Proverbs 20:5

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. COUNSEL IN THE HEART OF MAN (IS LIKE) DEEP WATER (THE CUNNING OF MEN'S HEART IS LIKE AN UNFATHOMABLE DEEP): BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING WILL DRAW IT OUT - by the gift of discernment of spirits, and by tact in eliciting what is in the minds of other men....

Verse Proverbs 20:5. _COUNSEL IN THE HEART OF MAN_] Men of the deepest and most comprehensive minds are rarely apt, unsolicited, to join in any discourse, in which they might appear even to the greatest advantage; but a _man_ of _understanding_ will _elicit_ this, by questions framed for the purpose, and thus _pump_ up the salubrious waters from the deep and capacious well. The metaphor is fine and expressive....

The contest between reticence on the one side and pertinacity in search on the other is represented as by a parable. The well may be very deep (compare the marginal reference), but the man of understanding” has enough skill to draw up the water even to the last drop. Every question is, as it were, a turning of the windlass....

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

COUNSEL IN THE HEART OF MAN [IS LIKE] DEEP WATER,.... Pure and undisturbed, but secret, hidden, and hard to be come at: such are the things of the spirit of a man, the thoughts of his mind, the devices of his heart; which, though easily known by the searcher of hearts, are not easily penetrated into by men; or it is not easily got out of them what is in them, especially in some men, who are very close and reserved. This is true of wicked men, who seek sleep to hide their counsel; and of good men, especially studious men, who have got a great deal of wisdom and knowledge in them, but not very communicative, being slow of speech, and silent in conversation; BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING WILL DRAW IT OUT; he will find ways and means to discover the secret designs of wicked men, whether against church or state; and, by asking proper questions, an understanding man will get out useful things fr...

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

_will draw it out_ as from a well, as the Queen of Sheba did, 1 Kings 10....

COUNSEL IN THE HEART OF MAN, &C.— There is hardly any thing but may be compassed by wisdom: for though the designs and intentions of another man, especially one who has a deep understanding, are as hard to be founded as waters which lie in the secret caverns of the earth; yet there are persons of such penetration, that they will find means to discover them, and draw them out. Lord Bacon observes, that there are six ways whereby the knowledge of men may be drawn out and disclosed; by their faces and countenances, by words, by deeds, by their nature, by their ends, and by the relations of others. See Adv. of Learn. book 8: chap. 2....

CHAPTER 20 TEXT Proverbs 20:1-10 1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise, 2. The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own life. 3. It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling. 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing. 5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out. 6. Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness; But a faithful man who can find? 7. A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him. 8. A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment