Proverbs in the Bible can be hard to understand, like many parts of the Bible.  Sometimes one proverb seems to contradict another, as these two seem to:

“A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
            wherever he turns he prospers.” – Proverbs 17:8
“Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
            but he who hates bribes will live.” – Proverbs 15:27

What are we to make of this?  Can both statements be true and can both statements contribute to our growing in wisdom?  Of course, the answer is yes, or they wouldn’t both be there in the Bible.

The reason the two Proverbs aren’t a contradiction is that the first just tells us the way things are, but the second tells us the way things should be.  Said another way, Proverbs 17:8 is descriptive and Proverbs 15:27 is prescriptive.  The first makes no judgement as to the eternal value of bribes, but the second suggests that those who reject bribery will have eternal reward.  Both Proverbs are true, but in different ways.

Put the two proverbs together and we see that, even though bribes can be effective, God’s people should hate them.  Christians shouldn’t be pragmatic and do whatever works, but they should seek to do what is acceptable to God, even if it’s not effective in achieving worldly ends.

The wise should understand how bribes work, but the wise also know that “whatever works” often isn’t the right answer.