Proverbs

There are lots of interesting things in Proverbs, but one of the things I enjoy every time I read it is all the vivid word pictures.

Consider Proverbs 26:18-19:
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, "I was only joking!"

Or here's one I always find funny—Proverbs 27:14:
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted as a curse to him.

I think of this one often when a sibling is really excited for the day, and wants to share the excitement with me.

Those who live in Washington state will appreciate the imagery in Proverbs 27:15:
A continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike;

Solomon must have run into a lot of fools over his lifetime, because Proverbs is filled with them. One of the most graphic descriptions is found in 27:22:
Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed gran,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

I remember this rather revolting verse was required memorization when I was younger:
Proverbs 30:17
The eye that mocks his father,
And scorns obedience to his mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.


There are a ton of other fun verses in Proverbs, not to mention some in Ecclesiastes, Job, the prophetic books...it just reminds me how amazing (and sometimes funny) the whole Bible is, not only the more famous sections.