Mishle 29:5

5 A gever that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a reshet (net) for his feet.

Mishle 29:5 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 29:5

A man that flattereth his neighbour
That speaks smooth things to him gives him flattering titles, speaks fair to his face, highly commends him on one account or another: spreadeth a net for his feet;
has an idle design upon him, and therefore should be guarded against; his view is to draw him into a snare and make a prey of him; he attacks him on his weak side, and hopes to make some advantage of it to himself; wherefore flatterers should be avoided as pernicious persons; or he spreads a net for his own feet, and is taken in the snare which he had laid for his neighbour; or falls into the pit he dug for him, as Gersom observes; see ( Psalms 140:5 ) ( Hosea 5:1 ) .

Mishle 29:5 In-Context

3 He who loveth chochmah rejoiceth aviv, but he that keepeth company with zonot squanders his hon (substance, wealth).

4 Melech by mishpat establisheth eretz, but an ish terumot (a man of bribes) bringeth it down.

5 A gever that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a reshet (net) for his feet.

6 By peysha (transgression) an ish rah is snared, but the tzaddik doth sing and have simchah.

7 The tzaddik considereth the cause of the dalim, but the rasha (wicked) doeth not understand such da’as (knowledge).