Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Proverbs Chapter 21
Metaphysically Interpreting Proverbs 21:1-31
21:1The king's heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses:
He turneth it whithersoever he will.21:2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes;
But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.21:3To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.21:4A high look, and a proud heart,
Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin.21:5The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.21:6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.21:7The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away,
Because they refuse to do justice.21:8The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked;
But as for the pure, his work is right.21:9It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.21:10The soul of the wicked desireth evil:
His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.21:11When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.21:12The righteous man considereth the house of the wicked,
How the wicked are overthrown to their ruin.21:13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.21:14A gift in secret pacifieth anger;
And a present in the bosom, strong wrath.21:15It is joy to the righteous to do justice;
But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.21:16The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding
Shall rest in the assembly of the dead.21:17He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:
He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.21:18The wicked is a ransom for the righteous;
And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.21:19It is better to dwell in a desert land,
Than with a contentious and fretful woman.21:20There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
But a foolish man swalloweth it up.21:21He that followeth after righteousness and kindness
Findeth life, righteousness, and honor.21:22A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,
And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof.21:23Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue
Keepeth his soul from troubles.21:24The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name;
He worketh in the arrogance of pride.21:25The desire of the sluggard killeth him;
For his hands refuse to labor.21:26There is that coveteth greedily all the day long;
But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination:
How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!21:28A false witness shall perish;
But the man that heareth shall speak so as to endure.21:29A wicked man hardeneth his face;
But as for the upright, he establisheth his ways.21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding
Nor counsel against Jehovah.21:31The horse is prepared against the day of battle;
But victory is of Jehovah.
September 21, 1947: Prov. 21:3
Except for the certain Lenten abstinences, the word “sacrifices” has little meaning for us in connection with our religious beliefs. Parents may make a sacrifice to put a child through college, or to spare their children the hardships they themselves endured, but, aside from such practices, we do not associate the word with faith nowadays. We agree with the statement that
“To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.”
We believe that it is more acceptable than anything else that could be devised. It is the keeping of the divine law in full measure, and no one can detract from that fullness.
January 31, 1937: Prov. 21:17
To achieve success in life in the common meaning of the word, a man must exercise self-control. He who lives for the gratification of the senses alone loses control of his appetites, his will power, and in time his ability to make his way. To remain voluntarily on the level of sense is to forego all understanding of the higher satisfaction.
June 28, 1942: Prov. 21:17
What effect does living entirely for pleasure have on a person? It prevents him from developing his inner resources and makes him incapable of deriving satisfaction from the simple but enduring things, that rest on unselfishness and a recognition of the universal life. In other words, living for pleasure makes him a poor man.
Are luxurious tastes and the habit of indulging them in the same class with the love of pleasure in their effect? The indulging of a taste for luxury gives pleasure to the senses and is therefore one element in the love of pleasure. To live for one's personal pleasure is to subordinate everything to a low ideal.
To gain success in life in the accepted sense of the word, a man must exercise self-control. He who lives for the gratification of the senses loses control of his appetites, his will power, and in time loses his ability as a worker. To remain voluntarily on the sense level is to forego all understanding of the higher satisfactions.
The aim of the average sense man is to win such a measure of financial independence as will enable him to do as he pleases; that is, enjoy life. To make personal pleasure one's goal is to subordinate all else to this low ideal, with the result that one becomes and remains poor in every other respect. An overrich diet entails poverty of thoughts and ideas through dullness and stupidity.
- UNITY magazine.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 10-28-2013
