Proverbs 10:6-11

The contrasts continue in Proverbs 10:6-11:

"Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."

"The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot."

"The wise of heart will heed commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin."

"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out."

"Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
but the one who rebukes boldly makes peace."

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."

What practical ideas for daily life do these maxims suggest?

1. Verses 6b and 11b say=teach the same thing. Wicked people pretend they are friends to certain individuals, while in their hearts they are planning to hurt them or even destroy them. One thinks of the description Micah 2:1-2 gives of the wicked:
"Woe to those who devise wickedness
and evil deeds on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in their power.
They covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and take them away;
they oppress householder and house,
people and their inheritance."

2. As in verses 1-5, the contrasts in verses 6-11 are between: (1) the righteous and the wicked; (2) the wise and the foolish; (3) those who walk in integrity and the perverse; (4) godly speech and ungodly speech. These are major concerns for those who desire to please God.

3. Verses 6 and 9 emphasize God's involvement in human affairs. God blesses the righteous and makes secure those who walk with integrity; he also exposes the perverse ways of the wicked. Verse 9b calls to mind the well-known statement in Numbers 32:23: "Be sure your sin will find you out."

4. Verse 8a reminds us that a fundamental characteristic of a wise person is to submit to God's commandments instead of trying to guide one's own life.

5. "Winking the eye" in verse 10a seems to mean stirring up strife by making malicious hints (see Proverbs 6:12-14). This contrasts with "rebuking" a wrongdoer "boldly" in an effort to keep that person from sin and to protect those whom that person might harm. Proverbs 27:5-6 expresses a similar idea:
"Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,
but profuse are the kisses of an enemy."