Proverbs 26

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:1

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest ,.... Which were very undesirable and unseasonable, yea, very hurtful to the fruits of the earth; and a great obstruction to the labourers in the harvest, and a hinderance to the gathering of it in; and were very rare and uncommon in Judea; it was even a miracle for thunder and rain to be in wheat harvest, 1 Samuel 12:17 ; so honour is not seemly for a fool : for a wicked man; such should not be favoured by kings, and set in high places of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:2

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying ,.... As a bird, particularly the sparrow, as the word F8 כצפור "sicat passeris", Mercerus, Gejerus; "ut passer", Piscator; Schultens. is sometimes rendered, leaves its nest and wanders from it; and flies here and there, and settles nowhere; and as the swallow flies to the place from whence it came; or the wild pigeon, as some F9 Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 1. c. 8. think is meant, which flies away very swiftly: the swallow... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:3

A whip for the horse ,.... One that is dull of going, or refractory and wants breaking; a bridle for the ass ; not to curb and restrain it from going too fist, asses being generally dull; but to direct its way and turn it when necessary, it being stiffnecked and obstinate; though the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it a "spear" or "goad", something to prick with, and excite it to motion; and so the Targum; or otherwise one would have thought the whip was fitter for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:4

Answer not a fool according to his folly ,.... Sometimes a fool, or wicked man, is not to be answered at all; as the ministers of Hezekiah answered not a word to Rabshakeh; nor Jeremiah the prophet to Hananiah; nor Christ to the Scribes and Pharisees; and when an answer is returned, it should not be in his foolish way and manner, rendering evil for evil, and railing for railing, in the same virulent, lying, calumniating, and reproachful language; lest thou also be like unto him ; lest... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:5

Answer a fool according to his folly ,.... The Targum is, "but speak with a fool in thy wisdom;' and the Syriac version, "yea, speak with a fool according to thy wisdom;' which would at once remove the seeming contradiction in these words to the former, but then they are not a true version; indeed it is right, and must be the sense, that when a fool is answered, as it is sometimes necessary he should, that it be done in wisdom, and so as to expose his folly; he is to be answered and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:6

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool ,.... Who knows not how to deliver it in a proper manner, and is incapable of taking the answer, and reporting it as he should; or unfaithful in it, and brings a bad or false report, as the spies did upon the good land; cutteth off the feet ; he may as well cut off his feet before he sends him, or send a man without feet, as such an one; for prudence, diligence, and faithfulness in doing a message, and bringing back the answer, are as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:7

The legs of the lame are not equal ,.... Or as "the lifting up the legs by one that is lame" F13 דליו שוקים מפסה "elevatio crurum a claudo facta", Gejerus, Michaelis. , to dance to a pipe or violin, is very unseemly, and does but the more expose his infirmity, and can give no pleasure to others, but causes derision and contempt; so is a parable in the mouth of fools ; an apophthegm, or sententious expression of his own, which he delivers out as a wise saying, but is lame... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:8

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling ,.... That so fastens it to it that it cannot be slung out of it, it becomes useless and does not answer the end for which it is put there; or that places it there that it may be cast out, and is cast out, and so is thrown away, and of no more use; or that puts a precious stone, so some interpret it, in a heap of common stones, even in such a heap as is used at the stoning of malefactors; or increases the heap of stones on such, which the more exposes... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:9

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard ,.... And he perceives it not; or being in his hand he makes an ill use of it, and hurts himself and others with it; so is a parable in the mouth of fools , a proverbial sentence respecting religious matters; or a passage of holy Scripture which either he understands not, and has no spiritual perception of, any more than the drunkard has of the thorn in his hand; or which being used as a pun, or by way of jest, as it is the manner of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:10

The great God , that formed all things ,.... That made the heavens, earth, and sea, and all that are in them; who is great in the perfections of his nature, and in the works of his hands, and greatly to be praised; both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors ; according to their works; every transgression of the law receiving its just recompence of reward, whether a man transgresses it ignorantly or wilfully; as his transgressions are, whether through error or presumption,... read more

Group of Brands