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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15: a soft answer, the eyes of the Lord, and a dinner of herbs where love is

General context

A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good; a wholesome tongue is a tree of life. A fool despises his father's instruction. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, the prayer of the upright his delight; the way of the wicked is an abomination, and he loves him that follows after righteousness. He that hates reproof shall die. Hell and destruction are before the Lord, how much more the hearts of the children of men. A scorner does not love one that reproves him. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance and has a continual feast, while all the days of the afflicted are evil. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble; better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox with hatred. He that is slow to anger appeases strife. The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns. A wise son makes a glad father. Without counsel purposes are disappointed. A word spoken in due season is good. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud but establish the border of the widow. He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house. The heart of the righteous studies to answer. The Lord is far from the wicked but hears the prayer of the righteous. A good report makes the bones fat. The ear that hears reproof abides among the wise, and he that refuses instruction despises his own soul. The chapter ends: the fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honour is humility.

Cited passages: Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 15:2, Proverbs 15:3, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 15:5, Proverbs 15:6, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 15:9, Proverbs 15:10, Proverbs 15:11, Proverbs 15:12, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17, Proverbs 15:18, Proverbs 15:19, Proverbs 15:20, Proverbs 15:22, Proverbs 15:23, Proverbs 15:25, Proverbs 15:27, Proverbs 15:28, Proverbs 15:29, Proverbs 15:30, Proverbs 15:31, Proverbs 15:32, Proverbs 15:33

Proverbs 15 (KJV)

1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

3The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

5A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

6In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

7The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

9The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

10Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

11Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

12A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

13A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

15All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

16Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

17Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

18A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

19The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

20A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

21Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

22Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

23A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

24The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

25The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

27He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

28The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

29The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

30The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

31The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

33The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

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Historical context

No heading; the chapter continues the collection of 10:1 and names no person or place. The Lord is named nine times, in verses 3, 8, 9, 11, 16, 25, 26, 29 and 33, more often than in any chapter since 10:1. He is said to see every place, to abominate the sacrifice, the way and the thoughts of the wicked, to delight in the prayer of the upright, to be far from the wicked yet hear the righteous, and to destroy the house of the proud while establishing the border of the widow. "Sacrifice" and "prayer" are named as acts without any place, priest or rite, and "the border of the widow" is stated without a case. Verse 11 argues from "Hell and destruction", which the text does not define, to the hearts of men. The half-line "A wise son maketh a glad father" in verse 20 repeats 10:1 exactly, though the second half differs ("a foolish man despiseth his mother" for "a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother"). The two "Better is" sayings in verses 16 and 17 rank a small portion with the fear of the Lord, or a meal of herbs with love, above wealth or a fattened ox with trouble or hatred; they do not say who the parties are. "The afflicted" of verse 15 are not identified.

Cited passages: Proverbs 15:3, Proverbs 15:9, Proverbs 15:26, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 15:29, Proverbs 15:25, Proverbs 15:11, Proverbs 15:20, Proverbs 10:1, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17, Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 15:33

Literary context

Antithetic "but" pairs carry most of the chapter, but verses 16 and 17 stand together as "Better is" sayings, each weighing a small good with a right relation against a large good with a wrong one. Speech opens the chapter and keeps returning: the soft answer of verse 1, the tongue of verses 2 and 4, the lips of verse 7, the answer of the mouth in verse 23 with its exclamation "how good is it!", and the studied answer of the righteous heart in verse 28. The heart is a second thread, merry in verses 13 and 15, understanding in verse 14, righteous in verse 28, rejoiced in verse 30. Reproof and instruction run from the fool who despises his father's instruction (verse 5) through the scorner who loves no reprover (verse 12) to the ear that hears reproof (verse 31), and the chapter's last verse names "the instruction of wisdom". Sayings about the Lord are spaced through the chapter at verses 3, 8 and 9, 11, 25 and 26, and 29, with the fear of the Lord at 16 and 33, so that the collection's contrasts of righteous and wicked are repeatedly referred to his seeing and hearing. Verses 3 and 11 both reason from what the Lord sees to what cannot be hidden from him. The closing pair, humility before honour, prepares the sayings on pride at the start of chapter 16.

Cited passages: Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 15:7, Proverbs 15:23, Proverbs 15:28, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 15:14, Proverbs 15:30, Proverbs 15:5, Proverbs 15:12, Proverbs 15:31, Proverbs 15:33, Proverbs 15:3, Proverbs 15:11, Proverbs 16:18

Key moments

  1. A soft answer (Proverbs 15:1). A soft answer turns away wrath while grievous words stir up anger.
  2. The eyes of the Lord (Proverbs 15:3). The Lord's eyes are said to be in every place, beholding evil and good.
  3. Sacrifice and prayer (Proverbs 15:8). The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, the prayer of the upright his delight.
  4. A merry heart (Proverbs 15:13). A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance; sorrow of heart breaks the spirit.
  5. A dinner of herbs (Proverbs 15:17). A dinner of herbs with love is ranked above a stalled ox with hatred.
  6. The border of the widow (Proverbs 15:25). The Lord destroys the house of the proud and establishes the widow's border.
  7. Before honour is humility (Proverbs 15:33). The chapter closes with the fear of the Lord as instruction and humility before honour.

For reflection

Verse 1 says a soft answer turns away wrath, and verse 28 says the heart of the righteous studies to answer. What does the chapter suggest a soft answer costs the one who gives it, and when is it studied rather than merely soft?