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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Proverbs 20:27

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 discovering the inmost secrets of every man. Conscience is 'God in man'-a witness for God, acquitting or else condemning the man before himself, (Romans 2:14). It needs to be lit up by God's Word (). Let us see that we be willing that our "inward parts" be all searched by the light, and no secret sin spared (; ; ; ; 1 John 3:20).

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See also Proverbs 20:27 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 20:27. _THE SPIRIT OF MAN_ IS _THE CANDLE OF THE LORD_] God has given to every man a _mind_, which _he so enlightens by his own_ _Spirit_, that the man knows how to distinguish good fro...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE SPIRIT OF MAN - The “breath” of Genesis 2:7, the higher life, above that which he has in common with lower animals, coming to him direct from God. Such a life, with all its powers of insight, cons...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 20 PROVERBS AS TO PERSONAL CONDUCT Proverbs of warning and instructions as to personal conduct are found mostly in this chapter; a number of them are of special interest if applied to Solomon....

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 20. We have still further traces in Proverbs 20:9; Proverbs 20:24 of the sceptical spirit and the obstinate questionings of self characteristic of the later Greek period of Jewish thought. P...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SPIRIT. breath. Hebrew. _neshamah._ See App-16. CANDLE. lamp or light. Same word as in Proverbs 20:20. THE BELLY. Put by Figure of speech _Metalepsis_ (App-6) for the heart, and the heart for its th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _spirit_ Lit. BREATH (πνοή, LXX.). The word, in this unusual sense, may probably have been chosen to recall Genesis 2:7: _the Lord God … breathed into his nostrils the breath_(the same word as here) _...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE SPIRIT OF MAN.— The soul of man is as a burning lamp, which God hath kindled in the midst of us, which enlightens us, and discovers to us all that passes; it is that breath of life which the Lord...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 20:21-30 21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed. 22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he wil...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    20:27 belly. (k-15) As ch. 18.8....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Conscience is a searchlight, piercing the depths of the heart (1 Corinthians 2:11)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. RAGING] RV 'a brawler.' IS deceived] RM 'reeleth.' It makes a man sneer, quarrel and reel about....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 20 V1 Wine is like a man who insults you. Beer is like a man who shouts at you. If wine and beer tempt you, then you are not wise....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    God even knows our thoughts. He knows whether our plans are good or evil. Other people might think that we are good and honest. But God knows the truth....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE SPIRIT OF MAN IS THE CANDLE OF THE LORD. — The spirit of man, breathed into him at first by the Creator (Genesis 2:7), and afterwards quickened and illumined by the Divine Spirit, is the “candle o...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    נֵ֣ר יְ֭הוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כָּל ־

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 21 IDLENESS "After the autumn gathering the slothful does not plough; he asks in the harvest, and there is nothing."- Proverbs 20:4 WE have already in the sixth lecture caught a glimpse of t...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 17 A JUST BALANCE "A just balance and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are His work."- Proverbs 16:11 "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 17 A JUST BALANCE "A just balance and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are His work."- Proverbs 16:11 "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THE GLORY OF YOUNG MEN” Proverbs 20:16-30 What a wonderful thought is given in Proverbs 20:27! We stand like a row of unlighted candles until God's Spirit kindles us. Has the Divine Nature ever bent...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 20:9. This is the eternal challenge which has but one answer. When a man recognizes this he begins to inquire for a Saviour. Verse Proverbs 20:14. "It is bad, it is bad," is the descrip...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    The (i) spirit of man [is] the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. (i) The word of God gives life to man and causes us to see and try the secret of our dark hearts, (Hebrew...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Lamp. The breath of life, (Genesis ii. 7.) and the light of man, 1 Corinthians ii. 11._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. The spirit of man is the candle of the L...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE SPIRIT OF MAN [IS] THE CANDLE OF THE LORD,.... The rational soul of man is a light set up in him; this is what is commonly called the light of nature; it was a bright and burning light at first, b...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly._ Ver. 27. _The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord._] Some read it, The breath of a man, that is, hi...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The spirit of a man_ That is, the rational soul; _is the candle,_ &c. Is a clear and glorious light, set up in man for his information and direction. It is said to be the candle _of the Lord_, becaus...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 27. THE SPIRIT OF MAN IS THE CANDLE OF THE LORD, the spiritual and moral powers of man, under the direction of Jehovah, penetrate into his innermost being, SEARCHING ALL THE INWARD PARTS OF THE BEL...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    CANDLE: Or, lamp...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE SPIRIT, i.e. the reasonable soul. IS THE CANDLE; is a clear and glorious light set up in man for his information and direction. OF THE LORD; so called, partly because it comes from God in a more i...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 20:27 spirit H5397 man H120 lamp H5216 LORD H3068 Searching H2664 (H8802) depths H2315 heart H990...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Proverbs 20:27 God is the fire of this world, its vital principle, a warm pervading presence everywhere. Of this fire the spirit of man is the candle. What does that mean? If, because man is of a natu...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings and instructions regarding the ways of folly. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: Here in this imperfect state, no person can claim to be sinless, but the just man, walking by the rule o...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 20:1. _Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging._ In the book of Ecclesiasticus intoxication is connected with poverty, with harlots, with destruction: chap. Proverbs 19:1. Cyrus, after notic...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 20:26 DRIVES THE WHEEL OVER THEM refers to a heavy cart being drawn over the grain to separate the wheat from the chaff. For the health of his kingdom, a WISE KING must root...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 20:27_ THE CANDLE OF THE LORD We understand by the spirit of a man the self-conscious _ego_—that which takes cognizance of the inner life, and which reasons and passes j...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER; or, scorner, the word (_luts_) being taken up from the last chapter. The liquor is, as it were, personified, as doing what men do under its influence. Thus...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Into chapter 20. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1). He will have more to say about wine as we move along in our study next week,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 2:11; 1 John 3:19; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Genesis 2:7;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The spirit — The reasonable soul. The candle — Is a clear and glorious light set up in man for his information and direction. Of the Lord — So called because it comes from God in a more immediate mann...

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