Proverbs 10: Life's Little Instruction Book

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech" (vs. 19).  With that in mind, I'll keep this short!

Chapter 10 offers a rapid-fire succession of miscellaneous proverbs that purport to give guidance for life.  In this chapter, you might find advice for anything from lazy employees to the persistence of the righteous.  There are, however, a couple of observations worth noting.

First, the proverbs often appear as twin statements in contrast to each other.  For instance, "What the wicked dread will come upon them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted" (vs. 24).  In both of those sayings, there is a fulfilling of something on the part of an individual.  For the wicked, it is their dread coming true, while for the righteous it is their hopes being realized!  This comparison/contrast mode is a common tactic employed in many of the proverbs.

Second, certain themes seem to arise again and again as you read through the proverbs.  Solomon is concerned with such areas as:

• Speech, mentioned directly or indirectly in about a dozen of the proverbs.
• Body parts, often used as metaphors (lips=speech, hand=work or activity, etc.)
• Laziness vs. Industriousness, a key feature of several proverbs that describe their influence in determining wealth.
• Wisdom vs. Foolishness, while also the overarching message of all the proverbs, also appears explicitly in many of them as well.

If you are looking for life's little instruction book, you should definitely check out Proverbs!