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Proverbs 20 Summary

Wine, Kings, and the Pure Heart

Proverbs 20 opens declaring that wine is a mocker and strong drink raging, and whosoever is deceived by it is not wise. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion. It is an honor for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will meddle. A man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man understand his own way? Diverse weights and measures are abominable to the LORD, and man's works are known by their doings.

Key themes

Wine deceivesKing's fearCease from strifeThe LORD orders stepsJust weights matter

Key verses

Proverbs 20:1

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 20:2

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

Proverbs 20:3

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

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