Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. BETTER IS A DRY MORSEL - without butter or oil (). THAN A HOUSE FULL OF SACRIFICES - victims, part of which were offered in sacrifice and the rest feasted upon. The choicest beasts were need in sacri... [ Continue Reading ]
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. A WISE SERVANT SHALL HAVE RULE OVER A SON THAT CAUSETH SHAME, AND SHALL HAVE PART OF THE INHERITANCE AMONG THE BRETHREN. The value of wisdom is shown in that it supersedes eve... [ Continue Reading ]
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. THE FINING POT (IS) FOR SILVER, AND THE FURNACE FOR GOLD: BUT THE LORD TRIETH THE HEARTS. As men test and purify silver in the crucible and gold in the furnace, so the Lord trieth the hearts. Men can prove si... [ Continue Reading ]
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. A WICKED DOER GIVETH HEED TO FALSE LIPS; (AND) A LIAR (LITERALLY, A LIE) GIVETH EAR TO A NAUGHTY TONGUE - literally, 'to a tongue of perversities'-a tongue that speaketh nothing but what is perverse, to the griev... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. WHOSO MOCKETH THE POOR REPROACHETH HIS MAKER ( ); AND HE THAT IS GLAD AT CALAMITIES SHALL NOT BE UNPUNISHED. So Tyrus is threatened, because she was glad at Jerusalem's calamities, saying "I s... [ Continue Reading ]
Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. CHILDREN'S CHILDREN (ARE) THE CROWN OF OLD MEN; AND THE GLORY OF CHILDREN (ARE) THEIR FATHERS - a reciprocal ornament-the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children (). "The crown," the ornam... [ Continue Reading ]
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince. EXCELLENT SPEECH (A LIP OF EXCELLENCY) BECOMETH NOT A FOOL; MUCH LESS DO LYING LIPS (A LIP OF LYING) A PRINCE. "Excellent speech" - speech which is above the capacity, office, and experience of the speaker, in this case "a fo... [ Continue Reading ]
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. A GIFT (IS AS) A PRECIOUS STONE (LITERALLY, A STONE OF GRACE) IN THE EYES OF HIM THAT HATH IT; WHERESOEVER IT TURNETH, IT PROSPERETH - literally, it acteth prudently, and so prosperously. Solom... [ Continue Reading ]
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. HE THAT COVERETH A TRANSGRESSION SEEKETH LOVE - (.) Promoteth love (cf. ; ). We ought to 'cover' a fault when the glory of God and the good of our neighbour and of the commonweal do not require... [ Continue Reading ]
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. A REPROOF ENTERETH MORE INTO [DESCENDS INTO, FROM naachat (H5181 )] A WISE MAN THAN AN HUNDRED STRIPES INTO A FOOL - literally, 'than to strike a fool a hundred times.' It is the height of folly to harden one's self aga... [ Continue Reading ]
An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. AN EVIL (MAN) SEEKETH ONLY REBELLION - so the Septuagint and Arabic. But the Chaldaic and Syriac take "rebellion" as the abstract for the concrete, and make it nominative. 'A rebel seeketh only evil,' notw... [ Continue Reading ]
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. LET A BEAR ROBBED OF HER WHELPS MEET A MAN, RATHER THAN (LITERALLY, AND NOT; ) A FOOL IN HIS FOLLY. It would be safer to meet a she-bear, infuriated by being robbed of her cubs (; ), than to encounter a fool hurried al... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. WHOSO REWARDETH EVIL FOR GOOD, EVIL SHALL NOT DEPART FROM HIS HOUSE. Such a monstrous sin shall entail punishment not merely on the sinner himself, but also on his posterity.... [ Continue Reading ]
The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. THE BEGINNING OF STRIFE (IS AS) WHEN ONE LETTETH OUT WATER - as when, in a dam or mound raised to oppose a flood or the sea, there is ever so small an aperture, the water passing... [ Continue Reading ]
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. HE THAT JUSTIFIETH THE WICKED, AND HE THAT CONDEMNETH THE JUST, EVEN THEY BOTH (ARE) AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD - (Isaiah 5:20; Isaiah 5:23.) We ought to be of one mind with God concerning b... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? WHEREFORE (IS THERE) A PRICE (LITERALLY, THIS PRICE: DEMONSTRATIVELY) IN THE HAND OF A FOOL TO GET WISDOM, SEEING (HE HATH) NO HEART (TO IT)? Why has he in his power the wealth and other means of obtai... [ Continue Reading ]
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES, AND A BROTHER IS BORN FOR ADVERSITY. A true friend loves at all times; but it is in adversity especially that he becomes as a brother born to you, or a brother by blood just born for the emergency. I... [ Continue Reading ]
A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. A MAN VOID OF UNDERSTANDING STRIKETH HANDS (IN TOKEN OF HIS ENGAGING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHER), (AND) BECOMETH SURETY IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS FRIEND - implying habitual rashness in suretiship. "In the... [ Continue Reading ]
He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. HE LOVETH TRANSGRESSION THAT LOVETH STRIFE - because strife both is itself a transgression, and is the source of many transgressions. (AND) HE THAT EXALTETH HIS GATE (I:E., HIS HOUSE: NOT AS IS QUOTED... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief. HE THAT HATH A FROWARD HEART FINDETH NO GOOD - one whose "heart is deep" (); one "with a double heart" (). The opposite to an open, sincere, upright heart (). AND HE THAT HATH A PERVERSE (CRA... [ Continue Reading ]
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. HE THAT BEGETTETH A FOOL (DOETH IT) TO HIS SORROW - findeth afterward that what he had regarded as a joy is but a "sorrow," when the son betrays his foolishness. Hence, infer that we should be anxious not so m... [ Continue Reading ]
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. A MERRY HEART DOETH GOOD (LIKE) A MEDICINE - or else, 'make good (i:e., effectual) medicine;' cf. margin: so Mercer. The same root as here [ geehah (H1456)] occurs in Hosea 5:13, "cure." Gesenius thinks the root-mean... [ Continue Reading ]
A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. A WICKED (MAN) (OR JUDGE) TAKETH A GIFT OUT OF THE BOSOM (TAKEN OUT OF THE GIVER'S BOSOM), TO PERVERT THE WAYS OF JUDGMENT - to pervert the due course of justice by quibbles and loopholes of escape. The "bosom" implies... [ Continue Reading ]
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. WISDOM IS BEFORE (HEBREW, IN THE FACE OF) HIM THAT HATH UNDERSTANDING - is always before his face as a friend, ready at hand (Gejer) (cf. the phrase, ). Or, 'appears in his countenance' composed, g... [ Continue Reading ]
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. A FOOLISH SON (IS) A GRIEF TO HIS FATHER, AND BITTERNESS TO HER THAT BARE HIM. The mother, as having to a greater degree than the father spoiled her son by indulgence, entails on herself "bitterness," which is worse tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity. ALSO TO PUNISH THE JUST IS NOT GOOD, (NOR) TO STRIKE PRINCES FOR (LITERALLY, UPON) EQUITY. The "also" expresses, Besides other evils, also to punish the just is not good (). The Septuagint and Maurer, instead of "for equity,... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. HE THAT HATH KNOWLEDGE SPARETH HIS WORDS: (AND) A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING IS OF AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT. The Hebrew text, Kethibh, reads, [wªqar from qar (H7119)) to be cold] 'and a man of understanding is o... [ Continue Reading ]
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. EVEN A FOOL, WHEN HE HOLDETH HIS PEACE, IS COUNTED WISE; (AND) HE THAT SHUTTETH HIS LIPS (IS ESTEEMED) A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING. This confirms . Thus, the objection is met, If... [ Continue Reading ]