Proverbs 20

Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.

A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin”?

Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD has made even both of them.

Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

“It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!

He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end.

Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?

It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.

The spirit of man is the LORD’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts.

Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.

The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter gathers a series of proverbial sayings on wisdom, justice, human limitation, and moral accountability, continuing the book’s broader pattern of contrasting the wise and the foolish. It addresses topics ranging from the perils of intoxication and the duties toward parents, to the reliability of human self-assessment, the responsibilities of rulers, and the role of divine sovereignty. The chapter functions as a mosaic of moral and spiritual insights that, while diverse, consistently reflect God’s standards for personal integrity and righteous rule.

Flow.

Begins with warnings against wine and strife, and the sluggard’s folly, shifting to the value of insight in drawing out counsel (vv. 1–6).
Highlights the rarity of true faithfulness, the blessing of righteous living, and the king’s role in establishing justice (vv. 7–8, 26–28).
Emphasizes universal sinfulness, the necessity of divine truth in human life, and the dangers of hasty vows and dishonest trade (vv. 9–10, 12, 23, 25).
Closes with reflections on youth and age, divine guidance, and the purifying role of discipline (vv. 11–18, 27–30).

Connections.
Following chapter 19, which underscores the contrast between the rich and poor, the value of discipline, and the danger of foolish speech, chapter 20 deepens this theme by focusing on the inward condition—self-deception, rash oaths, and the hidden motives exposed by God’s gaze. It prepares for chapter 21, which continues to examine the king’s authority and divine sovereignty in human affairs, particularly in the administration of justice and the inscrutability of the Lord’s ways. The emphasis on weights and measures (vv. 10, 23) links directly to chapter 20’s concern with integrity, which chapter 21 takes up in the context of God’s judgment on all deeds.

What it teaches.
The chapter teaches that human wisdom is limited and must rely on God’s illumination, acknowledging that no one is pure before Him (Prov. 20:9; cf. WCF 6.4). It upholds the dignity of authority—especially the king as God’s instrument for justice (Prov. 20:8, 26; cf. WCF 24.1)—and insists on honesty in economic life, condemning crooked scales as an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 20:10, 23; cf. HC LD 42, Q&A 110). It affirms that human plans require wise counsel (Prov. 20:18; cf. WCF 1.6), and that the Lord sovereignly directs human steps (Prov. 20:24; cf. ), while His inner light probes all things (Prov. 20:27; cf. WCF 1.1). Discipline, even painful, serves a purifying function in moral formation (Prov. 20:30; cf. HC LD 10, Q&A 29).

Apply.
Let your speech, business dealings, and relationships reflect the fear of the Lord, knowing He sees what is hidden.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.