The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous - God often in his judgments cuts off the wicked, in order to prevent them from destroying the righteous. And in general, we find that the wicked fall into the traps and pits they have digged for the righteous. read more
Lights and shades of the earthly scene I. THE POWER OF GIFTS . ( Proverbs 21:14 .) They are neither good nor evil in themselves, but may be employed for good or evil ends. Let us make a good use of this text. We learn that gifts should be quiet, unobtrusive, unobserved ; and the same is true of all acts of kindness which are real gilts from the heart. They should neither irritate pride nor depress independence. By such little attentions and marks at love, how much evil may... read more
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man; qui diligit epulas, Vulgate; for feasts are chiefly, though not exclusively, intended. He shall become "a man of want" ( machesor ) as Proverbs 11:24 . He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. "Wine and oil" were the usual adjuncts of banquets ( Psalms 23:5 ; Psalms 104:15 ). Some unguents used for anointing honoured guests were very costly. The pound of spikenard expended by Mary of Bethany was worth mere than three hundred... read more
The love of pleasure The love of pleasure is here described as a cause of poverty. No doubt this was meant to refer to physical destitution. But we cannot fail to see many other forms of poverty resulting from the same foolish infatuation. I. IT IMPOVERISHES A MAN 'S PURSE . This direct meaning of the text is not without its valise. No man desires to come down in the social scale and to lose the comforts of life. But least of all will the pleasure lover welcome such a prospect.... read more
The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous. The same thought occurs in Proverbs 11:8 (where see note). כֹּפֶר ( kopher ) , "price of atonement," means of reconciliation. Delitzsch instances that the great movement which gathered the nations together for the destruction of Babylon put an end to Israel's exile; and that Cyrus, the scourge of so many heathen peoples, was the liberator of the Jews (comp. Isaiah 44:28 ). And the transgressor for the upright. The faithless takes... read more
Alternatives presented to choice I. THE JUST AND UPRIGHT , THE FAITHLESS AND WICKED LIFE . ( Proverbs 21:18 .) It occurs in many cases that the Divine wrath in judgment turns aside from the just man to roll upon the head of the sinner. See this in a natural light in Isaiah 43:3 , and in the great Christian light of redemption ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ; 1 Peter 3:18 ). Christ became as sin, or in the place of the sinner, for us. We must not, however, confuse the... read more
A variant of Proverbs 21:9 . Here, instead of the "corner of the roof," we have a wilderness, a desert land, as the refuge to which the persecuted man must flee. Than with a contentious and an angry ( fretful ) woman . So the Vulgate. But it seems better, with many modern commentators, to take וָכָעַם , not as another epithet, but as equivalent to "and vexation," i.e. a quarrelsome wife, and the vexation that accompanies such an infliction. The LXX . adds a word to the... read more
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise. Precious treasure and store of provision and rich unguents ( Proverbs 21:17 ) are collected in the house of the wise man, by which he may fare sumptuously, exercise hospitality, and lay up for the future (comp. Proverbs 24:4 ). But a foolish man spendeth it up. "A fool of a man" ( Proverbs 15:20 ) soon swallows, runs through and exhausts, all that has been accumulated ( Proverbs 21:17 ). Septuagint, "A desirable ... read more
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy. "Righteousness" ( tsedakah ) , in the first hemistich, signifies the virtue which renders to all, God and man, their due, which is the characteristic of the righteous man (see on Proverbs 15:9 ). "Mercy" ( chesed ) is the conduct towards others, animated by love and sympathy (see note on Proverbs 3:3 ). Findeth life, righteoushess, and honor. "Righteousness" here is the gift of God to his faithful servants, grace to live a holy... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 21:17
He that loveth pleasure - That follows gaming, fowling, hunting, coursing, etc., when he should be attending to the culture of the fields, shall be a poor man; and, I may safely add, shall be so deservedly poor, as to have none to pity him. read more