QT - Proverbe 10 :1-17

THE RIGHT AND THE WICKED

Key Verse 10: 1

Solomon puts in parallel the righteous and the wicked and their respective paths. Although their beginning may be similar, their end opposes diagonally.

1. The righteous and the wicked (1-10)
The proverb describes the righteous with diverse profiles such as the wise, the diligent, the prudent. Likewise for the wicked, he describes them with diverse profiles such as the fool, the thief, the lazy, etc. The hand of the active people enriches themselves but that of the inactive get impoverished. The righteous heaps the blessing on his head, but the wicked man has a mouth full of violence. The righteous receive gratitude and remembers him, while the name of the wicked disappears from the remembrance of man. The wise man accepts the commandments, but he who speaks lightly runs to his loss (8b, 10b). The integrity sees his life in safety, but the one with the crooked heart sees his life in danger and his life is full of shame.

2. The wise and the foolish (11-17)
The heart of the wicked is filled with hatred, and it provokes quarrels. But the heart of the righteous is full of love. And this love covers the faults. Peter quoted these words to emphasize the power of love. He covers the multitude of sins (1P4: 8). From the mouth of the righteous comes the word of wisdom (10,13). But the back of the fool is struck by the rode. The wise holds the knowledge in reserve and uses it in the better place. But the fool ruins himself because of their inappropriate words. The wicked uses many pretexts and excuses, but it is only a human trick, and the ruin is imminent. From the mouth of the righteous comes wisdom, but is not always wise to utter plausible words. The fool can make a wise fellow by saying fine words, but his hollow words lead to the destruction that reveals his wickedness. The bad guy can get rich, but it does not bring him to life. The righteous receive instruction from the others, though it is sometimes bitter. But the fool despises it and goes astray. May God make us a fountain of wisdom.