My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: Proverbs 5:1.-Prefatory exhortation to the study of wisdom. Warning again the love of strange women, whose words are smooth, but who at last bring ruin on their followers (Proverbs 5:1). Exhortation to the love of one's own wif... [ Continue Reading ]
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. THAT THOU MAYEST REGARD DISCRETION, AND (THAT) THY LIPS MAY KEEP KNOWLEDGE - that they lips may have a discreet and intelligent reply to give to the allurements of pleasure; as, for instance, to those of the "strange woman... [ Continue Reading ]
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: FOR THE LIPS OF A STRANGE WOMAN (NOTE, ) DROP (AS) AS AN HONEY-COMB. "Thy lips," by "keeping knowledge" () of "the fear of the Lord," and "the judgments of the Lord," which are, in reality as well as appear... [ Continue Reading ]
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. BUT HER END IS BITTER AS WORMWOOD - (). The flesh promises every delight, but it leaves bitter dregs (Mercer). The strange woman's own end is bitter, and such must be also that of her follower. When she falls, so must he also. SHARP... [ Continue Reading ]
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. HER FEET GO DOWN TO DEATH; HER STEPS TAKE HOLD ON HELL - in awful contrast to "taking hold of the paths of life" (). Death of the body: spiritual death here; eternal death hereafter.... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. LEST THOU SHOULDEST PONDER THE PATH OF LIFE, HER WAYS ARE MOVEABLE, (THAT) THOU CANST NOT KNOW (THEM). "Lest" expresses this-Her aim and tendency are toward death (), so that thou canst not ponder... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. HEAR ME NOW THEREFORE, O YE CHILDREN, AND DEPART NOT FROM THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH. For it will not be enough to hear, unless thou shall express words by deeds (T. Cartwright).... [ Continue Reading ]
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: REMOVE THY WAY FAR FROM HER, AND COME NOT NIGH THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE. Not only do not enter in, but do not oven come nigh her door. The nearer we approach temptation, the more alluring it becomes, and the weaker becomes our spi... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: LEST THOU GIVE THINE HONOUR UNTO OTHERS. "Thine honour" - i:e., thy chastity and purity. Maurer takes the Hebrew as it means in , "comeliness;" margin, 'vigour' (cf. Proverbs 5:10; ). By the general term (masculine) "others... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; LEST STRANGERS BE FILLED WITH THY WEALTH, AND THY LABOURS (BE) IN THE HOUSE OF A STRANGER. "Strangers" mean the adulteress, her husband, and children, or else her favourites. For it is not thee that she want... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, AND THOU MOURN AT THE LAST, WHEN THY FLESH AND THY BODY ARE CONSUMED. "At the last" - namely, when the final consequences of thy sin overtake thee: when all the powers of thy body are consumed.... [ Continue Reading ]
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; AND SAY, HOW HAVE I HATED INSTRUCTION, MY HEART DESPISED REPROOF - reverting to . The sinner shall at last marvel at his own amazing folly in the times past; but his remorse shall then be too late (). Hatred of having the trut... [ Continue Reading ]
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! AND HAVE NOT OBEYED THE VOICE OF MY TEACHERS, NOR INCLINED MINE EAR TO THEM THAT INSTRUCTED ME! "Teachers" - religious instructors, parents, ministers of the Word.... [ Continue Reading ]
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. I WAS ALMOST IN ALL EVIL-IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION AND ASSEMBLY. There was scarcely any sin that I did not engage in; and this, in the midst of the congregation and assembly - i:e., openly, shamelessly, in the assembly... [ Continue Reading ]
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. DRINK WATERS OUT OF THINE OWN CISTERN, AND RUNNING WATERS OUT OF THINE OWN WELL. As all desire resembles thirst, to drink water means to gratify desire, and the woman is compared to a well. Embrace thine own wife, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. LET THY FOUNTAINS BE DISPERSED ABROAD, (AND) RIVERS OF WATERS IN THE STREETS - i:e., by being faithful to thine own wife thou shalt have an overflowing offspring from thee going forth into the streets to the various honou... [ Continue Reading ]
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. LET THEM BE ONLY THINE OWN, AND NOT STRANGERS' WITH THEE. Let thy children know thee alone as their parent, and do thou know them as the children of thyself, and not of strangers. The child of an adulteress or harlot, on the contrary, is... [ Continue Reading ]
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. LET THY FOUNTAIN BE BLESSED: AND REJOICE WITH THE WIFE OF THY YOUTH. The first clause refers to , the second to . "Thy fountain" is the womb of thy wife (). Be so faithful to thy wife that God shall bless thee with a numerous of... [ Continue Reading ]
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. (LET HER BE AS) THE LOVING HIND AND PLEASANT ROE - or antelope; chamois: from a Hebrew root to ascend or climb rocks. Emblems of beauty, love, and faithfulness (S... [ Continue Reading ]
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? AND WHY WILT THOU, MY SON, BE RAVISHED WITH A STRANGE WOMAN, AND EMBRACE THE BOSOM OF A STRANGER? When there are so many advantages in conjugal love, and losses in adulterous love, what madness, ba... [ Continue Reading ]
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. FOR THE WAYS OF MAN ARE BEFORE THE EYES OF THE LORD, AND HE PONDERETH ALL HIS GOINGS - (; ; .) This answers by anticipation the objection of the whoremonger-I will act with such caution and secrecy as to evade... [ Continue Reading ]
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. HIS OWN INIQUITIES SHALL TAKE THE WICKED HIMSELF, AND HE SHALL BE HOLDEN WITH THE CORDS OF HIS SINS - (.) The adulterer and fornicator flatters himself he easily extricate himself from the penalty... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. HE SHALL DIE WITHOUT INSTRUCTION - without the disciplinary instruction (so the Hebrew) which is the privilege of the children of God (Proverbs 3:11), and therefore without the saving "wisdom" and "knowledge... [ Continue Reading ]