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Verse 3 is the watchword verse for those of us who are prone to speak without considering; but these days, to email or post on Facebook fits just as well in our world.  It is much too easy for us to “say” something to someone electronically that we would NEVER speak aloud to someone in person.  Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.  Today, it is easy to bring relationships to ruin by opening wide our keyboards.  Perhaps the eleventh commandment should be “Thou shalt not click the ‘Send’ button for 24 hours, then read aloud first.”  The twelfth should certainly be “Thou shalt not click ‘Reply All.'”

Verse 20’s advice is just as easily understood as it is less often heeded:

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Or as Paul told the Corinthians in 15:33, “‘Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.’”  Adam Clarke said “To walk with a person implies love and attachment; and it is impossible not to imitate those we love. So we say, “Show me his company, and I’ll tell you the man.” Let me know the company he keeps, and I shall easily guess his moral character.”

Gill explained it saying that “(he who walks with the wise) converses frequently with them in private about spiritual and experimental things, and walks with them in public in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; he by those means grows wiser and wiser, gains a large stock of spiritual knowledge and experience…”  By the same token, the foolish companions will often precede their foolish ideas with a reminder that speaks for itself – “nobody will ever know…”  God does.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.