The Bible Says Commentary on Proverbs 25

Wisdom around authority requires discernment, righteousness, and humility. Wise rulers search out matters and remove corruption, while the wise approach honor with restraint.

Do not enter disputes hastily or expose matters carelessly, because reckless conflict can lead to shame and lasting damage to one’s reputation. Wisdom seeks private resolution before public exposure.

A word spoken in the right circumstances is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

A wise reprover meeting a listening ear is like a fine gold ornament.

A faithful messenger refreshes those who sent him like cold snow in the heat of harvest.

A man who boasts of false generosity is like clouds and wind that promise rain and deliver none.

Patient forbearance can persuade a ruler, and a soft tongue can break a bone.

Eat honey only to your need, lest excess turn sweetness into nausea.

Visit your neighbor sparingly so that overexposure does not turn affection into resentment.

A false witness against his neighbor is a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow combined.

Trusting a faithless man in trouble is like biting with a bad tooth or stepping on an unsteady foot.

Singing songs to a troubled heart is like removing a coat in cold or pouring vinegar on soda.

Backbiting speech produces angry faces the way the north wind produces rain.

A roof corner is better than a house shared with a contentious woman.

Good news from a distant land refreshes the soul like cold water for a weary body.

A righteous man who caves before the wicked is a trampled spring and a polluted well.

Searching out one's own glory is no more glorious than gorging on honey.

A man without self-control is a city broken into and without walls.