image of a fortified place of defence. In ancient cities, a strong tower was a high, impenetrable structure, built to withstand attack, protect from enemies, and give a strategic advantage. Spiritually, this declares that God Himself is our protection, a refuge, not made with human hands, and impervious to all threats.

‘The righteous runs into it.’ The righteous are those in right relationship with God, in right standing, trusting, obedient, and faithful. Running into it conveys urgency and confidence. The righteous don’t walk casually to God; they flee to Him as their first and best defence in troubled times of danger, temptation, or sorrow. It reflects a spiritual instinct to seek God immediately and wholeheartedly in every crisis. To be continued…

Brother to Him

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Proverbs 18:9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 

The slothful person (Hebrew: raphah) is lazy, careless, or neglectful in what they are supposed to do. This isn’t about inability; it’s about apathy and lack of diligence.

The “great waster” (Hebrew: mashchit) is a destroyer, someone who actively ruins or squanders resources, opportunities, or responsibilities. This Proverb links the lazy person with the one who destroys, saying they are effectively siblings in outcome.

Though the slothful may not intend harm, their negligence causes just as much damage as the deliberate destroyer. Waste by laziness is as ruinous as waste by aggression.

Neglect is a form of destruction. Failing to care for what is entrusted to us, our work, relationships, and responsibilities, is not neutral. Inaction leads to loss. Laziness and destruction may wear different faces, but they walk the same path.

Don’t excuse laziness as harmless. Evaluate where neglect might be silently ruining good things. Be faithful with small things, neglect compounds, and the damage can be long-lasting (Luke 16:10). Diligence preserves what others carelessly waste.

This verse speaks not only to individuals, but to organisations and leaders: negligence is complicity in decay.

A Talebearer

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Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 

The word talebearer (Hebrew: nirgan) can be translated as a gossip, slanderer, or whisperer, someone who secretly spreads damaging information, true or false. Unlike open confrontation, the talebearer operates in shadows, often pretending to be concerned while sowing division and mistrust.

‘Are as wounds’ – Some translations render this as “delicious morsels” (as in Proverbs 26:22), emphasising how gossip is eagerly received, like a tasty bite. However, the word wounds highlights the emotional and psychological damage that gossip causes. These wounds are invisible but deep and lasting.

‘They go down into the innermost parts of the belly.’ This poetic phrase speaks to how deeply gossip penetrates the soul, affecting the heart, thoughts, and emotions. Whether the listener realises it or not, slander reshapes perception, breeds suspicion, and harms relationships at the core.

Gossip is both enticing and destructive. Like food that tastes good but poisons the body, gossip may feel satisfying in the moment, but it leaves deep scars. The emotional impact settles into the soul, corrupting judgment and sowing long-term damage.

Be quick to shut down gossip, not entertain it. Examine your words, do they build others up (Eph. 4:29) or secretly wound them? Understand that listening to slander is as harmful as spreading it; both give it life (1Cor. 15:33). Guard your heart from the subtle damage that gossip leaves behind (4:23).