(Divided into two posts because it’s long.)
17. The way of the upright is to turn away from evil; he who keeps his way guards his way. This is simply a flawed translation, rendering three different words as “way.” It draws the image of moral wisdom as a highway, and as good maintenance on an important road. The third “way” is probably a typo, because the Hebrew term is closer to “soul.” Highways were all about making commerce and defense possible. If those things matter to social stability, even more so does a commitment to divine justice make life worth living.
18. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. This is a very popular quote in Western literature. In typical Hebrew fashion, it addresses both the individual and society. Your stupid arrogance can hurt a lot of other people, not just yourself.
19. It is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud. Almost as popular as the previous verse, this one continues the same thought. Divine justice seldom operates on the same time scale as human awareness. It serves well to remind people that humility might not make you rich, but it will help you avoid most calamities in the long run. Arrogance carries a high risk, and even if you win, you can’t keep it forever.
20. He who handles a matter wisely shall find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. This restates the theme of this whole chapter. You really cannot understand the Law Covenants until you adopt the higher moral value system behind them. It’s not mechanistic and the rewards cannot be measured with human senses. However, it is what we are designed for, so if you want to really enjoy this life, you’ll have to address it from the realm of moral justice.
21. The wise in heart shall be called prudent, and the sweetness of the lips increases learning. More of the same, the emphasis here is on what you are able to speak. Whether you say little or much, people will have a much greater respect for you if your words reflect moral justice. The only way to get that is to let your heart-mind rule over your intellect. The heart retains a vivid awareness of things the mind could easily forget.
22. Understanding is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. English translations often lose the full flavor of this verse. In a land where water can be scarce, digging a well counts as a very heavy investment of resources. If it results in a supply of water, it’s worth fighting over, but also morally incumbent to share generously with anyone who isn’t a threat. Moral prudence is like that, in contrast to the polluted ooze of someone who can’t be bothered to see past his own lusts.
23. The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips. This is a quintessential eastern notion of wisdom. Your heart is a separate faculty above your intellect, and far superior in grasping moral reality. Let your heart rule your mouth, and by implication, your conduct.
24. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. This continues the theme of bringing moral justice into your social intercourse. People who truly see what God intended in Creation have a tendency to reveal that insight, and regardless of initial or surface reactions from others, it’s a blessing to them.
25. There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is the ways of death. Echoing verse 2 above, this is often quoted improperly by Westerners. They get the English words right, but fail to grasp what Solomon was saying. It’s not a question of how smart you are in your individual choices, but a cynicism about human nature itself. If all you have are common human faculties, it won’t get you where you need to go in this world. And if all you have are common human faculties, you’ll probably die without a clue because you’ll be morally dead long before.
26. He who labors works for himself, for his mouth craves it from him. A weak translation at best, this is one of those statements meant to apply differently on different levels. In the Hebrew, “he who” is the word for soul, and “himself” is actually the same root word as “mouth.” The words for labor and work both carry the flavor of discomfort. Thus, the soul that toils in sorrow serves the “blow hole.” Depending on the context, it may be simply noting that this life is inherently sorrowful in some ways. You could use this to emphasize the sorrow of slavish devotion to mere human appetite, which would be more to the point of this chapter.
27. An ungodly man plots evil, and his lips are like a burning fire. This echoes the thoughts of the previous verse. Your character determines where you expend your energies because they are bound together in what you value most.
28. A perverse man causes fighting, and a whisperer separates chief friends. Again, more of the previous verses in the sense of a specific example that calls us back to the awareness of social stability. In your social awareness, avoid people who have a knack for stirring up strife without seeming to get caught in the middle.
29. A violent man lures his neighbor and makes him go in a way not good. In the same theme still as the previous verses, this is calling something what is because of its effects. If you lure people into things that get them killed, you have blood on your hands.
30. The gray head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness. The reverse of the previous verses, this uses a Hebrew figure of speech. Gray hair implies you’ve been there, wherever “there” was. If you got your gray hairs by living a morally good life, they serve as a crown of glory. Chances are you had to put up with a lot of crap along the way so wear them proudly.
31. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city. Still on the same theme of social interaction, this also restates the previous verse from a different angle. You can be a vigorous man of action and conquer whole cities single-handedly, but someone else can come along and take it all away from you. If you can simply restrain your own emotional urges by moral wisdom, then you have a greatness that whole armies cannot assail.
32. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing of it is from the LORD. Right back where the chapter started, this parable relies on a common Hebrew symbolic image. So far as we can determine, casting lots is a reference to having several pebbles of the same size and shape but different colors. They were tossed into a fold of the garment, and one was fished out blindly, with the decision being based on whatever choice was associated with the color. In Western culture it randomizes choosing one among more-or-less equal options, but for Hebrews it was consciously deferring to God. Even if the matter itself seems inconsequential, it’s best to trust in God over your human abilities.
