The Bible Says Commentary on Proverbs 20

Wine and strong drink overpower the will, and the intoxicated person cannot live wisely while under their influence.

A king's anger is as dangerous as a lion's growl, and the wise learn not to provoke a power they cannot escape.

Walking away from a quarrel is honorable, while quarreling is the easy default of any fool.

The lazy person who refuses off-season work arrives at harvest empty-handed, because nature does not adjust to laziness.

Real motives lie deep in the heart like water in a well, and a wise person knows how to draw them out.

Many advertise their loyalty, but a truly trustworthy person, in whom word and life match, is rare.

A father who walks in integrity leaves his children a lasting blessing of name, character, and example.

A just king disperses evil by his clear-eyed presence, ruling so that wickedness cannot operate undetected.

No one can honestly claim a clean heart, because self-examination cannot certify what only God can see.

Crooked weights and measures are detestable to God, who never uses one standard for one person and another for another.

Even a child's behavior reveals real character, so small choices should be taken seriously as the early shape of an adult life.

God made both the hearing ear and the seeing eye, so we should use these gifts gratefully and accountably.

Loving sleep leads to poverty, while staying awake to the day's work leads to provision.

Buyers downplay value to lower the price and then boast about the deal, exposing a small dishonesty in everyday trade.

Wise speech is more precious than gold or jewels, because the kingdom is built on truth-telling people, not material wealth.

A lender should take real collateral from anyone foolish enough to guarantee a stranger's debt.

Dishonest gain tastes sweet at first but ends as gravel in the mouth, a small persistent misery the wise count beforehand.

Ordinary plans and even decisions about war require seeking counsel, because no one sees enough alone.

Avoid the gossip, because anything you tell him will eventually be repeated elsewhere.

Cursing one's parents extinguishes the inner light a person needs in life's darkest hours.

Wealth gained quickly lacks the formation slow wealth produces and will not be blessed in the long run

Do not retaliate against evil; entrust the wrong to the LORD, who alone can judge and save rightly.

Differing weights and false scales are detestable to the LORD, who refuses to let crooked commerce stand unnamed.

A man's steps are ordained by the LORD even though he plans them himself, which is why his life often arrives where he did not aim.

Speaking sacred vows rashly traps a person, because words spoken before God cannot be revised by changing one's mind.

A wise king separates the wicked from his realm with the weight of just judgment, like winnowing grain from chaff.

God uses the human spirit as a lamp to search the innermost parts of a person, leaving no room hidden from Him.

Covenant-loyal love and truth preserve a king, and his throne stands or falls on whether he rules righteously.

The strength of young men and the gray hair of old men each carry their own dignity, and a wise community honors both.

Painful correction sometimes reaches and scours away evil that gentler measures cannot, even at the deepest level of a person.