The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
It is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life, righteousness, and honour.
A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.Proverbs 21:18-24
The meaning of 18 should probably be sought in the similar statement in 11:8 (which see). One thinks of different ways in which such a word is fulfilled, as for example when the wicked fall into the pit they have dug for the righteous, or when wicked nations have been visited by God in order to effect the liberation of His own people. The thought in 19 has already been dealt with in the Note on 9. In 20 and 21, a similar contrast is presented to that in 17. It is an advocacy of thrift and prudence in living, and a critique of the spendthrift attitude mentioned in yesterday's Note. The point made in 22 is that brain, not brawn, is what carries the day. A wise man can do so very much more than a merely strong one. It is not difficult to see the link this has with Paul's famous words in Ephes 6:10ff. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. The Christian warfare demands spiritual wisdom if it is to be waged successfully. 'Least said, soonest mended' is an apt summary of 23 (cf James 3:2-12 for the devastating harm an uncontrolled tongue can do). The RSV rendering of 24 is more graphic than AV. When one considers how deadly the scoffer's attitude is (cf 9:7, 8, 13:1, 14:6, 15:12, 19:25, 21:11, 24, 22:10, 24:9. 29:8), it is not surprising that judgments are prepared for him (19:29).