_A.M. 3004. B.C. 1000._ “This chapter,” says Henry, “is one of the most excellent in all this book: both for argument to persuade us to be religious, and for directions in religion.” We are exhorted to be constant in our duty, because it is the way to be happy, Proverbs 3:1. To live a life of depen... [ Continue Reading ]
_My son, forget not my law_ My doctrine or counsel; _but let thy heart keep_, &c. By diligent meditation and hearty affection. _For length of days_, &c. God will add these blessings which he hath promised to the obedient, Deuteronomy 8:18; Deuteronomy 30:20; 1 Timothy 4:8. _Let not mercy and truth f... [ Continue Reading ]
_Trust in the Lord with all thy heart_ Wholly and securely rely upon God's wisdom, power, and goodness, and upon his providence and promises, for direction and help in all thine affairs and dangers. _Lean not to thine own understanding_ Think not to accomplish thy designs by the strength of thine ow... [ Continue Reading ]
_Be not wise in thine own eyes_ Be not puffed up with a vain conceit of thine own wisdom, as if that were sufficient for the conduct of all thine affairs, without direction and assistance from God, or without the advice of others. _Fear the Lord_, &c. This he adds, because reverence for, and a dread... [ Continue Reading ]
_Honour the Lord with thy substance_ Lay out thy estate, not to please thyself, but to glorify God; _and with the first-fruits of all thy increase_ Or, with _the chief_, or _best;_ which answers to the first-fruits under the law. _So shall thy barns be filled with plenty_ This is not the way to dimi... [ Continue Reading ]
_My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord_ Either by making light of it, or not being duly affected with it, or by accounting it an unnecessary thing; but rather esteem it a privilege and favour from God. _Neither be weary of his correction_ Neither think it tedious or hard, but endure it with... [ Continue Reading ]
_Happy is the man_ Notwithstanding all his afflictions; _that findeth wisdom_ Which supposes his diligent searching for it, expressed Proverbs 2:4. _And the man that getteth_ Hebrew, יפיק, _that draweth out, understanding_ Which expression implies two things: 1st, That man hath it not naturally in h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Length of days is in her right hand_ Wisdom is here represented as a great and generous princess, distributing gifts to her subjects. She holds forth in her right hand the great blessing of health and length of days unto all those who will walk in the way to which she points; and it was but just to... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord by wisdom_, &c. From human wisdom, or wisdom attainable by man, of which Solomon had hitherto treated, he now digresses to divine; thereby insinuating that it ought not to seem strange that he had said so much in praise of wisdom, and had so vehemently exhorted men to seek it, since all th... [ Continue Reading ]
_My son, let them not depart_, &c. Let me prevail with thee to keep these good instructions before the eyes of thy mind continually. Constantly and seriously meditate upon them, and thereby thou wilt attain and retain _sound wisdom and discretion. So shall they be life unto thy soul_ To thee, or thy... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then shalt thou walk in thy way_ Manage all thy employments and concerns _safely, securely_, or _confidently_, without danger or fear, casting thy care on God, in the discharge of thy duty. _And thy foot shall not stumble_ At those stumbling-blocks, trials, and temptations, at which heedless sinner... [ Continue Reading ]
_When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid_ Of fire, or thieves, or any of the terrors of the darkness, knowing that when thou and all thy friends are asleep, yet He that keepeth Israel, and every true-born Israelite, neither slumbers nor sleeps, and that to him thou hast committed thyself, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Withhold not good_ Do not deny it, but readily and cheerfully impart it; _from them to whom it is due_ Hebrew, מבעליו, literally, _from the lords_, or _owners of it:_ which some refer to the restitution of goods gained unjustly; but the connection requires that we understand the clause in a more ex... [ Continue Reading ]
_Devise not evil_, &c. Any thing injurious or hurtful; _against thy neighbour_ Against any child of man. Having commanded the doing of good, (Proverbs 3:27,) he here forbids the doing or designing any evil. _Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee_ Relying upon thy integrity: do not, therefore, deceive... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strive not_ Either by words before the magistrate, or otherwise by thine actions; _with a man without cause_ Without just and necessary cause; _if he have done thee no harm_ Whereby it is clearly implied, that, in case of injury, a man may, by all lawful means, defend himself. _Envy thou not the op... [ Continue Reading ]
_The curse of the Lord is in the house_, &c. Not only upon his own person, but upon his posterity, and upon all his domestic concerns. _But he blesseth the habitation_ Hebrew, נוה, _the cottage_, or _sheepcot_, that is, the dwelling, however mean; _of the just_ The blessing of God is upon him, his h... [ Continue Reading ]