Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Proverbs 29:11
(11) The fool (khesîl, Proverbs 1:22) uttereth all his mind.—Or, pours out all his wrath; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards, or keepeth it back. read more
(11) The fool (khesîl, Proverbs 1:22) uttereth all his mind.—Or, pours out all his wrath; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards, or keepeth it back. read more
(12) If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.—If a ruler shows that he likes adulation and falsehood rather than unpleasant truths, his attendants will provide him with what he wishes. (Comp. Sir. 10:2.) So Jeremiah complains (Jeremiah 5:31) that prophets, priests, and people were all wilfully deceiving each other. read more
The Vision Which Saves Proverbs 29:18 Of all the blessings for which we thank God, none are greater than the light and the powers of sight which we possess. Obvious as are the advantages of the powers of physical sight, they only emphasize a condition which is indispensable in the moral and spiritual sphere. The wise man is thinking of the catastrophes which await those who for any reason are blind to the truth about life and who are 'destroyed for lack of knowledge'. I. History contains many... read more
CHAPTER 30THE NEED OF REVELATION"Where no vision is, a people casts off restraint, but he that keepeth the law is happy."- Proverbs 29:18THE form of the proverb shows that we are not to treat the vision and the law as opposite, but rather as complementary terms. Visions are it is true, especially the mark of the prophets, and the law is often confined in a special sense to the Pentateuch; but there is a much wider usage of the words, according to which the two together express, with tolerable... read more
CHAPTER 29 The Final Instructions These final instructions given in proverbs cover the similar ground as those in the previous chapters. Wisdom shines out in each, and the contents of every proverb shows that the author is not Solomon but He who is perfect in knowledge. “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Scripture abounds with examples of cases of hardening the neck and the heart, like Pharaoh, Ahab and others. This proverb... read more
29:9 [If] a wise man contendeth with {c} a foolish man, whether he rageth or laugheth, [there is] no rest.(c) He can hear no admonition no matter how it is spoken. read more
This FIFTH SECTION now has similarities to the fourth, but carries us further, for if the fourth stresses mainly the testing of ways and walk. This dwells more upon results, that is the recompenses of a true Divine government. What is sown will also be reaped, and this is to be a most sobering consideration as regards our entire conduct. The first verse vividly declares this principle: "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." ... read more
This division of the book is introduced in the first verse of chapter 25, as the “proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out.” What these words mean it is difficult to say, except in the general sense that the teachers of Hezekiah’s period selected and gathered together wise sayings that had been written, or handed down orally in previous generations. They may have been those of Solomon only, and yet his name may be attached to them simply because they were now... read more
A Stiffnecked People, Etc. Proverbs 29:0 Men hardened their necks against the yoke of God, which is described by Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:29 , Matthew 11:30 . Those who thus harden their necks shall be destroyed; that is to say, shall be shattered or dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel that cannot be put together again. This shattering shall be final "without remedy." Nothing more can be done for the man than has been done by the process of frequent and affectionate reproof. By "reproof"... read more
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Proverbs 29:10
(10) The bloodthirsty hate the upright.—Or, perfect man. “for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness” (2 Corinthians 6:14); the life of the perfect man is a continual reproach to them.But the just (or upright) seek his soul—i.e. care for the life of the perfect; their uprightness shows itself in active help-giving. read more