Proverbs 14:29

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. (HE THAT IS) SLOW TO WRATH (IS) OF GREAT UNDERSTANDING: BUT (HE THAT IS) HASTY OF SPIRIT EXALTETH FOLLY - (:) "Exalteth folly," like one's banner lifted up so as to be seen by all; and so is of small understanding. The raising of the voice aloud accompanies this raising up of folly. "He that is slow to wrath" depresseth folly; and so "is of great understanding....

Verse Proverbs 14:29. THAT IS _HASTY OF SPIRIT_] קצר רוח _ketsar ruach_, "the short of spirit;" one that is easily irritated; and, being in a passion, he is agitated so as to be literally _short of breath_. Here put in opposition to ארך אפים _erech appayim, long of_ _nostrils_; see on Proverbs 14:17; and of the same import with St. Paul's μακροθυμια, longsuffering, longmindedness. See on Ephesians 4:2....

EXALTETH FOLLY - Lifts it up, as it were, on high, and exposes it to the gaze of all men....

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

[HE THAT IS] SLOW TO WRATH [IS] OF GREAT UNDERSTANDING,.... Or "long in wrath" e; it is long before he is angry; he is longsuffering, bears much and long, is very patient; such an one appears to understand himself and human nature, and has a great command over his passions; which shows him to be a man of great wisdom and understanding; BUT [HE THAT IS] HASTY OF SPIRIT EXALTETH FOLLY; or is "short of spirit" f; is soon angry; presently discovers resentment in his words, looks, and gestures; such an one "exalts folly", prefers it to wisdom, sets it above himself, and makes it his master: or he "lifts" it g up; exposes his folly to public view, so that it is seen of all men to his disgrace. e ארך אפים "longus iris", Vatablus; "longus naribus", Montanus; "longus narium", Schultens. f קצר רוח "brevis spiritu", Montanus, Vatblus. Cocceius, Merceus, Michaelis; "curtus spiritu", Schultens. g מ...

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

UNDERSTANDING. discernment. Hebrew. _tebunah._ See note on Proverbs 1:2. HASTY OF SPIRIT. Illustrations: Rehoboam (1 Kings 12. Compare Proverbs 14:16, above); Jehoram (2 Kings 5:7); Martha (Luke 10:40). SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9....

_slow to wrath_ Comp. βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, James 1:19. _exalteth_ The Heb. word may either mean, with A.V. and R.V. text, _lifteth up_, i.e. gives it prominence, brings it into notice; or, with R.V. marg., _taketh up_, and so _carrieth away_, as his possession. The first of these is to be preferred....

HE THAT IS SLOW TO WRATH, &C.— If we considered patience only as a moral virtue, or as a gracious sobriety and temper in subduing and regulating our affections and passions, as an absence of that anger and rage and fury, which usually transports us upon trivial occasions, we could not but acknowledge the great advantage that men have by it. Solomon requires this to make a wise man: _He that is slow to anger,_ says he, _is of great understanding;_ and, indeed, there is nothing so much corrupts and destroys and infatuates the understanding as anger and passion; inasmuch as men of very indifferent parts, by the advantage of temper and composure, are much wiser, and fitter for great actions, and are usually more prosperous, than men of more subtle and sublime parts, of more quickness and fancy, with the warmth and choler which many times attend those compositions....