Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20121111.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part V: Proverbs Of Solomon Collected By Hezekiah's Scribes, Proverbs 25:1-29:27
D. Studying Proverbs 26:4-12
  1. Introduction
    1. Two hundred and fifty years after Solomon, Hezekiah's scribes copied more of Solomon's proverbs from separate works, and they comprise Proverbs 25:1-29:27. (Bible Know. Com., O. T. , p. 960)
    2. We view some of these collected proverbs of Solomon in Proverbs 26:4-12 as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 26:4-12.
    1. Proverbs 26:4-5 teach (4) do not answer a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, Kittel, Biblia Hebr., p. 1187; Ibid., B. K. C., O. T., p. 908) according to his folly (iwelet, Ibid., Kittel; B. D. B., A Hebr.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 17) lest (pen, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 814-815) you resemble, be like (shawah, Ibid., p. 1000-1001; Piel = intens.) him, even (gam, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 168-169) you (emph. pron.)! (5) Answer a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4) according to his folly (iwelet, cf. Pr. 26:4) lest (pen, cf. Pr. 26:4) he be wise in his own eyes! We usually should not try to answer a dull, closed-minded person lest we lower ourselves to his level, but there comes a point where it is worth the cost of answering him lest he think he is wise with his words, and that continue to fuel him to damage indiscriminately!
    2. Proverbs 26:6 asserts [like] cutting off (qasah, Ibid., p. 891-892) [one's] feet or drinking (shatah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1059) violence (hamam, Ibid., p. 329) is sending a message in the hand of a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4). We should send messages only by teachable folk who heed us.
    3. Proverbs 26:7 claims [like] the legs (shuq, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1003) of a lame (peseha, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 820) man that dangle, hang [limp] (dalal, Ibid., p. 195), so is a proverb (mashal, Ibid., p. 605) in the mouth of a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4). We should not give a good proverb to a dull, closed-minded man lest his bad example make the proverb rejected were he to repeat it!
    4. Proverbs 26:8 teaches [like] tying up (sarar, Ibid., p. 864) a stone (eben, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 6-7) in a sling (margemah, Ibid., p. 920), thus (ken, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 485-487) is giving honor to a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4). Tying a stone in a sling not only makes the sling useless, but may damage the thrower. Giving honor to a dull, closed-minded person makes both the honor pointless, and can damage the reputation of the party who honors him, Ibid., Bib. Know. Com., O. T.
    5. Proverbs 26:9 asserts [like] a briar that sprouts up (alah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 748-750) in the hand of a drunkard (shikor, Ibid., p. 1016), so is a proverb (mashal, cf. Pr. 26:7) in the mouth of a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4). A briar bush growing up in the hand of a drunkard does great damage not only to the drunkard, but to everyone else in his path, so a dull, closed-minded person with a proverb of wisdom damages himself and others by how he misuses it!
    6. Proverbs 26:10 claims [like] an archer (rab, Ibid., p. 914) who pierces (halal, Ibid., p. 319; Po'el = intens.) everyone [friend and foe alike] is he who hires (sakar, Ibid., p. 968-969) a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4) or who hires (sakar again) [any] who [just] pass by (abar , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 716-719). The party an employer hires eventually represents himself to others, so, to avoid harming other people and thus one's self, the employer needs to avoid hiring a dull, closed-minded man or anyone for that matter without knowing if the party will be a good representative of himself before others.
    7. Proverbs 26:11 teaches [like] a dog (keleb, Ibid., p. 476-477) returning to its vomit (qe', Ibid., p. 883), [so] a dull, closed-minded man (kesil , cf. Pr. 26:4) repeats (shanah, Ibid., p. 1040) his folly (iwelet, cf. Pr. 26:4). Dull, closed-minded people are not teachable, so they repeat their repulsive, destructive follies, meaning one is best protecting himself by avoiding close company with dull, closed-minded people.
    8. Proverbs 26:12 asks, "Do you see a nobleman (ish, Ibid., Kittel; Robert B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 45-50) who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope (tiqwah, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 876) for a dull, closed-minded man (kesil, cf. Pr. 26:4) than (min, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 577-583) for him." Men of high rank more greatly impact others due to their positions, so high-ranking men can not afford to remain unteachable lest they yield greater disaster in life than do lowly dull, closed-minded men!
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.