CHAPTER 25

(700 B.C.)

COMPARISONS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND WARNINGS

¹These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. (The word also makes it clear that the preceding Proverbs are Solomons, as well.

These Proverbs were copied by the men of Hezekiah not imagined or remembered, but actually copied from the original manuscript.)

²It is the Glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (God conceals just how bad man really is because of His Mercy and Grace.

Conversely, authorities are honored when they investigate a matter and bring it to a righteous and lawful conclusion.

The reason for the juxtaposition is because man knows only the external actions of others, while only God knows the heart.)

³The Heaven for height, and the Earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. (The idea is the instability, changeableness, and the variableness of man, even kings.

Conversely, God can be depended upon to do the same thing in every situation every time [James 1:17].)

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. (As it is impossible to have pure silver unless the dross is taken away, likewise, wicked counselors must be taken away from the king or leader. Until such is done, there will be no Righteousness in his government.)

⁶Put not forth yourself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:

⁷For better it is that it be said unto you, Come up hither; than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince whom your eyes have seen. (The sense of this Proverb is that we are not to promote ourselves. If we do, sooner or later, someone will demote us. The essence is that we let God do the promoting.)

⁸Go not forth hastily to strive, lest you know not what to do in the end thereof, when your neighbour has put you to shame.

⁹Debate your cause with your neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

¹⁰Lest he who hears it put you to shame, and your infamy turn not away. (Every effort should be made to put down strife regarding ones neighbor. The simple reason is that you have to live next door to him. This could go, as well, for a fellow Church member, fellow employee, etc.

Jesus mentioned this [Mat. 18:15].)

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (The word pictures should be translated baskets.

Fitly spoken is a phrase that means timely or appropriate.

The only True Word that fits the description of apples of gold is the Bible. How so much Wisdom God has given to man, and how so little man takes advantage of it! Mostly, it is ignored.)

¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. (The wise reprover is the one who knows his Bible and kindly imparts its Wisdom to others.

The obedient ear is the one who takes the advice of the Proverb and commentary of Verse 11. The Holy Spirit likens such instruction to gold that is being given unto the obedient ear.)

¹³As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them who send him: for he refreshes the soul of his masters. (During winter, when the snow fell in Judea, some of it would be taken deep into caves where the temperature was very cool. If it were correctly stored in these certain places, it would not melt.

Therefore, during the time of harvest, when the sun was hot, water that was cooled by snow was brought from the place of storage and was very refreshing.

As such is refreshing, so is a faithful messenger bearing good news. This could be likened to the Gospel being taken to those who have not had the privilege to hear.)

¹⁴Whoso boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. (As parched ground in dire need of rain is denied such by clouds that give none, likewise, so is a boaster who promises large gifts but, in fact, gives nothing!)

¹⁵By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone. (The prince in this case is a judge or magistrate. Very seldom will a hard tongue break down his resistance. The Holy Spirit says here that a soft tongue or a gentle approach will subdue the most obstinate and turn away wrath.)

¹⁶Have you found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for you, lest you be filled therewith, and vomit it. (Because of the sweetness of honey, the temptation is to eat more than we need.

Such is the same regarding any good thing. In all walks of life, if we would subdue greed and heed this Proverb, then the good will remain good.)

¹⁷Withdraw your foot from your neighbours house; lest he be weary of you, and so hate you. (In other words, Dont wear out your welcome!)

¹⁸A man who bears false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. (All the weapons listed are weapons of destruction. Such is a false witness. Regrettably, if a man is a false witness, he seldom changes. To put confidence in such is not only a wasted effort, but it is also a very hurtful one.)

¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. (When one is in trouble, one desires someone in whom confidence can be placed.

To place confidence in an unfaithful man, especially in a time of trouble, is like trying to eat with a broken tooth or run with a foot out of joint.)

²⁰As he who takes away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he who sings songs to an heavy heart. (Too often in modern religious society, a world that has a broken heart is approached by the gospel of entertainment. Such will not heal the broken or heavy heart.

There is one thing, or rather Person, Who will. His Name is Jesus. He, and He Alone, can heal the heavy heart [Lk. 4:18].)

²¹If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²For you shall heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward you. (This was quoted by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 12:20.

As fire melts the hardest metal, so love melts the hardest heart.)

²³The north wind drives away rain: so does an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. (Whenever a backbiting tongue is rebuked, it stops. If more Christians would show displeasure at gossip and slander, there would be less of such.)

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. (The Holy Spirit is saying here that it is better to dwell in that small room which houses only a few Believers in the Word of God than to dwell in a wide house with many people and the brawling woman of false doctrine.)

²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. (This Proverb is similar to Verse 13.

The good news is the Gospel being taken to a lost world.)

²⁶A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. (As the purest spring becomes contaminated if trampled upon, so do Christians, if they permit themselves to be influenced by the world, or if they fall into sin and disobedience.)

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. (As eating too much honey makes one ill, so men searching for their own glory proves to be no glory at all.)

²⁸He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. (In ancient times, cities that were without walls were virtually defenseless; likewise, so is a person who has no control over his passions or temper. Such control can only be had by Faith exhibited constantly in Christ and the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives [Rom. 8:1-2, 11].)