Pro 27:3 | KingComments | STEP | “Stone” and “sand” are heavy and weighty ( ). Those who have to carry them feel that they weigh a lot and that the work is tiring and painful. A stone is a large, compact burden. Sand is made up of many small particles that together are a weighty burden. Something large can press down on us, making us feel like we are collapsing. There can also be countless small, daily irritations that make our life almost unbearable. “But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.” The provocation of a fool is unbearable. It remains as a stone and sand on the inner being of one who has to deal with a fool. The spiritual effort it takes to deal with a fool is far greater than tiring physical work. Job uses the same picture to use it to describe the heaviness of his suffering ( ). In the sphere of emotion, feelings as fury and anger can become uncontrollable and devastating ( ). A person can be so furious because of certain events that he comes to cruelty [the Darby Translation reads in : Fury is cruel, and anger is outrageous] ( ) and that his is anger is excessive. These outbursts of wrath and anger are not to be condoned, much less the cruelties a person commits, but after the discharge there can be a certain calm. But worse than these outbursts of wrath and anger is “jealousy”. Jealousy is more unbearable than wrath and anger. It continues to exist like a consuming fire. It devours around itself and also devours the one with whom it is present. An envious, jealous man is worse than a wrathful and angry man. Jealousy is never satisfied ( ). No one can stand before it (cf. ). Abel fell prey to the jealousy of Cain and Joseph to that of his brothers.

‏ Proverbs 27:3

Burdens That Are Too Heavy to Bear

“Stone” and “sand” are heavy and weighty (Pro 27:3). Those who have to carry them feel that they weigh a lot and that the work is tiring and painful. A stone is a large, compact burden. Sand is made up of many small particles that together are a weighty burden. Something large can press down on us, making us feel like we are collapsing. There can also be countless small, daily irritations that make our life almost unbearable.

“But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.” The provocation of a fool is unbearable. It remains as a stone and sand on the inner being of one who has to deal with a fool. The spiritual effort it takes to deal with a fool is far greater than tiring physical work. Job uses the same picture to use it to describe the heaviness of his suffering (Job 6:2-3).

In the sphere of emotion, feelings as fury and anger can become uncontrollable and devastating (Pro 27:4). A person can be so furious because of certain events that he comes to cruelty [the Darby Translation reads in Pro 27:4a: Fury is cruel, and anger is outrageous] (Gen 34:13-29 ; Gen 49:5-7) and that his is anger is excessive. These outbursts of wrath and anger are not to be condoned, much less the cruelties a person commits, but after the discharge there can be a certain calm.

But worse than these outbursts of wrath and anger is “jealousy”. Jealousy is more unbearable than wrath and anger. It continues to exist like a consuming fire. It devours around itself and also devours the one with whom it is present. An envious, jealous man is worse than a wrathful and angry man. Jealousy is never satisfied (Pro 6:32-35). No one can stand before it (cf. Jam 3:14 ; 16). Abel fell prey to the jealousy of Cain and Joseph to that of his brothers.