Proverbs 3:27-35

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 3:27-35

True wisdom consists in the due discharge of our duty towards man, as well as towards God, in honesty as well as piety, and therefore we have here divers excellent precepts of wisdom which relate to our neighbour. I. We must render to all their due, both in justice and charity, and not delay to do it (Prov. 3:27, 28): ?Withhold not good from those to whom it is due (either for want of love to them or through too much love to thy money) when it is in the power of thy hand to do it, for, if it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:27

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due ,.... Honour, reverence, and tribute, to civil magistrates, Romans 13:7 ; just payment of debts to creditors, and alms to the poor, which, by what follows, seems to be chiefly intended; and the Septuagint render it, "do not abstain to do well to the needy;' and Aben Ezra interprets it of the poor; to them alms are due because of their wants, and by the appointment; of God; hence called "righteousness", in some copies of Matthew 6:1 ; so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:28

Say not unto thy neighbour ,.... Either to whom thou art indebted, and who comes for the payment of a just debt; or to any poor and indigent person that applies for alms: go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give ; go home, and come tomorrow, and I will pay thee what I owe thee; or do not trouble me now, come another time, and perhaps I may relieve thy wants: this should not be said, because a man cannot be sure of tomorrow that he shall ever see it; nor may it be in the power of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:29

Devise not evil against thy neighbour ,.... Or, "plough not evil" F9 תתרש "ne ares", Amama. ; turn not up thy heart to find evil against thy neighbour, as the earth is turned up by the plough; see Hosea 10:13 . Do not contrive and form schemes in thy mind and thoughts to do him any injury, in his name and character, in his person, property, or family: a good man should devise all the good he can to his fellow creatures, but not evil to any; especially to his neighbour, and as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:30

Strive not with a man without cause , Either by words, in a wrangling, quarrelsome, and contentious way, for mere trifles; when there is no foundation for it, no just reason given to form a complaint, or pick a quarrel upon; or by deeds, by lawsuits, when there is nothing to proceed upon; or it is so trifling, that it is not worth while to litigate it or contend about: such, who strive either way, are far from following the example of Wisdom or Christ, and from taking his advice, Matthew... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:31

Envy thou not the oppressor ,.... The man that gets wealth and riches by acts of injustice, by oppressing the poor, by rapine and violence; do not envy his prosperity, and the substance he is possessed of; do not wish to be in his place and circumstances, to enjoy his affluence and ease; do not look upon his happiness with an envious eye and a fretting heart; he is far from being a happy man; his end will be bad; see Psalm 37:1 ; and choose none of his ways ; which he has used to get... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:32

For the froward is abomination to the Lord ,.... The perverse man, that pleases not God, and is contrary to all men, as the Jews were; one froward in his words and actions: "who transgresses the law", as the Arabic version renders it; one that acts contrary to the nature, will, and word of God; and such an one is not only abominable in his sight, but an "abomination" itself; it is sin, which is that abominable thing that God hates, that makes him so: and the Targum is, "for iniquity is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:33

The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked ,.... The wicked man, being a transgressor of the law, is under the curse of it; and all that he has, his house, his substance, his very blessings are curses; see Malachi 2:2 ; he is accursed amidst his greatest affluence, and sometimes from a plentiful estate is reduced to penury and want: and Aben Ezra interprets it, "the curse of want"; and the Vulgate Latin version is, "want from the Lord is", &c.; but he blesseth the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:34

Surely he scorneth the scorners ,.... That make a mock at sin, a jest of religion, that scoff at the doctrines of the Gospel and the professors of it; these the Lord looks upon, laughs at, and has them in derision. The Greek version and two apostles render it, "he resisteth the proud", 1 Peter 5:5 . Such who are haughty and arrogant, that exalt themselves and despise others; as those of a pharisaical spirit are and do, are abhorred and despised by the Lord; he sets himself against them, is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:35

The wise shall inherit glory ,.... The wise are the same with the just and lowly before mentioned, to whom God gives grace, and to these he gives glory. The "wise" are such who are so, not in a natural, civil, or notional sense, or that are wise in the things of nature, in civil affairs and in speculative matters of religion; but in a spiritual sense, who are wise unto salvation; who know themselves, the sinfulness of their nature, their inability to do that which is good, and their want of... read more

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