14 The spirit of a man will be his support when he is ill; but how may a broken spirit be lifted up?
And he said to me, My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me. So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.
Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me? I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength. The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword? As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction. But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love.
And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting; And waiting gives experience; and experience, hope: And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
And he took with him Peter and James and John, and grief and great trouble came on him. And he said to them, My soul is very sad, even to death: be here a little time, and keep watch.
Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said, With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.
In the day of my trouble, my heart was turned to the Lord: my hand was stretched out in the night without resting; my soul would not be comforted. I will keep God in memory, with sounds of grief; my thoughts are troubled, and my spirit is overcome. (Selah.)
The cruel words of my haters are like a crushing of my bones; when they say to me every day, Where is your God? Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God; for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.
For your arrows have gone into my flesh, and I am crushed under the weight of your hand. My flesh is wasted because of your wrath; and there is no peace in my bones because of my sin. For my crimes have gone over my head; they are like a great weight which is more than my strength.
When I kept my mouth shut, my bones were wasted, because of my crying all through the day. For the weight of your hand was on me day and night; my body became dry like the earth in summer. (Selah.)
What profit is there in my blood if I go down into the underworld? will the dust give you praise, or be a witness to your help? Give ear to me, O Lord, and have mercy on me: Lord, be my helper.
That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble. And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me: That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.
Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear; So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
And the Satan went out from before the Lord, and sent on Job an evil disease covering his skin from his feet to the top of his head. And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it. And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself. And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 18
Commentary on Proverbs 18 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 18
Pro 18:1
The original here is difficult, and differently understood.
Pro 18:2
A fool may pretend to understanding, and to seek and intermeddle with the means of it, but,
Pro 18:3
This may include a double sense:-
Pro 18:4
The similitudes here seem to be elegantly transposed.
Pro 18:5
This justly condemns those who, being employed in the administration of justice, pervert judgment,
Pro 18:6-7
Solomon has often shown what mischief bad men do to others with their ungoverned tongues; here he shows what mischief they do to themselves.
Pro 18:8
Tale-bearers are those who secretly carry stories from house to house, which perhaps have some truth in them, but are secrets not fit to be told, or are basely misrepresented, and false colours put upon them, and are all told with design to blast men's reputation, to break their friendship, to make mischief between relations and neighbours, and set them at variance. Now the words of such are here said to be,
Pro 18:9
Note,
Pro 18:10
Here is,
Pro 18:11
Having described the firm and faithful defence of the righteous man (v. 10), Solomon here shows what is the false and deceitful defence of the rich man, that has his portion and treasure in the things of this world, and sets his heart upon them. His wealth is as much his confidence, and he expects as much from it, as a godly man from his God. See,
Pro 18:12
Note,
Pro 18:13
See here how men often expose themselves by that very thing by which they hope to gain applause.
Pro 18:14
Note,
Pro 18:15
Note,
Pro 18:16
Of what great force gifts (that is, bribes) are he had intimated before, ch. 17:8, 23. Here he shows the power of gifts, that is, presents made even by inferiors to those that are above them and have much more than they have. A good present will go far,
Pro 18:17
This shows that one tale is good till another is told.
Pro 18:18
Note,
Pro 18:19
Note,
Pro 18:20
Note,
Pro 18:21
Note,
Pro 18:22
Note,
Pro 18:23
Note,
Pro 18:24
Solomon here recommends friendship to us, and shows,