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 421
IV. THE PABBAGE OF YOUTH. The prudent recognize the fact that, unless youth yields its own particular fruit of knowledge, of acquisition, of capacity for work in one field or other, the prizes of life must be foregone; and, recognizing this, they do not waste the golden hours of study in idleness or dissipation. But th…
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should be trained to go? It is one that comprehends much. It includes : 1. Manners. These are not of the first importance, but they have their value. And if politeness, demeanour, bearing, be not engra-ven in the young, it will not be perfectly attained: after_wo.rds. 2. Mind: Th_e habit o~ obse_rving, of thinking; of…
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truth; we "deceive our own selves." 2. There is something of meanness or unman- liness about them; we" let' I dare not' wait upon' I would."' We allow a craven feeling of apprehension to enter in, to take possession, to prevail over our better self. 3. 'l'here is an element of disobedience and unfaithfulness. We shrink…
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXIII. such entertainment is not offered for friend- ship's sake, but for some sinister purpose-to Vers. 1-3.-A hexastich closely con• mak~ a mo.n expose himself, to get at a nected with the last verse of the preceding man s ree.l character or secrets. l<'ar from obe.ptcr, as if the wo.rniug we…
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"Jupiter ementitur OJ>e& morto.Iibus ipse, so is he. The verb here used is "1!)1? (shaar), Bio visum ut fuent, cuicunque, bonove, "to estimate," "to calcnlate," And the clause me.love." is hest rendered, For as 07le that calculates Septuagint, "If thou art poor, measure not with himself, so is he. The meaning is tha…
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stolid, stupid man, who cnnnot bo moved reward of righteousness. Proper discipline from his own 11arrow grooYe (see on eh. i. preserve~ a :i:outh not only from many material 22~. It is a mere cnsting of pearls before dangers incident to nnbrirlled passions, but swme (Matt. vii. G) to speak to such a man se.ves him f…
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Borne tllke the hemiatich conditiona.lly, ren- drowsiness nnd inability to work, and deriog c~ "when," or "if the end comes;" pover~ follows s:i,s the natural result (comp. but one Eees no object in the thought being eh. xix. 15; xx1v. 33, etc.). The Vul!?ate expressed conditionally; and it is beat, with still harps on…
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Yer. 26.-Give me thine heart, Do not being fo.st closen up ; just so these also, waste thy powers and affections on evil though ten tbousancl doctrines of so.I vntion objeols, but set tby soul with all its best sound in their eo.rs from o.11 quarters, hBving faculties ou me, Wisdom, who alone cau their soul preoccupied…
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lledneas of eyes. The Hebrew word ohakli- the palo.te, and passes over it without rough- lutl, is commonly to.ken to moan the flashing ness or harshness ( comp. Cant. vii. 9). The of eyes occasioned by vinous excitement. LXX. has enlarged on tbe original thus: The Authorized Version refers it to the "Be ye not drunk wi…
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i;ball see 11. strange woman, then thy mouth Version does : The:, have strioken me, ehalt shall speak perver8e things." thou say, and I was not eiok; or, 1 was not Ver. 34.-Aa he the.t lieth down in the hui·t. The drunken mcm hos been bee.ten midst of the see.. The dazed and uneon- (perhaps there is o. reference to th…
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IV. SocH A DEPENDENCE Ol!l' THE GREAT IS BURE TO BE DISAPPOINTING. The syco- phant succeeds in obtaining a place at the banquet. But he cannot enjoy the feast like those guests who meet the host on terms of equality. He sits in constant dread of offending the great man. Though hungry, he shrinks from eating too much. H…
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Ver. 11.-The mighty Redeemer. L THE HELPLESS NEED A MIGHTY REDEEMER, In simple, rough times some provision had to be made to protect the weak from the overbearing insolence and tyranny of the strong. When the arm of the law was not capable of maintaining justice, private friends were required and authorized to take u…
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II. IT IB wnoNG TO ENVY SINNERS. 1. This is to doubt God's justice. Though we cannot yet see the issue of events, we must believe that God will not allow injustice to flourish for ever, unless he cares not for the course of the world or is unable to set it right. 'l.'o suppose any such condition is to distrust God. 2. …
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his son to do what he has not done himself. God first gives his heart to his child, and then seeks the child's heart in return. V. THE HEART MUST BE GIVEN VOLUNTARILY TO Goo. God is Lord of 1111, and he has a right to enforce universal obedience. But he cares not for loveless, compulsory service. Therefore he conde…
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II. PERILS AND VANITY OF RICHES. (Vers. 4, 5.) This precept does not forbid industry and diligent toil for worldly gain; but only excessive carefulness in re"ard to it, over-valuation of its worth, and the burning lust of avarice, which implies :ant of confidence in God and of the sense of our true position in the worl…
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We have thus three resources against sin: the avoidance of evil example; reverence before God; and oonstant recollection of the blessings of piety and vil'tue.-J. Vers. 19-25.-'.IYie peril.s of dissipation and the antidote. "Who hath ears to bear, let him hear." I. PERILS OF DISSIPATION. (Vers. 20, 21.) Gluttony and …
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Vers. 1-3.-The temptation of the table. It is probable that Solomon had in view those who did not often sit down to a "good dinner," and who, when they were invited to a feast by some one who was able to spread his table with delicacies, found themselves subjected to a strong temptation to unusual indulgence. Dr. Kitto…
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less; it hns a distinct value of its own; but relatively to man's deeper necessities, and to his other, spiritual resow-ces, it is to be beld in slight esteem. I. 'I'm;; UKSU!l~TANTIAL AS DISTINGUISHED FROM TlIE REAL, "Wilt thou set thine eyes upun that which is not?" Money regarded as that which purchases food, cloth…
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"I hold him great who for love's so.ke Can give with generous, earnest will; Yet he who takes for love's sweet sake, I think I hold more generous still." III. THE GRACE OF REFUSING. 1. We may rightly refuse a gift, whether it be in the way of hospitality or not, which we are sure the giver cannot honestly ajf"rd; w…
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his Divine favour and a growing measure of likeness to our Lord. And we find what we seek. 3. By kind Christian helpfulness, by sympathy and succour freely and f;hdly given to those in need, we seek the blessedness of him that gives (Acts :xx. 36), Llie gratitude of true and loving hearts, the present smile and finnl b…
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Vers. 24-26.-(See homily on eh. x. 1.)-C. Vers. 29-35 (with vers. 20, 21).-Drunkenness. A most striking picture is given as here of the manifold evils of this great curse. In a few strokes Solomon brinO's before us most, if not all, of its painful and pitiable consequences. Their name is legion, for they are indeed ma…
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ti.011. The grounds of the warning are here is asl_-ed, and no ability to judge of any gjven, as in eh. i. 15. "Destruction" (shod); question presented to him. "Wisdom" 'V ulgate, mpinas, •• violence" of all kinds, (cho?lunoth) is i_n the plural number, inti- e.g. robbery, murder. Their lips talk of ~atmg the. vario…
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text here. followed, as in other pasS11ges of excuse to be inability, virea non auppetunt. this chapter, is quitu different from tile re- The LXX. makes it a persona.I matter, ig• ceived one. noring the plural form of the previous Ver. 10.-lf thou faint in the de.y of ad- paragraph. "I know him not, be is no versity, …
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there shall be a reward, The apodosis to his own benefit, is ,voefully disRppointod. begins here. We have had the same as• In contrast with the recovery and re- ~umnce in eh. xxiii. 18 (where see note), establishment of the righteous, when the The word is literally future. One who wicked suffer calBmity there is no reo…
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displeasuro from the en~my 89 the punish- king, and disobey neither of them." The ment of the malignant man, either mentally verse has been largely used e.s a text by or mntorinlly. 'l'o B mnlignnnt mind no preachers who desi!ed to r_ecommenrl loyalty severer blow could be given the.n to see e. and to censure cl1saf…
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Yers. 23-34.-Part V. A SEC01'"D Cot- answer; or beUer, l\.e Tdsseth tho lips w110 LECTION, forming a second snpplement to gfretl1 a right answer. An o.nswcr that is the first Solomonic book, and containing fair and suitable to the circumstnuces is as further "words of the wise." pleasant and assuring to the hearers …
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and is not t,o be confined t,o one categOTy, os os teaching a lesson concerning the soul and the Syriac and Septuagint render, "Be not the life of ma.n, how that spiritual sloth n folae witness ago.inst thy fellow-citizen." allows the growth of evil habits, and the And deoeive not with thy lip&. The Hebrew careleeaness…
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choosing a way one should look to the end of it. It is madness for the belated traveller to turn aside to the grassy path when the rough, stony road would take him home and he knows not whither the pleasanter way will lead him. "The wages of sin is death ; " it is, then, nothing but folly to work for the master with…
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moral qualities. For : 2. The secret of the l,ighest courage ia faith. Ho who trust3 G,Jd ie armed with the might of God. This is higher than natural strength, because "even the you the shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shal…
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Ver. 16.-The fal,l of a good man. I. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A GOOD MAN TO FALL. 1. Hr:re -is a warning against presumption. " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed ~est he fall" (~ Cor._ X. 1~). No one is so p~rfect as to be impeccable. Peter, who little expected 1t, failed m the moment of trial. 2. He is a warnin…
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Ver. 29.-Rendering evil for evil. It is interesting to note that this conduct is not only rebuked by Jesus Christ, but also forbidden in the Old Testament, and even in the Book of Proverbs, which is thought to deal too much in temporal and self-regarding motives. So utterly is it foreign to right-mindedness. Yet it is …
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Vers. 30-34.-Thejidd of the slothful. Nothing is more characteristic of the Book o~ Proverbs than i~ scorn of sloth_fulne~s and its _stre~uous inculcation of industry. No doubt these subJects were especially important m view of the perennial indolence of Orientals. But slothfulness is not unknown in the West, and in…
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Vers. 7-10.-Some traits of folly and sin. I. Trrn GROVELLING MIND. (Ver. 7.) Wisdom is too high for the indolent to climb to, for the sensual and earthly to mlwire and love. They a.re like Muck-rake, in Bunyan's paraQle. From such no goou counsel ever comes. They a.re dumb "in the gate," on every important occasion, wh…
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Vers. 15-18.-Violence and shameful joy defeated. I. THE ATTITUDE OF THE HAN OF FRAUD AND VIOLEN0E DEPIOTED. (Ver. 15.) He is like the prowling wild beast, seeking whom be may devour. God the Creator bas not armed us with tooth or tusk or other means of defence, like the wild beasts which are formed for making war on …
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Vers. 26-29.-Just conduct to ou,· neighbour. I. Tmrn WITNESS. (Ver. 26.) He who gives true and faithful a.nswers--especia.lly in courts of justice-delights, even as the sweetest kiss upon the mouth delights. The poet alludes to the effect upon the ear. The understanding can no more be delighted with a lie than the w…
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Ver. 1.-(See homily on eh. xxiii. 17, 18.)-C. Vers. 3-6.-Bui7ding with wisdom. God is the Divine Builder. "He that built all things is God" (Heb. iii. 4). Mau, also, is a great builder. The whole scenery of the earth is not a little changed by the houses e.ud temples, by the bridges and factories, by the manifold stru…
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Ver. 9.-" The thought of foolishness." It will be well to be on our guard against a possible mistake here; for next in importance to our knowledge of what thinus are wrong and hurtful, is our freedom from imaginary fears and morbid anxieties resp:'cting those things which are perfectly innocent and pure. We look, th…
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I. THE TESTING-TIME THAT COllES TO ALL MEN, It is true that prosperity bas its own perils, and makes its own demands on the human spirit. But when the sky is clear above us, wben loving friends stand round us with protecting care, when privile<Tes abound on every side, it is comparatively easy to maintain an equable an…
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sufferer on life's highway is "'man to be pitied and relieved, how much more ore they who are" drawn unto death," who are" ready to be slain" I To see our brother or our siste~-made like ourselves, and capab~e as_ we are of inte?se suffering, holding life as precious as we ourselves regard 1t-m circumstances ot keen…
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III. 1TB OFFENBIVENEBB TO Goo. "Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him." 1. God has told us fully what is his mind respecting it (Matt. v. 43-48; Rom. xii. 14, 20). 2. It is altogether unlike hill own action; for he is daily and momently blessing with life and health and innumerable bounties those who have forgo…
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EXPOSITION. his reputation for wisdom. The title is CHAPTER XXV. given in the Septuagint, thus: A~Ta1 al Ver. 1--oh. x.x.i.x.-Part VI. SECOND ,ra16,ia1 la"-<,,µ&11.-os a/ a.61&.1tp1TO<, &s 11;.-ypa,j,• GREAT COLLECTION OF SOLOMONIC PROVERRS, avTO ol cp{i\o, >E(E,clou Toii f3arri'>..l"Js -rijs- 'lov6ala~, What is m…
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tions, o.nd watch o.gainet possible do.ngers. with it was well known (Pa. xii. 6: Ezek. The contro.st between the glory of God o.nd xxii. 20, etc. ; see on eh. l!. vii. 3). And that of the king lies in this-thnt whereas there shall oome forth a vessel for the finer both God o.ntl the king desire man's welfare, (tsar…
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"to whom thou hast come with a request deal with him privately in e. friendly manner.' for preferment;" "into whose august pre- And discover not e. secret to another; rather, sence thou hast been admitted, so as to see the secret of aiwther. Do not bring in a his face" (2 Sam. xiv. 24); "who knows third party, or ma…
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in vcrs. 14, 18, 19, 2G, 28). There is e. tion. Nezem, in eh. xi. 22, WM e. nose-rin"', doubt about the meaning of the word here probably e.n earring is meant; chaU, rendered "pictures," maBkith (see on eh. "ornament," is e. trinket or jewel worn sus- xviii. 11). It seems to be used generally in pencled on neck or b…
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@uch phenomena, which, according to current hollow trees (1 Sam. xiv. 27), or in more meteorological observation, gave every hope unlike)y situations (Judg. xiv. 8), and was of a refreshing shower in the time of summer extens1 vely used as an article of food. All drought, to see the clouds pass away with- travellers in…
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to your neighbours' house, or make your- of the fint clause. The Authorized Ve~sion self too muoh at homo there. The Bon of bas the authority of the Syriac, Aquila, and Sirach has an utterance ou a somewhat others, and gives an appropriate sense, the similar subject, "Give pie.cc, thou stranger, unreasonable proceed…
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" Strains of ~ladnees the consc!ousness of his ill doing, which ie Suit not souls with angwsh torn." 1tcc01upame~ by the sharp pain of regret. The true Christian sympnthy teaches to S~. Augustme, "Ne dubitaveris flgurate " rejoice with them that rejoice, to weep dictum .•. ut intelligas carbones ignis with them that w…
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with clouds when a storm is threatened. good man's fall into misfortune owing to the "Oountenance" is plural in the Hebrew, machinations of sinners ; but in this case denoting, as HHzig points out, that the the comparison loses its force; such persecu- calumniator does not affect one person only, tion would not disturb…
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destination and election in time past, and (oomp. 2 Ohron. ::uxii. 5; Noh. ii. 13). To those concerning spiritualism and theurgy suoh a city is compared the man who puts in our own day (see Jeremy Taylor, • Cer- no restraint on his passions, desires, and tainty of Salvation,' iii. 176, edit. Heb. , and 0.ffeotions; …
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Ver. 11.-Apples of gold in a framework of silver. This is a pictlll'e of Oriental decorntion. A gorgeous chamber is richly and elaborately ornamented with the precious metals, by fruit carved in gold being set in dainty work of silver-as brilliant a piece of decoration as can well be imagined. This finely turned metaph…
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Vers. 21, 22.-" Coals ef fire." I. THE CHRIST-LIKE DUTY. 1. lt is positive. It is more than turning the other cheek to the smiter, or letting the thief of the cloak carry off the coat also. Passive non-resistance is to be surpassed by active kindness. '.{'he c?mmand is not merely to re(rnin from acts of vengeance; i…
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lea.rne tha.t her enterprises are prospering, ehe re,ioices at the good news from a. far country. 4. Another way of applying the proverb is in relation to our kinsfolk across the sea. It would be well if England took more interest in her colonies. Coldness, inconsiderateness, a.nd officialism may do much to alienate ou…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 2-5.-Kings: their attributes and duties. I. CONTRAST BETWEEN DIVINE AND HUMAN GOVERNMEJI'.l', Divine government is a mystery in its principles and its ends. J>artia.l revelation only is given of its method in the Scriptures and in the actual course of the world. Actual relations a…
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Vers. 11-15.-Similitudes of moral 'beauty and _goodness. I. TaE APT WORD. Compared to "golden apples in silver frames." Carved work adorning the ceilings of rooms is perhaps alluded to. The beauty of the ground sets off the worth of the object. Just so the good word is set off by tbe seasonableness of the moment of its…
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Vers, 23-28.-Moral invectiws. I. AGAINST BLANDER. (Ver. 23.) Here is a. striking picture. Cunning and slanderous habits beget a dark and gloomy expression on the brow; as a homely German proverb sa.ys, "He makes a. face like three dayg' rainy weather." The countenance, rightly read, is the mirror of the soul. Without t…
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Vers. 6, 1.-Modesty and self-assertion. Some amount of self-assertion is no doubt necessary for honourable success and fruitful achievement. But nothing is more common than for this quality to go beyond its true limit and become distastefol and even offensive both to God and man. What Solomon here deprecates, our Lo…
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every m11n that which makes for himself seems stronger, and that which makes for his opponeat seems weaker, than it appears to a disiaterested observer. (3) Whether a case will prosper or not at law depeads on several uacertaiaties; aad eve□ if we have a ri<:1;hteous cause we may be entirely defeated-a brilliant advoca…
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transgress the narrow bounds allowed, we shall soon find that we have done ourselves harm in the estimation of our neighbour. And even to talk, without prniso, of ourselves is a habit to be held well in check, or it will run into an oJTensive and injurious egotism (see homily1on eh. xvii. 2). II. Sm.F-EXAMINATION. 'l…
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to to.ke much tronble, to "put ourselves quite out of our way," in order to convey this; it is one of the friendliest of friendly acts. 2. Society in loneliness; the kinclly visit paid to the solitary, a conversation (however brief and simple) with those whose hearth is uncheered by companionship. 3. Encouragement in d…
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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXVI. die?" "'.['ho dog barks-still the oo.rnvan passes: will the barking of the dog reach Vers. 1-12.-Certain proverbs concern- the skies?" (Lane). Instead of 11', "not'' ing the fool (7,Nil), with the exception, per- the Keri reads \',, "to him." Thi~ mak~ llaps, of ver. 2 (sec on eh. i. 22…
921 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.