Proverbs 27:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

NIV: Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

NASB: Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed.

CSB: Better an open reprimand than concealed love.

NLT: An open rebuke is better than hidden love!

KJV: Open rebuke is better than secret love.

NKJV: Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed.

The modern world often presumes that true friends only speak words of affirmation; that to love someone means to endorse everything about them. Or, at least, to never correct them or challenge them in any way. Scripture refutes this. If a friend genuinely loves a person, he will not refuse to correct him. Genuine love, paired with humility, compels a person to correct his friend when necessary. A "love" which stays hidden because it lacks the courage to call out sin or danger is weak. The point is not that every expression of disagreement is loving (Proverbs 15:1, 4, 28). Rather, Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) is saying that it's more loving to offer constructive criticism than to hide that love with inappropriate silence.

The following proverb (Proverbs 27:6) reinforces this idea. Enemies may pile on compliments and affirmations. Real love is sometimes experienced as "wounds" from an ally who speaks truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Loving correction can bring someone back on the right track, keeping them from danger or disaster. The apostle Paul writes: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). Of course, the rebuke should be offered in love. Paul writes that we are to be "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). It is not characteristic of love to withhold correction; it may be characteristic of cowardice. Paul exhorted Timothy to "be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2).

Wise sayings from this chapter warn about overconfidence and bragging. Solomon also encourages positive friendships and the wisdom they provide. He offers several notes about self-examination and the need for personal accountability. Many of the proverbs in this passage touch on the concept of speaking truth in love, even if it's not what the other person would like to hear. The end of the chapter uses the example of livestock to make a point about good stewardship.

This continues a collection of approximately one hundred proverbs associated with Solomon. King Hezekiah's men, probably his scribes, copied these from other scrolls (Proverbs 25:1). This chapter includes references to overconfidence, the value of friendships, and the importance of good stewardship. The assembly of Solomon's wise teachings continues through the end of chapter 29.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.