Say not unto thy neighbor - Do not refuse a kindness when it is in thy power to perform it. If thou have the means by thee, and thy neighbor's necessities be pressing, do not put him off till the morrow. Death may take either him or thee before that time. read more
Strive not with a man - Do not be of a litigious, quarrelsome spirit. Be not under the influence of too nice a sense of honor. If thou must appeal to judicial authority to bring him that wrongs thee to reason, avoid all enmity, and do nothing in a spirit of revenge. But, if he have done thee no harm, why contend with him? May not others in the same way contend with and injure thee! read more
Envy thou not the oppressor - O how bewitching is power! Every man desires it; and yet all hate tyrants. But query, if all had power, would not the major part be tyrants? read more
But his secret - סודו sodo , his secret assembly; godly people meet there, and God dwells there. read more
The curse of the Lord - No godly people meet in such a house; nor is God ever an inmate there. But he blesseth the habitation of the just - He considers it as his own temple. There he is worshipped in spirit and in truth; and hence God makes it his dwelling-place. read more
Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly - The Septuagint has Κυριος ὑπερηφανοις αντιτασσεται, ταπεινοις δε διδωσι χαριν . The Lord resisteth the proud; but giveth grace to the humble. These words are quoted by St. Peter, 1 Peter 5:5 , and by St. James, James 4:6 , just as they stand in the Septuagint, with the change of ὁ Θεος , God, for Κυριος , the Lord. read more
The wise - The person who follows the dictates of wisdom, as mentioned above, shall inherit glory; because, being one of the heavenly family, a child of God, he has thereby heaven for his inheritance; but fools, such as those mentioned chapters 1 and 2, shall have ignominy for their exaltation. Many such fools as Solomon speaks of are exalted to the gibbet and gallows. The way to prevent this and the like evils, is to attend to the voice of wisdom. read more
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due. This precept indicates the general principle of beneficence, and not merely, as the words at first sight seem to imply, restitution (as Cajet.). We are to do good to those who are in need or deserving of it, whenever we have the means and opportunity. From them to whom it is due ( nib'alayv ); literally, from its owner, from baal, dominus, "lord" or owner of a thing. Cf. Proverbs 16:22 , "Prudence is a fountain of life to its owner (... read more
Dilatoriness in the payment of just debts I. THIS DILATORINESS IN MORALLY CULPABLE , AND MOST INJURIOUS TO SOCIETY . Through thoughtlessness in some cases, through deliberate meanness in others, many people postpone the payment of their just debts as long as possible, though they have the money by them, and are perhaps turning it to account for their own advantage. Such needless delay of justice should be regarded as a moral offence. A sad laxity prevails in this... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due - מבעליו mibbealaiv , from the lords of it. But who are they? The poor. And what art thou, O rich man? Why, thou art a steward, to whom God has given substance that thou mayest divide with the poor. They are the right owners of every farthing thou hast to spare from thy own support, and that of thy family; and God has given the surplus for their sakes. Dost thou, by hoarding up this treasure, deprive the right owners of their property? If... read more