Zhēnyán 25:25

25 Yǒu hǎo xiāoxi cóng yuǎnfāng lái , jiù rú ná liáng shuǐ gĕi kǒu kĕ de rén hē .

Zhēnyán 25:25 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 25:25

[As] cold waters to a thirsty soul
Water is naturally cold; and is by classic writers expressed by "cold" itself ^F3, and is very refreshing to one athirst through heat: or, "to a weary soul" ^F4; to one wearied with labour; or to a traveller weary with travelling, especially in hot countries, as in the deserts of Arabia, or in places where it is rare to meet with a brook, stream, or fountain of water; which, when he does, it is exceeding pleasant and agreeable to him; so [is] good news from a far country;
so acceptable is it to hear from a friend in a distant part of the world, and particularly to hear good news of him. Such is the Gospel; it is good news, and glad tidings of good things; it brings the good news of the grace, and favour, and good will of God to men; of his appointment and provision of a Saviour for them; of the incarnation of Christ; of salvation being wrought out by him for the chief of sinners, which is free, full, and for ever; and of peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life, through him, And this comes "from a far country"; from heaven, the better country than Canaan, which was a type of it, or any country in this world, and which is afar from hence; the Gospel comes from God in heaven, and it is a report concerning that; it is good news to saints, of an estate they have there, an inheritance, a house, a city and kingdom prepared for them there: this news is brought by the prophets of the Old Testament, who diligently inquired of salvation by Christ; by the angels at Christ's incarnation; by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ; by Christ himself, who was anointed to preach good tidings to the meek; and by his apostles, and all the faithful ministers of the word: and the message they bring is good news; not to carnal and self-righteous persons, but to sensible sinners; and to them it is as cold waters to a weary or thirsty soul; it assuages the heat of the law, and the wrath that works in the conscience; it quenches the thirst of carnal things, and after a man's own righteousness; it revives and refreshes his weary drooping spirits, and fills him with a joy unspeakable and full of glory; as Jacob's spirits were revived on hearing the good news of Joseph, ( Genesis 45:26-28 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 "Perfundit gelida", Horat. Sermon. l. 2. Sat. 7. v. 91.
F4 (hpye) "lassa", Montanus; "lasso", Tigurine version, so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis.

Zhēnyán 25:25 In-Context

23 Bĕi fēng shēng yǔ , chán bàng rén de shétou yĕ shēng nù róng .

24 Néngkĕ zhù zaì fáng dǐng de jiǎo shang , bú zaì kuānkuò de fángwū yǔ zhēng chāo de fùrén tóng zhù .

25 Yǒu hǎo xiāoxi cóng yuǎnfāng lái , jiù rú ná liáng shuǐ gĕi kǒu kĕ de rén hē .

26 Yì rén zaì è rén miànqián tuì sù , hǎoxiàng tāng hún zhī quán , lòng zhuó zhī jǐng .

27 Chī mì guo duō , shì bù hǎo de . kǎo jiū zìjǐ de róngyào , yĕ shì kĕ yàn de .