Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20121118.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
E. Studying Proverbs 26:13-23
  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 Knowledge Commentary, O. T. , p. 960)
    2. We view some of these collected proverbs of Solomon in Proverbs 26:13-23 as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 26:13-23.
    1. Proverbs 26:13 teaches a sluggard (asel, Kittel, Bib. Hebr., p. 1187; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 782) says, "There is an old lion (shahal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1006; Z. P. E. B., vol. 3, p. 939) in the road (derek, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 202-204), a lion (ari, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 71; Ibid., Z. P. E. B.) in the [city] streets, open plazas (rehob, Ibid., B.D.B., p. 932)!" Even old lions hardly used a road, and lions did not frequent cities, so, the sluggard invents bigger and bigger excuses to avoid duty!
    2. Proverbs 26:14 asserts the door (delet, Ibid., p. 195) turns around (sabab, Ibid., p. 685-687) upon (al, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 752-759) its pivot, hinge ( sir, Ibid., p. 852), and the sluggard (asel, cf. Pr. 26:13) [turns upon] his bed (mitah, Ibid., p. 641-642). The best efforts of sluggards are still unproductive.
    3. Proverbs 26:15 claims the sluggard (asel, cf. Pr. 26:13) buries (taman, Ibid., p. 380) his hand in the [sop] dish (salahat, Ibid., p. 852); he wearies himself (la'ah, Ibid., p. 521; Niphal = passive) to return (shub, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 996-1000; Hiphil = causative) it to his mouth. Sluggards fail to complete their initial investments spent in time and money due to laziness, so they fail to succeed.
    4. Proverbs 26:16 teaches the sluggard (asel, cf. Pr. 26:13) is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer (shub, cf. Pr. 26:15; Hiphil stem again) discreetly (ta'am, Ibid., p. 381). Sluggards are too lazy to heed correction, so they are insensitive to their failures, and suffer loss for it.
    5. Proverbs 26:17 asserts like one who seizes (hazaq, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 304-305; Hiphil = causative) a dog by its ears (ozen, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 23-24) is a passerby (abar, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 716-719; part.) who meddles (abar again, but Hithpael = intensive reflexive) in another one's strife ( rib, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 936-937). Meddling in another party's strife will backfire!
    6. Proverbs 26:18-19 claims (18) like a madman (lihleh, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 529; Hithpalpel ptc. used substantively; intensive reflexive) shooting (yarah , Ibid., p. 434-435) fiery arrows (zeq, Ibid., p. 278) or arrows (hasi, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 345) of death [deadly], (19) thus is the nobleman (ish, Ibid., Kittel; Robert B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 45-50) who deals treacherously (ramah, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 941) with his neighbor and says, "Was I myself (emph. pron.) not [only] jesting (sahaq, Ibid., p. 965-966)?" Treacherously deceptive overseers do irreparable damage, so we must avoid it!
    7. Proverbs 26:20-21 teaches (20) without (b + epem, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 67) firewood (es, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 781-782) a fire is extinguished (kabah, Ibid., p. 459), and with a lack of (b + en, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 34-35) backbiting, slander (ragan, Ibid., p. 920) strife (madon, Ibid., p. 193) quiets down [ceases] (shataq, Ibid., p. 1060); (21) as coal (peham, Ibid., p. 809) to live coals of fire (gahelet , Ibid., p. 160-161) and as firewood (es, cf. Pr. 26:20) to fire, so is a quarrelsome (madon, cf. Pr. 26:20) nobleman (ish, cf. Pr. 26:18) to kindle (harar, Ibid., p. 359; Pilpel = intensive reflexive) strife (rib, cf. Pr. 26:17). We must cease to be quarrelsome if we would succeed in our relationships.
    8. Proverbs 26:22 asserts the words of a backbiter, slanderer (ragan, cf. Pr. 26:20) are like dainties greedily swallowed (laham, Ibid., p. 529-530; Hithpael = intensive reflexive), for they (emph. pron.) go down (yarad, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 432-434) [into the innermost] chambers (heder, Ibid., p. 293) of the belly (beten, Ibid., p. 105-106). Slanderous words, even though false, are difficult to forget or not to hold as somewhat true, so we must do our best to avoid slandering others as it does great, irreparable harm.
    9. Proverbs 26:23 claims like the silver of dross [a glaze coating, ESV ftn.] (sig, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 691) laid over (sapah, Ibid., p. 860; Piel = intensive) earthenware ( heres, Ibid., p. 360) are burning [fervent] (dalaq, Ibid., p. 196) lips with an evil heart. One's motives must be pure for his persuasive words not to hurt!
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.