8 The offering of the evil-doer is disgusting to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright man is his delight.
The Lord is far from sinners, but his ear is open to the prayer of the upright.
And I am conscious, my God, that you are the searcher of hearts, taking pleasure in righteousness. As for me, with an upright heart I have freely given all these things; and I have seen with joy your people who are here to make their offerings freely to you.
To what purpose does sweet perfume come to me from Sheba, and spices from a far country? your burned offerings give me no pleasure, your offerings of beasts are not pleasing to me.
As for the man whose ear is turned away from hearing the law, even his prayer is disgusting.
Give ear to the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; let your hearts be turned to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. What use to me is the number of the offerings which you give me? says the Lord; your burned offerings of sheep, and the best parts of fat cattle, are a weariness to me; I take no pleasure in the blood of oxen, or of lambs, or of he-goats. At whose request do you come before me, making my house unclean with your feet? Give me no more false offerings; the smoke of burning flesh is disgusting to me, so are your new moons and Sabbaths and your holy meetings. Your new moons and your regular feasts are a grief to my soul: they are a weight in my spirit; I am crushed under them. And when your hands are stretched out to me, my eyes will be turned away from you: even though you go on making prayers, I will not give ear: your hands are full of blood.
For I, the Lord, take pleasure in upright judging; I will not put up with the violent taking away of right; and I will certainly give them their reward, and I will make an eternal agreement with them.
These are the words of the Lord of armies, the God of Israel: Put your burned offerings with your offerings of beasts, and take flesh for your food. For I said nothing to your fathers, and gave them no orders, on the day when I took them out of Egypt, about burned offerings or offerings of beasts: But this was the order I gave them, saying, Give ear to my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people: go in all the way ordered by me, so that all may be well for you.
<A Prayer. Of David.> Let my cause come to your ears, O Lord, give attention to my cry; give ear to my prayer which goes not out from false lips.
Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth--so let not the number of your words be great.
He who puts an ox to death puts a man to death; he who makes an offering of a lamb puts a dog to death; he who makes a meal offering makes an offering of pig's blood; he who makes an offering of perfumes for a sign gives worship to an image: as they have gone after their desires, and their soul takes pleasure in their disgusting things;
O my dove, you are in the holes of the mountain sides, in the cracks of the high hills; let me see your face, let your voice come to my ears; for sweet is your voice, and your face is fair.
Your feasts are disgusting to me, I will have nothing to do with them; I will take no delight in your holy meetings. Even if you give me your burned offerings and your meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: I will have nothing to do with the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 15
Commentary on Proverbs 15 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 15
Pro 15:1
Solomon, as conservator of the public peace, here tells us,
Pro 15:2
Note,
Pro 15:3
The great truths of divinity are of great use to enforce the precepts of morality, and none more than this-That the eye of God is always upon the children of men.
Pro 15:4
Note,
Pro 15:5
Hence,
Pro 15:6
Note,
Pro 15:7
This is to the same purport with v. 2, and shows what a blessing a wise man is and what a burden a fool is to those about him. Only here observe further,
Pro 15:8
Note,
Pro 15:9
This is a reason of what was said in the foregoing verse.
Pro 15:10
This shows that those who cannot bear to be corrected must expect to be destroyed.
Pro 15:11
This confirms what was said (v. 3) concerning God's omnipresence, in order to his judging of evil and good.
Pro 15:12
A scorner is one that not only makes a jest of God and religion, but bids defiance to the methods employed for his conviction and reformation, and, as an evidence of that,
Pro 15:13
Here,
Pro 15:14
Here are two things to be wondered at:-
Pro 15:15
See here what a great difference there is between the condition and temper of some and others of the children of men.
Pro 15:16-17
Solomon had said in the foregoing verse that he who has not a large estate, or a great income, but a cheerful spirit, has a continual feast; Christian contentment, and joy in God, make the life easy and pleasant; now here he tells us what is necessary to that cheerfulness of spirit which will furnish a man with a continual feast, though he has but little in the world-holiness and love.
Pro 15:18
Here is,
Pro 15:19
See here,
Pro 15:20
Observe here,
Pro 15:21
Note,
Pro 15:22
See here,
Pro 15:23
Note,
Pro 15:24
The way of wisdom and holiness is here recommended to us,
Pro 15:25
Note,
Pro 15:26
The former part of this verse speaks of thoughts, the latter of words, but they come all to one; for thoughts are words to God, and words are judged of by the thoughts from which they proceed, so that,
Pro 15:27
Note,
Pro 15:28
Here is,
Pro 15:29
Note,
Pro 15:30
Two things are here pronounced pleasant:-
Pro 15:31
Note,
Pro 15:32
See here,
Pro 15:33
See here how much it is our interest, as well as duty,