26 A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them.
A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes.
And David made answer to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, By the living Lord, who has kept me safe from all my trouble, When one came to me with the news of Saul's death, in the belief that it would be good news, I took him and put him to death in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news: How much more, when evil men have put an upright person to death, in his house, sleeping on his bed, will I take payment from you for his blood, and have you cut off from the earth? And David gave orders to his young men and they put them to death, cutting off their hands and their feet and hanging them up by the side of the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and put it in its last resting-place with Abner's body in Hebron.
And he took the people out of the town and put them to work with wood-cutting instruments, and iron grain-crushers, and iron axes, and at brick-making: this he did to all the towns of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people went back to Jerusalem.
I will put to death anyone who says evil of his neighbour secretly; the man with a high look and a heart of pride is disgusting to me. My eyes will be on those of good faith in the land, so that they may be living in my house; he who is walking in the right way will be my servant. The worker of deceit will not come into my house; the false man will have no place before my eyes. Morning by morning will I put to death all the sinners in the land, so that all evil-doers may be cut off from Jerusalem.
For the fitches are not crushed with a sharp instrument, and a cart-wheel is not rolled over the cummin; but the grain of the fitches is hammered out with a stick, and of the cummin with a rod. Is the grain for bread crushed? He does not go on crushing it for ever, but he lets his cart-wheels and his horses go over it without crushing it.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 20
Commentary on Proverbs 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
Pr 20:1-30.
1. mocker—scorner. Such men are made by wine.
strong drink—made by spicing wine (compare Isa 5:11, 22); and it may include wine.
raging—or boisterous as a drunkard.
deceived—literally, "erring," or reeling.
2. (Compare Pr 19:12). Men who resist authority injure themselves (Ro 13:2).
3. to cease from strife—or, better, "to dwell from or without strife," denoting the habit of life.
fool … meddling—(Pr 17:14).
4. shall … beg—literally, "ask" (in this sense, Ps 109:10).
5. Counsel … water—that is, deeply hidden (Pr 18:4; Ps 13:2). The wise can discern well.
6. Boasters are unreliable.
goodness—or, "kind disposition."
7. The conduct of good men proclaims their sound principles. God's covenant and their good example secure blessing to their children (Pr 4:26; Ps 112:1, 2).
8. As in Pr 14:35; 16:10, 15, this is the character of a good king, not of all kings.
9. The interrogation in the affirmative strengthens the implied negation (compare Job 15:14; Ec 7:20).
10. Various measures, implying that some are wrong (compare Pr 11:1; 16:11).
11. The conduct of children even is the best test of principle (compare Mt 7:16).
12. Hence, of course, God will know all you do (Ps 94:9).
13. Activity and diligence contrasted with sloth (Pr 6:9; 10:11).
lest … poverty—literally, "be deprived of inheritance."
14. when … his way—implying that he goes about boasting of his bargains.
15. The contrast denotes the greater value of knowledge (compare Pr 3:14-16).
16. Take his garment—implies severe exaction, justified by the surety's rashness.
a strange woman—by some readings "strangers," but the former here, and in Pr 27:13, is allowable, and strengthens the sense. The debauchee is less reliable than the merely careless.
17. Bread … sweet—either as unlawfully (Pr 9:17) or easily obtained.
mouth … gravel—well expresses the pain and grief given at last.
18. (Compare Pr 15:22). Be careful and considerate in important plans.
19. Those who love to tell news will hardly keep secrets.
flattereth … lips—(compare Margin; Pr 1:10).
meddle … him—literally, "join," or "associate with."
20. his lamp—(Compare Pr 13:9; 24:20).
21. gotten hastily—contrary to God's providence (Pr 28:20), implying its unjust or easy attainment; hence the man is punished, or spends freely what he got easily (compare Pr 20:17).
22. (Compare Ps 27:14; Ro 12:17-19).
23. (Compare Pr 20:10; 11:1).
24. Man's goings—literally, "Stately steppings of a strong man."
a man—any common man.
understand—or, "perceive."
25. devoureth … holy—or, better, "who rashly speaks promises," or "devotes what is holy," consecrating any thing. This suits better the last clause, which expresses a similar view of the results of rashly vowing.
26. (Compare Pr 20:8).
bringeth … over them—The wheel was used for threshing grain. The figure denotes severity (compare Am 1:3).
27. The spirit … Lord—Men's minds are God's gifts, and thus able to search one another (compare Pr 20:5; Pr 18:8, 17; 1Co 2:11).
28. (Compare Pr 3:3; 16:6, 12).
29. The glory of young men … the beauty of old men—Each age has its peculiar excellence (Pr 16:31).
30. blueness—literally, "joining," the process of uniting the edges of a wound throws off purulent matter.
stripes … belly—So punishment provides healing of soul (Pr 18:8), by deterring from evil courses.