An Obedient Son
23:12 to 24:2
A proverb is a short and memorable saying designed to be our blueprint for living in the world that ADONAI has created. It is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.
An education that sounds very much like the prologues to the book (to see link click Aj – Proverbs to the Youth) and to the Thirty Sayings of the Wise (see Cz – Prologue to Thirty Sayings of the Wise) marks off the next seven sayings. They share the same theme and are entitled “An Obedient Son.” Heart is a key word that runs through the sayings. These sayings follow a chronological order, spanning one’s entire lifetime, from childhood (23:13-14) to a mother grown old (23:22). Sayings 17 and 18 implicitly contrast the wise and the foolish woman, resembling Lady Wisdom (see Bn – Lady Wisdom’s Invitation to Life) and Madam Folly (see Bo – Madam Folly’s Invitation to Death). Thus, the verbal links, structure, and other literary features bind this subunit together and almost function as a prologue to the rest of the sayings.451
Introduction to sayings eleven to thirty (23:12): My son, apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge (23:12 CJB). Verse 12 has all the markings of beginning a new unit, strongly resembling 22:17, and every word is identical in terms of the father’s introductory warnings to his lectures from 1:8 to 9:18. After an initial warning to apply oneself to instruction through words of knowledge, the text turns to the topic of children.
The eleventh saying (23:13-14): Don’t fail to discipline your children; the rod of punishment won’t kill them. Punish them with the rod and save them from sh’ol (see Af – Sh’ol) (23:13-14 Hebrew). This passage fits with others that also speak of the need to discipline children. The fact that the rod is mentioned indicates that the sages had no illusions about children. It is not a matter of trying to bring the best out of children. Wisdom had to be drummed into them, sometimes literally. To withhold discipline, even physical discipline, is a matter of neglect. Forcing them to instruction is a lifesaving act. The sage is not talking about rigorous beating, but something equivalent to appropriate spanking. This may be inferred from the matter-of-fact statement: save them from death, as well as the book’s general emphasis on moderation, kindness, and gentleness.
The twelfth saying (23:15-16): My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice, everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right (23:15-16 NLT). A teacher’s joy is contingent on the student’s demonstration of wisdom. After all, this is the purpose behind the teacher’s efforts at instruction. These two verses demonstrate again (16:23 as well) the connection between the inner person and speech. A wise heart will lead to words of integrity, and from words of integrity, the hearer can deduce a wise heart. The desire is that the son will seek out and speak like Lady Wisdom.
The thirteenth saying (23:17-18): A prohibition not to be jealous of sinners now complements the parent’s teaching of wisdom. Don’t let your heart be jealous of sinners, but always live in the fear of ADONAI. You will be rewarded for this, and your hope will not be cut off (23:17-18 NLT). Psalm 73 and psalm 37 are classic examples of a person who struggled with jealousy toward sinners and may serve to give a solid example to the principle expressed here. The psalmist looked at the wicked and saw that they seemed to live a much more pleasant life than he, a godly person, enjoyed. He saw them prosper despite their wickedness (Psalm 73:3 NLT). They seemed rich, healthy, and happy, while he was struggling. As a result, he began to question ADONAI. The psalm, however, was written after the struggle. He had come to see that the prosperity of sinners was only short-lived. They were actually on a slippery path . . . sliding over the cliff to destruction (Psalm 73:18 NLT). He saw that his reasoning up to this point would have led him to his own destruction. In other words, it would have taken away his hope for the future. He came to realize that my health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever (Psalm 73:26 NLT). Thus, he began his poem with: Truly God is good to Isra’el, to those whose hearts are pure (Psalm 73:1 NLT). Thus, the teacher hopes the student will adopt the same perspective.452
The fourteenth saying (23:19-21): Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart (the seat of intellect and controls actions) on the right path (23:19 NIV). This passage begins with the encouragement to be wise. It is followed by another command warning the son to set his heart on a godly path. What is surprising about this is that elsewhere in Proverbs that the natural inclination of the heart is always towards evil. I think the best understanding of the dynamics of this verse is that it assumes that the son has made a commitment to stay on the path of wisdom. Once the decision to follow the godly path has been made, the father is encouraging the son to stay on the right path. At this point the passage turns into a prohibition of excess in terms of alcohol and food. Do not join those who drink too much or gorge themselves with meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and too much sleep clothes them in rags (23:20-21 NIV). Drunkenness and gluttony are criticized. Elsewhere, the rationale for criticizing drunkenness has to do with affecting one’s ability to make decisions (20:1, 23:29-35, and 31:1-9). In other words, it disrupts one’s ability to act wisely. The same thing can be said about overeating, which would lead to sluggish behavior, not the kind of diligent work so frequently encouraged in the book. However, the clear motive given here is specifically against drunkenness since such excess would lead to poverty. Spending too much money on alcohol would be foolish. Because wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler, whoever is led astray by them is not wise (20:1 NIV).
The fifteenth saying (23:22-23): Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old (23:22 NIV). This passage reminds us of the warnings of the first part of Proverbs, where we read: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother (10:1b NIV). It all begins with the child’s willingness to pay attention to instruction that the wise parents teach their children. After all, the very life of the child is the result of the union of the father and the mother. Besides the appeal to birth, we also see the advanced age of the mother. This reference to age is not an appeal to pity, but highlights the mother as a source of great wisdom. Therefore, the child should buy the truth [of the parents] and never sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding (23:23 Hebrew). Basically, as we have seen in so many places in Proverbs, there is no amount of wealth that would be worth parting company with wisdom.453
The sixteenth saying (23:24-25): The father of a righteous child has cause for joy. What a pleasure it is to have children who are wise (23:24 NLT). This verse is about parental joy, a father of a righteous or wise child experiences great happiness and delight in him, emphasizing the reward of raising children to follow God’s path and wisdom, contrasting with foolishness and worldliness. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth rejoice (23:25 NLT). Every one of us has a dad and a mom. So ADONAI is speaking to all of us here. How can we grow in wisdom toward our parents? The key words in Proverbs 15:20 and 20:20 are despises and curses. Those words are the opposite of wisdom. The fifth commandment says: Honor your father and your mother (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bp – Honor Your Parents). And that command not to despise, not to curse, but to honor our parents. And that command applies to us all of our lives, even after we grow up and leave home.454
The seventeenth saying (23:26-28): Again, the father appeals to his son to pay attention to his teaching. He desires that his son follow his instruction and thus stay on the right path. The path is a metaphor for the course of one’s life and derives from the idea that life is a journey. This metaphor is extensively used throughout Proverbs, especially in Chapters 1-9. My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, for a harlot is a deep pit and an adulterous woman is a narrow well (23:26-27 NIV). The image of a deep pit is used for the mouth of an adulterous woman in 22:14. On the surface, a deep pit and a narrow well are metaphors of danger. If one falls into a deep pit or a narrow well, then injury or even death would be likely. The reference to sexual danger, however, cannot be missed. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and increases the faithlessness among men (23:28 NIV). She ambushes like a robber (Job 9:12). It’s not to say that the young man who falls for her allure is guiltless, but the sage sees the woman initiating the advance. The proverb only provides a snapshot. The proverb is a warning, not to just any young man, but to those who are on the right path. Not young men out looking for prostitutes, who would be described as fools. The proverb, then, may recognize that illicit sexual relations are an especially difficult temptation, even for young men who have their eyes on the right path.
The eighteenth saying (23:29-35): This proverb warns against the dangers of excess drinking by providing a frightening picture of the grip of addiction. The passage begins with a series of questions that can be easily answered by reading the rest of the text. Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes. It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks and then ends up gazing at the wine when it is red (23:29-30 NLT)? They are in anguish because of the pain and distress their compulsion brings to their lives. They get into fights when someone says, “Shut up,” but because they are so drunk, they hear, “Stand up!” They say the wrong thing at the wrong time and don’t see clearly, think clearly, or act appropriately under the influence.
The Bible doesn’t condemn drinking alcohol, the Bible condemns getting drunk (see Ephesians Bt – Be Filled with the Ruach). Earlier in Proverbs, vats overflowing with good wine were mentioned as a result of honoring ADONAI (3:10). Indeed, Lady Wisdom’s banquet presents mixed wine (9:2 and 5). But as with many good things, there is a danger for addiction; thus the warnings in Proverbs must be seen as highlighting the dangers of excessive drinking. For other passages that warn against this see 20:1, 21:17, 31:4 and 6.
The warning comes in the next verse as the sage warns young men to stay far away from excessive drinking. Don’t look at it when it sparkles in the cup and goes down so smoothly (23:31 Hebrew). Don’t even look at it! Like the adulterous woman (see Chapters 5-7), it looks so enticing, and the drink goes down the throat so smoothly, but the consequences are disastrous. But in the end it bites and stings like a poisonous snake (23:32 CJB). So before it kills, it disorients. Your eyes will see strange things. Strong drink blurs the vision, so the drunk sees that they are not there. How can one act with wisdom if one cannot know the reality of the situation? Also, the mouth starts saying things that are offensive, and your mind will say crazy things (23:33 Hebrew). The metaphors of verse 34 capture the sickening lack of balance of a drunk. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast (23:34 NLT). And you will say, “They hit me, but I’m not hurt. They beat me, but I didn’t feel a thing. When will I wake up so I can have another drink” (23:35 NIV)? Drink softens pain in a way that isn’t helpful; there will be plenty of pain when the booze wears off. And if casual drinking turns into an addiction, the drunk will be in a frantic search for the next drink.
The nineteenth saying (24:1-2): Don’t envy the wicked or desire their company, for their hearts plot violence (24:1 NIV). This passage is similar to 23:17-18 and 24:19-20, and especially the comments about jealousy of the wicked as explained in Psalms 37 and 73. In this proverb, association with the wicked is prohibited because the sages understood the power of influence (see Al – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character). If one envies and associates with evil people, then it is more likely that they will become evil themselves. And their lips always stir up trouble (24:2 NIV). The second colon reminds us of the nature of evil people, once again showing the connection between the heart and the lips. Their heart, representing their inner character, desires violence, so their lips speak trouble that will lead to wickedness.455
Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wonderful! How important it is to listen to Your words and to follow them, for by following You, then I will be on the right path. I want to please you so much. How important it is to meditate on all that Messiah Yeshua has said, for all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. And You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. May those who believe in You, be conformed into Your image (Romans 8:29a). May I call on You for wisdom (James 1:5) and train up my children to be wise and obedient, living to please you! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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