21 Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
Let every soul to the higher authorities be subject, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God, so that he who is setting himself against the authority, against God's ordinance hath resisted; and those resisting, to themselves shall receive judgment. For those ruling are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil; and dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? that which is good be doing, and thou shalt have praise from it, for of God it is a ministrant to thee for good; and if that which is evil thou mayest do, be fearing, for not in vain doth it bear the sword; for of God it is a ministrant, an avenger for wrath to him who is doing that which is evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience, for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually; render, therefore, to all `their' dues; to whom tribute, the tribute; to whom custom, the custom; to whom fear, the fear; to whom honour, the honour.
Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest, whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good; because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men; as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God; to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye.
And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, taketh both Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, and they rise up before Moses, with men of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty, princes of the company, called of the convention, men of name, and they are assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and say unto them, `Enough of you! for all the company -- all of them `are' holy, and in their midst `is' Jehovah; and wherefore do ye lift yourselves up above the assembly of Jehovah?'
and say unto him, `Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.' And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, `Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them.
`And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God `is' your king! And, now, lo, the king whom ye have chosen -- whom ye have asked! and lo, Jehovah hath placed over you a king. `If ye fear Jehovah, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then ye do not provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and ye have been -- both ye and the king who hath reigned over you -- after Jehovah your God. `And if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah -- then ye have provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and the hand of Jehovah hath been against you, and against your fathers. `Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah is doing before your eyes; is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.' And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel; and all the people say unto Samuel, `Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'
And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, `The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.' And David saith to all his servants who `are' with him in Jerusalem, `Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; haste to go, lest he hasten, and have overtaken us, and forced on us evil, and smitten the city by the mouth of the sword.' And the servants of the king say unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king chooseth -- lo, thy servants `do'.' And the king goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten women -- concubines -- to keep the house. And the king goeth out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house. And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king. And the king saith unto Ittai the Gittite, `Why dost thou go -- thou also -- with us? turn back -- and abide with the king, for thou `art' a stranger, and also an exile thou -- to thy place. Yesterday `is' thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! -- turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, -- kindness and truth.' And Ittai answereth the king and saith, `Jehovah liveth, and my lord the king liveth, surely in the place where my lord the king is -- if for death, if for life, surely there is thy servant.' And David saith unto Ittai, `Go and pass over;' and Ittai the Gittite passeth over, and all his men, and all the infants who `are' with him. And all the land are weeping -- a great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the brook Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness; and lo, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they make the ark of God firm, and Abiathar goeth up, till the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city. And the king saith to Zadok, `Take back the ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of Jehovah, then He hath brought me back, and shewn me it and His habitation; and if thus He say, I have not delighted in thee; here `am' I, He doth to me as `is' good in His eyes.' And the king saith unto Zadok the priest, `Art thou a seer? turn back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you; see ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.' And Zadok taketh back -- and Abiathar -- the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there. And David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who `are' with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping; and David declared, saying, `Ahithophel `is' among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, `Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.' And it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him `is' Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head; and David saith to him, `If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden, and if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I `am' also hitherto, and now, I `am' also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel; and are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests. Lo, there with them `are' their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.' And Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.
I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God. Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth. Where the word of a king `is' power `is', and who saith to him, `What dost thou?' Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 24
Commentary on Proverbs 24 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 24
Pro 24:1-2
Here,
Pro 24:3-6
We are tempted to envy those that grow rich, and raise their estates and families, by such unjust courses as our consciences will by no means suffer us to use. But, to set aside that temptation, Solomon here shows that a man, with prudent management, may raise his estate and family by lawful and honest means, with a good conscience, and a good name, and the blessing of God upon his industry; and, if the other be raised a little sooner, yet these will last a great deal longer.
Pro 24:7-9
Here is the description,
Pro 24:10
Note,
Pro 24:11-12
Here is,
Pro 24:13-14
We are here quickened to the study of wisdom by the consideration both of the pleasure and the profit of it.
Pro 24:15-16
This is spoken, not so much by way of counsel to wicked men (they will not receive instruction, ch. 23:9), but rather in defiance of them, for the encouragement of good people that are threatened by them. See here,
Pro 24:17-18
Here,
Pro 24:19-20
Here,
Pro 24:21-22
Note,
Pro 24:23-26
Here are lessons for wise men, that is, judges and princes. As subjects must do their duty, and be obedient to magistrates, so magistrates must do their duty in administering justice to their subjects, both in pleas of the crown and causes between party and party. These are lessons for them.
Pro 24:27
This is a rule of prudence in the management of household affairs; for all good men should be good husbands, and manage with discretion, which would prevent a great deal of sin, and trouble, and disgrace to their profession.
Pro 24:28-29
We are here forbidden to be in any thing injurious to our neighbour, particularly in and by the forms of law, either,
Pro 24:30-34
Here is,