Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. Proverbs 4:1.-The young are urged by Solomon, as he was urged by his father, to get wisdom as the principal thing, and as that which will give glory to its possessors (Proverbs 4:1). The youth is warned so to keep W... [ Continue Reading ]
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. FOR I GIVE YOU GOOD DOCTRINE, FORSAKE YE NOT MY LAW. It is "good," as having God for its author, truths of everlasting moment to us for its subject-matter, and our salvation for its ends. Solomon speaks as representative of God, whose law is that... [ Continue Reading ]
For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. FOR I WAS MY FATHER'S SON, TENDER AND ONLY (BELOVED) IN THE SIGHT OF MY MOTHER. My father taught me as his true son, even as I teach you. I obeyed him, and it has been well with me; do you the same (Mercer). "Tender and... [ Continue Reading ]
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. HE TAUGHT ME ALSO, SAID UNTO ME, LET THINE HEART RETAIN MY WORDS: KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, AND LIVE - and as the blessed result those shalt have life in its highest sense, both for time and eternit... [ Continue Reading ]
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. GET WISDOM, GET UNDERSTANDING. "Get" - Hebrew, acquire or buy, like a merchant, sparing neither toil nor cost to make thyself possessor of the one pearl of great price.... [ Continue Reading ]
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. FORSAKE HER NOT, AND SHE SHALL PRESERVE THEE: LOVE HER, AND SHE SHALL KEEP THEE. If thou forsake her not, she will not forsake, but will preserve thee. If thou wilt lovingly keep her, she will keep thee. So Jerome ... [ Continue Reading ]
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPAL THING; (THEREFORE) GET WISDOM: AND WITH ALL THY GETTING GET UNDERSTANDING. The world's maxim, on the contrary, is,-Money is the principal thing; therefore get money: and with a... [ Continue Reading ]
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. EXALT HER, AND SHE SHALL PROMOTE THEE; SHE SHALL BRING THEE TO HONOUR, WHEN THOU DOST EMBRACE HER. Not only "get," "keep," and "love" her; but also "exalt her." We are apt to think less of those th... [ Continue Reading ]
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. SHE SHALL GIVE TO THINE HEAD AN ORNAMENT OF GRACE: A CROWN OF GLORY SHALL SHE DELIVER TO THEE - (.) She will give thee "an ornament of grace" in the Church militant on earth: "a crown of glory" in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. HEAR, O MY SON, AND RECEIVE MY SAYINGS; AND THE YEARS OF THY LIFE SHALL BE MANY - reverting to .... [ Continue Reading ]
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. I HAVE TAUGHT THEE IN THE WAY OF WISDOM; I HAVE LED THEE IN RIGHT PATHS - I have taught thee already in part, I will now teach thee more fully; yea, I am teaching thee most faithfully (Gejer). "Right paths" are the only wis... [ Continue Reading ]
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. WHEN THOU GOEST, THY STEPS SHALL NOT BE STRAITENED - by insurmountable obstacles in thy way - i:e., in thy course through life; in all thy ordinary undertakings (). AND WHEN THOU RUNNEST, THOU SH... [ Continue Reading ]
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. TAKE FAST HOLD OF INSTRUCTION; LET HER NOT GO: KEEP HER; FOR SHE IS THY LIFE - (; ). Do not be like children, who are much pleased with a new thing that they have just seen, and then afterward cease to value it. Having... [ Continue Reading ]
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. ENTER NOT INTO THE PATH OF THE WICKED, AND GO NOT IN THE WAY OF EVIL MEN. "Enter not" forbids the first step toward union with the wicked in their ways. "Go not" forbids further advance in the same evil alliance, if we hav... [ Continue Reading ]
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. AVOID IT, PASS NOT BY IT, TURN FROM IT, AND PASS AWAY. He accumulates words to imply the greatness of the AVOID IT, PASS NOT BY IT, TURN FROM IT, AND PASS AWAY. He accumulates words to imply the greatness of the danger, as well as our natura... [ Continue Reading ]
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. FOR THEY SLEEP NOT, EXCEPT THEY HAVE DONE MISCHIEF; AND THEIR SLEEP IS TAKEN AWAY, UNLESS THEY CAUSE (SOME) TO FALL. So the Hebrew margin (Qeri') reads, which Proverbs 4:17 supports... [ Continue Reading ]
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. FOR THEY EAT THE BREAD OF WICKEDNESS, AND DRINK THE WINE OF VIOLENCE - (; .) Not merely wickedness is their bread, and violence their wine (cf. ; , "Who eat up my people as they eat bread;" cf. , "My meat is to do the will of H... [ Continue Reading ]
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. BUT THE PATH OF THE JUST IS AS THE SHINING LIGHT, THAT SHINETH MORE AND MORE UNTO THE PERFECT DAY. "As the shining light" - literally, as the light of splendour - i:e., as the light of the (morning)... [ Continue Reading ]
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. THE WAY OF THE WICKED IS AS DARKNESS; THEY KNOW NOT AT WHAT THEY STUMBLE - (.) They know not on what peril they may stumble and fall finally. They are in perpetual danger, and know it not, because they are in darkness (; ;... [ Continue Reading ]
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. MY SON, ATTEND TO MY WORDS; INCLINE THINE EAR UNTO MY SAYINGS - a fresh call to serious attention, because of our tendency to spiritual torpor (cf. ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. LET THEM NOT DEPART FROM THINE EYES; KEEP THEM IN THE MIDST OF THINE HEART. As the "ear" was mentioned in , so the "eyes" and "heart" in this verse, as three avenues for the entrance of knowledge into the man. The eyes ou... [ Continue Reading ]
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. FOR THEY ARE LIFE UNTO THOSE THAT FIND THEM, AND HEALTH TO ALL THEIR FLESH - literally, 'to all his flesh' - i:e., to the whole man of each one of "those that find them" (; ; ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL [ mikaal (H3605 )] DILIGENCE. The Hebrew for "with" is so translated, as in the English version, by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac. It is translated by Bayne, Gejer, Piscator, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. PUT AWAY FROM THEE A FROWARD MOUTH, AND PERVERSE LIPS PUT FAR FROM THEE - Hebrew, frowardness (cf. ) of mouth and perversity of lips.' 'Frowardness'-literally, distortion; all speech that departs from the law of purity, trut... [ Continue Reading ]
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. LET THINE EYES LOOK RIGHT ON, AND LET THINE EYELIDS LOOK STRAIGHT BEFORE THEE. Be straightforward in thy aims and thy walk in life, making the home above, and its statutes thy aim; just as the runner in a race looks s... [ Continue Reading ]
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. PONDER THE PATH OF THY FEET, AND LET ALL THY WAYS BE ESTABLISHED. The object of the tempter is to prevent your doing so (Proverbs 5:6). As the Lord ponders (i:e., weighs well) all thy goings, and shall test them in the great day (1... [ Continue Reading ]
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. TURN NOT TO THE RIGHT HAND NOR TO THE LEFT - (.) The image is from the king's highway (; ). God's holy law is our heavenly King's highway. We must not in the lost turn aside from it into the by-ways of superstitious will-worsh... [ Continue Reading ]