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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 12:12

See here, 1. What is the care and aim of a wicked man; he would do mischief: He desires the net of evil men. ?Oh that I were but as cunning as such a man, to make a hand of those I deal with, that I had but his art of over-reaching, that I could but take my revenge on one I have spite to as effectually as he can!? He desires the strong-hold, or fortress, of evil men (so some read it), to act securely in doing mischief, that it may not turn upon him. 2. What is the care and aim of a good man:... read more

John Gill

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

The wicked desireth the net of evil men ,.... To be master of all the wicked arts and methods evil men use to ensnare and oppress others; to get them and their substance into their hands; or "desireth the evil net", as the Targum; the evil net of antichrist, which he lays for the poor, whom he draws into it and catches them; see Psalm 10:9 . Jarchi understands it of "hunting" F20 מצוד "venationem", Munster, Schultens; "venatum", Tigurine version. and of wicked men desiring to be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 12:12

The wicked desireth the net of evil men - They applaud their ways, and are careful to imitate them in their wiles. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 12:1-15

The downward and the upward paths Whether we are daily ascending or descending depends very much on whether we are ready or are refusing to learn The man of open mind is he who moves up, but the man whose soul is shut against the light is he who is going down. I. THE DOWNWARD PATH . We strike one point in this path when we come to: 1 . The forming of a false estimate of ourself. When "our way is right in our own eyes" ( Proverbs 12:15 ), and that way is the wrong one,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 12:3-12

Strength and fruitfulness Concerning the righteous man two things are here affirmed. I. IN HIM IS STRENGTH . "The root of the righteous shall never be moved." The strong wind comes and blows down the tree which has not struck its roots far into the foil; it tears it up by the roots and stretches it prone upon the ground. It has no strength to stand because its root is easily moved. The righteous man is a tree of another kind; his root shall never be moved; he will stand... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 12:4-12

Proverbs 12:4-12 contain proverbs concerning the management of a house and business. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 12:12

Modern commentators have endeavoured to amend the text of this verse by various methods, which may be seen in Nowack's note on the passage; but the existing reading gives an appropriate sense, and alteration is not absolutely needed, though it is plain that the LXX had before them something different from the Masoretic text. The wicked desireth the net of evil men ( Ecclesiastes 7:26 ), that he may use the means which they take to enrich themselves; or matsod may mean, not the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 12:12-22

Virtues and vices in civil life I. SOME VICES OF SOCIETY . 1 . Envious greed. ( Proverbs 12:12 .) The wicked desires the "takings" of the evil. It is a general description of greedy strife and competition, one man trying to forestall another in the bargain, or to profit at the expense of his loss; a mutually destructive process, a grinding of egoistic passions against one another, so that there can be no mutual confidence nor peace ( Isaiah 48:22 ; Isaiah 57:21 ). The... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 12:12

Proverbs 12:12. The wicked desireth the net of evil men He approves and uses those cunning and deceitful arts which evil men employ, like nets, to insnare others, and to take their goods to themselves. The word מצוד , however, here rendered net, may be translated fortress, as it is in the margin, and then the clause will be, he desires the fortress of wicked men, or of wickedness, that is, he seeks to fortify and establish himself by wicked practices. But the root of the righteous... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 12:1-28

Honest speech and honest work (12:1-28)There are further proverbs on attitudes towards criticism (12:1-2; see notes on 9:7-9), the stability of the righteous (3) and the value of a good wife (4). The righteous, besides having good principles, have the courage to speak up at risk to themselves in order to save others (5-7).If people live humbly and in keeping with their financial capacity, they may not achieve high social status, but at least they will remain free of debt. They are wiser than... read more

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