II. The stronghold of the man who trusts in riches. A reference to the Critical Notes will show that the word translated wounds may be rendered dainties, and it is because evil reports of others are so keenly relished by an unsanctified soul that the words of a tale-bearer are able to inflict such suffering and work so much ill in the world. This proverb treats of a twofold aspect of human life which furnishes a strong proof of the fallen condition of human nature. Proverbs 18:10-11. To this tower the wicked are sometimes driven in distress, then seeking help here, when it is nowhere else to be found. Every attempt at its removal still leaves some portion of it behind. 18 Loners who care only for themselves. It is a universal tendency of fallen humanity to look exclusively on his own things and not on the things of others, and the wealth of the rich man enables him to indulge this tendency to its utmost. The Pharisees were such; from the Hebrew, pharash, to separate. i "Et in omne solidum dentes destringei", Schultens. 1. c 4 There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of . And men are prone to go even beyond thisthe children of the same common Father often take delight in making their poor brethren feel their dependence on them, and instead of giving sympathy and help freely and after a brotherly fashion, they withhold the first entirely, and if they give the latter they do it coldly and even contemptuously. III. In any of these straits a soul can find no strong city of refuge in the possession of untold millions; these enemies laugh at such a wall of defence. And so it stops the contentions. V. THE NAME JESUS IS GREEK FOR JOSHUA JEHOVAH SHUA. 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. The righteous mans refuge, then, is a Living Personalitya Self-existent and Eternal King and Father, infinite in power, in wisdom, and in tenderness. The first clause of this verse should be A man of many friends will prove himself base, or is so to his own destruction, i.e., he who professes to regard everybody as his friend will, in so doing, involve himself in trouble. An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. Verse 2. The citadel of him who trusts in the Lord. 11 The rich, in their conceit, imagine that their wealth. There are men whose love cannot be extinguished by coldness and distrust, but they are few and far between, and the wise mans words hold good as a general rule that a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. (The latter clause of this verse was treated in Homiletics on chap. The nearest translation to the words is perhaps the following: "He who is separated shall seek the desired thing, (i.e., the object of his desire,) and shall intermeddle (mingle himself) with all realities or all essential knowledge." That it prevents waste of time. The phrase may meanWhen the wicked cometh into intimacy, companionship, familiarity, then cometh contempt.He who admits the wicked to his intimacymakes him his associatemust share the infamy of his ill-chosen companion. Proverbs 20:27. We must try to fathom the profound meaning which is hidden under this simple but striking proverb. Stuart understands this in the sense of to deserve., Proverbs 18:8. He is filled with the increase of his skilful hand. When His wisdom can mistake,His might decay, His love forsake,. ], ". Men cannot live a life of isolation and know anything of the enjoyment of life. Ver. II. But Samuel searched him, and laid open his rebellion. 2. * a 2 Let someone else * praise you, and not your own mouth; Others, * and not your own lips. 2. I. Extremes thus meet. Diligence, let me remind you, is as necessary for the acquisition of spiritual as of temporal goodof the riches of Divine knowledge to the mind, as of the blessings of the Divine life to the heart. Verse 11. The name Jesus is our strong tower. David has recorded as his experience that he had seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-treebut he passed by, and lo, he was not (Psalms 37:35). When a man enters into the marriage relation according to the Divine intentionmaking a woman his wife in the true sense of the wordhe not only adds to his own comfort and consults his own interest, but he does that which is pleasing to Godhe takes a step upon which he can fearlessly ask for the Divine blessing. 9 They are a garland to grace your head. Proverbs 17. Whoso findeth a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD ( Proverbs 18:21-22 ). Call upon the LORD in your troubles, and let Him rescue you ( Ps 18:1-6 ). 10 The character of God is a tower of strength, for the lovers of God delight to run into his heart. Self-conceitthe affectation of extraordinary acuteness. Their day of power is short-lived. I shall always endeavour to make choice of such a woman for my spouse who hath first made choice of Christ as a spouse for herself; that none may be made one flesh with me who is not made one spirit with Christ my Saviour. Here are things, which even the angels desire to look into (1 Peter 1:12). It will be seen from the Critical Notes that most modern critics translate the first clause of this verse very differently from the rendering in our Bibles. The spirit of a man, at least among those to whom Solomon wrote, had truth enough to save him if he would only listen. My old MS. Bible translates, Occasioun seeketh that wil go awei fro a freend: at al tyme he schal ben wariable. For he who knows only his own side of the case is convicted of knowing little of that; his reasons may be good and no one may have been able to refute them, but if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, what rational ground has he for preferring either opinion?Jacox. And not less is economy of means. That great abilities are gifts from God. 14). Through desire (through self-willed and self-seeking desire of wisdom)wisdom, Heb. Proverbs 18:19. The wife of Potiphar seemed just in her cause when she declared that Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled. The favour of a good parent is a thing prized highly by a dutiful child, and enhances the value of every other blessing. ", Evidently the intent is, "He who separates himself [from other people]" does so because he wants his own way and does not want others to restrain him. That this is by no means the rule we have many proofs, but that the tendency is strong we know not only from observation but from the frequent warnings against it in the Word of God. Proverbs 5:1-14 Commentary Proverbs 5 Commentary Proverbs 5:15-23 Commentary Proverbs 6 Commentary Proverbs 6:20-35 Commentary Proverbs 7:1-27 Commentary Proverbs 13 Commentary Proverbs 15 Commentary Proverbs 18:10 Commentary Proverbs 18:11 Commentary Proverbs 28:13 Commentary Proverbs 29:18 Commentary To commit sin is the killing of the soul; to refuse hope of mercy is to cast it down to hell. NIV There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by His name. He gave it to Christs humanity. This appears to me the best meaning: the reader may judge for himself. And if they keep their power and influence throughout the term of their human probation, their names will be contemned by posterity, and in the day when everyone receives the things done in his body (2 Corinthians 5:10), they shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2). One is the darkness of a pool, the other the breadth and gush of an overflowing water. He rescues the righteous like this: "Then the earth shook and trembled . Even Daniel, although a captive in Babylon, found that the God-given powers within him made room for him at a heathen court and brought him before more than one mighty monarch. Such an approach runs counter to sound wisdom because we all need input from other people to make wise decisions. Leviticus 19; Proverbs 29; Matthew 13:24-58. A man can rise above pain of body. The uncertainty of riches has been a subject upon which the sages and moralists of all ages have dweltthe millionaire of to-day may be a beggar to-morrow, and he who was last year surrounded by this high wall, which shut in so much that was agreeable to his senses and shut ont so many discomforts from his temporal life, may be standing to-day a forlorn, unsheltered creature, with only the ruins of his once imposing fortress around him. A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city ( Proverbs 18:19 ): So the idea is, don't offend your brother. (1 Samuel 15:17-23.) As a muscle, the tongue isn't as capable of producing force as a leg or even the jaw, but its power is measured by the damage it can do and the life it can bring. Proverbs 18 1 An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. The bars strike against each other, but neither being more brittle than its antagonist, no progress is made. Proverbs 11:28. Thus the administrative ability which was bestowed upon Joseph was not given to him simply or chiefly to bring him before Pharaoh for his own advancement, but to bring blessing to the Egyptian nation, and to further Gods purposes concerning his own family. Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound . A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. And this is the meaning. When a settler in a forest rubs two dry sticks together the act seems a trifling one, but the friction in time develops the latent heat of the wood, and there is enough fire brought into activity to lay low many a mighty forest tree. Verse 1. No other member of the human body can lay claim to such wide-spread and regal authority. The spirit can sustain the body under its trials, but sensual gratifications and physical comforts can do nothing towards alleviating spiritual distress. A bad wife is no wife at all. He hath but one grand policy to secure him against all dangers, and that is, to run to God.Trapp. Nov 7, 2020. Proverbs 18:6. ( Proverbs 18:14 ). Wherefore, when the mighty strive, and might of reason standeth on both sides equally, being too strong for man to decide, let the Almighty by His lot decide it.Jermin. Verses 1-2. The matter of fact is here statedand there are natural enough reasons to account for it. In every cause, the first information, if it have dwelt for a little in the judges mind, takes deep root, and colours and takes possession of it, insomuch that it will hardly be washed out unless either some clear falsehood be detected or some deceit in the statement thereof.Bacon. If they would but appear in their true character;would they but show their fangs, and make us feel them, we should be put upon our guard. This one thingsaith the man of GodI do (Philip. 31, p. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. 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