Proverbs 20:12-19 KJV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

Note, 1. God is the God of nature, and all the powers and faculties of nature are derived from him and depend upon him, and therefore are to be employed for him. It was he that formed the eye and planted the ear (Ps. 94:9), and the structure of both is admirable; and it is he that preserves to us the use of both; to his providence we owe it that our eyes are seeing eyes and our ears hearing ears. Hearing and seeing are the learning senses, and must particularly own God's goodness in them. 2.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Note, 1. Those that indulge themselves in their ease may expect to want necessaries, which should have been gotten by honest labour. ?Therefore, though thou must sleep (nature requires it), yet love not sleep, as those do that hate business. Love not sleep for its own sake, but only as it fits for further work. Love not much sleep, but rather grudge the time that is spent in it, and wish thou couldst live without it, that thou mightest always be employed in some good exercise.? We must allow... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:14

See here 1. What arts men use to get a good bargain and to buy cheap. They not only cheapen carelessly, as if they had no need, no mind for the commodity, when perhaps they cannot go without it (there may be prudence in that), but they vilify and run down that which yet they know to be of value; they cry, ?It is naught, it is naught; it has this and the other fault, or perhaps may have; it is not good of the sort; and it is too dear; we can have better and cheaper elsewhere, or have bought... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:15

The lips of knowledge (a good understanding to guide the lips and a good elocution to diffuse the knowledge) are to be preferred far before gold, and pearl, and rubies; for, 1. They are more rare in themselves, more scarce and hard to be got. There is gold in many a man's pocket that has no grace in his heart. In Solomon's time there was plenty of gold (1 Kgs. 10:21) and abundance of rubies; every body wore them; they were to be bought in every town. But wisdom is a rare thing, a precious... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:16

Two sorts of persons are here spoken of that are ruining their own estates, and will be beggars shortly, and therefore are not to be trusted with any good security:?1. Those that will be bound for any body that will ask them, that entangle themselves in rash suretiship to oblige their idle companions; they will break at last, nay, they cannot hold out long; these waste by wholesale. 2. Those that are in league with abandoned women, that treat them, and court them, and keep company with them.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:17

Note, 1. Sin may possibly be pleasant in the commission: Bread of deceit, wealth gotten by fraud, by lying and oppression, may be sweet to a man, and the more sweet for its being ill-gotten, such pleasure does the carnal mind take in the success of its wicked projects. All the pleasures and profits of sin are bread of deceit. They are stolen, for they are forbidden fruit; and they will deceive men, for they are not what they promise. For a time, however, they are rolled under the tongue as a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:18

Note, 1. It is good in every thing to act with deliberation, and to consult with ourselves at least, and, in matters of moment, with our friends, too, before we determine, but especially to ask counsel of God, and beg direction from him, and observe the guidance of this eye. This is the way to have both our minds and our purposes established, and to succeed well in our affairs; whereas what is done hastily and with precipitation is repented of at leisure. Take time, and you will have done the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:19

Two sorts of people are dangerous to be conversed with:?1. Tale-bearers, though they are commonly flatterers, and by fair speeches insinuate themselves into men's acquaintance. Those are unprincipled people that go about carrying stories, that make mischief among neighbours and relations, that sow in the minds of people jealousies of their governors, of their ministers, and of one another, that reveal secrets which they are entrusted with or which by unfair means they come to the knowledge of,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye ,.... There may be an ear that hears not, and an eye that seeth not, and which men may make; the painter can paint an ear and an eye, and a carver can carve both; but they are ears that hear not, and eyes that see not, Psalm 115:5 ; but such as can hear and see are of the Lord's own make; the Lord hath made even both of them ; they are the effects of his wisdom, power, and goodness; see Exodus 4:11 ; they are both senses of excellent use and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty ,.... Sleep is a very great natural blessing; it is a gift of God, what nature requires, and is desirable; it is to be loved, though not immoderately; it is sweet to a man, and what he should be thankful for; yet should not indulge himself in to the neglect of the proper business of life; nor to be used but at the proper time for it; for the eye is made for sight, and not for sleep only, as Aben Ezra observes, connecting the words with the preceding;... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

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