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 361
A poor man ie l>etter than a liar. A r,ool: elight.ost labour, a.ncl will not take the least man who gives to one in distTese hiB eym- trouble to win itli livelihoM. An Afflbio pathy and good wishas, even if he oan afford proverb sitys, "He dies of hunger under the un substttntinl ah,. is better than a rioh man date…
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Dut o.s muaar is used in a good sense Bo we have in Job xv. IG, "A rne.n thrit throughout this book, it is better to rege.rd drinketh iniquity; like water" (see on r,h. the injunotion as warning e.ge.inst listening xxvi. 6). Buch e. man will lie and slanrler to wise teaching with no intention of profit• with the ntmost…
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ttpright men to be poor, for surely one would desire thnt the power of wealth should be in the hands of those people who would use it most justly. Dut when we have to compare integrity joined to the disadvantages of poverty with 11.n unworthy character in no matter what circumstances, the infinite superiority of moral …
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calmer moments. Tho words and deeds of anger are but momentary ; yet their fatal ofTecte nro irrevocable. These effects endure and work harm long after the fierce flame of passion out of which they sprang bas died down into grey ashes of remorse. Inusmuch ae it is not possible to reason calmly when under a. fit of ange…
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mockery; for" what is a man profited if be should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul-his life, himself?" (Matt. xvi. 26). II. RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADS TO BOUL-KEEPL'IG DY NATURAL LAWS. It is 8 matter of Divine ordering that obedience should be followed by life, disobedience by death. 'l'his we.s seen in the trial …
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Ver. 18.-Timely chastisement. I. CHASTISEMENT SHOULD BE TIMELY. "Preven- tion is better than cure." lf we wait till the weeds run to seed it is in vain for us to pull them up-they will have sown another and larger crop. The lion's cub may be caught and caged; the full-grown beast is dangerous to approach, and out of ou…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AU'l'HORS. Vers. 1---7.-The lowly and gentle life. He who is truly humble before his God will be sweet, kind, and peaceable in his relations to men. I. THE ATTRIBUTES OF THIS LlFE. (Vers. 1-3.) 1. It is the life of innocence in the seeking to have a conscience "void of offence toward God and tow…
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words; but it is nlw11ys found in the man's mind. It vitiates the intelligence, under- mines the moral strength. The rest must follow in its time-somewhere, somehow. 2. Vanity stands in its own light. (Ver. 10.) 'fhose who have given way to over- weening self-esteem and arrogance of temper-like Rehoboam, or like Alexan…
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Ver. 2.-The evil of i_qnorance. Manifold are the evils of ignorance. All evil of all kinds has been resolved into error; but, if we do not go so far as this, we may truly say- L THAT IG:!\'ORANCE OF Gon IS FATAL. « This is life eternal, to lcnow God;" and if the knowledge of God is life, what must the ignorance of1bim…
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Vers. 8, 16.-Making the most of ourself and our life. How shall we most truly "love our own soul" but by making all we can make of the nature and the life God has entrusted to our care! And how shall we do this? Surely by "getting wisdom" and "keeping understanding." To look at the subject negatively and, beginning at …
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I. THE NEED OF READINESS AT THE END. "How shall we enjoy the present time?" nsks one; "How ehall we make ready for the end?" asks another and a wiser soul. 'fhe question preeents itself to the youth, as he looks forward to the end of the term nnd the coming of the examination or the writing of the report; to the young …
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Yer. 23.-The praise of piety. What could be said more than is so.id here in praise of piC't_v? What more or better could anything do for us than- I. E~sunE OUR SAFETY. So that we shall not be visited with evil. But is not the good man visited with evil? Do not his crops fail, his vessels sink, his shares fall bi,; …
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CHAPTER XX. from strife; or helter, e.e Delit1sch arnl others, to remain far fram atrife. A pm- Vor. 1.-Wine ia e. mooker; or, scorner dent man will not only abstain from causinv tho word (lute) being taken up from the last quarrP.I, but will hold himself aloof from a.II chapter. The liquor ie, ae it were, pcreoni- c…
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poses of a man are hidden in his breast like integrity, It is better to connect the two deep water (oh. xviii. 4) in the bosom of the clauses together, Rad not to tnke the first ne earth, hard to fathom, hard to get. But a a separate sentence, thus; "He who ns e. just man of underet&nding will draw it out. man walke…
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expression means that no one can pride µarr,v) a young man will be fettered in himself on being eeoure from yielding to company with a holy man, and hia way will temptation, however clean for a time hie be straight," which seems to mean that a ooneoience may be. The verse, therefore, good man will restrain the reckless…
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and thou shalt be satisfied with bread, translated, '' hold him in pledge;" i.e. seize These words seem to connect this olause with his person for the sake of the strn.ngers for ver. 12. God gives the faculty, but man whom ho has stood security, so 611 not to must make due use thereof. The gnomist suffer loss from t…
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evil (eh. xxiv. 29). The jus talionis is the ing grace; he gives efflcieut gra.oe; and nCLtuml feeling of mim, to do to others as man blindly works out the designs of they have done unto you, to requite evil Omnipotence according as he obeys or with evil. But the moralist teaches a 1·esists. A similar maxim is found…
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speak rnsbly;" and then lrode,h, "holiness," man by God himself (Gen. ii. 7), distin!roieh- will be an exclamation, like T,orbctn (Mark ing man from brutes-the conscious h~uman vii. 11). The cla.use will then run, "It is B eoul. We may consider it as equivalent to snare to c. man rashly to cry, Holiness I" what we Chri…
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"Meroy (t~n1µ00-t\v,i) and truth are It gmn-d more piercing, rcmediC1s. Bo dn stripes the to a 1.-ing, and will surround his throne with inward pa.rte of the belly; or better, and righteousness." "The subject's love," says stro~·e,8 that reacl1, etc. • The stings of our English m1txim, "istheldug'slife-guard." conscien…
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Ver. 3.-Tlie lionour o.f peace. The old world looked for glory in war ; the Christian ideal-anticipated in Old Te.;;tament teaching-is to recognize honour in peace. It is better to keep pe:ice than to be victorious in war, better to make peace than to win battles. Consider the grounds of this higher view of conflict an…
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Ver. 9.-Universal sinfulness. We must distinguish between the idea of universal sinfulness and that of total depravity. ,ve may hold that there is some gleam of goodness in a human heart without maintaining its immaculate purity, It is possible to believe that there are great varieties of character, many different d…
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in ueeper differences of character. '!'hough the character is supple and mobile it is nevertheless real. 'rbere are good and bad children-children who are pure,'true, honest, kind; and children who are marked with the reverse of these qualities. 2. A child is responsible for his deeds. Unless he is crushed by tyranny,…
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Ver. 22.-Revenge and its antidote. I. THE srn ANTl FOLLY OF REVENGE. This passion appears to spring from a natural instinct; it pretends to justify itself as the fair return for some wrong, and it offers a compensation for the wrong suffered in the triumph which it gains over the wrong-doer. But it is both culpable …
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HOl\IILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers, 1-5.-Evils to be avoided. I. SoME SPECIAL EVILS AND DANGERS. 1. Drunken- ness. (Ver. 1.) The spirit or demon of wine is spoken of as a personal agent. It leads to frivolity, scoffing, profane and senseless mirtb. To be drunk with wine, as St. Paul points out (Epb. v. 18), is the op…
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the state; and it may be that these are designed by the preacher under the figares of the eye and the ear. II. VIBTUEB INDISPENSABLE TO IIAPPINEBB. 1. Laboriousness. (Ver. 13.) This is a comlllllnd of God: "If any man will not work, neither let him eat;" for which the seeing 8J e and hearing ear are needed. Viewed in …
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Ver. 1.-Strong drink: four delusions. That may be said to· mock us which first professes to benefit us, and then proceeds to injure and ,even to destroy us. 'l'his is what is done by strong drink. First it cheers and brightens, puts a song into our mouth, makes life seem enviable; then it weakens, obfuscates, deadep…
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Ver. 9.-Purity of heart. A subject that stretches back and looks onward as far as the limits of human history. But Jesus Christ has introduced into the world a power for purity which is peculiar to his gospel. I. THE UTTER TTGLINEBS OF IMPURITY. To the eye of holy men there is an unspeak- able offensiveness in any for…
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that which is dangerous and to gaze with delight and even rapture on the beauties n.n.d glories of the world ;-this is a very striking instance of the wonderful skill and power of our Creator. II. EVIDENCES OF DIVINE GOODNESS. For what sources of knowledge, of power, of pure gladness of heart, of mental and moral cult…
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Ver. 27.-The inward light. Man may be said to be governed from above, from without, and also from within; by the power which is from heaven, by human society, and also by the forces which are resident in bis own spiritual nature. I. OUR SPIRITUAL NATURE. God created man in his own image; i.e. he created him a spiri…
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Ver. 28.-(See homily on eh. xvi. 12.)-C. Ver. 29.-The glory of young manhood. A weak young man Is not a sight that we like to bee. Between young manhood and weakness there is no natural agreement; the two things do not accord with one another. In young men we look for strength, and delight to see it there. Moreover, y…
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXL Ver. 4.-An high look and a proud heart; Vulgato, eroltatio oculorum est dilatatio Ver. 1.-The king's heart is in the hand cord is, "The lifting up of the eyes is e. of the Lord, as the rivers of water. We s~velling of the heart." But it ie best to a.re to think of the little channels used for…
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verbs we.roing e.gainst precipito.ncy, which Septuagint, "Deetrnction shall sojourn BS e. will occur to every one : Festina lente; guest (l1r,(,vr.,,B11,r,Ta.1) with the ungodly." "More ho.ate, less speed;" "Eile mit Weile." The reason of this fate is given in the con- npo1rhfla. 1rol\l\oi, l11Tl11 al•rfa. Ha,cw11, cl…
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11Dd in a common house." So the Latin seeming prosperity of the wicked, and, look- proverb, "Non quam late, sed quern laite ing to the end of these men, sees how hollo,v ha bites, refert." The Scotch have a proverb is tueir success and what a fntnl issue to the same effect: "A house wi' a reek and awaits thelll. The…
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they e.re, 118 fe.r e.s they ce.n, me.king God's xxiii. 5; civ. 15). Some nngnente used for will their will, a.nd this brings deep comfort anointing honoured guests were very costly. and stable joy (see some contrary experiences, The pound of spikenard expended by Mary ver. 10 ancl eh. x. 23; xv. 21). lint destruc- of …
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foolish man spendeth it up. " A fool of a. is to the purpose. We h1Lve all heard the man" (eh.xv. 20)soon swallows, runs through pl'Overb, "Speech is silver, silence is gold." and exha.usts, all that has boon accumulated One who thus t1Lkes heed of his words, (ver. 17). Septuagint., "A desirable ( l1r,8u- keepeth hi…
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urrangee hie expen<liture that he he.a to face; is shameless (o.s eh. vii. 13), and is give to him that needeth (Eph. iv. 28). insensible to rebuke or any soft feeling. Septuagint, "An ungodly man devises evil This obduracy he shows with his counte- devices all the day long, but the righteous nance. Septuagint, "An ung…
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:HOMILETICS . . Ver. 5.-Pat,'ent inrlwdry. Tho cont~et between diligence nnd hllete BUg~c8te the 1dr1L thnt there m1111t he FLD <,)emont of patience and pereevernncn in the former If it Is to be crowurrl with aucceSR. 'l'hls may bo very different from the Herculean efforts of p:c~iuR, w~ich aHtonish tho _world with…
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tho PcrRon nf ChrlBt. 1. We muR'- ditding11,iRh, th-.rifor,, bet11,~en duires 8u99e.,ted and desires encoura,qed, 'fho first mo.y ho brought by the tempter to the innocent. It is In tho caso of tho second that the des!reB become eignB of sin. 2. Many desires are in tltomselves sinful. Buch deelree find no place in a pu…
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Ver. 17.-The love of pleasure. The love of pleasure is here described as a cause of po_verty. No doubt this was meant to refer to physical destitution. But we caunot f3.1l to see many other forms of poverty resulting from the same foolish infatuation. I. IT IMPOVERISHES A ML'>'s PURSE. 'l'his direct meaninu of the t…
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Ver. /31.-Nat-ional defence. The Jews were repeatedly warned against keeping cavalry. Cavalry were for pitched battles, and coulcl only be used on the plains. But the old successful Jewish warfare was among; the hills. As a question of military tactics, the advice meant that it was better for the Jews to act on the …
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Vers. 4-9.-.A family of vices. There is a kinship between all vices as between all ,·irtues. All sins sµring from a disturbance of our true relations to God, as all virtues rest upon the deep consciousness of that relation. I. THE SIN OF PBlDE. (Ver. 4.) Its aspect-the lofty eyes, the haughty glance-and its princip…
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Vera. 21-23.-The wise and the loving life. I. IT IS AN ARDENT ENTHUSIASTI0 LIFE. (Ver. ·21.) Literally, he who hunts after justice and love will find life, righteousness, and honour. So in' other figures-of hungering and thirsting, of digging eagerly for hid treasures, etc.-the earnest enthusiasm of the true life is de…
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will exercise such distinguished power and hold such eminent position that they will be "as kings," if they are not so called by their fellows. God endows us very differently, and he puts it in the power of a. few to wield commanding influence, to rise to high rank, to sway a wide and powerful control over their cou…
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make up for moral laxity. We might be worshipping in the house of the Lord day and night ; but if we were false, or cruel, or dishonest, or impure in our daily practice, we should certaiuly incur his righteous anger. 2. Moral }:>robity by itself will not take the place of the direct approach of our hearts to God, It is…
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gospel of his Son, e. way of return and restoration. Indeed, it is bis Son Jesus Christ who is "the Way." To know him and to love and serve him is to have our feet planted in" the path of life."-C. • Ver. 13.-Sowing and reaping. It is true, indeed, that as we sow we reap. It is not only true that God will in some way …
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Vers. 29-31 (with ver. 22).-The achievements and limitations of wisdom. There is great virtue in wisdom; Solomon never wearies of {)raising it. Here he adds another commendation, but he calls attention to a boundary beyond which it may not pass. I. 'IHE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WISDOM. ".A wise man scaleth the city of the mi…
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EXPOSITION. without distinction of rank or position; the CHAPTER XXII. rich should not despise the poor (eh. xiv. Ver. 1.-A. good name is rather to be 31; xvii. 5; Job x:ni. 15), the poor should ohoaen than great riohea. It will be ob- not envy the rich (eh. iii. 31 ), but all sl ,ould served that" good" in the Au…
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and others. But Delitzsch makes the first nurslinge; thence it oomee to signify "to hemistich e. concluded sentence, which the give elementary instruction," "to imbue," second member ce.rries on thus: "The re- " to train." The Hebrew literally is, ward of humility is the fear of the Lord; it Initiate a child in acco…
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of the world (eh. xviii, 23). Aben Ezra. ex- (t.vBpa l>,.,ipl,11 ital B&,,-7111 •~"-O'Y•• 6 e~&r); plains the gnome ae showing the advantage but he shall bring to a.n end ( <r,n,oro,,11,i) of wealth and the inconvenience of poverty; the vanity of his works." The first hemi- the former bringing power and pre-emi- stich…
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the oomp1my is a disgrace to ·all good men. danger in the midst of the town, I shall Thus fahmael and his rnothnr were driven be &lain in the atreets. Others conaider from Abraham's dwelling (Gen. xxi. 9, cto.), that the slugg11rd makes two exouses for nnd the apostle quotes (Gill. iv. 30), "Cast his inactivity. If …
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exhibited, and imparting wisdom and piety Ver. 17-ch. xxiv. 22.-Part IV. FrnsT (see on eh. xiii. 24 and xix. 18; anrl comp. APPENDIX TO TSE FIRST GREAT CoLLECTION, eh, xxiii.13; xxix. 15; Eccius. xxx. 1, etc.). containing "words of the wise." 'fhe LXX. pursue their notion of the too- indulgent po.rents letting the chil…
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day the warning was given. So in Heb. iii. the oerta.inty of the words of truth. The 7, 13 we read, "As the Holy Ghost saitb, object intended is to teach the disoiple the To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not fixed rule (.fi,-mitatem, Vulgate) by which your hearts. . . . Exhort one another daily, truthful words …
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"despoil." In the Che.Idea and Syriac it mitigate this penalty (Exocl. xxii. 26, 27: may signify "to fix," "to pierce." Septne,- Dent. xxiv. 12, 13). But doubtless its mer- gint, "The Lord will judge his cause, and cifnl provisions were evaded by the money- thou sbo.lt deliver thy soul unharmed (!wu• lenders (see Neh. …
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Ver. 2.-Social di-stinctions. l. TRE SA.D CONDITION 011' SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS. 1. Thess distinctions are very marked. There is an enormous separation between the condition of the rich and that of the poor. The one class is overwhelmed with luxury, the other pinched with penury. There seems to be a tendency to an aggr…
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e.g. in the French Revolution. A univer~al redistribution of property would soon be followed by the old distinctions. Socialism would destroy virtues of independence and energy. But faith in God will ,vork inwardly towards a reconciliation. 1. .All classe& are equally low before God. The highest earthly mountains vanis…
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is bound up in the heart of a child." Before he is guilty of conscious sin the tendency to wickedness begins to work within him. II. THE AGE OF THE TRAINING. This is to be in childhood, for various reasons. 1. Its sw;/!£J)tibility. (1) Susceptibility to training. The young mind is plastic; habit is not yet confirme…
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Ver. 28.-Ancient landmarks. I. ANCIENT LANDMARKS OF PROPERTY. The stone that divided one man's vineyard from his neighbour's was regarded as a sacred thing, on no account to be touched. 'l'his arrangement helped to perpetuate family holdings. It prevented the accumulation of large estates by the wealthy, and the aliena…
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Vere. 6-12.-Me:zns to the preservation of the good name. I. EARLY TRAINING. (Ver. 6.) The young twig must be early bent. Experience teaches us that nothing in the world is so mighty for good or evil as custom; and therefore, says Lord Ba.con, "since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let man by all means…
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Vers. 22-29.-Right in social re7ations. I. RELATIONS TO THE POOR. (Vers. 22, 23.) 1. Robbery and oppression are a breach of the positive external law (Exod. xx. 15), mucli more of the inward and eternal law written in the heart, "Thou sbalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 2. The perversion of law nnd magisterial aut…
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Ver. 2.-IIRich and poor." The great problem of excessive wealth and pitiable po\lerty confronts us still, and seems likely to task our united wisdom for many years, if not for several generations. We may regard- I. THE BROAD AND NAKED FACT VISIDLE TO EVERY EYE. The fact that, while this world is stored with wealth …
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.