Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. DEAD FLIES - literally, flies of death. THE OINTMENT - a costly and precious ointment. The more excellent is the ointment, the sadder it is t... [ Continue Reading ]
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. A WISE MAN'S HEART (IS) AT HIS RIGHT HAND - (.) The right hand is more expert than the left. The godly wise is more on his guard than the foolish sinner, though at times he slip. Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble w... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. BY THE WAY - in his ordinary course; in his simplest acts (Proverbs 6:12). HE SAITH TO EVERY ONE (THAT) HE IS A FOOL - he "saith" virtually "that he" himself is a fool: he... [ Continue Reading ]
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. IF THE SPIRIT (ANGER) OF THE RULER ... - (.) "yielding pacifieth." This explains "leave not thy place" - do not, in a resisting spirit, withdraw from thy post of duty. If this be true as... [ Continue Reading ]
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: THERE IS AN EVIL ... AS [OR THROUGH: SINCE Kª- IS USED IN ] AN ERROR WHICH PROCEEDETH FROM (LITERALLY, FROM THE FACE OF) THE RULER. Jerome, on the authority of his Jewish assistant, explained the Ruler... [ Continue Reading ]
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. THE RICH SIT IN LOW PLACE - not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the antithesis to "folly" (for "foolish men") shows. [So rich, `ashiyr (H6223), is here used, as the similar Greek word in Luke 12:21; James 2:5; Revelation 2:9.] Compar... [ Continue Reading ]
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. SERVANTS UPON HORSES - the world turned upside down. the worthless exalted to dignity (; and vice SERVANTS UPON HORSES - the world turned upside down. the worthless exalted to dignity (; and vice versa): David flee... [ Continue Reading ]
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. HE THAT DIGGETH A PIT ... - the wrong done to others recoils on the perpetrators themselves (); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (; ; ). Image from pitfalls laid for wild beasts; the... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. WHOSO REMOVETH STONES - namely, of an ancient building, or his neighbour's landmarks, or from the quarry. HE THAT CLEAVETH WOOD SHALL BE ENDANGERED - by the splinters, or by the head of the ha... [ Continue Reading ]
If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. IF THE LION BE BLUNT - in 'cleaving wood' (), answering to the 'fool set in dignity' (), who wants sharpness. THEN MUST HE PUT TO MORE STRENGTH - more force has then to be u... [ Continue Reading ]
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. WITHOUT ENCHANTMENT - if "enchantment" is not used. AND A BABBLER (A BABBLING CALUMNIATOR) IS NO BETTER. Therefore, as one may escape a serpent by charms (Psalms 58:4), so one may escape the sting of a calumniator by... [ Continue Reading ]
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. GRACIOUS - literally, grace itself. So the Lord Jesus (). The disciple of Christ similarly by gracious speech, like "enchantment," averts the sting of the old serpent (; ). LIPS OF A FOOL - whereas hi... [ Continue Reading ]
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool's words; last clause of . MISCHIEV... [ Continue Reading ]
A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? FULL OF WORDS () - boasting (as the context implies) of what he will do, how he will live in grandeur. A MAN CANNOT TELL WHAT SHALL BE - (; ; ; ; .) If man, universally (including the... [ Continue Reading ]
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. THE LABOUR OF THE FOOLISH WEARIETH. They have no capacity for spiritual things; and merely earthly aims are wearying vanity (; ). KNOWETH NOT HOW TO GO TO THE CITY. Proverb for ignorance of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! KING IS A CHILD - given to pleasures; behaves with childish levity. Not in years; because a nation may be happy under a young prince, as Josiah; but as Rehoboam, who, though forty-one years old, is called "young a... [ Continue Reading ]
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! SON OF NOBLES - not merely in blood, but in virtue, the true nobility. IN DUE SEASON - not until duty has first been attended to. FOR STRENGTH - to refresh... [ Continue Reading ]
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. BY MUCH SLOTHFULNESS - Hebrew, dual: By double slothfulness: or, sloth with both hands. THE BUILDING - literally, the joining of the rafters; namely, the kingdom, the edifice of state (; )... [ Continue Reading ]
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. A FEAST (HEBREW, BREAD) IS MADE FOR LAUGHTER. Their meals are taken, not for strength, but for self-indulgent excess. Referring to . Instead of repairing the breaches in the commonwealth (the "building"), the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. THOUGHT - literally, consciousness. RICH - the great. The language, as applied to earthly princes knowing the "thou... [ Continue Reading ]