Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly

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‎ Proverbs 14:17 קְֽצַר־אַ֭פַּיִם יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה אִוֶּ֑לֶת וְאִ֥ישׁ מְ֜זִמּ֗וֹת יִשָּׂנֵֽא׃

APB Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil schemes is hated.

Exegesis
The word translated ‘evil schemes’ (mezimmah) can be positive (prudence, 1:4; 8:12; discretion, 2:11; 3:21; 5:2) or negative (12:2; 14:17; 24:8). It is the context that determines its reference. The phrase ‘ish mezimmot ‘man of schemes’ occurs twice in Proverbs (12:2; 14:17). In Proverbs 12:2, Yahweh delights in a good man but He condemns a ‘ish mezimmot. This requires us to understand the ‘ish mezimmot as someone who is not a good man and is worthy of Yahweh’s condemnation. Given that background, ‘ish mezimmot in 14:17 is not merely hated by people, but also by Yahweh. In Prov. 24:8, the ‘master of mezimmot’ is one who “plans to do evil.” So then, in every instance in which mezimmah is in a construct-absolute relationship with a term referring to a person, it means ‘evil schemes.’

Theological Reflection
Yahweh you are not quick to anger. You do not act foolishly. You are slow to anger, and you always act wisely.

I rejoice that You are slow to anger. Thank you for being slow to anger with me! Strengthen in me the wisdom that helps me to be slow to anger.

You want us to be holy as you are holy. Being slow to anger so that one acts with wisdom is part of being holy as you are holy. Thank you for teaching me that short-temperedness is a path away from likeness to you, a path to acting foolishly.

Since you hate a man of evil schemes, I too should hate such persons. I hate them by 1) refusing to be part of their schemes, 2) confronting their wrong doing, 3) attempting to thwart them, 4) rejecting their company, and 5) seeking to bring them to justice. I do not hate them by nurturing anger against them personally, for that is implicitly forbiddenin your affirmation that being wrathful (14:16) and quick-tempered (14:17) are foolish. I don’t hate them by seeking personal vengeance against them, for you have said, “Vengeance is mind” (Deut. 32:35).


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