Pro 13:14 | KingComments | STEP | From “the teaching of the wise” comes life for all who listen to it ( ). This teaching “is a fountain of life” that quenches the thirst of the righteous for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God is true life. That is what all the teaching of the wise is directed to. However, there are forces at work that seek to kill the righteous. Death is everything that is not in fellowship with God. The second line of verse gives the motive for the first line of verse. The teaching of the wise not only gives life, but also ensures that as long as we make our way on earth, we will “turn aside from the snares of death” and remain in fellowship with God. “The snares of death” suggests that death is a hunter or fowler lurking on its prey. The world through which we must pass is described as a place teeming with snares of death. A snare is stretched to catch and kill. The means of getting someone into the snare is bait. Bait looks like something edible and tasty, but in reality it is a means of killing. The Word of God reveals the true nature of bait and serves as a guide to avoid snares and traps. Then we stay alive. Judas, the betrayer of the Lord Jesus, did not accept the teaching and fell into the snares of death. As we go through the minefields of life on earth, the Word of God shows us how to avoid stepping on a landmine and being blown up. It gives us the hope of escape and a safe arrival. “Good understanding” ( ) is not only understanding the teaching of , but also applying it. That gives or works favor with God and people ( ). Good understanding works good dealings with one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor, thereby gaining his favor. It is about the mind enlightened by the Spirit by which a person knows and does the will of God and he goes the way of wisdom. Those who follow God’s teachings experience the favor of men. In contrast, “the way of the treacherous is hard”. It is not a difficult way, but an impassable way. The treacherous go that way and perish. They lack good sense and cannot be trusted. They dream of a way that goes over roses, but their way is paved with thorns. They are hard people you cannot trust and live with. They do not think life is hard, but they make it hard for others. By “the way” are meant the doings and dealings. The idea is that while good understanding produces favor, the conduct of the treacherous does not produce any lasting results. “Every prudent man” will study the facts and then decide ( ). “Every” means “all”, without exception. He who is prudent will not take his feelings as the basis of action. He knows the dangers and pitfalls of circumstances. This makes him cautious. The fool proceeds very differently. He follows his hunches. The fool is reminiscent of a peddler displaying his wares. Just as a peddler displays his goods to recommend them, so the fool does with his follies. Here we see the contrast between the thoughtfulness that characterizes the prudent and the fool’s recklessness who blurts out foolishness. The fool displays foolishness. He spreads it like a peacock does with its feathers. “Knowledge” is more than just having information in one’s head. It is proficiency in the use of knowledge; it is understanding the art of applying acquired knowledge. In the context of the verse, it means that the prudent one knows how to hide something and succeeds in doing so, while the fool lacks this ability and spreads around him what is foolishness. Every prudent person first assures himself that he knows what he is doing or saying before he goes to work or says anything. If he does not, he displays folly. Valuable knowledge is sometimes wasted by a lack of prudent action. If a person’s actions show that he has knowledge and understanding, he is prudent. It is demonstrated by the way he acts in the family, in society and in the church. We must deal with each one in a prudent manner. The Lord Jesus acted with perfect knowledge of things. Therefore, He always knew exactly what to say and not to say.

‏ Proverbs 13:14

Wisdom or Folly

From “the teaching of the wise” comes life for all who listen to it (Pro 13:14). This teaching “is a fountain of life” that quenches the thirst of the righteous for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God is true life. That is what all the teaching of the wise is directed to.

However, there are forces at work that seek to kill the righteous. Death is everything that is not in fellowship with God. The second line of verse gives the motive for the first line of verse. The teaching of the wise not only gives life, but also ensures that as long as we make our way on earth, we will “turn aside from the snares of death” and remain in fellowship with God. “The snares of death” suggests that death is a hunter or fowler lurking on its prey.

The world through which we must pass is described as a place teeming with snares of death. A snare is stretched to catch and kill. The means of getting someone into the snare is bait. Bait looks like something edible and tasty, but in reality it is a means of killing. The Word of God reveals the true nature of bait and serves as a guide to avoid snares and traps. Then we stay alive. Judas, the betrayer of the Lord Jesus, did not accept the teaching and fell into the snares of death.

As we go through the minefields of life on earth, the Word of God shows us how to avoid stepping on a landmine and being blown up. It gives us the hope of escape and a safe arrival.

“Good understanding” (Pro 13:15) is not only understanding the teaching of Pro 13:14, but also applying it. That gives or works favor with God and people (Lk 2:52). Good understanding works good dealings with one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor, thereby gaining his favor. It is about the mind enlightened by the Spirit by which a person knows and does the will of God and he goes the way of wisdom. Those who follow God’s teachings experience the favor of men.

In contrast, “the way of the treacherous is hard”. It is not a difficult way, but an impassable way. The treacherous go that way and perish. They lack good sense and cannot be trusted. They dream of a way that goes over roses, but their way is paved with thorns. They are hard people you cannot trust and live with. They do not think life is hard, but they make it hard for others.

By “the way” are meant the doings and dealings. The idea is that while good understanding produces favor, the conduct of the treacherous does not produce any lasting results.

“Every prudent man” will study the facts and then decide (Pro 13:16). “Every” means “all”, without exception. He who is prudent will not take his feelings as the basis of action. He knows the dangers and pitfalls of circumstances. This makes him cautious. The fool proceeds very differently. He follows his hunches. The fool is reminiscent of a peddler displaying his wares. Just as a peddler displays his goods to recommend them, so the fool does with his follies.

Here we see the contrast between the thoughtfulness that characterizes the prudent and the fool’s recklessness who blurts out foolishness. The fool displays foolishness. He spreads it like a peacock does with its feathers.

“Knowledge” is more than just having information in one’s head. It is proficiency in the use of knowledge; it is understanding the art of applying acquired knowledge. In the context of the verse, it means that the prudent one knows how to hide something and succeeds in doing so, while the fool lacks this ability and spreads around him what is foolishness. Every prudent person first assures himself that he knows what he is doing or saying before he goes to work or says anything. If he does not, he displays folly.

Valuable knowledge is sometimes wasted by a lack of prudent action. If a person’s actions show that he has knowledge and understanding, he is prudent. It is demonstrated by the way he acts in the family, in society and in the church. We must deal with each one in a prudent manner. The Lord Jesus acted with perfect knowledge of things. Therefore, He always knew exactly what to say and not to say.