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 301
law. 3. Their worship is positively offensive. It is "an abomination" unto him. And it is so, because: (1) Itisanactofconsciousrejectionofhis claim; the worshipper is tnking his Name and his Law upon his lips, and at the very time he is consciously keeping back from God what he knows is his due. (2) It is an act of pos…
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our increasing likenes~ to our Leader and Exemplar; (3) our filial obedience and sub- mission to his will!-C. Vers. 13, 15-17.-The source of sati~faction. Vve learn- I. THAT THERE SOMETIMES RESTS A LONG AND DEEP SHADOW ON THE l'ATlI OF lIUMAN UFE. 1. Sometimes a long one. "All the days of the afflicted are evil." Th…
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XVI. manifest before God, but the impiom shall Vere. 1-7.-These are specially religious perish in e.n evil day." The next verse fa omitted in the Greek; and the other clauses maxims, and they all contain the name up to ver. 8 are dislocated. Jehovah. Ver. 3.-Commit thy works unto the Lord. Ver. …
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"All the Wfllks 0f the Lord nre with man God says, He and I cannot live in the righteousness." Yee., even the wicked for world together." A medi::ovnl jiuglo runs- the de.y of evil. This clause has been per- verted to support the terrible doctrine of " Hoo retina verbum, fraugit Deus omne reprobe.tion-that God, whose w…
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thot some take the "evil" named to bo "Man proposes, God disposes;" or, as the physical, not moral evil; calamity, not Germans say, "Der Mensch denkt, Gott tmnsgreesion. But tho two clauses are co- lenkt" (comp.eh. xx. 24). The word rendered ordinate, and present two aspects of the "deviseth" implies, by its species…
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Ver. 11.-A just weight and balanoe are the truth and Justice which his subjects the Lord's (eh. xi. 1); literally, the balance display in thou conversation. Such a and 8cales of jiu;tiee (are) the Lord'8. They one hates fle.ttory nnd dissimulation, 1md come under his law, are subject to the encourages honest speakin…
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If tho clnUBes nro not simply pnmllel, and not high falls not low; " and, " A great tree the compBro.tive vo.lue of silver o.nd gold is attracts the wind." The Basque proverb to be considered, we may, with Wordsworth, remarks, "Pride sought flight in heaven, see hero nn intimation of the superiority of fell to hell.'' …
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in him~elf too, for he Ie1uns by teaching. honeyoomb. "Pleasant words" nre words Knowledge ought not to be buried in 0;1e's of comforting, soothing tendency, ns in eh. own mind, but produced on fit occas1011s xv. 26; Ps. xix. 10. 'rhe write1' continues and in suitable words for the edification of his praise of apt s…
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if any would not work, neither should he eat." Ver. 29.-A violent man enticeth hi9 '.rhere is a spiritual hunger witliout which neighb~ur. The man of violence (eh. iii. :.;1) grnco cannot be sought or obtained-that is one who wrong3 others by injurious cou- hungering e.nd thirsting e.fter righteousness duct, by fro.nd …
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grcnt Army. One ovcrcon1es external foes or etc.). As by this mc1ms mnn's agency was obstacles; the other conquers himself; as minimized, aud all partiality nnrl chicanery it is said, And he that ruleth his spirit were excluded, the decision wns n,ga1·ded than he that taketh a city (oh. xxv. 28). as directed by Prov…
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enthroned in tbo bosom of his victim; he may tear out his tongue, but he can never tear out hie thoughts. Here the powers of despotism fail; here the inalienable" rights of man" are ever in exercise. II. Goo WORKS THROUOH MAN's LIFE, "The answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Though a man thinks out his ideas with o…
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Ver. 24.-Pleasant words. I. PLEASANT WORDS ARE GOOD IN BOOIAL INTERCOURSE. They are said to cost little, while they are worth much. But often they are not to be had without trouble. 1. Sympathy. We must put ourselves to the trouble of entering into our brother's feelings if we would speak with real kindness to him. 2. …
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God's approval. It ie of no uee that our course seems right to ourselves if it is wrong before ~~d. On the. other ban~, it may be objected that these con~iderations destroy the validity of conscience; for 1f we arc not to follow our own consmence, what higher guide can we have? The answer may be threefold. (1) Seeming …
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E,·en when there is not capacity for such attainments, there ie a beautiful serenity of soul that simpler people can reach, and that ma.kes their very presence to be " benediction. Ill. OLD AGE MAY DE CROWNED WITH GLORY 1N ITS PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE, In unmasking the horrible aspect of death and revealing the ange…
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cast into the lap." We seem to depend largely on chance. 1. We are ignorant of important facts. We are obliged to grope onr way through many dark places. Life comes to us veiled in mystery. H may be that certain material considerations would greatly modify our action if only we knew them, yet we must act without regard…
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Vers. 10-15.-Divine and human authority. I. THE DERIVATION OF AUTHORITY A..""D LAW FROM Gon. (Ver. 10.) The true ruler is the representative of God. Royal decrees and legal statutes profess to rest, and must rest ultimately, if they are to be binding, upon the moral Law itself. Hence the reverence in old days for" t…
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Ver. 26.-The bles•ing of hunger, I. AT BOTTOM, HUNGER, THE NEED OF DnEAD, lS T!{E GREAT STING AND GOAD TO ALL EXERTION, TO USEFUL ACTIVITY JN GENERAL, II. HENCE HUNGER IS THE HELPER OF OUR TOIL. And we may thank God for every stimulus to do our best. Have not the best things been done for the wol'ld in every depart…
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I. THOUGHT. "The preparations of the heart belong to man" ( Revised Version). "Thy thoughts" (" thy purposes," Revised Version;. vVe are told of Peter, after the denial, that" when he thought thereon, he wept' (Mark xiv. 72). But if he had thought beforehand what grief he would cause his Master by such unworthiness, he…
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Ver. 11 (and see eh. xi. 1; x.x. 10, 23).-Honesty in business. The repetition of this maxim (see above) is an indication of the importance that should be attached to the subject. It is one that affects a very large proportion of mankind, and that affects men nee.rly every day of their life. The text reminds us- I. …
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hiA honesty is as truly an act of piety, of holy service, as was a sacrifice at the temple of Jehovah, as is a prayer in the sanctuary of Christ. It is an act rendered "unto the Lord," and it is well-pleasing in the sight of God his Saviour; he "serves the Lord Christ" (Col. iii. 23, 24). It is a great thing that we ne…
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Yer. 25 (see eh. xiv. 12).-The snpreme mistake. We may well be startled, and we mny well be solemnized, as we witness- 1. THE MARVELLOUS RANGE OF HUMAN COMPLACENCY, It is simply wonderful bow men will allow themselves to be deceived respecting themselves. That which they ought to know best and most thoroughly, they se…
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all his days ;-such an old man, with his grey hairs, wears a crown of dishonour rather than of glory, Dut while we may feel that he is to be condemned, we feel far more inclined to pity than to blame, For what is age not found in the way of righteousneB11 -age without excellency, age without virtue, age uncrowned with …
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CHAPTER XVII. doeth shamefully; i.e. e. son of bis master. (For similar contrast between " wise" and Ver. 1.-(Domp. eh. xv. 16, 17; xvi. 8.) "shameful," comp. eh. x. 5; xiv. 35.) Slaves Better (sweeter) is a dry morsel, and quiet- were often raised to high honour, and might ness therewith. Dry bread was soaked in inh…
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Ver. 8.-The fining-pot is for silver, and l..-,x1upua1e/a, which is used by Aristotle the fnmaoe for gold. The word matsreph, (' Eth. Nie.,' H. 6. 18). The pious antl.ior "fining-pot," occurs also in eh. xxvii. 21. looks for retributive punishment on such It is nut certain what is meant by it. There spitefulness. The L…
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Yer. 8.-There is a breath of satire in neighbour; and if thou hast seen somethin" this yerse. A gift is as a precious stone in bad of thy friend, let it not pass thy tongu~ the eyes of him that hath it. "A precious as a shmder" (Dukes, § 6 I). The Mosaio stone" is literally" a stone of grace" (oh. Law bad led the way t…
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•Ver. 12.-Let a bear robbed of her whelps town had its reservoir, or tank as we find meet a man. The Syrian bear was once in India at the present time. These reccp- common throughout Palestine; it is now t~cles had to be kept in good repair, o> found in but few loca!Uies, such as the hills disastrous consequences might…
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not allowed to take fees for teaching; but of the womb of mlamity, and seems t.o be it was customary to make offerings to seers born for it." and ";se men, when their services were Ver. 18.-A man void of understanding engaged or their ndvice was asked (see (Hebrew, heart) striketh hands; clinches tbe case of Saul a…
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"calamity," ae in eh. xiii. 17. Speaking of "Nam dolor e.c morbns leti fabricator the various aepeots which words may assume, nterq oe est." Cal.a(' Diet.,' iv. 20) says- "Workers of death are sorrow and disease." " Bermo bominum mores et celat et indicat Ver. 23.-A gift out of the bosom ; i.e. idow." secretly from th…
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from the former clAueo. "P1·inces" are the most interpreters, The Keri gives, "of n noble in chRrncter rather thRn in position preci?us spirit" (p,·etiosi spiritus, Vulgate), only. Two forme of evil are n1tmed, viz. to that 1s, one whose words are weighty and punish the innocent, and to visit with con- valuable, not l…
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nothing better than robbery, by means of which the strong take advantage of the necessities of the weak. (2) It is hard for poor people to avail themselves of the law- courts; so that the cry is raised that "there is one law for the rich and another for the poor." (3) Poor men have the natural rights of their manhood t…
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Ver. 14.-" The beginning of strife." I. STRIFE MAY HAVE A SMALL BEGINNING. It is not necessary to intend great mischief if a quarrel is to be started. One word of an unfriendly character may be enough to mar the peace of brethren. A sincrle act of unkindness may be the beginning of discord, provoking retaliation, and s…
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1. The essential note of true friendship is invariabi1ity of affection. The friend. "loveth at all times." '£bis does not mean that he is always displayin:i: his affection. Effusiveness is no proof of sincerity. "Still waters run deep." Neither are we to suppose that the affection must be always shown in the same way. …
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-9.-Traits of outwa,·d a,nd inward happiness. Happiness depends more on the inward state than on the outward condition. Hence- I. CONTENTMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF HA.l'PINESs. (Ver. 1.) The dry morsel, with rest and quiet in the spirit, is better, says the preacher, than the most lux…
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gives to life its chief fragrance and charm. As children are the pride and ornament of the po.rents, so the sons, on the other hand, so long as they themselves are not fathers, can only fall back upon the father. The family tree, the higher it rises and the more widely it extends, increases the honour of the race. V…
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Vers. 16-20.-Light in the head, love in the heart. , I. ·MoNEY u~ELESS WITII~UT • sE~SE. (Ver. 16.) The true view of money is that of means to eods. Bnt if the ends are not seen, or, being seen, are not earnestly desired, of what avail the means? If our heart be set upon the right objects of life, opportunities will…
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Ver. 3.-Divine proving and purifying. Heat, like water, is a very bad master but a very excellent servant. It proves whether our acquisition has or has not any value, whether it should be carefully preserved or be "trodden underfoot;" and it refines that which has any worth at all, separating the dross and securing for…
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l. THE (l00DLINEBS OF FRIENDSHIP, "Very friends," or " chief friends," points to intimate friendship. This is one of the very fairest and worthiest things under the sun. The man to whom God gives a lifelong faithful friendship is rich in a treasure which wealth cannot buy and the excellency of which it does not equal. …
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1 e_rs. 16, 24.-;-Use. a_rul, neglect. ." There is everything in use," we say. And certarnly a man s pos1t10n at any time depends far less upon his bestowments and advantages than upon the use he has made of them. The wise man, in these verses laments the fact that the price of wisdom should so often be in the hand …
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Ver. 17.-Tlie friend in need. However we read this passge (see Exposition), we have before us the subject of true and lasting friendship. As is stated in a previous homily (see on ver, 9), this is founded on a common attachment to the same great principles, moral and religious; and also on a mutnal esteem, each heart h…
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a.ll 1C'i,•dom l,e mingles l1im1'elf. There is a forwt\rd in evil, adding sin to sin, he ends doubt whet.her the life of isolot.ion is praised by casting nll shame aside, deriding tho or censured in this verse. Aben Ezra and Lnw Divine and human, and saying in his others of Pharisaic tendencies adopt the heart, "The…
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forth (&,,a,r7186.i) a. river u.nd e. fountain of word rendered "wounds" (millahamim) is life." Or we mu.y, with Delitzscb, tu.ke the to be differently explained. It is probably whole u.s one idea., e.nd consider that 11, man's the hitbp. participle of laham," to swallow," words a.re deep waters, 11, bubbling brook,…
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for me," says tho psalmist (Ps. lxi. :l), "and niscence of the passage occurs in the 're.lmud a strong Tower from the enemy." The words (' Abotli,' 5. 10),," I weighed all things in the bring before us a picture of a capitol, or halo.nee, and found I nothing lighter than central fortress, in which, at times of clang…
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reo.son that is proper to man, must needs the confession of sin done, but the righteous live o.lono like o. bee.at." man doth not refrain his mouth, in tl,at fore- Ver. 15.-The first clo.use is similar to stalling the wrath of the searching J'udge eh. xv. 14; the second gives a kind of ex- he falls wroth upon himself …
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is R friend, who being turned to enmity will whether by kind cmd pure and edifying con- also discover thy disgraceful strife," i.e. will versation they contribute health and life to disclose the quarrel which Recording to his themselves and others, or whether by foul, representRtion will 1·edound to thy discredit. c…
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v. 32; xix. 8, etc.). The original integrity roughly. The hardening effect of wealth is of the mnrriage contract was re-established seen in onr Lord's parables of Dives and by Obrist. Lazarus (Lnke xvi.), and the Pharisee and Ver. 23.-This and the following verse, the publican (Luke xviii.). and the first two verses o…
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Yer. 13.-ThefoUy of hasty ;'U!lgment. We may observe some of the cases in which this folly of answering a matter before it is heard is commonly pracLised. I. THE socIAL RELATio:is, Meo ~re oft~n too quick io forming their opinions or other people. A superficial glance Js considered enough for an irrevocable verdict.…
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or success, must uHimatcly spring from this true self. Therefore the first question is aa to the coudition of the inner life. Those people who live only in the outer experiences do not yet know the deeper meaniug of life. We have all to learn how to cultivate the powers of the spirit. II. STRENGTH IN THE INNER LIFE CA…
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i11vestigation. We see the way in which a skilful counsel will break down the most plausible evidence by probing into its weak places; how he will worm secrets out of the most reticent witness. 'l'ruth is often revealed through antagonism. The man who prides himself on hoodwinking his fellows is foolish and short-si…
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HOMILIES BY VA.RIO US AUTHORS. Vers. 1-9.-Unsocial vices. There is nn inner connection between them all. I. MISANTHROPY. (Ver. 1.) If this verse be more correctly rendered, this is the meaning yielded. From a diseased feeling the man turns aside to sullen solitude, and t.bus rejects wisdom. This affords a fine meanin…
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IV, TnE BATISl!'A0TION OF WIBE cotJNSEJ.9. (Ver. 20; comp. eh. xii. 14; xiii. 2.) The mode of expression is Rtro.nge to a modern ear, but the thought is familiar and weloome. Words here stand for thoughts; the fruit of the lips comes from tho root of the heo.rt. When an intensely modern writer ea.ye, "Nothing can bring…
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of their soul; they speak from tbe heart, not from the book. 'l'hoir spirit is full of Divine wisdom; they "have understA.nding" (eh. xvii, 24); they have knowledae insight, love of the truth ; they "cannot but speak" the truth they have learned"of God, the things they have heard and seen. And the spontaneity of the…
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much still to be accounted for. And of this remainder part is due to simple and pure misfortune or incapacity, and part to the guilt of others who are not the sulferers. All this destitution is the proper field for Christian effort. It is the proper object of our genuine compassion, and of our strenuous endeavour towar…
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"Ver. 17.-Bear the other side. There is no truer, e.s there is no homelier maxim, tlrn.n that we should "hear the other side," or-what is virtually the same thing- " there are two sides to everything." This is the idea in the text; the lessons are- · J. WE SHOuLD NOT EXPECT ABSOLUTE ACCURACY WHEN A IIIAN TELLS HIS O…
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Hence a family feud is usually a very long as well as a very 3ad one. This does not seem to be I\ looal or a national peculiarity. What Solomon wrote in his land and aue 0 might be written by any English or continental moralist to-day. It is human. II. ITB EXPLANA'fION, 1. It is an aggravated difficulty, inasmuch as t…
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EXPOSITION. neither iu tellectunlly nor more.Hy olear e.s to CHAPTER XIX. his path or ohjcot. But the gnome is better Ver. 1.-:Better is the poor that walketh taken in a more general sense. '.rhe igno- iu hiB integrity. The word for ".poor_" i~, rnnt mo.n, who acts hastily without duo here nn<l in vers. 7, 22, rash…
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All to the dooming gods their gnllt trans- !'JO-~;,, rendere, " Every bad man is a re- Inte, proach to 11, man," which mRy mean that IJ And follies are miscalled the crimes of eordid, evil man brings only disgrace on him- fote." self; or that, while many truckle to and try (Pope.) to win the interest of a prince, b…
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nriginnl rPnding, "Ho thA.t does much e'\lil wisdom ·to g11ide and control their enjoy- l)<'rfccts mischief: He t.hA.t provokes with ment. Vatablus explains the olauso to mean words she.11 not esce.pe." Th11t something that it is impossible for a fool, o. sinner, to has fallen out of the Hebrew text is enjoy peace o…
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Tho contmry disposition betokens folly (eh. the moist west winds that come ea...h night xiv.17). It ishlaglorytopa1aoveratra.na- from the sea. The bright skies cause the greseion. It is a. real triumph a.ad glol'y for heo.t of the day to radiate very quickly into o. man to forgive and to tnke no notice of epnce, so …
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tanae af (from) fatherB. Any m&n, worthy Church-people &re familinr with thie dls- or not, mRy inherit property fmm progeni, tioh, as being one of the sentences of Scrip- tore; any man may bargain for a wife, or ture read at the Offertorv. Tho word for give a dorn:v to his son to further his matri- "poor" is here da…
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Ver. 18.-0haaten thy son while there ii Another interpretation of the paeee.ge, bu\ hope; @r, eeeiflg that /here is hope. Being not so sait11ble, ie this: "If thou seek to save still young o.nd impreeeione.ble, o.nd not con- the sufferer ( e.g. by soothing the angry man), firmed in bo.d ho.bits, he may be reformed thou…
1,021 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.