Proverbs 15:19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 15:19

See here, 1. Whence those difficulties arise which men pretend to meet with in the way of their duty, and to be insuperable; they arise not from any thing in the nature of the duty, but from the slothfulness of those that have really no mind to it. Those that have no heart to their work pretend that their way is hedged up with thorns, and they cannot do their work at all (as if God were a hard Master, reaping where he had not sown), at least that their way is strewed with thorns, that they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 15:19

The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns ,.... Or, "strewed with thorns", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; the Targum is, "the ways of the slothful are briers and thorns.' Either really being made so by his own conduct; who, by his slothfulness, has implicated and entangled himself in such difficulties, that he cannot extricate himself; his way is not passable, at least not very easily; it is as it were hedged up with thorns; see Hosea 2:6 ; or in his own... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 15:19

The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns - Because he is slothful, he imagines ten thousand difficulties in the way which cannot be surmounted; but they are all the creatures of his own imagination, and that imagination is formed by his sloth. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 15:18-23

Facets of moral truth Again flashing upon us, mostly in the light of contrast. As, indeed, from precious stones and false paste, up to the highest truths of the spirit, we can know nothing truly except by the comparison of its opposite. I. HASTE OF TEMPER AND LONG SUFFERING . ( Proverbs 15:18 .) Quarrelsomeness, irritable words (would that we could recall them!), a thousand stabs and wounds to the heart of our friend and to our own, the result of the former. For the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 15:19

The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns. The indolent sluggard is always finding or imagining difficulties and hindrances in his path, which serve as excuses for his laziness. The word for "thorn" here is chedek. It occurs elsewhere only in Micah 7:4 , where the Authorized Version has "briar;" but the particular plant intended is not ascertained. Most writers consider it to be some spinous specimen of the solanum. The word refers, it is thought, to a class of plants the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 15:19

Proverbs 15:19. The way of the slothful man The way in which he does or ought to walk; any good work which he pretends or desires to undertake; is as a hedge of thorns As a way hedged up with thorns, (see Hosea 2:6,) troublesome, perplexed, and full of such difficulties as he despairs, and therefore never strives to overcome; but the way of the righteous Who is always diligent in his calling, (this being one branch of his righteousness,) and, therefore, is fitly opposed to the slothful,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 15:1-33

Bringing joy to others (15:1-33)Words can easily cheer others or enrage them, help them or hinder them. Therefore, people should think carefully about what they say (15:1-5). In addition to being wise in their speech, they must be honest in the way they earn their income (6-7). In fact, they must be upright in all aspects of their daily lives. Only then will God, from whom nothing can be hidden, accept their sacrifices and prayers (8-11). Another matter concerning habits of speech is that those... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Proverbs 15:19

the righteous = upright ones. made plain = a raised road. Illustration: Eleazar (Genesis 24:12 , Genesis 24:26 , Genesis 24:27 , Genesis 24:52 .Psalms 37:23; Psalms 37:23 ). read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 15:19

"The way of the sluggard is a hedge of thorns; But the path of the upright is made a highway."There is an unusual interpretation of this proverb in this: "The path of the lazy man, (he says), is blocked with thorns, whereas to the upright his road is a highway."[18] We accept this interpretation as correct because of Proverbs 26:13. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Proverbs 15:19

19. The difficulties of the slothful result from want of energy; the righteous find a plain [and open] way—literally, "a highway," by diligence (1 Samuel 10:7; Psalms 1:3). read more

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