He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own
house
Or "that covets a covetousness" F20, an evil one, as in (
Habakkuk
2:9 ) ; that seeks riches by unlawful means, that gathers the
mammon of falsehood, or unrighteousness, as the Targum; he
entails a curse and brings ruin and destruction upon his family;
the Septuagint and Arabic versions are, he "destroys himself"; or
"his own soul", as the Syriac version; it may be understood of a
man that is over anxious and eager to be rich, and hurries on
business, and gives his servants no proper time for food and
rest; (See Gill on
Proverbs 11:29); but he that hateth gifts shall
live;
that rejects them with abhorrence, when offered to bribe him to
pervert judgment, or to do an unjust thing; otherwise gifts may
be lawfully received from one friend by another; the sin is when
they are given and taken for the sake of doing what is base and
sinful; and a man that shakes his hand from receiving gifts on
such a basis, he and his family shall prosper and increase in
worldly things; and, doing this from a right principle of grace,
shall live comfortably in a spiritual sense, and thrive and
flourish in his soul, and live an eternal life hereafter; see (
Psalms 16:5
Psalms 16:6 )
.
F20 (eub euwb) "appetens concupiscentiam", Montanus; "qui avaritiam inhiat" Tigurine version; "concupiscens concupiscentiam", Vatablus.