proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:12

Read Proverbs 13 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Pro 10:1b-19:9 {p} Contrast between wise/ foolish, righteous/ wicked, rich/ poor

There are many, many overlapping structures in Proverbs. Here is one of them from Pro 13:

Pro 13:12-19a chiastic structure:

1a) Pro 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life;

1b) Pro 13:13-14, He who despises the word = destroyed, he who fears the commandment = rewarded/ the torah of the wise = life, to turn one away from death;

1c) Pro 13:15, Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard;

central axis) Pro 13:16, Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly;

2c) Pro 13:17, A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health;

2b) Pro 13:18, Poverty + shame for him who disdains correction, but he who regards rebuke will be honored;

2a) Pro 13:19a, A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Pro 13:1

By pride comes nothing but strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom. Pro 13:10

He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. Pro 13:13

Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. Pro 13:18

He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Pro 13:24

One of the pillars of wisdom is having a teachable heart and being able to receive correction (Pro 9:1,8-9). The word of God is the source of wisdom and instruction. Because our heavenly Father loves us, He has commanded us to listen to His word, to pay attention to His word, to observe His word, and to teach His word to our children.

A father’s word, instruction, rebuke, advice, commandment, correction, and discipline is all one and comes from the heart of love for his children (Pro 13:24). We saw before that the Hebrew word torah – which contains the record of our Father’s Law and commandments, and rebukes and disciplines, and just as importantly, love and salvation – actually means teaching or instruction.

So sons need to be instructed and sometimes rebuked from the word, and we are sons of our heavenly Father. But that even the righteous and the wise will need instruction and sometimes rebuke. If even the wise need to receive instruction, correction, and sometimes rebuke, how much more the fool and the ungodly?

But receiving correction requires humility. If we cannot receive correction without taking offense, then let that be a barometer to us, that we need to humble our pride, confess the sin of pride to our Creator and perhaps to anyone who has tried to bring correction to us unsuccessfully, and ask the LORD to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, including pride, strife, and foolishness.

No matter how much wisdom the LORD works in us as we mature, we will never become wise enough to escape the need of instruction or correction– that is just one of the facts of life we need to make peace with. Because our Father loves us, He has given us instruction and correction by way of commandments. If we want to be wise, we will pay attention to His instruction and do His commandments.