The chapter opens by warning against boasting about tomorrow, since no one knows what a day may bring. The learner must let another praise him rather than praising himself. Stone and sand are heavy, but a fool's provocation is heavier. Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but jealousy is even harder to withstand. Better is open rebuke than hidden love, and wounds from a friend can be trusted while an enemy multiplies kisses.
Proverbs 27:1
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
Proverbs 27:2
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Proverbs 27:3
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Proverbs 27:4
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Proverbs 27:5-6
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
The one who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even bitter food tastes sweet. A person who wanders from home is like a bird wandering from its nest. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from heartfelt counsel. The learner must not forsake his friend or the friend of his family, and he should not go to his brother's house in calamity if a near neighbor can help; a nearby neighbor is better than a distant brother.
Proverbs 27:7
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
Proverbs 27:8
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
Proverbs 27:9
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
Proverbs 27:10
10 Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
The father calls his son to be wise and bring joy to his heart, so he can answer anyone who treats him with contempt. The prudent see danger and take refuge, while the simple keep going and suffer. The one who puts up security for a stranger should have his garment taken as pledge. Loudly blessing a neighbor early in the morning will be taken as a curse, showing that even favorable words can become offensive when timing and manner are foolish.
Proverbs 27:11
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
Proverbs 27:12
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
Proverbs 27:13
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Proverbs 27:14
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
A quarrelsome wife is compared to the constant dripping of a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. As iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another. Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever looks after his master will be honored.
Proverbs 27:15
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
Proverbs 27:16
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
Proverbs 27:17
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. The crucible tests silver and the furnace tests gold, but people are tested by their praise. Even if a fool is ground in a mortar with a pestle, folly will not be removed from him.
19 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Proverbs 27:20
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
Proverbs 27:22
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
The chapter closes with an extended stewardship exhortation. The learner must know the condition of his flocks and give careful attention to his herds, because riches do not endure forever and crowns are not secure for all generations. When hay is removed, new growth appears, grass is gathered from hills, lambs provide clothing, goats provide the price of a field, and goat's milk supplies household food and nourishment for servants. Wisdom requires attentive, cyclical, embodied stewardship.
Proverbs 27:23
23 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
Proverbs 27:25
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
Proverbs 27:27
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.