A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. A (GOOD) NAME (CF. ) IS RATHER TO BE CHOSEN ... (AND) LOVING FAVOUR RATHER THE SILVER. Since "favour" by itself sufficiently expresses the kindly feeling or esteem of others toward one, it is bett... [ Continue Reading ]
The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. THE RICH AND POOR MEET TOGETHER: THE LORD IS THE MAKER OF THEM ALL. Though the rich and the poor are unequal in worldly means, yet they are equal in respect to creation and common nature. In spite of the conventional distinctions... [ Continue Reading ]
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. A PRUDENT (MAN) FORESEETH THE EVIL, AND HIDETH HIMSELF (FROM IT, UNTIL IT HAS PASSED BY, ; ; ): BUT THE SIMPLE PASS ON (APPREHENDING NOTHING, AND THEREFORE NOT GETTING OUT OF THE WAY OF THE EVIL), AND... [ Continue Reading ]
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. BY (HEBREW, THE END OR REWARD OF) HUMILITY, (AND) THE FEAR OF THE LORD, (ARE) RICHES, HONOUR, AND LIFE - (; ; ), True "humility" is the inseparable associate of "the fear of the Lord." The humble, affected with a true sense o... [ Continue Reading ]
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. THORNS AND SNARES (ENTANGLEMENTS IN SIN, AND CONSEQUENT PUNISHMENT) ARE IN THE WAY OF THE FROWARD. He brings these on himself by his perversity, and cannot extricate himself from them. So Israel,... [ Continue Reading ]
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. TRAIN UP (LITERALLY, INITIATE: DEDICATE, AS A HOUSE, NUMBERS 7:10-4 ; OR TEMPLE 1 KINGS 8:63 : HEBREW, CHANAK) A CHILD IN (HEBREW, ACCORDING TO) THE WAY HE SHOULD GO (HEBREW, HIS WAY); AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE... [ Continue Reading ]
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. THE RICH RULETH OVER THE POOR. Let it be the rule of order, exercised in kindness; not of pride and oppression (). The capitalist often exercises an iron control over his workmen, as if they were so many soulless machines... [ Continue Reading ]
He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. HE THAT SOWETH INIQUITY SHALL REAP VANITY - (; .) According to each man's sowing shall be his harvest. AND THE ROD OF HIS ANGER SHALL FAIL - the rod wherewith, in his insolent anger, he attack the poor who were subj... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. A BOUNTIFUL EYE - in contrast to an 'evil eye against one's poor brother' (), as the Levite "looked on" the wounded man, and yet "passed by on the other side" (). It is by looking upon our brother's need that... [ Continue Reading ]
Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. CAST OUT THE SCORNER - from the family (as Hagar and Ishmael, : 'Sarah saw the son of Hagar ... mocking, wherefore she said, Cast out, etc.), from the State, and from the Church. He who scorns God and man st... [ Continue Reading ]
He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. HE THAT LOVETH PURENESS OF HEART (FOR) THE GRACE OF HIS LIPS (OR AS MARGIN, AND WHO HATH GRACE IN HIS LIPS; OR, WHOSE LIPS ARE GRACE; I:E., GRACIOUS ( ; ), THE KING (SHALL BE) HIS FRIEND. Pureness of heart,... [ Continue Reading ]
The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. THE EYES OF THE LORD PRESERVE KNOWLEDGE - namely, that of the godly, practical, and experimental knowledge of the truth. His "eyes," regard with favour, so that He 'preserves' those who have saving "knowl... [ Continue Reading ]
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. THE SLOTHFUL (MAN) SAITH, (THEIR IS) A LION WITHOUT - inventing imaginary dangers to excuse his indolence in staying at home, instead of going forth into active business. IN THE STREETS - indicating the silliness... [ Continue Reading ]
The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. THE MOUTH OF STRANGE WOMEN (THE FLATTERING SPEECHES OF THE TEMPTRESS, PROVERBS 7:11 ) (IS) A DEEP PIT - such as wild beasts are caught in, from which there is no escape. HE THAT IS ABHORRED OF THE LORD... [ Continue Reading ]
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. FOOLISHNESS (IS) BOUND IN (OR TO) THE HEART OF A CHILD - not merely by slight threads, but as it were by chains, so that it cannot easily be torn from it. The Hebrew, qªshuwraah (H7194), expresse... [ Continue Reading ]
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. HE THAT OPPRESSETH THE POOR TO INCREASE HIS (RICHES, AND) HE THAT GIVETH TO THE RICH, (SHALL) SURELY (HEBREW, ONLY; 'ak (H389 )) (COME) TO WANT. Both alike are seeking self: the one by o... [ Continue Reading ]
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. From this verse to the continuous style is resumed from Proverbs 1:1; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 6:1; Proverbs 7:1;... [ Continue Reading ]
For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. FOR (IT IS) A PLEASANT THING IF THOU KEEP THEM WITHIN THEE (IN THY BREAST; CF. MARGIN); THEY SHALL WITHAL BE FITTED IN THY LIPS. Or supply 'if.' 'If they shall be equally [ yachdaaw (H3162)] fitted... [ Continue Reading ]
That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. THAT THY TRUST MAY BE IN THE LORD (THE TRUE END OF KNOWLEDGE, , AND OF UTTERANCE, ), I HAVE MADE KNOWN TO THEE THIS DAY, EVEN TO THEE. The repetition is for emphasis. To thee, to thy very self, whosoever thou art... [ Continue Reading ]
Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, HAVE NOT I WRITTEN TO THEE EXCELLENT THINGS IN COUNSELS AND KNOWLEDGE. For the Qeri' [ shaaliyshiym (H7991)], "excellent things," the Kethibh reads [ shilshowm (H8032)], 'long ago'-literally, the day before yesterday; but this... [ Continue Reading ]
That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? THAT I MIGHT MAKE THEE KNOW THE CERTAINTY OF THE WORDS OF TRUTH. The words of Scripture are: (1) certain, and not at all ambiguous or equivocal (like the pa... [ Continue Reading ]
Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: ROB NOT THE POOR, BECAUSE HE IS POOR - because you think he is unable to ward off wrong. Or, since he is poor, do not add to his affliction. THE AFFLICTED IN THE GATE - i:e., in the place of justice. Those are the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. FOR THE LORD WILL PLEAD THEIR CAUSE ( ), AND SPOIL THE SOUL OF THOSE THAT SPOILED THEM. Retribution in kind. Those who deprived the poor of their means of living, the Lord will deprive of life itself here and her... [ Continue Reading ]
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: WITH A FURIOUS MAN (A POSSESSOR OF FURY) THOU SHALT NOT GO - as an associate.... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. LEST THOU ... GET (RECEIVE) A SNARE TO THY SOUL. "Get" or 'receive' implies a voluntary incurring of risk of destruction sudden and inevitable.... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. DEBTS - literally, burdens.... [ Continue Reading ]
If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? WHY SHOULD HE TAKE AWAY THY BED? - why should you involve yourself in such difficulties as to put it in the creditor's power to take away the very bed from under thee? (cf. .)... [ Continue Reading ]
Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. REMOVE NOT THE ANCIENT LANDMARK, WHICH THY FATHERS HAVE SET. So spiritually, Do not irreverently displace the ancient landmarks of faith-e.g., the Pauline test of a standing or falling church, justification by faith only. Impatience of... [ Continue Reading ]
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. SEEST THOU A MAN DILIGENT IN HIS BUSINESS? HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS - as Joseph, Nehemiah, and Daniel did (; ; ; ; Daniel 6:1; ). The spiritually diligent shall stand before the King of... [ Continue Reading ]