Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. BETTER (IS) THE POOR THAT WALKETH IN HIS INTEGRITY, THAN (HE THAT IS) PERVERSE IN HIS LIPS, AND IS A FOOL. Honourable poverty is preferable to ill-gotten or ill-used wealth. The Hebrew for "fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. ALSO, (THAT) THE SOUL BE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE, (IT IS) NOT GOOD. "The soul" is a choice gift of God; but if it be "without knowledge" of piety, the right end of action, and the right guide to that e... [ Continue Reading ]
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. THE FOOLISHNESS OF MAN PERVERTETH HIS WAY: AND HIS HEART FRETTETH AGAINST THE LORD. It is his own sinful foolishness that leads him in a perverse way, ending in calamity; but instead of laying the blame on himsel... [ Continue Reading ]
Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. WEALTH MAKETH (HEBREW = ADDS) MANY FRIENDS: BUT THE POOR IS SEPARATED FROM HIS NEIGHBOUR - from him WEALTH MAKETH (HEBREW = ADDS) MANY FRIENDS: BUT THE POOR IS SEPARATED FROM HIS NEIGHBOUR - from him who once was, and who... [ Continue Reading ]
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. A FALSE WITNESS ... AND (HE THAT) SPEAKETH (HEBREW, BREATHETH FORTH) LIES SHALL NOT ESCAPE. repeats this. "False witness" is in public: "lies" are also in private. They stand on the same footing, and shall have... [ Continue Reading ]
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. MANY WILL ENTREAT THE FAVOUR (HEBREW, THE FACE, DANIEL 9:13 , MARGIN) OF THE PRINCE (or, the liberal): and every man (is) a friend to him that giveth gifts-or, as the Hebrew maqqeph (hyphen) requires,... [ Continue Reading ]
All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. ALL THE BRETHREN OF THE POOR DO HATE HIM; HOW MUCH MORE DO HIS FRIENDS GO FAR FROM HIM? If the nearest blood-relations treat him as if they 'hated him,... [ Continue Reading ]
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. HE THAT GETTETH WISDOM (LITERALLY, HEART) LOVETH HIS OWN SOUL - (.)... [ Continue Reading ]
_A FALSE WITNESS SHALL NOT BE UNPUNISHED, AND HE THAT SPEAKETH LIES SHALL PERISH._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. DELIGHT IS NOT SEEMLY FOR A FOOL. A life of luxurious delights sometimes makes wise men into fools; but it makes fools into madmen, to their own destruction. Recreation and pleasure are seemly for a wise man, as... [ Continue Reading ]
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. THE DISCRETION OF A MAN DEFERRETH HIS ANGER. Discretion maketh a man long-suffering and patient of wrongs. The Hebrew is 'prolongeth' - i:e., puts it off to a distant time. AND (IT IS) HIS GLORY TO PA... [ Continue Reading ]
The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. THE KING'S WRATH IS AS THE ROARING OF A LION - (THEREFORE HIS SUBJECTS SHOULD BEWARE OF PROVOKING HIM. HOW MUCH MORE OUGHT MEN TO FEAR THE WRATH OF THE KING OF KINGS; AND TO SEEK HIM WHOSE) FAVOUR (IS) AS DEW... [ Continue Reading ]
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. THE CONTENTIONS OF A WIFE ARE A CONTINUAL DROPPING - through the roof of a house. A man cannot escape from his wife, however contentious she may be. "Continual" - literally, pushing; i:e., one dr... [ Continue Reading ]
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. HOUSE AND RICHES (ARE) THE INHERITANCE OF FATHERS - i:e., are to be obtained by inheritance from them. They are among the indiscriminate gifts of God's bounty, common to the good and bad alike. BUT A PRUDENT... [ Continue Reading ]
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. SLOTHFULNESS CASTETH INTO A DEEP SLEEP. Moderate labour sharpens the spirit; idleness dulls it. AND AN IDLE SOUL (HEBREW, REMISS: A SOUL WHICH SOON REMITS ITS EFFORTS) SHALL SUFFER HUNGER - in just retribution. So in... [ Continue Reading ]
He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. HE THAT KEEPETH THE COMMANDMENT (NAMELY, OF GOD) KEEPETH HIS OWN SOUL; (BUT) HE THAT DESPISETH HIS WAYS (HE THAT IS NEGLIGENT IN HIS WAYS) SHALL DIE. So the Hebrew margin, or Qeri', reads, yaamuwt (H4... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. HE THAT HATH PITY UPON THE POOR LENDETH UNTO THE LORD - making the Lord his debtor; for God regards favours to His people as done to Himself (). AND THAT WHICH HE HATH GIVEN (LITERALLY, H... [ Continue Reading ]
Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. CHASTEN THY SON WHILE THERE IS HOPE - of his being reformed, before that he becomes hardened in sin. Trees, while young, are tender, and are the more easily bent. AND LET NOT THY SOUL SPARE FOR HIS CRYING - Hebrew,... [ Continue Reading ]
A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. A MAN OF GREAT WRATH SHALL SUFFER PUNISHMENT. So the Masoretic Qeri' reads [ gªdaal (H1419), great], instead of the Hebrew text, Kethibh gaarol (H1632), a softened form of gaarar, to roll, to rush],... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. HEAR COUNSEL, AND RECEIVE (WITH DUE ATTENTION) INSTRUCTION - Hebrew, musar, 'discipline.' THAT THOU MAYEST BE WISE IN THY LATTER END - that, though thy past years have been spent in sinful folly, thy after years... [ Continue Reading ]
There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. (THERE ARE) MANY DEVICES IN A MAN'S HEART; NEVERTHELESS THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD, THAT SHALL STAND. Man has "many devices," through his ignorance of the future. Many and laboriously devised as they are... [ Continue Reading ]
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. THE DESIRE OF A MAN IS HIS KINDNESS: AND A POOR MAN IS BETTER THAN A LIAR. 'A man's kindness is what makes him desirable,' and acceptable to all; or, 'A man's kindness is a desirable adornment to him.' The parallel clause... [ Continue Reading ]
The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. THE FEAR OF THE LORD (TENDETH) TO LIFE; AND (HE THAT HATH IT) SHALL ABIDE (HEBREW, LIN-LIT, SHALL PASS THE WHOLE NIGHT; CF. PSALMS 4:7 ) SATISFIED - abundantly filled with all reall... [ Continue Reading ]
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. A SLOTHFUL (MAN) HIDETH HIS HAND IN (HIS) BOSOM. So the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic. The Hebrew, tsalaachat (H6747), means 'a dish.' So Gejer understands it here. Also 'a caldron;' hence, the cav... [ Continue Reading ]
Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. SMITE A SCORNER, AND THE SIMPLE WILL BEWARE. If you smite and severely chastise a scorner, you will do him no good; but you will produce this good effect-namely, that he simple... [ Continue Reading ]
He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. HE THAT WASTETH HIS FATHER (HIS FATHER'S SUBSTANCE, BY EXTRAVAGANCE), (AND) CHASETH AWAY HIS MOTHER (VIRTUALLY CHASETH HER AWAY, BY MAKING HER OWN HOME UNBEARABLE TO HER, BY HIS DISTURBAN... [ Continue Reading ]
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. CEASE, MY SON, TO HEAR THE INSTRUCTION (THAT CAUSETH) TO ERR FROM THE WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE - for instance, "the instruction" or discipline which heretics and seducers offer, but which is no instruction. Thus, i... [ Continue Reading ]
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. AN UNGODLY WITNESS (HEBREW, A WITNESS OF BELIAL) SCORNETH JUDGMENT - justice. He has no reverence for the sacred place of justice, but makes it a jest. AND THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED DEVOURETH INIQUITY - greedil... [ Continue Reading ]
Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools. JUDGMENTS ARE PREPARED FOR SCORNERS - even as they 'scorned judgment' (.) Righteous retribution in kind. In vain they promise to themselves impunity forever: judgments are prepared for them from old.... [ Continue Reading ]