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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 17:17

A real friend does not forget you, if you become poor. He helps you when you have troubles.

A brother or sister should be a true friend. Solomon uses humour here. He says that your brother was born to help you. Even his birth was God’s plan. God knew that you would need help one day.

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See also Proverbs 17:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 17:17. _A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES_] Equally in _adversity_ as in _prosperity_. And a _brother_, according to the ties and interests of consanguinity, is _born_ to support and comfort...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Some take the proverb to describe (as in Proverbs 18:24) the “friend that sticketh closer than a brother:” and render: At all times, a friend loveth, but in adversity he is born (i. e., becomes) a bro...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 17 DIVERSE PROVERBS Of the twenty-eight proverbs found in this chapter we point out but a few. “The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold; but the LORD trieth the hearts” (Proverbs...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 17. Fresh points are the rise of the able and clever slave to a place in the family (Proverbs 17:2), the practice of bribes (Proverbs 17:8; Proverbs 17:23), the value of adversity as a test o...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LOVETH AT ALL TIMES. Illustrations: Abraham (Genesis 14:14. Compare Proverbs 13:11); Joseph (Genesis 45:5; Genesis 50:21); Moses ...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a brother is born_ Or (making _a friend_the subject clauses) IS BORN AS A BROTHER, R.V. marg. A friend love friend's love always, but with the love of a born brother in adversity. So was it with Jona...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES, &C.— This may be rendered; _A friend loveth at all times; but he is a brother in the day of adversity._ A good friend on certain occasions is better, and will do more, th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 17:11-19 11. An evil man seeketh only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 12. Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, Rather than a fool in his fo...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES, AND A BROTHER IS BORN FOR ADVERSITY. A true friend loves at all times; but it is in adversity especi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. Lit. 'the sacrifices of strife.' There would be no pleasure in the festal meal which followed a sacrifice (Proverbs 7:14) if it was accompanied with a quarrel. 'A little with quiet is the only diet...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES... — Rather, _The_ (_true_)_ friend loveth at all times, and_ (_as_)_ a brother is born for adversity. _...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    בְּ כָל ־עֵ֭ת אֹהֵ֣ב הָ רֵ֑עַ וְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 18 FRIENDSHIP "A friend loveth at all times, and as a brother is born for adversity."- Proverbs 17:17 This rendering, based upon the margin of the R.V, yields a much better sense than the lo...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 25 FORGIVING "Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to h...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 17:3. Two important thoughts are suggested by this proverb. First, that the heart will yield to no force other than that of God. Dross in metal may be discovered and expurged by fire, b...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    A friend loveth at all times, and a (h) brother is born for adversity. (h) So that he is more than a friend, even a brother that helps in time of adversity....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Distress. Like the real friend, chap. xviii. 24._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. Whoso mocketh the poor repro...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES,.... A true, hearty, faithful friend, loves in times of adversity as well as in times of prosperity: there are many that are friends to persons, while they are in affluent...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Ver. 17. _A friend loveth at all times._] Such a friend was Jonathan; Hushai the Archite; Ittai the Gittite, who stuck close to Davi...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _A friend loveth at all times_ A sincere and hearty friend not only loves in prosperity, but also in adversity, when false friends forsake us; _and a brother_ Who is so, not only by name and blood, bu...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 17. A FRIEND LOVETH AT ALL TIMES, the good will among comrades being constant always, ever on the same level, AND A BROTHER IS BORN FOR ADVERSITY, or, but the brother is born of adversity, for it i...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A FRIEND, a sincere and hearty friend, loveth at all times, not only in prosperity, but also in adversity, when false friends forsake us. A BROTHER, who is so not only by name and blood, but by brothe...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 17:17 friend H7453 loves H157 (H8802) times H6256 brother H251 born H3205 (H8735) adversity H6869...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE WAYS OF THE FOOL (PROVERBS 17:16). The main emphasis in this subsection is on the ways of the fool (Proverbs 17:16; Proverbs 17:21), the man void of mind (heart) ...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs contrasting good and evil. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: About the most satisfactory substitute for wisdom is silence. Discretion of speech is better than fluency of speech. KEY W...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 17:1. _Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith._ See Proverbs 15:17. Proverbs 17:3. _The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace_ (or crucible) _for gold._ Silver ores in Mexico are...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity._ THE UNRIVALLED FRIEND Few men enjoy from others the highest and truest form of friendship. There is, however, a higher friendship...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    FRIENDSHIP A friend loveth at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17. We were not made to live alone; God meant us to have friends. You must have noticed that even a baby it...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 17:9 These verses include two collections of proverbs (vv. Proverbs 17:9 and vv. Pro

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 17:17. “FRIEND and BROTHER are related the one as the climax of the other. The friend is developed into a brother by adversity.” (_Lange’s Commentary_). _MAIN HOMILETICS OF...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 17:1 (Comp, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17; Proverbs 16:8.) Better

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Better is a dry morsel, with quietness, than a house full of sacrifices with strife (Proverbs 17:1). Now the house full of sacrifices refer to the sacrifices. It's, if in that economy the of the Judai...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 18:3; 1 Samuel 19:2; 1 Samuel 20:17; 1 Samuel 23:16; 2

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Was born — Was sent into the world for this, that he might comfort and relieve his brother in adversity....

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