Proverbs 25:4

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. THE FINER - the melter; the goldsmith. TAKE AWAY THE WICKED (FROM) BEFORE THE KING. Bad ministers and counselors must be taken away from the king if his throne is to 'be established in righteousness;' just as the dross must he taken from the gold, if a pure and shining vessel is to come forth for the goldsmith. Impunity in evil turns the moral silver itself into dross ()....

Verse Proverbs 25:4. _TAKE AWAY THE DROSS FROM THE SILVER_] You cannot have a _pure_ silver vessel till you have purified the silver; and no nation can have a king a public blessing till the _wicked_ - all bad counsellors, wicked and interested ministers, and sycophants - are banished from the court and cabinet. When the _wise_ and _good_ only are the king's ministers and advisers, then the throne will be established in righteousness, and his administration be a universal blessing....

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

TAKE AWAY THE DROSS FROM THE SILVER,.... By putting it into the furnace, and purging it from it: AND THERE SHALL COME FORTH A VESSEL FOR THE FINER; not out of the furnace, a vessel formed and shaped, but pure silver shall come out of it for the refiner; of which a vessel may be made, very honourable, beautiful, and fit for use: the application of it is in Proverbs 25:5....

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....

FINER. refiner....

_a vessel for the finer_ Such pure metal as the refiner, who has with that very object taken away the dross, can make into a goodly vessel or vase. Egredietur vas purissimum, Vulg....

CHAPTER 25 TEXT Proverbs 25:1-10 1. These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. 2. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 3. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable, 4. Take away the dross from the silver, And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner: 5. Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne shall be established in righteousness. 6. Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7. For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen.

COURTS. QUARRELS 1-7. relate to kings and courts....