1. The author has been speaking about the merits and benefits of wisdom… (vs.11) It preserves and keeps you safe.

2. Now Solomon mentions two specific examples of protection afforded by wisdom: it delivers thee from the evil man (vs.12-15).

A.) He Speaks Froward Things

1. Discretion will PRESERVE a godly man from the ungodly man…
2. It will also preserve the godly man or woman from the TROUBLE that comes from speaking froward things.
3. Solomon’s point is that evil men speak froward things (perverse; evil)

• Prov. 11:11 – whole cities (churches!) are overthrown by the mouth of the wicked!
• Untold damage is done when men use their tongues for evil purposes.
• Friendships are broken. Church fellowship is destroyed.
• This kind of damage COULD happen to any one of us—or all of us could be affected by it!
• Yet, Solomon promises that DISCRETION (wisdom) will protect us from the evil man who speaks froward things!
• Wisdom will dictate to us NOT to put too much stock in the words of a troublemaker—and thus rescue us from anguish of heart!

B.) He Leaves the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness (vs.13)

1. This implies that the evil man at one time walked IN the paths of uprightness… and then chose to depart… he LEFT that path and chose to walk down another path—the way of darkness!

2. Prov. 21:16 – he wandered out of the way of understanding… wisdom…
a. He WAS in the right way… but he wandered away.
b. Wandering takes places slowly and gradually.

3. In both passages, Solomon is speaking about a man who had received MUCH LIGHT and truth… and chose to wander away into darkness and error.

C.) He rejoices to do Evil and He Delights in the Frowardness of the Wicked (vs.14)
1. Rejoice: joyful, merry, glad.
2. The evil man isn’t happy unless he himself is up to no good.

D.) His Ways are Crooked and His Paths are Froward (vs.15)
1. This passage speaks of the ways/paths of the evil man. (same idea)
2. Crooked: twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, perverted.
3. His ways are twisted… distorted… slanted… out of line… needing adjustment.
4. The evil man demonstrates his wickedness by being OFF in his thinking.