CHAPTER 19

(1000 B.C.)

PROVERBS OF PERSONAL CHARACTER

¹Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. (The intention of this Proverb is that poverty with integrity is better than wealth with dishonesty.)

²Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he who hastens with his feet sins. (If the soul be without the knowledge of the Bible, it cannot come to good.)

³The foolishness of man perverts his way: and his heart frets against the LORD. (Self-will causes men to make fools of themselves.)

⁴Wealth makes many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. (Money attracts many friends, but most are fair-weather ones. The poor, by not having any money, also have few friends.)

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall not escape. (God hates a lying tongue and a false witness. Considering that, judgment will ultimately come on those who practice such.)

⁶Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. (The heart of man is basically hypocritical, and is shown in these efforts.)

⁷All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him. (While the prince is in power, everyone is his friend. However, when he is out of office and can no longer bestow gifts, possibly because of reversal of fortunes, and becomes poor, those who formerly swore allegiance to their dying day now hate him.)

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul: he who keeps understanding shall find good. (The Wisdom and understanding of this Proverb mean Heavenly Knowledge, which can only come from the Bible.)

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish. (Verse 9 is not a needless repetition of Verse 5. The latter Verse defines the punishment announced in the former; the repetition emphasizes Gods just anger against falsehood and His love for humanity, especially for the oppressed.)

¹⁰Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. (The first part of this Proverb refers to a fool who is of royal birth and enjoys luxury, rank, and honor. His rule brings no delight.

The second part refers to a servant who somehow finds himself in a position of authority. Generally when this happens, he is cruel and tyrannical.)

¹¹The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. (A forgiving spirit marks the true man of God under both the First and Second Covenants.)

¹²The kings wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. (Opposition to lawful government ensures just suffering, but obedience secures prosperity.)

¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. (An example is the Chinese water torture. A drop of water dropped on a persons head causes little difficulty, but, if perpetually continued, will drive one to insanity.)

¹⁴House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. (This woman is the utter contrast to the one in Verse 13. She may have many causes for complaint, but she avoids them all.)

¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. (In the Bible, laziness is, as by now should be obvious, roundly condemned.)

¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he who despises his ways shall die. (He who cherishes the Commandment [the Bible] safeguards his life; indifference to Divine teaching [His Ways] causes spiritual death.)

¹⁷He who has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will He pay him again. (In this Proverb, God guarantees the gift or the debt.)

¹⁸Chasten your son while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying. (This speaks of proper discipline.)

¹⁹A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if you deliver him, yet you must do it again. (The need of such a man is for his great wrath to be throttled, not for someone to pay his fine.)

COUNSEL AND INSTRUCTION

²⁰Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end. (The counsel and instruction spoken of here pertain to the Bible.)

²¹There are many devices in a mans heart; nevertheless the Counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. (The Bible alone will stand, because it is the Word, i.e., the Counsel of the LORD.)

²²The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. (The latter portion of this Proverb means that a little kindness received from a poor man is better than the false promises of a rich liar.)

²³The fear of the LORD tends to life: and he who has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. (To love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ leads to an endless life of abiding bliss; not to do so results in everlasting misery.)

²⁴A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. (The slothful is constantly claiming to be sick [hiding his hand in his bosom] when, in fact, he is only lazy and wants somebody to put food in his mouth. If it is done once, he will want it done again and again. Thats the reason Paul said, If they dont work, they dont eat [II Thess. 3:10].)

²⁵Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one who has understanding, and he will understand knowledge. (Some claim that punishment for crime is no deterrent! While it is true that it is not the best deterrent, which is the conversion of the soul, still, judgment of evil is definitely a deterrent.)

²⁶He who wastes his father, and chases away his mother, is a son who causes shame, and brings reproach. (This speaks of a son who wastes the fathers goods, and then, upon the fathers death, refuses to allow the aged mother to live with him, or else to provide for her necessities.)

²⁷Cease, My son, to hear the instruction that causes to err from the words of knowledge. (All the Proverbs spoken to My son are from the Lord to Solomon. Anything that steers a person away from the Bible is called error by the Holy Spirit.)

²⁸An ungodly witness scorns judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. (The ungodly witness is similar to the false witness of 19:9. God has promised that such would not be unpunished.)

²⁹Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools. (The Holy Spirit states unequivocally that despite the scorning mouth of the wicked, judgments are prepared by God for these scorners.)