Key Verse Spotlight
Proverbs 17:2 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers. "
Proverbs 17:2
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
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True worth is not measured by rank. Everyone agrees that a son in the family has more standing than a servant (John 8:35), yet it can happen that the servant is wise, while the son is foolish. In that case, the servant becomes a help and credit to the family, while the son becomes a burden and a disgrace. Eliezer of Damascus, though Abram could hardly imagine him as his heir, was still a great support to the family when he found a wife for Isaac. Ishmael, on the other hand, was a shame to the family when he mocked Isaac.
At the same time, real honor does follow good character. If a servant is wise and handles things well, he will be trusted more. He may even end up having authority over a son who brings shame. God and nature have ordered things so that a foolish person should serve a wise-hearted one. In fact, a careful and sensible servant may gain such favor with his master that he is treated like a child of the household, with a share in the inheritance among the brothers.
From This Chapter
Proverbs 17:1
"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife."
Proverbs 17:3
"The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts."
Proverbs 17:4
"An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue."
Proverbs 17:5
"Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished."
Proverbs 17:6
"Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children is their parents."
Proverbs 17:7
"Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince."
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