PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs
William J. Deane [1853-1943] & Stephen Taylor Taylor-Taswell · 558,136 words · 584 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 1
THE PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED nY THE VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUCESTER; AND BY THE REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A. WITH INTRODUCTIONS BY THE VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DEAN OF CANTERBURY. RIGHT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. RAWL…
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figure; " it probably means a SEtying conte.ining some obscure allusi:'..'., Etnd ueuEtlly of a sarcEtstic nature. There are very few examples of thic 'rt.-1"II1 in our book. The various kinds of proverbs have been divided by HannEltJerg (' Revel. Bibl.,' v. 41, quoted by Lesetre) into five classes: I. Historical prov…
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11,rdent pursuit thereof, and dissuading :from :folly, i.e. vice, which is its opposite. This is especially the hortatory or wisdom section of the book. It is usually regarded as a prelude to the collection of proverbs beginning at eh. x., and is compared to the proem of Elihu in Job xxxii. 6-22, before he addresse…
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The·etate of the heart ie that to which God looks- " The Lotd is far from the wicked : But ha heareth the prayer of the righteouR" (eh xv. 29). Trust in God is the only security in life- '' Commit thy works unto the Lord, And thy purposes shall be established" (eh. xvi. 3). "He that giveth heed unto the word shal…
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of shame and emule.tion, reward and punishment, pleaenre and pain, as incentives to goodness and activity, or as deterrents from evil; and though the actions and habits fostered by these means cannot be regarded as perfect, and have in them an element of weakne11s, still they are helps on the wny to virtne, and fac…
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And the herbs oi tho mountains are gathered in. 'fhe lambs are for thy clothing, And the goats are the price of the field : And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, For the food of thy household, Aad maintenance for thy maidens" (eh. xxvii. 23, etc.). There follow three appendices of various origin and …
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I book, and is need mor0 often than Elohim, thus emphasizing the great truth of which the incommunicable name was the symbol. God is incom- prehensible (eh. xxx. 4), infinitely wise (eh. iii. 19, etc.; viii.), omniscient, omnipresent (eh. xv. 3). He created all things out of nothing (eh. viii. 22, etc.) ; he governs an…
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is no oppressor, nor covetous (eh. xxviii. 16); and he gathers round him faithful counsellors (eh. xiv. 35), whose advice he takes in all important matters (oh. xxiv. 6). By such means he increases the stability of his throne; he enables hie subjects to advance in prosperity and virtue, and finds hie honour in the mult…
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at its best. It is deemed "an abomination to kings to commit wickedness" ( eh. xvi. 12) ; their "throne is established by righteousness," they "delight in righteous lips, and love him that speaketh right; " there is "life in the king's countenance, and his favour is like the latter rain " ( eh. xvi. 13, etc.); mercy…
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other parts of the book occnr also in these two sections. Thus eh. xxiv. 20 (ns we shall notice directly) appears at eh. xiii. 9; eh. xxiv. 23, "To have respect of persons is not good," at eh. xxviii. 21; and eh. xxiv. 33, 34 nt eh. vi. 10, ll. The first of the appendices is evidently later than the first collection; t…
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partR, and disposes one to allow more weight, to the undecisive arguments mentioned above. The parrenetical form adopted in the introduction, so different from the proverb proper, points to the influence of the prophetic element, hardly arrived at public utterances and documentary testimony in Solomon's time, but after…
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Israelitish literature, being one of the sages £or whom Edom was celebrated (1 Kings iv. 30), a man whose sayings were deemed of sufficient value and inspiration to insert in the sacred canon, though he, like Job, ;was not one of the chosen people. The more probable rendering of the second hemistich of ver. 1 of th…
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Or the additional line produces a proof in confirmation- ," Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not ; And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity : Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother that is far off" (eh. xx:vll. 10). Of tetrastichs we find some instances, where the la…
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2. The antithetic presents in the second member e. contrast to t,he first, bringing forward a fact or an idea which offers the other side of the picture- " The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: The increase of the wicked to sin" (eh. x. 16). "The thoughts of the righteous are judgment : But the counsels of t…
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Such, tben, is the =hal collection in this book· regarded in its mechanical aspect. Viewed as poetry, it offers the greatest contrasts, ranging from the bald and commonplace to the heights of the sublime. If we meet with vulgar truisms in one place, in another we are sitting at the feet of a bard who discourses of heav…
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only affording interpretations which denote different wording and pointing, but often introducing whole verees or clauses which have no representative in the Hebrew. It is evident that when this version was made, the Hebrew text was still unsettled, and what we now receive was not universally recognized. Very proba…
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most celebre,ted is tha,t concerning tl1e, bee ( eh. vi. 8), which follows the lesson on the ant: "Or go to the bee, a,nd lea,rn how diligent she ia, and how noble a work she performeth; whose labours kings and private persons use for health, and she is desired by all and of good repute; and although she is weak in…
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outside title in the Vnlgiite is more elab,,. CHAPTER I. rately given as, 'Liber Provcrbiorum, quern Ver11. l~-Part I. THE TITLE AND Hebrrei Misle appellant' (' The Book of the SUPERSCRIPTION. The superscription of the Proverbs, which the Hebrews call M'isle '). Proverbs, which extends from ver. I to ver• In the Tal…
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fj&.Xl\w, " to set or place side by side"), tho Amhic, "to judge" (Gesenius?,; or (2) lit.enlly, a placing beside, or comparison, "tho fixing of a thing for cognition, ' derived than by ,rapo,µ.[a., '' a byword," or "a trite from the Arabie equivalent of the Hehrow WRyside saying," though in the Greek of o::ii;i, ns…
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it" (Delitzsob). Understanding; Hebrew, tion,'' but wrongl,r, Cornelius ll. Lapide tJinah (ni•;i), connect.ad with the hiph. (1'=?07 states that "justice and judgment and l'havin), properly "to distinguish," hence equity" indicate the same thing in different "to discern," of the same clause, signifies aspects. itself-t…
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from the root o~v,. (nram), "to be crafty or orease learning, 'l'he chango of construcUon wily," properly means " 1mkcdness" or in the original is reproduced in the Autho- "smoothness;" hence in a metaphorical rizoc\ Version, hut has been rendered vari• sense it expresses "the capacity for escaping ously. Thus Umbreit …
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interproto.tion;" by Delitzech, "symbol;" pmbreit, Zookler, Plnmptre). Others, follnw- by Haverniok and Keil, "brilliant e.nd mg the Masoretic arrangement of tho He- plea.sing discourse;" nnd by Fuerst, " figu- brew text, consider it as forming part of the rative e.nd involved discourse." By com- superscription (Ewald,…
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whoever feare him rooei-ves it if he prays in rizcd '7 crsion it is marked by the ndversatlve· fait~ (cf. Je.s. i. 5, sqq.) (Ve.tablus, Meroerus, ~oujuucti?~ "but," which, however, is not Dehtzsch). That tbe first sense, viz. that m the original. The LXX. has e. striking of beginning, is to be understood here ap- in…
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though a symbolical meo.ning has been an ornament of grace." The Hebrew ,7;)~ attached to them by the rabbis(eee Rabbi Sa- (liv'yah)is derived from the root ;i,~ (lavah), lomon, in loo.)," father" being understood as representing God, an(! "mother," the people. "to wind a roll" (Delitzsch) or "to be But the terms are !…
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lent in the ago of Solomon, viz. the presence the pit (,i:i ','Jii•, yOTile vOT); i.e. the dead. of bands of robbers, or be.nditti, who dis- The phrase also occurs in Ps. xxviii. J ; turbed the security and internal pe11,C0 of xxx. 4; lxxxviii. 4; cxliii. 7; Isa. xxxviii. the country. In the New Testament the 18). The …
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the robbers, will not only be valuable, but dissuade youth from listening to t\Jo tempta- numerous and plentiful. tions of sinners. My son. The rcounence Ver. 14.-Cast in thy lot among UB. The of these words for the third timo in this fourth and last enticement put forward, viz. address marks tho affectionate intere…
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whioh sinners bring upon themselves, e.nd (zorah), "to be strewn," from ke.l :-iJJ (zarah), the shedding of blood to the foct the.t •thei: "to scatter, or disperse" (Geeenius), and le.y themselves open to ho.ve their own blood meo.ns expanswm, because when a net is shed by judioio.l process (see also Holden). scattered…
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acquired, 88 in oh. xxviii. 16, where it is xlix. 4 ; lxxviii. 15). As in oh. ix. 1 e.ud transle,ted " covetousness" (Authorized xxiv. 7, it is (e. pluralis excellentim of the Version); of. Isa. xxxiii. 15; oh. xv. 27. feminine gender, e. variety of the pluralis The idea of greed and covetousness enters extensivus, …
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or Wiedom in eh. viii. mu~ be also pre- 6 is used to designate the nmple space dicated of her in the passage before us, in at the gates of Oriental cities (Gesenius), reference either to the hyposte.tio or opposite though here it seerns to refer rather to view. On the other hand, a large number "squares," large open sp…
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the ga!es, lffld so used antit.hetically (88 Wisdom, in vers. 22 and 23, is expressive Umbre1t, BertheRU,_Hitzig). The publicity of the most tender and earnest solioitude. of the teaohing of Wisdom, observable in the , Ver. 23.-Tu:rn you at my reproof, A ooll plnces she selects for that purpose, also 1s here made to…
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seems to be implied, between this and the that which oppresses and crushes its victims. preceding verses (22 and 23), when the ad• The terrific nature of the punishment of tho dress passes into a. new phase-from that of wicked is marked by a succession of terms invitation and promise to that of judgment all of terrible…
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implies tbe.t Wisdom thinks fools no longer met with in the LXX., .-o,-yapovv; in the worthy of being Rddressed personally- Vulgate, igitur; and in the Syrino, ideo, " QuRsi stult.os indignos censunt ulteriori The truth here expressed is acoordant with alloquio" (Gejerus and Michaelis). The de- the tenor of the teao…
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from n~~ (sha1,ah), "to be tre,nqnil, to be betakh), is need in Deut. xxxiii. 12-18 of so.fa, seonre." M1uio.no. remarks tho.t it is the safety with which the covenant people more difficult to beo.r prosperity than adver- should dwell in the land that God bad given sity, becanse we endure o.d varsity, we a.re them; …
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1 approRched by those who grope after it in difficult research. But more simple truth may be wrapped in enigmatic phrases for the express purpose of testing the genuineness of the. desire to possess it, exciting interest, exercising the powers of thought in the learner, and becoming itself a more intelligible and m…
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research. Religion influencllS all life; intellectual life is no exception. 1. Religion should excite the thirBt for truth. It is a mistake to suppose that religion inclines to indolence and ignore.nee. It inspires all the noblest endeavours. It is on the side of light and truth. Rightly understood, it will impose the …
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" 'Tis one thing to be tempted, Another thing to fall." Now, the resistance to temptation must be immediate and thorough. The tempter entices by gentle degrees, but the tempted must resist at once and with decision. He must not begin with the "retort courteous," but with "the lie direct." There is some- thing brus…
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Vers. 24--30.-Left to their doom. Broad and encouraging as are the promises of Divine grace, if we forget the darker facts of life we shall be deluded into a false security ; for nothing could be more unreasonable than to suppose that the mercy of God takes no account of moral considerations. Legally our sovereign i…
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Ver. 32.-Fatal prosperity. It is certainly not incumbent on the Christi~n p~eacher to maintain that prosperity is in itself an evil. This would involve a. strange parado;x:, since it must be confessed that we all desire prosperity by natural instinct, and seek it in some form, and when we have met with it are exhort…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-6.-Design and character of proverbial wisdom. We may regard the opening words as a general index: of the contents, as a designation of the object, and a statement of the value and profit of the teaching, of the book. I. 1TB DESIGN IB TO IMPART PRACTICAL BENSE. 1. And first, this i…
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The "wit of many, the wisdom of one." A portable property of the intellect. A currency honoured in every land. "Jewels five words long, that on the outstretch'd forefinger of all time sparkle for ever." They may be compared to darts, to stings, !-0 goad_s. They ar?use the memo:y, awake the conscie!1ce; they fix the …
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appeal. And the word "mother" is brought in by poetical parallelism, enhancin" the parental image. We may include the parent and the teacher in one conception~ The duty owed to both is analogous. And the teacher may be at the same time the parent. l. DUTY TO PARENTS AND EARLY TEACHERS COMES NEXT TO DUTY TO Goo. It o..…
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II. PICTURES OF CRIME. 1. It..~ aspect of horror. They are to be understood ae drawn _by the teachei's hand. He is putting the real meaning of the tempter's suggestions into vivid descriptions. 'l'he tempter himself will take care not to expose the bloody and hideous aspect of his trade. "Viro is a monster of so hideo…
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Vere. 20-33.- Warning cry of Wisdom. In dramatic style, Wisdom is presentiated, personified, endued with visible and audible attributes. As contempt for religion bas been animadverted upon, so now contempt for Wisdom calls for rebuke. The motto ( ver. 7) is .still in the preacher's mind. I. TnE ORY OF WISDOM IS PUBLIO…
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~earch is_ vain_. The attitude which the soul refused to assume in its pride, it is forced mto by 1ts distress. The wheel comes full circle; the sinner is smitten in the very place of his sin; and outraged conscience Is avenged, 4, Above all the tone of Wisdom is reasonable. These are no arbitrary, cruel, capricious d…
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plain to the mind distinctions between that which is true and that which is false, that which is honourable and that which is shameful, that which elevates and that which lowers, that which is permissible and that which is desirable. He is, further, the man who- 111. IMPARTS WISDOM, He will not be content until he has…
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Vers. 8, 9.-The duty and the beauty of filial piety. The wise teacher here com- mends to us the excellency of the filial spirit. And it is worthy of notice that be exhorts the young to be obedient to their mother as well as mindful of the counsels of their father. We think of- I. THE DUTY OF FILIAL PIETY, based npon a…
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Vers; 20-23.-The voice of Wisdom. Wisdom is here personified; it is the language of poetic insj:liration. ..,, Later on, " in the dispensation of the fulness of times," Wisdom was mnnifested in human form, and spake in the hearing of men. But its voice has never been silent altogether, from the beginning until now. …
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on the patience of their Divine Saviour, ae if they might reckon on the unlimited striving of the Holy Spirit. They are wrong; they make a fatal mistake; they commit the one unpardonable sin I They try to go beyond the Divine ultimatum. God's marvellous patience reaches far, but it has its bounds. When these are passed…
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conclusion, wherein the respective destinies cor. Understanding (:illJl;I, t'tJunah) is hero of the pious Rnd wicked are portrayed. The interchanged witli "wisdom," which must partiole "if" (o~) is conditional, and serves determine its meaning to some extent. The to introduce the series of clauses (,·ers. 1-4) LXX. int…
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treasures (c•ibr;,;,, mat'monim), i.e. the tree,- preellion in holy worship. The knowledge sures of gold," silver, and precious mete.I of God (c•~S~ M)!''!, daath EI-Ohim) ; lite- conoea.led in the ee.rth. The comparison re.Uy, the knowledge of Elohim. Not merely hero me.do between the eeo.rch for Wisdom cognition, …
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spake e,s they 'll"ore moved by the Holy represents the treasuring up ns on e.ccom- l;host." plished foct. The same verb oocurs in eh. Ver. 7.-Wisdom which is the found11tion ii. 1, where it is transl1Lted in the Authorized of security and se.fety, and hence is sound Version by "hide," ond nlso in oh. vii. 1 ,i-i.s…
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(Mercerus). This expression corresponds cal-ma'gal-wv), i.e. every course of action of with'' the wa,y of his saints," just as "keep" which goodness is the characteristic, or, B8 and ''preserve" are synonymous verbs, both the Authorized Version," every good path," mea,ning "to guard, keep safe, or protect." He the s…
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l1ere for tl1e moral side of man's nature; and the l outwa1·d m.anifestntion of wisllom; it in the Hellenistic sense, H:a;plila, the proper tests what is uucerto.in, and arnids danger equivalent of ::17., "heart," involves all that (Hitzig). The word canies with it the idea stuuds for vovs, A6')'o<, cruv,l871,r1s, a…
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tongue of perverseness," "froward tongue," light is with uprightness (see John iii. 19, Authorized Version (eh. x. 31); "the man of 20). The ea.me association of irleas is dis- perverseness," ''frowo.rd mo.n," Authorized coverable in the dualism of the Persian Version (eh. xvi. 28). Who.t is here so.id of system, as…
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pnthe. The root-ides of the Hebrew niph. Isro.elitee with the women of the surrounding participle c•1.\S11 ("un'wzim), tmnelated "and nations; but the ex11mple set by Solomon they froward,'; ie "to bend eside," " to tum would serve to wee.ken the force of these nway." They are turned aside to the right prohibitions,…
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beoause entered into in his presence. The Pa. lxxxviii. 11; Isa. xxvi. H, 19; Job forsaking of the guide of her youth is essen- xxvi. 5. tially bound up with a forgetfulneBB of the Ver. 19.-lfone that go unto her return solemn covene.nt which she he.d entered into age.in. Tbe fate of the companions of the in the presen…
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sense, i.e. the upright, a.s in Im. v. 20. The <Tovnu, "shall remoin;" permanebunt, Vul- Ynlgntc renders, i,1 via bouu, "in tlie. good gate. way." " The way of good men" is the way Ver. 22.-But the wiokod shell be out ol! of God's commandments, the way of obedi- from the earth, The punishment of the ence, Keep, The…
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are satisfied with hasty impressions of the moment; but the only religious convictions worth considering are the outcome of thought and prayer. Still, it is to be observed that. this .wisdom is nQt reserved for the keen-sighted, the intellectual, the philosophical. It ,is not ability, but industry, that is required;…
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not reserved to any select class of men. Prophets have a special revelation to convey a specia.l_messag~, 11;nd apostles ~ave.a d_istinctiv_e endowment f~r the accomplishment of a particular m1ss10n; but the msp1rat1on of wisdom generally 1s not thus limited. On the contrary, it comes freely to all who rightly avail…
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pulsions of duty, they will have little power over us. But happily God has joined the highest truth to the purest gladness. Wisdom is a pleasure to those who welcome it to their hearts. The acquisition of all knowledge is pleasurable. The knowledge of God is joined with peculiar spiritual delights. In rejoicing in this…
1,229 wordsSource & rights
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