CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:1. GRIEVOUS, “bitter,” “trying,” STIR UP; lit.,
“make to ascend,” like a flame fanned by bellows (Fausset).
PROVERBS 15:2. USETH KNOWLEDGE ARIGHT, rather “makes knowledge
attractive,” _i.e._, speaks so as to win the attention of the
listeners; POURETH OUT, or “bubbleth... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:3. BEHOLDING, rather “watching,” “observing” (so
Stuart, Miller, and Delitzsch).
PROVERBS 15:4. WHOLE-SOME, “gentle,” “soft,” PERVERSENESS or
“transgression,” A BREACH, “a crushing,” “a wounding.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:3_
DIVINE INTELLIGENCE
I. THE ETERNAL... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:6. Miller translates the first clause, “The house of the
righteous is great treasure” (see his Comment); REVENUE, rather
“gain.”
PROVERBS 15:7. DISPERSE; some translators read “winnow,” or
“sift.” Stuart translates the last clause of this verse “The
heart of the fool i... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:8_
PRAYING AND LIVING
I. GOD LOVES RIGHTEOUS MEN WITH A SPECIAL LOVE. God has a love for all
His human creatures—a love which springs out of His relationship to
them as their Creator. He loves the “world” (John 3:16), but this
love cannot be said to spring from liken... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:10. CORRECTION IS GRIEVOUS, or, “there is grievous
correction.” Miller reads, “Discipline is an evil to him.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:10_
OUT OF THE WAY
I. THERE IS A PRE-ORDAINED WAY FOR MAN TO WALK IN.
1. _Nature suggests this_. Everything there speaks of... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:11. HELL AND DESTRUCTION, “Sheôl,” and
“Abaddôn,” two different names for the world of the departed.
“Sheôl” is the unseen world in general, “Abaddôn” the place
of _destruction, i.e._, the place where their bodies are destroyed (so
Stuart, Zöckler, etc.). HOW MUCH MORE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:12_
SELF-DESTROYED
I. THAT A SCORNER IS IN HOPELESS IGNORANCE. “Neither will he go unto
the wise.” If a thirsty man will not go to the river to which he has
free and easy access, there is no hope of his thirst being quenched.
If he will not apply to the only source w... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:14. MOUTH, or “the countenance.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:13_
A CHEERFUL FACE AND A BROKEN SPIRIT
I. THE OUTER MAN IS TO A LARGE EXTENT AN INDEX OF THE INNER LIFE. The
joy of the heart is made visible upon the countenance. This is one of
the infinitely kind and... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:15. AFFLICTED, or “toiling.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:15_
THE CONTINUAL FEAST
I. ALL MEN HAVE DAYS OF AFFLICTION. They may be traced to one of four
sources—
1. _Men are afflicted by reason of their relation to the first head of
the human race_. Every man inher... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:16_
A TREASURE WITHOUT TROUBLE
THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS BETTER THAN WORLDLY TREASURE—I. _Because the
fear of the Lord tends to peace of mind_. In any piece of complicated
machinery the condition of the internal works is a much more important
matter than the ornamentin... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:17. DINNER OF HERBS, literally “a traveller’s meal.”
PROVERBS 15:18. STIRRETH UP, lit. “mixes,” implying the reciprocal
idea of giving and taking offence (Fausset).
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:17_
TWO FEASTS
I. THE EQUALITY HERE EXISTING BETWEEN THE POOR MAN AND... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:19. MADE PLAIN, “is paved,” or “is a highway.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:19_
THE WAY OF THE SLOTHFUL AND THE RIGHTEOUS
I. THE ONE THING COMMON TO THESE OPPOSITE CHARACTERS—A “WAY.”
The eagle and the snail have both a way of motion, although the one
swiftly clea... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:21. WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, rather “goes straightforward.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:21_
OPPOSITE TASTES
I. JOY IS A REVEALER OF HUMAN CHARACTER. A stone cast into a lake will
reveal the nature of its bed. If there is mud at the bottom this
simple test will reveal it... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:23_
JOY FROM A SEASONABLE WORD
I. A GOOD WORD YIELDS THE SPEAKER A PRESENT JOY. There is a present
reaction of joy following every right deed which is its present and
immediate reward. If a man gives his money to a right object from the
highest motive he is silently... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:24. THE WAY OF LIFE IS ABOVE, etc., rather “An upward
path of life,” etc. HELL, Sheôl, as in Proverbs 15:11.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:24_
THE UPWARD AND THE DOWNWARD PATH
I. THE EXISTENCE OF A PLACE OF RETRIBUTION STATED AS A FACT. The word
_Sheol_, here and el... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:25. ESTABLISH THE BORDER, or “Keep fixed the
landmark.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:25_
DESTRUCTION AND ESTABLISHMENT
I. THE CHARACTER OF THOSE DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. In looking at the
trees of a vast forest, the eye of the beholder is drawn to some
which, towerin... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:26. THE WORDS OF THE PURE ARE PLEASANT, or “pure in His
sight are pleasant words.
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:26_
WICKED THOUGHTS AND HOLY WORDS
I. A PRESENT POWER OF THE WICKED MAN—HE THINKS. The ideas and
purposes which fill his mind concerning himself, his fell... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:27. GIFTS, _i.e._, “bribes.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:27_
THE CURSE OF COVETOUSNESS
I. A DEFINITION OF A COVETOUS MAN. “He that is _greedy_ of gain.”
He desires more than enough, and he desires it to the exclusion of the
rights of others. It is lawful and right... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:28. STUDIETH, _i.e._, “_considers_.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:28_
STUDYING TO ANSWER
I. EVERY RIGHTEOUS MAN IS A STUDENT. The aim of study in any
department of knowledge is, first to gain possession of certain facts,
and then to make the knowledge of practical... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:29_
GOD NEAR AND FAR OFF
I. GOD IS NOT FAR FROM THE WICKED IN A LOCAL SENSE. The most wicked
man upon the face of the earth lives and moves and has his being by
reason of his relation to that God whom he practically ignores. The
power of life that he possesses is no... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 15:30_
CHEERFULNESS AND GOOD TIDINGS
Two views are taken of the meaning of the first clause of this verse.
Some understand it to mean that the objective light that plays upon
the eyes of the body rejoices the heart of the man who is under its
influence; and others unde... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.—
PROVERBS 15:33. INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM, rather a discipline of
wisdom,” or “a training to wisdom.”
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 15:31_
HOW TO GIVE AND TAKE REPROOF
I. REPROOF IS GOOD WHEN IT IS GIVEN WITH A GOOD INTENTION AND WHEN IT
IS GIVEN WISELY. Those who unde... [ Continue Reading ]