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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 3:7-12

We have here before us three exhortations, each of them enforced with a good reason:? I. We must live in a humble and dutiful subjection to God and his government (Prov. 3:7): ?Fear the Lord, as your sovereign Lord and Master; be ruled in every thing by your religion and subject to the divine will.? This must be, 1. A humble subjection: Be not wise in thy own eyes. Note, There is not a greater enemy to the power of religion, and the fear of God in the heart, than conceitedness of our own... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:7

Be not wise in thine own eyes ,.... So as to act independently of God; not to trust in him, nor acknowledge him, nor seek to him for help and direction; nor ask nor take the advice of others; but, being conceited and self-sufficient, lean to thine own understanding, as being wise enough to conduct all affairs in life by thy own discretion; and in matters of religion wiser than thy teachers, and even than the Scriptures, being wise above that which is written; pleasing thyself with thine own... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:8

It shall be health to thy navel ,.... That part of the body which is the knot of the intestines; and may be put for the bowels and inward parts, which being sound, the body is in health; and these may be put for the whole body: and so the Septuagint version renders it, "to thy body"; and this may be put for the whole person. And the sense is, either wisdom, as Jarchi; the doctrine of wisdom, the Gospel; which teaches men to trust in the Lord, and not in themselves, to apply to him for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:9

Honour the Lord with thy substance ,.... Or, "out of thy substance" F14 מהונך "e substantia tua", Montanus; "de substantia tua", Baynus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "de divitiis tuis", Mercerus, Gejerus; "de opibus tuis", Tigurine version, Cocceius, Michaelis, Schultens. ; for as it should be a man's own that he gives, and not another's, and therefore called "thy substance"; or, as the Septuagint version, "out of thy just labours", what is righteously and lawfully gotten, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:10

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty ,.... With plenty of corn; so that there will be a sufficient provision of bread for the eater for the ensuing year, and of seed for the sower when the time of sowing returns; so far should they be, it suggests, from being losers by honouring the Lord with their substance, that they should be gainers by it; instead of having less, should have abundantly more; and thy presses shall burst out with new wine ; not that they should really burst F17 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:11

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord ,.... This seems to be introduced to prevent an objection that may be made to the above promise of plenty; seeing the children of God are often afflicted in this world; even the wise and pious, and those that fear the Lord, and honour him; which is accounted for, and the reason of it given, in Proverbs 3:12 . These words are cited in Hebrews 12:5 , and are represented as an exhortation, spoken unto children, the children of God; by which it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 3:12

For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth ,.... This is a reason why the children of God should not despise corrections, nor be weary of them; since they spring from love, are given in love, nor is there any abatement of it in them: when the Lord chastens and corrects, he does not take away his lovingkindness from them; yea, it is because he loves them that therefore he thus deals with them; wherefore they ought to be patiently bore, and kindly taken by them; even as a father the son in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 3:8

It shall be health to thy navel - We need not puzzle ourselves to find out what we may suppose to be a more delicate meaning for the original word שר shor than navel; for I am satisfied a more proper cannot be found. It is well known that it is by the umbilical cord that the fetus receives its nourishment all the time it is in the womb of the mother. It receives nothing by the mouth, nor by any other means: by this alone all nourishment is received, and the circulation of the blood kept... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 3:9

Honor the Lord with thy substance - The מנחה Minchah or gratitude-offering to God, commanded under the law, is of endless obligation. It would be well to give a portion of the produce of every article by which we get our support to God, or to the poor, the representatives of Christ. This might be done either in kind, or by the worth in money. Whatever God sends us in the way of secular prosperity, there is a portion of it always for the poor, and for God's cause. When that portion is... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 3:11

Despise not the chastening of the Lord - The word מוסר musar signifies correction, discipline, and instruction. Teaching is essentially necessary to show the man the way in which he is to go; discipline is necessary to render that teaching effectual; and, often, correction is requisite in order to bring the mind into submission, without which it cannot acquire knowledge. Do not therefore reject this procedure of God; humble thyself under his mighty hand, and open thy eyes to thy own... read more

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