"As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for
a fool."
- Proverbs 26:1
Brother Keith Green once sang a song with the following lyrics: "Like
summer snow, you were an unexpected sight. Oh blazing sun, you were
shining in the night. And I really should have known that you'd be
coming home." It's a song that I've never fully understood. In part,
it seems to be the father singing about the return of his prodigal son.
Yet, it also seems to be about one believer's surprise to see his Lord
coming for him. Whatever the premise of the song, the part that caught
my attention was the phrase "like summer snow." Where had I heard that
before? I wondered.
Using a concordance (a good reference book to have), I looked up the
word "snow" and found 24 places in scripture where it is used. So, I
went down the list of scripture phrases containing the word, and got
down to Proverbs 26:1, our text. Then, I opened to that passage in my
Bible and read.
I confess that the book of Proverbs has always been problematic for me.
I've never really understood its place within the larger context of
God's word. Then again, perhaps its just the style of writing that
bothers me. Such pithy little sayings remind me of Appalachian mountain
culture -- the culture of my family but one in which I don't quite fit
because I wasn't raised in Appalachia, much less the culture. (That
culture is known for its pithy little gems of wisdom). My limited
exposure to Appalachian culture has been through my dad's cousin, who
took me in shortly after my mom died; she later adopted me. Like many
folks in Appalachia, she emigrated north in the 1960s when there were
still plenty of jobs to go around in the nation's rust belt. I guess
Proverbs reminds me of my being out of place in my own culture; and
western New York State (where I was raised and where I currently live)
doesn't really have a uniquely identifiable culture. In any event, such
sayings often contain very powerful truths. Anyway, back to our text.
"As snow in summer..." I can't imagine many places in the world,
certainly none Solomon would have known about, where there is snow in
the summer. I've seen ice at the base of Niagara Falls in June. I've
heard of snow on some mountain tops in places like Montana and Wyoming.
I certainly suspect that there is snow year-around in the Arctic and
Antarctic regions. So, this might not be so strange to some. But what
Solomon is saying here has an agricultural connotation. We know this
from the phrase that follows, "...and as rain in harvest..." Summer is
the time when the crops are growing. Snowfall at such a time would kill
most (or all) of the crops. Harvest is the time to gather in the crops.
Rain at such a time is potentially disatrous, particularly for crops
that need to be dry to be harvested, such as hay and various grains.
Solomon uses these near contradictions in terms and applies them to
humans, "...so honour is not seemly for a fool."
The word "fool" is used frequently in the King James Bible. But what
does it mean? What kind of person are we talking about? In modern
English, the noun "fool" means a person who acts unwisely or who lacks
good sense or judgment. The Hebrew word that Solomon used is k'ciyl
(kes-eel'). It properly means fat but is never used in the Old
Testament as such. Solomon uses it to mean stupid or silly. The King
James translates it as fool (stupid is never used in the King James; in
the Old Testament, silly is a word that means a person who is seducible,
like our modern word gullible). A particularly close modern equivalent
to Solomon's fool is what we in modern America call "common sense."
Honour (using the Euro-Canadian and Victoriana spelling) is the King
James rendering of kabod (kaw-bode'). The Hebrew word properly means
weight but is used to express splendor or copiousness. The King James
translates it as glorious(-ly), glory and honour(-able). It comes from
kabod (kaw-bod') or kabed (kaw-bade'), these being primary roots meaning
to be heavy. In a bad sense it means burdensome, severe or dull. In a
good sense, it means numerouos, rich or honourable. The King James uses
honour and honourable more in the sense of being held in esteem by
others -- i.e., celebrity and social position in the community -- than
one's inner character or reputation. Thus, Solomon is referring to
hounour as high social position, as celebrity status, rather than
substantive character or good reputation.
Seemly is an archaic English word that means suitable, fitting or
morally/socially proper. The Hebrew word is naveh (naw-veh'), meaning
suitable or beautiful. Naveh is translated in the King James as
becommeth, comely and seemly.
So, what is Solomon saying? He's saying that, like snow in the summer
or rain in the harvest, celebrity and social position are not suitable
or fitting for someone who acts unwisely or has no common sense.
What does this mean for us today? Many of the Proverbs are simply
truthful observations about life, rather than commandments or promises.
Yet, there are lessons to be learned in such observations. Our text
suggests that people of celebrity and high social standing should be
people who have good common sense and do not behave inappropriately.
These people set the example for others. (Of course, the very concept
of celebrity borders on the sin of idolatry). A fool, as Solomon uses
the word, is the kind of person we should strive NOT to be. That
Solomon refers to such people frequently, and never in a good way,
should teach us something about the kind of people we should or should
not be.
1. What does Solomon suggest by his use of the phrase "[a]s snow in
summer"?QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
2. What does the Hebrew word translated "fool" mean, as used in our
text?
3. How does Solomon use the Hebrew word translated in our text as
"honour"?
4. What does the word "seemly" mean?
5. What does our text mean for us today?
Rev. Chancellor C. Roberts, II, is an ordained minister in the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance, serving God and that denomination in the ministry of
New Testament prophet (Ephesians 4:11). He manages an e-mail discussion
group for Apostolic/Pentecostal gays. He also edits the online newsletter The Apostolic Standard.
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Other Articles By Rev. Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II:
Speak Softly and Forget the Stick:
Toward a Quiet, Peaceable Life
Also In This Issue:
The Difference Soulforce Can Make
A Look at Proverbs 15:1
A Study of 1 Timothy 2:1-4
