Commentary - Proverbs 27:21

Bird's-eye view

This proverb presents a powerful analogy to reveal how a man's true character is tested. Just as the intense heat of a crucible or furnace is the proven method for purifying precious metals like silver and gold, separating the valuable from the worthless dross, so too is the praise of other men a furnace for the soul. Applause, commendation, and flattery function as a spiritual test. How a man reacts to praise, what he does with it in his heart, reveals what he is truly made of. It exposes whether his foundation is the fear of God and a sober understanding of his own sin, or whether he is riddled with the impurities of pride, vanity, and a craving for human approval.

The proverb is not saying that praise is inherently sinful, any more than fire is inherently bad. Fire is a tool, and praise is a tool. The issue is the substance being tested. The heat of the furnace does not create the dross; it reveals and separates what was already there. In the same way, the warmth of praise does not create pride in a man's heart; it draws to the surface the pride that was already lurking within. This is a crucial diagnostic tool for self-examination and a central aspect of the wisdom that Proverbs seeks to instill.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 27 is a collection of sayings that largely deal with relationships, community, and practical wisdom for navigating the social world. We find proverbs about friendship (v. 9-10), sharp counsel (v. 6, 17), and the dangers of contention (v. 15). This particular proverb, verse 21, fits squarely within this context by addressing a universal social dynamic: the giving and receiving of praise. It follows a proverb about the insatiable nature of Sheol, Abaddon, and the eyes of man (v. 20), perhaps suggesting that the desire for praise can be just as insatiable and dangerous if not governed by the fear of the Lord. The book of Proverbs as a whole is designed to equip the saints, particularly young men, to live skillfully and righteously in God's world. Understanding how to handle both criticism and commendation is a vital part of that skillset.

Key Issues

The Crucible of Praise

We live in a world that is ravenous for affirmation. From social media likes to corporate awards, modern man is conditioned to seek and measure his worth by the praise of others. But this is no modern problem. The book of Proverbs, with its timeless wisdom, identifies the praise of men as one of the most potent spiritual tests a person can face. It is a fire. And fire does one of two things to a substance: it either consumes it, or it refines it. This proverb explains which is which.

The image is one of intense heat. A refiner's furnace would be heated to over 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit to melt gold. At that temperature, the impurities, the dross, would separate and rise to the surface to be skimmed off. Only the pure, valuable metal would remain. The application is direct and convicting. When the heat of praise is applied to a man's life, what rises to the surface? Is it the dross of a puffed up ego, a self satisfied smirk, and a secret belief that he really does deserve it? Or is it the pure gold of gratitude to God, a humble deflection of glory, and a sober recognition that every good gift comes from above?

Verse by Verse Commentary

21a The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

The proverb begins with a statement of common knowledge from the ancient world. Everyone understood metallurgy. If you wanted to work with silver or gold, you first had to purify it. You had to get the junk out. Silver was heated in a matsreph, a refining pot or crucible, while gold, which requires higher temperatures, was melted in a kur, a furnace. The point is that there is an established, effective, and necessary process for purifying precious things. The value of the metal is not just in its existence, but in its purity. God is not interested in Christians who are a cheap alloy of grace and pride. He is in the business of making pure saints, and He uses various forms of heat to do it. Sometimes that heat is affliction and trial, as Peter tells us (1 Pet 1:7). And sometimes, as this proverb states, that heat is applause.

21b And each is tested by the mouth that praises him.

Here is the punchline. The parallel is drawn. A man is to praise as gold is to the furnace. The ESV translates this as "a man is tested by his praise," which can be read two ways: how he praises others, or how he responds to the praise he receives. The context and the Hebrew point more strongly to the latter. The praise directed at him is what tests him. So how does this test work?

First, it reveals the dross of pride. The man who has a high view of himself and a low view of God will inhale praise like it is oxygen. He will believe it, internalize it, and it will become the fuel for his self worship. He starts to think he is something special, forgetting that he is a sinner saved by grace alone. The praise makes him swell. This is the dross bubbling to the surface.

Second, it can reveal the dross of false humility. This is the man who makes a great show of deflecting praise. "Oh, no, it was nothing. All glory to God," he says, while his heart is secretly preening. This is not true humility; it is pride wearing a pious mask. He wants you to be impressed by how humble he is, which is just another layer of vanity. This too is dross.

Third, it reveals the pure gold of genuine, Christ-centered humility. The godly man hears praise and his first instinct is gratitude, both to the person giving it and to the God who enabled him. He receives it graciously but passes the glory heavenward, where it belongs. He does not let the praise define him, because his identity is already secure in Christ. He knows he is an unworthy servant, and any good that flows through him is from the hand of a gracious God. The fire of praise does not consume him or puff him up; it simply purifies his motives, reminding him again where his true worth is found. He is able to say a genuine "thank you" without his head swelling, because his head is already bowed before his Maker.

Application

This proverb forces us to ask some hard questions. How do we react when someone commends us for a job well done, for a kindness shown, or for a skill we possess? Do we find ourselves replaying their words in our minds, savoring them? Do we start to think more highly of ourselves than we ought? That is the smell of dross burning.

The application is twofold. First, in receiving praise, we must cultivate a reflex of repentance and thanksgiving. When praise comes, we should immediately thank God for His grace and ask Him to guard our hearts from pride. We should treat praise like a hot potato, thanking the giver but quickly tossing the glory up to God. We must learn to live for an audience of One. What God says about us in His Word is the final verdict, not what men say about us in their commendations or criticisms.

Second, in giving praise, we must be careful not to become flatterers. Flattery is praise that is insincere or exaggerated, designed to manipulate. We should instead give genuine encouragement. The Bible commands us to encourage one another, but this should be done truthfully and with the goal of building our brother up in Christ, not puffing him up in himself. We should praise the grace of God we see at work in a person's life. Instead of saying, "You are an amazing speaker," we might say, "Thank you for that word. It was a great encouragement to me, and I can see how God has gifted you." This directs the glory to the Giver of the gift.

Ultimately, our freedom from the addiction to praise comes from the gospel. In Christ, we have received the ultimate commendation. We are accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). The Father's verdict over Jesus at His baptism, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," is now, by grace, His verdict over us. When we are secure in that unshakeable, unmerited praise from God Himself, the fleeting praise of men finds its proper place. It is a small thing, a minor encouragement along the way, but it is not the foundation upon which we build our lives. That foundation has already been laid, and it is Jesus Christ Himself, the one who endured the ultimate furnace of God's wrath so that we might be counted as pure gold.