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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Proverbs 17:3

Wonderful as is the separation of the pure metal from the dross with which it has mingled, there is something yet more wonderful in the divine discipline which purifies the good that lies hid, like a grain of gold, even in rough and common natures, and frees it from all admixture of evil. Compare Mal 3:2; 1 Peter 1:7.

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See also Proverbs 17:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 17:3. _THE FINING POT_ IS _FOR SILVER_] When _silver_ is _mixed_, or suspected to be mixed, with _base metal_, it must be subjected to such a test as the _cupel_ to purify it. And gold...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 17 DIVERSE PROVERBS Of the twenty-eight proverbs found in this chapter we point out but a few. “The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold; but the LORD trieth the hearts” (Proverbs...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 17. Fresh points are the rise of the able and clever slave to a place in the family (Proverbs 17:2), the practice of bribes (Proverbs 17:8; Proverbs 17:23), the value of adversity as a test o...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. TRIETH THE HEARTS. Illustrations: Abraham (Genesis 22:1); Israel (Deuteronomy 8:2); Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:31); Martha and Mary ...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _trieth the hearts_ q.d. man can try the precious metals, but only God the hearts (Jeremiah 17:9-10). The thought that He tries them to refine them, which is suggested here by the parallelism, is else...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER 17 TEXT Proverbs 17:1-10 1. Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, Than a house full of feasting with strife. 2. A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that ca...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. THE FINING POT (IS) FOR SILVER, AND THE FURNACE FOR GOLD: BUT THE LORD TRIETH THE HEARTS. As men test and pu...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. Lit. 'the sacrifices of strife.' There would be no pleasure in the festal meal which followed a sacrifice (Proverbs 7:14) if it was accompanied with a quarrel. 'A little with quiet is the only diet...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The hottest fire cleans gold and silver. The fire burns waste materials. This is how the gold and silver become pure. In the same way, God tests our hearts. He wants us to be free from evil thoughts a...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 17 V1 One man eats dry bread in a calm and quiet place. But that man’s meal is better than the food at a party where there are arguments....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE FINING POT IS FOR SILVER. — See above on Proverbs 2:4. THE LORD TRIETH THE HEARTS. — By allowing sorrows and temptations to assail them, in order that they may come out of the trial as pure gold ...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭ † כֶּסֶף וְ כ֣וּר לַ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 18 FRIENDSHIP "A friend loveth at all times, and as a brother is born for adversity."- Proverbs 17:17 This rendering, based upon the margin of the R.V, yields a much better sense than the lo...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 17:3. Two important thoughts are suggested by this proverb. First, that the heart will yield to no force other than that of God. Dross in metal may be discovered and expurged by fire, b...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. Whoso mocketh the poor repro...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE FINING POT [IS] FOR SILVER, AND THE FURNACE FOR GOLD,.... Refiners of silver have their fining pots, in which they purify the silver from the dross; and goldsmiths have their crucibles to melt and...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. Ver. 3. _The fining pot is for silver, &c._] God also hath his "fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem";...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 3. Th E FINING-POT IS FOR SILVER AND THE FURNACE FOR GOLD, their nature and purity in either case being brought out by the process to which they are submitted; BUT THE LORD TRIETH THE HEARTS, testi...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    The hearts of men cannot be searched and known by any human art, but by God only....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 17:3 pot H4715 silver H3701 furnace H3564 gold H2091 LORD H3068 tests H974 (H8802) hearts H3826...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs contrasting good and evil. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: About the most satisfactory substitute for wisdom is silence. Discretion of speech is better than fluency of speech. KEY W...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 17:1. _Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith._ See Proverbs 15:17. Proverbs 17:3. _The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace_ (or crucible) _for gold._ Silver ores in Mexico are...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts._ GOD’S FINING POT AND FURNACE The text is a parabolical description of God’s almighty power and wisdom, for t...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 17:3 CRUCIBLE and FURNACE suggest that THE LORD TESTS HEARTS through difficulties....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 17:3_ THE TRIER OF HEARTS We have here an analogy implied between men’s hearts and gold and silver. I. BOTH HAVE AN INTRINSIC WORTH. Gold and silver have not only an art...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 17:1 (Comp, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17; Proverbs 16:8.) Better

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Better is a dry morsel, with quietness, than a house full of sacrifices with strife (Proverbs 17:1). Now the house full of sacrifices refer to the sacrifices. It's, if in that economy the of the Judai...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Peter 1:7; Isaiah 48:10; Jeremiah 17:10; Malachi 3:2; Malachi 3:3;...

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