Proverbs 17:13 - Exposition

Whoso rewardeth evil for good. This was David's complaint of the churlish Nabal ( 1 Samuel 25:21 ). Ingratitude shall surely he punished. Evil shall not depart from his house . Terribly has the ingratitude of the Jews been visited. They cried in their madness, "His blood be on us and on our children!" and their punishment is still going on. Injunctions on this subject are frequent in the New Testament (see Matthew 5:39 ; Romans 12:17 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:15 ; 1 Peter 3:9 ). The Talmud says, "Do not throw a stone into the well whose waters you have drunk." The Greeks felt the sting of ingratitude. Thus Leiodes complains to Ulysses ('Od.,' 22.319)—

ὡς οὐκ ἔστι χάρις μετόπισθ εὐεργέων

Two sayings of Publius Syrus are quoted: " Ingratus unus omnibus miseris nocet ;" " Malignos fieri maxime ingrati docent ."