Proverbes 10:28 Commentaire

Hitherto we have been in the porch or preface to the proverbs, here they begin. They are short but weighty sentences; most of them are distichs, two sentences in one verse, illustrating each other; but it is seldom that there is any coherence between the verses, much less any thread of discourse, and therefore in these chapters we need not attempt to reduce the contents to their proper heads, the several sentences will appear best in their own places. The scope of them all is to set before us good and evil, the blessing and the curse. Many of the proverbs in this chapter relate to the good government of the tongue, without which men's religion is vain.

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 10 From this chapter to the "twenty fifth" are various proverbial sentences, without any very apparent connection or coherence with each other; describing righteous and wicked men; setting forth their different temper, conduct, and actions, and the fruits and effects of them. It should be observed, that frequently in the preceding chapters two persons are represented as women; one goes by the name of "Wisdom", the other is called the "foolish" woman and a "harlot"; the former is clearly to be understood of Christ; and the latter, being opposed to him, must be antichrist, the whore of Rome, and mother of harlots: now in the following part of this book two sorts of persons are spoken of; the one as wise, righteous, good, &c. and the other as foolish, wicked, &c. who are no other than the followers of Christ and antichrist; which observation is a key to the whole book.

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness,.... Or, "is gladness" (w); it is now attended with joy; he has a pleasure in the exercise of the grace of hope as to future things; he rejoices in hope of the glory of God, and is enabled to hold fast the rejoicing of his hope firm unto the end, Rom 5:2; and the issue of his hope will be an abundant entrance into the joy of his Lord; a being brought into his presence, in which is fulness of joy; he is not ashamed of his hope now, and he will not be disappointed hereafter; but the expectation of the wicked shall perish; his hope and expectation, either of riches, and honour, and pleasure in this world, or of a long life in it; or of happiness in the other, and of escaping the wrath of God, and the vengeance of eternal fire; all which, being grounded on a wrong bottom, shall be frustrated; see Job 8:13. (w) "Est", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis.

The expectation of the righteous is gladness, etc. It is clear that the righteous rejoice in the expectation of the life to come, even though they are saddened by the affliction of present trials. Hence that saying, "You are my refuge from the distress that surrounds me, my exultation" (Psalm XIII). But the impious, who think they will find rest in the future, or indeed will be nothing after death, are deceived. Nor does this contradict the statement made above, "What the wicked fear will come upon them"; for there are those who, knowing the judgment of future goods and evils, nonetheless sin out of negligence, despair, or even deliberately: for to such the destruction they fear will come; there are those who think the evils they do will never be punished, or the good deeds they do will be rewarded with good recompense; of whom it is rightly said that the hope of the impious will perish. For concerning those who sin knowingly, he subsequently adds:

Here begins the second part of the book, Pro. 10:1-22:16, which, with the third, Pro. 22:16-25:28, contains series of proverbs whose sense is complete in one or two verses, and which, having no logical connection, admit of no analysis. The parallelisms of Pro. 10:1-15:33 are mostly antithetic; and those of Pro. 16:1-22:16, synthetic. The evidences of art in the structure are very clear, and indicate, probably, a purpose of facilitating the labor of memorizing. (Pro. 10:1-32) wise [and] foolish--as they follow or reject the precepts of wisdom. maketh . . . father--or, "gladdens a father." heaviness--or, "grief."

gladness--in confidence of realizing it. expectation . . . perish--in disappointment.

21 The lips of the righteous edify many; But fools die through want of understanding.