My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; Proverbs 2:1.-There are two leading propositions: I. Pro 2:1-9 , with three antecedent conditions and two consequents: , "If; , "If;" , "If;" I. Pro 2:1-9 , with three antecedent conditions and two consequents: , "If; , ... [ Continue Reading ]
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; SO THAT THOU INCLINE THINE EAR UNTO WISDOM, (AND) APPLY THINE HEART TO UNDERSTANDING. The ear is the avenue to the heart, unless men stop the avenue, as the Jews did (; ). "The hearing ear" is God's gift (). Our... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; YEA, IF THOU CRIEST AFTER KNOWLEDGE, (AND) LIFTEST UP THY VOICE FOR UNDERSTANDING. The summit of the ascending climax. Solomon had said that the words of Wisdom are to be received with the ear and with the heart, an... [ Continue Reading ]
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; IF THOU SEEKEST HER AS SILVER, AND SEARCHEST FOR HER AS (FOR) HID TREASURES - not content with merely one look, or an ordinary searching, but again and again seeking by every means. Treasures anciently, when there were no... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. THEN SHALT THOU UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD, AND FIND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. "Then," the consequent of the "if," ; "if," ; "if," . The fear (reverent service) of the Lord is inseparable from the true knowledge of... [ Continue Reading ]
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. FOR THE LORD GIVETH WISDOM: OUT OF HIS MOUTH (COMETH) KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. Solomon knew this by experience (; ; cf. ). The "for" gives the reason why he who is anxious to have wisdom should learn to know and... [ Continue Reading ]
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. HE LAYETH UP SOUND WISDOM FOR THE RIGHTEOUS. "He layeth up" as a "hid treasure," in order to call forth sedulous "searching" on our part (Proverbs 2:4). "Sound wisdom" [ tuwshiyaah (H8454)] - literally, esse... [ Continue Reading ]
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. HE KEEPETH THE PATHS OF JUDGMENT - Hebrew, 'so as that [li-] He may keep the paths of judgment' - i:e., that He may cause the upright to keep the paths of judgment-that they may have a right judgment in all things. This is t... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. THEN SHALT THOU UNDERSTAND RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGMENT, AND EQUITY; (YEA), EVERY GOOD PATH - if thou shall duly seek wisdom. This is a second consequent besides to the antecedent "ifs" ; Proverbs 2:3. On th... [ Continue Reading ]
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; WHEN WISDOM ENTERETH INTO THINE HEART, AND KNOWLEDGE IS PLEASANT UNTO THY SOUL; DISCRETION SHALL PRESERVE THEE, UNDERSTANDING SHALL KEEP THEE. is the antecedent; the consequent. The kind of "wisdom" to be sought for d... [ Continue Reading ]
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; TO DELIVER THEE FROM THE WAY OF THE EVIL (MAN), FROM THE MAN THAT SPEAKETH FROWARD THINGS - things contrary to what is right. (Compare with instance of their froward speeches, Proverbs 1:11.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; WHO LEAVE THE PATHS UPRIGHTNESS, TO WALK IN THE WAYS OF DARKNESS Their love of darkness rather than light is the reason why they "leave the paths of uprightness," which are paths of light (John 3:19; ; ; ; ). The destination to... [ Continue Reading ]
Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; WHO REJOICE TO DO EVIL, (AND) DELIGHT IN THE FROWARDNESS OF THE WICKED - (; ; . end.) Thus, Ahab "sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up" (). It is a just judgment of God to g... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: WHOSE WAYS ARE CROOKED, AND (THEY) FROWARD IN THEIR PATHS. Rather, as the noun is feminine and the adjective masculine, 'Who are crooked in their ways.' Though once they were in "the paths of uprightness" (), they go aside into their "croo... [ Continue Reading ]
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; TO DELIVER THEE FROM THE STRANGE WOMAN, EVEN FROM THE STRANGER WHICH FLATTERETH WITH HER WORDS - (like , which has the same formula.) "To deliver thee:" this verse depends on , "Discretion ... understa... [ Continue Reading ]
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. WHICH FORSAKETH THE GUIDE OF HER YOUTH, AND FORGETTETH THE COVENANT OF HER GOD - (Malachi 2:14.) "The guide of her youth" is the husband, first in the literal sense, then God in the spiritual sense (Isaiah 54:5; , "My... [ Continue Reading ]
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. FOR HER HOUSE INCLINETH UNTO DEATH, AND HER PATHS UNTO THE DEAD - (.) The "for" expresses the greatness of the "deliverance" (), as indicated by the greatness of the danger. It is not without good reason that I warn thee to seek wis... [ Continue Reading ]
None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. NONE THAT GO UNTO HER RETURN AGAIN, NEITHER TAKE THEY HOLD OF THE PATHS OF LIFE. Never do they, except in the case of exceptional miracles by omnipotent grace. Chrysostom saith 'It is as hard to restore a lustful pe... [ Continue Reading ]
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. THAT THOU MAYEST WALK IN THE WAY OF GOOD MEN, AND KEEP THE PATHS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. This verse depends on , "Discretion ... shall keep thee ... that thou mayest, walk," etc. As "discretion and understanding" "deliv... [ Continue Reading ]
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. FOR THE UPRIGHT SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND, AND THE PERFECT SHALL REMAIN IN IT - in contrast to the faithless, who go "unto the dead" (Proverbs 2:18). The temporal rewards of piety in the Old Testament dispensation shadow... [ Continue Reading ]
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. BUT THE WICKED SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM THE EARTH, AND THE TRANSGRESSORS BE ROOTED OUT OF IT. Metaphor from trees. They shall not only be cut off by the axe, but plucked up by the roots (, "Every plant... [ Continue Reading ]