Proverbs 17 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Proverbs 17 Short Summary:

Proverbs 17 continues the short proverbs of Solomon that began in chapter 10. Solomon’s proverbs are recorded in Proverbs chapter 10 through chapter 29. These proverbs are typically short and concise statements of wisdom for the medication of the reader.

Proverbs 17 Summary

BREAKDOWN OF PROVERBS - CHART

DEFINITIONS:

• Crucible (17:3) – A container in which metal is melted.

• To Sire (17:21) – To father a child.

HIGHLIGHTED PROVERBS:

• PROVERB #1:

  • Proverbs 17:9 – “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”

  • The loving thing to do when you hear about someone making a mistake is to keep it quiet.

  • You don’t want to embarrass the person or cause them any more harm.

  • Gossip is not the loving choice. Those who unnecessarily repeat other people’s business are harmful.

  • Many people think gossip is just an innocent guilty pleasure, but it isn’t! It hurts people, destroys relationships, and destroys the foundation of trust in a community.

  • When you choose to cover a mistake, you’re choosing the path of love.

  • When you choose to gossip, it says something bad about the state of your heart.   

• PROVERB #2

  • Proverbs 17:12 – “Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.”

  • Mother bears get extremely angry when they’re separated from their cubs. They’ll lash out at anyone who stands in their way of being reunited.

  • Though men are supposed to be smarter than animals, Solomon writes that he would rather encounter a she-bear deprived of her cubs than a fool in the midst of his folly.

  • A fool who isn’t thinking straight is more dangerous and more volatile than a bear.

  • A fool determined to follow through with his folly is less predictable and less rational than a wild animal.

  • Never underestimate the extremes to which a man not beholden to logic or wisdom will go.

  • It’s wise to keep this in mind if you come into contact with fools regularly.  

• PROVERB #3:

  • Proverbs 17:14 – “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

  • It is very hard to contain your temper, especially when having a disagreement with someone.

  • The disagreement may start off civilly, with low voices, and a respectful tone, but if you aren’t careful, you’ll be screaming at each other before too long.

  • When you let water out of a big container, you loosen the plug and the water starts to slowly come out, but when the plug is completely removed, the water starts streaming out with tremendous force.

  • Arguments are similar, they start off calmly but quickly get heated.

  • A wise man understands how easy it is for an argument to get out of control, and he has that in the forefront of his mind before he engages with adversaries.