LOVE YOUR ENEMY
Key verse: 22
NIV
16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.(A)
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.(B)
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals(C) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.(D)
23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(E)
25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.(F)
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,(G)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.(H)
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
16 If you have (A)found honey, eat (B)only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
18 A man who (C)bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or (D)a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
20 Whoever (E)sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.
21 (F)If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heap (G)burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 (H)It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water to (I)a thirsty soul,
so is (J)good news from a far country.
26 Like (K)a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is (L)not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to (M)seek one's own glory.[a]
28 A man (N)without self-control
is like (O)a city broken into and left without walls.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:27 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
Cross references
- Proverbs 25:16 : [Judg. 14:8; 1 Sam. 14:25]
- Proverbs 25:16 : [ver. 27]
- Proverbs 25:18 : [ch. 24:28]
- Proverbs 25:18 : ch. 12:18; See Ps. 57:4
- Proverbs 25:20 : [Rom. 12:15]
- Proverbs 25:21 : Cited Rom. 12:20; [2 Kgs. 6:22; 2 Chr. 28:15]; See Ex. 23:4, 5
- Proverbs 25:22 : Ps. 140:10
- Proverbs 25:24 : ch. 21:9
- Proverbs 25:25 : [Ps. 42:2]
- Proverbs 25:25 : ch. 15:30
- Proverbs 25:26 : [Ezek. 32:2; 34:18, 19]
- Proverbs 25:27 : [ver. 16]
- Proverbs 25:27 : [ch. 27:2]
- Proverbs 25:28 : [ch. 16:32]
- Proverbs 25:28 : [2 Chr. 32:5; 36:19; Neh. 1:3]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
This passage shares a common strand of having wisdom to practice self-control. We must heed wisdom by not eating too many high calorie sweets, not being a pesky neighbor, not being too naive of sly people, not singing whenever we want, not speaking too critically, not backbiting, not quarreling constantly with our family members, and not compromising with wicked people. In verse 27, the writer emphasizes again: Don't eat too much honey. And in the same breath, he adds on: Don’t seek your own glory. Just like we are strongly tempted by sweets, we are keen to seek our own glory. And our vanity will be our downfall (28).
Another thread here is to forgive our enemies. People irrationally want to get even with their enemies. But when we have self-control, we can serve our enemies when they are most vulnerable—when they are hungry and thirsty. In doing so, we truly put our enemies to shame. And the best part here: God promises to reward us. God in heaven does not treat us as our sins deserve. So, how about you?
Prayer: Father, thank you for not treating me as my sins deserve. Help me to control myself and to forgive, love, and serve my enemy.
One Word: Love and serve my enemy
