Advice for Understanding Proverbs
If a Christian wishes to stand “as one approved” in the eyes of God, he must “rightly handl[e] the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Since the Bible is composed of different types of literature (poetry, prophecy, history, letter, etc.), one must respect those genres when seeking to understand and apply any given passage. The book of Proverbs is no exception. Some Bible students, failing to account for the nature of a proverb, have found themselves in somewhat of a quandary to explain and/or apply some of these divinely inspired pearls of wisdom. Two important principles should always be kept in mind when studying the Proverbs.
Some proverbs are intended merely to encourage forethought and should not be viewed as irrevocable rules to be applied in all situations. For example, in Proverbs 26:4-5, you will find two diametrically opposed imperatives,
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”
OK, which is it? Do you answer a fool or do you not answer him? If the Bible student takes the position that the Proverbs always present hard-and-fast rules to be applied in every circumstance, then he will not be able to obey Proverbs 26:4 without automatically disobeying verse 5 (and vice versa). But if one understands their real intent—to encourage consideration of the consequences of two different responses to fools—there is no difficulty. Sometimes it is wise to ignore a fool. At other times it may be wise to put him in his place. Just think before you respond (Prov. 15:28; 19:11; 21:23) and do your best to season your words appropriately (Col. 4:6).
Some proverbs state how things will work out most of the time, but should not be considered absolute guarantees from God. For example, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov. 16:7). If one believes this passage to be without exception, how does it apply to the life of Jesus? Did His ways not please the Father? Indeed they did—without exception (John 8:29; Heb. 4:15). Were His enemies always at peace with Him? Not unless you consider a bogus trial, severe scourging and Roman crucifixion “peaceful” treatment. In most cases, one will lead a “quiet, peaceable life in all godliness” (1 Tim. 2:2) when he conducts his life according to divine principles of morality and ethics. But that doesn’t mean that there will never be individual instances of mistreatment from others (2 Tim. 3:12; John 15:18-20). Sometimes the amount of peace in our lives is determined, not by ourselves, but by others (Rom. 12:18).
Another passage that serves as a good example of this principle is Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Most of the time, that’s true. But it will not be true in every case without exception, as evidenced by the wicked treatment our Lord received even as He calmly interacted with Pilate and the chief priests while on trial.
Or, you might consider Proverbs 11:8, “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.” Is that an absolute and inviolable law? No. It’s a proverb – a statement that reflects principles that are wise and generally true.
Let us be careful, though, not to misunderstand something of utmost importance. The fact that Proverbs are expressions of general truth does not negate their inspiration. The Proverbs are verbally inspired of God in their entirety. But inspiration does not change the nature of a proverb. God can give inspired generalizations as easily as we can give uninspired ones.
The Proverbs offer divine descriptions of wisdom and inspired advice for wise living. So let us give all diligence to employ their wise counsel and anticipate the stated results. But let not our faith be adversely affected by the occasional exception.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
In preparation for writing this treatise, I was greatly helped by Denny Petrillo’s class notes on Proverbs available through World Video Bible School in Maxwell, Texas (www.wvbs.org). I highly recommend this material.
