Proverbs 22

HOW THE BOOK OF PROVERBS PORTRAYS AND DEALS WITH A SLUGGARD, DRUNK, NAGGING WIFE, CON ARTIST, LADY WISDOM, AND LADY FOLLY
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HOW THE BOOK OF PROVERBS PORTRAYS AND DEALS WITH A SLUGGARD, DRUNK, NAGGING WIFE, CON ARTIST, LADY WISDOM, AND LADY FOLLY
Introduction
Proverbs is a book that comprises of several sayings put together on how a person can live a good and healthy life. It also offers guidelines on how to handle people’s character concerning different issues. To add on, it has passages that use personification to give meaning concerning various topics. The aim of this paper is to focus on how the book of Proverbs portrays and deals with a sluggard, drunk, nagging wife, con artist, Lady Wisdom, and Lady Folly
A Sluggard Person
In the book of Proverbs, the expression sluggard is used fourteen times. A sluggard is an individual who has the habit of being inactive or lazy. The person is not responsible for his life. The Bible condemns lazy people and cautions them about the consequences of being lazy.
In Proverbs 21:15, the Bible portrays a lazy person as someone who hates to work. He is an individual who loves to sleep as found in Proverbs 26:14. According to Proverbs 26:13, the lazy person is full of excuses so that he does not go to work. According to Proverbs 18:9, he wastes time and energy. In Proverbs 26:16, he also thinks that he is wise but in the actual sense, he is a fool.
In Proverbs 12:24, the consequences of a lazy person are that he will become a servant since he has refused to become intelligent.

Also, in Proverbs 20:4, the future of a lazy person is miserable since he is unable to plan ahead and does not work hard. The time others are harvesting he does not have anything since he failed to plant at the right time. To add on, according to Proverbs 13:4, he shall end up being poor because despite having the desires he never takes any action.
In Proverbs 10:26, the Bible warns employers against employing people who are lazy because it resembles the way a person feel painful when smoke enters their eyes. The lazy employee would become a pain to the organization. No employer desires to employ a sluggard person. Also, the Bible in Proverbs 6: 9 condemns a lazy person and advises him to wake up and go to the ants and study their behaviors, so that he may be wise. In Proverbs 16:26, People should not feed a lazy person as it will encourage him to continue being lazy.
The Drunk
According to Proverbs 20: 1, wine mocks people and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Therefore, people should not take it. In Proverbs 23:19, drinking can make a person poor because the drunkard is not able to work but only eats and sleeps. Also, alcohol gradually leads the person to lose possession of what he has as found in Proverbs 23:21, where the Bible says the drunkard starts wearing rags. In Proverbs 23: 29-31 drinking causes the person to be miserable and pity himself. Also, individuals who drink keep on looking for fights, struggles and are always complaining. Their eyes have blood shots, and they have wounds, which could have been avoided. It makes a person have hangovers whereby they feel as if a snake had bitten them the following morning. Drinking causes a person to utter careless words. It can lead the person to start feeling sick such as having headaches, and other times he may feel seasick. When the person becomes sober, they still want to drink more.
People are warned in the book of Proverbs 23:19 to stay away and not associate themselves with people who drink. According to Proverbs 23:31, individuals should not allow wine to tempt them because of its bright red look in the cup or how it tastes. Since at the end what it does is make people become addicts. In Proverbs 31:14, leaders are advised not to drink or crave for wine, because the hangovers will make them not remember the laws of their country and they may end up hurting those people who are relying on them.
Nagging Woman
The writer prefers a man to be lonely than be married to a nagging woman. Since a nagging woman draws life out of his husband and lives him suffering, or in pain, or destroys his life. Proverbs 21:9 and verse 19, based on the different Bible translation define a nagging woman, as a lady who brawls, is easily angered, quarrelsome, bitter-tongued, complaining, contentious, fretful, crabby or hot-tempered. No man would desire this kind of woman for a wife.
According to Proverbs 25:24 it says that instead of sharing a house with a nagging wife, it is better, which means safe, healthy, or pleasant for a man to live on a roof‘s corner. A roof is the covering of a building, which is not a good place for any person to stay. In Proverbs 21:19 the writer replaces the roof with desert, which means the man lives alone in solitary. A desert is an open area whereby the person is exposed to several extreme weather conditions and danger from the surrounding. The image the two scripture creates is that it would be better for a man to live alone, in seclusion, discomfort, risk, uninhabitable land where it seems impossible for people to live, or dangerous area than staying with a woman who is nagging.
Solomon advises that it is better to avoid such a woman if the individual is not married than marry her and live in misery. When choosing a woman to marry, look for a lady who has inner beauty, not the outer beauty. Since according to Proverbs 11:22 a beautiful woman without discretion is like a pig wearing a gold ring on his snout. Also, according to Proverbs 18: 22, men should take the time to look for a virtuous wife since it will make them obtain favor from God and enjoy their marriage life.
Con Artist
In Proverbs 2:14, a con artist, is someone who leaves the ways of uprightness and walks in darkness. He earns his living through wickedness. For example, a con artist first finds ways to gain trust from his targeted victim by using enticing words, then afterward deceives the individual. In Proverbs 6: 12, the aim of a con artist is to deceive and manipulate others, so that he may obtain whatever he wants from them.
In Proverbs 6:15, the consequence of a con artist is that one day he shall be caught, and then reap what he has been doing to others. Also, in Proverbs 20:17 bread obtained from deception seems sweet at the beginning to the con artist. However, the person will get disappointed and deceived at the end. In Proverbs 20: 21 the writer emphasizes that any inheritance a person gets using sneaky ways despite the fact that it seems like a blessing that particular time, it will later become a curse to the individual. Also, the con artist will end up losing friends.
According to Proverbs 2: 10-14, people should live an upright life and receive God’s wisdom and understanding to protect them from the con artists. After obtaining intelligence, the con artist will not be able to deceive people. However, they will be able to identify the con artists ways through looking for facts, if possible investigate, and get proof before accepting the con artists deal or sweet words. Also, in Proverbs 6: 17, God hates a lying tongue, therefore as Christians people should learn, to tell the truth about everything and at all times. In Proverbs, 20:22 after a person is hurt for example by a con artist, God does not expect the wounded person to rush and revenge for himself. However, the individual should give God room to revenge for him at His own time and way.
Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly
From Proverbs chapter one to chapter nine, the book provides different viewpoints about Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. The writer uses women to represent both Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. However, the two women personify two distinct ways. Lady Wisdom, the wisdom way, while Lady Folly, the folly way. For example, in Proverbs 2:16 Lady Folly is personified as an adulterous woman. Also in Proverbs 7:19 -20 she is an immoral and godless woman. To add on, she is not shameful concerning sin. However, Lady Wisdom is personified as a virgin woman whom a prudent son should pursue, and seek for passionately. In Proverbs 3: 15, she is better off than jewels. Also, she is god-like and is eternal.
When a person follows Lady Wisdom, they receive security. Also, according to Proverbs 3:16-17, Lady Wisdom will teach them, give them sound wisdom and counsel, she will give them peace, riches, and long life. However, in Proverbs 2:17, the Bible says that path of Lady Folly leads to death. Also, people who follow her stumble, and stay in darkness
People should avoid Lady Folly and abandon her. However, people should seek and pursue Lady Wisdom. According to proverb 4:6-8, people should follow Lady Wisdom and never leave her because she will protect them from death. Also, people should love her, and she will watch over them. Individuals should attain wisdom, and she will care for them. People should esteem Lady Wisdom, and she will be able to exalt them. The people who embrace wisdom, wisdom will honor them.
Bibliography
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Aitken, Kenneth T. Proverbs. Philadelphia, Pa: Westminster Press, 1986.
Bowen, Barry. Proverbs: An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs. [Place of publication not identified]: Writers Literary & Publis, 2012.
Dockery, David S. Concise Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Lawson, George. Exposition of the Book of Proverbs. 1821.
Waltke, Bruce K. The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2004.