7 The mouth of a foolish man is his destruction, and his lips are a net for his soul.
And all the people were with Saul, about twenty thousand men, and the fight was general through all the hill-country of Ephraim; but Saul made a great error that day, by putting the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes food before evening comes and I have given punishment to those who are against me. So the people had not a taste of food. And there was honey on the face of the field, and all the people came to the honey, the bees having gone from it; But not a man put his hand to his mouth for fear of the curse. But Jonathan, having no knowledge of the oath his father had put on the people, stretching out the rod which was in his hand, put the end of it in the honey, and put it to his mouth; then his eyes were made bright. Then one of the people said to him, Your father put the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes any food this day. And the people were feeble, needing food. Then Jonathan said, My father has made trouble come on the land: now see how bright my eyes have become because I have taken a little of this honey. How much more if the people had freely taken their food from the goods of those who were fighting against them! would there not have been much greater destruction among the Philistines? That day they overcame the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were feeble from need of food. And rushing at the goods taken in the fight, the people took oxen and sheep and young oxen, and put them to death there on the earth, and had a meal, taking the flesh with the blood in it. Then it was said to Saul, See, the people are sinning against the Lord, taking the blood with the flesh. And he said to those who gave him the news, Now let a great stone be rolled to me here. And Saul said, Go about among the people and say to them, Let every man come here to me with his ox and his sheep, and put them to death here, and take his meal: do no sin against the Lord by taking the blood with the flesh. So all the people took their oxen with them that night and put them to death there. And Saul put up an altar to the Lord: this was the first altar which he put up to the Lord. And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, attacking them till the morning, till there is not a man of them living. And they said, Do whatever seems right to you. Then the priest said, Let us come near to God. And Saul, desiring directions from God, said, Am I to go down after the Philistines? will you give them up into the hands of Israel? But he gave him no answer that day. And Saul said, Come near, all you chiefs of the people, and let us get word from God and see in whom is this sin today. For, by the living Lord, the saviour of Israel, even if the sinner is Jonathan, my son, death will certainly be his fate. But not a man among all the people gave him any answer. Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side, and I with Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do whatever seems good to you. Then Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, Why have you not given me an answer today? If the sin is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord God of Israel, give Urim, and if it is in your people Israel, give Thummim. And by the decision of the Lord, Saul and Jonathan were marked out, and the people went free. And Saul said, Give your decision between my son Jonathan and me. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, Give me an account of what you have done. And Jonathan gave him the story and said, Certainly I took a little honey on the end of my rod; and now death is to be my fate. And Saul said, May God's punishment be on me if death is not your fate, Jonathan. And the people said to Saul, Is death to come to Jonathan, the worker of this great salvation for Israel? Let it not be so: by the living Lord, not one hair of his head is to be touched, for he has been working with God today. So the people kept Jonathan from death. Then Saul, turning back, went after the Philistines no longer: and the Philistines went back to their place.
If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power. The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction. The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime. The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
And he took an oath, saying to her, Whatever is your desire I will give it to you, even half of my kingdom. And she went out and said to her mother, What is my request to be? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in quickly to the king, and said, My desire is that you give me straight away on a plate the head of John the Baptist. And the king was very sad; but because of his oaths, and those who were with him at table, he would not say 'No' to her. And straight away the king sent out one of his armed men, and gave him an order to come back with the head: and he went and took off John's head in prison, And came back with the head on a plate, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
And they came to the chief priests and the rulers and said, We have taken a great oath to take no food till we have put Paul to death So now, will you and the Sanhedrin make a request to the military authorities to have him sent down to you, as if you were desiring to go into the business in greater detail; and we, before ever he gets to you, will be waiting to put him to death. But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul. And Paul sent for a captain and said, Take this young man to your chief, for he has news for him. So he took him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, made a request to me to take this young man to you, for he has something to say to you. And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me? And he said, The Jews are in agreement together to make a request to you for Paul to be taken, on the day after this, into the Sanhedrin, to be questioned in greater detail. But do not give way to them, for more than forty of them are waiting for him, having taken an oath not to take food or drink till they have put him to death: and now they are ready, waiting for your order. So the chief captain let the young man go, saying to him, Do not say to anyone that you have given me word of these things.
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,