Proverbs 26

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:18

"As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, And saith, am I not in jest?"These verses expose the folly of deception as a form of entertainment. "The man who deceives his neighbor and then tries to pass it off as a joke, is like a madman, with no concern for the deadly consequences of his actions."[9] read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:20

"For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer contention ceaseth. As coals are to hot embers, and wood is to fire, So is a contentious man to inflame strife. The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts."Malicious gossip is the subject here. Many a dangerous quarrel has been fed and encouraged by talebearers and gossips who, as we might say, added fuel to the fire.Proverbs 26:22 here is identical with Proverbs 18:8. See the... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:23

"Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.He that hateth dissembleth with his lips; But he layeth up deceit within him:When he speaketh fair, believe him not; For there are seven abominations in his heart.Though his hatred cover itself with guile, His wickedness shall be openly showed before the assembly.Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.A lying tongue hateth them whom it hath wounded; And a... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26

CHAP. XXVI. Observations about fools, about sluggards, and about contentious busy-bodies. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:2

Proverbs 26:2. As the bird by wandering— "Curses which fly out of men's mouths causlessly shall no more alight where they would have them, than a sparrow which wanders uncertainly, or a dove which flies away swiftly, will settle according to their direction;" or it may be, Such curses fly as swiftly as those birds, whose property it is to fly up and down, over the head of him against whom they are directed, and never touch him." The words may be rendered, As the sparrow is for wandering, as a... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:4-5

Proverbs 26:4-5. Answer not a fool, &c.— They who choose to review antiquity, in its antique garb, will observe, that had the folly of these fools been only of one condition or denomination, then the advice to answer, and not to answer, had been repugnant to itself: but as their folly was of various kinds, in some of which to answer might offend the dignity, and in others not to answer might hurt the interests of truth; to answer, and not to answer is a consistent, and may, for aught... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:6

Proverbs 26:6. He that sendeth a message— Schultens renders this, He that cutteth off the feet, he that drinketh down bitterness, he that sendeth commands by the hand of a fool, are equal: That is, there is the same simplicity in the one as in the other of these actions: The two former expressions are intended to exaggerate the latter; and the meaning of the proverb is, "He that employs a fool to execute his commands, does himself the greater injury, and will bring upon himself the greatest... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:8

Proverbs 26:8. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling— The plain meaning of this seems to be, what Bishop Patrick has given in his paraphrase; "As a stone put into a sling stays not long there, so is that honour thrown away which is bestowed upon a fool." Houbigant explains it in the same manner. Some of the versions render it, As he who throweth a stone to Mercury's heap; which is supposed to be an allusion to the superstitious custom, obliging passengers to throw a stone to such heaps in... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:10

Proverbs 26:10. The great God that formed all things— There is a great diversity of opinion respecting this verse. Mr. Peters says, that formed all is the same as forming the universe, and parallel to Isaiah 44:24.; and if so, our rendering is as unexceptionable as any. Houbigant has it, The fool and the drunkard imagine great things: the fool and the drunkard pass over the sea: That is, in the folly and pride of imagination. See his note, and also Schultens. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:13

Proverbs 26:13. The slothful man saith, &c.— In this and the following verses, three degrees of sloth are represented; the first, when a man is loth to stir out of doors about his business in the field, in this verse; the second, when he is loth so much as to leave his bed; Pro 26:14 and the third and highest, when he will scarcely put his hand to his mouth: Proverbs 26:15. By which hyperbolical expression, the wise man admirably sets forth the incredible laziness of some, which increases... read more

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:18

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:20

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 26:23

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:4-5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:6

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:8

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:10

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 26:13

Verse of the Day

Daily Devotional

Group of Brands