7 Whoso is keeping the law is an intelligent son, And a friend of gluttons, Doth cause his father to blush.
My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee, To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding, For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice, If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her, Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest. For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.
for sufficient to us `is' the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revelings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries, in which they think it strange -- your not running with them to the same excess of dissoluteness, speaking evil,
My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep, For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee. Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart, And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man. Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not. In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil. Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones. Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase; And filled are thy barns `with' plenty, And `with' new wine thy presses break forth. Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof, For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with. O the happiness of a man `who' hath found wisdom, And of a man `who' bringeth forth understanding. For better `is' her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase. Precious she `is' above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her. Length of days `is' in her right hand, In her left `are' wealth and honour. Her ways `are' ways of pleasantness, And all her paths `are' peace. A tree of life she `is' to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her `is' happy. Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding. By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew. My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness, And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble. If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep. Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture. Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand `is' toward God to do `it'. Say not thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee. Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee. Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil. Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways. For an abomination to Jehovah `is' the perverted, And with the upright `is' His secret counsel. The curse of Jehovah `is' in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth. If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace. Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart, Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh, For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags. Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 28
Commentary on Proverbs 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
Pr 28:1-28.
1. A bad conscience makes men timid; the righteous are alone truly bold (Pr 14:26; Ps 27:1).
2. Anarchy producing contending rulers shortens the reign of each.
but by a man … prolonged—or, "by a man of understanding—that is, a good ruler—he who knows or regards the right, that is, a good citizen, shall prolong (his days)." Good rulers are a blessing to the people. Bad government as a punishment for evil is contrasted with good as blessing to the good.
3. A poor man, &c.—Such, in power, exact more severely, and so leave subjects bare.
4. They that forsake … wicked—Wrongdoers encourage one another.
5. (Compare Joh 7:17). Ignorance of moral truth is due to unwillingness to know it.
6. (Compare Pr 10:6). Riches cannot compensate for sin, nor the want of them affect integrity.
7. (Compare Pr 17:25).
riotous men—or, "gluttons" (Pr 23:20, 21).
8. usury … unjust gain—(Compare Margin). The two terms, meaning nearly the same, may denote excessive interest. God's providence directs the proper use of wealth.
9. (Compare Pr 15:8; 21:27).
hearing—that is, obeying. God requires sincere worshippers (Ps 66:18; Joh 4:24).
10. (Compare Pr 26:27).
11. A poor but wise man can discover (and expose) the rich and self-conceited.
12. great glory—or, cause for it to a people, for the righteous rejoice in good, and righteousness exalts a nation (Pr 14:34).
a man … hidden—that is, the good retire, or all kinds try to escape a wicked rule.
13. (Compare Ps 32:3-5). Concealment of sin delivers none from God's wrath, but He shows mercy to the humble penitent (Ps 51:4).
14. feareth—that is, God, and so repents.
hardeneth his heart—makes himself insensible to sin, and so will not repent (Pr 14:16; 29:1).
15. The rapacity and cruelty of such beasts well represent some wicked men (compare Ps 7:2; 17:12).
16. The prince … understanding—that is, He does not perceive that oppression jeopards his success. Covetousness often produces oppression, hence the contrast.
17. doeth violence … blood, &c.—or, that is oppressed by the blood of life (Ge 9:6), which he has taken.
to the pit—the grave or destruction (Pr 1:12; Job 33:18-24; Ps 143:7).
stay him—sustain or deliver him.
18. (Compare Pr 10:9; 17:20). Double dealing is eventually fatal.
19. (Compare Pr 10:4; 20:4).
vain persons—idle, useless drones, implying that they are also wicked (Pr 12:11; Ps 26:4).
20. maketh haste … rich—implying deceit or fraud (Pr 20:21), and so opposed to "faithful" or reliable.
21. respect of persons—(Pr 24:23). Such are led to evil by the slightest motive.
22. (Compare Pr 28:20).
evil eye—in the general sense of Pr 23:6, here more specific for covetousness (compare Pr 22:9; Mt 20:15).
poverty … him—by God's providence.
23. (Compare Pr 9:8, 9; 27:5). Those benefited by reproof will love their monitors.
24. (Compare Mt 15:4-6). Such, though heirs, are virtually thieves, to be ranked with highwaymen.
25. of a proud heart—literally, "puffed up of soul"—that is, self-confident, and hence overbearing and litigious.
made fat—or, "prosperous" (Pr 11:25; 16:20).
26. (Compare Pr 3:6-8).
walketh wisely—that is, trusting in God (Pr 22:17-19).
27. (Compare Pr 11:24-26).
hideth his eyes—as the face (Ps 27:9; 69:17), denotes inattention.
28. The elevation of the wicked to power drives men to seek refuge from tyranny (compare Pr 28:12; 11:10; Ps 12:8).