Proverbs 20:1–3 (ESV)
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
Intoxication first deceives and then controls the person who yields to it. Alcohol abuse weakens self-control, clouds judgment, and often gives rise to foolish words, conflict, and other sinful behavior. What promises pleasure or escape can ultimately destroy the life of the person it leads astray. A wise woman refuses to surrender control of her mind and conduct to alcohol or any other substance.
The anger of a king is compared to the growling of a lion. The growl is no empty threat. A lion has the power to seize its prey, and an ancient king held the power of life and death. Isaiah 5:29 uses similar imagery of a lion growling over its prey with no one able to rescue it. Solomon’s warning is straightforward. It is foolish to provoke a powerful ruler recklessly, because the consequences may be irreversible.
Verse 3 turns from provoking a king to provoking conflict more generally. The Hebrew verb translated “will be quarreling,” yitgala, carries the idea of breaking out into a dispute with force and intensity. The fool rushes into conflict, convinced that personal honor must be defended. The wise person recognizes that there is no shame in refusing a needless fight. As Bruce Waltke observes, “Paradoxically, the way to honor is to abstain from defending one’s honor.”
A wise woman does not stir up conflict simply to prove that she is right or make certain that her voice is heard. She is often willing to yield a personal preference or overlook an offense for the sake of peace. This does not mean ignoring sin or avoiding necessary confrontation. It means that pride does not compel her to answer every insult or insist on every right.
When you are insulted, overlooked, or treated unfairly, how do you respond? Can you entrust your reputation and the final administration of justice to God, or do you make noise until your case is heard? What about at home? Would those who know you best describe you as peaceful or quarrelsome? The clearest evidence of your character is often found not in public, but in the ordinary moments when there is no audience to impress.