My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Proverbs 6:1.-Warning against suretiship (Proverbs 6:1); against indolence, by the example of the ant (Proverbs 6:6); against crafty mischievousness (Proverbs 6:12); against seven things hateful to the Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. THOU ART SNARED WITH THE WORDS OF THY MOUTH - the consequent of the antecedent supposition "If-if" (). Bayne, Maurer, etc., carry on the "if" to this verse, '(If) thou art snared'-then the consequent begins a... [ Continue Reading ]
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. DO THIS NOW, MY SON, AND DELIVER THYSELF, WHEN THOU ART COME INTO THE HAND OF THY FRIEND. Lose not a moment in seeking a remedy for the evil in which thou hast... [ Continue Reading ]
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. GIVE NOT SLEEP TO THINE EYES, NOR SLUMBER TO THINE EYELIDS - before that thou hast released thyself from the obligation (cf. the phrase ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. DELIVER THYSELF AS A ROE (THE EMBLEM OF FLEETNESS, ; ) FROM THE HAND (OF THE HUNTER), AND AS A BIRD FROM THE HAND OF THE FOWLER. Since a bird has no small regard for its freedom, but tries with its b... [ Continue Reading ]
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: GO TO THE ANT, THOU SLUGGARD; CONSIDER HER WAYS, AND BE WISE. From the particular exhortation of the surety to sleepless energy (), Solomon passes to a general exhortation to industry. God designs us to learn many a lesson from His cre... [ Continue Reading ]
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, WHICH HAVING NO GUIDE, OVERSEER, OR RULER - i:e., no leader of any kind; whereas bees and cranes have. It is the more marvelous that the ants should have such order in the absence of one head. It is therefore the more inexcusable that men, who have so m... [ Continue Reading ]
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. PROVIDETH HER MEAT IN THE SUMMER, (AND) GATHERETH HER FOOD IN THE HARVEST. The heat of summer does not prevent her toiling while the favourable season for getting food lasts. The European ants are dormant in winter, and ther... [ Continue Reading ]
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? HOW LONG WILT THOU SLEEP (LITERALLY, LIE), O SLUGGARD? WHEN WILT THOU ARISE OUT OF THY SLEEP? The ant even at night, by moonlight, carries grain to her store. God designed man to "go forth unto his work, and to his labo... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: YET A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, A LITTLE FOLDING OF THE HANDS TO SLEEP. This is an ironical imitation of what the sluggard says when called on () to awake out of sleep. There is a descending gradation from deep ... [ Continue Reading ]
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. SO SHALL THY POVERTY COME AS ONE THAT TRAVELETH - who actively and steadily advances nearer and nearer his journey's end. So the Vulgate and the Septuagint make it a traveler bent on doing thee evil: a highwayman. So... [ Continue Reading ]
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. A NAUGHTY PERSON (LITERALLY, A MAN OF BELIAL - I:E., WORTHLESSNESS), A WICKED MAN, WALKETH WITH A FROWARD MOUTH. After indolence, he subjoins the opposite fault, busybody-frowardness of heart and mouth, which is often the effect of the... [ Continue Reading ]
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; HE WINKETH WITH HIS EYES, HE SPEAKETH WITH HIS FEET, HE TEACHETH WITH HIS FINGERS. He makes secret signs with all these members; the mark of a deceitful and malignant man (Proverbs 10:10; Psalms 35:19, "Neither let... [ Continue Reading ]
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. FROWARDNESS (IS) IN HIS HEART, HE DEVISETH MISCHIEF CONTINUALLY; HE SOWETH (LITERALLY, CASTETH FORTH) DISCORD - the Hebrew plural, 'frowardnesses.' His heart is so full of them that he cannot help giving vent to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. THEREFORE SHALL HIS CALAMITY COME SUDDENLY; SUDDENLY SHALL HE BE BROKEN WITHOUT REMEDY - like a potter's THEREFORE SHALL HIS CALAMITY COME SUDDENLY; SUDDENLY SHALL HE BE BROKEN WITHOUT REMEDY - like a potter'... [ Continue Reading ]
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: THESE SIX THINGS DOTH THE LORD HATE: YEA, SEVEN ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO HIM - literally, unto his soul. The Khethibh (Hebrew text) reads, 'abominable things;' but the Qeri' reads as the English version. As to the phrase... [ Continue Reading ]
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A PROUD LOOK, A LYING TONGUE, AND HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD. The "proud look" - literally, 'haughty eyes' (; ; ) - stands first; as it is often characteristic of the idle and froward (though such a one is utterly without anyt... [ Continue Reading ]
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, AN HEART THAT DEVISETH WICKED IMAGINATIONS, FEET THAT BE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF. The heart (not merely evil, as all men's hearts are naturally, but) deliberately and continually, of set purpose, devising... [ Continue Reading ]
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKETH LIES - literally, 'blows out' or 'breathes out lies' (cf. , "He puffeth at them" - his enemies). False witness is a particular manifestation of "a lying tongue" (). HE THAT SOWETH DISCOR... [ Continue Reading ]
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: MY SON, KEEP THY FATHER'S COMMANDMENT, AND FORSAKE NOT THE LAW OF THY MOTHER. Grown sons are apt to despise the mother. Solomon prefaces his charge against whoredom with this general exhortation, whereby he returns to... [ Continue Reading ]
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. BIND THEM CONTINUALLY UPON THINE HEART, AND TIE THEM ABOUT THY NECK - (.)... [ Continue Reading ]
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. WHEN THOU GOEST, IT SHALL LEAD THEE; WHEN THOU SLEEPEST, IT SHALL KEEP THEE; AND WHEN THOU AWAKEST, IT SHALL TALK WITH THEE - i:e., it (the law of God, which every wise par... [ Continue Reading ]
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: FOR THE COMMANDMENT IS A LAMP; AND THE LAW IS LIGHT - illuminating the soul, and guiding us into the true path of faith and life (; ). This gives the reason why he has said, The commandment shal... [ Continue Reading ]
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. TO KEEP THEE FROM THE EVIL WOMAN, FROM THE FLATTERY OF THE TONGUE OF A STRANGE WOMAN - literally, from the flattery of the strange tongue, implying that the strange woman (i:e., one who belongs not to thee) is a... [ Continue Reading ]
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. LUST NOT AFTER HER BEAUTY IN THINE HEART. Not only the outward act but the inward desire is sin (; cf. ). Suppress the first suggestions and voluptuous emotions of the flesh. NEITHER LET HER TAKE THEE WITH HER E... [ Continue Reading ]
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. FOR BY MEANS OF A WHORISH WOMAN (A MAN IS BROUGHT) TO A PIECE OF BREAD - to his last cake of bread - i:e., to indigence (; cf. , "Every one that is left in thine house shall... [ Continue Reading ]
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? CAN A MAN TAKE FIRE IN HIS BOSOM (I:E., IN THE FOLD OF HIS GARMENT, ACROSS THE BOSOM OR LAP), AND HIS CLOTHES NOT BE BURNT? Perhaps thou art tempted to think thou shalt escape detection, and therefore hurt. Nay, can one carry fire... [ Continue Reading ]
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? CAN ONE GO UPON HOT COALS, AND HIS FEET NOT BE BURNT? The whoremonger or adulterer treads upon the coals of CAN ONE GO UPON HOT COALS, AND HIS FEET NOT BE BURNT? The whoremonger or adulterer treads upon the coals of lust; and he cannot there... [ Continue Reading ]
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. SO HE THAT GOETH IN TO HIS NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE; WHOSOEVER TOUCHETH HER SHALL NOT BE INNOCENT - free from guilt and consequent punishment (; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; (MEN) DO NOT DESPISE A THIEF, IF HE STEAL TO SATISFY HIS SOUL WHEN HE IS HUNGRY. Men do not think a thief to be beneath judicial cognizance, even though his theft may have had the excuse that it was to satisfy his app... [ Continue Reading ]
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. BUT (IF) HE BE FOUND, HE SHALL RESTORE SEVENFOLD; HE SHALL GIVE ALL THE SUBSTANCE OF HIS HOUSE. Exodus 22:1 prescribes five-fold, four-fold, and two-fold restitution in the different cases of theft. "Se... [ Continue Reading ]
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. (BUT) WHOSO COMMITTETH ADULTERY WITH A WOMAN LACKETH UNDERSTANDING - literally, heart. HE (THAT) DOETH IT DESTROYETH HIS OWN SOUL - rather, as the collocation of the Hebrew requires, and... [ Continue Reading ]
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. A WOUND AND DISHONOUR SHALL HE GET - from the incensed husband, the law, and the general opinion of society (). AND HIS REPROACH SHALL NOT BE WIPED AWAY. Among men a perpetual brand of infamy shall be stamped upon hi... [ Continue Reading ]
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. FOR JEALOUSY (IS) (I:E., GENERATES) THE RAGE OF A MAN (THE HUSBAND); THEREFORE HE WILL NOT SPARE IN THE DAY OF VENGEANCE - in the day when he gets the opportunity of wreaking his vengeance.... [ Continue Reading ]
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. HE WILL NOT REGARD ANY RANSOM - i:e., any sum, however large, paid in expiation of thy adultery (Exodus 21:30). NEITHER WILL HE REST CONTENT, THOUGH THOU GIVEST MANY GIFTS - to bribe the husband not to pros... [ Continue Reading ]