World English Bible
- Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.
- A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.
- The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.
- An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
- Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
- Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children is their parents.
- Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.
- A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.
- He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.
- A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.
- An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
- Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
- Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
- The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.
- He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
- Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
- A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.
- A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.
- He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.
- One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
- He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
- A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
- A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.
- Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
- A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.
- He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.
- Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.
“Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.”
—Proverbs 17:1, World English Bible
The Hebrew behind “a house full of feasting” is more striking than the English suggests. It literally speaks of a house full of sacrifices—zevachim. In ancient Israel, meat was commonly eaten at sacrificial festivals. The picture may therefore be of an abundant, even religious, banquet poisoned by quarrelling.
God would rather meet us over a crust shared in peace than be invoked at a lavish table where people devour one another.
This is not praise of poverty itself. It is a warning that outward blessing, including religious activity, cannot compensate for a household without peace. Augustine described peace as “the tranquility of order.” Peace is not merely low volume; it is life rightly ordered under God.
Proverbs 17 gives unusual attention not only to wicked speech but also to wicked listening: “An evildoer heeds wicked lips.” Gossip requires two forms of sin—one mouth willing to release poison and one ear willing to receive it. We often imagine ourselves innocent because we did not create the accusation. Yet the listening heart may become a sanctuary for another person’s malice.
Verse 9 says that covering an offense promotes love. This does not mean concealing abuse or protecting injustice; verses 15, 23, and 26 strongly condemn corrupt judgment. Love covers personal offenses by refusing to turn another’s failure into social currency. Justice, however, uncovers evil when silence would leave the vulnerable exposed.
Wisdom knows the difference between mercy and concealment.
Verse 15 declares that justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous are both detestable to God. Yet Romans 4:5 says that God “justifies the ungodly.” How can God do what Proverbs condemns?
The cross provides the answer. A corrupt judge accepts a secret bribe and pretends guilt is innocence. God does neither. He names sin truthfully, condemns it in the flesh of Christ, and joins the guilty to the righteousness of his Son. Grace is not divine corruption. The Judge himself bears the cost of his just verdict.
At Calvary, human courts condemned the Righteous One. In the resurrection, God overturned their verdict. Now sinners are justified not because evil has been renamed, but because Christ has answered for it.
The chapter begins with quietness and ends with closed lips. Verse 27 literally describes the wise as “cool of spirit.” Such quietness is not cowardice. It is the strength to stop the breach before the waters of strife escape, to let God’s refining fire test the heart, and to speak only what serves truth and love.
Suggested cross-references: Matthew 5:23–24; Romans 3:23–26; Romans 4:5; Romans 8:3; James 1:19–20; 1 Peter 4:8.
Suggested hymn: “Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee” by Charles Wesley.
Righteous Father, cool the fever of our spirits. Guard our ears, govern our tongues, and make our homes places where truth and peace embrace. Thank you that in Christ you remain just while justifying sinners. Refine our hearts until even our silence becomes an act of love. Amen.