Proverbs 24:14

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: EAT THOU HONEY, BECAUSE IT IS GOOD (A GRACIOUS INVITATION TO PARTAKE OF THE SPIRITUAL HONEY, ; PSALMS 19:9 ; ): SO SHALL THE KNOWLEDGE OF WISDOM BE UNTO THY SOUL - at once sweet and profitable. WHEN THOU HAST FOUND IT ( ; ), THEN THERE SHALL BE A REWARD (OR END: A REWARD AT THE END OF THE WORK), AND THY EXPECTATION SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF - ...

Verse Proverbs 24:14. _SO_ SHALL _THE KNOWLEDGE OF WISDOM_ BE _UNTO THY SOUL_] True religion, experimental godliness, shall be to thy soul as the honey-comb is to thy mouth. _THEN THERE SHALL BE A REWARD, AND THY EXPECTATION SHALL NOT BE_ _CUT OFF._] This is precisely the same with that in the preceding chapter, Proverbs 23:18, where see the note. Proverbs 23:18. The word אחרית _acharith_, we translate in the former place _an end_, and here we translate it a _reward_; but there is no place I believe in the sacred writings in which it has any such acceptation; nor can such a meaning be deduced from the root

THE KNOWLEDGE OF WISDOM - Better, Know that thus (like the honey) is wisdom to thy soul....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 24:1 We return here to the more usual form, the tetrastich. BE NOT THOU ENVIOUS AGAINST EVIL MEN (see on Proverbs 23:17, where a similar warning is given, and comp. Proverbs 23:19 below). "Men of wickedness," wholly given over to evil. NEITHER DESIRE TO BE WITH THEM. Their company is pollution, and association with them makes you a partner in their sinful doings. The Septuagint prefaces the paragraph with the personal address, υἱέ_ _"son." PROVERBS 24:2 For their heart studie

SO [SHALL] THE KNOWLEDGE OF WISDOM [BE] UNTO THY SOUL,.... Or let it be taken in as greedily and with as good an appetite; as pleasant, useful, delightful, and profitable; even the knowledge of Christ, the Wisdom of God, which is preferable to all things else, and more desirable than the most pleasant and profitable things in the world; and of the Gospel of Christ, the wisdom of God in a mystery, than which nothing is more sweet and comfortable to a truly gracious soul; it is like Ezekiel's roll, which was in his mouth as honey for sweetness, Ezekiel 3:3; WHEN THOU HAST FOUND [IT], THEN THERE SHALL BE A REWARD; for though there may be some difficulty and trouble to attain it, in the use of means, by reading, bearing, prayer, and meditation, yet, being enjoyed, it carries its own reward with it; a man is abundantly recompensed for all his pains in the pursuit of it, by the ple

CHAPTER 24 INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED In the final instructions of this chapter we find first a description of the evil men. Their heart studieth destruction; their lips talk mischief. This theme is repeatedly referred to in this chapter. In Proverbs 24:15 the evil man is addressed not to lay wait for the righteous and not to spoil his resting place. The Lord takes care of the righteous; he may be overcome by misfortunes seven times, yet will he rise again. Different it is with the wicked when he falls into mischief. Yet there must be no rejoicing over the fall of the enemy, nor gladness when he stumbled. This displeaseth the Lord. Still higher is the command of the New Testament, “Love your enemies; ... recompense no man evil for evil; ... overcome evil with good.” There is to be no fretting because of evil men nor envy ...

PROVERBS 24:7 A. Lit. Wisdom is corals to the fool. RV involves a change m the text, which gives perhaps the best sense that can be made of an obviously corrupt stanza. Proverbs 24:9. thought: the word means plan or device, and is used in both a good and a bad sense in Pr. Here the meaning is that sin is the kind of plan which folly engages in, sin is folly's plan. Proverbs 24:10. An incomplete aphorism. As it stands its probable meaning is, If thou art slack, thy strength will be narrow (_i.e._ restricted) in the day of trouble. Proverbs 24:11 f. The Heb. is not unambiguous and shows

CUT OFF. Compare Proverbs 24:20 with Proverbs 23:18....

_so shall the knowledge of wisdom be_ Rather, SO KNOW WISDOM TO BE. With like avidity as you eat honey (Proverbs 24:13), know, get to know, pursue the knowledge of, wisdom. Comp. Psalms 19:10 (Hebrews 11). _reward_ See Proverbs 23:18 note....

MY SON, EAT THOU HONEY, &C.— It is well known in how high esteem honey was among the ancients for food, for drink, for medicine, for preserving of dead bodies, and particularly for infants. See Isaiah 7:15. Sir 39:26. Hence the ancient Christians used to give a little milk and honey to those who were baptized, as persons newly regenerate and born again; because honey, as well as milk, was the nutriment of little children in those countries. See 1 Samuel 14:27. Luke 24:41. All this may be applied to wisdom, from whence the mind derives the greatest satisfaction; and therefore it ought to be our daily diet, our sweetest refreshment, from the beginning of our days to the end of the