Proverbs 3:28

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. SAY NOT UNTO THY NEIGHBOUR, GO, AND COME AGAIN, AND TOMORROW I WILL GIVE; WHEN THOU HAST IT BY THEE. Publius Syrus says, 'He gives twice to one in need, who gives at once.' The good Samaritan acted and gave to his neighbour instantly (Luke 10:29). The Greeks had an adage 'A slow-paced favour is a favourless favour;' and Seneca ('Benef.' 1: 2), 'That is a thankless benefit, which has long stuck in the hands of the giver;' for 'he who has been slow in doing it, has for long disinclined to do it.' Do not put off your needy neighbour with fair words, much less with contemptuous ones (James 2:15). Do not delay your charity until "tomorrow," for perhaps tomorro...

27-35 Our business is to observe the precepts of Christ, and to copy his example; to do justice, to love mercy, and to beware of covetousness; to be ready for every good work, avoiding needless strife, and bearing evils, if possible, rather than seeking redress by law. It will be found there is little got by striving. Let us not envy prosperous oppressors; far be it from the disciples of Christ to choose any of their ways. These truths may be despised by the covetous and luxurious, but everlasting contempt will be the portion of such scorners, while Divine favour is shown to the humble believer....

Verse Proverbs 3:28. _SAY NOT UNTO THY NEIGHBOUR_] Do not refuse a kindness when it is in thy power to perform it. If thou have the means _by_ _thee_, and thy neighbour's necessities be pressing, do not put him off till the _morrow_. Death may take either him or thee before that time....

A marked change in style. The continuous exhortation is replaced by a series of maxims. FROM THEM TO WHOM IT IS DUE - literally, as in the margin. The precept expresses the great Scriptural thought that the so-called possession of wealth is but a stewardship; that the true owners of what we call our own are those to whom, with it, we may do good. Not to relieve them is a breach of trust. Proverbs 3:28 Procrastination is especially fatal to the giving impulse. The Septuagint adds the caution: “for thou knowest not what the morrow will bring forth.” Proverbs 3:29 SECURELY - i. e., “With full trust,” without care or suspicion. Compare...

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 3:1 4. _Fourth admonitory discourse. _The third chapter introduces us to a group of admonitions, and the first of these (Proverbs 3:1) forms the fourth admonitory discourse of the teacher. To all intents and purposes this is a continuation of the discourse in the preceding chapter, for inasmuch as that described the benefits, spiritual and moral, which follow from the pursuit of Wisdom, in promoting godliness and providing safety from evil companions, so this in like manner depicts the gain flowing from Wisdom, the happiness of the man who finds Wisdom, and the favour which he meets with both with God and man. The discourse embraces exhortations to obedience ...

SAY NOT UNTO THY NEIGHBOUR,.... Either to whom thou art indebted, and who comes for the payment of a just debt; or to any poor and indigent person that applies for alms: GO, AND COME AGAIN, AND TOMORROW I WILL GIVE; go home, and come tomorrow, and I will pay thee what I owe thee; or do not trouble me now, come another time, and perhaps I may relieve thy wants: this should not be said, because a man cannot be sure of tomorrow that he shall ever see it; nor may it be in the power of his hands, should he live unto the morrow, to do as he promises; his substance may be taken from him; and besides, in the mean time, the poor object may perish for want of relief; WHEN THOU HAST IT BY THEE; money to pay thy debts with, or to give alms to the poor; and therefore should give readily and at once, and not make any excuses and delays; "bis dat, qui cito dat". Some make this to be part of the covet...

FOURTH Discourse. The sage exhorts the young man to heed his oral instruction (_torah),_ and to trust in Yahweh, fear Him, and honour Him in the prescribed manner of firstfruits. It is interesting to find _torah_ used in its earlier prophetic sense of oral instruction, without reference to its later sense of the whole body of legislation represented by the Pentateuch. The torah of the wise man represents not his own individual authority, but the accumulated wisdom of experience. The torah of the prophet, although delivered in the name of Yahweh, represents ultimately the accumulated moral consciousness of the nation; while the torah of the priest in its later form at least represents the traditional and inherited ritual, the prescribed method of the cultus. Hence the primary idea of torah is the same in all three forms. (See pp. 121, 620, Deuteronomy 1:5 *, and for a fuller disc

Give (Proverbs 3:27); and not only so, but give promptly. We may compare Seneca's saying, "ingratum est beneficium, quod diu inter manus dantis hæsit; nam qui tarde fecit, diu noluit....

TEXT Proverbs 3:27-35 27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it. 28. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee. 29. Devise not evil against thy neighbor, Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 30. Strive not with a man without cause, If he have done thee no harm. 31. Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways. 32. For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; But his friendship is with the upright. 33. The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous. 34. Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers; But he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35. The wise shall in

THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE AND OF CHASTISEMENT The first and third divisions, 1-10, 21-35, are exhortations to good conduct and promises of consequent blessing. The second, 11-20, declares the profitableness of divine chastening and the value of wisdom....