Proverbs 1:8-33
Wisdom's Warning
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother, 9 For a graceful wreath 'are' they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing. 11 If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause, 12 We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down 'to' the pit, 13 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses 'with' spoil, 14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is—to all of us.' 15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path, 16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird. 18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives. 19 So 'are' the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice, 21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith: 22 'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending, 25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired. 26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh, 27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress. 28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not. 29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen. 30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof, 31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled. 32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them. 33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And 'is' quiet from fear of evil!'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Proverbs 1:8-33
Commentary on Proverbs 1:7-9
(Read Proverbs 1:7-9)
Fools are persons who have no true wisdom, who follow their own devices, without regard to reason, or reverence for God. Children are reasonable creatures, and when we tell them what they must do, we must tell them why. But they are corrupt and wilful, therefore with the instruction there is need of a law. Let Divine truths and commands be to us most honourable; let us value them, and then they shall be so to us.
Commentary on Proverbs 1:10-19
(Read Proverbs 1:10-19)
Wicked people are zealous in seducing others into the paths of the destroyer: sinners love company in sin. But they have so much the more to answer for. How cautious young people should be! "Consent thou not." Do not say as they say, nor do as they do, or would have thee to do; have no fellowship with them. Who could think that it should be a pleasure to one man to destroy another! See their idea of worldly wealth; but it is neither substance, nor precious. It is the ruinous mistake of thousands, that they overvalue the wealth of this world. Men promise themselves in vain that sin will turn to their advantage. The way of sin is down-hill; men cannot stop themselves. Would young people shun temporal and eternal ruin, let them refuse to take one step in these destructive paths. Men's greediness of gain hurries them upon practices which will not suffer them or others to live out half their days. What is a man profited, though he gain the world, if he lose his life? much less if he lose his soul?
Commentary on Proverbs 1:20-33
(Read Proverbs 1:20-33)
Solomon, having showed how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three sorts of persons are here called by Him: 1. Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness. 2. Scorners. Proud, jovial people, that make a jest of every thing. Scoffers at religion, that run down every thing sacred and serious. 3. Fools. Those are the worst of fools that hate to be taught, and have a rooted dislike to serious godliness. The precept is plain; Turn you at my reproof. We do not make a right use of reproofs, if we do not turn from evil to that which is good. The promises are very encouraging. Men cannot turn by any power of their own; but God answers, Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you. Special grace is needful to sincere conversion. But that grace shall never be denied to any who seek it. The love of Christ, and the promises mingled with his reproofs, surely should have the attention of every one. It may well be asked, how long men mean to proceed in such a perilous path, when the uncertainty of life and the consequences of dying without Christ are considered? Now sinners live at ease, and set sorrow at defiance; but their calamity will come. Now God is ready to hear their prayers; but then they shall cry in vain. Are we yet despisers of wisdom? Let us hearken diligently, and obey the Lord Jesus, that we may enjoy peace of conscience and confidence in God; be free from evil, in life, in death, and for ever.