Cornerstone

Proverbs 19:1-8, 17; 22:16-23

Proverbs 19:3 has a number of choice words which give a graphic picture of what often happens in the lives of people who ruin their own lives but yet are too blind to see what is taking place. Again and again they reject the way of the Lord while planning a life of pleasure and self-indulgence. When their waywardness takes its toll they are left with the shell of a life and point their trembling feeble finger toward God in accusation. Consider the meaning of these words in order to get a better grasp of this sentence.

`iwwelet – folly, foolishness – Twelve times this word is associated with kesil which we studied in the last lesson. The foolish person makes a choice. It is a choice of moral insolence. He determines his own way. He draws his own map for life. Although he does not want to take the responsibility, this kind of way is his own fault, not Gods. He perverts his own way.

salap – distort, twist, pervert, ruin. The foolish determination to live a life of sin distorts that which could have been beautiful into that which is undesirable and distasteful. Evil so twists the sinful and foolish man that his way becomes perverted. The life which could have been profitable now lies in ruin.

za’ap – The root of the verb, means to storm or rage aginst. It suggests one who is bitter and dejected. This is a person who is enraged within himself. Inside a storm rages while on the outside people see a sad and troubled countenance. The same word is used to describe Asa when he was rebuked by the prophet Hanani. His inner rage led him to commit terrible atrocities. He was hardened in heart and when four years later he was diseased he still refused to call upon God.

The modern versions of this verse bring out thought of this verse. God often gets blamed for what we bring on ourselves. The wise man is saying that it is mans own foolishness that causes the problem. His folly destroys his lifes course. Even though he has fabricated his own ruin, he rages against God with spiteful accusations saying that it is Gods fault that his life did not turn out differently. (Keil and Delitzsch) (Tyndale Commentary – Proverbs) (Theological Wordbook of the OT)

Dr. Gayle Woods

Proverbs 8:11-23; 9:10-12

Verse 13 says that if we are going to properly show our reverence to the Lord we must hate evil. In order that there is no mistake concerning what evil is, God tells us what He hates. Four designations are listed: pride, arrogancy the evil way, and the froward mouth. To understand more clearly how we may best reverence the Lord we need to look at the meaning of these words.

Pride (gay-aw) and arrogancy (gaown) both come from the same root word. The root word means “to rise.” It occurs seven times in the Old Testament. It is translated as “triumphed gloriously,” “column”, and “raging.”

Pride (gay-aw) is used only in this verse. It and its synonyms, however, can have either in a positive or a negative sense. Positively it is used to speak of the land of Israel in terms of excellency. This is always the case when the relationship with God is satisfactory. At times it takes on the meaning of majesty or majestic. Pride often describes Gods character. In a negative sense, it is used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David, Solomon and Job. Fifty-three times these six writers use it to describe the Moabites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, and backslidden Israel. The harshest words are directed toward Israel when it is charged for being arrogant, cynical, presumptious, and insensitive to the needs of others. It is both a disposition and a conduct. Used negatively, pride is always striking out in rebellion against God.

Arrogancy (gaown) is always used in a negative sense and means pomp, pride, proud and swelling. The arrogant person is the self-sufficient one who does not need God and in manner if not in speech makes that fact evident.

The Evil (rah) Way (deh-rek) is the third thing that God hates. Evil (rah) is translated adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress, harm, hurtful, mischievous, misery, naughty, noisome, sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked, wretchedness, and wrong. The Way (deh-rek) that it modifies means a way, road, journey, manner, or work. It is related to the verb (dorak) which means “to tread or trample.” Therefore it refers to a way or manner of life that is used constantly. Sometimes it refers to a major highway. At other times it speaks of duration. More often, however, it centers on the actions and behavior of people who either follow the way of God or the way of wickedness. From these we can see that he is speaking of a life that is continually given over to sinfulness.

Lastly, God hates the Froward (tah-poo-kaw) Mouth (peh). Froward (tah-poo-kaw) means that which is perverse or a fraud. Mouth (peh) on the other hand means “speech.” The meaning then is rather obvious. This is not surprising since we know that God has underscored the fact that all liars will go to hell. He is the essence of Truth and the Froward Mouth is His anti-thesis. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods