Ch 19
v. 11 A person’s wisdom has made him slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
slow to anger=(NET) The Hiphil perfect of אָרַךְ (’arakh, “to be long”) means “to make long; to prolong.” Patience and slowness to anger lead to forgiveness of sins.
it is his glory=(NET) “Glory” signifies the idea of beauty or adornment. D. Kidner explains that such patience “brings out here the glowing colours of a virtue which in practice may look drably unassertive” (Proverbs [TOTC], 133).
to overlook=(NET) This clause provides the cause, whereas the former gave the effect—if one can pass over an offense there will be no anger...W. McKane says, “The virtue which is indicated here is more than a forgiving temper; it includes also the ability to shrug off insults and the absence of a brooding hypersensitivity.… It contains elements of toughness and self-discipline; it is the capacity to stifle a hot, emotional rejoinder and to sleep on an insult”
Summary and reflection: A wise person may not be adorned with their proper glory. However, the proverbs confirm that. The secret of their ability to be patient, to be slow to anger is that they can pass over people who offended them. "It contains elements of toughness and self-discipline." Pray that the fruit of the Spirit, patient, will give me this toughness.
v. 13 A foolish child is the ruin of his father,
and a contentious wife is like a constant dripping.
A foolish child is the ruin of his father=(BKC) a foolish son is like an overwhelming catastrophe that sucks a person into a deep pit. Fathers with foolish sons can testify to the engulfing agony that sinks them into depression and despair
a contentious wife= (NET) Heb “the contentions of a wife” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “the nagging of a wife.” The genitive could be interpreted (1) as genitive of source or subjective genitive—she is quarreling; or (2) it could be a genitive of specification, making the word “contentions” a modifier
a constant dripping=(NET) The metaphor pictures water dropping (perhaps rain through the roof, cf. NRSV, CEV) in a continuous flow: It is annoying and irritating (e.g., Prov 27:15–16).
(BKC) Crawford H. Toy summarized an Arab proverb: “Three things make a house intolerable: tak (the leaking through of rain), nak (a wife’s nagging), and bak (bugs)”
Summary and reflection: the center figure of the family is the father. Members of the family affects this father deeply. What have I brought to my extended family and to my immediate family?
The wife who contented with her husband constantly or she herself is a constant contentious person are both undesirable and only bring irritation to others. People will try to avoid people like that. Am I like her? Have I consider how other feel? Esp, how my husband feels?
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