Proverbs 20:11

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. EVEN A CHILD IS KNOWN BY HIS DOINGS, WHETHER HIS WORK (BE) PURE, AND WHETHER (IT BE) RIGHT. A child gives indications of what kind of a man he is likely to be-pure and upright, or the reverse. Parents ought to observe the sports, the gait, the words, and the deeds of a boy, so as to discover for what profession he is best fitted, to what virtues and to what vices he is inclined. Little things often indicate disposition. A judgment can the better be formed of children, because they are seldom hypocrites....

Verse Proverbs 20:11. _EVEN A CHILD IS KNOWN BY HIS DOINGS_] That is, in general terms, the _effect_ shows the nature of the cause. "A childe is known by his conversation," says _Coverdale_. A child is easily detected when he has done evil; he immediately begins to excuse and vindicate himself, and profess his innocence, almost before accusation takes place. Some think the words should be understood, _every child will dissemble_; this amounts nearly to the meaning given above, But probably the principal this intended by the wise man is, that we may easily learn from the _child_ what the _man_ will be. In general, they give indications of those _trades_ and _callings_ for which they are adapted by nature. And, on the whole, we cannot go by a surer guide in preparing our children for future life, than by observing their early propensities. The futur...

The graces or the faults of children are not trifles. “The child is father of the man;” and the earliest actions are prophecies of the future, whether it will be pure and right, or unclean and evil....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER; or, scorner, the word (_luts_) being taken up from the last chapter. The liquor is, as it were, personified, as doing what men do under its influence. Thus inebriated persons scoff at what is holy, reject reproof, ridicule all that is serious. Septuagint, Ἀκόλαστον οἶνος, "Wine is an undisciplined thing;" Vulgate, _Luxuriosa res, vinum. _STRONG DRINK IS RAGING; a brawler, Revised Version. _Shekar, _σίκερα (Luke 1:15), is most frequently employed of any intoxicating drink not made from grapes, _e.g. _palm wine, mead, etc. The inordinate use of this renders men noisy and boisterous, no longer masters of themselves or restrained by the laws of morality or decency. Septu

EVEN A CHILD IS KNOWN BY HIS DOINGS,.... As well as a man; "ye shall know them by their fruits", Matthew 7:16; professors and profane. So a child soon discovers its genius by its actions; it soon shows its inclination and disposition; and some shrewd guesses may be made how it will turn out, a wise man or a fool, a virtuous or a vicious man; though this does not always hold good, yet something may be observed, which may be a direction to parents in the education of their children, and placing them out to what is proper and suitable for them. Some observe, that the word has a quite contrary meaning, that "a child carries himself a stranger by his doings" e; so that he is not known by them: he so conceals and disguises himself, he acts so fraudulently and deceitfully, and plays the hypocrite, and puts the cheat on men, that they cannot tell what he is, nor what he will be; and if children...

CHAPTER 20 PROVERBS AS TO PERSONAL CONDUCT Proverbs of warning and instructions as to personal conduct are found mostly in this chapter; a number of them are of special interest if applied to Solomon. The first one is concerning wine and strong drink. As the use of wine among the people of Israel was legitimate the warning is against intemperance Deuteronomy 14:26). The Bible gives many illustrations of the truth of this proverb-warning. We may think of Noah, Lot, Nabal, Ben-hadad, Belshazzar and others. From all the good things we select the following. In Proverbs 20:3 is instruction which makes for peace. It is the fool who meddles and thus produces strife, but it is an honor for man to cease from strife. In...

PROVERBS 20. We have still further traces in Proverbs 20:9; Proverbs 20:24 of the sceptical spirit and the obstinate questionings of self characteristic of the later Greek period of Jewish thought. PROVERBS 20:6 A. RV is strained and the Heb. is difficult. Read (_cf._ Syr. and Lat.) Many a man is called kind. Proverbs 20:8. winnoweth (_mg._) is more literal than RV, and conveys better the idea of personal scrutiny (_cf._ the ideal king in Psalms 72 and Isaiah 11). Proverbs 20:9. For the growi

PURE. accurate. RIGHT. correct....

_is known_ or, _maketh himself known_; betrays his true character, and gives presage of "his (life's) work." Comp. the familiar German proverb, "_Was ein Dörnchen werden will spitzt sich bei Zeiten_," Lange....

TEXT Proverbs 20:11-20 11. Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. 12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them. 13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. 14. It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. 15. There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for foreigners. 17. Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. 18. Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wi