Proverbs 18:4-5 WEB

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The similitudes here seem to be elegantly transposed. 1. The well-spring of wisdom is as deep waters. An intelligent knowing man has in him a good treasure of useful things, which furnishes him with something to say upon all occasions that is pertinent and profitable. This is as deep waters, which make no noise, but never run dry. 2. The words of such a man's mouth are as a flowing brook. What he sees cause to speak flows naturally from him and with a great deal of ease, and freedom, and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

This justly condemns those who, being employed in the administration of justice, pervert judgment, 1. By conniving at men's crimes, and protecting and countenancing them in oppression and violence, because of their dignity, or wealth, or some personal kindness they have for them. Whatever excuses men may make for it, certainly it is not good thus to accept the person of the wicked; it is an offence to God, an affront to justice, a wrong to mankind, and a real service done to the kingdom of sin... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters ,.... The words of a great and mighty man; of an excellent and valuable man, as Jarchi; or of a wise man, as Aben Ezra. The doctrines which such a man has imbibed, and his heart is full of and his mouth utters, are like to "waters", pure, purifying, and refreshing; to "deep waters", which make no noise, and cannot be easily fathomed: such are the deep mysteries of grace, the wisdom of God in a mystery, spoken among them that are perfect; of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

It is not good to accept the person of the wicked ,.... For a judge to have respect to a wicked man in a cause before him, and to favour him, because he is a rich man, or a relation, or he has received some kindness from him; none of these things should have any influence upon him to overthrow the righteous in judgment : though he may be a poor man and a stranger, and to whom the judge is under no private and personal obligation; yet justice ought to be done without any respect to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth - That is, the wise sayings of a wise man are like deep waters; howsoever much you pump or draw off, you do not appear to lessen them. The well-spring of wisdom - Where there is a sound understanding, and a deep, well-informed mind, its wisdom and its counsels are an incessant stream, חכמה מקור mekor chochmah , "the vein of wisdom," ever throwing out its healthy streams: but חיים מקור mekor chaiyim , "the vein of Lives," is the reading of eight of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:5

To accept the person of the wicked - We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man's riches, influence, friends, offices, etc., but judge the case according to its own merits. But when the wicked rich man opposes and oppresses the poor righteous, then all those things should be utterly forgotten. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:1-9

Unsocial vices There is an inner connection between them all. I. MISANTHROPY . ( Proverbs 18:1 .) If this verse be more correctly rendered, this is the meaning yielded. From a diseased feeling the man turns aside to sullen solitude, and thus rejects wisdom. This affords a fine meaning. It is one thing to feel the need of occasional solitude, another to indulge the passion for singularity. II. OBTRUSIVENESS . ( Proverbs 18:2 .) Contrast Proverbs 18:4 . The talkative fool... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters. "Man" ( ish ) here means the ideal man in all his wisdom and integrity, just as in Proverbs 18:22 the ideal wife is intended under the general term "wife." Such a man's words are as deep waters which cannot be fathomed or exhausted. The metaphor is common (see Proverbs 20:5 ; Ecclesiastes 7:24 ; Ec 21:13). For "mouth," the Septuagint reads "heart:" "Deep water is a word in a man's heart." The second hemistich explains the first: The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The utterances of wisdom Taking the sense of this passage to be continuous and not antithetical, and understanding it to refer to the utterances of the wisdom which is from above, we notice their constant characteristics, viz.— I. THEIR DEPTH . The words which come from the mouth of wisdom are "as deep waters." How shallow is much, if not most, that is spoken in our hearing! It strikes no deeper than "the hour's event," than the mere gilding of our life; it only extends to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

It is not good to accept the person of the wicked. To "accept the person" is to show partiality, to be guided in judgment, not by the facts of a case, or the abstract principles of right or wrong, but by extraneous considerations, as a man's appearance, manners, fortune, family. (For the expression, comp. Le Proverbs 19:15 ; Deuteronomy 1:17 ; and in our book, Proverbs 24:23 ; Proverbs 28:21 .) The Septuagint phrase is θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον , which St. Jude adopts ( Jude 1:16 ).... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:5

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:1-9

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 18:5

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