PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Proverbs
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 266,170 words · 546 reading sections
Proverbs 11:6
Proverbs 11:6 Ver. 6. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them,.... From death, as in Pr 11:4; and from falling by sin, totally and finally; or into it, so as to perish eternally; as well as it shall deliver those out of Babylon, who are the Lord's people, that will be found therein when that is about to fa…
146 wordsSECTION 182Proverbs 11:7
Proverbs 11:7 Ver. 7. When a wicked man dieth, [his] expectation shall perish,.... His expectation of a longer life, of getting more riches, attaining to more honour, enjoying more pleasure here, and of having happiness hereafter, and of being delivered from wrath to come; he will then find, when he comes to die, that…
282 wordsSECTION 183Proverbs 11:8
Proverbs 11:8 Ver. 8. The righteous is delivered out of trouble,.... One after another he comes into, if not in this life, yet at death; which is to him a perfect deliverance out of all tribulation; see Re 7:14; or when the wicked die, as in Pr 11:7, then the righteous are delivered from the trouble they gave them, or…
182 wordsSECTION 184Proverbs 11:9
Proverbs 11:9 Ver. 9. An hypocrite with [his] mouth destroyeth his neighbour,.... Deceives him with his flatteries and lies, and draws him into destructive schemes and practices; or "corrupts" him, as the word {i} signifies, and as the Targum renders it, with false doctrines; so, with fair words and good speeches, suc…
418 wordsSECTION 185Proverbs 11:10
Proverbs 11:10 Ver. 10. When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth,.... As it always does, even in the worst of times; in times of public calamity and distress, and when enemies rise up on all hands; it is well with them in life, in death, and to all eternity; see Isa 3:10; but there are particular time…
283 wordsSECTION 186Proverbs 11:11
Proverbs 11:11 Ver. 11. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,.... That is, either by the blessings with which they are blessed; and these are either temporal or spiritual: when good men are blessed with temporal blessings, the place where they live is the better it; and especially the poor, for they do n…
408 wordsSECTION 187Proverbs 11:12
Proverbs 11:12 Ver. 12. He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour,.... Not only in his heart, but by giving him opprobrious language; he speaks contemptibly of him, either because he thinks he is wiser than his neighbour, and therefore calls him fool at every turn; as those who are most destitute of wisdom con…
266 wordsSECTION 188Proverbs 11:13
Proverbs 11:13 Ver. 13. A talebearer revealeth secrets,.... The Arabic version adds, in the congregation, openly and publicly; that goes about with tales from place to place, who is like a walking merchant or peddler, as the word {l} signifies; who takes up his wares at one place, and exposes them to sale, and vends t…
285 wordsSECTION 189Proverbs 11:14
Proverbs 11:14 Ver. 14. Where no counsel [is], the people fall,.... Where there is no wise and prudent, sound and good counsel, as the word signifies; where that is not, there had as good be none, or better; a people, a kingdom, a commonwealth, nation, or city, fall into ruin and destruction, or into schemes which bri…
328 wordsSECTION 190Proverbs 11:15
Proverbs 11:15 Ver. 15. He that is surety for a stranger shall smart [for it],.... Or in "breaking shall be broken" {q}, ruined and undone; he engaging or becoming a bondsman for one whose circumstances he knew not; and these being bad bring a load upon him, such an heavy debt as crushes him to pieces. Mr. Henry obser…
5,246 wordsSECTION 191Proverbs 12:1
Proverbs 12:1 Ver. 1. Whose loveth instruction loveth knowledge,.... That loves the instruction of Wisdom, or Christ, Pr 4:13; the means of instruction, the Scriptures, which are profitable for instruction in righteousness, and are written for our learning; the Gospel, which instructs into the person, office, and grac…
361 wordsSECTION 192Proverbs 12:2
Proverbs 12:2 Ver. 2. A good [man] obtaineth favour of the Lord,.... One that is made so by the grace of God, for no man is so naturally; there is none good, nor does good, no, not one, until some good thing is put into him, or the good work of grace is begun in him. And such a man obtains favour or good will from the…
352 wordsSECTION 193Proverbs 12:3
Proverbs 12:3 Ver. 3. A man shall not be established by wickedness,.... Not any man, though he may be established in his wickedness, so as not to be rooted out of it; yet he cannot be so established by it as not to be removed from a prosperous state and condition into an unhappy and distressed one; he may seem to be i…
251 wordsSECTION 194Proverbs 12:4
Proverbs 12:4 Ver. 4. A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband,.... One that is loving and chaste, constant and faithful, obsequious and submissive to him; that is diligent in the affairs of her house, takes care of her family, brings up her children, and keeps up a good order and decorum among her servants, is an…
334 wordsSECTION 195Proverbs 12:5
Proverbs 12:5 Ver. 5. The thoughts of the righteous [are] right,.... Or "judgment" {o}. The thoughts of men's hearts are naturally evil, nor can any think a good thought of themselves; but the thoughts of the righteous are directed and influenced by the grace of God, and are formed according to that Word which is a di…
225 wordsSECTION 196Proverbs 12:6
Proverbs 12:6 Ver. 6. The words of the wicked [are] to lie in wait for blood,.... Which some understand of perjury and false witness, as Jarchi, whereby the lives of innocent persons are taken away: or it may be interpreted either of the smooth words and fair speeches, and secret artifices, antichrist and his emissari…
231 wordsSECTION 197Proverbs 12:7
Proverbs 12:7 Ver. 7. The wicked are overthrown, and [are] not,.... With such an overthrow as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. The kingdom of the beast shall not only be full of darkness, as at the pouring of the fifth vial, and be in the utmost confusion, but it shall be brought to ruin and destruction; which stands…
543 wordsSECTION 198Proverbs 12:8
Proverbs 12:8 Ver. 8. A man shall be commended according to his wisdom,.... Not according to his birth and pedigree; not according to his riches and wealth; not according to the places of honour and trust he may be in; but according to his wisdom, which he discovers in his words and actions, in his life and conversati…
293 wordsSECTION 199Proverbs 12:9
Proverbs 12:9 Ver. 9. [He that is] despised, and hath a servant,.... Meaning not the same person as before, but one in mean circumstances of life; and because he has not that substance as others have, at least does not make that show and figure in the world as some; and mean in his own eyes, as Jarchi; and does not af…
275 wordsSECTION 200Proverbs 12:10
Proverbs 12:10 Ver. 10. A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast,.... Or "knoweth" it {q}; knows the worth of it and values it, and takes care of it, and is concerned for the preservation of it; he provides sufficient food for it, and gives it; he does not overwork it, but allows it proper rest from labour; a…
334 wordsSECTION 201Proverbs 12:11
Proverbs 12:11 Ver. 11. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread,.... This was man's work in innocence; this he was doomed to do with the sweat of his brow after his fall; every man has his land to till, or some calling, work, or business, to be employed in, either civil or sacred; and it becomes him to …
365 wordsSECTION 202Proverbs 12:12
Proverbs 12:12 Ver. 12. The wicked desireth the net of evil [men],.... To be master of all the wicked arts and methods evil men use to ensnare and oppress others; to get them and their substance into their hands; or "desireth the evil net", as the Targum; the evil net of antichrist, which he lays for the poor, whom he…
413 wordsSECTION 203Proverbs 12:13
Proverbs 12:13 Ver. 13. The wicked is snared by the transgression of [his] lips,.... A wicked man often brings himself into trouble by giving his tongue too great a liberty, and by making free with the characters of others; sometimes by treasonable speeches against his sovereign; sometimes by bearing false Witness, an…
347 wordsSECTION 204Proverbs 12:14
Proverbs 12:14 Ver. 14. A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth,.... The wholesome advice, the good instruction, and sound doctrine he delivers to others, which are the fruit of his lips, and come forth by them from his heart; these redound to his own advantage, are not only a satisfaction to hi…
365 wordsSECTION 205Proverbs 12:15
Proverbs 12:15 Ver. 15. The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes,.... Whether it be the way of open profaneness, or self-righteousness, it appears to him to be the right way; it seems to him a very plain one, and he finds it pleasant; and, trusting to carnal sense, corrupt reason, and a false judgment, and having …
198 wordsSECTION 206Proverbs 12:16
Proverbs 12:16 Ver. 16. A fool's wrath is presently known,.... Having no command of himself, he cannot repress it, nor keep it in; no sooner is he provoked but he shows it in his countenance, and by his words and actions; it is to be seen in the fire of his eyes, in the frowns of his face, in the gnashing of his teeth…
4,170 wordsSECTION 207Proverbs 13:1
Proverbs 13:1 Ver. 1. A wise son [heareth] his father's instruction,.... As he should, and has good reason to do; since it must be cordial, faithful, and disinterested, as well as the effect of age and experience. He "asks for it" and "loves" it, as Jarchi supplies the text; he likes and approves of it, is well please…
372 wordsSECTION 208Proverbs 13:2
Proverbs 13:2 Ver. 2. A man shall eat good by the fruit of [his] mouth,.... Or, "of the mouth"; either another's or his own, since the word his is not in the text; though it is supplied by the Targum, Aben Ezra, the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions, as by us. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "shall eat …
386 wordsSECTION 209Proverbs 13:3
Proverbs 13:3 Ver. 3. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life,.... He that keeps his mouth shut keeps it as with a bridle; keeps it from speaking things of other persons, particularly of such as are in high places, of kings and princes, and civil magistrates: he keeps himself quiet and comfortable; keeps himself fr…
265 wordsSECTION 210Proverbs 13:4
Proverbs 13:4 Ver. 4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing,.... He desires knowledge, but does not care to be at any pains to get it, and so has it not; he desires riches, but chooses not to make use of the means, to be diligent and industrious, and so he is without them; he desires to wear good cloth…
297 wordsSECTION 211Proverbs 13:5
Proverbs 13:5 Ver. 5. A righteous [man] hateth lying,.... Or, "a word of falsehood" {y}; as being contrary to honour, truth, and conscience. He hates it in himself and others; he hates all sorts of lies, lies in common conversation, religious lies, doctrinal ones, false doctrines, lies spoken in hypocrisy; such as the…
248 wordsSECTION 212Proverbs 13:6
Proverbs 13:6 Ver. 6. Righteousness keepeth [him that is] upright in the way,.... Men of uprightness and integrity, whose hearts are sincere in the ways of God; the principle of grace and righteousness in them keeps them in those ways, and will not suffer them to turn aside into crooked paths; the word of righteousnes…
251 wordsSECTION 213Proverbs 13:7
Proverbs 13:7 Ver. 7. There is that maketh himself rich, yet [hath] nothing,.... Some persons make a great show of riches, and would be thought to be rich; put on fine clothes, live at a high rate, and appear in great pomp, and yet not worth a farthing; which they do to gratify their pride and ambition, and to draw in…
871 wordsSECTION 214Proverbs 13:8
Proverbs 13:8 Ver. 8. The ransom of a man's life [are] his riches,.... As Benhadad's were to him, when he was in the hands of the king of Israel, 1Ki 20:34; and as the treasures the ten men had in the field were to them, for the sake of which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, slew them not, Jer 41:8. This is the advantag…
460 wordsSECTION 215Proverbs 13:9
Proverbs 13:9 Ver. 9. The light of the righteous rejoiceth,.... The light of joy and gladness, which is sown for them, and arises to them; the light of spiritual knowledge and experience they have; the light of sound doctrine; the light of good works, and a Gospel conversation; all this, as it is delightful to themsel…
221 wordsSECTION 216Proverbs 13:10
Proverbs 13:10 Ver. 10. Only by pride cometh contention,.... Though it comes by other things, yet by this chiefly, and there are no contentions without it: or "truly", "verily", "certainly {d}, by pride", &c. Unless the words may be better rendered, "an empty man through pride will give contention" {e}, or make it; su…
204 wordsSECTION 217Proverbs 13:11
Proverbs 13:11 Ver. 11. Wealth [gotten] by vanity shall be diminished,.... In an unjust or unlawful way, either by robbery and theft, as Aben Ezra; or by fraud and tricking, by overreaching and circumventing others; or by vain practices, as by cards or dice, and by stage playing and the like; or by curious and illicit…
298 wordsSECTION 218Proverbs 13:12
Proverbs 13:12 Ver. 12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,.... That is, the object hoped for; if it is not enjoyed so soon as expected, at least if it is delayed any length of time, the mind becomes uneasy, the heart sinks and fails, and the man is dispirited and ready to despond, and give up all hope of enjoying th…
576 wordsSECTION 219Proverbs 13:13
Proverbs 13:13 Ver. 13. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed,.... The word of God. Either Christ, the essential Word; which must be a great evil, considering the dignity of his person; great ingratitude, considering the grace of his office; very dangerous, considering what a quick, sharp, and powerful Word he i…
382 wordsSECTION 220Proverbs 13:14
Proverbs 13:14 Ver. 14. The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life,.... Or "doctrine" {n}; the doctrine of those who are taught by the word, and are wise unto salvation; the words or doctrines of the wise, which are given forth by one Shepherd; the instructions of such who are like Scribes, well instructed themselves…
146 wordsSECTION 221Proverbs 13:15
Proverbs 13:15 Ver. 15. Good understanding giveth favour,.... A good understanding in things natural and civil gives favour among men; and so a good understanding in divine and spiritual things gives a man favour among religious people, makes him taken notice of by them, and acceptable to them: and such an understandi…
260 wordsSECTION 222Proverbs 13:16
Proverbs 13:16 Ver. 16. Every prudent [man] dealeth with knowledge,.... In order to get more, and with men of knowledge for the same purpose; all he does is with knowledge and discretion; he does not meddle with things, nor has he to do with persons, he knows nothing of; he both acts and speaks with knowledge, cautiou…
2,339 wordsSECTION 223Proverbs 14:1
Proverbs 14:1 Ver. 1. Every wise woman buildeth her house,.... Not only by her fruitfulness, as Leah and Rachel built up the house of Israel; but by her good housewifery, prudent economy; looking well to the ways of her household; guiding the affairs of her house with discretion; keeping all things in a good decorum; …
451 wordsSECTION 224Proverbs 14:2
Proverbs 14:2 Ver. 2. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord,.... It is plain that the fear of the Lord is upon the heart and before the eyes of such that walk according to the word of God, with a sincere desire to glorify him; for it is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil, and because of th…
255 wordsSECTION 225Proverbs 14:3
Proverbs 14:3 Ver. 3. In the mouth of the foolish [is] a rod of pride,.... A proud tongue, or a tongue speaking proud and haughty things; with which foolish or wicked men smite others and wound and hurt their reputation and credit, and in the issue hurt themselves also; their tongue is not only a rod to others, but a …
168 wordsSECTION 226Proverbs 14:4
Proverbs 14:4 Ver. 4. Where no oxen [are] the crib [is] clean,.... Or "empty" {z}, so Jarchi and Aben Ezra. Oxen were used in Judea in several parts of husbandry; in ploughing the land, bringing home the corn, and in threshing or treading it out, De 22:10. Now where these are not, or not used, where husbandry is negle…
728 wordsSECTION 227Proverbs 14:5
Proverbs 14:5 Ver. 5. A faithful witness will not lie,.... For that would be contrary to his character as faithful; and as he will not witness to a falsehood upon oath in a court of judicature, so neither will he tell a lie in common conversation. This may be applied to Gospel ministers, who are witnesses of Christ; t…
333 wordsSECTION 228Proverbs 14:6
Proverbs 14:6 Ver. 6. A scorner seeketh wisdom, and [findeth it] not,.... So the scornful Greeks, that scoffed at the plainness and simplicity of the Gospel, sought natural wisdom, and thought they found it, and professed they had; but professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and with all their wisdom knew …
303 wordsSECTION 229Proverbs 14:7
Proverbs 14:7 Ver. 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man,.... A wicked one; avoid him, shun his company, depart from him, have no fellowship with him, it, being dangerous, infectious, and hurtful; when thou perceivest not [in him] the lips of knowledge; when it is observed that his lips pour out foolishness, what …
255 wordsSECTION 230Proverbs 14:8
Proverbs 14:8 Ver. 8. The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way,.... The way of his calling, in which he should abide, and how to manage it in the best manner; the way of his duty, that he may walk inoffensively both towards God and men; and the way of life and salvation, which is by Jesus Christ, which to …
175 wordsSECTION 231Proverbs 14:9
Proverbs 14:9 Ver. 9. Fools make a mock at sin,.... At sinful actions, their own or others; they make light of them, a jest of them, call evil good, and good evil; take pleasure in doing them themselves, and in those that do them; yea, sport themselves with the mischief that arises from them unto others; they make a m…
357 wordsSECTION 232Proverbs 14:10
Proverbs 14:10 Ver. 10. The heart knoweth his own bitterness,.... Or "the bitterness of his soul" {l}, the distress of his conscience, the anguish of his mind; the heart of man only knows the whole of it; something of it may be known to others by his looks, his words, and gestures, but not all of it; see 1Co 2:10; bit…
557 wordsSECTION 233Proverbs 14:11
Proverbs 14:11 Ver. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown,.... Houses built to perpetuate their names and eternize their memory; and which, though built high and stately, strong and firm, yet by one accident or another shall come to ruin, when they imagined they would continue for ever, and their dwelling pl…
328 wordsSECTION 234Proverbs 14:12
Proverbs 14:12 Ver. 12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,.... As the way of sin and wickedness does, it promising much carnal pleasure and mirth; there is a great deal of company in it, it is a broad road, and is pleasant, and seems right, but it leads to destruction; so the way of the hypocrite and Phari…
195 wordsSECTION 235Proverbs 14:13
Proverbs 14:13 Ver. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful,.... As Belshazzar's was in the midst of his feast and jollity, when he saw the writing on the wall; so sin may stare a man in the face, and guilt load his conscience and fill him with sorrow, amidst his merriment; a man may put on a merry countenance, an…
171 wordsSECTION 236Proverbs 14:14
Proverbs 14:14 Ver. 14. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways,.... One that is a backslider at heart, whose heart departeth from the Lord; in whom there is an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; and indeed apostasy begins at the heart, and shows itself in the life and conversat…
361 wordsSECTION 237Proverbs 14:15
Proverbs 14:15 Ver. 15. The simple believeth every word,.... Every thing that is said to him every story that is told him, and every promise that is made him; and so is easily imposed upon, and drawn in to his hurt: every word of God, or doctrine of his, ought to be believed; because whatever he says is true, he canno…
795 wordsSECTION 238Proverbs 14:16
Proverbs 14:16 Ver. 16. A wise [man] feareth, and departeth from evil,.... He fears God, and is careful not to offend him; wherefore he departs from sin, stands at a distance from it, abstains from all appearance of it; being influenced by the goodness and grace of God unto him, he fears the Lord and his goodness, and…
259 wordsSECTION 239Proverbs 14:17
Proverbs 14:17 Ver. 17. [He that is] soon angry dealeth foolishly,.... A man that is quick and short, of a hasty spirit, and presently discovers anger and resentment in his face; he says and does many foolish things, which he afterwards is sorry for, and repents, and is ashamed of; and he is to be pitied and forgiven;…
4,965 wordsSECTION 240Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 15:1 Ver. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath,.... Mild words, gentle expressions, delivered with kindness and tenderness, humility and submission; these will work upon a man's passions, weaken his resentments, and break and scatter the storm of wrath raised in his breast, just breaking forth in a very boiste…
193 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.