Christian Philosophy: How Christ Fulfills Proverbs 10:10
- A Writer for Christ
- Aug 24, 2022
- 3 min read
Image Credit: Media from Wix
Proverbs 10:10 says: “He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.” So, what portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ do we have here?
Honestly, I’m not sure what the first clause, “He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow” means. So, to understand what this clause means, I’ll go to the Commentaries Section of the Bible Hub website to reflect on some commentators on the Bible to shed light on what this clause may mean. [1] According to Matthew Poole’s Commentary, “That winketh with the eye” means “that secretly and cunningly designs mischiefs against others, as this phrase is used, Psalm 35:19 Proverbs 6:13.” Since Mr. Poole references both these Scriptures, let’s investigate them! Psalm 35:19 says: “Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.” Here, the psalmist parallels his enemies wrongly rejoicing over him with those who hate him without cause winking the eye. So, it appears that “winking with the eye” involves gloating over someone. Proverbs 6:13 says, when describing a wicked man: “He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.” While this verse doesn’t appear to clarify the meaning of “winketh with his eyes,” at least as much as Psalm 35:19, we know, given Proverbs 6:12, that it’s characteristic of a wicked man. John Gill says this: “A descriptive character of a wicked man, Proverbs 6:13; who so does, either to draw and allure persons to go along with him, and join him in his evil practices; or by way of scorn and contempt of others; or as a token to another of its being the proper time to circumvent his neighbour, or do him an injury.” In other words, winking with the eye here can mean to seduce people to join in sin, to ridicule others, or as a sign to someone else that it’s the right time to deceive or outwit [2] his neighbor, or to harm his neighbor. Next, we have the second clause, which reads: “but a prating fool shall fall.” Like we learned in our post about Proverbs 10:8, this means that a talkative fool will fall. [3] While we referred to “fall” there as possibly referring to apostasy, since, in that proverb, it was contrasted with receiving God’s commandments, “fall” in this proverb, I’m inclined to say, is a metaphor referring to failure, and it may have that same meaning in Proverbs 10:8.
Now, what does this tell us of the Lord Jesus Christ? Rather than showing us both who Christ is and who He is not, this proverb only shows what He is not. Rather than gloating over others’ misfortunes, Christ showed love and mercy even to His enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; cf. 1 John 2:3-6). Rather than luring man into wickedness, Christ woos man to follow Him, Righteousness Incarnate (Matthew 9:9; cf. 1 John 2:1). Rather than scorning others, Christ showed compassion on the needy (Matthew 9:36).
Reader, is this a description of you? If not, turn away from all else and trust Christ only, following Him with your whole heart by that trust! If yes, then continue fixing your eyes on Christ and Him only!
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