1 Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, -- that pourest out thy flask, and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and a shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was drunken to excess; so she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became [as] a stone. And it came to pass in about ten days that Jehovah smote Nabal, and he died.
And the first-born said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the land to come in to us after the manner of all the earth: come, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve seed alive of our father. And they gave their father wine to drink that night. And the first-born went in, and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down, nor of her rising. And it came to pass on the next day that the first-born said to the younger, Lo, I lay last night with my father: let us give him wine to drink to-night also, and go thou in, lie with him, that we may preserve seed alive of our father. And they gave their father wine to drink that night also. And the younger arose, and lay with him; and he did not know of her lying down, nor of her rising. And both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken, and he uncovered himself in his tent. And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren outside. And Shem and Japheth took the upper garment and both laid [it] upon their shoulders, and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were turned away, that they saw not their father's nakedness.
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes? -- They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine. Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly: at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things; and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast: -- ''They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.''
And they went out at noon; and Ben-Hadad drank himself drunk in the tents, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings that helped him. And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-Hadad sent out, and they told him saying, There are men come out of Samaria. And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. And these servants of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army that followed them. And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 20
Commentary on Proverbs 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
Pro 20:1
Here is,
Pro 20:2
See here,
Pro 20:3
This is designed to rectify men's mistakes concerning strife.
Pro 20:4
See here the evil of slothfulness and the love of ease.
Pro 20:5
A man's wisdom is here said to be of use to him for the pumping of other people, and diving into them,
Pro 20:6
Note,
Pro 20:7
It is here observed to the honour of a good man,
Pro 20:8
Here is,
Pro 20:9
This question is not only a challenge to any man in the world to prove himself sinless, whatever he pretends, but a lamentation of the corruption of mankind, even that which remains in the best. Alas! Who can say, "I am sinless?' Observe,
Pro 20:10
See here,
Pro 20:11
The tree is known by its fruits, a man by his doings, even a young tree by its first fruits, a child by his childish things, whether his work be clean only, appearing good (the word is used ch. 16:2), or whether it be right, that is, really good. This intimates,
Pro 20:12
Note,
Pro 20:13
Note,
Pro 20:14
See here
Pro 20:15
The lips of knowledge (a good understanding to guide the lips and a good elocution to diffuse the knowledge) are to be preferred far before gold, and pearl, and rubies; for,
Pro 20:16
Two sorts of persons are here spoken of that are ruining their own estates, and will be beggars shortly, and therefore are not to be trusted with any good security:-
Pro 20:17
Note,
Pro 20:18
Note,
Pro 20:19
Two sorts of people are dangerous to be conversed with:-
Pro 20:20
Here is,
Pro 20:21
Note,
Pro 20:22
Those that live in this world must expect to have injuries done them, affronts given them, and trouble wrongfully created them, for we dwell among briers. Now here we are told what to do when we have wrong done us.
Pro 20:23
This is to the same purport with what was said v. 10.
Pro 20:24
We are here taught that in all our affairs,
Pro 20:25
Two things, by which God is greatly affronted, men are here said to be ensnared by, and entangled not only in guilt, but in trouble and ruin at length:-
Pro 20:26
See here,
Pro 20:27
We have here the dignity of the soul, the great soul of man, that light which lighteth every man.
Pro 20:28
Here we have,
Pro 20:29
This shows that both young and old have their advantages, and therefore must each of them be, according to their capacities, serviceable to the public, and neither of them despise nor envy the other.
Pro 20:30
Note,