Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20121209.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part V: Proverbs Of Solomon Collected By Hezekiah's Scribes, Proverbs 25:1-29:27
H. Studying Proverbs 27:17-27
  1. Introduction
    1. Two hundred and fifty years after Solomon, Hezekiah's scribes copied more of Solomon's proverbs from separate works, and they comprise Proverbs 25:1-29:27. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, O. T. , p. 960)
    2. We view some of those collected proverbs of Solomon in Proverbs 27:17-27 as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 27:17-27.
    1. Proverbs 27:17 teaches iron (barzel, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 137) sharpens (hadah, Ibid., p. 292) iron (barzel again), so a nobleman (ish, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1188; R. B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 45-50) causes to sharpen (hadah again, but in the Hiphil = causative) the face [bearing, Ibid., B. D. B.) of his friend (re'eh, Ibid., p. 946). Social interaction improves one's personality.
    2. Proverbs 27:18 asserts he who guards (nasar, Ibid., p. 665-666) a fig tree (te'enah, Ibid., p. 1061) will eat its fruit, and he who protects (shamar , Ibid., Kittel, p. 1189; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1036-1037) his master will be honored (kabed, Ibid., p. 457-458; Pual = intensive passive). Figs signified prosperity ( Z. P. E. B., v. Two, p. 534), so, in the workplace, one aids his own welfare and honor if he guards his overseer's welfare.
    3. Proverbs 27:19 claims that as water [reflects] the face to a face, thus (ken, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 485-487) the heart of a common man (adam, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone) [reflects] the common man (adam again) [that is, the heart of the inner man reflects one's true character, personality].
    4. Proverbs 27:20 teaches hell and destruction (sheol and abaddon, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone, p. 274) are never satisfied (saba', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 959), and the eyes of the common man (adam, cf. Pr. 27:19) are never satisfied (saba' again). Mankind has an insatiable appetite to see new things even if doing so may greatly harm him, so, we must limit what we view even if doing so counters our appetites!
    5. Proverbs 27:21 asserts [as] the crucible (masrep, Ibid., p. 864) [is] to silver and the smelting pot, furnace (kur, Ibid., p. 468) [is] to gold, [so] a nobleman (ish, cf. Pr. 27:17) [is to] his praise (mahalal, Ibid., p. 239). Even a leader's character is exposed by how he reacts to praise, so we must handle praise carefully!
    6. Proverbs 27:22 claims though (im, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 49-50) you grind (katash, Ibid., p. 509; the verb) an arrogant, flippant man (ewil , Ibid., Kittel; B. K. C., O. T., p. 908) in a mortar (maktesh, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 509; the noun) in the midst of (tawek, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1063) grain [grits] (ripah, Ibid., p. 937) with a pestle (eli, Ibid., p. 750), you will not turn aside (sur, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 693-694) his folly (iwelet, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 17) from being attached (al + me, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 759) to him. It is futile to try curing an arrogant, flippant man of his folly.
    7. Proverbs 27:23-26 teaches (23) to know (yada', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B.; infinitive absolute) know (yada', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 393-395; main verb) [Know well] the face [condition] (paneh, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 815-816) of your flocks (so'n, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 838), set (shi(i)t, Ibid., p. 1011) your heart on [give careful attention] to your herds (eder, Ibid., p. 727), (24) for [accumulated] wealth (hosen, Ibid., p. 340) is not forever, and a crown [surely] does not (im, cf. Pr. 27:22, here used as an interrogative particle rhetorically expecting a negative answer, Ibid., p. 50) [last] from generation to generation [for all generations, does it]? (25) The green grass (hasir, Ibid., p. 348) is removed (galah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 162-163) [mowed] and fresh grass shoots (deshe', Ibid., p. 206) appear and the herbage (eseb, Ibid., p. 793) [hay] is gathered [in] (asap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 62-63; Niphal = passive) from the hills. (26) The lambs (kebes, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 461) will be for [provide for] your clothing (lebush, Ibid., p. 528) and the he-goats (atud, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 800) [will provide for] the price (mehir, Ibid., p. 564) of a field (sadeh, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 961), (27) and [you will have] enough, sufficiency (day, Ibid., p. 191) of milk (halab, Ibid., p. 316) from the female goats (ez , Ibid., Kittel; ESV, NIV) for your food, the food of your household and the sustenance (hayyim, Ibid., p. 313) of your [servant] girls (na'arah, Ibid., p. 655). It is more financially sound to rely upon even modest but sure, regular income streams than upon accumulated wealth or rank!
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.