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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 20:26

A farmer drives a wheel over the wheat, to separate the grain from the straw. Then he scatters the grain, so that the wind blows away the straw.

A king attacks evil men. The king must protect his country, so his army fights against the evil men. This is like the farmer, who drives a wheel over the wheat to separate the straw from the grain. (Compare this verse with Amos 1:3.)

If the king does not kill the evil men, then he scatters them. If many evil men work together, then they are strong and dangerous. After the king scatters them, they are alone and weak.

God also does this. He punishes evil people and he scatters them (Psalms 2). God does this, so that God’s people are safe.

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See also Proverbs 20:26 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 20:26. _BRINGETH THE WHEEL OVER THEM._] He threshes them in his anger, as the _wheel does the grain on the threshing-floor_. Every one knows that grain was separated from its husks, in...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE WHEEL - The threshing wheel Isaiah 28:27, which passes over the grain and separates the grain from the chaff. The proverb involves therefore the idea of the division of the good from the evil, no...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 20 PROVERBS AS TO PERSONAL CONDUCT Proverbs of warning and instructions as to personal conduct are found mostly in this chapter; a number of them are of special interest if applied to Solomon....

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 20. We have still further traces in Proverbs 20:9; Proverbs 20:24 of the sceptical spirit and the obstinate questionings of self characteristic of the later Greek period of Jewish thought. P...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SCATTERETH. winnoweth out. WICKED. lawless. Hebrew. _rasha'._ THE WHEEL: i.e. of the threshing instrument. Compare Isaiah 28:27....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _scattereth_ RATHER, WINNOWETH. λικμήτωρ ἀσεβῶν βασιλεὺς σοφὸς, LXX. _the wheel_ sc. of his threshing wain. Comp. Isaiah 28:27. He executes righteous judgement upon them, Psalms 62:4; Romans 13:4....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    A WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED— The plain meaning seems to be, that a good king separates the bad from the good by a due execution of his laws; which is like the winnowing the corn after the chaff...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 20:21-30 21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed. 22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he wil...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. A WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED - like chaff before the wind (). AND BRINGETH THE WHEEL OVER THEM - the wheel of the threshi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE WHEEL of the threshing-cart, crushing in its weight (Amos 1:3)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. RAGING] RV 'a brawler.' IS deceived] RM 'reeleth.' It makes a man sneer, quarrel and reel about....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED. — Rather, _winnows_ them. AND BRINGETH THE WHEEL OVER THEM. — Comp. Isaiah 28:27. A sort of sledge or cart was driven over the stalks of corn spread upon the threshi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מְזָרֶ֣ה רְ֭שָׁעִים מֶ֣לֶךְ חָכָ֑ם וַ יָּ֖שֶׁב...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 21 IDLENESS "After the autumn gathering the slothful does not plough; he asks in the harvest, and there is nothing."- Proverbs 20:4 WE have already in the sixth lecture caught a glimpse of t...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 17 A JUST BALANCE "A just balance and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are His work."- Proverbs 16:11 "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 17 A JUST BALANCE "A just balance and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are His work."- Proverbs 16:11 "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THE GLORY OF YOUNG MEN” Proverbs 20:16-30 What a wonderful thought is given in Proverbs 20:27! We stand like a row of unlighted candles until God's Spirit kindles us. Has the Divine Nature ever bent...

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

    Verse Proverbs 20:9. This is the eternal challenge which has but one answer. When a man recognizes this he begins to inquire for a Saviour. Verse Proverbs 20:14. "It is bad, it is bad," is the descrip...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the (h) wheel over them. (h) Which was a kind of punishment then used....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Wheel. Or triumphal arch, fornicem. (Ven. Bede; Jansenius) --- He will make his enemies lie prostrate under his chariot-wheels, 2 Kings xii. 31._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. The spirit of man is the candle of the L...

  • 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 WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED,.... Or "fans [them] away" i; separates them from his good counsellors, courtiers, and subjects; scatters them from his presence and court, and breaks their counsels...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. Ver. 26. _A wise king scattereth the wicked._] Drains the country of them by his just severity, yet with due discretion, as appear...

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

    _A wise king_ Who seriously minds his duty, and his true interest; _scattereth the wicked_ Breaks their companies and confederacies, and forces them to flee several ways for their own safety; or drive...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 26. A WISE KING SCATTERETH THE WICKED, sifting and winnowing them, as the chaff is separated from the grain, AND BRINGETH THE WHEEL OVER THEM, as the wheel of the threshing-cart separated the wheat...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A WISE KING, who seriously minds his duty and his true interest, SCATTERETH THE WICKED; breaks their companies and confederacies, and forceth them to flee several ways for their own safety; driveth th...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 20:26 wise H2450 king H4428 out H2219 (H8764) wicked H7563 brings H7725 (H8686) wheel H212 over them

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings and instructions regarding the ways of folly. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: Here in this imperfect state, no person can claim to be sinless, but the just man, walking by the rule o...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 20:1. _Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging._ In the book of Ecclesiasticus intoxication is connected with poverty, with harlots, with destruction: chap. Proverbs 19:1. Cyrus, after notic...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them _ PERSECUTION AND RIGHTEOUS PENALTY A passage of this kind may easily be perverted by being used for the purpose of supporting a...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 20:26 DRIVES THE WHEEL OVER THEM refers to a heavy cart being drawn over the grain to separate the wheat from the chaff. For the health of his kingdom, a WISE KING must root...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 20:26. THE WHEEL, _i.e._, the wheel of the threshing, instrument which blows away the chaff. _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 20:26; Proverbs 20:28_ PILLARS OF GOVERNMEN

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER; or, scorner, the word (_luts_) being taken up from the last chapter. The liquor is, as it were, personified, as doing what men do under its influence. Thus...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Into chapter 20. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1). He will have more to say about wine as we move along in our study next week,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Samuel 12:31; 2 Samuel 4:9; Isaiah 28:27; Isaiah 28:28; Proverb

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The wheel — As the cart — wheel was anciently turned over the sheaves to beat the corn out of them. He punishes them as their offences deserve....

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