Crew Q & A

The only question I punted on yesterday in our Q & A times was:  What does the phrase “makes his door high” mean in Proverbs 17:19?

Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

We looked at that verse and applied it to how husbands sometimes try to stir up arguments with their wives. The first part of the verse (couplet) was the main point I was trying to teach.

Here’s the short answer to the question, but I’ll use this platform to teach a little.

The short answer is that a guy who makes his door high is building a door past the functional use of a door and is building a door for looks. In the context of wisdom, it is destruction to waste your time and money for the sole purpose of showing off. An application would be that this is the guy who has to have a house, car, yard, clothes, mailbox, Christmas lights or whatever that is better than everyone else on his street in order to show his superiority to them.

What does this have to do with what I mentioned in the first part of the verse? Very little.

This might be a good time to teach how Proverbs work. Proverbs are witty, vivid, and memorable ways to pass on truth. In this case timeless truth. There are more than 3, but there are about 3 main types of Proverbs used in the Book of Proverbs.

1. Contrastive Proverbs. Many times use the word “but”:

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. (Prov. 13:1)

This has the theme of a son following the instruction of his father. But it teaches it with positive and negative examples. Each line could stand alone if needed, but is underlined or magnified through contrast.

2. Completive Proverbs. Many times use the word “and” or “so”:

The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy. (Prov. 14:10)

This Proverb says the same thing in the 2nd line as the first, but it gives a more complete or fuller picture.

3. Compartive Proverbs. Many times use the word “better/than” or “like/so”:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Prov. 15:16-17)

This device compares which is better through comparing situations.

Proverbs 17:19 is neither of these in the classic sense. The one who loves strife in 17:19a and the one who makes his door high in 17:19b are guilty of different sins. One loves to argue, the other is arrogant and shows off through a high door. But the result for the both is the same. Transgression and destruction.

So 17:19b had nothing to do with our point from yesterday. However there is a view that this is a completive proverb and that the strife created in 17:19a is actually strife over who is greater and comes through bragging and showing off. But either way this had nothing to do with my point from yesterday. Hope this helps.

Peace. And keep the questions coming.