Proverbs 15

Verse 18: See verse 1.

Verse 19: The sluggard complains that his way is blocked by thorns (obstacles), yet that is only because he is too lazy to remove them.

Verse 20: See Proverbs 10:1.

Verse 22: The proud (foolish) person thinks he doesn’t need anyone’s advice; as a result, his plans fail.

Verse 24: The path of life leads upward for the wise; it is the path to eternal life. The wise person sets his mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2); his citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Verse 25: God opposes the proud man (Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5), but He protects the poor and needy—the widow. He will not permit the proud to steal her land, to change her boundaries.⁴⁸

Verse 27: This proverb describes the danger of loving money (see 1 Timothy 6:10). Perhaps the most dramatic example of a greedy man bringing trouble on his family is that of Achan in the time of Joshua (see Joshua 7:20–26).

Verse 29: The Lord is far from the wicked; He will not listen to the prayers of those who consciously harbor sin in their hearts (see Psalm 66:18). But the Lord will listen to the prayers of the righteous—those who confess their sins and who hunger and thirst for His righteousness (Matthew 5:6; 6:33).

Verse 33: The fear of the LORD teaches us wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). Wisdom is shown by deeds done in humility (James 3:13). And humility leads to honor; humility is prerequisite to receiving honor (see Matthew 23:12; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).