‘Iron by Iron is sharpened, And a man
sharpens the face of his friend’ Proverbs 27: 17 (Youngs’ Literal Translation)
I especially
like this translation of the verse because it gives a slightly different
perspective on this verse.
First, 'Iron
by Iron':
This tells
me that the only element that is competent, adequate, sufficient enough to
match Iron is Iron. It can only be sharpened by itself.
We are not
of the world (John 17:14). We bear a different spirit, the spirit of God and He
dwells in each of us that are born by Him.
Who are the
people in your circle of trust?
Choose your
company wisely and keep an eye out for whom you accept counsel from.
The second
perspective is 'is sharpened':
The goal of
the coming together of iron is to sharpen.
Matthew
Henry* tells us in his commentary on the verse that when we come together, it
should not be to slander, or banter or speak ill of each other but to improve
each other.
To sharpen
means many things. In this context, it refers to how we make ourselves more
alert, wiser, more precise or more thorough.
As Iron by
Iron is sharpened, this is how we are to sharpen the face of our friends.
When a
believer has a conversation with you, do they leave with a sharpened face or
ears tingling with gossip? Do they leave improved or ashamed because you have
spoken without grace?
*Matthew
Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic
Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photocredit: thinkradiant.com
Photocredit: thinkradiant.com
