What does Proverbs 15:27 mean?
Solomon reflects on the tragic results of being greedy. Scripture notes that sinful choices, including greed, come with the risk of serious consequences (Proverbs 11:3; 13:13; 14:11). Those who engage in greed and other immoral attitudes also put their families at risk (Proverbs 11:29). The person inclined towards honest gain—who "hates bribes"—can avoid those drawbacks.Joshua accused Achan of troubling Israel (Joshua 7:25). God had forbidden Israel from taking anything from the conquered city of Jericho, but Achan disobeyed. When Joshua asked Achan what he had done, Achan replied: "I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath" (Joshua 7:21). Achan's crime was such a serious breach of God's specific command that it cost him and his family members their lives (Joshua 7:24–25).
Proverbs 15:13–30 continues Solomon's contrasting descriptions of the wise and the foolish. In this book, those ideas are associated with accepting or rejecting God's truth, respectively (Proverbs 1:7). He writes about the gladness of the upright, wise person and the depressing existence of the wicked, foolish person. He contrasts attitudes, thoughts, and actions of both kinds of individuals, and he states that the Lord is far from the wicked but close enough to the righteous to hear their prayers.
Solomon begins this chapter of Proverbs by addressing subjects such as anger and self-control and how those reactions produce different responses from others. That extends to how carefully a person guards their words, and their responses to questions. Wise people seek wisdom and humbly accept it. Foolish people are careless, lazy, or arrogant. Solomon also notes the importance of perspective, and once again commends those who sincerely seek godly wisdom.
