Proverbs 14:12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man— This is an admonition of the weakness of men's judgments, and of all human counsels, which mistake much, and lead men frequently into ruin: "Shadows too often cheat us of the reality," says one of the ancient Greeks; against which there is no remedy but the word of God, and invoking his direction. read more
12. end thereof—or, "reward," what results (compare Proverbs 5:4). ways of death—leading to it. read more
8. Further advice for wise living chs. 14-15These proverbs are more difficult to group together under a general heading because there are fewer common ideas that tie them together. read more
Without the additional light of divine revelation we might conclude that any number of courses of action will lead to good ends. Nevertheless, God’s Word helps us see the end of some of these paths so that we can avoid them. Salvation by works is one example of this. As someone once told me, "I was climbing the ladder of success, but then I discovered that it was leaning against the wrong wall." This proverb warns that apparently good roads may prove fatal to the moral life (cf. Proverbs 7:27;... read more
1. The prosperity of the family depends on the wife (Proverbs 31:10-31). 3. Of pride] RM ’for his pride.’4. Where there are no oxen men have not to labour at keeping the crib clean, but at the same time there is no profit. The men who unload coal in Calais harbour used to sing: ’The coalis black, but the money’s white.’8. The wise man’s concern is how shall he act; the foolish man’s how shall he deceive others. 9. Lit.’ the guilt-offering mocketh at fools.’ This seems to mean that fools trust... read more
(12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, and yet he will be punished if he follows it, for his perverted conscience may arise from his desertion of God, and his refusal of the light He offered. (Comp. Romans 1:28, sqq.) read more
Sin and Its Mockers Proverbs 14:9 It is one thing to mock in such a fashion as that the sinning person shall say, 'This thing which the mirror holds up to me is base, contemptible, unprofitable, and I will henceforth abjure it'; and another thing to laugh in such a fashion as to make him imagine 'This thing is trivial, it is of no serious import whatsoever, and I will therefore conduct myself as I like. The first kind of mockery is the austere, if somewhat cynical, expression of moral... read more
CHAPTER 15THE INWARD UNAPPROACHABLE LIFE"The heart knoweth its own bitterness and a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy."- Proverbs 14:10"Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of mirth is heaviness."- Proverbs 14:13"Yes! in the sea of life enisled, With echoing straits between us thrown, Dotting the shoreless watery wild, We mortal millions live alone. The islands feel the enclasping flow, And then their endless bounds they know." -Matthew ArnoldWE know each other’s... read more
CHAPTER 14 The Wise and The Foolish: The Rich and The Poor The contrast now concerns the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor. Let us see some of these contrasts. “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise shall preserve them” Proverbs 14:3 . The foolish shoots forth his foolishness like a branch. Separation from the foolish man is commanded in the seventh verse. The wise cannot have fellowship with the foolish, as the believer is not to be yoked to the... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 14:12
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death."Literally and eternally true, this proverb stands as one of the Lighthouses of Proverbs. It was true of Absalom and Ahithophel; and it is true of many a worldly and irreligious man today. read more