Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

Proverbs 17:3 The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold but God tries the hearts.

Proverbs 17:4 A wicked doer gives heed to false lips and a liar gives ear to a naughty tongue.

Proverbs 17:5 Whoso mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. And he that is glad at calamities.(*).shall not be unpunished.

Original for 'unpunished' means 'not to be passed over', that is, one will reap what he has sown, unless his or her heart changes.

Obadiah 1:13.

Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children are their fathers.

Children are most proud of their fathers and deeply respectful of their moms, when brought up with positive values.

Proverbs 17:7 Excellent speech.(original means 'speech, conversation, that makes a lasting positive effect').becomes not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince.

Proverbs 17:9 He that covers a transgression seeks love.(Romans 12:18), but he that repeats a matter separates very friends.

Separation is of the extremely low consciousness selfish ego level. Learn what gossip is.

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof enters more into a wise man than a hundred stripes.(lashes with a whip).into a fool.

Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a fool in his folly..(better to meet a bear than a stupid.fool)

Proverbs 17:13 Whoso rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water.(hard to stop peeing once you start). Therefore leave off.(original for 'leave off' also is, 'to leave, forsake, cast off or away, reject, suffer, spread out or abroad, be loosed, cease, abandon, quit, hang loose, cast down, let fall, forgo, draw').contention.(original for word 'contention' is 'cause'), before it be meddled with.

Avoid giving others reasons for them to dislike you. No one likes an angry individual:.Proverbs 26:17.

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifies the wicked and he that condemns.(original for 'condemns' implies 'having had a part in corrupting those who would otherwise have been just).the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

Warning to corrupt officials.

Proverbs 17:16.Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?

One who has money and wants to appear wise buys a lot of books just to display..JFB Commentary: Wealth cannot buy wisdom for those who do not love it:.James 1:5.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.

Barnes Notes:."At all times a friend loves, but in adversity he becomes a brother.".That is, you find out how much of a friend he or she is when a circumstance comes up and your friend is there to help or not.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown:."...a brother’s love is specially seen in adversity".
Matthew Pooles Commentary:."A sincere and hearty friend loves at all times, not only in prosperity, but also in adversity, when false friends forsake us."
God never forsakes us, he is our friend:.James 2:23.

Proverbs 18:24.

Proverbs 17:18 A man void of comprehension strikes hands.(let's make a deal).and becomes surety in the presence of his friend.

Proverbs 17:19 He loves transgression that loves strife. And he that exalts his gate seeks destruction.

Proverbs 17:21 He that begets a fool.(original 'brings forth', that is, by lack of quality example and teaching).does it to his sorrow and the father of a fool has no joy.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry.(original for word 'merry' is 'rejoicing').heart does is able to cure you.(as the original has it), but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 15:13.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom is before him that has innerstanding.(original word 'understanding' replaced here; original meant 'presence', that is, if the mind is in the present, it is capable of comprehension of what life is all about; then one learns from life, whereas a fool doesn't, he or she just keeps doing the same old thing again and again), but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the Earth.

That is, he or she wants it all for selfish reasons; what's in it for me?

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him.

Proverbs 17:27 He that has knowledge spares his words and a man of innerstanding.(original word for 'understanding' or an innerstanding, in this verse is 'intelligence', 'discretion', 'insight').is of an excellent spirit.

Proverbs 18:2 A fool has no delight in innerstanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

What is there for me, me, me today and everyday?

Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to accept one who is wicked who is out to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

It's not good that the satanically influenced Maritime/Admiralty/Civil/Statutory legal system works this way. Back to Natural Law needed if true justice is ever to prevail.

Proverbs 18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth calls for strokes.(what he or she may say is worthy of a slapping across the mouth).

That is, he upsets others, wanting to argue and fight, so he or she should have been told by their parents to shut up and be trained not to be like that or your mouth will be slapped and your privileges zapped.

Proverbs 18:7 A fool's mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Watch your words. Conversation.

Proverbs 18:10 The name.(God has many names, all strong and protective).of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous.(who are the righteous?).run into it and are safe.

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

Makes him feel that he is secure by trusting in his money:.Ezekiel 7:19.

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

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

Figures he or she knows what the other is really like. Take time to get to know others, enough time so you have information to draw close or move away. And, that also applies to doing research to consider both sides on things before you commit to anything, including any opinions you may form. How else will you ever find truth?

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

Original is."spirit man contains illness broken spirit lift up" and to make it flow better 'the spirit in man contains the illness and his own spirit (soul) can lift himself out of it', that is once connected to it. Like an electrical plug, the electricity is there but useless until you plug into it.

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent.(those after comprehension) gets knowledge and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.(?).

Proverbs 18:20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Always watch your tongue:.1Peter 3:10,15.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.(*).and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso finds a wife.(what's the original for 'wife' and 'husband'?).finds a good thing and obtains favour of the Lord.

What's the Lord'?

Ecclesiastes 7:26,28.

Proverbs 18:24 An individual that wants friends must show himself to be friendly.(?).and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.(*).

Are you an individual others would gravitate to, would want to be around, would want to befriend? You have to be around people:.Hebrews 10:24,25.

Proverbs 17:17.

Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse.(original also is 'twist, pervert, make crooked, prove perverse, declare perverse, to be crooked, to twist, distort, pervert, make crooked, to declare crooked' {as a liar}).in his lips and is a fool.

Matthew Henry's Commentary: a poor man who fears God, is more honorable and happy than a man without wisdom and grace, however rich or advanced in rank he may be.

More on the poor:.John 12:8.

Proverbs 19:2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.(so be learning things).and he that hastes with his feet sins.

Being slower gives time for deliberation before action and will keep you out of a lot of trouble that those hasty individuals run headlong into.

Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of man perverts his way and his heart frets against the Lord.

Proverbs 19:4 Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

Those figuring they are above others, simply because they have money and the other doesn't.

Proverbs 19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished and he that speaks lies shall not escape.

Proverbs 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince and every man is a friend to him that gives gifts.

Proverbs 19:7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him. How much more do his friends go far from him? he pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

He tries to get his friends to help, but they only give him empty hope.

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man defers his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Not living as the ancient Pharisees, et al, were, that is, out to nail another when they see someone else not living as the Pharisees thought was the only righteous way to live (*).

Proverbs 19:12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father and the contentions.(strife).of a woman are a continual dropping.

Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 19:16 He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul, but he that despises his.(word 'his' not in original).ways shall die.

Implies ways established that have been relied upon. Don't ignore lessons of the past and learn from immediate negatives, before 'all hell breaks out' on you.

Proverbs 19:17 He that has pity.(original also 'gracious, show favor').upon the poor.(original also 'needy, weaker, lean').lends.(original 'join').unto the Lord and that which he has given will he.(the Lord).pay him again.

1Peter 2:9.

Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Proverbs 19:19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment. If you deliver him, yet you must do it again.

Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

Or, 'the low consciousness of man (Proverbs 14:12) can keep him vacillating between a base life and any desire for spirituality and this because man's spiritual nature is emerging, nevertheless what God has decided after counseling with members of His family will stand.

Proverbs 19:22 The desire of a man is his kindness and a poor man is better than a liar.

JPS Translation:."The lust of a man is his shame and a poor man is better than a liar."
Comprised from Matthew Poole's Commentary: a poor man or woman is better than a rich one who's a liar. Better is he or she than those (politicians anybody?) who feed the poor with their nonsense of good words and fair promises (James 2:14-17), but does not perform what he or she pretends and is able to do.
Comprised from Barnes Notes: the liar is inferior to the poor man whose desire is the wish to do good but who lacks the means to put into effect what his heart is leading him to do.
Matthew Henry's Commentary: It is far better to have a heart to do good and lack ability for it, than to have ability for it and lack a heart to it.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord tends to life and he that has it shall abide satisfied. He shall not be visited with evil.

Proverbs 19:26 He that wastes his father and chases away his mother, is a son that causes shame and brings reproach.

Proverbs 19:27 Cease.(?).my son, to hear the instruction that causes one to err from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 20:2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion. Whoso provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.

Proverbs 19:12.

Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife but every fool will be meddling.

Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water but a man of understanding will draw it out.

People have answers to help you, but you have to dig deep into them in order to learn lessons.

Proverbs 20:7 The just man or woman walks in integrity. The children are blessed who follow them.

Blessed because of his example and interaction with them:.Proverbs 22:6.

Proverbs 20:8 A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say I have made my heart clean and I am now pure from my sin?

Proverbs 20:10 Divers weights and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord

Weigh it out exactly so he or she doesn't get a bit more than what they are paying for; the Creator's way is the way of generosity, not the way of cheapos steeped in the ego level of greed to the point of niggling:.Deuteronomy 24:19; Ruth 2:1-23

On weights & measures.

Proverbs 20:11 Even a child.(original here is 'weaned', meaning, one just finished with mother's milk).is known by his doings, whether his work be pure and whether it be right.

Good parents are those who care enough to be alert and thus, able to tell  early the pathways their children are leaning toward.(*).

Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them.

Proverbs 20:16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

Proverbs 20:17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Proverbs 20:19 He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets.(learn about gossip); herefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips.

Proverbs 20:20 Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness,

Any light, any goodness, he or she may have had, his bad attitude has blinded him or her from it.

Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance.(original 'possessions, property, wealth).may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Learn to let God bring things into your life by trusting God:.John 10:10.

Proverbs 20:22 Say not you, I will recompense evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save you.

Don't be out to bring evil on those who have caused hard things for you. Paul didn't lash back at others, but he knew how to stand up to tyranny:.Acts 22:22-29; 23:27.

Hebrews 10:30; Matthew 5:39.

Proverbs 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord and a false balance is not good.

Weights as used in a balance scale to cheat you. When the package says it's one pound, does it really mean you are getting one pound?

Proverbs 20:24 Man's goings.(personal circumstances in each of our lives).are of the Lord. How can a man then understand his own way?

Like,.why is my life taking turns that I don't want it to take?

Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to the man or woman who devours that which is holy and after, vows to make enquiry.

The one who doesn't think first about consequences of what he or she may be about to do.

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

....continues to Chapter 21

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