Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:1

1. sacrifices with strife] Lit. sacrifices of strife, but better rendered, good cheer with strife, A.V. marg.; or, feasting with strife, R.V. text. This rendering, however, may be arrived at in either of two ways, (1) We may suppose that the ordinance of feasting on part of a sacrifice Leviticus 7:16; Leviticus 19:6-8) appealed so to the popular mind, that the restriction to “the place which the Lord their God should choose” (Deuteronomy 12:4-14) came to be neglected, and as is too commonly the case, with Christmas, for example, in our own day, the word which should have denoted a religious act before God, sank down to mean a mere worldly feast at home. (2) But it may be doubted whether the Heb. for sacrifice is not used here in the sense of animals slain or killed for eating, as in Deuteronomy 12:15; 1 Samuel 28:24; 1 Kings 19:21; and Ezekiel 39:17, compared with Revelation 19:17, where θυσία of the LXX. becomes δεῖπνον. See also Matthew 22:4.

Proverbs 17:2

2. a wise servant] or, a servant that dealeth wisely, R.V., in contrast with a son who causeth shame, or dealeth shamefully. Comp. “Free men shall minister unto a wise servant.” Sir 10:25, R.V. The proverb is exemplified in Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2), and Ziba (2 Samuel 16:4 with 1 Chronicles 2:34-35), and in Jeroboam, Solomon’s “servant” (1 Kings 11:26), who, being “industrious,” shared the inheritance with Rehoboam, “a son that dealt shamefully.”

Proverbs 17:3

3. trieth the hearts] q.d. man can try the precious metals, but only God the hearts (Jeremiah 17:9-10). The thought that He tries them to refine them, which is suggested here by the parallelism, is elsewhere expressed clearly. (Psalms 66:10-12; Malachi 3:3-4; 1 Peter 1:7. Comp. Sir 2:5.)

Proverbs 17:4

4. false] Rather, wicked, R.V., in a wider sense.

Proverbs 17:5

5. his Maker] Comp. Proverbs 14:31. glad at calamities] “It belonged to the Greek mind in its fertility of combination, to express it (the temper here spoken of) by the single word ἐπιχαιρεκακία (Arist. Eth. Nicom. ii. 6), well rendered by the German ‘schadenfreude’.” Dean Plumptre, Speaker’s Comm. The connecting link of thought between the two clauses of the verse is that poverty and calamity proceed alike from God, so that to mock at the one, or be glad at the other, is to reproach Him and to incur His displeasure.

Proverbs 17:6

6. “A beautiful family picture of linked and mutually blessed “generations.” Horton.

Proverbs 17:7

7. Excellent] Or, arrogant, R.V. marg.

Proverbs 17:8

8. him that hath it] Lit. its lord or possessor. This may mean either the giver, or the receiver of it. The former sense seems preferable. He who has a gift to bestow counts himself the possessor of that with which he can secure success in any direction he pleases, as though he turned in this direction or in that a precious gem or talisman to attract and conciliate the beholder. Maurer quotes the familiar lines of Ovid (de art. am. 3. 653), “Munera, crede mihi, capiunt hominesque deosque; Placatur donis Jupiter ipse datis.” Comp. Proverbs 18:16.

Proverbs 17:9

9. repeateth] i.e. brings it up again and again, harpeth on it, as R.V. happily renders. Comp. Proverbs 26:11, “a fool repeateth his folly,” R.V.; “Heb. iterateth his folly,” A.V. marg. very friends] Rather, chief friends, as the word is rendered, Proverbs 16:28.

Proverbs 17:10

10. more] Rather, deeper, R.V.; as we say, makes a deeper impression. See Proverbs 18:8, Proverbs 26:22. Maurer compares “altius in pectus descendit” (Sall. Jug. 11), “curam in animos descensuram” (Liv. 2. 52); and for the sentiment, “nobilis equus umbra quoque virgæ regitur, ignavus ne calcari quidem concitari potest” (Curt. 7. 4): “a noble steed is ruled even by the shadow of the whip; a sluggish one cannot be roused even by the spur.”

Proverbs 17:11

11. rebellion] This, in its highest reference, is an anticipation of the divine philosophy of St John, “sin is lawlessness” (ἡἁμαρτίαἐστὶνἡἀνομία). “Sin is lawlessness. Sin and lawlessness are convertible terms. Sin is not an arbitrary conception; it is the assertion of the selfish will against a paramount authority. He who sins breaks, not only by accident or in an isolated detail, but essentially, the law which he was created to fulfil,” Westcott on 1 John 3:4. a cruel messenger] The stern, implacable minister of the rebel’s doom. Comp., for illustration, 1 Kings 2:25; 1 Kings 2:34. The LXX. refer the sending of the merciless messenger, whether human or angelic, to Jehovah, against whom ultimately all rebellion is aimed: ὁδὲκύριοςἄγγελονἀνελεήμοναἐκπέμψειαὐτῷ.

Proverbs 17:12

12. a bear &c.] “The Syrian bear is fiercer than the brown bears to which we are accustomed. It attacks flocks (1 Samuel 17:34), and even oxen (Plin. viii. 64). The fierceness of the she-bear, bereaved of her whelps, became a proverb (2 Samuel 17:8).” Pusey on Hosea 13:8. rather than] Lit. and not.

Proverbs 17:14

14. letteth out water] by making ever so small a hole or fissure in a dam, or in the bank of a reservoir, such as Solomon himself constructed (Ecclesiastes 2:6). “aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis Exiit, oppositasque evicit gurgite moles, Fertur in arva furens cumulo, camposque per omnes Cum stabulis armenta trahit.”—Virg. Aen. ii. 496–499. be meddled with] The Heb. word occurs only here and in Proverbs 18:1, Proverbs 20:3, in which places the rendering of A.V. is: be meddled with, intermeddleth with, will be meddling. We must, however, render, there be quarrelling, R.V. or, it waxeth warm, Gesen.

Proverbs 17:15

15. Comp. Isaiah 5:23.

Proverbs 17:16

16. heart] i.e. understanding, R.V.; see Proverbs 15:32, note. We might almost render, capacity. Wisdom cannot be bought for a price: it can only be assimilated by a wise, or wisdom-loving heart. Its words are φωνᾶντασυνετοῖσι; its teachers teach, πνευματικοῖςπνευματικὰσυγκρίνοντες, “interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men” (as some translate 1 Corinthians 2:13). So was Incarnate Wisdom wont to cry, “Who hath ears to hear let him hear” (Matthew 13:9 ff.; comp. Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:17; Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6; Revelation 3:13; Revelation 3:22).

Proverbs 17:17

17. a brother is born] Or (making a friend the subject clauses) is born as a brother, R.V. marg. A friend love friend’s love always, but with the love of a born brother in adversity. So was it with Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18-20.); but the proverb admits of the highest application. See Introd. p. 30.

Proverbs 17:18

18. understanding] Lit. heart, as in Proverbs 17:16. surety] See Proverbs 6:1 note.

Proverbs 17:19

19. exalteth] Or, raiseth high, R.V. Comp. Proverbs 16:18. See for illustrations of such “raising high the gate” and of the “destruction” that follows it, Jeremiah 22:13-19, and the case of Haman in the Book of Esther. The relation of pride to strife (Proverbs 13:10) supplies a connecting link between the two clauses of this verse.

Proverbs 17:21

21. a fool … a fool] The Heb. word so rendered is not the same in the two clauses of the verse. The first word in the first clause describes the fool as dull or senseless, or as some think obstinate. The second word points him out as shameless, like Nabal, whose name (the Heb. word here) was descriptive of his character (1 Samuel 25:25). There is a third Heb. word, used more commonly than either of these in this Book, which regards a fool as one who is perverse, or as some render, weak.

Proverbs 17:22

22. doeth good like a medicine] Rather, is a good medicine, R.V. “Heb. causeth good healing,” R.V. marg.; giveth a happy healing, Gesen.; εὐεκτεῖνποιεῖ, LXX.

Proverbs 17:23

23. out of the bosom] i.e. the fold of the garment in which it had been concealed; denoting the stealthy action either of the suitor who proffers, or more probably of the judge who receives the bribe. Comp. Proverbs 21:14.

Proverbs 17:24

24. before] More literally and forcibly, before the face of, R.V., as the object of his stedfast contemplation and pursuit, whereas “the eyes of a fool” seek the world over and find not. Comp. Proverbs 4:25.

Proverbs 17:26

26. Also] beside other things that are “not good”; as “also” is used in Proverbs 19:2. punish] Lit. mulct, or (as R.V. marg.) fine. strike] i.e. inflict the severer punishment of scourging. Deuteronomy 25:1-3. princes] Rather, the noble, R.V. The Heb. word properly denotes character, liberal, free-handed (Gesen. Lex. s.v.), and so comes to be applied to rank or office. See Proverbs 19:6, where the same word is rendered the prince, A.V., but, in keeping with the parallelism, the liberal man, R.V. text. For illustration of the proverb comp. John 18:23.

Proverbs 17:27

27. excellent] Rather, cool, A.V. marg. and R.V.; μακρόθυμοςἀνὴρ, LXX. It is better with LXX. and R.V. to invert the order of subject and predicate in this verse and render: He that spareth his words hath knowledge: And he that is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Proverbs 17:28

28. he that shutteth &c.] Or, with R.V. text, when he (i.e. the fool of the former clause of the verse) shutteth … he is esteemed as prudent. Mr Horton (Book of Proverbs, p. 177) quotes the old Norse proverb, “An unwise man when he comes among the people Had best be silent: no one knows That he nothing knows, unless he talks too much.”