v.1-11
V. 1-5 do not make pledge for others
V. 6-11 warning against laziness
Starting here proverbs changed to some short sentence and from chapter 9 it will be even shorter. Each verse usually has 2 phrases and their meanings are usually supplement each other's.
For example, in v.1, do not make pledge. We don't know what kind of pledge, until we see in the second phrase, we know it meant do not be a financial guarantor to others. Being a giant or means you are ready to take up their debt when they cannot pay it back. Also, it seems OK to be a guarantor to neighbor, we should help people around us. But in the second half, scripture mentioned about the strangers. Then the meaning is complete. Do not be a guarantor no matter you know that person or not. This is the wisdom from God.
v.12-19
Proverbs 6:16 (NET): There are six things that the Lord hates,
even seven things that are an abomination to him:
I was convicted by God that I am the one who spreads discord in my family. When I visited my dad in HK he said something that really disturbed me. I saw my brother later on that day and complain about my dad in front of my brother. I spread the negative feeling about my dad to my brother. In the NET notes, it said people who spread discord is because they are short fuse (15:18) That is me! I should have hold my tongue instead of venting my anger in front of my brother.
" ...six things that the Lord hates,
even seven things..." means this is not an exhausted list. You will see this phrase repeated in Proverbs.
Which one of the 7 that you found yourself is guilty of?
v.20-35
v.20-23 similar to Deut 6:6-8. Therefore, their commands are regarded as the level of God's commands. Or, what the parents taught are not their own words but God's commands
This is the 3rd time proverbs talked about sexual immorality ( 2:16–19; 5:3–23; 6:20–35; chapter 7), this must be an important issue. While we shall not rule ourselves out, we can learn 3 reminders about lust and also about sins in general
(1)
25 你心中不要戀慕她的美色，
也不要被她眼皮勾引。
Not only did Jesus taught that lusting from the heart is sin, Proverbs also mentioned that here.
Proverbs 6:25 (NET): Do not lust in your heart for her beauty,
and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes;
(2)
21 要常繫在你心上，
掛在你項上。
Instead of lusting what we should do with our mind is to have the instructions bind in our heart continually.
Proverbs 6:21 (NET): Bind them on your heart continually;
fasten them around your neck
(3)
Also, think about the consequences of adultery.
27 人若懷裡搋火，
衣服豈能不燒呢？
28 人若在火炭上走，
腳豈能不燙呢？
29 親近鄰舍之妻的，也是如此。
凡挨近她的，不免受罰。
Stealing is a sin, and the punishment is compensation with money.
30 賊因飢餓偷竊充飢，
人不藐視他，
31 若被找著，他必賠還七倍，
必將家中所有的盡都償還。
However, adultery took us our life and rage and repulsion.
32 與婦人行淫的，便是無知，
行這事的，必喪掉生命。
33 他必受傷損，必被凌辱，
他的羞恥不得塗抹。
Even though the text has said that the man caught in adultery ruins his life, it does not mean that he was put to death, although that could have happened. He seems to live on in disgrace, destroyed socially and spiritually. He might receive blows and wounds from the husband and shame and disgrace from the spiritual community. D. Kidner observes that in a morally healthy society the adulterer would be a social outcast
34 因為人的嫉恨成了烈怒，
報仇的時候決不留情。
35 甚麼贖價，他都不顧；
你雖送許多禮物，他也不肯干休
The husband cannot accept payment as a ransom for a life, since what has happened cannot be undone so easily.
26 因為妓女能使人只剩一塊餅，
淫婦獵取人寶貴的生命。
These two lines might be an example of synthetic parallelism, that is, “A, what’s more B.” The A-line describes the detrimental moral effect of a man going to a professional prostitute; the B-line heightens this and describes the far worse effect—moral and mortal!—of a man committing adultery with another man’s wife. When a man goes to a prostitute, he lowers himself to become nothing more than a “meal ticket” to sustain the life of that woman; however, when a man commits adultery, he places his very life in jeopardy—the rage of the husband could very well kill him.
Not all sins are equal. Be care with our heart.
Audrey
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