Proverbs 25:14

Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. WHOSE BOASTETH HIMSELF OF A FALSE GIFT - raising expectations by promises which he never fulfills. (IS LIKE) CLOUDS AND WIND WITHOUT RAIN. Clouds and wind (the South and West winds) indicate rain. If, notwithstanding, none comes, they deceive hopes ()....

Verse Proverbs 25:14. _A FALSE GIFT_] מתת שקר _mattath shaker, a lying gift_, one _promised_, but never _bestowed_. "Whoso maketh greate boastes, and giveth nothing;" COVERDALE. SO the VULGATE: "Vir gloriosus, et promissa non complens;" "A bragging man, who does not fulfil his promises," is like _clouds_ which appear to be laden with vapour, and like the _wind_ which, though it blow from a rainy quarter, brings no moistness with it. So the vain boaster; he is big with promise, but performs nothing....

The disappointment caused by him who promises much and performs little or nothing, is likened to the phenomena of an eastern climate; the drought of summer, the eager expectation of men who watch the rising clouds and the freshening breeze, the bitter disappointment when the breeze dies off, and the clouds pass away, and the wished for rain does not come....

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-29:27 PART VI. SECOND GREAT COLLECTION OF SOLOMONIC PROVERBS, gathered by "the men of Hezekiah," in which wisdom is set forth as the greatest blessing to the king and his subjects. PROVERBS 25:1 _The_ _superscription: _THESE ARE ALSO PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, WHICH THE MEN OF HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH COPIED OUT. The word "also" implies that a previous collection was known to the compiler of the present book—probably the one which we have in Pr 10-22:16, of which nine proverbs are inserted here. But there was still a large number of proverbial sayings attributed to Solomon, and preserved partly by oral tradition and partly in writing, which it was advisable to colle

WHOSO BOASTETH HIMSELF OF A FALSE GIFT,.... Of his charity and alms deeds; bragging of great things he does this way, when he does nothing; or who is very vain in making large promises of what he will give, when he does not perform; either not having it in his heart, or in the power of his hands, to give what he promises; Satan like, who offered to give all the kingdoms of this world to Christ, if he would worship him, when nothing of it belonged unto him, or was in his power to give: and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "a glorious man"; that is, a vainglorious man, and "not fulfilling promises". It may very well be applied to false teachers, who boast of their gifts and spiritual knowledge, when they have none; speaking great swelling words of vanity, when they are empty of all that is good, and are as follow: [IS LIKE] LIKE CLOUDS AND WIND WITHOUT RAIN; which make a show and...

IV. THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON COLLECTED BY THE MEN OF HEZEKIAH CHAPTER 25 Here begin the proverbs which the good king Hezekiah, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, added to this book. “This title is interesting as affording a proof that a revival of literary activity accompanied the revival of religion and of national prosperity which marked the reign of Hezekiah. The men of Hezekiah were doubtless a body of scribes engaged under the direction of the king in literary labors.” Very fittingly the opening verses of this collected portion of proverbs relate to the king. While it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, the glory of kings is to search out a matter. God has many things concealed as to Himself, the great universe, creation and His ways in providence; but kings should inquire diligently into the matters brought before them and search them out in their administration of justi...

FIRST DIVISION. In general character this division shows a resemblance to the Sayings of the Wise, containing a number of quatrains and synthetic couplets, and but few antithetic couplets. PROVERBS 25:2 B. A series of three quatrains relating to kings. Proverbs 25:4 b. Very obscure. Refining silver does not produce a vessel, and the parallelism with Proverbs 25:5 b is unsatisfactory. LXX it will be wholly purified probably represents the original text. Proverbs 25:6 f. _cf._ Luke 14:8....

FALSE. pretended. Illustrations: Zedekiah(1 Kings 22:11); Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:1); Shemaiah (Jeremiah 29:24); false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13). WIND. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9....

Lit., CLOUDS AND WIND AND NO RAIN; A MAN WHO BOASTS HIMSELF OF A GIFT OF FALSEHOOD. The rising wind and gathering clouds (1 Kings 18:45) which, un-accompanied by rain, disappoint the expectation of the thirsty earth are an apt emblem of a man who promises much and performs nothing. The Vulg. is true to the original, and forcible: Nubes et ventus et pluviae non sequentes, Vir gloriosus et promissa non complens....

WHOSO BOASTETH HIMSELF OF A FALSE GIFT— Or, pretends he will give a valuable gift, and disappoints the expectation, _is like clouds and wind without rain._ See 1 Kings 18:45....