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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:3

This may include a double sense:?1. That wicked people are scornful people, and put contempt upon others. When the wicked comes into any company, comes into the schools of wisdom or into the assemblies for religious worship, then comes contempt of God, of his people and ministers, and of every thing that is said and done. You can expect no other from those that are profane than that they will be scoffers; they will be an ignominy and reproach; they will flout and jeer every thing that is... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The similitudes here seem to be elegantly transposed. 1. The well-spring of wisdom is as deep waters. An intelligent knowing man has in him a good treasure of useful things, which furnishes him with something to say upon all occasions that is pertinent and profitable. This is as deep waters, which make no noise, but never run dry. 2. The words of such a man's mouth are as a flowing brook. What he sees cause to speak flows naturally from him and with a great deal of ease, and freedom, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:3

When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt ,.... When he comes into the world, as Aben Ezra; as soon as he is born, he is liable to contempt, being born in sin; but this is true of all: rather, as the Vulgate Latin, and with which the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions agree, when he cometh into the depth of sin, or to the height of his wickedness; he commences a scoffer at, and condemner of all that is good: when he comes into the house of God, it may be said, "there comes... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters ,.... The words of a great and mighty man; of an excellent and valuable man, as Jarchi; or of a wise man, as Aben Ezra. The doctrines which such a man has imbibed, and his heart is full of and his mouth utters, are like to "waters", pure, purifying, and refreshing; to "deep waters", which make no noise, and cannot be easily fathomed: such are the deep mysteries of grace, the wisdom of God in a mystery, spoken among them that are perfect; of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:3

When the wicked cometh, etc. - would it not be better to read this verse thus? "When the wicked cometh contempt cometh; and with ignominy cometh reproach." A wicked man is despised even by the wicked. He who falls under ignominy falls under reproach. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth - That is, the wise sayings of a wise man are like deep waters; howsoever much you pump or draw off, you do not appear to lessen them. The well-spring of wisdom - Where there is a sound understanding, and a deep, well-informed mind, its wisdom and its counsels are an incessant stream, חכמה מקור mekor chochmah , "the vein of wisdom," ever throwing out its healthy streams: but חיים מקור mekor chaiyim , "the vein of Lives," is the reading of eight of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:1-9

Unsocial vices There is an inner connection between them all. I. MISANTHROPY . ( Proverbs 18:1 .) If this verse be more correctly rendered, this is the meaning yielded. From a diseased feeling the man turns aside to sullen solitude, and thus rejects wisdom. This affords a fine meaning. It is one thing to feel the need of occasional solitude, another to indulge the passion for singularity. II. OBTRUSIVENESS . ( Proverbs 18:2 .) Contrast Proverbs 18:4 . The talkative fool... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:3

When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt. The contempt here spoken of is not that with which the sinner is regarded, but that which he himself learns to feel for all that is pure and good and lovely ( Psalms 31:18 ). As the LXX . interprets, "When the wicked cometh into the depth of evil, he despiseth," he turns a despiser. So the Vulgate. Going forward in evil, adding sin to sin, he end by casting all shame aside, deriding the Law Divine and human, and saying in his heart,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters. "Man" ( ish ) here means the ideal man in all his wisdom and integrity, just as in Proverbs 18:22 the ideal wife is intended under the general term "wife." Such a man's words are as deep waters which cannot be fathomed or exhausted. The metaphor is common (see Proverbs 20:5 ; Ecclesiastes 7:24 ; Ec 21:13). For "mouth," the Septuagint reads "heart:" "Deep water is a word in a man's heart." The second hemistich explains the first: The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The utterances of wisdom Taking the sense of this passage to be continuous and not antithetical, and understanding it to refer to the utterances of the wisdom which is from above, we notice their constant characteristics, viz.— I. THEIR DEPTH . The words which come from the mouth of wisdom are "as deep waters." How shallow is much, if not most, that is spoken in our hearing! It strikes no deeper than "the hour's event," than the mere gilding of our life; it only extends to the... read more

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