Proverbs 25:17

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. WITHDRAW (HEBREW, MAKE RARE) THY FOOT FROM THY NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE; LEST HE BE WEARY OF THEE. Do not make thyself too common, for things, common are thought less of than things 'rare.' Do not come at an unseasonable time, or to pry into his family concerns, or to ask his help too often. Not intimacy, but intrusiveness, is to be shunned. 'How much better is God's friendship than man's. We are the more welcome to God the oftener we come to Him' (Cartwright)....

Verse Proverbs 25:17. _WITHDRAW THY FOOT_] Another proverb will illustrate this: "Too much familiarity breeds contempt....

Let thy foot be seldom in the house of thy friend, etc. Though thy visits were sweet as honey, he may soon learn to loathe them....

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

WITHDRAW THY FOOT FROM THY NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE,.... Not but that it is commendable to be neighbourly and friendly, or for one neighbour to visit another; but then it should not be very frequent; a man should not be always or often at his neighbour's house. So the words may be rendered, "make thy foot precious" or "rare at thy neighbour's house" m; be seldom there; LEST HE BE WEARY OF THEE, AND [SO] HATE THEE; or, "lest he be sated with thee" n; filled with thy company to a loathing of it, as the stomach with eating too much honey, and so his friendship be turned into hatred. m חקר "rarum fac", Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis, Cocceius; Heb. "praetiosum fac", Piscator. n פן ישבעך "ne forte satictur tui", Schultens; so Montanus; "saturatus", Junius Tremellius, Piscator....

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....

WEARY. full of....

_Withdraw thy foot_ So Vulg., subtrahe pedem tuum. Lit. MAKE RARE THY FOOT. The R.V. adopts the marginal reading of A.V., LET THY FOOT BE SELDOM IN. σπάνιον εἴσαγε σὸν πόδα πρὸς σεαυτοῦ φίλον, LXX....

TEXT Proverbs 25:11-19 11. A word fitly spoken Is like applies of gold in network of silver. 12. As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 13. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the soul of his masters. 14. As clouds and wind without rain, So is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely. 15. By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 16. Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 17. Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee. 18. A man that beareth false witness a