Proverbs 20

King James Version (KJV) · English

1 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; therefore shall he beg in 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 every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? 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, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord. 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 is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. 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 with his lips. 20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 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 balance is not good. 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 of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. 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 away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Commentary — not Bible text

Proverbs 20:1

Pr 20:1-30.

1. mocker--scorner. Such men are made by wine.

strong drink--made by spicing wine (compare Is 5:11, 22); and it may include wine.

raging--or boisterous as a drunkard.

deceived--literally, "erring," or reeling.

Proverbs 20:2

2. (Compare Pr 19:12). Men who resist authority injure themselves (Ro 13:2).

Proverbs 20:3

3. to cease from strife--or, better, "to dwell from or without strife," denoting the habit of life.

fool ... meddling--(Pr 17:14).

Proverbs 20:4

4. shall ... beg--literally, "ask" (in this sense, Psa 109:10).

Proverbs 20:5

5. Counsel ... water--that is, deeply hidden (Pr 18:4; Psa 13:2). The wise can discern well.

Proverbs 20:6

6. Boasters are unreliable.

goodness--or, "kind disposition."

Proverbs 20:7

7. The conduct of good men proclaims their sound principles. God's covenant and their good example secure blessing to their children (Pr 4:26; Psa 112:1, 2).

Proverbs 20:8

8. As in Pr 14:35; 16:10, 15, this is the character of a good king, not of all kings.

Proverbs 20:9

9. The interrogation in the affirmative strengthens the implied negation (compare Job 15:14; Ec 7:20).

Proverbs 20:10

10. Various measures, implying that some are wrong (compare Pr 11:1; 16:11).

Proverbs 20:11

11. The conduct of children even is the best test of principle (compare Mt 7:16).

Proverbs 20:12

12. Hence, of course, God will know all you do (Psa 94:9).

Proverbs 20:13

13. Activity and diligence contrasted with sloth (Pr 6:9; 10:11).

lest ... poverty--literally, "be deprived of inheritance."

Proverbs 20:14

14. when ... his way--implying that he goes about boasting of his bargains.

Proverbs 20:15

15. The contrast denotes the greater value of knowledge (compare Pr 3:14-16).

Proverbs 20:16

16. Take his garment--implies severe exaction, justified by the surety's rashness.

a strange woman--by some readings "strangers," but the former here, and in Pr 27:13, is allowable, and strengthens the sense. The debauchee is less reliable than the merely careless.

Proverbs 20:17

17. Bread ... sweet--either as unlawfully (Pr 9:17) or easily obtained.

mouth ... gravel--well expresses the pain and grief given at last.

Proverbs 20:18

18. (Compare Pr 15:22). Be careful and considerate in important plans.

Proverbs 20:19

19. Those who love to tell news will hardly keep secrets.

flattereth ... lips--(compare Margin; Pr 1:10).

meddle ... him--literally, "join," or "associate with."

Proverbs 20:21

21. gotten hastily--contrary to God's providence (Pr 28:20), implying its unjust or easy attainment; hence the man is punished, or spends freely what he got easily (compare Pr 20:17).

Proverbs 20:24

24. Man's goings--literally, "Stately steppings of a strong man."

a man--any common man.

understand--or, "perceive."

Proverbs 20:25

25. devoureth ... holy--or, better, "who rashly speaks promises," or "devotes what is holy," consecrating any thing. This suits better the last clause, which expresses a similar view of the results of rashly vowing.

Proverbs 20:26

26. (Compare Pr 20:8).

bringeth ... over them--The wheel was used for threshing grain. The figure denotes severity (compare Am 1:3).

Proverbs 20:27

27. The spirit ... Lord--Men's minds are God's gifts, and thus able to search one another (compare Pr 20:5; Pr 18:8, 17; 1Co 2:11).

Proverbs 20:29

29. The glory of young men ... the beauty of old men--Each age has its peculiar excellence (Pr 16:31).

Proverbs 20:30

30. blueness--literally, "joining," the process of uniting the edges of a wound throws off purulent matter.

stripes ... belly--So punishment provides healing of soul (Pr 18:8), by deterring from evil courses.

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