CHAPTER XXI _The king's heart is in the hand of God. We should practise_ _mercy and justice. The lying tongue. The quarrelsome woman._ _The punishment of the wicked. The uncharitable. The private_ _gift. The happiness of the righteous. The wicked a ransom for_ _the righteous. The treasures of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:2. _THE LORD PONDERETH THE HEARTS._] Every man feels strongly attached to his own opinions, modes of acting, c. and though he will not easily give up any thing to the judgment of a neighbour, whom he will naturally consider at least as fallible as himself, yet he should consider th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:3. _TO DO JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT_] The words of Samuel to Saul. 1 Samuel 15:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:4. _A HIGH LOOK_] The evidence of pride, self-conceit, and vanity. _A proud heart_, from which the _high look_, c., come. AND _THE PLOUGHING_] נר _ner, lucerna_, the _lamp_, the prosperity and posterity of the wicked _is sin _- it is evil in the _seed_, and evil in the _root_, evi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:6. _OF THEM THAT SEEK DEATH_] Instead of מבקשי _mebakshey_, "them that seek," several MSS., some ancient editions, with _Symmachus_, the _Septuagint, Vulgate_, and _Arabic_, have מקשי _mokeshey_, the _snares_. He who gets treasures by a lying tongue, pursues vanity into the snares... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:7. _THE ROBBERY OF THE WICKED_] The wicked shall be _terrified_ and _ruined_ by the means they use to aggrandize themselves. And as they refuse to do judgment, they shall have judgment without mercy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:9. _IN A CORNER OF THE HOUSETOP_] A shed raised on the _flat_ _roof_: - _a wide house_; בית חבר beith chaber, "a house of fellowship;" what we should call a _lodging-house_, or a _house_ _occupied by several families_. This was usual in the _East_, as well as in the _West_. Some th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:11. _WHEN THE SCORNER IS PUNISHED_] When those who mock at religion, blaspheme against its Author, and endeavour to poison society, and disturb the peace of the community by their false doctrine, meet with that degree of punishment which their crimes, as far as they affect the publ... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:12. _THE RIGHTEOUS_ MAN _WISELY CONSIDERETH_] This verse is understood as implying the _pious concern_ of a righteous man, for a wicked family, whom he endeavours by his _instructions_ to bring into the way of knowledge and peace.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:13. _WHOSO STOPPETH HIS EARS_] See the conduct of the _priest_ and _Levite_ to the man who _fell among thieves_; and let every man learn from this, that he who shuts his ear against the cry of the poor, shall have the ear of God shut against his cry. The words are quite plain; ther... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:16. _The man_ once enlightened, _that wandereth out of the_ _way of understanding_, in which he _had_ walked, _shall remain_ - have a permanent residence - _in the congregation of the dead_; רפאים rephaim, the lost; either separate spirits in general, or rather the _assembly of se... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:17. _HE THAT LOVETH PLEASURE_] That follows gaming, fowling, hunting, coursing, c., when he should be attending to the culture of the fields, _shall be a poor man_ and, I may safely add, shall be so deservedly poor, as to have none to pity him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:18. _THE WICKED_ SHALL BE _A RANSOM FOR THE RIGHTEOUS_] God often in his judgments cuts off the _wicked_, in order to prevent them from destroying the _righteous_. And in general, we find that the wicked fall into the traps and pits they have digged for the righteous.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:22. _A WISE_ MAN _SCALETH THE CITY OF THE MIGHTY_] Wisdom is in many respects preferable to strength, even in the case of defence. See what skill does in the fortification and reduction of strong places.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:25. _THE DESIRE OF THE SLOTHFUL KILLETH HIM_] He desires to eat, drink, and be clothed: but as he does _not labour_, hence he dies with this desire in his heart, envying those who possess plenty through their labour and industry. Hence he is said to _covet greedily all the day long... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:27. WHEN _HE BRINGETH IT WITH A WICKED MIND?_] If such a person even bring the _sacrifices_ and _offerings_ which God _requires,_ they are an abomination to him, because the man is _wicked_; and if such offerings be _imperfect_ in themselves, or of goods _ill-gotten_, or offered by... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:29. _HE DIRECTETH HIS WAY_] Instead of יכין _yachin_, he _directeth_, upwards of _fifty_ of _Kennicott's_ and _De Rossi's_ MSS., several ancient _editions_ with some of the _versions_, read יבין _yabin, he understands_; and because he _understands_ his way, he is able to _direct_ h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Proverbs 21:31. _THE HORSE_ IS _PREPARED AGAINST THE DAY OF BATTLE_] _Horses_ were not used among the Jews before the time of _Solomon_. There was a Divine command against them, Deuteronomy 17:16; but Solomon transgressed it; see 1 Kings 10:29. But he here allows that a horse is a vain thing... [ Continue Reading ]