Real Neighborly

(Proverbs 31:8 KJV)  Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

In this verse and the next we again we see the responsibility of wealth, power and position.  You say, “That lets me off the hook, I am none of these.”  Wrong.  Historically, if you live in the western world you are wealthy.  Even today, by world standards, the poor in America are wealthy.

Add to that the political rights that we have.  In America, think of the First Amendment to the Constitution.  We have in our basic source of law specific, written guarantees that make us cocky and loud without fear of the police attacking us as we worship, speak, read or gather with friends.  Much of the Western world shares that to some degree. 

In the days of Solomon, only the nobility and the very rich would have these rights.  The poor and slaves were expected to be quiet and obedient.  Today we are a part of the class that is to “open” (6605a) our “mouth” (6310) for others. 

In this verse there are two types needing our help.  First you have the “dumb” (483).  Literally this refers to the mute, people who are incapable of speaking.  Figuratively it would include those that are too shy or weak to have an opportunity to speak.  We have a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot.

Then we have the “unfortunate” (2475/1121) or as the KJV says, the “appointed for destruction.”  This is a compound word that literally means “sons of those who are passing away.”  It is an interesting combination.  “Appointed” (1121) is the Hebrew word “ben” which means “son.”  It is incredibly common.  The other word is used only here in the OT.  We are to be concerned with the children of the past.  This would be a very wide category.  You may have heard the phrase, “the world is our oyster.”  This would be rephrased to “the world is our clinic.”

So?  However you want to interpret these words it points out that followers of the One True God are supposed to be concerned about the people in our world.  Remember the OT command:

(Leviticus 19:18 KJV)  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

People think this was original to Jesus but it was really a standard God had demanded from the beginning.  Just think, Moses could have told the story of the Good Samaritan.