Proverbs 17:3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 17:3

Note, 1. The hearts of the children of men are subject, not only to God's view, but to his judgment: As the fining-pot is for silver, both to prove it and to improve it so the Lord tries the hearts; he searches whether they are standard or no, and those that are he refines and makes purer, Jer. 17:10. God tries the heart by affliction (Ps. 66:10, 11), and often chooses his people in that furnace (Isa. 48:10) and makes them choice. 2. It is God only that tries the hearts. Men may try their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 17:3

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold ,.... Refiners of silver have their fining pots, in which they purify the silver from the dross; and goldsmiths have their crucibles to melt and purify their gold, by which assays of the worth and value of it may be made; but the Lord trieth the hearts ; there is no vessel, as Gersom observes, in which they can be put and tried by creatures; a man does not know, nor can he thoroughly search and try his own heart, and much less the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 17:3

The fining pot is for silver - When silver is mixed, or suspected to be mixed, with base metal, it must be subjected to such a test as the cupel to purify it. And gold also must be purified by the action of the fire. So God tries hearts. He sends afflictions which penetrate the soul, and give a man to see his state, so that he may apply to the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, to destroy what cannot stand the fire, to separate and burn up all the dross. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 17:1-9

Traits of outward dad inward happiness. Happiness depends more on the inward state than on the outward condition Hence— I. CONTENTMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF HAPPINESS . ( Proverbs 17:1 .) The dry morsel, with rest and quiet in the spirit, is better, says the preacher, than the most luxurious meal; the allusion being to slaughtered sacrificial animals as the chief constituents of a rich repast ( Proverbs 9:2 ; Genesis 43:16 ). It suggests the picture of "holy love, found... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 17:3

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold. The word matsreph , "fining pot," occurs also in Proverbs 27:21 . It is not certain what is meant by it. There is no evidence that the Israelites were acquainted with the use of acids in the manipulation of impure or mixed metals; otherwise the "pot" and the "furnace" would represent the two usual modes of reduction; but it is most probable that both allude to the same method of smelting the ore in crucibles, for the purpose of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 17:3

Divine proving and purifying Heat, like water, is a very bad master but a very excellent servant. It proves whether our acquisition has or has not any value, whether it should be carefully preserved or be "trodden underfoot;" and it refines that which has any worth at all, separating the dross and securing for us the pure metal which we want for use or ornament. What we do with our materials God does with ourselves; but the fires through which he sends us are of a very different kind from... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 17:1-28

Friends and fools (17:1-28)A peaceful family life, no matter how simple, is a great blessing, but a son may miss out on his family inheritance through his own folly (17:1-2). God’s dealings with his people are always for a good purpose, to make them better than they were before (3). To listen to evil talk is as bad as to speak evil oneself; to take pleasure in another’s troubles is as bad as to cause those troubles (4-5).Other proverbs concern the appreciation that the old and the young should... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Proverbs 17:3

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . trieth the hearts. Illustrations: Abraham (Genesis 22:1 ); Israel (Deuteronomy 8:2 ); Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:31 ); Martha and Mary (John 11:5 , John 11:6 ); young man (Matthew 19:16-22 ); woman (Matthew 15:23-28 ). read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 17:3

"The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.""The smelter for silver, the furnace for gold, and the Eternal for testing the heart"![5] "As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace, so the Lord trieth the hearts."[6] The Douay rendition here appears to be the best, because it stresses the fact that God will indeed try men's hearts, even as he tried that of Abraham (Genesis 22:1ff). read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Proverbs 17:3

3. God only knows, as He tries (Psalms 12:6; Psalms 66:10) the heart. read more

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