PROVERBS CHAPTER 11 A FALSE BALANCE, the use of all false weights and measures in commerce, IS ABOMINATION, i.e. highly abominable, as the abstract signifies; which is opposed to the false opinion of men, who account it a fineness of wit, or, at worst, but a trivial fault. TO THE LORD; partly becaus... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PRIDE COMETH, THEN COMETH SHAME; pride, as it is the effect of folly, so it bringeth a man to contempt and destruction, such persons being commonly hated both by God and by all men. WITH THE LOWLY IS WISDOM; whereby they are kept from those foolish and wicked actions which expose men to shame.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INTEGRITY OF THE UPRIGHT, their sincere obedience to God's laws, SHALL GUIDE THEM; shall keep them from crooked and dangerous courses, and lead them in a right and safe way. THE PERVERSENESS OF TRANSGRESSORS SHALL DESTROY THEM; those wicked devices by which they design and expect to secure thems... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DAY OF WRATH; in the time of God's judgments, when he is executing wrath and vengeance upon sinners. RIGHTEOUSNESS, or _mercy_, as this word is oft rendered; or charity to the poor, which is fitly opposed to riches laid up in store. DELIVERETH FROM DEATH; it moveth God to deliver them ofttime... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL DIRECT HIS WAY; shall bring all his designs and endeavours to a happy issue, by comparing this clause with the next.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL DELIVER THEM from many snares and dangers.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS EXPECTATION SHALL PERISH; all his hope and felicity, which he placed wholly in earthly things, is lost and gone with him. THE HOPE OF UNJUST MEN; so it is a repetition of the same thing in other words. Or, as divers render it, _the hope_ of their _strengths_, i.e. which they place in their carna... [ Continue Reading ]
Is by God's providence brought into the same miseries, which either he designed against the righteous, or had formerly inflicted upon the righteous, and now lately removed from them.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH HIS MOUTH; by his corrupt communication, whereby he endeavours to draw him to error or wickedness. THROUGH KNOWLEDGE, to wit, of God, and of his word, which makes men wise, and discovers, and so prevents, the frauds of deceivers. BE DELIVERED from the infection of the hypocrite's evil and craft... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN IT GOETH WELL WITH THE RIGHTEOUS, when such men are encouraged and advanced into places of power and trust, the city rejoiceth; the citizens or subjects of that government rejoice, because they confidently expect justice and tranquillity, and many other benefits, by their administration of publ... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE BLESSING OF THE UPRIGHT, where with they bless the city, to wit, by their sincere prayers, and wise and wholesome counsels. BY THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED; by their curses, and oaths, and blasphemies, and wicked and pernicious counsels, whereby they both provoke God, and mislead men to their own... [ Continue Reading ]
DESPISETH HIS NEIGHBOUR; which contempt he showeth, either, 1. By contemptuous or reproachful expressions of him; or, 2. By not asking or not regarding his advice, but trusting wholly to his own understanding. HOLDETH HIS PEACE; either, 1. He forbeareth all such expressions against his neighbour.... [ Continue Reading ]
A TALE-BEARER, or, _he that goeth about_ (from one place or person to another, as the manner of such is) _telling tales_, making it his business to scatter reports, revealeth secrets; this tattling humour is so prevalent with him, that he cannot forbear to publish, either his neighbour's secret faul... [ Continue Reading ]
NO COUNSEL; or, _no wise counsel_, as the word properly signifies, as JOB 37:12 PROVERBS 1:5. IN THE MULTITUDE OF COUNSELLORS, to wit, of wise and good counsellors, for such will employ and unite their counsels together for the public good.... [ Continue Reading ]
A STRANGER; whose condition he doth not thoroughly understand, and therefore knows not his own danger. SURETISHIP; of which SEE POOLE ON "PROVERBS 6:1".... [ Continue Reading ]
A GRACIOUS WOMAN, Heb. a _woman of grace and favour_, i.e. one who by her meekness, and modesty, and prudence, and other virtues, renders herself acceptable and amiable to God and to men. RETAINETH HONOUR, or _holdeth fast her honour_ or good reputation, with no less care and resolution than strong... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HIS OWN SOUL, i.e. to himself, because his liberality shall turn to his own infinite advantage, both in this life and in the next. Cruel; hard-hearted and uncharitable to others. HIS OWN FLESH; either, 1. His own children or kindred, who are commonly expressed by this very word, for whose sakes... [ Continue Reading ]
A DECEITFUL WORK; a work which will deceive his expectation of that good for which he worketh. THAT SOWETH; that worketh it with constancy, and diligence, and hope of recompence, as they do who sow in seed-time. RIGHTEOUSNESS; good works, acts of piety towards God, and charity to men.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT PURSUETH EVIL; who are not overtaken by sin, as a good man may be, GALATIANS 6:1, but studiously design it, and follow after the occasions of it earnestly, and greedily, and industriously.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT ARE OF A FROWARD HEART; hypocrites, as appears from the opposition of these to the _upright_ in the next clause; whose hearts are false to God, and contrary to their own professions. ARE ABOMINATION TO THE LORD; though by their cunning artifices they may deceive men, and gain their good op... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH HAND JOIN IN HAND; though they are fortified against God's judgments by a numerous issue, and kindred, and friends, and by mutual strong combinations or confederacies. Shall not be unpunished; they shall be punished even in their own persons, as well as in their posterity. They shall not be a... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT; which would not adorn the swine, but only be disparaged itself. It was the custom of some of the Jews to wear jewels upon their noses, and some of their neighbours wore them in their noses. WHICH IS WITHOUT DISCRETION; which disgraceth the beauty of her body by... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DESIRE; either, 1. Properly so called. So the sense is, His desires are generally and constantly to do good to men, as wicked men's designs are to do hurt, and to execute wrath and hatred against them. Or rather, 2. The object, or event, or effect of their desire, as appears from the next clau... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT SCATTERETH; that giveth liberally of his goods to the poor; for so this Hebrew word is used, PSALMS 112:9, He hath dispersed, which is explained in the following words, he hath given to the poor. INCREASETH, through God's secret blessing upon his estate. MORE THAN IS MEET, Heb. _from what is ri... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LIBERAL SOUL, Heb. _the soul of blessing_; that man who is a blessing to others, who blesseth them, i.e. doeth good to them, as blessing is oft used for a gift, as GENESIS 33:11 1 SAMUEL 25:27 2 CORINTHIANS 9:5. SHALL BE MADE FAT; shall be greatly enriched, both with temporal and spiritual bless... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHHOLDETH CORN, in a time of scarcity, when others need and desire it. BLESSING; the blessing of God, which the people shall heartily beg for him. THAT SELLETH IT upon reasonable terms.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DILIGENTLY SEEKETH, which is opposed to those who content themselves with lazy desires, or cold and careless endeavours, good, to do good to all men, as he hath opportunity, PROCURETH FAVOUR WITH GOD and men. HE THAT SEEKETH MISCHIEF, to do any mischief or injury to others, IT SHALL COME UNT... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT TRUSTETH IN HIS RICHES, as his chief portion, and felicity, and ground of safety, SHALL FALL, as a withered leaf, by comparing this clause with the latter. THE RIGHTEOUS, who maketh God alone, and not riches, his trust, SHALL FLOURISH AS A BRANCH, to wit, a green and flourishing branch.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT TROUBLETH HIS OWN HOUSE; he who bringeth trouble and misery upon himself and children, either, 1. By carelessness, slothfulness, improvidence, prodigality, or any wickedness, whereby he consumeth his estate. So this _troubling_ of his house may be opposed to a man's _building of his house_,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FRUIT OF THE RIGHTEOUS, i.e. which he produceth; his discourses and his whole conversation. IS A TREE OF LIFE; is like the fruit of the tree of life; is a great preserver of his life, and a procurer of eternal life, not only to himself, but to others also. HE THAT WINNETH SOULS, Heb. _that catch... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE RECOMPENSED, i.e. punished for his sins, as appears from the next clause; the general word being here used of this one particular, by a synecdoche. _In the earth_; whereby he intimates that all his sufferings are confined to this world, which is an unspeakable felicity. MUCH M... [ Continue Reading ]