Proverbs 11: 12 Neighborhood relationships

Note: Sorry I skipped a day… it was hubby’s and my 34th wedding anniversary and I played hooky over the weekend from writing my blogs… :)

Today’s proverb is one that speaks of neighborhood relationships, and the wise way to handle them.

Proverbs 11: 12 (NKJV)

12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

First, let’s look at the definitions of the main words. The Online Dictionary gives the definition of the word, “devoid” as: Completely lacking; destitute or empty… and the definition of the word, “despises” as: 1. To regard with contempt or scorn 2. To dislike intensely; loathe 3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern:

This verse, then, speaks of those that are completely lacking in wisdom and the fact that they tend to have no interest or concern for their neighbors. Throughout God’s word, His purpose is to draw people together in love and care for each other. We see that He feels that someone who doesn’t care about others is lacking in His wisdom.

The end of the verse goes on to tell us that “a man of understanding,” which we have seen in other studies in this book is a description of a “righteous man,” will “hold his peace…” Generally when THIS phrase is used, it means that person will hold his tongue or be very careful in the way that he handles situations. He will be in control of himself and his reactions to the problems that come up, and handle them in ways that God would lead him in. This, in turn, will lead to healing instead of further strife.