24. A man . . . friendly—better, "A man . . . (is) to, or, may triumph ( :-), or, shout for joy ( :-), that is, may congratulate himself." Indeed, there is a Friend who is better than a brother; such is the "Friend of sinners" [Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34], who may have been before the writer's mind. read more
3. Friendship and folly ch. 18 read more
The NASB translation of Proverbs 18:24 a is more true to the Hebrew than the AV that reads, "A man (who hath) friends must show himself friendly." The RV is perhaps the easiest of all to understand: "He that maketh many friends (doeth it) to his own destruction."Why is it unwise to have many friends? Probably because when one has many friends the possibility that some of them will be false friends is greater (cf. Jeremiah 38:22). It is better to have one or two good friends than many false... read more
1. Lit. ’One who separates himself seeks desire, quarrels with all wisdom.’ This would mean that a solitary recluse follows his own wishes and opposes everything reasonable. But LXX suggests, ’The alienated friend seeks an occasion of quarrel, seeks by all means to stir up strife.’2. He likes to talk about his own notions. 4. The second half of the v. shows that it is a wise man who is in view; his words are ’as deep waters,’ i.e. are inexhaustible; he is ever ready to give helpful answers.8.... read more
(24) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.—Rather, a man of many friends will suffer loss, for he will impoverish himself by constant hospitality, and in trouble they will desert him (Psalms 41:9); but “there is a friend,” one in a thousand, “that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Comp. Proverbs 17:17.) read more
The Deepest Stage of Calamity Proverbs 18:14 The idea is that a calamity affects us, not according to the weight of the stroke, but according to the state of our thoughts. The spirit of a man is his mental state as distinguished from his outward circumstances. I. The proverb says that an outward misfortune influences the life, not in proportion to its actual severity, but in proportion to the resources of the mind. I am profoundly convinced that this is true. Two men take a fever at the same... read more
CHAPTER 19THE EVIL OF ISOLATION"He that separates himself follows after his own desire, but against all sound wisdom he shows his teeth."- Proverbs 18:1FROM the value of friendship there is a natural and easy transition to the evil of isolation. We must try to fathom the profound meaning which is hidden under this simple but striking proverb. To begin with, what are we to understand by "one that separates himself"? This same word occurs in 2 Samuel 1:23 concerning Saul and Jonathan, that "in... read more
CHAPTER 18 Proverbs of Personal Instruction There is first a warning against separation produced by desire, that is for gratification and pleasure, and not for a righteous purpose. Such a one becomes an enemy of true wisdom and one who intermeddleth with all wisdom. This proverb finds a New Testament illustration in Alexander the coppersmith, as well as Hymenaeus and Philetus, and Diotrephes of whom John writes in his epistle. A fool foams out his own folly. This proverb in Proverbs 18:2 is... read more
18:24 A man [that hath] friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer {q} than a brother.(q) That is, often such are found who are more ready to do pleasure, than he that is more bound by duty. read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 18:24
"He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."There are two kinds of friends contrasted in this proverb. Those of the first clause are like the `friends' of the prodigal son while he was squandering his inheritance in the far country, those who drank his liquor and encouraged him to waste his substance, but who would not give him a crust of bread when he ran out of money.The friend that sticketh closer than a brother is... read more