201 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
2 A king's wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives.
3 It is to one's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
4 Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.
5 The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?
7 The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.
8 When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?
10 Differing weights and differing measures- the Lord detests them both.
11 Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see- the Lord has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 "It's no good, it's no good!" says the buyer- then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.
19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.
21 An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
23 The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.
24 A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one's vows.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them.
27 The human spirit is[1] the lamp of the Lordthat sheds light on one's inmost being.
28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure.
29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.
30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.
201 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold;
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness:
7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 Divers weights,
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17 Bread of deceit
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp
21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false
24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is the candle
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth
201 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous who walks in his integrity-- blessed are his children after him!
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"?
10 Unequal
11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.
13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
14 "Bad, bad," says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.
19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good.
24 A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, "It is holy," and to reflect only after making vows.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.
27 The spirit
28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
29 The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.
201 Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome - a staggering drunk is not much fun.
2 Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs - cross them and they bite your head off.
3 It's a mark of good character to avert quarrels, but fools love to pick fights.
4 A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.
5 Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.
6 Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one?
7 God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children.
8 Leaders who know their business and care keep a sharp eye out for the shoddy and cheap,
9 For who among us can be trusted to be always diligent and honest?
10 Switching price tags and padding the expense account are two things God hates.
11 Young people eventually reveal by their actions if their motives are on the up and up. Drinking from the Chalice of Knowledge
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see - we get our basic equipment from God!
13 Don't be too fond of sleep; you'll end up in the poorhouse. Wake up and get up; then there'll be food on the table.
14 The shopper says, "That's junk - I'll take it off your hands," then goes off boasting of the bargain.
15 Drinking from the beautiful chalice of knowledge is better than adorning oneself with gold and rare gems.
16 Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger; beware of accepting what a transient has pawned.
17 Stolen bread tastes sweet, but soon your mouth is full of gravel.
18 Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get.
19 Gossips can't keep secrets, so never confide in blabbermouths.
20 Anyone who curses father and mother extinguishes light and exists benighted. The Very Steps We Take
21 A bonanza at the beginning is no guarantee of blessing at the end.
22 Don't ever say, "I'll get you for that!" Wait for God; he'll settle the score.
23 God hates cheating in the marketplace; rigged scales are an outrage.
24 The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we're going?
25 An impulsive vow is a trap; later you'll wish you could get out of it.
26 After careful scrutiny, a wise leader makes a clean sweep of rebels and dolts.
27 God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out.
28 Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.
29 Youth may be admired for vigor, but gray hair gives prestige to old age.
30 A good thrashing purges evil; punishment goes deep within us.
201 Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2 The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
3 It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.
4 The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?
7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment Scatters all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?
10 Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The Lord has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.
14 "It is good for nothing," cries the buyer; But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger, And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel; By wise counsel wage war.
19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
21 An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, "I will recompense evil"; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good.
24 A man's steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?
25 It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.
26 A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.
29 The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.
201 Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.
2 The king's fury is like a lion's roar; to rouse his anger is to risk your life.
3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.
4 Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.
5 Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?
7 The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.
8 When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good.
9 Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin"?
10 False weights and unequal measures - the Lord detests double standards of every kind.
11 Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
12 Ears to hear and eyes to see- both are gifts from the Lord .
13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
14 The buyer haggles over the price, saying, "It's worthless," then brags about getting a bargain!
15 Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies.
16 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger's debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.
17 Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.
18 Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without wise advice.
19 A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don't hang around with chatterers.
20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.
21 An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.
22 Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.
23 The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.
24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
25 Don't trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost.
26 A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat, then runs his threshing wheel over them.
27 The Lord 's light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
28 Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love.
29 The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Proverbs 20:1-33
Commentary on Proverbs 20:1
(Read Proverbs 20:1)
It seems hard to believe that men of the greatest abilities, as well as the ignorant, should render themselves fools and madmen, merely for the taste or excitement produced by strong liquors.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:2
(Read Proverbs 20:2)
How formidable kings are to those who provoke them! how much more foolish then is it to provoke the King of kings!
Commentary on Proverbs 20:3
(Read Proverbs 20:3)
To engage in quarrels is the greatest folly that can be. Yield, and even give up just demands, for peace' sake.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:4
(Read Proverbs 20:4)
He who labours and endures hardship in his seed-time for eternity, will be properly diligent as to his earthly business.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:5
(Read Proverbs 20:5)
Though many capable of giving wise counsel are silent, yet something may be drawn from them, which will reward those who obtain it.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:6
(Read Proverbs 20:6)
It is hard to find those that have done, and will do more good than they speak, or care to hear spoken of.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:7
(Read Proverbs 20:7)
A good man is not liable to uneasiness in contriving what he shall do, or in reflecting on what he has done, as those who walk in deceit. And his family fare better for his sake.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:8
(Read Proverbs 20:8)
If great men are good men, they may do much good, and prevent very much evil.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:9
(Read Proverbs 20:9)
Some can say, Through grace, we are cleaner than we have been; but it was the work of the Holy Spirit.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:10
(Read Proverbs 20:10)
See the various deceits men use, of which the love of money is the root. The Lord will not bless what is thus gotten.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:11
(Read Proverbs 20:11)
Parents should observe their children, that they may manage them accordingly.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:12
(Read Proverbs 20:12)
All our powers and faculties are from God, and are to be employed for him.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:13
(Read Proverbs 20:13)
Those that indulge themselves, may expect to want necessaries, which should have been gotten by honest labour.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:14
(Read Proverbs 20:14)
Men use arts to get a good bargain, and to buy cheap; whereas a man ought to be ashamed of a fraud and a lie.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:15
(Read Proverbs 20:15)
He that prefers true knowledge to riches, follows the ways of religion and happiness. If we really believed this truth, the word of God would be valued as it deserves, and the world would lose its tempting influence.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:16
(Read Proverbs 20:16)
Those ruin themselves who entangle themselves in rash suretiship. Also those who are in league with abandoned women. Place no confidence in either.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:17
(Read Proverbs 20:17)
Wealth gotten by fraud may be sweet, for the carnal mind takes pleasure in the success of wicked devices; but it will be bitter in the reflection.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:18
(Read Proverbs 20:18)
Especially we need advice in spiritual warfare. The word and Spirit of God are the best counsellors in every point.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:19
(Read Proverbs 20:19)
Those dearly buy their own praise, who put confidence in a man because he speaks fairly.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:20
(Read Proverbs 20:20)
An undutiful child will become very miserable. Never let him expect any peace or comfort.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:21
(Read Proverbs 20:21)
An estate suddenly raised, is often as suddenly ruined.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:22
(Read Proverbs 20:22)
Wait on the Lord, attend his pleasure, and he will protect thee.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:23
(Read Proverbs 20:23)
A bargain made by fraud will prove a losing bargain in the end.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:24
(Read Proverbs 20:24)
How can we form plans, and conduct business, independently of the Lord?
Commentary on Proverbs 20:25
(Read Proverbs 20:25)
The evasions men often use with their own consciences show how false and deceitful man is.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:26
(Read Proverbs 20:26)
Justice should crush the wicked, and separate them from the virtuous.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:27
(Read Proverbs 20:27)
The rational soul and conscience are as a lamp within us, which should be used in examining our dispositions and motives with the revealed will of God.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:28
(Read Proverbs 20:28)
Mercy and truth are the glories of God's throne.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:29
(Read Proverbs 20:29)
Both young and old have their advantages; and let neither despise or envy the other.
Commentary on Proverbs 20:30
(Read Proverbs 20:30)
Severe rebukes sometimes do a great deal of good. But such is the corruption of nature, that men are loth to be rebuked for their sins. If God uses severe afflictions, to purify our hearts and fit us for his service, we have cause to be very thankful.