21 Folly is joy to him that is void of wisdom; But a man of understanding maketh straight his going.
It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And `so is' wisdom to a man of understanding.
Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do `his commandments': His praise endureth for ever.
He that despiseth his neighbor is void of wisdom; But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident.
As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, And saith, Am not I in sport?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15
Commentary on Proverbs 15 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
We take these verses together as forming a group which begins with a proverb regarding the good and evil which flows from the tongue, and closes with a proverb regarding the treasure in which blessing is found, and that in which no blessing is found.
Proverbs 15:1
1 A soft answer turneth away wrath,
And a bitter word stirreth up anger.
In the second line, the common word for anger ( אף , from the breathing with the nostrils, Proverbs 14:17) is purposely placed, but in the first, that which denotes anger in the highest degree ( חמה from יחם , cogn. חמם , Arab. hamiya , to glow, like שׁנה from ישׁן ): a mild, gentle word turns away the heat of anger ( excandescentiam ), puts it back, cf. Proverbs 25:15. The Dagesh in רּך follows the rule of the דחיק , i.e. , of the close connection of a word terminating with the accented eh, aah, ah with the following word ( Michlol 63b). The same is the meaning of the Latin proverb:
Frangitur ira gravis
Quando est responsio suavis