PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Proverbs
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 266,170 words · 546 reading sections
Proverbs 24:8
Proverbs 24:8 Ver. 8. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person] To do evil is natural to men, all are prone to it; being conceived and born in sin, and, from the womb, more or less commit it: but for a man to sit down and contrive evil, as some men are inventors of evil things; contrive new sin…
181 wordsSECTION 422Proverbs 24:9
Proverbs 24:9 Ver. 9. The thoughts of foolishness [is] sin,.... The thought of sin is sin {e}, before it comes into action; the motions of sin in the mind, the workings of corrupt nature in the heart, the sinful desires of the flesh and of the mind: these are forbidden and condemned by the law of God as sin, which say…
264 wordsSECTION 423Proverbs 24:10
Proverbs 24:10 Ver. 10. [If] thou faint in the day of adversity,.... When under bodily afflictions, stripping providences, reduced to great straits and wants; or under the violent persecutions of men, which is sometimes the case of the people of God; whose times are in his hands, times of adversity, as well as prosper…
432 wordsSECTION 424Proverbs 24:11
Proverbs 24:11 Ver. 11. If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death,.... Or "taken for or unto death" {h}, in a violent way; who are taken by thieves and robbers, and used in a barbarous manner, as the man in the parable, whom the priest and Levite took no notice of, and was helped by the good Samarita…
332 wordsSECTION 425Proverbs 24:12
Proverbs 24:12 Ver. 12. If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not,.... The danger the person was in; or the innocency of his cause; or what method to take to deliver him; or that it was in our power to do anything for him; so the Vulgate Latin version, "if thou sayest, strength is not sufficient": or "we knew him not" {k…
407 wordsSECTION 426Proverbs 24:13
Proverbs 24:13 Ver. 13. My son, eat thou honey, because [it is] good,.... It is good for food; there was plenty of it in Palestine, and it was eaten for food, not only by children, but grown persons; and was very nourishing, strengthening, and refreshing to them, as Samson, Jonathan, John the Baptist, and others; and …
203 wordsSECTION 427Proverbs 24:14
Proverbs 24:14 Ver. 14. So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul,.... Or let it be taken in as greedily and with as good an appetite; as pleasant, useful, delightful, and profitable; even the knowledge of Christ, the Wisdom of God, which is preferable to all things else, and more desirable than the most p…
304 wordsSECTION 428Proverbs 24:15
Proverbs 24:15 Ver. 15. Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous,.... The church of God, which is the righteous man's dwelling place, and where he desires and delights to dwell; or his own dwelling house; it may be rendered, "at the dwelling of the righteous" {p}; lay not wait at his door to…
251 wordsSECTION 429Proverbs 24:16
Proverbs 24:16 Ver. 16. For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up [again],.... This is to be understood of a truly just man; not of one that is only outwardly and seemingly so, or of temporary believers and nominal professors; but of such who are thoroughly convinced of their own unrighteousness, and believe…
562 wordsSECTION 430Proverbs 24:17
Proverbs 24:17 Ver. 17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,.... These words are spoken not to the wicked man, Pr 24:15; but to the just man, or Solomon's son, or the children of Wisdom; for by the "enemy" is meant such who are at enmity with the people of God, as the seed of the serpent, and those after the flesh, a…
4,037 wordsSECTION 431Proverbs 25:1
Proverbs 25:1 Ver. 1. These [are] are also proverbs of Solomon,.... These that follow to the end of the book, as well as those which go before. Here begins a "third", some say a "fourth" part of this book. The Targum and Syriac version read, "these are also the deep proverbs of Solomon;'' and the Arabic version adds…
199 wordsSECTION 432Proverbs 25:2
Proverbs 25:2 Ver. 2. [It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing,.... Secret things belong unto him, and they are kept so by him: many things which he does reveal, yet the "modus" or manner of them remains hidden; as what relates to his own being, and manner of subsisting; the trinity of Persons in the Godhead; the f…
449 wordsSECTION 433Proverbs 25:3
Proverbs 25:3 Ver. 3. The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,.... These are eminent for what are ascribed to them; nothing is higher than the heavens, nor anything deeper than the earth; the height of the heavens cannot be reached, and the centre of the earth cannot easily be got unto; the heavens above cannot…
277 wordsSECTION 434Proverbs 25:4
Proverbs 25:4 Ver. 4. Take away the dross from the silver,.... By putting it into the furnace, and purging it from it: and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer; not out of the furnace, a vessel formed and shaped, but pure silver shall come out of it for the refiner; of which a vessel may be made, very honour…
77 wordsSECTION 435Proverbs 25:5
Proverbs 25:5 Ver. 5. Take away the wicked [from] before the king,.... Wicked ministers and counsellors; they are the "dross", worthless and useless; yea, hurtful and pernicious. The king is the "refiner", for whom the vessel is; the kingdom is the silver vessel refined; and which becomes much the better, when wicked …
148 wordsSECTION 436Proverbs 25:6
Proverbs 25:6 Ver. 6. Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king,.... Intrude not thyself into his presence; or rush not into it in a rude and irreverent way; or be not ambitious to be a courtier: or "do not appear glorious", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; or "honour thyself" {a} as the word signifies…
159 wordsSECTION 437Proverbs 25:7
Proverbs 25:7 Ver. 7. For better [it is] that it be said unto thee, Come up hither,.... It is much more to thine honour and credit to seat thyself in a place rather beneath than above thee; which being observed by some of the officers at court, or by him whose business it is to look after such things, he will beckon o…
208 wordsSECTION 438Proverbs 25:8
Proverbs 25:8 Ver. 8. Go not forth hastily to strive,.... To go to law with a neighbour; think well of it beforehand; consider the nature of the cause, whether right or wrong; or whether it is a matter of such moment as to go to law about; whether it will not be deemed a frivolous and vexatious suit; whether able to b…
165 wordsSECTION 439Proverbs 25:9
Proverbs 25:9 Ver. 9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour [himself],.... Between thee and him alone; lay the matter before him, and hear what he has to say for himself, by which you will better judge of the nature of the cause; try to compromise things, and make up the difference between you, which is much better than…
225 wordsSECTION 440Proverbs 25:10
Proverbs 25:10 Ver. 10. Lest he that heareth [it] put thee to shame,.... Or, "reproach thee" {c} with treachery and deceit. Either the person of whom it is told, or the person to whom it is told; who may make thee ashamed, either by fixing the odious character of a defamer, a whisperer, and backbiter, on thee; or by m…
143 wordsSECTION 441Proverbs 25:11
Proverbs 25:11 Ver. 11. A word fitly spoken,.... Or, "a word spoken on its wheels" {d}: that proceeds aright, keeps due order, is well circumstanced as to matter, method, time, place, and persons; a discourse well put together, properly pronounced, roundly, easily, and fluently delivered to proper persons, and adapted…
629 wordsSECTION 442Proverbs 25:12
Proverbs 25:12 Ver. 12. [As] an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,.... As a golden earring, when first put on, gives pain and uneasiness; but, being well hung and fixed, is very ornamental, being of fine gold, and especially when any jewels are upon it; which may be meant by the ornament, as the word is re…
221 wordsSECTION 443Proverbs 25:13
Proverbs 25:13 Ver. 13. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,.... As water as cold as snow; or as a breeze of air, such as in a time of snow; and so Jarchi, "as the cold of the days of snow, which a man desires in summer, and not snow simply, for snow itself is not good in the time of harvest;'' see Pr 24:1. O…
430 wordsSECTION 444Proverbs 25:14
Proverbs 25:14 Ver. 14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift,.... Of his charity and alms deeds; bragging of great things he does this way, when he does nothing; or who is very vain in making large promises of what he will give, when he does not perform; either not having it in his heart, or in the power of his hand…
189 wordsSECTION 445Proverbs 25:15
Proverbs 25:15 Ver. 15. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,.... To come into measures, and do that which his council and ministry advise him to, and to which he may seem at first very averse; but by a mild and gentle representation of things, by an humble submission of them to him, and by frequent remonstrances …
232 wordsSECTION 446Proverbs 25:16
Proverbs 25:16 Ver. 16. Hast thou found honey?.... Of which there was great plenty in Judea; and was to be found in fields and woods, 1Sa 14:25; eat so much as is sufficient for thee; to satisfy appetite, without overcharging the stomach; what may be conducive to health, and no more; lest thou be filled therewith, a…
258 wordsSECTION 447Proverbs 25:17
Proverbs 25:17 Ver. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house,.... Not but that it is commendable to be neighbourly and friendly, or for one neighbour to visit another; but then it should not be very frequent; a man should not be always or often at his neighbour's house. So the words may be rendered, "make thy …
140 wordsSECTION 448Proverbs 25:18
Proverbs 25:18 Ver. 18. A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour,.... In whose house he has often been, and whom he has frequently visited; and, observing what was done there, not only discovers and tells abroad the secrets of his family, but even things which are false; yea, in a court of judicature, ap…
135 wordsSECTION 449Proverbs 25:19
Proverbs 25:19 Ver. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble,.... It is not good to put confidence in any man, not in princes, nor in the best of men; much less in an unfaithful, prevaricating, and treacherous man; and especially in a time of distress and trouble, depending on his help and assistance, wh…
178 wordsSECTION 450Proverbs 25:20
Proverbs 25:20 Ver. 20. [As] he that taketh away a garment in cold weather,.... Either takes it off of himself, or another person, when it would be rather more proper to put another garment on, and so is exposed to the injury of cold weather;[and as] vinegar upon nitre: nitre was found in Egypt, beyond Memphis, as Str…
2,286 wordsSECTION 451Proverbs 26:1
Proverbs 26:1 Ver. 1. As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,.... Which were very undesirable and unseasonable, yea, very hurtful to the fruits of the earth; and a great obstruction to the labourers in the harvest, and a hinderance to the gathering of it in; and were very rare and uncommon in Judea; it was even a m…
201 wordsSECTION 452Proverbs 26:2
Proverbs 26:2 Ver. 2. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,.... As a bird, particularly the sparrow, as the word {h} is sometimes rendered, leaves its nest and wanders from it; and flies here and there, and settles nowhere; and as the swallow flies to the place from whence it came; or the wild pigeon, as…
364 wordsSECTION 453Proverbs 26:3
Proverbs 26:3 Ver. 3. A whip for the horse,.... One that is dull of going, or refractory and wants breaking; a bridle for the ass; not to curb and restrain it from going too fist, asses being generally dull; but to direct its way and turn it when necessary, it being stiffnecked and obstinate; though the Septuagint, S…
185 wordsSECTION 454Proverbs 26:4
Proverbs 26:4 Ver. 4. Answer not a fool according to his folly,.... Sometimes a fool, or wicked man, is not to be answered at all; as the ministers of Hezekiah answered not a word to Rabshakeh; nor Jeremiah the prophet to Hananiah; nor Christ to the Scribes and Pharisees; and when an answer is returned, it should not …
120 wordsSECTION 455Proverbs 26:5
Proverbs 26:5 Ver. 5. Answer a fool according to his folly,.... The Targum is, "but speak with a fool in thy wisdom;'' and the Syriac version, "yea, speak with a fool according to thy wisdom;'' which would at once remove the seeming contradiction in these words to the former, but then they are not a true version; …
230 wordsSECTION 456Proverbs 26:6
Proverbs 26:6 Ver. 6. He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool,.... Who knows not how to deliver it in a proper manner, and is incapable of taking the answer, and reporting it as he should; or unfaithful in it, and brings a bad or false report, as the spies did upon the good land; cutteth off the feet; he may …
233 wordsSECTION 457Proverbs 26:7
Proverbs 26:7 Ver. 7. The legs of the lame are not equal,.... Or as "the lifting up the legs by one that is lame" {m}, to dance to a pipe or violin, is very unseemly, and does but the more expose his infirmity, and can give no pleasure to others, but causes derision and contempt; so [is] a parable in the mouth of foo…
223 wordsSECTION 458Proverbs 26:8
Proverbs 26:8 Ver. 8. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,.... That so fastens it to it that it cannot be slung out of it, it becomes useless and does not answer the end for which it is put there; or that places it there that it may be cast out, and is cast out, and so is thrown away, and of no more use; or that put…
599 wordsSECTION 459Proverbs 26:9
Proverbs 26:9 Ver. 9. [As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,.... And he perceives it not; or being in his hand he makes an ill use of it, and hurts himself and others with it; so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools, a proverbial sentence respecting religious matters; or a passage of holy Scripture which …
201 wordsSECTION 460Proverbs 26:10
Proverbs 26:10 Ver. 10. The great [God], that formed all [things],.... That made the heavens, earth, and sea, and all that are in them; who is great in the perfections of his nature, and in the works of his hands, and greatly to be praised; both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors; according to their work…
244 wordsSECTION 461Proverbs 26:11
Proverbs 26:11 Ver. 11. As a dog returneth to his vomit,.... Who being sick with what he has eaten, casts it up again, and afterwards returns unto it and licks it up; [so] a fool returneth to his folly, or "repeats" {a} it, time after time, many times, as Ben Melech; or a wicked man turns to his wickedness, who, havi…
193 wordsSECTION 462Proverbs 26:12
Proverbs 26:12 Ver. 12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit,.... Or "in his own eyes" {b}; as multitudes may be seen, by looking round; man is a creature but of small knowledge in things natural, civil, mechanical, philosophical, moral, or divine; yet greatly conceited for the most part of his knowledge and wisdo…
452 wordsSECTION 463Proverbs 26:13
Proverbs 26:13 Ver. 13. The slothful [man] saith,.... Within himself; or to such that excite him to diligence and industry, to go about the business of his calling, to till his field, and dress his vineyard. The Septuagint and Arabic versions add, "being sent into the way"; ordered by his master to go out to work, whe…
546 wordsSECTION 464Proverbs 26:14
Proverbs 26:14 Ver. 14. [As] the door turneth upon his hinges,.... And moves this way and that way, and opens and shuts, and yet hangs where it did, is not moved from its place: so [doth] the slothful upon his bed; he turns himself from side to side, but is still on his bed, and does not move out of it, and go about …
301 wordsSECTION 465Proverbs 26:15
Proverbs 26:15 Ver. 15. The slothful hideth his hand in [his] bosom,.... To keep it warm; Jarchi's note is, "he puts his hand in a hot basin, because of the cold.'' The word {c} for "bosom" does sometimes signify a "pot" or basin. Or he hides it under his "arm holes", as some render it, not caring to make use of it …
286 wordsSECTION 466Proverbs 26:16
Proverbs 26:16 Ver. 16. The sluggard [is] wiser in his own conceit,.... It is a sort of a solecism, a kind of a contradiction in terms for a sluggard to be wise, who is so slothful as to make no use of the means of getting wisdom and knowledge. And it must be a mere conceit in him that he is wise, and especially that …
392 wordsSECTION 467Proverbs 26:17
Proverbs 26:17 Ver. 17. He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife [belonging] not to him,.... One that going along the streets, and passing by the door, where two or more persons are quarrelling, and he thrusts himself in and intermeddles in the affair he has no concern in; and interests himself in the cause of the…
244 wordsSECTION 468Proverbs 26:18
Proverbs 26:18 Ver. 18. As a mad [man], who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death. Or the instruments of death, as Aben Ezra; or the sharp arrows of death, as the Targum and Syriac version; who casts firebrands into the houses and barns of his neighbours, to consume them; or arrows at their persons and cattle, to dest…
224 wordsSECTION 469Proverbs 26:19
Proverbs 26:19 Ver. 19. So [is] the man [that] deceiveth his neighbour,.... By telling him a lie; or by reporting false things concerning him; or by cheating him in trade and commerce; or by taking his goods privately from him; and, when caught in either of these, and saith, Am not I in sport? do not be angry, I desi…
137 wordsSECTION 470Proverbs 26:20
Proverbs 26:20 Ver. 20. Where no wood is, [there] the fire goeth out,.... Or "woods" {h}; where there is a large quantity of wood or fuel, the fire is kept up; but where there is little, scarce any or none at all, it goes out of course; So where [there is] no talebearer, the strife ceaseth; or is silent {i}: men ceas…
189 wordsSECTION 471Proverbs 26:21
Proverbs 26:21 Ver. 21. As coals [are] to burning coals, and wood to fire,.... As brands, wood half burnt, or dead coals put to live and burning ones, soon take fire and become like them, and fit and proper fuel for them, and add to their heat: so [is] a contentious man to kindle strife; or "a man of contentions" {k}…
1,507 wordsSECTION 472Proverbs 27:1
Proverbs 27:1 Ver. 1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow,.... Or, "of tomorrow day" {t}. Either of having a tomorrow, or of any future time; no man can assure himself of more than the present time; for, however desirable long life is, none can be certain of it; so says the poet {u}: for though there is a common term of man…
816 wordsSECTION 473Proverbs 27:2
Proverbs 27:2 Ver. 2. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth,.... Men should do those things which are praiseworthy; and should do them openly, that they may be seen and praised for them: for it is honourable to have such a character as Demetrius had, who had a good report of all men; and as the brother …
243 wordsSECTION 474Proverbs 27:3
Proverbs 27:3 Ver. 3. A stone [is] heavy, and the sand weighty,.... As was the stone which was at the well's mouth, where Laban's flocks were watered, which could not be rolled away till all the shepherds were gathered together, Ge 29:2; and like the burdensome stone Jerusalem is compared to Zec 12:3; and as that at t…
165 wordsSECTION 475Proverbs 27:4
Proverbs 27:4 Ver. 4. Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] outrageous,.... Or "an inundation" {x}; it is like the breaking in of the sea, or a flood of mighty waters, which know no bounds, and there is no stopping them: so cruel and outrageous were the wrath and anger of Simeon and Levi, in destroying the Shechemites; of …
270 wordsSECTION 476Proverbs 27:5
Proverbs 27:5 Ver. 5. Open rebuke [is] better than secret love. This is to be understood, not of rebuke publicly given; though Aben Ezra thinks public reproof is meant, which, arising from love, is better than that which is done in secret, though in love, as being more effectual; for rebuke among friends should be giv…
199 wordsSECTION 477Proverbs 27:6
Proverbs 27:6 Ver. 6. Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend,.... That is, friendly reproofs; which, though they may be severe, at least thought so, and may grieve and wound, and cause pain and uneasiness for the present, yet, proceeding from a spirit of love, faithfulness, and integrity, and designed for the good of t…
157 wordsSECTION 478Proverbs 27:7
Proverbs 27:7 Ver. 7. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb,.... Or "tramples upon" it {a}, as the word signifies, and most versions render it, expressive of contempt and abhorrence; and suits will the situation of the honeycomb, which was usually in trees and rocks in Palestine: and so might drop from thence, and be tr…
660 wordsSECTION 479Proverbs 27:8
Proverbs 27:8 Ver. 8. As a bird that wandereth from her nest,.... To seek for food for herself and her young; or that leaves it without returning to it, and so her eggs or her young are exposed, and she herself liable to fall into the hands of birds of prey, or of the fowler, when she would be safe in her nest; as the…
256 wordsSECTION 480Proverbs 27:9
Proverbs 27:9 Ver. 9. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart,.... Meaning not the holy anointing oil for sacred use, or the perfume or incense offered on the altar of incense; but common oil or ointment used at entertainments, poured on the heads of the guests; and incense in censing of rooms, which were very delightf…
280 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.