HE THAT BEING OFTEN REPORTED HARDENETH [HIS] NECK,.... Or "a man of reproofs" d; either a man that takes upon him to be a censurer and reprover of others, and is often at that work, and yet does those things himself which he censures and reproves in others; and therefore must have an impudent face a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN AUTHORITY,.... Or "are increased" g; either in number or in riches, or in power and dominion; are set in high places, and have the exercise of civil government and the execution of the laws in their hands; for the protection of good men in their civil and religious privileg... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSO LOVETH WISDOM REJOICETH HIS FATHER,.... He that is a philosopher, especially a religious one, that not only loves and seeks after natural wisdom, but moral wisdom and knowledge; and more particularly evangelical wisdom, Christ the Wisdom of God, who is to be valued and loved above all things;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING BY JUDGMENT ESTABLISHETH THE LAND,.... By executing, judgment and justice among his subjects, he establishes the laws of the land, and the government of it; he secures its peace and prosperity, and preserves his people in the possession at their properties and privileges; and makes them ric... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN THAT FLATTERETH HIS NEIGHBOUR,.... That speaks smooth things to him gives him flattering titles, speaks fair to his face, highly commends him on one account or another: SPREADETH A NET FOR HIS FEET; has an idle design upon him, and therefore should be guarded against; his view is to draw him... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TRANSGRESSION OF AN EVIL MAN [THERE IS] A SNARE,.... Or, according to the accents in some copies, "in the transgression of a man is an evil snare", as Aben Ezra observes the words may be read; there is a snare in sin to man himself; one sin leads on to another, and a man is snared by the work... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUS CONSIDERETH THE CAUSE OF THE POOR,.... Not his poverty and distress, so as to relieve him, which yet he does, Psalms 41:1; nor the person of the poor in judgment, and which he ought not to do; for as he should not regard a rich man's person, and favour him, because he is rich; so neit... [ Continue Reading ]
SCORNFUL MEN BRING A CITY INTO A SNARE,.... Such as despise dominion, speak evil of dignities; proud and haughty men, that speak Loftily, and with a contempt of their superiors; or who make a mock at religion, and scoff at all that is good and serious; these bring the inhabitants of a city into a sn... [ Continue Reading ]
[IF] A WISE MAN CONTENDETH WITH A FOOLISH MAN,.... Enters into a controversy with him, either by word or writing, in order to convince him of his folly and wickedness, of his errors and mistakes; WHETHER HE RAGE OR LAUGH, [THERE IS] NO REST; that is, either whether the fool is angry with the wise m... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLOODTHIRSTY HATE THE UPRIGHT,.... Cain did Abel; and as the wicked world hate all good men, and persecute them, even unto death; BUT THE JUST MUST SEEK HIS SOUL; either the soul of the bloodthirsty, and that either the good of their souls; seek their spiritual welfare, and pray for it, even th... [ Continue Reading ]
A FOOL UTTERETH ALL HIS MIND,.... At once; tells all he knows, all that is in his breast; whatever he thinks, and all that he intends to do; what or whom he loves or hates. Or, "a fool brings out all his wrath"; so the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions: he cannot restrain it, nor hide... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A RULER HEARKEN TO LIES,.... To men that tell them in order to soothe and flatter him, or to hurt the character and reputation of others, that they may raise their own: rulers should not listen to and encourage such sort of persons; for, as lying lips do not become a prince, so it is not right to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POOR AND THE DECEITFUL MAN MEET TOGETHER,.... Or "the usurer" q; who by usury, by fraud and deception, is possessed of the mammon of unrighteousness, and is become rich; he and the poor man meet together; and so the sense is the same as in Proverbs 22:2; Proverbs 22:2; THE LORD LIGHTENETH BOTH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING THAT FAITHFULLY JUDGETH THE POOR,.... That truly executes justice and judgment among all his subjects, particularly the poor, who are too often neglected, because they cannot afford persons to plead their cause: such a king was Solomon; and especially the Messiah, of whom he was a type, Psa... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ROD AND REPROOF GIVE WISDOM,.... Are the means of giving wisdom to a child, reproved by its parent with the rod; and of driving out foolishness from him, and of making him wiser for the time to come; he shunning those evils for which he was before corrected, Proverbs 22:15; So the children of Go... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE WICKED ARE MULTIPLIED,.... Or "are in authority" r; as the word is rendered, Proverbs 29:2; TRANSGRESSION INCREASETH; among the common people, being encouraged by their wicked rulers, whose examples they follow; or as the wicked themselves increase, in numbers, in age, in power, and riches... [ Continue Reading ]
CORRECT THY SON, AND HE SHALL GIVE THEE REST,.... Ease of mind, satisfaction and contentment, freedom from all anxious thoughts and cares; the correction being taken in good part, and succeeding according to wish and design; YEA, HE SHALL GIVE DELIGHT UNTO THY SOUL; by his tenderness to his parents... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE [THERE IS] NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH,.... That is, "no prophecy", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and which is often the sense of the word, as the vision of Isaiah is the prophecy of Isaiah; and, in the New Testament, prophesying is often put for preaching; and here vision, or prop... [ Continue Reading ]
A SERVANT WILL NOT BE CORRECTED BY WORDS,.... Not by them only, especially one that is of a servile, surly, and untractable disposition; otherwise a good servant, and well disposed to his master, and willing to serve him, and promote his interest, a word is sufficient for such an one; when he is bid... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEST THOU A MAN [THAT IS] HASTY IN HIS WORDS,.... Swift to speak either before God or men; that takes upon him to speak upon a subject, or return an answer to a question, before he has thoroughly thought of it, and well considered it, and digested what he should say; see Ecclesiastes 5:2; or "hasty... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DELICATELY BRINGETH UP HIS SERVANT FROM A CHILD,.... In a very tender and affluent way uses him with great familiarity; makes him sit at table, with him, feeds him with dainties, and clothes him in the most handsome manner, as if he was one of his own children: SHALL HAVE HIM BECOME [HIS] S... [ Continue Reading ]
AN ANGRY MAN STIRRETH UP STRIFE,.... In families, neighbourhoods, communities, churches, and commonwealths; that is, one that is given to anger, and gives way to it, in whom it prevails and rules; AND A FURIOUS MAN ABOUNDETH IN TRANSGRESSION; or, "a master of wrath or fury" y; one much addicted to... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN'S PRIDE SHALL BRING HIM LOW,.... As the pride of Adam, in affecting to be as gods, knowing good and evil; he lost the image of God; was brought into a state of darkness and ignorance, into debt and to a dunghill, to beggary and rags; filled with loathsome diseases, and left in thraldom and bon... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSO IS PARTNER WITH A THIEF,.... That robs and steals, and raises away another man's property; which to do is sinful and contrary to the law of God, and punishable by it; and so it is to join with him in the theft, or to devise, or consent unto it; or to receive the stolen goods, or to hide and co... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAR OF MAN BRINGETH A SNARE,.... Either that which is subjectively in man; not a divine fear, or the fear of God, that grace which is put into the heart, for that leads to no snare, but tends to life; but a human fear, a servile one, a distrust of the power and providence, grace and goodness, o... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY SEEK THE RULER'S FAVOUR,.... Or "face" e; are very desirous of being admitted into his presence, and of having his company and conversation; of having an opportunity to ask a favour of him, and of receiving honour from him, and of gaining him on their side, to take their part in a cause dependi... [ Continue Reading ]
AN UNJUST MAN [IS] AN ABOMINATION TO THE JUST,.... Not his person, but his actions, his unrighteous actions, his ungodly life and conversation; which a man, holy, just, and good, loathes and abhors, and cannot forbear expressing his abhorrence of; and therefore shuns his company, and will have no fe... [ Continue Reading ]