_Every wise woman_ Some texts read THE WISDOMS (plur. of excellence, as in Proverbs 9:1) OF WOMEN. And so in next clause, THE FOLLY (of _women_). A slightly different reading is followed by A.V. and R.V., _the wise ones of_(among) _women, buildeth every one her house_; σοφαὶ γυναῖκες, LXX.; sapiens... [ Continue Reading ]
The proverb maintains the intimate relation between piety and probity.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a rod of pride_ This may mean either that he smites with his proud words as with a rod (comp. Isaiah 11:4, where however the Heb. word is different); or (preserving better the antithesis between the two clauses of the verse) that his own mouth furnishes "a rod for his pride" (R.V. marg.); his own w... [ Continue Reading ]
_the crib is clean_ and therefore the labour of cleansing and replenishing it is avoided; but the fruit of such labour is lost also. This is what we ourselves understand by a "proverb," a salient example of a general law. See _Introd_. ch. II. p. 16.... [ Continue Reading ]
_will utter uttereth_, R.V., "Heb. _breatheth out_" marg.; ἐκκαίει ψευδῆ, LXX., in the sense of kindleth, bloweth into flame.... [ Continue Reading ]
findeth it _not_ Lit. AND IT IS NOT (_there_)! Only to the lowly and reverent does Wisdom reveal herself. Comp. Matthew 11:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go from … when thou perceivest not_ Rather, GO INTO … AND THOU SHALT NOT PERCEIVE, R.V. text. Take up your position, as it were, over against him, and contemplate him carefully, and weigh his words; and your first impression of him will be confirmed, "thou shalt not perceive" &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
_deceit_ It has been questioned whether this means _self_-deceit, as the parallel might seem to suggest, or deceiving others. But the design of the proverb is to shew that the two things are really one. Whereas the wisdom of the prudent consists in his understanding his own character and conduct, in... [ Continue Reading ]
_sin_ Rather, GUILT, R.V. If this rendering be adopted, the Heb. construction (a sing. verb with a plur. noun, lit. fools, he maketh &c.) will serve to individualise (comp. Proverbs 3:18), and the contrast will be between the noisy assembly of fools, each one turning into jest and ridicule the guilt... [ Continue Reading ]
The poet of the _Christian Year_has caught something of the beauty and pathos of this proverb as he writes: "Each in his hidden sphere of joy or woe Our hermit spirits dwell and range apart." "Nor e'en the tenderest heart, and next our own, Knows half the reasons why we smile or sigh"; and Matt... [ Continue Reading ]
_that mirth_ Rather, MIRTH. The statement is general though not universal. "The bright talker, the merry jester, the singer of the gay song, goes home when the party separates, and on his threshold he meets the veiled sorrow of his life, and plunges into the chilly shadow in which his days are spent... [ Continue Reading ]
_rageth_ Or, _beareth himself insolently_, R.V. The rendering however, _rageth_, or _loses his temper_, is borne out by Psalms 78:21; Psalms 78:59, where both A.V. and R.V. render the same Heb. word, _was wroth_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and_ Rather, BUT. The comparison is between hasty anger leading to folly, and deliberate malice provoking hatred.... [ Continue Reading ]
The LXX. add: They understand not mercy and faith who are devisers of evil, But things merciful and faithful are with them who devise good.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The crown of the wise_ i.e. the wisdom which is their crown (Proverbs 14:18) is (constitutes) their riches. It is at once an ornament and a thing of price; whereas the folly of fools is, and always remains (only) folly. It is possible, however, to render, with R.V. marg., _Their riches is a crown u... [ Continue Reading ]
_delivereth souls_ by clearing them from false accusation and establishing their innocence. _a deceitful_witness _speaketh lies_ Rather: HE THAT UTTERETH (lit. BREATHETH) _lies_(_causes_, or _is) deceit_, R.V.; _is a cheat_, Lange. He who, in contrast to the "faithful witness," gives false evidence... [ Continue Reading ]
_his_ i.e. the Lord's. Ewald and others render, _to his children_(who feareth Jehovah) _he_(Jehovah) _will be &c_. Comp. R.V. marg.: _the children of him_ THAT HATH IT (sc. the fear of the Lord) _shall have_, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Comp. Proverbs 13:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
_slow to wrath_ Comp. βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, James 1:19. _exalteth_ The Heb. word may either mean, with A.V. and R.V. text, _lifteth up_, i.e. gives it prominence, brings it into notice; or, with R.V. marg., _taketh up_, and so _carrieth away_, as his possession. The first of these is to be preferred.... [ Continue Reading ]
_sound_ Or, _tranquil_, R.V. marg. (deriving the word from another root). See Proverbs 15:4 and comp. Ecclesiastes 10:4, where the same Heb. word is rendered, _yielding_, or _gentleness_, A.V. and R.V. _envy_ Or, _jealousy_, R.V. marg. See for illustrations, Genesis 4:4-5; Genesis 37:4; 1 Samuel 18... [ Continue Reading ]
_he that honoureth_&c. Rather, HE THAT HATH MERCY ON THE NEEDY HONOURETH HIM, R.V. Comp. Proverbs 17:5; Matthew 25:40.... [ Continue Reading ]
_his wickedness_ Lit. HIS EVIL; which may mean either, with R.V. text, _the evil which he does, his evil-doing_, or, with R.V. marg., _the evil which he suffers_, his _calamity_. The latter meaning preserves best the parallelism: when calamity overtakes the wicked it crushes him utterly (comp. Psalm... [ Continue Reading ]
_the midst_ Rather (answering to _the heart_in the 1st clause) THE INWARD PART, R.V. Adopting this, we may render, either with A.V. and R.V. text, "_that which is_in the inward part" (i.e. their folly, comp. Proverbs 12:23); or "but in the inward part of fools it (wisdom, any modicum of it which the... [ Continue Reading ]
_causeth shame_ Or, _doeth shamefully_, R.V. marg. Comp. Proverbs 10:5.... [ Continue Reading ]