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 481
absolutely antagonistic to the purport of the Lnther's interpretation, "As doncin"' to a preceding verse; but it is not so really. cripple, so it becometh a fool to t~lk of The words, "according to his folly," in this wisdom." But the word could never signify verse mean, as his folly deserves, in so plain anything but …
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■eems in teniled to denote tiscless labour, as tural, denoting that the great Oree.tor recmn- we speak of "carrying coals to Newcastle." pensca the good and punishes sinners. So So is he that giveth honour to a fool. You the mediruval jingle- pay respect to a fool, or place him in an " Ante Dei vultum nihil unquam r…
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i;,ipl for the :first "1?,11'), and renders, " But is only a perversion of intellect, but in the the hire and the hirer of the fool pass other case it is still worse ; for it is folly away," i.e. what the fool gets as wages is joined with madness. The fool is an evil to soon squandered, and the person who took himse…
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sluggard to himself than one who in satiety Septuagint, "Even ns those who 11re under ( iv ,r.>..11uµovji) brings back a message." This medico.I treatment (l~µ,vo,) tlirow words 1tt is explained to mean that a sluggard thinks men, and he who first meets the word will himself wise in not helping a neighbour be overth…
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xii. 45; Mark xvi. 9). Eoclus. xii. 10, etc., St. Chryeostom speaks of the blindness of '' Never trust thine enemy; for like a.a iron • me.lice_: "Let us not plot against others, rustelh, so is his wickedness. Though he lest we injure ourselves. When we supplant humble himself, and go crouching, yet trike the reput.ati…
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VerE. 4, 5.-The wise treatment of folly. These two verses need not be to.ken as mutually contradictory. Tbey balance one another. I. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ANSWER I'OLLY. Whichever way we take it, we are in dnnger of blundering. If we meet it on its own ground we may share its ~hame. If we treat it soberly we may only inc…
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Ver. 13.-" A lion in the way." I. INDOLENCE CREATES DIFFICULTIES, The hindrnnce is not real ; it is purely imaginary, The lion is not in the way, but in the fancy of the slothful man. If a man is not in earnest in undertaking any work, he is certain to picture to himself insuperable obstacles. 'rhus missionary euterpri…
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thing of one party in a quarrel which we know to be correct, and report it to the other, though it was never intended to be repeated. This rouses angry passions and renews the old battle. Immense harm is done by merely inconsiderate gossip. When an element of spite is added and there is I\ deliberate attempt to aggrava…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-3.-Sayings against folly. I. THE INAPTNESS OF HONOURS TO THE FOOLISH MAN. (Ver. 1.) According to Jerome, it is something unheard of or impossible to experience, rain in the harvest-time (see 1 Sam. xii. 17, sqq.). The advancement of the fool appears to all men .unseasonable, eve…
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Vers. 17-19.-Wanton petulance. I. MEDDLING IN OTHERS' QUARRELS. (Ver. 17.) By a very homely image the folly of this is marked. To interfere iu disputes which do not concern one is to get hurt one's self. No doubt the proverb admits of a very selfish application. We may excuse indifference to right on such a plea. But a…
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they are, with us, the offspring of God, and may be his children in the highest and deepest sense (1 Pet. ii. 17). Yet is it our clear duty to see that folly is dishonoured, .that it is me.de to take the lowest place, that the man who does shameful things is put to shame before his fellows. Let those who dishonour God,…
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Ver~. 4, 5.-The two ways of rneetingfolly. They are these- I. THE CAREFUL AVOIDANCE OF REPEATING IT. (Ver. 4.) Only too otten men allow the foolish to draw them into a repetition of their folly, so that one fool makes another. Folly is contagious, and we are all in some danger of catching it. This is the case with …
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Ver. 22.-(See homily on eh. xvii. 9.)-0. Vers. 23-28.-0n guard. Unfortunately, we have to treat men as we find them, not as we wish that they were and as their Creator n::.eant them to be. We are com- pelled to learn caution as we pass on our way. I. OUR FIRST DUTY AND ITS NATURAL REWARD. Our first duty, natural to t…
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[i.e. of the heavier thing], but a fool?" and receive advice is the characteristic of Job spealcs of his grief being heavier than tme friendship, and that the one should act the eand of the see. (Job vi. 3). with freedom, but not harshly, o.nd that the Ver. 4.-'\Vrath is cruel, and anger is out- other should e.ccept r…
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auwer him that reproaoheth me (P1, 0111. vltuporao&lum ot aclnlantium: 1<1d plu• 4i2; oomp. P1. 011vll. II; Eoola1. 111. 2). J>ro10C1ultur Jln,ru" 1Mlul11torl1, 1,011m miu1111 If tho pupil clhl not aho" wladom aod moru- pro1oout.orl1." "Woo unto yo11, 1al,I Ubrl1t llty in l1l1 oonduot, tho lonohor would loour (Luko TI…
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sharpener ra.ther tbe.n the whetstone, bece.use others' minds; "fo'.r wb11t man Imoweth the he wishes to denote the.t one man is of the things of o. man, ea-ve the spirit <if man , so.me ne.ture e.s another, and that this whic? is _in ~irn?" (1 Cor; ii. 11 ). There is identity is that which makes mutual e.ction a so…
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of moro.l excellence. Hence other interpre- seeketh out evils, but e.n upright heart tations he.ve been proposed. Ewald renders, seeketb knowledge." "e.nd o. tne.n according to his boasting," Ver. 22.-Though thou shouldest bre.y a the.t is, according to that which he most fool in e. mortar aD1ong wheat with a pestle. p…
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.,.,./tum, Vulgatc; the fMe, look, appearance. itself; the aftermath appears. And the The LXX. has ,j,vxd.s, which may perhaps herbs of the mountain are gathered; the moan" the number "--a necessary precaution fodder from off the hills is out and stored. when the sheep wandered on the downs and All these verbs are best…
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is confident without warrant is likely to be off his guard. Believin" that all is safe, he does not fortify himself against a possible surprise of mischief. He is just in the condition most favourable for attack. The wily tempter is aware of this. Therefore the danger is all the greater because it is ignored. Thus Pete…
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Ver. 6.-" The wounds of a friend." The principle implied in this verse is apparent at a glance. It is better that one who loves and trulv considers the interests of another should wound him for his good than that a superficial flatterer should refrain from doing so for the sake of pleasing and winning continuous fav…
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man may be said to be wandering from his place, and then how the evil of this con- dition may be illustrated by the metaphor of a bird wandering from its nest. I. How A MAN llAY WANDER FROM HIS PLACE. 1. He may leave the work he is suited/or. • There is no reason why a man should not endeavour to rise in the social sc…
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Ver. 17.-The advantages of society. I. OBSERVE m WHAT THE ADVANTAGES OP SOCIETY CONSIST, We have ancient authority for the idea that it i11 not good for man to be alone _(Gen. ii. 18). Man is naturally a gregarious being, Though some people are more sociable than others, no one can be healthy in perpetual solitude, …
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Vere. 7, 8.-The blessing of contentment. I. THE CONTENTED mND. (Ver. 7.) "Enough is as good as a feast;" "Hunger is the best sauce." 'l'o know when we are well off is the cure for the canker of envy and discontent. Deprivation for a time teaches us the need of common blessings, 'l'ho good of affliction is that it bring…
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social relations-to be agreeable without flattery, and sincere without rudeness. Here, ae ever, we must walk in the bright light of our Saviour's example, the All-loving, yet the All-faithful.-J. Vere. 15, 16.-The q'Ull'lll'elsorne wife. She is compared to the continual dropping of a shower; and the attempt to restrai…
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united with the forces of nature, has been blessed with the abund1mt harvests and the rich flocks. Let a man keep the laws of God, and his way will be strewn with satisfac- tions. To find out the secret of " working together with God" in all the departments of our life is one of the deepest secrets of satisfaction a…
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lnrge quantity of blame, 3. To praise for doing well is to follow in the. footsteps of Jesus Uhrist and of his apostles; it is to act as the most gracious and the most useful men and women have always acted. 4. It is to do to others as we would they should do to us. We thirst for a measure of approval when we have done…
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Ver. 7.-Superabundance and scarcity. We have here- I. A FAMILIAR FACT OF OUR PHYSIOA.L NATURE. Those who are well fed become very choice and dainty, while those who "lack bread ",are thankful for the coarsest food. There are thousands of the sons and daughters of luxury whose appetite can hardly be tempted ; for them …
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of our lives. He will not disappomt us. He will not forget our work of faith and our labour of love. The slightest service shall "in no wise lose its reward." He will generously regard what we do for his humble disciples as somethincr rendered :o himself. Here we shall possess bis loving favour, and there his bo~ntiful…
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aoienoe, which will not permit him to tre.ns- Ver. 2.-:ror the tra.negression cf a. !and gress without we.rning of consequences, e.nd many are the princes thereof. This implic~ pe.rUy from the judgment of God, according that the wickedness of e. nation is punishctl to the three.ta denounced in Lev. xxvi. 36, 37. by fre…
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ll'Iany modem commentators (e.g. Hitzig, a 1·igbt jud!tment in all things (comp. Delitzsch, Nowack), in view of the present Eccles. viii. 5; 1 Cor. ii. 15). So l John text, regarding the combinntion e'i ,:ii, and ii. 20, "Yo ho.vo o.n unction from the Holy noting tbat elsewhere tbe oppressor 11,nd the One, o.nd yo 1…
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contrast Pa. xv. 5; Ezek. xviii. 8.) He fu~ure. . :But the. upright shall have good ■hall gather it for him that will pity the thmgs in possession; or, shall inherit good poor. He ehall never enjoy it himself, and (eh. iii. 35). He shall be abnndantly it shall fall into the hands of one who will rewarded by God's grace…
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lonl(('r int.o the streets nnd open ph\ces. "l\lagnl\ est mcdicinn fa.teri Yulg11IL\ Regnantibt&$ impiis ,·uin,e homi,uim, Quod nocet nb~oondi; q uouil\m sun vulnere. "When evil men are in power, there is nutrit gen, ral ruin;'' Septuagint," In the places Qui tegit, et plagnm trepidat nnd1u-e of the ungodly men are…
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to listen to hie o.<lmoniLions. 'fhey therefore v~r. 18.-WhOIO walketh uprightly shall render thus: "0 prince, void of unclersto.nd- beaaved. "Uprightly" (tamim); innocently, ing, but rich in oppression!" The wording blamelessly (Ps. xv. 2). Vulg,,te, ,impliciter; o.nJ o.ccentuation of the passage confirm this Septu…
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For for a pieoe of bread that man will Hence the translation wilt run, "He who transgress. Thus translated, this clause reproveth a backsliding man," i.e. one confirms the former, and says that a jndge whom he sees to be turning away from God given to favouritism will swerve from right and duty. He shall find more favo…
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wnrs," asks St. Jamee (iv. 1), "and whence Ver. 27.-:e:e that giveth 11llto the poor come fightings amo,ng you ? come they shall not lack (see eh. xi. 24, etc.; xix. 17). not hence, even of your pleasures that God in some way compensates what is spent war in yonr members? Ye lust, and hBve in almsdeeds by shedding hi…
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of execution, but who trembles at every footfall lest it should be that of the messenger who summons him to his doom. 3. This cowa1·dice gives rise to needless alarms. 'l'he murderer starts at the fall of a leaf-so utterly unstrung is he under the tremendous consciousness of gnilt. Can any condition be more dreadful? R…
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circumstances. lf the soul is alienated from God, and there is no sign of penitence, the prayer for deliverance, though genuine and heartfelt, may well be rejecteil. But worse than this is the mock-worship of one who would have the honour of bein" religious together with the profit of bein~ sinful. T~ere can be no true…
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Ver. 20.-" .Afaitliful man." I.~Hrs CllARACTER. Nothing can be more grand than fidelity. When found in a man it is an image of the eternal constancy of God; it is like that Divine righteousness which the psalmist compared to the "everlasting hills" -so firm., so enduring, so changeless. It would be well if this grand…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-5.-0anons of moral truth. I. WICKEDNESS IS FEARFUL, GOODNESS IS oouRAGEOUB. (Ver. 1.) A good conscience is better than a thousand witnesses ; au evil conscience unmane (Job xv. 21). What passes by the name of courage is often the effect of fear of men; and that which is discountena…
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flows back by a. law of rconomic grnvitation. A ma.n labours for himself with selfish- ness and wickedness, and the harvest falls into better hands; "not intending it of himself; but it is so clone through God's secret providence." IV. PRAYERS ARE VITIATED BY INJUSTICE. (Ver. 9.) They a.re tainted by a horrible lie…
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keenly than not to feel at all ; better the weak conscience than no conscience at all, He who presumes upon the mercy of God will have to reckon with his justice.-J. Vers. 15, 16.-Tlie wicked ,-uler. I. THE snm,E. (Ver. 15.) He is like n fierco and devouring beast, .No pity softens his bosom; no justice regulates hi…
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danger. Timidity may fe.11 into worse sina than those it seeks to a.void. And in other ways extremes meet. While the ha.star to be rich casts an evil, envious eye on the property of others, he is blind to the menace of poverty from behind. In any case, poverty of soul follows from the constant drain of thought and ener…
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Vers. 1, 13, 25 (latter part).-The sourC6 of distw·bance and the secret of security. ·we barely need the pen of the wise man to assure us that- I. Sm MEANS DISTURBANCE TO OUR SOUL. 1. It is bad enough to be unfortunate j to suffer from privation or loss. 2. It is far worse to be guilty. We soon accommodate ourselve…
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oe.n reduce this! the less will be their own condemnation, and the higher they may hope to move in the society they affect. But perhaps the main acco11nt of it is found in- II. TaE BLINDING INFLUENCE OF RIN. Those who break God's Law praise those who are wicked and that which is unworthy, because they" understand not …
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Ver. 19.--{See homily on eh. xxvii. 23.)-C. Vers. 20, 22 (and ver. 8).-WeaUh 07' faithfulness1 a sermon to young men. What shall the young man set before him as his goal when he stands face to face with active life? Shall be make up his mind to be rich, or shall he resolve that, whatever his circumstances may be, he w…
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/oi·uxmi to human life from the snnguine standpoint of youth may sec in it little to be afra1<l about; but they who ha,e reached the latter end of it, auJ look baclc upon it, know how much there is in it to give ground for serious apprehension. It is they who are concerned for the young, and who are so devoutly soli…
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the present <lay. Septnngint," For when he to the sentence, "He that prepe.reth & net is l,urniug sud,louly, there is no remedy." before hie friend entangles hie own feet: Ver. 2.-When the righteous are in therein" (Qpmp. eh. xxvi. Z7; xxviii. 10). authority; rnther, as in eh. xxviii. 28, when Ver. 6.-=t:n the transgr…
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mentarles; but the more correct rendering is awkward (comp. Ps. xxxvii. 14). The is "blow into a blaze, inflame," as the second explanation me.kes the righteous the Rensen Version ( comp. Joh xx. 26; Ezek. executioners of vengeance on the delin• xxii. 20, 21). These scorners excite the quents, which does not seem to…
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servant. flatter and lie to him, and the (comp. Jer. xxii. 3, etc.). The LXX., whole atm,osphere is charged with unreality pointing differently, have, "His throne and deceit. Qualis rez, talis grez. Ecclus. shall be established for a testimony" x. 2, « As the judge of the people is him- (lahed, instead of lahaa). self,…
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and was intended to be co-ordinate with the Lord's will, and made not reo.dy, nor did supreme secular authority. The prophet.s according to hie will, she,11 be beaten with were the instru.otors of the people in Divine many stripes" (Luke xii. 47). Septuagint, 1hings, standing witnesses of the truth and " For even if…
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the Jewish interpretation of "progeny:" it, and was silent onder this formal e.dj ur,1- " he will be as a son." The pampered tion, has to bear his iniquity ; he is not only servant will ond by claiming the privileges an accomplice of a criminal, he is also 11, of a son, and perhaps ousting the legitimate perjurer; one …
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Ver. l.-Harde11ed unde1· reproof. I. REPROOF MAY BE REJECTED. It is not violent and compulsory correction. We have free wills, and God does not destroy our wills in order to reform our conduct, for he only delights in voluntary obedience; but he sends warnings and chastises us as his children. 'fhis treatment should…
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Ver. 8.-Scornful men. The evil of a contemptuous treatment of life and duty is to be seen in many relations. Let us consider some of them. I. ScoRN FOR THE PEOPLE. This was the temper of the old monarchical nnd aristocratic systerr.s. The mischief of it was seen in the explosion of the French Revolution. The "dim mult…
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Fear of human authority. Thus, in days of persecution, the weak shrink from ma~tyrdom. Wrongs are often permitted for fear of the consequences of agitatin~ &glLmst them. (2) J<'ear of the great. Some men have an awe of mere rank and ~tation. '!'hey bow obsequiously before riches; they dread to oppose important personag…
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\"ers. 1-i.-Private morality and the public weal. I. TRUTHS OF PERSONAL CON• DUCT. 1. The obstinate offender and his doom. (Ver. 1.) The repeated complaint against Jsrael was that they were a "stiff-necked people." Self-willed, haughty, persistent., defyin;; rebuke and chastisement, is the habit described. It invites j…
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(V ers.15-17.) 1. There is the same need of firmness and discipline. Absolute liberty is licence. All our freedom is bounded by necessity. 'l'he good of the whole demands fixccl law; and this must be observed in the household as in the body politic. A weakness in the administration of acknowledged law is fatal to th…
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Writ I Act well your part in Jehovah's sight; seek the honour that cometh from him only ;-how common e.nd Divine wisdom effect a juncture once more I 4. Eternal antipathies. (Ver. 27.) What experience teaches us in one form, that fellowship must be founded on sympathy, that tastes must be respected, that deep, undefina…
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Yers. 8-10.-Tlie senselessness of scorn, etc. Here is a triplet of truths wo may gather from these three texts. I. THE SENSELESSNESS OF scORN. (Ver. 8.) To be of o. scornful spirit to bestow scor?ful looks, to use s?ornful language,-th!s is gross folly. 1. It is utterly unbe- coming. Not one of us 1s so removed abo…
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are at once co1Tected by those who know better, and we are ashamed. Do not go to the council without lenrning the facts and understanding the matter, or else wait well and learn patiently before you speak at all. , III. THE FEELING OF RESENTMKNT, "A fool uttereth all his anger, but a wise man keepeth it back and still…
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Vers. 25, 26.-Two temptations and two resources. As responsible human souls, we find ourselves exposed to two dangers, and we have two sources of refuge and strenath 0 of a very similar character. I. Two TEMPTATIONS. 1. To be unduly affected by the fear of man's displeasure. "The fear of man," etc. Now, the fear o…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.