Proverbs 20:10-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

See here, 1. The various arts of deceiving that men have, all which evils the love of money is the root of. In paying and receiving money, which was then commonly done by the scale, they had divers weights, an under-weight for what they paid and an over-weight for what they received; in delivering out and taking in goods they had divers measures, a scanty measure to sell by and a large measure to buy by. This was done wrong with plot and contrivance, and under colour of doing right. Under... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:11

The tree is known by its fruits, a man by his doings, even a young tree by its first fruits, a child by his childish things, whether his work be clean only, appearing good (the word is used Prov. 16:2), or whether it be right, that is, really good. This intimates, 1. That children will discover themselves. One may soon see what their temper is, and which way their inclination leads them, according as their constitution is. Children have not learned the art of dissembling and concealing their... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

Note, 1. God is the God of nature, and all the powers and faculties of nature are derived from him and depend upon him, and therefore are to be employed for him. It was he that formed the eye and planted the ear (Ps. 94:9), and the structure of both is admirable; and it is he that preserves to us the use of both; to his providence we owe it that our eyes are seeing eyes and our ears hearing ears. Hearing and seeing are the learning senses, and must particularly own God's goodness in them. 2.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Note, 1. Those that indulge themselves in their ease may expect to want necessaries, which should have been gotten by honest labour. ?Therefore, though thou must sleep (nature requires it), yet love not sleep, as those do that hate business. Love not sleep for its own sake, but only as it fits for further work. Love not much sleep, but rather grudge the time that is spent in it, and wish thou couldst live without it, that thou mightest always be employed in some good exercise.? We must allow... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:14

See here 1. What arts men use to get a good bargain and to buy cheap. They not only cheapen carelessly, as if they had no need, no mind for the commodity, when perhaps they cannot go without it (there may be prudence in that), but they vilify and run down that which yet they know to be of value; they cry, ?It is naught, it is naught; it has this and the other fault, or perhaps may have; it is not good of the sort; and it is too dear; we can have better and cheaper elsewhere, or have bought... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

Divers weights, and divers measures ,.... Or, "a stone and a stone, and an ephah and an ephah" F4 So Montanus, Schulteus. . Stones being in old time used in weighing, and an "ephah" was a common measure among the Jews; and these ought not to be different; one stone or weight for buying, and another for selling; and one measure to buy goods in with, and another to sell out with; the one too heavy, the other too light; the one too large, and the other too scanty; whereby justice is not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:11

Even a child is known by his doings ,.... As well as a man; "ye shall know them by their fruits", Matthew 7:16 ; professors and profane. So a child soon discovers its genius by its actions; it soon shows its inclination and disposition; and some shrewd guesses may be made how it will turn out, a wise man or a fool, a virtuous or a vicious man; though this does not always hold good, yet something may be observed, which may be a direction to parents in the education of their children, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:12

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye ,.... There may be an ear that hears not, and an eye that seeth not, and which men may make; the painter can paint an ear and an eye, and a carver can carve both; but they are ears that hear not, and eyes that see not, Psalm 115:5 ; but such as can hear and see are of the Lord's own make; the Lord hath made even both of them ; they are the effects of his wisdom, power, and goodness; see Exodus 4:11 ; they are both senses of excellent use and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty ,.... Sleep is a very great natural blessing; it is a gift of God, what nature requires, and is desirable; it is to be loved, though not immoderately; it is sweet to a man, and what he should be thankful for; yet should not indulge himself in to the neglect of the proper business of life; nor to be used but at the proper time for it; for the eye is made for sight, and not for sleep only, as Aben Ezra observes, connecting the words with the preceding;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:14

It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer ,.... When he comes to the shop of the seller, or to market to buy goods, he undervalues them, says they are not so good as they should be, nor so cheap as he can buy them at; but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth ; after he has brought the seller to as low a price as he can, and has bought the goods, and gone away with them, and got home among his friends; then he boasts what a bargain he has bought, how good the commodity is, how... read more

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