ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Proverbs 20

Prov. 20:2 The first line of this proverb is almost identical to 19:12a. But 19:12b speaks of the king’s favor, while 20:2b speaks only of his anger. The text does not say that a king’s anger is always justified, only that it is lethal. Therefore, one should take care.

Prov. 20:8–12 This catalog of proverbs looks at judgment from various angles. The purpose of a king, representing human government, is to restrain evil through acts of judgment (v. 8). Awareness of one’s own guilt should make one merciful in judging others (v. 9). Scales (commercial tools that are often used as symbols of judgment) should be fair, balanced, and impartial (v. 10; see 11:1). People’s actions show what they are, and this applies even to children (20:11). As God made both the eye and the ear, he knows best how to assess a person or situation. His judgment will be final and decisive (v. 12). Sometimes these proverbs balance one another: God’s people need to be forgiving, but they also need to be able to judge good and evil in others.

Prov. 20:8 winnows all evil. That is, he sorts and separates it out, and then removes it.

Prov. 20:13–17 These proverbs all relate to wealth. Laziness leads to poverty (v. 13). People will set a value on something as it suits them (v. 14). Wisdom is better than wealth (v. 15). One should not trust a man who gets involved in foolish debts (v. 16). The pleasures that come from dishonest gain are brief (v. 17).

Prov. 20:20–21 The person who despises parental authority will eventually face utter darkness (compare Ex. 20:12). An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning. Too much wealth given too soon is often spent greedily, and so it does not last (see note on Prov. 13:11). In Israel, land was given as an inheritance for the continued welfare of the family (see 13:22), not to use simply for one’s personal pleasure.

Prov. 20:22–25 These four proverbs teach that God, not people (v. 22), is the judge and avenger. He detests all unfair bias in human judgment, as represented by uneven scales. Verse 24 emphasizes the mystery of divine sovereignty (see Ps. 37:23; Jer. 10:23). A person makes his own decisions and is responsible for them, but it is also true that God directs the steps of each.

Prov. 20:26–27 Drives the wheel over them refers to a heavy cart being drawn over the grain to separate the wheat from the chaff. For the health of his kingdom, a wise king must root out evildoers. The king can only use exterior acts to judge a person. God, by contrast, sees the innermost parts (see 1 Sam. 16:7). God’s judgment is thus more fair and more effective.

Prov. 20:28 God’s steadfast love and faithfulness was the foundation of the Davidic dynasty (1 Kings 3:6; 8:23; Ps. 89:28). God’s faithfulness, rather than human wisdom or power, is what will preserve the king.