Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. EVERY WISE WOMAN BUILDETH HER HOUSE: BUT THE FOOLISH PLUCKETH IT DOWN WITH HER HANDS - literally, 'wise women (each one) buildeth,' etc. Or else, 'the wisdom of women ... the folly,' etc. "Buildeth" - i:e., adorns, establishes, and makes happy her household (, "Rachel and Leah did build the house of Israel"). Such a one is taught experimentally by the Word of God how to bear herself toward her husband, her children, and her servants. Hereby, and by the noble offspring which God gives her, according to His promise, she "buildeth her house." The foolish woman, by her negligence, bad administration, self-indulgence, and provocation of God's displeasure, "plucketh down" her house....

CHAPTER XIV _Various moral sentiments. The antithesis between wisdom and_ _folly, and the different effects of each._ NOTES ON CHAP. XIV Verse Proverbs 14:1. _EVERY WISE WOMAN BUILDETH HER HOUSE_] By her prudent and industrious management she _increases property_ in the family, _furniture_ in the _house_, and _food_ and _raiment_ for her household. This is the true _building of a house_. The _thriftless_ wife acts differently, and the opposite is the result. Household _furniture_, far from being _increased_, is _dilapidated_; and her _household_ are _ill-fed, ill-clothed_, and _worse educated_....

EVERY WISE WOMAN - literally, Wise women. The fullest recognition that has as yet met us of the importance of woman, for good or evil, in all human society....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 14:1 EVERY WISE WOMAN BUILDETH HER HOUSE. Wise women order well their household matters and their families; they have an important influence, and exercise it beneficially. Γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς ἐστὶ σώζειν οἰκίαν_._ "A good wife is the saving of a house." The versions render as above. A different pointing of the word translated "wise" (_chakhmoth_)_ _will give "wisdom" (_chokhmoth_)_, _which it seems best to read here, as the parallel to the abstract term "folly" in the second member. So we have, "Wisdom hath builded her house" (Proverbs 9:1; comp. Proverbs 1:20). Thus: "The wi

EVERY WISE WOMAN BUILDETH HER HOUSE,.... Not only by her fruitfulness, as Leah and Rachel built up the house of Israel; but by her good housewifery, prudent economy; looking well to the ways of her household; guiding the affairs of her house with discretion; keeping all things in a good decorum; and bringing up her children in virtue, and in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So Christ, who in this book goes by the name of "Wisdom", or the wise woman, builds his house upon himself, the Rock; and all his people on their most holy faith, by means of the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances: he guides and governs his house, where he is, as a Son in it and over it; and of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, taken care of, and wisely and plentifully provided for: and so Gospel ministers, who are wise to win souls, being well instructed in the kingdom of God...

CHAPTER 14 THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH: THE RICH AND THE POOR The contrast now concerns the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor. Let us see some of these contrasts. “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise shall preserve them” Proverbs 14:3. The foolish shoots forth his foolishness like a branch. Separation from the foolish man is commanded in the seventh verse. The wise cannot have fellowship with the foolish, as the believer is not to be yoked to the unbeliever. Fools make a mock at sin Proverbs 14:9). The word “sin” in the original means “trespass offering.” That is exactly what the foolish man does, including the religious fool; he denies both sin and the blessed provision God has made to deliver from the guilt and power of sin. But among the righteous, says

PROVERBS 14. In this, as in each of the preceding Chapter s in this section, aphorisms on the moral government of the world come first in number. There are rather more in this chapter of a political and social character, while a group that might be called psychological appears for the first time (_e.g._ Proverbs 14:10; Proverbs 14:13, and in part Proverbs 14:30). The contrast between wisdom and folly, simplicity and prudence, also yields a fairly numerous group. PROVERBS 14:1. MT cannot be translated. Proverbs 14:1 a is p

WISE. Hebrew. _chokmoth_ (see note on Proverbs 1:2), wisdoms, plural (with verb in singular) for emphasis. Figure of speech _Hypallage_ (App-6). the true wisdom of women, which is put for the _wise_ woman. The word is pointed as an Adjective by mistake. See notes on Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 14:1. BUILDETH. has built. Preterite tense, implying the outcome of past wisdom. THE FOOLISH. a foolish woman. Hebrew. _'evil._ Same word as in verses: Proverbs 14:3;...

_Every wise woman_ Some texts read THE WISDOMS (plur. of excellence, as in Proverbs 9:1) OF WOMEN. And so in next clause, THE FOLLY (of _women_). A slightly different reading is followed by A.V. and R.V., _the wise ones of_(among) _women, buildeth every one her house_; σοφαὶ γυναῖκες, LXX.; sapiens mulier, Vulg. Comp. _Her wise princesses_, lit. _the wise_(ones) _of her princesses_, Judges 5:29. _her hands her_ OWN _hands_, R.V., as indicated by the order of the words in the Heb.: "with her hands plucketh it down....

EVERY WISE WOMAN— See chap. Proverbs 12:4 and Exodus 1:21. Though to _build the house_ is frequently used for increasing posterity, it seems in this place principally to refer to that oeconomy and good management by which a wise woman advantages her family. See Titus 2:5....