The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, AGUR - a figurative name, perhaps; the collector, from Hebrew, 'aagar (H103), to collect. SON OF JAKEH - akin to Hebrew, yikqah, 'obedience.' That Agur was inspired, appears from the expre... [ Continue Reading ]
Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. SURELY I (AM) MORE BRUTISH THAN ANY MAN, AND HAVE NOT THE UNDERSTANDING OF A MAN. Agur refers to the corruption and blindness of man's nature, in divine things, as contrasted with the knowledge of God which man posses... [ Continue Reading ]
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. I NETHER LEARNED WISDOM, NOR HAVE (KNOW) THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY - naturally. As in Proverbs 30:2 he disclaimed original knowledge, so in this verse he disclaims humanly acquired knowledge of the deep mysteries of God. A man must fir... [ Continue Reading ]
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? Nor is it any wonder that I have not the knowledge of... [ Continue Reading ]
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Hence, () we must rest in the divinely revealed doctrine, which is pure and saving to all who trust in its Almighty Giver and Object. EVERY WORD OF GOD (IS) PURE - literally, melted in the fire like silver, so as t... [ Continue Reading ]
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. ADD THOU NOT UNTO HIS WORDS - "above that which is written" (), with a view of completing the divinely revealed doctrine with human glosses. Rome, by adding to the written Word, oral tradition and the Fathers, transgres... [ Continue Reading ]
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Two prayers, followed by single sentences, (Proverbs 30:10, etc.) One prayer concerns the soul, the other the body. DENY ME THEM NOT BEFORE I DIE - when I shall exchange prayer for praise. Fervent desire is implied. Verse 8. RE... [ Continue Reading ]
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. ACCUSE NOT (LITERALLY, ATTACK NOT WITH THE TONGUE) A SERVANT UNTO HIS MASTER (for the servant, or slave, being already in an afflicted condition, thou wouldest be adding affliction to affliction), LEST HE (THE... [ Continue Reading ]
_THERE IS A GENERATION THAT CURSETH THEIR FATHER, AND DOTH NOT BLESS THEIR MOTHER._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. (THERE IS) A GENERATION ... PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES, AND (YET) IS NOT WASHED FROM THEIR FILTHINESS - literally, excrement: what is "cast out into the draught" (Matthew 15:17) [ tsow'ah (H6675), from y... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. O HOW LOFTY ARE THEIR EYES! - (; .)... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. A GENERATION WHOSE TEETH (ARE AS) SWORDS ... TO DEVOUR THE POOR - voracious rapacity seeking its gratification by calumny and violence, at the cos... [ Continue Reading ]
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: Four insatiable things follow the four detestable offences. THE HORSE-LEACH HATH TWO DAUGHTERS, (CRYING), GIVE, GIVE. The horse-leach is covetousness.... [ Continue Reading ]
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. THE EYE (THAT) MOCKETH AT (HIS) FATHER, AND DESPISETH TO OBEY (HIS) MOTHER, THE RAVENS OF THE VALLEY (WHICH BUILD THEIR NESTS IN SOLITARY VALLEYS)... [ Continue Reading ]
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: THERE BE THREE (THINGS) ... YEA, FOUR WHICH I KNOW NOT: THE WAY OF AN EAGLE IN THE AIR, THE WAY OF A SERPENT UPON A ROCK, THE WAY OF A SHIP IN THE MIDST OF THE SEA, AND THE WAY OF A MAN WITH A MAID - as all these af... [ Continue Reading ]
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. AN ADULTEROUS WOMAN ... EATETH, AND WIPETH HER MOUTH, AND SAITH, I HAVE DONE NO WICKEDNESS - like one who has eaten something, and afterward having wiped his mouth, says he eaten nothi... [ Continue Reading ]
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: FOR THREE (THINGS) THE EARTH IS DISQUIETED ... FOR A SERVANT WHEN HE REIGNED ( ); (AND) A FOOL, WHEN HE IS FILLED WITH MEAT - i:e., when he is in prosperity, and his appetites given loose rein to (). Both become insolen... [ Continue Reading ]
For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. FOR AN ODIOUS (WOMAN) WHEN SHE IS MARRIED - for by her bad temper and ways she makes herself unbearable to her husband, her domestics, and her neighbours. Cartwright and Maurer explain: when a man had two wive... [ Continue Reading ]
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: THERE BE FOUR (THINGS) ... LITTLE UPON THE EARTH (i:e., among the smallest things upon earth), BUT ... EXCEEDING WISE - Hebrew, 'wise, made wise;' endowed with natural instinct for their preservation. Verse 25.... [ Continue Reading ]
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; THE CONIES ... FEEBLE ... YET MAKE THEY THEIR HOUSES IN THE ROCKS - not the rabbit, which is not found in Bible lands, but a gregarious pachydermatous animal (Hebrew, shapan (H8227)), the hyrax Syriacus, about the size of... [ Continue Reading ]
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; THE LOCUSTS HAVE NO KING, YET GO THEY FORTH ALL OF THEM BY BANDS - literally, divided (Maurer); Joel 2:7; or, as the Chaldaic and Syriac, 'collected together' [ chotseets (H2686)]: from chaatsats, a pebble, or means of calculation... [ Continue Reading ]
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. THE SPIDER TAKETH HOLD WITH HER HANDS, AND IS IN KINGS' PALACES. The term here, sªmaamiyt (H8079), different from that in Job 8:14 `akaabiysh (H5908). Probably a lizard is meant here. [Modern Greek has the kindred name, samiaminthos... [ Continue Reading ]
There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: THREE (THINGS) ... GO WELL ... ARE COMELY IN GOING. As the former examples inculcated prudence and skill, so the four following inculcate stedfast and fearless progress in our right undertakings.... [ Continue Reading ]
A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A LION ... TURNETH NOT AWAY FOR ANY - Hebrew 'from the presence of any;' i:e., for fear of any (cf. ). Aristotle, 'Histoire,' 9: 44, says of the lion, 'It never flees nor trembles; but though it be forced to retire because of... [ Continue Reading ]
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. A GREYHOUND - Hebrew, one girt in the loins. Gesenius explains a war horse with its ornamental trappings on the loins, such as are depicted in the carvings at Persepolis, 'an accoutred chariot horse' (Martial, 14: 86; B... [ Continue Reading ]
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. IF THOU HAST DONE FOOLISHLY (OR, HAST BEEN FOOLISH) IN LIFTING UP THYSELF - through pride and insolence. The following clause -- IF THOU HAST THOUGHT EVIL - or hast devised evil, imp... [ Continue Reading ]
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. SURELY THE CHURNING OF MILK BRINGETH FORTH BUTTER, AND THE WRINGING OF THE NOSE ... BLOOD; SO THE FORCING OF WRATH ... STRIFE. As constant and violent... [ Continue Reading ]