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 241
Ver. 25.-Depression. This proverb shows us depression of soul in its own distress and gloom, and theu gives a hint of the way i-n which it may be remedied. I. THE STATE OF DEPRESSION. The heart is bowed down with heaviness. This is very different from external adversity and from the natnral feelings that are produced …
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HOMILIES BY V.ARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-3.-Primary truths. I. THE WISDOM OF SUBMISSION, THE FOLLY OF REBIBTAN0E, TO REPROOF. As self-knowledge is the most precious and indispensable, and as it comes to us by chastisement, i.e. by disappointment, humiliatior!, pain of various kinds,-to welcome correction, to be willing a…
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Vers. 12-22.- Virtues and vices in civil life. I. SOME VICES OF SOCIETY. 1. Envious greed. (Ver. 12.) The wicked desires the "takings" of the evil. It is a general description of greedy strife and competition, one man trying to forestall another in the bargain, or to profit at the expense of his loss; a mutually des…
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~icked hen.rt is a. constnnt forge of mischief. And yet, after this catalo~ue of social ills, these J?ure.l d1see.ses t:11at prey upon the boily of society and the state, let us be ?omforted m the. recollec_t10n (1) ~h~t al_l evil is transient (ver. 19); and (2) tbat its JU~t an~ appropnate pumshmen_t 1s mev1tabl~. The…
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Ver. 26.--4. Good guidance and misleading counsels. The true translation seems tci be; "The righteous directs his friend aright: but the way of the wicked leads them astray." I. WE ABE ALL SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE INFLUENCES OF THOSE ABOUT us. This is true even of the strongest minds; how much more of the feebler I . II. W…
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do with his steadfastness, he will be the first to say that God ie "upholding him in his integrity, and setting him before his face." II. IN HIM IS ~·RmTFULlIEss.. "The root of the righteous yieldeth fruit" (ver. 12). The ungodly mau cannot be said to bear fruit, for the product of his soul and of his life does not de…
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Ver. 16.-(See homily on eh. xxix. 11.)-0. Ver. 24.-(See homily on eh. xxvii. 23.)-C. Ver. 26.-Growth and seductiveness. The goal which a man will reach rnlll!t <lepend on the tendency of the habits he has formed, or the way in which his life inclines, whether upward or downward. Are his habits such that we can proper…
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Ver. 2.~A mti.n ·shall eo.t good by the fruit to be obtained. Septuagint, "In desire3 of Ids mouth (eh. xii. 14; xviii. 20). By bis every idle man is occupied ; " his mind is kindly speech and wise counsels he shall fixed wholly on aimless wishes, not on gain the good will of his neighbours and the action. Shall be m…
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21; comp. Rev. iii. 17, 18). The IIC<'ond the latter part is borrowed from Ps. xxxvii. clause tcnches that wealth expended in 21 or cxii. 5, " Crafty souls go astray in God's service makes a man rich in the sins; righteous men show mercy nnd pity." treasury of heaven (Luke xii. 21, 33). One The Vulgate inserts this pam…
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And St. Pe.ul ce.n oxcle.im (Rom. vii. 24), Septuagint, "The fool shall perish by the " O wretched man that I am I who ehe.11 snare." deliver me from the body of this death?" Ver. 15.-Good understanding giveth ( comp. Rom. viii. 23: Phil. i. 23).Septue.- favour (eh. iii. 4): makes one acceptable gint, "Better is he wh…
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Yer. 19.-The desire aocomplished (comp. A Dutch proverb says, "He that lives with Yer. 12). This is usually taken to mean cripples lenrus to limp:" and the Spanish, the desire of what is good and honest, "He that goes with wolves lc11rns to howl." when it is fulfilled and realized, is a source We have a homely Engli…
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HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-" ...4. wise son." The young man who considers himself to be exceptionally clever is tempted to idolize his own notions and despise parental correction. We are reminded that such conduct may be a. grievous mistake and a proof of essential folly, and that true wisdom will follow a more humble course…
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Ver.10.-Pride and contention. I. THE REASONS WHY PRIDE PRODUCES CONTENTION. 1. It is self-assertive. The proud man claims a large aud promineut place for himself. He will not eudure a secondary position. He demands his rights not so much because he really wishes to enjoy them, as because they are his rights. He will no…
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another step in the same direction. 4. Hopes of secrecy. The man of husiness cannot afford to lose hie good name, and therefore plain self-interest holds him back from open theft. But the subtle pursuit of a. more refined form of dishonesty appears to be possible without any loss of character. Thus as the pressure of…
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Ver. 17.-.Afaithful messenger. In ea.rly times, when no public posto.l arrangements existed, and when reading and writing were not generally cultivated, communications were more often sent by verbal messages and personal messengers. Great mischief would then accrue through unfaithfulness on the part of one of these ag…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-General truths of health and salvation. I. DocILITY AS CONTRASTED WITrr i,TUBDOBNNESS. (Ver. 1.) Let us carry this into the distinctly religious sphere. To be wi~e is to be a good listener. In the expressive phrase of the Bible, to "hearken to the voice of Jehovah," to listen to th…
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LEBBONB, 1. WeaHh is a good in itself. When we speak of it as an evil, we ara using a certain figure of speech; for the evil is in the false relation of the soul to this ns to other earthly objects. 2. In the desires that relate to wealth, their proper control and direction, the moral discipline probably of the majorit…
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little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (comp. Ilom. viii. 23 • 2 Cor, v. 2-4).-J, ' Ver~. 13-17.-Tlze value of tlie Divin6 Word, I. REVEilENOE AND IRltEVImJ!:N0E FOB THE DIVINE WoBD, 'rhe" Word" is any revelation mau rcceil'cs or God, wh.ether through nature, oracles of the prophets, or…
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and most inspiring. 6. Fruitful poverty. (Ver. 23.) The image is that of the poor man's field, which becomes rich in produce through the investment of his toil in it. The improvement of the ground is the most natural way of obtaining riches; it is our great mother's blessing, the earth. The blessing of God visibly r…
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and also to heights of virtue and godliness. This habit of his will save him from many snares, and will enrich his soul with pure principles and honourable aspirations and right affections. 2. Jn circiimstance. 'l'he docile so11 will "be rewarded," will "be honoured." The pl\th he treads is one which leads to compet…
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strong, whether addressed to the Church or the individual, when there is a false estimate of self, a supposition of wealth which is but imaginary, a false confidence which, if not awakened now, will be terribly aroused and shattered further on. 3. But o. false estimate of ourselves may be, not a penalty, but rather …
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VII. 'l'HERE Is ONE SUPREME HOPE which may well sustain us in tho darkest trials (1 Pet. i. 3, 4).-C. Ver. 20.-Friendship: a sermon to the young. We have here a topic which oomes very close home to us all, but especially to the young. I. GoD RAS GIVEN us GREAT POWER OVER ONE ANOTHER, There are two sources of power we…
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III. PENALTY IB PURSUING BIN AND WlLT. OVERTAKE IT. "Evil pursueth sinners." Justice is on the trnck, a.nd sooner or later will la.y its hand upon its victim. 1. It will most lilcely do so here. Very frequently, indeed almost always, some penalty immediately overtakes guilt; if uot in bodily loss or suffering, yet in s…
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EXPOSITION. rightly, the latter following his own lusts, CHAPTER XIV. which lead him astray. Either interpreta- Ver. 1.-:Every wise woman buildeth her tion is ndmissible. Septuagint, "He that house. Wise women order well their house- walketh in crooked ways (tr1<0>..,J.(wv .,..,,'s hold matters and their families; t…
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where agrioultural works are diligently not 1mnu,n the lip8 of lmmoledae; i.e., as oanied on (the "ploughing ox" being te.ken Nowack exple.ins, "Lee.ve the presence of ns the type of industry), large returns are a fool, and you carry nothing away with eeoured. Septuagint, •• Where fruits are you; after all your interco…
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sacri_ficcth of n thing unlawfully gotten, his man's mind is eensith•e it is easilr d(lprosscd offenng 1s mockery (µ,µo,,c11µ•V11), and the by grief; but when it ie elate, by _ioy, it mockeries of nnjnst men are not well- should receive its pleasure u.nd relief without pleasing. 'rhe Most High is not pleased arrognn…
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Hence, while holy men ore getting tho LXX. has introduced a negative, which mastery over their evil ha.bite, their veTy gives a sense exactly contrary to the He- good practices even become cm object of brew and to all the other versions: " In joys dreo.d to them, lest, when they desire to do there is no admixture of so…
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"~nli tu qu~da~ rC'fercnti crenore scraper; "De not angry," s1tvs the Talmud "and l,x1gua his tnbuenda fides qui multa you will not sin." Cato,' Dist.,' i. 37- loquuntur." " Ipse tibi moderare tuis ut pnrcere possis." The prudent man looketh well to his going ('rer. S); Vulgate, Astulus oonsi'derat gressus And a m…
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verso, which muet be taken in connection of blessing: he acts thus not from mere with tuis; e.t the eame time, it is e. truth philanthropy, but from higher motives; he which bas been expressed in various ways has the grace of charity which springs from by many moralists and satirists. Says the and rests upon his faith …
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•• Contra verbosos noli oontcndere verbis: imprudence,' he ma.de it plnin that he oe.lled Sermo datus cunctis, nnimi sapientia pau- prudence • the riohes of tho wise•" (Oxford cis. 0 tmnsl.). I "Againsttho wordy strive not thou in words; Ver. 25.-A true witneBB delivereth souls Con verso with i>ll, but to the fornur…
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i.e. I.he thnusandth genAraHon of them that in eh. iii. 35, and is taken by Delitzsch and lovo him and keep his commandments (see Nowo.ck in the sense of "carries away" as Gen. xvii. 7, etc.; Exod. xxxiv. 7; 1 Kings the aSl!Ured resnlt. "By anger," says St. xi. 12, etc.; Jer. xxxiil. 20, etc.). Gregory(' Moral.,' v. 78…
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poor ye have always with you," said Christ Thus the Christian martyrs went joyfully (Matt. xxvi. 11); therefore to harass and to the stake, and gentle women and littlo oppress the poor because he is in this lowly children smiled on the sword which sent condition, is virtually to arraign the provi- them home. It is n…
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man's mind, and thence disseminates in- taking "sin" as put metonymically for "sin struction and light around to all who need offering," render: "Piety is an atonement for it. The Septuagint, with which agree the the peoples." But there is no doubt tba.t the Byriac, Aquila, and Theodotion, inserts a Authorized Version …
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Ver. 12.-The way that seemeth right. I. ITS ATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE. This way does not only seem pleasant; it seems to be right. This is a course of life which a man is tempted to follow because it flatters him with fair promises. I. It promises good. We are greatly tempted to judge of the means by the end, and, if we…
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Ver. 15.-0redulity. It is the constant habit of religious teachers to encourage faith, and to regard scepticism and unbelief as evil things. Are we, then, to suppose that credulity is meritorious, o.nd that all doubt, inquiry, suspense of miud, and rejection of bold assertions are bad? According to this view, truth wou…
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Further, certain special advantages of this quietness may be noted. 1. Depth. "Still waters run deep." We can look far into the quiet Jake, while only the surface-wave~ of one that is fretted with cross-winds can be seen. The calm, brooding soul know~ depths of thought and secret experience that are unfathomable to the…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-7.-Traits of wisdom and folly. I. FEMININE WISDOM. (Ver. I.) 1. Its peculiar scope is the home. Women are physically and moral,ly constructed with a view to the stationary life and settled pursuits of home. Its comfort, the strength of the race, the well-being of society, are ro…
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Infinity is ever beyond us, But the reference here is more to practical wisdom, the science of living from day to day. And good sense is the main requisite for its acquirement, the very opposite of which is the supercilious temper which disdains to learn from any and all. VII. THE EVIL OF FOOLISH COMPANY. (Ver. 7.) An…
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strength and weakness, a.nd the security it begets ia false. 6. Passionateness and f.ricki- fUlSS. (Ver. 17.) The former precipitates men into all follies. Seneca saith well that "anger is like rain, whic_h breaks itself ~pon that whereon it falls." Anger is certainly a kmd of baseness; as 1t appears well Ill the weak…
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and of which we are perfectly certain, if we have deserved it, consists in having done our work, or at least having taken pains to do our work, for that is of itself a great blessing, and one is inclined to say that, properly speaking, there is no other reward in this world. And men bring themselves to want by neglecti…
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Ver. 4.-Daintiness and usefulness. It is a very great thing to prefer the greater to the smaller, the more serious to the less serious, in the regulation of our life. It wakes all the difference between success and failure, between wisdom and folly. I. A. SERIOUS MISTAKE, to prefer nicety or daintiness to fruitfulne…
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I. F1NAN0IALLY eomm; avoiding that which leads to embarrassment and ruin; ehunning those which conduct either to a sordid parsimony in one direction or to a wasteful extravagance on the other hand_; choosing that which leads to compet<ince and generosity. II. EDUCATIONALLY WISE; forming the habits which etrengthen and…
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intrudes. It is there where we ma'ke our ultimate decision for good or evil; it is there where we experience our truest joys and our profoundest griefs; it is there where we live our truest life. w·e may so crowd our life with duties and with pleasures that we may reduce to its smallest radius this innermost circle; bu…
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brethren, our own sisters? Inasmuch as we are "members one of another," of one family, we aro bound to let another feeling than that of contempt take the deepest place in our heart when we think of men and women, whoever they may be, whatever they may have been. II. SELF-GLORIFICATION IS EXCLUDED. What makes us to dif…
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2. Ment.al labour not only designs the painting, or the sculpture, or tho oratorio, nnd writes the poem or the history, but it invigorates the mind and braces all the mental faculties. 3. Moral struggle not only saves from vice and crime, but makes the soul strong for noble and honourable achievement. 4. Spiritual e…
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time and pince, or illustrates it, makes it injured by his slander and falsehood to the beautiful nnd pleasant, 6B ver.13. The wise very core. The LXX., with a different man not only has knowledge, but can give reading, tra.nsla.tes, "But he who keepeth it appropriate expression (comp. eh. xvi. 23). it [the tongue] sh…
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is not directed right;" the fool goes astrlly, Vulgate, Doctl'ina mala deserenti viam vitro. nnd le!lds himself and others into error. The sinner is 1mnoyed hy disoipline, correo- Septuagint, "The hearts of fools arc not tion, or true teaohing, bec11use they curb the safe (&ucpa1',,s)." indulgence of his pe.ssions, mak…
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"In the forehead e.nd the eye ment. Whereas, on the other hand, the evil The lecture of the mind doth lie." mind is always set in pains anu labours, And, age.in," A blithe bee.rt me.kes e. bloom- IJince it is either contriving mischiefs that it ing visa.go" (comp. Ecclus. xiii. 25, etc.). may bring down, or fee.ring l…
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Yer. 18.-A wrathful man atin·eth np God and does his duty. The way of tho strife (cont,ention). This claus<J recurs righteous is made plain; "is a raised cause- almost identically in eh. xxix. 22 (corup. way ; " selulah, as eh. xvi. 17; Iso.. xl. 3 ; also eh. :x:xvi. 21 and xxviii. 25). He that xlix. 11, The upright…
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Ver. 23.-A man hath joy by the answer defined by Iandmnrke-stones- or some such of his month. 'fhe i<lee. of the preceding objects-nothing was easier than to remove verse concerning counsel ie maintained. A these altogether, or to alter their position. counsellor gives wise nnd skilt'nl advice, or That this was a, c…
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the Vnlley of Achor (Josh. vii. 25). So the John ix. 31, "Wo know thnt God heareth covetousness of Gehazi caused the infliction not sinnel's: but if 11ny mau be a worehipper of the peualty of leprosy upon himself and of God, and do his will, him he he11reth." his children (2 Kings v. 27). Professor God is said to be ••…
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HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-.A soft answer and a bitter word. Both of these are regarded a.s replies to angry words. They represent the wise and the foolish ways of treating such words. They give us a bright and a dark picture. Let us look at each. I. 'l'HE :BRIGHT PICTURE. 1. The answer. A soft answer need not be a wesk one…
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Ver. 3.-" The eyes of tlie Loi·d." I. Goo HAS EYES. We must always describe the Infinite and Invisible One in. fi?;urative l:i,nguage. But ju~t. as we speak of the arms and hands of God when thmkmg of his power and act1v1ty, so we cannot better conceive of his wonde_rful observing faculty than by saying that he has …
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tho.t it matters not whether men grieve or are joyons. On the contrary, the Bible contains valuable recipes against heart-pangs. God's pity for his children woulcl lead to his concerning himself with such matters. Christ's human sympathy, which led to bis being frequently "moved with compassion," made him alleviate suf…
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Ver. 23.-.The word in season. I. WHAT IT IS. The word in season is the rioht word spoken at the right time. It may not be the word that is sought and asked for. It may even be an unwelcome word, a startling word, a word of 1·ebuke. What can be more seasonable than to cry," Halt!" to one who_is nearing the precipice …
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1, 2, 4, 7.-Virtues and vices of the tongue. I. MILDNESS AND VIOLENCE. (Ver. 1.) '!'he soft answer is like the water which quenches, and the bitter retort, the "grievous words," like the oil which increases the conflagration of wrath. As scriptural examples of the former, may be ment…
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Vers. 12-15.-Sullen folly and cheerful wisdom. I. DISLIKE OF CRITICISM. (Ver. 12.) Often seen in those who are most critical themselves. The jiber is easily galled by a telling retort. The satirical man least loves satire upon himself. But one of the lessons we learn from truly great minds is that of willingness to tur…
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our f:ie1;td an<l to our own1 the result of the former. For the latter, rend tho exquisite <lescnptlons of the New 'l estameut wherever the word "long-suffering" occurs, and see the matchless beauty, and learn to covet tho possession of that character-the impress of God in human nature-and those best gifts which bel…
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mischievous hindrnnce to progress in sense and knowledge. .A master-mind of our times_ says thRt he hRtes to be prnised i_n the_ newspapers, and begins_~ have some hope for himself when people find fault with him. 7. To found humility upon religion. (Ver. 33.) Its only genuine and deep foundation. What are we in rel…
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Ver. 3.-God's searching glance. The text, with others treating of the same Rubject, assures us, concerning the Divine notice of us, that- I. IT rs ABSOLUTELY uxrvERSAL. The eyes of the Lorcl are" in every place." There is no secret place, however screened from the sight of man, which is not "naked and open unto the ey…
637 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.