Proverbs 16:32

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. HE THAT IS SLOW TO ANGER IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY - than a mighty here. The very reverse of the estimate formed by men of the slow to anger, and of mighty heroes respectively. AND HE THAT RULETH HIS SPIRIT THAN HE THAT TAKETH A CITY. For the war is a more severe one which is waged with one's own passions than that which we wage with others. He who conquers himself is of use to himself, and injures none; whereas a mighty hero conquers with much bloodshed. The mighty hero conquers by the hand of others; he that is slow to anger conquers in himself, and by himself; and conquers not only men (as the mighty hero), but also "the rulers of the darkness of this world" ()....

Verse Proverbs 16:32. _HE THAT RULETH HIS SPIRIT, THAN HE THAT TAKETH A_ _CITY._] It is much easier to subdue an enemy _without_ than one _within_. There have been many kings who had conquered nations, and yet were slaves to their own passions. Alexander, who conquered the world, was a slave to _intemperate anger_, and in a fit of it slew _Clytus_, the best and most intimate of all his friends, and one whom he loved beyond all others. The spirit of this maxim is so self-evident, that most nations have formed similar proverbs. The classical reader will remember the following in HOR., Odar. lib. ii., Obadiah 1:2:- Latius regnes, avidum

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 16:1 These are specially religions maxims, and they all contain the name Jehovah. PROVERBS 16:1 The Authorized Version makes one sentence of this verse without any contrast or antithesis. This is plainly wrong, there being intended a contrast between the thought of the heart and the well ordered speech. It is better translated, _The plans of the heart are man_'_s_:_ but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah. _Men make plans, arrange speeches, muster arguments, in the mind; but to put these into proper, persuasive words is a gift of God. "Our sufficiency is of God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). In the case of

[HE THAT IS] SLOW TO ANGER IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY,.... Than a mighty warrior or conqueror; as Alexander who conquered his enemies, and even all the world, and yet in his wrath slew his best friends: a man that is slow to anger is esteemed by the Lord, respected by men, and is happy in himself; and is preferable to the strongest man that is not master of himself and of his passions; AND HE THAT RULETH HIS SPIRIT THAN HE THAT TAKETH A CITY; one that has the command of his temper, that can govern himself, and not suffer his passions to exceed due bounds, is superior in strength to him that can storm a castle or take a fortified city; it is easier to do the one than the other; courage of mind joined with wisdom, and assisted by a proper number of persons, may do the one; but it requires the grace of God, and the assistance of his spirit, thoroughly to do the other. Cicero says t, in all...

CHAPTER 16 IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD The name Jehovah (LORD) appears eleven times in this chapter of Proverbs. The Lord has the final word, for to man belong the preparations (or plans) of the heart; but from the LORD is the answer of the tongue. It is the same thought as in our English proverb--“Man proposes--God disposes.” Man loves to justify himself, his ways are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits; He is the judge of ways and motives. Our works are to be committed (literal: rolled upon) unto the LORD, then establishment and blessing will follow. It is strange that these three verses were omitted in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. The LORD hath made all things for Himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil Proverbs 16:4. Much error has been taught in connection with this verse. Some have taught that God made some wicked. It is not said

PROVERBS 16. The special feature is a group of aphorisms (Proverbs 16:10) relating to kings. The sentiments seem rather to reflect the picture of the ideal king than to indicate any particular period. The metaphors employed and the character depicted suggest a parallel with the ideal king of Psalms 72. PROVERBS 16:4. The lit. rendering of Proverbs 16:4 a is Yahweh has made every work for its answer_ i.e._ the nexus of cause and effect seen in the moral government of the world is His work, a kind of prearranged harmony. The supreme instance is the case of the wicked, their answer is the day of evil. We have an assertion of the righteousness of Yahweh's government rather than of their predestinati

THE MIGHTY. a mighty one. THAN HE THAT TAKETH. CITY. Illustration: Je-hoshaphat (1 Kings 22:3; 1 Kings 22:4. Even if the city had been taken, which it was not)....

Of the many parallels to the sentiment of this proverb that are to be found in classical literature, none is closer than the familiar saying of Ovid (_Epist. ex Pont_. ii. 16:75): "Fortior est qui se, quam qui fortissima vincit Mœnia; nec virtus altius ire potest." Lange and others quote _Pirke Aboth_, iv.2, where the question; Who is a hero?, is answered by reference to this verse....

AND HE THAT RULETH HIS SPIRIT, THAN HE THAT TAKETH A CITY— It is far beyond comparison easier to conquer enemies, to take citadels, to subject people, than to conquer passions, to moderate desires, to subdue evil habits, and repress the sallies of wrath and resentment. We read of but few celebrated conquerors who have not been subdued by some passion or other. Horace has finely expressed this sentiment, lib. 2: Obadiah 1:2. By virtue's precepts to controul The thirsty cravings of the soul, Is over wider realms to reign Unenvy'd monarch, than if Spain Thou could'st to distant Lybia join, And both the Carthages were thine. FRANCIS. And Ovid says, Fortior est qui se, quam qui fortissima vincit Moenia, nec virtus altius ire potest. One translation renders, the verse, _Qui dominatur animo suo, expugnator est urbium;_ "He that can suppress his passions is even master of all cit

TEXT Proverbs 16:23-33 23. The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips. 24. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 25. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death. 26. The appetite of the laboring man laboreth for him; For his mouth urgeth him thereto. 27. A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire. 28. A perverse man scattereth abroad strife; And a whisperer separateth chief friends. 29. A man of violence enticeth his neighbor, And leadeth him in a way that is not good. 30. He that shutteth his eyes, it is to devise perverse things: He that compresseth his lips bringeth evil to pass.