Proverbs 17: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Proverbs 17 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Proverbs 17 offers a series of wisdom sayings that underscore the value of integrity, wisdom, and peaceful relationships. The chapter contrasts the outcomes of righteousness and folly. It opens with the assertion that a peaceful home with little is more desirable than one filled with feasting and strife.

Key verse

“He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.”
Proverbs 17:27 (WEB)

Outline

Proverbs 17:1–2 Value of Peace over Strife
Proverbs 17:3–4 Divine Testing of Hearts
Proverbs 17:5–10 Consequences of Actions and Speech
Proverbs 17:11–15 The Nature of Rebellion and Justice
Proverbs 17:16–20 Folly and Understanding
Proverbs 17:21–25 The Burden of Foolishness
Proverbs 17:26–28 Value of Restraint and Temperance

Discussion questions

In v1, what contrast is made between a dry morsel and a house full of feasting?
What is said in v22 about the effect of a cheerful heart?
In v15, what does the term 'abomination' suggest about God's view of justifying the wicked?
In v20, why does the text connect a 'perverse heart' with a lack of prosperity?
When has a situation made you remember the wisdom of 'a friend loves at all times' (v17)?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Proverbs 17: James 1, Proverbs 18, Proverbs 15.

Before next time: read Proverbs 18.