Proverbs 25:23

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. THE NORTH WIND DRIVETH AWAY RAIN; SO (DOTH) AN ANGRY COUNTENANCE A BACKBITING TONGUE. So Vulgate. The north wind usually produces fair weather (Job 37:22). The Hebrew for "driveth away" ( tªchowleel (H2342)) is, literally, to cause to grieve, so to put to flight. But the Syriac and Chaldaic translate, as the Hebrew also means, to give birth to (from the pain of childbirth): 'The north wind bringeth forth, so, (doth) a backbiting tongue an angry countenance'-namely, on the part of him so backbitten toward the backbiter; also on the part of the hearer of the secret slander toward the object of the slander. The English version gives an excellent idea: If you do not listen to, but frown on, the...

Verse Proverbs 25:23. _THE NORTH WIND DRIVETH AWAY RAIN_] The _margin_ has, "The north wind bringeth forth rain." It is said that the "north wind brings forth rain at Jerusalem, because it brings with it the vapours arising from the sea that lies north of it." The marginal is the _true reading_; and is supported by the _Chaldee, Syriac_, and _Septuagint_; but the _Arabic_ reads _south wind_. _A BACKBITING TONGUE_] A _hidden tongue_....

The marginal reading is far more accurate and gives a better sense. The northwest wind in Palestine commonly brings rain, and this was probably in the thought of the writer....

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

THE NORTH WIND DRIVETH AWAY RAIN,.... So the geographer w says, the swift north wind drives away the moist clouds; which usually come from the opposite quarter, the south. The word used has the signification of conceiving, and begetting, and bringing forth; hence some x render it to a different sense, and so the Targum, "the north wind bringeth forth rain;'' and in this sense Gersom interprets it, and says, "the north wind produces rain in Jerusalem, because it brings there the vapours that ascend from the sea, which lies north unto it;'' and the philosopher y says, that in the northern parts of the world the south wind produces rain; and in the southern parts the north wind produces it, as in Judea. But in Job 37:22, fair, fine, golden, serene, "weather", is said to "come out of the north"; agreeably to which, the north wind is by Homer z called

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....

DRIVETH AWAY. bringeth forth. Hebrew. _hul._ an angry countenance. Supply the Ellipsis thus: by adding "[produceth]"....

_driveth away_ Rather, BRINGETH FORTH, A.V. marg., R.V. text. The rendering of A.V. text follows the Vulg., dissipat pluvias, and is apparently supported by Job 37:22: "Fair weather," or "golden brightness, cometh out of the north," a phenomenon which is there attributed to the action of the wind blowing from that quarter (see Proverbs 25:21 and note in this Series). But by "north" may perhaps here be meant "north-west." ("Intelligendus ille ventus qui inter aquilonem et occasum flat, Thrascias sive Caurus, qui a Seneca in Hippol. 25:1130 _imbrifer_dicitur," Rosenm.) The comparison thus becomes clear and forcible: THE NORTH WIND BRINGETH FORTH RAIN. The secret action of the wind covers the heaven with clouds, SO DOTH (adopting R.V. in preference to A.V.) a backbiting tongue an angry

THE NORTH WIND DRIVETH AWAY RAIN, &C.— See the _Observations,_ p. 37....