Proverbs 1:22

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? HOW LONG, YE SIMPLE ONES, WILL YE LOVE SIMPLICITY? Wisdom wishes, by a startling address, to arouse the sinfully simple ones out of their sleep of worldliness and apathy as to serious things. The physician must use strong stimulants to make the patient realize the greatness of his danger. How long is it until you cease to play the part of simpletons? You have been surely long enough slumbering; it is now high time to awake (Romans 13:11; Ephesians 5:14). AND THE SCORNERS DELIGHT IN THEIR SCORNING. The "scorners" who turn serious admonitions into contemptuous And the scorners delight in their scorni...

20-33 Solomon, having showed how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three sorts of persons are here called by Him: 1. Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness. 2. Scorners. Proud, jovial people, that make a jest of every thing. Scoffers at religion, that run down every thing sacred and serious. 3. Fools. Those are the worst of fools that hate to be taught, and have a rooted dislike to serious godliness. The precept is plain; Turn you at my reproof. We do not make a right use of reproofs, if we do not turn from evil to that which is good. The promises are very encouraging. Men cannot turn by any power of their own; but God answers, Behold,...

Verse Proverbs 1:22. _YE SIMPLE ONES_] פתים _pethayim_, ye who have been _seduced_ and _deceived_. See on Proverbs 1:4....

Compare the Psalms 1:1 note. (1) The “simple,” literally, “open,” i. e. fatally open to evil; (2) the “scorners,” mocking at all good; (3) lastly, the “fools” in the sense of being hardened, obstinate, perverse, hating the knowledge they have rejected....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 1:1 PART I. THE TITLE AND SUPERSCRIPTION. The superscription of the Proverbs, which extends from verse 1 to verse 6, furnishes us with an epitome in short and concise language of the general scope and bearing of the book, and points out its specific utility, both to the inexperienced and to those already wise. Thus (1) in Proverbs 1:1 it gives the name of the author to whom the proverbs are attributed; (2) in Proverbs 1:2 it declares the aim, object, or design of the collection, which is to lead to the acquirement of wisdom genera

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 were babes and sucklings in comparison of others, by whom they were despised as illiterate and ignorant of the law; see Matthew 11:25; though it may respect the Jews in general, who were externally called by Christ, and were a simple and foolish people, addicted to silly customs and usages, to the traditions of the elders, and loved the folly and darkness of them, and to continue in them, rather than the light of the Gospel, John 3:19; AND THE SCORNERS DELIGHT IN THEIR SCORNING; at Christ, because of

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS A detailed analysis, as we have made it in other books, cannot be fully made in this collection of proverbs. Most of them are detached and each has a message by itself. To interpret each separately, to point out the many spiritual lessons, as well as prophetic application, to show their relation to other portions of the Word of God and to explain them by incidents taken from the Bible, would require volumes; and even then the spiritual meaning would not be exhausted. All we can do is to hint at their meaning and give some annotations which, under God, may be helpful in the closer study of this book I. INSTRUCTIONS OF WISDOM GIVEN TO SOLOMON CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction (Proverbs 1:1)_ 2. Warning against evil companions and covetousness (Pro

PROVERBS 1-9. FIRST SECTION. THE PRAISE OF WISDOM. Proverbs 1:1. Title, either of the whole book, or of this particular collection. The word for PROVERB, _mâ shâ l,_ has a wide significance _in Heb. (see BDB)._ Probably it originally expressed a comparison or allusion, drawn from history or nature, and employed to convey a taunt or satire, hence the rendering taunt-song. For different meanings _cf._ Numbers 21:27; Deuteronomy 28:37; Job 13:12; Isaiah 14:4;...

LOVE. The second feature. The first was ignorance in Proverbs 1:7....

_simple_ unwary, see Proverbs 1:4 above, note. _love simplicity_ when you stand in need of that _subtilty_, which wisdom offers you (Proverbs 1:4). When war is at the gates, you are not safe without armour. "Parvuli, diligitis infantiam," Vulg. _scorners_ The word is, with few exceptions, peculiar to this Book, in which " -the scorners" appear as a class of defiant and cynical freethinkers in contrast and antagonism to -the wise." The root-principle of their character is a spirit of proud self-sufficiency, a contemptuous disregard for God and man (Proverbs 21:24). It is impossible to reform them, for they hate reproof and will not seek instruction ...