Proverbs 20:24-25 NIV1984

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

We are here taught that in all our affairs, 1. We have a necessary and constant dependence upon God. All our natural actions depend upon his providence, all our spiritual actions upon his grace. The best man is no better than God makes him; and every creature is that to us which it is the will of God that it should be. Our enterprises succeed, not as we desire and design, but as God directs and disposes. The goings even of a strong man (so the word signifies) are of the Lord, for his strength... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

Two things, by which God is greatly affronted, men are here said to be ensnared by, and entangled not only in guilt, but in trouble and ruin at length:?1. Sacrilege, men's alienating holy things and converting them to their own use, which is here called devouring them. What is devoted in any way to the service and honour of God, for the support of religion and divine worship or the relief of the poor, ought to be conscientiously preserved to the purposes designed; and those that directly or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the Lord ,.... In a natural and literal sense, the instruments of going are of the Lord; the act of motion from place to place is not without the concourse of his providence; as in him we live, and move, and have our being, so "in and by him we move"; he preserves our going out and coming in; and as the preservation, so the success and prosperity of journeying are owing to his providence, and the whole is under his care and direction: and so likewise, in a civil sense,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy ,.... Which is separated to sacred uses, is devoted to the Lord, as firstfruits, tithes, offerings, &c.; which if a man converts to his own use is sacrilege, and this is a sin and a snare, and brings ruin on him; see Malachi 3:8 ; and after vows to make inquiry : that is a sin and a snare also; a man should first inquire before he vows, whether it is right for him to make a vow, and whether he is able to keep it; it is... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the Lord - He, by his providence, governs all the great concerns of the world. Man often traverses these operations; but he does it to his own damage. An old writer quaintly says: "They who will carve for themselves shall cut their fingers." read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:25

Who devoureth that which is holy - It is a sin to take that which belongs to God, his worship, or his work, and devote it to one's own use. And after vows to make inquiry - That is, if a man be inwardly making a rash vow, the fitness or unfitness, the necessity, expediency, and propriety of the thing should be first carefully considered. But how foolish to make the vow first, and afterwards to inquire whether it was right in the sight of God to do it! This equally condemns all rash and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the Lord. In the first clause the word for "man" is geber, which implies "a mighty man;" in the second clause the word is adam , "a human creature." So the Septuagint has ἀνὴρ in one clause and θνητὸς in the other. The proverb says that the steps of a great and powerful man depend, as their final cause, upon the Lord; he conditions and controls results. Man has free will, and is responsible for his actions, but God foreknows them, and holds the thread that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:24-30

The truth of life in diverse aspects We may divide the matter as follows. I. DIVINE PROVIDENCE . ( Proverbs 20:24 .) It is needful, for human wisdom is shortsighted, and human direction inadequate. It is a gracious fact, and, if acknowledged, brings blessing to the trustful mind and heart. Each man has a life vocation. God appoints it, and will reveal the means for the attainment of it. We cannot enter the kingdom except through the guidance of Christ. II. HUMAN ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy. This verse, which is plainly a warning against rash vows, has received more than one interpretation. The Vulgate has, Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, which is explained to mean that it is destruction for a man to persecute the saints of God. But the word devorare is not certain, as the manuscripts vary between this and four other readings, viz. devotares, denotare, devovere, and devocare. The Authorized Version signifies... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 20:24

Proverbs 20:24. Man’s goings are of the Lord All men’s purposes and actions are so entirely subject to the control of God’s overruling providence, and so liable to be frustrated or changed, as he shall see good, and to be directed to ends so far distant from those they thought of and intended, that it is impossible for any man to know what shall be the event of any of his undertakings. The intention of this proverb is, to show that the events of human life are neither ordered nor foreseen... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:24

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:25

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:24

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:24-30

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:25

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 20:24

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