What does Proverbs Chapter 20 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Opening sayings preserve their words and attribution. Images and reported speech remain distinct from added interpretation. Future and conditional assertions retain their scope in the closing sayings.

Chapter breakdown

Proverbs 20 calls wine luxurious and drunkenness riotous, delighted person unwise. King dread lion-roar, provocation sins against own soul. Quarrel separation honorable, fools meddle reproaches. Cold keeps sluggard from ploughing; summer begging shall be refused. Heart counsel deep water, wise will draw; many called merciful, who finds faithful? Simple just shall leave blessed children; judgment king scatters evil by look. Who can claim clean heart and sin purity? Diverse weights/measures abominable. Child inclinations show clean/right works; Lord made hearing ear and seeing eye. Avoid sleep lest poverty, open eyes and fill bread.

Buyer calls naught then shall boast. Gold/jewels exist, knowledge lips precious vessel. Take garment of stranger surety and pledge for strangers. Lying bread sweet, later gravel mouth. Counsel strengthens designs, governments manage wars; avoid deceitful secret-revealer with wide lips. Parent curse extinguishes lamp amid darkness; hasty inheritance shall end unblessed. Do not say return evil: wait Lord and He will deliver. Diverse weights abominable, deceit balance bad. Lord guides steps; who understands own way? Devouring holy ones and retracting after vows ruins; holy ones are not silently resolved as offerings.

Wise king scatters wicked and brings wheel over them. Human spirit is Lord’s lamp searching hidden bowels; mercy/truth preserve king, clemency strengthens throne. Young strength joy, old grey hairs dignity. Wound blueness shall wipe evils, inward belly stripes. These difficult images stay attributed without new clinical cleansing mechanism, sacramental exception, grace explanation or political audience.

The story inside

Opening: Opening sayings preserve their words and attribution. Development: Images and reported speech remain distinct from added interpretation. Conclusion: Future and conditional assertions retain their scope in the closing sayings.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Opening sayings preserve their words and attribution.
2
Images and reported speech remain distinct from added interpretation.
3
Future and conditional assertions retain their scope in the closing sayings.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 68924–68934
Proverbs Chapter 20 20:1. Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith, shall not be wise. 20:2. As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul. 20:3. It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
Lines 68962–68974
20:14. It is naught, it is naught, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast. 20:15. There is gold and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel. 20:16. Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers. 20:17. The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Lines 68997–69007
retract. 20:26. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel. 20:27. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels. 20:28. Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.