Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.Proverbs 17:12-15
The statement in 12 about the fool may seem rather extreme, as if the writer were using hyperbole to make his point. But if we bear in mind all that Proverbs has already said about the fool, and remember that with him the potential for disaster is quite incalculable, we may have second thoughts about the extremeness of what is said. After all, one at least knows the issues when one meets a bear robbed of her whelps; with the fool, there is just no saying what might happen! The warning in 13 needs to be taken seriously because it is true on any level one likes to think of it, spiritual, moral, social, personal. An obvious biblical illustration of its truth is seen in the story of David and Bathsheba. It is a matter of history that the consequences of David's awful sin, forgiven though it was, dogged him for the rest of his days. The imagery in 14 (see RSV for a more graphic translation) is that of opening a sluice gate, and what is being said is that unless there is very strict control, far more water will come out than anticipated or intended. The beginning of strife is like this: it often needs only one unguarded moment for angry, ill-advised words to slip out. And once out, control can slacken, and damage can be done, in a matter of a few moments, that often a lifetime will not suffice to heal and repair. Well might the RSV urge, 'Quit before the quarrel breaks out'! In 15, compare Exodus 23:7 and Isaiah 5:20, 23. When the ultimate and absolute distinction between good and evil begins to get blurred, then is the time to fear for society. Such an attitude is intolerable in the sight of Him Who is the Righteous Judge. The universe is built on absolute moral categories, and the attitude expressed in these words constitutes a blasphemy against the very principles of the created order. Judgment must be according to truth, for the world to stand.