Proverbs 26

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:25

When he speaketh fair, believe him not. When he lowers his voice to a winning, agreeable tone, put no trust in him. Septuagint, "If thine enemy entreat thee with a loud voice, be not persuaded." For there are seven abominations in his heart. His heart is filled with a host of evil thoughts (see on Proverbs 26:16 ), as if seven devils had entered in and dwelt there. Ecclesiastes 12:10 , etc. "Never trust thine enemy; for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness. Though he humble... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:26

Whose hatred is covered by deceit; or, hatred may be concealed by deceit , as was said above ( Proverbs 26:24 ). (But) his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation. The hater's real wickedness, at some time or other, in spite of all his efforts to hide it, will be openly displayed. He will show it before some third party and thus it will be divulged. At any rate, this will be the case at the judgment day, when he who hateth his brother shall be shown to be not only a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:27

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein. This thought is found often elsewhere; e . g . Psalms 7:16 ; Psalms 9:16 ; Ecclesiastes 10:8 ; Ecclesiasticus 27:25, 26. The pit is such a one as was made to catch wild animals; the maker is supposed to approach incautiously one of these traps, and to tall into it. And he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. This does not refer to throwing stones into the air, which fall upon the head of the thrower, but to rolling stones up a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:27

Caught in one's own snare One man may be supposed to have dug a pit in some dark place in the road, or to have concealed it by covering it with boughs and earth—like an Indian tiger trap—so that he may catch some wild animal, or perhaps make a prisoner or a victim of his enemy. Then, not heeding its whereabouts, he fails into his own snare. Another may be rolling a stone against his enemy, when it falls back and crushes the author of the mischief. Consider first some cases in which these... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:28

A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; or, those whom it crusheth ( Proverbs 25:15 ). There is a consensus of the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum to translate דכיו "truth," thinking apparently of the Aramaean דַכְיָא "that which is pure." But the hemistich would thus state the baldest truism, and modern commentators unite in assigning to the word some such sense as that given above in the Authorized Version. A liar shows his want of charity by slandering... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26

A.M. 3304. B.C. 700. Sundry observations concerning fools, and rules how to conduct ourselves toward them, Proverbs 26:1-12 . The slothful man described, Proverbs 26:13-16 . The character of a contentious man, of a busy-body, and of a tale-bearer, Proverbs 26:17-23 . The evil of hypocrisy and lying, Proverbs 26:24-28 . read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:1

Proverbs 26:1. As snow in summer, &c. Unseasonable and unbecoming; so honour is not seemly for a fool Because he neither deserves it, nor knows how to use it, and his folly is both increased and manifested by it. Bishop Patrick considers this as a tacit admonition to kings (for whose use principally, he thinks, this last part of the book of Proverbs was collected) to be very careful in disposing of preferments only to worthy persons; bad men being made worse by them, and usually doing... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:2

Proverbs 26:2. As the bird by wandering Namely, from place to place: that is, as by its restlessness it secures itself from the fowler, that he cannot shoot at it, or spread his net over it; so the curse causeless shall not come Namely, upon the innocent person, but he shall escape from it as the bird escapes the fowler. Or, as some interpret it, “Curses which fly out of men’s mouths causelessly, shall no more alight where they would have them, than a sparrow that wanders uncertainly, or... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:4-5

Proverbs 26:4-5. Answer not a fool, &c. Answer a fool, &c. These contrary directions are easily reconciled, by considering the difference of persons, times, places, and other circumstances, and of the manner of answering. And such seemingly contradictory precepts are not only used by, but are esteemed elegant in other authors. Answer him not, when he is incorrigible, or when he is inflamed with wine, or with passion, &c., or when it is not necessary nor likely to do him... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:6

Proverbs 26:6. He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool He that employs a fool upon any important business, which is too hard for him; cutteth off the feet Namely, of his messenger: he bids one go that wants legs; he sends one that wants discretion, which is as necessary for that employment as legs are for running or walking; and drinketh damage Brings upon himself abundance of loss and mischief, not only spoiling the business about which he sends him, but making himself... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:25

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:26

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:27

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:27

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:28

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:2

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:4-5

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:6

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