CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:1. WISE WOMAN, or “woman’s wisdom.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:1_
THE HOUSE BUILDER AND THE HOUSE DESTROYER
I. A WOMAN’S SPECIAL SPHERE OF WORK—HER HOUSE. In this word is
included all that in any way relates to the home life. Woman’s
relation to it is threefold.... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:2. HE THAT WALKETH, etc., or, “He walketh in his
uprightness who feareth Jehovah, and perverse in his ways is he that
despiseth Him” (_Delitzsch_).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:2_
FEARING AND DESPISING THE LORD
I. A WHOLESOME FEAR. “The fear of the Lord.” When we f... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:3. ROD, or “sceptre.” Zöckler reads, “In the mouth
of a fool is a rod _for_ his pride.” Stuart, “Haughtiness is a
rod,” etc.
PROVERBS 14:5. Miller here translates, “He who witnesses things
correctly, does not lie; but of a deceived witness the very breath is
lies” (See... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:4_
THE CLEAN CRIB
I. AN EMPTY AND CLEAN CRIB DOES NOT FULFIL THE END FOR WHICH IT WAS
MADE. It was made for use; it was made to hold food for the ox, who
earns, by his labour, the means of keeping it full. When God first
created this world, and saw it lie before him... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:6_
SEEKING, BUT NOT FINDING
I. A CONTRADICTORY CHARACTER—A SCORNER IN QUEST OF WISDOM. It would
be strange to hear a man ask advice of a physician whose opinion he
held in contempt, or to ask guidance of a traveller whose judgment and
ability he despised. It would be... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:8. DECEIT, or “deception.”
PROVERBS 14:9. MANY translators read this verse, “The sacrifice,”
or “the sin-offering, makes a sport of,” or “mocks fools.” So
Zöckler, Elster, Ewald, Stuart, Wordsworth, etc. Miller translates,
“Sin makes a mock at fools.” AMONG, or “to.”... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:10. Zöckler reads the latter clause, “Let no
stranger,” etc. Miller renders the whole verse, “A knowing heart
is a bitterness to itself; but with its joy it does not hold
intercourse as an enemy.”
PROVERBS 14:11. TABERNACLE, “tent.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:10_... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:12_
WHAT SEEMS TO BE AND WHAT IS
I. HUMAN NATURE NEEDS MORE LIGHT THAN IS FOUND IN THE HUMAN
CONSCIENCE. The way which “seems right unto a man” may be “the
way of death.” A mariner who has insufficient light to observe
correctly the needle in the compass, may think h... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:13. THE HEART IS SORROWFUL, or “will be” (perchance).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:13_
TRUE AND FALSE MIRTH
This proverb, as it stands in our English version, cannot be taken as
universally true. The first clause is rendered by some
translators—“Even in laughter t... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:14. FILLED WITH, _i.e._, “satisfied with.” Stuart
translates the latter clause, “Away from him is the good man,”
_i.e._, he will keep aloof from the backslider.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:14_
SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION
I. THE POSITION AND CHARACTER OF THE B... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:16. RAGETH, “is presumptuous,” or “haughty.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 14:15_.
REVELATIONS OF CHARACTER
I. FOUR MARKS OF A FOOLISH MAN. When a piece of ground is left to
itself—left in the hand of nature alone, without the intervention of
the hand... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:19_
A LEVELLING LAW
I. THIS LAW IS NOW MANIFEST TO THE INNER LIFE OF THE WICKED. If a
wicked man has any sense of right and wrong, he is conscious of the
superiority of the good man. There is an inward bowing down of the
evil to the good which is as real, although i... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:21. POOR, or “suffering” (_Delitzsch_).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:20_
AN AGGRAVATED CRIME, A QUESTIONABLE VIRTUE, AND A PRESENT BLESSING
I. A FOURFOLD SIN. A man who despises or hates his neighbour sins—
1. _In the simple exercise of the feeling_. Hatred, or e... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:22_
A FATAL ERROR AND A CERTAIN GOOD
I. THE MISTAKE OF DEVISERS OF EVIL.
1. _They err in relation to the success of their plans_. They think
that their wicked devices will succeed, or they would not go to the
labour and trouble of devising them. But they make a fata... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:23_
THE PROFIT OF LABOUR
1. _The profit of social honour_. It is both natural and right that a
man should desire the respect and good-will of those around him.
Nothing is more certain than that he who lives without working in some
form or another, either for himself... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:24. Or, “It is a crown to the wise when they are rich,
but the folly of fools remains folly” (_Delitzsch_).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:24_
WEALTH WITH AND WITHOUT WISDOM
I. BOTH A WISE MAN AND A FOOL MAY ATTAIN TO WEALTH. The intellectually
wise, and the man who... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:25_
DELIVERANCE BY TRUTH
I. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN A WITNESS BEARER. A witness is supposed to give
light. Those who have to decide upon a matter seek for the evidence of
those who are personally acquainted with the facts. They are expected
to testify as to what they hav... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:26_
A SURE REFUGE
I. WHAT IS TO BE FOUND IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD? “Strong
confidence.” The confidence is in the divine character, and is based
upon a knowledge of it, in contrast to a false security which has its
foundation in ignorance. There is a reverence of one b... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:28. Miller translates “In a _great_ people.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:28_
A KING’S TRUE GLORY
I. HUMAN RULERS ARE DEPENDENT UPON THEIR PEOPLE FOR HONOUR.
1. _The safety of the king’s crown depends largely upon the number
of his subjects_. This was certainly th... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:29_
GREAT UNDERSTANDING
I. THERE ARE TIMES AND OCCASIONS WHEN WRATH IS NOT ONLY ALLOWABLE, BUT
RIGHT. A man who is incapable of being angry lacks an element of
perfection. Anger against wrong-doing is possible without any feeling
of vindictiveness or malice towards... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:30. A SOUND HEART, “a quiet heart.” ENVY,
“passion,” “perturbation.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:30_
A SOUND HEART
_The blessed effects of a contented spirit_. The “sound heart”
being here placed in contrast to “envy,” shows that it means a
spirit that is content... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:31_
THE OPPRESSED AND THEIR OPPRESSORS
I. THOSE WHO ARE OBJECTS OF OPPRESSION—“The poor.” They are made
up of three classes.
1. _Those who have never known their supplies to be equal to their
positive needs—who have not only always lived from hand to mouth,
but who... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:32. DRIVEN FORTH, or “thrust lower” (_Miller_).
Delitzsch translates, “When misfortune befals him, the wicked is
overthrown, but the righteous hath hope even in his death.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:32_
THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
I. THE WICKED MAN... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:33_
THE HIDDEN MADE MANIFEST
I. THE GOD-ORDAINED PLACE FOR MORAL WISDOM—“the heart.” The
divinely ordained place for the sap of the vine is its _root_.
1. _It has its centre and spring there, that thence it may diffuse
itself into every branch and leaf, and give li... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:34. The Hebrew word for _reproach_ means also “mercy.”
Hence Gejer and Miller translate “Mercy for nations is the
sin-offering,” the word _sin_ being often used to express the
sin-offering.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 14:34_
NATIONAL SALVATION
I. SOME STANDARD OF RIG... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 14:35. Miller reads, “The kindness of a king is a wise
servant, but his wrath becomes one that bringeth shame” (See his
comments).
_MAIN HOMILETICS ON Proverbs 14:35_
A WISE SERVANT
In this verse we adopt Miller’s translation as being the more
probable meaning. See Crit... [ Continue Reading ]