INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 1 After the inscription, which gives the title of the book, and describes the author by his name, descent, and dignity, Proverbs 1:1, follows the scope and design of it, which is to teach men wisdom and knowledge; even such as are simple and foolish, and particularly young... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON,.... Who is said to make three thousand proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32; but whether any of them are contained in this book cannot be said: however, it is certain that they are not all in it, since, if you except the first "nine" Chapter s, which are the introduction to the Proverbs,... [ Continue Reading ]
TO KNOW WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION,.... That is, these proverbs were made, and written, and published, to make known or to teach men wisdom and knowledge; not only in things moral, and therefore these proverbs are by some called Solomon's "ethics"; and indeed they do contain the best system of morality... [ Continue Reading ]
TO RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM,.... Or "prudence" h; of wise and prudent men; and especially of Christ himself, who bears those names, whose instructions this book is full of; and the design of which is to engage the attention of men to them, and prevail upon them to receive them, and act conf... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GIVE SUBTLETY TO THE SIMPLE,.... Men of mean abilities, weak capacities, shallow understandings, incautious, credulous, and easily imposed upon: these, by attending to what is herein contained, may arrive to a serpentine subtlety; though they are simple and harmless as doves, may become as wise a... [ Continue Reading ]
A WISE [MAN] WILL HEAR,.... With great attention, and hearken to the proverbs and wise sayings herein delivered; for here are many things entertaining to men of years and wisdom, as well as instructive to young men and simple ones; AND WILL INCREASE LEARNING; or "add" k to his stock of learning; or... [ Continue Reading ]
TO UNDERSTAND A PROVERB, AND THE INTERPRETATION,.... This may be connected either with the first verse, "the proverbs of Solomon", c. are written, as for the above ends and purposes, so for these or with Proverbs 1:5, a wise and understanding man, by hearkening and attending to what is here delivere... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAR OF THE LORD [IS] THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE,.... Here properly the book begins, and this is the first of the proverbs, and an excellent one; it is such an one as is not to be found in all the writings of the Heathens. By "the fear of the Lord" is not meant a servile fear, a fear of punishme... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SON, HEAR THE INSTRUCTION OF THY FATHER,.... This is not to be understood of God the Father of mankind, and of that law which he has given them, as Jarchi and Gersom interpret it, but of Solomon and his son in a literal sense; and of anyone that came to him for instruction, any pupil, hearer, or... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY [SHALL BE] AN ORNAMENT OF GRACE UNTO THY HEAD,.... The instructions and laws of parents being attended unto and obeyed by children, render them more lovely and amiable than any beautiful ornament whatever that can be put upon their heads; AND CHAINS ABOUT THY NECK; be that unto them as cha... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SON, IF SINNERS ENTICE THEE,.... Endeavour to seduce thee from thy parents, and draw thee aside from them, from listening to their instructions, advice, and commands; and make use of all plausible arguments to persuade thee to join with them in the sins they are addicted unto, and are continually... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THEY SAY, COME WITH US,.... Leave your father's house, and the business of life in which you are; make one of us, and become a member of our society, and go along with us upon the highway; LET US LAY WAIT FOR BLOOD; lie in ambush under some hedge or another, waiting till a rich traveller comes u... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US SWALLOW THEM UP ALIVE AS THE GRAVE,.... The innocent person, and those that are with him, his servants; our gang is so numerous that we can very easily dispatch him and all his attendants, and bury them out of sight at once, as if they were swallowed up alive in a grave, and so no more to be... [ Continue Reading ]
WE SHALL FIND ALL PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE,.... Among one or another we meet with; gold and silver and precious stones, everything that is valuable; not considering that hereby they were in danger of losing the more precious substance, their immortal souls; and the most precious substance of all, the enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
CAST IN THY LOT AMONG US,.... Or "thou shall cause thy lot to fall among us" u; though just entered, as soon as any booty is taken thou shalt cast lots with us, and have thy full share with those that have been longer engaged; LET US ALL HAVE ONE PURSE; or "we will all have one purse" w; will throw... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SON, WALK NOT THOU IN THE WAY WITH THEM,.... In the same way as they do, which is the broad way that leads unto destruction; set not one foot in it; make no trial of it, whether it will be pleasant and profitable walking in it; the experiment will be dangerous; REFRAIN THY FOOT FROM THEIR PATH;... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEIR FEET RUN TO EVIL,.... To the evil of sin, to commit robberies and murder, and all manner of iniquity; they are eager upon it, and in haste and swift to do it, Proverbs 6:18 x; being carried away with their inordinate affections, which are as feet to the soul; and drawn aside with their lus... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY IN VAIN THE NET IS SPREAD IN THE SIGHT OF ANY BIRD. Or "without cause" y, as the word is rendered in Proverbs 1:11; and so the words are an illustration of the preceding; showing that the blood of innocent persons is shed without cause, no injury being done by them to those that do it, but is... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY LAY WAIT FOR THEIR [OWN] BLOOD,.... While they lie in wait for the blood of others, they lie in wait for their own; and when they shed the blood of innocent persons, it in the issue comes upon their own heads, and is the cause of their own blood being shed; vengeance pursues them, and justi... [ Continue Reading ]
SO [ARE] THE WAYS OF EVERYONE THAT IS GREEDY OF GAIN,.... That is set upon getting riches in an unlawful way, by robberies and murder; his ways will end in the loss of his own blood and life, and in the loss of his immortal soul; this will be what his wicked ways and course of life will bring him to... [ Continue Reading ]
WISDOM CRIETH WITHOUT,.... Here the person instructing throughout this whole book is represented under the name of "Wisdom"; by which we are to understand not the attribute of divine wisdom displayed in the works of creation; nor the light of nature in man; nor the law of Moses given to the Israelit... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE CRIETH IN THE CHIEF PLACE OF CONCOURSE,.... Where a multitude of people meet together; the Targum is, "on the top of palaces;'' but rather it is to be understood of the synagogues of the Jews, where Christ frequently preached; and which, from hence, they build in the highest part of the city c... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW LONG, YE SIMPLE ONES, WILL YE LOVE SIMPLICITY?.... Simple foolish things, agreeably to their character, being weak simple men, men of weak capacities and shallow understandings; and such were the first persons that were called by Christ through the ministry of the word, even effectually; they we... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN YE AT MY REPROOF,.... Or rather "to my reproof", for the words are not an exhortation to the conversion of the heart, or to him repentance; but to an attendance to the external ministry of the word preached, which reproves of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and does not design the turning of... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED, AND YE REFUSED,.... This is to be understood not of the internal call of Wisdom, or Christ, which is by the special grace of his Spirit; is according to an eternal purpose, the fruit of everlasting love, peculiar to God's elect, and by a divine power; and is also a call to spe... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE SET AT NOUGHT ALL MY COUNSEL,.... The same with "the counsel of God", Acts 20:27. The whole Gospel, and all the truths of it; the entire scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ, which is the produce of divine wisdom, and is according to the counsel of the divine will, and his eternal purpose... [ Continue Reading ]
I ALSO WILL LAUGH AT YOUR CALAMITY,.... By way of retaliation, measuring measure for measure; even as they scorned him, and delighted in their scorning, now he in his turn will "laugh" at them and their distress; which act is ascribed to the Lord by an anthropopathy; see Psalms 2:4; signifying that... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN YOUR FEAR COMETH AS DESOLATION,.... When such will be the calamity that will occasion this fear, that it shall be like some desolating judgment, as famine, sword, and pestilence, which lays all waste: and such was the destruction of the Jews by the Romans; it not only laid Jerusalem and the tem... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THEY CALL UPON ME, BUT I WILL NOT ANSWER,.... As he called them, and they refused to answer to his call, Proverbs 1:24; so it was just in him to return no answer to them, when they called on him to deliver them from the Romans, and save them from ruin: for this was what they called out fo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THAT THEY HATED KNOWLEDGE,.... Spiritual and evangelical; the knowledge of the Scriptures, of the promises and prophecies of them respecting the Messiah, though they were called upon and exhorted to "search" them; the knowledge of the Messiah, his person, offices, and grace; the knowledge of his... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WOULD NONE OF MY COUNSEL,.... Neither his doctrines nor his ordinances; nor would they attend to the wholesome counsel and advice he gave them in his sermons upon the mount, and in other discourses of his at other times and places; THEY DESPISED ALL MY REPROOF; for their hypocrisy, uncleanness... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SHALL THEY EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THEIR OWN WAY,.... Their evil ways; be punished according to their deserts, and receive the just reward of their iniquities; see Isaiah 3:10; AND BE FILLED WITH THEIR OWN DEVICES; or "counsels" g: their device and counsel was to put Christ to death; to deliv... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE TURNING AWAY OF THE SIMPLE SHALL SLAY THEM,.... Or be the cause of their being slain; even their turning away from Christ, their aversion to him; their turning their backs on him, and a deaf ear to him; their turning away from his Gospel, and putting it from them, thereby judging themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHOSO HEARKENETH UNTO ME,.... To Wisdom, or Christ; to the cry and call above; to the voice of his Gospel, not only externally, but internally; so as spiritually and experimentally to understand it, to distinguish it from the voice of a stranger; so as to approve of it, and receive it in the lov... [ Continue Reading ]