Proverb of the Day: 8/22/2024

HEAR Journal

Highlight: Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare (Proverbs 22:24–25).

Explain: A brief alternative (perhaps a bit too wooden) translation sounds like this—Don’t get involved with angry-faced people (אַל־תִּ֭תְרַע אֶת־בַּ֣עַל אָ֑ף) and don’t gather with venomous, hot-tempered men (וְאֶת־אִ֥ישׁ חֵ֝מוֹת). The “no” (לֹ֣א) functions for both statements.

Solomon gives reason behind why this is folly! It’s another if/then statement. Gathering with them, making their path your path, leads to learning from them. Solomon recognizes that the looming threat is becoming like them.

Why would that be a bad thing? When we see someone who is chronically angry, we see someone who is off of the wisdom path. There are a few reasons to consider:

• A chronically angry person is probably a chronically depressed, or sad, person.
• Angry people are not typically disciplined in other ways of life.
• Angry people will eventually become lonely.
• Chronically angry people perceive injustice everywhere, which could shade interactions with everything and everyone.

Let’s instead walk wisdom’s way.

Apply: Solomon invites readers to see what path we—and other people—are on and evaluate it. Being chronically angry means we need to adjust course. Hanging out with angry people means we need to adjust course—by leaving them behind.

Respond: Father, make us wise by making us choosy with who we befriend.