13 He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no answer to his cry for help.
For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging. What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation? If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food, And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?
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. Be washed, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; let there be an end of sinning; Take pleasure in well-doing; let your ways be upright, keep down the cruel, give a right decision for the child who has no father, see to the cause of the widow.
And he would not: but went and put him into prison till he had made payment of the debt. So when the other servants saw what was done they were very sad, and came and gave word to their lord of what had been done. Then his lord sent for him and said, You evil servant; I made you free of all that debt, because of your request to me: Was it not right for you to have mercy on the other servant, even as I had mercy on you? And his lord was very angry, and put him in the hands of those who would give him punishment till he made payment of all the debt. So will my Father in heaven do to you, if you do not everyone, from your hearts, give forgiveness to his brother.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: Let your judging be upright and done in good faith, let every man have mercy and pity for his brother: Do not be hard on the widow, or the child without a father, on the man from a strange country, or on the poor; let there be no evil thought in your heart against your brother. But they would not give attention, turning their backs and stopping their ears from hearing; And they made their hearts like the hardest stone, so that they might not give ear to the law and the words which the Lord of armies had said by the earlier prophets: and there came great wrath from the Lord of armies. And it came about that as they would not give ear to his voice, so I would not give ear to their voice, says the Lord of armies:
But again you have put shame on my name, and you have taken back, every one his man-servant and his servant-girl, whom you had sent away free, and you have put them under the yoke again to be your servants and servant-girls. And so the Lord has said, You have not given ear to me and undertaken publicly, every man to let loose his countryman and his neighbour: see, I undertake to let loose against you the sword and disease and need of food; and I will send you wandering among all the kingdoms of the earth.
Is not this the holy day for which I have given orders: to let loose those who have wrongly been made prisoners, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the crushed go free, and every yoke be broken? Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh? Then will light be shining on you like the morning, and your wounds will quickly be well: and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will come after you. Then at the sound of your voice, the Lord will give an answer; at your cry he will say, Here am I. If you take away from among you the yoke, the putting out of the finger of shame, and the evil word;
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews. For there were some who said, We, our sons and our daughters, are a great number: let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs. And there were some who said, We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt: let us get grain because we are in need. And there were others who said, We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes. But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.
If in any of your towns in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, there is a poor man, one of your countrymen, do not let your heart be hard or your hand shut to him; But let your hand be open to give him the use of whatever he is in need of. And see that there is no evil thought in your heart, moving you to say to yourself, The seventh year, the year of forgiveness is near; and so looking coldly on your poor countryman you give him nothing; and he will make an outcry to the Lord against you, and it will be judged as sin in you. But it is right for you to give to him, without grief of heart: for because of this, the blessing of the Lord your God will be on all your work and on everything to which you put your hand. For there will never be a time when there are no poor in the land; and so I give orders to you, Let your hand be open to your countrymen, to those who are poor and in need in your land.
Then will he say to those on the left, Go from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is ready for the Evil One and his angels: For I was in need of food, and you gave it not to me; I was in need of drink, and you gave it not to me: I was wandering, and you took me not in; without clothing, and you gave me no clothing; ill, and in prison, and you came not to me. Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me. And these will go away into eternal punishment; but the upright into eternal life.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 21
Commentary on Proverbs 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Pr 21:1-31.
1. rivers—irrigating channels (Ps 1:3), whose course was easily turned (compare De 11:10). God disposes even kings as He pleases (Pr 16:9; Ps 33:15).
2. (Compare Pr 14:2; 16:2-25).
3. (Compare Ps 50:7-15; Isa 1:11, 17).
4. high look—(Compare Margin; Ps 131:1).
proud heart—or, "heart of breadth," one that is swollen (compare Ps 101:5).
ploughing—better "lamp," a frequent figure for prosperity (Pr 20:20); hence joy or delight.
5. The contrast is between steady industry and rashness (compare Pr 19:2).
6. The getting—or, "what is obtained" (compare Job 7:2; Jer 22:13, Hebrew).
vanity … to and fro—as fleeting as chaff or stubble in the wind (compare Pr 20:17-21; Ps 62:10). Such gettings are unsatisfactory.
them … death—act as if they did (Pr 8:36; 17:19).
7. robbery—or, "destruction," especially oppression, of which they are authors.
shall destroy—literally, "cut with a saw" (1Ki 7:9), that is, utterly ruin them. Their sins shall be visited on them in kind.
to do judgment—what is just and right.
8. of man—any one; his way is opposed to truth, and also estranged from it. The pure proves himself such by his right conduct.
9. corner—a turret or arbor on the roof.
brawling—or contentious.
wide house—literally, "house of fellowship," large enough for several families.
10. So strongly does he desire to do evil (Ps 10:3; Ec 8:11), that he will not even spare his friend if in his way.
11. (Compare Pr 19:25). That which the simple learn by the terrors of punishment, the wise learn by teaching.
12. (Compare Ps 37:35-38; 73:17, 20).
house—family or interests.
overthroweth—either supply "God" (compare Pr 10:24), or the word is used impersonally.
13. The principles of retribution, often taught (compare Ps 18:26; Mt 7:1-12).
14. The effect of bribery (Pr 17:23) is enhanced by secrecy, as the bribed person does not wish his motives made known.
15. But the just love right and need no bribes. The wicked at last meet destruction, though for a time happy in concealing corruption.
16. the way of understanding—(Compare Pr 12:26; 14:22).
remain—that is, rest as at a journey's end; death will be his unchanging home.
17. Costly luxuries impoverish.
18. (Compare Pr 11:8). By suffering what they had devised for the righteous, or brought on them, the wicked became their ransom, in the usual sense of substitutes (compare Jos 7:26; Es 7:9).
19. (Compare Pr 21:9).
wilderness—pasture, though uninhabitable ground (Ps 65:12).
20. The wise, by diligence and care, lay up and increase wealth, while fools
spend—literally, "swallow it up," greedily.
21. He who tries to act justly and kindly (Ps 34:14) will prosper and obtain justice and honor.
22. "Wisdom is better than strength" (Ec 7:19; 9:15).
strength … thereof—that in which they confide.
23. (Compare Pr 13:2, 3; Jas 3:6-10).
24. The reproachful name is deserved by those who treat others with anger and contempt.
25. desire—that is, of ease and idleness brings him to starvation.
26. The sin of covetousness marks the sluggard, as the virtue of benevolence the righteous.
27. God regards the heart, and hypocrisy is more odious than open inconsistency.
wicked mind—or, "design" (Pr 1:4).
28. (Compare Pr 19:5).
that heareth—or heeds instruction, and so grows wise.
speaketh constantly—or sincerely (compare Hab 1:5), and hence is believed (Pr 12:19; Jas 1:19).
29. hardeneth his face—is obstinate.
directeth … way—considers it, and acts advisedly.
30, 31. Men's best devices and reliances are vain compared with God's, or without His aid (Pr 19:21; Ps 20:7; 33:17).