Proverbs 6:14

Frowardness [is] in his heart,.... Or perverse things; evil habits and principles of sin; all manner of wickedness, errors and heresies; things contrary to right reason, repugnant to the will and law

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

Frowardness; perverse or wicked thoughts and desires. He soweth discord; either out of malice against others, or out of a base design of improving it to his own advantage.

Proverbs 6:14 Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.Ver. 14. Frowardness is in his heart.] What marvel then though he solecise with his hand, though he twinkle with his eye, and tinkle with his feet, &c.? "When he speaketh fair, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart." Even those seven next mentioned here, as Aben Ezra conceiveth upon that text. He deviseth mischief continually.] Heb., At all times. Pliny speaks of the scorpion, that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting. The soul of a wicked man is "in a sling," restless, and violently tossed about by Satan, who acts and agitates him. He soweth discord.] And so shows himself a true breathing devil, a disciple of Machiavel, whose maxim was, divide et impera, make division and get dominion. In the year 1579, Allen at Rhemes instructed his emissary seducers, sent over into England, to make way for their great project of perdition in 1588, by dividing the people under the terms of Protestant and Puritan, and provoking them thereby to real and mutual both hate and contempt. And what labouring there is now by the Jesuit party to heighten our unhappy differences, that they may make themselves masters of all, who seeth not? Herein they deal, - saith Gregory, of the like factors for the devil in his time, - as the master of the pit, who oft sets two cocks to fight together to the death of both, that after mutual conquest, he may sup with both their carcases. The Jews, before they were banished out of this kingdom, threw bags of poison into the wells and fountains that the people were to drink of, and thereby endeavoured to poison them all: so do our seedsmen of sedition. Oυτοςτηχειρισολοικιζει. Archbishop Abbot’ s answer to Dr HilI’ s Three Reasons.

Verse 14. He deviseth mischief] He plots schemes and plans to bring it to pass. He soweth discord.] Between men and their wives, by seducing the latter from their fidelity. See the preceding quotation.

14. soweth) Vulg. seminat. So R.V. with “Heb. letteth loose”, in marg. Lit. sendeth or casteth forth, as was done in the hand sowing of those days and countries. Comp. ὡςἄνθρωποςβάλῃτὸνσπόρονἐπὶτῆςγῆς, Mark 4:26. The idea of sowing is not contained, however, in the Heb. word, and the phrase “sowing strife” may merely be chosen as the best Eng. equivalent for the Heb. phrase. Comp. Proverbs 6:19 below, and Proverbs 16:28.

14. Frowardness — Perversions. Soweth — Casteth forth, or excites.