The specific context here appears in the first verse, but bears the broader implication of how we deal with the sorrows of human society in general. Divine wisdom is often silent in the face of apparent provocation, seeking whatever path remains open to share blessings.
1. The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD as the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He will. Addressed to those who aren’t the king, this applies equally regardless of the form of government. That’s because it is not a doctrinal statement about government, but an admonition how we should act before any human authority: treat it like a river, a feature of the natural landscape in which you reside. There are things you might do to change the course of a river, or even dam the flow, but you had better know for sure what God requires of you in the context, because the investment of resources to change it will be huge, and risks very high. For most things, it’s easier to simply work with the situation as is; otherwise you might find yourself fighting God Himself.
2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD ponders the hearts. Nearly identical to 16:2, the context here specifically addresses how easily people justify various forms of hatred and rebellion against government officials. Don’t react merely on the basis of your personal discomfort, as if every inconvenience arises from personal spite. Try to grasp the wider context, both on the social level and the moral level, before you decide what to do about it.
3. To do justice and judgment is more pleasing to the LORD than sacrifice. Not so different from the sentiments in 15:8, the point here continues from the context of the preceding two verses. The wording emphasizes both the theory and execution of divine moral justice as the theme of life itself, against the image of trying to buy God off.
4. A high look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. There’s delicious imagery easily missed through translation. Stirring up strife for personal gain is always wrong. Some people work very hard in pursuit of their lusts, craftily waiting until their efforts bear fruit. But it’s just as evil as blundering about with an insufferable arrogance that offends from the start.
5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenty; but the thoughts of everyone who is hasty only to poverty. This is intentionally paired with the previous verse. Regardless of your motives, hard work still bears more fruit than impulsiveness.
6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro by those who seek death. This is a figure of speech. Some people are very proud of their ability to manipulate and scam others out of material goods, but the attitude itself means they are already dead souls. The subtext is that people can know the price of things and the value of nothing.
7. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them, because they refuse to do judgment. Here is an obvious companion to the previous verse. If your predatory skills are limited to physical violence instead of a smooth tongue, your violence will return upon your head. Defying justice is inherently violent. The image of destruction here can be associated with a cow chewing its cud; sometimes divine justice takes awhile, but you have to trust God for things you cannot see.
8. The way of a guilty man is perverted; but the pure, his work is right. Again, the subtlety is lost in translation here. If you deny your own conscience, you’ll be driven by forces you don’t understand down a very unpredictable path. If you seek a clear conscience, the results of your life will be consistent and reliable.
9. It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a quarrelsome woman and to share a house. Noteworthy here is that there is nothing wrong with a woman who zealously defends her man in public, as was typical of Hebrew women. It’s when she’s a bitch at home that it shows a serious moral flaw. The subtle implication is that it’s a good idea to flush her out before committing to a bad marriage. Otherwise, it’s better to live alone in a rented attic room so that you can still pursue your divine calling.
10. The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. Here is a rich imagery about perception. The emphasis is that you learn not to trust someone who lives for their perversions. It doesn’t matter if they seem friendly; your only value to them is purely mercenary. Also, the words for “wicked” and “neighbor” sound very similar, which counts as a pun in Hebrew.
11. When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise; and when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. This is much simpler than it appears in translation. Only after you can get someone’s attention can you teach him.
12. The righteous wisely considers the house of the wicked; but God overthrows the wicked for their wickedness. This one is a little difficult for its ambiguity. Neither the name nor word for “God” appears in the Hebrew, only the masculine pronoun. However, we don’t see “righteous one” as a title for God anywhere else in Proverbs; it’s usually a righteous human. Whoever it is here, he has the authority to execute judgment. The main point here is that righteous wisdom does not act rashly, but acts thoroughly after considering the entire context (“house” as in one’s entire domain).
13. Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. English lacks the subtlety for this, as the Hebrew uses two different words for “cry.” Further, Westerners have a poor concept of charity. Beggars in the Ancient Near East followed customary protocols in how they called out for donations. You always had the option of treating them as background noise because they would never confront you, nor even make eye contact as you passed; they were strangers with no claim on your attention. The Covenant echoes common moral conceptions that giving to beggars was based on what you could afford, and was part of the ritual sacrificial system. If someone was family, you could approach them directly and ask for specific help with a presumption they would dig more deeply into their pockets. Thus, the image here is that if you are cold hearted enough to ignore common beggars, you will alienate yourself from your own relatives.
14. A gift in secret quiets anger; and a bribe in the bosom quiets strong wrath. We’ve seen this before in 18:16. The emphasis here is on discretion. If you feel the need to take this route, never do it publicly, because it tends to humiliate the recipient. He may feel obliged to reject your overtures for the sake of reputation. Your gifts should be private.
15. It is joy to the just to do judgment, but ruin shall be to the workers of iniquity. This is actually connected to the previous verse. Divine moral justice is its own reward. Otherwise, you are just putting on a show and whatever you hope to gain will evaporate.
16. The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of departed spirits. This is an ancient figure of speech. The Hebrew word for “understanding” emphasize the idea of circumspection, a grasp of what’s appropriate for the context. Thus, the statement is a virtual truism in the Ancient Near East as a whole: Context is everything. The “assembly of departed spirits” is a euphemism for the grave or a graveyard.
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