Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Proverbs
Book: Proverbs
Chapter: 12
Overview:
1 Those who have
Grace, will delight in the instructions given
them. Those that stifle their convictions, are like brutes. 2.
The
Man who covers selfish and vicious designs under a
profession of religion or friendship, will be condemned. 3.
Though men may advance themselves
By sinful arts, they cannot
settle and secure themselves. But those who
By Faith are rooted
in
Christ, are firmly fixed. 4. A
Wife who is pious, prudent,
and looks
Well to the ways of her household, who makes
Conscience of her duty, and can
Bear crosses; such a one is an
honour and comfort to her
Husband. She that is the reverse of
this, preys upon him, and consumes him. 5. Thoughts are not
free; they are under the Divine knowledge, therefore under the
Divine command. It is a
Man's shame to act with deceit, with
trick and design. 6. Wicked people speak mischief to their
neighbours. A
Man may sometimes do a good work with one good
Word. 7.
God's blessing is often continued to the families of
godly men, while the wicked are overthrown. 8. The apostles
showed
Wisdom By glorying in shame for the name of
Christ. 9.
He that lives in a humble state, who has
No one to wait upon
him, but gets
Bread By his own labour, is happier than he that
glories in high
Birth or gay attire, and wants necessaries.
10. A godly
Man would not
Put even an
Animal to needless pain.
But the wicked often speak of others as
Well used, when they
would not endure like treatment for a single
Day. 11. It is
men's
Wisdom to mind their business, and follow an honest
Calling. But it is folly to neglect business; and the
Grace of
God teaches men to disdain nothing but
Sin. 12. When the
ungodly see others prosper
By Sin, they wish they could act in
the same way. But the root of Divine
Grace, in the
Heart of the
righteous, produces other desires and purposes. 13. Many a
Man
has paid dear in this world for the transgression of his lips.
14. When men use their
Tongues aright, to teach and comfort
others, they enjoy acceptance through
Christ Jesus; and the
Testimony of their
Conscience, that they in some
Measure answer
the
End of their being. 15. A fool, in the sense of
Scripture,
means a wicked
Man, one who
Acts contrary to the
Wisdom that is
from above. His rule is, to do what is right in his own eyes.
16. A foolish
Man is soon angry, and is hasty in expressing
it; he is ever in trouble and running into mischief. It is
kindness to ourselves to make
Light of injuries and affronts,
instead of making the worst of them. 17. It is good for all to
dread and detest the
Sin of lying, and to be governed
By
honesty. 18. Whisperings and evil surmises, like a
Sword,
separate those that have been dear to each other. The tongue of
the
Wise is health, making all whole. 19. If
Truth be spoken,
it will
Hold good; whoever may be disobliged, still it will keep
its ground. 20. Deceit and falsehood bring terrors and
perplexities. But those who consult the peace and happiness of
others have joy in their own minds. 21. If men are sincerely
righteous, the righteous
God has engaged that
No evil shall
happen to them. But they that delight in mischief shall have
enough of it. 22. Make
Conscience of
Truth, not only in words,
but in actions. 23. Foolish men proclaim to all the folly and
emptiness of their minds. 24. Those who will not take pains in
an honest
Calling, living
By tricks and dishonesty, are paltry
and beggarly. 25. Care, fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits,
deprive men of vigour in what is to be done, or courage in what
is to be borne. A good
Word from
God, applied
By Faith, makes
the
Heart glad. 26. The righteous is abundant; though not in
this world's goods, yet in the graces and comforts of the
Spirit, which are the true riches. Evil men vainly flatter
themselves that their ways are not wrong. 27. The slothful
Man
makes
No good use of the advantages
Providence puts in his way,
and has
No comfort in them. The substance of a diligent
Man,
though not great, does good to him and his family. He sees that
God gives it to him in answer to
Prayer. 28. The way of
religion is a straight,
Plain way; it is the way of
Righteousness. There is not only
Life at the
End, but
Life in
the way; all true comfort.