Proverbs 3:27 Commentary and Bible Study

Now there is a change of illustration, and it is a fascinating one. It is still an argument about our need of the goodness of God, and of salvation. This is a section about a person who exhibits nothing but selfish defiance in life, and the illustration is of a person who lives in the village, and his neighbours are good neighbours, he has no cause to hate them, they have done nothing against him. They are gentle, decent, good people, and they help him. But for some reason or other this person is an antibody, as we sometimes call them, against everybody. This person is a defiant person, someone who cannot relate to or appreciate others. He always seems to be against others, the sort of person who cannot live peaceably, but is always against someone, always critical. So here is such a person in the village, and in the illustration we are warned not to be such a person. A very interesting Hebrew word is translated by the words, ‘them to whom it is due’. The Hebrew word is often used of somebody to whom you owe something, like a husband, or a wife, to whom you owe your loyalty, your faithfulness, your helpfulness, your affection. It is used here of a neighbour, possibly one who is an older person, certainly a neighbour to whom you owe goodwill, and you owe a return favour, and you owe a good deal. You ought to be a good neighbour, because he has been a good neighbour to you. Maybe his well has become temporarily contaminated, and yours is fine, and he helped you when yours was in a bad state, now you owe it to him to help. There is always the person who is unwilling to be at all helpful in any circumstance, even when it is within his means.