The Proverbs 32 Man
John Telgren


Okay, I know there is no such thing as a "Proverbs 32 Man." The book of Proverbs ends with praising the woman of honor. I would have liked for their to be another chapter praising the honorable man. This is needed in a time when the idea of manhood, manliness, and maleness has been under attack for decades. The rise of radical feminism has deeply affected traditional views of manhood, resulting in a feminizing tendency toward men. However, God created men to be men and women to be women, each with their own strengths and roles.

In my searching through the scriptures, I came across the 112th Psalm. This Psalm is a tribute to the godly man and is perhaps the closest thing we have to a counterpart to Proverbs 31. I decided to try something. Using ideas from Psalm 112; Prov. 20:5-7 and Job 29, I put together a composite picture of the honorable man in the style of Proverbs 31. So, if there were a Proverbs 32, it might look something like this:

Proverbs 32

  1. An honorable man who can find? His worth is far above riches and glory
  2. The heart of his wife trusts in him and his children have no lack of gain
  3. He does them good and not evil all the days of their lives.
  4. He works hard and faithfully to provide what is needed
  5. Safe and secure is his family as they look up to him and honor him
  6. He delivers the poor who cry and the orphan who has no helper
  7. He makes the widow's heart sing for joy
  8. He stands firm in what is just and right
  9. He is eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a father to the needy
  10. He breaks the jaws of the wicked and snatches the prey from his teeth
  11. He fears the Lord and delights in his commandments
  12. With honor he accepts responsibility and courageously leads with integrity
  13. In the town square he is known and commands respect everywhere he goes
  14. In the waters of his heart are plans and he has wisdom to draw them out
  15. A man of loyalty and tenacity is he, trustworthy and faithful
  16. His sons are with him, observing and learning, a model for them is he
  17. His sons are mighty and noble on the earth, a testimony to his character
  18. Overbearing, domineering inflates pride and ego, it is impotent and vain
  19. There are many men, but you are a real man, you are God's man
  20. His wife and his family follow his godly leadership
  21. A godly man who fears the Lord shall be praised
  22. His wife and family rise up to honor him
  23. Let the works of his hands praise him