Proverbs 25:8-10

Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

The Bible condemns the desire to rush to court to settle every grievance. A person might tell everything they have seen and yet be put to shame when their neighbor testifies. It is better to handle grievances privately and refrain from the desire to tell others what bothers us about others or how they have offended us.

Proverbs 25:6-7

Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

It is a wise policy not to push ourselves to the forefront in the royal court or to seek a place among celebrities. It is far better to be invited to a place of honor than to seize it and then be publicly humiliated in the king’s presence.

Proverbs 25:4-5

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

When silver is melted, the dross or impurities rise to the surface. When the dross is removed, the silversmith has molten metal that is suitable for making jewelry. The dross here symbolizes wicked counselors in the king’s court. When they are removed, the kingdom is established on a righteous basis.

Proverbs 25:3

The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.

The height of the heavens seems to be limitless and the depth of the earth seem to be unsearchable. Likewise, there is something inscrutable about the heart of noble kings, as no one knows exactly what they are thinking.

Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

God hides His secrets in His natural creation, in His written word, and in His providential dealings. The responsibility of kings is to search for the truth in the developments affecting their kingdom and will make full investigation in order to render true judgments and formulate sound policies.

Proverbs 25:1

These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

The proverbs in Chapters 25-29 were composed by Solomon but copied years later by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah. There are one-hundred forty proverbs, corresponding to the numerical value of the letters in the Hebrew of the name “Hezekiah”.

Proverbs 24:30-34

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

The writer passed by the sluggard’s vineyard and saw that it was all overgrown with thorns and the wall was in ruins. When we succumb to laziness in spiritual matters and become infested with the works of the flesh, there will be no fruit from God. Our spiritual defenses, symbolized by a wall, are down, and the devil gains a foothold and it results in coldness, backsliding, and poverty of the soul.

Proverbs 24:28-29

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

Under no circumstances should anyone bring false accusations against their neighbor or spread lies about them. Even if the neighbor has done those very things that they are talking about, there is no excuse for returning evil for evil.

Proverbs 24:27

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Solomon warned about rushing into marriage, with all of its responsibilities before being spiritually, emotionally, and mentally ready. Just as an individual must clear away the tress and cultivate the land before building a house, this means before two people get married, they should have their life in order.

Proverbs 24:23-26

These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

It is a despicable thing to show partiality when judging matters of right and wrong. On the other hand, the judges who rebuke sin will be rewarded by God and blessed by others. Those who render honest and just verdicts will win “the kiss” of approval from people.