September 17, 2015.

Daily Reading: Proverbs 22.

Background: Proverbs 20-21.

Concepts and Connections.

Chapter 22

Words of the wise: The first half of chapter 22 continues on in the same manner that we have seen from many of the preceding chapters, giving us wisdom in couplets that speak much louder than it would seem, given their few words. Topics span from having a good name to wisdom in child rearing to giving advise as to who we should hang out with. After the first half of the chapter, there seems to be a division as a narrator calls for us to hear the words of the wise written in these pages. The proverbs given here are much like the couplets as before (sometimes even exactly like), but they also allow for a saying of wisdom to span more than just two lines, containing multiple verses on the same concept; this will be more apparent in the following chapters. Some concepts of note from this chapter include: a good name is better than wealth (v. 1), it is important to train a child in the right path, that he might not depart from it when he gets older (v. 6), do not become a slave to a lender if possible (v. 7), be careful who you hang out with, as your company sets the environment around you and you tend to pick up the habits of those you are around often (v. 10, 24-25, see also I Corinthians 15:33), the lazy person always has an excuse (v. 13), do not oppress the poor or build your wealth off of them (v. 16, 22-23), wisdom has practical application (v. 17-21), don’t pledge what you do not have, even if you think you are going to get it (v. 26-27) and there is wisdom in learning and perfecting a skill (v. 29).

Tomorrow’s Reading: Hosea 1-7.

Heed the words of the wise.

-Walter