Wise Words, Reproof And Firm Discipline Uphold The Righteous, Giving Them Suitable Reward, Whilst The Unrighteous Reject Reproof, And Suffer The Consequences (Proverbs 15:4-13).
In this subsection there is a strong emphasis on wise words, reproof and firm discipline (correction) which affect the righteous. Thus we have the healing tongue in Proverbs 15:4; the father's correction in Proverbs 15:5; the reproof that produces shrewdness in Proverbs 15:5; the lips of the wise dispersing knowledge in Proverbs 15:7; the painful discipline (correction) and reproof in Proverbs 15:10; and the scorner who does not love to be reproved and refuses to go to the wise in Proverbs 15:11. As a consequence the righteous enjoy partaking of the tree of life (Proverbs 15:4); obtain shrewdness (Proverbs 15:5); enjoy much treasure (Proverbs 15:6); are a delight to YHWH (Proverbs 15:8); and have a cheerful countenance (Proverbs 15:13).
In contrast there is also an emphasis on the adverse effects on the sinful who reject reproof. In Proverbs 15:4 they suffer brokenness of spirit; in Proverbs 15:6 they face trouble and ruin; in Proverbs 15:10 they ‘die'; and in Proverbs 15:12 they suffer sorrow of heart and brokenness of spirit.
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A A healing tongue is a tree of life, but perversity in it is a fracturing of the spirit (Proverbs 15:4).
B A fool despises his father's CORRECTION, but he who regards REPROOF obtains shrewdness (Proverbs 15:5).
C In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble (or ‘ruin') (Proverbs 15:6).
D The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the foolish does not do so (Proverbs 15:7).
E The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH, but the prayer of the upright is his delight (Proverbs 15:8)
E The way of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH, but he loves him who follows after righteousness (Proverbs 15:9).
D There is painful CORRECTION for him who forsakes the way, and he who hates REPROOF will die (Proverbs 15:10).
C Sheol and Destruction are before YHWH. How much more then the hearts of the children of men!' (Proverbs 15:11).
B A scorner does not love to be REPROVED, he will not go to the wise (Proverbs 15:12).
A A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.' (Proverbs 15:13)
Note that in A there is a healing tongue which is a tree of life, and there is a fracturing of the spirit, and in the parallel there is a glad heart which makes a cheerful countenance and the spirit is broken (fractured). In B a fool despises his father's correction, and in the parallel a scorner does not love to be reproved and will not go to the wise. In C the revenues of the wicked is ‘ruin', and in the parallel ‘destruction' is before YHWH in relation to the hearts of men. In D the lips of the wise disperse knowledge, and in the parallel the one who forsakes the way receives painful correction (the purpose of which is to inculcate knowledge). Centrally in E the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH, and in the parallel the way of the wicked is the same.
‘A healing (or ‘restorative') tongue is a tree of life,
But perversity in it is a fracturing (or ‘breaking') of the spirit.'
The power of words is now brought out in terms of the idea of a ‘healing' or ‘restorative' tongue. Such words are a tree of life to those who respond to them. In other words they bring them into long life, wealth and honour, pleasant ways, paths of peace and life before YHWH (Proverbs 3:16-18). The healing tongue clearly speaks words of wisdom and understanding, (it utters knowledge aright - Proverbs 15:2), and as much of this subsection deals with the idea of restoration by reproof and discipline, that may also be partly in mind. Thus the one who walks with God must humbly so speak as to restore men's lives and reprove them lovingly where necessary, rather than having the perverse tongue which breaks men's spirits. It is all too easy for the former to turn into the latter when it becomes too harsh. We are reminded of YHWH's Servant, ‘He will not cry, or lift up, or cause His voice to be heard in the street (denouncing men publicly), the bruised reed He will not break, the smoking flax he will not quench, He will bring forth justice in truth' (Isaiah 42:3).
In contrast is the perverse tongue. That deals harshly with men. It is not concerned how it affects people, speaking bluntly and carelessly. And it results for its hearers in brokenness of spirit. Such brokenness of spirit is in Isaiah 65:14 paralleled with sorrow of heart. Compare Proverbs 15:13 where sorrow of heart results in brokenness of spirit. It signifies a deep loss of morale, and a broken heart.
‘A fool despises his father's correction,
But he who regards reproof obtains shrewdness.'
The idea of the healing tongue leads on to the idea of the father's correction. It was a father's responsibility as the head of the family to act as mentor to his children. He was responsible to lead, guide and teach them, and if necessary administer discipline in love. But the young person who despised that correction is described as ‘a fool'. The assumption is being made that the father will be inculcating God's wisdom and God's Torah (Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20). Thus to go against it is to go against God. And that is the act of a fool. And a fool suffers a fool's end. ‘He who hates reproof will die' (Proverbs 15:10).
In contrast is the one who does heed his father's reproof. He will become shrewd, that is, knowledgeable in the things of God and the ways of God. He will walk with the wise. His father's reproof will be to him a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4). Thus he loves reproof, in contrast to the one who does not love to be reproved and will not go to the wise (Proverbs 15:12)
‘In the house of the righteous is much treasure,
But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.'
We are probably to see this as signifying much more than that the righteous become relatively wealthy. Whilst that has also been stated in the Prologue, the Prologue also emphasises that there is a treasure greater than wealth, and that is instruction in wisdom and understanding. It is better far than pure silver and fine gold (Proverbs 3:13-15; Proverbs 8:10-11). Thus in the house of the righteous is found not only wealth, but also wisdom and understanding and truth. That is why they are righteous. We can compare the words of Jesus, ‘the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things' (Matthew 12:35). This is the best kind of treasure. And along with it they enjoy pleasantness, peace and fullness of life (Proverbs 3:15-18). All is harmony both with God and with man.
In contrast are the unrighteous. What they earn by being what they are is trouble and ruin. Their house is temporary and unmentioned. Their income results from dishonesty and greed. They are on the road to ruin. The word rendered ‘trouble, ruin' was used by Ahab of Elijah when he called him ‘the troubler of Israel'. What he meant by that was that he had brought Israel to the edge of ruin by withholding the life-giving rain. And Elijah's reply was that Ahab was the troubler of Israel, because he had brought them to the edge of spiritual ruin (1 Kings 18:17-18). The same word was used of the ‘trouble, ruin' that Achan had brought on Israel, which had resulted in their disastrous defeat before the men of Ai-Bethel, which would rebound on his own head as he was stoned to death (Joshua 7:25). It thus refers to trouble of the severest kind. Such ruin/destruction is seen in terms of the grave world in Proverbs 15:11, where it is related to the condition of the hearts of men.
‘The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the foolish does not do so.'
Good men out of the good treasure of their heart produce good things (Matthew 12:35). Thus the lips of the wise disperse knowledge (the knowledge that comes from God and the knowledge about God). They spread abroad through their words the treasure that is in their house (Proverbs 15:6) and in their hearts. They proclaim truth. Notice that it is expected that they will do so. They have a responsibility to proclaim wisdom when they are in a position to do so.
In contrast evil men out of the evil treasure of their hearts produce evil things (Matthew 12:35). The foolish have no true knowledge of God in their hearts, and their lips are thus unable to convey such knowledge.
‘The sacrifice (zebach) of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH,
But the prayer of the upright is his delight.'
The zebach is a fellowship offering through which worshippers, if genuine in heart, have fellowship with YHWH by their participation before Him in a fellowship meal. A practical example of it is found in Exodus 24:8-11. The ‘adulterous woman' in Proverbs 7:14 had offered ‘sacrifices (zebach) of peace offerings', a perfect example of ‘the sacrifice of the wicked. But such sacrifices were at some stage offered by all Israelites when they came up for the main feasts, and by those living in Jerusalem they would be offered even more regularly. No feast was possible in Jerusalem without such sacrifices. Thus they were offered by the righteous and the unrighteous. But here Solomon makes clear that, far from being acceptable, or touching Him in any way, such sacrifices by those who did not walk in accordance with His wisdom were an abomination to him. Man looked at the outward appearance, but God looked at the heart. They enjoyed their fellowship meal, but they ignored the One with Whom they were supposed to be enjoying fellowship. This was an anticipation by Solomon of the teachings of the prophets (e.g. Isaiah 1:11-15; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 7:21-24; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-23; Malachi 1:10). The same was said by Paul of partaking of the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion, Mass) (1 Corinthians 11:29).
In contrast the prayer of the upright, those who are straight in their ways, is His delight, for their prayer comes from the heart. This includes petitions, intercession, praise and worship and thanksgiving. If we believed this, and we should, how much more often we would pray. The change from ‘sacrifice' to ‘prayer' acknowledges the fact that God does not just desire sacrifices, He desires our prayers as well, which we offer even more often.
‘The way of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH,
But he loves him who follows after righteousness.'
The ‘way of the unrighteous' is the opposite of the way of righteousness. It is to walk other than in the way of the fear of YHWH. It is to take the by-paths instead of the straight road (Proverbs 2:13; Proverbs 2:15). It is to ‘walk as in darkness, knowing not at what they stumble' (Proverbs 4:19). Such is an abomination to YHWH. God does not view what we call our peccadilloes lightly. He hates them.
In contrast He loves the person who follows after righteousness. Notice that the proverb does not say that He hates the unrighteous. It is the way in which he walks that He hates. To the heedless sinner He reveals the general benevolence of John 3:16. Nevertheless elsewhere it does say, ‘those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to YHWH' (Proverbs 11:20). So there is a balance between benevolence because God is good, and hatred because he hates perversity. In contrast, towards the righteous, those who seek to walk in His wisdom, He has positive love. These are the ones who respond to the healing tongue of Proverbs 15:4; who regard their father's reproof (Proverbs 15:5); who listen to the lips of the wise and respond to them (Proverbs 15:7); and who offer the prayers of the upright (Proverbs 15:8).
‘There is painful correction (discipline) for him who forsakes the way,
But he who hates reproof will die.'
There is probably a contrast here between the one who suffers painful correction, and the one who hates reproof. In Proverbs 3:11-12 we read, ‘my son, do not despise the chastening of YHWH, nor be weary of His reproof, for whom YHWH loves He reproves, even as a father the son in whom he delights'. And such a father would in love use the cane on his son in order to bring him back into the right way when he had forsaken the way (Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 22:15; Pro 33:13). This could well be seen as ‘painful correction'. Thus we need not doubt that YHWH's correction of His children can also be painful (compare Proverbs 3:11-12 with Hebrews 12:3 ff).
It is the one who does not respond to this painful correction who thereby demonstrates that he hates reproof. Such a one ‘will die'. Unless words are meaningless this indicates that the righteous will not finally ‘die', otherwise the threat is pointless (compare Proverbs 15:24).
Note the connection with ‘following after righteousness' in Proverbs 15:9. That is the way that has been forsaken. And as we have already seen correction and reproof are important themes in the subsection (Proverbs 15:4-5; Proverbs 15:7; Proverbs 15:12).
‘Sheol and Destruction (Abaddon) are before (in front of) YHWH,
How much more then the hearts of the children of men!'
The one who hates reproof will die (Proverbs 15:10). He will descend into Sheol (the grave world) and Destruction. But even there he will not escape the wrath of YHWH. It is where the unrighteous rich who die will face their ‘ruin' because they obtained their riches dishonestly and used them selfishly (Proverbs 15:6; compare Luke 16:19 ff). For all in that place of shades and of darkness are ‘in front of YHWH'. That mysterious world of emptiness and lostness, so beyond human understanding, is not hidden from Him. How much more then is He aware of the hearts of the children of men (Proverbs 15:3) which are also in front of Him. From Him there is no escape. ‘All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do' (Hebrews 4:13). And indeed what He does discern in the hearts of the children of men is made clear in Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 15:13, and regularly in Proverbs.
For Sheol and Destruction (Abaddon) compare Proverbs 27:20; Job 26:6. For Death and Destruction (Abaddon) compare Proverbs 28:22. In Revelation 9:11 Adaddon is the name of the angel of the Abyss. There are no genuine grounds for seeing it as a portion of Sheol. The two are used in parallel. They are a combined idea.
‘A scorner does not love to be reproved,
He will not go to the wise.'
In Proverbs 15:4 the fool despised his father's correction, in contrast with the one who took notice of reproof. Now we learn that a scorner also does not love to be reproved. He refuses to go to the wise lest they reprove him. His heart is hardened. He thus awaits the destiny of those who refuse wisdom's reproof (Proverbs 1:24-30; Proverbs 6:15).
The scorner is the most godless of the three types mentioned in chapter 1. The others were the naive and the fool (Proverbs 1:22). The scorner is probably to be identified with the worthless man in Proverbs 6:12-19, the surety being naive and the sluggard a fool. Whilst the naive goes on his way thoughtlessly, and the fool forgets God in his ways, the scorner is openly scornful of God and of wisdom. He is hostile towards all who try to bring to him the knowledge of God (Proverbs 9:7-8; Proverbs 9:12).
‘A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.'
The subsection ends as it began with the spirit of the unrighteous being broken (Proverbs 15:4). That is not true of the righteous. The righteous have a glad heart, and as a consequence have a cheerful countenance. But the unrighteous will eventually experience sorrow of heart so that their spirit will finally be broken. Such is the final consequence of unrighteousness.