Proverbs 26:3 Commentary and Bible Study

Again and again we see the elegance of these proverbs. The reader is required to do some work to understand them. In this case, no formal comparison is made, but a comparison is certainly intended. Two creatures are brought before us whose nature is well-known and which cannot be subdued without force. They are not made compliant by speaking nicely to them or because of their responsiveness and natural cooperation, for they have to be subdued with in the one case a whip, and in the other a bridle. The whip is administered whenever the horse turns to one side or the other and to encourage it to go faster when it is inclined to loiter. Its will must be made submissive to its master’s. Likewise the ass must have a bridle put in its mouth, an instrument which pulls on the tender part of the animal to inflict painful force if it does not go in the right direction, and to bring it to a halt. Neither of these are particularly gentle means of persuasion. In the same way God must discipline the fool, for just as the horse naturally wishes at first to go where it wants and to rid itself of the one sitting on its back, so the fool is full of lusts which demand to be satisfied, contrary to any commandment from God above. Viewed spiritually the fool need’s his back to be beaten before he is willing to obey, because otherwise he is driven by his appetites. We burn our fingers, but God has to hurt us a little more and check our earth-bound ways, so that we are ashamed. If God does not discipline us now and bring us to repentance, then a more terrible rod awaits us at the end of life.