Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. WINE IS A MOCKER. Wine makes those who drink it mockers of God and of men. STRONG DRINK (HEBREW, sheekaar (H7941 )) IS RAGING - or tumultuously clamorous. It makes its drinkers so. Sheekaar includes every... [ Continue Reading ]
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. THE FEAR OF A KING (THE FEAR WHICH A KING EXCITES) (IS) AS THE ROARING OF A LION: (WHOSO) PROVOKETH HIM TO ANGER SINNETH (AGAINST) HIS OWN SOUL - (.) So Adonijah in provoking King Solomon ... [ Continue Reading ]
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. (IT IS) AN HONOUR FOR A MAN TO CEASE FROM STRIFE. ; forbid beginning strife; this verse bids us to cease from it when it has been begu... [ Continue Reading ]
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. THE SLUGGARD WILL NOT PLOW BY REASON OF THE COLD - Hebrew, the winter. Disinclination is never in want of excuses. Small difficulties are great to the lazy. (THEREFORE) SHALL HE BEG IN HARVES... [ Continue Reading ]
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. COUNSEL IN THE HEART OF MAN (IS LIKE) DEEP WATER (THE CUNNING OF MEN'S HEART IS LIKE AN UNFATHOMABLE DEEP): BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING WILL DRAW IT OUT - by the gift of discernment of spirits, and by tac... [ Continue Reading ]
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? MOST MEN WILL PROCLAIM EVERY ONE HIS OWN GOODNESS - his own beneficence to others, as the Pharisee did MOST MEN WILL PROCLAIM EVERY ONE HIS OWN GOODNESS - his own beneficence to others, as the Pharisee did ().... [ Continue Reading ]
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. THE JUST (MAN) WALKETH IN HIS INTEGRITY: HIS CHILDREN (ARE) BLESSED AFTER HIM. So far is it from being the case, as many suppose, that the just, by uprightness, stand in their own light, and expose themselves and their ch... [ Continue Reading ]
A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. A KING THAT SITTETH IN THE THRONE OF JUDGMENT (ACTIVELY EXERCISING JUDGMENT, AND GIVING HIMSELF UP TO HIS ROYAL DUTIES-SO YAHWEH, ) SCATTERETH AWAY ALL EVIL WITH HIS EYES. "Scattereth," or 'fanneth away,' as th... [ Continue Reading ]
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? WHO CAN SAY (WITH TRUTH), I HAVE MADE MY HEART CLEAN. Nay, we ought to say, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (.) I AM PURE FROM MY SIN? Contrast ; . In a relative sense a man may say, by faith in the Redeemer, 'I am pure from t... [ Continue Reading ]
Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD. DIVERS WEIGHTS - Hebrew, 'a stone and a stone' - i:e., one weight in buying; a different one in selling. DIVERS MEASURES - Hebrew, 'an ephah and an ephah.' All injustice in the common contact of life.... [ Continue Reading ]
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. EVEN A CHILD IS KNOWN BY HIS DOINGS, WHETHER HIS WORK (BE) PURE, AND WHETHER (IT BE) RIGHT. A child gives indications of what kind of a man he is likely to be-pure and upright, or the reverse. Parents ought t... [ Continue Reading ]
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. THE HEARING EAR, AND THE SEEING EYE, THE LORD HATH MADE EVEN BOTH OF THEM - therefore He surely sees and hears all things (). "The hearing ear is the ear which reverently and eagerly heareth the Word of God, of parents, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. LOVE NOT SLEEP. To sleep is a matter of necessity; to love sleep is the mark of indolence. OPE... [ Continue Reading ]
It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. IT IS NAUGHT, IT IS NAUGHT (THE WARE ON SALE IS BAD IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY), SAITH THE BUYER. The repetition expresses superlative worthlessness. The buyer says the same thing over and over again. BUT... [ Continue Reading ]
There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. THERE IS GOLD, AND A MULTITUDE OF RUBIES: BUT THE LIPS OF KNOWLEDGE (DISCREET GODLY SPEECH) (ARE) A PRECIOUS JEWEL - far more precious than either gold or rubies, however abundant.... [ Continue Reading ]
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. TAKE HIS GARMENT THAT IS SURETY (FOR) A STRANGER - addressed to the creditor. Take from the surety the amount that he has made himself responsible for. The design is to show graphically the risk of beco... [ Continue Reading ]
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. BREAD OF DECEIT - bread obtained by deceit (; ). If the Qeri' reading, as in the English version, , be taken, "bread of deceit" will mean secret adultery, sweet at the time, but deadly in the end: 'Nocet emp... [ Continue Reading ]
Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. AND WITH GOOD ADVICE MAKE WAR - for victory is more often obtained by skill than by strength. First sit down and count the cost, and prepare your plans (Luke 14:31). The Lord alone can 'establish purposes' ().... [ Continue Reading ]
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. A TALEBEARER - Hebrew, raakiyl (H7400); a detractor; literally, a trafficker, who 'goeth about' offering his wares of scandal, and 'revealing secrets,' to the prejudice of others.... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. WHOSO CURSETH HIS FATHER ... HIS LAMP (THE TEMPORARY PROSPERITY WHICH HE MAY HAVE) SHALL BE PUT OUT IN OBSCURE DARKNESS - literally, 'in the obscurity of darkness;' i:e., in the most extreme misery, the outer... [ Continue Reading ]
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. AN INHERITANCE (MAY BE) GOTTEN HASTILY, [SO THE QERI' READS, mªbohelet (H926 ); CF. PROVERBS 28:20 ] AT THE BEGINNING; BUT THE END THEREOF SHALL NOT BE BLESSED. The Kethibh reads, 'An inheritance, abo... [ Continue Reading ]
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. SAY NOT THOU, I WILL RECOMPENSE EVIL - for evil: I will avenge myself. ; alludes to this, as also to . ; is the fundamental passage in which God claims 'vengeance and recompense' as His special prerogative (). B... [ Continue Reading ]
_DIVERS WEIGHTS ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD; AND A FALSE BALANCE IS NOT GOOD._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? MAN'S (HEBREW, gaaber (H1397 ): A MIGHTY MAN'S) GOINGS (ARE) OF THE LORD. Whatever success attends mighty warriors, as Julius Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, etc., is entirely due to the Lord. HOW CAN A MAN ( 'aadaam (H120 ):... [ Continue Reading ]
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry. (IT IS) A SNARE (ENTAILING GUILT AND PENALTIES ON BOTH BODY AND SOUL) TO THE MAN (WHO) DEVOURETH (THAT WHICH IS) HOLY (DEDICATED TO SACRED USES) AND AFTER VOWS TO MAKE INQUIRY. "Devoureth" - i:e., greedily... [ Continue Reading ]
A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. A WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED - like chaff before the wind (). AND BRINGETH THE WHEEL OVER THEM - the wheel of the threshing instrument, that he may disperse them as stubble and chaff (; ; ; ; ; ). "Tribulation" is derive... [ Continue Reading ]
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. THE SPIRIT OF MAN IS THE CANDLE OF THE LORD - a candle or lamp lit by the Lord; a light divinely given to man. Conscience is this candle. SEARCHING ALL THE INWARD PARTS OF THE BELLY - searching and discove... [ Continue Reading ]
Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. MERCY (TOWARD THE MISERABLE AND NEEDY) AND TRUTH (in fulfilling his word) preserve the king. Truth is not to be sacrificed to mercy, but both to be combined in harmony. As he himself needs the mercy of God, so must he show m... [ Continue Reading ]
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. THE GLORY OF YOUNG MEN (IS) THEIR STRENGTH (SO LONG AS THEY RIGHTLY USE IT); AND THE BEAUTY OF OLD MEN (IS) THE GREY HEAD - when it is found "in the way of righteousness" (). The world and the Church need both:... [ Continue Reading ]
The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. THE BLUENESS OF A WOUND (SEVERE CHASTISEMENT, OF WHICH BLUENESS OF A WOUND IS THE SIGN) CLEANSETH AWAY EVIL: SO DO STRIPES THE INWARD PARTS OF THE BELLY. The "evil" lies deep in "the inward parts of the bell... [ Continue Reading ]