Proverbs 19

Listen to Proverbs 19

1 ¹Better is a poor person who ²walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

2 Desire^[a] without knowledge is not good, and whoever ³makes haste with his feet misses his way.

3 When a man's folly ⁴brings his way to ruin, his heart ⁵rages against the LORD.

4 ⁶Wealth brings many new friends, ⁷but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

5 ⁸A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who ⁹breathes out lies will not escape.

6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,^[b] and everyone is a friend to a man who gives ¹⁰gifts.

7 ¹¹All a poor man's brothers hate him; ¹²how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them.^[c]

8 ¹³Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will ¹⁴discover good.

9 ¹⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who ¹⁶breathes out lies will perish.

10 ¹⁷It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for ¹⁸a slave to rule over princes.

11 ¹⁹Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king's wrath is like ²⁰the growling of a lion, but his ²¹favor is like ²²dew on the grass.

13 ²³A foolish son is ruin to his father, and ²⁴a wife's quarreling is ²⁵a continual dripping of rain.

14 ²⁶House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is ²⁷from the LORD.

15 ²⁸Slothfulness casts into ²⁹a deep sleep, and ³⁰an idle person will suffer hunger.

16 Whoever ³¹keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.

17 ³²Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he ³³will repay him for his ³⁴deed.

18 ³⁵Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on ³⁶putting him to death.

19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in ³⁷the future.

21 ³⁸Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but ³⁹it is the purpose of the LORD ⁴⁰ that will stand.

22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of the LORD ⁴¹leads to life, and whoever has it rests ⁴²satisfied; he will ⁴³not be visited by harm.

24 ⁴⁴The sluggard buries his hand in ⁴⁵the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25 ⁴⁶Strike ⁴⁷a scoffer, and the simple will ⁴⁸learn prudence; ⁴⁹reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is ⁵⁰a son who brings shame and reproach.

27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, ⁵¹and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked ⁵²devours iniquity.

29 Condemnation is ready for ⁵³scoffers, and ⁵⁴beating for the backs of fools.

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Proverbs 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

Verse 1 A poor man who fears God, is more honourable and happy, than a man without wisdom and grace, however rich or advanced in rank. Verse 2 . What good can the soul do, if without knowledge? And he sins who will not take time to ponder the path of his feet. Verse 3 . Men run into troubles by their own folly, and then fret at the appointments of God. Verse 4 . Here we may see how strong is men's love of money. Verse 5 . Those that tell lies in discourse, are in a fair way to be guilty of bearing false-witness. Verse 6 . We are without excuse if we do not love God with all our hearts. His gifts to us are past number, and all the gifts of men to us are fruits of his bounty. Verse 7 . Christ was left by all his disciples; but the Father was with him. It encourages our faith that he had so large an experience of the sorrows of poverty. Verse 8 . Those only love their souls aright that get true wisdom. Verse 9 . Lying is a damning, destroying sin. Verse 10 . A man that has not wisdom and grace, has no right or title to true joy. It is very unseemly for one who is a servant to sin, to oppress God's free-men. Verse 11 . He attains the most true glory who endeavours most steadily to overcome evil with good. Verse 12 . Christ is a King, whose wrath against his enemies will be as the roaring of a lion, and his favour to his people as the refreshing dew. Verse 13 . It shows the vanity of the world, that we are liable to the greatest griefs where we promise ourselves the greatest comfort. Verse 14 . A discreet and virtuous wife is more valuable than house and riches. Verse 15 . A sluggish, slothful disposition makes men poor; it brings them to want. And this applies both to the present life and that which is to come. Verse 16 . If we keep God's word, God's word will keep us from every thing really hurtful. We abuse the doctrine of free grace, if we think that it does away the necessity and advantage of obedience. Those that live at random must die. This truth is clearly taught in words enough to alarm the stoutest sinner. Verse 17 . God has chosen the poor of this world, to be rich in faith, and heirs of his kingdom. Verse 18 . When parents keep under foolish tenderness, they do their best to render children a comfort to them, and happy in themselves. Verse 19 . The spared and spoiled child is likely to become a man of great wrath. Verse 20 . Those that would be wise in their latter end, must be taught and ruled when young. Verse 21 . What should we desire, but that all our purposes may agree with God's holy will? Verse 22 . It is far better to have a heart to do good, and want ability for it, than to have ability for it, and want a heart to it. Verse 23 . Those that live in the fear of God, shall get safety, satisfaction, and true and complete happiness. Verse 24 . Indolence, when indulged, so grows upon people, that they have no heart to do the most needful things for themselves. Verse 25 . A gentle rebuke goes farthest with a man of understanding. Verse 26 . The young man who wastes his father's substance, or makes his aged mother destitute, is hateful, and will come to disgrace. Verse 27 . It is the wisdom of young men to dread hearing such talk as puts loose and evil principles into the mind. Verse 28 . Those are the worst of sinners, who are glad of an opportunity to sin. Verse 29 . The unbelief of man shall not make God's threatenings of no effect. Christ himself, when bearing sins not his own, was not spared. Justice and judgment took hold of our blessed Surety; and will God spare obstinate sinners?

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 54

1. Proverbs 28:6
2. Proverbs 14:2; Proverbs 20:7; Psalms 26:1, 11
3. [Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 28:20; Proverbs 29:20]
4. [Proverbs 11:3]
5. [Psalms 37:7; Isaiah 8:21; Revelation 16:11]
6. Proverbs 14:20
7. Proverbs 14:20
8. [Proverbs 12:19; Proverbs 21:28]; See Deuteronomy 19:16-19
9. See Proverbs 6:19
10. See Proverbs 17:8
11. [ver. 4]
12. [Psalms 38:11]
13. [Proverbs 15:32]
14. Proverbs 16:20
15. [See ver. 5 above]
16. [See ver. 5 above]
17. [Proverbs 17:7; Proverbs 26:1]
18. Proverbs 30:22; Ecclesiastes 10:6, 7
19. See Proverbs 14:29
20. Proverbs 20:2; [Proverbs 16:14, 15; Proverbs 28:15]
21. Proverbs 14:35
22. Psalms 133:3; Hosea 14:5; Micah 5:7
23. Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 17:21
24. See Proverbs 21:9
25. Proverbs 27:15
26. [2 Corinthians 12:14]
27. Proverbs 18:22
28. See Proverbs 6:9-11
29. Job 4:13
30. [Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 20:4, 13; Proverbs 23:21]
31. [Proverbs 13:13; Luke 10:28]
32. [Proverbs 22:9; Proverbs 28:27; Ecclesiastes 11:1; Matthew 10:42; Hebrews 6:10]; See Deuteronomy 15:7-10; Matthew 25:40; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
33. [Luke 6:38]
34. See Proverbs 12:14
35. See Proverbs 13:24
36. [Proverbs 23:13]; See Deuteronomy 21:18-21
37. Psalms 37:37
38. Psalms 33:10, 11
39. Job 23:13; Isaiah 14:26, 27
40. Isaiah 46:10
41. Proverbs 10:16; Proverbs 11:19; [Isaiah 38:5; Mark 10:30]
42. [Psalms 25:13]
43. [Leviticus 26:6]
44. Proverbs 26:15; [Proverbs 15:19; Proverbs 20:4]
45. [Matthew 26:23; Mark 14:20]
46. Proverbs 21:11
47. See Psalms 1:1
48. See Deuteronomy 13:6-11
49. [Proverbs 9:8]
50. Proverbs 10:5; Proverbs 17:2
51. [2 Peter 2:21]
52. Job 15:16; [Proverbs 18:8; Job 34:7]
53. [See ver. 25 above]
54. Proverbs 10:13; Proverbs 18:6; Proverbs 26:3

Footnotes 3

[a]. Or A soul
[b]. Or of a noble
[c]. The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1Ki 8:1-9 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1Ki 8:10,11 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1Ki 8:12-21, of a prayer of his he put up on this occasion, requesting, that what supplications soever were made at any time, or on any account, by Israelites or strangers, might be accepted by the Lord, 1Ki 8:22-53, and of his blessing the people of Israel at the close of it, with some useful exhortations, 1Ki 8:54-61, and of the great number of sacrifices offered up by him, and the feast he made for the people, upon which he dismissed them, 1Ki 8:62-66.