Text -- Proverbs 22:17--24:22 (NET)

The Sayings of the Wise

22:17 Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my instruction. 22:18 For it is pleasing if you keep these sayings within you, and they are ready on your lips. 22:19 So that your confidence may be in the Lord, I am making them known to you today– even you. 22:20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, 22:21 to show you true and reliable words, so that you may give accurate answers to those who sent you? 22:22 Do not exploit a poor person because he is poor and do not crush the needy in court, 22:23 for the Lord will plead their case and will rob those who are robbing them. 22:24 Do not make friends with an angry person, and do not associate with a wrathful person, 22:25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. 22:26 Do not be one who strikes hands in pledge or who puts up security for debts. 22:27 If you do not have enough to pay, your bed will be taken right out from under you! 22:28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone which was put in place by your ancestors. 22:29 Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will take his position before kings; he will not take his position before obscure people. 23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you, 23:2 and put a knife to your throat if you possess a large appetite. 23:3 Do not crave that ruler’s delicacies, for that food is deceptive. 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. 23:5 When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle! 23:6 Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies; 23:7 for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you; 23:8 you will vomit up the little bit you have eaten, and will have wasted your pleasant words. 23:9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. 23:10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or take over the fields of the fatherless, 23:11 for their Protector is strong; he will plead their case against you. 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge. 23:13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die. 23:14 If you strike him with the rod, you will deliver him from death. 23:15 My child, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad; 23:16 my soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord all the time. 23:18 For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 23:19 Listen, my child, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right way. 23:20 Do not spend time among drunkards, among those who eat too much meat, 23:21 because drunkards and gluttons become impoverished, and drowsiness clothes them with rags. 23:22 Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23:23 Acquire truth and do not sell it– wisdom, and discipline, and understanding. 23:24 The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly; whoever fathers a wise child will have joy in him. 23:25 May your father and your mother have joy; may she who bore you rejoice. 23:26 Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes observe my ways; 23:27 for a prostitute is like a deep pit; a harlot is like a narrow well. 23:28 Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men. 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness of the eyes? 23:30 Those who linger over wine, those who go looking for mixed wine. 23:31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. 23:32 Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper. 23:33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will speak perverse things. 23:34 And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging. 23:35 You will say, “They have struck me, but I am not harmed! They beat me, but I did not know it! When will I awake? I will look for another drink.” 24:1 Do not envy evil people, do not desire to be with them; 24:2 for their hearts contemplate violence, and their lips speak harm. 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 24:4 by knowledge its rooms are filled with all kinds of precious and pleasing treasures. 24:5 A wise warrior is strong, and a man of knowledge makes his strength stronger; 24:6 for with guidance you wage your war, and with numerous advisers there is victory. 24:7 Wisdom is unattainable for a fool; in court he does not open his mouth. 24:8 The one who plans to do evil will be called a scheming person. 24:9 A foolish scheme is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to people. 24:10 If you faint in the day of trouble, your strength is small! 24:11 Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter. 24:12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? 24:13 Eat honey, my child, for it is good, and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste. 24:14 Likewise, know that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 24:15 Do not lie in wait like the wicked against the place where the righteous live; do not assault his home. 24:16 Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity. 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice, 24:18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him. 24:19 Do not fret because of evil people or be envious of wicked people, 24:20 for the evil person has no future, and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. 24:21 Fear the Lord, my child, as well as the king, and do not associate with rebels, 24:22 for suddenly their destruction will overtake them, and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring?

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: Pro 22:17

The knowledge of God, which I am here delivering.

Wesley: Pro 22:18

Fitly expressed: thou wilt be able to discourse profitably of them.

Wesley: Pro 22:20

In counsels which proceed from found knowledge.

Wesley: Pro 22:21

That thou mayst be able to give solid, and satisfactory answers.

Wesley: Pro 22:22

Under pretence of justice.

Wesley: Pro 22:23

Take away not only their goods but their lives too.

Wesley: Pro 22:29

He is fit to be employed in the affairs of princes.

Wesley: Pro 23:1

With a great man.

Wesley: Pro 23:2

Restrain thine appetite, as if a man stood with a knife at thy throat.

Wesley: Pro 23:3

They do not yield thee that satisfaction which thou didst expect from them.

Wesley: Pro 23:4

From worldly wisdom, which persuades men to use all possible means to get riches.

Wesley: Pro 23:5

Look upon it with earnestness and desire.

Wesley: Pro 23:5

Which has no solid and settled being.

Wesley: Pro 23:5

Swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably.

Wesley: Pro 23:6

Of the envious or covetous man.

Wesley: Pro 23:7

You are not to judge of him by his words, but by the constant temper of his mind.

Wesley: Pro 23:8

When thou perceivest his churlish disposition, his meat will be loathsome to thee.

Wesley: Pro 23:8

Thy pleasant discourse wherewith thou didst design to delight and profit him.

Wesley: Pro 23:9

Cast not away good counsels upon incorrigible sinners.

Wesley: Pro 23:10

To possess their lands.

Wesley: Pro 23:11

Heb. their near kinsman, to whom it belongs to avenge their wrongs, and to recover and maintain their rights.

Wesley: Pro 23:13

It is a likely way to prevent his destruction.

Wesley: Pro 23:16

I shall rejoice with all my soul.

Wesley: Pro 23:18

An expected and happy end for such as fear God.

Wesley: Pro 23:19

Order the whole course of thine affections and actions.

Wesley: Pro 23:19

In God's way.

Wesley: Pro 23:23

Purchase it upon any terms, spare no pains or cost.

Wesley: Pro 23:23

The true and saving knowledge of God's will.

Wesley: Pro 23:23

Do not forsake it for any worldly advantage.

Wesley: Pro 23:26

Solomon here speaks in God's name.

Wesley: Pro 23:30

Either mixed with water, or with other ingredients to make it strong and delicious.

Wesley: Pro 23:31

Which was the colour of the best wines in that country.

Wesley: Pro 23:31

When it sparkles, and seems to smile upon a man.

Wesley: Pro 23:34

To sleep.

Wesley: Pro 23:34

In a ship in the midst of the sea.

Wesley: Pro 23:35

I was not sensible of it.

Wesley: Pro 23:35

At present my condition requires sleep to settle myself, and when I am composed, I purpose to return to my former course.

Wesley: Pro 24:2

How they may oppress and destroy others.

Wesley: Pro 24:3

There is no need that thou shouldest raise thy family by ruining others, which thou mayest more effectually do by wisdom.

Wesley: Pro 24:4

Which in scripture phrase includes the love and practice of what we know.

Wesley: Pro 24:5

Is courageous and resolute, and able by wisdom to do greater things than others can accomplish by strength.

Wesley: Pro 24:6

War is better managed by wisdom than by strength.

Wesley: Pro 24:7

For a wicked man, whose sins enfeeble his mind, and make it incapable of wisdom.

Wesley: Pro 24:7

He knows not how to speak acceptably, and profitably in the publick assembly.

Wesley: Pro 24:8

Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretences, he shall be branded with that infamy which is due to him.

Wesley: Pro 24:9

The very inward thought or contrivance of evil, is a sin in God's sight.

Wesley: Pro 24:11

When it is in thy power.

Wesley: Pro 24:11

By the violence of lawless men.

Wesley: Pro 24:12

That this is only a frivolous excuse.

Wesley: Pro 24:13

This is not a command, but a concession, and is only here expressed to illustrate the following verse. Honey in those parts was an usual food.

Wesley: Pro 24:14

It is not only sweet for the present, but brings a sure and everlasting reward.

Wesley: Pro 24:16

Into calamities, of which he evidently speaks both in the foregoing verse, and in the following branch of this verse.

Wesley: Pro 24:16

Frequently into irrecoverable destruction.

Wesley: Pro 24:17

Into mischief.

Wesley: Pro 24:18

Understand, upon thee, which is implied in the Hebrew phrase.

Wesley: Pro 24:20

All his happiness shall quickly and eternally perish.

Wesley: Pro 24:20

All their comfort and glory shall cease.

Wesley: Pro 24:21

That are unstable in their obedience to God or to the king.

Wesley: Pro 24:22

Who can conceive how sore and sudden will be the ruin of them that fear not God, and the king.

JFB: Pro 22:17

Here begins another division of the book, marked by those encouragements to the pursuit of wisdom, which are found in the earlier chapters. It will be observed that at Pro. 22:22-24:12, the proverbs are generally expressed in two verses instead of one (see Introduction).

JFB: Pro 22:18

These lessons must be laid up in the mind, and

JFB: Pro 22:18

Or better, "fixed" in the lips so as to be ever ready.

JFB: Pro 22:19

This is the design of the instruction.

JFB: Pro 22:20

Or probably of former times.

JFB: Pro 22:20

Both advice and instruction.

JFB: Pro 22:21

Specially he desires to secure accuracy, so that his pupil may teach others.

JFB: Pro 22:22-23

Here follow ten precepts of two verses each. Though men fail to defend the poor, God will (Pro 17:5; Psa 12:5).

JFB: Pro 22:22-23

Place of public gathering (Job 5:4; Psa 69:12).

JFB: Pro 22:24-25

(Compare Pro 2:12-15; Pro 4:14).

JFB: Pro 22:25

The unsuspecting are often misled by bad company.

JFB: Pro 22:26-27

(Compare Pro 6:1; Pro 17:18).

JFB: Pro 22:27

That is, the creditor.

JFB: Pro 22:28

(Compare Pro 23:10). Do not entrench on others (Deu 19:14; Deu 27:17).

JFB: Pro 22:29

Success rewards diligence (Pro 10:4; Pro 21:5).

JFB: Pro 23:1

(Pro. 23:1-35)

Avoid the dangers of gluttony.

JFB: Pro 23:2

An Eastern figure for putting restraint on the appetite.

JFB: Pro 23:3

Though well tasted, injurious.

JFB: Pro 23:4-5

(Compare 1Ti 6:9-10).

JFB: Pro 23:4-5

Which regards riches intrinsically as a blessing.

JFB: Pro 23:5

As the eyes fly after or seek riches, they are not, that is, either become transitory or unsatisfying; fully expressed by their flying away.

JFB: Pro 23:6-8

Beware of deceitful men, whose courtesies even you will repent of having accepted.

JFB: Pro 23:6-8

Or purpose (Pro 22:9; Deu 15:9; Mat 6:23).

JFB: Pro 23:8

That is, disgusted with his true character, all pleasant intercourse will be destroyed.

JFB: Pro 23:9

(Compare Pro 9:8). "Cast not your pearls before swine" (Mat 7:6).

JFB: Pro 23:10-11

(Compare Pro 22:22-23).

JFB: Pro 23:11

Or avenger (Lev 25:25-26; Num 35:12), hence advocate (Job 19:25).

JFB: Pro 23:11

(Compare Job 31:21; Psa 35:1; Psa 68:5).

JFB: Pro 23:12

Here begins another series of precepts.

JFB: Pro 23:13-14

While there is little danger that the use of the "divine ordinance of the rod" will produce bodily harm, there is great hope of spiritual good.

JFB: Pro 23:15-16

The pleasure afforded the teacher by the pupil's progress is a motive to diligence.

JFB: Pro 23:16

(Compare Psa 7:9).

JFB: Pro 23:17-18

(Compare Margin). The prosperity of the wicked is short.

JFB: Pro 23:18

Or, "hereafter," another time, when apparent inequalities shall be adjusted (compare Psa 37:28-38).

JFB: Pro 23:19-21

Or direct thy thoughts to a right course of conduct (compare Pro 4:4; Pro 9:6).

JFB: Pro 23:20

Prodigal, or eating more than necessary. Instead of "their flesh" (compare Margin), better, "flesh to them," that is, used for pleasure.

JFB: Pro 23:21

The dreamy sleep of the slothful.

JFB: Pro 23:22

That is, obey (Pro 1:8; Eph 6:1).

JFB: Pro 23:22

Adults revere the parents whom, as children, they once obeyed.

JFB: Pro 23:23

Literally, "get" (Pro 4:5).

JFB: Pro 23:23

Generally and specially as opposed to errors of all kinds.

JFB: Pro 23:24-25

(Compare Pro 10:1; Pro 17:21, Pro 17:25).|| 17071||1||10||0||A solemn warning against whoredom and drunkenness (Hos 4:11).

JFB: Pro 23:24-25

This is the address of that divine wisdom so often presented (Pro 8:1; Pro 9:3, &c.).

JFB: Pro 23:24-25

Confidence.

JFB: Pro 23:24-25

Keep.

JFB: Pro 23:24-25

Such as I teach you (Pro 3:17; Pro 9:6).

JFB: Pro 23:27-28

A narrow pit, out of which it is hard to climb.

JFB: Pro 23:27-28

To ensnare men into the pit, as hunters entrap game (compare Pro 22:14).

JFB: Pro 23:28

(Pro 5:8-10). The vice alluded to is peculiarly hardening to the heart.

JFB: Pro 23:29-30

This picture is often sadly realized now.

JFB: Pro 23:29-30

(Compare Pro 9:2; Isa 5:11).

JFB: Pro 23:31

The color denoting greater strength (compare Gen 49:11; Deu 32:14).

JFB: Pro 23:31

Literally, "gives its eye," that is, sparkles.

JFB: Pro 23:31

Perhaps its foaming is meant.

JFB: Pro 23:32

The acute miseries resulting from drunkenness contrasted with the temptations.

JFB: Pro 23:33-34

The moral effects: it inflames passion (Gen 19:31, Gen 19:35), lays open the heart, produces insensibility to the greatest dangers, and debars from reformation, under the severest sufferings.

JFB: Pro 23:35

That is, from drunkenness (Gen 9:24). This is the language rather of acts than of the tongue.

JFB: Pro 24:1-2

(Pro. 24:1-34)

(Compare Pro 23:3, Pro 23:17; Psa 37:1).

JFB: Pro 24:2

Meditateth.

JFB: Pro 24:2

Their expressed purposes are to do evil.

JFB: Pro 24:3-4

(Compare Pro 14:1; Isa 54:14).

JFB: Pro 24:3-4

Including the family.

JFB: Pro 24:4

(Pro 8:18; Pro 21:20).

JFB: Pro 24:5-6

The general statement (Ecc 9:16, Ecc 9:18) is specially illustrated (compare Pro 21:22; Psa 144:1).

JFB: Pro 24:7

(Compare Pro 14:16).

JFB: Pro 24:7

(Compare Pro 22:22).

JFB: Pro 24:8

So called even if he fails to do evil.

JFB: Pro 24:9

Same thought varied.

JFB: Pro 24:10

Literally, "If thou fail in the day of straits (adversity), strait (or, small) is thy strength," which is then truly tested.

JFB: Pro 24:11-12

Neglect of known duty is sin (Jam 4:17).

JFB: Pro 24:11-12

Literally, "bowing down"

JFB: Pro 24:11-12

That is, unjustly. God's retributive justice cannot be avoided by professed ignorance.

JFB: Pro 24:13-14

As delicious food whets the appetite, so should the rewards of wisdom excite us to seek it.

JFB: Pro 24:14

Literally, "after part," the proper result (compare Pro 23:18; Psa 37:37-38).

JFB: Pro 24:15-16

The plots of the wicked against the good, though partially, shall not be fully successful (Psa 37:24); while the wicked, falling under penal evil, find no help.

JFB: Pro 24:16

Often, or many (Pro 6:16, Pro 6:31; Pro 9:1).

JFB: Pro 24:17-18

Yet let none rejoice over the fate of evildoers, lest God punish their wrong spirit by relieving the sufferer (compare Pro 17:5; Job 31:29).

JFB: Pro 24:19-20

(Psa 37:1, Psa 37:38; Psa 18:28).

JFB: Pro 24:20

Or, "prosperity"; it shall come to an end (Pro 13:9; Pro 20:20).

JFB: Pro 24:21-22

A warning against impiety and resistance to lawful rule (Rom 13:1-7; 1Pe 2:17).

JFB: Pro 24:21-22

(Compare Margin), literally, "mingle not yourself," avoid the society of restless persons.

JFB: Pro 24:22

Either what God and the king inflict, or what changers and their company suffer; better the first.

Clarke: Pro 22:17

Bow down thine ear - From this to the end of Pro 22:21 are contained, not proverbs, but directions how to profit by that which wisdom has already delivered; the nature of the instruction, and the end for which it was given

I shall give a paraphrase of this very important passage: -

I.    Solomon addresses his pupils on the use of his past teachings. See on Pro 22:6 (note)

1.    The wise man speaks; and all his words, not merely his sentiments, are to be carefully heard

2.    He speaks knowledge - gives doctrines true in themselves, and confirmed by observation and experience

3.    These are to be heard with humility and deep attention: "Bow down thine ear.

4.    They must not only be heard, but meditated and pondered: "Apply thine heart to my knowledge."

Clarke: Pro 22:18

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee -

II.    The pleasure and profit which may be derived from an attentive hearing

1.    They should be laid up in the heart-stored, treasured up within thee

2.    This will yield high satisfaction and happiness to the soul: "For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee.

3.    The man who thus attends to the teachings of wisdom shall gain an experimental knowledge of them, so as to be able to speak of them suitably, pertinently and persuasively. "They shall withal be fitted in thy lips."

Clarke: Pro 22:19

That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known, etc. -

III.    The End for which the wise man gives these instructions: -

1.    "That thy trust may be in the Lord."That thou mayest acknowledge Him as the Fountain of all good; and refer every thing to him

2.    That this end may be accomplished, the instructions are specific and particular: "I have made known to thee, even to thee.

3.    And this has not only been done in times past, "I have made known:"but even in the present, "I have made known this day!

IV.    An appeal is made to the person himself relative to the matter and importance of the teaching

1.    "Have I not written to thee excellent things;" שלשים shalishim , literally threefold, thrice, in three different ways; which some think refers to his three books: -

1.    Song of Solomon

2.    Koheleth, or Ecclesiastes

3.    Proverbs

Others, understanding it of the voice of Divine wisdom, suppose the three grand divisions of the sacred oracles are intended; viz.

1.    The Law

2.    The Prophets

3.    The Hagiographa

And others interpret it of the three grand intellectual sciences: -

1.    Morality, or Ethics

2.    Natural Philosophy, or Physics

3.    Theology, or the science of Divine things as reported in the Scriptures. But Solomon’ s books of Natural Philosophy are lost

And lastly, some of the rabbins and some Christians find in these shalishim the three senses of Scripture

1.    Literal

2.    Figurative

3.    Allegorical

After all, as we know the term thrice was used as the term seven, a certain number for an uncertain, (see Amo 1:11; 2Co 12:8), it may mean no more here than, I have written to thee often. But perhaps it is safer to apply it to the Scriptures, and the excellent doctrines they contain: for שלשים shalishim signifies also excellent, princely things; things which become a king to speak. Indeed, it would not be difficult to prove that there is not one important art or science which is not alluded to in the Holy Scriptures, and used to illustrate and inculcate heavenly truths

2.    These excellent, princely, or threefold teachings, consist of two grand parts

1.    Counsels, מעצות moetsoth , from יוץ yaats , to give advice, counsel, or information. These (1) show thee what thou shouldst know; and (2) advise thee what thou shouldst do

2.    Knowledge, דעת daath , from ידע yada , to perceive, or feel by means of the senses and internal perception; viz., what should be felt, experienced, known to be true by mental perception, and by their influence on the heart and affections

V.    All this is done to give the pupil the fullest satisfaction, and most plenary evidence concerning the truths of God.

Clarke: Pro 22:21

That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth -

1.    These are words or doctrines of truth

1.    They are true in themselves

2.    Come from the God of truth.

3. Are truly fulfilled to all that believe

2.    These words of truth are certain, קשט koshet , they are not of dubious or difficult interpretation; they point directly to the great end for which God gave them; they promise, and they are fulfilled. He who pleads them by faith, receives their accomplishment in the spirit and power of Divine love. The Scriptures, as far as they concern the salvation of the soul, are to be experimentally understood; and, by this experimental knowledge, every believer has the witness in himself, and knows the certainty of the words of truth

VI.    What we know ourselves to be true, and of infinite importance to the welfare of men in general, we should carefully proclaim and witness, that they also may believe

That thou mightest answer the words of truth -

1.    When the doctrine of salvation is preached, there will be many inquirers. What is this doctrine? Have any persons received these blessings - the remission of sins, witness of the Holy Spirit, purification of the heart, etc., etc.? Who are they? What are the collateral arguments that prove these things, and show us that you have not misapprehended the meaning of these Scriptures

2.    Inquiries of this kind should meet with the speediest and most distinct answers; and the doctrines of truth should be supported and illustrated with the words of truth. "That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee."

Clarke: Pro 22:22

Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate - In judgment let the poor have a fair hearing; and let him not be borne down because he is poor. The reader has often seen that courts of justice were held at the gates of cities in the East.

Clarke: Pro 22:23

For the Lord will plead their cause - Wo therefore to them that oppress them, for they will have God, not the poor, to deal with.

Clarke: Pro 22:24

Make no friendship with an angry man - Spirit has a wonderful and unaccountable influence upon spirit. From those with whom we associate we acquire habits, and learn their ways, imbibe their spirit, show their tempers and walk in their steps. We cannot be too choice of our company, for we may soon learn ways that will be a snare to our soul.

Clarke: Pro 22:26

That strike hands - See on Pro 6:1 (note); Pro 11:15 (note).

Clarke: Pro 22:27

If thou hast nothing to pay - Should any man give security for more than he is worth? If he does, is it not a fraud on the very face of the transaction

Clarke: Pro 22:27

Why should he take away thy bed from under thee? - The creditor will not pursue the debtor whom he knows to be worth nothing; but he will sue the bail or bondsman. And why shouldst thou put thyself in such circumstances as to expose thyself to the loss even of thy bed?

Clarke: Pro 22:28

Remove not the ancient landmark - Do not take the advantage, in ploughing or breaking up a field contiguous to that of thy neighbor, to set the dividing stones farther into his field that thou mayest enlarge thy own. Take not what is not thy own in any case. Let all ancient divisions, and the usages connected with them, be held sacred. Bring in no new dogmas, nor rites, nor ceremonies, into religion, or the worship of God, that are not clearly laid down in the sacred writings. "Stand in the way; and see, and ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find rest for your souls;"Jer 6:16. But if any Church have lost sight of the genuine doctrines of the Gospel, calling them back to these is not removing the ancient landmarks, as some have falsely asserted. God gave a law against removing the ancient landmarks, by which the inheritances of tribes and families were distinguished. See Deu 19:14, from which these words of Solomon appear to be taken

Even among the heathens the landmark was sacred; so sacred that they made a deity of it. Terminus signifies the stone or post that served as a landmark. And Terminus was reputed a god, and had offerings made to him. Hence Ovid: -

Tu quoque sacrorum, Termine, finis eras

Fast. lib. i., ver. 50

Nox ubi transierit, solito celebratur honore,
Separat indicio qui Deus arva suo

Termine, sive lapis, sive es defossus in agro
Stipes, ab antiquis sic quoque Numen habes

Te duo diversa domini pro parte coronant;
Binaque serta tibi, binaque liba ferunt -

Conveniunt, celebrantque dapes vicinia simplex;
Et cantant laudes, Termine sancte, tuas

Tu populos, urbesque, et regna ingentia finis:
Omnis erit, sine te, litigiosus ager

Fast. lib. ii., ver. 639

Here we find the owners of both fields bringing each his garland and libation to the honor of this god. They sung its praises, put on its top a chaplet of flowers, poured out the libation before it; and the inhabitants of the country held a festival in its honor. It was, in short, celebrated as the preserver of the bounds and territorial rights of tribes, cities, and whole kingdoms; and without its testimony and evidence, every field would have been a subject of litigation.

Clarke: Pro 22:29

He shalt not stand before mean men - חשכים chashukkim , dark or obscure persons; men of no repute. Na he schal ben before un-noble men - Old MS. Bible. "Not amonge the symple people."- Coverdale

The general meaning of the proverb is, "Every diligent, active man, shall be at once independent and respectable."

Clarke: Pro 23:1

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler - When invited to the table of thy betters, eat moderately. Do not appear as if half starved at home. Eat not of delicacies to which thou art not accustomed; they are deceitful meat; they please, but they do not profit. They are pleasant to the sight, the taste, and the smell; but they are injurious to health. These are prudential cautions; and should be carefully observed by all who would avoid the conduct of a clown, and desire to pass for a well-bred man.

Clarke: Pro 23:2

Put a knife to thy throat - Repress thy appetite, and do not be incontinent of speech. Eat, drink, and converse, under a check.

Clarke: Pro 23:4

Labour not to be rich - Let not this be thy object. Labour to provide things honest in the sight of God and all men; and if thou get wealth, do not forget the poor, else God’ s curse will be a canker even in thy gold

Clarke: Pro 23:4

Cease from thine own wisdom - בינתך binathecha , thy own understanding or prudence. The world says, "Get rich if thou canst, and how thou canst."Rem, si possis, recte; si non, quocunque modo rem; "Get a fortune honestly if thou canst; but if not, get one at all events."This is the devil’ s counsel, and well it is followed; but Solomon says, and God says, "Cease from thine own counsel."Thou hast an immortal soul, and shalt shortly appear before God. Lay up treasure for heaven, and be rich towards God.

Clarke: Pro 23:6

Of him that hath an evil eye - Never eat with a covetous or stingy man; if he entertains you at his own expense, he grudges every morsel you put in your mouth. This is well marked by the wise man in the next verse: "Eat and drink, saith he: but his heart is not with thee."

Clarke: Pro 23:8

The morsel which thou hast eaten - On reflection thou wilt even blame thyself for having accepted his invitation.

Clarke: Pro 23:10

Remove not the old landmark - See Pro 22:28 (note)

Clarke: Pro 23:10

Enter not into the fields of the fatherless - Take nothing that belongs to an orphan. The heaviest curse of God will fall upon them that do so.

Clarke: Pro 23:11

For their redeemer is mighty - גאלם goalam , their kinsman. The word means the person who has a right, being next in blood, to redeem a field or estate, alienated from the family, to avenge the blood of a murdered relative, by slaying the murderer; and to take to wife a brother’ s widow, who had died childless, in order to preserve the family. The strength here mentioned refers to the justness of his claim, the extent of his influence, and the powerful abettors of such a cause. But in reference to the orphans here mentioned, they having no kinsman, God takes up, vindicates, and avenges their cause.

Clarke: Pro 23:14

Thou shalt beat him with the rod - A proper correction of children was a favourite point of discipline with Solomon. We have already seen how forcibly he speaks on this subject. See the notes on the places referred to in 1Co 5:5 (note).

Clarke: Pro 23:18

Surely there is an end - יש אחרית yesh acharith , there is another life; "and thy expectation"of the enjoyment of a blessed immortality "shall not be cut off."The Old MS. Bible reads thus: For thou schalt hab hop in the last: and thin abiiding schal not ben taken awei. "For the ende is not yet come; and thy patient abydinge shal not be in vayne."- Coverdale.

Clarke: Pro 23:20

Be not among winebibbers - There is much of this chapter spent in giving directions concerning eating, drinking, and entertainments in general

1.    he pupil is directed relative to the manner in which he is to conduct himself in his visits to the tables of the rich and great

2.    Relative to the covetous and his intercourse with them. An

3.    To public entertainnlents, where there were generally riot and debauch

The reasons, says Calmet, which induced the wise man to give these directions were

1.    The useless expense

2.    The loss of time

3.    The danger from bad company. An

4.    The danger of contracting irregular habits, and of being induced to lead a voluptuous and effeminate life.

Clarke: Pro 23:22

Despise not thy mother when she is old - A very necessary caution, as very old women are generally helpless, useless, and burdensome: yet these circumstances do not at all lessen the child’ s duty. And this duty is strengthened by the Divine command here given.

Clarke: Pro 23:23

Buy the truth - Acquire the knowledge of God at all events; and in order to do this, too much pains, industry, and labor cannot be expended

Clarke: Pro 23:23

And sell it not - When once acquired, let no consideration deprive thee of it. Cleave to and guard it, even at the risk of thy life. Coverdale translates: "Labour for to get the treuth; sell not awaye wissdome."

Clarke: Pro 23:26

My son, give me thine heart - This is the speech of God to every human soul; give thy affections to God, so as to love him with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength

Clarke: Pro 23:26

And let thine eyes observe my ways - Be obedient to me in all things. My son, thou believest that I Am, and that I Am the Fountain of all good. Give me thy heart; it is I alone who can make thee happy. Observe my ways - follow me; do what is right in my sight. This exhortation contains three words: Believe, Love, Obey! This is the sum of God’ s counsels to every child of man.

Clarke: Pro 23:27

For a whore is a deep ditch - See on Pro 22:14 (note).

Clarke: Pro 23:28

Increaseth the transgressors among men - More iniquity springs from this one source of evil, than from any other cause in the whole system of sin. Women and strong drink cause many millions to transgress.

Clarke: Pro 23:29

Who hath wo? - I believe Solomon refers here to the natural effects of drunkenness. And perhaps אוי oi , which we translate wo, and אבוי aboi , which we translate sorrow, are mere natural sounds or vociferations that take place among drunken men, either from illness, or the nauseating effects of too much liquor. As to contentions among such, babblings on a variety of subjects, which they neither understand nor are fit to discuss; wounds, got by falling out about nothing; and red eyes, bloodshotten with excess of drink, or black and blue eyes with fighting; - these are such common and general effects of these compotations, as naturally to follow from them. So that they who tarry long at wine, and use mixed wine to make it more inebriating, (see Pro 9:2), are the very persons who are most distinguished by the circumstances enumerated above. I need scarcely add, that by wine and mixed wine all inebriating liquors are to be understood.

Clarke: Pro 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine - Let neither the color, the odour, the sparkling, etc., of the wine, when poured out, induce thee to drink of it. However good and pure it may be, it will to thee be a snare, because thou art addicted to it, and hast no self-command.

Clarke: Pro 23:33

Thine eyes shall behold strange women - Evil concupiscence is inseparable from drunkenness. Mr. Herbert shows these effects well: -

He that is drunken may his mother kill,
Big with his sister: he hath lost the reins

Is outlawed by himself. All kinds of ill
Did, with his liquor, slide into his veins

The drunkard forfeits man; and doth divest
All worldly right, save what he hath by beast

Herbert’ s Poems - The Church Porch.

||&&$

Clarke: Pro 23:34

Lieth down in the midst of the sea - He is utterly regardless of life; which is expressed very forcibly by one in a state of intoxication ascending the shrouds, clasping the mast-head, and there falling asleep; whence, in a few moments, he must either fall down upon the deck and be dashed to pieces, or fall into the sea and be drowned. Reader, if thou be a man given to this appetite, put a knife to thy throat.

Clarke: Pro 23:35

They have stricken me - Though beat and abused, full of pain, and exhibiting a frightful figure; yet so drunk was he, as to be insensible who had struck him: still, after all this abuse and disgrace, he purposes to embrace the next opportunity of repeating his excesses! Sin makes a man contemptible in life, miserable in death, and wretched to all eternity. Is it not strange, then, that men should Love it?

Clarke: Pro 24:3

Through wisdom is a house blinded - That is, a family; household affairs. See the notes on Pro 9:1 (note), etc.

Clarke: Pro 24:5

A wise man is strong - His wisdom enables him to construct a great variety of machines, by which, under his own influence, he can do the labor of a hundred or even a thousand men. But in all cases wisdom gives power and influence; and he who is wise to salvation can overcome even Satan himself. The Septuagint has: "The wise is better than the strong; and the man who has prudence, than a stout husbandman."

Clarke: Pro 24:6

By wise counsel thou shalt make thy war - See note on Pro 20:18.

Clarke: Pro 24:7

A fool - openeth not his mouth in the gate - Is not put into public offices of trust and responsibility.

Clarke: Pro 24:9

The thought of foolishness is sin - זמת אולת חטאת zimmath ivveleth chattath . "The device of folly is transgression;"or, "an evil purpose is sinful;"or, perhaps more literally, "the device of the foolish is sin."It has been variously understood by the versions

"The cunning: of the fool is sin.

- Targum

"The imprudent man (or fool, αφρων ) shall die in sins.

- Septuagint

So the Arabic

The thinkynge of the fool is synn

- Old MS. Bible

Fool is here taken for a wicked man, who is not only evil in his actions, but every thought of his heart is evil, and that continually. A simple thought about foolishness, or about sin itself, is not sinful; it is the purpose or device, the harbouring evil thoughts, and devising how to sin, that is criminal.

Clarke: Pro 24:10

If thou faint - If thou give way to discouragement and despair in the day of adversity - time of trial or temptation

Clarke: Pro 24:10

Thy strength is small - צר כחכה tsar cochachah , thy strength is contracted. So the old MS. Bible excellently: Gif sliden thou dispeire, in the dai of anguyfs, schal be made litil thy strengthe. In times of trial we should endeavor to be doubly courageous; when a man loses his courage, his strength avails him nothing.

Clarke: Pro 24:11

If thou forbear to deliver - If thou seest the innocent taken by the hand of lawless power or superstitious zeal, and they are about to be put to death, thou shouldst rise up in their behalf, boldly plead for them, testify to their innocence when thou knowest it; and thus thou wilt not be guilty of blood; which thou wouldst be, if, through any pretense, thou shouldst neglect to save the life of a man unjustly condemned.

Clarke: Pro 24:13

And the honey-comb - I have often had occasion to remark how much finer the flavour of honey is in the honey-comb than it is after it has been expressed from it, and exposed to the action of the air. But it has been asserted that the honey-comb is never eaten; it must be by those who have no acquaintance with the apiary. I have seen the comb with its contained honey eaten frequently, and of it I have repeatedly partaken. And that our Lord ate it, is evident from Luk 24:42. Nor can any man who has not eaten it in this way feel the full force of the allusions to the honey-comb and its sweetness in several parts of the sacred writings. See 1Sa 14:27; Psa 19:10; Pro 5:3; Pro 16:24; Pro 27:7; Son 4:11; Son 5:1; and the place before us.

Clarke: Pro 24:14

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul - True religion, experimental godliness, shall be to thy soul as the honey-comb is to thy mouth

Clarke: Pro 24:14

Then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off - This is precisely the same with that in Pro 23:18 (note), where see the note. The word אחרית acharith , we translate in the former place an end, and here we translate it a reward; but there is no place I believe in the sacred writings in which it has any such acceptation; nor can such a meaning be deduced from the root אחר achar , which always refers to behind, after, extremity, latter part, time, etc., but never carries the idea of recompense, compensation, or such like; nor has one of the versions understood it so. There is another state or life, and thy expectation of happiness in a future world shall not be cut off. In this sense the versions all understood it. I will take them as they lie before me

"Which (wisdom) when thou shalt have found, thou shalt have hope in thy last days; and thy hope shall not perish."- Vulgate

"And if thou find it, thou shalt have a good death; and hope shall not forsake thee."- Septuagint

"Which, if thou have found, thy latter days shall be better than the former; and thy hope shall not be consumed."- Chaldee

"There shall be an end, and thy hope shall not be cut off."- Syriac

"For, if thou shalt find her, (wisdom), thy death shall be glorious, and thy hope will not fail thee."- Arabic

Whiche whan thou fyndist schalt han in the last thingis, hope: and thin hope schal not perischen - Old MS. Bible

"And there is Good Hope; yee that hope shal not be in vayne."- Coverdale

This rendering is indefinite, which is not the usual custom of the translator.

Clarke: Pro 24:15

The dwelling of the righteous - צדיק tsaddik , the man who is walking unblameably in all the testimonies of God; who is rendering to every man his due.

Clarke: Pro 24:16

For a just man - צדיק tsaddik , the righteous, the same person mentioned above

Clarke: Pro 24:16

Falleth seven times - Gets very often into distresses through his resting place being spoiled by the wicked man, the robber, the spoiler of the desert, lying in wait for this purpose, Pro 24:15

Clarke: Pro 24:16

And riseth up again - Though God permit the hand of violence sometimes to spoil his tent, temptations to assail his mind, and afflictions to press down his body, he constantly emerges; and every time he passes through the furnace, he comes out brighter and more refined

Clarke: Pro 24:16

But the wicked shall fall into mischief - And there they shall lie; having no strong arm to uphold them. Yet,

Clarke: Pro 24:17

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, (into this mischief), and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth - When he meets with any thing that injures him; for God will not have thee to avenge thyself, or feel any disposition contrary to love; for if thou do, the Lord will be angry, and may turn away his wrath from him, and pour it out on thee

This I believe to be the true sense of these verses: but we must return to the sixteenth, as that has been most sinfully misrepresented

For a just man falleth seven times - That is, say many, "the most righteous man in the world sins seven times a day on an average."Solomon does not say so: -

1.    There is not a word about sin in the text

2.    The word day is not in the Hebrew text, nor in any of the versions

3.    The word יפול yippol , from נפל naphal , to fall, is never applied to sin

4.    When set in opposition to the words riseth up, it merely applies to affliction or calamity. See Mic 7:8; Amo 8:4; Jer 25:27; and Psa 34:19, Psa 34:20. "The righteous falls into trouble."See above

Mr. Holden has a very judicious note on this passage: "Injure not a righteous man; for, though he frequently falls into distress, yet, by the superintending care of Providence, ‘ he riseth up again,’ is delivered from his distress, while the wicked are overwhelmed with their misfortunes. That this is the meaning is plain from the preceding and following verses: yet some expound it by the just man often relapsing into sin, and recovering from it; nay, it has even been adduced to prove the doctrine of the final perseverance of the elect. But נפל is never used for falling into sin, but into distress and affliction - as Pro 11:5, Pro 11:14; Pro 13:17; Pro 17:20; Pro 26:27; Pro 28:10, Pro 28:14, Pro 28:18."

Clarke: Pro 24:18

And he turn away his wrath from him - Wrath is here taken for the effect of wrath, punishment; and the meaning must be as paraphrased above - lest he take the punishment from him, and inflict it upon thee. And in this way Coverdale understood it: "Lest the Lorde be angry, and turn his wrath from him unto thee."Or we may understand it thus: Lest the Lord inflict on thee a similar punishment; for if thou get into his spirit, rejoicing in the calamities of another, thou deservest punishment.

Clarke: Pro 24:20

For there shall be no reboard to the evil man - אחרית acharith . There shall not be the future state of blessedness to the wicked. See the note on Pro 24:14 (note). His candle shall be put out; his prosperity shall finally cease, or he shall have no posterity. Some have thought that this text intimates the annihilation of sinners; but it refers not to being, but to the state or condition of that being. The wicked shall be; but they shall not be Happy.

Clarke: Pro 24:21

My son, fear thou the Lord and the king - Pay to each the homage due: to the Lord, Divine honor and adoration; to the king, civil respect, civil honor, and political obedience

Clarke: Pro 24:21

Meddle not with them that are given to change - עם שונים אל תתערב im shonim al titharab : "And with the changelings mingle not thyself."The innovators; those who are always for making experiments on modes of government, forms of religion, etc. The most dangerous spirit that can infect the human mind.

Clarke: Pro 24:22

The ruin of them both? - Of them who do not fear the Lord; and of them that do not reverence the King.

Defender: Pro 22:21

Before we can effectively "give an answer" (1Pe 3:15) as we witness to others, we first must know the certainty of the "word of truth" ourselves. An "uncertain sound" of a trumpet can hardly prepare others for the battle (1Co 14:8)."

Defender: Pro 22:28

The lands were originally divided by the Lord (Gen 10:32) when He "set the bounds of the people" (Deu 32:8). The "earth is the Lord's" (Psa 24:1), and He can give and transfer the lands according to His will (Act 17:26). These God-given boundaries should be respected (Pro 23:10; Deu 19:14; Deu 27:17).

Defender: Pro 22:28

There is also an important spiritual application in this verse. The "landmark" may be a spiritual standard, established by our spiritual forefathers, God-honoring and God-blessed. There is always a tendency for each new generation to try to modernize the ways of their fathers and, in view of the universal law of decay, this is often a mistake."

Defender: Pro 23:10

See note on Pro 22:28."

Defender: Pro 23:14

"Hell" is the Hebrew sheol, the prison of departed spirits in the heart of the earth. The "rod" can be merely a "switch." Children must learn faith and obedience to godly parents before they will ever learn to have obedient faith in God."

Defender: Pro 23:20

This is a clear warning against drinking wine or other intoxicating drinks. It also prohibits gluttony and revelry."

Defender: Pro 23:31

Another prohibition against intoxicating drink (see Pro 20:1, note; Pro 23:20, note)."

TSK: Pro 22:17

Bow : Pro 2:2-5, Pro 5:1, Pro 5:2

and hear : Pro 1:3, Pro 3:1, Pro 4:4-8, Pro 8:33, Pro 8:34; Isa 55:3; Mat 17:5

apply : Pro 23:12; Psa 90:12; Ecc 7:25, Ecc 8:9, Ecc 8:16

TSK: Pro 22:18

it is : Pro 2:10, Pro 3:17, Pro 24:13, Pro 24:14; Psa 19:10, Psa 119:103, Psa 119:111, Psa 119:162; Jer 15:16

within thee : Heb. within thy belly, Job 32:18, Job 32:19; Joh 7:38

fitted : Pro 8:6, Pro 10:13, Pro 10:21, Pro 15:7, Pro 16:21, Pro 25:11; Psa 119:13, Psa 119:171; Mal 2:7; Heb 13:15

TSK: Pro 22:19

thy : Pro 3:5; Psa 62:8; Isa 12:2, Isa 26:4; Jer 17:7; 1Pe 1:21

even to thee : or, trust thou also

TSK: Pro 22:20

Pro 8:6; Psa 12:6; Hos 8:12; 2Ti 3:15-17; 2Pe 1:19-21

TSK: Pro 22:21

I : Luk 1:3, Luk 1:4; Joh 20:31; 1Jo 5:13

answer : 1Pe 3:15

them that send unto thee : or, those that send thee

TSK: Pro 22:22

Rob : Pro 23:10, Pro 23:11; Eze 22:29

oppress : Pro 22:16; Exo 23:6; Job 29:12-16, Job 31:16, Job 31:21; Zec 7:10; Mal 3:5

in the gate : That is, in the court of justice, which, as we have already seen, was held at the gates of cities in the East.

TSK: Pro 22:23

the Lord : Pro 23:11; 1Sa 24:12, 1Sa 24:15, 1Sa 25:39; Psa 12:5, Psa 35:1, Psa 35:10, Psa 43:1, Psa 68:5, Psa 140:12; Jer 50:34, Jer 51:36; Mic 7:9; Mal 3:5

spoil : Isa 33:1; Hab 2:8

TSK: Pro 22:24

Pro 21:24, Pro 29:22; 2Co 6:14-17

TSK: Pro 22:25

Pro 13:20; Psa 106:35; 1Co 15:33

TSK: Pro 22:26

Pro 6:1-5, Pro 11:15, Pro 17:18, Pro 27:13

TSK: Pro 22:27

Pro 20:16; Exo 22:26, Exo 22:27; 2Ki 4:1

TSK: Pro 22:28

remove : Pro 23:10; Deu 19:14, Deu 27:17; Job 24:2

landmark : or, bound

TSK: Pro 22:29

a man : Pro 10:4, Pro 12:24; 1Ki 11:28; Ecc 9:10; Mat 25:21, Mat 25:23; Rom 12:11; 2Ti 4:2

he shall stand : That is, he shall have the honour of serving kings; as the phrase denotes.

mean men : Heb. obscure men

TSK: Pro 23:1

Gen 43:32-34; Jud 1:12

TSK: Pro 23:2

Mat 18:8, Mat 18:9; 1Co 9:27; Phi 3:19

TSK: Pro 23:3

Pro 23:6; Psa 141:4; Dan 1:8; Luk 21:34; Eph 4:22

TSK: Pro 23:4

Labour : Pro 28:20; Joh 6:27; 1Ti 6:8-10

cease : Pro 3:5, Pro 26:12; Isa 5:21; Rom 11:25, Rom 12:16

TSK: Pro 23:5

thou : Psa 119:36, Psa 119:37; Jer 22:17; 1Jo 2:16

set thine eyes upon : Heb. cause thine eyes to fly upon, etc. ""He expresses it in such a way,""says Abp. Tillotson, ""as if a rich man sat brooding over an estate till it was fledged, and gotten itself wings to fly away."

that which : Gen 42:36; Ecc 1:2, Ecc 12:8; Isa 55:2; 1Co 7:29-31

riches : Pro 27:24; Job 1:14-17; Psa 39:6; Ecc 5:13, Ecc 5:14; Mat 6:19; 1Ti 6:17; Jam 5:1, Jam 5:2

TSK: Pro 23:6

an : Pro 22:9; Deu 15:9, Deu 28:56; Mat 20:15; Mar 7:22

desire : Pro 23:3; Psa 141:4; Dan 1:8-10

TSK: Pro 23:7

as : Pro 19:22; Mat 9:3, Mat 9:4; Luk 7:39

Eat : Jdg 16:15; 2Sa 13:26-28; Psa 12:2, Psa 55:21; Dan 11:27; Luke 11:37-54

TSK: Pro 23:9

Speak : Pro 9:7, Pro 9:8, Pro 26:4, Pro 26:5; Isa 36:21; Mat 7:6; Act 13:45, Act 13:46, Act 28:25-28

he : Luk 16:14; Joh 8:52, Joh 9:30-34, Joh 9:40, Joh 10:20; Act 17:18, Act 17:32; 1Co 1:21-24; 1Co 4:10-13

TSK: Pro 23:10

Remove : Pro 22:28; Deu 19:14, Deu 27:17; Job 24:2

landmark : or, bound

fatherless : Job 6:27, Job 22:9, Job 24:3, Job 24:9, Job 31:21-23; Psa 94:6; Jer 7:5, Jer 22:3; Zec 7:10; Mal 3:5; Jam 1:27

TSK: Pro 23:11

Pro 22:23; Exo 22:22-24; Deu 27:19; Psa 12:5; Jer 50:33, Jer 50:34, Jer 51:36

TSK: Pro 23:12

Pro 23:19, Pro 2:2-6, Pro 5:1, Pro 5:2, Pro 22:17; Eze 33:31; Mat 13:52; Jam 1:21-25

TSK: Pro 23:13

Pro 13:24, Pro 19:18, Pro 29:15, Pro 29:17

TSK: Pro 23:14

Pro 22:15; 1Co 5:5, 1Co 11:32

TSK: Pro 23:15

My son : Pro 1:10, Pro 2:1, Pro 4:1; Mat 9:2; Joh 21:5; 1Jo 2:1

if : Pro 23:24, Pro 23:25, Pro 10:1, Pro 15:20, Pro 29:3; 1Th 2:19, 1Th 2:20, 1Th 3:8, 1Th 3:9; 2Jo 1:4; 3Jo 1:3, 3Jo 1:4

even mine : or, even I will rejoice, Jer 32:41; Zep 3:17; Luk 15:23, Luk 15:24, Luk 15:32; Joh 15:11

TSK: Pro 23:16

thy : Pro 8:6; Eph 4:29, Eph 5:4; Col 4:4; Jam 3:2

TSK: Pro 23:17

not : Pro 3:31, Pro 24:1; Psa 37:1-3, Psa 73:3-7

be thou : Pro 15:16, Pro 28:14; Psa 111:10, Psa 112:1; Ecc 5:7, Ecc 12:13, Ecc 12:14; Act 9:31; 2Co 7:1; 1Pe 1:17

TSK: Pro 23:18

surely : Psa 37:37; Jer 29:11; Luk 16:25; Rom 6:21, Rom 6:22

end : or, reward, Pro 24:14; Heb 10:35

thine : Psa 9:18; Jer 29:11; Phi 1:20

TSK: Pro 23:19

and guide : Pro 23:12, Pro 23:26, Pro 4:10-23

in the way : That is ""in the right way.""

TSK: Pro 23:20

not : Pro 23:29-35, Pro 20:1, Pro 28:7, Pro 31:6, Pro 31:7; Isa 5:11, Isa 5:22, Isa 22:13; Mat 24:49; Luk 15:13; Luk 16:19, Luk 21:34; Rom 13:13; Eph 5:18; 1Pe 4:3, 1Pe 4:4

flesh : Heb. their flesh

TSK: Pro 23:21

the drunkard : Pro 21:17; Deu 21:20; Isa 28:1-3; Joe 1:5; 1Co 5:11, 1Co 6:10; Gal 5:21; Phi 3:19

drowsiness : Pro 6:9-11, Pro 19:15, Pro 24:30-34

TSK: Pro 23:22

Hearken : Pro 1:8, Pro 6:20; Deu 21:18-21, Deu 27:16; Mar 7:10; Eph 6:1, Eph 6:2

despise : Pro 30:11; Lev 19:3; Mat 15:4-6; Joh 19:26, Joh 19:27

TSK: Pro 23:23

Buy : Pro 2:2-4, Pro 4:5-7, Pro 10:1, Pro 16:16, Pro 17:16; Job 28:12-19; Psa 119:72, Psa 119:127; Isa 55:1; Mat 13:44, Mat 13:46; Phi 3:7, Phi 3:8; Rev 3:18

sell : Mat 16:26; Act 20:23; Heb 11:26; Rev 12:11

TSK: Pro 23:24

father : Pro 23:15, Pro 23:16, Pro 10:1, Pro 15:20; 1Ki 1:48, 1Ki 2:1-3, 1Ki 2:9; Ecc 2:19

shall have : Phm 1:9, Phm 1:20

TSK: Pro 23:25

and she : Pro 17:25; 1Ch 4:9, 1Ch 4:10; Luk 1:31-33, Luk 1:40-47, Luk 1:58, Luk 11:27, Luk 11:28

TSK: Pro 23:26

My son : Pro 23:15

give : Pro 4:23; Deu 6:5; Mat 10:37, Mat 10:38; Luk 14:26; 2Co 5:14, 2Co 5:15, 2Co 8:5; Eph 3:17

let : Pro 4:25-27; Psa 107:43, Psa 119:2, Psa 119:9-11; Hos 14:9; 2Pe 1:19

TSK: Pro 23:27

Pro 22:14

TSK: Pro 23:28

as for a prey : or, as a robber, Pro 2:16-19, Pro 7:12, Pro 7:22-27, Pro 9:18, Pro 22:14; Judg. 16:4-22; Ecc 7:26; Jer 3:2

increaseth : Num 25:1; Hos 4:11; 1Co 10:8; Rev 17:1, Rev 17:2

TSK: Pro 23:29

Who hath woe : Pro 23:21, Pro 20:1; 1Sa 25:36, 1Sa 25:37; 2Sa 13:28; 1Ki 20:16-22; Isa 5:11, Isa 5:22; Isa 28:7, Isa 28:8; Nah 1:10; Mat 24:49, Mat 24:50; Luk 12:45, Luk 12:46; Eph 5:18

redness : Gen 49:12

TSK: Pro 23:30

tarry : Pro 20:1; Gen 9:21; Isa 5:11; Amo 6:6; Eph 5:18

mixed : That is, not wine diluted and lowered with water, but made stronger and more inebriating, by the addition of more powerful ingredients, as honey, spices, myrrh, defrutum, opiates, etc. Pro 9:2; Psa 75:8

TSK: Pro 23:31

Pro 6:25; 2Sa 11:2; Job 33:1; Psa 119:37; Mat 5:28-30; Mar 9:47; 1Jo 2:16

TSK: Pro 23:32

At : Pro 5:11; Isa 28:3, Isa 28:7, Isa 28:8; Jer 5:31; Exo 7:5, Exo 7:6, Exo 7:12; Luk 16:25, Luk 16:26; Rom 6:21

biteth : Ecc 10:8; Jer 8:17; Amo 5:19, Amo 9:3

an adder : or, a cockatrice, Isa 59:5

TSK: Pro 23:33

eyes : Gen 19:32-38

and : Pro 31:5; Psa 69:12; Dan 5:4; Hos 7:5; Jud 1:12, Jud 1:13

TSK: Pro 23:34

thou : 1Sa 25:33-38, 1Sa 30:16, 1Sa 30:17; 2Sa 13:28; 1Ki 16:9, 1Ki 20:16-22; Joe 1:5; Mat 24:38; Luk 17:27-29, Luk 21:34; 1Th 5:2-7

midst : Heb. heart, Exo 15:8

TSK: Pro 23:35

stricken : Pro 27:22; Jer 5:3, Jer 31:18

I felt it not : Heb. I knew it not, Eph 4:19

I will : Pro 26:11; Deu 29:19; Isa 22:13, Isa 56:12; 1Co 15:32-34; 2Pe 2:22

TSK: Pro 24:1

not : Pro 24:19, Pro 3:31, Pro 23:17; Psa 37:1, Psa 37:7, Psa 73:3; Gal 5:19-21; Jam 4:5, Jam 4:6

neither : Pro 1:11-15, Pro 13:20; Gen 13:10-13, Gen 19:1-11; Psa 26:9

TSK: Pro 24:2

Pro 24:8, Pro 6:14; 1Sa 23:9; Est 3:6, Est 3:7; Job 15:35; Psa 7:14, Psa 10:7, Psa 28:3, Psa 36:4; Psa 64:4-6, Psa 140:2; Isa 59:4; Mic 7:3; Mat 26:3, Mat 26:4; Luk 23:20, Luk 23:21; Act 13:10

TSK: Pro 24:3

wisdom : Pro 9:1, Pro 14:1; 1Co 3:9

it is : 2Sa 7:26; Jer 10:12; Col 2:7

TSK: Pro 24:4

Pro 15:6, Pro 20:15, Pro 21:20, Pro 27:23-27; 1Ki 4:22-28; 1Ch 27:25-31, 1Ch 29:2-9; 2Ch 4:18-22, 2Ch 26:4-11; Neh 10:39, Neh 13:5-13; Mat 13:52

TSK: Pro 24:5

A wise : Pro 8:14, Pro 10:29, Pro 21:22; Ecc 7:19, Ecc 9:14-18

strong : Heb. in strength

increaseth strength : Heb. strengtheneth might. Psa 84:7; Isa 40:31; Col 1:11

TSK: Pro 24:6

by : Pro 20:18; Luk 14:31; 1Co 9:25-27; Eph 6:10-20; 1Ti 6:11, 1Ti 6:12; 2Ti 4:7

and : Pro 11:14, Pro 15:22

TSK: Pro 24:7

too : Pro 14:6, Pro 15:24, Pro 17:24; Psa 10:5, Psa 92:5, Psa 92:6; 1Co 2:14

openeth : Pro 22:22, Pro 31:8, Pro 31:9; Job 29:7-25, Job 31:21; Isa 29:21; Amo 5:10, Amo 5:12, Amo 5:15

TSK: Pro 24:8

Pro 24:2, Pro 24:9, Pro 6:14, Pro 6:18, Pro 14:22; 1Ki 2:44; Psa 21:11; Isa 10:7-13, Isa 32:7; Eze 38:10, Eze 38:11; Nah 1:11; Rom 1:30

TSK: Pro 24:9

thought : Pro 24:8, Pro 23:7; Gen 6:5, Gen 8:21; Psa 119:113; Isa 55:7; Jer 4:14; Mat 5:28, Mat 9:4; Mat 15:19; Act 8:22; 2Co 10:5

the scorner : Pro 22:10, Pro 29:8

TSK: Pro 24:10

thou : 1Sa 27:1; Job 4:5; Isa 40:28-31; Joh 4:8; 2Co 4:1; Eph 3:13; Heb 12:3-5; Rev 2:3, Rev 2:13

small : Heb. narrow

TSK: Pro 24:11

1Sa 26:8, 1Sa 26:9; Job 29:17; Psa 82:4; Isa 58:6, Isa 58:7; Luk 10:31, Luk 10:32, Luk 23:23-25; Act 18:17, Act 21:31, Act 21:32, Act 23:10, Act 23:23-35; 1Jo 3:16, 1Jo 3:17

TSK: Pro 24:12

doth not he that : Pro 5:21, Pro 21:2; 1Sa 16:7; Psa 7:9, Psa 17:3, Psa 44:21; Ecc 5:8; Jer 17:10; Rom 2:16; 1Co 4:5; Heb 4:12, Heb 4:13; Rev 2:18, Rev 2:23

that keepeth : 1Sa 2:6, 1Sa 25:29; Psa 66:9, Psa 121:3, Psa 121:8; Dan 5:23; Act 17:28; Rev 1:18

and shall : Job 34:11; Psa 62:12; Jer 32:19; Mat 16:27; Rom 2:6; 2Co 5:10; Rev 2:23; Rev 20:12-15, Rev 22:12

TSK: Pro 24:13

eat : Pro 25:16, Pro 25:27; Son 5:1; Isa 7:15; Mat 3:4

to thy taste : Heb. upon thy palate

TSK: Pro 24:14

shall the : Pro 22:18; Psa 19:10, Psa 19:11, Psa 119:103, Psa 119:111; Jer 15:16

when : Pro 2:1-5, Pro 2:10, Pro 3:13-18

there : Pro 23:18; Mat 19:21; Jam 1:25

TSK: Pro 24:15

Lay : Pro 1:11; 1Sa 9:11, 1Sa 22:18, 1Sa 22:19, 1Sa 23:20-23; Psa 10:8-10, Psa 37:32, Psa 56:6, Psa 59:3; Psa 140:5; Jer 11:19; Mat 26:4; Act 9:24, Act 23:16, Act 25:3

spoil : Pro 22:28; Isa 32:18

TSK: Pro 24:16

a just : Job 5:19; Psa 34:19, Psa 37:24; Mic 7:8-10; 2Co 1:8-10, 2Co 4:8-12, 2Co 11:23-27

but : Pro 13:17, Pro 28:14-18; 1Sa 26:10, 1Sa 31:4; Est 7:10; Psa 7:16, Psa 52:5; Amo 5:2; Amo 8:14; Act 12:23; 1Th 5:3; Rev 18:20, Rev 18:21

TSK: Pro 24:17

Pro 17:5; Jdg 16:25; 2Sa 16:5-14; Job 31:29; Psa 35:15, Psa 35:19, Psa 42:10; Oba 1:12; 1Co 13:6, 1Co 13:7

TSK: Pro 24:18

displease him : Heb. be evil in his eyes

and he : Lam 4:21, Lam 4:22; Zec 1:15, Zec 1:16

TSK: Pro 24:19

Fret : or, Keep not company with the wicked. Pro 13:20; Num 16:26; Psa 1:1, Psa 26:4, Psa 26:5, Psa 119:115; 2Co 6:17; Eph 5:11; 2Ti 3:2-5; Rev 18:4

neither : Pro 24:1, Pro 23:17; Psa 37:1, Psa 73:3

TSK: Pro 24:20

there : Psa 9:17, Psa 11:6; Isa 3:11

candle : or, lamp, Pro 13:9, Pro 20:20; Job 18:5, Job 18:6, Job 21:17; Mat 8:12, Mat 25:8; Jud 1:13

TSK: Pro 24:21

fear : Exo 14:31; 1Sa 24:6; Ecc 8:2-5; Mat 22:21; Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1Pe 2:13-17

meddle : Num 16:1-3; 1Sa 8:5-7, 1Sa 12:12-19; 2Sam. 15:13-37; 1Ki 12:16

given to change : Heb. changers

TSK: Pro 24:22

their : Num 16:31-35; 1Sa 31:1-7; 2Sa 18:7, 2Sa 18:8; 2Ch 13:16, 2Ch 13:17; Hos 5:11; Hos 13:10, Hos 13:11

who : Pro 16:14, Pro 20:2; Psa 90:11

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Pro 22:17

This is the commencement of a new and entirely distinct section, opening, after the fashion of Pro 3:1, Pro 3:21; Pro 4:1; Pro 7:1; with a general exhortation Pro 22:17-21 and passing on to special precepts. The "words of the wise"may be a title to the section: compare Pro 24:23. The general characteristics of this section appear to be

(1) a less close attention to the laws of parallelism, and

(2) a tendency to longer and more complicated sentences. Compare the Introduction to Proverbs.

Barnes: Pro 22:18

What is "pleasant"in the sight of God and man is the union of two things, belief passing into profession, profession resting on belief.

Barnes: Pro 22:19

Even to thee - The wide general character of the teaching does not hinder its being a personal message to every one who reads it.

Barnes: Pro 22:20

Excellent things - A meaning of the word derived from "the third,"i. e., "the chief of three warriors in a chariot"(compare Exo 14:7 note). Another reading of the Hebrew text gives "Have I not written to thee long ago?"and this would form a natural antithesis to "this day"of Pro 22:19. The rendering of the Septuagint is: "write them for thyself three times;"that of the Vulgate, "I have written it (i. e., my counsel) In threefold form;"the "three times"or "threefold form"being referred either to the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, or to the division of the Old Testament into the Law, the prophets, and the Hagiographa.

Barnes: Pro 22:21

To them that send unto thee - Better as in the margin; compare Pro 10:26. The man who has learned the certainty of the words of truth will learn to observe it in all that men commit to him.

Barnes: Pro 22:22

i. e., "Do not be tempted by the helplessness of the poor man to do him wrong:"some prefer, "Refrain from doing him wrong through pity for his helplessness."

The gate - The place where the rulers of the city sit in judgment. The words point to the special form of oppression of which unjust judges are the instruments.

Barnes: Pro 22:26

Strike hands - i. e., Bind themselves as surety for what another owes (compare the margin reference).

Barnes: Pro 22:27

He - i. e., The man to whom the surety has been given. The practice of distraining for payment of a debt, seems, though prohibited Exo 22:27, to have become common.

Barnes: Pro 22:28

A protest against the grasping covetousness Isa 5:8 which is regardless of the rights of the poor upon whose inheritance men encroach (compare the margin reference). The not uncommon reference of the words to the "landmarks"of thought or custom, however, natural and legitimate, is foreign to the mind of the writer.

Barnes: Pro 22:29

The gift of a quick and ready intellect is to lead to high office, it is not to be wasted on a work to which the obscure are adequate.

Barnes: Pro 23:1

What is before thee - Beware lest dainties tempt thee to excess. Or, "consider diligently who is before thee,"the character and temper of the ruler who invites thee.

Barnes: Pro 23:2

i. e., "Restrain thy appetite, eat as if the knife were at thy throat."Others render the words "thou wilt put a knife to thy throat"etc., i. e., "indulgence at such a time may endanger thy very life."

Barnes: Pro 23:3

Dainties ... deceitful meat - Such as "savory meat,"venison Gen 27:4, offered not from genuine hospitality, but with some by-ends.

Barnes: Pro 23:4

Cease from thine own wisdom - i. e., "Cease from the use of what is in itself most excellent, if it only serves to seek after wealth, and so ministers to evil."There is no special contrast between "thine own wisdom"and that given from above, though it is of course implied that in ceasing from his own prudence the man is on the way to attain a higher wisdom.

Barnes: Pro 23:5

Set thine eyes - literally, as in the margin, i. e., "gaze eagerly upon;"and then we get an emphatic parallelism with the words that follow, "they fly away as an eagle toward heaven;""certainly make themselves wings."

Barnes: Pro 23:6

A different danger from that of Pro 23:1. The hazard here is the hospitality of the purse-proud rich, avaricious or grudging even in his banquets.

Evil eye - Not with the later associations of a mysterious power for mischief, but simply, as in the margin ref. and in Mat 20:15.

Barnes: Pro 23:7

Thinketh - The Hebrew verb is found here only, and probably means, "as he is all along in his heart, so is he (at last) in act."

Barnes: Pro 23:9

The "fool"here is one willfully and persistently deaf to it, almost identical with the scorner.

Barnes: Pro 23:11

The reason is given for the precept Pro 23:10.

Their redeemer - See Job 19:25 note. It was the duty of the גאל gā'al , the next of kin, to take on himself, in case of murder, the office of avenger of blood Num 35:19. By a slight extension the word was applied to one who took on himself a like office in cases short of this. Here, therefore, the thought is that, destitute as the fatherless may seem, there is One who claims them as His next of kin, and will avenge them. Yahweh Himself is in this sense their גאל gā'al , their Redeemer.

Barnes: Pro 23:13-14

i. e., "You will not kill your son by scourging him, you may kill him by with holding the scourge."

Pro 23:14

Hell - Sheol, the world of the dead.

Barnes: Pro 23:15-35

Another continuous exhortation rather than a collection of maxims.

Pro 23:16

The teacher rejoices when the disciple’ s heart Pro 23:15 receives wisdom, and yet more when his lips can utter it.

Reins - See Job 19:27 note.

Pro 23:17

Envy sinners - Compare in Psa 37:1; Psa 73:3; the feeling which looks half-longingly at the prosperity of evil doers. Some connect the verb "envy"with the second clause, "envy not sinners, but envy, emulate, the fear of the Lord."

Pro 23:18

Or, For if there is an end (hereafter), thine expectations shall not be cut off. There is an implied confidence in immortality.

Pro 23:20

Riotous eaters of flesh - The word is the same as "glutton"in Pro 23:21 and Deu 21:20.

Pro 23:21

The three forms of evil that destroy reputation and tempt to waste are brought together.

Drowsiness - Specially the drunken sleep, heavy and confused.

Pro 23:26

Observe - Another reading gives, "let thine eyes delight in my ways."

Pro 23:28

As for a prey - Better as in the margin.

The transgressors - Better, the treacherous,"those that attack men treacherously.

Pro 23:29

Woe ... sorrow - The words in the original are interjections, probably expressing distress. The sharp touch of the satirist reproduces the actual inarticulate utterances of drunkenness.

Pro 23:30

Mixed wine - Wine flavored with aromatic spices, that increase its stimulating properties Isa 5:22. There is a touch of sarcasm in "go to seek."The word, elsewhere used of diligent search after knowledge Pro 25:2; Job 11:7; Psa 139:1, is used here of the investigations of connoisseurs in wine meeting to test its qualities.

Pro 23:31

His color - literally, "its eye,"the clear brightness, or the beaded bubbles on which the wine drinker looks with complacency.

It moveth itself aright - The Hebrew word describes the pellucid stream flowing pleasantly from the wineskin or jug into the goblet or the throat (compare Son 7:9), rather than a sparkling wine.

Pro 23:32

Adder - Said to be the Cerastes, or horned snake.

Pro 23:34

The passage is interesting, as showing the increased familiarity of Israelites with the experiences of sea life (compare Psa 104:25-26; Psa 107:23-30).

In the midst of the sea - i. e., When the ship is in the trough of the sea and the man is on the deck. The second clause varies the form of danger, the man is in the "cradle"at the top of the mast, and sleeps there, regardless of the danger.

Pro 23:35

The picture ends with the words of the drunkard on waking from his sleep. Unconscious of the excesses of the night, his first thought is to return to his old habit.

When shall I awake ... - Better, when I shall awake I will seek it yet again.

Barnes: Pro 24:1

A lesson given before, now combined with another. True followers after wisdom will admit neither envy of evil on the one hand, nor admiration or fellowship with it on the other.

Barnes: Pro 24:3-4

The "house"is figurative of the whole life, the "chambers"of all regions, inward and outward, of it.

Barnes: Pro 24:5

Is strong - literally, as in the margin; i. e., rooted and established in strength.

Barnes: Pro 24:7

In the gate - Compare the Pro 22:22 note.

Barnes: Pro 24:11

Literally:

"Deliver those that are drawn unto death,

And those who totter to the slaughter - if

Thou withdraw ..."

i. e., "O withdraw them,"save them from their doom; in contrast to Pro 24:10. The structure and meaning are both somewhat obscure; but the sentence is complete in itself, and is not a mere hypothesis concluded in the following verses.

Barnes: Pro 24:12

As Pro 24:11 warned men against acquiescing in an unrighteous tyranny, so this denounces the tendency to hush up a wrong with the false plea of ignorance. Compare Ecc 5:8. Pro 24:10-12 thus forms a complete and connected whole.

Barnes: Pro 24:13

Honey entered largely into the diet of Hebrew children Isa 7:15, so that it was as natural an emblem for the purest and simplest wisdom, as the "sincere milk of the word"was to the New Testament writers. The learner hears what seems to be a rule of diet - then Pro 24:14 the parable is explained.

Barnes: Pro 24:14

The knowledge of wisdom - Better, Know that thus (like the honey) is wisdom to thy soul.

Barnes: Pro 24:15-16

The teaching of the proverb warns men not to attack or plot against the righteous. They will lose their labor, "Though the just man fall (not into sin, but into calamities), yet he riseth up."The point of the teaching is not the liability of good men to err, but God’ s providential care over them (compare the margin reference). "Seven times"is a certain for an uncertain number (compare Job 5:19). In contrast with this is the fate of the evildoers, who fall utterly even in a single distress.

Barnes: Pro 24:18

See the margin. The meaning is "Thy joy will be suicidal, the wrath of the righteous Judge will be turned upon thee, as the greater offender, and thou wilt have to bear a worse evil than that which thou exultest in."

Barnes: Pro 24:20

No reward - literally, "no future,"no life worthy to be called life, no blessing.

Barnes: Pro 24:21

Them that are given to change - Those that seek to set aside the worship of the true God, or the authority of the true king, who represents Him.

Barnes: Pro 24:22

Both - Those who fear not God, and those who fear not the king.

Poole: Pro 22:17

Of the wise of wise and holy men of God.

Apply thine heart thirst after it, and give of thyself to the diligent study of it.

My knowledge the knowledge of God, and of thy several duties, which I am here delivering to thee.

Poole: Pro 22:18

If thou keep them the words of the wise, within thee, Heb. in thy belly . i.e. in thine heart, which implies receiving them in love, and retaining them in mind and memory.

Be fitted be fitly expressed; or, be disposed or ordered . The sense is, When thou hast got them into thine heart, thou wilt be able and ready to discourse pertinently and profitably of them.

Poole: Pro 22:19

That knowing God, and his word and promises, thou mayst cheerfully and confidently trust in him, which is the only way to thy safety and happiness.

Poole: Pro 22:20

Excellent things or, princely things , as they are called, Pro 8:6 , the great things of God’ s law, as Hos 8:12 .

In counsels and knowledge consisting of counsels to direct thy practice, and knowledge to inform and enrich thy mind. Or by that known figure hendiadis , in counsels of knowledge , i.e. in good counsels, which proceed from sound knowledge, and make a man knowing and wise, which are opposed to the counsels of the wicked, Pro 12:5 , which are without knowledge.

Poole: Pro 22:21

That I may make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that I may teach thee, not false, or vain, or uncertain things, as the teachers of the heathen nations do, but the true and infallible oracles of God.

That thou mightest answer the words of truth that being instructed by me, thou mayst be able to give true, and solid, and satisfactory answers.

To them that send unto thee to wit, for thine advice in great and difficult matters. Or, to those that send thee , i.e. that employ the in any business of moment, whereof they expect an account from thee.

Poole: Pro 22:22

Because he is poor: this may be mentioned, either,

1. As a motive to this robbery, because he was unable to resist him, or to revenge himself upon him. Do not take advantage of his poverty. Or,

2. As an argument against it, because he is a fitter object for thy pity and charity, than for thy injustice or cruelty. It is base and inhuman to crush such a person.

In the gate in the place of judgment, or under pretence of justice, and much less in other ways, where there is no colour of justice.

Poole: Pro 22:23

Will plead their cause which he hath in a peculiar manner undertaken to do.

Spoil the soul take away not only their goods, but their lives too; so fully will he recompense their wickedness to them.

Poole: Pro 22:24

Into his company; not converse frequently and familiarly with him, as friends use to do.

Poole: Pro 22:25

Lest thou learn his ways lest thou be infected by his example, or provoked by this passion to return the like to him.

A snare either,

1. A mischief, which is oft the effect of unbridled rage. Or,

2. An occasion of sin; either by drawing thee to an imitation or requital of his rage; or by tempting thee to unfaithfulness in performing the great office of a friend, to wit, admonition or reproof, which, by reason of his furious temper, thou either canst not or wilt not do.

Poole: Pro 22:26

To wit, rashly, or unnecessarily.

Poole: Pro 22:27

Why wilt thou put thyself into the hands of such a man, who will exact the debt from thee without any compassion? For though God did not allow this practice, covetous creditors would frequently do it.

Poole: Pro 22:28

Landmark whereby the lands of several possessors were distinguished and divided. Do not enrich thyself with the injury of other men; do not invade the rights of others.

Poole: Pro 22:29

Diligent or, expeditious , as the word properly signifies; one of quick despatch, vigorous and speedy in executing what hath been well and wisely contrived.

He shall stand before kings he is fit to be employed in the affairs of the greatest princes.

Poole: Pro 23:1

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler when thou art invited to a feast with a great man,

consider diligently what is before thee either

1. What person or persons. Or rather,

2. What things; what plenty and variety of meats and drinks, by which thou mayst easily be tempted to excess, and by that means induced to use such speeches or carriages as may be unfit for thee, or many ways hurtful to thee.

Poole: Pro 23:2

Put a knife to thy throat restrain and moderate thine appetite, as if a knife or some other thing stuck in thy throat, and hindered thee from swallowing what thou didst desire; or as if a man stood with a knife at thy throat ready to kill thee, if thou didst transgress; or though it be as irksome to thee to do so as if thou hadst a knife put to thy throat. So this is to be understood metaphorically, as that phrase of

cutting off the right hand & c., Mat 5:29,30 . Or, For thou dost (or, lest thou shouldst , as the Syriac interpreter renders it; or, otherwise thou wilt or shouldst) put a knife to thy throat. So the sense is, When thou goest to their feasts, thou dost expose thyself to great and manifest hazards, to thy own intemperance, and to all its dangerous consequences, and to the ill effects of other men’ s intemperance.

Given to appetite prone to excess in eating and drinking.

Poole: Pro 23:3

Either because they do not yield thee that satisfaction which thou didst expect from them, but rather load thee with ill humours, and the seeds of divers diseases; or because they are not provided for thee with sincerity and good will, but with some evil design upon thee, either to discover and betray thee, or to enslave thee. See Poole "Pro 23:6,7" .

Poole: Pro 23:4

Labour not Heb. Do not weary thyself with immoderate cares and labours , as many covetous men do.

From thine own wisdom from that carnal wisdom which is natural to man in his corrupt estate, which persuades men to believe that it is their interest to use all possible means to get riches, and that the happiness of their lives consists in the abundance of their possessions, directly contrary to the assertion of our blessed Lord, Luk 12:15 .

Poole: Pro 23:5

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that i.e. look upon it with earnestness and greedy desire, employing the eyes of thy mind and body about it.

Which is not which hath no solid and settled being; which is ours to have, but not to hold; which is always upon the wing, and ofttimes gone in the twinkling of an eye, so that the owner is frequently at a loss, and cannot tell whether he hath his estate, or whether he hath lost it.

They fly away as an eagle swiftly, strongly, and irrevocably. We quickly lose the sight and possession of them. Their flying away from us is elegantly opposed to our eyes being set, or, as it is in the Hebrew, flying upon them, in the beginning of the verse.

Poole: Pro 23:6

Of him that hath an evil eye of the envious or covetous man, who secretly grudgeth thee the meat which he sets before thee, as this phrase is used, Pro 28:22 Mat 20:15 ; as, on the contrary, a liberal man is said to have a good eye , Pro 22:9 .

Poole: Pro 23:7

As he thinketh in his heart so is he: you are not to judge of him by his words, for so he professeth kindness, as it follows; but by the constant temper of his mind, which he hath fully discovered to all that know him by the course of his life.

His heart is not with thee he hath no sincere kindness to thee, but inwardly grudgeth thee that which he outwardly offers to thee.

Poole: Pro 23:8

When thou perceivest his churlish disposition and carriage, his meat will be loathsome to thee, and thou wilt wish either that thou hadst never eaten it, or that thou couldst vomit it up again.

Thy sweet words thy pleasant discourse, wherewith thou didst adorn his table, and design both to delight and profit him, is lost, and of no effect to him, and thou wilt be ready to repent of it.

Poole: Pro 23:9

Speak not in the ears of a fool cast not away good counsels upon obstinate and incorrigible sinners. We have the same advice given Mat 7:6 .

He will despise the wisdom of thy words he will scornfully reject thy wise and good admonitions.

Poole: Pro 23:10

Either to take away their goods; or rather, to possess their lands, as this phrase is used, 2Sa 5:6 .

Poole: Pro 23:11

Their redeemer Heb. their near kinsman , to whom it belongs to avenge their wrongs, and to recover and maintain their rights, of which see Lev 25:25 Num 35:12 . Thus God is pleased to call himself, to show how much he concerns himself for the relief of oppressed and helpless persons.

Poole: Pro 23:12

Apply thine heart unto instruction content not thyself with outward hearing or reading of it, but affectionately receive it into thine heart, and lay it up there as choice treasure.

Poole: Pro 23:13

It is a likely mean to prevent their corruption, and the destruction which commonly follows it, as the next verse explains this.

Poole: Pro 23:15

In the good success of my counsels, and in thy piety and happiness, which is as truly desirable and pleasant to me as my own.

Poole: Pro 23:16

I shall rejoice not only in show and profession, but inwardly, and with all my soul.

Poole: Pro 23:17

Let not thine heart envy sinners let not the consideration of their present impunity and prosperity stir thee up, either to envy them, or to approve and imitate their evil courses.

Be thou in the fear of the Lord reverence the presence of the Divine Majesty, and dread his power and justice, and those judgments which he hath prepared for sinners, and thou wilt see no cause to envy, but rather to pity them.

All the day long not only when thou art in trouble, but in all times and conditions.

Poole: Pro 23:18

An end an expected and happy end for such as fear God, which was required, Pro 23:17 . Or,

a reward as this Hebrew word is rendered, Pro 24:20 .

Thine expectation shall not be cut off thou shalt certainly enjoy that good which thou expectest, as the wicked shall lose that happiness which they enjoy.

Poole: Pro 23:19

Be wise rest not in hearing, but see that thou growest wiser and better by it.

Guide thine heart order the whole course of thine affections and actions.

In the way in God’ s way, oft called the way, as hath been observed before.

Poole: Pro 23:20

Avoid their conversation and company, lest thou be either infected or injured by them.

Poole: Pro 23:21

Drowsiness immoderate sleep and idleness, which is a ready a way to poverty as gluttony or drunkenness is.

Poole: Pro 23:22

That begat thee and therefore desires and seeks thy good in all his counsels.

When she is old when the infirmity of age is added to that of her sex, which is apt to breed contempt.

Poole: Pro 23:23

Buy the truth purchase it upon any terms, spare no pains nor cost to get it. The truth ; the true and saving knowledge of God’ s mind and will concerning your salvation, and the way that leads to it.

Sell it not do not forget it nor forsake it for any worldly advantages, as ungodly men frequently do.

Understanding whereby you may love and practise the truth known and received.

Poole: Pro 23:25

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad he repeateth this again, as a powerful argument to prevail with all children that are not void of natural affection, to labour to be wise and good, that so they may glad the hearts of their parents, to whom they have such high and indelible obligations.

She that bare thee with so great pain and hazard, and brought thee up with such tender care, whom thou canst not better requite.

Poole: Pro 23:26

Give me thine heart receive my counsels with thy whole heart. Solomon speaking in God’ s name and cause, requires the heart to be given to him.

Let thine eyes observe let thy mind seriously and practically consider, my ways; either,

1. The ways in which I have walked, my evil practices; take warning by my sad example. Or,

2. The ways which I prescribe to you; as the apostles called the gospel which they preached their gospel, 1Th 1:5 2Th 2:8 .

Poole: Pro 23:27

A deep ditch in which a man is in evident danger of perdition, and out of which it is exceeding difficult to escape.

Poole: Pro 23:28

Lieth in wait as for a prey watching all opportunities of insnaring young men to their destruction.

Increaseth the transgressors among men she is the cause of innumerable sins against God, and against the marriage-bed, against the soul and body too, and by her wicked example and arts involveth many persons in the guilt of her sins.

Poole: Pro 23:29

From the sin of lust he proceeds to that of drunkenness, which doth frequently accompany it.

Babbling the sin of much and impertinent talking; or, tumultuous noise or clamour , which is usual among drunkards. See Pro 20:1 .

Without cause upon every slight occasion, which men inflamed with wine are very apt to take.

Poole: Pro 23:30

Either mixed with water, or with other ingredients, to make it strong and delicious. Heb. mixture ; mixed drinks of several sorts suited to their palates.

Poole: Pro 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine earnestly so as to inflame thine appetite towards it; in which sense men are forbidden to look upon a woman, Job 31:1 Mat 5:28 .

When it is red which was the colour of the best wines in that country, which therefore are called blood, Gen 49:11 Deu 32:14 ; and such were used by them in the passover.

When it moveth itself aright when it sparkleth and frisketh, and seems to smile upon a man.

Poole: Pro 23:32

It hurts the body in many respects, impairs the rigour of the mind, wastes the estate and reputation, wounds the conscience, and, without repentance, will destroy the soul.

Poole: Pro 23:33

Behold with evil intent, or lustfully, which is the effect of drinking much wine, as is noted in Scripture, Gen 19:31,35 Ho 4:18 , and other authors.

Thine heart shall utter perverse things thine heart, which, when thou hadst the use of thy wit, concealed, will then discover its wickedness by filthy and perverse speeches.

Poole: Pro 23:34

That lieth down to sleep of which that word is frequently used,

in the midst of the sea in a ship in the midst of the sea. This phrase notes the temper and condition of the drunkard, the giddiness of his brain, the unquietness of his mind, and especially his extreme danger joined with great security.

The top of a mast the worst part of the ship, both for its perpetual tossings, and for the hazard of him that sleeps on it.

Poole: Pro 23:35

They have stricken me I cannot deny that I exposed myself by my drunkenness to manifold abuses and injuries.

I was not sick I was not then sensible of it, neither do I now find any great hurt by it; it was but the effect of a present frolic, at which I have no cause to be much troubled.

When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again at present I find some inconvenience, and my condition requires sleep to settle myself, and when I am composed and refreshed, I purpose to return to my former course. But that which Solomon here expresseth, seems rather to be the language of their hearts or lives than of their tongues. Compare Pro 1:11 .

Poole: Pro 24:2

Studieth destruction how they may oppress and destroy others, which yet at last falls upon their own heads.

Poole: Pro 24:3

There is no need that thou shouldst raise thyself and family by ruining others, as the manner of wicked men is, which thou mayst more easily and effectually do by wisdom, and the fear of God.

Poole: Pro 24:4

Knowledge which in Scripture phrase includes the love and practice of that which we know.

Poole: Pro 24:5

Is strong is courageous and resolute, and able by wisdom to do greater things than others can accomplish by their own strength.

Poole: Pro 24:6

War is better managed by wisdom than by strength. So this proves what he said in the last verse.

Poole: Pro 24:7

Wisdom is too high for a fool either,

1. Really, it is above his reach or capacity. Or,

2. In his opinion; he judgeth it too hard for him, he despairs of attaining it, he pretends the impossibility of it, because he will not put himself to the charge or trouble of getting it; as, on the contrary, wisdom is said to be easy to him that understandeth , Pro 14:6 , because he seriously giveth his mind to it, and therefore easily and certainly attains to it.

For a fool for a wilful fool, or a wicked man, whose lusts enfeeble and darken his mind, and make it incapable of wisdom.

He openeth not his mouth in the gate either,

1. He can say nothing for himself when he is accused before the magistrate, for which he gives frequent occasion. Or,

2. He knows not how to speak acceptably and profitably in the public assembly among wise men.

Poole: Pro 24:8

Heb. a master of mischief . The sense is, Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretences, and would be better esteemed, yet he shall be noted and branded with that infamy which is due to him.

Poole: Pro 24:9

The thought of foolishness is sin the very inward thought or contrivance of evil, of which he spake Pro 24:8 , even before it break forth into action, it is a sin in God’ s sight, and it is hateful to God. Or

foolishness is put for foolish or wicked men, by comparing this with the next clause where the scorner is opposed to it. So the sense is, All the thoughts of wicked men are only evil, and that continually, as is said of man in his corrupt estate, Gen 6:5 , and therefore abominable to God.

The scorner he who not only deviseth and practiseth wickedness, but obstinately persists in it, and rejects all admonitions against it.

Is an abomination to men is abominable not only to God, as all sinners are, but to all sober men.

Poole: Pro 24:10

If thou faint if thou art impatient, and unable to bear sufferings; if thy resolution flag, and thou givest way to despondency or dejection of mind. Is small , Heb. is narrow ; it lives in a little compass; it is as strait as thy condition is; for there is an elegant allusion in the Hebrew words. The sense is, This is a sign that thou hast but little Christian strength or courage, for that is best known by adversity.

Poole: Pro 24:11

To deliver them when it is in thy power to do it lawfully.

Drawn unto death to wit, unjustly, or by the violence of lawless men.

That are ready to be slain that are in present danger of death or destruction.

Poole: Pro 24:12

We knew it not I was ignorant either of his innocency, or of his extreme danger, or of my power to relieve him.

Consider it that this is only a frivolous excuse, and that the true reason of thy neglect was thy want of true love to thy brother, whose life thou wast by the law of God and of nature obliged to preserve, and thy sinful self-love, and a carnal fear of some mischief or trouble which might befall thee in the discharge of thy duty.

He that keepeth thy soul God, who is the preserver of men, Job 7:20 , who daily doth, and who only can, keep thee both in and from the greatest dangers. And this favour of God may be here mentioned, partly, as a strong obligation upon him to preserve him who is made after God’ s image, and whom God hath commanded him to love and preserve; partly, as an encouragement to the performance of his duty herein from the consideration of God’ s special care and watchfulness over those that do their duty; and partly, to intimate to them the danger of the neglect of this duty, whereby they will forfeit God’ s protection over themselves, and expose themselves to manifold dangers and calamities. Or, as others render it, and as the Hebrew verb is frequently used, he that observeth thy soul , that seeth all the secret thoughts and inward motions of the heart; which exposition is favoured both by the following words, doth not he know it? which agrees better to God’ s observing than to his preserving a man’ s soul; and by the former clause, to which this translation doth more exactly answer, the same thing being here repeated in other words, after the manner of these sacred writers.

Shall not he render to every man according to his works? God will certainly deal with thee as thou hast dealt with him, either rewarding thy performance of this duty, or punishing thy neglect of it.

Poole: Pro 24:13

This is not a command, but a concession, and is here expressed only to illustrate the following verse. Honey in those parts was excellent, and a usual and an acceptable food. See Deu 8:8 Jud 14:18 1Sa 14:25 .

Poole: Pro 24:14

When thou hast found it whereby he implies that there is indeed some difficulty and trouble in the pursuit of wisdom, but that it is abundantly compensated with the sweetness and advantage of it when a man arrives at it.

Then there shall be a reward Heb. and or also there is a reward . It is not only as good as honey, sweet for the present, but it is infinitely better, bringing a sure and everlasting reward with it.

Poole: Pro 24:15

Lay not wait do him no injury, either by subtle and secret devices, or, as it follows, by manifest violence.

Against the dwelling of the righteous against his person, or family, or possession.

Poole: Pro 24:16

Falleth either,

1. Into sin. Or, rather,

2. Into calamities, of which he evidently speaks, both in the foregoing verse, and in the opposite and following branch of this verse, and so this word is used in the next verse, and Psa 37:24 Isa 24:20 Jer 25:27 Amo 8:14 Mic 7:8 , &c. And so this is fitly alleged as a just reason to dissuade wicked men from their unjust attempts against righteous men, because they should not succeed in them; and although they might by God’ s permission bring them into some distress for a thee, yet God would deliver them out of their hands, and they should be disappointed of their hopes.

Seven times i.e. frequently.

Into mischief into unavoidable and irrecoverable destruction, ofttimes in this life, and infallibly in the next.

Poole: Pro 24:17

Falleth to wit, into mischief, as in the former verse. Please not thyself in his destruction; which plainly shows that the love of our enemies is a precept of the old law as well as of the gospel. See Exo 23:4,5 .

Poole: Pro 24:18

Understand, upon thee , which is implied in the Hebrew phrase, such defects being usual in that concise language, Psa 84:11 Pro 19:1 , and oft elsewhere. This consideration strikes at the root of that sinful and inhuman disposition, which is an expectation of safety or advantage to himself by his enemy’ s downfall, which, saith he, by this very mean thou shalt lose, for thine enemy shall be raised, and thy danger greatly increased, by thy provoking both God and him against thee.

Poole: Pro 24:19

Fret not thyself which translation of the word is confirmed by the parallel word in the following clause.

Because of evil men for their present impunity and good success.

Poole: Pro 24:20

There shall be no reward to the evil man all his hopes and happiness shall quickly and eternally perish, and he shall have the share in those solid felicities and blessed recompences of a better life which thou shalt enjoy; therefore thou hast no reason to envy him.

The candle of the wicked shall be put out all their comfort and glory shall cease.

Poole: Pro 24:21

Fear thou the Lord and the king honour and obey both God and the king, and all in authority. He puts God before the king, because God is to be served in the first place, and our obedience is to be giver, to kings only in subordination to God, and not in those things which are contrary to the will and command of God, as is manifest both from plain Scripture, as Act 5:29 , and from the judgment and practice of wise and sober heathens.

Meddle not with them Heb. mix not thyself with them , either in their counsels and practices, or in familiar conversation, that are given to change; that love or use changes; that are unstable in their obedience to God or to the king, and are prone to rebellion against either of them. Those men that wickedly forsake God, and break his laws, are said to change their God, Jer 2:11 , and to

change God’ s judgments and ordinances Isa 24:5 Eze 5:6 .

Poole: Pro 24:22

Who knoweth? who can conceive how sore and sudden it will be?

The ruin of them both of them that fear not God, and of them that fear not the king, for they have two potent and terrible enemies; and therefore if they will not obey them out of conscience, as their duty binds them, yet they should do it at least for their own sakes, and for fear of those severe punishments which they will certainly inflict upon rebels.

Haydock: Pro 22:17

Incline. Thus Solomon concludes his discourse, (chap. xxiv. 23.) in the same manner as he began it, to chap. x. Some commence the third book of Proverbs in this place; others, chap. xxv. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 22:18

Lips. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 22:20

Ways. Repeatedly. (Bossuet; Tirinus) (2 Corinthians xii. 8., and Amos i. 11.) (Calmet) ---

Protestants, "have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge?" " Shalishim, " perfect, (Pagnin) or "three things," (Montanus) means also (Haydock) such as might suit princes and great officers. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 22:21

Sent. Septuagint, "are sent to thee." Thou mayst become a teacher, (Haydock) or give satisfaction to thy parents, who have sent thee to my school. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 22:22

Gate. Where judges passed sentence. (Menochius)

Haydock: Pro 22:25

Soul. By imitating him, or by falling a victim to his rage.

Haydock: Pro 22:26

Hands. Engaging to stand bond. (Haydock) (Chap. vi. 1.) ---

Such a one might be required to pay the debt, chap. xx. 16.

Haydock: Pro 22:28

Set. The pagans made a god of Terminus, to prevent disputes. (Ovid, Fast. ii.) ---

If it be unlawful to disturb land-marks, how much more so is it to give way to novelty in religion? (Deuteronomy xix. 14.) (Calmet) ---

Solomon is addressing those who follow the true faith. Else the conduct of infidel ancestors should not deter any from embracing the truth. (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 22:29

Obscure. By industry he shall raise himself to notice. (Haydock) ---

Kings employ those who are most active. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 23:1

Whose father. St. Jerome has read ab avi, instead of abo, (Calmet) which is an interjection, (Bochart) alas! or it means, "trouble." Septuagint, "drunkenness," (Chaldean; Calmet) or "sorrow." (Protestants) ---

Falls. Septuagint, "hath sorrows." Hebrew, "babbling," (Protestants; Haydock) or discontents of mind. (Calmet) ---

Cause. Drunkards often fall upon their best friends, as Alexander did on Clytus. (Menochius)

Haydock: Pro 23:1

Sit. Saul sat at table, and the custom of lying down was adopted only a little while before the captivity. It was recent among the Romans. (Calmet) ---

Soliti patres considere mensis. (Virgil, Æneid vii. 170.)

Haydock: Pro 23:2

Throat. Restrain intemperance and talkativeness, Ecclesiasticus xxxi. 12. Septuagint, "stretch forth thy hand, knowing that thou must prepare the like; but if thou be more insatiable, ( 3. ) desire not his meats, for he has them of deceitful life." They cannot afford real happiness, (Haydock) and to vie with the rich would only reduce them to poverty, Ecclesiasticus xiii. 2. St. Augustine (tr. xlvii. in Joan.) explains this text of the blessed Eucharist, observing, that we must give our life for our brethren, as Christ did for us. Before communion, we must slay the old man, and subdue our passions. (Calmet) ---

Power. Protestants, "if thou be a man given to appetite." The situation of a courtier is very critical. (Haydock) ---

Those who eat with the kings of Persia, were nicely observed by an eunuch, lest they should cast their eyes on any of his concubines. (Lucian. de Merced.)

Haydock: Pro 23:3

Deceit. Poison. He wishes to discover thy secret.

Haydock: Pro 23:4

Prudence. Be more solicitous for this, than to acquire riches. (Calmet) ---

Yet this wisdom must be sober, Romans xii. 3., and 1 Timothy vi. 9. Septuagint, "being poor, do not stretch forth thyself to the rich, but prudently retire,["] ver. 2. (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 23:5

Riches. Septuagint, "to him, the rich man, he no where appears. He has prepared," &c. (Haydock) ---

Like. Hebrew, "as the eagle, it will fly," &c. (Haydock) ---

We must therefore fix our hearts on more durable goods.

Haydock: Pro 23:6

Man. Hebrew, "eat not bread of an evil eye," the envious, or rather the sordid miser.

Haydock: Pro 23:7

Like. Protestants, "as he thinketh is his heart, so is he: eat," &c. (Haydock) ---

He is still convinced that his guests will ruin him: or "like one guarding, or trembling for his soul." Septuagint, "swallowing a hair, he saith," &c. He is afraid of expense, and would allow himself as little as possible. ---

Diviner. Such endeavour to speak what may come to pass, but are full of anxiety; so the miser's words are contrary to his real sentiments, (Calmet) as the diviner knows that he is imposing on mankind. (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 23:8

Words. Thou wilt be disgusted, and repine, Ecclesiasticus xxxi. 25.

Haydock: Pro 23:10

Ones. Hebrew and Septuagint, "ancient boundaries."

Haydock: Pro 23:11

Kinsman. Hebrew Gaal, "tutor, defendant, or redeemer," the Lord (Haydock) himself, Leviticus xxv. 25.

Haydock: Pro 23:16

Reins. Inmost affections.

Haydock: Pro 23:18

Thou. Protestants, "surely there is an end." Marginal note, "reward." (Haydock) ---

The testimony of a good conscience affords the greatest comfort in death. Septuagint, "if thou observe these things, thou shalt have posterity." Hebrew, "hopes."

Haydock: Pro 23:20

Eat. Such feasts tend to corrupt the morals, and to misspend time.

Haydock: Pro 23:21

Rags. At death the insolent shall be exposed to shame.

Haydock: Pro 23:23

Sell. Acquire as much wisdom as possible, and keep it with care. (Calmet) ---

Septuagint, "do not drive wisdom from thee."

Haydock: Pro 23:27

Pit. It is difficult to overcome this passion, when once it has got possession of the heart. We must therefore watch over it, and consecrate it in variably to wisdom, ver. 26.

Haydock: Pro 23:28

Him. Protestants, "increaseth the transgressors among men," (Haydock) and like a harpy, kills all whom she can entrap.

Haydock: Pro 23:31

Yellow. Or bright, as it is said there is only one red wine in Palestine. ---

Pleasantly. Hebrew, "it goeth right," and is excellent. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 23:32

Basilisk, ( regulus ). Hebrew Tsiphoni, (Haydock) as asp. (Cerastes, &c.) (Psalm xc. 13.)

Haydock: Pro 23:33

Women. Wine excites to lust. (Calmet) See chap. xx. 1. ---

Shall. Septuagint, "shall these." (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 23:34

When. Septuagint, "in a great wave." Never is reason more wanted, nor less able to perform her duty.

Haydock: Pro 23:35

Drew. Chaldean, "plundered." Septuagint, "mocked at me." ---

Again. This is the woeful effect of drunkenness, that men are not deterred from it, though they be sensible of its dreadful consequences. (Menochius)

Haydock: Pro 24:1

Like. Be not allured by their prosperity to imitate them, Psalm xxxvi. 1.

Haydock: Pro 24:3

Wisdom and virtue, and not by injustice can the house be established.

Haydock: Pro 24:5

Valiant, as well as a good economist, ver. 4. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 24:6

Counsels. "Consult many what ought to be done, but only a few of the most faithful, or rather thyself alone, what thou art about to do." (Veget. iii. 9., and 27.)

Haydock: Pro 24:7

High. Thus the fool excuses himself. But wisdom condescends to our weakness, if we be truly in earnest, Deuteronomy xxxii. 12. Mouth. To defend himself, or to give advice. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 24:9

Of a fool. In as much as he is wicked. Though he may have some pious thoughts, he attends not to them. (Haydock) ---

He thinks how he may commit evil, and renders himself hateful. (Calmet) ---

Hebrew, "a wicked thought is the sin of folly." Septuagint, "the fool dieth in sins." ---

Detractor. Hebrew, "scoffer." (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 24:10

Diminished. This is the sad consequences of too much dejection, Ephesians iv. 19. Despairing, they abandon themselves to impurities. (Haydock)

Haydock: Pro 24:11

Deliver. The Jews often put people to death without any formal trial, pretending zeal, as they did St. Stephen, &c. Our Saviour rescued the adulteress from such a situation, as Daniel had done Susanna. Yet this text may regard poor debtors, Psalm lxxi. 4. (Calmet) ---

Christian bishops used all their influence to preserve the lives of those who did not deserve death. (St. Ambrose in Psalm cxviii. Ser. viii. Off. i. 36., and ep. xxv., and xxvi.)

Haydock: Pro 24:12

I have. Hebrew, "behold, we know not this man." (Pagnin) (Haydock) ---

He is a stranger. But all mankind are brethren, and have a charge to assist one another, even though they be enemies, Ecclesiasticus xvii. 12., and Exodus xxiii. 4. (Calmet) ---

Keeper. Hebrew notser, "preserver." As thou hast received many good things from God, shew mercy to thy neighbour.

Haydock: Pro 24:13

Honey. Of wisdom, which is most delicious. (Menochius)

Haydock: Pro 24:14

Thou shalt. Hebrew, "yea, it is the last." (Montanus) ---

"Then there shall be a reward." (Protestants) ---

Thou shalt enjoy old age, or have posterity. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 24:16

Fall into smaller sins, (St. Gregory vi. in 2 Reg. xv. &c.) or into disgrace, as yippol (Haydock) rather intimates. (Vatable) (St. Augustine, City of God xi. 31.) ---

Both significations agree with the context. See Job v. 27., and Matthew xviii. 21. (Calmet) ---

He who is not subject to mortal sin, may still be exposed to many failings, and venial sins, which do not deprive him of the title of just; whereas the wicked consents to mortal sin, from which he riseth not so easily. Hence the wise man admonishes us not to lie in wait, or calumniously seek impiety in the house or soul of the just. (Worthington)

Haydock: Pro 24:18

From. To punish thee. (Calmet) ---

Thus will thy thirst of vengeance be disappointed. (Haydock) ---

The Hebrews believed that there was no evil, which was not caused by sin; and this was true in some sense. But still God often afflicts his servants, (ver. 16,) as the whole book of Job tends to prove. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 24:19

Contend. Or Hebrew, "associate." ---

Like. Ver. 1., and Psalm xxxvi. 1.

Haydock: Pro 24:20

Come. Protestants, "no reward," (Haydock) prosperity, &c., as designated also by the lamp, ver. 14. (Calmet)

Haydock: Pro 24:21

Detractors. Or those who speak ill of God or the king. (Calmet) ---

Protestants, "that are given to change," (Haydock) and relapses.

Gill: Pro 22:17

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,.... Here begins a new part or division of this book. According to some, the "third"; the "first" ending with Pro 9:18, the "second" at Pro 22:16, and a "third", beginning here, and ending with Pro 24:34. It is certain that what follows from hence to the end of that is written in another style, by way of exhortation, caution; and instruction, and is directed to particular persons: as here an exhortation is made to Solomon's son, or to those that attended his instruction; or rather to the children of Wisdom, that is, Christ; to listen attentively to "the words of the wise"; of Solomon, and other wise men before him, or contemporary with him; or rather of Wisdom and her maidens, Christ, and the wise men sent by him; who are made wise to salvation, and furnished for every good work by him, from whom the words of the wise come; and who speak the wisdom of God in a mystery; and whose doctrines are to be heard and received, not as the word of men, but as the word of God;

and apply thine heart unto my knowledge; the knowledge of divine and spiritual things Christ instructs in, and the knowledge of himself; which is preferable to all other knowledge, and to thousands of gold and silver; and in comparison of which all things are but loss and dung; and therefore should be applied unto with intenseness of mind, and cordially received.

Gill: Pro 22:18

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee,.... Or, "in thy belly" ^a. That is, in thine heart, in the inmost recesses of it; where the words or doctrines of the wise should be received in the love of them, and carefully laid up and retained; which will upon reflection yield much pleasure, like Ezekiel's roll, which was in his belly as honey for sweetness; and which also is very profitable as an antidote against sin, Psa 119:11;

they shall withal be fitted in thy lips; become them, and be suitable and graceful to them: or, "shall be ordered and disposed in" or "by thy lips" ^b; being received into the heart, and digested there, they shall easily and freely go off the tongue, which shall be as the pen of a ready writer; they shall be delivered in a regular manner, with great liberty and facility; by a good digestion of Gospel truths, and a comfortable experience of them, persons become apt to teach others.

Gill: Pro 22:19

That thy trust may be in the Lord,.... By means of the words of the wise, or doctrines of the Gospel, faith in Christ is first had; men are directed and encouraged hereby to believe in him; and by the same means faith is increased, confirmed, and established. This is the end of penning the Scriptures, and of the Gospel ministry, as follows:

I have made known to thee this day, even to thee; the said words and doctrines in the ministry of the word, by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of them; giving not only a notional, but a spiritual and experimental knowledge of them. The Lord has particular persons to whom he will make known these things in a saving way; it is "to thee, even to thee"; and to everyone whom God has chosen, and Christ has redeemed: and he has particular times and seasons for it, "this day"; which is a time of life and love; when darkness is removed, and the light of grace shines, and makes it day; and may respect the whole Gospel dispensation, which is the accepted time and day of salvation.

Gill: Pro 22:20

Have not I written to thee excellent things,.... In the Scriptures. Some render it, "three things" ^c; and think that Solomon refers to the three divisions of the Scriptures among the Jews, the law, the prophets, and holy writings; so Jarchi; but some of those writings then were not: or to the three books wrote by him; the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Others render it, "in a threefold way" ^d, as the Targum and several versions; that is, in various ways, in different forms and styles, in order the better to inform and instruct. But it is best, with Kimchi, Gersom, and Ben Melech, to render it, "excellent things", as we do; such are the truths of the Gospel; they are more excellent than those that are only known by the light of nature, or by the law of Moses: such as suspect the love and grace of God; the person and offices of Christ; peace, pardon, righteousness, atonement, life and salvation, by him. And these are said to lie

in counsels and knowledge; in disclosing the counsels of God, according to which they are; in giving the best of counsels to men; to perishing sinners, to look to Christ for salvation; to naked ones, to buy of him white raiment, or the robe of his righteousness; to guilty and filthy ones, to apply to his blood for pardon and cleansing; to hungry and thirsty ones, to come unto him for food, the bread of life, and water of life; and to weary ones, to him for rest; and all to do their duty both to God and men: and they also respect knowledge; the knowledge of divine and heavenly things; the knowledge of God in Christ, and of his perfections, as displayed in his salvation; the knowledge of Christ, what he is in himself, what he has done for his people, and is unto them; and especially the knowledge of salvation by him; all which the Gospel is a means of.

Gill: Pro 22:21

That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth,.... Such are the doctrines of the Gospel; they are "the words of truth"; are written in the Scriptures of truth; come from the God of truth; the subject matter of which is Christ, who is the truth, and which the Spirit of truth leads into: there is a "certainty" in these; they are in the sure word of prophecy; are contained in the inspired and infallible word of God, and are no other than the Gospel of God; nothing is more sure than that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and truly and properly God; and that salvation is alone by him; and that whoever believes in him shall be saved; with many other things, which ministers of the word should affirm with boldness and assurance; and which others may come to a certain knowledge of, even to the riches of a full assurance of understanding; and which is the end of their being written in the word, and made known in the ministry of it;

that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee; or, "return" ^e them to those that send to know what are the words of truth; that inquire concerning them with meekness and fear, and to whom a reason of the hope is to be given; as such are capable of, who have had the certainty of these words made known unto them, or who have been assured of the truth of them: and so Jarchi interprets it, to them that ask of thee instruction; as if it was written, as Lyra says it should, לשואליך, "to them that inquire of thee". It may be rendered, "to them that send thee" ^f; to search for those things, and get the knowledge of them, in order to communicate them, which, when obtained, may be done. Unless God, Father, Son, and Spirit, should be intended, who are concerned in the sending of ministers to preach the Gospel to men; to whom they are to return an account of the words of truth, and of their dispensation of them to the souls of men; which when faithfully done, and success, they give up their account with joy, and not with grief.

Gill: Pro 22:22

Rob not the poor, because he is poor,.... And cannot help himself; cannot go to law with him that has injured him, and defend his own cause; which the other knowing, is the more emboldened to spoil and defraud him, which is an aggravation of his sin: or, "for he is poor" ^g; to rob any man is an evil and an injurious thing; but to rob the poor is cruel and barbarous; rather something should be given them, and not anything taken from them: or, "though he is poor" ^h; let not that be an inducement to injure him, but the contrary;

neither oppress the afflicted in the gate; or "the poor" ⁱ; the same as before, only a different word used: when he comes into a court of judicature, which was usually held in the gates of a city, Rth 4:1; and applies for redress of any grievance, do not crush him in the gate, or oppress him in judgment; nor wrest his cause, and do him wrong; but let him have justice done him, though poor. Some understand this of using the poor ill, when they come to their gates to beg; which sense is favoured by the Septuagint version; but the former is best. One might have expected, after such a preface or introduction as in the preceding verses, that something of more importance, something more spiritual and evangelical, would have followed: this shows the great regard the Lord has to the poor, and how much they are on his mind, and how near they lie to his heart; especially the poor of the flock, worried and spoiled by antichrist; see Zec 11:7.

Gill: Pro 22:23

For the Lord will plead their cause,.... If counsellors at the bar will not, he will; if judges on the bench will not do them justice, he will; he will judge the poor of the people; he will plead their cause, and plead it thoroughly, till he has brought forth judgment unto victory: woe to the man against whom Jehovah pleads; happy the poor on whose side he is; for their Redeemer is mighty, the Lord of hosts is his name, Psa 72:4;

and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them; they could only spoil the poor of their goods, but the Lord can and will spoil and destroy the souls of the spoilers in hell: or, "spoil them that spoiled their soul" or "life" ^k; that is, who spoiled them of their goods, and took away that small pittance they had, which was their life or livelihood; they shall be spoiled themselves that spoil others; the same measure they have meted out shall be measured out to them again; God will destroy them that destroy the earth, even antichrist and his followers, the oppressors of Christ's poor on earth, Rev 11:18.

Gill: Pro 22:24

Make no friendship with an angry man,.... Do not associate with him; contract not a familiarity with him; make him not a companion; take him not into an intimacy, or use him as a particular friend and acquaintance: a man should be courteous, and carry it civilly to all men; but he should take care whom he admits as his bosom friend; he should be cautious in his choice of a familiar friend, and not receive any; and, among the rest, avoid an angry and passionate man, one who is much given to passion himself, and stirs it up in others; for there can be no lasting peace and pleasure in such a man's company and conversation;

and with a furious man thou shall not go: not take a walk with him, much less a journey; or shall not be frequently together. It may be rendered, "unto a man of wraths", or of great wrath and "fury, thou shall not come"; not enter into his house, nor seek his company, and court his conversation, which rather should be shunned.

Gill: Pro 22:25

Lest thou learn his ways,.... And be as wrathful and furious, as quarrelsome and contentious, as he is. Evil works and ways are soon learned; men are more ready to imitate what is evil than what is good: Joseph learned to swear in Pharaoh's court; and the Israelites learned the works of the Heathen, among whom they were mingled; "evil communications corrupt good manners", 1Co 15:33. Many men, naturally mild and gentle, tenderhearted and compassionate, by being brought up among or conversing with bloodthirsty Papists, and imbibing their cruel notions and sentiments, have become fierce, and as furious persecutors of others;

and get a snare to thy soul; be drawn into sin, by speaking passionate words, or doing rash actions, which will bring on punishment, either in this world, or in that to come, or in both; which may affect the soul or life here; the taking of it away, or the eternal damnation of the soul hereafter.

Gill: Pro 22:26

Be not thou one of them that strike hands,.... Or "among them" ^m, of the number of them, that do as they do, give their hand or their bond for others; he surety for them, as it is explained in the following clause; see Pro 6:1;

or of them that are sureties for debts; contracted by others; that engage for the payment of them, in case the principal fails: and it is much if persons that keep indifferent company, angry and furious men, who are often in broils and quarrels, and spend their time and substance in strife and contention, are not drawn into engagements of this kind.

Gill: Pro 22:27

If thou hast nothing to pay,.... When the debtor this, and the creditor demands the debt of the surety: it is weakness in a man to be a surety for another, when he knows he is not able to pay the debt he is bound for, since it may be an injury to himself and family; but it is a piece of wickedness to engage for the payment of a debt, in case of insolvency, which he knows he is not able to answer; for this is deceiving and imposing upon the creditor; and therefore it is no wonder, being provoked by such ill usage, if he goes to extremity, as follows:

why should he take away thy bed from under thee? as in all likelihood he will, being irritated by such a conduct; and as he might, notwithstanding the law in Exo 22:26; for that respects a pledge, and not a debt; and raiment pledged, the covering of a man when in bed, and not the bed itself; for even wife and children might be taken for debt, 2Ki 4:1. This is said to deter from suretyship, especially in such circumstances; since a man may bring himself into such a condition as not to have a bed to lie on; yea, to have it taken from under him when upon it; and be turned out from house and home, naked and destitute.

Gill: Pro 22:28

Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set. Or, "the ancient border" or "boundary" ⁿ; by which lands, estates, and inheritances, were marked, bounded, and distinguished; set by ancestors in agreement with their neighbours; which to remove was contrary to a law, and a curse is denounced upon those that did it, Deu 19:14; and was always reckoned a very heinous crime in early times; See Gill on Job 24:2. This was so sacred a thing among the Romans, that they had a deity which presided over those bounds, and had its name from them. Some apply this, in a political sense, to laws of long standing, and customs of long prescription; and others interpret it, in a theological sense, of doctrines and practices settled by the fathers of the church; which, if understood of Christ and his apostles only, will be allowed; but if of the ancient fathers of the church that followed them, it should not be received; since they were but fallible men, and guilty of many errors and mistakes, both in doctrine and practice.

Gill: Pro 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?.... In the business of his calling, be it what it will, whether for himself or his master; constant in it, swift, ready, and expeditious at it; who industriously pursues it, cheerfully attends it, makes quick dispatch of it; does it off of hand, at once, and is not slothful in it, nor weary of it; when you have observed and taken notice of such a man, which is not very common, you may, without a spirit of prophecy, foresee that such a man will rise in the world;

he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men, or "obscure persons" ^o; he shall not continue in the service of ignoble persons, or keep company with them; but he shall be taken into the service of princes and noble men, and be admitted into their presence, and receive favours from them; as Joseph, who was industrious and diligent in his business in Potiphar's house, was in process of time advanced, and stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt, Gen 39:4. This may be spiritually applied. Every good man has a work or business to do in a religious way; some in a higher sphere, as officers of churches, ministers and deacons; the work of the one lies in reading, study, meditation, and prayer, in the ministration of the word and ordinances, and other duties of their once; and the business of the others in taking care of the poor, and the secular affairs of the churches; others in a lower way, and common to all Christians, which lies in the exercise of grace, and performance of all good works, relative to themselves, their families, and the church of God. Now ministers that are diligent in teaching and ruling; and deacons that do their office well; and private Christians, who are steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; are ready to every good work, heartily engaged in it, and constantly at it; shall not be company for the sons of darkness, unregenerate men, who are in the dark, and darkness itself; what communion has light with darkness, with works of darkness, they should be not workers of? or have any fellowship with the prince of darkness, from whose power they are delivered; but shall have society with the saints, who are made kings and priests unto God; shall be admitted into the presence of the King of kings now, and have communion with him; and shall stand before him at the great day with confidence, and not be ashamed; shall stand at his right hand, and shall be for ever with him. So the Jews ^p interpret this place, "he shall not stand before dark ones", in hell; "he shall stand before kings", in the garden of Eden, in paradise; that is, in heaven.

Gill: Pro 23:1

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,.... Either a supreme ruler, a king, or a subordinate ruler, a nobleman, a judge, a civil magistrate, a person of honour, dignity, and authority; and to sit at table with such is sometimes allowed, and is always reckoned an honour; this particularly diligent and industrious persons are admitted to, who not only are brought to stand before kings and great persons, but to sit at table with them, and eat food with them. And now the wise man advises such how to behave themselves when this is the case:

consider diligently what is before thee; or, "considering consider" ^q: take special notice of the food and drink set upon the table, and consider well which may be most proper and safe to eat and drink of; for though a man may lawfully eat of whatsoever is set before him; every creature of God being good, if it be received with thanksgiving, and sanctified by the word of God and prayer; yet it is a piece of wisdom to make use of that which is most conducive to health, and less ensnaring; and to observe moderation in all, and not indulge to gluttony and drunkenness: and he should consider also who is before him, which sense the words wilt bear; the ruler that has invited him, and sits at the table with him, and take care that he says or does nothing that may give him offence; and also the noble personages that are guests with him, and behave towards them suitably to their rank and dignity; observe their words and conduct, and imitate the same; yea, even he should consider the servants and waiters that attend, lest, behaving in an indecent and disorderly manner, they should report it to his disadvantage to their ruler or others. But how much greater an honour is it to sit at table with the King of kings, and with his princes, and sup with him! when it becomes the saints, who have this honour, to consider what is set before them; the richest dainties, a feast of things, the body and blood of Christ, which should he spiritually discerned by faith; and not the elements of bread and wine only: likewise the persons before whom they are should be considered; Christ, who sits at his table, and the princes of his people with him; and therefore should not feed without fear, and in a disorderly and indecent manner, as the Corinthians are charged, but with all reverence and humility.

Gill: Pro 23:2

And put a knife to thy throat,.... Refrain from too much talk at the table; give not too loose to thy tongue, but bridle it, considering in whose presence thou art; do not use too much freedom, either with the ruler or fellow guests; which, when persons have ate and drank well, they are too apt to do, and sometimes say things offensive to one or the other; it is good for a man to be upon his guard; see Ecc 5:2. Or restrain thine appetite; deny thyself of some things agreeable, that would lead thee to what might be hurtful, at least if indulged to excess: put as it were a knife unto thine appetite, and mortify it; which is the same as cutting off a right hand, or plucking out a right eye Mat 5:29. Or while thou art at such a table, at such a sumptuous entertainment, consider thyself as in danger, as if thou hadst a knife at thy throat; and shouldest thou be too free with the food or liquor, it would be as it were cutting thine own throat;

if thou be a man given to appetite; there is then the more danger; and therefore such a person should be doubly on his guard, since he is in the way of temptation to that he is naturally inclined to. Or, "if thou art master of appetite" ^r: so the Targum,

"if thou art master of thy soul;''

if thou hast power over it, and the command of it, and canst restrain it with ease; to which agrees the Vulgate Latin version: but the former sense is more agreeable to the Hebrew idiom.

Gill: Pro 23:3

Be not desirous of his dainties,.... His savoury food, which is very grateful to the taste, his rich provisions and royal dainties; do not lust after them, as the word ^s signifies, in an immoderate way, as the Israelites lusted after the fleshpots in Egypt: these may be lawfully desired, but not sinfully lusted after; and in feeding on them nature may be satisfied, and not the sensual lusts gratified in such a manner they crave, which would be criminal;

for they are deceitful meat; or, "bread of lies" ^t: through the pleasant and agreeable taste of them, they lead on to luxury and excess before a man is aware, and so deceive him; they promise him a great deal of pleasure, but, being too much indulged to, they produce sickness and nauseousness. Some think they are called so, from the intention and issue of them; being designed to draw out secrets, which men are very apt to divulge, when they have ate and drank freely. Some apply this to false doctrines, which are framed sometimes in a very plausible manner, and deceive the simple; are bread of lies, lies in hypocrisy, and are very pernicious; such words eat, as do a canker, instead of yielding solid nourishment.

Gill: Pro 23:4

Labour not to be rich,.... In an immoderate over anxious way and manner, to a weariness, as the word ^u signifies, and even as to gape for breath men ought to labour, that they may have wherewith to support themselves and families, and give to others and: if they can, lay up for their children; but then persons should not toil and weary themselves to heap up riches when they know not who shall gather them and much less make use of indirect and illicit methods to obtain them; resolving to be rich at any rate: rather men should labour for durable riches, lay up treasure in heaven, seek those things which are above, and labour to be accepted of God both here and hereafter; which only is in Christ. The Targum is,

"do not draw nigh to a rich man;''

and so the Syriac version; to which agree the Septuagint and Arabic versions;

cease from thine own wisdom; worldly wisdom in getting; riches, as if this was the highest point of wisdom; do not be always laying schemes, forming projects, inventing new things in order to get money; or do not depend upon thine own wisdom and understanding and expect to be rich by means thereof; for bread is not always to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, Ecc 9:11. The Targum is,

"but by thine understanding depart from him;''

the rich man; and to the same purpose the Syriac and Arabic versions.

Gill: Pro 23:5

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?.... The Vulgate Latin version is,

"do not lift up thine eyes to riches which thou canst not have;''

riches no doubt are intended, and which may be said to be "not"; they are not the true riches, have only the shadow and appearance of riches; they are not lasting and durable; in a little time they will not be; they are perishing things, they have no substance or solidity in them; they are not satisfying; they do not make them happy; they are rather nonentities than realities; and therefore the eyes of the mind and the affections of the heart should not be set on them: it may be rendered, "wilt thou cause thine eyes to fly upon that which is not?" ^w denoting the intenseness of the mind, and the eagerness of the affections, and with what rapidity and force they move towards them. The Targum is,

"if thou fixest thine eyes on him, he shall not appear to thee;''

meaning the rich man: and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Ben Melech makes mention of other senses very different; according to R. Judah, the word signifies darkness, "wilt thou make thine eyes dark?" two according to others, signifies light, "wilt thou make thine eyes to shine?" and, according to Jarchi, "wilt thou double?", or shut thine eyes?

for riches certainly make themselves wings; or, "it in making makes itself wings" ^x; even that which is not, on which men cause their eyes to fly; no sooner are their eyes upon that, but that flies away from them like a bird with wings; see Hos 9:11. Either men are taken from that, or that from them, and sometimes very swiftly and suddenly;

they fly away as an eagle towards heaven; the eagle flies very swiftly, none more swiftly; it flies towards heaven, out of sight, and out of reach, and out of call; so riches flee away to God, the original giver of them, from whence they came, and who is the sole disposer of them; they own him as the proprietor and distributor of them; and they flee to heaven as it were for fresh orders where they should be, and into whose hands they should come next; they flee away, so as not to be seen any more, and be recovered by those who have formerly enjoyed them.

Gill: Pro 23:6

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,.... A sordid covetous man, that grudges every bit that is eaten, in opposition to a man of a good eye, or a bountiful one, that is liberal and generous, Pro 22:9; if he invites to a meal, do not accept of it, sit not down at his table to eat with him:

neither desire thou his dainty meats; or savoury food, so as to lust after it; See Gill on Pro 23:3.

Gill: Pro 23:7

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,.... He is not the man his mouth speaks or declares him to be, but what his heart thinks; which is discovered by his looks and actions, and by which he is to be judged of, and not by his words;

eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee; he bids you eat and drink, but he does not desire you should, at least but very sparingly; it is only a mere compliment, not a hearty welcome.

Gill: Pro 23:8

The morsel which thou hast eaten, shalt thou vomit up,.... It shall turn in thy stomach, thou shall not be able to keep it, when thou understandest thou art not welcome; or thou wilt wish thou hadst never eaten a bit, or that thou couldest vomit up what thou hast; so disagreeable is the thought of being unwelcome, or when this appears to be the case;

and lose thy sweet words; expressed in thankfulness to the master of the feast, in praise of his food, in pleasantry with him, and the other guests at table; all which are repented of when a man finds he is not welcome.

Gill: Pro 23:9

Speak not in the ears of a fool,.... For it is only beating the air, and speaking to the wind; it is casting pearls before swine, and that which is holy to dogs. By the "fool" is meant a wicked man, one abandoned to sin, and hardened in it; that scoffs at all admonitions and reproofs, that derides the word, and the preachers of it, and makes a mock at all good men, and everything they say; and therefore what is serious and sacred should not be said to them, since it only becomes the object of their banter and ridicule;

for he will despise the wisdom of thy words; not only the words of doctrine, reproof, and correction, but the "wisdom" of them; or let them be ever so wisely spoken; for if the wisdom of God and his words, the truths of the Gospel, are foolishness with such, and despised by them, then much more the wisdom even of the best of men, and the wisest things they say; yea, when they deliver the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, the Gospel of Christ, which therefore should be spoken among them that are perfect, 1Co 1:24.

Gill: Pro 23:10

Remove not the old landmark,.... See Gill on Pro 22:28;

and enter not into the fields of the fatherless; to carry off the increase of them, to reap their wheat, or mow their grass, or turn in cattle to eat it; or to encroach upon them, take in any part of them, or join the whole to their own; for if there is a woe to them that lay field to field, much more to them that enter into and take the fields of the fatherless, and join them to their own, Isa 5:8.

Gill: Pro 23:11

For their Redeemer is mighty,.... As he must needs be, since the Lord of hosts is his name; who sympathizes with them, has mercy on them, is their father, and their friend; see Jer 50:34;

he shall plead their cause with thee; or "against thee", as the Vulgate Latin version; and will certainly carry it for them, and against thee; for, when he undertakes a cause, he pleads it thoroughly.

Gill: Pro 23:12

Apply thine heart unto instruction,.... To the instruction of parents, and to the instruction of ministers of the word; to the Scriptures, which are profitable to instruction in righteousness; to the instruction of wisdom, or to the Gospel of Christ, which instructs in things relating to him, and to salvation by him: or, "bring in thine heart to instruction" ^y; not only bring thy body to the place of instruction, the house of God, but bring thine heart thither also;

and thine ears to the words of knowledge; the doctrines of the Gospel, which are the means of the knowledge of God and Christ, and of all divine, spiritual, and heavenly tidings; and of a growth in the knowledge of them; and therefore should be diligently hearkened and cordially attended to.

Gill: Pro 23:13

Withhold not correction from the child,.... When he has committed a fault, and correction is necessary; for to spare it is the ruin of the child, and no proof of true affection in the parent, but the reverse; see Pro 13:24;

for, if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die; if he be beaten moderately, there is no danger of his dying under the rod, or with the stripes given him; besides, such moderate and proper corrections may be a means of preserving him from such crimes as would bring him to a shameful and untimely death, and so he shall not die such a death; and by such means, through the grace of God, he may escape the second, or eternal death.

Gill: Pro 23:14

Thou shall beat him with the rod,.... Or, correct him with the stripes of the children of men, in a moderate and suitable manner, proportionable to the fault committed; and as he is able to bear it, both as to body and mind;

and shalt deliver his soul from hell; be a means of preventing those sins which would bring to hell and destruction; and of bringing to repentance for those committed; and so of saving his soul, which should be the chief thing parents should have in view in chastising their children; the salvation of whose souls should be dear unto them, as it is to all truly gracious and thoughtful ones.

Gill: Pro 23:15

My son, if thine heart be wise,.... To that which is good; so as from it to understand in a spiritual and experimental manner things divine and heavenly; he may be said to have a wise heart who knows in some measure what his heart is, the wickedness, the original depravity and corruption, of it; the plague of his own heart; the weakness and inability of it to do that which is good; the insufficiency of his own righteousness to justify him before God; the poverty of his spirit, and the folly of his mind: and who also is wise unto salvation; that knows the way of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ; and who applies to him for the same; builds on him, the foundation; prizes and values him; rejoices in him, and gives him the glory of his salvation; receives his doctrines, and obeys his commands; takes up and makes a profession of him on right principles, and walks wisely, becoming his character and profession;

my heart shall rejoice, even mine; it shall certainly and greatly rejoice; these words are spoken either by Solomon, who had a wise heart himself, and that either to his son, for whom he desired the same, nothing being more rejoicing to pious parents than to see their children becomes wise, especially in spiritual things; or else to those that attended on him for instruction, who was a preacher in Jerusalem; and what is the joy and crown of rejoicing of ministers but their converts, and to see them walking in the truth? 1Th 2:19, 3Jo 1:4; or these words are spoken by Wisdom, that is, by Christ, to his children; who rejoices when he has found them, or when they are converted, and become wise in a spiritual sense, and walk worthy, whereby Wisdom is justified of her children, Luk 15:5; yea, there is joy in heaven, joy among the angels there, and even in the father of Christ, and of his people, Luk 15:7.

Gill: Pro 23:16

Yea, my reins shall rejoice,.... Which is only another phrase expressive of the same thing, and confirming the greatness of joy on the above occasion; not only his heart rejoiced, which was affectionately concerned for his son, near which he lay, the desires of which were frequently drawn out for his good, but his reins also; the seat of the afflictions rejoiced at it; showing how vehement, sincere, and hearty the joy was;

when thy lips speak right things; as they will, when the heart is wise; things agreeably to right reason, to the Scriptures of truth, the oracles of God; to the law and to the testimony; to the Gospel of Christ, and the doctrines of it; and such things as are savoury, pleasant, and profitable, and minister grace to the hearers. The Targum is,

"when my lips speak right things;''

see Pro 8:6.

Gill: Pro 23:17

Let not thine heart envy sinners,.... Their present prosperity and happiness, the pleasure, profit, and honour, they seem to enjoy; all which is but a shadow, fading had temporary; and yet good men are apt to envy it in their hearts, if they do not express it with their lips; and are ready to murmur and think it hard that they should be in straitened circumstances while the wicked are in flourishing ones; and inwardly fret and are uneasy at it, which they should not, Psa 37:1; or do not "emulate" or "imitate" ^z them, or do as they do, thinking thereby to enjoy the same prosperity and happiness; choose not their ways, nor desire to be with them, to have their company, or be ranked among them, Pro 3:31;

but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; let the fear of God be always before thine eyes and in thine heart; be continually in the exercise of fear, which is attended with faith and trust in the Lord; with love and affection to him, and joy and delight in him; be constantly employed in the duties of religion, private and public, which the fear of God includes; and this will be a preservative from envying, murmuring, and fretting at the outward happiness of wicked men; and from joining with them in their evil ways. Aben Ezra, and who is followed by some others, render it, "but emulate or imitate the men that fear the Lord all the day long" ^a; be followers of them, and do as they do; let their constant piety and devotion stir up a holy emulation in thee to copy after them and exceed them; but the former sense is best.

Gill: Pro 23:18

For surely there is an end,.... Both of the prosperity of the wicked, which is but for a short time; and of the afflictions of the righteous, which are but as it were for a moment; and therefore there is no reason to envy the one, nor to be fretful under the other; the end to a good man will be peace and prosperity for ever: there is a "reward" ^b, as some render it here, for the righteous, though not of debt, but of grace; upon which account they have ground to expect much here and hereafter;

and thine expectation shall not be cut off; or "hope" ^c; as an hypocrite's is; for the hope of a saint is well founded upon the person and righteousness of Christ, and is an anchor sure and steadfast; his expectation of grace, and every needful supply of it, while in this life, and of eternal glory and happiness in the world to come, shall not perish; but he shall enjoy what he is hoping, expecting, and waiting for.

Gill: Pro 23:19

Hear thou, my son, and be wise,.... Hear the instruction of a father, of the word of Wisdom, of the ministers of the Gospel, which is the way to be wise unto salvation; faith comes by hearing; spiritual wisdom, and an increase of it; the Spirit of God, and his gifts and graces;

and guide thine heart in the way; in the way of the Lord, in the way of wisdom and understanding, in the way of truth and faith, in the way of religious worship, in the way of the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; in all which the heart should be guided and directed, or otherwise it will be of no avail.

Gill: Pro 23:20

Be not amongst winebibbers,.... Who drink to excess, otherwise wine may be drank, provided moderation is used; but it is not good to be in company with, excessive drinkers of it, lost a habit of excessive drinking should be acquired;

among riotous eaters of flesh; flesh may be lawfully eaten, but not in a riotous manner, so as to indulge to gluttony and surfeiting; nor should such persons be kept company with that do so, lest their ways should be learned and imitated.

Gill: Pro 23:21

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty,.... They consuming their substance upon their bellies, in eating and drinking; see Pro 21:17;

and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags; excessive eating and drinking brings drowsiness on men, unfits them for business, and makes them idle and slothful; and spending all on their bellies, they have nothing for their backs, and are clothed in rags; see Pro 24:33.

Gill: Pro 23:22

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee,.... And who has a true and hearty affection for thee, and whatever he says is for thy good and welfare, which he studies and has at heart; and who therefore also has an authority over thee, and what he enjoins ought to be strictly regarded; and, having lived longer in the world, must be thought to have a larger experience and knowledge of things, and therefore should be hearkened unto;

and despise not thy mother when she is old; despise not her counsels, instructions, and advice, though she is old; and because she is so, do not reject them as old wives' fables, or as the silly talk of an old woman, as young men are too apt to do.

Gill: Pro 23:23

Buy the truth, and sell it not,.... Evangelical truth, the word of truth, the Gospel of salvation, which comes from the God of truth; has Christ, who is the truth, for the stem and substance of it; men are directed and led into it by the Spirit of truth; the whole matter of it is truth; truth, in opposition to the law, that was typical and shadowy; to the errors of false teachers, to everything that is fictitious, or another Gospel; and to that which is a lie, for no lie is of the truth: there are several particular doctrines of the Gospel which are so called; those which respect the knowledge of one God, and three Persons in the Godhead; the deity and sonship of Christ, his incarnation and Messiahship, salvation alone by him, a sinner's justification by his righteousness, and the resurrection of the dead; the whole of which is truth, and is an answer to Pilate's question, Joh 18:38; and this men should "buy", not books only, as Aben Ezra interprets it, such as explain and confirm truth, though these should be bought; and especially the Bible, the Scriptures of truth; yet this does not reach the sense of the text: nor is it merely to be understood of persons supporting the Gospel ministry with their purses, by which means truth is preserved, propagated, and continued: no price is set upon it, as being above all; it should be bought or had at any rate, let the expense be what it will: "buying" it supposes a person to have some knowledge of it, of the excellency, usefulness, and importance of it; and shows that he sets a value upon it, and has a high esteem for it: it is to be understood of his using all means and taking great pains to acquire it; such as reading the word, meditating upon it, attending on the public ministry, and fervent and frequent prayer for it, and a greater degree of knowledge of it; yea, it signifies a person's parting with everything for it that is required; as with his former errors he has been brought up in, or has imbibed; with his good name and reputation, being willing to be accounted a fool or a madman, and an enthusiast, or anything for the sake of it; and even with life itself, when called for; and such a man will strive and contend for it, stand fast in it, and hold it fast, and not let it go, which is meant by "selling" it; truth is not to be sold upon any account, or for any thing whatever; it is not to be slighted and neglected; it should not be parted with neither for the riches, and honours, and pleasures of this life, nor for the sake of a good name among men, nor for the sake of peace, nor for the avoiding of persecution; it should he abode by, and not departed from, though the greater number is against it, and they the riots, the wise, and learned; and though it may be traduced as novel, irrational, and licentious, and be attended with affliction;

also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding; that is, buy these also, and sell them no; "wisdom" is to be prized above everything; it is the principal thing, and should be got; all means should he used to obtain it; it may be bought without money; it should be asked of God, who gives it liberally, and, being had, should be held fast: the "instruction" the Scriptures give, the instruction of the Gospel, the instruction of Wisdom, should be valued above gold and silver, and diligently sought after; should be laid fast hold on and not parted with: "understanding" of divine and spiritual things is to be gotten; happy is the man that gets it; and above all gettings this should be got, and all means made rise of to improve and increase it. The Targum, Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions, connect these with the word sell only, thus, "buy the truth, and sell not wisdom, and instruction, and understanding"; but as buying and selling both refer to truth, so likewise to these also. The whole verse is wanting in the Septuagint and Arabic versions.

Gill: Pro 23:24

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice,.... Or "in rejoicing shall rejoice" ^d, in his son; not that he is rich, but righteous, truly righteous, internally and externally; having the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, and righteousness and true holiness wrought in him, and so lives soberly, righteously, and godly: this must be understood of a father who is himself righteous; for otherwise wicked men, if their sons do but thrive in the world, they are unconcerned about their character as righteous, or their state and condition God-ward;

and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him; especially if he is wise in the best things; if he is wise unto salvation; he may be wise and knowing in things natural, have a good share of wit and sense, and be wise in worldly things, which may yield a pleasure to a natural man his parent; but, if he is a good man, he will have greater joy of his son if he is wise in the first sense. The mother and grandmother of Timothy had no doubt great joy of him, who, from a child, knew the holy Scriptures; and so had the elect lady of her children, who were walking in the truth; and so has our heavenly Father of his children, who are righteous and wise through his grace.

Gill: Pro 23:25

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad,.... That, is when thou art righteous and wise; see Pro 10:1; or "let thy father and thy mother be glad" ^e; do everything that may make their hearts glad, and their lives easy and comfortable in their old age; by ministering to their necessities, if in any; by treading in their steps, and following their examples; by living soberly and righteously, and behaving wisely; by not only honouring them, but by seeking the honour and glory of God; showing a regard to religion, and supporting it to the utmost of their power; these are things which make the hearts of pious parents glad;

and she that bare thee shall rejoice; thy mother particularly, who bore and brought thee forth with so much pain, and brought thee up with so much care and trouble, will think it an to much recompence for all, if thou art truly wise and religious. Some accommodate this to God our heavenly Father, and to the church, the Jerusalem above, the mother of us all.

Gill: Pro 23:26

My son, give me thine heart,.... These words are not the words of Solomon to his son, for a greater than Solomon is here; besides, the claim and possession of the heart do not belong to a creature, but to God; but they are the words of Wisdom, or Christ, to everyone of his sons, the children the Father has given him in covenant; who are adopted through him, regenerated by his Spirit and grace, begotten by his word and ministers as instruments, and born and brought up in his church, and to whom he stands in the relation of the everlasting Father. The heart of a wicked man is little worth, and not worth having; Satan has the possession of it, and fills it, and influences and draws it at his pleasure; the world is set in it, and there is no room for any other; sensual lusts and pleasures, whoredom, wine, and new wine, take away the heart, Hos 4:11; and it is to those this exhortation is opposed, as appears from the following verses; and the sense is, give not thine heart to women, nor to wine, but to me. Christ should have the hearts and affections of his people, and he only; he is to be loved with the whole heart, sincerely, and above all things else; and it is a good man's heart he desires; a broken and a contrite heart is not despised by him, he binds it up; a heart purified by faith in his blood, a new heart and a new spirit, in which his laws are put and written; a heart to know him, fear him, love him, and believe in him: and as he requites the heart in the exercise of every grace, as faith, fear, and love; so in the performance of, every duty, which, without the heart, is of no avail; as in prayer, singing of praise, and hearing the word, and other religious services. And it is but reasonable service, that Christ should have the hearts of his children, since he stands in such near relations to them; as father, husband, friend, and brother; is all in all unto them; is so lovely a person himself, and has so loved them, and given himself, his life, his blood, his all, for them;

and let thine eyes observe my ways; the ways which Wisdom, or Christ, took in eternity and time, in order to bring about the salvation of his people; his steps in the covenant of grace, as their surety; his coming down from heaven to earth, to do the will of his Father; his going away from hence, by submitting to the accursed death of the cross, thereby making peace and reconciliation for sin; his ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God, where he ever lives to intercede for us; the various methods of his grace, in calling and visiting his people, supplying their wants, protecting their persons, and preserving them safe to his kingdom and glory: these should be observed, with attention and wonder, to the encouragement of faith, and for the magnifying of the riches of grace: also the ways which he prescribes and directs his children to walk in; as himself, who is the way to the Father, the way of life and salvation; the way of faith in him, the way of truth concerning hath; the way of holiness and righteousness he leads in; the ways of his commandments; the ways in which he himself walked; all which should be observed by the enlightened eyes of the understanding, and be imitated, and copied after, and walked in; respect should be had unto them all; they should be observed and kept, as they are directed to, and in faith and love, without depending on them. Some render the words, "let thine eyes run through my ways" ^f: take a thorough and exact view of them. There is a letter transposed in the word rendered "observe", which occasions a different reading; "as is a man's heart, so are his eyes"; if his heart is to Christ, his eyes will be in his ways; and, where Christ's ways are not observed, the heart is not given to him.

Gill: Pro 23:27

For a whore is a deep ditch,.... Or, "as a deep ditch", so Aben Ezra; to which she may be compared for the filthiness of her whoredoms, and for her insatiable lust, as well as for her being never satisfied with what she receives from her lovers. Plautus compares ^g her to the sea, which devours whatever you give, and yet nothing appears; and another ^h calls a whore Charybdis, from her swallowing up and devouring all a man has. She is as a ditch that has no bottom, into which those that fall are ever sinking deeper and deeper, till they get into the bottomless pit; for there is seldom any recovery from this dreadful evil;

and a strange woman is a narrow pit; or "well" ⁱ; into which when men fall, they bruise themselves in a terrible manner, by beating from side to side; and out of which they cannot extricate themselves; at least not easily, but with great difficulty, if ever. This may very well be applied to the whore of Rome, and the filthiness of her fornications; and the dreadful state of those who are drawn in to commit fornication with her.

Gill: Pro 23:28

She also lieth in wait as for a prey,.... At the door of her house, in the corner of the streets, in the dark of the night; laying her snares, and spreading her nets, for unwary persons, to make a prey of their virtue and of their money. Or, "as a man of prey" ^k; a thief and robber, so Gersom; thus she watches and takes all opportunities to seize on persons, and rob them of their substance, health, and credit; or rather "as a beast of prey"; ravenous, devouring, and insatiable; so the Targum,

"as a beast ravening, she lies in wait with her eyes;''

and increaseth the transgressors among men; there is none that occasions wore sin, or makes more sinners, than a whorish woman; swearing, lying, drunkenness, thieving, stealing, housebreaking, robbing on the highway, &c. are the sins she leads into. Or, "increaseth treacherous" ^l persons; to God, to their king, to their wives, to their master's; and all that they may consume, what they can get by perfidious practices, upon them, or,

"perfidious persons among men, she adds "to herself" ^m;''

she gets a parcel of abandoned wretches about her, whom she employs as her panders for her lust, or as bullies to spoil her gallants of their substance, or murder them for the sake of it.

Gill: Pro 23:29

Who hath woe?.... In this world and in the other, in body and soul; diseases of body, distress of mind, waste of substance, and all manner of evils and calamities; if any man has these, the drunkard has: from whoredom, the Holy Ghost proceeds to drunkenness, which generally go together; and dissuades from it, by observing the mischiefs that come by it;

who hath sorrow? through pains of body, with the headache, &c. or through the agonies of the mind, and tortures of conscience, for sin committed; or through poverty and want, so Aben Ezra derives the word from one that signifies "poor"; and so it may be rendered, "who hath poverty" ⁿ? the drunkard; see Pro 23:21;

who hath contentions? quarrels and lawsuits, which often come of drunken bouts;

who hath babbling? or "loquacity" ^o? which drunkards are subject to; much vain babbling, foolish talk, scurrilous language, scoffs, jeers, especially at religion and religious men; and sometimes such men are full of talk about religion itself, and make great pretensions to it, and the knowledge of it, in their cups, when out of them they think and talk nothing about it;

who hath wounds without cause? from words, oftentimes, drunkards go to blows upon the most frivolous accounts; fight with one another for no reason at all, and get themselves beaten and bruised for nothing;

who hath redness of eyes? the drunkard has, inflamed with wine or strong drink; which, drank frequently and to excess, is the cause of sore eyes, as well as of weakening the sight; or, however, leaves a redness there, and in other parts of the face, whereby those sons of Bacchus may be known: so it is observed ^p of Vitellius the emperor, that his face was commonly red through drunkenness. Hillerus renders it, "blackness of eyes"; such as comes from blows received; taking the word to be of the same signification with the Arabic word כחל, which so signifies: this agrees with the preceding clause; and is countenanced by the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions.

Gill: Pro 23:30

They that tarry long at the wine,.... At drinking it. Do not care to stir from it when at it; spend whole days and nights in it, and are overcome by it, and so bring upon them all the above evils;

they that go to seek mixed wine, not wine mixed with water, as used commonly by temperate people in hot countries; but either mixed with spices, to make it more palatable, or with different sorts of wine, some very strong, and more heady and intoxicating; or mere wine meant; wine "poured out", as the word ^q signifies, where there is plenty of it; and such as are given to wine go and seek out such places, and where the best is to be had. So the Targum,

"they go and seek the house of mixture, or mixed wine;''

or, as the Syriac version,

"the house of feasting;''

and so the Arabic:

"where there are junketing and drinking bouts,''

as the Septuagint.

Gill: Pro 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,.... Or, "because it is red" ^r; or shows itself red. Which was the only wine used in the land of Canaan, or, however, the most esteemed of, and that most of art which had the best colour; when it had a good, bright, red colour, or sparkled, and looked bright and beautiful, so the word signifies; and then it should not be looked upon: not that it is unlawful to look upon the colour of wine, and thereby judge of its goodness; but it should not be looked upon with a greedy eye, so as vehemently to desire it, which will lead to an intemperate use of it; just as looking upon a woman, so as to lust after her, is forbidden, Mat 5:28;

when it giveth his colour in the cup: or, its eye in the cup ^s; such a bright, brisk, and beautiful colour, as is like a bright and sparkling eye. Here is a various reading; it is written in the text, "in the purse" ^t; it is read in the margin, "in the cup"; and Jarchi's note takes in both,

"he that drinks wine sets his eye on the cup; and the vintner sets his on his purse;''

when it moveth itself aright; sparkles in the glass, or goes down the throat pleasantly; or rather looks well to the eye, and appears right and good, and promises a great deal of satisfaction and delight.

Gill: Pro 23:32

At the last it biteth like a serpent,.... Though it goes down sweetly, yet it leaves a sting behind it, intemperately drank; a nausea in the stomach, a stink in the breath, pains and giddiness in the head, weakness in the eyes, trembling in the members of the body, palsy, gout, and other distempers, very painful and grievous to be bore; and, what is worse, if the conscience is awakened, sharp and cutting reflections there; and, without true repentance, torments intolerable in the world to come;

and stingeth like an adder; or "spreads" ^u, or separates and scatters; that is, its poison. So the Vulgate Latin version, "diffuseth poisons as a basilisk", or "cockatrice"; the Targum and Syriac version,

"as a serpent which flies;''

it signifies the same as before.

Gill: Pro 23:33

Thine eyes shall behold strange women,.... Being inflamed with wine, shall look upon women, other men's wives, and lust after them; or harlots, whom seeking after or meeting with, when in their cups, are drawn into their embraces; excess of wine leads to whoredom ^w. So Aben Ezra supplies the word "women", and Jarchi interprets it to this sense; but the Targum renders it, "strange things"; and so many others: a drunken man, through the lunges and vapours that ascend into his brain, fancies he sees strange sights; he sees things double; imagines that he sees trees walk, and many such like absurd and monstrous things;

and thine heart shall utter perverse things; or the mouth, from the abundance of the heart, and imagination of it, shall utter things contrary to sense and reason, contrary to truth and righteousness, contrary to chastity and good manners, contrary to their own honour and credit, contrary to God and men; the mouth then utters all that is in the heart, which it at other times conceals. It may have a particular respect to the unchaste, filthy, and obscene words, uttered to strange women, into whose company men fall when in liquor.

Gill: Pro 23:34

Yea, thou shall be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,.... Not in the open sea, and the waves of it, there fluctuating and tossed about; nor in an island encompassed by sea; but in a ship at sea, a drunken man reels and tumbles about, just as a ship does at sea; hence the motions and agitations of it, and of the men in it, are compared to the reeling and staggering of a drunken man, Psa 107:26;

or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast: where the motion is the greatest. Or all this may be expressive of the dangers which a drunkard is exposed unto, and of his stupidity and insensibility; for though he is in as great danger as one in the circumstances described, in a storm at sea, yet is not sensible of it; which agrees with what follows.

Gill: Pro 23:35

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick,.... Or "grieved not" ^x; or was not wounded or skin broken ^y; see Jer 5:3. The drunken man is here represented as saying, that though his companions, with whom he quarrelled and fought in his drunken frolics, beat him very much, yet he was not sensible of the pain and smart; and it had left no sickness nor disorder upon him; he did not find himself much the worse for it;

they have beaten me; as with hammers ^z; battered and bruised him terribly, laying very hard and heavy strokes upon him;

and I felt it not; or "knew it not" ^a; did not perceive it, was not sensible of it, when the blows were given, or who gave them; and thus feeling no more, and coming off so well, as he thinks, he is so far from being reclaimed from this vice, that he is more strengthened in it, and desirous of it;

when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again: that is, the wine and his boon companions, though he has been so used. So the Vulgate Latin version, "when shall I awake, and again find wines?" being heavy with sleep through intemperance, and yet thirsty, is desirous of shaking off his sleep, that he may get to drinking again, and "add drunkenness to thirst", Deu 29:19; so the Septuagint version,

"when will it be morning, that going I may seek with whom I may meet?''

Gill: Pro 24:1

Be not thou envious against evil men,.... Or, "men of evil" ^b. Such who are addicted to evil, and given up to it, whose principles and practices are bad; such as are before described in the preceding chapter; gluttons and drunkards, men given to women and wine: envy not their present prosperity, or seeming pleasure they have in the gratification of their sensual appetites; since woe and sorrow, wounds and strife, now attend them, and poverty and want will follow them; as well as everlasting ruin and destruction will be their portion hereafter; See Gill on Pro 23:17; and compare with this Pro 24:21;

neither desire to be with them; to be in their company; to have any conversation and fellowship with them, which is very infectious, dangerous, and pernicious; nor even to be in the same state, condition, and circumstances they are in; much less to do as they do, and imitate them in their sinful courses; as you would not choose to be with them in hell hereafter, do not desire to be with them here.

Gill: Pro 24:2

For their heart studieth destruction,.... To others; to good men, that separate from them, and reprove them, or are in their way; or any ways hinder them in the prosecution of their wicked designs; as Haman's heart studied the destruction of the Jews: or their hearts study to draw men into their destructive methods of living, and therefore should be shunned and avoided. Moreover, their hearts study destruction to themselves; they study what they shall eat and drink, which they pursue to intemperance; and how they shall compass their lewd designs, and which issue in their ruin; destruction and misery are in all the ways they devise and walk in;

and their lips talk of mischief; which they study in their hearts against others; as are their hearts, so are their lips; out of the abundance of the wickedness of their hearts their mouths speak mischievous things; and which, though they design for others, oftentimes fall upon themselves.

Gill: Pro 24:3

Through wisdom is a house builded,.... A family is built up, furnished and supplied with the necessaries and conveniences of life, and brought into flourishing and prosperous circumstances, by wise and prudent management, by diligence and industry, through the blessing of God upon them, without taking such methods as evil men do. The house of God, the church of the living God, is built by Wisdom, that is, by Christ; on a good foundation, a rock, upon himself, against which the gates of hell can never prevail; see Pro 9:1. Every good man's house, himself, his soul, and the eternal salvation of it, are built on the same; and he is a wise man that builds his house through wisdom; that builds on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the one and only foundation which God has laid, which is Jesus Christ;

and by understanding it is established; the prosperity of a man's family is continued and secured by his prudent conduct. The church of God is established by Christ, who is understanding as well as wisdom; see Pro 8:14; and every true believer is established in Christ, and in the faith of him; and that as he has more and more an understanding of him and of divine things.

Gill: Pro 24:4

And by knowledge shalt the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. That are both of worth, value, and usefulness, and for ornament and delight; the more private and retired parts of a man's dwelling house, as well as his shops, warehouses, barns, and granaries, shall be filled with all kind of valuable substance, through his knowledge in improving trade or husbandry, in which he is concerned. This may be understood spiritually, of the fulness which the church has from Christ, and of those unsearchable riches of his she receives from him; and of those treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which the chambers of the soul of a believer are filled with by him; and of all the riches put into them, which are both precious and pleasant; such as precious promises, pleasant doctrines, the valuable truths of the Gospel, and blessings of grace.

Gill: Pro 24:5

A wise man is strong,.... He can do that sometimes by his wisdom, and which requires strength and courage too, which another cannot do by his strength; see Pro 21:22. This may be understood of one that is spiritually wise, wise unto salvation, wise for another world, is made to know true wisdom in the hidden part. The Stoic philosophers say much of their wise man; that he is happy, and rich, and mighty, and even a king; all which may be said more truly of a good man; he is strong, not absolutely, but comparatively, in comparison of what he himself was; and wicked men are without strength, and do not seek for any elsewhere; nor do they, nor can they do, that which is spiritually good, and are ignorant of their weakness: but so is not a wise man; he has some spiritual strength; he seeks to Christ for more, and, through Christ strengthening him, does all things; and is sensible of his own weakness, and finds that when he is weak he is strong: one eminently wise is strong, in comparison of less knowing and more feeble saints; some are children in knowledge, weak in faith and in conduct, more easily drawn into sin and temptation than others; and, in comparison of these, some are strong, who are to bear with and support the weak, and restore them. A wise man is strong, not in and of himself; he cannot think a good thought, nor do a good action, nor preserve himself from sin and Satan; but he is strong in Christ, and in the power of his might, and in his grace; and, through spiritual strength communicated to him, his heart is strengthened, and the work of grace in his heart; he is strengthened to exercise grace more strongly, to perform the duties of religion, to bear the cross of Christ, to withstand temptations, and to oppose his own corruptions. It may be rendered, "a wise man is in strength" ^c; he is in Christ the strong hold, whither, as a prisoner of hope, he has fled and turned into; he is in the strong tower, into which he has run and is safe; he is surrounded with the might and power of God on all sides, by which he is kept;

yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength; a spiritual man, a man endued with spiritual knowledge, with the knowledge of Christ, and salvation by him; as he has a degree of spiritual strength, he increases therein; he grows stronger and stronger, he goes from strength to strength; the more he knows of Christ, the more strongly he trusts in him and loves him, and the more able he is to resist Satan's temptations; and is a better match for false teachers who deceive the hearts of the simple: spiritual strength is increased by means of the word of God, by the promises of the Gospel, and by the ordinances of it.

Gill: Pro 24:6

For by wise counsel thou shall make thy war,.... Counsel, as well as strength, is necessary for war: kings and states, before they enter on a war, should not only well consider the justness of their cause, but should consult whether they have a sufficiency of men and money to carry it on; and should concert the wisest methods to attack the enemy, or defend themselves; and, above all, should ask counsel of God; see 2Ki 18:20. And this is true of our spiritual warfare with sin, Satan, the world, and false teachers; which requires not only strength to wage war with them, but wise counsel, that we may be able to understand and guard against their cunning, wiles, and stratagems: and this is principally to be asked of God, who is wonderful in counsel; and of good and experienced men, skilled in those matters;

and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety; to take the advice of wise counsellors, and many of them, even among men, is safe for princes and states, in the above case and in all others; and especially to ask and take counsel of God, who gives wisdom liberally to them that ask it; and of Christ, the wonderful Counsellor; and from the Scriptures, whom David made his counsellors; and from old experienced Christians, and ministers of the word, with whom are wisdom, counsel, and understanding; See Gill on Pro 11:14.

Gill: Pro 24:7

Wisdom is too high for a fool,.... It is out of his reach, he cannot attain it; natural wisdom, or the knowledge of many things in nature; at least it seems so to himself, and therefore will not take any pains, or make use of any means, to obtain it; as the knowledge of human laws; of medicine, of philosophy, of languages, or of any of the liberal arts and sciences; or he has not really a capacity for it. This is more especially true of spiritual wisdom, or of the knowledge of divine things in a spiritual way; or of the things Of the Spirit of God, which a natural man cannot know, because they are spiritually discerned; it is God only makes men to know this kind of wisdom in the hidden part, 1Co 2:14; for as a "fool" here denotes a wicked man, let his natural parts be what they will; so wisdom spiritual knowledge, and experience of divine things, which is too high for an unregenerate man to reach; see a like phrase in Psa 139:6;

he openeth not his mouth in the gate; he is not qualified far it; and if he has any knowledge of himself, he will not venture to speak in a public assembly, in the house of parliament, in a court of judicature, or in the company of men of knowledge and sense; and indeed it is his highest wisdom to keep silence, and not betray his ignorance: and so with regard to spiritual things; a man that wisdom is too high for, and he has no share of it, shall not or ought not to open his mouth where Wisdom cries; even in the gates of the cities, or in the public assemblies of the saints, Pro 1:21.

Gill: Pro 24:8

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person To do evil is natural to men, all are prone to it; being conceived and born in sin, and, from the womb, more or less commit it: but for a man to sit down and contrive evil, as some men are inventors of evil things; contrive new sins, or at least new methods of sinning, such as new oaths, new games, new ways of tricking and deceiving men; and are always studying and devising ways and means of committing sin, and doing that which is evil in the sight of God and men. Such a man, with great propriety, may be called, and will be called by those that know him, a mischievous man, a very pernicious one, and to be shunned and avoided as such; men will reckon him and call him a "master" or "author ^d of evil devices", as it may be rendered; a name agreeable to his character.

Gill: Pro 24:9

The thoughts of foolishness is sin,.... The thought of sin is sin ^e, before it comes into action; the motions of sin in the mind, the workings of corrupt nature in the heart, the sinful desires of the flesh and of the mind: these are forbidden and condemned by the law of God as sin, which says, "Thou shall not covet", Exo 20:17, and stand in need of pardoning grace and mercy; see Rom 7:5. Or, "the thoughts of a foolish man are sin" ^f; that is, of a wicked man; in all whose thoughts God is not, but sin is; the imagination of the thoughts of his heart is evil, and that continually; he thinks of nothing else but sin, Gen 6:5;

and the scorner is an abomination to men; who not only thinks ill of divine things, and despises them in his heart, which is only known to God; but scoffs at them with his lips, makes a jest of all that is good, derides religion and religious men; and to such he is an abomination: and indeed one that is proud and haughty, scorner is his name, and that deals in proud wrath, and scorns all around him, in whatsoever company he comes, and that ridicules every person, and every thing that is said in conversation, is usually hated and abhorred by all sorts of men.

Gill: Pro 24:10

If thou faint in the day of adversity,.... When under bodily afflictions, stripping providences, reduced to great straits and wants; or under the violent persecutions of men, which is sometimes the case of the people of God; whose times are in his hands, times of adversity, as well as prosperity; and which are appointed by him, when they shall come, and how long they shall last; which is but for a short time, it is but a "day", and yet they are apt to "faint" under them, through the number and continuance of their afflictions; and especially when they apprehend them to be in wrath; when they have a sense of their sins at such a time, and no view of pardon; when they are under the hidings of God's face, their prayers do not seem to be heard, and salvation and deliverance do not come so soon as they expected; which, notwithstanding, shows the truth of what is next observed;

thy strength is small; such who are truly gracious are not indeed at such times wholly without strength; they are in some measure helped to bear up; but yet their sinkings and faintings show that they have but little strength: they have some faith that does not entirely fail, Christ praying for it; yet they are but of little faith; they have but a small degree of Christian fortitude and courage; there is a want of manliness in them; they act the part of children and babes in Christ; they do not quit themselves like men, and much less endure hardness, as good soldiers of Christ, as they should; they are, Ephraim like, without a heart, a courageous one, Hos 7:1. Some think the words have reference to what goes before, and the sense to be this, "if thou art remiss" ^g; that is, if thou art careless and negligent in time of health and prosperity, in getting wisdom, as thinking it too high for thee, Pro 24:7; "in the day of adversity thy strength will be small"; thou wilt not have that to support thee which otherwise thou wouldest have had. Aben Ezra connects the sense with the following, "if thou art remiss", in helping and delivering thy friend in affliction, Pro 24:11; "in the day of adversity", or "of straitness, thy strength shall be strait"; thou shalt be left in thy distress and difficulties, and have none to help thee.

Gill: Pro 24:11

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death,.... Or "taken for or unto death" ^h, in a violent way; who are taken by thieves and robbers, and used in a barbarous manner, as the man in the parable, whom the priest and Levite took no notice of, and was helped by the good Samaritan; or who are unjustly sentenced and appointed to death by the civil magistrate; if any know their innocency, it becomes them to do all they can to save their lives, by bearing a testimony for them; for "a true witness delivereth souls", Pro 14:25; or by interceding for them, and giving counsel and advice concerning them, or by any lawful way they can; as Reuben delivered Joseph, Jonathan interceded for David, and Ahikam and Ebedmelech for Jeremiah. Life is valuable, and all means should be taken to save it, and to prevent the shedding of innocent blood; and a man should not forbear or spare any cost, or pains, or time, to such service: likewise such as are drawn into snares and temptations, into immorality or heresy, which tend to the ruin of the souls of men, and bring them to eternal death; all proper, methods should be taken to restore such persons, to recover them out of the snare of the devil, which is saving souls from death, and covering a multitude of sins; see 2Ti 2:25, Jam 5:19;

and those that are ready to be slain; or ⁱ "bending to slaughter"; are within a little of being executed, or put to death, upon a false accusation; for about others that suffer righteously there need not be that concern here pressed, or whose works and ways incline to destruction and lead to it, of which they seem not very far off.

Gill: Pro 24:12

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not,.... The danger the person was in; or the innocency of his cause; or what method to take to deliver him; or that it was in our power to do anything for him; so the Vulgate Latin version, "if thou sayest, strength is not sufficient": or "we knew him not" ^k, who he was or what he was; had no knowledge of him, or acquaintance with him, and so did not think ourselves under any obligation to regard his case; such excuses will not do;

doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? he that searches the heart and tries it, and weighs every thought of it, and excuse it makes, considers and understands whether it is a mere excuse or not; though such excuses may appear plausible to men, yet to God that knows the heart they are of no avail; for he knows it to be a mere shift, and that it was unwillingness to help the distressed, and a neglect of their case; and that all that is said on their own behalf is a vain pretence;

and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? he that upholds it in life, and whose visitation preserves it, and therefore should be careful of the life of another; and if not, may justly fear the Lord will withdraw his care and preservation of them; he knows perfectly well what regard a man has to the welfare of another, or to the preservation of another man's life when in danger; and whether what he says on his own behalf is well founded: or "he that observeth thy soul" ^l; all the inward motions of it, the thoughts, affections, purposes, and inclinations; he knows whether what is said is true or not;

and shall not he render to every man according to his works? and behave towards him according to the law of retaliation; the same measure he measures to others, he will measure to him again; and who having shown no mercy in saving the lives of others, when he could have done it, shall have judgment executed on him without mercy, when he is in distress.

Gill: Pro 24:13

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good,.... It is good for food; there was plenty of it in Palestine, and it was eaten for food, not only by children, but grown persons; and was very nourishing, strengthening, and refreshing to them, as Samson, Jonathan, John the Baptist, and others; and is good for medicine, is healthful and salutary, and useful in many diseases: it is said ^m to conduce much to prolong life and preserve from diseases; it has been observed that those who have much used it have lived to a great age;

and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste; because it is so, as all honey is, and especially that which is immediately squeezed or drops from the honeycomb; this is said not so much on account of honey, and the eating of that, as for what follows concerning the knowledge of wisdom, which is comparable to it for pleasure and profit; see Pro 16:24 ⁿ.

Gill: Pro 24:14

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul,.... Or let it be taken in as greedily and with as good an appetite; as pleasant, useful, delightful, and profitable; even the knowledge of Christ, the Wisdom of God, which is preferable to all things else, and more desirable than the most pleasant and profitable things in the world; and of the Gospel of Christ, the wisdom of God in a mystery, than which nothing is more sweet and comfortable to a truly gracious soul; it is like Ezekiel's roll, which was in his mouth as honey for sweetness, Eze 3:3;

when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward; for though there may be some difficulty and trouble to attain it, in the use of means, by reading, bearing, prayer, and meditation, yet, being enjoyed, it carries its own reward with it; a man is abundantly recompensed for all his pains in the pursuit of it, by the pleasure and profit it yields him now and hereafter; for it is the beginning of life eternal, and will issue in it, Joh 17:3; see Pro 2:3;

and thy expectation shall not be cut off; or "hope" ^o; as the hope of the hypocrite will, Job 8:14, the hope of eternal life, as founded on Christ and his righteousness, where such that know Wisdom place their hope; and this hope will not make them ashamed; they will not be disappointed, their expectation shall not perish, they will have what they are waiting and hoping for, and what is promised unto them; see Gill on Pro 23:18. The Targum is,

"which if thou findest, the last shall come better than the first, and thy hope shall not be consumed.''

Gill: Pro 24:15

Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous,.... The church of God, which is the righteous man's dwelling place, and where he desires and delights to dwell; or his own dwelling house; it may be rendered, "at the dwelling of the righteous" ^p; lay not wait at his door to observe who goes in and out, and what is done there; and to watch for his halting, and take notice of his infirmities, slips, and falls, and improve them to his disadvantage; and so the Vulgate Latin version, "and lay not wait and seek ungodliness in the house of the righteous"; or lay not wait there for him, as Saul set men to watch the house of David to kill him, 1Sa 19:11; or to take an opportunity and get into it and plunder it, as follows;

spoil not his resting place: by pulling it down, or stripping it of its furniture; by robbing him of the substance in it, and thus disturbing his rest, and destroying the place of it; or the place where he lies down as a sheep in its fold, or as the shepherd in his cottage, of which the words in the text are used; and so denote that as the righteous man is like a sheep, harmless and innocent, those that lay in wait for him and spoil him are no other than wolves.

Gill: Pro 24:16

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again,.... This is to be understood of a truly just man; not of one that is only outwardly and seemingly so, or of temporary believers and nominal professors; but of such who are thoroughly convinced of their own unrighteousness, and believe in Christ for righteousness, and have it applied and imputed to them; as well as have principles of grace and righteousness implanted in them, and live righteously in this evil world; these often fall either into troubles or into sins, and indeed into both, and the one is the cause of the other; and both senses may be retained: the former seems more agreeable to the context, and runs thus, lay not wait to a just man's dwelling to do him any hurt; for though he should be ensnared, and stumble, and fall into distress and calamity, yet he will rise again out of it, and so all attempts upon him are vain and fruitless; many are the righteous man's afflictions he falls into, but the Lord delivers out of all; he delivers him in six troubles, and even in seven, Psa 34:19; or in many, one after another; he rises out of them all; he comes out of great tribulations, and at last safely enters the kingdom of heaven; and therefore it is to no purpose to lie in wait for him: and this sense is strengthened by the words following, "rejoice not when thine enemy falleth", Pro 24:17; but the latter sense of falling into sin has been anciently received, and not to be rejected; and which generally precedes and is the cause of falling into trouble. A just man, though he does not fall from his righteousness, which is an everlasting one, nor from the grace of God; yet he may fall into temptation, and by it he may fall into sin, as every just man does; "for there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not", Ecc 7:20; and that frequently, even every day; and therefore stands every day in need of fresh application of pardoning grace, for which he is directed to pray daily; and he may be left to fall foully into very gross sins, as David, Peter, and others; but not totally and finally, so as to perish; being on the heart of God, in the hands of Christ, on him the foundation, united to him, and kept by the power of God, he shall and does rise again sooner or later; not by his own power and strength, but by the strength of the Lord; he rises by renewed repentance, and under the fresh discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy to heal his backslidings;

but the wicked shall fall into mischief; or "evil" ^q; into the evil of sin, and there lie and wallow in it, as the swine in the mire, and never rise out of it; and into the evil of punishment, into hell itself, from whence there will be no deliverance; and oftentimes they fall into mischief in this world, into trouble and distress, into poverty and want, in which they live and die, and never recover out of it; to which agrees what follows.

Gill: Pro 24:17

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,.... These words are spoken not to the wicked man, Pro 24:15; but to the just man, or Solomon's son, or the children of Wisdom; for by the "enemy" is meant such who are at enmity with the people of God, as the seed of the serpent, and those after the flesh, are: and when these "fall", saints should not "rejoice"; as when they fall into sin; for so to do would be to act as wicked "charity which rejoiceth not in iniquity", 1Co 13:6, or rather when they fill into calamity and distress; for this is also the part which wicked men act towards the people of God, and should not be imitated in; see Oba 1:12. Joy may be expressed at the fall of the public enemies of God and his people, as was by the Israelites at the destruction of Pharaoh and his host, Exo 15:1; and as will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which they are called upon to do, Rev 18:20; partly on account of their own deliverance and safety, and chiefly because of the glory of God, and of his justice displayed therein; see Psa 58:10; but as private revenge is not to be sought, nor acted, so joy at the calamity and ruin of a private enemy, or a man's own enemy, should not be expressed; but rather he is to be pitied and helped; see Pro 25:21; for to love an enemy, and show regard to him, is the doctrine both of the Old and of the New Testament;

and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth; even secret joy should not be indulged, gladness in the heart, though it does not appear in the countenance, and is not expressed in words; no, not at the least appearance of mischief, when he only stumbles and is ready to fall; and much less should there be exultation and rejoicings made in an open manner at the utter ruin of him.

Gill: Pro 24:18

Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him,.... Who sees all things, not only external actions, but the heart, and the inward motions of it; and though men may hide the pleasure they feel at the misery of an enemy from others, they cannot hide it from the Lord; nor is this said by way of doubt, but as a certain thing; and which the Lord not barely sees, but takes notice of, and to such a degree as to resent it, and show his displeasure at it by taking the following step;

and he turn away his wrath from him; remove the effects of it, raise him out of his fallen and distressed condition, and restore him to his former prosperous one; and not only so, but turn it upon thee, as Gersom supplies the words, and not amiss; so that there is a strange and sudden change of circumstances; thou that was pleasing thyself with the distress of thine enemy art fallen into the same, and he is delivered out of it; which must be a double affliction to such a man; so that by rejoicing at an enemy, he is doing his enemy good and himself hurt; see Pro 17:5.

Gill: Pro 24:19

Fret not thyself because of evil men,.... Because of their outward prosperity and worldly happiness, any more than rejoice at their adversity; neither do the one nor the other; where the one prevails, the other does also; by the frequent repetition of this advice, it looks as if this evil is what good men are prone to, and which was very common in Solomon's time, and in the time of his father David, from whom he seems to have borrowed these words, Psa 37:1; see Pro 23:17;

neither be thou envious at the wicked; though they may stand when thou fallest, or be in prosperity when thou art in adversity; the reasons follow.

Gill: Pro 24:20

For there shall be no reward to the evil man,.... No reward of good things, such as is for the righteous in a way of grace; but he shall have a reward of evil things, a just recompence of reward for his sins: of "no end" ^r; there will be an end of his life in this world, and there will be an end of his prosperity; but, as the Targum is, there will be no "good end" to him; his end will not be like that of the perfect and upright man, for it will be cut off, Psa 37:37; or, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "the wicked have no hope of future things"; no good hope of everlasting happiness; they have their good things now, and their evil things hereafter; and therefore are not to be fretted at and envied. Aben Ezra interprets it, they shall have no offspring or issue, son or nephew; the word is sometimes used for posterity;

the candle of the wicked shall be put out; meaning not the dim light of nature in them, nor the light of life before their time, so Aben Ezra; but their prosperity, riches, splendour, and glory, which candle is often put out while they live, and always at death; after which they have no more light, honour, and happiness; even not so much as the light of a candle, to which their prosperity in this life is compared, it being at best but small, and of a short continuance; see Job 18:5; and therefore should not be the object of the envy of good men, who are in a more happy and stable condition than they.

Gill: Pro 24:21

My son, fear thou the Lord, and the king,.... First the Lord, and then the king; and such as fear the Lord are generally loyal to their king; the fear of God includes love to him, reverence of him, faith in him, submission to him, and the whole worship of him, inward and outward, attended with holiness of life and conversation: and the king, who is under God, is to be feared also, with a fear suitable to him; he is to be loved and reverenced, to be trusted in and submitted to, in everything consistent with the fear of God and obedience to him; in whatever is not contrary to his laws, commands, and ordinances; see 1Pe 2:13;

and meddle not with them that are given to change; in political things; that are for new laws, new forms of government, a new ministry, and a new king; never easy with the government under which they are, but are continually entering into plots, conspiracies, and rebellions, who, instead of fearing God and the king, change the laws and commandments of God and the king, and therefore to be shunned. Some render it, "with rebels"; the Targum and Syriac version, "with fools"; as all such persons are, and should be avoided as scandalous and dangerous: mix not with them, as the word ^s signifies; keep no company, and have no conversation with them, lest you be brought into danger and mischief by them. Or who are given to change in religious things; make innovations in doctrine and practice, always love to hear or say some now thing; turn with every wind, and shift as that does; are tossed about with every wind of doctrine, fickle and inconstant, carried about like meteors in the air, with "divers and strange doctrines"; such as disagree with the perfections of God, the doctrines of Christ and his apostles, the Scriptures of truth, the analogy of faith, anti form of sound words; and so the word here used signifies "divers", and is so rendered Est 3:8; and may design such who hold doctrines and give into practices divers and different from the faith once delivered to the saints, and from the institutions and appointments of Christ; innovations in doctrine and worship ought not to be admitted of; and such who are for introducing them should not be meddled or mixed with; they should not be countenanced and encouraged; they should not be attended upon or given heed unto; have no fellowship, and join not in communion with them. This is interpreted by some of such who repeat ^t their sins after repentance, or who return a second time to their wickedness after they have repented, as Ben Melech observes.

Gill: Pro 24:22

For their calamity shall rise suddenly,.... And come upon those that fear not God, and rebel against the king and the state, and innovate in matters of religion; and especially that bring in damnable heresies, and, while they cry Peace, peace, and are pleasing themselves with their new schemes and prosperous success, swift and sudden destruction comes upon them, 2Pe 2:1;

and who knoweth the ruin of them both? of those that fear not the Lord, nor the king; or of those who are given to change, and innovate in things civil and religious; and of those who meddle with them and join themselves to them: the ruin of themselves and families, in a civil sense, is great and inexpressible, who rebel against their prince, and endeavour to change and subvert the present government; and the ruin of the souls of men, both of the deceivers and the deceived, is beyond all conception and expression.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Pro 22:17

¹ sn A new collection of sayings begins here, forming the fourth section of the book of Proverbs. This collection is not like that of 1:1–9:18; here the introductory material is more personal than 1:1-7, and the style differs, showing great similarity to the Instruction of Amenemope in Egypt (especially the thirty precepts of the sages in 22:17–24:22). Verses 17-21 form the introduction, and then the sayings begin in v. 22. After the thirty sayings are given, there are further sayings in 24:23-34. There is much literature on this material: see W. K. Simpson, ed., Literature of Ancient Egypt; ANET 412-425; and A. Cody, “Notes on Proverbs 22:21 and 22:23b,” Bib 61 (1980): 418-26.

² sn To “incline the ear” means to “listen carefully” (cf. NCV); the expression is metonymical in that the ear is the instrument for hearing. It is like telling someone to lean over to hear better.

³ tn Heb “knowledge” (so KJV, NASB); in this context it refers to the knowledge that is spoken by the wise, hence “instruction.”

NET Notes: Pro 22:18

¹ tn Or “when” (so NIV).

² tn Heb “keep them,” referring to the words of the wise expressed in these sayings. The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn The term “and” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.

⁴ sn If the teachings are preserved in the heart/mind of the disciple, then that individual will always be ready to speak what was retained.

NET Notes: Pro 22:19

¹ tn The form לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “to be”) is the infinitive construct indicating the purpose (or result) of the teaching (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).

² tn Heb “I cause you to know.” The term “today” indicates that the verb should have the instantaneous nuance, and so an English present tense is used in the translation (“am making…known”).

NET Notes: Pro 22:20

¹ tn Older English versions and a few more recent ones render this phrase as either “excellent things” following the Qere (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NKJV), “officers,” or “heretofore” [day before yesterday], following the Kethib. However (as in most recent English versions) the Qere should be rendered “thirty,” referring to the number in the collection (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

² tn The term “sayings” does not appear in the Hebrew text but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

NET Notes: Pro 22:21

¹ tn Heb “to cause you to know the truth of words of truth” (NASB similar).

² tn Heb “to return true words”; NAB “a dependable report”; NIV “sound answers.”

NET Notes: Pro 22:22

¹ tn Two negated jussives form the instruction here: אַל־תִּגְזָל (’al-tigzal, “do not exploit”) and וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא (ve’al-tÿdakke’, “do not crush”).

sn Robbing or oppressing the poor is easy because they are defenseless. But this makes the crime tempting as well as contemptible. What is envisioned may be in bounds legally (just) but out of bounds morally.

² tn Heb “in the gate” (so KJV); NAB, NASB, NRSV “at the gate.” The “gate” of the city was the center of activity, the place of business as well as the place for settling legal disputes. The language of the next verse suggests a legal setting, so “court” is an appropriate translation here.

NET Notes: Pro 22:23

¹ tn The construction uses the verb יָרִיב (yariv) with its cognate accusative. It can mean “to strive,” but here it probably means “to argue a case, plead a case” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV). How the Lord will do this is not specified – either through righteous people or by direct intervention.

² tn The verb קָבַע (qava’, “to rob; to spoil; to plunder”) is used here in both places to reflect the principle of talionic justice. What the oppressors did to the poor will be turned back on them by the Lord.

NET Notes: Pro 22:24

¹ tn Heb “possessor of anger.” This expression is an idiom for “wrathful person” or “an angry person” (cf. NAB “a hotheaded man”; NLT “short-tempered people”). These are people characterized by anger, meaning the anger is not a rare occurrence with them.

NET Notes: Pro 22:25

¹ tn The verb פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף (pen-te’elaf) is translated “lest you learn.” The idea is more precisely “become familiar with his ways.” The construction indicates that if one associates with such people he will become like them (cf. TEV “you might learn their habits”).

² sn The warning in this proverb is to avoid associating with a hothead because his influence could be fatal (a similar idea is found in the Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 9, 11:13-14 [ANET 423]).

NET Notes: Pro 22:27

¹ tn The “bed” may be a metonymy of adjunct, meaning the garment that covers the bed (e.g., Exod 22:26). At any rate, it represents the individual’s last possession (like the English expression “the shirt off his back”).

² tn Heb “If you cannot pay, why should he take the bed from under you?” This rhetorical question is used to affirm the statement. The rhetorical interrogative לָמָּה (lamah, “why?”) appears in MT but not in the ancient versions; it may be in the Hebrew text by dittography.

³ sn The third saying deals with rash vows: If people foolishly pledge what they have, they could lose everything (e.g., 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; there is no Egyptian parallel).

NET Notes: Pro 22:28

¹ sn Moving a boundary stone was (and still is) a major problem. The boundaries that were established by the forefathers were to be preserved, but no law would stop such violations if people lacked integrity (e.g., Deut 19:14; 27:17; 1 Kgs 21:16-19). Boundaries in Israel were sacred because God owned the land and he apportioned the property to the tribes. To extend one’s property illegally by moving a neighbor’s boundary marker was a violation of covenant and oath. Of course, disputes could arise when both sides claim their ancestors established a boundary.

² tn Heb “your fathers” (so NAB, NASB).

sn The fourth saying deals with respect for property that belongs to other people (cf. Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 6, 7:12-13 [ANET 422]).

NET Notes: Pro 22:29

¹ sn The word translated “skilled” is general enough to apply to any crafts; but it may refer to a scribe or an official (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 134).

² tn The verb form used twice here is יִתְיַצֵּב (yityatsev), the Hitpael imperfect of יָצַב (yatsav), which means “to set or station oneself; to take one’s stand” in this stem. With the form לִפְנֵי (life) it means “to present oneself before” someone; so here it has the idea of serving as a courtier in the presence of a king.

³ sn The fifth saying affirms that true skill earns recognition and advancement (cf. Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 30, 27:16-17 [ANET 424]).

NET Notes: Pro 23:1

¹ tn The construction uses the imperfect tense of instruction with the infinitive absolute to emphasize the careful discernment required on such occasions. Cf. NIV “note well”; NLT “pay attention.”

² tn Or “who,” referring to the ruler (so ASV, NAB, TEV).

NET Notes: Pro 23:2

¹ sn The expression “put a knife to your throat” is an idiom that means “curb your appetite” or “control yourself” (cf. TEV). The instruction was from a time when people dealt with all-powerful tyrants. To enter the presence of such a person and indulge one’s appetites would be to take a very high risk.

² tn Heb “lord of appetite.” The idiom בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ (ba’al nefesh) refers to someone who possesses a large appetite (cf. NAB “a ravenous appetite”). A person with a big appetite is in danger of taking liberties when invited to court.

NET Notes: Pro 23:3

¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the ruler mentioned in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² sn The final line gives the causal clause: The impressive feast is not what it appears to be; the king is not doing you a favor, but rather wants something from you or is observing you (K&D 17:104); cf. TEV “he may be trying to trick you.”

³ sn Verses 1-3 form the sixth saying about being cautious before rulers (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 23, 23:13-18). One should not get too familiar with rulers, for they always have ulterior motives. The Mishnah cites Gamaliel as warning that a ruler only draws someone into his court for his purpose, but in their day of trouble he will not be there to help them (m. Abot 2:3).

NET Notes: Pro 23:4

¹ tn Heb “from your understanding cease.” In the context this means that the person should have enough understanding to stop wearing himself out trying to be rich (cf. NRSV “be wise enough to desist”).

NET Notes: Pro 23:5

¹ tc The Kethib is הֲתָעוּף (hata’uf), “do your eyes fly [light] on it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, הֲתָעִיף (hata’if) “do you cause your eyes to fly on it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone – when you think you are close, it slips away.

tn The term “riches” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation based on the previous verse.

² sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 7, 9:10-11 which says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.

NET Notes: Pro 23:6

¹ tn Heb “an evil eye.” This is the opposite of the “good eye” which meant the generous man. The “evil eye” refers to a person who is out to get everything for himself (cf. NASB, NCV, CEV “selfish”). He is ill-mannered and inhospitable (e.g., Prov 28:22). He is up to no good – even though he may appear to be a host.

NET Notes: Pro 23:7

¹ tc The line is difficult; it appears to mean that the miser is the kind of person who has calculated the cost of everything in his mind as he offers the food. The LXX has: “Eating and drinking with him is as if one should swallow a hair; do not introduce him to your company nor eat bread with him.” The Hebrew verb “to calculate” (שָׁעַר, sha’ar) with a change of vocalization and of sibilant would yield “hair” (שֵׂעָר, se’ar) – “like a hair in the throat [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh], so is he.” This would picture an irritating experience. The Instruction of Amenemope uses “blocking the throat” in a similar saying (chapt. 11, 14:7 [ANET 423]). The suggested change is plausible and is followed by NRSV; but the rare verb “to calculate” in the MT would be easier to defend on the basis of the canons of textual criticism because it is the more difficult reading.

² tn The phrase “the cost” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the verb; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

³ tn Heb “soul.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:8

¹ sn Eating and drinking with a selfish miser would be irritating and disgusting. The line is hyperbolic; the whole experience turns the stomach.

² tn Or “your compliments” (so NASB, NIV); cf. TEV “your flattery.”

sn This is the eighth saying; it claims that it would be a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person. He is always thinking about the cost, his heart is not in it, and any attempt at pleasant conversation will be lost.

NET Notes: Pro 23:9

¹ sn The mention of “the ears” emphasizes the concerted effort to get the person’s undivided attention. However, a fool rejects instruction and discipline.

² sn Saying number nine indicates that wisdom is wasted on a fool. The literature of Egypt has no specific parallel to this one.

NET Notes: Pro 23:10

¹ tn Or “encroach on” (NIV, NRSV); Heb “go into.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:11

¹ tn The participle גֹּאֵל (go’el) describes a “kinsman redeemer.” Some English versions explicitly cite “God” (e.g., NCV, CEV) or “the Lord” (e.g. TEV).

sn The Hebrew term describes a “kinsman-redeemer.” That individual would be a rich or powerful relative who can protect the family; he does this by paying off the debts of a poor relative, buying up the property of a relative who sells himself into slavery, marrying the widow of a deceased relative to keep the inheritance in the family, or taking vengeance on someone who harms a relative, that vengeance often resulting in delivering (“redeeming”) the relative from bondage. If there was no human “kinsman redeemer,” then the defenseless had to rely on God to perform these actions (e.g., Gen 48:16; Exod 6:6; Job 19:25; Isa 41–63). In the prophetic literature God is presented as the Redeemer in that he takes vengeance on the enemies (the Babylonians) to deliverer his people (kin). In this proverb the Lord is probably the Protector of these people who will champion their cause and set things right.

² sn This is the tenth saying; once again there is a warning not to encroach on other people’s rights and property, especially the defenseless (see v. 10; 22:22-23, 28).

NET Notes: Pro 23:12

¹ tn Heb “bring.” The Hiphil imperative “come; enter” means “to apply the heart,” to use the heart or mind in the process. The same would be true in the second half: “to bring the ears” would mean to listen very carefully. Cf. TEV “Pay attention.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:14

¹ tn Or “punish” (NIV). The syntax of these two lines suggests a conditional clause (cf. NCV, NRSV).

² tn Heb “his soul.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole (= person); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.

³ tn The term שְׁאוֹל (shÿ’ol, “Sheol”) in this context probably means “death” (so NIV, NCV, NLT) and not the realm of the departed (wicked) spirits (cf. NAB “the nether world”). In the wisdom of other lands, Ahiqar 6:82 says, “If I strike you, my son, you will not die.” The idea is that discipline helps the child to a full life; if the child dies prematurely, it would be more than likely a consequence of not being trained by discipline. In the book of Proverbs the “death” mentioned here could be social as well as physical.

NET Notes: Pro 23:15

¹ tn Heb “my son,” although the context does not limit this exhortation to male children.

NET Notes: Pro 23:16

¹ tn Heb “my kidneys”; in biblical Hebrew the term was used for the innermost being, the soul, the central location of the passions. Cf. NASB, NIV “my inmost being.”

² sn This twelfth saying simply observes that children bring joy to their parents when they demonstrate wisdom. The quatrain is arranged in a chiastic structure (AB:B'A'): The first line (A) speaks of wisdom in the child, and it is paired with the last line (A') which speaks of the child’s saying what is right. In between these brackets are two lines (B and B') concerning joy to the parent.

NET Notes: Pro 23:17

¹ tn The verb in this line is אַל־יְקַנֵּא (’al-yÿqanne’), the Piel jussive negated. The verb means “to be jealous, to be zealous”; it describes passionate intensity for something. In English, if the object is illegitimate, it is called “envy”; if it is correct, it is called “zeal.” Here the warning is not to envy the sinners. The second colon could use the verb in the positive sense to mean “but rather let your passion burn for the fear of the Lord.”

² tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” This expression features an objective genitive: “fearing the Lord.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:18

¹ tn Heb “end” (so KJV); ASV “a reward.”

² sn The saying is an understatement; far from being cut off, the “hope” will be realized in the end. So this saying, the thirteenth, advises people to be zealous for the fear of the Lord, their religion, rather than for anything that sinners have to offer.

NET Notes: Pro 23:19

¹ tn Heb “my son,” but the immediate context does not limit this to male children.

NET Notes: Pro 23:20

¹ tn Heb “do not be among,” but in the sense of “associate with” (TEV); “join” (NIV); “consort…with” (NAB).

² tn The verb סָבָא (sava’) means “to imbibe; to drink largely.” The participial construction here, סֹבְאֵי־יַיִן (sov’e-yayin), describes “drunkards” (cf. NLT) which is somewhat stronger than saying it refers to “people who drink too much” (cf. NIV, TEV).

³ tn The verb זָלַל (zalal) means “to be light; to be worthless; to make light of.” Making light of something came to mean “to be lavish with; to squander,” especially with regard to food. So it describes “gluttons” primarily; but in the expression there is also room for the person who wastes a lot of food as well.

NET Notes: Pro 23:21

¹ tn Here “drowsiness” is a metonymy of effect or adjunct, put for the drunkenness and gluttony that causes it. So all of it, the drunkenness and the drowsiness that comes from it, brings on the ruin (cf. CEV “you will end up poor”). Likewise, “rags” is a metonymy of adjunct, associated with the poverty brought on by a dissolute lifestyle.

² sn This is the fourteenth saying, warning about poor associations. Drunkenness and gluttony represent the epitome of the lack of discipline. In the Mishnah they are used to measure a stubborn and rebellious son (m. Sanhedrin 8). W. G. Plaut notes that excessive drinking and eating are usually symptoms of deeper problems; we usually focus more on the drinking because it is dangerous to others (Proverbs, 241-42).

NET Notes: Pro 23:23

¹ tn Heb “buy” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “Invest in truth.”

sn The sixteenth saying is an instruction to buy/acquire the kind of life that pleases God and brings joy to parents. “Getting truth” would mean getting training in the truth, and getting wisdom and understanding would mean developing the perception and practical knowledge of the truth.

NET Notes: Pro 23:24

¹ tc The Qere reading has the imperfect יָגִיל (yagil) with the cognate accusative גִּיל (gil) which intensifies the meaning and the specific future of this verb.

² tn The term “child” is supplied for the masculine singular adjective here.

NET Notes: Pro 23:25

¹ tn The form תָגֵל (tagel) is clearly a short form and therefore a jussive (“may she…rejoice”); if this second verb is a jussive, then the parallel יִשְׂמַח (yismakh) should be a jussive also (“may your father and your mother have joy”).

NET Notes: Pro 23:26

¹ tn Heb “my son”; the reference to a “son” is retained in the translation here because in the following lines the advice is to avoid women who are prostitutes.

NET Notes: Pro 23:27

¹ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

² tn Heb “foreign woman” (so ASV). The term נָכְרִיָּה (nokhriyyah, “foreign woman”) often refers to a prostitute (e.g., Prov 2:6; 5:20; 6:24; 7:5). While not all foreign women in Israel were prostitutes, their prospects for economic survival were meager and many turned to prostitution to earn a living. Some English versions see this term referring to an adulteress as opposed to a prostitute (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

³ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

⁴ sn In either case, whether a prostitute or an adulteress wife is involved, the danger is the same. The metaphors of a “deep pit” and a “narrow well” describe this sin as one that is a trap from which there is no escape. The “pit” is a gateway to Sheol, and those who enter are as good as dead, whether socially or through punishment physically.

NET Notes: Pro 23:28

¹ tn The noun חֶתֶף (khetef) is defined by BDB 369 s.v. as “prey,” but this is the only occurrence of the word. The related verb BDB 368-69 s.v. חָתַף defines as “to seize; to snatch away” (with an Aramaic cognate meaning “to break in pieces” [Pa], and an Arabic word “death”). But the only occurrence of that word is in Job 9:12, where it is defined as “seizes.” So in this passage the noun could have either a passive sense (what is seized = prey), or an active sense (the one who seizes = a robber, bandit). The traditional rendering is “prey” (KJV); most modern English versions have the active sense (“robber” or similar; cf. NIV “like a bandit”). Since the prepositional phrase (the simile) is modifying the woman, the active sense works better in the translation.

² tn The participle means “unfaithful [men]” (masculine plural); it could also be interpreted as “unfaithfulness” in the abstract sense. M. Dahood interprets it to mean “garments” (which would have to be repointed), saying that she collects garments in pledge for her service (M. Dahood, “To Pawn One’s Cloak,” Bib 42 [1961]: 359-66). But that is far-fetched; it might have happened on occasion, but as a common custom it is unlikely. Besides that, the text in the MT makes perfectly good sense without such a change.

sn Such a woman makes more people prove unfaithful to the law of God through her practice.

³ sn Verses 26-28 comprise the seventeenth saying; it warns the young person to follow the instructions about temptations because there are plenty of temptresses lurking about.

NET Notes: Pro 23:29

¹ sn The eighteenth saying is about excessive drinking. The style changes here as the sage breaks into a vivid use of the imagination. It begins with a riddle describing the effects of drunkenness (v. 29) and gives the answer in v. 30; instructions follow in v. 31, with the consequences described in v. 32; the direct address continues in vv. 33 and 34; and the whole subject is concluded with the drunkard’s own words in v. 35 (M. E. Andrews, “Variety of Expression in Proverbs 23:29-35,” VT 28 [1978]: 102-3).

² sn The Hebrew word translated “dullness” describes darkness or dullness of the eyes due to intoxication, perhaps “redness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NCV, NLT “bloodshot eyes.” NAB understands the situation differently: “black eyes.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:30

¹ sn The answer to the question posed in v. 29 is obviously one who drinks too much, which this verse uses metonymies to point out. Lingering over wine is an adjunct of drinking more wine; and seeking mixed wine obviously means with the effect or the purpose of drinking it.

NET Notes: Pro 23:31

¹ tn Heb “its eye gives.” With CEV’s “bubbling up in the glass” one might think champagne was in view.

² tn The expression is difficult, and is suspected of having been added from Song 7:10, although the parallel is not exact. The verb is the Hitpael imperfect of הָלַךְ (halakh); and the prepositional phrase uses the word “upright; equity; pleasing,” from יָשָׁר (yashar). KJV has “when it moveth itself aright”; much more helpful is ASV: “when it goeth down smoothly.” Most recent English versions are similar to ASV. The phrase obviously refers to the pleasing nature of wine.

NET Notes: Pro 23:32

¹ tn Heb “its end”; NASB “At the last”; TEV (interpretively) “The next morning.”

NET Notes: Pro 23:33

¹ tn The feminine plural of זָר (zar, “strange things”) refers to the trouble one has in seeing and speaking when drunk.

NET Notes: Pro 23:34

¹ tn Heb “heart.” The idiom here means “middle”; KJV “in the midst.”

² sn The point of these similes is to compare being drunk with being seasick. One who tries to sleep when at sea, or even worse, when up on the ropes of the mast, will be tossed back and forth.

NET Notes: Pro 23:35

¹ tn The phrase “You will say” is supplied in the translation to make it clear that the drunkard is now speaking.

² sn The line describes how one who is intoxicated does not feel the pain, even though beaten by others. He does not even remember it.

³ tn The last line has only “I will add I will seek it again.” The use of אוֹסִיף (’osif) signals a verbal hendiadys with the next verb: “I will again seek it.” In this context the suffix on the verb refers to the wine – the drunkard wants to go and get another drink.

NET Notes: Pro 24:1

¹ tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.

² tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.

NET Notes: Pro 24:2

¹ sn This nineteenth saying warns against evil associations. Evil people are obsessed with destruction and trouble. See on this theme 1:10-19; 3:31 and 23:17. D. Kidner observes that a close view of sinners is often a good antidote to envying them (Proverbs [TOTC], 153).

NET Notes: Pro 24:3

¹ tn The preposition בְּ (bet, “by; through”) in these two lines indicates means.

² sn The twentieth saying, vv. 3-4, concerns the use of wisdom for domestic enterprises. In Prov 9:1 wisdom was personified as a woman who builds a house; but here the emphasis is primarily on the building – it is a sign of security and prosperity (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 442). One could still make a secondary application from this line for a household or “family” (cf. NCV, which sees this as a reference to the family).

NET Notes: Pro 24:5

¹ sn The twenty-first saying seems to be concerned with the need for wisdom in warfare. In line with that, the word used here is גֶּבֶר (gever), “mighty man; hero; warrior.”

² tn The expression בַּעוֹז (ba’oz) employs a beth essentiae, meaning he “is strong,” not “in strength.”

NET Notes: Pro 24:6

¹ sn The point of the saying is that wise counsel is necessary in war. Victory, strategy, and counsel are more important than mere military strength – many great armies have been destroyed because of their unwise leaders. See on this theme 11:14; 20:18; and 21:22.

NET Notes: Pro 24:7

¹ tc The MT reads רָאמוֹת (ra’mot, “corals”) – wisdom to the fool is corals, i.e., an unattainable treasure. With a slight change in the text, removing the א (alef), the reading is רָמוֹת (ramot, “high”), i.e., wisdom is too high – unattainable – for a fool. The internal evidence favors the emendation, which is followed by most English versions including KJV.

² tn Heb “[city] gate,” a metonymy of subject, meaning what goes on in the gate – court cases and business transactions. So it is in these assemblies that the fool keeps quiet. The term “court” has been used in the translation for clarity. Some English versions do not emphasize the forensic connotation here: NCV “in a discussion”; NLT “When the leaders gather.”

³ sn The verse portrays a fool out of his element: In a serious moment in the gathering of the community, he does not even open his mouth (a metonymy of cause, meaning “speak”). Wisdom is too high for the fool – it is beyond his ability.

NET Notes: Pro 24:8

¹ tn Heb “possessor of schemes”; NAB “an intriguer.” The picture of the wicked person is graphic: He devises plans to do evil and is known as a schemer. Elsewhere the “schemes” are outrageous and lewd (e.g., Lev 18:7; Judg 20:6). Here the description portrays him as a cold, calculating, active person: “the fool is capable of intense mental activity but it adds up to sin” (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 399).

NET Notes: Pro 24:9

¹ tn Heb “the scheme of folly” (NIV similar). The genitive functions as an attributive genitive, meaning “foolish scheme.” But it could also be interpreted as a genitive of source, the scheme that comes from folly (or from the fool if “folly” were metonymical).

² tn Heb “to a man”; cf. CEV “Everyone hates senseless fools.”

sn This describes evil people who flout all morality and goodness; sooner or later the public will have had enough of them.

NET Notes: Pro 24:10

¹ tn Heb “show yourself slack” (NASB similar). The verb רָפָה (rafah) means “to sink; to relax.” In the causative stems it means “to let slacken; to let go; to refrain; to fail; to do nothing.” In the Hitpael stem BDB 952 s.v. defines it as “to show yourself slack.” It has also been rendered as “give up” (NCV, CEV); “fail” (NLT); “falter” (NIV). The colon implies a condition, for which the second part of the verse is the apodosis.

² tn The verse employs a paronomasia to underscore the point: “trouble” is צָרָה (tsarah), literally “a bind; a strait [or, narrow] place”; “small” is צַר (tsar), with the same idea of “narrow” or “close.”

³ sn The test of strength is adversity, for it reveals how strong a person is. Of course a weak person can always plead adverse conditions in order to quit. This is the twenty-fourth saying.

NET Notes: Pro 24:11

¹ tn The idea of “slipping” (participle from מוֹט, mot) has troubled some commentators. G. R. Driver emends it to read “at the point of” (“Problems in Proverbs,” ZAW 50 [1932]: 146). But the MT as it stands makes good sense. The reference would be general, viz., to help any who are in mortal danger or who might be tottering on the edge of such disaster – whether through sin, or through disease, war, or danger. Several English versions (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) render this term as “staggering.”

sn God holds people responsible for rescuing those who are in mortal danger. The use of “death” and “slaughter” seems rather strong in the passage, but they have been used before in the book for the destruction that comes through evil.

NET Notes: Pro 24:12

¹ tn Heb “weighs” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV) meaning “tests” or “evaluates.”

² sn The verse completes the saying by affirming that people will be judged responsible for helping those in mortal danger. The verse uses a series of rhetorical questions to affirm that God knows our hearts and we cannot plead ignorance.

NET Notes: Pro 24:13

¹ sn The twenty-sixth saying teaches that one should develop wisdom because it has a profitable future. The saying draws on the image of honey; its health-giving properties make a good analogy to wisdom.

NET Notes: Pro 24:14

¹ tn D. W. Thomas argues for a meaning of “seek” in place of “know” (“Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]: 400-403).

² tn The phrase “is sweet” is supplied in the translation as a clarification.

³ tn The term “it” is supplied in the translation.

⁴ tn Heb “there will be an end.” The word is אַחֲרִית (’akhrit, “after-part, end”). BDB 31 s.v. b says in a passage like this it means “a future,” i.e., a happy close of life, sometimes suggesting the idea of posterity promised to the righteous, often parallel to “hope.”

NET Notes: Pro 24:15

¹ tn The word “wicked” could be taken as a vocative (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, “O wicked man”); but since the next line refers to the wicked this is unlikely. It serves better as an adverbial accusative (“like the wicked”).

² sn The saying warns that it is futile and self-defeating to mistreat God’s people, for they survive – the wicked do not. The warning is against a deliberate, planned assault on their places of dwelling.

NET Notes: Pro 24:16

¹ tn The clause beginning with כִּי (ki) could be interpreted as causal or conditional; but in view of the significance of the next clause it seems better to take it as a concessive clause (“although”). Its verb then receives a modal nuance of possibility. The apodosis is then “and he rises up,” which could be a participle or a perfect tense; although he may fall, he gets up (or, will get up).

sn The righteous may suffer adversity or misfortune any number of times – seven times here – but they will “rise” for virtue triumphs over evil in the end (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 140).

² tn The verb could be translated with an English present tense (“are brought down,” so NIV) to express what happens to the wicked in this life; but since the saying warns against being like the wicked, their destruction is more likely directed to the future.

NET Notes: Pro 24:17

¹ sn The saying (vv. 17, 18) warns against gloating over the misfortune of one’s enemies. The prohibition is formed with two negated jussives “do not rejoice” and “let not be glad,” the second qualified by “your heart” as the subject, signifying the inner satisfaction of such a defeat.

NET Notes: Pro 24:18

¹ tn Heb “and [it is] evil in his eyes.”

² sn The judgment of God should strike a note of fear in the heart of people (e.g., Lev 19:17-18). His judgment is not to be taken lightly, or personalized as a victory. If that were to happen, then the Lord might take pity on the enemies in their calamity, for he champions the downtrodden and defeated. These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies – even the book of Proverbs says that brings joy to the community.

NET Notes: Pro 24:20

¹ tn Heb “there is no end [i.e., future] for the evil.”

² sn The saying warns against envying the wicked; v. 19 provides the instruction, and v. 20 the motivation. The motivation is that there is no future hope for them – nothing to envy, or as C. H. Toy explains, there will be no good outcome for their lives (Proverbs [ICC], 449). They will die suddenly, as the implied comparison with the lamp being snuffed out signifies.

NET Notes: Pro 24:21

¹ tn Heb “my son,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to male children.

² tn Heb “do not get mixed up with”; cf. TEV “Have nothing to do with”; NIV “do not join with.” The verb עָרַב (’arav) is used elsewhere meaning “to exchange; to take on pledge.” In the Hitpael stem it means “to have fellowship; to share; to associate with.” Some English versions (e.g., KJV) interpret as “to meddle” in this context, because “to have fellowship” is certainly not what is meant.

³ tn The form rendered “rebellious” is difficult; it appears to be the Qal active participle, plural, from שָׁנָה (shanah), “to change” – “those who change.” The RV might have thought of the idea of “change” when they rendered it “political agitators.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 24:21 have “fools,” the Latin has “detractors,” and the LXX reads, “do not disobey either of them,” referring to God and the king in the first line. Accordingly the ruin predicted in the next line would be the ruin that God and the king can inflict. If the idea of “changers” is retained, it would have to mean people who at one time feared God and the king but no longer do.

NET Notes: Pro 24:22

¹ tn Heb “will rise” (so NASB).

² tn Heb “the ruin of the two of them.” Judgment is sent on the rebels both by God and the king. The term פִּיד (pid, “ruin; disaster”) is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the sentence of judgment (= “ruinous judgment” in the translation; cf. NLT “punishment”). The word “two of them” is a subjective genitive – they two bring the disaster on the rebels. The referents (the Lord and the king) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

sn The reward for living in peace under God in this world is that those who do will escape the calamities that will fall on the rebellious. Verse 21a is used in 1 Peter 2:17, and v. 22 is used in Romans 13:1-7 (v. 4). This is the thirtieth and last of this collection.

Geneva Bible: Pro 22:19

That thy trust may be in ^{( m )} the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

^{( m )} He shows what the end of wisdom is: that is, to direct us to the Lord.

Geneva Bible: Pro 22:20

Have not I written to thee ^{( n )} excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

^{( n )} That is, various times.

Geneva Bible: Pro 22:24

Make ^{( o )} no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

^{( o )} Have nothing to do with him that is not able to rule his affections: for he would hurt you by his evil conversation.

Geneva Bible: Pro 22:26

Be not thou [one] of them that ^{( p )} strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts.

^{( p )} Who rashly put themselves in danger for others, as in (Pro 6:2).

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:1

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, ^{( a )} consider diligently what [is] before thee:

^{( a )} Eat with sobriety.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:2

^{( b )} And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [art] a man given to appetite.

^{( b )} Bridle your appetite, as if by force and violence.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:3

Be not desirous of his dainties: ^{( c )} for they [are] deceitful food.

^{( c )} For often the rich when they bid their inferiors to their tables, it is not for the love they bear them, but for their own secret purposes.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:4

Labour not to be rich: cease from thy own ^{( d )} wisdom.

^{( d )} Bestow not the gifts that God has given you, to get worldly riches.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:6

Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an ^{( e )} evil eye, neither desire thou his delicacies:

^{( e )} That is, covetous, as contrary a good eye is taken for liberal as in (Pro 22:9).

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:8

The ^{( f )} morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

^{( f )} He will not cease till he has done you some harm, and his flattering words will come to no use.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:14

Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from ^{( g )} hell.

^{( g )} That is, from destruction.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:18

For surely there is an end; ^{( h )} and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

^{( h )} The prosperity of the wicked will not continue.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:19

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the ^{( i )} way.

^{( i )} In the observation of God's commandments.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:23

Buy ^{( k )} the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

^{( k )} Spare no cost for truths sake, neither depart from it for any gain.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:26

My son, give me ^{( l )} thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.

^{( l )} Give yourself wholly to wisdom.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:28

She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, ^{( m )} and increaseth the transgressors among men.

^{( m )} She seduces many and causes them to offend God.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:30

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go ^{( n )} to seek mixed wine.

^{( n )} Who by art make wine stronger and more pleasant.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:33

Thy ^{( o )} eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.

^{( o )} That is, drunkenness will bring you to whoredom.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:34

And thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the ^{( p )} sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

^{( p )} In such great danger will you be.

Geneva Bible: Pro 23:35

They have stricken me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will ^{( q )} seek it yet again.

^{( q )} Though drunkenness makes them more insensible then beasts, yet they can not refrain.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:7

Wisdom [is] too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the ^{( a )} gate.

^{( a )} In the place where wisdom should be shown.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:10

[If] thou ^{( b )} faintest in the day of adversity, thy strength [is] small.

^{( b )} Man has no trial of his strength till he is in trouble.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:11

If thou refraineth to deliver [them that are] drawn to ^{( c )} death, and [those that are] ready to be slain;

^{( c )} No one can be excused, if he does not help the innocent when he is in danger.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:13

My son, eat thou ^{( d )} honey, because [it is] good; and the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste:

^{( d )} As honey is sweet and pleasant to the taste, so wisdom is to the soul.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:16

For a just [man] ^{( e )} falleth seven times, and riseth again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

^{( e )} He is subject to many perils, but God delivers him.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:18

Lest the LORD see [it], and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath ^{( f )} from him.

^{( f )} To be avenged on you.

Geneva Bible: Pro 24:22

For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them ^{( g )} both?

^{( g )} Meaning, either of the wicked and seditious, as in (Pro 24:19, Pro 24:21) or of them who do not fear God or obey their king.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

Maclaren: Pro 23:15-23

A Condensed Guide For Life

My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. 17. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 18. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut, off. 19. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21. For, the drunkard and the glutten shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23. Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and: understanding.'--Proverbs 23:15-23.

The precepts of this passage may be said to sum up the teaching of the whole Book of Proverbs. The essentials of moral character are substantially the same in all ages, and these ancient advices fit very close to the young lives of this generation. The gospel has, no doubt, raised the standard of morals, and, in many respects, altered the conception and perspective of virtues; but its great distinction lies, not so much in the novelty of its commandments as in the new motives and powers to obey them. Reverence for parents and teachers, the habitual' fear of the Lord,' temperance, eager efforts to win and retain the truth,' have always been recognised as duties; but there is a long weary distance between recognition and practice, and he who draws inspiration from Jesus Christ will have strength to traverse it, and to do and be what he knows that he should.

The passage may be broken up into four parts, which, taken together, are a young life's directory of conduct which is certain to lead to peace.

I. There Is, First, An Appeal To Filial Affection, And An Unveiling Of Paternal Sympathy (Proverbs 23:15-16).

The paternal tone characteristic of the Book of Proverbs is most probably regarded as that of a teacher addressing his disciples as his children. But the glimpse of the teacher's heart here given may well apply to parents too, and ought to be true of all who can influence other and especially young hearts. Little power attends advices which are not sweetened by manifest love. Many a son has been kept back from evil by thinking, What would my mother say?' and many a sound admonition has been nothing but sound, because the tone of it betrayed that the giver did not much care whether it was taken or not.

A true teacher must have his heart engaged in his lessons, and must impress his scholars with the conviction that their failure drives a knife into it, and their acceptance of them brings him purest joy. On the other hand, the disciple, and still more the child, must have a singularly cold nature who does not respond to loving solicitude and does not care whether he wounds or gladdens the heart which pours out its love and solicitude over him. May we not see shining through this loving appeal a truth in reference to the heart of the great Father and Teacher, who, in the depths of His divine blessedness, has no greater joy than that His children should walk in the truth? God's heart is glad when man's is wise.

Note, also, the wide general expression for goodness --a wise heart, lips speaking right things. The former is source, the latter stream. Only a pure fountain will send forth sweet waters. If thy heart become wise' is the more correct rendering, implying that there is no inborn wisdom, but that it must be made ours by effort. We are foolish; we become wise.

What the writer means by wisdom he will tell us presently. Here he lets us see that it is a good to be attained by appropriate means. It is the foundation of right' speech. Nothing is more remarkable than the solemn importance which Scripture attaches to words, even more, we might almost say than to deeds, therein reversing the usual estimate of their relative value. Putting aside the cases of insincerity, falsehood, and the like, a man's speech is a truer transcript of himself than his deeds, because less hindered and limited by externals. The most precious wine drips from the grapes by their own weight in the vat, without a turn of the screw. By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.' God's great gift of speech abused is one of the commonest, least considered, and most deadly sins.

II. We Have Next The One Broad Precept With Its Sure Reward, Which Underlies All Goodness (Proverbs 23:17-18).

The supplement' be thou,' in the second clause of Proverbs 23:17, obscures the close connection of clauses. It is better to regard the verb of the first clause as continued in the second. Thus the one precept is set forth negatively and positively: Strive not after [that is, seek not to imitate or be associated with] sinners, but after the fear of the Lord.' The heart so striving becomes wise. So, then, wisdom is not the result of cultivating the intellect, but of educating the desires and aspirations. It is moral and religious, rather than simply intellectual. The magnificent personification of Wisdom at the beginning of the book influences the subsequent parts, and the key to understanding that great conception is, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.' The Greek goddess of Wisdom, noble as she is, is of the earth earthy when contrasted with that sovereign figure. Pallas Athene, with her clear eyes and shining armour, is poor beside the Wisdom of the Book of Proverbs, who dwelt with God or ever the earth was,' and comes to men with laving voice and hands laden with the gifts of durable riches and righteousness.'

He is the wise man who fears God with the fear which has no torment and is compact of love and reverence. He is on the way to become wise whose seeking heart turns away from evil and evil men, and feels after God, as the vine tendrils after a stay, or as the sunflower turns to the light. For such wholehearted desire after the one supreme good there must be resolute averting of desire from' sinners.' In this world full of evil there will be no vigorous longing for good and God, unless there be determined abstention from the opposite. We have but a limited quantity of energy, and if it is frittered away on multifarious creatures, none will be left to consecrate to God. There are lakes which discharge their waters at both ends, sending one stream east to the Atlantic and one west to the Pacific; but the heart cannot direct its issues of life in that fashion. They must be banked up if they are to run deep and strong. All the current of my being' must set to thee' if my tiny trickle is to reach the great ocean, to be lost in which is blessedness.

And such energy of desire and direction is not to be occasional, but all the day long.' It is possible to make life an unbroken seeking after and communion with God, even while plunged in common tasks and small cares. It is possible to approximate indefinitely to that ideal of continual dwelling in the house of the Lord', and without some such approximation there will be little realising of the Lord, sought by fits and starts, and then forgotten in the hurry of business or pleasure. A photographic plate exposed for hours will receive the picture of far-off stars which would never show on one exposed for a few minutes.

The writer is sure that such desires will be satisfied, and in Proverbs 23:18 says so. The reward' (Rev. Ver.) of which he is sure is the outcome of the life of such seekers after God. It does not necessarily refer to the future after death, though that may be included in it. But what is meant is that no seeking after the fear of the Lord shall be in vain. There is a tacit emphasis on thy,' contrasting the sure fulfilment of hopes set on God with the as sure cutting off' of those mistakenly fixed upon creatures and vanities. Psalm 37:38, has the same word here rendered reward,' and declares that the future [or reward] of the wicked shall be cut off.' The great fulfilment of this assurance is reserved for the life beyond; but even here among all disappointments and hopes of which fulfilment is so often disappointment also, it remains true that the one striving which cannot be fruitless is striving for more of God, and the one hope which is sure to be realised, and is better when realised than expected, is the hope set on Him, Surely, then, the certainty that if we delight ourselves in God He will give us the desires of our hearts, is a good argument, and should be with us an operative motive for directing desire and effort away from earth and towards Him.

III. Special Precepts As To The Control Of The Animal Nature Follow In Proverbs 23:19-21.

First, note that generalone of Proverbs 23:19, Guide thine heart in the way.' In most general terms, the necessity of self-government is laid down. There is a way' in which we should be content to travel. It is a definite path, and feet have to be kept from straying aside to wide wastes on either hand. Limitation, the firm suppression of appetites, the coercing of these if they seek to draw aside, are implied in the very conception of the way.' And a man must take the upper hand of himself, and, after all other guidance, must be his own guide; for God guides us by enabling us to guide ourselves.

Temperance in the wider sense of the word is prominent among the virtues flowing from fear of the Lord, and is the most elementary instance of guiding the heart.' Other forms of self-restraint in regard to animal appetites are spoken of in the context, but here the two of drunkenness and gluttony are bracketed together. They are similarly coupled in Deuteronomy 21:20, in the formula of accusation which parents are to bring against a degenerate son. Allusion to that passage is probable here, especially as the other crime mentioned in it--namely, refusal to hear' parental reproof--is warned against in Proverbs 23:22. The picture, then, here is that of a prodigal son, and we have echoes of it in the great parable which paints first riotous living, and then poverty and misery.

Drunkenness had obviously not reached the dimensions of a national curse in the date when this lesson was written. We should not put over-eating side by side with it. But its ruinous consequences were plain then, and the bitter experience of England and America repeats on a larger scale the old lesson that the most productive source of poverty, wretchedness, rags, and vice, is drink. Judges and social reformers of all sorts concur in that now, though it has taken fifty years to hammer it into the public conscience. Perhaps in another fifty or so society may have succeeded in drawing the not very obscure inference that total abstinence and prohibition are wise. At any rate, they who seek after the fear of the Lord should draw it, and act on it.

IV. The Last Part Is In Proverbs 23:22-23.

The appeal to filial duty cannot here refer to disciple and teacher, but to child and parents. It does not stand as an isolated precept, but as underscoring the important one which follows. But a word must be spared for it. The habits of ancient days gave a place to the father and mother which modern family life woefully lacks, and suffers in many ways for want of. Many a parent in these days of slack control and precocious independence might say, If I be a father, where is mine honour?' There was perhaps not enough of confidence between parent and child in former days, and authority on the one hand and submission on the other too much took the place of love; but nowadays the danger is all the other way--and it is a very real danger.

But the main point here is the earnest exhortation of Proverbs 23:23, which, like that to the fear of the Lord, sums up all duty in one. The truth' is, like wisdom,' moral and religious, and not merely intellectual. Wisdom' is subjective, the quality or characteristic of the devout soul; truth' is objective, and may also be defined as the declared will of God. The possession of truth is wisdom. The entrance of Thy words giveth light.' It makes wise the simple. There is, then, such a thing as the truth' accessible to us. We can know it, and are not to be for ever groping amid more or less likely guesses, but may rest in the certitude that we have hold of foundation facts. For us, the truth is incarnate in Jesus, as He has solemnly asserted. That truth we shall, if we are wise, buy,' by shunning no effort, sacrifice, or trouble needed to secure it.

In the lower meanings of the word, our passage should fire us all, and especially the young, to strain every muscle of the soul in order to make truth for the intellect our own. The exhortation is needed in this day of adoration of money and material good. Nobler and wiser far the young man who lays himself out to know than he who is engrossed with the hungry desire to have! But in the highest region of truth, the buying is without money and without price,' and all that we can give in exchange is ourselves. We buy the truth when we know that we cannot earn it, and forsaking self-trust and self-pleasing, consent to receive it as a free gift. Sell it not,'--lot no material good or advantage, no ease, slothfulness, or worldly success, tempt you to cast it away; for its fruit is better than gold,' and its revenue than choice silver.' We shall make a bad bargain if we sell it for anything beneath the stars; for wisdom is better than rubies,' and he has been cheated in the transaction who has given up the truth' and got instead the whole world.'

The Afterwards And Our Hope

Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 18. For surely there's an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off.'--Proverbs 23:17-18.

THE Book of Proverbs seldom looks beyond the limits of the temporal, but now and then the mists lift and a wider horizon is disclosed. Our text is one of these exceptional instances, and is remarkable, not only as expressing confidence in the future, but as expressing it in a very striking way. Surely there is an end,' says our Authorised Version, substituting in the margin, for end, reward.' The latter word is placed in the text of the Revised Version. But neither end' nor reward' conveys the precise idea. The word so translated literally means' something that comes after.'

So it is the very opposite of end, it is really that which lies beyond the end--the sequel, or the future'--as the margin of the Revised Version gives alternatively, or, more simply still, the afterwards. Surely there is an afterwards behind the end. And then the proverb goes on to specify one aspect of that afterwards: Thine expectation'--or, better, because more simply, thy hope--shall not be cut off. And then, upon these two convictions that there is, if I might so say, an afterclap, and that it is the time and the sphere in which the fairest hopes that a man can paint to himself shall be surpassed by the reality, it builds the plain partial exhortation: Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.'

So then, we have three things here, the certainty of the afterwards, the immortality of hope consequent thereon, and the bearing of these facts on the present.

I. The Certainty Of The Hereafter.

Now, this Book of Proverbs, as I have said in the great collection of popular sayings which makes the bulk of it, has no enthusiasm, no poetry, no mysticism. It has religion, and it has a very pure and lofty morality, but, for the most part, it deals with maxims of worldly prudence, and sometimes with cynical ones, and represents, on the whole, the wisdom of the market-place, and the man in the street.' But now and then, as I have said, we hear strains of a higher mood. My text, of course, might be watered down and narrowed so as to point only to sequels to deeds realised in this life. And then it would be teaching us simply the very much needed lessons that even in this life, Whatever a man soweth that shall he also reap.' But it seems to me that we are entitled to see here, as in one or two other places in the Book of Proverbs, a dim anticipation of a future life beyond the grave. I need not trouble you with quoting parallel passages which are sown thinly up and down the book, but I venture to take the words in the wider sense to which I have referred.

Now, the question comes to be, where did the coiners of Proverbs, whose main interest was in the obvious maxims of a prudential morality, get this conviction? They did not get it from any lofty experience of communion with God, like that which in the seventy-third Psalm marks the very high-water mark of Old Testament faith in regard to a future life, where the Psalmist finds himself so completely blessed and well in present fellowship with God, that he must needs postulate its eternal continuance, and just because he has made God the portion of his heart, and is holding fellowship with Him, is sure that nothing can intervene to break that sweet communion. They did not get it from any clear definite revelation, such as we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which has made that future life far more than an inference for us, but they got it from thinking over the facts of this present life as they appeared to them, looked at from the standpoint of a belief in God, and in righteousness. And so they represent to us the impression that is made upon a man's mind, if he has the eye that hath kept watch o'er man's mortality,' that is made by the facts of this earthly life--viz. that it is so full of onward-looking, prophetic aspect, so manifestly and tragically, and yet wonderfully and hopefully, incomplete and fragmentary in itself, that there must be something beyond in order to explain, in order to vindicate, the life that now is. And that aspect of fragmentary incompleteness is what I would insist upon for a moment now.

You sometimes see a row of houses, the end one of them has, in its outer gable wall, bricks protruding here and there, and holes for chimney-pieces that are yet to be put in. And just as surely as that external wall says that the row is half built, and there are some more tenements to be added to it, so surely does the life that we now live here, in all its aspects almost, bear upon itself the stamp that it, too, is but initial and preparatory. You sometimes see, in the bookseller's catalogue, a book put down volume one; all that is published.' That is our present life--volume one, all that is published. Surely there is going to be a sequel, volume two. Volume two is due, and will come, and it will be the continuation of volume one.

What is the meaning of the fact that of all the creatures on the face of the earth only you and I, and our brethren and sisters, do not find in our environment enough for our powers? What is the meaning of the fact that, whilst foxes have holes' where they curl themselves up, and they are at rest, and the birds of the air have roosting-places,' where they tuck their heads beneath their wings and sleep, the son of man' hath not where to lay his head, but looks round upon the earth and says, The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy. I am a stranger on the earth.' What is the meaning of it? Here is the meaning of it: Surely there is a hereafter.'

What is the meaning of the fact that lodged in men's natures there lies thus strange power of painting to themselves things that are not as though they were? So that minds and hearts go out wandering through Eternity, and having longings and possibilities which nothing beneath the stars can satisfy, or can develop? The meaning of it is this: Surely there is a hereafter. The man that wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, in his sceptical moment ere he had attained to his last conclusion, says, in a verse that is mistranslated in our rendering,, He hath set Eternity in their hearts, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.' That is true, because the root of all our unrest and dissatisfaction is that we need God, and God in Eternity, in order that we may be at rest. But whilst on the one hand therefore the misery of man is great upon him,' on the other hand, because Eternity is in our hearts, therefore there is the answer to the longings, the adequate sphere for the capacities in that great future, and in the God that fills it. You go into the quarries left by reason of some great convulsion or disaster, by forgotten races, and you will find there half excavated and rounded pillars still adhering to the matrix of the rock from which they were being hewn. Such unfinished abortions are all human lives if, when Death drops its curtain, there is an end.

But, brethren, God does not so clumsily disproportion His creatures and their place. God does not so cruelly put into men longings that have no satisfaction, and desires which never can be filled, as that there should not be, beyond the gulf, the fair land of the hereafter. Every human life obviously has in it, up to the very end, the capacity for progress. Every human life, up to the very end, has been educated and trained, and that, surely, for something. There may be masters in Workshops who take apprentices, and teach them their trade during the years that are needed, and then turn round and say, I have no work for you, so you must go and look for it somewhere else.' That is not how God does. When He has trained His apprentices He gives them work to do. Surely there is a hereafter.

But that is only part of what is involved in this thought. It is not only a state subsequent to the present, but it is a state consequent on the present, and the outcome of it. The analogy of our earthly life avails here. To-day is the child of all the yesterdays, and the yesterdays and to-day are the parent of tomorrow. The past, our past, has made us what we are in the present, and what we are in the present is making us what we shall be in the future. And when we pass out of this life we pass out, notwithstanding all changes, the same men as we were. There may be much on the surface changed, there will be much taken away, thank God! dropped, necessarily, by the cessation of the corporeal frame, and the connection into which it brings us with things of sense. There will be much added, God only knows how much, but the core of the man will remain untouched. We all are changed by still degrees,' and suddenly at last All but the basis of the evil.' And so we carry ourselves with us into that future life, and, what a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their afterward!

II. Now, Secondly, My Text Suggests The Immortality Of Hope.

Thine expectation'--or rather, as I said, thy hope'--shall not be cut off.' This is a characteristic of that hereafter. What a wonderful saying that is which also occurs in this Book of Proverbs, The righteous hath hope in his death.' Ah! we all know how swiftly, as years increase, the things to hope for diminish, and how, as we approach the end, less and less do our imaginations go out into the possibilities of the sorrowing future. And when the end comes, if there is no afterwards, the dying man's hopes must necessarily die before he does. If when we pass into the darkness we ace going into a cave with no outlet at the other end, then there is no hope, and you may write over it Dante's grim word: All hope abandon, ye who enter here.' But let in that thought, surely there is an afterwards,' and the enclosed cave becomes a rock-passage, in which one can see the arch of light at the far end of the tunnel; and as one passes through the gloom, the eye can travel on to the pale radiance beyond, and anticipate the ampler ether, the diviner air, the brighter constellations burning, mellow moons and happy stars,' that await us there. The righteous hath hope in his death.' Thine expectation shall not be cut off.'

But, further, that conviction of the afterward opens up for us a condition in which imagination is surpassed by the wondrous reality. Here, I suppose, nobody ever had all the satisfaction out of a fulfilled hope that he expected. The fish is always a great deal larger and heavier when we see it in the water than when it is lifted out and scaled. And I suppose that, on the whole, perhaps as much pain as pleasure comes from the hopes which are illusions far more often than they are realities. They serve their purpose in whirling us along the path of life and in stimulating effort, but they do not do much more.

But there does come a time, if you believe that there is an afterwards, when all we desired and painted to ourselves of possible good for our craving spirits shall be felt to be but a pale reflex of the reality, like the light of some unrisen sun on the snowfields, and we shall have to say the half was not told to us.'

And, further, if that afterwards is of the sort that we, through Jesus Christ and His resurrection and glory, know to be, then all through the timeless eternity hope will be our guide. For after teach fresh influx of blessedness and knowledge we shall have to say it doth not yet appear what we shall be.' Thus now abideth'--and not only now, but then and eternally' these three--faith, hope, and charity,' and hope will never be cut off through all the stretch of that great afterwards.

III. And Now, Finally, Notice The Bearing Of All This On The Daily Present.

Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.' The conviction of the hereafter, and the blessed vision of hopes fulfilled, are not the only reasons for that exhortation. A great deal of harm has been done, I am afraid, by well-meaning preachers who have drawn the bulk of their strongest arguments to persuade men to Christian faith from the thought of a future life. Why, if there were no future, it would be just as wise, just as blessed, just as incumbent upon us to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.' But seeing that there is that future, and seeing that only in it will hope rise to fruition, and yet subsist as longing, surely there comes to us a solemn appeal to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long,' which being turned into Christian language, is to live by habitual faith, in communion with, and love and obedience to, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Surely, surely the very climax and bad eminence of folly is shutting the eyes to that future that we all have to face; and to live here, as some of you are doing, ignoring it and God, and cribbing, cabining, and confining all our thoughts within the narrow limits of the things present and visible. For to live so, as our text enjoins, is the sure way, and the only way, to make these great hopes realities for ourselves.

Brethren, that afterwards has two sides to it. The prophet Malachi, in almost his last words, has a magnificent apocalypse of what he calls the day of the Lord,' which he sets forth as having a double aspect. On the one hand, it is lurid as a furnace, and burns up the wicked root and branch. I saw a forest fire this last autumn, and the great pine-trees stood there for a moment pyramids of flame, and then came down with a crash. So that hereafter will be to godless men. And on the other side, that day of the Lord' in the prophet's vision was radiant with the freshness and dew and beauty of morning, and the Sun Of Righteousness arose with healing in his wings. Which of the two is it going to be to us? We have all to face it. We cannot alter that fact, but we can settle how we shall face it. It will be to either the fulfilment of blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and our Saviour,' or else, as is said in this same Book of Proverbs: The hope of the godless' shall be like one of those water plants, the papyrus or the flag, which, when the water is taken away, withereth up before any other herb.' It is for us to determine whether the afterwards that we must enter upon shall be the land in which our hopes shall blossom and fruit, and blossom again immortally, or whether we shall leave behind us, with all the rest that we would fain keep, the possibility of anticipating any good. Surely there is an afterwards,' and if thou wilt be in the fear of the Lord all the day long,' then for evermore thy hope shall not be cut off.'

Maclaren: Pro 23:29-35

The Portrait Of A Drunkard

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30. They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'--Proverbs 23:29-35.

THIS vivid picture of the effects of drunkenness leaves its sinfulness and its wider consequences out of sight, and fixes attention on the sorry spectacle which a man makes of himself in body and mind when he puts an enemy into his mouth to steal away his brains.' Disgust and ridicule are both expressed. The writer would warn his son' by impressing the ugliness and ludicrousness of drunkenness. The argument is legitimate, though not the highest.

The vehement questions poured out on each other's heels in Proverbs 23:29 are hot with both loathing and grim laughter. The two words rendered woe' and sorrow' are unmeaning exclamations, very like each other in sound, and imitating the senseless noises of the drunkard. They express discomfort as a dog might express it. They are howls rather than words. That is one of the prerogatives won by drunkenness,--to come down to the beasts' level, and to lose the power of articulate speech. The quarrelsomeness which goes along with certain stages of intoxication, and the unmeaning maudlin misery and whimpering into which it generally passes, are next coupled together.

Then come a pair of effects on the body. The tipsy man cannot take care of himself, and reeling against obstacles, or falling over them, wounds himself, and does not know where the scratches and blood came from. Redness of eyes' is, perhaps, rather darkness,' meaning thereby dim sight, or possibly black eyes,' as we say,--a frequent accompaniment of drunkenness, and corresponding to the wounds in the previous clause. It is a hideous picture, and one that should be burned in on the imagination of every young man and woman. The liquor-sodden, miserable wrecks that are found in thousands in our great cities, of whom this is a picture, were, most of them, in Sunday-schools in their day. The next generation of such poor creatures are, many of them, in Sunday-schools now, and may be reading this passage to-day.

The answer to these questions has a touch of irony in it. The people who win as their possessions these six precious things have to sit up late to earn them. What a noble cause in which to sacrifice sleep, and turn night into day! And they pride themselves on being connoisseurs in the several vintages; they' know a good glass of wine when they see it.' What a noble field for investigation! What a worthy use of the faculties of comparison and judgment I And how desirable the prizes won by such trained taste and delicate discrimination!

In Proverbs 23:31-32 weighty warning and dehortation follow, based in part on the preceding picture. The writer thinks that the only way of sure escape from the danger is to turn away even the eyes from the temptation. He is not contented with saying taste not,' but he goes the whole length of look not'; and that because the very sparkle and colour may attract. When it is red' might perhaps better be rendered when it reddens itself,' suggesting the play of colour, as if put forth by the wine itself. The word rendered in the Authorised Version and Revised Version colour' is literally eye,' and probably means the beaded bubbles winking on the surface. Moveth itself aright' (Authorised Version) is not so near the meaning as goeth down smoothly' (Revised Version). The whole paints the attractiveness to sense of the wine-cup in colour, effervescence, and taste.

And then comes in, with startling abruptness, the end of all this fascination,--a serpent's bite and a basilisk's sting. The kind of poisonous snake meant in the last clause of Proverbs 23:32 is doubtful, but certainly is one much more formidable than an adder. The serpent's lithe gracefulness and painted skin hide a fatal poison; and so the attractive wine-cup is sure to ruin those who look on it. The evil consequences are pursued in more detail in what follows.

But here we must note two points. The advice given is to keep entirely away from the temptation. Look not' is safe policy in regard of many of the snares for young lives that abound in our modern society. It is not at all needful to see life,' or to know the secrets of wickedness, in order to be wise and good. Simple concerning evil' is a happier state than to have eaten the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Many a young man has been ruined, body and soul, by a prurient curiosity to know what sort of life dissipated men and women led, or what sort of books they were against which he was warned, or what kind of a place a theatre was, and so on. Eyes are greedy, and there is a very quick telephone from them to the desires. The lust of the eye' soon fans the lust of the flesh' into a glow. There are plenty of depths of Satan gaping for young feet; and on the whole, it is safer and happier not to know them, and so not to have defiling memories, nor run the risk of falling into fatal sins. Whether the writer of this stern picture of a drunkard was a total abstainer or not, the spirit of his counsel not to look on the wine' is in full accord with that practice. It is very clear that if a man is a total abstainer, he can never be a drunkard. As much cannot be said of the moderate man.

Note too, how in all regions of life, the ultimate results of any conduct are the important ones. Consequences are hard to calculate, and they do not afford a good guidance for action. But there are many lines of conduct of which the consequences are not hard to calculate, but absolutely certain. It is childish to take a course because of a moment's gratification at the beginning, to be followed by protracted discomfort afterwards. To live for present satisfaction of desires, and to shut one's eyes tight against known and assured results of an opposite sort, cannot be the part of a sensible man, to say nothing of a religious one. So moralists have been preaching ever since there was such a thing as temptation in the world; and men have assented to the common sense of the teaching, and then have gone straight away and done the exact opposite.

What shall the end be?' ought to be the question at every beginning. If we would cultivate the habit of holding present satisfactions in suspense, and of giving no weight to present advantages until we saw right along the road to the end of the journey, there would be fewer failures, and fewer weary, disenchanted old men and women, to lament that the harvest they had to reap and feed on was so bitter. There are other and higher reasons against any kind of fleshly indulgence than that at the last it bites like a serpent, and with a worse poison than serpent's sting ever darted; but that is a reason, and young hearts, which are by their very youth blessedly unused to look forward, will be all the happier to-day, and all the surer of to-morrow's good, if they will learn to say, And afterwards--what?'

The passage passes to a renewed description of the effects of intoxication, in which the disgusting and the ludicrous aspects of it are both made prominent. Proverbs 23:33 seems to describe the excited imagination of the drunkard, whose senses are no longer under his control, but play him tricks that make him a laughingstock to sober people. One might almost take the verse to be a description of delirium tremens. Strange things' are seen, and perverse things (that is, unreal, or ridiculous) are stammered out. The writer has a keen sense of the humiliation to a man of being thus the fool of his own bewildered senses, and as keen a one of the absurd spectacle he presents; and he warns his son' against coming down to such a depth of degradation.

It may be questioned whether the boasted quickening and brightening effects of alcohol are not always, in a less degree, that same beguiling of sense and exciting of imagination which, in their extreme form, make a man such a pitiable and ridiculous sight. It is better to be dull and see things as they are, than to be brilliant and see things larger, brighter, or any way other than they are, because we see them through a mist. Imagination set agoing by such stimulus, will not work to as much purpose as if aroused by truth. God's world, seen by sober eyes, is better than rosy dreams of it. If we need to draw our inspiration from alcohol, we had better remain uninspired. If we desire to know the naked truth of things, the less we have to do with strong drink the better. Clear eyesight and self-command are in some degree impaired by it always. The earlier stages are supposed to be exhilaration, increased brilliancy of fancy and imagination, expanded good-fellowship, and so on. The latter stages are these in our passage, when strange things dance before cheated eyes, and strange words speak themselves out of lips which their owner no longer controls. Is that a condition to be sought after? If not, do not get on to the road that leads to it.

Proverbs 23:34 adds another disgusting and ridiculous trait. A man who should try to lie down and go to sleep in the heart of the sea or on the masthead of a ship would be a manifest fool, and would not keep life in him for long. One has seen drunken men laying themselves down to sleep in places as exposed and as ridiculous as these; and one knows the look of the heavy lump of insensibility lying helpless on public roads, or on railway tracks, or anywhere where the fancy took him. The point of the verse seems to be the drunken man's utter loss of sense of fitness, and complete incapacity to take care of himself. He cannot estimate dangers. The very instinct of self-preservation has forsaken him. There he lies, though as sure to be drowned as if he were in the depth of the sea, though on as uncomfortable a bed as if he were rocking on a masthead, where he could not balance himself.

The torpor of Proverbs 23:34 follows on the unnatural excitement of Proverbs 23:33, as, in fact, the bursts of uncontrolled energy in which the man sees and says strange things, are succeeded by a collapse. One moment raging in excitement caused by imaginary sights, the next huddled together in sleep like death,--what a sight the man is! The teacher here would have his son' consider that he may come to that, if he looks on the wine-cup. Thou shalt be' so and so. It is very impolite, but very necessary, to press home the individual application of pictures like this, and to bid bright young men and women look at the wretched creatures they may see hanging about liquor shops, and remember that they may come to be such as these.

Proverbs 23:35 finishes the picture. The tipsy man's soliloquy puts the capestone on his degradation. He has been beaten, and never felt it. Apparently he is beginning to stir in his sleep, though not fully awake; and the first thing he discovers when he begins to feel himself over is that he has been beaten and wounded, and remembers nothing about it. A degrading anaesthetic is drink. Better to bear all ills than to drown them by drowning consciousness. There is no blow which a man cannot bear better if he holds fast by God's hand and keeps himself fully exposed to the stroke, than if he sought a cowardly alleviation of it, after the drunkard's fashion.

But the pains of his beating and the discomforts of his waking do not deter the drunkard. When shall I awake?' He is not fully awake yet, so as to be able to get up and go for another drink. He is in the stage of feeling sorry for himself, and examining his bruises, but he wishes he were able to shake off the remaining drowsiness, that he might seek yet again' for his curse. The tyranny of desire, which wakes into full activity before the rest of the man does, and the enfeebled will, which, in spite of all bruises and discomforts, yields at once to the overmastering desire, make the tragedy of a drunkard's life. There comes a point in lives of fleshly indulgence in which the craving seems to escape from the control of the will altogether. Doctors tell us that the necessity for drink becomes a physical disease. Yes; but it is a disease manufactured by the patient, and he is responsible for getting himself into such a state.

This tragic picture proves that there were many originals of it in the days when it was painted. Probably there are far more, in proportion to population, in our times. The warning it peals out was never more needed than now. Would that all preachers, parents, and children laid it to heart and took the advice not even to look upon the wine'!

Maclaren: Pro 24:11-12

The Crime Of Negligence

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12. If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he render to every man according to his works?'--Proverbs 24:11-12.

What is called the missionary spirit is nothing else than the Christian church working in a particular direction. If a man has a conviction, the health of his own soul, his reverence for the truth he has learnt to love, his necessary connection with other men, make it a duty, a necessity, and a joy to tell what he has heard, and to speak what he believes. On these common grounds rests the whole obligation of Christ's followers to speak the Gospel which they have received; only the obligation presses on them with greater force because of the higher worth of the word and the deeper misery of men without it. The text contains nothing specially bearing on Christian missions, but it deals with the fault which besets us all in our relations and in life; and the wholesome truths which it utters apply to our duties in regard to Christian missions because they apply to our duties in regard to every misery within our reach. They speak of the murderous cruelty and black sin of negligence to save any whom we can help from any sort of misery which threatens them. They appear to me to suggest four thoughts which I would now deal with :--

I. The Crime Of Negligence.

Not to use any power is a sin; to omit to do anything that we can do is a crime: to withhold a help that we can render is to participate in the authorship of all the misery that we have failed to relieve. He who neglects to save a life, kills. There are more murderers than those who lift violent hands with malice aforethought against a hated life. Rulers or communities who leave people uncared for to die, who suffer swarming millions to live where the air is poison and the light is murky, and first the soul and then the body, are dwarfed and die; the incompetent men in high places, and the indolent ones in low, whose selfishness brings, and whose blundering blindness allows to continue, the conditions that are fatal to life--on these the guilt of blood lies. Violence slays its thousands, but supine negligence slays its tens of thousands.

And when we pass from these merely physical conditions to think of the world and of the Church in the world, where shall we find words weighty and burning enough to tell what fatal cruelty lies in the unthinking negligence so characteristic of large portions of Christ's professed followers? There is nothing which the ordinary type of Christian, so called, more needs than to be aroused to a living sense of personal responsibility for all the unalleviated misery of the world. For every one who has laid the sorrows of humanity on his heart, and has felt them in any measure as his own, there are a hundred to whom these make no appeal and give no pang. Within ear-shot of our churches and chapels there are squalid aggregations of stunted and festering manhood, of whom it is only too true that they are drawn unto death' and ready to be slain,' and yet it would be an exaggeration to say that the bulk of our congregations cast even a languid eye of compassion upon those, to say nothing of stretching out a hand to help. It needs to be dinned, far more than it is at present, into every professing Christian that each of us has an obligation which cannot be ignored or shuffled off, to acquaint ourselves with the glaring facts that force themselves upon all thoughtful men, and that the measure of our power is the measure of our obligation. The question, Has the church done its best to deliver these? needs to be sharpened to the point of Have I done my best?' And the vision of multitudes perishing in the slums of a great city needs to be expanded into the vision of dim millions perishing in the wide world.

II. The Excuse Of Negligence.

The shuffling plea, Behold we knew it not,' is a cowardly lie. It admits the responsibility to knowledge and pretends an ignorance which it knows to be partly a false excuse, and in so far as it is true, to be our own fault. We are bound to know, and the most ignorant of us does know, and cannot help knowing, enough to condemn our negligence. How many of us have ever tried to find out how the pariahs of civilisation live who live beside us? Our ignorance so far as it is real is the result of a sinful indolence. And there is a sadder form of it in an ignorance which is the result of familiarity. We all know how custom dulls our impressions. It is well that it should be so, for a surgeon would be fit for little if he trembled and was shaken at the sight of the tumour he had to work to remove, as we should be; but his familiarity with misery does not harden him, because he seeks to remove the suffering with which he has become familiar. But that same familiarity does harden and injure the whole nature of the onlooker who does nothing to alleviate it. Then there is an ignorance of other suffering which is the result of selfish absorption in one's own concerns. The man who is caring for himself only, and whose thoughts and feelings all flow in the direction of his own success, may see spread before him the most poignant sorrows without feeling one throb of brotherly compassion and without even being aware of what his eyes see. So, in so far as the excuse we knew it not' is true, it is no excuse, but an indictment. It lays bare the true reason of the criminal negligence as being a yet more criminal callousness as to the woe and loss in which such crowds of men whom we ought to recognise as brethren are sunken.

III. The Condemnation Of Negligence.

The great example of God is put forward in the text as the contrast to all this selfish negligence. Note the twofold description of Him given here, He that pondereth the heart,' and He that keepeth thy soul.' The former of these presents to us God's sedulous watching of the hearts of men, in contrast to our indolent and superficial looks; and in this divine attitude we find the awful condemnation of our disregard of our follows. God takes pain,' so to speak, to see after His children. Are they not bound to look lovingly on each other? God seeks to know them. Are they not bound to know one another? Lofty disregard of human suffering is not God's way.

Is it ours? He looks down from the height of His sanctuary to hear the crying of the prisoner.' Should not we stoop from our mole-hill to see it? God has not too many concerns on His hands to mark the obscurest sorrow and be ready to help it. And shall we plead that we are too busy with petty personal concerns to take interest in helping the sorrows and fighting against the sins of the world?

No less eloquently does the other name which is here applied to God rebuke our negligence. He preserveth thy soul.' By His divine care and communication of life, we live; and surely the soul thus preserved is thereby bound to be a minister of preservation to all that are ready to be slain.' The strongest motive for seeking to save others is that God has saved us. Thus this name for God touches closely upon the great Christian thought,' Christ has given Himself for me.' And in that thought we find the true condemnation of a Christianity which has not caught from Him the enthusiasm for self-surrender, and the passion for saving the outcast and forlorn. If to be a Christian is to imitate Christ, then the name has little application to those who see them that are drawn to death,' and turn from them unconcerned and unconscious of responsibility.

IV. The Judgment Of Negligence.

Doth not He render to every man according to his works?' There is such a judgment both in the present and in the future for Christian men as for others. And not only what they do, but what they inconsistently fail to do, comes into the category of their works, and influences their position. It does so in the present, for no man can cherish such a maimed Christian life as makes such negligence possible without robbing himself of much that would tend to his own growth in grace and likeness to Jesus Christ. The unfaithful servant is poorer by the pound hidden in the napkin which might all the while have been laid out at interest with the money-changers, which would have increased the income whilst the lord was absent. We rob ourselves of blessed sympathies and of the still more blessed joy of service, and of the yet more blessed joy of successful effort, by our indolence and our negligence. Let us not forget that our works do follow us in this life as in the life to come, and that it is here as well as hereafter, that he that goeth forth with a full basket and scatters the precious seed with weeping, and yet with joy, shall doubtless come again bringing his sheaves with him. And if we stretch our view to take in the life beyond, what gladness can match that of the man who shall enter there with some who will be his joy and crown of rejoicing in that day, and of whom he shall be able to say, Behold I and the children whom Thou hast given me!'

I venture earnestly to appeal to all my hearers for more faithful discharge of this duty. I pray you to open your ears to hear, and your eyes to see, and your hearts to feel, and last of all, your hands to help, the miseries of the world. Solemn duties wait upon great privileges. It is an awful trust to have Christ and His gospel committed to our care. We get it because from One who lived no life of luxurious ease, but felt all the woes of humanity which He redeemed, and forbore not to deliver us from death, though at the cost of His own. We get it for no life of silken indolence or selfish disregard of the sorrows of our brethren. If there is one tear we could have dried and didn't, or one wound we could have healed and didn't, that is a sin; if we could have lightened the great heap of sorrow by one grain and didn't, that is a sin; and if there be one soul that perishes which we might have saved and didn't, the negligence is not merely the omission of a duty, but the doing of a deed which will be rendered to us according to our works.'

MHCC: Pro 22:17-21

To these words, to this knowledge, the ear must be bowed down, and the heart applied by faith and love. To live a life of delight in God and dependence on him, is the foundation of all practical religion. The way to know the certainty of the word of truth, is to make conscience of our duty.

MHCC: Pro 22:22-23

He that robs and oppresses the poor, does so at his peril. And if men will not appear for them, God will.

MHCC: Pro 22:24-25

Our corrupt hearts have so much tinder in them, that it is dangerous to have to do with those that throw about the sparks of their passion.

MHCC: Pro 22:26-27

Every man ought to be just to himself, and his family; those are not so, who, by folly or other carelessness, waste what they have.

MHCC: Pro 22:28

We are taught not to trespass on another man's right. And it is hard to find a truly industrious man. Such a man will rise. Seest thou a man diligent in the business of religion? He is likely to excel. Let us then be diligent in God's work.

MHCC: Pro 23:1-3

God's restraints of the appetite only say, Do thyself no harm.

MHCC: Pro 23:4-5

Be not of those that will be rich. The things of this world are not happiness and a portion for a soul; those that hold them ever so fast, cannot hold them always, cannot hold them long.

MHCC: Pro 23:6-8

Do not make thyself burdensome to any, especially those not sincere. When we are called by God to his feast, and to let our souls delight themselves, Isa 25:6; Isa 55:2, we may safely partake of the Bread of life.

MHCC: Pro 23:9

It is our duty to take all fit occasions to speak of Divine things; but if what a wise man says will not be heard, let him hold his peace.

MHCC: Pro 23:10-11

The fatherless are taken under God's special protection. He is their Redeemer, who will take their part; and he is mighty, almighty.

MHCC: Pro 23:12-16

Here is a parent instructing his child to give his mind to the Scriptures. Here is a parent correcting his child: accompanied with prayer, and blessed of God, it may prove a means of preventing his destruction. Here is a parent encouraging his child, telling him what would be for his good. And what a comfort it would be, if herein he answered his expectation!

MHCC: Pro 23:17-18

The believer's expectation shall not be disappointed; the end of his trials, and of the sinner's prosperity, is at hand.

MHCC: Pro 23:19-28

The gracious Saviour who purchased pardon and peace for his people, with all the affection of a tender parent, counsels us to hear and be wise, and is ready to guide our hearts in his way. Here we have an earnest call to young people, to attend to the advice of their godly parents. If the heart be guided, the steps will be guided. Buy the truth, and sell it not; be willing to part with any thing for it. Do not part with it for pleasures, honours, riches, or any thing in this world. The heart is what the great God requires. We must not think to divide the heart between God and the world; he will have all or none. Look to the rule of God's word, the conduct of his providence, and the good examples of his people. Particular cautions are given against sins most destructive to wisdom and grace in the soul. It is really a shame to make a god of the belly. Drunkenness stupifies men, and then all goes to ruin. Licentiousness takes away the heart that should be given to God. Take heed of any approaches toward this sin, it is very hard to retreat from it. It bewitches men to their ruin.

MHCC: Pro 23:29-35

Solomon warns against drunkenness. Those that would be kept from sin, must keep from all the beginnings of it, and fear coming within reach of its allurements. Foresee the punishment, what it will at last end in, if repentance prevent not. It makes men quarrel. Drunkards wilfully make woe and sorrow for themselves. It makes men impure and insolent. The tongue grows unruly; the heart utters things contrary to reason, religion, and common civility. It stupifies and besots men. They are in danger of death, of damnation; as much exposed as if they slept upon the top of a mast, yet feel secure. They fear no peril when the terrors of the Lord are before them; they feel no pain when the judgments of God are actually upon them. So lost is a drunkard to virtue and honour, so wretchedly is his conscience seared, that he is not ashamed to say, I will seek it again. With good reason we were bid to stop before the beginning. Who that has common sense would contract a habit, or sell himself to a sin, which tends to such guilt and misery, and exposes a man every day to the danger of dying insensible, and awaking in hell? Wisdom seems in these chapters to take up the discourse as at the beginning of the book. They must be considered as the words of Christ to the sinner.

MHCC: Pro 24:1-2

Envy not sinners. And let not a desire ever come into thy mind, Oh that I could shake off restraints!

MHCC: Pro 24:3-6

Piety and prudence in outward affairs, both go together to complete a wise man. By knowledge the soul is filled with the graces and comforts of the spirit, those precious and pleasant riches. The spirit is strengthened for the spiritual work and the spiritual warfare, by true wisdom.

MHCC: Pro 24:7-9

A weak man thinks wisdom is too high for him, therefore he will take no pains for it. It is bad to do evil, but worse to devise it. Even the first risings of sin in the heart are sin, and must be repented of. Those that strive to make others hateful, make themselves so.

MHCC: Pro 24:10

Under troubles we are apt to despair of relief. But be of good courage, and God shall strengthen thy heart.

MHCC: Pro 24:11-12

If a man know that his neighbour is in danger by any unjust proceeding, he is bound to do all in his power to deliver him. And what is it to suffer immortal souls to perish, when our persuasions and example may be the means of preventing it?

MHCC: Pro 24:13-14

We are quickened to the study of wisdom by considering both the pleasure and the profit of it. All men relish things that are sweet to the palate; but many have no relish for the things that are sweet to the purified soul, and that make us wise unto salvation.

MHCC: Pro 24:15-16

The sincere soul falls as a traveller may do, by stumbling at some stone in his path; but gets up, and goes on his way with more care and speed. This is rather to be understood of falls into affliction, than falls into actual sin.

MHCC: Pro 24:17-18

The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is forbidden.

MHCC: Pro 24:19-20

Envy not the wicked their prosperity; be sure there is no true happiness in it.

MHCC: Pro 24:21-22

The godly in the land, will be quiet in the land. There may be cause to change for the better, but have nothing to do with them that are given change.

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:17-21

Solomon here changes his style and manner of speaking. Hitherto, for the most part, since the beginning of ch. 10, he had laid down doctrinal truths, and but now and then dropped a word of exhortation, leaving us to make the application as we went along; but here, to the end of ch. 24, he directs his speech to his son, his pupil, his reader, his hearer, speaking as to a particular person. Hitherto, for the most part, his sense was comprised in one verse, but here usually it is drawn out further. See how Wisdom tries variety of methods with us, lest we should be cloyed with any one. To awaken attention and to assist our application the method of direct address is here adopted. Ministers must not think it enough to preach before their hearers, but must preach to them, nor enough to preach to them all in general, but should address themselves to particular persons, as here: Do thou do so and so. Here is,

I. An earnest exhortation to get wisdom and grace, by attending to the words of the wise men, both written and preached, the words of the prophets and priests, and particularly to that knowledge which Solomon in this book gives men of good and evil, sin and duty, rewards and punishments. To these words, to this knowledge, the ear must be bowed down in humility and serious attention and the heart applied by faith, and love, and close consideration. The ear will not serve without the heart.

II. Arguments to enforce this exhortation. Consider,

1. The worth and weight of the things themselves which Solomon in this book gives us the knowledge of. They are not trivial things, for amusements and diversion, not jocular proverbs, to be repeated in sport and in order to pass away time. No; they are excellent things, which concern the glory of God, the holiness and happiness of our souls, the welfare of mankind and all communities; they are princely things (so the word is), fit for kings to speak and senates to hear; they are things that concern counsels and knowledge, that is, wise counsels, relating to the most important concerns; things which will not only make us knowing ourselves, but enable us to advise others.

2. The clearness of the discovery of these things and the directing of them to us in particular. "They are made known, publicly known, that all may read, - plainly known, that he that runs may read, - made known this day more fully than ever before, in this day of light and knowledge, - made known in this thy day. But it is only a little while that this light is with thee; perhaps the things that are this day made known to thee, if thou improve not the day of thy visitation, may, before tomorrow, be hidden from thy eyes. They are written, for the greater certainty, and that they may be received and the more safely transmitted pure and entire to posterity. But that which the emphasis is here most laid upon is that they are made known to thee, even to thee, and written to thee, as if it were a letter directed to thee by name. It is suited to thee and to thy case; thou mayest in this glass see thy own face; it is intended for thee, to be a rule to thee, and by it thou must be judged."We cannot say of these things, "They are good things, but they are nothing to us;"no, they are of the greatest concern imaginable to us.

3. The agreeableness of these things to us, in respect both of comfort and credit. (1.) If we hide them in our hearts, they will be very pleasing and yield us an abundant satisfaction (Pro 22:18): " It is a pleasant thing, and will be thy constant entertainment, if thou keep them within thee; if thou digest them, and be actuated and governed by them, and delivered into them as into a mould."The form of godliness, when that is rested in, is but a force put upon a man, and he does but do penance in that white clothing; those only that submit to the power of godliness, and make heart-work of it, find the pleasure of it, Pro 2:10. (2.) If we make use of them in our discourse, they will be very becoming, and gain us a good reputation. They shall be fitted in thy lips. "Speak of these things, and thou speakest like thyself, and as is fit for thee to speak considering thy character; thou wilt also have pleasure in speaking of these things as well as in thinking of them."

4. The advantage designed us by them. The excellent things which God has written to us are not like the commands which the master gives his servant, which are all intended for the benefit of the master, but like those which the master gives his scholar, which are all intended for the benefit of the scholar. These things must be kept by us, for they are written to us, (1.) That we may have a confidence in him and communion with him. That thy trust may be in the Lord, Pro 22:19. We cannot trust in God except in the way of duty; we are therefore taught our duty, that we may have reason to trust in God. Nay, this is itself one great duty we are to learn, and a duty that is the foundation of all practical religion, to live a life of delight in God and dependence on him. (2.) That we may have a satisfaction in our own judgment: " That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mayest know what is truth, mayest plainly distinguish between it and falsehood, and mayest know upon what grounds thou receivest and believest the truths of God."Note, [1.] It is a desirable thing to know, not only the words of truth, but the certainty of them, that our faith may be intelligent and rational, and may grow up to a full assurance. [2.] The way to know the certainty of the words of truth is to make conscience of our duty; for, if any man do his will, he shall know for certain that the doctrine is of God, Joh 7:17. (3.) That we may be useful and serviceable to others for their instruction: " That thou mayest give a good account of the words of truth to those that send to thee to consult thee as an oracle,"or (as the margin reads it) " to those that send thee, that employ thee as an agent or ambassador in any business."Knowledge is given us to do good with, that others may light their candle at our lamp, and that we may in our place serve our generation according to the will of God; and those who make conscience of keeping God's commandments will be best able to give a reason of the hope that is in them.

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:22-23

After this solemn preface, one would have expected something new and surprising; but no; here is a plain and common, but very needful caution against the barbarous and inhuman practices of oppressing poor people. Observe,

I. The sin itself, and that is robbing the poor and making them poorer, taking from those that have but little to lose and so leaving them nothing. It is bad to rob any man, but most absurd to rob the poor, whom we should relieve, - to squeeze those with our power whom we should water with our bounty, - to oppress the afflicted, and so to add affliction to them, - to give judgment against them, and so to patronise those that do rob them, which is as bad as if we robbed them ourselves. Rich men will not suffer themselves to be wronged; poor men cannot help themselves, and therefore we ought to be the more careful not to wrong them.

II. The aggravations of the sin. 1. If their inability, by reason of their poverty, to right themselves, embolden us to rob them, it is so much the worse; this is robbing the poor because he is poor; this is not only a base and cowardly thing, to take advantage against a man because he is helpless, but it is unnatural, and proves men worse than beasts. 2. Or, if it be done under the colour of law and justice, that is oppressing the afflicted in the gate, where they ought to be protected from wrong and to have justice done them against those that oppress them.

III. The danger that attends this sin. He that robs and oppresses the poor does it at his peril; for, 1. The oppressed will find God their powerful patron. He will plead their cause, and not suffer them to be run down and trampled upon. If men will not appear for them, God will. 2. The oppressors will find him a just avenger. He will make reprisals upon them, will spoil the souls of those that spoil them; he will repay them in spiritual judgments, in curses to their souls. He that robs the poor will be found in the end a murderer of himself.

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:24-25

Here is, 1. A good caution against being intimate with a passionate man. It is the law of friendship that we accommodate ourselves to our friends and be ready to serve them, and therefore we ought to be wise and wary in the choice of a friend, that we come not under the sacred tie to any one whom it would be our folly to accommodate ourselves to. Thought we must be civil to all, yet we must be careful whom we lay in our bosoms and contract a familiarity with. And, among others, a man who is easily provoked, touchy, and apt to resent affronts, who, when he is in a passion, cares not what he says or does, but grows outrageous, such a one is not fit to be made a friend or companion, for he will be ever and anon angry with us and that will be our trouble, and he will expect that we should, like him, be angry with others, and that will be our sin. 2. Good cause given for this caution: Lest thou learn his way. Those we go with we are apt to grow like. Our corrupt hearts have so much tinder in them that it is dangerous conversing with those that throw about the sparks of their passion. We shall thereby get a snare to our souls, for a disposition to anger is a great snare to any man, and an occasion of much sin. He does not say, "Lest thou have ill language given thee or get a broken head,"but, which is must worse, "Lest thou imitate him, to humour him, and so contract an ill habit."

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:26-27

We have here, as often before, a caution against suretiship, as a thing both imprudent and unjust. 1. We must not associate ourselves, nor contract an intimacy, with men of broken fortunes, and reputations, who need and will urge their friends to be bound for them, that they may cheat their neighbours to feed their lusts, and by keeping up a little longer may do the more damage at last to those that give them credit. Have nothing to do with such; be not thou among them. 2. We must not cheat people of their money, by striking hands ourselves, or becoming surety for others, when we have not to pay. If a man by the divine providence is disabled to pay his debts, he ought to be pitied and helped; but he that takes up money or goods himself, or is bound for another, when he knows that he has not wherewithal to pay, or that what he has is so settled that the creditors cannot come at it, does in effect pick his neighbour's pocket, and though, in all cases, compassion is to be used, yet he may thank himself if the law have its course and his bed be taken from under him, which might be taken for a pledge to secure a debt, Exo 22:26, Exo 22:27. For, if a man appeared to be so poor that he had nothing else to give for security, he ought to be relieved, and it was honestly done to own it; but, for the recovery of a debt, it seems it might be taken by the summum jus - the strict operation of law. 3. We must not ruin our own estates and families. Every man ought to be just to himself and to his wife and children; those are not so who live above what they have, who by the mismanagement of their own affairs, or by encumbering themselves with debts of others, waste what they have and bring themselves to poverty. We may take joyfully the spoiling of our goods if it be for the testimony of a good conscience; but, if be for our own rashness and folly, we cannot but take it heavily.

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:28

1. We are here taught not to invade another man's right, though we can find ways of doing it ever so secretly and plausibly, clandestinely and by fraud, without any open force. Let not property in general be entrenched upon, by robbing men of their liberties and privileges, or of any just ways of maintaining them. Let not the property of particular persons be encroached upon. The land-marks, or meer-stones, are standing witnesses to every man's right; let not those be removed quite away, for thence come wars, and fightings, and endless disputes; let them not be removed so as to take from thy neighbour's lot to thy own, for that is downright robbing him and entailing the fraud upon posterity. 2. We may infer hence that a deference is to be paid, in all civil matters, to usages that have prevailed time out of mind and the settled constitutions of government, in which it becomes us to acquiesce, lest an attempt to change it, under pretence of changing it for the better, prove of dangerous consequence.

Matthew Henry: Pro 22:29

Here is, 1. A plain intimation what a hard thing it is to find a truly ingenious industrious man: " Seest thou a man diligent in his business? Thou wilt not see many such, so epidemical are dulness and slothfulness."He is here commended who lays out himself to get business, though it be but in a very low and narrow sphere, and is not easy when he is out of business, who loves business, is quick and active in it, and goes through it, not only with constancy and resolution, but with dexterity and expedition, a man of despatch, who knows how to bring a deal of business into a little compass. 2. A moral prognostication of the preferment of such a man; though now he stands before mean men, is employed by them and attends upon them, yet he will rise, and is likely enough to stand before kings, as an ambassador to foreign kings or prime-minister of state to his own. Seest thou a man diligent in the business of religion? He is likely to excel in virtue, and shall stand before the King of kings.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:1-3

The sin we are here warned against is luxury and sensuality, and the indulgence of the appetite in eating and drinking, a sin that most easily besets us. 1. We are here told when we enter into temptation, and are in most danger of falling into this sin: " When thou sittest to eat with a ruler thou has great plenty before thee, varieties and dainties, such a table spread as thou has seldom seen; thou are ready to think, as Haman did, of nothing but the honour hereby done thee (Est 5:12), and the opportunity thou hast of pleasing thy palate, and forgettest that there is a snare laid for thee."Perhaps the temptation may be stronger, and more dangerous, to one that is not used to such entertainments, than to one that always sits down to a good table. 2. We are here directed to double our guard at such a time. We must, (1.) Apprehend ourselves to be in danger: " Consider diligently what is before thee, what meat and drink are before thee, that thou mayest choose that which is safest for thee and which thou art least likely to eat and drink of to excess. Consider what company is before thee, the ruler himself, who, if he be wise and good, will take it as an affront for any of his guests to disorder themselves at his table."And, if when we sit to eat with a ruler, much more when we sit to eat with the ruler of rulers at the Lord's table, must we consider diligently what is before us, that we may not in any respect eat and drink unworthily, unbecomingly, lest that table become a snare. (2.) We must alarm ourselves into temperance and moderation: " Put a knife to thy throat, that is, restrain thyself, as it were with a sword hanging over thy head, from all excess. Let these words, Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and so that day come upon you unawares - or those, For all these things, God shall bring thee into judgment - or those, Drunkards, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be a knife to the throat."The Latins call luxury gula - the throat. "Take up arms against that sin. Rather be so abstemious that thy craving appetite will begin to think thy throat cut than indulge thyself in voluptuousness."We must never feed ourselves without fear (Jud 1:12), but we must in a special manner fear when temptation is before us. (3.) We must reason ourselves into a holy contempt of the gratifications of sense: " If thou be a man given to appetite, thou must, by a present solution, and an application of the terrors of the Lord, restrain thyself. When thou art in danger of falling into any excess put a knife to thy throat; that may serve for once. But that is not enough: lay the axe to the root; mortify that appetite which has such a power over thee: Be not desirous of dainties. "Note, We ought to observe what is our own iniquity, and, if we find ourselves addicted to flesh-pleasing, we must not only stand upon our guard against temptations from without, but subdue the corruption within. Nature is desirous of food, and we are taught to pray for it, but it is lust that is desirous of dainties, and we cannot in faith pray for them, for frequently they are not food convenient for mind, body, or estate. They are deceitful meat, and therefore David, instead of praying for them, prays against them, Psa 141:4. They are pleasant to the palate, but perhaps rise in the stomach, turn sour there, upbraid a man, and make him sick. They do not yield men the satisfaction they promised themselves from them; for those that are given to appetite, when they have that which is very dainty, are not pleased; they are soon weary of it; they must have something else more dainty. The more a luxurious appetite is humoured and indulged the more humoursome and troublesome it grows, and the more hard to please; dainties will surfeit, but never satisfy. But especially they are upon this account deceitful meat, that, while they please the body, they prejudice the soul, they overcharge the heart, and unfit it for the service of God, nay, they take away the heart, and alienate the mind from spiritual delights, and spoil its relish of them. Why then should we covet that which will certainly cheat us?

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:4-5

As some are given to appetite (Pro 23:2) so others to covetousness, and those Solomon here takes to task. Men cheat themselves as much by setting their hearts on money (though it seems most substantial) as by setting them on dainties. Observe,

I. How he dissuades the covetous man from toiling and tormenting himself (Pro 23:4). "Do not aim to be rich, to raise an estate, and to make what thou hast in abundance more than it is."We must endeavor to live comfortably, and provide for our children and families, according as our rank and condition are, but we must not seek great things. Be not of those that will be rich, that desire it as their chief good and design it as their highest end, 1Ti 6:9. Covetous men think it is their wisdom, imagining that if they be rich to such a degree they shall be completely happy. Cease from that wisdom, for it is a mistake; a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses, Luk 12:15. 1. Those that aim at great things fill their hands with business more than they can grasp, so that their life is both a perfect drudgery and a perpetual hurry; but be not thou such a fool; labour not to be rich. What thou hast, or doest, be master of it, and not a slave to it as those that rise up early, sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness, and all to be rich. Moderate labour, that we may have to give, is our wisdom and duty, Eph 4:28. Immoderate labour, that we may have to hoard, is our sin and folly. 2. They fill their heads with projects more than they understand, so that their life is a constant toss of care and fear; but do not thou thus vex thyself: Cease from thy own wisdom; go on quietly in the way of thy business, not contriving new ways and setting thy wits to work to find out new inventions. Acquiesce in God's wisdom, and cease from thy own, Pro 3:5, Pro 3:6.

II. How he dissuades the covetous man from cheating and deceiving himself by an inordinate love and pursuit of that which is vanity and vexation of spirit; for,

1. It is not substantial and satisfying: " Wilt thou be such a fool as to set thy eyes, to cause thy eyes to fly with eagerness and violence, upon that which is not? "Note, (1.) The things of this world are things that are not. They have a real existence in nature and are the real gifts of Providence, but in the kingdom of grace they are things that are not; they are not a happiness and portion for a soul, are not what they promise to be nor what we expect them to be; they are a show, a shadow, a sham upon the soul that trusts to them. They are not, for in a little while they will not be, they will not be ours; they perish in the using; the fashion of them passes away. (2.) It is therefore folly for us to set our eyes upon them, to admire them as the best things, to appropriate them to ourselves as our good things, and to aim at them as our mark at which all our actions are levelled, to fly upon them as the eagle upon her prey. "Wilt thou do a thing so absurd in itself? What thou, a reasonable creature, wilt thou dote upon shadows? The eyes are put for rational and intellectual powers; wilt thou throw those away upon such undeserving objects? To set the hands and feet upon the world is well enough, but not the eyes, the eyes of the mind; those were made to contemplate better things. Wilt thou, my son, that professest religion, put such an affront upon God (towards whom the eyes should ever be) and such an abuse upon thy soul?"

2. It is not durable and abiding. Riches are very uncertain things; certainly they are so: They make themselves wings, and fly away. The more we cause our eyes to fly upon them the more likely they are to fly away from us. (1.) Riches will leave us. Those that hold them ever so fast cannot hold them long; either they must be taken from us or we must be taken from them. The goods are said to flow away as a stream (Job 20:28), here to flee as a bird. (2.) Perhaps they may leave us suddenly, when we have taken a great deal of pains for them and begin to take a great deal of pride and pleasure in them. The covetous man sits hatching upon his wealth, and brooding over it, till it is fledged, as the young ones under the hen, and then it is gone. Or, as if a man should be fond of a flight of wild-fowl that light in his field, and call them his own because they are upon his ground, whereas, if he offers to come near them, they take wing immediately and are gone to another man's field. (3.) The wings they fly away upon are of their own making. They have in themselves the principles of their own corruption, their own moth and rust. They are wasting in their own nature, and like a handful of dust, which, if it be grasped, slips through the fingers. Snow will last awhile, and look pretty, if it be left to lie on the ground where it fell, but, if gathered up and laid in the bosom, it is dissolved and gone immediately. (4.) They go irresistibly and irrecoverably, as an eagle toward heaven, that flies strongly (there is no stopping her), and flies out of sight and out of call (there is no bringing her back); thus do riches leave men, and leave them in grief and vexation if they set their hearts upon them.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:6-8

Those that are voluptuous and given to appetite (Pro 23:2) are glad to be where there is good cheer stirring, and those that are covetous and saving, that they may spare at home, will be glad to get a dinner at another man's table; and therefore both are here advised not to be forward to accept of every man's invitation, but especially not to thrust themselves in uninvited. Observe, 1. There are those that pretend to bid their friends welcome that are not hearty and sincere in it. They have a fair tongue, and know what they should say: Eat and drink, saith he, because it is expected that the master of the feast should so compliment his guests; but they have an evil eye, and grudge their guests every bit they eat, especially if the eat freely. They would seem to be liberal in making the entertainment, and would have the credit of it, but they have so great a love to their money, and so little to their friends, that they cannot have the comfort of it, nor any enjoyment of themselves or their friends. The miser's feast is his penance. If a man be so very selfish, and sordid, and mean that he cannot find in his heart to bid his friends welcome to what he has, he ought not to add to that the guilt of dissimulation by inviting them, but let him own himself to be what he is, that the vile person may not be called liberal nor the churl bountiful, Isa 32:5. 2. One can have no comfort in accepting the entertainments that are given grudgingly: " Eat not thou the bread of such a man; let him keep it to himself. Do not sponge upon those that are bountiful, nor make thyself burdensome to any; but especially scorn to be beholden to those that are paltry and not sincere. Better have a dinner of herbs, and true welcome, than dainty meats without it. Therefore,"(1.) "Judge of the man as his mind is. Thou thinkest to pay thy respect to him as a friend, so thou takest him to be, because he compliments thee, but as he thinks in his heart so is he, not as he speaks with his tongue."We are that really, both to God and man, which we are inwardly; and neither religion nor friendship is worth any thing further than as it is sincere. (2.) "Judge of the meat as the digestion is and as it agrees with thee. He bids thee eat freely, but, first or last, he will discover his sordid covetous humour, and as he thinks in his heart so will he look, and give thee to understand that thou art not welcome, and then the morsel thou hast eaten thou shalt vomit up; the very thought of that will make thee even to vomit the meat thou hast eaten, and eat the words thou has spoken in returning his compliments and giving him thanks for his civilities. Thou shalt lose thy sweet words, which he has given thee and thou has given him."

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:9

We are here directed not to cast pearls before swine (Mat 7:6) and not to expose things sacred to the contempt and ridicule of profane scoffers. It is our duty to take all fit occasions to speak of divine things; but, 1. There are some that will make a jest of every thing, though it be ever so prudently and pertinently spoken, that will not only despise a wise man's words, but despise even the wisdom of them, that in them which is most improvable for their own edification; they will particularly reproach that, as if it had an ill design upon them, which they must guard against. 2. Those that do so forfeit the benefit of good advice and instruction, and a wise man is not only allowed, but advised, not to speak in the ears of such fools; let them be foolish still, and let not precious breath be thrown away upon them. If what a wise man says in his wisdom will not be heard, let him hold his peace, and try whether the wisdom of that will be regarded.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:10-11

Note, 1. The fatherless are taken under God's special protection; with him they not only find mercy shown to them (Hos 14:3) but justice done for them. He is their Redeemer, their Goel , their near kinsman, that will take their part and stand up for them with jealousy, as taking himself affronted in the injuries done to them. As their Redeemer he will plead their cause against those that do them any injury, and, one way or other, will not only defend their right, and recover it for them, but avenge the wrongs done to them. And he is mighty, almighty; his omnipotence is engaged and employed for their protection, and their proudest and most powerful oppressors will not only find themselves an unequal match for this, but will find that it is at their peril to contend with it. 2. Every man therefore must be careful not to injure them in any thing, or to invade their rights, either by a clandestine removal of the old land-marks or by a forcible entry into their fields. Being fatherless, they have none to redress their wrongs, and, being in their childhood, they do not so much as apprehend the wrong that is done them. Sense of honour, and much more the fear of God, would restrain men from offering injury to children, especially fatherless children.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:12-16

Here is, 1. A parent instructing his child. He is here brought in persuading him to give his mind to his book, and especially to the scriptures and his catechism, to attend to the words of knowledge, by which he might come to know his duty, and danger, and interest, and not to think it enough to give them the hearing, but to apply his heart to them, to delight in them, and bow his will to the authority of them. The heart is then applied to the instruction when the instruction is applied to the heart. 2. A parent correcting his child. A tender parent can scarcely find in his heart to do this; it goes much against the grain. But he finds it is necessary; it is his duty, and therefore he dares not withhold correction when there is occasion for it ( spare the rod and spoil the child ); he beats him with the rod, gives him a gentle correction, the stripes of the sons of men, not such as we give to beasts. Beat him with the rod and he shall not die. The rod will not kill him; nay, it will prevent his killing himself by those vicious courses which the rod will be necessary to restrain him from. For the present it is not joyous, but grievous, both to the parent and to the child; but when it is given with wisdom, designed for good, accompanied with prayer, and blessed of God, it may prove a happy means of preventing his utter destruction and delivering his soul from hell. Our great care must be about our children's souls; we must not see them in danger of hell without using all possible means, with the utmost care and concern, to snatch them as brands out of everlasting burnings. Let the body smart, so that the spirit be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 3. A parent encouraging his child, telling him, (1.) What was all he expected, nothing but what would be for his own good, that his heart be wise and that his lips speak right things, that he be under the government of good principles, and that by those principles he particularly maintain a good environment of his tongue. It is to be hoped that those will do right things when they grow up who learn to speak right things when they are young, and dare not speak any bad words. (2.) What a comfort it would be to him if herein he answered his expectation: " If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, shall rejoice in thee, even mine, who have taken so much care and pains about thee, my heart, that has many a time ached for thee, for which thou shouldst study thus to make a grateful requital."Note, The wisdom of children will be the joy of their parents and teachers, who have no greater joy than to see them walk in the truth, 3Jo 1:4. "Children, if you be wise and good, devout and conscientious, God will be pleased with you, and that will be our joy: we shall think our labour in instructing you well bestowed; it will be a comfortable answer for the many prayers we have put up for you; we shall be eased of a great deal of care, shall not need to be so strict and severe in watching over you, and shall consequently be the easier both to you and to ourselves. We shall rejoice in hope that you will be a credit and comfort to us, if we should live to be old, that you will bear up the name of Christ in your generation, that you will live comfortably in this world and happily in another."

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:17-18

Here is, 1. A necessary caution against entertaining any favourable thoughts of prospering profaneness: " Let not thy heart envy sinners; do not grudge them either the liberty they take to sin or the success they are to be pitied rather than envied. Their prosperity is their portion (Psa 73:3), nay, it is their poison,"Pro 1:32. We must not harbour in our hearts any secret discontent at the providence of God, though it seem to smile upon them, nor wish ourselves in their condition. " Let not thy heart imitate sinners "(so some read it); do not as they do; walk not in the way with them; use not the methods they take to enrich themselves, though they thrive by them. 2. An excellent direction to maintain high thoughts of God in our minds at all times: Be thou in the fear of the Lord every day and all the day long. We must be in the fear of the Lord as in our employment, exercising ourselves in holy adorings of God, in subjection to his precepts, submission to his providences, and a constant care to please him; we must be in it as in our element, taking a pleasure in contemplating God's glory and complying with his will. We must be devoted to his fear (Psa 119:38); and governed by it as our commanding principle in all we say and do. All the days of our life we must constantly keep up an awe of God upon our spirits, must pay a deference to his authority, and have a dread of his wrath. We must be always so in his fear as never to be out of it. 3. A good reason for both of these (Pro 23:18): Surely there is an end, an end and expectation, as Jer 29:11. There will be an end of the prosperity of the wicked, therefore do not envy them (Psa 73:17); there will be an end of thy afflictions, therefore be not weary of them, an end of thy services, thy work and warfare will be accomplished, perfect love will shortly cast out fear, and thy expectation of the reward not only will be not cut off, or disappointed, but it will be infinitely outdone. The consideration of the end will help to reconcile us to all the difficulties and discouragements of the way.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:19-28

Here is good advice for parents to give to their children; words are put into their mouths, that they may train them up in the way they should go. Here we have,

I. An earnest call to young people to attend to the advice of their godly parents, not only to this that is here given, but to all other profitable instructions: " Here, my son, and be wise, Pro 23:19. This will be an evidence that thou art wise and a means to make thee wiser."Wisdom, as faith, comes by hearing. And again (Pro 23:22): " Hearken unto thy father who begot thee, and who therefore has an authority over thee and an affection for thee, and, thou mayest be sure, can have no other design than thy own good."We ought to give reverence to the fathers of our flesh, who begot us, and were the instruments of our being; much more ought we to obey and be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, who made us and is the author of our being. And since the mother also, from a sense of duty to God and from love to her child, gives him good instructions, let him not despise her, nor her advice, when she is old. When the mother was grown old we may suppose the children to be grown up; but let them not think themselves past being taught, even by her, but rather respect her the more for the multitude of her years and the wisdom which they teach. Scornful and insolent young men will make a jest, it may be, of the good advice of an aged mother, and think themselves not concerned to heed what an old woman says; but such will have a great deal to answer for another day, not only as having set at nought good counsel, but as having slighted and grieved a good mother, Pro 30:17.

II. An argument to enforce this call, taken from the great comfort which this will be to their parents, Pro 23:24, Pro 23:25. Note, 1. It is the duty of children to study how they may gladden the hearts of their good parents, and do it yet more and more, so that they may greatly rejoice in them, even when the evil days come and the years of which they say they have no pleasure in them but this, to see their children do well, as Barzillai to see Chimham preferred. 2. Children will be a joy to their parents if they be righteous and wise. Righteousness is true wisdom; those who do good so well for themselves. Those are completely such as they should be who are not only wise (that is, knowing and learned), but righteous (that is, honest and good), and not only righteous (that is, conscientious and well-meaning), but wise (that is, prudent and discreet) in the management of themselves. If such the children be, especially all the children, the father and mother will be glad, and think nothing too much that they have done, or do, for them; they will please themselves in them, and give God thanks for them; particularly she that bore them with pain, and nursed them with pains, will rejoice in them, and reckon herself well requited, and the sorrow more than forgotten, because a wise and good man is the product of it, who is a blessing to the world he was born into.

III. Some general precepts of wisdom and virtue.

1. Guide thy heart in the way, Pro 23:19. It is the heart that must be taken care of and directed aright; the motions and affections of the soul must be towards right objects and under a steady guidance. If the heart be guided in the way, the steps will be guided and the conversation well ordered.

2. Buy the truth and sell it not, Pro 23:23. Truth is that by which the heart must be guided and governed, for without truth there is no goodness; no regular practices without right principles. It is by the power of truth, known and believed, that we must be kept back from sin and constrained to duty. The understanding must be well-informed with wisdom and instruction, and therefore, (1.) We must buy it, that is, be willing to part with any thing for it. He does not say at what rate we must buy it, because we cannot buy it too dear, but must have it at any rate; whatever it costs us, we shall not repent the bargain. When we are at expense for the means of knowledge, and resolved not to starve so good a cause, then we buy the truth. Riches should be employed for the getting of knowledge, rather than knowledge for the getting of riches. When we are at pains in searching after truth, that we may come to the knowledge of it and may distinguish between it and error, then we buy it. Dii laboribus omnia vendunt - Heaven concedes every thing to the laborious. When we choose rather to suffer loss in our temporal interest than to deny or neglect the truth they we buy it; and it is a pearl of such great price that we must be willing to part with all to purchase it, must make shipwreck of estate, trade, preferment, rather than of faith and a good conscience. (2.) We must not sell it. Do not part with it for pleasures, honours, riches, any things in this world. Do not neglect the study of it, nor throw off the profession of it, nor revolt from under the dominion of it, for the getting or saving of any secular interest whatsoever. Hold fast the form of sound words, and never let it go upon any terms.

3. Give my thy heart, Pro 23:26. God in this exhortation, speaks to us as unto children: "Son, Daughter, Give my thy heart. "The heart is that which the great God requires and calls for from every one of us; whatever we give, if we do not give him our hearts, it will not be accepted. We must set our love upon him. Our thoughts must converse much with him, and on him, as our highest end. The intents of our hearts must be fastened. We must make it our own act and deed to devote ourselves to the Lord, and we must be free and cheerful in it. We must not think to divide the heart between God and the world; he will have all or none. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. To this call we must readily answer, " My father, take my heart, such as it is, and make it such as it should be; take possession of it, and set up thy throne in it."

4. Let thy eyes observe my ways; have an eye to the rule of God's word, the conduct of his providence, and the good examples of his people. Our eyes must observe these, as he that writes observes his copy, that we may keep in the right paths and may proceed and persevere in them.

IV. Some particular cautions against those sins which are, of all sins, the most destructive to the seeds of wisdom and grace in the soul, which impoverish and ruin it. 1. Gluttony and drunkenness, Pro 23:20, Pro 23:21. The world is full of examples of this sin and temptations to it, which all young people are concerned to stand upon their guard against and keep at a distance from Be not a wine-bibber; we are allowed to drink a little wine (1Ti 5:23), but not much, not to make a trade of it, never to drink to excess. Be not a riotous eater of flesh, as the Israelites were, who lusted exceedingly after it, saying, Who will give us flesh to eat? Whereas Paul, though he is free to eat flesh, yet resolves that he will eat no flesh while the world stands rather than make his brother to offend; so indifferent is he to it, 1Co 8:13. Be not an excessive eater of flesh. Intemperance must be avoided in meat as well as drink. Be not a luxurious eater of flesh, not pleased with any thing but what is very nice and delicate, savoury dishes, and forced meat. Some take not only a pleasure, but a pride, in being curious about their diet, and, as they call it, eating well; as if that were the ornament of a gentleman, which is really the shame of a Christian, making a God of the belly. " Be not a wine bibber, and be not a riotous eater; and therefore, be not among wine-bibbers nor among riotous eaters; do not give them countenance, lest thou learn their ways and insensibly fall into those sins, or at least lose the dread and detestation of them. They covet to have thee among them; for those that are debauched themselves are very desirous to debauch others; therefore do not gratify them, lest thou endanger thyself."He fetches an argument against this sin from the expensiveness of it and its tendency to impoverish men: and if men will not be deterred from it by the ruin it brings on their secular interests, which lie nearest their hearts, no marvel that they are not frightened from it by what they are told out of the word of God of the mischief it does them in their spiritual and eternal concerns. The drunkard and the glutton hate to be reformed, though they are told they shall come to poverty, nay, though they are told they shall come to hell. Drunkenness is the cause of drowsiness; it stupefies men, and makes them inattentive to business, and then all goes to wreck and ruin: thus men that have lived creditably come to be clothed with rags. 2. Whoredom. This is another sin which takes away the heart that should be given to God, Hos 4:11. He shows the danger which attends that sin, Pro 23:27, Pro 23:28, (1.) It is a sin from which few recover themselves when once they are entangled in it. It is like a deep ditch and a narrow pit, which it is almost impossible to get out of; and therefore it is wisdom to keep far enough from the brink of it. Take heed of making any approaches towards this sin, because it is so hard to make a retreat from it, conscience, which should head the retreat, being debauched by it, and divine grace forfeited. (2.) It is a sin which bewitches men to their ruin: The adulteress lies in wait as a robber, pretending friendship, but designing the greatest mischief, to rob them of all they have that is valuable, to strip them both of their armour and of their ornaments. Even those who, being virtuously educated, endeavour to shun the adulteress, she will lie in wait for, that she may assault them when they are off their guard and she has them at an advantage. Let none therefore be at any time secure. (3.) It is a sin that contributes more than any other to the spreading of vice and immorality in a kingdom: It increases the transgressors among men. One adulteress may be the ruin of many a precious soul and may help to debauch a whole town. It increases the treacherous or perfidious ones; it not only occasions husbands to be false to their wives and servants to their masters, but many that have professed religion to throw off their profession and break their covenants with God. Houses of uncleanness are therefore such pest-houses as ought to be suppressed by those whose office it is to take care of the public welfare.

Matthew Henry: Pro 23:29-35

Solomon here gives fair warning against the sin of drunkenness, to confirm what he had said, Pro 23:20.

I. He cautions all people to keep out of the way of temptations to this sin (Pro 23:31): Look not thou upon the wine when it is red. Red wine was in Canaan looked upon as the best wine, it is therefore called the blood of the grape. Critics judge of wine, among other indications, by the colour of it; some wine, they say, looks charmingly, looks so well that it even says, "Come and drink me;" it moves itself aright, goes down very smoothly, or perhaps the roughness of it is grateful. It is said of generous strong-bodied wine that it even causes the lips of those that are asleep to speak, Son 7:9. But look not thou upon it. 1. "Be not ruled by sense, but by reason and religion. Covet not that which pleases the eye, in hopes that it will please the taste; but let thy serious thoughts correct the errors of thy senses and convince thee that that which seems delightful is really hurtful, and resolve against it accordingly. Let not the heart walk after the eye, for it is a deceitful guide."2. "Be not too bold with the charms of this or any other sin; look not, lest thou lust, lest thou take the forbidden fruit."Note Those that would be kept from any sin must keep themselves from all the occasions and beginnings of it, and be afraid of coming within the reach of its allurements, lest they be overcome by them.

II. He shows the many pernicious consequences of the sin of drunkenness, for the enforcement of this caution. Take heed of the bait, for fear of the hook: At the last it bites, Pro 23:32. All sin will be bitterness in the end, and this sin particularly. It bites like a serpent, when the drunkard is made sick by his surfeit, thrown by it into a dropsy or some fatal disease, beggared and ruined in his estate, especially when his conscience is awakened and he cannot reflect upon it without horror and indignation at himself, but worst of all, at last, when the cup of drunkenness shall be turned into a cup of trembling, the cup of the Lord's wrath, the dregs of which he must be for ever drinking, and shall not have a drop of water to cool his inflamed tongue. To take off the force of the temptation that there is in the pleasure of the sin, foresee the punishment of it, and what it will at last end in if repentance prevent not. In its latter end it bites (so the word is); think therefore what will be in the end thereof. But the inspired writer chooses to specify those pernicious consequences of this sin which are present and sensible.

1. It embroils men in quarrels, makes them quarrel with others, and say and do that which gives others occasion to quarrel with them, Pro 23:29. He asks, Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who has not, in this world? Many have woe and sorrow, and cannot help it; but drunkards wilfully create woe and sorrow to themselves. Those that have contentions have woe and sorrow; and drunkards are the fools whose lips enter into contention. When the wine is in the wit is out and the passions are up; and thence come drunken scuffles, and drunken frays, and drunken disputes over the cups; many a vexatious ruining law-suit has begun thus. There is babbling, quarrels in word and the exchanging of scurrilous language; yet it rests not there: you shall have wounds without cause, for causes are things which drunkards are in no capacity to judge of, and therefore they deal blows about without the least consideration why or wherefore, and must expect to be in like manner treated themselves. The wounds which men receive in defence of their country and its just rights are their honour; but wounds without cause, received in the service of their lusts, are marks of their infamy. Nay, drunkards wound themselves in a tender part, for they have redness of eyes, symptoms of an inward inflammation; their sight is weakened by it, and their looks are deformed. This comes, (1.) Of drinking long, tarrying long at the wine, and spending that time in drunken company which should be spent in useful business, or in sleep, which should fit for business, Pro 23:30. O the precious hours which thousands throw away thus, every one of which will be brought into the account at the great day! (2.) Of drinking that which is strong and intoxicating. They go up and down to seek wine that will please them; their great enquiry is, "Where is the best liquor?" They seek mixed wine, which is most palatable, but most heady, so willingly do they sacrifice their reason to please their palate!

2. It makes men impure and insolent, Pro 23:33. (1.) The eyes grow unruly and behold strange women to lust after them, and so let in adultery into the heart. Est Venus in vinis - Wine is oil to the fire of lust. Thy eyes shall behold strange things (so some read it); when men are drunk the house turns round with them, and every thing looks strange to them, so that them they cannot trust their own eyes. (2.) The tongue also grows unruly and talks extravagantly; by it the heart utters perverse things, things contrary to reason, religion, and common civility, which they would be ashamed to speak if they were sober. What ridiculous incoherent nonsense men will talk when they are drunk who at another time will speak admirably well and to the purpose!

3. It stupefies and besots men, Pro 23:34. When men are drunk they know not where they are nor what they say and do. (1.) Their heads are giddy, and when they lie down to sleep they are as if they were tossed by the rolling waves of the sea, or upon the top of a mast; hence they complain that their heads swim; their sleep is commonly unquiet and not refreshing, and their dreams are tumultuous. (2.) Their judgments are clouded, and they have no more steadiness and consistency than he that sleeps upon the top of a mast: they drink and forget the law (Pro 31:5): they err through wine (Isa 28:7), and think as extravagantly as they talk. (3.) They are heedless and fearless of danger, and senseless of the rebukes they are under either from God or man. They are in imminent danger of death, of damnation, lie as much exposed as if they slept upon the top of a mast, and yet are secure and sleep on. They fear no peril when the terrors of the Lord are laid before them; nay, they feel no pain when the judgments of God are actually upon them; they cry not when he binds them. Set a drunkard in the stocks, and he is not sensible of the punishment. " They have stricken me, and I was not sick; I felt it not: it made no impression at all upon me."Drunkenness turns me into stocks and stones; they are scarcely to be reckoned animals; they are dead while they live.

4. Worst of all, the heart is hardened in the sin, and the sinner, notwithstanding all these present mischiefs that attend it, obstinately persist in it, and hates to be reformed: When shall I awake? Much ado he has to shake off the chains of his drunken sleep; he can hardly get clear of the fumes of the wine, though he strives with them, that (being thirsty in the morning) he may return to it again. So perfectly lost is he to all sense of virtue and honour, and so wretchedly is his conscience seared, that he is not ashamed to say, I will seek it yet again. There is no hope; no, they have loved drunkards, and after them they will go, Jer 2:25. This is adding drunkenness to thirst, and following strong drink; those that do so may read their doom Deu 29:19, Deu 29:20, their woe Isa 5:11, and, if this be the end of the sin, with good reason were we directed to stop at the beginning of it: Look not upon the wine when it is red.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:1-2

Here, 1. The caution given is much the same with that which we had before (Pro 23:17), not to envy sinners, not to think them happy, nor to whish ourselves in their condition, though they prosper ever so much in this world, and are ever so marry and ever so secure. "Let not such a thought ever come into thy mind, O that I could shake off the restraints of religion and conscience, and take as great a liberty to indulge the sensual appetite, as I see such and such do! No; desire not to be with them, to do as they do and fare as they fare, and to cast in thy lot among them."2. Here is another reason given for this caution: " Be not envious against them, not only because their end will be had, but because their way is so, Pro 24:2. Do not think with them, for their heart studies destruction to others, but it will prove destruction to themselves. Do not speak like them, for their lips talk of their mischief. All they say has an ill tendency, to dishonour God, reproach religion, or wrong their neighbour; but it will be mischief to themselves at last. It is therefore thy wisdom to have nothing to do with them. Nor hast thou any reason to look upon them with envy, but with pity rather, or a just indignation at their wicked practices."

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:3-6

We are tempted to envy those that grow rich, and raise their estates and families, by such unjust courses as our consciences will by no means suffer us to use. But, to set aside that temptation, Solomon here shows that a man, with prudent management, may raise his estate and family by lawful and honest means, with a good conscience, and a good name, and the blessing of God upon his industry; and, if the other be raised a little sooner, yet these will last a great deal longer. 1. That which is here recommended to us as having the best influence upon our outward prosperity is wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge; that is, both piety towards God (for that is true wisdom) and prudence in the management of our outward affairs. We must govern ourselves in every thing by the rules of religion first and then of discretion. Some that are truly pious do not thrive in the world, for want of prudence; and some that are prudent enough, yet do not prosper, because they lean to their own understanding and do not acknowledge God in their ways; therefore both must go together to complete a wise man. 2. That which is here set before us as the advantage of true wisdom is that it will make men's outward affairs prosperous and successful. (1.) it will build a house and establish it, Pro 24:3. Men may by unrighteous practices build their houses, but they cannot establish them, for the foundation is rotten (Hab 2:9, Hab 2:10); whereas what is honestly got will wear like steel and be an inheritance to children's children. (2.) It will enrich a house and furnish it, Pro 24:4. Those that manage their affairs with wisdom and equity, that are diligent in the use of lawful means for increasing what they have that spare from luxury and spend in charity, are in a fair way to have their shops, their warehouses, their chambers, filled with all precious and pleasant riches - precious because got by honest labour, and the substance of a diligent man is precious - pleasant because enjoyed with holy cheerfulness. Some think this is to be understood chiefly of spiritual riches. By knowledge the chambers of the soul are filled with the graces and comforts of the Spirit, those precious and pleasant riches; for the Spirit, by enlightening the understanding, performs all his other operations on the soul. (3.) It will fortify a house and turn it into a castle: Wisdom is better than weapons of war, offensive or defensive. A wise man is in strength, is in a strong-hold, yea, a man of knowledge strengthens might, that is, increases it, Pro 24:5. As we grow in knowledge we grow in all grace, 2Pe 3:18. Those that increase in wisdom are strengthened with all might, Col 1:9, Col 1:11. A wise man will compass that by his wisdom which a strong man cannot effect by force of arms. The spirit is strengthened both for the spiritual work and the spiritual warfare by true wisdom. (4.) It will govern a house and a kingdom too, and the affairs of both, Pro 24:6. Wisdom will erect a college, or council of state. Wisdom will be of use, [1.] For the managing of the public quarrels, so as not to engage in them but for an honest cause and with some probability of success, and, when they are engaged in, to manage them well, and so as to make either an advantageous peace or an honourable retreat: By wise counsel thou shalt make war, which is a thing that may prove of ill consequence if not done by wise counsel. [2.] For the securing of the public peace: In the multitude of counsellors there is safety, for one may foresee the danger, and discern the advantages, which another cannot. In our spiritual conflicts we need wisdom, for our enemy is subtle.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:7-9

Here is the description, 1. Of a weak man: Wisdom is too high for him; he thinks it so, and therefore, despairing to attain it, he will take no pains in the pursuit of it, but sit down content without it. And really it is so; he has not capacity for it, and therefore the advantages he has for getting it are all in vain to him. It is no easy thing to get wisdom; those that have natural parts good enough, yet if they be foolish, that is, if they be slothful and will not take pains, if they be playful and trifling, and given to their pleasures, if they be viciously inclined and keep bad company, it is too high for them; they are not likely to reach it. And, for want of it, they are unfit for the service of their country: They open not their mouth in the gate; they are not admitted into the council or magistracy, or, if they are, they are dumb statues, and stand for cyphers; they say nothing, because they have nothing to say, and they know that if they should offer any thing it would not be heeded, nay, it would be hissed at. Let young men take pains to get wisdom, that they may be qualified for public business, and do it with reputation. 2. Of a wicked man, who is not only despised as a fool is, but detested. Two sorts of wicked men are so: - (1.) Such as are secretly malicious. Though they speak courteously and conduct themselves plausibly, they devise to do evil, are contriving to do an ill turn to those they bear a grudge to, or have an envious eye at. He that does so shall be called a mischievous person, or a master of mischief, which perhaps was then a common name of reproach; he shall be branded as an inventor of evil things (Rom 1:30), or if any mischief be done, he shall be suspected as the author of it, or at least accessory to it. This devising evil is the thought of foolishness, Pro 24:9. It is made light of, and turned off with a jest, as only a foolish thing, but really it is sin, it is exceedingly sinful; you cannot call it by a worse name than to call it sin. It is bad to do evil, but it is worse to devise it; for that has in it the subtlety and poison of the old serpent. But it may be taken more generally. We contract guilt, not only by the act of foolishness, but by the thought of it, though it go no further; the first risings of sin in the heart are sin, offensive to God, and must be repented of or we are undone. Not only malicious, unclean, proud thoughts, but even foolish thoughts, are sinful thoughts. If vain thoughts lodge in the heart, they defile it (Jer 4:14), which is a reason why we should keep our hearts with all diligence, and harbour no thoughts there which cannot give a good account of themselves, Gen 6:5. (2.) Such as are openly abusive: The scorner, who gives ill-language to every body, takes a pleasure in affronting people and reflecting upon them, is an abomination to men; none that have any sense of honour and virtue will care to keep company with him. The seat of the scornful is the pestilential chair (as the Septuagint calls it, Psa 1:1), which no wise man will come near, for fear of taking the infection. Those that strive to make others odious do but make themselves so.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:10

Note, 1. In the day of adversity we are apt to faint, to droop and be discouraged, to desist from our work, and to despair of relief. Our spirits sink, and then our hands hang down and our knees grow feeble, and we become unfit for anything. And often those that are most cheerful when they are well droop most, and are most dejected, when any thing ails them. 2. This is an evidence that our strength is small, and is a means of weakening it more. "It is a sign that thou art not a man of any resolution, any firmness of thought, any consideration, any faith (for that is the strength of a soul), if thou canst not bear up under an afflictive change of thy condition."Some are so feeble that they can bear nothing; if a trouble does but touch them (Job 4:5), nay, if it does but threaten them, they faint immediately and are ready to give up all for gone; and by this means they render themselves unfit to grapple with their trouble and unable to help themselves. Be of good courage therefore, and God shall strengthen thy heart.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:11-12

Here is, 1. A great duty required of us, and that is to appear for the relief of oppressed innocency. If we see the lives or livelihoods of any in danger of being taken away unjustly, we ought to bestir ourselves all we can to save them, by disproving the false accusations on which they are condemned and seeking out proofs of their innocency. Though the persons be not such as we are under any particular obligation to, we must help them, out of a general zeal for justice. If any be set upon by force and violence, and it be in our power to rescue them, we ought to do it. Nay, if we see any through ignorance exposing themselves to danger, or fallen in distress, as travellers upon the road, ships at sea, or any the like, it is our duty, though it be with peril to ourselves, to hasten with help to them and not forbear to deliver them, not to be slack, or remiss, or indifferent, in such a case. 2. An answer to the excuse that is commonly make for the omission of this duty. Thou wilt say, " Behold, we knew it not; we were not aware of the imminency of the danger the person was in; we could not be sure that he was innocent, nor did we know how to prove his innocence, nor which way to do any thing in favour of him, else we would have helped him."Now, (1.) It is easy to make such an excuse as this, sufficient to avoid the censures of men, for perhaps they cannot disprove us when we say, We knew it not, or, We forgot; and the temptation to tell a lie for the excusing of a fault is very strong when we know that it is impossible to be disproved, the truth lying wholly in our own breast, as when we say, We thought so and so, and really designed it, which no one is conscious of but ourselves. (2.) It is not so easy with such excuses to evade the judgment of God; and to the discovery of that we lie open and by the determination of that we must abide. Now, [1.] God ponders the heart and keeps the soul; he keeps an eye upon it, observes all the motions of it; its most secret thoughts and intents are all naked and open before him. It is his prerogative to do so, and that in which he glories. Jer 17:10, I the Lord search the heart. He keeps the soul, holds it in life. This is a good reason why we should be tender of the lives of others, and do all we can to preserve them, because our lives have been precious in the sight of God and he has graciously kept them. [2.] He knows and considers whether the excuse we make be true or no, whether it was because we did not know it or whether the true reason was not because we did not love our neighbour as we ought, but were selfish, and regardless both of God and man. Let this serve to silence all our frivolous pleas, by which we think to stop the mouth of conscience when it charges us with the omission of plain duty: Does not he that ponders the heart consider it? [3.] He will judge us accordingly. As his knowledge cannot be imposed upon, so his justice cannot be biassed, but he will render to every man according to his works, not only the commission of evil works, but the omission of good works.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:13-14

We are here quickened to the study of wisdom by the consideration both of the pleasure and the profit of it. 1. It will be very pleasant. We eat honey because it is sweet to the taste, and upon that account we call it good, especially that which runs first from the honey-comb. Canaan was said to flow with milk and honey, and honey was the common food of the country (Luk 24:41, Luk 24:42), even for children, Isa 7:15. Thus should we feed upon wisdom, and relish the good instructions of it. Those that have tasted honey need no further proof that it is sweet, nor can they by any argument be convinced of the contrary; so those that have experienced the power of truth and godliness are abundantly satisfied of the pleasure of both; they have tasted the sweetness of them, and all the atheists in the world with their sophistry, and the profane with their banter, cannot alter their sentiments. 2. It will be very profitable. Honey may be sweet to the taste and yet not wholesome, but wisdom has a future recompence attending it, as well as a present sweetness in it. "Thou art permitted to eat honey, and the agreeableness of it to thy taste invites thee to it; but thou hast much more reason to relish and digest the precepts of wisdom, for when thou hast found that, there shall be a reward; thou shalt be paid for thy pleasure, while the servants of sin pay dearly for their pains. Wisdom does indeed set thee to work, but there shall be a reward; it does indeed raise great expectations in thee, but as thy labour, so thy hope, shall not be in vain; thy expectation shall not be cut off (Pro 23:18), nay, it shall be infinitely outdone."

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:15-16

This is spoken, not so much by way of counsel to wicked men (they will not receive instruction, Pro 23:9), but rather in defiance of them, for the encouragement of good people that are threatened by them. See here, 1. The designs of the wicked against the righteous, and the success they promise themselves in those designs. The plot is laid deeply: They lay wait against the dwelling of the righteous, thinking to charge some iniquity upon it, or compass dome design against it; they lie in wait at the door, to catch him when he stirs out, as David's persecutors, Ps. 59 title. The hope is raised high; they doubt not but to spoil his dwelling-place because he is weak and cannot support it, because his condition is low and distressed, and he is almost down already. All this is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. The blood-thirsty hate the upright. 2. The folly and frustration of these designs (1.) The righteous man, whose ruin was expected, recovers himself. He falls seven times into trouble, but, by the blessing of God upon his wisdom and integrity, he rises again, sees through his troubles and sees better times after them. The just man falls, sometimes falls seven times perhaps, into sin, sins of infirmity, through the surprise of temptation; but he rises again by repentance, finds mercy with God, and regains his peace. (2.) The wicked man, who expected to see his ruin and to help it forward, is undone. He falls into mischief; his sins and his troubles are his utter destruction.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:17-18

Here, 1. The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is forbidden us. If any have done us an ill turn, or if we bear them ill-will only because they stand in our light or in our way, when any damage comes to them (suppose they fall), or any danger (suppose they stumble), our corrupt hearts are too apt to conceive a secret delight and satisfaction in it - Aha! so would we have it; they are entangled; the wilderness has shut them in - or, as Tyrus said concerning Jerusalem (Eze 26:2) I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste. "Men hope in the ruin of their enemies or rivals to wreak their revenge or to find their account; but be not thou so inhuman; rejoice not when the worst enemy thou hast falls. "There may be a holy joy in the destruction of God's enemies, as it tends to the glory of God and the welfare of the church (Psa 58:10); but in the ruin of our enemies, as such, we must by no means rejoice; on the contrary, we must weep even with them when they weep (as David, Psa 35:13, Psa 35:14), and that in sincerity, not so much as letting our hearts be secretly glad at their calamities. 2. The provocation which that pleasure gives to God is assigned as the reason of that prohibition: The Lord will see it, though it be hidden in the heart only, and it will displease him, as it will displease a prudent father to see one child triumph in the correction of another, which he ought to tremble at, and take warning by, not knowing how soon it may be his own case, he having so often deserved it. Solomon adds an argument ad hominem - addressed to the individual: "Thou canst not do a greater kindness to thy enemy, when he has fallen, than to rejoice in it; for them, to cross thee and vex thee, God will turn his wrath from him; for, as the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God, so the righteousness of God was never intended to gratify the wrath of man, and humour his foolish passions; rather than seem to do that he will adjourn the execution of his wrath: nay, it is implied that when he turns his wrath from him he will turn it against thee and the cup of trembling shall be put into thy hand."

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:19-20

Here, 1. He repeats the caution he had before given against envying the pleasures and successes of wicked man in their wicked ways. This he quotes from his father David, Psa 37:1. We must not in any case fret ourselves, or make ourselves uneasy, whatever God does in his providence how disagreeable soever it is to our sentiments, interests, and expectations, we must acquiesce in it. Even that which grieves us must not fret us; nor must our eye be evil against any because God is good. Are we more wise or just than he? If wicked people prosper, we must not therefore incline to do as they do. 2. He gives a reason for this caution, taken from the end of that way which wicked man walk in. Envy not their prosperity; for, (1.) There is no true happiness in it: Thee shall be no reward to the evil man; his prosperity only serves for his present subsistence; these are all the good things he must ever expect: there is none intended him in the world of retribution. He has his reward, Mat 6:2. He shall have none. Those are not to be envied that have their portion in this life and must out-live it, Psa 17:14. (2.) There is no continuance in it; their candle shines brightly, but it shall presently be put out, and a final period put to all their comforts, Job 21:14; Psa 37:1, Psa 37:2.

Matthew Henry: Pro 24:21-22

Note, 1. Religion and loyalty must go together. As men, it is our duty to honour our Creator, to worship and reverence him, and to be always in his fear; as members of a community, incorporated for mutual benefit, it is our duty to be faithful and dutiful to the government God has set over us, Rom 13:1, Rom 13:2. Those that are truly religious will be loyal, in conscience towards God; the godly in the land will be the quite in the land; and those are not truly loyal, or will be so no longer than is for their interest, that are not religious. How should he be true to his prince that is false to his God? And, if they come in competition, it is an adjudged case, we must obey God rather than men. 2. Innovations in both are to be dreaded. Have nothing to do, he does not say, with those that change, for there may be cause to change for the better, but those that are given to change, that affect change for change-sake, out of a peevish discontent with that which is and a fondness for novelty, or a desire to fish in troubled waters: Meddle not with those that are given to change either in religion or in a civil government; come not into their secret; join not with them in their cabals, nor enter into the mystery of their iniquity. 3. Those that are of restless, factious, turbulent spirits, commonly pull mischief upon their own heads ere they are aware: Their calamity shall rise suddenly. Though they carry on their designs with the utmost secresy, they will be discovered, and brought to condign punishment, when they little think of it. Who knows the time and manner of the ruin which both God and the king will bring on their contemners, both on them and those that meddle with them?

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:17-19

Pro 22:17-21, forming the introduction to this appendix, are these Words of the Wise:

17 Incline thine ear and hear the words of the wise,

And direct thine heart to my knowledge!

18 For it is pleasant if thou keep them in thine heart;

Let them abide together on thy lips.

19 That thy trust may be placed in Jahve,

I have taught thee to-day, even thee!

20 Have not I written unto thee choice proverbs,

Containing counsels and knowledge,

21 To make thee to know the rule of the words of truth,

That thou mightest bring back words which are truth to them that send thee?

From Pro 10:1 to Pro 22:16 are the "Proverbs of Solomon,"and not "The Words of the Wise;"thus the above παραίνεσις is not an epilogue, but a prologue to the following proverbs. The perfects הודעתּיך and כתבתּי refer, not to the Solomonic proverbial discourses, but to the appendix following them; the preface commends the worth and intention of this appendix, and uses perfects because it was written after the forming of the collection. The author of this preface ( vid ., pp. 23, 36, vol. i.) is no other than the author of chap. 1-9. The הט (with Mehuppach , after Thorath Emeth , p. 27) reminds us of Pro 4:20; Pro 5:1. The phrase שׁית לב , animum advertere , occurs again in the second appendix, Pro 24:32. נעים is repeated at Pro 23:8; Pro 24:4; but נעם with נעם is common in the preface, chap. 1-9. כּי־נעים contains, as at Psa 135:3; Psa 147:1, its subject in itself. כּי־תּשׁמרם is not this subject: this that thou preservest them, which would have required rather the infin. שׁמרם (Psa 133:1) or לשׁמרם ; but it supposes the case in which appears that which is amiable and praiseworthy: if thou preservest them in thy heart, i.e. , makest them thoughtfully become thy mental possession. The suffix ēm refers to the Words of the Wise, and mediately also to לדעתּי , for the author designates his practical wisdom דעתי , which is laid down in the following proverbs, which, although not composed by him, are yet penetrated by his subjectivity. Regarding בּטן , which, from meaning the inner parts of the body, is transferred to the inner parts of the mind, vid ., under Pro 20:27. The clause 18b, if not dependent on כי , would begin with ויכּנוּ . The absence of the copula and the antecedence of the verb bring the optative rendering nearer. Different is the syntactical relation of Pro 5:2, where the infin. is continued in the fin. The fut. Niph . יכּנוּ , which, Pro 4:27, meant to be rightly placed, rightly directed, here means: to stand erect, to have continuance, stabilem esse . In Pro 22:19, the fact of instruction precedes the statement of its object, which is, that the disciple may place his confidence in Jahve, for he does that which is according to His will, and is subject to His rule. מבטחך , in Codd. and correct editions with Pathach ( vid ., Michlol 184b); the ח is as virtually doubled; vid ., under Pro 21:22. In 19b the accentuation הודעתיך היום is contrary to the syntax; Codd. and old editions have rightly הודעתיך היום , for אף־אתּה is, after Gesen. §121. 3, an emphatic repetition of "thee;" אף , like גּם , Pro 23:15; 1Ki 21:19. Hitzig knows of no contrast which justifies the emphasis. But the prominence thus effected is not always of the nature of contrast (cf. Zec 7:5, have ye truly fasted to me, i.e. , to serve me thereby), here it is strong individualizing; the te etiam te is equivalent to, thee as others, and thee in particular. Also that, as Hitzig remarks, there does not appear any reason for the emphasizing of "to-day,"is incorrect: היּום is of the same signification as at Psa 95:7; the reader of the following proverbs shall remember later, not merely in general, that he once on a time read them, but that he to-day, that he on this definite day, received the lessons of wisdom contained therein, and then, from that time forth, became responsible for his obedience or his disobedience.

In 20a the Chethı̂b שלשום denotes no definite date; besides, this word occurs only always along with תּמול ( עתמול ). Umbreit, Ewald, Bertheau, however, accept this "formerly (lately),"and suppose that the author here refers to a "Book for Youths,"composed at an earlier period, without one seeing what this reference, which had a meaning only for his contemporaries, here denotes. The lxx reads כתבתּ , and finds in 20a, contrary to the syntax and the usus loq ., the exhortation that he who is addressed ought to write these good doctrines thrice ( τρισσῶς ) on the tablet of his heart; the Syr. and Targ. suppose the author to say that he wrote them three times; Jerome, that he wrote them threefold - both without any visible meaning, since threefold cannot be equivalent to steplang7 manchfeltiglich (Luther) [= several times, in various ways]. Also the Kerı̂ שׁלשׁים , which without doubt is the authentic word, is interpreted in many unacceptable ways; Rashi and Elia Wilna, following a Midrash explanation, think on the lessons of the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa; Arama, on those which are referable to three classes of youth; Malbim (as if here the author of the whole Book of Proverbs, from 1 to 31, spake), on the supposed three chief parts of the Mishle ; Dächsel better, on chap. 1-9, as the product of the same author as this appendix. Schultens compares Ecc 4:12, and translates triplici filo nexa . Kimchi, Meîri, and others, are right, who gloss שׁלישׁים by דברים נכבדים , and compare נגידים , Pro 8:6; accordingly the Veneta , with the happy quid pro quo , by τρισμέγιστα . The lxx translates the military שׁלישׁ by τριστάτης ; but this Greek word is itself obscure, and is explained by Hesychius (as well as by Suidas, and in the Etymologicum ) by Regii satellites qui ternas hastas manu tenebant , which is certainly false. Another Greek, whom Angellius quotes, says, under Exo 15:4, that τριστάτης was the name given to the warriors who fought from a chariot, every three of whom had one war-chariot among them; and this appears, according to Exo 14:7; Exo 15:4, to be really the primary meaning. In the period of David we meet with the word שׁלישׁים as the name of the heroes (the Gibbôrı̂m ) who stood nearest the king. The shalish -men form the élite troops that stood highest in rank, at whose head stood two triads of heroes - Jashobeam at the head of the first trias, and thus of the shalish -men generally; Abishai at the head of the second trias, who held an honourable place among the shalish -men, but yet reached not to that first trias, 2Sa 23:8. (= 1Ch 11:11.). The name השּׁלישׁים ( Apoc . 2Sa 23:8, השּׁלשׁי , and 2Sa 23:13, 1Ch 27:6, incorrectly השּׁלשׁים ) occurs here with reference to the threefold division of this principal host; and in regard to the use of the word in the time of Pharaoh, as well as in the time of the kings, it may be granted that shalish denotes the Three-man ( triumvir ), and then generally a high military officer; so that שׁלשׁים here has the same relation to נגידים , Pro 8:6, as ducalia to principalia . The name of the chief men (members of the chief troop) is transferred to the chief proverbs, as, Jam 2:8, that law which stands as a king at the head of all the others is called the "royal law;"or, as Plato names the chief powers of the soul, μέρη ἡγεμόνες . As in this Platonic word-form, so shalishim here, like negidim there, is understood neut. cf. under Pro 8:6, and ריקים , Pro 12:11; ישׁרים , Pro 16:13. The ב of בּמעצות (occurring at Pro 1:31 also) Fleischer rightly explains as the ב of uniting or accompanying: chief proverbs which contain good counsels and solid knowledge.

In the statement of the object in Pro 22:21, we interpret that which follows להודיעך not permutat.: ut te docerem recta, verba vera (Fleischer); but קשׁט (ground-form to קשׁט , Psa 60:6) is the bearer of the threefold idea: rectitudinem , or, better, regulam verborum veritatis . The (Arab.) verb ḳasiṭa means to be straight, stiff, inflexible (synon. צדק , to be hard, tight, proportionately direct); and the name ḳisṭ denotes not only the right conduct, the right measure ( quantitas justa ), but also the balance, and thus the rule or the norm. In 21b, אמרים אמת (as e.g. , Zec 1:13; vid ., Philippi, Status Constr . p. 86f.) is equivalent to אמרי אמת ; the author has this second time intentionally chosen the appositional relation of connection: words which are truth; the idea of truth presents itself in this form of expression more prominently. Impossible, because contrary to the usus loq ., is the translation: ut respondeas verba vera iis qui ad te mittunt (Schultens, Fleischer), because שׁלח , with the accus. following, never means "to send any one."Without doubt השׁיב and שׁלח stand in correlation to each other: he who lets himself be instructed must be supposed to be in circumstances to bring home, to those that sent him out to learn, doctrines which are truth, and thus to approve himself. The subject spoken of here is not a right answer or a true report brought back to one giving a commission; and it lies beyond the purpose and power of the following proverbs to afford a universal means whereby persons sent out are made skilful. The שׁלחים [senders] are here the parents or guardians who send him who is to be instructed to the school of the teacher of wisdom (Hitzig). Yet it appears strange that he who is the learner is just here not addressed as "my son,"which would go to the support of the expression, "to send to school,"which is elsewhere unused in Old Hebrew, and the שׁלחי of another are elsewhere called those who make him their mandatar , Pro 10:26; Pro 25:13; 2Sa 24:13. The reference to the parents would also be excluded if, with Norzi and other editors, לשׁלחך were to be read instead of לשׁלחיך (the Venet . 1521, and most editions). Therefore the phrase לשׁעליך , which is preferred by Ewald, recommends itself, according to which the lxx translates, τοῖς προβαλλομένοις σοι , which the Syro-Hexap. renders

(Note: The Syr. n. fem . awchda ( אוּחדא , Psa 49:5, Targ.) is equivalent to Heb. חידה , from (Syr.) achd , אחד = אחז , Neh 7:3, to shut up, properly, to lay hold on and retain; the Arab. akhdhat means magic, incantation; as seizing and making fast.)

by להנון דאחדין לך אוחדתא yb , i.e. , to those who lay problems before thee ( vid ., Lagarde). The teacher of wisdom seeks to qualify him who reads the following proverbs, and permits himself to be influenced by them, to give the right answer to those who question him and go to him for counsel, and thus to become himself a teacher of wisdom.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:22-23

After these ten lines of preliminary exhortation, there now begins the collection of the "Words of the Wise"thus introduced. A tetrastich which, in its contents, connects itself with the last proverb of the Solomonic collection, Pro 22:16, forms the commencement of this collection:

22 Rob not the lowly because he is lowly;

And oppress not the humble in the gate.

23 For Jahve will conduct their cause,

And rob their spoilers of life.

Though it may bring gain, as said Pro 22:16, to oppress the דּל , the lowly or humble, yet at last the oppressor comes to ruin. The poet here warns against robbing the lowly because he is lowly, and thus without power of defence, and not to be feared; and against doing injustice to the עני , the bowed down, and therefore incapable of resisting in the gate, i.e. , in the court of justice. These poor men have not indeed high human patrons, but One in heaven to undertake their cause: Jahve will conduct their cause ( יריב ריבם , as at Pro 23:10), i.e. , will undertake their vindication, and be their avenger. דּכּא ( דּכּה ), Aram. and Arab. daḳḳ (cf. דּקק , Arab. daḳḳ ), signifies to crush anything so that it becomes broad and flat, figuratively to oppress, synon. עשׁק (Fleischer). The verb קבע has, in Chald. and Syr., the signification to stick, to fix (according to which Aquila here translates καθηλοῦν , to nail; Jerome, configere ); and as root-word to קבּעת , the signification to be arched, like (Arab.) ḳab' , to be humpbacked; both significations are here unsuitable. The connection here requires the meaning to rob; and for Mal 3:8 also, this same meaning is to be adopted, robbery and taking from one by force (Parchon, Kimchi), not: to deceive (Köhler, Keil), although it might have the sense of robbing by withholding or refraining from doing that which is due, thus of a sacrilege committed by omission or deception. The Talm. does not know the verb קבע in this meaning; but it is variously found as a dialectic word for גזל .

(Note: Thus Rosch ha-schana 26b: Levi came once to N.N. There a man came to meet him, and cried out קבען פלניא . Levi knew not what he would say, and went into the Madrash-house to ask. One answered him: He is a robber ( גזלן ) said that one to thee; for it is said in the Scriptures (Mal 3:8), "Will a man rob God?"etc. ( vid ., Wissenschaft Kunst Judenthum , p. 243). In the Midrash, שׁוחר טוב , to Psa 57:1-11, R. Levi says that אתה קיבע לי is used in the sense of אתה גוזל לי . And in the Midrash Tanchuma , P. תרומה , R. Levi answers the question, "What is the meaning of קבע , Mal 3:8?"- It is an Arabic expression. An Arabian, when he wishes to say to another מה אתה גוזלני , says instead of it, מה אתה קובעני . Perhaps קבע is cogn. to קבץ ; the R. קב coincides in several groups of languages (also the Turkish ḳb ) with the Lat. capere .)

Schultens' etymological explanation, capitium injicere (after Arab. ḳab' , to draw back and conceal the head), is not satisfactory. The construction, with the double accus., follows the analogy of הכּהוּ נפשׁ and the like, Gesen. §139. 2. Regarding the sing. נפשׁ , even where several are spoken of, vid ., under Pro 1:19.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:24-25

Another tetrastich follows:

24 Have no intercourse with an angry man,

And with a furious man go thou not;

25 Lest thou adopt his ways,

And bring destruction upon thy soul.

The Piel רעה , Jdg 14:20, signifies to make or choose any one as a friend or companion ( רעה , רע ); the Hithpa . התרעה (cf. at Pro 18:24), to take to oneself (for oneself) any one as a friend, or to converse with one; אל־תּתרע sounds like אל־תּשׁתּע , Isa 41:10, with Pathach of the closed syllable from the apocope. The angry man is called בּעל אף , as the covetous man בּעל נפשׁ , Pro 23:2, and the mischievous man בּעל מזמּות , Pro 24:8; vid ., regarding בּעל at Pro 1:19 and Pro 18:9. אישׁ חמות is related superlat. to אישׁ חמה , Pro 15:18 (cf. Pro 29:22), and signifies a hot-head of the highest degree. לא תבוא is meant as warning (cf. Pro 16:10). בּוא את , or בוא עם , Psa 26:4, to come along with one, is equivalent to go into fellowship or companionship with one, which is expressed by הלך את , Pro 13:20, as בוא ב means, Jos 23:7, Jos 23:12, to enter into communion with one, venire in consuetudinem . This בוא את is not a trace of a more recent period of the language. Also תּאלף , discas , cannot be an equivalent for it: Heb. poetry has at all times made use of Aramaisms as elegancies. אלף , Arab. אלף , ילף , Arab. âlifa , signifies to be entrusted with anything = to learn ( Piel אלּף , to teach, Job 15:15, and in Elihu's speeches), or also to become confidential with one (whence אלּוּף , companion, confidant, Pro 2:17); this אלף is never a Heb. prose word; the bibl. אלּוּף is only used at a later period in the sense of teacher. ארחות .reh are the ways, the conduct (Pro 2:20, etc.), or manner of life (Pro 1:19) which any one enters upon and follows out, thus manners as well as lot, condition. In the phrase "to bring destruction," לקח is used as in our phrase steplang7 Schaden nehmen [to suffer injury]; the ancient language also represented the forced entrance of one into a state as a being laid hold on, e.g. , Job 18:20, cf. Isa 13:8; here מוקשׁ is not merely equivalent to danger (Ewald, falsely: that thou takest not danger for thy soul), but is equivalent to destruction, sin itself is a snare (Pro 29:6); to bring a snare for oneself is equivalent to suffer from being ensnared. Whosoever comes into a near relation with a passionate, furious, man, easily accommodates himself to his manners, and, hurried forward by him and like him to outbreaks of anger, which does that which is not right before God, falls into ruinous complications.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:26-27

A third distich follows:

26 Be not among those who strike hands,

Among those who become surety for loans.

27 If thou hast nothing to pay,

Why shall he take away thy bed from under thee?

To strike hands is equivalent to, to be responsible to any one for another, to stake one's goods and honour for him, Pro 6:1; Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18 - in a word, ערב , seq. acc ., to pledge oneself for him (Gen 43:9), or for the loan received by him, משּׁאה , Deu 24:10 (from השּׁה , with ב , of the person and accus. of the thing: to lend something to one on interest). The proverb warns against being one of such sureties (write בּערבים with Cod. 1294, and old impressions such as the Venice, 1521), against acting as they do; for why wouldest thou come to this, that when thou cast not pay ( שׁלּם , to render a full equivalent reckoning, and, generally, to pay, Pro 6:31),

(Note: After Ben-Asher, the pointing is אם־אין־לך ; while, on the contrary, Ben-Naphtali prefers אם־אין לך ; vid ., my Genesis (1869), pp. 74 (under Gen 1:3) and 81. So, without any bearing on the sense, Ben-Asher points למּה with Tarcha , Ben-Naphtali with Mercha .)

he (the creditor) take away thy bed from under thee? - for, as Pro 20:16 says, thus improvident suretyships are wont to be punished.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:28

A fourth proverb - a distich - beginning with the warning אל :

28 Remove not the perpetual landmark

Which thy ancestors have set up.

28a = Pro 23:10. Regarding the inviolability of boundaries established by the law, vid ., at Pro 15:25. גּבוּל עולם denotes "the boundary mark set up from ancient times, the removal of which were a double transgression, because it is rendered sacred by its antiquity"( Orelli , p. 76). נסג = סוּג signifies to remove back, Hiph . to shove back, to move away. אשׁר has the meaning of ( ὅριον ) ὅ , τι , quippe quod . Instead of עולם , the Mishna reads, Pea v. 6, עולים , which in the Jerusalem Gemara one Rabbi understands of those brought up out of Egypt, another of the poor; for "to rise"(in the world) is a euphemism ( לשׁון כבוד ) for "to come down"(be reduced in circumstances).

(Note: As an analogical example, סגּי נהור , seeing clearly = blind.)

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 22:29

After these four proverbs beginning with אל , a new series begins with the following tristich:

29 Seest thou a man who is expert in his calling -

Before kings may he stand;

Not stand before obscure men;

i.e. , he can enter into the service of kings, and needs not to enter into the service of mean men = he is entitled to claim the highest official post. חזית , in Pro 26:12 = Pro 29:20, interchanging with ראית , is perf. hypotheticum (cf. Pro 24:10; Pro 25:16): si videris ; the conclusion which might begin with דּע כּי expresses further what he who sees will have occasion to observe. Rightly Luther: steplang7 Sihestu einen Man endelich ( vid ., at Pro 21:5) steplang7 in seinem geschefft, u.s.w . = seest thou a man expert in his business, etc.. מהיר denotes in all the three chief dialects one who is skilful in a manner not merely by virtue of external artistic ability, but also by means of intellectual mastery of it. התיצּב לפני , to enter on the situation of a servant before any one; cf. Job 1:6; Job 2:1. עמד לפני , 1Sa 16:21; 1Ki 10:8. Along with the pausal form יתיצּב , there is also found in Codd. the form יתיצּב (the ground-form to יתיצּב , whence that pausal form is lengthened), which Ben-Bileam defends, for he reckons this word among "the pathachized pausal forms." חשׁכּים , in contrast to מלכים , are the obscuri = ignobiles . The Targ. translate the Heb. דּל and אביון by חשׁיך and חשׁוך . Kimchi compares Jer 39:10, where העם הדּלּים is translated by חשׁיכיּא (cf. 2Ki 24:14; 2Ki 25:12). חלכּה ( חלכּה ) is the old Heb. synonym in Ps 10. The poet seems here to transfer the Aram. usus loq . into the Heb.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:1-3

Pro 22:29, which speaks of a high position near the king, is appropriately followed by a hexastich referring to the slipperiness of the smooth ground of the king's court.

1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler,

Consider well whom thou hast before thee.

2 And put thy knife to thy throat

If thou art a man of good appetite.

3 Be not lustful after his dainties,

Because it is deceitful food.

The ל of ללחום is that of end: ad cibum capiendum , thus as one invited by him to his table; in prose the expression would be לאכל לחם ; לחם , to eat, is poet., Pro 4:17; Pro 9:5. The fut. תּבין clothes the admonition in the form of a wish or counsel; the infin. intens. בּין makes it urgent: consider well him whom thou hast before thee, viz., that he is not thine equal, but one higher, who can destroy thee as well as be useful to thee. With ושׂמתּ the jussive construction begun by תבין is continued. Zöckler and Dächsel, after Ewald and Hitzig, translate incorrectly: thou puttest..., the perf. consec. after an imperf., or, which is the same thing, a fut. meant optatively ( e.g. , Lev 19:18 with לא , and also Lev 19:34 without לא ) continues the exhortation; to be thus understood, the author ought to have used the expression שׂכּין שׂמתּ and not ושׂמת שׂכין . Rightly Luther: "and put a knife to thy throat,"but continuing: "wilt thou preserve thy life,"herein caught in the same mistake of the idea with Jerome, the Syr., and Targ., to which נפשׁ here separates itself. שׂכּין ( סכּין ) (Arab. with the assimilated a sikkı̂n , plur. sekâkı̂n , whence sekâkı̂ni , cutler) designates a knife (R. סך שך , to stick, vid ., at Isa 9:10). לוע , from לוּע , to devour, is the throat; the word in Aram. signifies only the cheek, while Lagarde seeks to interpret בּלעך infinitively in the sense of (Arab.) bwlw'ak , if thou longest for (from wl'a ); but that would make 2b a tautology. The verb לוּע (cf. Arab. l'al' , to pant for) shows for the substantive the same primary meaning as glutus from glutire , which was then transferred from the inner organ of swallowing (Kimchi, בית הבליעה , Parchon; הוּשׂט , aesophagus ) to the external. "Put a knife to thy throat, is a proverbial expression, like our: the knife stands at his throat; the poet means to say: restrain thy too eager desire by means of the strongest threatening of danger - threaten as it were death to it"(Fleischer). In בּעל נפשׁ , נפשׁ means, as at Pro 13:2, desire, and that desire of eating, as at Pro 6:30. Rightly Rashi: if thou art greedy with hunger, if thou art a glutton; cf. Sir. 34:12 (31:12), "If thou sittest at a great table, then open not widely thy throat ( φάρυγγα ), and say not: There is certainly much on it!"The knife thus denotes the restraining and moderating of too good an appetite.

In 3a the punctuation fluctuates between תתאו ( Michlol 131a) and תתאו ; the latter is found in Cod. 1294, the Erfurt 2 and 3, the Cod. Jaman ., and thus it is also to be written at Pro 23:6 and Pro 24:1; ויתאו , 1Ch 11:17 and Psa 45:12, Codd. and older Edd. ( e.g. , Complut. 1517, Ven. 1515, 1521) write with Pathach . מטעמּות , from טעם , signifies savoury dishes, dainties, like (Arab.) dhwâkt , from dhâk (to taste, to relish); cf. sapores , from sapere , in the proverb: the tit-bits of the king burn the lips ( vid ., Fleischer, Ali's Hundred Proverbs , etc., pp. 71, 104). With והוּא begins, as at Pro 3:29, a conditioning clause: since it is, indeed, the bread of deceit (the connection like עד־כּחבים , Pro 21:28), food which, as it were, deceives him who eats it, i.e. , appears to secure for him the lasting favour of princes, and often enough herein deceives him; cf. the proverb by Burckhardt and Meidani: whoever eats of the sultan's soup burns his lips, even though it may be after a length of time (Fleischer). One must come near to a king, says Calovius, hitting the meaning of the proverb, as to a fire: not too near, lest he be burned; nor too remote, so that he may be warmed therewith.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:4-5

All the forms of proverbs run through these appended proverbs. There now follows a pentastich:

4 Do not trouble thyself to become rich;

Cease from such thine own wisdom.

5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly after it, and it is gone?

For it maketh itself, assuredly it maketh itself wings,

Like an eagle which fleeth toward the heavens.

The middle state, according to Pro 30:8, is the best: he who troubleth himself (cf. Pro 28:20, hasteth) to become rich, placeth before himself a false, deceitful aim. יגע is essentially one with (Arab.) waji'a , to experience sorrow, dolere , and then signifies, like πονεῖν and κάμνειν , to become or to be wearied, to weary or trouble oneself, to toil and moil (Fleischer). The בּינה (cf. Pro 3:5) is just wisdom, prudence directed towards becoming rich; for striving of itself alone does not accomplish it, unless wisdom is connected with it, which is not very particular in finding out means in their moral relations; but is so much the more crafty, and, as we say, speculative. Rightly Aquila, the Venet ., Jerome, and Luther: take not pains to become rich. On the contrary, the lxx reads אל תיגע להעשׁיר , stretch not thyself (if thou art poor) after a rich man; and the Syr. and Targ. אל תּגּע להעשׁיר , draw not near to the rich man; but, apart from the uncertainty of the expression and the construction in both cases, poetry, and proverbial poetry too, does not prefer the article; it never uses it without emphasis, especially as here must be the case with it not elided. These translators thought that ' בּו וגו , Pro 23:5, presupposed a subject expressed in Pro 23:4; but the subject is not העשׁיר , but the עשׁר [riches] contained in להעשׁיר . The self-intelligible it in "it maketh wings,"etc. is that about which trouble has been taken, about which there has been speculation. That is a deceitful possession; for what has been gained by many years of labour and search, often passes away suddenly, is lost in a moment. To let the eyes fly after anything, is equivalent to, to direct a (flying) look toward it: wilt thou let thine eyes rove toward the same, and it is gone? i.e. , wilt thou expose thyself to the fate of seeing that which was gained with trouble and craft torn suddenly away from thee? Otherwise Luther, after Jerome: Let not thine eyes fly after that which thou cast not have; but apart from the circumstance that בּו ואיננּוּ cannot possibly be understood in the sense of ad opes quas non potes habere (that would have required באשׁר איננו ), in this sense after the analogy of ( ל ) נשׂא נפשׁ אל , the end aimed at would have been denoted by לו and not by בו . Better Immanuel, after Rashi: if thou doublest, i.e. , shuttest (by means of the two eyelids) thine eyes upon it, it is gone, i.e. , has vanished during the night; but עוף , duplicare , is Aram. and not Heb. Rather the explanation is with Chajûg, after Isa 8:22.: if thou veilest (darkenest) thine eyes, i.e. , yieldest thyself over to carelessness; but the noun עפעפּה shows that עוף , spoken of the eyes, is intended to signify to fly (to rove, flutter). Hitzig too artificially (altering the expression to להעשׁיר ): if thou faintest, art weary with the eyes toward him (the rich patron), he is gone - which cannot be adopted, because the form of a question does not accord with it. Nor would it accord if ואיננו were thought of as a conclusion: "dost thou let thy look fly toward it? It is gone;"for what can this question imply? The ו of ואיננו shows that this word is a component part of the question; it is a question lla nakar , i.e. , in rejection of the subject of the question: wilt thou cast thy look upon it, and it is gone? i.e. , wilt thou experience instant loss of that which is gained by labour and acquired by artifice? On בו , cf. Job 7:8. ' עיניך וגו , "thou directest thine eyes to me: I am no more."We had in Pro 12:19 another mode of designating viz. till I wink again an instant. The Chethı̂b ' התעוּף וגו is syntactically correct (cf. Pro 15:22; Pro 20:30), and might remain. The Kerı̂ is mostly falsely accentuated התּעיף , doubly incorrectly; for (1) the tone never retreats from a shut syllable terminating in î , e.g. , להכין , Isa 40:20; בהכין , 1Ch 1:4; אבין , Job 23:8; and (2) there is, moreover, wanting here any legitimate occasion for the retrogression of the tone; thus much rather the form התּעיף (with Mehuppach of the last, and Zinnorith of the preceding open syllable) is to be adopted, as it is given by Opitz, Jablonsky, Michaelis, and Reineccius.

The subject of 5b is, as of 5a, riches. That riches take wings and flee away, is a more natural expression than that the rich patron flees away - a quaint figure, appropriate however at Nah 3:16, where the multitude of craftsmen flee out of Nineveh like a swarm of locusts. עשׂה has frequently the sense of acquirere , Gen 12:5, with לו , sibi acquirere , 1Sa 15:1; 1Ki 1:15; Hitzig compares Silius Ital . xvi. 351: sed tum sibi fecerat alas . The inf . intensivus strengthens the assertion: it will certainly thus happen.

In 5c all unnecessary discussion regarding the Chethı̂b ועיף is to be avoided, for this Chethı̂b does not exist; the Masora here knows only of a simple Chethı̂b and Kerı̂ , viz., ועוּף (read יעוּף ), not of a double one ( ועיּף ), and the word is not among those which have in the middle a י , which is to be read like ו . The manuscripts ( e.g. , also the Bragadin. 1615) have ועוּף , and the Kerı̂ יעוּף ; it is one of the ten words registered in the Masora, at the beginning of which a י is to be read instead of the written ו . Most of the ancients translate with the amalgamation of the Kerı̂ and the Chethı̂b : and he (the rich man, or better: the riches) flees heavenwards (Syr., Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, Jerome, and Luther). After the Kerı̂ the Venet . renders: ὡς ἀετὸς πτήσεται τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (viz., ὁ πλοῦτος ). Rightly the Targ.: like an eagle which flies to heaven (according to which also it is accentuated), only it is not to be translated "steplang7 am Himmel "[to heaven], but "steplang7 gen Himmel "[towards heaven]: השּׁמים is the accusative of direction - the eagle flies heavenward. Bochart, in the Hierozoïcon , has collected many parallels to this comparison, among which is the figure in Lucian's Timon , where Pluto, the god of wealth, comes to one limping and with difficulty; but going away, outstrips in speed the flight of all birds. The lxx translates ὥσπερ ἀετοῦ καὶ ὑποστρέφει εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ προεστηκότος αὐτοῦ . Hitzig accordingly reads שׁבו לבית משׂגּבּו , and he (the rich patron) withdraws from thee to his own steep residence. But ought not οἶκος τοῦ προεστηκότος αὐτοῦ to be heaven, as the residence of Him who administers wealth, i.e. , who gives and again takes it away according to His free-will?

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:6-8

There now follows a proverb with unequally measured lines, perhaps a heptastich:

6 Eat not the bread of the jealous,

And let not thyself lust after his dainties;

7 For as one who calculates with himself, so is he:

"Eat and drink,"saith he to thee;

But his heart is not with thee.

8 Thy morsel which thou hast enjoyed wilt thou cast up,

And hast lost thy pleasant words.

As טוב עין , Pro 22:9, benignus oculo , denotes the pleasantness and joy of social friendship; so here (cf. Deu 15:9; Mat 15:15) רע עין , malignus oculo , the envy and selfishness of egoism seeking to have and retain all for itself. The lxx ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ , for the look of the evil eye, עין רע , עינא בישׁא ( cattivo occhio ), refers to enchantment; cf. βασκαίνειν , fascinare , to bewitch, to enchant, in modern Greek, to envy, Arab. 'an , to eye, as it were, whence ma‛jûn , ma‛ı̂n , hit by the piercing look of the envious eye, invidiae , as Apuleius says, letali plaga percussus (Fleischer). Regarding תּתאו with Pathach , vid ., the parallel line 3a. 7a is difficult. The lxx and Syr. read שׂער [hair]. The Targ. renders תּרעא רמא , and thus reads שׁער [fool], and thus brings together the soul of the envious person and a high portal, which promises much, but conceals only deception behind (Ralbag). Joseph ha-Nakdan reads

(Note: In an appendix to Ochla We-Ochla , in the University Library at Halle, he reads שׂער , but with פליגא [doubtful] added.)

שׂער with sîn ; and Rashi, retaining the schîn , compares the "sour figs,"Jer 29:17. According to this, Luther translates: like a ghost (a monster of lovelessness) is he inwardly; for, as it appears in שׂער , the goat-like spectre שׂעיר hovered before him. Schultens better, because more in conformity with the text: quemadmodum suam ipsius animam abhorret ( i.e. , as he does nothing to the benefit of his own appetite) sic ille ( erga alios multo magis ). The thought is appropriate, but forced. Hitzig for once here follows Ewald; he does not, however, translate: "like as if his soul were divided, so is it;"but: "as one who is divided in his soul, so is he;"but the verb שׁער , to divide, is inferred from שׁער , gate = division, and is as foreign to the extra-bibl. usus loq . as it is to the bibl. The verb שׁער signifies to weigh or consider, to value, to estimate. These meanings Hitzig unites together: in similitudinem arioli et conjectoris aestimat quod ignorat , perhaps meaning thereby that he conjecturally supposes that as it is with him, so it is with others: he dissembles, and thinks that others dissemble also. Thus also Jansen explains. The thought is far-fetched, and does not cover itself by the text. The translation of the Venet . also: ὡς γὰρ ἐμέτρησεν ἐν ψυχῇ οἱ οὕτως ἐστίν (perhaps: he measures to others as penuriously as to himself), does not elucidate the text, but obscures it. Most moderns (Bertheau, Zöckler, Dächsel, etc.): as he reckons in his soul, so is he (not as he seeks to appear for a moment before thee). Thus also Fleischer: quemadmodum reputat apud se, ita est ( sc. non ut loquitur ), with the remark that שׁער (whence שׁער , measure, market value, Arab. si'r ), to measure, to tax to as to determine the price, to reckon; and then like חשׁב , in general, to think, and thus also Meîri with the neut. rendering of ita est . But why this circumlocution in the expression? The poet ought in that case just to have written כי לא למו דבּר בשׂפתיו כן הוא , for he is not as he speaks with his mouth. If one read שׁער (Symmachus, εἰκάζων ), then we have the thought adapted to the portrait that is drawn; for like one calculating by himself, so is he, i.e. , he is like one who estimates with himself the value of an object; for which we use the expression: he reckons the value of every piece in thy mouth. However, with this understanding the punctuation also of שׁער as finite may be retained and explained after Isa 26:18 : for as if he reckoned in his soul, so is he; but in this the perf. is inappropriate; by the particip. one reaches the same end

(Note: We may write כּן הוּא : the Mehuppach ( Jethîb ) sign of the Olewejored standing between the two words represents also the place of the Makkeph ; vid ., Thorath Emeth , p. 20.)

by a smoother way. True, he says to thee: eat and drink (Son 5:1), he invites thee with courtly words; but his heart is not with thee ( בּל , like Pro 24:23): he only puts on the appearance of joy if thou partakest abundantly, but there lurks behind the mask of liberal hospitality the grudging niggardly calculator, who poisons thy every bite, every draught, by his calculating, grudging look. Such a feast cannot possibly do good to the guest: thy meal ( פּת , from פּתת ; cf. κλᾶν τὸν ἄρτον , Aram. פּרס לחמא , to divide and distribute bread, whence פּרנס , to receive aliment, is derived) which thou hast eaten thou wilt spue out, i.e. , wilt vomit from disgust that thou hast eaten such food, so that that which has been partaken of does thee no good. פּתּך is also derived from פּתּה :

(Note: Immanuel makes so much of having recognised the verb in this פּתּך (and has he persuaded thee), that in the concluding part of his Divan (entitled Machberoth Immanuel ), which is an imitation of Dante's Divina Commedia , he praises himself on this account in the paradise of King Solomon, who is enraptured by this explanation, and swears that he never meant that word otherwise.)

has he deceived thee (with his courtly words), but with this אכלתּ , which, as the Makkeph rightly denotes, stands in an attributive relation to פתך , does not agree. תקיאנּה is Hiph . of קוא , as transitive: to make vomiting; in Arab. the fut. Kal of ka terminates in î . The fair words which the guest, as the perf. consec . expresses, has lavished, are the words of praise and thanks in which he recognises the liberality of the host appearing so hospitable. Regarding the penult . accenting of the perf. consec . by Mugrasch , as Pro 30:9, vid ., under Psa 27:1. Pinsker ( Babyl.-Hebr. Punktationssystem , p. 134) conjectures that the line 8b originally formed the concluding line of the following proverb. But at the time of the lxx (which erroneously expresses ושׁחת ) it certainly stood as in our text.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:9

Another case in which good words are lost:

Speak not to the ears of a fool,

For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

To speak in the ears of any one, does not mean to whisper to him, to so to speak that it is distinctly perceived. כּסיל , as we have no often explained, is the intellectually heavy and dull, like pinguis and tardus ; Arab. balyd , clumsy, intellectually immoveable (cf. bld , the place where one places himself firmly down, which one makes his point of gravity). The heart of such an one is covered over (Psa 119:70), as with grease, against all impressions of better knowledge; he has for the knowledge which the words spoken design to impart to him, no susceptibility, no mind, but only contempt. The construction בּוּז ל has been frequently met with from Pro 6:30.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:10-11

The following proverb forms a new whole from component parts of Pro 22:28 and Pro 22:22.:

10 Remove not ancient landmarks;

And into the fields of orphans enter thou not.

11 For their Saviour is a mighty one;

He will conduct their cause against thee.

בּוא ב separates itself here to the meaning of injuste invadere et occupare ; French, empiéter sur son voisin , advance not into the ground belonging to thy neighbour (Fleischer). If orphans have also no goel among their kindred (Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, ἀγχιστεύς ) to redeem by purchase (Lev 25:25) their inheritance that has passed over into the possession of another, they have another, and that a mighty Saviour, Redemptor, who will restore to them that which they have lost - viz. God (Jer 50:34) - who will adopt their cause against any one who has unjustly taken from them.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:12

The following proverb warrants us to pause here, for it opens up, as a compendious echo of Pro 22:17-21, a new series of proverbs of wisdom:

12 Apply thine heart to instruction,

And thine ear to the utterances of knowledge.

We may, according as we accent in למּוּסר the divine origin or the human medium, translate, offer disciplinae (Schultens), or adhibe ad disciplinam cor tuum (Fleischer). This general admonition is directed to old and young, to those who are to be educated as well as to those who are educated. First to the educator:

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:13-14

13 Withhold not correction from the child;

For thou will beat him with the rod, and he will not die.

14 Thou beatest him with the rod,

And with it deliverest his soul from hell.

The exhortation, 13a, presupposes that education by word and deed is a duty devolving on the father and the teacher with regard to the child. In 13b, כּי is in any case the relative conjunction. The conclusion does not mean: so will he not fall under death (destruction), as Luther also would have it, after Deu 19:21, for this thought certainly follows Pro 23:14; nor after Pro 19:18 : so may the stroke not be one whereof he dies, for then the author ought to have written אל־תּמיתנּוּ ; but: he will not die of it, i.e. , only strike if he has deserved it, thou needest not fear; the bitter medicine will be beneficial to him, not deadly. The אתּה standing before the double clause, Pro 23:14, means that he who administers corporal chastisement to the child, saves him spiritually; for שׁאול does not refer to death in general, but to death falling upon a man before his time, and in his sins, vid ., Pro 15:24, cf. Pro 8:26.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:15-16

The following proverb passes from the educator to the pupil:

15 My son, if thine heart becometh wise,

My heart also in return will rejoice;

16 And my reins will exult

If thy lips speak right things.

Wisdom is inborn in no one. A true Arab. proverb says, "The wise knows how the fool feels, for he himself was also once a fool;"

(Note: The second part of the saying is, "But a fool knows not how a wise man feels, for he has never been a wise man."I heard this many years ago, from the mouth of the American missionary Schaufler, in Constantinople.)

and folly is bound up in the heart of a child, according to Pro 22:15, which must be driven out by severe discipline. 15b, as many others, cf. Pro 22:19, shows that these "words of the wise"are penetrated by the subjectivity of an author; the author means: if thy heart becomes wise, so will mine in return, i.e. , corresponding to it (cf. גּם , Gen 20:6), rejoice. The thought of the heart in Pro 23:15 repeats itself in Pro 23:16, with reference to the utterance of the mouth. Regarding מישׁרים , vid ., Pro 1:5. Regarding the "reins," כּליות (perhaps from כּלה , to languish, Job 19:21), with which the tender and inmost affections are connected, vid ., Psychologie , p. 268f.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:17-18

The poet now shows how one attains unto wisdom - the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God:

17 Let not thine heart strive after sinners,

But after the fear of Jahve all the day.

18 Truly there is a future,

And thy hope shall not come to naught.

The lxx, Jerome, the Venet ., and Luther, and the Arab. interpreters, render 17b as an independent clause: "but be daily in the fear of the Lord."That is not a substantival clause (cf. Pro 22:7), nor can it be an interjectional clause, but it may be an elliptical clause (Fleischer: from the prohibitive אל־תקנא is to be taken for the second parallel member the v. subst . lying at the foundation of all verbs); but why had the author omitted היה dettim ? Besides, one uses the expressions, to act ( עשׂה ), and to walk ( הלך ) in the fear of God, but not the expression to be ( היה ) in the fear of God. Thus בּיראת , like בחטּאים , is dependent on אל־תּקנּא ; and Jerome, who translates: Non aemuletur cor tuum peccatores, sed in timore Domini esto tota die , ought to have continued: sed timorem Domini tota die ; for, as one may say in Latin: aemulari virtutes , as well as aemulari aliquem , so also in Heb. קנּא ב , of the envying of those persons whose fortune excites to dissatisfaction, because one has not the same, and might yet have it, Pro 3:31; Pro 24:1, Pro 24:19, as well as of emulation for a thing in which one might not stand behind others: envy not sinners, envy much rather the fear of God, i.e. , let thyself be moved with eager desire after it when its appearance is presented to thee. There is no O.T. parallel for this, but the Syr. tan and the Greek ζηλοτυποῦν are used in this double sense. Thus Hitzig rightly, and, among the moderns, Malbim; with Aben Ezra, it is necessary to take ביראת for באישׁ יראת , this proverb itself declares the fear of God to be of all things the most worthy of being coveted.

In Pro 23:18, Umbreit, Elster, Zöckler, and others interpret the כּי as assigning a reason, and the אם as conditioning: for when the end (the hour of the righteous judgment) has come; Bertheau better, because more suitable to the ישׁ and the אחרית : when an end (an end adjusting the contradictions of the present time) comes, as no doubt it will come, then thy hope will not be destroyed; but, on the other hand, the succession of words in the conclusion ( vid ., at Pro 3:34) opposes this; also one does not see why the author does not say directly כי ישׁ אחרית , but expresses himself thus conditionally.

(Note: The form כּי אם־ does not contradict the connection of the two particles. This use of the Makkeph is general, except in these three instances: Gen 15:4; Num 35:33; Neh 2:2.)

If אם is meant hypothetically, then, with the lxx ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτὰ ἔκγονα , we should supply after it תּשׁמרנּה , that had fallen out. Ewald's: much rather there is yet a future (Dächsel: much rather be happy there is...), is also impossible; for the preceding clause is positive, not negative. The particles כּי אם , connected thus, mean: for if ( e.g. , Lam 3:32); or also relatively: that if ( e.g. , Jer 26:15). After a negative clause they have the meaning of "unless,"which is acquired by means of an ellipsis; e.g. , Isa 55:10, it turns not back thither, unless it has watered the earth (it returns back not before then, not unless this is done). This "unless"is, however, used like the Lat. nisi , also without the conditioning clause following, e.g. , Gen 28:17, hic locus non est nisi domus Dei . And hence the expression כי אם , after the negation going before, acquires the meaning of "but," e.g. , 17b: let not thy heart be covetous after sinners, for thou canst always be zealous for the fear of God, i.e. , much rather for this, but for this. This pleonasm of אם sometimes occurs where כי is not used confirmatively, but affirmatively: the "certainly if"forms the transition, e.g. , 1Ki 20:6 ( vid ., Keil's Comm. l.c .), whose "if"is not seldom omitted, so that כי אם has only the meaning of an affirmative "certainly,"not "truly no,"which it may also have, 1Sa 25:34, but "truly yes."Thus כי אם is used Jdg 15:7; 2Sa 15:21 (where אם is omitted by the Kerı̂ ); 2Ki 5:20; Jer 51:14; and thus it is also meant here, 18a, notwithstanding that כי אם , in its more usual signification, "besides only, but, nisi ,"precedes, as at 1Sa 21:6, cf. 5. The objection by Hitzig, that with this explanation: "certainly there is a future,"Pro 23:18 and Pro 23:17 are at variance, falls to the ground, if one reflects on the Heb. idiom, in which the affirmative signification of כי is interpenetrated by the confirmative. אחרית used thus pregnantly, as here (Pro 24:14), is the glorious final issue; the word in itself designates the end into which human life issues (cf. Psa 37:37.); here, the end crowning the preceding course. Jeremiah (Jer 29:11) in this sense connects אחרית ותקוה [end and expectation]. And what is here denied of the תּקיה , the hope (not as certain Jewish interpreters dream, the thread of life) of him who zealously strives after the fear of God, is affirmed, at Psa 37:38, of the godless: the latter have no continuance, but the former have such as is the fulfilling of his hope.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:19-21

Among the virtues which flow from the fear of God, temperance is made prominent, and the warning against excess is introduced by the general exhortation to wisdom:

19 Hear thou, my son, and become wise,

And direct thy heart straight forward on the way.

20 And be not among wine-drinkers,

And among those who devour flesh;

21 For the drunkard and glutton become poor,

And sleepiness clotheth in rags.

The אתּה , connected with שׁמע , imports that the speaker has to do with the hearer altogether by himself, and that the latter may make an exception to the many who do not hear (cf. Job 33:33; Jer 2:31). Regarding אשּׁר , to make to go straight out, vid ., at Pro 4:14; the Kal , Pro 9:6, and also the Piel , Pro 4:14, mean to go straight on, and, generally, to go. The way merely, is the one that is right in contrast to the many byways. Fleischer: "the way sensu eximio , as the Oriental mystics called the way to perfection merely (Arab.) âlaṭryḳ ; and him who walked therein, âlsâlak , the walker or wanderer."

(Note: Rashi reads בדרך לבך (walk), in the way of thy heart (which has become wise), and so Heidenheim found it in an old MS; but בדרך is equivalent to בדרך בינה , Pro 9:6.)

אל־תּתי ב , as at Pro 22:26, the "Words of the Wise,"are to be compared in point of style. The degenerate and perverse son is more clearly described, Deu 21:20, as זולל וסבא . These two characteristics the poet distributes between 20a and 20b. סבא means to drink (whence סבא , drink = wine, Isa 1:22) wine or other intoxicating drinks; Arab. sabâ , vinum potandi causa emere . To the יין here added, בּשׂר in the parallel member corresponds, which consequently is not the fleshly body of the gluttons themselves, but the prepared flesh which they consume at their luxurious banquets. The lxx incorrectly as to the word, but not contrary to the sense, "be no wine-bibber, and stretch not thyself after picknicks ( συμβολαῖς ), and buying in of flesh ( κρεῶν τε ἀγορασμοῖς ),"whereby זללי is translated in the sense of the Aram. זבני (Lagarde). זלל denotes, intransitively, to be little valued (whence זולל , opp. יקר , Jer 15:19), transitively to value little, and as such to squander, to lavish prodigally; thus: qui prodigi sunt carnis sibi ; למו is dat. commodi . Otherwise Gesenius, Fleischer, Umbreit, and Ewald: qui prodigi sunt carnis suae , who destroy their own body; but the parallelism shows that flesh is meant wherewith they feed themselves, not their own flesh ( בּשׂר למו , like חמת־למו , Psa 58:5), which, i.e. , its health, they squander. זולל also, in phrase used in Deu 21:20 (cf. with Hitzig the formula φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης , Mat 11:19), denotes not the dissolute person, as the sensualist, πορνοκόπος (lxx), but the συμβολοκόπος (Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion), κρεωβόρος ( Venet .), זלל בּסר (Onkelos), i.e. , flesh-eater, ravenous person, glutton, in which sense it is rendered here, by the Syr. and Targ., by אסוט ( אסיט ), i.e. , ἄσωτος . Regarding the metaplastic fut. Niph . יוּרשׁ (lxx πτωχεύσει ), vid ., at Pro 20:13, cf. Pro 11:25. נוּמה (after the form of בּוּשׁה , דּוּגה , צוּרה ) is drowsiness, lethargy, long sleeping, which necessarily follows a life of riot and revelry. Such a slothful person comes to a bit of bread (Pro 21:17); and the disinclination and unfitness for work, resulting from night revelry, brings it about that at last he must clothe himself in miserable rags. The rags are called קרע and ῥάκος , from the rending (tearing), Arab. ruk'at , from the patching, mending. Lagarde, more at large, treats of this word here used for rags.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:22-25

The parainesis begins anew, and the division is open to question. Pro 23:22-24 can of themselves be independent distichs; but this is not the case with Pro 23:25, which, in the resumption of the address and in expression, leans back on Pro 23:22. The author of this appendix may have met with Pro 23:23 and Pro 23:24 (although here also his style, as conformed to that of Pro 1:9, is noticeable, cf. 23b with Pro 1:2), but Pro 23:22 and Pro 23:25 are the form which he has given to them.

Thus Pro 23:22-25 are a whole: -

22 Hearken to thy father, to him who hath begotten thee,

And despise not thy mother when she has grown old.

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not,

Wisdom and discipline and understanding.

24 The father of a righteous man rejoiceth greatly;

(And) he that is the father of a wise man - he will rejoice.

25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad;

And her that bare thee exult.

The octastich begins with a call to childlike obedience, for שׁמע ל , to listen to any one, is equivalent to, to obey him, e.g. , Psa 81:9, Psa 81:14 (cf. "hearken to his voice,"Psa 95:7). זה ילדך is a relative clause (cf. Deu 32:18, without זה or אשׁר ), according to which it is rightly accentuated (cf. on the contrary, Psa 78:54). 22b, strictly taken, is not to be translated neve contemne cum senuerit matrem tuam (Fleischer), but cum senuerit mater tua , for the logical object to אל־תּבוּז is attracted as subj. of זקנה (Hitzig). There now follows the exhortation comprehending all, and formed after Pro 4:7, to buy wisdom, i.e. , to shun no expense, no effort, no privation, in order to attain to the possession of wisdom; and not to sell it, i.e. , not to place it over against any earthly possession, worldly gain, sensual enjoyment; not to let it be taken away by any intimidation, argued away by false reasoning, or prevailed against by enticements into the way of vice, and not to become unfaithful to it by swimming with the great stream (Exo 23:2); for truth, אמת , is that which endures and proves itself in all spheres, the moral as well as the intellectual. In 23b, in like manner as Pro 1:3; Pro 22:4, a threefold object is given to קנה instead of אמת : there are three properties which are peculiar to truth, the three powers which handle it: חכמה is knowledge solid, pressing into the essence of things; מוּסר is moral culture; and בּינה the central faculty of proving and distinguishing ( vid ., Pro 1:3-5). Now Pro 23:24 says what consequences are for the parents when the son, according to the exhortation of Pro 23:23, makes truth his aim, to which all is subordinated. Because in אמת the ideas of practical and theoretical truth are inter-connected. צדּיק and חכם are also here parallel to one another. The Chethı̂b of 24a is גּול יגוּל , which Schultens finds tenable in view of (Arab.) jal , fut jajûlu (to turn round; Heb. to turn oneself for joy) but the Heb. usus loq . knows elsewhere only גּיל יגיל , as the Kerı̂ corrects. The lxx, misled by the Chethı̂b , translates καλῶς ἐκτρέφει (incorrect ἐκτρυφήσει ), i.e. , גּדּל יגדּל . In 24b, וישׂמח is of the nature of a pred. of the conclusion (cf. Gen 22:24; Psa 115:7), as if the sentence were: has one begotten a wise man, then (cf. Pro 17:21) he has joy of him; but the Kerı̂ effaces this Vav apodosis , and assigns it to יולד as Vav copul . - an unnecessary mingling of the syntactically possible, more emphatic expression. This proverbial whole now rounds itself off in Pro 23:25 by a reference to Pro 23:22 - the Optative here corresponding to the Impr. and Prohib. there: let thy father and thy mother rejoice (lxx εὐφρανέσθω ), and let her that bare thee exult (here where it is possible the Optat. form ותגל ).

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:26-28

This hexastich warns against unchastity. What, in chap. 1-9, extended discourses and representations exhibited to the youth is here repeated in miniature pictures. It is the teacher of wisdom, but by him Wisdom herself, who speaks:

26 Give me, my son, thine heart;

And let thine eyes delight in my ways.

27 For the harlot is a deep ditch,

And the strange woman a narrow pit.

28 Yea, she lieth in wait like a robber,

And multiplieth the faithless among men

We have retained Luther's beautiful rendering of Pro 23:26,

(Note: The right punctuation of 26a is תּנה־בני לבּך , as it is found in the editions: Ven. 1615; Basel 1619; and in those of Norzi and Michaelis.)

in which this proverb, as a warning word of heavenly wisdom and of divine love, has become dear to us. It follows, as Symmachus and the Venet ., the Chethı̂b תּרצנה (for תרצינה , like Exo 2:16; Job 5:12), the stylistic appropriateness of which proceeds from Pro 16:7, as on the other hand the Kerı̂ תּצּרנה (cf. 1Sa 14:27) is supported by Pro 22:12, cf. Pro 5:2. But the correction is unnecessary, and the Chethı̂b sounds more affectionate, hence it is with right defended by Hitzig. The ways of wisdom are ways of correction, and particularly of chastity, thus placed over against "the ways of the harlot,"Pro 7:24. Accordingly the exhortation, Pro 23:26, verifies itself; warning, by Pro 23:27, cf. Pro 22:14, where עמקּה was written, here as at Job 12:22, with the long vowel עמוּקה ( עמקה ). בּאר צרה interchanges with שׁוּחה עמוקה , and means, not the fountain of sorrow (Löwenstein), but the narrow pit. בּאר is fem. gen., Pro 26:21., and צר means narrow, like étroit (old French, estreit ), from strictus . The figure has, after Pro 22:14, the mouth of the harlot in view. Whoever is enticed by her syren voice falls into a deep ditch, into a pit with a narrow mouth, into which one can more easily enter than escape from. Pro 23:28 says that it is the artifice of the harlot which draws a man into such depth of wickedness and guilt. With אף , which, as at Jdg 5:29, belongs not to היא but to the whole sentence, the picture of terror is completed. The verb חתף (whence Arab. ḥataf , death, natural death) means to snatch away. If we take חתף as abstr.: a snatching away, then it would here stand elliptically for חתף ( בּעל ) אישׁ , which in itself is improbable ( vid ., Pro 7:22, עכס ) and also unnecessary, since, as מלך , עבד , הלך , etc. show, such abstracta can pass immediately into concreta , so that חתף thus means the person who snatches away, i.e. , the street robber, latro (cf. חטף .fc( , Arab. khaṭaf , Psa 10:9, rightly explained by Kimchi as cogn.). In 28b, תוסיף cannot mean abripit (as lxx, Theodotion, and Jerome suppose), for which the word תּספּה ( תּאסף ) would have been used.

(Note: The Targ. translates 28b (here free from the influence of the Peshito) in the Syro-Palestinian idiom by וצՀד אבניּא שׁברי , i.e. , she seizes thoughtless sons.)

But this verbal idea does not harmonize with the connection; תוסיף means, as always, addit ( auget ), and that here in the sense of multiplicat . The same thing may be said of בּוגדים as is said (Pro 11:15) of תּוקעים . Hitzig's objection, " הוסיף , to multiply, with the accusative of the person, is not at all used,"is set aside by Pro 19:4. But we may translate: the faithless, or: the breach of faith she increases. Yet it always remains a question whether בּאדם is dependent on בוגדים , as Ecc 8:9, cf. 2Sa 23:3, on the verb of ruling (Hitzig), or whether, as frequently בּאדם , e.g. , Psa 78:60, it means inter homines (thus most interpreters). Uncleanness leads to faithlessness of manifold kinds: it makes not only the husband unfaithful to his wife, but also the son to his parents, the scholar to his teacher and pastor, the servant (cf. the case of Potiphar's wife) to his master. The adulteress, inasmuch as she entices now one and now another into her net, increases the number of those who are faithless towards men. But are they not, above all, faithless towards God? We are of opinion that not בוגדים , but תוסיף , has its complement in באדם , and needs it: the adulteress increases the faithless among men, she makes faithlessness of manifold kinds common in human society. According to this, also, it is accentuated; ובוגדים is placed as object by Mugrasch , and באדם is connected by Mercha with תוסיף .

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 23:29-35

The author passes from the sin of uncleanness to that of drunkenness; they are nearly related, for drunkenness excites fleshly lust; and to wallow with delight in the mire of sensuality, a man, created in the image of God, must first brutalize himself by intoxication. The Mashal in the number of its lines passes beyond the limits of the distich, and becomes a Mashal ode.

29 Whose is woe? Whose is grief?

Whose are contentions, whose trouble, whose wounds without cause?

Whose dimness of eyes?

30 Theirs, who sit late at the wine,

Who turn in to taste mixed wine.

31 Look not on the wine as it sparkleth red,

As it showeth its gleam in the cup,

Glideth down with ease.

32 The end of it is that it biteth like a serpent,

And stingeth like a basilisk.

33 Thine eyes shall see strange things,

And thine heart shall speak perverse things;

34 And thou art as one lying in the heart of the sea,

And as one lying on the top of a mast.

35 "They have scourged me-it pained me not;

They have beaten me - I perceived it not.

When shall I have wakened from sleep?

Thus on I go, I return to it again."

The repeated למי

(Note: We punctuate למי אוי , for that is Ben Asher's punctuation, while that of his opponent Ben Naphtali is למי־אוי . Vid ., Thorath Emeth , p. 33.)

asks who then has to experience all that; the answer follows in Pro 23:30. With אוי , the אבוי occurring only here accords; it is not a substantive from אבה (whence אבון ) after the form of צחק , in the sense of egestas ; but, like the former [ אוי ], an interjection of sorrow ( Venet . τίνι αἲ, τίνι φεῦ ). Regarding מדינים (Chethı̂b מדונים ), vid ., at Pro 6:14. שׂיח signifies ( vid ., at Pro 6:22) meditation and speech, here sorrowful thought and sorrowful complaint (1Sa 1:16; Psa 55:18; cf. הגה , הגיג ), e.g. , over the exhausted purse, the neglected work, the anticipated reproaches, the diminishing strength. In the connection פּצעים חנּם (cf. Psa 35:19) the accus. adv. חנם (French gratuitement ) represents the place of an adjective: strokes which one receives without being in the situation from necessity, or duty to expect them, strokes for nothing and in return for nothing (Fleischer), wounds for a long while (Oetinger). חכללוּת עינים is the darkening (clouding) of the eyes, from חצל , to be dim, closed, and transferred to the sensation of light: to be dark ( vid ., at Gen 49:12; Psa 10:8); the copper-nose of the drunkard is not under consideration; the word does not refer to the reddening, but the dimming of the eyes, and of the power of vision. The answer, Pro 23:30, begins, in conformity with the form of the question, with ל (write למאחרים , with Gaja to ל , according to Metheg-Setzung , §20, Michlol 46b): pain, and woe, and contention they have who tarry late at the wine (cf. Isa 5:11), who enter (viz., into the wine-house, Ecc 2:4, the house of revelry) "to search"mingled drink ( vid ., at Pro 9:2; Isa 5:22). Hitzig: "they test the mixing, as to the relation of the wine to the water, whether it is correct."But לחקור is like גּבּרים , Isa 5:22, meant in mockery: they are heroes, viz., heroes in drinking; they are searchers, such, namely, as seek to examine into the mixed wine, or also: thoroughly and carefully taste it (Fleischer).

The evil consequences of drunkenness are now registered. That one may not fall under this common sin, the poet, Pro 23:31, warns against the attraction which the wine presents to the sight and to the sense of taste: one must not permit himself to be caught as a prisoner by this enticement, but must maintain his freedom against it. התאדּם , to make, i.e. , to show oneself red, is almost equivalent to האדים ; and more than this, it presents the wine as itself co-operating and active by its red play of colours (Fleischer). Regarding the antiptosis ( antiphonesis ): Look not on the wine that is..., vid ., at Gen 1:3; yet here, where ראה means not merely "to see,"but "to look at,"the case is somewhat different. In 31b, one for the most part assumes that עינו signifies the eye of the wine, i.e. , the pearls which play on the surface of the wine (Fleischer). And, indeed, Hitzig's translation, after Num 11:7 : when it presents its appearance in the cup, does not commend itself, because it expresses too little. On the other hand, it is saying too much when Böttcher maintains that עין never denotes the mere appearance, but always the shining aspect of the object. But used of wine, עין appears to denote not merely aspect as such, but its gleam, glance; not its pearls, for which עיני would be the word used, but shining glance, by which particularly the bright glance, as out of deep darkness, of the Syro-Palestinian wine is thought of, which is for the most part prepared from red (blue) grapes, and because very rich in sugar, is thick almost like syrup. Jerome translates עינו well: ( cum splenduerit in vitro ) color ejus . But one need not think of a glass; Böttcher has rightly said that one might perceive the glittering appearance also in a metal or earthen vessel if one looked into it. The Chethı̂b בכיס is an error of transcription; the Midrash makes the remark on this, that בּכּיס fits the wine merchant, and בּכּוס the wine drinker. From the pleasure of the eye, 31c passes over to the pleasures of the taste: (that, or, as it) goeth down smoothly (Luther); the expression is like Ecc 7:10. Instead of הלך (like jâry , of fluidity) there stands here התהלך , commonly used of pleasant going; and instead of למישׁרים with ל , the norm בּמישׁרים with ב of the manner; directness is here easiness, facility (Arab. jusr ); it goes as on a straight, even way unhindered and easily down the throat.

(Note: The English version is, "when it moveth itself aright,"which one has perceived in the phenomenon of the tears of the wine, or of the movement in the glass. Vid ., Ausland, 1869, p. 72.)

Pro 23:32 shows how it issues with the wine, viz., with those who immoderately enjoy it. Is אחריתו [its end] here the subject, as at Pro 5:4? We must in that case interpret ישּׁך and יפרשׁ as attributives, as the Syr. and Targ. translate the latter, and Ewald both. The issue which it brings with it is like the serpent which bites, etc., and there is nothing syntactically opposed to this (cf. e.g. , Psa 17:12); the future, in contradistinction to the participle, would not express properties, but intimations of facts. But the end of the wine is not like a serpent, but like the bite of a serpent. The wine itself, and independent of its consequences, is in and of itself like a serpent. In accordance with the matter, אחריתו may be interpreted, with Hitzig (after Jerome, in novissimo ), as acc. adverb . = באחריתו , Jer 17:11. But why did not the author more distinctly write this word ' בא ? The syntactic relation is like Pro 29:21 : אחריתו is after the manner of a substantival clause, the subject to that which follows as its virtual predicate: "its end is: like a serpent it biteth = this, that it biteth like a serpent."Regarding צפעני , serpens regulus (after Schultens, from צפע = (Arab.) saf' , to breathe out glowing, scorching), vid ., at Isa 7:8. The Hiph . הפרישׁ Schultens here understands of the division of the liver, and Hitzig, after the lxx, Vulgate, and Venet ., of squirting the poison; both after the Arab. farth . But הפרישׁ , Syr. afrês , also signifies, from the root-idea of dividing and splitting, to sting, poindre, pointer , as Rashi and Kimchi gloss, whence the Aram. פּרשׁ , an ox-goad, with which the ancients connect פרשׁ (of the spur), the name for a rider, eques , and also a horse (cf. on the contrary, Fleischer in Levy, W.B . ii. 574); a serpent's bite and a serpent's sting (Lat. morsus, ictus , Varro: cum pepugerit colubra ) are connected together by the ancients.

(Note: However, we will not conceal it, that the post-bibl. Heb. does not know הפרישׁ in the sense of to prick, sting (the Midrash explains the passage by יפרישׁ בין לחיים , i.e. , it cuts off life); and the Nestorian Knanishu of Superghan, whom I asked regarding aphrish , knew only of the meanings "to separate"and "to point out,"but not "to sting.")

The excited condition of the drunkard is now described. First, Pro 23:33 describes the activity of his imagination as excited to madness. It is untenable to interpret זרות here with Rashi, Aben Ezra, and others, and to translate with Luther: "so shall thine eyes look after other women"( circumspicient mulieres impudicas , Fleischer, for the meaning to perceive, to look about for something, to seek something with the eyes, referring to Gen 41:33). For זרות acquires the meaning of mulieres impudicae only from its surrounding, but here the parallel תּהפּכות (perverse things) directs to the neut. aliena (cf. Pro 15:28, רעות ), but not merely in the sense of unreal things (Ralbag, Meîri), but: strange, i.e. , abnormal, thus bizarre, mad, dreadful things. An old Heb. parable compares the changing circumstances which wine produces with the manner of the lamb, the lion, the swine, the monkey; here juggles and phantoms of the imagination are meant, which in the view and fancy of the drunken man hunt one another like monkey capers. Moreover, the state of the drunken man is one that is separated from the reality of a life of sobriety and the safety of a life of moderation, 34a: thou act like one who lies in the heart of the sea. Thus to lie in the heart, i.e. , the midst, of the sea as a ship goes therein, Pro 30:19, is impossible; there one must swim but swimming is not lying, and to thing on a situation like that of Jonah; Jon 1:5, one must think also of the ship; but שׁכב does not necessarily mean "to sleep,"and, besides, the sleep of a passenger in the cabin on the high sea is of itself no dangerous matter. Rightly Hitzig: on the depth of the sea (cf. Jon 2:4) - the drunken man, or the man overcome by wine (Isa 28:7), is like one who has sunk down into the midst of the sea; and thus drowned, or in danger of being drowned, he is in a condition of intellectual confusion, which finally passes over into perfect unconsciousness, cut off from the true life which passes over him like one dead, and in this condition he has made a bed for himself, as שׁכב denotes. With בלב , בּראשׁ stands in complete contrast: he is like one who lies on the top of the mast. חבּל , after the forms דּבּר , שׁלּם , is the sail-yard fastened by ropes, חבלים ,sepo (Isa 33:23). To lay oneself down on the sail-yard happens thus to no one, and it is no place for such a purpose; but as little as one can quarter him who is on the ridge of the roof, in the 'Alîja , because no one is able to lie down there, so little can he in the bower [steplang7 Mastkorb ] him who is here spoken of (Böttcher). The poet says, but only by way of comparison, how critical the situation of the drunkard is; he compares him to one who lies on the highest sail-yard, and is exposed to the danger of being every moment thrown into the sea; for the rocking of the ship is the greater in proportion to the height of the sail-yard. The drunkard is, indeed, thus often exposed to the peril of his life; for an accident of itself not great, or a stroke, may suddenly put an end to his life.

The poet represents the drunken man as now speaking to himself. He has been well cudgelled; but because insensible, he has not felt it, and he places himself now where he will sleep out his intoxication. Far from being made temperate by the strokes inflicted on him, he rejoices in the prospect, when he has awaked out of his sleep, of beginning again the life of drunkenness and revelry which has become a pleasant custom to him. חלה means not only to be sick, but generally to be, or to become, affected painfully; cf. Jer 5:3, where חלוּ is not the 3rd pl. mas. of חיל , but of חלה . The words מתי אקיץ are, it is true, a cry of longing of a different kind from Job 7:4. The sleeping man cannot forbear from yielding to the constraint of nature: he is no longer master of himself, he becomes giddy, everything goes round about with him, but he thinks with himself: Oh that I were again awake! and so little has his appetite been appeased by his sufferings, that when he is again awakened, he will begin where he left off yesterday, when he could drink no more. מתי is here, after Nolde, Fleischer, and Hitzig, the relative quando ( quum ); but the bibl. usus loq . gives no authority for this. In that case we would have expected הקיצותי instead of אקיץ . As the interrog. מתי is more animated than the relat., so also אוסיף אבקשׁנּוּ is more animated (1Sa 2:3) than אוסיף לבקּשׁ . The suffix of אבקשׁנו refers to the wine: raised up, he will seek that which has become so dear and so necessary to him.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:1-2

After this divergence (in Pro 23:29-35) from the usual form of the proverb, there is now a return to the tetrastich:

1 Envy not evil men,

And desire not to have intercourse with them.

2 For their heart thinketh of violence,

And their lips speak mischief.

The warning, not to envy the godless, is also found at Pro 3:31; Pro 23:17; Pro 24:19, but is differently constructed in each of these passages. Regarding תּתאו with Pathach , vid ., at Pro 23:3. אנשׁי רעה (cf. רע , Pro 28:5) are the wicked, i.e. , such as cleave to evil, and to whom evil clings. The warning is grounded in this, that whoever have intercourse with such men, make themselves partners in greater sins and evil: for their heart broodeth (write כּי שׁד , Munach Dechî ) violence, i.e. , robbery, plunder, destruction, murder, and the like. With שׁד (in the Mishle only here and at Pro 21:7, cf. שׁדּד , Pro 19:26) connects itself elsewhere חמס , here (cf. Hab 1:3) עמל , labor, molestia , viz., those who prepare it for others by means of slanderous, crafty, uncharitable talk.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:3-4

The warning against fellowship with the godless is followed by the praise of wisdom, which is rooted in the fear of God.

3 By wisdom is the house builded,

And by understanding is it established.

4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled

With all manner of precious and pleasant goods.

What is meant by the "building of the house"is explained at Pro 14:1. It is wisdom, viz., that which originates from God, which is rooted in fellowship with Him, by which every household, be it great or small, prospers and attains to a successful and flourishing state; כּונן , as parallel word to בּנה (Pro 3:19; Pro 2:12), is related to it as statuere to extruere ; the Hithpal (as at Num 21:17) means to keep oneself in a state of continuance, to gain perpetuity, to become established. That ימּלאוּ by Athnach has not passed over into the pausal ימּלאוּ , arises from this, that the Athnach , by the poetical system of accents, has only the force of the prose accent Sakef ; the clause completes itself only by 4b; the pausal form on that account also is not found, and it is discontinued, because the Athnach does not produce any pausal effect ( vid ., at Psa 45:6). The form of expression in Pro 24:4 is like Pro 1:13; Pro 3:10. But the חדרים , of storerooms (lxx as Isa 26:20, ταμιεῖα ), and נעים , like Pro 22:18; Pro 23:8, is peculiar to this collection.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:5-6

The praise of wisdom is continued: it brings blessings in the time of peace, and gives the victory in war.

5 A wise man is full of strength;

And a man of understanding showeth great power.

6 For with wise counsel shalt thou carry on successful war;

And safety is where counsellors are not wanting.

The ב of בּעוז (thus with Pathach in old impressions, Cod. 1294, Cod. Jaman ., and elsewhere with the Masoretic note לית ומלא ) introduces, as that of בכּח , Psa 24:4, the property in which a person or thing appears; the article (cf. העזבים , Pro 2:13, Gesen, §35, 2A) is that of gender. The parallel מאמץ כח , a Greek translates by ὑπὲρ κραταιὸν ἰσχύΐ = מאמּיץ כּח (Job 9:4; Isa 40:26). But after 5a it lies nearer that the poet means to express the power which lies in wisdom itself (Ecc 7:19), and its superiority to physical force (Pro 21:22); the lxx, Syr., and Targ. also, it is true, translate 5a as if מעז ( prae potente ) were the words used. אמּץ כּח means to strengthen the strength, and that is (Nah 2:2) equivalent to, to collect the strength (to take courage), here and at Amo 2:14, to show strong (superior) strength. The reason is gathered from Pro 20:18 and Pro 11:14. The לך here added, Hitzig is determined to read תּעשׂה : for with prudent counsel the war shall be carried out by thee. The construction of the passive with ל of the subject is correct in Heb. ( vid ., at Pro 14:20) as well as in Aram.,

(Note: Vid ., Nöldeke's Neusyrische Gram . p. 219, Anm ., and p. 416.)

and עשׂה frequently means, in a pregnant sense: to complete, to carry out, to bring to an end; but the phrase עשׂה מלחמה means always to carry on war, and nothing further. לך is the dat. commod ., as in נלחם ל , to wage war (to contend) for any one, e.g. , Exo 14:14. Instead of ברב , the lxx reads בלב ; regarding γεωργίου μεγάλου for מאמץ כח , without doubt a corrupt reading, vid ., Lagarde.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:7

Till now in this appendix we have found only two distichs ( vid ., vol. i. p. 17); now several of them follow. From this, that wisdom is a power which accomplishes great things, it follows that it is of high value, though to the fool it appears all too costly.

7 Wisdom seems to the fool to be an ornamental commodity;

He openeth not his mouth in the gate.

Most interpreters take ראמות for רמות (written as at 1Ch 6:58; cf. Zec 14:10; ראשׁ , Pro 10:4; קאם , Hos 10:14), and translate, as Jerome and Luther: "Wisdom is to the fool too high;"the way to wisdom is to him too long and too steep, the price too costly, and not to be afforded. Certainly this thought does not lie far distant from what the poet would say; but why does he say חכמות , and not חכמה ? This חכמות is not a numerical plur., so as to be translated with the Venet .: μετέωροι τῷ ἄφρονι αἱ ἐπιστῆμαι ; it is a plur., as Psa 49:4 shows; but, as is evident from the personification and the construction, Pro 1:20, one inwardly multiplying and heightening, which is related to חכמה as science or the contents of knowledge is to knowledge. That this plur. comes here into view as in chap. 1-9 ( vid ., vol. i. p. 34), is definitely accounted for in these chapters by the circumstance that wisdom was to be designated, which is the mediatrix of all wisdom; here, to be designated in intentional symphony with ראמות , whose plur. ending ôth shall be for that very reason, however, inalienable. Thus ראמות will be the name of a costly foreign bijouterie , which is mentioned in the Book of Job, where the unfathomableness and inestimableness of wisdom is celebrated; vid ., Job 27:18, where we have recorded what we had to say at the time regarding this word. But what is now the meaning of the saying that wisdom is to the fool a pearl or precious coral? Joël Bril explains: "The fool uses the sciences like a precious stone, only for ornament, but he knows not how to utter a word publicly,"This is to be rejected, because ראמות is not so usual a trinket or ornament as to serve as an expression of this thought. The third of the comparison lies in the rarity, costliness, unattainableness; the fool despises wisdom, because the expenditure of strength and the sacrifices of all kinds which are necessary to put one into the possession of wisdom deter him from it (Rashi). This is also the sense which the expression has when ראמות = רמות ; and probably for the sake of this double meaning the poet chose just this word, and not פנינים , גבישׁ , or any other name, for articles of ornament (Hitzig). The Syr. has incorrectly interpreted this play upon words: sapientia abjecta stulto ; and the Targumist: the fool grumbles ( מתרעם ) against wisdom.

(Note: This explanation is more correct than Levy's: he lifts himself up (boasts) with wisdom.)

He may also find the grapes to be sour because they hang too high for him; here it is only said that wisdom remains at a distance from him because he cannot soar up to its attainment; for that very reason he does not open his mouth in the gate, where the council and the representatives of the people have their seats: he has not the knowledge necessary for being associated in counselling, and thus must keep silent; and this is indeed the most prudent thing he can do.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:8

From wisdom, which is a moral good, the following proverb passes over to a kind of σοφία δαιμονιώδης :

He that meditateth to do evil,

We call such an one an intriguer.

A verbal explanation and definition like Pro 21:24 (cf. p. 29), formed like Pro 16:21 from נבון . Instead of בּעל־מזמּות [lord of mischief] in Pro 12:2, the expression is ' אישׁ מ (cf. at Pro 22:24). Regarding מזמות in its usual sense, vid ., Pro 5:2. Such definitions have of course no lexicographical, but only a moral aim. That which is here given is designed to warn one against gaining for himself this ambiguous title of a refined (cunning, versutus ) man; one is so named whose schemes and endeavours are directed to the doing of evil. One may also inversely find the turning-point of the warning in 8b: "he who projects deceitful plans against the welfare of others, finds his punishment in this, that he falls under public condemnation as a worthless intriguer"(Elster). But מזמות is a ῥῆμα μέσον , vid ., Pro 5:2; the title is thus equivocal, and the turning-point lies in the bringing out of his kernel: מחשּׁב להרע = meditating to do evil.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:9

This proverb is connected by זמת with Pro 24:8, and by אויל with Pro 24:7; it places the fool and the mocker over against one another.

The undertaking of folly is sin;

And an abomination to men is the scorner.

Since it is certain that for 9b the subject is "the scorner,"so also "sin"is to be regarded as the subject of 9a. The special meaning flagitium , as Pro 21:27, זמּה will then not have here, but it derives it from the root-idea "to contrive, imagine,"and signifies first only the collection and forthputting of the thoughts towards a definite end (Job 17:11), particularly the refined preparation, the contrivance of a sinful act. In a similar way we speak of a sinful beginning or undertaking. But if one regards sin in itself, or in its consequences, it is always a contrivance or desire of folly ( gen. subjecti ), or: one that bears on itself ( gen. qualitatis ) the character of folly; for it disturbs and destroys the relation of man to God and man, and rests, as Socrates in Plato says, on a false calculation. And the mocker (the mocker at religion and virtue) is תועבת לאדם . The form of combination stands here before a word with ל , as at Job 18:2; Job 24:5, and frequently. but why does not the poet say directly תועבת אדם ? Perhaps to leave room for the double sense, that the mocker is not only an abomination to men, viz., to the better disposed; but also, for he makes others err as to their faith, and draws them into his frivolous thoughts, becomes to them a cause of abomination, i.e. , of such conduct and of such thoughts as are an abomination before God (Pro 15:9, Pro 15:26).

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:10

The last of these four distichs stands without visible connection:

Hast thou shown thyself slack in the day of adversity,

Then is thy strength small.

The perf. 10a is the hypothetic, vid ., at Pro 22:29. If a man shows himself remiss (Pro 18:9), i.e. , changeable, timorous, incapable of resisting in times of difficulty, then shall he draw therefrom the conclusion which is expressed in 10b. Rightly Luther, with intentional generalization, "he is not strong who is not firm in need."But the address makes the proverb an earnest admonition, which speaks to him who shows himself weak the judgment which he has to pronounce on himself. And the paronomasia צרה and צר may be rendered, where possible, "if thy strength becomes, as it were, pressed together and bowed down by the difficulty just when it ought to show itself (viz., להרחיב לך ), then it is limited, thou art a weakling."Thus Fleischer accordingly, translating: si segnis fueris die angustiae, angustae sunt vires tuae . Hitzig, on the contrary, corrects after Job 7:11, רוּחך "steplang7 Klemm (klamm) ist dein Mut "[= strait is thy courage]. And why? Of כסה [strength], he remarks, one can say כשׁל [it is weak] (Psa 31:11), but scarcely צר [strait, straitened]; for force is exact, and only the region of its energy may be wide or narrow. To this we answer, that certainly of strength in itself we cannot use the word כסה drow eht esu t in the sense here required; the confinement (limitation) may rather be, as with a stream, Isa 59:19, the increasing (heightening) of its intensity. But if the strength is in itself anything definite, then on the other hand its expression is something linear, and the force in view of its expression is that which is here called צר , i.e. , not extending widely, not expanding, not inaccessible. צר is all to which narrow limits are applied. A little strength is limited, because it is little also in its expression.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:11-12

Now, again, we meet with proverbs of several lines. The first here is a hexastich:

11 Deliver them that are taken to death,

And them that are tottering to destruction, oh stop them!

12 If thou sayest, "We knew not of it indeed,"-

It is not so: The Weigher of hearts, who sees through it,

And He that observeth thy soul, He knoweth it,

And requiteth man according to his work.

If אם is interpreted as a particle of adjuration, then אם־תּחשׂוך is equivalent to: I adjure thee, forbear not (cf. Neh 13:25 with Isa 58:1), viz., that which thou hast to do, venture all on it (lxx, Syr., Jerome). But the parallelism requires us to take together מטים להרג (such as with tottering steps are led forth to destruction) as object along with אם־תחשׂוך , as well as לקחים למּו֡ª (such as from their condition are carried away to death, cf. Exo 14:11) as object to הצּל , in which all the old interpreters have recognised the imper ., but none the infin . ( eripere ... ne cesses , which is contrary to Heb. idiom, both in the position of the words and in the construction). אם also is not to be interpreted as an interrogative; for, thus expressed, an retinetis ought rather to have for the converse the meaning: thou shalt indeed not do it! (cf. e.g. , Isa 29:16). And אם cannot be conditional: si prohibere poteris (Michaelis and others), for the fut. after אם has never the sense of a potential. Thus אם is, like לוּ , understood in the sense of utinam , as it is used not merely according to later custom (Hitzig), but from ancient times (cf. e.g. , Exo 32:32 with Gen 23:13). כּי־תאמר (reminding

(Note: Vid., my hebräischen Römerbrief, p. 14f.)

us of the same formula of the Rabbinical writings) introduces an objection, excuse, evasion, which is met by הלא ; introducing "so say I on the contrary,"it is of itself a reply, vid ., Deu 7:17. זה we will not have to interpret personally (lxx τοῦτον ); for, since Pro 24:11 speaks of several of them, the neut. rendering (Syr., Targ., Venet ., Luther) in itself lies nearer, and זה , hoc , after ידע , is also in conformity with the usus loq .; vid ., at Psa 56:10. But the neut. זה does not refer to the moral obligation expressed in Pro 24:11; to save human life when it is possible to do so, can be unknown to no one, wherefore Jerome (as if the words of the text were אין לאל ידנוּ זה ): vires non suppetunt . זה refers to the fact that men are led to the tribunal; only thus is explained the change of ידעתי , which was to be expected, into ידענוּ : the objection is, that one certainly did not know, viz., that matters had come to an extremity with them, and that a short process will be made with them. To this excuse, with pretended ignorance, the reply of the omniscient God stands opposed, and suggests to him who makes the excuse to consider: It is not so: the Searcher of hearts ( vid ., at Pro 16:2), He sees through it, viz., what goes on in thy heart, and He has thy soul under His inspection ( נצר , as Job 7:20 : lxx καὶ ὁ πλάσας ; יצרו , which Hitzig prefers, for he thinks that נצר must be interpreted in the sense of to guard, preserve; Luther rightly); He knows, viz., how it is with thy mind, He looks through it, He knows (cf. for both, Psa 139:1-4), and renders to man according to his conduct, which, without being deceived, He judges according to the state of the heart, out of which the conduct springs. It is to be observed that Pro 24:11 speaks of one condemned to death generally, and not expressly of one innocently condemned, and makes no distinction between one condemned in war and in peace. One sees from this that the Chokma generally has no pleasure in this, that men are put to death by men, not even when it is done legally as punishment for a crime. For, on the one side, it is true that the punishment of the murderer by death is a law proceeding from the nature of the divine holiness and the inviolability of the divine ordinance, and the worth of man as formed in the image of God, and that the magistrate who disowns this law as a law, disowns the divine foundation of his office; but, on the other side, it is just as true that thousands and thousands of innocent persons, or at least persons not worthy of death, have fallen a sacrifice to the abuse or the false application of this law; and that along with the principle of recompensative righteousness, there is a principle of grace which rules in the kingdom of God, and is represented in the O.T. by prophecy and the Chokma . It is, moreover, a noticeable fact, that God did not visit with the punishment of death the first murderer, the murderer of the innocent Abel, his brother, but let the principle of grace so far prevail instead of that of law, that He even protected his life against any avenger of blood. But after that the moral ruin of the human race had reached that height which brought the Deluge over the earth, there was promulgated to the post-diluvians the word of the law, Gen 9:6, sanctioning this inviolable right of putting to death by the hand of justice. The conduct of God regulates itself thus according to the aspect of the times. In the Mosaic law the greatness of guilt was estimated not externally (cf. Num 35:31), but internally, a very flexible limitation in its practical bearings. And that under certain circumstances grace might have the precedence of justice, the parable having in view the pardon of Absalom (2 Sam 14) shows. But a word from God, like Eze 18:23, raises grace to a principle, and the word with which Jesus (Joh 8:11) dismisses the adulteress is altogether an expression of this purpose of grace passing beyond the purpose of justice. In the later Jewish commonwealth, criminal justice was subordinated to the principle of predominating compassion; practical effect was given to the consideration of the value of human life during the trial, and even after the sentence was pronounced, and during a long time no sentence of death was passed by the Sanhedrim. But Jesus, who was Himself the innocent victim of a fanatical legal murder, adjudged, it is true, the supremacy to the sword; but He preached and practised love, which publishes grace for justice. He was Himself incarnate Love, offering Himself for sinners, the Mercy which Jahve proclaims by Eze 18:23. The so-called Christian state [" Citivas Dei "] is indeed in manifest opposition to this. But Augustine declares himself, on the supposition that the principle of grace must penetrate the new ear, in all its conditions, that began with Christianity, for the suspension of punishment by death, especially because the heathen magistrates had abused the instrument of death, which, according to divine right, they had control over, to the destruction of Christians; and Ambrosius went so far as to impress it as a duty on a Christian judge who had pronounced the sentence of death, to exclude himself from the Holy Supper. The magisterial control over life and death had at that time gone to the extreme height of bloody violence, and thus in a certain degree it destroyed itself. Therefore Jansen changes the proverb (Pro 24:11) with the words of Ambrosius into the admonition: Quando indulgentia non nocet publico, eripe intercessione, eripe gratia tu sacerdos, aut tu imperator eripe subscriptionie indulgentiae . When Samuel Romilly's Bill to abolish the punishment of death for a theft amounting to the sum of five shillings passed the English House of Commons, it was thrown out by a majority in the House of Lords. Among those who voted against the Bill were one archbishop and five bishops. Our poet here in the Proverbs is of a different mind. Even the law of Sinai appoints the punishment of death only for man-stealing. The Mosaic code is incomparably milder than even yet the Carolina . In expressions, however, like the above, a true Christian spirit rules the spirit which condemns all blood-thirstiness of justice, and calls forth to a crusade not only against the inquisition, but also against such unmerciful, cruel executions even as they prevailed in Prussia in the name of law in the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm I, the Inexorable.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:13-14

The proverb now following stands in no obvious relation with the preceding. But in both a commencement is made with two lines, which contain, in the former, the principal thought; in this here, its reason:

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,

And honeycomb is sweet to thy taste.

14 So apprehend wisdom for thy soul;

When thou hast found it, there is a future,

And thy hope is not destroyed.

After its nearest fundamental thought, טוב , Arab. ṭejjib , means that which smells and tastes well; honey ( דּבשׁ , from דּבשׁ , to be thick, consistent) has, besides, according to the old idea ( e.g. , in the Koran), healing virtue, as in general bitterness is viewed as a property of the poisonous, and sweetness that of the wholesome. נפתו is second accus. dependent on אכל־ , for honey and honeycomb were then spoken of as different; נפת (from נפת , to pour, to flow out) is the purest honey (virgin-honey), flowing of itself out of the comb. With right the accentuation takes 13b as independent, the substantival clause containing the reason, "for it is good:"honeycomb is sweet to thy taste, i.e. , applying itself to it with the impression of sweetness; על , as at Neh 2:5; Psa 16:6 (Hitzig).

In the כּן of 14a, it is manifest that Pro 24:13 is not spoken for its own sake. To apprehend wisdom, is elsewhere equivalent to, to receive it into the mind, Pro 1:2; Ecc 1:17 (cf. דעת בינה , Pro 4:1, and frequently), according to which Böttcher also here explains: learn to understand wisdom. But כן unfolds itself in 14bc: even as honey has for the body, so wisdom has for the soul, beneficent wholesome effects. דעה חכמה is thus not absolute, but is meant in relation to these effects. Rightly Fleischer: talem reputa ; Ewald: sic ( talem ) scito spaientiam ( esse ) animae tuae , know, recognise wisdom as something advantageous to thy soul, and worthy of commendation. Incorrectly Hitzig explains אם־מצאת , "if the opportunity presents itself."Apart from this, that in such a case the words would rather have been כּי תמצא , to find wisdom is always equivalent to, to obtain it, to make it one's own, Pro 3:13; Pro 8:35; cf. Pro 2:5; Pro 8:9. דּעה

(Note: Write דּעה with Illuj after the preceding Legarmeh , like 12b, הוּא ( Thorath Emeth , p. 28).)

stands for דּעה , after the form רדה ; שׁבה (after Böttcher, §396, not without the influence of the following commencing sound), cf. the similar transitions of ā into ě placed together at Psa 20:4; the form דּעה is also found, but דּעה is the form in the Cod. Hilleli ,

(Note: Vid ., Strack's Prolegomena critica in V.T. (1872), p. 19.)

as confirmed by Moses Kimchi in Comm., and by David Kimchi, Michlol 101b. With ישׁו begins the apodosis (lxx, Jerome, Targ., Luther, Rashi, Ewald, and others). In itself, וישׁ (cf. Gen 47:6) might also continue the conditional clause; but the explanation, si inveneris ( eam ) et ad postremum ventum erit (Fleischer, Bertheau, Zöckler), has this against it, that ישׁ אחרית does not mean: the end comes, but: there is an end, Pro 23:18; cf. Pro 19:18; here: there is an end for thee, viz., an issue that is a blessed reward. The promise is the same as at Pro 23:18. In our own language we speak of the hope of one being cut off; (Arab.) jaz'a , to be cut off, is equivalent to, to give oneself up to despair.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:15-16

15 Lie not in wait, oh wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

Assault not his resting-place.

16 For seven times doth the righteous fall and rise again,

But the wicked are overthrown when calamity falls on them.

The ארב [lying in wait] and שׁדּד [practising violence], against which the warning is here given, are not directed, as at Pro 1:11; Pro 19:26, immediately against the person, but against the dwelling-place and resting-place ( רבץ , e.g. , Jer 50:6, as also נוה , 3:33) of the righteous, who, on his part, does injustice and wrong to no one; the warning is against coveting his house, Exo 20:17, and driving him by cunning and violence out of it. Instead of רשׁע , Symmachus and Jerome have incorrectly read רשׁע daer , and from this misunderstanding have here introduced a sense without sense into Pro 24:15; many interpreters (Löwenstein, Ewald, Elster, and Zöckler) translate with Luther appositionally: as a wicked man, i.e. , "with mischievous intent,"like one stealthily lurking for the opportunity of taking possession of the dwelling of another, as if this could be done with a good intent: רשׁע is the vocative (Syr., Targ., Venet .: ἀσεβές ), and this address (cf. Psa 75:5.) sharpens the warning, for it names him who acts in this manner by the right name. The reason, 16a, sounds like an echo of Job 5:19. שׁבע signifies, as at Psa 119:164, seven times; cf. מאה , Pro 17:10. וקם (not וקם ) is perf. consec ., as וחי , e.g. , Gen 3:22 : and he rises afterwards (notwithstanding), but the transgressors come to ruin; בּרעה , if a misfortune befall them (cf. Pro 14:32), they stumble and fall, and rise no more.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:17-18

Warning against a vindictive disposition, and joy over its satisfaction.

17 At the fall of thine enemy rejoice not,

And at his overthrow let not thine heart be glad;

18 That Jahve see it not, and it be displeasing to Him,

And He turns away His anger from Him.

The Chethı̂b , which in itself, as the plur. of category, אויביך , might be tolerable, has 17b against it: with right, all interpreters adhere to the Kerı̂ אויבך (with i from ē in doubled close syllable, as in the like Kerı̂ , 1Sa 24:5). וּבבּשׁלו , for וּבהכּשׁלו , is the syncope usual in the inf . Niph . and Hiph ., which in Niph . occurs only once with the initial guttural (as בּעטף ) or half guttural ( לראות ). רעו is not adj. here as at 1Sa 25:3, but perf . with the force of a fut . (Symmachus: καὶ μὴ ἀρέσῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ). The proverb extends the duty of love even to an enemy; for it requires that we do good to him and not evil, and warns against rejoicing when evil befalls him. Hitzig, indeed, supposes that the noble morality which is expressed in Pro 24:17 is limited to a moderate extent by the motive assigned in 18b. Certainly the poet means to say that God could easily give a gracious turn for the better, as to the punishment of the wicked, to the decree of his anger against his enemy; but his meaning is not this, that one, from joy at the misfortune of others, ought to desist from interrupting the process of the destruction of his enemy, and let it go on to its end; but much rather, that one ought to abstain from this joy, so as not to experience the manifestation of God's displeasure thereat, but His granting grace to him against whom we rejoice to see God's anger go forth.

(Note: This proverb, according to Aboth iv. 24, was the motto of that Samuel with the surname הקטן , who formulated ברכת המינים (the interpolation in the Schemone-Esre prayer directed against the schismatics): he thus distinguished between private enemies and the enemies of the truth.)

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:19-20

Warning against envying the godless for their external prosperity:

19 Be not enraged on account of evil-doers,

Envy not the godless;

20 For the wicked men shall have no future,

The light of the godless is extinguished.

Ver. 19 is a variation of Psa 37:1; cf. also Pro 3:21 (where with בכל־דרכיו following the traditional תבחר is more appropriate than תתחר , which Hupfeld would here insert). תּתחר is fut. apoc . of התחרה , to be heated (to be indignant), distinguished from the Tiphel תּחרה , to be jealous. The ground and occasion of being enraged, and on the other side, of jealousy or envy, is the prosperity of the godless, Psa 73:3; cf. Jer 12:1. This anger at the apparently unrighteous division of fortune, this jealousy at the success in which the godless rejoice, rest on short-sightedness, which regards the present, and looks not on to the end. אחרית , merely as in the expression ' ישׁ אח , 14b (cf. Psa 37:37), always denotes the happy, glorious issue indemnifying for past sufferings. Such an issue the wicked man has not; his light burns brightly on this side, but one day it is extinguished. In 20b is repeated Pro 13:9; cf. Pro 20:20.

Keil-Delitzsch: Pro 24:21-22

A warning against rebellious thoughts against God and the king:

21 My son, honour Jahve and the king,

And involve not thyself with those who are otherwise disposed;

22 For suddenly their calamity ariseth,

And the end of their years, who knoweth it?

The verb שׁנה , proceeding from the primary idea of folding ( complicare, duplicare ), signifies transitively to do twice, to repeat, Pro 17:9; Pro 26:11, according to which Kimchi here inappropriately thinks on relapsing; and intransitively, to change, to be different, Est 1:7; Est 3:8. The Syr. and Targ. translate the word שׁטיי , fools; but the Kal ( טעמו ) שׁנה occurs, indeed, in the Syr., but not in the Heb., in the meaning alienata est ( mens ejus ); and besides, this meaning, alieni , is not appropriate here. A few, however, with Saadia (cf. Deutsch-Morgenländische Zeitschr . xxi. 616), the dualists (Manichees), understand it in a dogmatic sense; but then שׁונים must be denom. of שׁנים , while much more it is its root-word. Either שׁונים means those who change, novantes = novarum rerum studiosi , which is, however, exposed to this objection, that the Heb. שׁנה , in the transitive sense to change, does not elsewhere occur; or it means, according to the usus loq ., diversos = diversum sentientes (C. B. Michaelis and others), and that with reference to 21a: הממרים דבריהם ומצותם (Meîri, Immanuel), or משׁנים מנהג החכמה (Ahron b. Joseph). Thus they are called (for it is a common name of a particular class of men) dissidents, oppositionists, or revolutionaries, who recognise neither the monarchy of Jahve, the King of kings, nor that of the earthly king, which perhaps Jerome here means by the word detractoribus (= detractatoribus ). The Venet . incorrectly, σὺν τοῖς μισοῦσι , i.e. , שׂונאים . with ב at Pro 14:10, התערב meant to mix oneself up with something, here with עם , to mix oneself with some one, i.e. , to make common cause with him.

The reason assigned in Pro 24:22 is, that although such persons as reject by thought and action human and divine law may for a long time escape punishment, yet suddenly merited ruin falls on them. איד is, according to its primary signification, weighty, oppressive misfortune, vid ., i. 27. In יקוּם it is thought of as hostile power (Hos 10:14); or the rising up of God as Judge ( e.g. , Isa 33:10) is transferred to the means of executing judgment. פּיד (= פּוד of פוד or פיד ro פו , Arab. fâd , fut. jafûdu or jafı̂du , a stronger power of bâd , cogn. אבד ) is destruction (Arab. fied , fı̂d , death); this word occurs, besides here, only thrice in the Book of Job. But to what does שׁניהם refer? Certainly not to Jahve and the king (lxx, Schultens, Umbreit, and Bertheau), for in itself it is doubtful to interpret the genit. after פיד as designating the subject, but improper to comprehend God and man under one cipher. Rather it may refer to two, of whom one class refuse to God, the other to the king, the honour that is due (Jerome, Luther, and at last Zöckler); but in the foregoing, two are not distinguished, and the want of reverence for God, and for the magistrates appointed by Him, is usually met with, because standing in interchangeable relationship, in one and the same persons. Is there some misprint then in this word? Ewald suggests שׁניהם , i.e. , of those who show themselves as שׁונים ( altercatores ) towards God and the king. In view of קמיהם , Exo 32:25, this brevity of expression must be regarded as possible. But if this were the meaning of the word, then it ought to have stood in the first member ( איד שׁניהם ), and not in the second. No other conjecture presents itself. Thus שׁניהם is perhaps to be referred to the שׁונים , and those who engage with them: join thyself not with the opposers; for suddenly misfortune will come upon them, and the destruction of both (of themselves and their partisans), who knows it? But that also is not satisfactory, for after the address שׁניכם was to have been expected, 22b. Nothing remains, therefore, but to understand שׁניהם , with the Syr. and Targ., as at Job 36:11; the proverb falls into rhythms פּתאם and פּיד , שׁונים and שׁניהם . But "the end of their year"is not equivalent to the hour of their death (Hitzig), because for this פּידם (cf. Arab. feid and fı̂d , death) was necessary; but to the expiring, the vanishing, the passing by of the year during which they have succeeded in maintaining their ground and playing a part. There will commence a time which no one knows beforehand when all is over with them. In this sense, "who knoweth,"with its object, is equivalent to "suddenly ariseth,"with its subject. In the lxx, after Pro 24:22, there follow one distich of the relations of man to the word of God as deciding their fate, one distich of fidelity as a duty towards the king, and the duty of the king, and one pentastich or hexastich of the power of the tongue and of the anger of the king. The Heb. text knows nothing of these three proverbs. Ewald has, Jahrb . xi. 18f., attempted to translate them into Heb., and is of opinion that they are worthy of being regarded as original component parts of chap. 1-29, and that they ought certainly to have come in after Pro 24:22. We doubt this originality, but recognise their translation from the Heb. Then follows in the lxx the series of Prov; Pro 30:1-14, which in the Heb. text bear the superscription of "the Words of Agur;"the second half of the "Words of Agur,"together with the "Words of Lemuel,"stand after Pro 24:34 of the Heb. text. The state of the matter is this, that in the copy from which the Alexandrines translated the Appendix 30:1-31:9, stood half of it, after the "Words of the Wise"[which extend from Pro 22:17 to Pro 24:22], and half after the supplement headed "these also are from wise men"[Pro 24:23-34], so that only the proverbial ode in praise of the excellent matron [Pro 31:10] remains as an appendix to the Book of Hezekiah's collection, chap. 25-29.

Constable: Pro 10:1--22:17

II. COUPLETS EXPRESSING WISDOM 10:1--22:16

Chapters 1-9, as we have seen, contain discourses that Solomon evidently wrote urging his sons to choose the way of wisdom for their lives.⁹² At 10:1 we begin the part of the book that sets forth what the wise way is in a variety of life situations.

"Until now the book of Proverbs has been identifying the truly wise man. Form this point on, it will describe how such a man should conduct his life from day to day. This logical topical order appears in many New Testament epistles, where the saved person is first identified, and then the daily life he should live is described [e.g., Rom. 1-5 and 6-8; Eph. 1-3 and 4-6]."⁹³

There are 184 maxims in chapters 10-15 and 191 in chapters 16-22 for a total of 375.⁹⁴ This represents only a few of the 3,000 proverbs Solomon wrote (1 Kings 4:32). Most of the proverbs in this section are one verse long and contain two lines each; they are couplets. The second line contrasts, compares, or completes the idea expressed in the first line. In chapters 10-15 most couplets contain antithetic parallelism. The key word is "but." In chapters 16-22 there are more synonymous parallelisms marked by the conjunction "and." There are also continuous sentences in which the second line continues the thought of the first line (e.g., 14:26). Some couplets contain comparisons in which the relative value of two things is set forth (e.g., 11:31). Some contain a statement in the first line followed by an explanation in the second line (e.g., 20:2).⁹⁵

Is there any logic to the arrangement of these seemingly unrelated proverbs? In some places there is a general association of ideas, and in some places there is a recurring key word (e.g., "king" in 16:12-15, and "Yahweh" in 16:1-7). However many of these couplets have no logical connection with what immediately precedes or follows in the context. This anthology style is typical of other ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.

"The absence of a systematic arrangement is due to the traditional character of the contents. There is no need of a closely knit argument; striking images, incisive wording are all that is required to give a fresh appeal to the truth of familiar viewpoints."⁹⁶

"It is also surprising to find lofty precepts mixed with more trivial' apothegms. Of course, this is a misconception based on the modern-day viewpoint of life. From the sages' perspective each proverb is an expression of wisdom,' which is . . . the fixed order of reality. Viewed from this perspective no sentence is trivial . . ."⁹⁷

Why did the Holy Spirit not arrange these proverbs topically so we could study all of them that deal with one subject together? Probably He did so because the method He chose is "a course of education in the life of wisdom."⁹⁸

"As we read Proverbs chapter by chapter, the Spirit of God has the freedom to teach us about many subjects, and we never know from day to day which topic we'll need the most. Just as the Bible itself isn't arranged like a systematic theology, neither is Proverbs. What Solomon wrote is more like a kaleidoscope than a stained-glass window: We never know what the next pattern will be."⁹⁹

In the notes that follow (on 10:1-22:16) I have commented only on those proverbs that appear to me to need clarification in the NASB.

Constable: Pro 19:1--22:17

4. Further advice for pleasing God 19:1-22:16

As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (16:1-22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends because there are fewer groupings of proverbs.

19:7 The first part of this verse is hyperbole (overstatement to make a point). The point is that people avoid the poor--their relatives do, and even more, their friends do. Even their own overtures of friendship are ineffective (7c).

19:18 If a parent does not discipline his child while there is hope of correcting him, he is really, though perhaps not consciously, willing for him to die. The child's folly will lead to his death if his parents do not curb it with discipline.¹⁴¹ Some parents allow their children to go astray out of neglect. "Discipline" (Heb. yasser) includes chastisement as well as instruction.

"Better the child is corrected by a parent than by a law enforcement officer in a correctional institution."¹⁴²

19:19 An uncontrolled temper will repeatedly send its owner into fresh trouble. The implication is that it is an exercise in futility to bail such a person out of the trouble he gets himself into with his temper.

19:24 This humorous picture is of a person so lazy that he cannot even lift his food from his plate to his mouth (cf. 26:15). The point is that a lazy person will bear the consequences of his own laziness. This warning is applicable to those who are too lazy to finish the projects they begin.¹⁴³

20:16 Solomon advised that a person who takes on the obligations of another person who is a stranger or a foreigner to him is not very wise. Such a stranger is a bad risk. If you lend to him, make sure you have some collateral such as his garment or some other pledge so he will repay you. The proverb encourages us to hold people to their obligations. Much more than simply giving a pledge for a prostitute must be in view.¹⁴⁴

20:21 The inheritance in view evidently comes prematurely by request or by dishonesty (cf. 19:26; Luke 15:12). In either case the consequence is often lack of divine blessing.

"Such wealth may be squandered and often squelches initiative and work."¹⁴⁵

20:25 The situation in view here is that of a person who impulsively pledges something to God and then upon reconsidering wishes that he had not done so (cf. Eccles. 5:5; Mark 7:11). It is better to wait to make the pledge until we think through the implications of the decision carefully. In a larger application, we should aviod all unconsidered action.¹⁴⁶

"Too many people will make promises under the inspiration of the hour only later to realize that they have strapped themselves; they then try to go back on their word."¹⁴⁷

20:27 God searches out our innermost thoughts and feelings. Solomon compared our "spirit" (lit. "breath," Heb. nishmat, cf. Gen. 2:7) to a lamp God uses to investigate all the darkened crannies of our being in this very graphic proverb. Here the spirit is almost equivalent to the conscience.

21:4 The "lamp" of the wicked seems to be their life (cf. 13:9b) or, more particularly, their conscience (cf. 20:27). If this is so, the verse is saying that arrogance and pride are the sum and substance of the life of the wicked, and that is sin.

21:9 This proverb makes sense if we keep in mind that roofs in the ancient Near East were flat and people used them as patios. It is better to live alone outside, exposed to the elements, than in the sheltered, comfortable interior of one's house if one has to share the inside with a scolding woman. Spartan conditions with peace are better than physical comforts with strife.

21:18 A ransom is a payment given to free a person from some penalty he has incurred similar to posting bail to get out of jail. In this case it appears that God punishes the wicked and in doing so sets the righteous free. Such would be the case if the wicked were oppressing the righteous (cf. 11:8). God delivers the righteous by punishing the wicked who oppress them.

21:28 The contrast is between the person who listens to falsehood and repeats it, and the person who listens to the truth and repeats it. The first person has little concern for listening carefully, but the second person does. Heeding the truth makes all the difference.

"The key phrase is a man who hears: his first aim is to know and understand, not to grind some axe. . . . the man who listens (Is. 50:4) is the man worth listening to."¹⁴⁸

Ross believed that the verse teaches that "false witnesses will be discredited and destroyed."¹⁴⁹

21:29 A wicked man puts up a show of confidence, but it is a bluff. His bold face reflects a hard heart that holds the opinions and views of others in contempt.¹⁵⁰ The upright on the other hand does not need to pretend to be something he is not because he is walking on the right path.

22:6 "Train" (Heb. hanak) means to dedicate (cf. Deut. 20:5; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chron. 7:5; Dan. 3:2). It has the idea of narrowing and in this verse implies channeling the child's conduct into the way of wisdom. That guidance might include dedicating him or her to God and preparing the child for future responsibilities and adulthood.¹⁵¹

"In the way he should go" is literally "according to his way." It may mean according to his own personality, temperament, responses, or stage in life. On the other hand it could mean the way in which he ought to go. The Hebrew grammar permits either interpretation. However the context favors the latter view. "Way" in Proverbs usually means the path a person takes through life, not one's personality, disposition, or stage in life. Consequently the verse is saying the parent should train up a child in the way of wisdom to live in the fear of God.¹⁵²

The second part of this verse has challenged the faith of many a godly parent. Obviously many children who have received good training have repudiated the way of wisdom later in life. The explanation for this seemingly broken promise lies in a correct understanding of what a proverb is.

"A proverb is a literary device whereby a general truth is brought to bear on a specific situation. Many of the proverbs are not absolute guarantees for they express truths that are necessarily conditioned by prevailing circumstances. For example, verses 3-4, 9, 11, 16, 29 do not express promises that are always binding. Though the proverbs are generally and usually true, occasional exceptions may be noted. This may be because of the self-will or deliberate disobedience of an individual who chooses to go his own way--the way of folly instead of the way of wisdom . . . It is generally true, however, that most children who are brought up in Christian homes, under the influence of godly parents who teach and live God's standards (cf. Eph. 6:4), follow that training."¹⁵³

This proverb clearly does not state a Scriptural promise. Rather, the revelation of Scripture elsewhere is that God always allows people to make their own decisions. He does not force them to do what is right.

22:7 This verse does not forbid borrowing. In Israel the Jews borrowed from one another. The Mosaic Law permitted this but condemned charging other Jews interest (Exod. 22:25; Deut. 23:19), though the Israelites could charge foreigners interest (Deut. 23:20). The New Testament does not forbid borrowing. It forbids not paying debts (Rom. 13:6-8). It may be unwise to go into debt in some situations, but it is going too far to say that the Bible condemns going into debt.

"While a certain amount of honest debt is expected in today's world, and everybody wants to achieve a good credit rating, we must be careful not to mistake presumption for faith. As the familiar adage puts it, When your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall.'"¹⁵⁴

This verse warns the borrower that he puts himself in a vulnerable position by borrowing. He becomes dependent on another or others by borrowing. An unscrupulous lender might take advantage of him. Most lenders will not take unfair advantage of someone who borrows from them, but the borrower should be aware of this possibility.

"The verse may be referring to the apparently common practice of Israelites selling themselves into slavery to pay off debts (see Exod 21:2-7). It is not appreciably different from the modern debtor who is working to pay off bills."¹⁵⁵

22:8 This verse provides encouragement for the oppressed. The last line assures the sufferer that God will eventually break the oppressing rod of the person who sows iniquity.

Constable: Pro 22:17--25:1

III. WISE SAYINGS 22:17--24:34

A third major section of the Book of Proverbs begins with 22:17. This is clear from several indicators. The proverbs lengthen out again from the typical one verse couplet that characterizes 10:1-26:16 (cf. chs. 1-9). The phrase "my son" appears again as in chapters 1-9. The reason the writer gave the following proverbs (22:17-21) introduces the first sub-section (22:17-23:11). We read in 22:20 (in the Hebrew text) that a group of 30 sayings will follow.

The emphasis in 22:17-24:34 is on the importance of applying the instruction previously given.

Emphasis	Section
The value of wisdom	chs. 1-9
The examples of wisdom	10:1-22:16
The application of wisdom	22:17-24:34

The reason many scholars believe Solomon did not write the 36 sayings of the wise (22:17-24:34) is this. The title, "These also are sayings of the wise [or sages, plural]," in 24:23a suggests several writers rather than one.

"The plur. sages points to the existence of a special class of wise men, who were oral teachers or writers. The utterances of these men formed a distinct body of thought, part of which is preserved in the Book of Proverbs . . ."¹⁵⁶

The word "also" in 24:23a apparently refers to the similar title in 22:17 suggesting that these sages, not Solomon, wrote the proverbs in 22:17-24:22.

The 36 sayings divide into two groups: "the [30] words of the wise" (22:17), and six more "sayings of the wise" (24:23).

Constable: Pro 22:17--24:23

A. Thirty Sayings of the Wise 22:17-24:22

Many scholars have called attention to the similarities between Proverbs 22:17-24:22, the 30 sayings of the wise, and The Instruction of Amen-em-Ope.¹⁵⁷ The Instruction of Amen-em-Ope is a piece of Egyptian wisdom literature that scholars have dated in the New Kingdom period (ca. 1558-1085 B.C.). Both sets of proverbs contain 30 sayings each, both use the "my son" terminology, and both follow the same structural design. This design includes an introduction stating why the writer gave the instruction followed by 30 independent sections of sayings on diverse subjects. However a difference between these two collections is significant. The writer or writers of the biblical proverbs, evidently not Solomon, said their purpose was that the readers' "trust may be in the Lord" (22:19). However, Amen-em-Ope expressed no such hope nor any belief in a personal God. As I mentioned earlier in these notes, the biblical writers' purpose and faith distinguish the Book of Proverbs from all other ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.¹⁵⁸

Constable: Pro 22:17-21

Introduction to the first 10 sayings 22:17-21

As in chapters 1-9, the writer began this section of the book with an exhortation to hear and give heed to the words of wisdom that follow (22:17-21).

"This extended introduction reminds us that the wise sayings were not curiosity pieces; they were revelation, and revelation demands a response."¹⁵⁹

First, there is a call (v. 17) followed by three motivations: a pleasing store of wisdom (v. 18), a deeper trust in the Lord (v. 19), and a greater reliability (vv. 20-21).¹⁶⁰

The Hebrew word translated "excellent things" (v. 20; slswm) has also been rendered "heretofore" (RV margin), "triply" (Septuagint, Vulgate), and "30 sayings" (RSV, NIV). Since 30 sayings follow, that seems to be the best option for translation. "Him who sent you" (v. 21) is probably the original reader's teacher, who may have been his father.

"Notwithstanding the difficulties of the text, the general thought of the paragraph is plain: the pupil is to devote himself to study, in order that his religious life may be firmly established, and that he may be able to give wise counsel to those who seek advice."¹⁶¹

Constable: Pro 22:22--23:12

The first 10 sayings 22:22-23:11

22:22-23 Note the chiastic structure in these four lines that unifies the thought of the passage: violence, litigation, litigation, violence. God will avenge the poor on those who oppress them.

22:24-25 The writer gave a reason for almost all the pieces of advice contained in the 30 sayings (cf. 1:10-19). The influence of a hothead can prove fatal (cf. 1:10-19; 14:17, 29; 15:1).

22:26-27 Solomon previously warned of the folly of making promises to cover the debts of others (6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16). This is a good way to lose what one has.

22:28 Moving boundaries in fields resulted in individuals losing and gaining property and wealth. In Israel this was also a sin against God since God owned and apportioned all the land. In the Roman Empire, people suffered execution for doing this. The warning is against appropriating someone else's property.

22:29 The quality of a person's work, not his bribes or flattery, will ultimately determine how his career progresses. Therefore a person should seek to improve his or her skills.

"Anyone who puts his workmanship before his prospects towers above the thrusters and climbers of the adjacent paragraphs."¹⁶²

23:1-3 The point of this advice is to be humble and restrained in the presence of a prestigious host. The guest should put a knife to his throat rather than to his food (i.e., curb his appetite, control himself).¹⁶³ The fact that the host serves delicacies may not indicate that he esteems the guest highly. The host may simply be getting him in a good mood for his own selfish reasons. He may want something from him or be evaluating him. "What" (v. 1) is better than "who."¹⁶⁴

23:4-5 Wealth is just as illusive as social prestige (cf. Luke 12:20; 1 Tim. 6:7-10). Therefore, people should not wear themselves out trying to get rich.

23:6-8 It is better to decline a dinner invitation from a miser because if you accept you will only have a miserable experience. One writer paraphrased verse 8 as follows: "It takes away the relish . . . to have one's grudging host . . . doing mental arithmetic (7a) with each dish."¹⁶⁵

23:9 "Hearing" should be "ears." The speaker is addressing a fool. His words are not what the fool overhears. As always in Proverbs, the fool is one who rejects God's words. The words spoken on this occasion are in harmony with God's since they are words containing wisdom. Trying to teach a fool wisdom is a waste of time.

23:10-11 Here the writer added a reason to the warning in the fourth saying (22:28). God is the rescuing avenger of the defenseless in Genesis 28:16; Exodus 6:6; Job 19:25; and many times in Isaiah 41-63. Here it is evidently God who is in view rather than a human kinsman redeemer (Heb. goel, cf. Gen. 48:16; Exod. 6:6; Job 19:25; Isa. 41-63). This is another warning against taking unfair advantage of a defenseless person.

Constable: Pro 23:12

Introduction to the last 20 sayings 23:12

We should probably take this verse as a general exhortation rather than as part of either the preceding or the following saying. It is a general admonition to apply these wise declarations to life. It provides an intermission in this list of proverbs and introduces the remaining 20 appeals in the 30 sayings of the wise.

Constable: Pro 23:13--24:23

The last 20 sayings 23:13-24:22

23:13-14 The sage again advocated discipline. Beating with a rod is not the only form of discipline advocated in Proverbs. It is simply one form used here as a poetic parallel to discipline (Heb. musar, moral correction). Other forms of discipline (reproof, temporary isolation, "grounding," etc.) may be more appropriate in some situations with children of differing ages and temperaments. These verses assure the parent that the child will not only survive the discipline, but he or she will survive because of it.

"The idea is that discipline helps the child to live a full life; if he dies (prematurely), it would be a consequence of not being trained. In Proverbs such a death might be moral and social as well as physical."¹⁶⁶

23:15-16 This saying balances the previous one. The child's choice is as vital as the parent's discipline. The affectionate "My son" adds a warm touch and removes any inference that the writer enjoyed whipping his child. This father's greatest concern was that his son should learn wisdom. Parents receive joy when they observe their children making wise choices.

23:17-18 The long view, even beyond death, is essential to avoiding envy of the wicked who frequently prosper in this life. We should always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Looking up (v. 17) and looking ahead (v. 18) can help us avoid envying sinners.¹⁶⁷

23:19-21 Overindulgence in food and drink normally leads to sleepiness, then laziness, then poverty We should avoid the constant companionship of people marked by these characteristics. Excessive eating and drinking are usually symptoms of deeper problems.¹⁶⁸ This saying also implies that the influence of bad companions is strong.

23:22-23 Heeding wise parental instruction is hard for some children, but it is necessary for them to become wise. By listening to and obeying his or her parents the child learns to listen to and obey God. Submission to parental authority makes submission to divine authority easier. Honoring parents here means listening (paying attention) to their instructions.¹⁶⁹

23:24-25 Note again that righteousness and wisdom were synonymous in the mind of the writer (v. 24). Children who follow God's way of wisdom not only bring joy to themselves but also to their parents.

23:26-28 Another exhortation to apply what follows prefaces this saying. It is especially important. Our culture glamorizes sexual promiscuity, but these verses reveal its true consequences: entrapment, constraint, painful loss, and treachery. Two types of harlots are in view: the unmarried (Heb. zonah, "harlot" or "prostitute") and the married (nokriyah, "adulterous woman" or "wayward wife," v. 27).

23:29-35 This classic description of drunkenness ironically illustrates the folly of that vice. The father urges his son to remember how too much drinking will end so its present enjoyment will not captivate him.

"While alcoholism is a medical problem, it is also a moral problem because it involves choices and brings danger to other people."¹⁷⁰

24:1-2 Previously the writer cited the end of evil companions as motivation to avoid their company (23:17-18). Here it is their essential character that is the basis for the same advice.

24:3-4 The house in view is probably one's life experience including literal houses, one's household, his business, etc. (cf. Matt. 7:24-27). If it takes wisdom to build a house, it takes even more wisdom to build a household. Wisdom is essential for all domestic enterprises.

"The replacement of book shelves by television sets and of the study by the den' in modern homes (regressing from human to bestial habitats!) is a sad commentary on our times."¹⁷¹

24:5-6 Again we see that the wise person is not completely self-reliant. He recognizes his own imperfection and looks to others to supplement his own personal deficiencies. "Wage war" means to seek to overcome any obstacle one may face in life. Wise strategy is always more important than mere strength.

Christians need to overcome the obstacle of understanding the meaning of Scripture before we can apply it to our own lives and explain it to others. For this God has given us a multitude of counselors in the writers of commentaries and other Bible study aids. The Christian is a fool who does not listen to these counselors by reading what they have written to supplement and check his or her own understanding of the text.

24:7 Wisdom is beyond the fool's reach. Therefore he does not--if he has any wisdom at all--seek to give advice in the decision-making places of his world.¹⁷²

24:8-9 Other people will despise the person who dreams up plans that end in evil. Such planning is sin and the work of a fool. Fools are not necessarily unintelligent, but their plans result in sin.¹⁷³

24:10 The day of distress is a day when trouble comes. If a person does not persevere but quits under this pressure, he shows that he does not have strength that is a fruit of possessing wisdom (cf. 24:5a). We never know our true strength until we find ourselves in situations that demand much from us. Weak people plead adverse conditions so they can justify quitting.¹⁷⁴

24:11-12 The people carried away in verse 11 are evidently innocent captives or oppressed individuals. We have a responsibility to help such people. If we claim ignorance of their condition as a reason for not helping them, we need to remember that God knows the true condition of our heart and will requite us accordingly. We are responsible to rescue those who are in mortal danger. This includes warning and teaching those who are hastening to destruction.¹⁷⁵

"In Proverbs 24:12 Yahweh is represented as one who weighs the heart.' This figure goes back to the Egyptian god Thoth, who is often represented as standing at the judgment of the dead beside the scales with the human heart."¹⁷⁶

The concept of God weighing the heart was also very old in Israelite theology going back as far as the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:17-19).

24:13-14 The writer pictured the pleasantness and desirability of wisdom in this saying. It prepares for the future. Folly does not.

24:15-16 To make a point the speaker spoke to his son as though he was addressing a wicked man in this saying. This device gives the warning more force since the wicked man's main concern is his own self-interest. The point is that the righteous is resilient because he trusts in God. Furthermore God defends the righteous. Virtue triumphs in the end.¹⁷⁷

24:17-18 To complete the thought we might add at the end of this saying "and turn it on you." Gloating over someone else's misfortune is a practice God disapproves even if the other person is the adversary of the righteous (cf. Matt. 5:44). Fear of God's displeasure should warn the wise away from this attitude and activity.

24:19-20 The sage again addressed the problem of envying wicked people who enjoy temporary prosperity (cf. 23:17; 24:1). The lamp is the life of the wicked. They are doomed; they will have no good outcome for their lives.¹⁷⁸

24:21-22 The change in view is deviation from the will of God or the laws of the king. The phrase "both of them" (v. 22) refers to God and the king. The structure is again chiastic to emphasize the central thought of the proverb. People should fear God and the government because they both punish rebels (cf. Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:17).

This concludes the so-called 30 sayings of the wise as is clear from 24:23a.

Commentary -- Other

Critics Ask: Pro 22:24

PROVERBS 22-24 —Wasn’t this section of Proverbs copied from the Egyptian work titled “The Wisdom of Amenemope?”

PROBLEM: An Egyptian document containing a book titled “The Wisdom of Amenemope” was discovered in 1888. Many of the sayings are similar to those found in Proverbs chapters 22-24 . However, if these chapters in Proverbs are simply a copy of this Egyptian book, then at least this section was not written by Solomon, as it claims to be (cf. 1:1 ; 25:1 ).

SOLUTION: First, there is no reason why God could not guide Solomon to use other human sources in writing God’s Word. Other authors of Scripture did this (cf. Luke 1:1-4 ). However, it is not clear that Solomon used this Egyptian source. For, although there are sentences and contents that are quite similar, the fact is that the differences outweigh the similarities. The two books deal with the same general subject matter, and this fact alone can account for the similarities. Furthermore, closer examination by scholars has revealed that, if there was any borrowing, it was more likely that the Egyptian author borrowed from the Hebrew author. Ultimately, of course, God is the source of all truth, wherever it is found. Thus the proverbial wisdom found in these chapters of Proverbs is from the Holy Spirit whatever human source He employed.   

Critics Ask: Pro 24:11

PROVERBS 24:11 —Does this verse justify breaking the law to stop abortions?

PROBLEM: Solomon urged here that we “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.” Does this justify illegal attempts to “rescue” babies by blocking pregnant women’s path into legal abortion clinics?

SOLUTION: This passage does not justify breaking the laws of God-ordained human government (cf. Rom. 13:1 ; 1 Peter 2:13 ), even if we believe they are unjust laws. The only time believers are allowed to disobey the law is when it compels them to sin, not when itpermits someone else to sin (see comments on Ex. 1:15-21 ). Otherwise, we would be obligated to block the doors to non-Christian churches or temples where they are sinning by worshiping false gods. We should disobey a law that compels us to worship idols ( Dan. 3 ), but we should not disobey one that permits others to do so.

Furthermore, this text ( Prov. 24 ) does not support illegal attempted “rescues” for several reasons. First, the chapter does not support civil disobedience; it commands civil obedience. It says, “fear the Lord and the king” (v. 21 ), and fear implies obedience to His commands (cf. Rom. 13:1 , 3 and Titus 3:1 ). Second, those being led away to death ( 24:11 ) are victims of those breaking the law; they were not the lawbreakers. In other words, they were being carried away contrary to the law, whereas legal abortion is occurring in accordance with the law.

There is no indication in this passage (or any other) that believers have the right to illegally take away the legal rights of others simply because they personally believe the laws are unjust. By the same illogic used by so-called “rescuers” we should block the path of anyone—judge, jury, or police—taking a lawbreaker to the place of legal sentence if we believe the conviction is unjust. Further, if it is right to “rescue” lives by blocking clinic doors, then why not rescue them by bombing clinics, destroying their power supplies, or even assassinating the doctors and nurses doing it. Perish the thought! The truth is that two wrongs do not make a right, and the end does not justify the means, whether it is an active or a passive means of disobeying God-ordained human government that has issued non-compulsory laws that permit others to sin.   

Evidence: Pro 23:12

There is no greater way to do this than to read and meditate on God’s Word every day. Say to yourself, " No Bible, no breakfast. No read, no feed." Put your Bible before your belly. See Psa 1:1-3 ; and mediate on the promises for those who do this.

Evidence: Pro 23:17

See Psalm 73.

Evidence: Pro 23:23

It is sad that so many Christian ministries demand money from their audience, often with the promise that God will bless them if they give. God knows the motives of the preacher, but the unsaved don’t, and are therefore easily deceived by the practice. We should be careful never to givethe impression that our motivation is the love of money.

Evidence: Pro 23:24-25

This is the fruit of obedience to the Fifth Commandment.

Evidence: Pro 23:29-35

See Pro 20:1 footnote.

Evidence: Pro 24:3-4

Jesus Christ and His teachings are the only sure foundation. See Col 1:9 ; Mat 7:24 .

Evidence: Pro 24:9

Never be discouraged when a man mocks you when you are preaching the gospel. Your love, gentleness, and reasonableness will be seen to contrast his foolishness.

Evidence: Pro 24:11-12

Surely these verses were written for those slothful servants who shun the task of evangelism. See Mat 25:14-30 .

Evidence: Pro 24:12

Nothing can damn a man but his own righteousness; nothing can save him but the righteousness of Christ. CHARLES SPURGEON

Introduction / Outline

JFB: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

THE NATURE AND USE OF PROVERBS.--A proverb is a pithy sentence, concisely expressing some well-established truth susceptible of various illustrations and applications. The word is of Latin derivation, literally meaning for a word, speech, or discourse; that is, one expression for many. The Hebrew word for "proverb" (mashal) means a "comparison." Many suppose it was used, because the form or matter of the proverb, or both, involved the idea of comparison. Most of the proverbs are in couplets or triplets, or some modifications of them, the members of which correspond in structure and length, as if arranged to be compared one with another. They illustrate the varieties of parallelism, a distinguishing feature of Hebrew poetry. Compare Introduction to Poetical Books. Many also clearly involve the idea of comparison in the sentiments expressed (compare Pro 12:1-10; Pro 25:10-15; Pro 26:1-9). Sometimes, however, the designed omission of one member of the comparison, exercising the reader's sagacity or study for its supply, presents the proverb as a "riddle" or "dark saying" (compare Pro. 30:15-33; Pro 1:6; Psa 49:4). The sententious form of expression, which thus became a marked feature of the proverbial style, was also adopted for continuous discourse, even when not always preserving traces of comparison, either in form or matter (compare Pro. 1:1-9:18). In Eze 17:1; Eze 24:3, we find the same word properly translated "parable," to designate an illustrative discourse. Then the Greek translators have used a word, parabola ("parable"), which the gospel writers (except John) employ for our Lord's discourses of the same character, and which also seems to involve the idea of comparison, though that may not be its primary meaning. It might seem, therefore, that the proverbial and parabolic styles of writing were originally and essentially the same. The proverb is a "concentrated parable, and the parable an extension of the proverb by a full illustration." The proverb is thus the moral or theme of a parable, which sometimes precedes it, as in Mat 19:30 (compare Pro 20:1); or succeeds it, as in Mat. 22:1-16; Luk 15:1-10. The style being poetical, and adapted to the expression of a high order of poetical sentiment, such as prophecy, we find the same term used to designate such compositions (compare Num 23:7; Mic 2:4; Hab 2:6).

Though the Hebrews used the same term for proverb and parable, the Greek employs two, though the sacred writers have not always appeared to recognize a distinction. The term for proverb is, paroimia, which the Greek translators employ for the title of this book, evidently with special reference to the later definition of a proverb, as a trite, sententious form of speech, which appears to be the best meaning of the term. John uses the same term to designate our Saviour's instructions, in view of their characteristic obscurity (compare Pro 16:25-29, Greek), and even for his illustrative discourses (Pro 10:6), whose sense was not at once obvious to all his hearers. This form of instruction was well adapted to aid the learner. The parallel structure of sentences, the repetition, contrast, or comparison of thought, were all calculated to facilitate the efforts of memory; and precepts of practical wisdom which, extended into logical discourses, might have failed to make abiding impressions by reason of their length or complicated character, were thus compressed into pithy, and, for the most part, very plain statements. Such a mode of instruction has distinguished the written or traditional literature of all nations, and was, and still is, peculiarly current in the East.

In this book, however, we are supplied with a proverbial wisdom commended by the seal of divine inspiration. God has condescended to become our teacher on the practical affairs belonging to all the relations of life. He has adapted His instruction to the plain and unlettered, and presented, in this striking and impressive method, the great principles of duty to Him and to our fellow men. To the prime motive of all right conduct, the fear of God, are added all lawful and subordinate incentives, such as honor, interest, love, fear, and natural affection. Besides the terror excited by an apprehension of God's justly provoked judgments, we are warned against evil-doing by the exhibition of the inevitable temporal results of impiety, injustice, profligacy, idleness, laziness, indolence, drunkenness, and debauchery. To the rewards of true piety which follow in eternity, are promised the peace, security, love, and approbation of the good, and the comforts of a clear conscience, which render this life truly happy.

INSPIRATION AND AUTHORSHIP.--With no important exception, Jewish and Christian writers have received this book as the inspired production of Solomon. It is the first book of the Bible prefaced by the name of the author. The New Testament abounds with citations from the Proverbs. Its intrinsic excellence commends it to us as the production of a higher authority than the apocryphal writings, such as Wisdom or Ecclesiasticus. Solomon lived five hundred years before the "seven wise men" of Greece, and seven hundred before the age of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It is thus very evident, whatever theory of his sources of knowledge be adopted, that he did not draw upon any heathen repositories with which we are acquainted. It is far more probable, that by the various migrations, captivities, and dispersions of the Jews, heathen philosophers drew from this inspired fountain many of those streams which continue to refresh mankind amid the otherwise barren and parched deserts of profane literature.

As, however, the Psalms are ascribed to David, because he was the leading author, so the ascription of this book to Solomon is entirely consistent with the titles of the thirtieth and thirty-first chapters, which assign those chapters to Agur and Lemuel respectively. Of these persons we know nothing. This is not the place for discussing the various speculations respecting them. By a slight change of reading some propose to translate Pro 30:1 : "The words of Agur, the son of her who was obeyed Massa," that is, "the queen of Massa"; and Pro 31:1 : "The words of Lemuel, king of Massa"; but to this the earliest versions are contradictory, and nothing other than the strongest exegetical necessity ought to be allowed to justify a departure from a well-established reading and version when nothing useful to our knowledge is gained. It is better to confess ignorance than indulge in useless conjectures.

It is probable that out of the "three thousand proverbs" (1Ki 4:32) which Solomon spoke, he selected and edited Pro. 1:1-24:34 during his life. Pro. 25:1-29:27 were also of his production, and copied out in the days of Hezekiah, by his "men," perhaps the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah. Such a work was evidently in the spirit of this pious monarch, who set his heart so fully on a reformation of God's worship. Learned men have endeavored to establish the theory that Solomon himself was only a collector; or that the other parts of the book, as these chapters, were also selections by later hands; but the reasons adduced to maintain these views have never appeared so satisfactory as to change the usual opinions on the subject, which have the sanction of the most ancient and reliable authorities.

DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK.--Such a work is, of course, not susceptible of any logical analysis. There are, however, some well-defined marks of division, so that very generally the book is divided into five or six parts.

1. The first contains nine chapters, in which are discussed and enforced by illustration, admonition, and encouragement the principles and blessings of wisdom, and the pernicious schemes and practices of sinful persons. These chapters are introductory. With few specimens of the proper proverb, they are distinguished by its conciseness and terseness. The sentences follow very strictly the form of parallelism, and generally of the synonymous species, only forty of the synthetic and four (Pro 3:32-35) of the antithetic appearing. The style is ornate, the figures bolder and fuller, and the illustrations more striking and extended.

2. The antithetic and synthetic parallelism to the exclusion of the synonymous distinguish Pro. 10:1-22:16, and the verses are entirely unconnected, each containing a complete sense in itself.

3. Pro. 22:16-24:34 present a series of admonitions as if addressed to a pupil, and generally each topic occupies two or more verses.

4. Pro. 25:1-29:27 are entitled to be regarded as a distinct portion, for the reason given above as to its origin. The style is very much mixed; of the peculiarities, compare parts two and three.

5. Pro. 30:1-33 is peculiar not only for its authorship, but as a specimen of the kind of proverb which has been described as "dark sayings" or "riddles."

6. To a few pregnant but concise admonitions, suitable for a king, is added a most inimitable portraiture of female character. In both parts five and six the distinctive peculiarity of the original proverbial style gives place to the modifications already mentioned as marking a later composition, though both retain the concise and nervous method of stating truth, equally valuable for its deep impression and permanent retention by the memory.

TSK: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

The wisdom of all ages, from the highest antiquity, has chosen to compress and communicate its lessons in short, compendious sentences, and in poetic language, which were readily conceived and easily retained, and circulated in society as useful principles, to be unfolded as occasion required. Indeed, such short maxims, comprehending much instruction in a few words, and carrying their own evidence with them, are admirably adapted to direct the conduct, without overburdening the memory, or perplexing the mind with abstract reasonings; and hence there are, in all countries and in all languages, old proverbs, or common sayings, which have great authority and influence on the opinions and actions of mankind. Such maxims, however, want their proper basis, the sanction of a Divine Original; and being generally the mere result of worldly prudence, are often calculated to impose on the judgment, and to mislead those who are directed by them. But the proverbs in this book not only are far more ancient than any others extant in the world, and infinitely surpass all the ethical sayings of the ancient sages; but have also received a Divine imprimatur, and are infallible rules to direct our conduct in every circumstance of human life. They are so justly founded on the principles of human nature, and so adapted to the permanent interests of man, that they agree with the manners of every age; and are adapted to every period, condition, or rank in life, however varied in its complexion or diversified by circumstance. Kings and subjects, rich and poor, wise and foolish, old and young, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, masters and servants, may here learn their respective duties, and read lessons of instruction for the regulation of their conduct in their various circumstances; while the most powerful motives, derived from honour, interest, love, fear, natural affection, and piety, are exhibited to inspire an ardent love of wisdom and virtue, and the greatest detestation of ignorance and vice. These maxims are laid down so clearly, copiously, impressively, and in such variety, that every man who wishes to be instructed may take what he chooses, and, among multitudes, those which he likes best. " He is wise," say St. Basil, " not only who hath arrived at a complete habit of wisdom, but who hath made some progress towards it; nay, who doth as yet but love it, or desire it, and listen to it. Such as these, by reading this book, shall be made wiser; for they shall be instructed in much divine, and in no less human learning....It bridles the injurious tongue, corrects the wanton eye, and ties the unjust hand in chains. It persecutes sloth, chastises all absurd desires, teaches prudence, raises man’s courage, and represents temperance and chastity after such a fashion that one cannot but have them in veneration."

TSK: Proverbs 22 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

TSK: Proverbs 23 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

TSK: Proverbs 24 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

Poole: Proverbs 22 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 22

Poole: Proverbs 23 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 23

Poole: Proverbs 24 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 24

Their company or manner of life.

MHCC: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

The subject of this book may be thus stated by an enlargement on the opening verses. 1. The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. 2. Which treat of the knowledge of wisdom, of piety towards God, of instruction and moral discipline, of the understanding wise and prudent counsels. 3. Which treat of the attainment of instruction in wisdom, which wisdom is to be shown in the conduct of life, and consists in righteousness with regard to our fellow-creatures. 4. Which treat of the giving to the simple sagacity to discover what is right, by supplying them with just principles, and correct views of virtue and vice; and to the young man knowledge, so that he need not err through ignorance; and discretion, so that by pondering well these precepts, he may not err through obstinacy. Take the proverbs of other nations, and we shall find great numbers founded upon selfishness, cunning, pride, injustice, national contempt, and animosities. The principles of the Proverbs of Solomon are piety, charity, justice, benevolence, and true prudence. Their universal purity proves that they are the word of God.

Matthew Henry: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of The Proverbs

We have now before us, I. A new author, or penman rather, or pen (if you will) made use of by the Holy Ghost for making known the mind of God to us, writing as moved by the finger of God (so the Spirit of God is called), and that is Solomon; through his hand came this book of Scripture and the two that follow it, Ecclesiastes and Canticles, a sermon and a song. Some think he wrote Canticles when he was very young, Proverbs in the midst of his days, and Ecclesiastes when he was old. In the title of his song he only writes himself Solomon, perhaps because he wrote it before his accession to the throne, being filled with the Holy Ghost when he was young. In the title of his Proverbs he writes himself the son of David, king of Israel, for then he ruled over all Israel. In the title of his Ecclesiastes he writes himself the son of David, king of Jerusalem, because then perhaps his influence had grown less upon the distant tribes, and he confined himself very much in Jerusalem. Concerning this author we may observe, 1. That he was a king, and a king's son. The penmen of scripture, hitherto, were most of them men of the first rank in the world, as Moses and Joshua, Samuel and David, and now Solomon; but, after him, the inspired writers were generally poor prophets, men of no figure in the world, because that dispensation was approaching in the which God would choose the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise and mighty and the poor should be employed to evangelize. Solomon was a very rich king, and his dominions were very large, a king of the first magnitude, and yet he addicted himself to the study of divine things, and was a prophet and a prophet's son. It is no disparagement to the greatest princes and potentates in the world to instruct those about them in religion and the laws of it. 2. That he was one whom God endued with extraordinary measures of wisdom and knowledge, in answer to his prayers at his accession to the throne. His prayer was exemplary: Give me a wise and an understanding heart; the answer to it was encouraging: he had what he desired and all other things were added to him. Now here we find what good use he made of the wisdom God gave him; he not only governed himself and his kingdom with it, but he gave rules of wisdom to others also, and transmitted them to posterity. Thus must we trade with the talents with which we are entrusted, according as they are. 3. That he was one who had his faults, and in his latter end turned aside from those good ways of God which in this book he had directed others in. We have the story of it 1 Kings 11, and a sad story it is, that the penman of such a book as this should apostatize as he did. Tell it not in Gath. But let those who are most eminently useful take warning by this not to be proud or secure; and let us all learn not to think the worse of good instructions though we have them from those who do not themselves altogether live up to them.

II. A new way of writing, in which divine wisdom is taught us by Proverbs, or short sentences, which contain their whole design within themselves and are not connected with one another. We have had divine laws, histories, and songs, and how divine proverbs; such various methods has Infinite Wisdom used for our instruction, that, no stone being left unturned to do us good, we may be inexcusable if we perish in our folly. Teaching by proverbs was, 1. An ancient way of teaching. It was the most ancient way among the Greeks; each of the seven wise men of Greece had some one saying that he valued himself upon, and that made him famous. These sentences were inscribed on pillars, and had in great veneration as that which was said to come down from heaven. A coelo descendit, Gnōthi seauton - Know thyself is a precept which came down from heaven. 2. It was a plain and easy way of teaching, which cost neither the teachers nor the learners much pains, nor put their understandings nor their memories to the stretch. Long periods, and arguments far-fetched, must be laboured both by him that frames them and by him that would understand them, while a proverb, which carries both its sense and its evidence in a little compass, is quickly apprehended and subscribed to, and is easily retained. Both David's devotions and Solomon's instructions are sententious, which may recommend that way of expression to those who minister about holy things, both in praying and preaching. 3. It was a very profitable way of teaching, and served admirably well to answer the end. The word Mashal, here used for a proverb, comes from a word that signifies to rule or have dominion, because of the commanding power and influence which wise and weighty sayings have upon the children of men; he that teaches by them dominatur in concionibus - rules his auditory. It is easy to observe how the world is governed by proverbs. As saith the proverb of the ancients (1Sa 24:13), or (as we commonly express it) As the old saying is, goes very far with most men in forming their notions and fixing their resolves. Much of the wisdom of the ancients has been handed down to posterity by proverbs; and some think we may judge of the temper and character of a nation by the complexion of its vulgar proverbs. Proverbs in conversation are like axious in philosophy, maxims in law, and postulata in the mathematics, which nobody disputes, but every one endeavours to expound so as to have them on his side. Yet there are many corrupt proverbs, which tend to debauch men's minds and harden them in sin. The devil has his proverbs, and the world and the flesh have their proverbs, which reflect reproach on God and religion (as Eze 12:22; Eze 18:2), to guard us against the corrupt influences of which God has his proverbs, which are all wise and good, and tend to make us so. These proverbs of Solomon were not merely a collection of the wise sayings that had been formerly delivered, as some have imagined, but were the dictates of the Spirit of God in Solomon. The very first of them (Pro 1:7) agrees with what God said to man in the beginning (Job 28:28, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ); so that though Solomon was great, and his name may serve as much as any man's to recommend his writings, yet, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. It is God, by Solomon, that here speaks to us: I say, to us; for these proverbs were written for our learning, and, when Solomon speaks to his son, the exhortation is said to speak to us as unto children, Heb 12:5. And, as we have no book so useful to us in our devotions as David's psalms, so have we none so serviceable to us, for the right ordering of our conversations, as Solomon's proverbs, which as David says of the commandments, are exceedingly broad, containing, in a little compass, a complete body of divine ethics, politics, and economics, exposing every vice, recommending every virtue, and suggesting rules for the government of ourselves in every relation and condition, and every turn of the conversation. The learned bishop Hall has drawn up a system of moral philosophy out of Solomon's Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The first nine chapters of this book are reckoned as a preface, by way of exhortation to the study and practice of wisdom's rules, and caution against those things that would hinder therein. We have then the first volume of Solomon's proverbs (ch. 10-24); after that a second volume (ch. 25-29); and then Agur's prophecy (ch. 30), and Lemuel's (ch. 31). The scope of all is one and the same, to direct us so to order our conversation aright as that in the end we may see the salvation of the Lord. The best comment on these rules is to be ruled by them.

Topical Index of Proverbs

Twenty chapters of the book of Proverbs (beginning with ch. 10 and ending with ch. 29), consisting mostly of entire sentences in each verse, could not well be reduced to proper heads, and the contents of them gathered; I have therefore here put the contents of all these chapters together, which perhaps may be of some use to those who desire to see at once all that is said of any one head in these chapters. Some of the verses, perhaps, I have not put under the same heads that another would have put them under, but the most of them fall (I hope) naturally enough to the places I have assigned them.

1. Of the comfort, or grief, parents have in their children, according as they are wise or foolish, godly or ungodly, Pro 10:1; Pro 15:20; Pro 17:21, Pro 17:25; Pro 19:13, Pro 19:26; Pro 23:15, Pro 23:16, Pro 23:24, Pro 23:25; Pro 27:11; Pro 29:3

2. Of the world's insufficiency, and religion's sufficiency, to make us happy (Pro 10:2, Pro 10:3; Pro 11:4) and the preference to be therefore given to the gains of virtue above those of this world, Pro 15:16, Pro 15:17; Pro 16:8, Pro 16:16; Pro 17:1; Pro 19:1; Pro 28:6, Pro 28:11

3. Of slothfulness and diligence, Pro 10:4, Pro 10:26; Pro 12:11, Pro 12:24, Pro 12:27; Pro 13:4, Pro 13:23; Pro 15:19; Pro 16:26; Pro 18:9; Pro 19:15, Pro 19:24; Pro 20:4, Pro 20:13; Pro 21:5, Pro 21:25, Pro 21:26; Pro 22:13, Pro 22:29; Pro 24:30-34; Pro 26:13-16; Pro 27:18, Pro 27:23, Pro 27:27; Pro 28:19. Particularly the improving or neglecting opportunities, Pro 6:6; Pro 10:5

4. The happiness of the righteous, and the misery of the wicked, Pro 10:6, Pro 10:9, Pro 10:16, Pro 10:24, Pro 10:25, Pro 10:27-30; Pro 11:3, Pro 11:5-8, Pro 11:18-21, Pro 11:31; Pro 12:2, Pro 12:3, Pro 12:7, Pro 12:13, Pro 12:14, Pro 12:21, Pro 12:26, Pro 12:28; Pro 13:6, Pro 13:9, Pro 13:14 15, 21, 22, 25; Pro 14:11, Pro 14:14, Pro 14:19, Pro 14:32; Pro 15:6, Pro 15:8, Pro 15:9, Pro 15:24, Pro 15:26, Pro 15:29; Pro 20:7; Pro 21:12, Pro 21:15, Pro 21:16, Pro 21:18, Pro 21:21; Pro 22:12; Pro 28:10, Pro 28:18; Pro 29:6

5. Of honour and dishonour, Pro 10:7; Pro 12:8, Pro 12:9; Pro 18:3; Pro 26:1; Pro 27:21. And of vain-glory, Pro 25:14, Pro 25:27; Pro 27:2

6. The wisdom of obedience, and folly of disobedience, Pro 10:8, Pro 10:17; Pro 12:1, Pro 12:15; Pro 13:1, Pro 13:13, Pro 13:18; Pro 15:5, Pro 15:10, Pro 15:12, Pro 15:31, Pro 15:32; Pro 19:16; Pro 28:4, Pro 28:7, Pro 28:9

7. Of mischievousness and usefulness, Pro 10:10, Pro 10:23; Pro 11:9-11, Pro 11:23, Pro 11:27; Pro 12:5, Pro 12:6, Pro 12:12, Pro 12:18, Pro 12:20; Pro 13:2; Pro 14:22; Pro 16:29, Pro 16:30; Pro 17:11; Pro 21:10; Pro 24:8; Pro 26:23, Pro 26:27

8. The praise of wise and good discourse, and the hurt and shame of an ungoverned tongue, Pro 10:11, Pro 10:13, Pro 10:14, Pro 10:20, Pro 10:21, Pro 10:31, Pro 10:32; Pro 11:30; Pro 14:3; Pro 15:2, Pro 15:4, Pro 15:7, Pro 15:23, Pro 15:28; Pro 16:20, Pro 16:23, Pro 16:24; Pro 17:7; Pro 18:4, Pro 18:7, Pro 18:20, Pro 18:21; Pro 20:15; Pro 21:23; Pro 23:9; Pro 24:26; Pro 25:11

9. Of love and hatred, peaceableness and contention, Pro 10:12; Pro 15:17; Pro 17:1, Pro 17:9, Pro 17:14, Pro 17:19; Pro 18:6, Pro 18:17-19; Pro 20:3; Pro 25:8; Pro 26:17, Pro 26:21; Pro 29:9

10. Of the rich and poor, Pro 10:5, Pro 10:22; Pro 11:28; Pro 13:7, Pro 13:8; Pro 14:20, Pro 14:24; Pro 18:11, Pro 18:23; Pro 19:1, Pro 19:4, Pro 19:7, Pro 19:22; Pro 22:2, Pro 22:7; Pro 28:6, Pro 28:11; Pro 29:13

11. Of lying, fraud, and dissimulation, and of truth and sincerity, Pro 10:18; Pro 12:17, Pro 12:19, Pro 12:22; Pro 13:5; Pro 17:4; Pro 20:14, Pro 20:17; Pro 26:18, Pro 26:19, Pro 26:24-26, Pro 26:28

12. Of slandering, Pro 10:18; Pro 16:27; Pro 25:23

13. Of talkativeness and silence, Pro 10:19; Pro 11:12; Pro 12:23; Pro 13:3; Pro 17:27, Pro 17:28; Pro 29:11, Pro 29:20

14. Of justice and injustice, Pro 11:1; Pro 13:16; Pro 16:8, Pro 16:11; Pro 17:15, Pro 17:26; Pro 18:5; Pro 20:10, Pro 20:23; Pro 22:28; Pro 23:10, Pro 23:11; Pro 29:24

15. Of pride and humility, Pro 11:2; Pro 13:10; Pro 15:25, Pro 15:33; Pro 16:5, Pro 16:18, Pro 16:19; Pro 18:12; Pro 21:4; Pro 25:6, Pro 25:7; Pro 28:25; Pro 29:23

16. Of despising and respecting others, Pro 11:12; Pro 14:21

17. Of tale-bearing, Pro 11:13; Pro 16:28; Pro 18:8; Pro 20:19; Pro 26:20, Pro 26:22

18. Of rashness and deliberation, Pro 11:14; Pro 15:22; Pro 18:13; Pro 19:2; Pro 20:5, Pro 20:18; Pro 21:29; Pro 22:3; Pro 25:8-10

19. Of suretiship, Pro 11:15; Pro 17:18; Pro 20:16; Pro 22:26, Pro 22:27; Pro 27:13

20. Of good and bad women, or wives, Pro 11:16, Pro 11:22; Pro 12:4; Pro 14:1; Pro 18:22; Pro 19:13, Pro 19:14; Pro 21:9, Pro 21:19; Pro 25:24; Pro 27:15, Pro 27:16

21. Of mercifulness and unmercifulness, Pro 11:17; Pro 12:10; Pro 14:21; Pro 19:17; Pro 21:13

22. Of charity to the poor, and uncharitableness, Pro 11:24-26; Pro 14:31; Pro 17:5; Pro 22:9, Pro 22:16, Pro 22:22, Pro 22:23; Pro 28:27; Pro 29:7

23. Of covetousness and contentment, Pro 11:29; Pro 15:16, Pro 15:17, Pro 15:27; Pro 23:4, Pro 23:5

24. Of anger and meekness, Pro 12:16; Pro 14:17, Pro 14:29; Pro 15:1, Pro 15:18; Pro 16:32; Pro 17:12, Pro 17:26; Pro 19:11, Pro 19:19; Pro 22:24, Pro 22:25; Pro 25:15, Pro 25:28; Pro 26:21; Pro 29:22

25. Of melancholy and cheerfulness, Pro 12:25; Pro 14:10, Pro 14:13; Pro 15:13, Pro 15:15; Pro 17:22; Pro 18:14; Pro 25:20, Pro 25:25

26. Of hope and expectation, Pro 13:12, Pro 13:19

27. Of prudence and foolishness, Pro 13:16; Pro 14:8, Pro 14:18, Pro 14:33; Pro 15:14, Pro 15:21; Pro 16:21, Pro 16:22; Pro 17:24; Pro 18:2, Pro 18:15; Pro 24:3-7; Pro 7:27; Pro 26:6-11; Pro 28:5

28. Of treachery and fidelity, Pro 13:17; Pro 25:13, Pro 25:19

29. Of good and bad company, Pro 13:20; Pro 14:7; Pro 28:7; Pro 29:3

30. Of the education of children, Pro 13:24; Pro 19:18; Pro 20:11; Pro 22:6, Pro 22:15; Pro 23:12; Pro 14:14; Pro 29:15, Pro 29:17

31. Of the fear of the Lord, Pro 14:2, Pro 14:26, Pro 14:27; Pro 15:16, Pro 15:33; Pro 16:6; Pro 19:23; Pro 22:4; Pro 23:17, Pro 23:18

32. Of true and false witness-bearing, Pro 14:5, Pro 14:25; Pro 19:5, Pro 19:9, Pro 19:28; Pro 21:28; Pro 24:28; Pro 25:18

33. Of scorners, Pro 14:6, Pro 14:9; Pro 21:24; Pro 22:10; Pro 24:9; Pro 29:9

34. Of credulity and caution, Pro 14:15, Pro 14:16; Pro 27:12

35. Of kings and their subjects, Pro 14:28, Pro 14:34, Pro 14:35; Pro 16:10, Pro 16:12-15; Pro 19:6, Pro 19:12; Pro 20:2, Pro 20:8, Pro 20:26, Pro 20:28; Pro 22:11; Pro 24:23-25; Pro 30:2-5; Pro 28:2, Pro 28:3, Pro 28:15, Pro 28:16; Pro 29:5, Pro 29:12, Pro 29:14, Pro 29:26

36. Of envy, especially envying sinners, Pro 14:30; Pro 23:17, Pro 23:18; Pro 24:1, Pro 24:2, Pro 24:19, Pro 24:20; Pro 27:4

37. Of God's omniscience, and his universal providence, Pro 15:3, Pro 15:11; Pro 16:1, Pro 16:4, Pro 16:9, Pro 16:33; Pro 17:3; Pro 19:21; Pro 20:12, Pro 20:24; Pro 21:1, Pro 21:30, Pro 21:31; Pro 29:26

38. Of a good and ill name, Pro 15:30; Pro 22:1

39. Of men's good opinion of themselves, Pro 14:12; Pro 16:2, Pro 16:25; Pro 20:6; Pro 21:2; Pro 26:12; Pro 28:26

40. Of devotion towards God, and dependence on him, Pro 16:3; Pro 18:10; Pro 23:26; Pro 27:1; Pro 28:25; Pro 29:25

41. Of the happiness of God's favour, Pro 16:7; Pro 29:26

42. Excitements to get wisdom, Pro 16:16; Pro 18:1; Pro 19:8, Pro 19:20; Pro 22:17-21; Pro 23:15, Pro 23:16, Pro 23:22-25; Pro 24:13, Pro 24:14; Pro 27:11

43. Cautions against temptations, Pro 16:17; Pro 29:27

44. Of old age and youth, Pro 16:31; Pro 17:6; Pro 20:29

45. Of servants, Pro 17:2; Pro 19:10; Pro 29:19, Pro 29:21

46. Of bribery, Pro 17:8, Pro 17:23; Pro 18:16; Pro 21:14; Pro 28:21

47. Of reproof and correction, Pro 17:10; Pro 19:25, Pro 19:29; Pro 20:30; Pro 21:11; Pro 25:12; Pro 26:3; Pro 27:5, Pro 27:6, Pro 27:22; Pro 28:23; Pro 29:1

48. Of ingratitude, Pro 17:13

49. Of friendship, Pro 17:17; Pro 18:24; Pro 27:9, Pro 27:10, Pro 27:14, Pro 27:17

50. Of sensual pleasures, Pro 21:17; Pro 23:1-3, Pro 23:6-8, Pro 23:19-21; Pro 27:7

51. Of drunkenness, Pro 20:1; Pro 23:23, Pro 23:29-35

52. Of the universal corruption of nature, Pro 20:9

53. Of flattery, Pro 20:19; Pro 26:28; Pro 28:23; Pro 29:5

54. Of undutiful children, Pro 20:20; Pro 28:24

55. Of the short continuance of what is ill-gotten, Pro 20:21; Pro 21:6, Pro 21:7; Pro 22:8; Pro 28:8

56. Of revenge, Pro 20:22; Pro 24:17, Pro 24:18, Pro 24:29

57. Of sacrilege, Pro 20:25

58. Of conscience, Pro 20:27; Pro 27:19

59. Of the preference of moral duties before ceremonial, Pro 15:8; Pro 21:3, Pro 21:27

60. Of prodigality and wastefulness, Pro 21:20

61. The triumphs of wisdom and godliness, Pro 21:22; Pro 24:15, Pro 24:16

62. Of frowardness and tractableness, Pro 22:5

63. Of uncleanness, Pro 22:14; Pro 23:27, Pro 23:28

64. Of fainting in affliction, Pro 24:10

65. Of helping the distressed, Pro 14:11, Pro 14:12

66. Of loyalty to the government, Pro 24:21, Pro 24:22

67. Of forgiving enemies, Pro 25:21, Pro 25:22

68. Of causeless curse, Pro 26:2

69. Of answering fools, Pro 26:4, Pro 26:5

70. Of unsettledness and unsatisfiedness, Pro 27:8, Pro 27:20

71. Of cowardliness and courage, Pro 28:1

72. The people's interest in the character of their rulers, Pro 28:12, Pro 28:28; Pro 29:2, Pro 29:16; Pro 11:10, Pro 11:11

73. The benefit of repentance and holy fear, Pro 28:13, Pro 28:14

74. The punishment of murder, Pro 28:17

75. Of hastening to be rich, Pro 28:20, Pro 28:22

76. The enmity of the wicked against the godly, Pro 29:10, Pro 29:27

77. The necessity of the means of grace, Pro 29:18

Constable: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is "The Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King in Israel" (cf. 1:1). The Greek Septuagint called this book "Proverbs of Solomon." The Latin Vulgate named it "The Book of Proverbs."

There is some debate about whether 1:1 is the title of the whole book or just the title of the first section (chs. 1-9). The first view has in its favor the fact that the Hebrew Bible took the verse as the title of the book. According to this view the references to Solomon in 1:1 are an indication that he was the primary author of the proverbs in the book.¹

The second view is that 1:1 simply introduces the first major section of the book. The support for this view is that some succeeding sections begin with a similar caption (cf. 10:1; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1; 31:1).²

In either case the book got its title from the proverbs it contains. The whole book is a book of proverbs so the title is appropriate.

"To read straight through a few chapters of Proverbs is like trying to have a conversation with someone who always replies with a one-liner."³

Writer

Proverbs claims to be a compendium of the wise sayings of several different individuals.⁴ Solomon originated some of them (10:1-22:16 and chs. 25-29 definitely, and probably chs. 1-9 as well).⁵ Unnamed wise men (sages) wrote other parts (22:17-24:34 definitely, and possibly chs. 1-9). Hezekiah's men copied some of Solomon's proverbs and added them to this collection (chs. 25-29). Agur and King Lemuel produced chapters 30 and 31 respectively.

We do not know who the sages were who wrote 22:17-24:34 nor do we know the names of the men whom King Hezekiah instructed to compile some of Solomon's sayings. Agur and Lemuel are unknown to us also, though Lemuel seems to have been a non-Israelite monarch.⁶

Some of the proverbs appear to have been copied from, or at least influenced by, earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian books of wisdom.⁷

". . . whatever the Spirit of God inspired the ancient writers to include became a part of the Word of the Lord. Such inclusions then took on a new and greater meaning when they formed part of Scripture; in a word, they became authoritative and binding, part of the communication of the divine will."⁸

Date

Solomon reigned from 971 to 931 B.C. and Hezekiah from 715 to 686 B.C.⁹ We do not know when the sages, Agur, or Lemuel lived.

The earliest the Book of Proverbs could have been in its final form was in Hezekiah's day, but it may have reached this stage later than that. We have no way to tell.

The contents of the book could have been in existence in Solomon's lifetime though not assembled into the collection we know as the Book of Proverbs.

Message¹⁰

The Book of Proverbs contains no history. It is purely didactic. It is a book of explicit instruction. Like the other Old Testament wisdom books, Job and Ecclesiastes, it does not contain references to Israel's laws, rituals, sacrifices, or ceremonies. It deals with philosophy primarily. A philosopher is by definition a lover of wisdom. Proverbs is a book that focuses primarily on wisdom, as do Job and Ecclesiastes. In this sense these books are philosophical.

There is a fundamental difference between the philosophy we find in these books and all other philosophy. Other philosophies begin with a question. Hebrew philosophy begins with an affirmation. Its basic affirmation is that God exists. Therefore we can know ultimate truth only by divine revelation.

To many people the Book of Proverbs seems to be a grab bag of wise sayings that lacks any system or order. Nevertheless in a sense this is the most carefully organized of all the books of the Old Testament.

The first verse is its title page. Verses 2-7 are its preface that contains an explanation of the purpose of the book, the method of the Author, and the fundamental affirmation of the book (in v. 7). Then follow three parts of the body of the book. First, there are discourses in defense and application of the fundamental affirmation (1:8--ch. 9). Then we have proverbs Solomon collected and arranged to provide wisdom (chs. 10-24). Next there are additional wise words from Solomon that other people collected after Solomon died (chs. 25-29). An appendix that contains specific words of wisdom by two other sages, Agur and Lemuel, concludes the book (chs. 30-31).

Proverbs is one of the most timeless Old Testament books. The reader needs very little knowledge of ancient Hebrew life and culture to understand and appreciate it. We can understand the contents fairly easily and can apply them directly to modern life.

Let's look first at the fundamental affirmation and then observe how the application of that declaration unfolds in the chapters that follow.

The fundamental affirmation is the deepest insight in Hebrew philosophy (1:7).

There is a presupposition in this statement. It is that God is all wise. We can only find wisdom in God ultimately. This presupposition underlies all of what we read in Job and Ecclesiastes as well as in Proverbs. Furthermore the Hebrews assumed that God expressed His wisdom in all His works and in all His ways. They believed that all natural phenomena revealed God's wisdom. Wherever they looked, they saw God: on land, at sea, in the earth, or in the sky. We can see that viewpoint clearly in Genesis 1:1 (cf. John 14:6).

This fundamental affirmation also contains an inevitable deduction: if wisdom is perfect in God, then wisdom in man consists in the fear of God. A person is wise to the extent that he or she apprehends and fears God. The "fear" of God does not mean a dread that results in hiding from God. It is rather an emotional recognition of God. It is not fear that He may hurt me but fear that I may hurt Him. That is the kind of fear that produces holy character and righteous conduct. Intellectual apprehension of God precedes this emotional recognition, and volitional submission to God's will follows it. When a person comes to this emotional recognition of God he or she comes to the condition for being wise, not that in so doing he or she becomes wise (1:7). We can begin to be wise only when we come into proper relation to God as ultimate Wisdom.

Beginning with 1:8 and continuing to the end of the book, what we have is the application of that affirmation to the various situations and circumstances of life.

I would like to consider what God revealed here in the three spheres of life dealt with in the book: the home, friendship, and the world. In the home, the child must learn wisdom. In friendship, the youth must apply wisdom. In the world, the adult must demonstrate wisdom.

The first sphere is that of the home (1:8-9). God did not teach the responsibility of the father and mother here but took for granted that they would instruct their children. The child needs to hear parental instruction to live in the fear of the Lord. Young children cannot grasp abstract concepts. For them God is incarnate in father and mother. Fathers and mothers reflect the image of God to their children. Both parents are necessary to reveal God to the child fully. Children see some of God's character in the mother's attitudes and actions (cf. Matt. 23:37). They see other aspects of God's character in the father. You do not have to try to teach your young child systematic theology. Just live in the fear of God yourself, and your child will learn what he or she needs to learn about God, for that stage in life, just by observing you. I do not mean to exclude verbal instruction. My point is that young children learn wisdom by observing their parents as well as by listening to them.

The second sphere of life is friendship (1:10-19). The day must come when the child, in the natural process of development, moves out into a wider circle of experience.

Personally I believe the Bible presents two duties that children have to their parents.

When the child's sphere of life is his home, he is to obey his parents. However, that duty does not continue forever. When he moves into the larger sphere of life outside the home, his duty is to honor his parents. This duty does continue forever.

When a child enters this second sphere of life, guided at first by parental council but then finally on its own, wisdom gives important instruction (1:10). He should avoid certain friendships. He should beware of people who seek to make friends with him because they have selfish interests and unscrupulous methods. We have many warnings in Proverbs against people who are not true friends. There is no more important stage in a young person's development than when he or she begins to choose companions. Then, and from then on, he or she must follow the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. The youth must submit to the Lord's wisdom, having learned that in the sphere of the home, to succeed in the larger arenas of life. The choice of a mate is one of these companion decisions.

The third sphere of life is the world, symbolized in Proverbs by the street, the gates, and the city (1:20-33; cf. chs. 2-9).

The first word of warning to the youth who leaves home to enter the world on his own is this. Beware of the evil way of those who do not fear the Lord (1:20-32). There is also a gracious promise (1:33). Wisdom does not say withdraw from the world. Wisdom says remember the fate of those who forget God. Wisdom promises that those who live in the fear of the Lord will be quiet and safe even in the turmoil of the world. Do you see how important preparation for living in this sphere of life is? Children must learn to take God into account in the home, and then in their friendships, before they launch out into the world. This instruction is what really prepares them for life.

The series of discourses beginning, "My son," represents the voice of home sounding in the youth's ears who has left home and is living in the world (chs. 2-7). The father tells his son how his father instructed him in wisdom and how this enabled him to live successfully in the world. Then specific warnings follow concerning impurity, laziness, bad companions, and adultery. As the young man climbs toward a higher position in life, wisdom comes to him again with instruction concerning how he can avoid the pitfalls of that stage of his life (ch. 8). The discourses close with a contrast in which Solomon personified wisdom and folly as two women (ch. 9). One is a woman of virtue and beauty, and the other is a woman of vice and ugliness. Solomon contrasted the value and victory of wisdom with the disaster and defeat of folly. He contrasted the wisdom of fearing God with the folly of forgetting God.

I would summarize the message of Proverbs this way. The person who learns the fear of God (an emotional recognition of God) in every sphere of life will be successful, but those who forget God will fail. By an emotional recognition of God I mean taking God into account, being aware of His reality and presence, making decisions in view of His existence and revelation. This is what fearing God means.

The precepts urging a life of wisdom center on 3:1-10. This passage concentrates on that subject. Proverbs 3:5-6 is some of the best advice anyone ever gave.

The practice of wisdom centers on 8:32-36.

The power for living a life of wisdom centers on 1:8 (cf. James 1:5; 3:37; Col. 2:3).

Constable: Proverbs (Outline)

Outline

I. Discourses on wisdom chs. 1-9

A. Introduction to the book 1:1-7

1. The title of the book 1:1

2. The purpose of the book 1:2-6

3. The thesis of the book 1:7

B. Instruction for young people 1:8-7:27

1. Warning against consorting with sinners 1:8-19

2. Wisdom's appeal 1:20-33

3. Wisdom as a treasure chs. 2-3

4. Encouragements to obey these instructions ch. 4

5. Warnings against unfaithfulness in marriage ch. 5

6. Other dangerous temptations 6:1-19

7. Further warnings against adultery 6:20-7:27

C. The value of wisdom and wise conduct chs. 8-9

1. The function of wisdom ch. 8

2. Wisdom and folly contrasted ch. 9

II. Couplets expressing wisdom 10:1-22:16

A. The marks of wise living chs. 10-15

1. Things that produce profit 10:1-14

2. Things of true value 10:15-32

3. Wise living in various contexts 11:1-15

4. Wise investments 11:16-31

5. The value of righteousness 12:1-12

6. Avoiding trouble 12:13-28

7. Fruits of wise living ch. 13

8. Further advice for wise living chs. 14-15

B. How to please God 16:1-22:16

1. Trusting God ch. 16

2. Peacemakers and troublemakers ch. 17

3. Friendship and folly ch. 18

4. Further advice for pleasing God 19:1-22:16

III. Wise sayings 22:17-24:34

A. Thirty sayings of the wise 22:17-24:22

1. The first group 22:17-23:11

2. The second group 23:12-24:22

B. Six more sayings of the wise 24:23-34

IV. Maxims expressing wisdom chs. 25-29

A. Instructive analogies 25:1-27:22

1. Wise and foolish conduct ch. 25

2. Fools and folly ch. 26

3. Virtues and vices 27:1-22

B. A discourse on prudence 27:23-27

C. Instructive contrasts chs. 28-29

V. Two discourses by other wise men chs. 30-31

A. The wisdom of Agur ch. 30

1. The introduction of Agur 30:1

2. Wisdom about God 30:2-9

3. Wisdom about life 30:10-33

B. The wisdom of Lemuel ch. 31

1. The introduction of Lemuel 31:1

2. The wise king 31:2-9

3. The wise woman 31:10-31

Constable: Proverbs

Proverbs

Bibliography

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.

INTRODUCTION.

This book is so called, because it consists of wise and weighty sentences, regulating the morals of men; and directing them to wisdom and virtue. And these sentences are also called Parables, because great truths are often couched in them under certain figures and similitudes. (Challoner) --- Wisdom is introduced speaking in the nine first chapters. Then to chap. xxv. more particular precepts are given. (Worthington) --- Ezechias caused to be collected (Haydock) what comes in the five next chapters, and in the two last. Some other, or rather Solomon himself, under (Worthington) different titles, gives us Agur's and his mother's instructions, and his own commendations of a valiant woman, (Haydock) which is prophetical of the Catholic Church. He also wrote the two next works, besides many other things, which have been lost. This is the first of those five, which are called "sapiential," giving instructions how to direct our lives, by the dictates of sound reason. (Worthington) --- It is the most important of Solomon's works, though collected by different authors. (Calmet) --- T. Paine treats Solomon as a witty jester. But his jests are of a very serious nature, and no one had before heard of his wit. (Watson)

Gill: Proverbs (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS

This book is called, in some printed Hebrew copies, "Sepher Mishle", the Book of Proverbs; the title of it in the Vulgate Latin version is,

"the Book of Proverbs, which the Hebrews call "Misle":''

in the Septuagint version it has the name of the writer, the Proverbs of Solomon; and so in the Syriac version, with the addition of his titles,

"the son of David, king of Israel.''

This and Ecclesiastes are both of them by the Jews ^a called Books of Wisdom: and it is common with the ancient Christian writers ^b to call the book of Proverbs by the names of "Wisdom" and "Panaretos"; names they give also to the apocryphal books of Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon; and therefore this is to be carefully distinguished from them. The author of this book was King Solomon, as the "first" verse, which contains the inscription of it, shows; for he was not a collector of these proverbs, as Grotius is of opinion, but the author of them, at least of the far greater part; and not only the author, but the writer of them: the Jews ^c say that Hezekiah and this men wrote them; it is true indeed the men of Hezekiah copied some, Pro 25:1; but even those were written by Solomon. R. Gedaliah ^d would have it that Isaiah the prophet wrote this book; but without any foundation. At what time it was written is not certain; the Jewish writers generally say ^e it was written by Solomon, as were the books of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs, in his old age, when near the time of his death; though some think it was written before his fall: and it may be it was not written all at once, but at certain times, when these proverbs occurred unto him and were spoken by him, and as occasion served: however, it is not to he doubted but that they were written under the inspiration of God. The Jews once thought to have made this book of Proverbs an apocryphal one, because of some seeming contradictions in it; but finding that these were capable of a reconciliation, changed their minds, as became them ^f. Among Christians, Theodore of Mopsuest, in the sixth century, denied the divine authority of this book, and attributed it merely to human wisdom; which opinion of his was condemned in the second council at Constantinople: and in later times it has been treated with contempt by the Socinians, and particularly by Father Simon and Le Clerc; but the authority of it is confirmed by the writers of the New Testament, who have cited passages out of it; see Rom 12:20 from Pro 25:21. The book consists of "five" parts; "first", a preface or introduction, which takes up the first "nine" chapters; the "second", the proverbs of Solomon, put together by himself, beginning at the tenth chapter to the twenty-fifth; the "third", the proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah, beginning at the twenty-fifth chapter to the thirtieth; the "fourth", the words of Agur, the thirtieth chapter, the "fifth", the instruction of Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, the thirty-first chapter.