35 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Proverbs 1 After the inscription, which gives the title of the book, and describes the author by his name, descent, and dignity, Proverbs 1:1, follows the scope and design of it, which is to teach men wisdom and knowledge; even such as are simple and foolish, and particularly young men; nay, hereby wise men may grow wiser, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The proverbs of Solomon,.... Who is said to make three thousand proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32; but whether any of them are contained in this book cannot be said: however, it is certain that they are not all in it, since, if you except the first "nine" chapters, which are the introduction to the Proverbs, there are but six hundred and fifty-nine verses in...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
The Design of the Proverbs. 1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To know wisdom and instruction,.... That is, these proverbs were made, and written, and published, to make known or to teach men wisdom and knowledge; not only in things moral, and therefore these proverbs are by some called Solomon's "ethics"; and indeed they do contain the best system of morality in the whole world; nothing like it is to be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To receive the instruction of wisdom,.... Or "prudence" (h); of wise and prudent men; and especially of Christ himself, who bears those names, whose instructions this book is full of; and the design of which is to engage the attention of men to them, and prevail upon them to receive them, and act conformably to them. Which instructions respect the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To give subtlety to the simple,.... Men of mean abilities, weak capacities, shallow understandings, incautious, credulous, and easily imposed upon: these, by attending to what is herein contained, may arrive to a serpentine subtlety; though they are simple and harmless as doves, may become as wise as serpents; may attain to an exquisite knowledge...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
A wise [man] will hear,.... With great attention, and hearken to the proverbs and wise sayings herein delivered; for here are many things entertaining to men of years and wisdom, as well as instructive to young men and simple ones; and will increase learning; or "add" (k) to his stock of learning; or, as the Targum, "will add knowledge;'' see 2...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation,.... This may be connected either with the first verse, "the proverbs of Solomon", c. are written, as for the above ends and purposes, so for these or with Proverbs 1:5, a wise and understanding man, by hearkening and attending to what is here delivered, will not only attain to wise counsels, but to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The fear of the Lord [is] the beginning of knowledge,.... Here properly the book begins, and this is the first of the proverbs, and an excellent one; it is such an one as is not to be found in all the writings of the Heathens. By "the fear of the Lord" is not meant a servile fear, a fear of punishment, of hell, wrath, and damnation, which is the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
My son, hear the instruction of thy father,.... This is not to be understood of God the Father of mankind, and of that law which he has given them, as Jarchi and Gersom interpret it, but of Solomon and his son in a literal sense; and of anyone that came to him for instruction, any pupil, hearer, or reader of his; and it is a direction to all...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head,.... The instructions and laws of parents being attended unto and obeyed by children, render them more lovely and amiable than any beautiful ornament whatever that can be put upon their heads; and chains about thy neck; be that unto them as chains of gold are to the neck, beautify and adorn...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
My son, if sinners entice thee,.... Endeavour to seduce thee from thy parents, and draw thee aside from them, from listening to their instructions, advice, and commands; and make use of all plausible arguments to persuade thee to join with them in the sins they are addicted unto, and are continually employed in: for this is not to be understood of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
If they say, come with us,.... Leave your father's house, and the business of life in which you are; make one of us, and become a member of our society, and go along with us upon the highway; let us lay wait for blood; lie in ambush under some hedge or another, waiting till a rich traveller comes up and passes that way, and then rise and shed his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave,.... The innocent person, and those that are with him, his servants; our gang is so numerous that we can very easily dispatch him and all his attendants, and bury them out of sight at once, as if they were swallowed up alive in a grave, and so no more to be seen or heard of; and consequently we shall be in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
We shall find all precious substance,.... Among one or another we meet with; gold and silver and precious stones, everything that is valuable; not considering that hereby they were in danger of losing the more precious substance, their immortal souls; and the most precious substance of all, the enjoyment of God, and happiness with him to all...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cast in thy lot among us,.... Or "thou shall cause thy lot to fall among us" (u); though just entered, as soon as any booty is taken thou shalt cast lots with us, and have thy full share with those that have been longer engaged; let us all have one purse; or "we will all have one purse" (w); will throw all our booty, taken by us into one common...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
My son, walk not thou in the way with them,.... In the same way as they do, which is the broad way that leads unto destruction; set not one foot in it; make no trial of it, whether it will be pleasant and profitable walking in it; the experiment will be dangerous; refrain thy foot from their path; their manner and course of life; do not follow it,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For their feet run to evil,.... To the evil of sin, to commit robberies and murder, and all manner of iniquity; they are eager upon it, and in haste and swift to do it, Proverbs 6:18 (x); being carried away with their inordinate affections, which are as feet to the soul; and drawn aside with their lusts, and pushed on by Satan, and, encouraged by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Or "without cause" (y), as the word is rendered in Proverbs 1:11; and so the words are an illustration of the preceding; showing that the blood of innocent persons is shed without cause, no injury being done by them to those that do it, but is shed without any provocation at all; just as...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they lay wait for their [own] blood,.... While they lie in wait for the blood of others, they lie in wait for their own; and when they shed the blood of innocent persons, it in the issue comes upon their own heads, and is the cause of their own blood being shed; vengeance pursues them, and justice will not suffer them to live; they lurk...