Bread of deceit is sweet - Property acquired by falsehood, speculation, etc., without labor, is pleasant to the unprincipled, slothful man; but there is a curse in it, and the issue will prove it. read more
With good advice make war, - Perhaps there is not a precept in this whole book so little regarded as this. Most of the wars that are undertaken are wars of injustice, ambition, aggrandizement, and caprice, which can have had no previous good counsel. A minister, who is perhaps neither a good nor a great man, counsels his king to make war; the cabinet must be brought into it, and a sufficient number out of the states of the kingdom gained over to support it. By and by, what was begun through... read more
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. This apothegm, which seems to be nothing but a trite truism, brings to notice many important consequences. First, there is the result noted in Psalms 94:9 , "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?" Hence we learn the sleepless providence of God. So 'Pirke Aboth,' "Know that which is above thee, an eye that seeth all, an ear that heareth all." We learn also that all... read more
God our Maker Truly we are "wonderfully made;" and "the hand that made us is Divine." The human ear and eye are— I. INSTANCES OF DIVINE SKILL AND POWER . That we should be able, by means of this small apparatus included in "the ear," to detect such a variety of notes, to distinguish sounds from one another so readily, through so many years, to perceive the faintest whisper in the trees, and to enjoy the roll of the reverberating thunder; that we should be able, by... read more
Religion, industry, prudence, and honesty I. GOD THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD . 1 . Of all bodily good. The eye, the ear, with all their wondrous mechanism, with all their rich instrumentality of enjoyment, are from him. 2 . Of all spiritual faculty and endowment, the analogues of the former, and "every good and perfect gift" ( James 1:16 ). The new heart, the right mind, should, above all, be recognized as his gifts. 3 . In domestic and in public life. Good counsels of... read more
Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty (see Proverbs 6:9 , etc.). The fate of the sluggard is handled again in Proverbs 23:21 , as often before; e.g. Proverbs 12:11 ; Proverbs 19:15 . The LXX ; taking שֵׁנָה ( shenah ) , "sleep," as perhaps connected with the verb שְׁנָה ( shanah ) , translate, "Love not to rail, that thou be not exalted ( ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρωῇς ) , " i.e. probably, "Do not calumniate others in order to raise yourself;" others translate,... read more
It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer. The purchaser depreciates the goods which he wants, in order to lower the price demanded—a practice as common now as in old time. "I don't want it, I don't want it," says the Spanish friar; "but drop it into my hood." The Scotch say, "He that lacks (disparages) my mare would buy my mare" (Kelly). But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. When he has completed his purchase and obtained the goods at his own price, he boasts how he has tricked... read more
The buyer I. THE CONDUCT OF THE BUYER CALLS FOR CONSIDERATION . It is usual to discuss questions of trade morality chiefly in regard to the conduct of the man who sells. Deception, adulteration, dishonest work, the grinding of employes, etc; are denounced by indignant onlookers. But the conduct of the customer is less severely handled. Yet there are many reasons why it should not be overlooked. All are not sellers, but everybody buys. Therefore when commercial morality is... read more
There is gold, and a multitude of rubies. For peninim, which is rendered "rubies," "pearls," or "coral," see on Proverbs 3:15 . There is gold which is precious, and there is abundance of pearls which are still more valuable. But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel, and worth more than all. We had the expression, "lips of knowledge," in Proverbs 14:7 ; it means lips that utter wisdom. Keli, often translated "jewel" in the Authorized Version, also boars the meaning of "vessel,"... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:16
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger - I suppose the meaning to be, If a stranger or unknown person become surety in a case, greater caution should be used, and such security taken from this stranger as would prevent him from running away from his engagements. read more