Thought for the Day

Verse 13 - The Hebrew word translated stranger means not only "foreigner," but also "strange woman;" one who is not one's wife. In this sense, it means "adulteress" or "harlot." This verse is identical with Proverbs 20:16. As we saw in Day 192, any man who would guarantee a loan for an unknown foreigner or for a known prostitute, is not to be trusted. Precautions should be taken and the money not loaned unless something of great value is given as surety that the loan will be paid.

Verse 14 - This verse tells us that one who uses flattery to the extreme will be suspected of wrong motives and his flattery will be counted as cursing instead of blessing. It would be like someone who was singing in a loud voice outside your window early in the morning while you were still sleeping. You might appreciate their singing another time. However, if they did this while they were working for you, and they were aware that you were sleeping, you would tend to question their motives, wondering why they were irritating you so early in the morning. Their singing would not be a blessing. We should beware of those who use flattery to gain favor or get something from us.

A bold flatterer might draw public attention to someone in order to manipulate him. People are easily flustered when anyone speaks to them very loudly, especially about themselves. Loud praise could pressure us to give the flatterer what he wants, so as not to look bad in public. We would be doubly humiliated if the flatterer had a bad reputation. His praises would imply that we are his friend, and that we approve, or perhaps even join in his wrongdoing. In order to keep him quiet, we could be pressured into publicly saying or doing something that we do not want to do. Praises loudly given in order to manipulate are certainly a curse. We should always be cautious of those who are prone to flatter.