Thy Strong Word — Proverbs 17:15-28: The Wisdom of Silence

In this episode, Solomon teaches about the importance of justice, honesty, and self-control. Through these proverbs, God condemns both letting the guilty go free and punishing the innocent, showing His hatred for such injustices. Solomon warns against the dangers of pride, bribery, and fighting, while praising the virtues of a peaceful spirit and the wisdom of staying silent.

The Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Proverbs 17:15-28. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/wrestlingwiththebasics.

Step into the spiritually rich landscape of the Book of Proverbs, a text divinely inspired and attributed to Solomon, the sage king endowed by God with unsurpassed wisdom. This ancient scripture begins with heartfelt lessons from a father to a son, laying a foundation of moral and ethical guidance before unfolding into a collection of timeless proverbs. It uniquely personifies wisdom and folly as two paths that stand before humanity, offering a choice between a life filled with virtue, fear of the Lord, and understanding, and one marred by shortsighted pleasures and foolishness. Proverbs serves as a compass for those seeking to walk in righteousness, offering insights that resonate deeply with the human experience, guiding us toward a life of purpose and discernment according to God’s will.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Proverbs 17:15-28

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?
¹⁷A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸One who lacks sense gives a pledge
    and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
²⁰A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
²¹He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.
²²A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
²³The wicked accepts a bribe in secret^[a]
    to pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father
    and bitterness to her who bore him.
²⁶To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
    nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
²⁸Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.