Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word
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⚙ Annotations & References ▾
Themes 9 ▾
Wisdom 1, 21 Name of God 10 Humility 12 Obedience and Disobedience 12 Suffering and Perseverance 14 Hope 14 Love 21 Word of God 21 Marriage and Family 22
Symbols 1 ▾
Tower architectural 10
Historic voices 10 ▾
Against the Arians (Orationes contra Arianos) 1× 1 Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews 4× 3, 17, 19 Catechism of the Catholic Church 1× 5 Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) 1× 10 City of God 1× 12 Homilies on Matthew 1× 21 Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament 1× 1-12, 20 Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary 1× 2-6, 8-24 John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible 1× 2-24 Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary 1× 2-6, 8-24
Manuscript witnesses 4 ▾
Codex Sinaiticus Aleph c. AD 330-360 Codex Vaticanus B c. AD 300-325 Aleppo Codex (Crown of Aleppo) c. AD 930 Leningrad Codex (Codex Leningradensis) AD 1008
Cross-references 236 ▾
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What is Proverbs 18 about?

Isolation and pride open the chapter as he who separates himself seeks his own desire and a fool has no delight in understanding. Among its sayings stands the great confession that the name of the LORD is a strong tower into which the righteous runs and is safe, set against the wealthy man who counts his wealth a strong city only in his own conceit. The tongue is weighed once more—death and life are in its power—and the worth of good gifts is marked, for whoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the LORD. The friend that sticks closer than a brother closes a run of proverbs on the bonds that hold life together under God.

Historical backdrop

Wisdom literature was the common inheritance of the ancient Near East, and the courts of Egypt and Mesopotamia trained their young in it long before Israel. Proverbs speaks from Solomon's court at the height of the united monarchy, a kingdom grown rich on trade, where a father's instruction, honest scales, and the fear of the LORD shaped a son fit to live well in the world.

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 18
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 18
The Church Fathers on Proverbs 18
Cited by the confessions

Proverbs 18

Proverbs Chapter 18
18
1He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, And rageth against all sound wisdom.
2A fool hath no delight in understanding, But only that his heart may reveal itself.
3When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach.
4The words of a man’s mouth areasdeep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.
5To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Norto turn aside the righteous in judgment.
6A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for stripes.
7A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.
9He also that is slack in his work Is brother to him that is a destroyer.
10The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And as a high wall in his own imagination.
12Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; And before honorgoethhumility.
13He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him.
14The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a broken spirit who can bear?
15The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
16A man’s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.
17He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.
18The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty.
19A brother offendedis harder to be won than a strong city; Andsuchcontentions are like the bars of a castle.
20A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
22Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of Jehovah.
23The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly.
24He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
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What is Proverbs 18 about?

Isolation and pride open the chapter as he who separates himself seeks his own desire and a fool has no delight in understanding. Among its sayings stands the great confession that the name of the LORD is a strong tower into which the righteous runs and is safe, set against the wealthy man who counts his wealth a strong city only in his own conceit. The tongue is weighed once more—death and life are in its power—and the worth of good gifts is marked, for whoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the LORD. The friend that sticks closer than a brother closes a run of proverbs on the bonds that hold life together under God.