CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:1. JUST WEIGHT, literally, “a stone of completeness, a
full stone.” Stone was a very ancient material for weight; not
rusting, it was not changeable.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:1_
JUST WEIGHT
This judgment on a false weight is a two-fold revelation.
I. IT REVEAL... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:2. LITERALLY, “there hath come pride, there will come
shame.” Stuart reads, “Does pride come, then shame will come.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:2_
PRIDE AND HUMILITY
I. PRIDE COMES TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT. “When pride _cometh_.” There
are certain weeds that come at c... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:3. GUIDE, “lead” “as a shepherd his sheep, and
therefore in the path of safety and peace” _(Stuart)_. PERVERSENESS,
“slipperiness,” “falseness.” DESTROY. An intensive word in the
Hebrew, “to lay hold of them with violent force” _(Stuart)_.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:5. DIRECT, “make smooth or even.”
PROVERBS 11:6. NAUGHTINESS, “cravings,” “desires,”
“covetousness.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE LATTER CLAUSES OF Proverbs 11:5_
MADE OR MARRED BY DESIRES
The word translated “naughtiness” should be rendered “lust” or
“desires.” (See Cri... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:7. HIS and MEN are not in the original, and the verse is
variously rendered. Stuart reads, “When the wicked die, all the
hopes perish; and when they are afflicted, their expectation of
recovery or alleviation will be frustrated.” Zöckler—“With the
death of the wicked ho... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:8_
THE WICKED COMING IN THE STEAD OF THE RIGHTEOUS
I. THIS PROVERB MUST BE FULFILLED FROM THE NATURE OF THE CASE. If a
vessel is being steered straight for the rocks nothing can prevent her
from being dashed upon them except a change of course. Nothing else
can avert... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:9. Zӧckler here reads, “The hypocrite with his mouth
destroyeth his neighbour, but by the knowledge of the righteous shall
they (the neighbours) be delivered.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:9_
THE JUST MAN DELIVERED FROM THE MOUTH OF THE HYPOCRITE
I. WE HAVE HERE—... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:10_
THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS CITIZEN OR RULER. THE FATE OF THE
UNRIGHTEOUS ONE
I. THE WORDS IMPLY THAT IT DOES NOT ALWAYS GO WITH THE RIGHTEOUS.
“_When_ it goeth well,” etc. A good man’s plans and efforts for
the good of his fellow-citizens or fellow-countrymen ar... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:12. VOID OF WISDOM, literally, “of heart.” Zöckler
inverts the phrase, “He that speaks contemptuously of his neighbour
lacketh wisdom.”
PROVERBS 11:13. “He who goeth about as a slanderer.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:12_
CONTEMPT AND TALE-BEARING
I. HE WHO LACKS... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:14. COUNSEL, literally, “pilotage,”
“steermanship.”
PROVERBS 11:15. SURETYSHIP, literally “striking hands.” See Notes
and Illustration on chap. Proverbs 6:1. Stuart translates this verse,
“An evil man showeth himself as evil when he giveth pledge to a
stranger,” _i.e._... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:16. Last clause “as strong men retain,” or “grasp at
riches.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:16_
A GRACIOUS WOMAN
I. WHAT IS A GRACIOUS WOMAN?
1. She is one who stands in right relations to God. Everything depends
upon right relationship. Upon the right relationshi... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:17. Or “He who doeth good to himself is a merciful man,
but he who troubleth his own flesh is cruel.” So Stuart and Miller,
Zöckler and Delitzsch read as the authorised version.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:17_
MERCY AND CRUELTY
I. A BLESSED HUMAN CHARACTER—“A merc... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:18. “The wicked gaineth a deceptive result, but he that
soweth righteousness a sure reward” (Zöckler).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH— Proverbs 11:18_
SOWING AND REAPING
I. THE LIFE-WORK OF THE WICKED CONTAINS WITHIN ITSELF THE GERMS OF A
THREEFOLD BANE, A DECEPTI... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:21. The Hebrew here is simply “HAND TO HAND, THE
WICKED,” etc. Zöckler and Delitzsch understand it as a formula of
strong asseveration derived from the custom of becoming surety by
clasping hands, and hence equivalent to “assuredly,” “verily,”
“I pledge it.” Stuart says... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:22_
PRECIOUS THINGS POSSESSED BY UNWORTHY OWNERS
I. THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN GOLD AND BEAUTY.
1. _They are both gifts from God_. Whether a man possesses gold by
inheritance or as the result of labour it is a gift from God. In the
first instance no praise or blam... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:23. WRATH, _i.e._ God’s wrath (Zöckler).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:23_
We cannot understand the first clause of this verse to mean that _all_
a righteous man’s desires are good.
1. _History contradicts it_. Solomon must have known it was not true
of his own fat... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:25. LIBERAL SOUL, “the soul of blessing,” _i.e._,
“the soul that blesses others.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 11:24_
THE LIBERAL AND THE NIGGARDLY MAN
We have here a twofold contrast under two similitudes—
I. A MAN WHO WITHHOLDS WHAT HE OUGHT TO GIV... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:27. PROCURETH, rather “seeketh” FAVOUR, _i.e._,
God’s favour. So it is generally understood. But Delitzsch reads
“He who striveth after good, seeketh that which is pleasing, _i.e._,
that which pleaseth or doeth good to others.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:27_
DILIG... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:28. BRANCH, rather, “a green leaf.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:28_
TRUST IN RICHES AND TRUST IN GOD
I. THE TRUST IN RICHES SPRINGS,
1. _From the fact that gold, and what it can do for us, is within
reach of the senses_. Unless the bodily senses are counterbalanc... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:29_
FOOLISH HOME RULERS
“THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF TROUBLING ONE’S OWN HOUSE.” Many sparks
fly from one anvil, but one is sufficient to set a house on fire. Some
home-destroyers emit many sparks, but one evil habit or temper is
enough to consume all the peace of home-l... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:30. Or, “the wise man winneth” or “taketh” souls.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:30_
THE WINNER OF SOULS
I. SOULS CAN BE WON TO GOD AND GOODNESS.
1. _There is in every man a natural light to which to appeal_. If a
sick man has something in his constitution upon whic... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 11:31. Miller transposes this verse and reads, “Behold the
righteous on earth shall be recompensed,” etc. ON EARTH may be
placed either with “the righteous,” or with “recompensed.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:31_
THE RECOMPENSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
I. THE... [ Continue Reading ]