(Proverbs for You: Continued)
Let us study four of the categories and all of the verses in this chapter.
I. PRIORITIES.
17:1: Peace and contentment are among
the greatest of blessings.
17:3: When testing is done by the right
standards, the conclusions are
correct.
17:8: He is speaking of bribes—don’t
be deceived by them, because they
are false signs of “prosperity.”
17:10: He refers to scriptural approaches—the
wise will accept correction.
17:15: To uphold the wicked is sin—God
will not do it, and we should not,
either.
17:17: A good brother and a better friend!
We all need them often.
17:24: Wisdom teaches me to do that
which will allow me to reach the
goal. The fool “has some far-off objective he never reaches”
because he won’t do what it takes!
II. HOME.
17:2: Joseph and Daniel are good examples
of such servants—are you an
example of the shameful son?
17:6: Generation after generation—doing
right (Psalm 78).
17:21: Children can, and do, break the
hearts of their fathers—but fathers
can do a lot to prevent it. Ask Solomon.
17:25: A father’s grief: A turbulent,
uneasy vexation (Psalm 6:7; 31:9). A
mother’s bitterness: Sadness, disgusted, exasperated (Ruth 1:20).
III. EVIL.
17:4: They are ready to receive and hear
evil. They may even be looking
for evil. Liars delight in lies.
17:5: The one in distress may be helpless,
but the Lord isn’t!
17:11: Rebellion against the truth will
bring punishment (1 Samuel 15:22,23).
17:12: A fool cannot be reasoned with
any more than a mad she-bear.
17:13: More sowing and reaping—and reaping—and
reaping...
17:16: If he has not developed to the
point of wanting wisdom, why give
him the price to pay for it?
17:18: One sure way to show lack of
wisdom is to risk your friendship by
an unwise commitment.
17:19: Two false loves, one big mouth,
and no good results.
17:20: A crooked wind and a perverted
tongue are certain to bring the
opposite of what he wants.
17:23: The result is perverted justice
and perverted people.
17:26: Why should those who are doing
right have to be penalized for it?
IV. HEART AND TONGUE.
17:7: Such match-ups do not make sense.
17:9: Some things ought not to be repeated.
17:14: The heart and the tongue are
connected—for good or bad.
17:22: Attitude, Attitude, Attitude
(Philippians 4:8).
17:27: You can avoid a lot of trouble,
and thwart your pursuers, by
keeping your mouth closed. Jesus did (Isaiah 53:7).
17:28: It is better to be thought a
fool than to open your mouth and remove
all doubt.
Questions on Proverbs 17
1. What is better than a house full of sacrifices
(animal meat; v. 1)?
2. Which son shall have a servant to rule
over him (v. 2)?
3. Who can try hearts finer than a furnace
tries silver and gold (v. 3)?
4. What kind of a person is more likely to
give heed to false lips and to a
naughty tongue
(v. 4?
5. What does verse 5 say about mocking the
poor or laughing at other
people’s calamities?
6. Who are the glory of children (v. 6)?
7. What shines like a precious stone (v. 8)?
8. How can we promote love (v. 9)?
9. What benefits a wise man more than a hundred
stripes (v. 10)?
10. What is worse than meeting a mother bear whose cubs
have been taken
from her (v. 12)?
11. How is the beginning of strife like pouring out water
(v. 14)?
12. What two things are an abomination to God (v. 15)?
13. What is sometimes the difference between a friend
and a brother (v. 17)?
14. Is it considered wise in the Proverbs to agree to
“co-sign” for another’s
debt (v. 18)?
See 6:1 also.
15. What does verse 19 mean?
16. How does a merry heart do good like a medicine (v.
22)?
17. Whose eyes are in the ends of the earth (v. 24)?
18. Who spares his words (v. 27)?
19. When is a fool counted wise (v. 28)?
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