Proverbs 25:17 - Exposition

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; literaliy, make thy foot precious , rare; Septuagint, "Bring thy foot sparingly ( σπάνιον ) into thy friend's house," The proverb seems to be loosely connected with the preceding, as urging moderation. Do not pay too frequent visits to your neighbors' house, or make yourself too much at home there. The Son of Sirach has an utterance on a somewhat similar subject, "Give place, thou stranger, to an honourable man; my brother cometh to be lodged, and I have need of mine house. Those things are grievous to a man of understanding; the upbraiding of house room, and reproaching of the lender" (Ecclesiasticus 29:27, etc.). Lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. Such a result might easily arise from too constant intercourse. Cornelius a Lapide quotes from Seneca ('De Benefic,' 1.15), "Rarum esse oportet quod diu carum velis," "That should be rare which you would enduringly bear."

And Martial's cynical advice—

" Nulli te facias nimis sodalem;

Gaudebis minus, et minus dolebis ."

The same poet ('Epigr.,' 4.29, 3) writes—

" Rara juvant; primis sic major gratia pomis,

Hibernae pretium sic meruere rosae ."