PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Proverbs
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 266,170 words · 546 reading sections
Proverbs 18:5
Proverbs 18:5 Ver. 5. [It is] not good to accept the person of the wicked,.... For a judge to have respect to a wicked man in a cause before him, and to favour him, because he is a rich man, or a relation, or he has received some kindness from him; none of these things should have any influence upon him to overthrow …
144 wordsSECTION 302Proverbs 18:6
Proverbs 18:6 Ver. 6. A fool's lips enter into contention,.... That is, between others, when he has nothing to do with it; but he must be meddling, and make himself a party in the contention, which is an argument of his folly; he says things which occasion disputes, raise contentions among men, and provoke to wrath an…
152 wordsSECTION 303Proverbs 18:7
Proverbs 18:7 Ver. 7. A fool's mouth [is] his destruction,.... The cause of it; for his contentions, and quarrels, and evil speaking, lawsuits are commenced against him, which bring ruin upon himself and his family now; as well as for his idle and wicked words he will be condemned hereafter, Mt 12:35; there is a world…
154 wordsSECTION 304Proverbs 18:8
Proverbs 18:8 Ver. 8. The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds,.... Or rather they are wounds; they wound the credit and reputation of the person of whom the tale is told; they wound the person to whom it is told, and destroy his love and affection to his friend; and in the issue they wound, hurt, and ruin the talebe…
280 wordsSECTION 305Proverbs 18:9
Proverbs 18:9 Ver. 9. He also that is slothful in his work,.... Remiss in it; hangs down his hands, and does not care to make use of them, but neglects his business: is brother to him that is a great waster: a prodigal man, who spends his substance in riotous living: the sluggard and the prodigal are brethren in iniq…
185 wordsSECTION 306Proverbs 18:10
Proverbs 18:10 Ver. 10. The name of the Lord [is] a strong tower,.... By "the name of the Lord" may be meant, either the attributes and perfections of God, by which he is made known, and which are the strength and security of his people; his goodness, grace, and mercy, are their defence; his favour encompasses them ab…
720 wordsSECTION 307Proverbs 18:11
Proverbs 18:11 Ver. 11. The rich man's wealth [is] his strong city,.... In which he dwells, over which he presides; in which he places his trust and confidence, and thinks himself safe from every enemy and from all trouble: as one {s} observes, "the abundance of a rich man's wealth he conceives to be as it were the a…
282 wordsSECTION 308Proverbs 18:12
Proverbs 18:12 Ver. 12. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,.... Lifted up with his riches. Rich men are apt to be highminded, and therefore are to be charged and cautioned against it; they are apt to look above their poor neighbours, and with contempt upon them; and very often this haughtiness of theirs is…
134 wordsSECTION 309Proverbs 18:13
Proverbs 18:13 Ver. 13. He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it],.... Who is impatient, and cannot wait to hear it out, but breaks in upon the speaker before he has finished what he has to say; or is rash and precipitate, and returns an answer at once, without weighing and considering, and thoroughly understa…
94 wordsSECTION 310Proverbs 18:14
Proverbs 18:14 Ver. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity,.... The spirit of a mighty man, as Jarchi; a man of spirit, that has a spirit of fortitude, even of natural fortitude, and especially of Christian fortitude; that has a spirit of might upon him, of power, and sound mind; a man of a Christian spiri…
650 wordsSECTION 311Proverbs 18:15
Proverbs 18:15 Ver. 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge,.... More knowledge; for he must have some, and a considerable share, to be denominated "prudent", whether in things natural, civil, or spiritual: and such will be heartily desirous of more, and make use of all means to attain it, by which they do come…
162 wordsSECTION 312Proverbs 18:16
Proverbs 18:16 Ver. 16. A man's gift maketh room for him,.... Or "enlarges him" {y}; brings him out of prison, or, or out of straits and difficulties with which he, has, been pressed; or it makes way for him to a judge, and for a favourable hearing of his cause; or it enlarges his acquaintance, and gains him respect a…
140 wordsSECTION 313Proverbs 18:17
Proverbs 18:17 Ver. 17. He that is first in his own cause [seemeth] just,.... As perhaps Tertullus did, before Paul made his defence; and as Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, before his master detected him: this often appears true in telling a tale, in private conversation, in lawsuits before a judge and a court of judica…
250 wordsSECTION 314Proverbs 18:18
Proverbs 18:18 Ver. 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease,.... When a case cannot be determined among parties at variance in a private way, nor in a court of judicature, the lot is cast, and that puts an end to all strife, and makes each party easy; they submit to it, and acquiesce in it; and parteth between the m…
189 wordsSECTION 315Proverbs 18:19
Proverbs 18:19 Ver. 19. A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city,.... A fortified city may sooner be taken by an enemy, than one brother offended can be reconciled to another; their resentments against each other are keener than against another person that has offended them; and their love being tur…
189 wordsSECTION 316Proverbs 18:20
Proverbs 18:20 Ver. 20. A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth,.... With his own words and discourses, when they are prudent, pious, and savoury; when they are with grace, and minister it; they are satisfying to himself, to his own mind and conscience, and to his family; to all within his house, …
169 wordsSECTION 317Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 18:21 Ver. 21. Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue,.... Of witnesses, according to the testimony they bear; of judges, according to the sentence they pass; of teachers, according to the doctrine they preach; of all men, who, by their well or ill speaking, bring death or life to themselves and othe…
1,247 wordsSECTION 318Proverbs 19:1
Proverbs 19:1 Ver. 1. Better [is] the poor that walketh in his integrity,.... In the uprightness of his heart before God and men; who is sincere in the worship of God, and in the profession of his name, and walks in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless; and is upright, harmless, and inoffensive in…
301 wordsSECTION 319Proverbs 19:2
Proverbs 19:2 Ver. 2. Also, [that] the soul [be] without knowledge, [it is] not good,.... Without knowledge of things natural and civil, especially without the knowledge of God and Christ, and divine and spiritual things; to be without this is not good, yea, very bad; for men without such knowledge and understanding a…
230 wordsSECTION 320Proverbs 19:3
Proverbs 19:3 Ver. 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way,.... The sinfulness of his heart and nature; the folly which is bound up in it causes him to go astray out of the way in which he should go, or makes things go cross with him; so that the ways he takes do not prosper, nor his schemes succeed; but everythi…
134 wordsSECTION 321Proverbs 19:4
Proverbs 19:4 Ver. 4. Wealth maketh many friends,.... Or "adds" {f}; it increases the number of them: so the poet {g}, "donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos"; and to this agrees what the wise man says, Pr 14:20; but the poor is separated from his neighbour; or "friend" {h}; he will not visit him as he did in his…
128 wordsSECTION 322Proverbs 19:5
Proverbs 19:5 Ver. 5. A false witness shall not be unpunished,.... He that bears false witness against his neighbour in an open court of judicature; though be may not be detected by men, and so escape the punishment due to such offenders by the laws of God and men; yet God, who knows all hearts and actions, will not s…
146 wordsSECTION 323Proverbs 19:6
Proverbs 19:6 Ver. 6. Many will entreat the favour of the prince,.... Or of the liberal and bountiful man; as kings and princes generally are, Lu 22:25; such have many to wait upon them, and are humble petitioners to them. Aben Ezra and Gersom interpret the many of great and honourable men, who are courtiers to kings …
223 wordsSECTION 324Proverbs 19:7
Proverbs 19:7 Ver. 7. All the brethren of the poor do hate him,.... They despise him on account of his poverty; they neglect him, and do not take care of him; they reckon him a reproach unto them, and do not choose to own him; all which may be interpreted an hatred of him; how much more do his friends go far from him…
376 wordsSECTION 325Proverbs 19:8
Proverbs 19:8 Ver. 8. He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul,.... Wisdom and knowledge in things natural and civil; and especially in things divine, spiritual, and evangelical; particularly he that gets Christ, the Wisdom of God, and a saving knowledge of him; see Pr 3:13. Or, "he that getteth a heart" {p}; a good…
324 wordsSECTION 326Proverbs 19:9
Proverbs 19:9 Ver. 9. A false witness shall not be unpunished,.... See Gill on "Pr 19:5"; and [he that] speaketh lies shall perish; or "be lost", shall be undone for ever; he shall not enter into the holy city, but have his part in the lake of fire: they that speak lies in hypocrisy, doctrinal ones, and are given up …
74 wordsSECTION 327Proverbs 19:10
Proverbs 19:10 Ver. 10. Delight is not seemly for a fool,.... Such an one as Nabal, whose name and nature were alike; and whose prosperity ill became him, and the mirth and delight he had in it, 1Sa 25:25; for, as the wise man elsewhere says, "the prosperity of fools shall destroy them", Pr 1:26; they do not know how …
220 wordsSECTION 328Proverbs 19:11
Proverbs 19:11 Ver. 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger,.... That he does not show it immediately; but takes time to consider of the offence given him, and makes use of a proper time to resent what is fit should be resented; he is a wise and discreet man that is slow to anger, Pr 14:29. He is most like to …
160 wordsSECTION 329Proverbs 19:12
Proverbs 19:12 Ver. 12. The king's wrath [is] as the roaring of a lion,.... Which is very terrible when hungry, and is after its prey, and has got it. Kings, especially tyrannical ones, are compared to lions; as Nebuchadnezzar by Jeremiah, Jer 4:17; and Nero by the Apostle Paul, 2Ti 4:7; and the rage of such is very d…
185 wordsSECTION 330Proverbs 19:13
Proverbs 19:13 Ver. 13. A foolish son [is] the calamity of his father,.... Or, "the calamities of his father" {q}; he brings them to him. A very great affliction he is, and which has many distresses and sorrows in it; as loss of reputation and credit in his family, which is sunk by his behaviour, instead of being supp…
206 wordsSECTION 331Proverbs 19:14
Proverbs 19:14 Ver. 14. Houses and riches [are] the inheritance of fathers,.... Which they are careful to provide and leave to their children. This they may and often do, build or purchase houses, and procure great riches, and put their children into the possession of them; and, or but, a prudent wife [is] from the …
148 wordsSECTION 332Proverbs 19:15
Proverbs 19:15 Ver. 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep,.... Slothful persons are generally sleepy, and are very desirous of sleep, and indulge themselves in it; they spend their time, day and night, in sleep and drowsiness; and are quite careless and unconcerned about either their temporal or eternal good; see…
108 wordsSECTION 333Proverbs 19:16
Proverbs 19:16 Ver. 16. He that keepeth the commandment,.... Either of parents, as children ought to do; or of masters, as servants should; or of kings and princes, as is the duty of subjects in all things lawful: or rather of God; every command of his, whether of a moral or positive nature, which, though they cannot …
3,383 wordsSECTION 334Proverbs 20:1
Proverbs 20:1 Ver. 1. Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging,.... Wine deceives a man; it not only overcomes him before he is aware, but it promises him a pleasure which it does not give; but, on the contrary, excessive drinking gives him pain, and so mocks him; yea, it exposes him to reproach and disgrace, and …
292 wordsSECTION 335Proverbs 20:2
Proverbs 20:2 Ver. 2. The fear of a king [is] as the roaring of a lion,.... The wrath and displeasure of a king, which causes fear; see Pr 19:12; kings should be terrors to evil works and workers, though not to good ones, Ro 13:3. This is true of the King of kings, who one day will be terrible to the drunkards, the mo…
126 wordsSECTION 336Proverbs 20:3
Proverbs 20:3 Ver. 3. [It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife,.... As Abraham did, Ge 13:7; when engaged in a quarrel with his neighbour, or in a lawsuit, or in a religious controversy, especially when he finds he is in the wrong; and indeed, if he is in the right, when he perceives it is like to issue in no …
116 wordsSECTION 337Proverbs 20:4
Proverbs 20:4 Ver. 4. The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold,.... Or, "in the cold"; in the time of cold, as Aben Ezra; in the time of autumn, which is the time of ploughing, when it begins to be cold weather, and winter is drawing on: and this is discouraging to the sluggard, who does not care to take his…
224 wordsSECTION 338Proverbs 20:5
Proverbs 20:5 Ver. 5. Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water,.... Pure and undisturbed, but secret, hidden, and hard to be come at: such are the things of the spirit of a man, the thoughts of his mind, the devices of his heart; which, though easily known by the searcher of hearts, are not easily penetrated i…
241 wordsSECTION 339Proverbs 20:6
Proverbs 20:6 Ver. 6. Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness,.... As the Pharisee did, in Lu 18:11; and as the Pharisees in common did; who did all their works to be seen of men, and made clean the outside of the cup and platter; and were very careful to appear outwardly righteous to men, Mt 23:5. And indeed…
322 wordsSECTION 340Proverbs 20:7
Proverbs 20:7 Ver. 7. The just [man] walketh in his integrity,.... This is the faithful and upright man, who is made righteous by the obedience of Christ; and walks by faith in him, and according to the truth of the Gospel; his children [are] blessed after him; with temporal blessings; and, walking in the same integr…
106 wordsSECTION 341Proverbs 20:8
Proverbs 20:8 Ver. 8. A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment,.... That executes judgment himself, as David and Solomon did; who ascends the throne, and sits personally there, and hears and tries causes himself, and not by his servants: scattereth away all evil with his eyes; all evil men, as the Targum; everyo…
179 wordsSECTION 342Proverbs 20:9
Proverbs 20:9 Ver. 9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean,.... The heart of than is naturally unclean, the mind, conscience, understanding, will, and affections; there is no part clean, all are defiled with sin; and though there is such a thing as a pure or clean heart, yet not as made so by men; it is God that ha…
296 wordsSECTION 343Proverbs 20:10
Proverbs 20:10 Ver. 10. Divers weights, [and] divers measures,.... Or, "a stone and a stone, and an ephah and an ephah" {d}. Stones being in old time used in weighing, and an "ephah" was a common measure among the Jews; and these ought not to be different; one stone or weight for buying, and another for selling; and o…
152 wordsSECTION 344Proverbs 20:11
Proverbs 20:11 Ver. 11. Even a child is known by his doings,.... As well as a man; "ye shall know them by their fruits", Mt 7:16; professors and profane. So a child soon discovers its genius by its actions; it soon shows its inclination and disposition; and some shrewd guesses may be made how it will turn out, a wise …
270 wordsSECTION 345Proverbs 20:12
Proverbs 20:12 Ver. 12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,.... There may be an ear that hears not, and an eye that seeth not, and which men may make; the painter can paint an ear and an eye, and a carver can carve both; but they are ears that hear not, and eyes that see not, Ps 115:5; but such as can hear and see ar…
614 wordsSECTION 346Proverbs 20:13
Proverbs 20:13 Ver. 13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty,.... Sleep is a very great natural blessing; it is a gift of God, what nature requires, and is desirable; it is to be loved, though not immoderately; it is sweet to a man, and what he should be thankful for; yet should not indulge himself in to the negl…
250 wordsSECTION 347Proverbs 20:14
Proverbs 20:14 Ver. 14. [It is] naught, [it is] naught, saith the buyer,.... When he comes to the shop of the seller, or to market to buy goods, he undervalues them, says they are not so good as they should be, nor so cheap as he can buy them at; but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth; after he has brought the…
189 wordsSECTION 348Proverbs 20:15
Proverbs 20:15 Ver. 15. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies,.... A man may have a large quantity of either, or of both of thorn, as some men have; for there is much of them in the world, not only in mines and quarries, but in the houses and cabinets of men; but the lips of knowledge [are] a precious jewel; knowl…
169 wordsSECTION 349Proverbs 20:16
Proverbs 20:16 Ver. 16. Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger,.... Which a man is cautioned against, Pr 6:1; but if a man will be so weak and foolish, others ought to take care of him, and be cautious how they trust him; for he is in danger of being ruined by his suretyship, and therefore nothing should be …
322 wordsSECTION 350Proverbs 20:17
Proverbs 20:17 Ver. 17. Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man,.... Which may be understood of sin in general, which is bread to the sinner, he eats it: it is called "the bread of wickedness", Pr 4:17; but it is but poor bread, no other than ashes Isa 44:20; it is "bread of deceit"; there is a deceitfulness in all sin; i…
613 wordsSECTION 351Proverbs 20:18
Proverbs 20:18 Ver. 18. [Every] purpose is established by counsel,.... Or "the thought" {f} of a man, everyone of them, what he has thought to do, formed a scheme of in his mind, and resolved upon, by taking advice of his friends, and especially by asking counsel of God, who gives, wisdom liberally, and upbraids not; …
3,320 wordsSECTION 352Proverbs 21:1
Proverbs 21:1 Ver. 1. The king's heart [is] in the hand of the Lord, [as] the rivers of water,.... The heart of every king, and all that is in it, his thoughts, counsels, purposes, and designs; the hearts of bad kings, as Pharaoh, whom the Lord hardened and softened at pleasure; the antichristian kings, into whose hea…
661 wordsSECTION 353Proverbs 21:2
Proverbs 21:2 Ver. 2. Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes,.... This is repeated, from Pr 16:2; for the confirmation of it; and that it might be observed and taken notice of, and men be brought under a conviction of it; which is not easily done, it being what affects all men: every man is conceited of himself…
175 wordsSECTION 354Proverbs 21:3
Proverbs 21:3 Ver. 3. To do justice and judgment,.... The moral duties of religion, what is holy, just, and good, which the law requires; what is agreeably to both tables, piety towards God, and justice to men; that which is just and right between man and man; which, especially if done from right principles and with r…
166 wordsSECTION 355Proverbs 21:4
Proverbs 21:4 Ver. 4. An high look, and a proud heart,.... The former is a sign of the latter, and commonly go together, and are both abominable to the Lord; see Ps 101:5. A man that looks above others, and with disdain upon them, shows that pride reigns in him, and swells his mind with a vain opinion of himself; this…
453 wordsSECTION 356Proverbs 21:5
Proverbs 21:5 Ver. 5. The thoughts of the diligent [tend] only to plenteousness,.... A man that is thoughtful and studious, and wisely forms schemes in his mind, and diligently pursues them; the issue of it is, generally speaking, prosperity and plenty: such a man is usually thriving and flourishing; and this holds go…
170 wordsSECTION 357Proverbs 21:6
Proverbs 21:6 Ver. 6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue,.... By telling lies in trade; by bearing false witness in a court of judicature; or by preaching false doctrines in the church of God: [is] a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death: such treasures, though ever so great, are like any light thi…
162 wordsSECTION 358Proverbs 21:7
Proverbs 21:7 Ver. 7. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them,.... Or cut them, so Ben Melech: dissect or "saw" {s} them; cut them to the heart; that is, when the sins they have been guilty of, in robbing God of his due, or doing injury to men in their properties, cheating them or stealing from them, are set home…
229 wordsSECTION 359Proverbs 21:8
Proverbs 21:8 Ver. 8. The way of man [is] froward and strange,.... Not the way of any and every man; not the way of righteous and good men, of believers in Christ; who know him, the way, and walk in him and after him, and being led by him; who have his spirit to be their guide, and do walk in his ways, and find pleasu…
513 wordsSECTION 360Proverbs 21:9
Proverbs 21:9 Ver. 9. [It is] better to dwell in a corner of the housetop,.... The roofs of houses in Judea were that, encompassed with battlements, whither persons might retire for solitude, and sit in safety: and it is better to be in a corner of such a roof alone, and be exposed to scorching heat, to blustering win…
216 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.