A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. A WISE SON (HEARETH) HIS FATHER'S INSTRUCTION: BUT A SCORNER HEARETH NOT REBUKE. A wise son shows his wisdom by hearing his father's disciplinary instruction - i:e., instruction accompanied with chastisement (Hebrew,... [ Continue Reading ]
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. A MAN SHALL EAT GOOD BY THE FRUIT OF (HIS) MOUTH. He shall enjoy the fruit of the good words which he uses (). No wonder that the Holy Spirit here labours so much for the reformation of the tongue;... [ Continue Reading ]
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. HE THAT KEEPETH HIS MOUTH (CONSIDERING ABOUT WHAT, WITH WHOM, IN WHAT MANNER, PLACE, AND TIME, HE SPEAKS, GEJER) KEEPETH HIS LIFE: (BUT) HE THAT OPENETH WIDE HIS LIPS (RASHLY AND INCONSIDERATELY... [ Continue Reading ]
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. THE SOUL OF THE SLUGGARD (HEBREW, THE SOUL OF HIM, THE SLUGGARD) DESIRETH, AND (HATH) NOTHING: BUT THE SOUL OF THE DILIGENT SHALL BE MADE FAT - (.) The sluggard desires abundance, and does nothin... [ Continue Reading ]
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. A RIGHTEOUS (MAN) HATETH LYING (NOT MERELY IN OTHERS, BUT IN HIMSELF: NOT MERELY ABSTAINS FROM IT, BUT HATETH IT): BUT A WICKED (MAN) IS LOATHSOME, AND COMETH TO SHAME - literally, 'maketh (himself) loathsome, and bri... [ Continue Reading ]
Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. RIGHTEOUSNESS KEEPETH (HIM THAT IS) UPRIGHT IN THE WAY - of life and of safety. He needs no other defenses. BUT WICKEDNESS OVERTHROWETH THE SINNER - Hebrew, 'sin:' the abstract for the concrete (cf. n... [ Continue Reading ]
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. THERE IS THAT MAKETH HIMSELF RICH, YET (HATH) NOTHING: (THERE IS) THAT MAKETH HIMSELF POOR, YET (HATH) GREAT RICHES - parallel, I think, to , "There is that scattereth, and yet increaset... [ Continue Reading ]
The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. THE RANSOM OF A MAN'S LIFE (ARE) HIS RICHES: BUT THE POOR HEARETH NOT REBUKE. If the rich man's life is in danger, he can often redeem himself by his riches (; ); but the poor do not ever 'hear' threats - i.e., the poor ar... [ Continue Reading ]
The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. THE LIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUS REJOICETH - joyfully shines forth. "The light of the righteous" is that of their piety, joy, peace, and blessedness, which, beginning here, is perfected in the life to come (; ; ; ). It... [ Continue Reading ]
Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. ONLY BY PRIDE COMETH CONTENTION. The "only" is joined by Maurer, Castalio, etc., not to "pride," which immediately follows, but to "cometh contention" - literally, will one give contention. Pride only causeth contention. There... [ Continue Reading ]
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. WEALTH (GOTTEN) BY VANITY SHALL BE DIMINISHED: BUT HE THAT GATHERETH BY LABOUR (HEBREW, WITH THE HAND) SHALL INCREASE - literally, 'wealth from (Hebrew, min (H4480)) vanity' (Proverbs 10:2; Proverbs 20:21... [ Continue Reading ]
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. HOPE DEFERRED MAKETH THE HEART SICK: BUT (WHEN) THE DESIRE COMETH, (IT IS) A TREE OF LIFE - (.) True wisdom admonishes us to set our hopes, not on the unsatisfying things of earth, but on that which, though ou... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. WHOSE DESPISETH THE WORD (NAMELY, OF GOD) SHALL BE DESTROYED: BUT HE THAT FEARETH THE COMMANDMENT SHALL BE REWARDED - Hebrew, 'shall be destroyed for himself' [ low (H3807a)]: all he shall get for... [ Continue Reading ]
The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. THE LAW OF THE WISE (IS) A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, TO DEPART FROM THE SNARES OF DEATH. "The law of the wise" is the law God, which the wise follow, and which they put forth from their "mouth" as "a well of life," present an... [ Continue Reading ]
Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. GOOD UNDERSTANDING GIVETH FAVOUR - both with God and man. BUT THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS (IS) HARD - rugged; literally, rough, as soil unfit for cultivation (). The way of transgressors is one which yields no fruit of favour... [ Continue Reading ]
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. EVERY PRUDENT (MAN) DEALETH WITH KNOWLEDGE - acteth with judgment, not inconsiderately. BUT A FOOL LAYETH OPEN HIS FOLLY - betrayeth it by setting about his business rashly, without knowledge or counsel, or regard to t... [ Continue Reading ]
A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health. A WICKED MESSENGER FALLETH INTO MISCHIEF. A messenger who does not execute his 'embassy' 'faithfully,' "falleth into" the penalty of his faithlessness. BUT A FAITHFUL AMBASSADOR (IS) HEALTH - alike to himself and to... [ Continue Reading ]
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. POVERTY AND SHAME (SHALL BE) TO HIM THAT REFUSETH INSTRUCTION - disciplinary instruction, correction. 'Disciplinary instruction' is needed for learning any honest trade or profession. He... [ Continue Reading ]
The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. THE DESIRE ACCOMPLISHED IS SWEET TO THE SOUL: BUT (IT IS) ABOMINATION TO FOOLS TO DEPART FROM EVIL. Compare , "When the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." A canon of interpretation in Proverbs i... [ Continue Reading ]
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. HE THAT WALKETH (NAMELY, CONTINUOUSLY AND HABITUALLY) WITH WISE MEN SHALL BE WISE. So the Masoretic text reads [ howleek (H1980) ... yechªkaam (H2449)]. But the Kethibh, or Hebrew text, reads imperatively,... [ Continue Reading ]
Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed. EVIL PURSUETH SINNERS: BUT TO THE RIGHTEOUS GOOD SHALL BE REPAID - or 'good shall repay the righteous.' "Evil" - i.e., the punishment of evil; not only the reproach of conscience, but also the positive penalty of evil from God,... [ Continue Reading ]
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. A GOOD (MAN) LEAVETH AN INHERITANCE TO HIS CHILDREN'S CHILDREN - i:e., presuming that the children and grand-children taught by the good man follow his steps. AND THE WEALTH OF T... [ Continue Reading ]
Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. MUCH FOOD (IS IN) THE TILLAGE OF THE POOR - `in the newly tilled had of the poor;' in the land which they have newly broken up with arduous and honest labour. BUT THERE IS (THAT IS) DESTROYED FOR WANT... [ Continue Reading ]
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. HE THAT SPARETH HIS ROD HATETH HIS SON - i:e., acts in such a way as one who hated the boy and desired his ruin might be supposed to act. "His rod," the rod which the parent is bound to use. BUT HE THAT LOVE... [ Continue Reading ]
The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want. THE RIGHTEOUS EATETH TO THE SATISFYING OF HIS SOUL - (,) by the blessing and kind providence of God. The little which the just have is, as it were, much, because they are content with their lot, and recei... [ Continue Reading ]