American Standard Version Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18:1-24
EXPOSITION
Pro_18:1
This is a difficult verse, and has obtained various interpretations. The Authorized Version gives, Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom; i.e. a man who has an earnest desire for self-improvement will hold himself aloof from worldly entanglements, and, occupying himself wholly in this pursuit, will become conversant with all wisdom. This gives good sense, and offers a contrast to the fool in Pro_18:2, who “hath no delight in understanding.” But the Hebrew does not rightly bear this interpretation. Its conciseness occasions ambiguity. Literally, For his desire a man who separates himself seeks; in (or against) all wisdom he mingles himself. There is a doubt whether the life of isolation is praised or censured in this verse. Aben Ezra and others of Pharisaic tendencies adopt the former alternative, and explain pretty much as the Authorized Version, thus: “He who out of love of wisdom divorces himself from home, country, or secular pursuits, such a man will mix with the wise and prudent, and be conversant with such.” But the maxim seems rather to blame this separation, though here, again, there is a variety of interpretation. Delitzsch, Ewald, and others translate, “He that dwelleth apart seeketh pleasure, against all sound wisdom he showeth his teeth” (comp. Pro_17:14). Nowack, after Bertheau, renders, “He who separates himself goes after his own desire; with all that is useful he falls into a rage.” Thus the maxim is directed against the conceited, self-willed man, who sets himself against public opinion, delights in differing from received customs, takes no counsel from others, thinks nothing of public interests, but in his mean isolation attends only to his own private ends and fancies (comp. Heb_10:25). The Septuagint and Vulgate (followed by Hitzig) read in the first clause, for taavah, “desire,” taanah, “occasion;” thus: “He who wishes to separate from a friend seeks occasions; but at all time he will be worthy of censure.” The word translated “wisdom” (tushiyah) also means “substance,” “existence;” hence the rendering, “at all time,” omni existentia, equivalent to omni tempore.
Pro_18:2
A fool hath no delight in understanding. This may mean that he takes no pleasure in the wisdom of others, is self-opinionated; or, it may be, does not care for understanding in itself, apart from the use which he can make of it. Vulgate, “The fool receives not the words of wisdom;” Septuagint, “A man of no sense has no need of wisdom.” To try to teach a fool is to cast pearls before swine, and to give that which is holy unto dogs. But that his heart may discover itself; i.e. his only delight is in revealing his heart, displaying his un-wisdom and his foolish thoughts, as in Pro_12:28; Pro_13:16; Pro_15:2. He thinks that thus he is showing himself superior to others, and benefiting the world at large. The LXX. gives the reason, “For rather by folly he is led.”
Pro_18:3
When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt. The contempt here spoken of is not that with which the sinner is regarded, but that which he himself learns to feel for all that is pure and good and lovely (Psa_31:18). As the LXX. interprets, “When the wicked cometh into the depth of evil, he despiseth,” he turns a despiser. So the Vulgate. Going forward in evil, adding sin to sin, he end by casting all shame aside, deriding the Law Divine and human, and saying in his heart, “There is no God.” St. Gregory, “As he who is plunged into a well is confined to the bottom of it; so would the mind fall in, and remain, as it were, at the bottom, if, after having once fallen, it were to confine itself within any measure of sin. But when it cannot be contented with the sin into which it has fallen, while it is daily plunging into worse offences, it finds, as it were, no bottom to the well into which it has fallen, on which to rest. For there would be a bottom to the well, if there were any bounds to his sin. Whence it is well said, ’When a sinner hath come into the lowest depth of sins, he contemneth.’ For he puts by returning, because he has no hope that he can be forgiven. But when he sins still more through despair, he withdraws, as it were, the bottom from the well, so as to find therein no resting place” (’Moral.,’ 26.69, Oxford transl.). Even the heathen could see this terrible consequence. Thus Juvenal is quoted (’Sat.,’ 13.240, etc.)—
“Nam quis
Peccandi finem posuit sibi? quando receipt
Ejectum semel attrita de fronte ruborem?
Quisnam hominum est, quem tu contentum videris uno
Flagitio?”
And with ignominy cometh reproach. Here again it is not the reproach suffered by the sinner that is meant (as in Pro_11:2), but the abuse which he heaps on others who strive to impede him in his evil courses. All that he says or does brings disgrace, and he is always ready to revue any who are better than himself. Both the Septuagint and the Vulgate make the wicked man the victim instead of the actor, thus: “but upon him there cometh disgrace and reproach.” The Hebrew does not well admit this interpretation.
Pro_18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters. “Man” (ish) here means the ideal man in all his wisdom and integrity, just as in Pro_18:22 the ideal wife is intended under the general term “wife.” Such a man’s words are as deep waters which cannot be fathomed or exhausted. The metaphor is common (see Pro_20:5; Ecc_7:24; Ec 21:13). For “mouth,” the Septuagint reads “heart:” “Deep water is a word in a man’s heart.” The second hemistich explains the first: The well spring of wisdom as a flowing (gushing) brook. A man’s words are now called a well spring of wisdom, gushing forth from its source, the wise and understanding heart, pure, fresh, and inexhaustible. Septuagint, “And it leapeth forth (ἀναπηδύει) a river and a fountain of life.” Or we may, with Delitzsch, take the whole as one idea, and consider that a man’s words are deep waters, a bubbling brook, and a fountain of wisdom.
Pro_18:5
It is not good to accept the person of the wicked. To “accept the person” is to show partiality, to be guided in judgment, not by the facts of a case, or the abstract principles of right or wrong, but by extraneous considerations, as a man’s appearance, manners, fortune, family. (For the expression, comp. Le Pro_19:15; Deu_1:17; and in our book, Pro_24:23; Pro_28:21.) The Septuagint phrase is θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον, which St. Jude adopts (Jud_1:16). Other writers in the New Testament use λαμβάνειν πρόσωτον in the same sense; e.g. Luk_20:21; Gal_2:6). To overthrow (turn aside) the righteous in judgment is not good (comp. Isa_10:2). The construction is the same as in Pro_17:26. The LXX. adds in the second clause, οὐδὲ ὄσιον, which makes the sentence clear; not seeing this, the Vulgate renders, ut declines a veritate judicii. The offence censured is the perversion of justice in giving sentence against a righteous man whose cause the judge has reason to know is just.
Pro_18:6
A fool’s lips enter into contention; literally, come with quarrel (comp. Psa_66:13); i.e. they lead him into strife and quarrels; miscent se rixis, Vulgate; “lead him into evils,” Septuagint. The foolish man meddles with disputes in which he is not concerned, and by his silly interference not only exposes himself to reprisals, but also exacerbates the original difficulty. His mouth calleth for strokes. His words provoke severe punishment, “stripes for his back,” as it is said in Pro_19:29. Septuagint, “His mouth which is audacious calls for death.”
Pro_18:7
The results of the fool’s disposition and actions are further noted. A fool’s mouth is his destruction (comp. Pro_10:15; Pro_13:9; Ecc_10:12). A mediaeval adage pronounces, “Ex lingua stulta veniunt incommoda multa.” His lips are the snare of his soul; bring his life into danger (see on Pro_12:13; comp. Pro_13:14; Pro_14:27; Pro_17:28). So St. Luke (Luk_21:35) speaks of the last day, coming upon men like “a snare (παγίς),” the word used by the Septuagint in this passage.
Pro_18:8
The words of a tale bearer are as wounds. Nergan, “tale bearer,” is better rendered “whisperer” (see on Pro_16:28). The Authorized Version reminds one of the mediaeval jingle—
“Lingua susurronis
Est pejor felle draconis.”
The verse recurs in Pro_26:22; but the word rendered “wounds” (mitlahamim) is to be differently explained. It is probably the hithp. participle of laham,” to swallow,” and seems to mean “dainty morsels,” such as one eagerly swallows. Thus Gesenius, Schultens, Delitzsch, Nowack, and others. So the clause means, “A whisperer’s words are received with avidity; calumny, slander, and evil stories find eager listeners.” The same metaphor is found in Pro_19:28; Job_34:7. There may, at the same time, be involved the idea that these dainty morsels are of poisonous character. Vulgate, Verba bilinguis, quasi simplicia, “The words of a man of double tongue seem to be simple,” which contains another truth. They go down into the innermost parts of the belly (Pro_20:27, Pro_20:30). The hearers take in the slanders and treasure them up in memory, to be used as occasion shall offer. The LXX. omits this verse, and in its place introduces a paragraph founded partly on the next verse and partly on Pro_19:15. The Vulgate also inserts the interpolation, “Fear overthrows the sluggish; and the souls of the effeminate (ἀνδρογύνων) shall hunger.”
Pro_18:9
He also that is slothful (slack) in his work. A man that does his work in some sort, but not heartily and diligently, as one who knows that labour is not only a duty and necessity, but a means of sanctification, a training for a higher life. Is brother to him that is a great waster; a destroyer. “Brother” is used as “companion” in Pro_28:24 (comp. Job_30:29), for one of like attributes and tendencies; as we say, “next door to;” and the destroyer is, as Nowack says, not merely one who wastes his property by reckless expenditure, but one who delights in such destruction, finds a morbid pleasure in haves and ruin. So the maxim asserts that remissness in duty is as mischievous as actual destructiveness. “An idle brain,” say the Italians, “is the devil’s workshop.” The word rendered “great” is
baal (Pro_1:19), “owner,” patrono (Montanus), domino (Vatablus); and, taking this sense, according to Wordsworth and others, the sentence implies that the servant who is slothful is brother to a master who is a prodigal. But the interpretation given above is best founded. The LXX; reading מתרפא instead of, מתרפה, renders, “He who healeth not (ὁ μὴ ἰώμενος) himself in his works is brother to him who destroyeth himself.” Maxims concerning laziness are found in other places; e.g. Pro_10:4; Pro_12:11, Pro_12:24; Pro_23:21.
Pro_18:10
The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The Name of the Lord signifies all that God is in himself—his attributes, his love, mercy, power, knowledge; which allow man to regard him as a sure Refuge. “Thou hast been a Shelter for me,” says the psalmist (Psa_61:3), “and a strong Tower from the enemy.” The words bring before us a picture of a capitol, or central fortress, in which, at times of danger, the surrounding population could take refuge. Into this Name we Christians are baptized; and trusting in it, and doing the duties to which our profession calls, with faith and prayer, we are safe in the storms of life and the attacks of spiritual enemies. The righteous runneth into it (the tower), and is safe; literally, is set on high; exaltabitur, Vulgate; he reaches a position where he in set above the trouble or the danger that besets him. Thus St. Peter, speaking of Christ, exclaims (Act_4:12), “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” “Prayer,” says Tertullian (’De Orat.,’ 29), “is the wall of faith, our arms and weapons against man who is always watching us. Therefore let us never go unarmed, night or day. Under the arms of prayer let us guard the standard of our Leader; let us wait for the angel’s trumpet, praying.” Septuagint, “From the greatness of his might is the Name of the Lord; and running unto it the righteous are exalted.”
Pro_18:11
In contrast with the Divine tower of safety in the preceding verse is here brought forward the earthly refuge of the worldly man. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city. The clause is repeated from Pro_10:15, but with quite a different conclusion. And as an high wall in his own conceit. The rich man imagines his wealth to be, as it were, an unassailable defence, to preserve him safe amid all the storms of life. בְּמַשְׂכִּתוֹ (bemaskitho), rendered “in his own conceit,” is, as Venetian has, ἐν φαντασίᾳ αὐτοῦ, “in his imagination,” maskith being “an image or picture,” as in Le Pro_26:1; Eze_8:12; but see on Pro_25:11. Aben Ezra brings out the opposition between the secure and stable trust of the righteous in the Lord’s protection, and the confidence of the rich worldling in his possessions, which is only imaginary and delusive. Vulgate, Et quasi murus validus circumdans eum, “Like a strong wall surrounding him;” Septuagint, “And its glory (δόξα) greatly overshadows him;” i.e. the pomp and splendour of his wealth are his protection, or merely paint him like a picture, having no real substance. The commentators explain the word ἐπισκιάζει in both senses.
Pro_18:12
(Comp. Pro_16:18; Pro_15:33; where the maxims are found in almost the same words.)
Pro_18:13
He that answereth a matter, etc. Thus Ecclesiasticus 11:8, “Answer not before thou hast heard the, cause; neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk.” A reminiscence of the passage occurs in the Talmud (’Aboth.’ 5. 10), “I weighed all things in the balance, and found nothing lighter than meal; lighter than meal is the betrothed man who dwells in the house of his intended father-in-law; lighter than he is a guest who introduces a friend; and lighter than he is the man who answers before he has heard the other’s speech”. So Menander—
Ὁ προκαταγιγνώσκων δὲ πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι σαφῶς
Αὐτὸς πονηρός ἐστι πιστεύσας κακῶς.
Seneca, ’Medea,’ 199—
“Qui statuit aliquid, parte inaudita altera,
AEquum licet statuerit, haud aequus erit.”
Pro_18:14
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity. That high property or faculty of man called “spirit” enables the body to bear up against trouble and sickness (comp. Pro_17:22). The influence of the mind over the body, in a general sense, is here expressed. But taking “spirit” in the highest sense, in the trichotomy of human nature, we see an intimation that the grace of God, the supernatural infusion of his presence, is that which strengthens the man and makes him able to endure with patience. But a wounded (broken) spirit who can bear? The body can, as it were, fall back upon the support of the spirit, when it is distressed and weakened; but when the spirit itself is broken, grieved, wearied, debilitated, it has no resource, no higher faculty to which it can appeal, and it must succumb beneath the pressure. Here is a lesson, too, concerning the treatment of others. We should be more careful not to wound a brother’s spirit than we are to refrain from doing a bodily injury; the latter may be healed by medical applications; the former is more severe in its effects, and is often irremediable. In the first clause, רוַּח “spirit,” is masculine, in the second it is feminine, intimating by the change of gender that in the former case it is a manly property, virile moral quality, in the latter it has become weakened and depressed through affliction. Septuagint, “A prudent servant soothes a man’s wrath; but a man of faint heart (ὀλιγόψυχον) who will endure?” The LXX. take “spirit” in the sense of anger, and “infirmity” as standing for a servant, though whore they find “prudent” is difficult to say. Vulgate, Spiritum vero ad irascendum facilem, quis poterit sustinere? The Latin interpreter takes one form of weakness of spirit, viz. irascibility, as his interpretation of נכאה, “wounded.” St. Gregory (’Moral.,’ 5.78) has yet another version, “Who can dwell with a man whose spirit is ready to wrath?” adding, “For he that does not regulate his feelings by the reason that is proper to man, must needs live alone like a beast.”
Pro_18:15
The first clause is similar to Pro_15:14; the second gives a kind of explanation of the former—the understanding of the wise man is always expanding and increasing its stores, because his ear is open to instruction, and his ability grows by wholesome exercise (comp. Pro_1:5). Daath, “knowledge,” which is used in both clauses, the LXX. translates by two words, αἴσθησιν and ἔννοιαν.
Pro_18:16
A man’s gift maketh room for him (comp. Pro_19:6). Mattam, “gift,” has been taken in different senses. Some consider it to mean a bribe offered for underhand or fraudulent purposes; but the context does not lead to this conclusion, and the parallel passage mentioned above makes against it. Hitzig sees in it a spiritual gift, equivalent to χάρισμα; but such a meaning is not elsewhere attached to the word. The term here signifies the present which duty or friendship offers to one whom one wishes to please. This paves a man’s way to a great person’s presence. Bringeth him before great men. The Oriental custom of offering suitable gifts to one in authority, when a favour or an audience is desired, is here alluded to. So the Magi brought gifts so the newborn King at Bethlehem (Mat_2:11). In a spiritual sense, the right use of riches opens the way to eternal life, evincing a man’s practical love of God and man; as Christ says (Luk_16:9), “Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles” (Revised Version).
Pro_18:17
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; Revised Version, he that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just. A man who tells his own story, and is the first to open his case before the judge or a third party, seems tot the moment to have justice on his side. But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him out (Pro_28:11). The “neighbour” is the opposing party—ὁ ἀντίδικος Septuagint, which recalls Mat_5:25—he sifts and scrutinizes the statements already given, shows them to be erroneous, or weakens the evidence which appeared to support them. Thus the maxims, “One story is good till the other is told,” and “Audi alteram partem,” receive confirmation. Vulgate, Justus prior est accusator sui. So Septuagint, “The righteous is his own accuser in opening the suit (ἐν πρωτολογίᾳ).” He cuts the ground from under the adversary’s feet by at once owning his fault. St. Gregory more than once, in his ’Moralia,’ adduces this rendering. Thus on Job_7:11, “To put the mouth to labour is to employ it in the confession of sin done, but the righteous man doth not refrain his mouth, in that, forestalling the wrath of the searching Judge, he falls wroth upon himself in words of self-confession. Hence it is written, ’The just man is first the accuser of himself’” (so lib. 22.33).
Pro_18:18
The lot causeth contentions to cease (comp. Pro_16:33). If this verse is taken in connection with the preceding, it refers to the decision in doubtful cases, where the evidence is conflicting and ordinary investigation fails to elicit the truth satisfactorily. The lot, being considered to show the judgment of God, settled the question. And parteth between the mighty. If it were not for the decision by lot, persons of eminence and power would settle their differences by violent means. This peaceful solution obviates all such contentions. The Septuagint, in place of “lot” (κλῆρος), reads now σιγηρός, “silent;” but it is evidently originally a clerical error, perpetuated by copyists. The error is noted by a second hand in the margin of the Sinaitic Manuscript.
Pro_18:19
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Something must be supplied on which the comparative notion min, “than,” depends. So we may understand “resists more,” or something similar. A brother or a once close friend, when injured or deceived, becomes a potent and irreconcilable enemy. The idea of the preceding verses is carried on, and the primary thought is still concerning lawsuits and matters brought before a judge. This is shown in the second clause by the use of the word “contentions” (
midyanim). And their contentions are like the bars of a castle. They close the door against reconciliation, shut the heart against all feeling of tenderness. True it is, Χαλεποὶ πόλεμοι ἀδελφῶν (Eurip; ’Fragm.’). And again, ’Iph. Aul.,’ 376—
Δεινὸν κασιγήτοισι γίγνεσθαι λόγους
Μάχας θ ὅταν ποτ ἐμπέσωσιν εἰς ἔριν.
Aristotle also writes thus (’De Republ.,’ 7.7): “If men receive no return from those to whom they have shown kindness, they deem themselves, not only defrauded of due gratitude, but actually injured. Whence it is said, ’Bitter are the quarrels of friends;’ and, ’Those who love beyond measure also hate beyond measure.’” An English maxim gloomily decides, “Friendship once injured is forever lost.” Pliny (’Hist. Nat.,’ 37.4), “Ut adamas, si frangi contingat malleis, in minutissimas dissidit crustas, adeo ut vix oculis cerni queant: ita arctissima necessitudo, si quando contingat dirimi, in summam vertitur simultatem, et ex arctissimis foederibus, si semel rumpantur, maxima nascuntur dissidia.” Ecclesiasticus 6:9, “There is a friend, who being turned to enmity will also discover thy disgraceful strife,” i.e. will disclose the quarrel which according to his representation will redound to thy discredit. The Vulgate and Septuagint have followed a different reading from that of the present Hebrew text: “Brother aided by brother is like a strong and high city, and he is powerful as a well founded palace,” Septuagint. The last clause is rendered in the Vulgate. Et judicia quasi vectes urbium; where judicia means “lawsuits,” legal disputes; these bar out friendship. The first member of the sentence in the Greek and Latin recalls Ecc_4:9, etc; “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour,” etc. St. Chrysostom, commenting on Eph_4:3 (’Hom.,’ 9.), writes, “A glorious bond is this; with this bond let us bind ourselves together alike to one another and to God. This is a bond that bruises not, nor cramps the hands it binds, but it leaves them free, and gives them ample play and greater energy than those which are at liberty. The strong, if he be bound to the weak, will support him, and not suffer him to perish; and if again he be tied to the indolent, he will rather rouse and animate. ’Brother helped by brother,’ it is said, ’is as a strong city.’ This chain no distance of place can interrupt, neither heaven, nor earth, nor death, nor anything else, but it is more powerful and stronger than all things.”
Pro_18:20
With the first clause, comp, Pro_12:14, and with the second, Pro_13:2. A man’s belly; i.e. himself, his mind and body, equivalent to shall he be filled, or satisfied, in the second clause. A man must accept the consequences of his words, good or evil. The next verse explains this.
Pro_18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; literally, in the hand of the tongue. The tongue, according as it is used, deals forth life or death; for speech is the picture of the mind (comp. Pro_12:18; Pro_26:28). The vast importance of our words may be learned from Jas_3:1-18.; and our blessed Lord says expressly (Mat_12:36, etc.), “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Hence the gnome—
Γλῶσσα τύχη γλῶσσα δαίμων
intimating that the tongue is the real controller of man’s destiny; and another—
Λόγῳ διοικεῖται βροτῶν βίος μόνῳ
By words alone is life of mortals swayed.”
And they that love it (the tongue) shall eat the fruit thereof. They who use it much must abide the consequences of their words, whether by kind and pure and edifying conversation they contribute health and life to themselves and others, or whether by foul, calumnious, corrupting language they involve themselves and others in mortal sin. For “they that love it,” the Septuagint has, οἱ κρατοῦντες αὐτῆς, “they who get the mastery over it.”
Pro_18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing. A good wife is meant, a virtuous, prudent helpmate, as in Pro_12:4; Pro_19:14; and 31. The epithet is omitted, because the moralist is thinking of the ideal wife, the one whoso union is blessed, who alone deserves the holy name of wife. Thus in Pro_19:4 we had the ideal man spoken of. Septuagint, εὖρε χάριτας,” findeth graces,” viz. peace, union, plenty, ruder (see a different view, Ecc_7:26-28). And obtaineth favour of the Lord (Pro_8:35; Pro_12:2); or, hath obtained (Pro_3:13), as shown by the consort whom God has given him. Ratson, “good will,” “favour,” is rendered by the Septuagint ἱλαρότητα, and by the Vulgate, jucunditatem, “cheerfulness,” “joyousness” (see on Pro_19:12). Ecclesiasticus 26:1, etc; “Blessed is the man that hath a good wife, for the number of his days shall be double. A virtuous (ἀνδρεία) woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfil the years of his life in peace. A good wife is a good portion which shall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord.” “A good wife,” says the Talmud. “is a good gift; she shall be given to a man that feareth God.” And again, “God did not make woman from man’s head, that she should not rule over him; nor from his feet, that she should not be his slave; but from his side, that she should be near his heart”. A Greek gnome runs—
Γυνή δικαζα τοῦ βίου σωτηρία
The Septuagint and Vulgate here introduce a paragraph which is not in the Hebrew, and only partly in the Syriac. It seems to be a further explanation of the statement in the text, founded on the practice prevalent at the time when the Septuagint Version was composed, which appears to have made divorce a recognized necessity in the case of adultery: “He who casteth away a good a wife casteth away good things; but he who retaineth an adulteress is a fool and impious.” The advice of Siracides concerning a wicked wife is austere: “If she go not as thou wouldest have her, cut her off from thy flesh” (Ecclesiasticus 25:26). Nothing is here said about the marriage of divorced persons; but the absolute indissolubility of the marriage bond was never held among the Jews, a certain laxity being allowed because of the hardness of their heart (Mat_5:32; Mat_19:8, etc.). The original intently of the marriage contract was re-established by Christ.
Pro_18:23
This and the following verse, and the first two verses of the next chapter, are not found in the chief manuscripts of the Septuagint, though in later codices they have been supplied from the version of Theodotion. The Codex Venetus Marcianus (23, Holmes and Parsons) is the only uncial that contains them. The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. The irony of the passage is more strongly expressed by Siracides: “The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also” (Ecclesiasticus 13:3). The rich man not only does wrong, but accompanies the injury with passionate language and abuse, as if he were the sufferer; while the poor man has humbly to ask pardon, as if he were in the wrong. Thus the Roman satirist writes—
“Libertas pauperis haec est:
Pulsatus rogat et pugnis concisus adorat,
Ut liceat paucis cum dentibus inde reverti.”
(Juv; ’Sat.,’ 3.299.)
Aben Ezra explains the verse as denoting that a poor man making a submissive request from a rich man is answered cruelly and roughly. The hardening effect of wealth is seen in our Lord’s parables of Dives and Lazarus (Luk_16:1-31), and the Pharisee and the publican (Luk_18:1-43).
Pro_18:24
A man that hath friends must show himself friendly. The Authorized Version is certainly not correct. The Hebrew is literally, a man of friends will come to destruction. The word הִתְרוֹעֵעַ (hithroea) is the hithp, infinitive of רעע, “to break or destroy” (comp. Isa_24:19); and the maxim means that the man of many friends, who lays himself out to make friends of bad and good alike, does so to his own ruin. They will fled upon him, and exhaust his resources, but will not stand by him in the day of calamity, nay, rather will give a helping hand to his downfall. It is not the number of so called friends that is really useful and precious. But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Pro_17:17; Pro_27:10).
Νόμιζ ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἀληθινοὺς φίλους.
“Thy true friends hold as very brethren.”
The Vulgate has, Vir amabilis ad societatem magis amicus erit quam frater, “A man amiable in intercourse will be more of a friend than even a brother.”
HOMILETICS
Pro_18:10
A strong tower.
These words suggest to us an image of a disturbed country with a massive fortified tower standing in its midst, ready to serve as a refuge for the peasants, who till the fields when all is peaceful, but who flee to the tower for shelter when they see the enemy scouring over the plain. The baronial castles of England served the same purpose when our own country was suffering from the ravages of war. In the dangers of life the Name of the Lord is a similar refuge for his people.
I. NOTE THE NATURE OF THE TOWER. “The Name of the Lord.”

1. God himself. “God is our Refuge and Strength” (Psa_46:1). He does not send an angel to protect us. The Church is not a citadel for those who have not first found their shelter in God. But God is with his people for their protection. Even when we have sinned we must “flee from God to God”—from his wrath to his mercy.
2. The God of Israel. The Lord, Jehovah. He is known in revelation, and he has been proved in history. This is no new tower that has not been tried and may be found faulty in the hour of need, like a fortress that has never been besieged. The story of God’s people in all ages is one long confirmation of its venerable strength.
3. God as he is revealed—in his Name. This implies two things.
   (1) Our knowledge of God. The name is significant of the attributes. God is what his Name signifies.
   (2) God’s own glory and faithfulness. He is sometimes appealed to for his Name’s sake. For the sake of his glory, and also his fidelity to his promises, his protecting grace is expected.
   II. OBSERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE REFUGE. A tower.
4. Strong. God is a Fortress. We do not confide in a weak goodness. Our security is in God’s strength.
5. Lofty. The tower stands high up above the plain. It is the opposite to a mine. We must look up for shelter. We must climb to God. Our safety is in aspiration,
6. In our midst. Though the top of the tower soars above our heads, its foundation is at our feet, and we can enter it from where we stand. God is near at hand for shelter and safety.
7. Conspicuous. A cave may not be easily discovered among the rocks of the hillside, but a tower is visible to all. Though the presence of God is not visible to the eye of sense, the revelation of the gospel is open and conspicuous.
   III. CONSIDER HOW THE REFUGE MAY BE USED.
8. For the righteous. The tower is a shelter from undeserved suffering, as in the case of Job. Here wronged innocence is safe. It is also for all the redeemed who stand before God in the new righteousness of Christ. We cannot be sheltered by God till we are reconciled to God.
9. By entering it. There is no safety in looking at it. It is necessary to flee to God in order to be protected by him. The fugitive may even need to run to reach the tower before the foe overtakes him.
10. With safety. It is not a palace with a banqueting hall and couches of ease. It is a fortress, and therefore it may not always be comfortable; but it is safe. We are safe with God.
    Pro_18:13
    The folly of hasty judgment
    We may observe some of the cases in which this folly of answering a matter before it is heard is commonly practised.
    I. THE SOCIAL RELATIONS. Men are often too quick in forming their opinions of other people. A superficial glance is considered enough for an irrevocable verdict. The sentence is pronounced and the neighbour is characterized before he has had a fair chance of revealing his true nature.
11. This is ungenerous. We ought to give a man every opportunity of showing the good that is in him, and to be ready to believe that there may be an unseen goodness that is slow to come to the surface.
12. It is untruthful. The verdict should never go beyond the evidence.
13. It is hurtful. Much harm has been done by the hasty circulation of raw tales of idle calumny. It would be well to take warning, pause, and inquire before encouraging such mischievous gossip.
14. It is foolish. Surely we ought to know that a human character is not to be thus rapidly read off. If we are wise we shall be slow in forming a judgment on our neighbours.
    II. IN RELIGIOUS BELIEF. Men are only too hasty in forming their opinions in religion. A minimum of evidence and a maximum of prejudice contribute to form the faith of many people. The same is equally true in regard to unbelief. It does not require much knowledge to show that prejudice is rife in the camp of those who venture to call themselves “free thinkers.” Bigotry is always blind. No men are so perverse as the dogmatic. Just in proportion to their assurance is the weakness of the grounds on which they base their assertions. On the other hand, the fear of forming a false judgment should not drive us into a perpetual suspension of inquiry. We can hear the matter of Divine revelation. Our duty is neither to rush to a hasty conclusion nor to retreat into paralyzing doubt, but to “search the Scriptures,” “try the prophets,” and “hear” the teaching on which we can found our convictions. To fail of this is foolishness that must end in shame, because in the end truth must conquer, and then all the votaries of prejudice will be confounded.
    III. IN OUR CONDUCT TOWARDS GOD. This is more personal and practical than the question of religious belief, although the two things are very closely connected. We are tempted to misjudge providence, rebel against the action of God, and try to answer him who is unanswerable. Yet we have not the materials for judging God if the very thought of so doing were not presumptuous. We cannot understand his ways, which are other than ours—higher, wider, wiser, better. Perhaps we shall hear the matter at some future time. It may be that when we have reached the other side of the grave we may be able to look back upon the course of life with the light of heaven upon it, and so to solve some of the enigmas of earth. Meanwhile we have no alternative but to walk by faith. Any attempt at a higher flight will but reveal our folly and issue in our shame.
    Pro_18:14
    Strong in spirit
    This thought is near akin to that of Pro_17:22, where the medicinal properties of a merry heart are commended. But there is some difference between the two. Both ascribe vital energy to the inner life, and commend such a cultivation of it as shall conquer weakness and suffering; but the verse now before us treats of vigour of spirit, while the earlier passage commends cheerfulness.
    I. A MAN’S TRUE STRENGTH RESIDES IN HIS INNER LIFE. Samson was a weak man, although he had bodily strength, because he had not strength within. St. Paul was regarded as contemptible in bodily appearance (2Co_10:10), yet he was a hero of fiery energy and rock-like steadfastness. He could say, “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2Co_12:10). The true self is within. All real weakness or power, failure or success, must ultimately spring from this true self. Therefore the first question is as to the condition of the inner life. Those people who live only in the outer experiences do not yet know the deeper meaning of life. We have all to learn how to cultivate the powers of the spirit.
    II. STRENGTH IN THE INNER LIFE CAN SUPPORT EXTERNAL INFIRMITY.
15. Weakness of body. No doubt the normal condition of health would be one of mens sana in corpore sano. But when that is not attained, mental health will do much to counteract the evil effects of bodily disease. The mind has so great power over the body that some forms of functional disease are actually cured through mental influences, as in what is called “faith healing.” The will to live is a great help to recovery from an illness. A crushed and broken spirit too often brings the body into a condition which is the despair of the physician. Higher considerations tell in the same direction, and spiritual health—though, perhaps, not what is meant in our text—will sustain, under disease, if it will not lead to bodily cure.
16. Temporal trouble. Misfortune can be borne by a brave, strong spirit; while a crushed, feeble spirit succumbs under it.
17. Spiritual infirmity. It is difficult to resist the frailty of our own souls. But when we cultivate our better selves we are best able to overcome infirmities of temper, selfishness, etc.
    III. STRENGTH OF SPIRIT IS A DIVINE GRACE.
18. A gift of God. He can make the weak strong. “He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength” (Isa_40:29).
19. An acquisition of faith. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa_40:1-31 :81). It is possible for the weak to become strong, because all can “wait upon the Lord.” No grace is more needed, and an grace proves itself to be more fruitful.
    Pro_18:17
    Private judgment
    The Protestant claim to the right of private judgment is not without its limitations. Applied to general truths it is unanswerable; but carried out in personal affairs it is often very dangerous. Every man may say that he is the best judge of what concerns himself. But two considerations modify that contention.
20. No one truly knows himself.
21. A man’s doings are not confined to himself. They cross the boundaries of other lives and interests. Therefore, while s man is seemingly making an innocent demand concerning his own business, he is really claiming to be the judge of what affects his neighbours. Hence the need of caution.
    I. PRIVATE JUDGMENT IS APPARENTLY JUST, EVEN WHEN IT IS ERRONEOUS. It is rarely that a man will own himself to he in the wrong when he is engaged in any contention with his neighbour.
22. Judgment is prejudiced by previous opinions. We all approach a subject with a stock of prepossessions. Even while honestly intending to make a fair estimate, we cannot but apply the standards of our old set notions. Hence the need of working out “the personal equation.”
23. It is biassed by self-interest. This may be quite unintentional and unconscious. We may not be aware that we are showing any favour to ourselves. Yet so long as the selfishness of human nature remains as it is, there must be a secret weight in the scale inclining it to our own side.
24. It is distorted by self-deception. Not knowing ourselves, we misread our own position. We give ourselves credit for aims that do not exist, and we disregard the real motives that actuate our conduct.
25. It is perverted by ignorance of the position of other people. We think we are acting justly when we do not know all the circumstances of the case. If we could see all the rights and claims of our neighbours we might be ready to admit our own error.
    II. PRIVATE JUDGMENT MAY BE CORRECTED BY GENERAL TESTIMONY. We recognize in the law courts that it is only right for both parties to a suit to be heard. The same concession is necessary for obtaining a just estimate of all matters in regard to which differences of opinion are expressed. In private life, in public affairs, in theological controversies, we want to learn how to hear the other side. The very difficulties of private judgment call for the correction that may be thus afforded. But other considerations also demand it.
26. Truth is many sided. Even if we be right, it is possible that our neighbours may not be wrong. Our narrowness prevents us from seeing the solid form of truth and its various facets.
27. Other people have rights. Until these have been considered we cannot be sure that what looks like a most just contention or our own part may not be a trespass upon them.
28. Justice may require investigation. We see the way in which a skilful counsel will break down the most plausible evidence by probing into its weak places; how he will worm secrets out of the most reticent witness. Truth is often revealed through antagonism. The man who prides himself on hoodwinking his fellows is foolish and short sighted. If his insincerity is not discovered on earth, it will be revealed at the great judgment.
    Pro_18:22
    The blessedness of true marriage
    The Bible does not regard marriage as “a failure,” nor does it treat celibacy as a more saintly condition. Even St. Paul, who does not seem to have been a married man, and who is thought by some to undervalue marriage, gives to it a eulogium in describing the union of husband and wife as a copy of the mystical union of Christ and his Church (Eph_5:22-32).
    I. THE BLESSEDNESS OF MARRIAGE.
29. The companionship of love. The creation of woman is ascribed to the need of this. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen_2:18). In a true marriage a man’s wife is his best friend. Fellowship of soul makes the union more than a mere contract of external relationship. Now, this fellowship is greatly needed for solace amid the cares of life, and strength to face its difficulties. The wife is able to give it to her husband, and the husband to the wife, as no persons in the outer circle of social relationship can hope to offer it.
30. Mutual helpfulness. In the narrative of the creation, God says, concerning Adam, “I will make him a help meet for him” (Gen_2:18). Woman is degraded when she is treated as a toy of idle hours, to amuse in the drawing room, but not to take her share in the serious concerns of life. No true woman would desire so idle a position. The wife who understands the Christian calling will aim at ministering to her husband in all ways of helpfulness that are within her power, but chiefly in helping his higher life; and the duty of the husband towards the wife will be similar.
31. Variety of ministration. The wife is not the counterpart of the husband, but the complement. Human nature is completed in the union of the two. Therefore it is not the part of women to imitate men, nor is inferiority to be assigned to women because they differ from men. The rich, fall, perfect human life is attained by the blending of differences.
    II. THE SECRET OF THIS BLESSEDNESS. No ideal of human life can be more beautiful than that of the happy home. The serious question is how it shall be realized.
32. By adaptation. Every woman is not suitable forevery man. Hasty courtships may lead to miserable marriages. So serious a matter as the choice of a companion for life is not to be lightly undertaken if there is to be any hope of its issuing in happiness.
33. By sympathy. There must be mutual confidence between husband and wife if the marriage is to be one of true and lasting blessedness. The Oriental cruelty of imprisonment in the harem, and the Western cruelty of degradation in domestic drudgery, are both fatal to the idea of marriage. Whatever be their position in the social scale, it is possible for husbands and wives to share one another’s interests and enlarge one another’s lives by conceding the fullest mutual confidence.
34. By self-sacrifice. Selfishness is fatal to marriage. Love must learn to give, to suffer, to endure. The happiness is most complete when each seeks it chiefly for the other.
35. By religion. The true marriage must be ratified in heaven. Its happiness may be wrecked on so many hidden rocks that it is not safe to venture on to the unknown sea without the assurance that God is guiding the voyage.
    Pro_18:24
    The Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
    Without determining for certain which of the various renderings of the first clause of this verse should be adopted, there can be little doubt that it points to the difficulty of maintaining a wide circle of friends in true affection, contrasted with the blessedness of enjoying one deep and real friendship. The second cause which describes that friendship claims our attention on its own account.
    I. THE NATURE OF BROTHERLY AFFECTION. If the true friend is even more than a brother, he will have the marks of brotherhood in an exceptional degree. Now, we have to ask—What are those peculiarities of the relation of brotherhood that determine the brother’s affection?
36. Blood relationship. We must all feel the peculiar oneness that belongs to membership in the same family.
37. Close companionship. Brothers are usually brought up together. They share the same hardships, and they enjoy the same family favours. They are knit together by similarity of experience.
38. Community of interests. Brothers share certain family interests in common. Thus families learn to hold together for the general well being of the members.
39. Similarity of constitution. Brothers resemble one another, more or less. To some extent they have common traits of mind, feelings, sympathies, desires. Hence they are drawn together. How great and wonderful must be the friendship that exceeds even this close brotherly affection! Without the natural cause, it yet surpasses the love of brotherhood!
    II. THE SIGN OF BROTHERLY AFFECTION. It is seen in cleaving to one’s friend. With the highest type of friendship this will be observed under the most trying circumstances.
40. In spite of the lapse of time. Some friendships are but temporary. But brotherhood is lifelong. So also is the truest friendship.
41. In sore need. Then shallow friendship proves to be false. But at such a time brother should stand by brother.
42. When faithfulness is costly. Possibly one is under a cloud and cruelly misjudged; the brotherly soul will claim this as the most suitable time for showing true affection. Or it may be that some great sacrifice must be made to render needed assistance; this requirement will discover the nature of a friendship, and show whether it be truly that of a brother.
43. When love is tried by indifference or enmity. Though a man be unworthy of his brother, still true brotherly love will not cast him off. This is also the case with the highest friendship.
    No doubt the object of Solomon was simply to give us a type and picture of true friendship. But as in a previous case (Pro_17:17), it is impossible for Christians not to recognize the application of the picture to Jesus Christ. His friendship is in all senses truly brotherly. He became a brother Man in order that he might enter into closest relations of love and sympathy with us, and he proves his friendship by doing more than any man ever did for his brother.
    HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON
    Pro_18:1-9
    Unsocial vices
    There is an inner connection between them all.
    I. MISANTHROPY. (Pro_18:1.) If this verse be more correctly rendered, this is the meaning yielded. From a diseased feeling the man turns aside to sullen solitude, and thus rejects wisdom. This affords a fine meaning. It is one thing to feel the need of occasional solitude, another to indulge the passion for singularity.
    II. OBTRUSIVENESS. (Pro_18:2.) Contrast Pro_18:4. The talkative fool is the very opposite of the misanthrope in his habits; yet the two have this in common—they both unfit themselves for society. We may go out of solitude to indulge our spleen, or into society to indulge our vanity. Talking for talking’s sake, and all idle conversation, are here marked, if as minor vices, still vices.
    III. BASENESS. (Pro_18:3.) The word rendered “contempt” points rather to deeds of shame. And the meaning then will be that the evil of the heart must necessarily discover itself in the baseness of the life. As the impure state of the blood is revealed in eruptions and blotches on the skin, so is it with moral evil.
    IV. CONSPIRACY AND PLOTTING. (Pro_18:5.) The figure employed, literally, to lift up a person’s face, signifies to take his part. All party spirit is wrong, because it implies that truth has not the first place in our affections. But party spirit on behalf of the wicked is an utter abomination, for it implies a positive contempt for, or unbelief in, right and truth.
    V. QUARRELSOMENESS. (Pro_18:6, Pro_18:7.) “The apostle, when giving the anatomy of man’s depravity, dwells chiefly on the little member with all its accompaniments—the throat, the tongue, the lips, the mouth. It is ’a world of iniquity, defiling the whole body.’” It leads to violence. The deadly blow is prepared for and produced by the irritating taunting word. But there is a recoil upon the quarrelsome man. The tongue to which he has given so evil licence finally ensnares him and takes him prisoner. And the stones he has cast at others fall back upon himself. Thus does Divine judgment reveal itself in the common course of life.
    VI. SLANDEROUSNESS. (Pro_18:8.) The word “tale bearer” is represented more expressively in the Hebrew. It is the man that “blows in the ear.” And the picture comes up before the mind of the calumnious word, whispered or jestingly uttered, which goes deep into the most sensitive places of feeling, and wounds, perhaps even unto death.
    VII. IDLENESS. (Pro_18:9.) Here we strike upon the root of all these hideous vices. It is the neglect of the man’s proper work which suffers these vile weeds to grow. What emphasis there needs to be laid on the great precept, “Do thine own work”! The idler is brother to the corrupter, or vicious man, and his kinship is certain sooner or later to betray itself. The parable of the talents may be compared here. Then, again, how close are the ideas of wickedness and sloth!—J.
    Pro_18:10-16
    Some conditions of weal and woe
    I. CONSTITUTIONS OF LIFE WEAL.
44. First and foremost, religion (Pro_18:10) and humility (Pro_18:12). The Name of Jehovah stands for all that God is (the “I am”). Trust in the Eternal is the real ground of confidence for a creature so transient and frail as man. To put the same truth in another way, it is religious principle which can alone sustain the soul calm and erect amidst distress. And with true religion is ever connected humility. The knowledge of one’s just position in the world is, on the whole, humbling. It is the conceit that one is greater than one really is which is so pernicious inwardly, and will prove so outwardly.
45. Competence of worldly means. (Pro_18:11.) It is the worst hypocrisy and affectation to deny the good of money, even with reference to the culture of the soul. Here we have the common view of riches; they are a
    source of strength. Truly; but one easily exaggerated.
46. A cheerful temper. (Pro_18:14.) Health is the grand elementary and all-inclusive blessing. Well! one of the main conditions of health is a merry heart, or a disposition to look on the best side of things. “I thank it, poor fool; it keeps on the windy side of care.”
47. An open mind. (Pro_18:15.) The intelligent heart and the ever-listening ear,—these are the great instruments or means of knowledge and wisdom. It is good to have many and large windows in the house; and to keep the soul open on all sides to the light of God.
48. Judicious liberality. (Pro_18:16.) We found this lesson insisted on in Pro_17:8. The heathen poet said, “Gifts persuade the gods, gifts persuade dread kings.” Often as the principle is made bad use of, let us recollect it has an opposite aspect, and make friends to ourselves of the “mammon of unrighteousness.”
    II. SOURCES OF TROUBLE.
49. Pride. (Pro_17:12.) How emphatic by repetition is the warning against this inward vice (Pro_16:18)! Like the clouds going up the hill, portending rain, so does self-conceit prophesy sorrow.
50. Excessive eagerness. (Pro_17:13.) “Condemn no one,” says the Book of Jesus Sirach (Ecc_11:7), “before thou knowest the matter in question: know first, and then rebuke. Thou shalt not judge before thou hearest the matter; and let others speak first.” Ignorance and self-conceit are ever forward; wisdom holds its strength in reserve.
51. Indulgence in depression. (Verse 14.) “A cast down spirit who can bear?” We must remember that the ailments of the mind are strictly analogous to those of the body; and if the latter are to an indefinite degree under the control of the will, so too are the former. We must believe in the God-given power of the will, or no medicine can avail us.—J.
    Pro_18:17-21
    Evils of the tongue and of contention
    I. THE FOLLY OF HASTE IN DEBATE. (Pro_18:17.) “One tale is good till another be told.” This saw holds good of private life, of lawsuits, of controversies in philosophy and theology. Audi alteram, partem,” Listen to both sides.” This is the duty of the judge, or of him who for the time being plays the judicial part. If we are parties in a debate or a suit, then nothing will hold good except to have the “conscience void of offence.”
    II. THE ADVANTAGE OF ARBITRATION. (Pro_18:18.) The lot was the ancient mode of arbitration and settlement of disputes in a peaceful manner. Something corresponding to it in modern times may be adopted as a wise resource where other means of reconciliation have failed. Still better, the general lesson may be drawn—commit the decision to the wisdom of God.
    III. THE MISERY OF DISSENSION. (Pro_18:19.) The alienated brother or friend is compared to an impregnable fortress. “Oh how hard to reconcile the foes that once were friends!” The sweeter the wine, the sharper the vinegar; and the greater the natural love, the more violent the hate where that love has been injured.
    IV. THE SATISFACTION OF WISE COUNSELS. (Pro_18:20; comp. Pro_12:14; Pro_13:2.) The mode of expression is strange to a modern ear, but the thought is familiar and welcome. Words here stand for thoughts; the fruit of the lips comes from the root of the heart. When an intensely modern writer says, “Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of your principles,” he puts the old truth in a new light.
    V. LIFE AND DEATH IN THE TONGUE. (Pro_18:21.) Here is another great principle, vast in its sweep. “Life and death are in the power of witnesses according to the testimony they bear, of judges according to the sentence they pass, of teachers according to the doctrine they preach, of all men who by their well or evil speaking bring death or life to themselves or to others” (Gill). Perhaps it is true that the tongue has slain its ten thousands where the sword has slain only its thousands. The employment of the tongue, whether for good or for evil, in blessing or in cursing (Jas_3:9; 1Co_12:3), brings its own fruit and reward to the speaker. “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”—J.
    Pro_18:22-24
    Love in different relations
    I. CONJUGAL LOVE. (Pro_18:22.) The blessing of a good wife. “Young men’s mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men’s nurses” (Lord Bacon). On the choice of a with none but a recluse or a pedant would pretend to lay down infallible precepts or counsels. But every man who has been happy in the married relation will recognize his happiness as among the chiefest of blessings from above. It is indeed a good that is found, cannot be inherited nor deserved.
    II. COMPASSION. (Pro_18:23.) Here, as so often, the duty is suggested by means of a dark picture of the opposite, of its neglect. The rich man who “against the houseless stranger shuts the door,” or who, like Dives, fares luxuriously while Lazarus lies in sores at his gate,—these revolt the heart and may more move the conscience than declamations on the positive duty. When chilled by the coldness and severity of selfish man, let the poor and afflicted turn to the “God of all compassion,” and to the revelation of him in the “good Samaritan,” in Jesus Christ.
    III. FRIENDSHIP. (Pro_18:24.)
52. The spurious friendship. The more correct rendering of the first half of the verse seems to be, “a man of many companions will prove himself to be worthless.” Mere agreeableness may be a surface quality, may spring more from variety than anything else, will soon wear out, cannot be counted on. Number counts for little in friendship.
53. The genuine friendship. More tenacious than the mere natural love of kindred, because founded on the affinity of soul with soul. All the purest types of earthly affection and friendship are but hints of the eternal love of him who calls the soul into espousal, friendship, and eternal communion with himself.—J.
    HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
    Pro_18:2
    (See homily on Pro_17:16, Pro_17:24.)—C.
    Pro_18:4
    The utterances of wisdom
    Taking the sense of this passage to be continuous and not antithetical, and understanding it to refer to the utterances of the wisdom which is from above, we notice their constant characteristics, viz.—
    I. THEIR DEPTH. The words which come from the mouth of wisdom are “as deep waters.” How shallow is much, if not most, that is spoken in our hearing! It strikes no deeper than “the hour’s event,” than the mere gilding of our life; it only extends to the circumstances or to the conventionalities of life; it deals with tastes and customs, with regulation and proprieties; it goes no further than pecuniary or social expectations; it lies upon the surface and does not touch “the deep heart and reality of things.” But the wisdom of the wise strikes deep; it goes down into the character; it touches first principles; it has to do with the sources and springs of human action; it concerns itself with the intrinsically true, the really beautiful, the solidly and permanently good.
    II. THEIR SPONTANEITY. The utterances of men who are not truly wise are lacking in this. They can only repeat what they have learned; they have to consult their “authorities” in order to know what they should say; they have to labour and strive in order to express themselves. Not so the truly wise. Their words come from them as water from a well spring; their speech is the simple, natural, unconstrained outflow of their soul; they speak from the heart, not from the book. Their spirit is full of Divine wisdom; they “have understanding” (Pro_17:24); they have knowledge, insight, love of the truth; they “cannot but speak” the truth they have learned of God, the things they have heard and seen. And the spontaneity of their utterance is one real element in their eloquence and their influence.
    III. THEIR COMMUNICATIVENESS. They are “as a flowing brook.” As water that is not pent up like a reservoir, but flows on through the thirsty land, communicating moisture, and thus ministering to life and growth, so the words of the wise are continually flowing; they spread from heart to heart, from land to land, from age to age. And as they flow they minister to the life and the growth of men; they communicate those living truths which enlighten the mind, which soften and change the heart, which transform and ennoble the life. Their career is never closed, for from soul to soul, from lip to lip, from life to life, wisdom passes on in its blessed, unbroken course.
54. Be ever learning of God. He himself, in the book which he has “written for our learning,” is the Divine Source of such wisdom as this. Only as we receive from him who is “the Wisdom of God” shall we be partakers and possessors of this heavenly wisdom. And therefore:
55. Come into the closest communion and connection with Jesus Christ himself.
56. Open your mind to all sources of truth whatsoever.—C.
    Pro_18:8
    (See homily on Pro_17:9.)—C.
    Pro_18:9
    Needless destitution
    This strong utterance suggests—
    I. THE PREVALENCE OF DESTITUTION. How much of human life is needlessly low! how many men live low down in the scale who might just as well be living high up it! how sadly do men bereave themselves of good! This applies to:
57. Their circumstances: their daily surroundings; the homes in which they live, their food and raiment, the occupations in which they are engaged; their companionships, etc.
58. Their intelligence: their intellectual activity, their knowledge, their acquaintance with their own complex nature and with the world in which they live, their familiarity with (or their ignorance of) men and things.
59. Their moral and spiritual condition: their capacity or incapacity to control their temper, to govern their spirit, to regulate their life, to form honourable and elevating habits, to worship God, to set their lives in accordance with the will and after the example of Christ.
    II. THE TWO MAIN SOURCES OF IT. These are those which are indicated in the text.
60. The absence of energy in action; being “slothful [or, ’slack,’ Revised Version] in work.” Men who fail in their department, of whatever kind it may be, are usually those who do not throw any heart, any earnestness, any continuous vigour, into their work. They do what is before them perfunctorily, carelessly, or spasmodically. Hence they make no profits, they earn low wages, they have poor crops, they gain few customers or patients, they win no success; hence they read few instructive books, they make no elevating and informing friendships, they acquire no new ideas, they store up no new facts, they make no mental progress; hence they do not cultivate their moral and spiritual nature, they do not “build themselves up” on the foundation of truth; they are adding no stones to the living temple; they do not grow in wisdom, or in worth, or in grace. The other source is:
61. The presence of prodigality. He that is slothful in work is “brother to him that is a great waster.” What sad wastefulness is on every hand! what dissipation of gathered treasure! what expenditure of means and of strength on that which does not profit! For these are the two forms of waste.
    (1) Allowing to depart that which it would be wise to hold in hand—money, goods, friends, supporters, resources.
    (2) Expending power on that which does not profit; letting our time, our strength, our mental forces, our moral energies, be employed upon those things which yield no return, or no adequate and proportionate return. Were men to spend their money on profitable and fruit bearing labour, their brains on enlightening and enlarging study, their spiritual energies on intelligent worship or redeeming work, instead of wasting them as now they do, how would the desert become a fruitful field, in every sphere! But we must not overlook the fact that there is—
    III. A SOLID REMAINDER, NOT THUS ACCOUNTED FOR. Although sloth and waste together explain a very large part indeed of the destitution on the earth, they leave much still to be accounted for. And of this remainder part is due to simple and pure misfortune or incapacity, and part to the guilt of others who are not the sufferers. All this destitution is the proper field for Christian effort. It is the proper object of our genuine compassion, and of our strenuous endeavour toward removal. But to those who are culpably destitute we have to go and say—Your way upward is before you; you must exert yourselves if you would rise. No one can really enrich a human soul but himself.
62. Bring a sustained energy to bear on the work in which you are engaged.
63. Guard with a wise watchfulness what you have won.
64. Put out your powers upon that which is worthy of them and that which will repay them.—C.
    Pro_18:10
    God our Refuge
    By “the Name of the Lord” we understand the Lord as he has revealed himself to us, the Lord as he has taught us to think and to speak of him. He is our strong Tower in the time of trouble.
    I. OUR NEED OF A REFUGE IN THE BATTLE OF LIFE. There may be much in our life that may lead us to speak of it as a song or a tale, or as a march or pilgrimage; but there is much that compels us to consider it a battle or a struggle. Many are the occasions when we have to look about us for a refuge to which we may flee; for we have, at different times and under different circumstances, to confront:
65. Oppression. Ill treatment, severity; the injustice, or the inconsiderateness, or the assumption of those who can afflict us.
66. Disaster. The loss of that which is valuable or of those who are precious to us.
67. Difficulty. The uprising of great obstacles which seem to be insurmountable.
68. Temptaion. Which may act upon us quietly but continuously, and therefore effectively, or which may come down upon us with almost overwhelming suddenness and force. Then we ask ourselves—What is the refuge, the high tower, to which we shall resort?
    II. TWO RESOURCES WHICH ARE GOOD, BUT INSUFFICIENT.
69. Our own fortitude. This is that to which Stoicism, the noblest form of ancient philosophy, had recourse—our courage and determination as brave men, who are
    “Strong in will
    To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
70. The sympathy and succour of our friends. The kind heart and the helping hand of those who love us, with whom we have walked along the path of life, and who have linked their heart and hand with ours. Both of these are good; but, as all history and observation teach us, they do not suffice. We want another heart that comes nearer to us, another power that can do more for us than these. So we thankfully turn to—
    III. THE REFUGE WE HAVE IN GOD. We know that with him is:
71. Perfect sympathy. He is “afflicted in all our affliction;” he is “touched with a feeling of our infirmity;” he “knows what is in” us—what pain of body, what desolateness of spirit, what wrestlings and agonies of the soul.
72. Boundless wisdom. He knows what to save us from, and what to let us suffer; how far and in what way he may relieve and restore us; how he can help us so as to bless us truly and permanently.
73. Almighty power. Our eyes may well be lifted up unto him, for he can “pluck our feet out of the net.” “Our God is a Rock;” all the billows of human rebellion will break in vain upon his power. Into the “strong tower” of his Divine protection we may well “run and be safe.” “Who is he that can harm us” there?—C.
    Pro_18:12
    (See homily on Pro_16:18.)—C.
    Pro_18:14
    The wounded spirit
    How much is a man better than a sheep? By the whole range of his spiritual nature. The joys and sorrows of a man are those of his spirit; yet no inconsiderable proportion of his experiences come to him through the flesh. The text tells us—
    I. THAT THE CONQUERING SPIRIT WITHIN US TRIUMPHS OVER THE BODILY INFIRMITY. There have been times when, and people by whom, the very worst bodily afflictions have been borne with lofty indifference or with still loftier and nobler resignation. Such was the Roman whose right hand was consumed in the fire without a groan; such were the Christian martyrs; such have been and such are they who are condemned to long years of privation or of suffering, and who wear the face of a holy contentment, of even a beautiful cheerfulness of spirit. Beneath the infirmity of the flesh is the sustaining spirit: but what of the wounded spirit itself?
    II. THAT IT IS THE WOUNDED SPIRIT FOR WHICH HELP IS NEEDED. There are many ways in which our spirit may be wounded.
74. There is the merciful wound from the hand of God. For God does wound; he wounds in part in order that, he may heal altogether; for the moment, that he may make whole forever. The weapon (or one weapon) with which he smites the soul is the human conscience. We have all felt the smart from its righteous blow. We have before us the alternative of either blunting the edge of the instrument or learning the lesson and turning away from the sin. To do the former is to take the path which leads to wrong and ruin; to do the latter is to walk in the way of life.
75. The faithful wound from the hand of man. There are circumstances under which, and there are relations in which, we are simply bound to wound one another’s spirit. As Christ wounded the spirit of Peter with a reproachful glance (Luk_22:61, Luk_22:62); as Paul wounded the Corinthian Christians (2Co_2:1-10); so will the faithful minister of Christ, the conscientious parent or teacher, the true and loyal friend, now administer rebuke, offer remonstrance, address an appeal which will fill the heart with compunction and regret.
76. The cruel wound from the hand of man. This includes
    (1) the wound of neglect,—often a very deep and sore wound is this, coming from the hand that should sustain and heal;
    (2) of hastiness and rashness;
    (3) of malice.
77. Spare to wound another’s spirit. It is worse to hurt the feelings than to filch the purse; to cause a bad heartache than any suffering of the nerve. “The spirit of a man can sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
78. When your heart is wounded repair to the One who can heal it. There is only One who can “heal the broken heart, and bind up its wounds.”—C.
    Pro_18:17
    Hear the other side
    There is no truer, as there is no homelier maxim, than that we should “hear the other side,” or—what is virtually the same thing—”there are two sides to everything.” This is the idea in the text; the lessons are—
    I. WE SHOULD NOT EXPECT ABSOLUTE ACCURACY WHEN A MAN TELLS HIS OWN CASE.
79. He may intentionally misrepresent it.
80. He may unconsciously misstate it.
    How things shape themselves to our mind depends on our individual standpoint; and when two men regard a subject from different and even opposite points of view, they necessarily see it, and as necessarily state it, with considerable variation. Such are the limitations of our mental faculties, and such is our tendency to be biassed in our own favour, that no wise man will expect his neighbour to give him the whole case, without either addition, colouring, or omission, when he pleads his own cause.
    II. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE INEQUALITY IN MEN’S CAPACITY OF PRESENTMENT. Some men can make a very lame cause look like a sound one; but others cannot give to a good cause the appearance of justice to which it is entitled. Truth often yields to advocacy.
    III. WE SHOULD INSIST ON HEARING THE OTHER SIDE. This is due to both sides.
81. It is in the true interest of the complainant, or he will persuade us to give him credence to which he is not morally entitled; he will then wrong his brother; he will be an oppressor or a defamer; from this evil end we should save him by our good sense.
82. It is due to the defendant; for otherwise he will have judgment passed when things have been left unspoken which certainly ought to be taken into the account. Justice imperatively demands that we should never condemn our neighbour until we have heard what he has to say for himself.
83. It is due to ourselves; otherwise we shall not be just, and it is our Saviour’s express desire that we should “judge righteous judgment” (Joh_7:24), and we shall not be like unto “him who judgeth righteously.” Our Christian character will be incomplete and our life will be blemished. Moreover:
84. It is due to the cause of Christ; for if we condemn or acquit without full and impartial inquiry, we shall do injustice to many, and we shall certainly do injury in many ways to the cause and kingdom of our Lord.—C.
    Pro_18:19
    Brethren at strife
    The reference in the text is to—
    I. A DIFFICULTY EVERYWHERE ACKNOWLEDGED. It seems to have been universally felt that a “brother offended” is very hard indeed “to be won.” It is more easy to effect a reconciliation between strangers than between those united by ties of blood. Hence a family feud is usually a very long as well as a very sad one. This does not seem to be a local or a national peculiarity. What Solomon wrote in his land and age might be written by any English or continental moralist today. It is human.
    II. ITS EXPLANATION.
85. It is an aggravated difficulty, inasmuch as the bitterness aroused is more intense. For always in proportion to the fulness of our love is the greatness of our wrath. Anger is love reversed. Whom we love the most we are in danger of disliking the most; it is against his own wife that the madman first turns his hand. And how should we love another with all the affection we feel for the companion of our childhood and our youth, the sharer of our joys and sufferings from the very cradle and under the parental roof?
86. We shrink with greatest sensitiveness from humbling ourselves before our kindred. Reconciliation usually means apology, and apology means a measure of humiliation. And we do not like to humble our hearts before one with whom we have had and may have so much to do.
87. We are inclined to “stand upon the order of our going;” each thinks the other should make the first move; the younger thinks the elder should because he is the elder, and the elder the younger because he is the younger.
88. We are apt to resent interposition as interference; to any peacemaker who would intervene we are inclined to say, “Do not intrude into our family secrets.”
    III. OUR DUTY IN VIEW OF THIS FACT. It is clearly this:
89. To avoid all serious differences with our near kindred;
    (1) to heal at once the first small breach that may occur, for while a rupture may be beyond remedy, a small difference is easily healed;
    (2) to consider that almost any sacrifice of money, or of position, or of goods is worth making to retain the love of the children of our own parents, the playmates of our childhood and our youth.
90. To make a determined effort, after earnest thought and prayer, to master the difficulty we find in our heart, and make the first overture to the offended brother. Be shall we win a really noble victory over ourselves; so shall we gain the warm approval of the Prince of peace.—C.
    Pro_18:24
    The unfailing Friend
    If these words had occurred in a book written any time A.D; we should unhesitatingly have referred them to our Lord; they are beautifully and perfectly applicable to him. For closer than any brother is he who is “not ashamed to call us brethren.”
    I. HE COMES NEARER TO US THAN ANY BROTHER CAN. A human brother can draw very near to us in his knowledge of us and his brotherly sympathy with us; but not as Christ, our Divine Friend, can and does. His knowledge of us is perfect—of our hopes and fears, of our struggles and our sorrows, of our aspirations and endeavours, of all that passes within us. And his sympathy with us and his succour of us are such as man cannot render. He can pity us with a perfect tenderness of spirit, and he can touch our hearts with a sustaining and healing hand as the kindest and wisest of men cannot.
    II. HE IS ALWAYS THE SAME TO US; OUR BROTHER IS NOT. We can never be quire sure that our kindest brother will be in a mood or in a position to lend us his ear or his hand. But we have not to make this qualification or enter into this consideration when we think of Christ. We know we shall not find him too occupied to hear us, or indisposed to sympathize with us, or unable to aid us. He is always the same, and ever ready to receive and bless us (Heb_13:8).
    III. HIS PATIENCE IS INEXHAUSTIBLE; OUR BROTHER’S IS NOT. By our importunity, or by our infirmity, or by our unworthiness, we may weary the most patient human friend or brother; but we do not weary the Divine Friend; and even though we do that or be that which is evil and hurtful, which is painful and grievous in his sight, still he bears with us, and at our first moment of spiritual return he is prepared to welcome and restore us.
    IV. HE EVER LIVETH; OUR BROTHER MAY BE TAKEN FROM US.
91. Seek the lasting favour and friendship of Jesus Christ.
92. Realize the honour of that friendship, and walk worthily of it.
93. Gain from it all the comfort, strength, and sanctity which a close and living friendship with him will surely yield.
94. Introduce all whom you can to him, that they may share this invaluable blessing.—C.

Proverbs 18:10-11
We have here the “strong tower” and the “strong city;” the man lifted up above danger on the battlements of the one, and the man fancying himself to be high above it (and only fancying himself) in the imaginary safety of the other.
I. Consider first the two fortresses. One need only name them side by side to feel the full force of the intended contrast. On the one hand the name of the Lord, with all its depths and glories, with its blaze of lustrous purity and infinitudes of inexhaustible power; and on the other “the rich man’s wealth.” (1) The name of the Lord, of course, is the biblical expression for the whole character of God, as He has made it known to us, or, in other words, for God Himself, as He has been pleased to reveal Himself to mankind. His name proclaims Him to be self-existent, and, as self-existent, eternal; and as eternal, changeless; and as self-existent, eternal, changeless, infinite in all the qualities by which He makes Himself known. But far beyond the sweep of that great name, Jehovah, is the knowledge of God’s deepest heart and character, which we learn in Him who said, “I have declared Thy name unto My brethren, and will declare it.” The name that is the strong tower is the name. “My Father!” A Father of infinite tenderness, and wisdom, and power. (2) Look at the other fortress: “The rich man’s wealth.” Of course we have not to deal here only with wealth in the shape of money, but all external and material goods; the whole mass of the things seen and temporal are gathered together here in this phrase. Men use their imaginations in very strange fashion, and make, or fancy they make, for themselves out of the things of the present life a defence and a strength. Like some poor lunatic, out upon a moor, that fancies himself ensconced in a castle; like some barbarous tribes behind their stockades, or crowding at the back of a little turf wall, fancying themselves perfectly secure and defended,—so do men deal with these outward things that are given them for another purpose altogether; they make of them defences and fortresses. Of all delusions that can beset you in your course, none will work more disastrously than the notion that the summum bonum, the shield and the stay of a man, is the abundance of the things that he possesses.
II. Consider next how to get into the true refuge. How does a man make this world his defence? By trusting to it. He that says to the fine gold, “Thou art my confidence,” has made it his fortress; and that is how you will make God your fortress—by trusting to Him.
III. We have, lastly, what comes of sheltering in these two refuges. (1) As to the former of them, as one of the old Puritan commentators has it, “The tower is so deep that no pioneer can undermine it, so thick that no cannon can breach it, so high that no ladder can scale it.” “The righteous runneth into it and is perched up there.” (2) I say little about the other side. The world can do a great deal for us. It can keep the rifle bullets from us. But, ah! when the big siege guns get into position and begin to play; when the great trials that every-life must have, sooner or later, come to open fire at us; then the defence that anything in this outer world can give comes rattling about our ears very quickly. It is like the pasteboard helmet, which looked as good as if it had been steel, and did admirably as long as no sword struck it.
A. Maclaren, A Year’s Ministry, 1st series, p. 301.
References: Pro_18:10.— Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. ix., No. 491; J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 8th series, p. 118; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xvi., p. 269. Pro_18:12.— Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. ii., No. 97.; Evening by Evening, p. 66. Pro_18:15-19.— R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 191. Pro_18:17.— W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 126. Pro_18:20-24.— R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs, vol. ii., p. 202.

Proverbs 18:21
I. The tongue is like a steed (Jas_3:3): (1) When it speaks too much; (2) when it is boasting; (3) when it is angry.
II. The tongue is like a sword (Psa_57:4): (1) Against the weak and helpless; (2) against sacred things and holy persons.
III. The tongue is like a serpent (Psa_140:3): (1) when it slanders; (2) when it flatters.
IV. The tongue is like fire (Jas_3:6). It is like fire when it speaks profane or foul words in the hearing of others; because those who hear them speak them again, and so the evil spreads and spreads.
J. Stalker, The New Song, p. 24.
References: Pro_18:22.—W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 131; W. M. Taylor, Old Testament Outlines, p. 160.

Proverbs 18:24
When Christian people talk of a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, there is commonly one Friend in their mind, the best Friend, the most faithful, and sympathetic, and mighty, our blessed Redeemer. But that thought was quite out of the mind of the man that wrote the verse. The writer was not thinking at all of Christ. All he names here is the fact of experience, that men have sometimes found a friend who was more constant and faithful than a brother.
I. A sorrowful alienation from those once nearest is a sad characteristic of our life as years go on. Most human beings would need a friend nearer than almost any of their blood. A characteristic of advancing years is a growing selfishness; a shrivelling up of all the real interests of life into the narrow compass of one’s own personality. The most unselfish and the kindest-hearted will need diligently to counterwork that increasing alienation, which in the latter years tends to estrange us from others, to throw us in upon ourselves, to make us quite alone. Keep as near as you will, there is still an inevitable space between, a certain distance between you and your best friends in this world. We would all need to have a friend who can keep nearer us, and understand us better, and stand by us more faithfully, and help us more effectually, than any human being.
II. And there is such a friend. If we could vividly believe that Christ is our friend, it is very easy to see how good and great a friend, (1) Think of His power—His power to help and protect, in work, in danger, in temptation. (2) Think of His sympathy—He can feel for us, He can understand us, and all we are feeling and going through. His might to help us is as of one raised like the stars above us; His understanding of us is nearer than that of one who sits by the same fireside. (3) This best Friend will never disappoint us; as those we thought our good friends here sometimes do. (4) This best Friend is always near. (5) This Friend is never estranged. (6) He will never die. There is no shadow of coming parting to hang, unspoken of, but oftentimes silently remembered, over our communion with Him.
A. K. H. B., From a Quiet Place, p. 169.

Our text speaks of a friendship which is the noblest and most enduring. It compares it with what is usually regarded as one of the most powerful and abiding relations on earth, the love of brethren. There is a friend, it tells us, that sticketh closer than a brother. Who that friend is it says not. It may refer to the fact that even in our common life we meet with friends that are better to us than even our relations; but who can doubt that, whatever its primary reference, it does emphatically describe the character of One who is pre-eminently the Friend of man, the Friend of sinners, and the Friend of saints?
I. The love of this Friend is disinterested. How could it be otherwise? What drew Him to us? Was it primarily to be blessed Himself or to bless others that He came? It was not His own happiness He came to seek when He left the world in which He is and was God over all, blessed for ever—it was ours; His joy was that of seeing others rescued, redeemed, purified, glorified.
II. The friendship of Christ is an intelligent friendship; it is a friendship which is based on knowledge, and a complete knowledge of us. Many of the friendships of this world have no such basis whatever, and it is this which often accounts for their very brief and unsatisfactory character. Christ knows what is in man. He knows, therefore, the worst of us. There is nothing that can come out to surprise Him and revolt Him. And yet He sticks closer than a brother.
III. The friendship of Christ is marked by its fidelity. He does not love us with a fondness which shrinks from admonition when admonition is needed. If He be unseen, He is still at our side, and by His providence is speaking to us now, as once He spoke in an audible voice. He will not suffer sin in us to go unreproved.
IV. His friendship is marked by its constancy. It is not like the moon with its phases, but like the sun, without variableness or the shadow of a turning. He does not break off from us because we are not all we should be to Him. He sticks to us closer than a brother.
E. Mellor, The Hem of Christ’s Garment, p. 292.

What our text says is true of human friends,—describes them, and furnishes a reason why we should value them, and do all that is right and proper to retain them. But if it applies to any, it applies to the Lord Jesus. It is most of all true of Him.
I. The text is true of Jesus in respect of His love. He loves you better than a brother does. He is the very embodiment of the love of God, and “God is love.”
II. The text is true of Jesus in respect of His kindness. He is kinder to you, does more for you than a brother. Kindness is the outcome of love, the result of love, the expression of love.
III. The text is true of Jesus in respect of His patience. He bears with you more than a brother. If anything could win the hearts of children, it should be the patience and gentleness of Jesus.
IV. The text is true of Jesus in respect of His nearness. He is nearer to you than a brother. In Old Testament times the only one who could be a redeemer was the nearest of kin (Ruth iv.). That was meant to bring out the nearness of Christ’s relationship to all who are His.
V. The text is true of Jesus in respect of His steadfastness, His constancy. He never changes, never leaves you. Jesus never gives up any friend.
J. H. Wilson, The Gospel and its Fruit, p. 157.
References: Pro_18:24.—B. W. Noel, Penny Pulpit, No. 3,633; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iii., No. 120; W. Arnot, Laws from Heaven, 2nd series, p. 116. Pro_19:1-3.—R. Wardlaw, Lectures on Proverbs vol. ii., p. 215.

Proverbs 18:1
Reproach. True friendship resembles charity, and bears all things, 1Co_13:4 Hebrew now reads Thave, “desire;” instead of Thuane, occasion, or “pretext,” which must have been in the copies of the Septuagint and Vulgate. (Calmet) — Protestants, “through desire, a man having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” The solitary seeks heaven. (Haydock)

Proverbs 18:2
Heart. Conformable to his passions. (Calmet) — Hebrew, “unless to lay open his heart.” He wishes to appear wise, and to justify his wicked designs. (Haydock)

Proverbs 18:3
Contemneth both God and man, Luk_18:4 Hebrew, “is contemned” in his turn. (Calmet) — He is like a man abandoned by the physician. (Op. Imp. in Matt. Hom. 40.)

Proverbs 18:4
Man, who is just and wise. His advice deserves attention, chap. 20:5

Proverbs 18:6
Quarrels. Hebrew, “blows.” Septuagint, “death;” (ver. 7.) which are the usual consequences of quarrels.

Proverbs 18:8
Tongued. Hebrew, “caluminator.” He pretends to wish well to those of whom he speaks, or else to guard the company against deceit. (Calmet) — “If the devil be upon the detractor’s tongue, he is in the ears of those who pay attention to him.” (St. Francis de Sales) — Fear, &c., is in the Septuagint, above. The Vulgate retains both this and the new version of St. Jerome.

Proverbs 18:9
Brother. Like him, as both end in poverty, chap. 10:4, and 12:11

Proverbs 18:10
Name. Essence, or protection of God. The rich depends on his own wealth.

Proverbs 18:13
Heareth the end of the question, chap. 1:5

Proverbs 18:14
Infirmity of the flesh, Mat_26:41 — That is. Theodotion, “is wounded, who shall support?”

Proverbs 18:16
Princes. He easily finds access by showing submission. (Calmet)        Placatur donis Jupiter ipse suis. (Ovid)

Proverbs 18:17
Him. To see that he act with sincerity.

Proverbs 18:18
Lot. Chap. 16:33 Septuagint, “silence.” (Calmet) — But Grabe substitutes “lot.” (Haydock)

Proverbs 18:19
Judgments of many are more deserving of credit. Hebrew, “a brother offended, is like a strong place, and their quarrels,” &c. The are not easily reconciled. Civil wars are most terrible. (Calmet)

Proverbs 18:20
Satisfied. Those who are guarded in their words get employment. (Haydock) (Chap. 12:14)

Proverbs 18:21
Love it, and speak well or ill, shall receive accordingly, Mat_12:37

Proverbs 18:22
Good wife. Good is not in Hebrew, but should be understood, as it is expressed in the Complutensian (Calmet) and Alexandrian Septuagint. (Haydock) — He that, &c., occurs not in Hebrew, Sixtus V, &c. But it is found in Septuagint and Arabic. The Syriac omits the last sentence. — Wicked. St. Augustine had frequently asserted that a divorce was only of counsel: but this he retracted, when he reflected on this text. (Retractions 1:19) — The Hebrews, Athenians, and Romans, followed the same practice with adulteresses. (Selden, Ux. 3:16; Dem. in Neæram, &c.) — Hermas (past. 1:4) prescribes that the penitent shall be received again, but not often. In cae of divorce, the fathers still permit not a second marriage, that the parties may be reconciled. They enjoin the husband to put away only such as are incorrigible. (St. Augustine, Adul. 2:3) (Calmet)

Proverbs 18:24
Brother. The ties of nature are not so strong as those of friendship. (Calmet) — Hebrew, “a man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Protestants) (Haydock) — Ut ameris ama. (Martial)

Proverbs 18:1
(1783) The body of Messiah is a unified effort with judicial order and accountability to YHWH and each other. Those who set themselves up outside of YHWH’s judicial order do so with pride and self interest.

Proverbs 18:2
Pro_12:23; Pro_13:16, Ecc_10:3

Proverbs 18:6
Pro_26:3

Proverbs 18:8
Pro_16:28; Pro_18:8; Pro_26:20-22; Pro_19:9

Proverbs 18:12
Pro_15:33; Pro_11:2; Pro_16:18

Proverbs 18:13
Pro_20:25; Pro_18:17, Joh_7:24

Proverbs 18:14
Pro_15:13

Proverbs 18:17
Pro_18:13

Proverbs 18:18
(1784) Speaking of casting a lot to decide a matter, (Pro_16:33)

Proverbs 18:21
Pro_12:13; Pro_13:3, Mat_12:37

Proverbs 18:24
(1785) Safety is not in the quantity of friends, but the quality.

Proverbs 18:1-2

The Fool Who Separates Himself

“He who separates himself” (Pro_18:1 ) does so out of selfishness. His selfishness makes him an enemy of any kind of friendship. Anyone he should take account of hinders him in the pursuit of satisfying “[his own] desires”. All that is before his attention is what gives him pleasure himself. That is why he wants nothing to do with any kind of wisdom, because that confronts him with a higher purpose of life.

If anything is said to him about this, either by God from His Word if it is presented to him, or by a human being, if he wants to point something out to him, he “quarrels” against it. He is like the apostate Jews of whom it is written that they do not please God and are against all men (1Th_2:15 ). His whole attitude shows that he belongs to those “who cause divisions [or: separate themselves], worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (Jud_1:19 ).

By the way, there is a separation that God asks of us in His Word. That involves separation from sin and people living in sin and from those who accept sin in others and do not distance themselves from it (2Ti_2:19-21 ; 2Co_6:14-17 ; Heb_13:13 ; 2Jn_1:7-11 ).

Pro_18:2 connects with Pro_18:1 . He who quarrels against all sound wisdom shows that he is “a fool”, one who by nature “does not delight in understanding”. What he does find the greatest pleasure in is giving his opinion and thereby “in revealing his own mind”. He abhors understanding, but enjoys bringing up his own foolish insights. By what he says, he reveals or betrays what is in his mind. Such a person asks questions to show how smart he is (at least that is what he thinks of himself) rather than wanting to be taught. He has a preformed, uncorrectable opinion and lets it be heard.

We find this fool in religious leaders in the days of the Lord Jesus. They cannot delight in the understanding Christ wants to give and even quarrel against it. They only want to air their own understanding and be admired for it.

Proverbs 18:3

The Wicked Man and What Comes With Him

“When a wicked man comes”, wherever that may be, in his wake follow his sworn comrades “contempt”, “dishonor” and “scorn”. Contempt comes along because the wicked will always look at the righteous with contempt, only to shower him with dishonor and scorn. To this end, he will always find something with him, either in his circumstances or in his way of life.

This conduct belongs to the wicked; it is his nature. To him, God has no meaning or value. The warning is to be wary of the wicked, for in his company are contempt, dishonor and scorn which he pours out on others in his speech and conduct.

Proverbs 18:4

Deep Waters and a Bubbling Brook

The “man” here is a wise one. His “mouth” is compared to a place from which water bubbles forth, and his “words” are compared to that water. What he says are simple words, but they have deep meaning. Not only are the words profound, but they never run out and always contain wisdom because they come from “the fountain of wisdom”. The words of a man coming from the fountain of God’s thoughts are both deep and overflowing. It points to the depth and breadth of wisdom.

Wisdom is deep (Job_28:12-28 ), it is what is in God (Rom_11:33 ). It is a great grace that God has communicated to us His thoughts of wisdom. He has done so in His Word and by His Spirit. By His Spirit we can now know the depths of God (1Co_2:9-10 ). Wisdom is not an ocean, but a fountain from which comes a stream that overflows. That fountain is the Lord Jesus.

Moses speaks of “deep waters” (Deu_8:7 ) as one of the blessings of the promised land. In the spiritual application, we can think of the blessing of eternal life. This is what the Lord Jesus speaks of when He says to the Samaritan woman: “But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (Joh_4:14 ).

Proverbs 18:5

No Partiality in a Court Case

In a world of which satan is god and ruler, it happens that a wicked person is favored and the right of the righteous is bent in judgment. Partiality may come into play if the wicked person is a rich person, or a family member, or someone influential through prestige. A righteous person may be a person who has pointed out evil, like Elijah and John the baptist. God abhors this course of action. He wants justice to be done fairly (2Ch_19:7 ; Mal_2:9 ). It is reprehensible to bend the right of a righteous person, that is, to set aside his right, to deprive him of his right.

This is not just about a judicial error, an unjust judgment, reflected in the acquittal of a wicked person who should be condemned. It is not so much about the outcome as the motive. That motive is favoritism, partiality (cf. 1Ti_5:21 ). It is a judgment because of prestige. It applies not only to a court of law, but in all cases. James applies it to the dealings of the members of God’s people among themselves (Jas_2:1-9 ). The Lord Jesus warns: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (Joh_7:24 ).

Proverbs 18:6-8

The Words of a Fool and a Whisperer

Foolish people bring themselves in trouble because of what they say (Pro_18:6 ). What “a fool” shouts brings “strife” His language is inflammatory or hurtful. Therefore, with what he calls he calls “for blows”, for punishment. What he says is not innocent. Not only wrong deeds must be punished, but also wrong words. Wrong deeds harm someone, wrong someone. Wrong words also disadvantage another and do him wrong.

For this he deserves punishment. That punishment may be administered to him, for example, by his parents, or by his boss, or by a judge. It may also be that he will be disciplined by God, because with what he says, he also calls God’s judgment upon himself.

Pro_18:7 is the continuation of Pro_18:6 and goes a step further. There are not only blows attached to what he says, but with what he says, he works his own “ruin” (Ecc_10:12 ). The words he speaks with his lips are “the snare of his soul”, they are directed against his life. He becomes ensnared by his words; he is caught in them and perishes. Everything a fool says, even to defend himself, is the ground for his ruin. Everything he says, God will bring as evidence of the righteousness of his condemnation.

In Pro_18:8 , it is not about the fool’s lips and mouth, but about those who give their ear to it. The fool is also the whisperer, someone who spreads gossip. People enjoy listening to gossip. Gossip is “like dainty morsels”, which is food that is devoured with eagerness. When such ‘tasty’ pieces of food slide in, they fill their “innermost parts of the body”, up to the hiding corners of it, which stimulates the desire for more.

The innermost parts function as a storage chamber, where things that have been said are kept so that they can be brought up again later. Thus, we saw earlier that the listener helps the gossiper by listening to his gossip. His words are sucked in without thought and go down into the deepest inner being, where they do their sickening work, sickening soul and spirit to the point of death. The whisperer speaks with words “smoother than butter” and “softer than oil”, but which are “drawn swords” (Psa_55:21 ) and therefore have a deadly effect. They kill any remainders of sound spiritual life that may have been left.

Proverbs 18:9

Slackness Has a Destroying Effect

Earlier proverbs about laziness are about forsaking one’s own occupations, causing the slacker to fall into poverty. Here it is about one who works for another, but does not do his work with diligence due to laziness. “He also who is slack in his work” is one who lets his hands hang limply. He is inactive. He is no better than one who actively sets out to destroy a work. They are both relatives of “him who destroys”, of an ‘arch-destroyer’; they are, so to speak, of the same ‘blood group’ as the devil. In one case, the work does not get finished; in the other, when it is finished, it is destroyed.

We can apply this to the work for the Lord. The lazy slave is as harmful to God’s kingdom as the wasteful slave (Mat_25:25 ; Luk_16:1 ). If we neglect to serve the Lord faithfully, we are counterproductive. What a person does not do can be just as harmful as what a person does. The Lord Jesus says: “He who does not gather with Me scatters” (Mat_12:30 ).

Proverbs 18:10-12

The True Safety and the False Safety

That “the name of the LORD is a strong tower” means that God is fully able to protect those who trust Him (Pro_18:10 ; cf. Psa_71:3 ). The righteous need this because he lives in a world where the wicked are in control. The righteous person believes that his only safety is the Name of the LORD and therefore “runs into it”.

The metaphor points to one of the attributes of God and that is His power to protect. The word “runs” describes undivided reliance on that protection. We take refuge in that Name when we are in need, or in uncertainty, and then go to Him in prayer (Isa_50:10 ). We do so because we know He will receive us and provide the protection He promises to give to those who trust Him.

“Safe” is literally “set on high” and is a military term emphasizing the effect for those who take refuge in that Name (cf. Psa_20:1 ). The strong tower is also a high tower. The righteous one is behind thick walls, preventing hostile weapons from striking him. He is also on a high wall and therefore raised above the attacks, so that hostile weapons cannot reach him. The enemy cannot pass through the wall, nor can he climb it.

Rich people often assume that their property is their “strong city” that provides them with security (Pro_18:11 ; cf. Job_31:24 ). They thereby build their own “high wall” of safety. But their reliance on this is an illusion. This false safety contradicts the real safety that God’s Name provides (Pro_18:10 ). The rich man expects from his wealth what the righteous man expects from his God. The first metaphor, the strong city, suggests protection from all outside attacks; the second metaphor, the high wall, expresses their thoughts of being invincible.

Any protection that wealth can provide is extremely limited, both in terms of its strength and of its durability. Money can never guarantee absolute safety, unlike the Name of God that can do so (1Ti_6:17 ). Anyone who thinks that money can provide absolute safety is a true dreamer, someone outside the reality of life.

The rich man of Pro_18:11 is the haughty man of Pro_18:12 , the man whose “heart… is haughty”. His path ends in “destruction”. The way that leads to “honor”, is the way of “humility”.

The haughty one finds all safety in himself. He boasts in his own ability to protect himself. It is the false assurance of not needing anyone and being able to stand up for himself and take care of himself. But one thing is certain and that is that he faces destruction. There is no protection for him.

In contrast to this is “humility”, the realization that he cannot make it in his own strength, but depends on God. The humble takes refuge in the Name of God and will be honored by Him for it. The humiliation and glorification of the Lord Jesus is the clear example of this truth (Isa_52:13-15 Isa_53:1-12 ; Php_2:1-10 ). In this He is an example to all who follow Him in that way (Mat_23:12 ).

Proverbs 18:13

Listen Before You Give an Answer

The truth of this verse is important for everything we are told in a conversation or discussion. We must first listen to the whole story, let someone speak out, and only then respond. It leads to “folly and shame” if we answer when we have only heard half and fill in the rest ourselves. We must be “quick to hear, slow to speak” (Jas_1:19 ). This is especially true in the relationship to God and listening to His Word.

Poor listening means that we do not respect the person saying something. This lack of respect comes from being preoccupied with one’s own interests. One’s own thoughts are valued much higher than what the other person is saying. One’s own opinion is the only thing that matters. Those who engage in conversation with the other person in this way will do so to his own “folly and shame”.

Proverbs 18:14

The Spirit of a Man or a Broken Spirit

He who has spirit, i.e. spiritual strength, who is healthy in his thinking, and can focus his thoughts on God, has peace in his heart and can endure his sickness. One can be physically disabled, but bear that well if there is “spirit” that can find rest in the way God is going. But if someone has “a broken spirit”, the burden of that way is often difficult to bear. In doing so, no one can sense exactly what is going on in such a person’s spirit.

Depression is a severe trial. In physical illness you can fall back on the will to live, but in depression the will to live is sometimes gone. Few things in the human experience are as difficult to deal with as depression. We see this in the suffering that came upon Job. Following on from the previous verse, we can say that here we must first and foremost learn to listen before we can even begin to formulate an answer to the question: “Who can bear it?”

Proverbs 18:15

To Acquire and Seek Knowledge

The “knowledge” that “the mind of the prudent acquires” is knowledge concerning God and His judgment of all things. “The mind” refers to the mindset, the desire. It is also the storehouse of acquired knowledge. This is paramount. “The ear” is the means by which knowledge enters the mind. “The ear of the wise seeks knowledge” indicates effort, the eager seeking of knowledge. Knowledge must be sought, it does not come to you by chance.

“The ear of the wise” listens to teaching and thus takes in knowledge. The mind of the prudent discerns what the ear must hear to acquire knowledge. It is instructive to see that the wise in the book of Proverbs constantly seek knowledge. Those who are wise will always see themselves as learners and act accordingly. Those who know much are most aware of their ignorance. The ear seeks knowledge, the mind stores knowledge.

Prudent is he who can distinguish between good and evil. Wise is he who has learned to fear God. The one will lead to the other. The desire to truly know the difference between good and evil will lead us to God and work in us a holy reverence for Him.

Proverbs 18:16

What a Gift Can Do

The gift (mathan) referred to here is not the same as a bribe gift (shokhad). The word used here, mathan, is more general than the word shokhad (Pro_17:8 Pro_17:23 ), which has more of a negative meaning. It is generally true that a gift gives room for or opens a way to and gives entrance to “great people”. At the same time, we should not close our eyes to the danger that lies in offering a gift, that a gift nevertheless functions as a bribe. To that danger both the giver and the receiver must be mindful.

The proverb itself simply says that a gift can make someone lenient (Gen_32:20 Gen_43:11 ; 1Sa_25:27 ). The gift is not given to flatter someone, but as a proof of due respect because of the place someone holds. It is about someone of distinction. He who approaches that person in this way is more likely to get in touch with him, for whatever cause, than someone who brutally asks for a conversation.

Proverbs 18:17-19

A Case, Strife and Contentions

The first line of Pro_18:17 confirms the general experience that he who is allowed to be the first to explain his lawsuit seems to be right. But before we declare him “righteous”, his neighbor must be heard and allowed to give his view of the dispute. This proverb reminds us that there are two parties in a dispute – about something professional, domestic or religious, for example – and that both parties to a dispute must be heard.

This is another warning against premature judgment (Pro_18:13 ). First, all the facts must be known. We can only find that out by hearing both sides. There must be a hearing. Only when both sides have been heard can righteous judgment follow (Deu_1:16 ). Each must be able to present the case from his point of view.

The first may tell his story very convincingly, but when the second tells his story, it may turn out that the matter is nevertheless more nuanced than we thought after the first speaker. That should be the attitude in all cases where there is a difference of opinion. This could be, for example, in a family between children, between spouses and between brothers and sisters of a local church.

Pro_18:18 could involve a case where both parties of Pro_18:17 have spoken, but where there has been no clarity as to who is right. It is a dispute “between the mighty ones”, people who hold important positions. They can both defend their lawsuit with fervor. That leaves the lot to separate between these mighty ones in the sense of resolving the dispute, with one being in the right.

If both parties acknowledge that God through the lot brings the dispute to an end (Pro_16:33 ) and accept the outcome, the dispute is out of the world. That is better than when it comes to a power struggle, of which others are always the victims. Today we have God’s Word and God’s Spirit and spiritually minded believers who can make a judgment in a court of law (1Co_6:1-8 ).

However, there are also disputes where even the lot has no chance to provide a solution. This is in the case where a brother has been “offended” (Pro_18:19 ). That injustice was done to the brother during an argument. Then he was treated in a way that hurt him so deeply that he withdrew and closed himself off from all contact.

He “[is harder to be won] than a strong city”, meaning that a strong city is easier to capture than to approach him to undo the injustice. The city in which he has enclosed himself is a fortress. The contentions underlying the injustice “are like the bars of a citadel”. That means he has barricaded the entrance to his heart.

This proverb is an observation without comment. For us, it is an exhortation not to offend a brother, which would cause him to fall into such a state of mind. If a brother, or a sister, does fall into such a state of mind, then it should not remain a mere observation. Love will do everything possible to win and restore the offended brother in his relationship with the Lord and with his fellow brothers and sisters.

Proverbs 18:20-21

The Fruit of Our Words

The good, edifying words we speak with our “mouth” and our “lips” give inner (“his stomach”) satisfaction (Pro_18:20 ). They are like seeds of good fruit that produce a satisfying yield or harvest. This saying is an incentive to take as much care of the words we speak as we do of the fruit of the trees we eat from. If we eat healthy fruit, we will remain healthy; if we eat unhealthy fruit, we will become sick. If our words are careful, God-fearing and good, “in grace… seasoned with salt” (Col_4:6 ), to serve others with them, it will satiate ourselves. It gives satisfaction and a good conscience.

“His stomach” we can also apply to the conscience. To satiate the stomach, that is, to keep a good conscience, we must pay attention to what we say. Apart from immediate satiation, there is also a later yield or harvest. Also, when we see the “yield” of our wise, prudent, God-fearing words, that is, what effect they have, it gives deep satisfaction. They can be words we speak when we give advice, but also answers to questions we are asked.

Pro_18:21 again clearly suggests what the effect of our words can be. What kind of words are we sowing: for death or for life? That question is especially important for “those who love it”, that is, those who love “the tongue”. This is a wrong love, namely one who enjoys talking. He will eat the fruit of what he says. What he says will return to him. The fool sows words that bring death and destruction; the wise sows words that bring life. False teachers sow words with a seed of death and destruction; the ambassadors for Christ proclaim life.

Proverbs 18:22

A Wife as a Proof of God’s Favor

He who seeks a wife that suits him will ask God to give her to him. He alone knows which wife matches which man. If he finds her under His guidance, he has found “a good thing”, that is, something that benefits him, making his life richer. The word “good” describes that it is something pleasing to God, beneficial to life and giving abundant joy.

Whoever finds this good thing in the wife he finds has obtained “favor from the LORD”. It will fill him with gratitude that God is so good to him. God has said: “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen_2:18 ). He has provided for this by giving this good thing.

Proverbs 18:23

Supplications and Rough Answers

The social conditions in which a person finds himself and the position he has in it have an effect on a person’s character. Poverty works a humble spirit that leads “a poor man” to beg for a favor. Having no other choice, he must speak with “supplications” to get something. “But the rich man answers roughly”, with harsh reproaches and rejection. He has never been in such a position of poverty and cannot imagine the feelings of a poor man.

The poor begs, the rich snarls at him. This is how it often happens. The rich man cannot have any sympathy for the poor man. Wealth often leads to being insensitive to the need of a poor man, who is roughly shaken off by the rich man when he makes his need known (cf. 1Sa_25:17 ; Jas_2:6 ; Mat_18:23-35 ).

The Lord Jesus gives us the good example. He listens to the supplications of the poor man and answers not roughly, but with love and compassion.

Proverbs 18:24

The Difference Between Friends and a Friend

It is better to have one good, faithful friend than numerous unreliable friends. Apart from the friends, it also says something about the man who has many friends. He seems to be an ‘everyman’s friend’. This is not a positive trait, but a negative one. Someone who can be friends with everyone often has no opinion of his own. He set his sail to every wind because he wants to be friends with everyone. Chances are he will fare badly. When things go badly for him, they all drop him. They are ‘swallow friends’, they come when things are going well for you and leave when things are going badly for you.

Therefore, we should choose our friends with care and invest in them. It is not quantity that matters, but quality. A true friend is someone who is always there for you. Sometimes you have more help from him than from your own brother. David was treated with contempt by his brothers, but with loyalty by his friend Jonathan, even when he was persecuted and in trouble. Faithful friendship is more than affection, it is commitment through thick and thin.

Proverbs 18:1-2
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:1. Through desire, etc. The readings and expositions of this verse are many. Zockler translates, “He that separateth himself seeketh his own pleasure, against all counsel doth he rush on,” and the renderings of Stuart, Miller, and Delitzsch are substantially the same, except that Delitzsch translates the latter clause—“against all that is beneficial he shows his teeth.” Other readings are “A self-conceited fool seeks to gratify his fancy and intermingleth himself with all things” (Schultens); “He who has separated himself agitates questions as his desire prompts, and breaks his teeth on every hard point” (Schulz); “He seeks occasion, who desires to separate himself from his friends” (Hodgson). Others read as in the authorised version. (See Comments).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:1-2
Reference to the CRITICAL NOTES and to the Comments will show the widely different translations and expositions given to the first verse. We follow the authorised version.
SOLITUDE
I. Solitude is indispensable to the attainment of wisdom. If a tree is to become well-proportioned—if it is to spread out its branches on every side so that its girth is to be proportioned to its height, it must have space—a degree of separation is indispensable to its perfect development. It must be free to stretch out its roots and shoots on every side, and to appropriate to itself those elements in the earth and in the atmosphere which will make it strong and vigorous. So if a man is to be a wise man, if his mental and spiritual capabilities are to be developed as his Creator intended they should be, he must at times separate himself—a certain amount of solitude is indispensable. If he would grow wise in the mysteries of the natural world he must oftentimes shut himself away from the haunts of men, and ponder the manifold phenomena which creation presents to him, and endeavour to unravel her secrets. If he desires to become wise by acquaintance with the thoughts and deeds of the great and mighty men of past ages he must withdraw himself at certain seasons from the society of his fellow-men, and give himself up to study and reflection. And if he desire to acquire what, after all, can alone make him a truly wise man—an acquaintance with himself and with God—he must have seasons of separation in which to listen to the voice of his own heart and to the voice of His maker. A man, when he is alone, is more likely to see things as they really are; he is less under the influence of the seen and temporal than when he is in the market, or on the crowded highway, and consequently things unseen and eternal have a more powerful influence over him at such a season. No man can be wise unless he has some self-knowledge, and no man can subject himself to much inspection while in company, hence the advice of George Herbert—
“By all means use sometimes to be alone;
Salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear;
Dare to look in thy chest, for ’tis thine own,
And tumble up and down what thou find’st there.
Who cannot rest till he good fellows find,
He breaks up house, turns out of doors his mind.”
and it is equally true that no man is possessed of true wisdom who has not some knowledge of God as He has revealed Himself in the written Word, and solitude is very favourable to a growth in Divine knowledge. Men can gain much, even of the highest wisdom, from intercourse with their fellow-men, but all human guides are fallible and all human teaching is imperfect—there must be seasons when a man “separates himself” from them all and stands face to face with the fountain of all truth, if he would “intermeddle” with pure wisdom.
II. Those who are truly wise seek wisdom for its own sake. Many men seek secular knowledge for the sole purpose of acquiring fame by the acquisition. Some men spend days of solitude in patient investigation for no other purpose than to make a name for themselves. Some men even profess to be seekers after true and spiritual wisdom, when they are only striving to gratify some unworthy ambition. Such a man seems to be pourtrayed in the second verse as the “fool who hath no delight in understanding but that his heart may discover itself.” (If he seeks knowledge at all, it is neither for its own sake nor for the purpose of fitting him for usefulness, but solely for the ends of self-display—Wardlaw.) (He “hath no delight” in knowledge, “but in the displaying of his own thoughts.”—Hodgson.) But the true lover of wisdom is impelled to seek from the love of truth—from the desire which possesses his soul to “intermeddle with knowledge.” When Sir Isaac Newton gave himself up to the pursuit of scientific truth, he “separated himself” simply from a “desire” to know, and without the remotest desire or expectation of his present world-wide fame. And if it is so with every true lover of merely intellectual wisdom, it is pre-eminently so with the man who seeks spiritual wisdom. He is impelled to the search simply by a desire which is born of his appreciation of its worth—by a knowledge of its power to bless his life.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
A certain degree of solitude seems necessary to the full growth and spread of the highest mind; and therefore must a very extensive intercourse with men stifle many a holy germ, and scare away the gods, who shun the restless tumult of noisy companies, and the discussion of petty interests. Novalis.
Desire is the chariot-wheel of the soul, the spring of energy and delight. The man of business or science is filled with his great object; and through desire he separates himself from all lets and hindrances, that he may intermeddle with its whole range. “This one thing”—saith the man of God—“I do” (Philip. Pro_3:13). This one thing is everything with him. He separates himself from all outward hindrances, vain company, trifling amusements or studies, needless engagements, that he may seek and intermeddle with all wisdom. John separated himself in the wilderness, Paul in Arabia, our blessed Lord in frequent retirement, in order to greater concentration in their momentous work. Deeply does the Christian minister feel the responsibility of this holy separation, that he may “give himself wholly to” his office (1Ti_4:15; 2Ti_2:4). Without it—Christian—thy soul can never prosper. How canst thou intermeddle with the great wisdom of knowing thyself, if thy whole mind be full of this world’s chaff and vanity? There must be a withdrawal, to “commune with thine own heart” and to ask the questions—“Where art thou? What doest thou here?” Much is there to be inquired into and pondered. Everything here calls for our deepest, closest thoughts. We must walk with God in secret, or the enemy will walk with us, and our souls will die. “Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee” (Eze_3:22). “When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee” (Joh_1:48). Deal much in secrecy, if thou wouldst know “the secret of the Lord.” Like thy Divine Master, thou wilt never be less alone than when alone (Ib. Pro_16:32). There is much to be wrought, gained, and enjoyed. Thy most spiritual knowledge, thy richest experience will be found here. And then, when we look around us into the infinitely extended field of the Revelation of God, what a world of heavenly wisdom is there to intermeddle with! In the hurry of this world’s atmosphere how little can we apprehend it! And yet such is the field of wonder, that the contemplation of a single point overwhelmed the Apostle with adoring astonishment. (Rom_11:33). Here are “things, which even the angels desire to look into” (1Pe_1:12). The redeemed will be employed throughout eternity in this delighted searching; exploring “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,” until they be “filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph_3:18-19). Surely then if we have any desire, we shall separate ourselves from the cloudy atmosphere around us, that we may have fellowship with these happy investigators of the Divine mysteries.—Bridges.
The separated one here is the impenitent. “The aims of a man left to himself” is really a translation of but two words, meaning a separated one seeks. “At the mere dictate of desire” is but one noun with a preceding particle, meaning after, or, according to The noun means a longing. The sentence means that when a man gets separated from his place in the universe he seeks, or has a pursuit, after his present bent or longing. The word translated wisdom in the second clause is derived from a verb that means to be or stand with some stability (see comment on chap. Pro_2:7), yielding the sense the lost man sits careless to what is “stable.” He does not regard it. He strikes for what he desires. A pretty thing for him to cavil! since “against everything stable he just lets himself roll.” … The whole meaning is that the lost man is in high chase under the spur of appetite, and ruthlessly bears down everything stable.—Miller.
“Through desire” (through self-willed and self-seeking desire of wisdom)—“wisdom,” Heb. tushigyah, lit. all that is solid and stable: subsistence, essence, existence. The Pharisees were such; from the Hebrew, pharash, to separate. They trusted in themselves, and in their own wisdom, despising others (Luk_18:9; Luk_16:15; Jud_1:19). All heresy has more or less originated in the self-conceit which leads men to separate themselves from the congregation of the Lord (Eze_14:7; Hos_9:10; Heb_10:25). The two evils censured are (1) that of those who think they are born for themselves, and that others ought to be ministers of their self-seeking desires; (2) that of those who intermeddle with what does not concern them. The motive is through (his own) “desire” of being esteemed singularly learned, as Pro_18:2 shows, not from sincere “delight in understanding.” His aim is singularity, through self-seeking desire (Psa_10:3; Psa_112:10) of raising himself to a separate elevation from the common crowd, and of being thought versed in all that can be known: so “he intermeddleth with all wisdom.” His restless appetite for making himself peculiar and separate from others is marked by the indefinite verb “seeketh,” it not being added what he seeketh, for he hardly knows himself what.—
Fausset.
If we have to decide between the two interpretations, one blaming and the other commending the life of isolation, the answer must be that the former is more in harmony with the broad, genial temper of the Book of Proverbs.—Plumptre.

Proverbs 18:3
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:3. Ignominy, rather, “shameful deeds.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:3
This verse also, as will be seen from a reference to the CRITICAL NOTES, and also from the Comments, is susceptible of several interpretations. We think it treats of—
THE SHORT-LIVED PROSPERITY OF EVIL MEN
I. Wicked men do come into places of power and influence. This fact has often tried the faith of righteous men. Asaph’s “steps had well-nigh slipped” when he saw “the prosperity of the wicked”—that “violence covered them as a garment,” and that they “set their mouth against the heavens;” and yet that “their strength was firm,” and “they had more than heart could wish” (Psa_73:2-8). The tiller of the soil knows from experience that the useless weeds and noxious plants often seem to absorb all the nutriment from the earth, and so make it well-nigh impossible for the useful herb and sweet-scented flower to grow in the same field or garden. And moral weeds seem to have a like capability of utilising everything that comes in their way to their own advancement—the unrighteous man makes a fortune, or a position, or a name for himself, while his godly neighbour is struggling for a bare subsistence. In the field of the world, the tares grow as well as the wheat (Mat_13:26), and often they seem for a time to be more flourishing. Ahab and Jezebel dwell in Samaria, and Elijah is compelled to flee into the desert. Herod feasts in the palace, while John the Baptist is beheaded in the dungeon.
II. Contempt and reproach are their final portion. Their day of power is short-lived. David has recorded as his experience that he had “seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree”—but he “passed by, and lo, he was not” (Psa_37:35). And however their success may dazzle men’s eyes and warp their judgment for a season, contempt is their portion at last. They are often held in contempt even while living, and the reproaches of those who have been made to suffer by them are heaped upon their heads. Many of those who fawned upon them and flattered them while they were prospering will be most ready to scorn and upbraid them, if the day of their retribution arrives before they quit this world. 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” (2Co_5:10), they shall “awake to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan_12:2).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
When a “wicked” man enters upon the stage, that creature, the most degraded of the universe, and who has the least right to show any contempt, is the very person to be the most contemptuous; and the mortal who is himself most disgraced, shows the readiest mind to cry shame upon and to reproach and that even the Most High. Doubtless there is secular truth in all this The disgraced citizen is often the most reproachful.—Miller.
I. They bring “contempt,” not to themselves only, but to the places they fill, and the societies to which they become united—to themselves, for the unworthy manner in which they fulfil the duties of the trust they have assumed, or have had committed to them; and to their places and societies, with which their names are associated. They entail “ignominy and reproach” upon all they have to do with. And in no case is this more true, than with regard to offices in the Church. O what an amount of scorn and reproach has been brought upon the sacred office of the ministry by the intrusion, under numberless pretexts, and from numberless causes, of wicked, worldly, ungodly men into its holy functions! How full is Church history of this deplorable evil!—and how many infidels and scorners has Church history by this means produced. Thus it was under the old dispensation. The wickedness of the sons of Eli made men “abhor the offering of the Lord.” And thus it is still. Of the “false teachers” who should arise in the latter days, it is said—“by reason of them the way of truth shall be evil-spoken of.” From few other sources, if from any, has there proceeded a greater profusion of unmerited “reproach” of the name and doctrine and kingdom of the Lord; or has “the chair of the scorner” drawn a greater number and variety of its sarcastic sneers and bitter revilings. II. The phrase may mean—“When the wicked cometh” into intimacy, companionship, familiarity, “then cometh contempt.”—He who admits the wicked to his intimacy—makes him his associate—must share the infamy of his ill-chosen companion. Many a time too has this been exemplified.—Wardlaw.

Proverbs 18:4
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:4. The last clause of this verse may be divided into two smaller ones and placed in apposition, thus: “a bubbling brook,”—a fountain of wisdom. Fausset remarks that the Hebrew word used for man is ish, a good man, not adam, the general term for man.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:4
A GOOD MAN’S MOUTH
We must understand Solomon here to refer to a good man—to a man whose words are in harmony with the mind of God. Of such a man it may be said that his words are as deep waters and as a living spring.
I. Because his soul is in communication with an exhaustless source of spiritual life and wisdom. Rivers and wells that are fed from the mountain recesses which are filled with eternal snows never dry up—they are fed from a source that is never exhausted. So long as the lasting hills remain, and the present natural laws govern the world they must give forth every day abundant streams. A communication has been established between the soul of a good man and the living God—he holds constant communion with a source of spiritual life which can never fail, and consequently he can never be at a loss for subjects upon which to discourse—his mind is always filled with new thoughts of God, and new hopes of heaven upon which to meditate himself and which he can communicate to others.
II. Because that which flows from his lips is beneficial and refreshing to others. The waters in a shallow and stagnant pond give little or no refreshment to the thirsty traveller; they may even be the means of imparting disease to those who drink of them, or who live near them. But the water from a well, or from a deep and flowing stream, is generally pure and wholesome to the taste, and refreshing to the land through which it flows. And so it is with the speech of a godly man. Very mighty are the influence of words for good or for ill. Our first parents lost Eden by listening to the words of the tempter, and the speech of the wicked always diffuses an unwholesome moral atmosphere around it, if it does not eject a deadly poison into the soul. But the conversation and teaching of the godly are always a means of moral health to others; by their words they witness for the truth of God, and are the means of “opening men’s eyes, and turning them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God” (Act_26:13). And, like their Divine Master, they “know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Isa_50:4), and thus that which flows from their lips is as refreshing and healthful to weary and struggling men and women on the highway of life as the living, cooling watercourse is to the dusty and thirsty traveller.
III. Because the flow is natural and spontaneous. Water may be sent through a tract of country by artificial means; fields may be watered and reservoirs filled by calling in science to supply natural deficiencies. But there is, after all, no comparison between this kind of forced irrigation and that which is the result of natural causes. If there is water beneath the surface of the earth it must force its way and find an outlet; it needs no hand of man to come to its aid; it penetrates the soil and forms a fertilising stream in obedience to natural law. And so the speech of a good man has nothing forced or artificial about it. It is the overflow of heartfelt experience. Like the apostles of old, he “cannot but speak the things which he has seen and heard” (Act_4:20). The “good things” of his lips are the natural outcome of the “good treasure of his heart,” “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mat_12:24-25).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Talleyrand defined speech to be the art of concealing one’s opinions. Speech, even without any attempt at concealment, must be endlessly deep and wide as uttering all our being. Who can translate all its outgoings? If this be so with man, who shall judge of God and censure His obscurer revelations? Solomon is satisfied with one great difference,—that while man’s speech is “deep,” God’s speech is both “deep” and “living.” One has a vital source, the other is dead and stagnant. Grant that both are obscure. One is the darkness of a pool, the other the breadth and gush of an overflowing water. We ought to submit to mystery in God, for the tide of His utterance is to flow on for ever.—Miller.
One “greater than Solomon” “astonished the people” by the clearness, no less than by the depth of the waters (Mat_7:28-29). No blessing is more valuable than a “rich indwelling of the word,” ready to be brought out on all suitable occasions of instruction. If the wise man sometimes “spares his words,” it is not for want of matter, but for greater edification. The stream is ready to flow, and sometimes can scarcely be restrained. The cold-hearted, speculative professor has his flow—sometimes a torrent of words, yet without a drop of profitable matter; chilling, even when doctrinally correct; without life, unction, or love. Lord! deliver us from this barren “talk of the lips” (chap. Pro_14:23). May our waters be deep, flowing from thine own inner sanctuary, refreshing and fertilising the Church of God!—
Bridges.
In the two clauses of the verse, on the principle of parallelism, there appears to be an inversion of the same sentiment; for, properly speaking, the words uttered are not the “deep waters,” but the stream that issues from them; and, on the other hand, “the wellspring of wisdom” is not “the flowing brook,” but the deep and copious fountain or reservoir from which it issues. Another passage may serve to confirm this view. “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.” Here, the counsel is the deep water, not the words. But the words are the stream which the deep waters send forth. The words bring out and contain the counsel.—Wardlaw.
It must be remembered that “deep waters” are associated in the Old Testament with the thought of darkness and mystery (Pro_20:5; Psa_69:2; Ecc_7:24), and we get a more profound thought if we see in the proverb a comparison between all teaching from without and that of the light within. The words of a man’s mouth are dark as the “deep waters of a pool, or tank; but the well-spring of wisdom is as a flowing brook, bright and clear.” So taken the verse presents a contrast like that of Jer_2:13.—Plumptre.
When this word vir is used for man in sacred Scriptures it signifieth one who is strong and mighty, and for his strength great and excellent, and then by a man here we may understand him who is mighty and great in knowledge; the words of such a man are as deep waters, to the bottom whereof the shallow capacity of every one is not able to reach. But yet where the spring of those waters is a well-spring of wisdom, though sometimes it send forth deep waters, yet it doth not always; for that were to overwhelm the hearers. But at other times it is as a flowing brook, more shallow for capacity, but more forcible also in the stream of it, and either by persuasive exhortation carrying on the hearers to a pursuit of virtue and godliness, or else by a dissuasive reproof carrying them away from the practice of wickedness, and in both washing away the stains of their sinful lives. Wherefore St. Gregory saith, so must every preacher deal with his hearers as God dealeth with him; he must not preach to the simple as much as he knoweth because himself doth not know of heavenly mysteries as much as they are.—Jermin.
The subject of Pro_18:5 has been treated in the Homiletics on chap. 17, Pro_17:15 and Pro_17:26.

Proverbs 18:6-8
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:6. Calleth for. Stuart understands this in the sense of “to deserve.”
Pro_18:8. Wounds. The word so translated occurs only here and in chap. Pro_26:22, and will bear very different renderings. Some translate it words of sport (Stuart and Zockler); others, with Delitzsch, dainty morsels; others, “whispers, soft breezes.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Pro_18:6-8
FOLLY AND ITS RESULTS
I. None but a foolish man seeks contention. As we saw in the previous chapter (Pro_18:14) contention or strife is an evil of which none at its beginnings can see the end. It may seem a very insignificant deed to strike a flint and steel together so as to produce a single spark, but one spark may produce a terrible and destructive fire. 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. None but foolish men and children ever play with fire, and when they do it they generally suffer themselves first, but they are often not the only sufferers. So is it with contention, or a dispute in words. Wise men are often obliged to contend for truth and right, but they never seek an occasion of dispute. But there are moral fools who think it only an amusement to pick a quarrel, little heeding what the consequences of it may be, not caring if blows succeed to angry words, or perhaps even desiring that they should do so. But although a man may play with fire and escape unharmed, or may even apply a torch to his neighbour’s house without singeing so much as a hair of his own head, no fool’s lips enter into contention or call for strokes without bringing retribution upon his own head. “His mouth” is in his own “destruction,” and “his lips are the snare of his soul,” for it is a law as old as the universe that “with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again” (Mat_6:1-2). The man who seeks contention will alway find others like-minded with himself who will be willing to do for him what he has done for others, and he who “calls for strokes” upon his fellow-creatures will receive them upon his own head with compound interest.
II. None but a cruel man will be a tale-bearer. A quarrelsome, passionate man is a fool, and he is also a cruel man, but he is not so cruel as the talebearer. The first man wounds, but he inflicts his injury in open daylight and in the front of his victim, but the second is like the treacherous footpad whose face is never seen and whose step is never heard, but who comes up behind his prey in the dark and leaves no trace behind but the mortal sword-thrust. But it must not be forgotten that there must always be two persons implicated in the guilt and cruelty of thus killing the reputation of a fellow-creature. The tale-bearer must have a repository for his slanders—the busy tongue must have a listening ear or no mischief would be done, and tale-bearing would die out for want of an atmosphere in which it could live. 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.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro_18:6. The emperor Julian used to banter the Christians with that precept of our Lord, “When thine adversary smites thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other also:” but Christians consult their ease as well as their consciences when they obey this precept in the spirit of it; whereas proud and passionate fools, when they give vent to their rancorous spirits, because they cannot bear the shadow of an indignity, not only turn the other cheek to their adversary, but smite, and urge, and almost force him to strike and destroy them.—Lawson.
Pro_18:8. The bite of a viper is not so deadly as the wound of these “talebearers’ ” stories and insinuations. The truth is they contrive to infuse their poison without a bite. 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. We know the viper. We shun it. And when it has unhappily succeeded in wounding us, we instantly have recourse to means for preventing the poison from getting into the mass of the blood, and pervading the system. But these human vipers infuse their poison in the language of kindness and love. “Their words are smoother than oil; yet are they drawn swords;”—envenomed fangs, of which the virus gets into our system ere we are aware, works its mischievous and morally deadly effects, and becomes incapable of extraction. Every attempt at its removal still leaves some portion of it behind. There is, in the original word, an implication of softness, simplicity, undesignedness, which only gives the secret weapon with which the wound is inflicted the greater keenness.—Wardlaw.
The tongue of the tale-bearer is a two-edged sword, at once it cutteth on both sides, and his words are his wounds, at once wounding both him of whom he speaketh and him to whom he speaketh. To the one he gives the wounds of his slandering, to the other the wounds of his flattering. The one he woundeth so, that his blow is neither heard, seen, nor felt. The other he woundeth so, that though his blow be heard, seen, and felt, yet it is not perceived: in both they go down into the heart, as revealing the heart of the one, and as removing the heart of the other from him.… Or the words may be translated, the words of a talebearer are as smoothing words: for he frameth his own words to as much softness, as those which he reporteth he maketh to be hard. And indeed, as they sound, they are commonly so pleasing, that they easily slip down into the heart, where they are readily entertained.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:9
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:9. Waster, or destroyer.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:9
TWIN-BROTHERS
I. Slothfulness and prodigality have the same origin. As brothers are the children of a common parent, so sloth and waste have their root in the common sin of ungodliness; men are spendthrifts or they are lazy, because they have no right sense of their obligations to God and to man—because they do not look upon their life as a stewardship for which they must give an account (Rom_14:12), but as a gift which they are at liberty to spend as they please. The acts of the prodigal and the slothful man differ in themselves, but they all spring from that spirit of self-pleasing which is the essence of ungodliness.
II. The slothful man is a waster of God’s most precious gifts. Twin-brothers are often so much alike that it is difficult for onlookers to distinguish one from the other. And there is an aspect in which we may view the slothful man in which we not only note the close resemblance he bears to his prodigal brother, but in which he is transformed into a prodigal himself. For the negative sinner—the man who does nothing—is a waster of his time and of his talents, and is therefore guilty of a positive crime. The man who “hid the Lord’s talent” was visited with a stern sentence as a positive transgressor (Mat_25:25). If we convict a man of prodigality for wasting gold, what shall we say of him who wastes what no gold can buy? “Time,” says J. A. James, “is the most precious thing in the world. When God gives us a moment, He does not promise us another, as if to teach us highly to value and improve it, by the consideration, for aught we know, it may be the last. Time, when gone, never returns. We talk about ‘fetching up’ a lost hour, but the thing is impossible. A moment once lost, is lost for ever. We could as rationally set out to find a sound that had expired in air, as to find a lost moment.” And when we reflect what infinite results depend upon what a man does with his time, we can see the force of the proverb, because the slothful man is a waster of the most precious commodity in this world.
III. The results of both extravagance and sloth are the same. It makes no difference in the end whether a man gets nothing, or spends all that he gets, he can come to poverty by either road. The one has been compared to a man who dies by a rapid and violent disease, and the other by a slow and subtle consumption. But the grave, sooner or later, receives them both.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The practical lesson is, that in personal and domestic interests, diligence and economy should go together, and that the one without the other never can avail for either obtaining or securing even the comforts of life. Of what use is industry if its proceeds are not prudently managed when they come in?—if husband, or wife, or both, be destitute of discretion, improvident and thriftless? if there is the absence of all sober and considerate calculation, and, as a consequence, no due proportioning of outlay to income, but a reckless and wasteful expenditure, leaving an unlooked-for deficiency—a woful amount minus—at the year’s end? The poor inconsiderate fools never think what they are about. They keep no daily reckoning—no accounts; and so their money is gone, they can’t tell how—they had no idea they were living at such a rate!—and even when they have made the discovery there is no improvement. They say, possibly, they must take care; but they only say it, and immediately forget it. Things go on as before; and still (to use rather a colloquial, but sufficiently expressive phrase), what is taken in by the door is thrown out by the window; and still the wonder continues how it goes! They are ever marvelling how other folks do. They can’t understand it. For their parts, all that comes in finds its way off from them as fast as it comes, and many a time faster! Thus, as might be expected, there are the same appearances of bareness, and cheerlessness, and want, in the dwelling of the thriftless as in that of the slothful. Extremes thus meet.… Diligence, let me remind you, is as necessary for the acquisition of spiritual as of temporal good—of the riches of Divine knowledge to the mind, as of the blessings of the Divine life to the heart. And not less is economy of means. How often may it be seen, that with means of a very limited and stinted amount, there is more of spiritual prosperity in one instance, than is discoverable in another, with means the most varied and abundant. Many believers, it is to be feared, are spiritual spendthrifts. They use their privileges on no principle of economy. They read, they hear, they frequent ordinances—and yet their progress in spiritual attainments bears no proportion to the extent of their advantages. Rich in privileges, they are poor in the graces and enjoyments of the life of God in the soul. Why? The answer is plain. They who thrive on slender means, make the most of what they have; whereas they who live in the midst of abundance get into habits of carelessness, and of the prodigal use of what they have.—Wardlaw.
The word also here used may seem to refer this verse to that which goeth before it; and then it is a further description of a talebearer. For he is commonly a fellow slothful in his work, being busy in his words, and he is indeed brother to him that is a great waster, spoiling his own estate by his slothfulness, and by the mischief which his talebearing falleth upon him; and spoiling him to whom he talketh by the ill mind which he putteth into him.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:10-11
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:10. Safe, or, lifted high.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:10-11
TWO CITADELS
I. The citadel of him who trusts in the Lord. “The name of the Lord.” God has revealed Himself to men by many names, each one of which is intended to set forth some attribute of His perfect nature. The name “I AM,” by which He revealed Himself to Israel (Exo_3:14) set forth His eternal self-existence, but He has also revealed Himself by names which are used to express human relations, such as king, judge, husband, father. These names are often borne by men who are destitute of the qualifications and feelings proper to the relationships which they express, but when any one of them is applied to God it is applied to one who combines within Himself all those attributes of character in perfection which ought to be possessed in some degree by men who are called by these names. The righteous man’s refuge, then, is a Living Personality—a Self-existent and Eternal King and Father, infinite in power, in wisdom, and in tenderness. It is therefore 1 An ever-present refuge. “God is not far from every one of us” (Act_17:27), and being ever near, is always accessible. 2. An impregnable refuge. Before an enemy can attack those who have taken refuge in a fortress, they must carry the citadel itself. So before any enemy can harm a righteous man, he must overcome the Almighty God; he must circumvent His plans, and overthrow his purposes.
“When His wisdom can mistake,
His might decay, His love forsake,”
then, but not till then, will those be exposed to danger who have put their trust in Him. 3. An eternal refuge. The “arms” of strength that defend the children of God are “everlasting arms” (Deu_33:7). Many of the ancient fortresses that are scattered over our land were once deemed impregnable refuges. But although they bade defiance to many an assault of men in battle-array, they have had to yield to a more subtle enemy. Time has crumbled their once mighty walls, and made them unfit for purposes of defence. But the righteous man can say to Him who is his “strong tower,” “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.… Even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God” (Psa_90:1-2).
II. The stronghold of the man who trusts in riches. 1. Riches are no defence against a man’s most powerful enemies. While a man has wealth he is defended from many bodily ills and from many vexations of spirit. A man of narrow means has often to fight a hard battle to supply his bodily necessities, and is a stranger to those luxuries which make life, in this respect, so comfortable to a rich man. And a poor man has also to bend his will to the will of his richer neighbour—to endure often “th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely.” Wealth is a defence against all these enemies to a man’s comfort. But there are troubles far heavier than any of these, from which riches afford no protection. Disease and death cannot be turned aside with money—a troubled soul cannot be comforted with gold. A bed of down cannot do much for a man whose body is racked with pain—it can do nothing for him whose soul is bowed down by sorrow, or smitten with a fear of death. 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. The man who trusts in material wealth as his chief good, has either made too low an estimate of his own needs, or too high an estimate of the power of wealth. 2. Wealth is a fortress with a most uncertain foundation. Granted that it is a defence against some very real ills, who can insure to himself a continuance of his present possessions? The uncertainty of riches has been a subject upon which the sages and moralists of all ages have dwelt—the 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. On this subject see also Homiletics on chap. Pro_11:28.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
This strong refuge is not only safe, but “set aloft,” so the word signifies, out of the gunshot. None can pull out of His hands. Run therefore to God by praying, not fainting. This is the best policy for security. That which is said of wily persons that are full of fetches, of windings, and of turnings in the world, that such will never break, is much more true of a righteous, praying Christian. He hath but one grand policy to secure him against all dangers, and that is, to run to God.—Trapp.
To this tower the wicked are sometimes driven in distress, then seeking help here, when it is nowhere else to be found. But the righteous in any distress runneth presently unto it. Thither their eyes look, thither their hands are stretched, thither their hearts carry them. Yea, they are not only carried unto it but into it, by placing their confidence in it, and making it their safety. They are well acquainted with the way, and therefore can make speed; they have cast off the clogs of worldly impediments and so are fit for running; they think it much longer until they come to God, than impatient hearts do until they come to help.—Jermin.
To “the righteous” God is good, and he nestles and shelters himself in that; “runs into” the nurture and shelter of God’s love, and, in the comfort of this strong tower, “is lifted high.” But there is a profounder sense. The very “name” that is cavilled at by the lost is the foundation of the Christian’s safety. “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh,” God did by His “name.” He gave it to Christ’s humanity. More specifically speaking, He used it in the “name” of His own righteousness, to balance our guilt and to give weight and value to the price of His redemption. We are repeatedly said to be saved by the “name” of God (Psa_54:1; Joh_17:11-12). And this is the meaning. The perfect holiness of God, which the lost man would upbraid, is what is vital in the cross of Christ. It is not only “a strong tower,” but our only defence. And the act of faith is a renouncing of self and a snatching at “the name,” that is, the righteousness or substituted standing of our Great Deliverer. Miller.
Take the sinner in his first awakening conviction. He trembles at the thought of eternal condemnation. He looks forward—all is terror; backward—nothing but remorse; inward—all is darkness. Till now he had no idea of his need of salvation. His enemy now suggests that it is beyond his reach; that he has sinned too long and too much, against too much light and knowledge; how can he be saved? But
the name of the Lord meets his eye. He spells out every letter, and putting it together, cries—“Who is a God like unto thee?” (Mic_7:18.) He runs to it, as to a strong tower. His burden of conscience is relieved. His soul is set free, and he enjoys his safety. Take—again—the child of God—feeble, distressed, assaulted. “What, if I should return to the world, look back, give up my profession, yield to my own deceitful heart, and perish at last with aggraved condemnation?” You are walking outside the gates of your tower; no wonder that your imprudence exposes you to “the fiery darts of the wicked.” Read again the name of the Lord! Go back within the walls—See upon the tower the name—“I am the Lord; I change not” (Mal_3:6). Read the direction to trust in it—“Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant: that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isa_1:10). Mark the warrant of experience in this trust—“They that know thy name shall put their trust in Thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee” (Psa_9:10). Thus sense of danger, knowledge of the way, confidence in the strength of the tower—all gives a spring of life and earnestness to run into it. Here the righteous—the man justified by the grace, and sanctified by the Spirit, of God—runneth every day, every hour; realizing at once his fearful danger, and his perfect security.—Bridges.
For Homiletics on Pro_18:12, see on chap. Pro_11:2 and Pro_16:18.

Proverbs 18:13
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:13
ANSWERING BEFORE HEARING
I. A man who gives judgment in a matter before he has heard all the facts of the case wrongs himself. If he were to give his opinion upon a building as soon as the builders had dug out the foundation, or were to criticise a picture when the artist had only sketched its outline upon his canvas, he would be deemed a fool, and what he said would have no weight whatever. Men would justly say that the house or the picture had as yet no existence, and therefore could not be judged. And a man who has only heard a part of “a matter” is in no better position to judge in it, and commits as great a folly if he attempts to do so. He does violence to his own understanding—to those mental faculties which enable him to place things side by side and to compare them, and to sift and weigh evidence before he arrives at a conclusion. Unless he does this, the opinion that he forms to-day will be altered to-morrow, and his mind will never be firmly made up on any subject. As a necessary consequence, nobody will give much heed to his judgment—no thoughtful person will attach much weight to his words—and he will thus deprive himself of that consideration and respect which he might otherwise have enjoyed.
II. Such a man often deeply wrongs others. A half-told story often makes the state of matters appear so different from the truth that it is a gross injustice to condemn or justify any person when that is all that is known. A man who does it proclaims that he values very lightly the reputation of those concerned, and is often a robber of what is more to a man than his purse, viz. his good name.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Secularly, this is beyond a doubt; judicially, here is a great outrage; socially, a something very impolite; but religiously, a thing altogether a “shame.” Men born yesterday might certainly afford to listen. Life is a wide thing; and might, at least, be acted through, before in the darker points we insist upon a judgment … Folly, and therefore, mischief; shame, and therefore, ill desert. These elements often appear together.—Miller.
According to Mr. Stuart Mill, it might be plausibly maintained that in almost every one of the leading controversies, past or present, in social philosophy, both sides were right in what they affirmed, though wrong in what they denied; and that if either could have been made to take the other’s views in addition to his own, little more would have been needed to make its doctrine correct.… Nicodemus did well to start the seasonable query, “Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doth?” Festus did well to protest that it was not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before that he which was accused had the accusers face to face, and had licence to answer for himself concerning the charge laid against him. And in the same spirit and by the same rule, otherwise applied, had Felix done well to defer hearing Paul’s defence until Paul’s accusers were present.… Aristides, they tell us, would lend but one ear to anyone who accused an absent “party,” and used to hold his hand on the other, intimating that he reserved one ear for the absentee accused.… Cicero, “the greatest orator, save one, of antiquity,” has left it on record, as we are pertinently reminded on the Essays on Liberty, that he always studied his adversaries’ case with as great intensity as his own, if not still greater. And what Cicero practised as the means of forensic success, requires, as the essayist urges, to be imitated by all who study any subject in order to arrive at the truth. 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.
We ought to be the more cautious in forming and pronouncing opinions, because we are so little disposed to admit conviction if we fall into mistakes, or to retract them upon conviction. It is commonly supposed that ministers cannot repent, although they do not claim, like the Pope, the gift of infallibility; and there is too much reason for the supposition, provided it be not restricted to that order of men; for the same pride that makes one set of men stubborn in their wrong opinions is to be found in other men, although it is not perhaps so much strengthened by particular circumstances, nor so visible in their conduct, because they meet not with the same temptations to discover it. How many do we find who will not change their sentiments about religion, or about persons and things, upon the clearest evidence, and give way to anger upon the least contradiction to their favourite notions, as if their dearest interests were attacked! Saints themselves are not entirely delivered from this selfish disposition, as we see in the behaviour of David to Mephibosheth, after he had pronounced a rash sentence in his case.—Lawson.
The sources of the evil are various. There is—1. Natural or acquired eagerness of spirit, and impatience of protracted inquiry. Such minds cannot bear anything that requires close and long-sustained attention. They become uneasy, fretted, and fidgetty; and are ever anxious to catch at any occasion for cutting the matter short and being done with it. 2. The sympathy of passion with one or other of the parties. One of them happens to be their friend; and whether it be he or his adversary that makes the statement, partiality for him stirs their resentment at the injury done to him; the blood warms, and, passion thus striking in, they hastily interrupt the narration—will hear no more of it—and at once proceed to load the enemy of their friend with abuse and imprecation. They know their friend, and to them it is enough that he has been a sufferer; they take it for granted that he must be in the right. 3. Indolence—indisposition to be troubled. This is a temper the very opposite of the first, but producing a similar effect. The former jumped to a conclusion from over-eagerness; this comes soon to a close from sheer sluggishness of mind. It is to a man of this stagnant and lazy temperament an exertion quite unbearable to keep his mind so long on the stretch as to listen even to a statement, and still more to an argument or pleading, that cannot be finished in a breath and done with. His attention soon flags; he gets sick of it; he seems as if he were listening when he is not, and with a yawn of exhaustion and misery he pronounces his verdict, and at times with great decision, for no other purpose than to get quit of the trouble. He can stand it no longer. 4. Self-conceit—the affectation of extraordinary acuteness. This would be an amusing character, were it not, at the same time, so provoking. The self-conceited man assumes a very sagacious and penetrating look—sits down with apparent determination to hear out the cause on both sides, and to “judge righteous judgment.” But it is hardly well begun, when the self-conceited man sees to the end of it.… It is surprising with what agility this spirit of self-conceit gets over difficulties. It sees none—no, never.
“Where others toil with philosophic force,
Its nimble nonsense takes a shorter course;
Flings at your head conviction in the lump,
And gains remote conclusions at a jump.”—
Wardlaw.

Proverbs 18:14
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:14. Infirmity, i.e., sickness, disease of body. As in similar verses, Miller translates “a wounded spirit:” a spirit of upbraiaing. Here again, as in Pro_18:4, the Hebrew word ish is used for man.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:14
SICKNESS OF BODY AND WOUNDS OF SOUL
I. A man can rise above pain of body. Men who do not seek supernatural help sometimes do it. They are endowed with a natural courage which makes them scorn to be overcome by physical pain, or they are naturally very hopeful, and are enabled in some measure to look beyond the present suffering to a time of relief in the future. Or intense excitement of the mind renders them for a time at least oblivious of bodily sensations. How many illustrations of this last case we have in men who have been desperately wounded in battle, and yet have been so intensely absorbed in the terrible contest that they have seemed scarcely aware of it, and have kept their position until their strength has utterly failed. But it is pre-eminently the godly man who can “sustain” infirmity of body. It is a fact of history that godly men and women have been even joyful in spirit when suffering great bodily pain. Instances are common in which those who have been in agony of body from some terrible disease have been full of comfort in their spirits, and have borne witness that they were conscious of a sustaining power outside themselves—of supernatural help from above which enabled them to “glory in tribulation.” But this ability of human creatures to rise above bodily suffering has been most remarkably exemplified in those who have suffered because they were the servants of God—who have been witnesses for the truth of the gospel of Christ. Even women have borne the most severe bodily sufferings not only with fortitude but with exultation—lifted above their bodily pain by a vivid realisation of unseen and spiritual realities and an intense consciousness of the favour of God.
II. But a wounded spirit crushes the entire man. The spirit of the man is the man himself, his power to love, to hope, and to enjoy. When these have lost their energy, there is nothing to lift him up, and existence becomes an intolerable burden. The spirit can sustain the body under its trials, but sensual gratifications and physical comforts can do nothing towards alleviating spiritual distress. But observe:—1. That all sorrow of heart does not crush a man. Sanctified sorrow, although it wounds the spirit, yet it only wounds it to raise it to a higher level—to make it capable of a more refined enjoyment. Bereavement, the faithlessness of friends, disappointed hopes, often deeply wound the spirit, yet men bear these wounds and often are made better and stronger by them. A sense of the favour of God and a peaceful conscience will prevent men from being overwhelmed by even very keen mental sorrow. 2. An unbearable wound of spirit can be the portion of those only who have no sense of the favour of God. So long as a man has this no pain of body or sorrow of soul can cast him down entirely, but without it he has little power to bear manfully the burdens of life, and a sense of the absence of it would be enough to crush him utterly although he had no other burdens to bear.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Spiritual sickness varies (as some diseases do in the body according to the constitution of the sick) thereafter as the soul is that hath it, whether regenerate or reprobate. The malignancy is great in both, but with far less danger in the former. 1. In the elect, this spiritual sickness is an afflicted conscience, when God will suffer us to take a deep sense of our sins, and bring us to the life of grace by the valley of death, as it were by hell gates unto heaven. There is no anguish to that of the conscience: “A wounded spirit who can bear? They that have been valiant in bearing wrongs, in forbearing delights, have yet had womanish and coward spirits in sustaining the terrors of a tumultuous conscience. If our strength were as an army, and our lands not limited save with east and west, if our meat were manna, and our garments as the ephod of Aaron; yet the afflicted conscience would refuse to be cheered with all these comforts. When God shall raise up our sins, like dust and smoke in the eyes of our souls … when He either hides His countenance from us, or beholds us with an angry look; lo, then, if any sickness be like this sickness, any calamity like the fainting soul! Many offences touch the body which extend not to the soul; but if the soul be grieved, the sympathising flesh suffers deeply with it. The blood is dried up, the marrow wasted, the flesh pined, as if the powers and pores of the body opened themselves like so many windows to discover the passions of the distressed prisoner within. It was not the sense of outward sufferings (for mere men have borne the agonies of death undaunted) but the wrestling of God’s wrath with His spirit, that drew from Christ that complaint, able to make heaven and earth stand aghast: “My soul is heavy unto death” (Mat_26:38).… Neither is this sickness of conscience properly good in itself, nor any grace of God, but used by God as an instrument of good to His, as when by the spirit of bondage He brings us to adoption. So the needle that draws the thread through the cloth is some means to join it together.… 2. Spiritual sickness for sin befalling a reprobate soul, is final and total desperation. This is that fearful consequent which treads upon the heels of presumption. Cain’s fratricide, Judas’s treachery, presumptious, aspiring, heaven-daring sins, find this final catastrophe, to despair of the mercy of God.… As if the goodness of God, and the value of Christ’s ransom, were below his iniquity. As if the pardon of his sins would empty God’s storehouse of compassion, and leave His stock of mercy poor.… This is that sin which not only offers injury and indignity to the Lord of heaven and earth, but even breaks that league of kindness which we owe to our own flesh. To commit sin is the killing of the soul; to refuse hope of mercy is to cast it down to hell. Therefore St. Jerome affirms that Judas sinned more in despairing of his Master’s pardon than in betraying Him; since nothing can be more derogatory to the goodness of God, which He hath granted by promise and oath—two immutable witnesses—to penitent sinners than to credit the father of lies before Him.—T. Adams.
“The spirit of a man may control his sickness, but a spirit of upbraiding, who can carry that?” To give all up, and simply lie back and murmur, is bad even for worldly disorders; but Solomon derives out of it a much more profound spiritual sense. The “spirit of a man,” at least among those to whom Solomon wrote, had truth enough to save him if he would only listen. Control. The original is contain, as wine in a bottle, sickness—literally what is physical; but in this same book employed for the spiritual malady. If the soul, therefore, would lie quiet, and yield to its own light, it would be joined by what is higher, and would contain, or control its own malady; God helping, as He would, would check, and get the better of it; but “a spirit of upbraiding”—and by this is meant precisely the quarrel (chap. Pro_17:19) with God which has been so long discussed—is what ruins all. It is upon them that are contentious, and will not obey the truth, (Rom_2:8)—that truth being in all of them through “the invisible things” which are seen “by the things that are made” (Rom_1:20)—that the apostle denounces “tribulation and wrath, indignation and anguish.” Not that men can save themselves, but that they would save themselves under God’s influences if they did not contend with Him; that it is “rebellion” that turns the scale (Psa_68:6); that there is light enough in every man to draw him to saving light if he would only follow it; and that on this very account it is the great sorrow of the sinner that he has this “spirit of upbraiding,” which, in the spiritual world, no moral malady “can carry.”—Miller.
St. Gregory saith by patience we possess our souls, because, while we learn to bear rule over ourselves, we begin to possess that which we are. And surely, if thou be courageously patient, whatsoever thou mayest lose yet thou enjoyest that which thou hast; or, if thou hast nothing, yet thou shalt enjoy thyself, thou shalt enjoy the comfort of thy own spirit. Whereas impatiency for anything that is lost taketh away the comfort of all that remaineth, yea, the comfort of thine own self.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:15
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:15
PRUDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
We have before given a definition of prudence as wisdom applied to practice; a prudent man is likewise defined as one “cautious to avoid harm.” Taking in both definitions, the text suggests—
I. That ignorance exposes men to danger. This is true in relation to any and every kind of evil to which men are exposed. A man who is in the general sense of the term an ignorant man—who does not possess even the rudimentary knowledge of an ordinary schoolboy—is liable to be imposed upon and deceived by those who know more. Ignorance of physical and scientific truth often leads men to expose themselves to bodily danger without being aware of it, and ignorance of spiritual truth often causes men to become victims of great moral evil without realising their danger. If a man, therefore, desires to avoid harm to body, mind, and soul, he must set himself to acquire knowledge both in relation to things material and spiritual.
II. Prudence, i.e., wisdom applied to practice, is an indispensable qualification for obtaining knowledge. If a man possesses an estate beneath whose surface he knows there lies buried much precious mineral treasure, he must bring much wisdom and skill into play before he has the treasure in his hand. Wisdom must be reduced to practice in sinking the shaft and in working the mine before the hidden wealth is brought to light to enrich its owner. He must work, he must work in harmony with certain fixed laws if he is to become possessor of the treasure. So with obtaining knowledge. A man must exert himself—he must seek—and his exertions must be wisely directed if he is to possess that knowledge which is better than any material treasure because it enriches the better part of a man. It is not enough to be active, but he must see that his actions are wisely directed, that the means are adapted to the end in view. If there is effort without wisdom to guide it there may be seeking without getting.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
A heart made discerning gains in knowledge, etc. This is a beautiful fact. Snow gathers snow as we roll it on the ground. A wood gathers wood, like all vegetable or vital growths. A sinner stands dead like a blasted oak, but a saint not only lives by growing, but grows by living.—Miller.
“The heart is here, as in many other instances, apparently used for the mind in general, including both the intellect and the affections. There is in “the wise” a love of knowledge, and an application of the mental powers for its attainment. And as “the ear” is one of the great inlets to instruction, it may here, with propriety, be considered as comprehending all the ways in which knowledge may be acquired.—Wardlaw.
The common course is that seeking goes before getting, but here getting is first, and seeking follows after. For surely they are the best seekers of knowledge, and are most earnest after it, who have already gotten it. They who have not gotten it do not know the worth of it, and so have no mind to look after it, or if they have the mind, they have no knowledge how to seek it. But they who have already found it are so affected with the worth of it, so directed by the light of it, as that they still seek more, still get more.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:16
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:16. A man’s gifts. “Hebrew, adam, the gift of a man, however humble and low” (Fausset).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF
Pro_18:16
THE INFLUENCE OF TALENT
Understanding the gift here spoken of as a special mental endowment (see Hitzig), we remark—
I. That great abilities are gifts from God. There are certain mental capabilities which are the common inheritance of men in general, but it cannot be denied that there are men who, apart from all the differences made by circumstances and education, have capacities and abilities which far exceed those of ordinary men. The gift of one talent is more common than the gift of ten, yet both the ten and the one are gifts from the same hand. Although the Divine Creator gives to all men liberally, He does not give to all equally, but seeing that man is not responsible for this inequality, those who are most richly endowed should find in the fact of their superiority matter for gratitude and not for self-glorification.
II. Such a gift tends to the exaltation of the man who possesses it. It “maketh room for him” in the world—it opens up to him many opportunities of social advancement, and it “bringeth him before great men,”—men who are either great in wealth and position or intellectually and morally great, or are great in both senses of the word. As surely as water will find its level, so a truly gifted man will find some outlet for his talents—some sphere large enough to use what has been bestowed upon him for the very purpose of being used. 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.
III. Such a gift to a man is a gift for men. Although it tends to his own personal exaltation and benefit, it is not bestowed for that purpose only or chiefly. When God bestows upon one man capabilities and endowments far above the common order, He does not intend to bless that man alone by the gift, but he holds him responsible for the use of the power put into his hand—He expects him so to employ his talents that his fellow-men also may be blessed by the gift. 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 God’s purposes concerning his own family. When the Lord reckons with His servants, He will account that talent mis-used which is used for self-aggrandisement alone.

Proverbs 18:17
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:17
CROSS-EXAMINATION
I. The evidence of one person alone must not be too much depended on. This is but another way of putting the old proverb that “One tale is good till another is told.” And this does not necessarily imply that the first teller of the tale is an untruthful person, but we are so apt to apprehend facts through the medium of our own prejudices—to see things in the light in which we wish to see them—that even two truthful men may sometimes vary much in their version of the same occurrence. This will be more certainly the case if it is a man’s “own cause” that is under discussion, self-interest is then very likely to lead him to give a one-sided statement. He may unintentionally leave out facts which in the eyes of another person may be very important, or he may bring others into a prominence to which an impartial judge may not consider them entitled. Hence—
II. The need of cross-examination—of another to “come and search him.” Questioning may not convict the first person of any mis-statement, but it may elicit other facts which give quite a different colouring to the whole. The wife of Potiphar seemed “just in her cause” when she declared that Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled. This was not an untruth, and appearances were certainly very much against her innocent victim, but if Joseph had been allowed to tell his story too, the truth might have come to light. Therefore we learn that we must not give a verdict for or against an accused person until both he and his accuser have been heard.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The first clause reads thus in the Hebrew, “A righteous one, the first in his quarrel,” and has a brevity which is practically too great. The righteous is not a righteous man provero, but only righteous, he having the first chance to speak. How true this is, men for the first time in a court can easily imagine. Each last strong speech comes out victorious. Now the lost has done all the strong speaking as yet. Wait till God speaks, and the case will look very differently.—Miller.
In every cause, the first information, if it have dwelt for a little in the judge’s 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.
Saul made himself appear just in his own cause. The necessity of the case seemed to warrant the deviation from the command. But Samuel searched him, and laid open his rebellion. (1Sa_15:17-23.) Ziba’s cause seemed just in David’s eyes, until Mephibosheth’s explanation searched him to his confusion. Job’s incautious self-defence was laid open by Elihu’s probing application. (Job_33:8-12.)—Bridges.
In religious disputes it is a great injustice to depend for the character of a sect, or an impartial representation of their doctrines, upon one whom partiality has blinded and rendered unfit, however honest he may be, to do them justice. Party spirit has as much influence as gifts to blind the eyes of the wise, and to pervert the words of the righteous.—Lawson.
This word, falling from heaven on the busy life of man, is echoed back from every quarter in a universal acknowledgment of its justness.… This scripture reveals a crook in the creature that God made upright. There is a bias in the heart, the fountain of impulse, and the resulting life-course turns deceitfully aside. Self-love is the twist in the heart within, and self-interest is the side to which the variation from righteousness steadily tends.… The heart makes the lie, deceiving first the man himself, and thereafter his neighbours. The bent is in the mould where the thought is first cast in embryo, and everything that comes forth is crooked. In my early childhood a fact regarding the relations of matter came under my observation which I now see has its analogue in the moral laws. An industrious old man, by trade a mason, was engaged to build a certain piece of wall at so much per yard. He came at the appointed time, laid the foundations according to the specifications, and proceeded with his building, course upon course, according to the approved methods of his craft. When the work had advanced several feet above the ground, a younger man, with a steadier hand and a brighter eye, came to assist the elder operator. Casting his eye along the work, as he laid down his tools and adjusted his apron, he detected a defect, and instantly called out to his senior partner that the wall was not plumb. “It must be plumb,” rejoined the builder, somewhat piqued, “for I have laid every stone by the plumb-line.” Suiting the action to the word he grasped the rule, laid it along his work, and triumphantly pointed to the lead vibrating and settling down precisely on the cut that marks the middle. Sure enough the wall was according to rule, and yet the wall was not plumb. The rule was examined, and the discovery was made that the old man, with his defective eyesight, had drawn the cord through the wrong slit at the top of the instrument, and then from some cause which I cannot explain, using only one side of it, had never detected his mistake.… It is on some such principle that people err in preparing a representation of their own case. They suspend their plumb, not from the middle, but from one edge of the rule, and that the edge which lies next their own interests.—Arnot.

Proverbs 18:18
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:18
THE USE OF THE LOT
We have before had the lot as a symbol of human freedom and Divine preordination (chap. Pro_16:33, page 499). In this verse the thought is the advantage of its use as putting an end to contention. That it is thus a means to a most desirable end appears when we consider—
I. That it prevents waste of time. Time is to human creatures a very precious commodity, because the longest life lived in this world is comparatively short. If a man has a very small inheritance he cannot afford to have one and another of his neighbours encroaching upon his land and taking a portion here and there, or others putting their hands into his pockets and helping themselves to what is only sufficient for his own needs. If a young artist has a sketch given to him by his master which he is to fill up in a given time, he cannot afford to spend the moments in disputing with his fellow-pupils about their respective rights to certain brushes and colours; while he is contending the hours are going, and when the master calls for the picture he will have none to show. A man’s life is a limited inheritance, given to him by God, to use first of all for his own spiritual good, and he cannot afford to be robbed of any part of it. It is an outline which God has given to him to be filled up in a certain time—spiritual and mental capacities and abilities are bestowed upon him which he is expected so to use as to form a godly noble character, and he cannot afford to waste any of the life given him for this purpose in contention with his brother man, thereby arousing the devil within himself and in him with whom he disputes. The use of the lot is therefore desirable under certain conditions and restrictions, because in ending contention it saves time. When the eleven Apostles were awaiting the seal of their commission, they felt that they had no time to waste in contending who should fill up the empty place in their band—they knew that, although they were brethren in Christ, they might differ in their opinions in the matter—and they therefore wisely determined to decide it by referring to the lot. There have been, since, Christian men and women who resort to the same method of avoiding contention; and with the example of the Apostles before us, we can have no doubt that they are justified in so doing. But—
II. It prevents waste of material wealth. If the kings and great men of the earth had resorted to this method of “causing contentions to cease and parting between the mighty,” how many homes and cities would have escaped overthrow, how many a fruitful and prosperous country would have been preserved from desolation, and how many a princely fortune would have remained in the hands of its rightful owners. God divided the land of Israel by lot, and if men had generally been content to permit Him to divide the earth among them in a similar manner, how much more rich and prosperous would they have been.
III. It prevents waste of human life. It would be indeed a blessing if property was the most precious thing wasted in the contentions of men. But, alas, disputes often lead to far more serious consequences, and that life of man, which is at the best so limited, has been made much shorter by the sword of his fellow-man. Sometimes family feuds have led men to resort to this terrible method of settling disputes, and men of the same parentage have fought till one shed the other’s blood. And sometimes it has been a nation that has contended with another, and then not one has fallen a victim, but hundreds on both sides. And when we think not only of the wounds thus inflicted, and the lives thus cut off, but of the wounded hearts and darkened lives of those who mourn them, we must allow that any means of ending contention is better than permitting it to work its deadly work. And the fact that the lot was used by Israel at the command of God, and sanctioned by Him in the early history of the Christian Church, makes it certain that if used in a right spirit it might still be employed so as to be acceptable to Him.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
As the lot was had recourse to when causes were such as admitted not of determination otherwise, there seems to be a natural enough relation of suggestion between this verse and the preceding. In cases when representations differed, and the evidence between them was such as to leave it impossible to say certainly on which side was the preponderance, or when the parties would not submit to arbitration, or when they were too powerful to be safely meddled with, then “the lot caused contentions to cease, and parted between the mighty.”—Wardlaw.
There seems no Scriptural prohibition to the use of this ordinance, provided it be exercised in a reverential dependence upon God, and not profaned for common purposes or worldly ends. At the same time the Word of God appears to be more fully recognised as the arbiter of the Divine will.… Perhaps it is more easy to abide by the decision of the lot than of the Word. The last requires more self-denial, humility, and patience, and therefore is more practically useful.—Bridges.
He that hath commanded to cease from labour, hath much more commanded to cease from strife. He that was pleased to make the Sabbath of rest, is also pleased with those who make a Sabbath of peace. This is a Sabbath altogether moral, never to be abrogated. Wherefore let reason and indifferency hear the differences that are between any, and if it can be done let them be reconciled. But if otherwise it cannot be ordered then let a lot be the compromiser of them. In that there can be no partiality, and though itself cannot judge of right, yet He that guides it is the most righteous Judge of the world. If a lot have erred, it is when men’s understanding could have put things right, for God, having given power to men, He looks that men should use it. But God so loveth peace, that, where men cannot, He will do right, if that the lot refer unto His arbitrament. 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.

Proverbs 18:19
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:19. “Is harder to be won;” these words are not in the original, but have been inserted to supply the sense. Some translators read “a brother offended resisteth more than a strong city.” Miller reads, “When a brother is revolted away, it is from a city of strength.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:19
CASTLE BARS
The state of things treated in this verse reveals most conclusively that man has fallen. Contention between any men is a plain proof that there is some flaw in human nature, that the relations of human creatures are not what they ought to be. If the disputants are men of the same nation, their contention seems more unnatural than if they belonged to different races, but when sons of the same father—men brought up at the knees of the same mother, are found in a state of enmity, we have a very strong proof that the race is not what its head was when he came fresh from the hand of his Creator. Such enmity Solomon compares to the bars of a castle—
I. Because it is hard to break through. The bars that guard the outlet of a fortress are strong, and when the iron crowbar is applied to them with a view of making an entrance, the weapon finds itself resisted by a substance as unyielding as its own. The bars strike against each other, but neither being more brittle than its antagonist, no progress is made. It is no ordinary difference that makes a ground of quarrel between brothers; there are so many ties to be broken and so many motives of self-interest to bind them, that the enmity must be deep to separate them at first, and being deep and strong, it is not easily broken down.
II. Because it is the only thing that separates them. Friends who dearly love each other and are one in spirit sometimes find nothing between them but a few bars—the iron grating of a dungeon may be all that keeps them apart. But although it is only that, it is a very real and terrible barrier. And a dispute between brethren is like iron bars, dividing those who ought to be one more truly and sadly than any prison door could separate them. They may be dwelling under the same roof, and so have every opportunity of enjoying each other’s society and gladdening each other’s life. But contention builds around each one a more impregnable barrier than the highest walls of the strongest fortress.
III. That to subdue such enmity requires more wisdom and skill than to take a city. There are several methods by which a city may be won. It may be taken by superior physical force, it may be surprised and captured, or its inhabitants may be starved into a surrender. But it is not so easy to capture a human heart—an angry brother must be subdued by different means, and by weapons which require more skilful handling. No physical force can break down enmity of heart—even God cannot reconcile men unto Himself by His physical omnipotence, but wins them by love. And this is the only power which can win “a brother offended.” If he has been in the wrong we must approach him with a free forgiveness, and if the wrong has been on our side we must approach with submission and acknowledgment of our fault.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
“When a brother is revolted away, it is from a city of strength; and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.” The whole meaning is, that one “brother” “revolted away” from another, is “revolted from a city of strength,” that being what one is to all the rest. In other words, brothers are a shelter to brothers, and quarrels lock up that resort.… Notice, that a brother is not only a commoner defence, but a “citadel;” and a “bar” to that keep shuts a man out of his best earthly dependence. It is a fine adage, even for this world … but when applied to our Great Brother, and to our God and King, it is one of the noblest of inspired texts. He who offends our Brother Prince shuts a high tower (Psa_18:2). He who quarrels with our Surety snaps to the lock of a citadel; and then, alas, it shall be, just as the wild rush of embittered enemies should have roused him to enter in.—Miller.
The sweeter the wine the sharper the vinegar; accordingly, the greater the love implanted by nature, the more bitter the hate where this love is violated.—Zeltner.
The matter of fact is here stated—and there are natural enough reasons to account for it. More is justly expected from a brother than from a stranger—more of affection, gratitude, kindly treatment, fidelity, and trustworthiness. When such expectations are disappointed, the wound in the spirit is proportionately deeper, and more difficult of healing—the breach wider, and harder of being made up. Besides, the slower a person is to take offence—the longer he forbears—the more he forgives—the more difficult it is fairly to overcome the yearnings of affection, and break the bonds of brotherhood—the more inveterate may the spirit of resentment be; the more sullen and distant the alienation, when it is actually produced.—Wardlaw.
Whether it be a brother by race, place, or grace; those oft that loved most dearly, if once the devil cast his club between them, hate most deadly.… As for brethren by profession, and that of the true religion too, among Protestants, you shall meet with many divisions, and those prosecuted with a great deal of bitterness. No war breaks out sooner, or lasts longer, than that among divines, or that about a sacrament; a sacrament of love, a communion, and yet the occasion, by accident, of much dissension.—Trapp.
The original word here used is a brother revolting or departing by disloyalty; or else a brother offended by disloyal departing. For such ought to be the command of love between brethren, that he that breaks it is a disloyal rebel unto it. And surely they had need to be firmly tied, because, being divided, they are so hardly joined. For as that which being whole is most strongly united, being broken is farthest from being made whole; and as a stick of hard wax, being broken, may more easily be conjoined than a stick of hard wood, so are the divisions of brethren more hardly composed than the contentions of others.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:20-21
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:20. Satisfied. “If this word is taken in a good sense the
fruit must be good; but it may be ironical, meaning false or malignant words will find ample retribution. Perhaps the next verse helps us to determine the meaning” (Stuart).
Pro_18:21. They that love it, i.e., “make it a special object of gratification” (Stuart).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:20-21
THE POWER OF THE LITTLE MEMBER
Solomon again and again reverts to the mighty influences for good and evil which flow from the use of the tongue—that “little member” upon which such great issues often depend. He here notices—
I. The power of words over the man who utters them. He declares that the state of the inward man—its rest or unrest, its gladness or its gloom—depends very much upon the use that is made of the tongue. A little thought and observation will convince us that this is true. Beginning with the familiar intercourse of every-day life, how true it is that the utterance of kindly words of sympathy, and advice and warning, have a tendency to make sunshine in the heart of him who utters them, while censorious, hasty, harsh words embitter and darken the spirit of their author. Going beyond these to utterances which have a wider influence, the proverb is no less true. The painter that has conceived a picture in his mind, and then, seeing it upon canvas, thinks of the many eyes who will gaze upon it with interest, and of those who perchance will be elevated and instructed by it, feels a satisfaction in the thought that it owes its existence to him—that without the working of his brain and hand it would not have been. “He is filled with the increase” of his skilful hand. So the man whose words are listened to and waited for by other men—whether he be the skilful barrister, or the powerful statesman, or the preacher of the Gospel, has a satisfaction in being able so to put forth his conceptions as to give to his fellow-men new ideas—to show them things in a light in which they might never have seen them but for this power which he possesses. He has joy in being the originator of fresh and living thoughts, and in being able by clothing them in words to impart them to others. But upon the moral quality of the “fruit of his mouth” will depend the length and depth of his satisfaction. The simple power to influence men by speech will gratify for the moment—but if the increase of the lips is to be an abiding source of contentment there must be a consciousness that the power has been used to benefit mankind in some way or other—that the skilful pleading has been on the side of right, that the powerful logic has been used to expose the false and to defend the true, or the brilliant oratory has had for its aim the moral enlightenment and strengthening of the listeners. If it be not so, the fruit of a man’s mouth will be like the roll given to the apocalyptic seer, “in the mouth as sweet as honey,” but afterwards “bitter.” (Rev_10:10.) How sad must be the reflections of those who have possessed this God-given power for good or ill when they have to look back upon its misuse.
II. The power of words over those who hear them. The tongue in its mighty influence is a king having the power of life and death. No other member of the human body can lay claim to such wide-spread and regal authority. The eye can influence men, but not so powerfully as the tongue, nor can its influence reach so many at once. The hand can strike down the body of a single foe, or of two or three at once. But the tongue can reach a thousand hearts at one time, and make men its slaves, not in twos and threes but in masses. And as it sways the affections and takes a man’s will captive, it wields the power of life and death not over the body of the man but over the man himself. The tongue of the tempter can drag its victims down, body and soul, to hell, while the tongue which is touched with a living coal from off the altar of God can be the means of persuading men to be reconciled to their Heavenly Father, and so of making them partakers of eternal life. Seeing, then, what issues of life and death are dependent upon this king, it is manifest that men should keep him in absolute control; if so much depends upon his action he ought to be under the strictest supervision. If one member of the body politic, by the position which he holds and the ability which he possesses, is able to exercise a very powerful influence in the kingdom for weal or for woe, men watch him narrowly and jealously to see how he uses his power, and if they are anxious for the well-being of the State they endeavour to restrain him when he is going wrong and stimulate him when he is using his influence for the right. So ought every man to watch and guard his own tongue; seeing that life and death are in its power, he ought to bring all his words to the bar of conscience and try them there, severely condemning them if they have not been such as would minister life to the hearers, and remembering that his Master has said, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Mat_12:37).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
If a man were possessed of a field exceedingly productive, either of good fruits or of noisome and poisonous herbs, according to the cultivation bestowed on it, what pains would he use to clear it of every weed, and to have it sown with good grain! and yet, when the harvest is come, he may take his choice whether he will eat of the product or not. Such a field is the tongue of man, with this difference, that a man is obliged to eat the fruit of it, although it should be worse than hemlock. What care, then, should we use to pluck from our hearts every root of bitterness, and to have them furnished with knowledge and prudence, that our discourse may be good, to the use of edifying!—Lawson.
There is a sense in which we may understand the language, even taking the former clause of the twentieth verse literally—“A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth.” You may smile and say, A man cannot live upon words! Very true. But the way in which a man uses his lips and his tongue, as the organs of speech, may contribute not a little to his getting, or his failing to get, “the meat that perisheth.” I mean not that any of you should, in the slightest degree, try to work your way in life by words of flattery; but when a man’s general conversation is such as to procure for him a character for discretion, courtesy, gratitude, straight forward integrity, and trustworthiness, this may surely contribute, eminently and directly, to the temporal sustenance and comfort of the man himself and his family: while an opposite style of intercourse may tend to penury and starvation. A man may, in various ways, make his “lips” the instrument of either want on the one hand, or plenty on the other.—Wardlaw.
Our understanding of Pro_18:20 is, that as the outward wants of a man are satisfied by his daily acts, so he himself is, and that simply as his acts, or because of the intimate sympathy between the man and what he does. This thought is still clearer in the verse that follows:—“Death and life are in the power (literally the hand) of the tongue.” There can be no doubt that men’s conduct (for tongue is but the leading instrument of it) determines death or life, yet, in spite of the adventurous hazard, their love to it (or literally, just as they love this or that sort of tongue), they shall eat its fruit, and incur, of course, fearful responsibilities.—Miller.

Proverbs 18:22
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:22
A TWOFOLD GOOD
I. Polygamy cannot be recommended by those who have practised it. A thousand counterfeit coins, even if they pass as genuine for a time, are nothing worth in comparison with one real golden sovereign. Both may bear the image and superscription of the king, but the one is an insult to the name it bears while the other has a right to be imprinted with the royal name. The author of this proverb was a polygamist—his great experience qualified him to give an opinion upon the subject—but we do not here find him dwelling upon the satisfaction of the harem, but upon the blessedness of a wife. He was fully conscious of the fact that a real partner of his life—one woman to be a help-meet for him according to the Divine intention—would have added much more to his real welfare than the thousand counterfeits to whom it was an insult to God to give the name of wives. More than once he bears testimony to the blessedness of marriage in the true sense of the word, but we never find him praising the practice which was so great a curse to his own life. In this proverb he indirectly condemns himself and warns others by his own example. A vessel that has gone to pieces upon the rocks may still be used to prevent others from sharing her fate. The broken timbers may serve to light a beacon fire which may warn other vessels to take another course. Polygamy was the rock upon which Solomon shipwrecked his social happiness and much more (1Ki_11:3), and he seems here and elsewhere to warn his descendants not to follow in his footsteps in this respect and conform to the custom of the heathen monarchs by whom they were surrounded.
II. Monogamy brings a double portion—a good thing and the Divine favour. The favour of a good parent is a thing prized highly by a dutiful child, and enhances the value of every other blessing. The favour of a good king is in itself a fortune which few men would despise. The favour of God is a fortune for a period which extends beyond that named in the marriage vow, it is a fortune which no creature can afford to despise, and a blessing which those who know Him prize before all things in earth or heaven. When a man enters into the marriage relation according to the Divine intention—making a woman his wife in the true sense of the word—he not only adds to his own comfort and consults his own interest, but he does that which is pleasing to God—he takes a step upon which he can fearlessly ask for the Divine blessing.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
“Findeth” implies the
rarity of the thing obtained (Ecc_7:27-28), and the need of circumspection in the search. Blind passion is not to make the selection at random.—Fausset.
The married who is truly Christian knows that, even though sometimes things are badly matched, still his marriage relation is well pleasing to God as His creation and ordinance, and what he therein does or endures, passes as done or suffered for God.—Luther.
There is a secular and a spiritual in every proverb. These two are not apart, but flow easily into each other. Secularly, a wife is the highest treasure. It is a vapid distinction to say a good wife, and the Bible many a time hurries on without any such distinction (comp. ch. Pro_4:3). A bad “wife” is no “wife” at all. A wife is the holiest of all relations; in this world the most powerful for good.… A good marriage is a means of grace, … of course any relation that is near and potent is covered by the passage.—Miller.
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. For I look upon the image of Christ as the best mark of beauty I can behold in her, and the grace of God as the best portion I can receive with her.—Bp. Reynolds.

Proverbs 18:23
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:23
THE RICH AND POOR
This proverb treats of a twofold aspect of human life which furnishes a strong proof of the fallen condition of human nature. There is, probably, no part of this earth—teeming although it is with riches enough to satisfy the needs of every living thing—in which those are not to be found who have to struggle hard for their daily bread, and who even then come off with but a scanty share. Poverty seems as universal as disease and death, and must be referred to the same source. For those who know anything of the character of God, know that it was not a part of his original intention that men should be placed in such circumstances; and when they look abroad upon their fellow-creatures, they see that all the poverty of the poor can be traced to wrong-doing on the part of men—to the sefishness of some, and to the indolence and vice of others. It is quite certain that, when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven, the miserable poverty which now surrounds us on every side will cease to exist. Solomon here sets forth—
I. One of the many evils of poverty. He has before mentioned some of its advantages (see chap. Pro_13:8, page 302), but the evil of the text is a very real and common one. A poor man has not only a very small share of the material comforts of life, but even for these he is often compelled to sue as for a favour. Even if he is an honest and able man, he may be so dependent upon the caprices of the wealthy as to have to entreat their help and patronage before he can use his powers to his own advantage. Such a state of things is often felt to be hard and is undoubtedly so, and unless a poor man is noble and self-respecting, it has a tendency to make him cringing and servile—to dispose him to barter his conscience and his rights in order to satisfy his bodily needs. We know there have been many noble exceptions to this rule—that there have been hundreds of poor men who have preferred starvation to a forfeiture of any part of their God-given inheritance—but the temptation of the poor man in this direction is often very strong by reason of his great necessity.
II. One of the many temptations of wealth. It would be a difficult matter, and perhaps an impossible one, to enumerate all the respective moral advantages of poverty and riches, and strike the true balance between them. There can be no doubt that each has its peculiar temptations (see chap. Pro_30:8-9), and that one of the sins to which the rich man is most liable is that of inconsiderateness of the claims of his poor brother, and even of insolence towards him. 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. And men are prone to go even beyond this—the 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. 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. The Apostle James charges even the professed followers of Christ with having “despised the poor” (Jas_2:6).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The angels smile at the way the sinner cavils. He reverses what the proverb pronounces natural. For He who is supremely rich is meek and tender, and he who is profoundly poor is loud in his reproach!—Miller.
The languages of several countries are not so different as of the poor and rich man in one and the same country, and a stranger of another land is not such a foreigner as in the same land a poor man standing at the door of the rich. The one when he speaketh is not understood by the ear, the other when he speaketh is not understood by the heart: the words of the one are not apprehended, the wants of the other are not apprehended; the one is heard, but not conceived; the other is conceived, but not heard. When two talk in diverse languages they are known to be men of diverse countries; but when the poor and rich talk together, so different is their speech that one would hardly think them to be both men, and of the same nature. The one speaks as if he had hardly breath to bring forth his words, the other speaketh with such a strong breath that the harshness of it giveth an ill scent a great way off.—Jermin.

Proverbs 18:24
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_17:17. “Friend and brother are related the one as the climax of the other. The friend is developed into a brother by adversity.” (Lange’s Commentary).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_17:17-18, and of CHAP. Pro_18:24
TRUE FRIENDSHIP
I. A true friend loves under all conditions. 1. He loves in times of separation. The distance between our earth and the sun does not prevent the one from influencing the other—there is a power in gravitation which can make itself felt even when the objects affected by it are thousands of miles apart. So true love is quite independent of space—oceans may roll between the friends, yea, the very grave may separate them, and yet the gravitating force which first drew the heart of one man to another will make itself felt. It has been said that the dead and the absent have no friends, but this is a libel upon human nature. A friend loveth whether the object of his love is present or absent, and will, if needs be, defend his friend’s character when he is not present to speak for himself. 2. He loves even in times of temporary estrangement. Transitory differences are not incompatible with the most genuine friendship, and while human nature is in its present imperfect condition it will sometimes happen that one real and true friend will disappoint and grieve another. But if the real and true feeling is in the heart it will be as unshaken by these temporary disturbances as the root of the tree is by the storm-wind that moves its branches.
II. Friendship is especially precious in times of trial. True friends are not like the locust, which seeks only the green pastures and fruitful fields, and leaves them as soon as it has taken from them all that it could feed upon, but they are like the stars, the value of whose light is only really understood when all other lights are absent. When all is going well with a man he may underestimate the value of his friend’s regard; he may not really know how heartfelt it is; but when misfortune, or sickness, or bereavement overtake him, he realises that a “brother is born for adversity.”
III. There is a bond stronger than any tie of blood-relationship. We have abundant and melancholy proofs that the mere fact of being brothers according to the flesh does not make men one in heart. The first man who tasted death was murdered by his brother, and many sons of the same father since that day have been separated from each other by a hatred as deep and deadly as that which prompted Cain to murder Abel. In the family in which Solomon was a son there was one brother with the blood of another upon his head (2Sa_13:28-30). Something stronger and deeper than the mere tie of blood is needed to make men one in heart. The most beautiful example of friendship upon record existed between the son of Saul and the shepherd of Bethlehem where there was no relationship according to the flesh, and where the heir-apparent to the throne loved as his own soul the youth who was to supplant him. There is no friendship so firm and enduring as that which is based upon doing the will of God (Mar_3:35) no brotherhood so perfect and lasting as that which has its origin in a common discipleship to Him who is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb_2:11), and who is Himself the “Friend above all others,” whose love can span the distance between His throne in glory and the meanest hovel upon earth, and the greater distance between Divine perfection and human sinfulness, and who was in all things “made like unto his brethren,” that having Himself “suffered being tempted, He might be able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb_2:17), and thus prove Himself to be pre-eminently the “Brother born for adversity,” and the “Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
IV. It is an evidence of great folly to treat men as bosom-friends before we know them. There are men who will trust in a comparative stranger to such an extent as to lend their credit and their good name to him without any reasonable security. Such a man Solomon here characterises as being “void of understanding.” It is a mark of a fool to enter into any engagement without deliberation, and in nothing does lack of wisdom more plainly manifest itself than in the formation of hasty friendships, especially if the friendship involves a man in any kind of suretyship. From lack of prudence in this matter many a man has been “all his lifetime subject to bondage.” It behoves all men in the matter of friendship to follow the advice of Polonius:—
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade.
ILLUSTRATION OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Damon was sentenced to die on a certain day, and sought permission of Dionysius of Syracuse to visit his family in the interim. It was granted on condition of securing a hostage for himself. Pythias heard of it, and volunteered to stand in his friend’s place. The king visited him in prison, and conversed with him about the motive of his conduct, affirming his disbelief in the influence of friendship. Pythias expressed his wish to die, that his friend’s honour might be vindicated. He prayed the gods to delay the return of Damon till after his own execution in his stead. The fatal day arrived. Dionysius sat on a moving throne drawn by six white horses. Pythias mounted the scaffold and thus addressed the spectators, “My prayer is heard; the gods are propitious, for the winds have been contrary till yesterday. Damon could not come, he could not conquer impossibilities; he will be here to-morrow, and the blood that is shed to-day shall have ransomed the life of my friend. Could I erase from your bosoms every mean suspicion of the honour of Damon, I should go to my death as I should to my bridal.” … As he closed a voice in the distance cried, “Stop the execution!” and the cry was taken up and repeated by the whole assembly. A man rode up at full speed’ mounted the scaffold, and embraced Pythias crying, “You are safe now, my beloved friend! I have now nothing but death to suffer, and am delivered from reproaches for having endangered a life so much dearer than my own.” Pythias replied, “Fatal haste, cruel impatience! What envious powers have wrought impossibilities in your favour! But I will not be wholly disappointed. Since I cannot die to save you, I will not survive you.” The king was moved to tears, and, ascending the scaffold, cried, “Live, live, ye incomparable pair! Ye have borne unquestionable testimony to the existence of virtue, and that virtue equally evinces the existence of a God to reward it. Live happy, live renowned, and oh! form me by your precepts, as ye have invited me by your example, to be worthy of the participation of so sacred a friendship.”
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro_17:17. “The Friend.” We are to notice the article. It does not impair the proverb for its secular use. We have such an idiom: “the friend,” i.e., the true friend. Even a worldly friend, to be worth anything, must be for all times; and what is a brother born for, but for distress? But spiritually, the article is just in its place. There is but One Only “Friend,” and a “Brother” who would not have been “born” at all, but for the distress and straitness of His house.—Miller.
Friendship contracted with the wicked decreases from hour to hour, like the early shadow of the morning; but friendship formed with the virtuous will increase like the shadow of evening, till the sun of life shall set.—Herder.
Extremity distinguisheth friends. Worldly pleasures, like physicians, give us over, when once we lie a-dying; and yet the death-bed hath most need of comforts. Christ Jesus standeth by His in the pangs of death, and after death at the bar of judgment; not leaving them either in their bed or grave. I will use them, therefore, to my best advantage; not trust them. But for Thee, O my Lord, which in mercy and truth canst not fail me, whom I have found ever faithful and present in all extremities, kill me, yet will I trust in Thee.—Bp. Hall.
A friend shares my sorrow and makes it but a moiety; but He swells my joy and makes it double. For so two channels divide the river and lessen it into rivulets and make it fordable, and apt to drink up at the first revels of the Syrian star; but two torches do not divide, but increase the flame. And though my tears are the sooner dried up when they run on my friend’s cheek in furrows of compassion; yet when my flame has kindled his lamp, we unite the glories, and make them radiant, like the golden candlesticks that burn before the throne of God; because they shine by numbers, by unions, and confederations of light and joy.—Jeremy Taylor.
When a man blind from his birth was asked what he thought the sun was like, he replied, “Like friendship.” He could not conceive of anything as more fitting as a similitude for what he had been taught to regard as the most glorious of material objects, and whose quickening and exhilarating influences he had rejoiced to feel.—Morris.
A brother for adversity is one who will act the brother in a season of adversity. Of such an one it is said, he must or shall be born, possibly, he is born. I do not understand this last clause unless the assertion is, that none but such as are born brethren, i.e., kindred by blood, will cleave to us in distress. Yet this is true only in a qualified sense. But another shade of meaning may be assigned to the passage, which is, that such a man as a friend in adversity is yet to be born, i.e., none such are now to be found; thus making it substantially equivalent in sense to the expression: “How few and rare are such faithful friends.”—Stuart.
As in the natural, so in the spiritual brotherhood, misery breeds unity. Ridley and Hooper, that when they were bishops, differed so much about ceremonies, could agree well enough, and be mutual comforts one to another when they were both prisoners. Esther concealed her kindred in hard times, but God’s people cannot; Moses must rescue his beaten brother out of the hand of the Egyptian, though he rescue his life by it.—Trapp.
Man in his weakness needs a steady friend, and God in His wisdom has provided one in the constitution of nature. Not entrusting all to acquired friendship, He has given us some as a birthright inheritance. For the day of adversity a brother is born to many who would not have been able to win one. It is at once a glory to God in the highest, and a sweet solace to afflicted men, when a brother or a sister, under the secret and steady impulses of nature, bears and does for the distressed what no other friend, however loving, could be expected to bear or do. How foolish for themselves are those who lightly snap those bonds asunder, or touch them oft with the corrosive drops of contention! One who is born your brother is best fitted to be your friend in trouble, if unnatural strife has not rent asunder those whom their Maker intended to be one in spirit.… “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” He must be a fast friend indeed, for a brother, if nature’s affections have been cherished, lies close in, and keeps a steady hold.… Oh, when hindering things are taken out of the way of God’s work, a brother lies very close to a brother. He who comes closer must be no common friend.… It is the idea of a friendship more perfect, fitting more kindly into our necessities, and bearing more patiently with our weaknesses, than the instinctive love of a brother by birth. From God’s hand-work in nature a very tender and a very strong friendship proceeds: from His covenant of mercy comes a friendship tenderer and stronger still. Now, although the conception is embodied in the communion of saints, its full realisation is only found in the love wherewith Christ loves His own.… The precious germ which Solomon’s words unfold, bore its ripened fruit only when He who is bone of our bone gave Himself the just for the unjust. Thus by a surer process than verbal criticism, we are conducted to the man Christ Jesus, as at once the Brother born for adversity, and the friend that sticketh closer than a brother.… In the day of your deepest adversity even a born brother must let go his hold. That extremity is the opportunity of your best friend.—Arnot.
Pro_17:18. It is good to try him whom we intend for a bosom friend before we trust him; as men prove their vessels with water before they fill them with wine. Many complain of the treachery of their friends, and say, with Queen Elizabeth, that in trust they have found treason; but most of these have greatest cause, if all things be duly weighed, to complain of themselves for making no better choice.—Swinnock.
Seeing he hath not understanding to keep himself from hurt, it were good if he had not power in his hand to do himself hurt.… Surely such a fool may quickly wring his hands together in sorrow, who before did clap his hands in joy, and may strike himself in anger with the same hand, wherewith in the foolish kindness of surety he struck the hand of another.… For often this over-kind part of a friend is the breaking of friendship if it bring no further mischief.—Jermin.
The evil effects of strife and pride, which form the subject of Pro_17:19, have been treated before. See on Pro_17:14, and on chaps. Pro_11:2, and Pro_16:18. Some expositors attach a slight difference to the meaning of the latter clause. See below.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
“Sets high (exalteth) his gate;” a figure that is probably misunderstood. It probably means belligerence. A moat over which issued armed bands, with banners and mounted spearmen, required high space to let them go forth. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates,” etc. The soul that fixes itself that way against the Almighty, ready to march out upon Him on any occasion of quarrel, “seeks” ruin.—Miller.
The slothful man exposes himself to misery; but he waits for it till it comes upon him like a traveller. The aspiring man, that cannot be happy without a stately dwelling, and a splendid manner of living beyond what his estate will bear, seeks for destruction, and sends a coach and six to bring it to him.—Lawson.
“And he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.” Some take this for a comparison:—As surely as he that exalteth his gate (enlarging it out of due proportion) seeketh destruction to his house, by thus weakening its structure,—so surely does he that loveth strife generate transgression. The phrase “exalteth his gate,” however, instead of being thus understood literally, may, with more propriety, be interpreted of a man’s
ambitiously affecting a style of living beyond his income—disproportionate to the amount of his means of maintaining it. The general character is described by one particular manifestation of it—the high style of the exterior of his mansion. The “exalting of the gate” applies to the entire style of his household establishment—not to his dwelling merely, but to his equipage, his table, his servants, his dress, and everything else. He who does this “seeks destruction:” he courts his own downfall, as effectually as if it were his direct object to ruin himself. Matthew Henry, in his own quaint and pithy way, says—“He makes his gate so large, that his house and estate go out at it.”—Wardlaw.
There is none that loveth strife more than he that exalteth his gate, either the gate of his ears to hear the tales of others, and the praises of himself, or else the gates of his eyes overlooking others with scorn and disdain, and his own worth by many degrees, or else the gate of his mouth, which is properly the gate of man, with big and swelling words, with high and lofty terms which usually are the sparks that kindle contention. But what doth such an one do, but even seek for destruction, which at his lifted-up gate, findeth easy passage to run in upon him.—Jermin.
For Homiletics on the subjects of Pro_17:20-21, see on chapter Pro_10:1; Pro_10:13-14, etc., and on Pro_17:24.

Proverbs 18:24
CRITICAL NOTES
Pro_18:24. 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.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_18:24
THE OBLIGATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP
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. Some expositors, however, adhere to the old translation, and we therefore look at it—
I. As expressing a need of human nature. It matters not in what condition man is found, whether in riches or in poverty, whether ignorant and rude or highly civilized and educated, he needs the friendship of one or more of his fellow creatures. The special good-will of some who can feel with him and for him in all the vicissitudes of life is indispensable to his happiness. Among all the gifts which an Almighty Father has given to His children, there is perhaps none, after his own gracious favour, which is so necessary to their welfare or is so productive of joy as this gift of friendship. Men cannot live a life of isolation and know anything of the enjoyment of life. We cannot conceive of even perfect creatures living such a life—we know the angels and redeemed saints derive much of their bliss from the friendship of each other, and how much more does man in his present imperfect state need it. And the need can be supplied even in this selfish world. Men have been, and still are, able to find among their fellows those who are worthy of the name of friend. True it is that there is much that is called friendship that is unworthy of the name, but as we do not reject the real coin because there are base imitations of it, so we must not permit the counterfeit of friendship to shake our confidence in the real thing.
II. As setting forth an indispensable condition of making and keeping friends. If a man desires to know the sweets of real friendship he must be prepared to be himself a real friend. The selfish and morose man who will not deny himself for another’s good, or who cannot rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, cannot expect others to deny themselves for him and to sympathise with his joy and sorrow. If there is to be a genuine friendship there must be mutual confidence and a mutual recognition of excellencies, for if the trust and admiration is on one side only the fire will soon burn out for want of fuel. There are men whose love cannot be extinguished by coldness and distrust, but they are few and far between, and the wise man’s 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. Pro_17:17-18, page 518.)
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
A man of friends is apt to be broken all to pieces. (This is Miller’s rendering only.) The significance of the whole is that a man of wide acquaintance is apt to break. Human friendships cost. In the strife to appear well, in the time it takes, in the industries they scatter, in the hospitalities they provoke, and in the securityships they engender, broadening our socialities will try every one of us well. It is not so with heavenly friendships. All spiritual communisms bless.—Miller.
Solomon delivers a warning against the vainglorious passion of aspiring to an universal acquaintance and an empty popularity, such as was courted by his brother Absalom, which will bring with it no support in adversity, but will ruin a man by pride and rashness and prodigal expenditure.—Wordsworth.
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER.—That the chapter before us treats mainly of the virtues of social life, of sociability, affability, love of friends, compassion, etc., appears not merely from its initial and closing sentences, the first of which is directed against misanthropic selfishness, the latter against thoughtless and inconstant universal friendship, or seeming friendship, but also from the various rebukes which it contains of a contentious, quarrelsome, and partisan disposition, e.g. Pro_18:5-6; Pro_18:8; Pro_18:17-21. But in addition, most of the propositions that seem to be more remote may be brought under this general category of love to neighbours as the sum and basis of all social virtues; so especially the testimonies against wild, foolish talking (Pro_18:2; Pro_18:7; Pro_18:13, comp. 4 and 15); that against bold impiety, proud dispositions and hardness of heart against the poor (Pro_18:3; Pro_18:12; Pro_18:23); that against slothfulness in the duties of one’s calling, foolish confidence in earthly riches, and want of true moral courage and confidence in God (Pro_18:9-11; comp. 14). Nay, even the commendation of a large liberality as a means of gaining for one’s self favour and influence in human society (Pro_18:16), and likewise the praise of an excellent mistress of a family, are quite closely connected with this main subject of the chapter, which admonishes to love towards one’s fellow-men; they only show the many-sided completeness with which the theme is here treated.—Lange’s Commentary.

Proverbs 18:1
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and inter-meddleth with all wisdom.
The case of diversions stated
Dull and insipid is every performance where inclination bears no part. Any one man’s sense, however excellent, unless it mixes in society with that of others, always degenerates into singularity and caprice.
I. How far are social diversions allowable?

1. When there is no reason against any social pleasure there is always a reason for it, viz., that it is a pleasure. To suppose that the Deity would abridge us of any pleasure merely as such when it does not interfere with higher and nobler delights is a notion highly derogatory to His goodness.
2. Diversions are necessary to relieve the cares, sweeten the toils, and smooth the ruggedness of life. He who applies himself to his studies, or any other employment, with proper intervals of refreshment to recruit his spirits, will upon the whole do more good than he who gives unrelieved application. And diversions are necessary under afflictions. The first step towards a recovery of happiness is to steal ourselves gradually from a sense of our misery.
3. Diversions are necessary to endear us to one another. To comply with men’s tastes as far as we innocently can in the little incidents of life, to bear a part in their favourite diversions—this knits men’s hearts to one another and lays the foundations of friendship.
4. Diversions are requisite to enlarge the usefulness and influence of a good character. It would be worth while for the good to endear, by little compliances, their persons to the affections of mankind, that they might recommend their actions to their imitation. If it be asked, When do we exceed the bounds of reason in our diversions? it may be said if, after having made a party in some entertainments, the soul can recall her wandering thoughts and fix them, with the same life and energy as is natural to us in other cases, upon any subject worthy of a rational creature, it is plain that we have not gone too far. And things suitable enough in youth come with an ill grace in advanced years. The greatest hazard is that we should contract a habit of doing nothing to the purpose and should fool away life in an impertinent course of diversions.
   II. The necessity of an early and close application to wisdom. It is necessary to habituate our minds, in our younger years, to some employment which may engage our thoughts and fill the capacity of the soul at a riper age. We outgrow the relish of childish amusements, and if we are not provided with a taste for manly satisfactions to succeed in their room we must become miserable at an age more difficult to be pleased. Nothing can be long entertaining, but what is in some measure beneficial, because nothing else will bear a calm and sedate review. There is not a greater inlet to misery and vices of all kinds than the not knowing how to pass our vacant hours. When a man has been laying out that time in the pursuit of some great and important truth which others waste in a circle of gay follies he is conscious of having acted up to the dignity of his nature, and from that consciousness there results that serene complacency which is much preferable to the pleasures of animal life. Happy that man who, unembarrassed by vulgar cares, master of himself, his time and fortune, spends his time in making himself wiser, and his fortune in making others happier.
   III. Some reflections which have a connection with this subject.
5. Let us set a just value upon and make a due use of those advantages which we enjoy. Advantages of a regular method of study (as at a university). Direction in the choice of authors upon the most material subjects. A generous emulation quickens our endeavours, and the friend improves the scholar.
6. It is a sure indication of good sense to be diffident of it. We then, and not till then, are growing wise when we begin to discern how weak and unwise we are. (J. Seed, M. A.)

The stimulus of desire
A person under the strong influence of desire is like a hound in pursuit of a deer, which he keenly and steadfastly follows when he has once caught the scent of it, and continues to track it through a herd of others, and for many a weary mile until he has hunted it down, although those which he has passed by may seem easily within his reach. (G. Harris.)

Extracting knowledge
There is no kind of knowledge which, in the hands of the diligent and skilful, will not turn to account. Honey exudes from all flowers, the bitter not excepted; and the bee knows how to extract it. (Bp. Horne.)

Desire an excitement to diligence
If we would get knowledge or grace we must desire it as that which we need and which will be of great advantage to us. We must separate ourselves from all those things which would divert or retard us in the pursuit, retire out of the noise of this world’s vanities, be willing to take pains, and try all the methods of improving ourselves, be acquainted with a variety of opinions, that we may prove all things, and hold fast that which is good. (Matthew Henry.)

The evil of isolation
There are people who shun all togetherness in their lives; they are voluntarily, deliberately separated from their kind. We are to think of one who chooses a life of solitariness in order to follow out his own desire rather than from any necessity of circumstance or disposition; we are to think of a misanthrope. There are men who separate themselves for the common welfare, such as the student and the inventor. But the misanthrope is one who has no faith in his fellows, and shrinks into himself to escape them. Every man is not only a “self,” a personality; he is a very complex being, made up of many relations with other men. He is a son, a brother, a friend, a father, a citizen. Stripped of these he is not a man, but a mere self, and that is his hideous condemnation. An old Greek saying declared that one who lives alone is either a god or a wild beast. The social instinct is one of two or three striking characteristics which mark us out as human. It becomes therefore a necessity to every wise human being to recognise, to maintain, and to cultivate all those wholesome relationships which make us truly human. Neighbourliness is the larger part of life. Our life is rich and true and helpful just in proportion as we are entwined with those who live around us in bonds of mutual respect and consideration, of reciprocal helpfulness and service, of intimate and intelligent friendship. The relation of Christ, as the Son of God, to the human race as a whole immediately opened up the possibility of a world-wide society in which all nations, all classes, all castes, all degrees, all individualities should be not so much merged as distinctly articulated and recognised in a complete and complex whole. The person of Christ is the link which binds all men together; the presence of Christ is the guarantee of the union; the work of Christ, which consists in the removal of sin, is the main condition of a heart union for all mankind. The Christian life must be the life of a community. (R. F. Horton, D. D.)

Seeking wisdom
Two opposite views have been taken of this verse. One makes Solomon refer to a pursuit of knowledge and wisdom that is right and commendable; the other regards him as speaking of what is wrong and censurable. Schultens describes the intended character thus: “A self-conceited, hair-brained fool seeks to satisfy his fancy, and intermingleth himself with all things.” Parkhurst thus: “The recluse seeks his own pleasure or inclination; he laughs at or derides everything solid or wise.” Another thus: “A retired man pursueth the studies he delights in, and hath pleasure in each branch of science.” I am disposed to think that our own translation gives the sense. “Through desire”—that is, the desire of knowledge—“a man, having separated himself”—that is, having retired and secluded himself from interruption by the intrusion of companions and the engagements of social life—“seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” There is a contrast between the character in the first verse and the character in the second verse. The contrast is between the man that loves and pursues knowledge and the man who undervalues and despises it. (R. Wardlaw, D. D.)

Proverbs 18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters.
The importance of language
Language is one of the principal tests and standards of civilisation. The study of language is one of the most naturally interesting and naturally elevating studies with which the human mind can occupy itself.
I. It is of great intellectual importance. Only through the instrumentality of language can the thoughts of the mind be revealed and displayed. Nothing bewrays more obviously the rustiness and disorganisation of the intellect than inaccuracy and dulness of language.
II. The moral importance of language is still greater. As a rule the relations between intellect and conscience are harmonious. When the intellect is illuminated it brightens the conscience; when the conscience is quickened it animates the intellect. Language is often a standard of morals. Exactitude of utterance is seldom compatible with great frequency of utterance. Modern writing and modern speech are impotent because they are slipshod. Language is also a great moral force in the world by reason of its variety. A world of one language would not be a very interesting world.
III. The great religious importance of language. The utmost solemnity is attached in the Bible to the use of language. What man can think that words are light and little things when he remembers that it is through the instrumentality of words inspired that God has made known His greatest revelations to mankind? (Canon Diggle.)

The words of inspired wisdom
There are some who regard the two clauses of this verse as antithetic. The former indicating hidden depths of evil in the wicked man. “The words of his mouth are as deep waters.” That is, he is so full of guile and deceit that you cannot reach his meaning. The latter indicating the transparent communications of the wise and the good. “The wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.” The communications of the one are guileful—the words conceal rather than reveal. The words of the other are honest and lucid. There are others who regard the two clauses as a parallelism. The character of the former clause is to be taken from the latter. The words of a man’s mouth—that is, according to the second clause, of a wise man’s mouth—are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. We shall use the words thus as a parallelism to illustrate the words of inspired wisdom which are “wise” in the highest sense.
I. They are full. They are as “deep waters.” The world abounds with shallow words, mere empty sounds. The words in the general conversation of society and in the popular literature of the day are empty, shells without a kernel, mere husks without grain. But the words of inspired men are full, brimful, full of light and full of power.

1. The greatest thinkers have failed to exhaust their meaning.
2. Every modern thinker discovers new significance. Every paragraph has a continent of thought.
   “There lie vast treasures unexplored,
   And wonders yet untold.”
   II. They are flowing. “A flowing brook.” The words of eternal truth are always in motion. They pulsate in thousands of souls every hour, and onward is their tendency.
3. They flow from the eternal wellspring of truth.
4. They flow through human channels. Divine wisdom speaks through man as well as through other organs. “Holy men spake as they were moved,” etc. The highest teacher was a man, Christ, the Logos. The words of His mouth were indeed as deep waters. Since Heaven has thus made man the organ of wisdom, it behoves man—
   (1) Devoutly to realise the honour God has conferred upon his nature;
   (2) Earnestly to aspire to the high honour of being a messenger of the Eternal. Man should not only be the student, but the revealer of God.
   III. They are fertilising. They are here compared to “waters” and to “a flowing brook.” What water is to all physical life the words of heavenly wisdom are to souls. They quicken and satisfy.
5. It is a perennial brook. It has streamed down these centuries, imparting life and beauty in its course.
6. It is an accumulating “brook.” As brooks in nature swell into rivers by the confluence of contributory streams, so the brook of Divine truth widens and deepens by every contribution of holy thought. And never was it so broad and deep as now. (Homilist.)

Proverbs 18:6-8
A fool’s lips enter into contention.
The speech of a splenetic fool
How frequently Solomon speaks of the fool! and the fool in his idea was not an intellectually demented man, but a morally bad man.
I. It is querulous. “A fool’s lips enter into contention.” His ill-nature shows itself in his readiness to pick quarrels, to create frays.
II. It is provocational. “His mouth calleth for strokes.” They irritate the men they speak to, and often prompt to acts of violence.
III. It is self-ruinous. “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” Such speech is indeed destructive.

1. It destroys the man’s own reputation. A querulous man has no social respect or command; he is shunned.
2. It destroys the man’s own social enjoyment. He has no loving fellowships, no lasting friendships.
3. It destroys the man’s own peace of mind.
   IV. It is socially injurious. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” The talebearer as a rule is a man with a splenetic temperament; he delights in mischief. (Homilist.)

Proverbs 18:9
He also that is slothful in his work.
Indolence
Indolence is a stream which flows slowly on, but yet undermines the foundation of every virtue. It were as little hazard to be tossed in a storm as to lie thus perpetually becalmed; nor is it to any purpose to have within one the seeds of a thousand good qualities, if we want the vigour and resolution necessary for the exerting them. That the necessity of labour ought to be regarded as a punishment is a mean and sordid notion, invented by the effeminate, the lazy, and the vicious. On the contrary, if God had prohibited labour, such prohibition might justly have been deemed a token of His displeasure, since inaction is a kind of lethargy, equally pernicious to the mind and body. An effeminate Sybarite, we are told, thanked the gods very heartily that he had never seen the sun rise in his life. Can there be a more striking emblem of a narrow and unenlightened mind?—of a wicked and unprofitable servant?

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.
The security of those who trust in God
I. Explain what is to be understood by “the name of the Lord.” No particular virtue or charm attaches to the sound or pronunciation of the name. In a mistaken veneration for the name the Jews refused to pronounce it at all. But a rash profanation of the name of God is unspeakably more criminal. By the name of the Lord we are to understand the Lord God Himself—His nature, as it is discovered to us in all His glorious perfection, particularly in His power and goodness to save and deliver them that put their trust in Him. Three principal ways by which God hath discovered Himself to mankind.

1. The visible creation.
2. The written Word.
3. The daily administration of His providence.
   II. What is implied in the righteous running into the name of the Lord as a strong tower? The epithet “strong tower” conveys to the mind the idea of protection and defence. God’s almighty providence is the surest and strongest defence against all enemies of whatever kind, let their art, their activity, their malignity be what they will.
4. Running into the name implies the lively exercise of faith both in the power and the willingness of God to protect. It is only by faith that we can go to an invisible God. Faith, in applying the power and promise of God, receives very much strength from the examples of His mercy, either towards ourselves or others. The name is recorded in every page of the history of providence.
5. The righteous “runneth into the name” by the exercise of fervent prayer. Praying is the immediate and direct means of imploring the Divine assistance and protection. Faith is the habitual principle, and prayer is the actual application of it. Though God knows all our wants perfectly, He requires that we implore His assistance by prayer. And prayer is the natural remedy to which all are ready to fly in extremity.
6. The righteous “runneth into the name” by diligence in his duty; which implies three things:
   (1) Diligence in all duties in general.
   (2) A watchful attention to his conduct in every time of trial or danger. Whether his danger arises from bodily distress, from worldly losses, from slander and reproach, the first and great care of the Christian should be to keep his conscience undefiled.
   (3) The diligent use of every lawful means for his protection and deliverance.
   (4) A renunciation of dependence on all created help. We run into the strong tower from everything else.
   III. The perfect security of the righteous.
7. Wherein does this safety consist? “Is safe” might be rendered “is exalted,” “placed on high.” God preserves them from dangers which they could not escape. They have the promise of strength and support in the time of trial. They are sure of deliverance in the end, and complete victory over all sufferings of every kind.
8. The certainty of it is based on the Divine perfections, on the faithful promises, and on the experience of the saints. Learn—
   (1) The sinfulness of distrust.
   (2) The remedy for distrust. (J. Witherspoon, D. D.)

Two defences—real and imaginary
The two verses put side by side two pictures, two fortifications: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower”; that is so, whether a man thinks it or not; that is an objective truth and always true. “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,” because “in his own conceit” he has made it so. So we have on the one side fact and on the other side fancy. The two pictures are worth looking at. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.” Now, of course, I need not remind you that “the name of the Lord,” or “the name of Jesus Christ,” means a great deal more than the syllables by which He is designated, which is all that we understand generally by a name. It means, to put it into far less striking words, the whole character of God, in so far as it is revealed to men. So we have to recognise in that great expression the clearest utterance of the two thoughts which have often been regarded as antagonistic, viz., the imperfection, and yet the reality, of our knowledge of God. His name is not the same as Himself, but it is that by which He is known. Our knowledge of Him, after all revelation, is incomplete, but it is His name—that is to say, it corresponds to the realities of His nature, and may be absolutely and for ever trusted. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower,” which, translated into plain prose, is just this—in that revealed character there is all that shelterless, defenceless men can need for absolute security and perfect peace. We may illustrate that by considering either Him who defends or him that is defended. On the one hand, perfect wisdom, perfect love, perfect power, that endure for ever; and on the other hand, men weighed upon by sore distresses, crippled and wounded by many transgressions. These two, the defence and the defenceless, fit into each other like the seal to its impress, the convexity to the cavity. Whatever man needs, God is, and whatever dangers, dreads, pains, losses, sorrows, sins, attack humanity, in Him is the refuge for them all. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.” Do you believe that; and is it an operative belief in your lives? “The righteous runneth into it”; and what is that running into it? Neither more nor less than the act of faith. One of the words of the Old Testament which is frequently translated—and rightly so—“trust,” has for its literal meaning to flee to a refuge. So, says our teacher, the way to get into the fortress, and to have the solemn battlements of that Divine name round our unarmed and else shelterless weakness, is simply to trust in Him. But the word suggests the urgency and the effort that will always go with faith. “The righteous runneth into it”—not dawdles in it—“and is safe.” And that takes effort and means haste. Do not put off your flight. And stop in it when you are there, by that constant communion with the name of the Lord, which will bring you tranquillity. “In Me ye shall have peace.” Stay behind the strong bulwarks. But there is a formidable word in this old proverb. “The righteous runneth into it.” Does not that upset all our hopes? I need not say anything about the safety, except to make one remark. The word rendered “is safe “ literally means “is high.” The intention, of course, is to express safety, but it expresses it in a picturesque fashion which has its bearing upon the word in the next verse, viz., it sets before us the thought that the man who has taken refuge in the strong tower goes up to the top of it by the winding staircase, and high up there the puny bows of the foe below cannot shoot an arrow that will reach him. That is a truth for faith. We have to bear the common lot of humanity, but the evil that is in the evil, the bitterness that is in the sorrow, the poison that is in the sting, all these may be taken away for us. And now I need only say a word or two about the companion picture, the illusory imagination. “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and a high wall in his own conceit.” It is very hard to have, and to be concerned about, and to use, the external good without putting our trust in it. The Bible has no foolish condemnation of wealth. And we all know, whether in regard to money, or to earthly loves, or to outward possessions and blessings of all sorts, how difficult it is to keep within the limit, not to rely upon these, and to think that if we have them we are blessed. What can we do, any of us, when real calamities come? Will wealth or anything else keep away the tears? What will prevent the sorrows, deal with the sins, or enable us to be of good cheer in the face of death and disease, and to say, “You cannot touch me”? Ah! there is but one thing that will do that for us. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.” The other man has “a high wall in his own conceit.” Did you ever see the canvas fortifications at some entertainments that they put up to imitate strong castles?—canvas stretched upon bits of stick. That is the kind of strong wall that the man puts up who trusts in the uncertainty of any earthly thing, or in anything but the living God. Let us keep ourselves within the Divine limits in regard to all external things. It is hard to do it, but it can be done. And there is only one way to do it, and that is by the same act by which we take refuge in the true fortress—viz., by faith and communion. When we realise that God is our defence, then we can see through the insufficiency of the others. (
A. Maclaren, D. D.)

The name of the Lord a strong tower
It is essential that man’s hopes should rest on a firm basis.
I. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. Names have a twofold use—to distinguish and describe. Our names generally serve only to distinguish the individual. Sometimes, however, they describe as well as distinguish, and when this is the ease, their significancy is greatly increased. The name of God is descriptive; it describes the attributes of His character as revealed to us. What God is in Himself is implied in the name Jehovah, the existent. What the Almighty God is to His sinful and rebellious creatures is a matter of anxious inquiry. He is condescending, full of compassion, ready to forgive, slow to anger, yet by no means clearing the guilty. Such is the name of the Lord, which the text reminds us is a “strong tower.” A tower is a place built for shelter and security. Its strength consists in the durability of the materials of which it is composed. God’s name is called a strong tower, on account of the strength of the foundation on which they build who are sheltered within it.
II. The conduct of the righteous. He “runneth into it.” The real Christian is the one who is earnest in the pursuit of everlasting life. He is impelled by a sense of danger. He is animated by the hope of safety.
III. The safety of the righteous within the tower. He is safe from—

1. The assaults of the devil.
2. From the world.
3. From his own natural depravity.
4. From the accusations of the law.
5. From the accusations of conscience.
6. From the fear of death. (J. R. Shurlock, M. A.)

On trust in God
As a strong tower was considered, under the ancient system of warfare, to be a place of entire security from harm, this text is nothing else than a figurative manner of expressing the extreme importance of putting our whole trust in God. The reasonableness of this duty will appear if we consider the Divine perfections.

1. God’s unlimited power. It is proclaimed by the heavens, the work of His fingers, and by the earth, which He has suspended upon nothing. Everything declares that He is at least fully competent to our preservation and deliverance.
2. His particular providence, as displayed in the government of the universe. Even things which we are wont to regard as casual and trivial are subjected to His perpetual control.
3. His beneficence. He is ever ready to relieve and to bless. He is not only competent, He is willing to promote our good.
4. His tried and approved veracity “God is faithful, who hath promised.” In our intercourse with each other, experience is the basis of confidence, of mercantile credit, and of moral character. The same principle should lead us to place confidence in God. Two remarks to guard the subject from misconception.
   (1) God may sometimes appear unkind, and yet be not the less deserving of our full reliance.
   (2) A compliance with the Divine will is an indispensable requisite to a well-grounded confidence in the Divine favour. A right trust in God includes personal exertions towards attaining the objects of our desire. (J. Grant, M. A.)

Our strong tower
There are many war similes in the Bible.

1. Men mistake by resting satisfied with unstable and insecure bases. The sense of dependence is in every man so strong that no man can be happy quite alone, and leaning on nothing. Men try to satisfy themselves with one or other of three things.
   (1) Health. They assure themselves that if they were to lose all they possessed, their health and energy would enable them to make their way in the world again.
   (2) Friends. They say, “I have friends who are well off, and they will be sure to help me.”
   (3) Money. “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit.” Neither of these “towers” can be safe trusting-places. Health is uncertain. Friends fail. Money takes wing. If they provide some little shelter from the common sorrows of life, they can provide none for those spiritual sorrows which are the real sorrows.
2. Men cannot be truly strong for life until they have God behind them. To know a man is to apprehend all that makes up his individuality, or to “know his name.” So the “ name of God” includes everything that spheres Him as God: a just apprehension of God and His relations—a true knowledge of God. To know God in covenant is a strong tower. The “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” is God known through relationships and tried by experience. That God can be our “tower.” In Scripture, to know the name of any one implies familiarity and confidence; and to know God by name implies such confidence as makes Him to us a strong “tower.” To do anything in the name of another is to carry with you their authority, as with the ambassador or the old prophet. The name of God is a storehouse of wealth and strength, from which all recurring needs can be supplied. Then comes the moral force needed to deal with—
3. The attacks of life.
4. The defences of life.
5. The retreats of life.
   Who can use this defence of God? Only the man whose purpose is to live the righteous life, and whose constant effort is to realise his purpose. (Weekly Pulpit.)

The name of the Lord
I. Christ is a Stronghold, for as such He has been appointed and ordained by God. Wisdom.
II. Christ is a Stronghold, because of the absolute perfection of His obedience, and the entire adequacy of His atonement. Holiness and justice.
III. Christ is a Stronghold, because God has actually accepted of His vicarious work. Faithfulness.
IV. Christ is a Stronghold, because as a King He hath sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Power.
V. The testimony of men—those “who have fled for refuge.” (James Stewart.)

Our Stronghold
Strong towers were a greater security in a bygone age than they are now. Castles were looked upon as being very difficult places for attack; and ancient troops would rather fight a hundred battles than endure a single siege. He who owned a strong tower felt, however potent might be his adversary, his walls and bulwarks would be his sure salvation.
I. The character of God furnishes the righteous with an abundant security. The character of God is the refuge of the Christian in opposition to other refuges which godless men have chosen; and as a matter of fact and reality. The purpose of God in our salvation is the glorifying of His own character, and this it is that makes our salvation positively sure; if every one that trusts in Christ be not saved, then is God dishonoured. His character is the great granite formation upon which must rest all the pillars of the covenant of grace, and the sure mercies thereof. His wisdom, truth, mercy, justice, power, eternity, and immutability, are the seven pillars of the house of sure salvation. This is true not only as a matter of fact but also as a matter of experience. Even when the Lord Himself chastens us, it is most blessed to appeal against God to God.
II. How the righteous avail themselves of this strong tower. They run into it. They do not stop to make any preparation. And the running implies that they have nothing to carry; and that fear quickens them. When a man enters a castle, he is safe because of the impregnability of the castle, not because of the way in which he entered into the castle.
III. Entering the strong tower is a joyous experience. For “is safe” the margin reads “is set aloft.”

1. This is a matter of fact. He is safe, for who can hurt him? Who has power to reach him? What weapon is there that can be used against him?
2. This is a matter of experience. The believer in his high days {and they ought to be every day) is like an eagle perched aloft on a towering crag. Yonder is a hunter down below, who would fain strike the royal bird; he has his rifle with him, but his rifle would not reach one-third of the way. So the royal bird looks down upon him in quiet contempt, not intending even to take the trouble to stretch one of his wings, for he is quite safe, he is up aloft. Such is the faithful Christian’s state before God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

A place of refuge
In the ancient Greek states certain temples afforded protection to criminals, whom it was unlawful to drag from them, although the supply of food might be intercepted. As early as the seventh century the protection of sanctuary was afforded to persons fleeing to a church or certain boundaries surrounding it. In several English churches there was a stone seat beside the altar, where those fleeing to the peace of the church were held to be guarded by its sanctity. (Chambers’ Encyclopedia.)

The name of God a refuge
The name of God is his harbour, where he puts in as boldly as a man steps into his own house when taken in a shower. (H. G. Salter.)

Proverbs 18:12
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
Honour and humility
I. Explain the nature of genuine humility.

1. It does not consist in a mean and servile state of mind, in anything that is unworthy of the man or the Christian. Humility dignifies human nature; a spirit of servility degrades it. Some persons are naturally timid and faint-hearted. But this is mere human weakness.
2. It does not consist in indulging a low and dejected frame of mind, or in being pensive and sad on all occasions. Distance and reserve are so far from being the fruit of genuine humility, that they often proceed from pride and self-conceit.
3. There is what the Scriptures call a “voluntary humility” unrequired and unapproved. An apparently humble demeanour may consist with a haughty and aspiring spirit.
4. Genuine humility consists chiefly in the state of our hearts towards God. Here reason bows to faith, and interest to obligation.
5. Humility consists in thinking of ourselves as we ought to think, and conducting ourselves accordingly.
6. Our humility will appear in the sentiments we entertain of others, of the behaviour we manifest towards them.
   II. The honour with which Christian humility is accompanied.
7. It is the forerunner of just and worthy commendation. God exalts the low tree, and brings down the high.
8. Humility is a preparative for honour. A meek and quiet spirit is itself an ornament. It prepares the way for further honours.
9. Eternal honours shall be the gracious reward of true and genuine humility. God shall save the humble person. (B. Beddome, M. A.)

Humility
The text contains a most certain truth; and yet it is in its proper and most extensive sense a truth we owe to revelation. The natural man is not fond of believing in the necessity of humility. He contends for the dignity of his nature, he asserts the sufficiency of his own powers. Unaided man has been able to discover a considerable number of important truths in the theory of morals. With the polished nations of antiquity morals formed a part of the science of government. They examined into morals, and erected systems of morals, not with a view to ascertain and lay down the duties of the man, but of the citizen. The Christian cannot expect much assistance from this quarter. As they do not rest on the right foundation, or aim at the right end, the ancient ethics are miserably defective, and often grievously false. In no part are they more delusive than in the estimate they teach men to make of themselves. H we turn our eyes upon the world around us, we shall readily find instances of the connection between pride and ruin. Pride leads men to make an offensive assumption of superiority. We know the infatuating nature of pride. It may be illustrated by the career of the first Napoleon. It is not less certain that “before honour is humility.” Nothing more frequently leads men to situations of respect and eminence than modesty and diffidence. Every man of merit is so conscious of his deficiencies, he judges himself so severely, he adopts such an elevated standard of excellence, that he ever thinks hardly of himself. Thinking people know this, and give their verdict accordingly. And it is the thinking part of society that allot to a man his reputation. And humility has an effect upon the man himself, in whom it prevails. The sense of the smallness of his attainments will drive him to make large attainments. And thus, as the cause is before the effect, so before honour is humility. Now apply the text to the spiritual life. Both in what regards faith, and in what regards practice, pride inevitably leads to ruin. No one is likely to attain truth on spiritual subjects who approaches them in a spirit of pride. The man who depends on his intelligence, who examines the objects of faith in a self-sufficient spirit, is quite sure to fall into infidelity or error. If the man whose heart is haughty does get to entertain orthodox opinions of religious truth, his opinions cannot profit him: the truth must enter his heart as a living principle before it can be of personal benefit to him. The very first effect which it has on the heart is to bring down the reign of pride. Whenever pride reigns in a heart, there the kingdom of God is not set up. When a sinner passes from a state of impenitence to a state of grace, the whole process will be attended by humility. And there is no growth in grace, there is no safety, without humility. The more we know of ourselves the more cause we shall find for humility. Humility is our security. When he distrusts himself, and thinks meanly of himself, the Christian is in the state most favourable for his advancement in faith and holiness. (J. G. Dowling, M. A.)

Pride and humility
When destruction walks through the land, it casts its shadow; it is in the shape of pride. When honour visits a man’s house, it casts its shadow before it; it is in the fashion of humility.
I. The vice of pride.

1. Describe pride. It is a groundless thing; a brainless thing; the maddest thing; a protean thing, ever changing its shapes.
2. The seat of pride. The true throne of pride is the heart of man.
3. The consequence of pride—destruction.
   II. The grace of humility. A good man may have honour in this life. But God forbids our making that honour a cloak for pride,
4. What is humility? To think rightly of ourselves. Humility is to make a right estimate of ourselves. It is no humility for a man to think less of himself than he ought.
5. What is the seat or throne of humility? It is the heart. I hate, of all things, the humility that lives in the face. Cringing men that bow before everybody are truly proud men; humble men think of themselves so little, they do not think it worth while to stoop to serve themselves.
6. What comes of humility? “Before honour is humility.” Humility is the herald which ushers in the great King. He who has humility will have honour afterwards. Apply this spiritually. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Proverbs 18:14
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
Sustaining our infirmities
The sufferings of this life are not disproportioned to our strength to bear them. And the only evils that are intolerable and insupportable, are wholly owing to ourselves.
I. What is meant by sustaining infirmities? Infirmities here, being opposed to a wounded spirit, must signify only external sufferings, whatever is grievous by afflicting, excepting the disorders and troubles of our own minds. By sustaining infirmities is not meant that we must not feel them. It is to feel but not sink under the weight of them: as that man sustains his burden who can go upright, and not stagger, or at least not fall, though he feels the weight of it on his shoulders.
II. By what means can the spirit of a man sustain his infirmities?

1. By natural courage and strength of mind. There is an inbred greatness in human nature which does not care to confess its own weakness; an untaught courage which supports the rude and illiterate part of mankind, even without reason and discourse.
2. By the power of reason, which adds to our natural courage, and gives us a more confirmed sense of decency and honour. The mere power of natural reason and moral arguments cannot support us under all events; but reason is the strength of the mind, and it is the mind which must bear up under external sufferings. Nature furnishes us with a great many arguments to bear sufferings easily, without fainting.
3. By the arguments which religion furnishes us with. Refer to two: That whatever we suffer is not the effect of a blind chance or fatal necessity, but is ordered by a wise and good Providence. That if we bear our present sufferings with patience and submission to the will of God, and make a wise use of them to our improvement in grace and virtue, our very sufferings shall be greatly rewarded in the next world. If God sees pain and sickness, poverty and disgrace, necessary to cure or restrain our vicious and distempered passions, or to improve and exercise our graces, have we any reason to complain that God takes such severe measures to save our souls? This may be very grievous and afflicting at present, but then we have the hopes of immortal life to support us.
   III. What is meant by “a wounded spirit”? This is a metaphorical expression, and signifies a spirit which suffers pain and trouble. A wound in the body is a division of one part from another, which is always painful; and though a spirit cannot be thus divided, yet because a wound causes pain, a spirit which is disordered and suffers pain is said to be wounded. Some men’s spirits are wounded with the disorders and violence of their own passions. They love, or hope, or fear, or desire, or grieve immoderately; and all passions are very painful when they are in excess. Other men’s spirits are wounded with a sense of guilt. Their own consciences reproach and shame them.
   IV. How unsupportable a wounded spirit is! Anger, when it grows immoderate, worries the mind. An immoderate love of riches or honours or pleasures causes us infinite trouble, torments with an impatient thirst. All this is nothing to the agonies of a guilty mind. And moreover, a wounded spirit has no refuge or retreat, has nothing left to support itself with. The spirit of a man can bear his infirmities, but when the spirit itself is wounded, there is nothing to support that. This wounds our courage, our reason, makes all external comforts tasteless, and deprives us of all the comforts of religion. A wounded spirit cannot find any support from the considerations of religion unless it find its cure there. Useful thoughts:
4. This is a great vindication of the providence of God with respect to those evils and calamities that are in the world. God inflicts nothing on us but what the spirit of a man can sustain, but our greatest sufferings are owing to ourselves, and no more chargeable on the providence of God than our sins are.
5. This greatly recommends the Divine wisdom in that provision God has made for our support under sufferings.
6. It is better to suffer than to sin, even with respect to our present case, because sufferings may be borne by an innocent and virtuous mind.
7. The government of our own passions contributes more to our happiness than any external enjoyments. What a wrong course do the generality of mankind take to make themselves happy! They seek for happiness without, when the foundation of happiness must be laid within, in the temper and disposition of our minds. An easy, quiet mind will weather all the storms of fortune. But how calm and serene soever the heavens be, there is no peace to the wicked, who have nothing but noise and tumult and confusion within. (W. Sherlock, D. D.)

The burden of a wounded heart
This text presents a comparison between the grief that afflicts the outward man and that which preys upon the inward. What is meant in the text by “spirit”? In the soul of man is an upper and lower part; not, indeed, in respect of its substance, for that is indivisible, but in respect of its faculties. There is a higher and more noble portion of the soul, purely intellectual; and in operation, as well as in substance, perfectly spiritual, and this is expressed in the text by the term “spirit.” What is the import of the soul being “wounded”? This signifies nothing else but its being deeply and intimately possessed with a lively sense of God’s wrath for sin. The sense of the text lies full and clear in this one proposition, viz., that the trouble and anguish of a soul labouring under a sense of God’s displeasure for sin is inexpressibly greater than any other grief or trouble whatsoever.
I. What kind of persons are the proper subjects of this trouble? Both the righteous and the wicked; but with a very different issue in one and in the other.
II. Wherein does the strange, excessive, and sometimes supernatural greatness of it appear? We may gather this—

1. From the behaviour of our Saviour Himself in this condition.
2. From the most raised and passionate expressions that have been uttered from time to time, by persons eminent in the ways of God, while they were labouring under it.
3. From the uninterrupted, incessant continuance of it.
4. From the violent and more than ordinary manifestation of itself in outward signs and effects.
5. From those horrid effects it has had upon persons not upheld under it by Divine grace. Both history and experience testify what tragical ends men deserted by God, under the troubles of a wounded spirit, have been brought into.
   III. By what ways and means this trouble is brought into the soul.
6. By reflections upon the Divine justice, as provoked.
7. By fearful apprehensions of the Divine mercy, as abused.
8. By God’s withdrawing His presence and the sense of His love.
9. These wounding perplexities are brought upon the soul by God’s giving commission to the tempter more than usually to trouble and disquiet it.
   IV. What is God’s end and design in casting men into such a perplexed condition? God brings anguish upon the spirit of the pious and sincere for a twofold end.
10. To embitter sin to them.
11. To endear and enhance the value of returning mercy.
    V. Draw some useful inferences from the whole.
12. Let no man presume to pronounce anything scoffingly of the present or severely of the final estate of such as he finds exercised with the distracting troubles of a wounded spirit.
13. Let no secure sinner applaud or soothe up himself in the presumed safety of his spiritual estate because he finds so much trouble or anguish upon his spirit for sin.
14. Let no person exclude himself from the number of such as are truly sincere and regenerate, only because he never yet felt any of these amazing pangs of conscience for sin. (R. South.)

On the wounds of the heart
There are two classes of good and evil belonging to man—those which respect his corporeal and those which respect his spiritual state. But it is not easy to convince men that the soul hath interests of its own, quite distinct from those of the body, and is liable to diseases and wounds as real as any which the body suffers, and often much more grievous. The natural vigour and courage of a man’s mind may enable him to surmount the ordinary distresses of life; but if, within him, the disease rankles in mind and heart, to what quarter can he look for relief? The spirit or soul of man is wounded chiefly by three causes—by folly, by passion, by guilt.
I. By folly. That is, by vain, light, and improper pursuits; by a conduct which, though it should not be immediately criminal, yet is unsuitable to one’s age, character, or condition in the world. Good sense is no less requisite in our religious and moral behaviour than it is in our worldly affairs. In this age of dissipation and luxury, how many avenues are open that lead to the Temple of Folly. If something happens to awaken persons of this description from their dreams of vanity, what mortifying and disquieting views of themselves will arise! Conscience now begins to exert its authority, and lift its scourge.
II. By passion. If by folly the spirit is wounded, it is exposed by passion to wounds still more severe. Passions are those strong emotions of the mind which impel it to desire, and to act, with vehemence. When directed towards proper objects, and kept within just bounds, they possess a useful place in our frame; but they always require the government and restraint of reason. When a man’s passions have been so far indulged, and left to run to excess, a dangerous blow has been given to the heart. The balance of the soul is lost. The case becomes infinitely worse if the passion which has seized a man be of the vicious and malignant kind. Over his dark and scowling mind gloomy ideas continually brood. The wounds given to the heart by ill-governed passions are of an opprobrious nature, and must be stifled in secret.
III. By guilt. If beyond being misled by folly or overcome by passion a man be conscious of having committed deeds of injustice or cruelty, deep and lasting is the sting which is sent into the heart. The voice of nature, of conscience, and of God will make itself heard within him. He will become despicable in his own sight. Remorse will prey the deeper on the bad man’s heart, if it should happen that there was a period in his life when he was a different man. Then let us learn—

1. To give the most serious and vigilant attention to the government of our hearts.
2. To join prayer to Almighty God, in addition to our own endeavours of guarding and governing our spirits.
3. That the great God hath already begun to punish bad men for their sins and vices. You see His hand in all that they are made to suffer by the “wounded spirit.” He has not delayed all retribution to another world. Let us hold fast by this truth, that every man’s real happiness or misery is made by the appointment of the Creator, to depend more on Himself, and on the proper government of his mind and heart, than upon any external thing. (Hugh Blair, D. D.)

The misery, causes, and remedies of a dejected mind
Render the passage thus: The spirit of a man (of a brave man) will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded (dejected) spirit, who shall raise it up? A caution is intimated against yielding too far to any misfortunes or troubles; against letting our spirits sink or our courage fail us in our day of calamity. A vigorous mind, a manly spirit, will support us under bodily infirmities within, or cross accidents without. The subject here is a troubled and dejected mind.
I. The misery of it. Not a wounded conscience only, but generally a mind wounded by grief and troubles. All manner of trouble and misery, as felt by the patient, is resolvable into pain of body or pain of mind; into some uneasy sensations, which we commonly call anguish. What an advantage, in all kinds of uneasinesses, to have a mind well fortified and steeled against them. Strength of mind and fortitude are of admirable use to repel uneasiness and pain, and to prevent its making any deep and durable impressions. The spirit of a man, while firm and erect, becomes a kind of armour of proof against either inward pains or untoward disasters. When the spirit sinks, every calamity puts on the blacker face, and every pain and uneasiness stings to the quick, and is much increased with galling reflections The mind is haunted with dark images. The man sits down and indulges his sorrow, hugs his grief, abandons himself to impatience, bitter wailing, and despair, refusing to be comforted.
II. The causes which lead to this melancholy extremity. The occasional and immediate causes of this malady are either from without or from within. The outward calamities of life are many and various. A second cause is the sense of some grievous sin lying hard upon the conscience. The greatest calamity that can be is an ill-spent life. There is such a thing as religious melancholy—bodily indisposition, which is frequently the sole cause of a broken, dejected mind.
III. Prescribe some proper remedies or preservatives. Natural courage, inborn strength of mind, is one of the best preservatives. Rule

1. Trust in God and live a life conformable to the doctrine of Christ.
2. Sit as loose as possible to the world; weave and disentangle the affections from temporal things. If we can be content with a moderate share of temporal prosperity, we shall be the less concerned at disappointments, and of consequence the better prepared to meet afflictions and to bear up under them. Other inferior rules are, agreeable company; good books; employment in an honest calling; innocent diversions, and the like. Rely rather upon faith, a good life, and a good conscience consequent thereon; together with fixed and constant meditations upon the joys of a life to come. If ye do these things ye can never fail. (D. Waterland, D. D.)

A wounded spirit
I. What is meant by “a wounded spirit”? A guilty and self-condemning conscience arising both from a sense of sin and of the danger which a man by sinning has brought himself into.
II. Why is a wounded spirit so grievous and unsupportable?

1. It imports a sense of sin in offending against the light and conviction of our own minds.
2. In offending against the majesty of a gracious and good God.
3. A sense of danger in provoking the justice of an angry and avenging God. The spirits of men are often wounded, and their thoughts afflicted, at a sense of the present shame and sufferings which their evil courses bring upon them. The following are crimes which, in their own nature are attended with uneasy and stinging reflections:
   (1) Public offences against government and the common interests and good of society.
   (2) When the wrong-doer is under any obligations of love, fidelity, or obedience to those whom he injures.
   III. Though the condition of such a person is so deplorable, it is not hopeless or desperate. By the grace of God means are left for his recovery. That faith which, according to the terms of the gospel, justifies a sinner, and is reckoned unto him for righteousness, imports a firm belief that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, and that His sufferings and death upon the Cross were a true and proper expiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Let us apply the benefits of that general expiation Christ made for the sins of mankind to our particular persons. (R. Fiddes, D. D.)

Sustaining infirmity
I. A sound spirit is what will relieve under outward infirmities and troubles.

1. When may the spirit of a man be said to be sound? When it is renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of God. A holy soul is a healthful one. There is a natural soundness or stoutness of spirit which is not easily discouraged or broken by external trouble or pain. There is a moral soundness of spirit when enlightened conscience hath nothing gross to upbraid a man withal. A sound spirit is one pardoned through the blood of Jesus, and through Him restored to the favour of God. It is in some measure comforted with a sense of God’s love, and its own safety for eternity.
2. Show that every man has his infirmities. “Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.” “Through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom.” The term “infirmity” denotes what afflictions are, both in their nature and tendency, viz., weakening things. And man has no ability to prevent their coming, nor to free himself from them when they come.
3. How far will a sound spirit sustain under these? The man does not hereby become insensible. But a sound spirit will be a praying one; it will not let go its hope in God of a blessed issue, either in this world or a better; it will keep something of cheerfulness. This sound spirit is not alone; it has the Spirit of God with it. And this Spirit proves a comforter and helper, by leading the afflicted Christian into an aquaintance with what is written in the Word, and what has been wrought within himself.
   II. A wounded spirit is itself a burden, under which there is no standing without relief given from heaven.
4. The spirit or soul in man may be wounded. There is such a thing as a grieved soul as well as a pained body. There is a bitterness peculiar to the heart which can only be understood by God and itself. A wounded spirit is one filled with anguish from a sense of sin.
5. When, and in whom, may the spirit be wounded. Either before conversion or after. The soul of the sinner is wounded that Christ may be rendered precious and amiable to it, and bring it to close with Him upon His own terms; that it might be filled with a greater hatred of sin; that, when it is healed, it may be the more enlarged in thankfulness towards its gracious God. The distress of a wounded spirit will for ever be an argument of love to God and Christ, and it will put others upon considering what they are liable to suffer on account of sin in this world, besides the death which is the wages of it in another. The spirit is wounded in such as God is about to recover to Himself, to make and keep them humble all their days. By the distress that goes before recovering grace God will encourage His people’s trust in Him in after-trials. What compassion is due to such as know by experience the insupportable burden of a wounded spirit! (D. Wilcox.)

A wounded spirit
Writing of General Grant’s last days, General Badeau says: “The physicians constantly declared that although the cancer was making irresistible advance, it was not the cancer that produced the exhaustion and nervousness which, unless arrested, would bring about death very soon. It was only too plain that the mental, moral disease was killing Grant—it was the blow which had struck him to the dust, and humiliated him before the world, from which he could not recover. He who was thought so stolid, so strong, so undemonstrative, was dying for a sentiment—because of the injury to his fame, the aspersions on his honour.” (J. F. B. Tinling.)

The torture of a wounded conscience
As long as Adam maintained a conscience pure towards God, he was happy; but having once taken the forbidden fruit, he tarried a while there, but took no contentment therein; the sun did shine as bright, the rivers ran as clear as ever they did, birds sang as sweetly, beasts played as pleasantly, flowers smelt as fragrant, herbs grew as fresh, fruits flourished as fair; no punctilio of pleasure was either altered or abated; the objects were the same, but Adam’s eyes were otherwise. Such is the torture of a wounded conscience, that it is able to unparadise paradise, and the burthen thereof so insupportable, that it is able to quell the courage and crush the shoulders of the hugest Hercules, of the mightiest man upon the face of the earth: who can bear it? (J. Spencer.)

Grievances of the spirit
These are of all others most heavy and grievous to be borne; these make sore the shoulders which should sustain the other infirmities. If the spirit be wounded by the disturbance of the reason, dejection under the trouble, whatever it is, and despair of relief; if the spirit be wounded by the amazing apprehensions of God’s wrath for sin, and the fearful expectations of judgment and fiery indignation, who can bear this? Wounded spirits cannot help themselves, nor do others know how to help them. It is therefore wisdom to keep conscience void of offence. (Matthew Henry.)

Proverbs 18:15-16
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge.
The attainment of knowledge and the power of kindness
I. The attainment of knowledge. “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge,” etc. It is suggested by the words that the attainment of knowledge requires two things.

1. A heart for it. “The heart of the prudent.” There must, at least, be in every “heart,” a consciousness of its need. The opinionated, self-sufficient man, who is wise in his own conceit, will never get knowledge. Though the sun of knowledge shine around him, its beams cannot enter him. All the shutters of his mental house are so closed by self-sufficiency that no rays can enter. A sense of ignorance is the first step to the attainment of knowledge.
2. An effort for it. “The ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” The ear is one of the great inlets. Wisdom does not come into the soul unless it is searched for as a “hidden treasure.” Whilst all this is true of general knowledge, it is especially true of Divine knowledge.
   II. The power of kindness. “A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men.” There are two kinds of gifts, the gift of selfishness and the gift of kindness. A man sometimes bestows a favour on another in order to get back something of a higher value. This gift is a bribe. The gift of kindness is the true gift and the real power. It makes room for the giver in the heart of the receiver, and it bringeth him before truly great men. Great men recognise and honour the generous.
3. Kindness is the mightiest power.
4. Kindness is the Divinest power. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

A man’s gift maketh room for him.
Giving: a study in Oriental manners
In the East the custom of giving gifts affects all the relationships of life—domestic, social, commercial, political, and religious. It is difficult in lands of law-defended liberty, democratic representation, and freedom of the press to realise how much is awanting where these are absent, and how great an importance comes to be attached to the means and resources by which, when right cannot be legally enforced, promises may nevertheless obtain fulfilment, the indifferent be made interested, the alienated reconciled, and the powerful and rich become considerate and gracious. It is in this connection that the giving and receiving of gifts plays a prominent part. Amid much variety as to the occasions of giving, and the character of the things given, there are two principal uses. The first and fundamental meaning is affectionate and sincere, and owes its popularity to the warm and impulsive feelings of the people within a certain area. It is the expression and proof of the sincerity of love (2Co_8:8). The second is utilitarian. “A man’s gift maketh room for him.” The abounding hypocrisy that surrounds this second meaning is a tribute to the reality and strength of the original affectionate meaning thus simulated. For illustration we must turn to the circumstances in Oriental life that make gift-giving popular and expedient. To the visitor to the East, beset on all hands by demands for backshish, “a present,” the principle of gift-giving seems to be the summary of Oriental life and all its institutions.
I. Family life. Here the giving of gifts is pleasant and unconstrained: the proof of the abundance rather than merely the sincerity of love. Special occasions are birth, betrothal, marriage, recovery from sickness, and return of a member of the family from a journey. Money is freely given and lent, the refusal of it being considered shameful, and causing alienation not easily forgotten. A favourite gift is that of jewellery or clothing taken from the person and given to a friend to be a constant memorial of the absent, and a proof that he will be treasured in the heart even as his body is now encased in the clothes of his friend.
II. Social life. Public life is conducted, as far as possible, on family lines. The family is not merely an inner circle of affectionate devotion; it is also a guild of common interests. A daughter is, if possible, married among her relatives. A father putting his son in a shop or office says to the manager, “He is your son,” implying complete authority over him and regard also for his welfare. The Oriental laws of neighbourhood teaching sympathy, toleration, and helpfulness spring from the family. The conditions of industrial life and the patriarchal form of government have further tended to develop the habit of giving gifts, making an affectionate act the means of attaining mercenary ends, and leading the way to bribery, intrigue, and dishonesty. The Oriental landowner has always paid his labourers in kind—giving them a certain portion of the produce. It is a gift out of what is his personal estate. The sheikh or emir of the leading family further protected the peasantry from the marauding Bedouin, “the children of the East,” and presents given to him were a grateful acknowledgment of protection and prosperity. Such gifts, putting the receiver in the position of a benefactor, easily took the form of blackmail, and the omission of them was a grave discourtesy. Thus David regarded Nabal after having protected his shepherds. Starting from the simple conditions of pastoral and industrial life, the habit became resorted to wherever dignity had to be flattered or favourable intervention was needed. To the Oriental litigant the chief thing is to obtain the judge’s personal favour, and a present to him seems a more direct and effective outlay than feeing counsel and collecting witnesses. Even when the judge is known to be intelligent and upright, Orientals pay respect and send presents to the personal friends of the judge in order that they may use their influence with him. Thus, even under the rule of David, Absalom could spread sedition and discontent by declaring how he would revolutionise the administration of the land. Absolute freedom from this taint was a chief item in Samuel’s testimony as to his own official life.
III. Religion. The claims of religion are much more intimately interwoven with common affairs in the East than they are in the West. There is nothing of Sunday segregation. All business prosperity is publicly declared to be from God, whatever may be the means taken to obtain it. Two sentences especially are often seen written over shop doors, “Prosperity is in God’s hand,” and “ This is also from the grace of my Lord.” Street beggars recognise this, and pause for a gift when they see a purchase being effected. Something is due to them as a share of the profits from the same Lord. A beggar at the door does not plead his poverty or attempt to explain his circumstances, but pronounces the name of God, and says, “I am a guest at your door!” and if the door is not opened calls aloud, “You are also servants!” The beggar is seldom dismissed from the door with the declaration that there is nothing for him. He is told, “God will give you.” Similarly, the constant cry at the side of the street is, “God will bless you”; “God will direct your path”; “God will repay it.” The custom of giving gifts in its best and most sincere applications thus has its origin in duty to the family and indebtedness to God. Its adaptation to more social and public relationships is the result of these two. Indifference to family honour and the claims of religion makes the “profane person” or “fool” of the Bible. The unjust judge (Luk_18:1-8) is sharply silhouetted by the omission of these two principal regards. Orientally there was no third position such as that of an official acting justly for the sake of justice, although atheistical and immoral in personal life. (G. M. Mackie, M. A.)

Proverbs 18:17
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just.
The bias on the side of self
This proverb touches human life at many points, and human beings feel it touching them. It accords with common experience. It is true to nature—nature fallen and distorted. It does not apply to humanity in innocence. It has no bearing on the new nature in a converted man. This Scripture reveals a crook in the creature that God made upright. Self-love is the twist in the heart within, and self-interest is the side to which the variation from righteousness steadily tends. A man’s interest is touched by the word or deed of another; forthwith he persuades himself that what is against his own wish is also against righteousness, and argues accordingly. He states his own case, but he leans over to one side, and sees every-fixing in a distorted form. His case is both a sin and a blunder. In the statement of your case do you permit a selfish desire for victory to turn your tongue aside from the straight line of truth? There is room for improvement here, and improvement here would tell upon the world. If a man can detect exaggerations on one side and concealments on the other, amounting to untruthfulness in their general effect, it shows that the fear of God was not before the eyes of the witness when he omitted his evidence. To walk with God in the regeneration is the short and sure way to rigid truth in all your intercourse with men. The adversary will find nothing if a greater than he has been there before him. (W. Arnot, D. D.)

Proverbs 18:19
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city.
Physical power and moral power
In the early life of men and communities, the power most admired is physical power. Those who can conquer in the material world are the heroes of the young. Later, men think more of intellectual achievements. The greatest in the schools is the greatest in the world. In the maturest stage of life we are content with less conspicuous feats; for we see that the less may be greater. We deem it greater to conquer in the realm of moral life than in the field of nature or the area of intellect. The conqueror in the field of battle may be great, but the conqueror of the hearts of men is greater. A brother offended may be harder to win than the bars of a castle, but so much the nobler is the victory. To win men is a nobler achievement than the defeat of men’s bodies or the confounding of their minds. (Bp. Boyd Carpenter.)

Discords among brethren
No discords are like those of brethren; the nearer the union, the greater the separation upon a breach; for natural ties being stronger than artificial, when they are once broken, they are hardly made up again, as seams when they are ripped may be sown again; but rents in the whole cloth are not so easily remedied. (H. G. Salter.)

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
The power of speech
Of all the powers that man possesses there is scarcely any more awful than the power of speech. It is a God-like power. Human speech is no mere evolution from the cry of the animals. Speech became possible on the earth only when on the earth there appeared one into whom the Divine Spirit had breathed the breath of life, and made him a living soul. It is because the origin of speech is Divine that words have such awful power. Consider what a word is. From the materialist’s point of view, it is but a slight agitation of the particles of air around us. Nothing feebler, nothing more evanescent, can be conceived. Yet that word can make or mar a human life; that word can fill a home with gladness or despair.
I. Death is in the power of the tongue. How significant it is of the fallen condition of our race that death should here be put first! To prove the truth of our text, let us take some illustrations of the death-dealing power of the tongue.

1. Take the deadly power of careless, vain, frivolous words. They seem harmless. How much harm is done by the light and careless conversation even of Christian people about religion! How much damage is done by the far too common habit of jesting with Scripture! Such a habit induces irreverence, and lays the foundation for irreligion.
2. Take the deadly power of mocking words. A gibe, a sneer, cuts many a man like a knife. By the mocking words of companions many a soul who has just escaped has been forced back into the bondage of sin, and driven to a Christless grave.
3. As a graver illustration of the same thing, take the power of false words. While open and deliberate lying is reprobated by all, many have not a sufficient sense of the mischief wrought by falsehood and insincerity of speech. Every lie begets other lies; and from the thoughtless exaggerations of conversation to the deliberate perjury, which has in our day become so common in our law courts, the descent is quick and easy.
4. A still more serious illustration of the death-dealing power of the tongue is seen in connection with slander. Says Robertson, of Brighton, in a great sermon upon the tongue, “In the drop of poison which distils from the sting of the smallest insect, or the spikes of the nettle leaf, there is concentrated the quintessence of a poison so subtle that the microscope cannot distinguish it, yet so virulent that it can inflame the blood, irritate the whole system, and convert night and day into a restless misery. So it is in the power of slanderous words to inflame hearts, to fever human existence, to poison human society at the fountain springs of life.”
5. But the supreme illustration of the death-dealing power of the tongue is found in indecent words. The man of indecent speech may be compared with the murderer. The one destroys the body, the other destroys the soul. If we would execrate the man who in the time of pestilence would smear the walls of a city with plague-poison, what shall we say of the man who defiles the temple of the soul with his indecent speech? To thousands and tens of thousands indecent speech is the revelation of a world of wickedness previously unknown. By it the imagination is defiled, the corrupt nature set on fire, the barriers that guard purity broken down, and the soul led to absolute ruin.
   II. Life is in the power of the tongue. When the tongue is consecrated, when it is guided and controlled by a heart full of the Holy Ghost, it becomes a mighty power to destroy the works of the devil.
6. Grave and gracious speech takes the place of careless, light, and frivolous speech. Our words lead seekers to Christ, in Him to find eternal life.
7. Comforting and encouraging words take the place of mocking words. The power of words of comfort to encourage those who are sorrowing and desponding is simply marvellous. They literally bring life to the soul.
8. Kind words take the place of cruel words. Every kind word that is uttered makes this world more like heaven. For where slander begets hate, kindness begets love.
9. True words go forth to do battle against the falsehoods of which the earth is full. Every true word that is spoken binds human society more closely together, and makes the burden of life easier to bear.
10. And then pure words go forth to enlighten and purify and cleanse lives darkened and debased and defiled by the evils of the world. Before the man of pure speech the indecent man hides himself. Purity is like the sunlight. When it is let in upon the mind the evil and unclean things which dwell there flee, as noisome creatures under a stone flee from the light of day. But what is true of the tongue is true also of the pen. Literature to-day has a tremendous power. And who doubts that in countless instances it is a power making for death?
    (1) Who can estimate the damage done by the innumerable frivolous and absolutely worthless books which are issued from the press? Even where they are not positively harmful, they waste time.
    (2) And if these are hurtful, how much more so are the false and misleading books which are issued in such numbers in our day!
    (3) But the death-dealing power of the press is seen in nothing so dreadfully as in its issue of impure and indecent literature. But if the press has such power, and if authors are using this power for evil, it becomes all the more necessary that we should use it for good. A good book entering a house may prevent the entrance of a bad book. A good book following a bad book may largely neutralise the mischief which the first has done. (
    G. H. C. Macgregor, M. A.)

The power of the tongue
The faculty of speech is one of the very highest faculties with which we have been endowed. Great is its value to man as an intelligent and social being, and great is the weight of responsibility which is implied by the impression of it. Yet the Hebrew sage appears to have exceeded the fair limit allowable even to hyperbole when he says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Yet there is nothing but what is strictly accurate in this sentence. Literally the words are, “Death and life are in the hand of the tongue.” The author represents this faculty as a living thing—as the arbiter of good and ill, as the disposer of human fortune.
I. See the truth of the text in its application to the present life. As a maxim of common prudence the words deserve attention. There are some persons who never speak well of others. And fatal often is their cruel activity. Reverse the picture, and see happiness smiling about the man who speaks of others in the language of justice, and gentleness, and charity. Wherever he can he will bear his testimony to the integrity and good character of others. But our proverb does not merely apply to extreme cases, such as these. When a man speaks in mere thoughtlessness, there may be those hearing him on whom his very random words may be falling as a balm, or as a poison If we set any value upon the happiness and comfort of others, it becomes us to set a watch over our mouth. What we say is a most important influence on our own condition in this world, because our condition is greatly affected by what others think of us, and we know full well that it is not easy to struggle against the difficulties created by a bad character. The estimation in which we are held is very greatly affected by our words.
II. See the truth of the text in its bearing upon our spiritual condition. Spiritual death is the frequent and melancholy effect of the impious efforts of some men’s tongues. But life, too, is in the power of the tongue. The cause of God has never been without its noble band of witnesses. Important, however, as may be the effects of what we say on others, they cannot be greater than they are upon ourselves. A word may determine our condition for ever. Prayers, praises, and holy conversation, cannot be in vain—nor can curses, and railing, and idle talk, be in vain. It is greatly to be feared that we may find much that is amiss in ourselves, when we press our consciences with the question, Have we acted as those who believed that death and life are in the power of the tongue? (J. G. Dowling, M. A.)

The tongue, or well-speaking
As in the physical, so in the moral, the tongue is the criterion of the hidden and eternal man. Self-government alone can conform men to Christ, and there is no self-government where the tongue is untamed.
I. The tongue is a great blessing. The gift of speech is a valuable boon. The animal creation have it not. In man’s case, mind utters itself through matter. Spirit speaks through clay. Blessed boon, the gift of speech!—the richest melody of creation, the music of nature, the life of poetry, the vehicle of common sense, the incarnation of the soul’s contemplations.
II. The tongue is the servant of the heart. Strictly, the tongue never speaks at random. The tongue is the criterion of the moral man. A diseased or healthy heart is thereby truthfully advertised. While the mind is the standard of the man, the tongue is the standard of the mind. The apostle James regarded a wholesome tongue in so important a light that he came to the conclusion, “if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” With him it involved such mortification of nature, such growth in goodness, and such constant self-government, that he regarded the man who had mastered his lips as not far from perfection. Idle words betray a mind waste, worthless, and uncultivated; severe words, a mind savage and malicious; angry words, a mind set on fire of hell; whispering words, a mind cast in the mould of Judas; boasting or disparaging words, a mind stuffed with self-conceit; false and deceitful words, a mind which he who was a liar from the beginning has usurped as his pleasure-ground. Thus our daily sayings are our daily selves, and our words testify our inmost thoughts.
III. The tongue spoiled by sin is emphatically the stronghold of satan. No member of the body has done Satan more service than the tongue. Through all generations, how many of the best and most useful men have been assailed by calumnies. The sensual tongues, the flattering tongues, the sceptical tongues of bad men, and the strife of tongues among good men, have shown Satan to be the lord of language. The tongue is God’s organ, but beware lest the devil play upon it till in death it cyphers and is heard no more.
IV. The tongue can only be cured by the habitual contemplation of Christ. It is by looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith, by closely studying His excellences, and getting full of His Spirit, that we effectually keep the door of our lips against every ungodly and unamiable intruder. The tongues of Christians should be eminently instructive. They should also be comforters. And they should be, at proper times, reprovers. Keep the door of your lips. Be slow to speak, slow to wrath. (Mortlock Daniel.)

The use and abuse of speech
Religion requires much more than mere outward decency or refinement of manners. We gather from Scripture that we should order our speech with a view to the benefit of our fellow-creatures and the promotion of the glory of God. We must have regard to the moral character and consequences of our speech. Many people abuse the power of the tongue so incessantly that they cease to be aware what a depraved state of heart is thereby indicated. Inasmuch as God hears and notes our sayings, we bring good or evil upon our souls according to the manner in which the power of the tongue is employed. Speech forms part of character. There is an inseparable connection between what we say and what we think. Each man’s conversation has a distinct personality from which it cannot be divested. Thought awakens feeling, and feeling induces utterance. When a man speaks his character passes into action. By our words our own immortal future is affected, and we are continually exercising an influence upon the welfare of our neighbours. The power of the tongue is infinitely reproductive. Its effects are incalculable. And the guidance of our speech is a matter which deeply concerns us. Few of us can look back upon the past without a consciousness of having offended much with the tongue. The consideration of this subject shows the necessity of a gracious renewal of the heart. (A. B. Whatton, LL. B.)

The tongue an agency of good or evil
The tongue is a member which God has used to produce great misery or great blessing. As soon as thought is embodied in language, it assumes the form of a living engine.
I. The engine of counsel. If men be asked for counsel or advice, they can give it only in proportion to the knowledge they possess. Illustrate from the counsel given by the master of a family or by a public teacher.
II. The engine of slander. Slanderers include the backbiter, the gossiper, the keen anatomist. The mind of man is by nature eminently fitted for becoming the engine of slander.
III. As the engine of flattery. Men are more ready to forgive an ill done to them than an ill said of them. Men often entertain a higher respect for individuals who flatter them than for those who confer upon them a substantial benefit. There is such a thing as religious flattery. Even an advance in spiritual attainments may engender spiritual pride. Where there is spiritual prosperity there is a risk of becoming spiritually vain. (H. Melvill.)

The power of the tongue
Intellectual, spiritual, social, and political life and death are in the tongue. Apply the proverb—
I. To the Christian in general. He prays with the tongue. He confesses with the tongue. He converses with the tongue.
II. To the preacher of the gospel. The tongue of a true gospel minister produces life intentionally. The tongue of a true gospel minister may produce death incidentally.
III. To the Saviour of men. This is true of Him as a Teacher, as an Advocate, and as a Judge. Learn the awful responsibility attached to speech. Burner says of the incomparable Leighton, “In a free and frequent conversation with him for twenty-two years, I never heard him utter an idle word, or a word that had not a direct tendency to edification.” (John Sibree.)

Partisan misrepresentation
Three forms of misrepresentation may be indicated—

1. The suppression of facts essential to a right estimate of character. This is perhaps the most usual and most dangerous form of the evil. “No lie is so dangerous as a half-truth.”
2. The accepting of unverified rumour for fact. He who does this becomes an indorser of the rumour. A premium is thereby placed upon slander.
3. Direct fabrication of known falsehood. The evils of such misrepresentation are lasting and obvious.
   (1) It defiles the individual, blunts his sense of honour and justice, numbs his conscience, and weakens his moral influence over his fellows.
   (2) It is a crime against one’s country.
   (3) It is a sin before God. In the thunders of Sinai it was condemned. Christ Himself was the victim of partisan misrepresentation. (Homiletic Review.)

Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
A happy marriage
At the outset these words strike two thoughts on our attention.

1. That celibacy is not the best mode of social life. Solomon means to say that it is a good thing to have a wife. Even in the state of innocence it was not good for man to be alone. “Celibate,” says Bishop Taylor, “like the fly in the heart of an apple, dwells in perpetual sweetness, but sits alone, and is confined and dies in singularity; but marriage, like the useful bee, builds a house and gathers sweetness from every flower, and labours and unites into societies and republics, and sends out colonies and feeds the world with delicacies, and obeys their king and keeps order, and exercises many virtues, and promotes the interests of mankind, and is that state of good things to which God hath designed the present constitution of the world.”
2. That monogamy is the true marriage. Solomon does not say, “He that findeth wives,” but “He that findeth a wife.” Though Solomon had many wives, he nowhere justified plurality. Duality appears everywhere, and throughout the universe is necessary. The text in its completeness teaches—
   I. That a good wife is a good thing. Of a good wife, of course, the writer must be supposed to speak, for a bad wife is a bad thing. Manoah found a good thing in his wife (Jdg_3:13). The patriarch of Uz does not seem to have found a good thing in his (Job_2:9-10). “A good wife” must be—
3. A good woman. A woman of chaste loves, incorruptible virtues, and godly sympathies and aims.
4. A suitable companion. A good woman would not be a good wife to all men. There must be a mutual fitness, a fitness of temperament, taste, habits, culture, associations.
   II. A good wife is a divine gift. “Obtaineth favour of the Lord.” All good things are His gifts. Young men, be cautious of your choice of a companion for life. “When Themistocles was to marry his daughter, there were two suitors, the one rich and a fool, and the other wise but not rich; and being asked which of the two he had rather his daughter should have, he answered, ‘I had rather she should marry a man without money than money without a man.’ The best of marriage is in the man or woman, not in the means or the money.” (D. Thomas, D. D.)

Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.
Duties to equals, neighbours, friends, husband, and wife
The carriage of equals to one another should be friendly and equal on both sides. Almost every relation gives love and benevolence a new cast and form, and calls for a new set of officers, new either for kind, measure, or manner.
I. Duties to those who are neighbours in situation to one another. So far as consists with the care of our own spiritual preservation and with all our engagements elsewhere, the sum of what we owe to our neighbours is to be as kind, useful, and beneficent among them as possible, strictly avoiding what may be to the hurt of any. To be courteous on all occasions of converse, and to be ready to do and return those good offices which tend to mutual protection and accommodation. We should strive to promote virtue and goodness in the places of our respective residence.
II. The duties of friendship. Friendship arises from a voluntary agreement or choice of persons, in other respects independent, to cultivate a familiar correspondence together. Contracting alliances is not properly a moral obligation, but rather a matter of private convenience and pleasure. Let the first rule be, to be agreed on the terms, and neither to raise nor take up expectations beyond the just intention and import of them. The second is for a person to use his utmost endeavours to answer the confidence he has suffered another to repose in him. Fidelity must be strictly maintained. A third duty is to observe a decency and respectfulness in our own language and behaviour to them, together with a candid interpretation of their words and actions. A fourth rule is that all flattery must be banished from friendship.
III. The duties of brothers and sisters. This relation is formed by nature itself. Nature, reason, and Scripture dictate that there should be a peculiar affection, with very kind effects of it, passing between those that are thus related together. Brethren should be specially careful to cultivate peace among themselves.
IV. The duties of the conjugal relation. A relation which comprehends all the sweets and endearments of the strictest friendship. The duties are—

1. Love to each other’s persons.
2. A strict care about maintaining peace.
3. The inviolable preservation of conjugal fidelity; a bond of equal obligation on the husband and on the wife.
4. Constant effort to promote each other’s interest as one common interest. The husband’s authority should be full of tenderness, condescension, and forbearance. (J. Hubbard.)

Human and Divine friendship
Here is a comprehensive doctrine of Christian friendship. Friendship is a principle of mutual interchange and mutual sacrifice. There can be no onesidedness, no selfish engrossment, no taking without giving. Selfishness is the death of social reciprocity and sympathy, as it is of piety to God. Christianity is not an abstraction. It is all in a person with every attribute of personal life and love. About all our other friendships there are some easily-reached and sorely-felt limitations. Turn, then, to the One Friend. His friendship never fails or disappoints for want of knowledge, or patience, or skill, or strength, or endurance. Putting together the two declarations of the text—that of the Christian lawfulness and mutual blessing of human friendship with that of the supreme attraction and fidelity of the Divine friendship of the Saviour, we have the ground for two or three great practical principles of almost universal application.

1. The Christian guidance we need in the choice of friends and the formation of friendships.
2. The Christian test of every friendship and every affection.
3. The Christian direction how to hold and handle these friendships so that they shall bear their part and yield their fruit in the ripening of character and the eternal life of the soul. (Bp. Huntington, D. D.)

Man’s clinging Friend
I. The relationship of a brother. A brother does sometimes stick close. The ties of blood are the last thing which prevents us from sinking into selfish atoms, or hardening into mere machines for minting money. Each relationship in the family has its own blessed meaning and duty. Brothers feel that their descent from one stock begets mutual alliances and obligations. But sometimes the links of brotherhood are broken. A brother in blood has sometimes been unbrotherly in will and in deed.
II. The more than brotherhood of a bosom friend. Probably the majority of men have friends nearer to them than blood-relations. Our kin are not always kind, whereas our friend is always our brother. There are less occasions for bickerings between friends than between brothers. Our friend is not with us constantly, and friendship loses none of its gloss by over-frequent contact. The superiority of friendship over brotherhood is due mostly to the fact that a “brother” may be a being apart, while a “friend” is a second self. Friends are one in kind, “moulded like in nature’s mint.” The true melodic charm of friendship lies in the devotion of both friends to the service of Christ.
III. The friend more than a brother can be no other than Jesus Christ. Christ alone has those elements of character which can make Him the clinging Friend. (F. G. Collier.)

Friendship
Man is a social being. Religion sanctions and encourages the unions to which nature prompts. Friendship has its inner and its remoter circles. The heart craves for intimate friends—those to whom it can confide its innermost thoughts, and to whom it can repair for sympathy and help in times of trouble. We have here the way to make friends and the strength of a true friendship.
I. The way to make friends. Reciprocity is the soul of friendship. No man can expect to be long cherished as a friend who does not reciprocate the feeling. At the basis of friendship must be confidence. You must place confidence in the man whom you desire to place confidence in you. Another essential ingredient of friendship is fidelity to the trust reposed in you. If you would wish others to be faithful to you, you must be faithful to them; you must never make that public which was intended to be private. Friendship involves the discharge of all the kind offices of sympathy and help. If you would wish others to sympathise with you in your troubles, you must be ever ready to sympathise with them. This is the way in which we are to make friends. We are to be to others what we wish them to be to us.
II. The strength of a true friendship. The words of the text are emphatically, but not exclusively, true of Jesus Christ. They here express a fact of ordinary experience. The ties of a true friendship are stronger than the ties of the closest natural relationship. In the absence of friendship the ties of nature are often very slender.

1. This is seen in times of adversity.
2. In times of moral delinquency and degradation.
3. A friend will encounter sacrifices and sufferings from which a brother will often shrink.
   All that can be said about friendship when it exists between man and man is unspeakably more true when applied to Jesus Christ. We may learn from this—
4. The reason why many men are without friends. It is because they do not show themselves friendly.
5. That the best friend you can have offers you His friendship. And He makes the first advance.
6. Next to having Jesus Christ as your friend, the best friendships you can form will be with those who are in fellowship with Him. Then strive to make friends. (A. Clark.)

Companionship versus friendship
The word rendered “friend” is from a root which means “to delight in.” The word might be rendered “lover.” In the former clause of the verse read “companions,” in the latter clause “friend.” Then read the verse thus—“A man of companions breaks himself up, but there is a Friend more attached than a brother.”
I. The safeguard of companionship.

1. Indiscriminate companionships may meet with ingratitude.
2. They may involve injustice.
3. They may produce infidelity.
   II. The satisfactions of friendship.
4. Friendship’s inspiration is to a higher purpose than companionship’s.
5. Its impulse is to a more unselfish relationship.
6. Its industry is seen in assuring a more enduring attachment. (C. M. Jones.)

Friendship
I propose to treat of friendship, which is one of the noblest and, if I might use such an expression, the most elegant relation of which human nature is capable. It tends unspeakably to the improvement of the mind, and the pleasures which result from it are most sincere and delightful. It is an observation of the best writers that friendship cannot subsist but between persons of real worth, for friendship must be founded upon high esteem; but such esteem cannot be—at least it cannot be rational and lasting—where there is not true moral worth. This is the proper object of esteem, and no natural advantages will do without it. Besides, in friendship there must be a certain likeness and content of soul, a content in the great ends and views of life, and also in the principal methods and conduct of it, and this content is effectually begotten and secured only by true probity and goodness; this is the same in every one, and forms the mind into the same sentiments, and gives it the same views and designs in all the most important affairs of life. Good spirits, therefore, are kindred spirits, and resemble one another. But what is principally to be considered is this, that no friendship can bind a man to do an ill thing. Friendship, then, must be built upon the principles of virtue and honour; and cannot subsist otherwise. But, in truth, a bad man is not capable of being friend; there is a certain greatness of soul, a benevolence, a faithfulness, an ingenuity, necessary to friendship, which are absolutely inconsistent with a bad moral character. But though every true friend be a good man, yet every good man is not fit to be a friend. A person’s character may be, in general, a good one, and yet he may want many qualities which are necessary to friendship; such as—

1. Generosity. Friendship abhors everything that is narrow and contracted.
2. To generosity must be added tenderness of affection. Jonathan loved David as his own soul. The friendly mind does, with great tenderness, enter into all the circumstances and sentiments of his companion; can be affected with all his cares and fears, his joys and sorrows. Everything is of importance to him that is so to his friend. And this tenderness of affection begets that strange but affecting harmony of souls, if I might term it so, like the cords of two musical instruments strained to the same key, where if one of them is touched any wise, the sound is communicated to the other. Where there is true friendship there must be an exquisite mutual feeling.
3. And when I have said that the affection must be tender, this is saying too that it must be undissembled. Sincerity in love is essential.
4. I add that there must be in friendship great openness and frankness of spirit; there must be communication of secrets, without reserve; unless that reserve necessarily arises from and is caused by friendship, for this sacred relation cannot bear any other.
5. But although a friend must be ingenuous and open-hearted, a man of simplicity, and whose very heart, if I might use the expression, is transparent to his friend, yet he must be discreet and prudent; capable of concealing from others what ought to be concealed; capable of managing, in anything that is committed to his care, with wisdom. Men must not be put to the blush, they must not suffer by their friends’ disingenuity; unfaithfulness is the very worst thing that can happen in friendship; and, next to that, weakness and imprudence, which, though they do not speak so bad a mind, yet may be the cause of as great mischief, and make it impossible for friendship to subsist.
6. Again, it is necessary to the character of a friend that he should be of a constant temper, directed by reason, and acting unchangeably according to its direction. A true friend is always the same; that is, his sentiments and conduct never change but when there is reason for it.
7. But there is one particular in which the firmness of a friendly mind is as much tried as in any other, and that is in resisting any solicitation to do a thing that may be in itself bad or indiscreet, or hurtful to him that desires it. What is right and fit must always be our rule, and we ought to observe it inviolably, not only because the obligation to this is superior to all the obligations of friendship, but also from principles of kindness and benevolence. Next to the firmness that ought to be maintained in denying what is hurtful, there ought to be a resolution in animadverting upon faults. This is the most friendly and useful office imaginable, and an office to which an affectionate mind does with difficulty bring itself. To admonish and rebuke is to put one to great pain, and whatever gives pain to a friend is gone about with reluctance and aversion: yet there is no true faithfulness when this is not done; and it is one of the noblest ends of friendship. Nor can anything give more satisfaction to an ingenuous mind than to be thus intimately related to one who, he knows, will use faithful freedom with him, and prudently animadvert upon all his weaknesses. But though strict virtue is necessary as the foundation of true friendship, and great freedom ought to be used in animadverting upon faults, yet intimate friendship does not bear any rigid severity, any haughty stiffness of manners. It expects sweetness, and gentleness, and condescendency, so far as innocence and virtue will allow.
8. Again, friendship abhors all jealousy—a disposition to be suspicious, where there is no just cause given. The temper of one that is fit to be a friend is frank and open; conscious of no ungenerous cunning in itself, it does not suspect it in others. And if any circumstance appears less favourable than one would desire, yet it puts the most candid interpretation upon it that may be; and will not entertain a bad opinion of a friend, nor break with him, without manifest proof of his doing what renders him unworthy that relation.
9. Lastly, there can be no fast friendship where there is not a disposition to bear with unavoidable infirmities and to forgive faults. There may be infirmities and culpable defects in characters which in general are good and worthy, and very capable of intimate and fast friendship; yet this cannot be without that generosity which overlooks little infirmities, and can fix upon excellent and amicable qualities (though blended with the others) as the objects of its esteem and friendship. This generosity we ought by all means to cultivate in ourselves, considering how much we need it in others, and how much we expect it. Seeing, then, that so many shining qualities are necessary to make a perfect friend, they must be very few who are perfectly qualified for that relation, and men should be very cautious in their choice—careful not to run into intimacies all of a sudden, intimacies fit to be used only in the highest friendship; not to run into them, I say, with persons who are not capable of friendship at all. As there cannot be too great caution in choosing an intimate friend, so there cannot be too great firmness in cleaving to him when well chosen. Providence gives nothing in mortal life more valuable than such a friend, and happy they who enjoy this blessing! But, to conclude the whole, let it be ever remembered that true friendship, this glorious union of spirits, is founded in virtue; in virtue, I say, in that only. It is this that begets a likeness in the most important dispositions, sentiments, business, and designs of life; it is this in which the attracting and cementing power consists, which we admire for its own sake, and love for itself; it is this only that will make friendships firm, and constant, and reputable; it is this only that will make present friendship truly gainful, and the remembrance of past intimacies pleasing. And as virtue must lie at the foundation of friendship, so all friendship ought to be considered and improved as a means of confirming and exalting our virtue. (Jas. Duchal, D. D.)

Friendship
I. There is such a thing, as friendship and human affection.

1. God has implanted in our nature a social principle.
2. There are certain qualifications, distinctions, and relations that give scope to this principle.
3. There have been surprising instances of friendship among mankind.
   II. The wisdom and goodness of Providence in thus ordering things.
4. It keeps society together.
5. The pleasures that attend its exercise.
6. It makes us in a humble degree like God.
7. It is suited to our state both in this world and another.
   III. This friendship is imperfect.
8. Peculiarities of natural temper.
9. Clashing of interests.
10. Incapacity to help.
11. Want of religion.
12. Distance.
13. Short duration.
    Conclusion:
14. What reason to admire the Divine wisdom and goodness!
15. It is a duty we owe to our Maker and our fellow-creatures to cultivate this.
16. Let us not depend on human friendship. (T. N. Toller.)

Making friends a gift
When Abraham Lincoln was a young man starting in life, it used to be said of him, “Lincoln has nothing—only plenty of friends.” To have plenty of friends is to be very rich—if they are the right sort. Those are indeed blessed who have received from God this gift of making friends—a gift which involves many things, but, above all, the power of going out of one’s self and seeing and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.
There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
The faithful Friend
The two most eminent philosophers of pagan antiquity saw in friendship little more than a calculation of benefits which it might be supposed to confer, and scarcely recognised at all the possibility of its possessing a disinterested character. Plutarch affirmed that in his time friendship did not exist any longer even in families; that it had once existed in the heroic ages, but was now confined to the stage. The moral condition of a nation must have become corrupt below the point of recovery, when so Godlike a relation as that of friendship can be so discountenanced, depreciated, and suspected. It is not Christianity which has created friendship, but Christianity has lifted it up and transfigured it. Even in our common life we meet with friends who are better to us than even our relations; but certainly the text does emphatically describe the character of One who is pre-eminently the Friend of man, the Friend of sinners, and the Friend of saints. The history of brothers, as exemplified in the Scriptures, is somewhat disheartening. (Illustrate by Cain and Abel; Jacob and Esau; and Joseph’s brethren.) Still, few things are more common than implacable feuds between brethren. There are jealousies of brotherhood.
I. The love of our best Friend is disinterested. All love, according to some, is a thing of interest. But there certainly is friendship which loves, not for what one can get out of the other, but which loves the other for his own sake. There are friends who live in each other. And surely we may say that the love of Jesus is a disinterested one. He left the world in which lie is, and was, God over all, not to seek His own happiness, but ours. His friendship for us would have been noble and disinterested had His mission involved in it no humiliation and no suffering. Whatever God does for man must be spontaneous and disinterested, springing from a will which nothing can coerce, and from a benevolence which finds its highest joy in the holiness and happiness of those whom it seeks to bless. The recompense which Christ sought was not His own exaltation, but the joy of seeing others rescued, redeemed, purified, glorified.
II. It is an intelligent friendship. It is based on knowledge, a complete knowledge of us. The foundation of many friendships is not the rock of knowledge, but the sand of ignorance. They are the creations of a mere impulse, the result of a casual meeting in circumstances which revealed neither friend in his real character. But Christ does not throw around us a glamour of fancy in which we seem better than we are. He knows what is in man. He knows the worst of us. It is a friendship in which there is every conceivable disparity, and yet He sticketh closer than a brother.
III. The friendship of Christ is marked by its fidelity. And what is a friendship worth that does not possess this property? If friendship has its pleasures, it has also its obligations, which must be fulfilled if friendship is not to degenerate into a soft and contemptible acquaintanceship without nobleness or true advantage. The only bond of certain friends seems to be one of mutual flattery. To love one’s friend means far more than to love his comfort and self-complaisance. To tell men of their faults is the luxury of enemies but the duty of friends. Now, the friendship of Christ is one which never neglects this essential duty. Many of the deepest and most sorrowful mysteries of your life may some day be explained by a single word—the faithfulness of Christ.
IV. His friendship is marked by its constancy. Few friendships have sufficient vitality in them to extend from youth to old age. Many friendships are but summer friendships. The friendship of Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. He does not break off from us because we are not all we should be to Him. There is a limit to all our earthly friendships, a limit to their power, a limit to their help. If we need friendship on this side of the grave, how much more shall we need it on the other side. So we say, “Seek not friends that die, or whom you must leave, but seek for One who never dies, and whom you can never leave.” (Enoch Mellor,D. D.)

Christ closer than a brother
Christ has shown His friendship towards us—

1. In His incarnation, and in His death for us. He is a brother born for adversity, the adversity that comes through sin.
2. By tendering to us the means of grace.
3. By protecting us and providing for us so long. He is “a very present help in our time of trouble.” In temptation He has opened a way of escape, and in affliction He has sent a Divine Comforter. (J. W. Reeve, M. A.)

Christ our friend
The following excellent qualities of Christ, as a Friend, may serve to recommend and endear Him to our hearts:

1. He is an ancient Friend. Who can declare the antiquity of this friendship? Is it ancient as the incarnation? Is it ancient as His baptism? Is it ancient as the prophetical or patriarchal age? Nay, it is older than time itself. It is from everlasting.
2. He is a careful Friend. It was the psalmist’s complaint, “No man careth for my soul.” But the Christian has a Friend who cares for him.
3. He is a prudent Friend. Our best earthly friends may err through ignorance or mistake; but this Friend “abounds in all wisdom and prudence.”
4. He is a faithful Friend. Friends frequently prove false, and sad indeed it is when they prove like a brook in summer. Some men are not to be trusted. Those in whom you confide most will be ready to betray you soonest. But Christ is faithful in all His promises.
5. He is a loving Friend. Friendship without love is like religion without love; a friendless and inconsistent—a cold, unmeaning, and impossible thing. Christ’s love is said to surpass the love of women.
6. He is a constant and unchangeable Friend. His compassions fail not. Our Friend is a Friend for ever. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” “Having loved His own, He loveth them to the end.” If Christ is our Friend, we may rest satisfied. All things will work together for our good. (D. McIndoe.)

Jesus, the true Friend
I. Reasons why it is most desirable that the young should secure the friendship of Jesus.—

1. His great knowledge about us and all future events makes His friendship most desirable.
2. His extraordinary power.
3. His vast undying love. I do not care for that friendship which is based upon selfishness, or which tries to secure mere personal ends. The love of Jesus is the root, the foundation, of His friendship. Love is the most sacrificing principle in the world. No one ever yet saw all the spirit of sacrifice there was in the love of Christ, and how He ever sought our good, our pardon, our happiness, our heaven, our glory. Love is not only the sweetest and most lovely power, but also the strongest in the universe.
4. His truth to His engagements.
5. Sad consequences must arise if the friendship of Jesus be not secured.
   II. How should we act in reference to such a Friend?
6. We must do what will please Him. The little word “do” must be written in good, fair characters in our hearts, in our efforts, and in our lives.
7. We must on all suitable occasions acknowledge His friendship.
8. We must go direct to this Friend in all our troubles, as well as with all our joys.
9. We must faithfully look after His interests. Solomon says that this Friend “sticketh closer than a brother”; and they are the wisest who resolve to stick the most closely to Jesus, through sunshine and through shower, through life and through death. (J. Goodacre.)

A faithful Friend
Cicero has well said, “Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.” He who would be happy here must have friends. Yet friendship has been the cause of the greatest misery to men when it has been unworthy and unfaithful.
I. Christ is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
II. The reasons why we may depend upon Christ as being a faithful Friend.

1. True friendship can only be made between true men, whose hearts are the soul of honour.
2. Faithfulness to us in our faults is a certain sign of fidelity in a friend.
3. There are some things in His friendship which render us sure of not being deceived when we put our confidence in Him.
4. The friendship that will last does not take its rise in the chambers of mirth, nor is it fed and fattened there.
5. A friend acquired by folly is never a faithful friend.
6. Friendship and love, to be real, must not lie in words, but in deeds.
7. A purchased friend will never last long.
   III. An inference to be derived from this. Lavater says, “The qualities of your friends will be those of your enemies; cold friends, cold enemies; half friends, half enemies; fervid enemies, warm friends.” Then we infer that, if Christ sticks close, and is our Friend, then our enemies will stick close, and never leave us till we die. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The friendship of Christ
I. The value of the friendship of Christ.

1. He is a Friend to His people, and does for them more than what the strongest earthly friendship can dictate.
   (1) To a kind and constant friend we can freely unfold the secrets of our heart, and look for counsel and direction in every perplexing circumstance. With far greater freedom may the humble Christian apply for direction to the wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace.
   (2) From a kind and generous friend we expect compassion in our troubles and sympathy in our affliction. The merciful High Priest, and the Friend of His people, is touched with a feeling of their infirmities.
   (3) From a constant and kind friend we expect protection when injured and in danger. This also the gracious Friend of sinners willingly imparts to all who, in the exercise of faith, humility, and trust, betake themselves to Him.
   (4) From firm, constant, and generous friends, we receive such supplies of good things as they can bestow, when we stand in need of them. But what are all the bounties of the creature when compared with the bounty and benevolence of our gracious Lord?
2. His Divine friendship is free from those imperfections which lessen the comfort of human intimacy and attachment.
   (1) A friend and a brother may withdraw their regard, and prove inconstant. Some real or imaginary offence, some impropriety of conduct, the injurious misrepresentations of the malicious, or some scheme of self-interest, may make those whom we have loved and esteemed avert their countenances from us, withdraw their intercourse, and prove false in their friendship; but this Beloved of the soul continues steadfast in His love—“the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.”
   (2) The best of friends or brothers on earth may not be able to administer that Divine assistance or support which circumstances may require; they may be ignorant what course should be taken; they may be oppressed with poverty, or laid on beds of languishing, or borne down with a succession of griefs. But the compassionate Redeemer is a brother born for adversity.
   (3) The best of friends and brothers may be called to stations of work and usefulness in places of the world to which we can have but little access, so that, after years of happy intimacy, distance of place may interrupt the sweetest friendship and all the joys of mutual intercourse. But it is not thus with that best Friend whom the text extols. Wherever His people are, He is there to bless them, and to do them good.
   (4) Death dissolves the sweetest friendships. But Jesus, our Redeemer and Friend, is immortal and unchangeable.
   II. I am to recommend the Saviour to your attention, admiration, and acceptance.
3. The personal excellences He inherits.
4. The unspeakable blessings He bestows.
   III. Let us now direct you to the improvement of what has been said.
5. This subject suggests important directions to believers in Jesus.
   (1) He that has friends must show himself friendly. Beware of whatever may offend your heavenly Friend, or cause Him to withdraw the manifestations of His presence.
   (2) Testify the sincerity and ardour of your friendship, by regard for those who are the friends of Christ.
   (3) Testify your friendship to the Saviour, by warm concern for His interests in the world.
   (4) Maintain daily and delightful fellowship with your heavenly Friend, that thus you may cultivate the sense of His friendship, and may guard against all distance, coldness, and reserve.
   (5) Ye friends of the heavenly Bridegroom long for the coming of your Lord, and for the full enjoyment of His immediate presence in heaven.
6. I shall now conclude with addressing men in different situations.
   (1) This Friend demands the affection of the young by motives the most engaging and tender.
   (2) Are you afflicted? Be entreated to seek your support and consolation in the friendship of Christ.
   (3) Are you indifferent and careless about religion, but pursuing the enjoyments of sense with the whole bent of a corrupted mind? Yield to the entreaties of a dying Saviour; fly to Him; make the Judge your friend, and know for your comfort, that in receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, you become through faith in Him the children of God, and are made joint heirs with Christ, that best of friends, who sticketh closer than a brother. (A. Bonar.)

Friendship
(a sermon to children):—
I. How are we to hold our friends? Friendliness preserves friendship. But what is friendliness?

1. A friendly man is a sincere man. True, trustworthy, transparent in character. Mocking and deceitful men, like Mr. Facing-both-Ways, are never loved and trusted. By their duplicity and insincerity the Stuarts lost a kingdom, and King George I, who succeeded them, and prospered and won the affection of the great English people, was once heard to say, “My maxim is, never to abandon my friends, to do justice to all, and to fear no man.”
2. A friendly man is frank and generous. A story is told of Demetrius, one of the conquerers of Athens, that shows the power of generosity in making friends. After the glorious victory Demetrius did not harass and humiliate the inhabitants of the beautiful city, but treated them generously. Commanding his soldiers to fill the empty houses of the citizens with provisions, they wondered at his goodness, and fear grew into love.
   II. Who is the noblest friend?—“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” What a faithful friend was Jonathan to David!
3. In Jesus we have a royal Friend, possessing treasures, and crowns, and kingdoms such as no earthly monarch owns.
4. In Jesus we have a generous Friend.
5. Jesus is a constant Friend. Some people use their friends as shipwrecked sailors use their rafts, as masons use scaffolding, as gardeners use clay in grafting trees. They neglect them or fling them away whenever they have served their selfish purposes. But Jesus is a steady Friend, “Ever faithful, ever true.” He will never leave us nor forsake us. After bidding farewell to all his relations, President Edwards, when dying, said, “Now, where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing Friend?” And immediately the “Friend born for adversity” came and led him through the valley of the shadow, and gave him a place among “the shining ones” in our heavenly Father’s home. (J. Moffat Scott.)

An invisible Friend
Not able to conceive of an invisible Friend! Oh, it is not when your children are with you, it is not when you see and hear them, that they are most to you; it is when the sad assembly is gone; it is when the daisies have resumed their growing again in the place where the little form was laid; it is when you have carried your children out, and said farewell, and come home again, and day and night are full of sweet memories; it is when summer and winter are full of touches and suggestions of them; it is when you cannot look up towards God without thinking of them, nor look down toward yourself and not think of them; it is when they have gone out of your arms, and are living to you only by the power of the imagination, that they are the most to you. The invisible children are the realest children, the sweetest children, the truest children, the children that touch our hearts as no hands of flesh ever could touch them. And do you tell me that we cannot conceive of the Lord Jesus Christ because He is invisible? (H. W. Beecher.)

Christ a personal Friend
What made so great a difference? Of two friends of Alexander the Great, the historian Plutarch calls one Philo-Basileus, that is, the friend of the King, and the other, Philo-Alexandros, that is, the friend of Alexander. Similarly, some one has said St. Peter was Philo-Christos, the friend of the Christ, but St. John was Philo-Jesous, the friend of Jesus. This touches the quick: Peter was attached to the person who filled the office of Messiah, John to the Person Himself. And this is a distinction which marks different types of Christian piety in all ages. The Christ of some is more official—the Head of the Church, the Founder of Christianity, and the like—that of others is more personal; but it is the personal bond which holds the heart. The most profoundly Christian spirits have loved the Saviour, not for His benefits, but for Himself alone. (J. Starker.).

Proverbs 18:1
Through desire] According to the rendering of A.V. this would mean: A man who is possessed by an intense desire of wisdom separates himself from all other avocations and pursuits and from the society of his fellow men, isolates himself, as we say, that he may “intermeddle with” it, give himself wholly to (but see Pro_17:14 note) the pursuit of it. We must, however, render with R.V.:
He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire:
He rageth against (or, quarrelleth with, marg.) all sound wisdom.
The proverb then is a condemnation of the selfish isolation of the self-seeker or the misanthrope. Mr Horton, who has an interesting chapter on this verse, writes:
“Shakespeare might have had this proverb before him in that grim delineation of Richard the Third, who boasts that he has neither pity, love, nor fear. He was, he had been told, born with teeth in his mouth,
‘And so I was,’ he exclaims, ‘which plainly signified
That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog.’
And then he explains this terrible character in these significant lines:—
‘I have no brother, I am like no brother:
And this word Love, which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me; I am myself alone.’
III. K. Henry VI. Act v. Sc. 6.”
wisdom] Or, sound wisdom, R.V., as the same Heb. word is rendered in A.V. in Pro_2:7.

Proverbs 18:2
but that] The added word in R.V., but only that, brings out the force of the Heb.; q.d. so far from having any delight in understanding, his only delight is in blurting out his own ideas and opinions. There is perhaps, as Speaker’s Comm. suggests, an implied contrast with the “other form of egotism,” condemned in the preceding verse.

Proverbs 18:3
with ignominy reproach] Or, with ignominy cometh reproach. As shame is inseparable from wickedness, so is reproach from ignominy, i.e. ignominious character and conduct (“a shameful deed,” Gesen.; “turpi mores, turpiter facta,” Maur.).
The rendering, however, of A.V. gives a good sense: when the wicked cometh, all these evil things, contempt, ignominy and reproach, come with him.

Proverbs 18:4
a man’s mouth] The second clause of the verse limits and interprets the first. It is of a wise man’s mouth that the proverb speaks. His words are “as deep waters,” because they are no mere shallow talk, but are full of depth and meaning, “The well-spring of wisdom,” which is their source, does not soon run dry, but is “as a flowing brook,” in its full, clear, steady course. Such were Solomon’s own words to the queen of Sheba, 1Ki_10:1; 1Ki_10:3.
Somewhat similarly the LXX. make the first clause refer to the still unuttered word in the heart, and the second to its leaping forth thence like the stream from the spring:
“Deep water is a word in the heart of a man,
But it leaps forth as a river and a fountain of life.”

Proverbs 18:5
to overthrow] i.e. so as to, or with a view to, overthrow. See R.V. marg. Better perhaps with R.V. text, nor to turn aside.

Proverbs 18:6
enter into] The Heb. may mean either “come into,” or “come with,” “bring” (R.V. marg.).
strokes] Or, stripes, R.V., as the same Heb. word is rendered in Pro_19:29, the only other place in which it occurs. Some, however, take “calleth for” to mean “provokes,” “causes.” “Os ejus jurgia provocat,” Vulg.; “In causa est ut a verbis ad verbera veniatur,” Maur., which accords with “bring” contention, if that be adopted in the first clause.

Proverbs 18:8
talebearer] Rather, whisperer, R.V., secret calumniator, as in Pro_16:28; bilinguis, Vulg.
wounds] Rather, dainty morsels, R.V.; so greedily do men swallow down and retain them. This proverb occurs again, Pro_26:22.

Proverbs 18:9
a great waster] Lit. a master of laying waste, or destroying; a destroyer, R.V. Comp. for a similar sentiment, “He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad,” Mat_12:30.

Proverbs 18:10
is safe] “Heb. is set on high,” R.V. marg.; ὑψοῦνται, LXX.; exaltabitur, Vulg.

Proverbs 18:11
his strong city] There is a sense in which it is really so (Pro_10:15); but a sense also in which, in designed contrast to the “strong tower” of the preceding verse, it is only so in his own opinion.
conceit] i.e., imagination, as R.V.

Proverbs 18:12
Comp. Pro_16:18; Pro_15:33.

Proverbs 18:13
answereth a matter] Rather, giveth answer, R.V. “Heb. returneth a word,” A.V. marg. Compare:
“Answer not before thou hast heard;
And interrupt not in the midst of speech.”—Sir_11:8.

Proverbs 18:14
a wounded spirit] If the sustaining spirit be itself wounded or broken, the burden becomes intolerable. It is the pathetic thought of “the spirit which so long bore a man’s infirmity, and then at last broke because it could bear no more, and became itself intolerable,” Horton.

Proverbs 18:15
the heart … the ear] While “the heart” within, like some busy workman in his chamber is acquiring knowledge, “the ear” without is no less on the alert in accumulating fresh materials to increase the store.

Proverbs 18:16
Comp. Pro_17:8; Pro_19:6.

Proverbs 18:17
in his own cause] i.e. in pleading, or stating it. You must wait to hear the other side, the “neighbour’s searching out,” if you would come at the truth. Audi alteram partem is the gist of the proverb.

Proverbs 18:19
offended] or injured, R.V. marg.
like the bars of a castle] forming an impassable barrier to reconciliation.

Proverbs 18:21
love it] i.e. delight in using it, as an instrument either of “death” or of “life.”

Proverbs 18:22
Compare:
“Happy is the husband of a good wife;
And the number of his days shall be twofold.
A brave woman rejoiceth her husband;
And he shall fulfil his years in peace.
A good wife is a good portion:
She shall be given in the portion of such as fear the Lord.”
Sir_26:1-3.

Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends] Lit. a man of friends, i.e. one who makes many friends, R.V.; makes them too easily and indiscriminately.
must shew himself friendly] Rather, doeth it to his own destruction, R.V. He will be ruined by extravagance and “evil communications.”
and] Rather, but, in contrast to the many lightly-made friends.
a friend] Heb. a lover. It is a stronger word than that translated “friends” in the first clause of the verse; and is used of Abraham when he is called, “the friend of God” (2Ch_20:7; Isa_41:8; comp. 1Sa_18:1; 2Sa_1:26). See Pro_17:17.
Here again is a proverb which only reaches its goal in Him, who says to His disciples, “I have called you friends.” Joh_15:15.

Proverbs 18:1-24
The following commentary covers Chapters 10 through 31.
In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followed in many cases, and the consequences of men’s actions: in short, that which characterises wisdom in detail, what may be prudence for man, divine discretion for the children of God; and also, the result of God’s government, whatever appearances may be for awhile. It is well to observe, that there is no question of redemption or propitiation in this book; it proposes a walk according to the wisdom of God’s government.
In the final chapter we have the character of a king according to wisdom, and that of the woman in her own house-the king who does not allow himself that which, by darkening his moral discernment through the indulgence of his lusts, would make him unfit to govern. In the woman we see the persevering and devoted industry which fills the house with riches, brings honour to its inhabitants, and removes all the cares and anxieties produced by sloth. The typical application of these two specific characters is too evident to need explanation. The example of the woman is very useful, as to the spirit of the thing, to one who labours in the assembly.
Although in this book the wisdom produced by the fear of Jehovah is only applied to this world, it is on that very account of great use to the Christian, who, in view of his heavenly privileges, might, more or less, forget the continual government of God. It is very important for the Christian to remember the fear of the Lord, and the effect of God’s presence on the details of his conduct; and I repeat that which I said at the beginning, that it is great grace which deigns to apply divine wisdom to all the details of the life of man in the midst of the confusion brought in by sin. Occupied with heavenly things, the Christian is less in the way of discovering, by his own experience, the clue to the labyrinth of evil through which he is passing. God has considered this, and He has laid down this first principle, “wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” Thus the Christian may be ignorant of evil (if a worldling were so, he would fall into it), and yet avoid it through his knowledge of good. The wisdom of God gives him the latter; the government of God provides for all the rest. Now, in the Proverbs, we have these things in principle and in detail. I have not dwelt on the figurative character of the forms of evil. They are rather principles than figures. But the violent man of the last days is continually found in the Psalms; and Babylon is the full accomplishment of the woman who takes the simple in her snares and leads them down to death; just as Christ is the perfect wisdom of God which leads to life. But these two things which manifest evil proceed from the heart of man at all times since the fall: only we have seen that there is an active development of the wiles of the evil woman, who has her own house and her own arrangements. It is not simply the principle of corruption, but an organised system, as is that of sovereign wisdom.

Proverbs 18:1-24
Proverbs 18 – Wisdom in Getting Along with Others
Pro_18:1
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment.
a. A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire: To cut one’s self off from family, friends, and community is often to express a selfish desire. It shows an unwillingness to make the small (and sometimes large) sacrifices to get along with others.
i. “The Mishnah uses this passage to teach the necessity of not separating from the community, because people have responsibilities as social beings (Aboth 2:4).” (Ross)
b. He rages against all wise judgment: God designed us after His own triune nature; He designed us to live in community. The instinct many have for isolation must not be over-indulged; it is against all wise judgment.
i. “The protest of this proverb is against the self-satisfaction which makes a man separate himself from the thoughts and opinions of others. Such a one finally ‘rages against,’ or ‘quarrels with all sound wisdom.’” (Morgan)
Pro_18:2
A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.
a. A fool has no delight in understanding: The wise man or woman has great satisfaction in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. This is not so with the fool; they find no delight in wisdom.
i. “He is wilful, and so stands as a stake in the midst of a stream; lets all pass by him, but he stands where he was. It is easier to deal with twenty men’s reasons, than with one man’s will.” (Trapp)
b. But in expressing his own heart: What doesdelight the fool is expressing his own heart. If he asks questions it is to show how clever he is rather than to learn. He is focused on self instead of God, and his folly flows from this wrong priority and wrong place to find delight.
i. “It is a fact that most vain and foolish people are never satisfied in company, but in showing their own nonsense and emptiness.” (Clarke)
ii. Expressing his own heart: “The verb occurs in Hithpael elsewhere only in connection with the drunken Noah indecently uncovering himself (Gen_9:21; cf.).” (Waltke)
Pro_18:3
When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.
a. When the wicked comes, contempt comes also: The wickedbringscontempt with them; the proud, superior attitude that thinks itself better than others and looks at those thought to be lesser with scorn. Yet it can also be said that contemptfollows the wicked because God will scorn those who scorn others.
b. With dishonor comes reproach: The wicked bring insults (reproach) upon those they consider dishonorable.
Pro_18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.
a. The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters: The idea isn’t that everyone’s speech is deep and meaningful. Instead, the idea is that we reveal the depths of our heart by the words of our mouth.
i. “That is, the wise sayings of a wise man are like deep waters; howsoever much you pump or draw off, you do not appear to lessen them.” (Clarke)
b. The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook: When the wellspring of a man’s being is rooted in wisdom, it will then flow out from their words.
i. Deep waters…flowing brook: “Fitly are the words of the wise resembled to waters, saith one, inasmuch as they both wash the minds of the hearers, that the foulness of sin remain not therein, and water them in such sort that they faint not, nor wither by a drought and burning desire of heavenly doctrine.” (Trapp)
Pro_18:5
It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
a. It is not good to show partiality to the wicked: This is obvious to the person with a moral compass. Yet there are many reasons why someone might be tempted to show partiality to the wicked. They may do it out of misplaced compassion, out of a desire to please others, because of some kind of bribe, or many other reasons.
i. “We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man”s riches, influence, friends, offices, etc., but judge the case according to its own merits. But when the wicked rich man opposes and oppresses the poor righteous, then all those things should be utterly forgotten.” (Clarke)
b. Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment: When one shows partiality to the wicked, they will overthrow the righteous in judgment whether they intend to or not. Each aspect of injustice is sin.
i. “For justice to happen, the cause must be heard, not the person. Let the person be punished for his wickedness, not the wickedness be covered for the person’s sake. When one is partial to the wicked, the rights of God are despised, and the claims of his justice are thrown away.” (Bridges)
Pro_18:6
A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
a. A fool’s lips enter into contention: It is in the nature of the fool to argue. Their words often bring them into contention.
b. His mouth calls for blows: The contentious words of the fool invite punishment, and sometimes this punishment will be physical correction, the blows of the rod of correction.
Pro_18:7
A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
a. A fool’s mouth is his destruction: The words of the fool show his folly, but they also work towards his destruction. Many a fool has been ruined because of his foolish words.
b. His lips are the snare of his soul: As in most places in Proverbs, snare here speaks of the life of being of the fool. It includes the inner spiritual self but is not restricted to it. The fool’s life is trapped – caught in a snare – by his foolish words.
i. “It is most remarkable that the apostle Paul, when analyzing man’s depravity, focuses on the little member and all that is linked to it—the throat, the tongue, the lips, and the mouth (Rom_3:13-14).” (Bridges)
Pro_18:8
The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.
a. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles: The gossip and evil reports brought by the talebearer are almost impossible to resist. Those who should know better find it difficult to tell the talebearer to stop talking. The importance of this proverb is expressed in its repetition, being repeated in Pro_26:22.
i. Yet the damage the talebearer brings is great. “He that takes away a man’s good name kills him alive, and ruins him and his posterity; being herein worse than Cain, for he, in killing his brother, made him live for ever, and eternalised his name.” (Trapp)
ii. “Unlike the fool’s insolent speech that hurts himself in hurting others, gossip destroys the relationship of others, even the closest friends.” (Waltke)
iii. “The words of a gossip [talebearer] in an unguarded moment may inflict irreparable injury. This evil may be welcomed in certain circles that thrive on scandal. But that does not alter the real character of a gossip, who is detested by both God and man.” (Bridges)
b. They go down into the inmost body: When we receive the words of a talebearer, they normally have an effect on us. The words go down into us and often change the way we think and feel about people, even if what the talebearer says isn’t true or isn’t confirmed. God gave a strong word regarding the confirmation of testimony (Deu_19:15, 2Co_13:1, 1Ti_5:19).
i. Once we start eating these tasty trifles, it is hard to stop. “When such tasty bits are taken into the innermost being, they stimulate the desire for more.” (Ross)
ii. Instead of eating the tasty trifles of the talebearer, “Jeremiah sets a better model: he ate God’s word and delighted in it (Jer_15:16; cf. Col_3:12-20).” (Waltke)
Pro_18:9
He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
a. He who is slothful in his work: There are times of entertainment or leisure where perhaps laziness can be excused. There is never an excuse to be lazy or slothful in work. As previously noted at Pro_15:19 :

• Laziness is theft – you live off the work of others.
• Laziness is selfishness – you live for yourself and comfort.
• Laziness is neglect of duty – you don’t do what you should.
  b. Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer: We often think of laziness as a fairly innocent sin, but it is not. The lazy man is a close associate (brother) to the one who brings great destruction.
  i. “It means that in life there can be no neutrality. Every man lives in the midst of a conflict between good and evil. He must and does take part therein. If he is not helping Jehovah against the mighty, he is helping the mighty against Jehovah” (Morgan). Morgan also noted this principle in other Biblical passages.
• “It was in the mind of Deborah when she cursed Meroz for not coming to the help of Jehovah against the mighty.”
• “It found explicit statement when our Lord said: ‘He that gathereth not with me scattereth’”
• “James recognized it when he wrote: ‘To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’”
  ii. “This proverb applies this principle to work. Constructive work is the law of human life and progress. There• is an active principle of destruction operating in the history of man; and• he who is a slacker at his work, who does not put into it all his strength, is a brother to the man who in wickedness sets himself to the activity of destruction. No living being can be merely a spectator. Each works or wastes. Not to work well, is to aid the process of waste.” (Morgan)
  iii. If a person is given management over a large estate and ruins it through vandalism and outright destruction, it is easy to see them as a great destroyer. Yet if the same person allows it to fall into disrepair and uselessness through neglect and laziness, they also are a great destroyer – they just did it another way. Laziness destroys.
  Pro_18:10
  The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
  The righteous run to it and are safe.
  a. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: God provides a wonderful and strong defense. This is rooted not in a magical saying of His name as if it were a charm or a spell, but in
  the name of the Lord as a declaration of His character, His person. In all that He is and all that He stands for, Yahweh (the Lord) is a strong tower.
  i. “This is the only place in Proverbs where ‘the name of the Lord’ is found; it signifies the attributes of God, here the power to protect (cf. Exo_34:5-7).” (Ross)
  ii. Because the name of Yahweh represents His character in all its aspects, the believer can think about the aspects of God’s character and find a strong, safe refuge in them. It can be as simple as this:
• Lord, You are a God of love – so I find refuge in Your love.
• Lord, You are a God of mercy – so I find refuge in Your mercy.
• Lord, You are a God of strength – so I find refuge in Your strength.
• Lord, You are a God of righteousness – so I find refuge in Your righteousness.
  iii. “Numberless are those castles in the air to which men hasten in the hour of peril: ceremonies lift their towers into the clouds; professions pile their walls high as mountains, and works of the flesh paint their delusions till they seem substantial bulwarks; but all, all shall melt like snow, and vanish like a mist.” (Spurgeon)
  iv. A strong tower: “Within these walls, which of us needs to worry that the sharpest arrow can harm us? We realize our security from external trouble as we exercise our faith. We are safe from God’s avenging justice, from the curse of the law, from sin, from condemnation, from the second death.” (Bridges)
  b. The righteous run to it and are safe: God invites all to find refuge in His name; whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joe_2:32, Act_2:21, and Rom_10:13). Those who humbly run to God and find refuge with Him are His righteous ones, so it is the righteous who run to it.
  i. “All creatures run to their refuges when hunted….Run therefore to God, by praying and not fainting. [Luk_18:1] This is the best policy for security.” (Trapp)
  ii. Run to it: “This running appears to me to imply, that they have nothing to carry. A man who has a load, the heavier the load may be, the more will he be impeded in his flight. But the righteous run, like racers in the games, who have thrown off everything, their sins they leave to mercy, and their righteousness to the moles and bats.” (Spurgeon)
  Pro_18:11
  The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
  And like a high wall in his own esteem.
  a. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: In contrast to the righteous who find their strong tower in God and His character, the rich man (here used in the sense of the man who trusts in his riches, who is only rich and nothing else) finds refuge in his wealth.
  i. Such a man who trusts in his own riches has no refuge when they fail. “A wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts is as a naked man in a storm, and an unarmed man in the field, or a ship tossed in the sea without an anchor, which presently dasheth upon rocks, or falleth upon quicksands.” (Trapp)
  b. Like a high wall in his own esteem: The rich man sees his wealth as safe and sure as a high wall around a strong city. Yet this is only in his own esteem; both the Lord and the wise know that wealth is not a truly strong city and not a high wall.
  i. “Wealth does afford a measure of protection, but the danger of wealth is precisely that it gives its possessor the illusion of greater security than it can provide.” (Garrett)
  Pro_18:12
  Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
  And before honor is humility.
  a. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty: Since pride leads the way to destruction (Pro_16:18), we should expect that the haughty heart is ready to receive its just destruction.
  i. “There is no wisdom in a self-exaltation. Other vices have some excuse, for men seem to gain by them; avarice, pleasure, lust, have some plea; but the man who is proud sells his soul cheaply. He opens wide the flood-gates of his heart, to let men see how deep is the flood within his soul; then suddenly it floweth out, and all is gone – and all is nothing, for one puff of empty wind, one word of sweet applause – the soul is gone, and not a drop is left.” (Spurgeon)
  b. And before honor is humility: Wise people know that humility leads the way to honor. If you want destruction, be haughty; if you want honor, show humility.
  i. “It is not humility to underrate yourself. Humility is to think of yourself, if you can, as God thinks of you.” (Spurgeon)
  ii. “Very likely the most humble man in the world won’t bend to anybody. John Knox was a truly humble man, yet if you had seen him march before Queen Mary with the Bible in his hand, to reprove her, you would have rashly said, ‘What a proud man!’ (Spurgeon)
  iii. “The humility and exaltation of Jesus provides the classic example of this truth (see Isa_52:13 to Isa_53:12; Php_2:1-10).” (Ross)
  Pro_18:13
  He who answers a matter before he hears it,
  It is folly and shame to him.
  a. He who answers a matter before he hears it: It is common to give a quick, impulsive answer to questions and problems. We respond without thinking, or without hearing the full story, sometimes more interested in what we hope to say than what the matter before us really is.
  i. This is “a special snare of the self-important.” (Kidner)
  b. It is folly and shame to him: To whatever extent we do this, it is foolish and shameful. It is folly because a wrong or misguided answer is likely; it is shame because we do not represent ourselves well in doing so.
  i. “There are many also that give judgment before they hear the whole of the cause, and express an opinion before they hear the state of the case. How absurd, stupid, and foolish!” (Clarke)
  Pro_18:14
  The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
  But who can bear a broken spirit?
  a. The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness: Many who have labored long under sickness have felt themselves sustained – sometimes miraculously so – by the strength of their spirit.
  i. “Christian principle strengthens natural strength. Outward troubles are bearable, yes, more than bearable, if there is peace within.” (Bridges)
  b. Who can bear a broken spirit? When the spirit is broken, instead of giving life it proves to be something few people can bear.
  i. “In physical sickness one can fall back on the will to live; but in depression the will to live may be gone, and there is no reserve for physical strength. The figure of a ‘crushed’ spirit suggests a broken will, loss of vitality, despair, and emotional pain. Few things in the human experience are as difficult to cope with as this.” (Ross)
  ii. “There are some who have been greatly wounded, no doubt, through sickness. A wounded spirit may be the result of diseases which seriously shake the nervous system. Let us be very tender with brethren and sisters who got into that condition. I have heard some say, rather unkindly, ‘Sister So-and-so is so nervous, we can hardly speak in her presence.’ Yes, but talking like that will not help her; there are many persons who have had this trying kind of nervousness greatly aggravated by the unkindness or thoughtlessness of friends. It is a real disease, it is not imaginary. Imagination, no doubt, contributes to it, and increases it; but, still, there is a reality about it. There are some forms of physical disorder in which a person lying in bed feels great pain through another person simply walking across the room. ‘Oh!’ you say, ‘that is more imagination ‘Well, you may think so, if you like; but if you are ever in that painful condition, – as I have been many a time, – I will warrant that you will not talk in that fashion again.” (Spurgeon)
  Pro_18:15
  The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
  And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
  a. The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge: The wise desire more wisdom and knows how to get it. They show their prudence (wisdom) by seeking and getting more knowledge.
  b. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge: Wise men and women seek after wisdom with all their being – their heart and their ear are given over to the pursuit of more wisdom.
  i. “By paralleling ‘heart’ and ‘ears,’ the verse stresses the full acquisition of knowledge: the ear of the wise listens to instruction, and the heart of the wise discerns what is heard to acquire knowledge.” (Ross)
  Pro_18:16
  A man’s gift makes room for him,
  And brings him before great men.
  a. A man’s gift makes room for him: A previous proverb (Pro_17:8) spoke of a present in the sense of a bribe, but a different word is used here. This proverb is a simple recognition of fact: generosity and politeness open many doors.
  i. “Matan (‘gift’) is more general than ‘bribe’ (soh ad as in Pro_17:8; Pro_17:23)…. Here the proverb simply says that a gift can expedite matters but says nothing about bribing judges.” (Ross)
  ii. “This Jacob [Gen_43:11] knew well, and therefore bade his sons take a present for the governor of the land, though it were but of every good thing a little. So Saul, [1Sa_9:7] when to go to the man of God to inquire about the asses.” (Trapp)
  iii. “It can also be an innocent courtesy or eirenicon [gift to reconcile], like the present (minhah) sent to the captain in 1Sa_17:18, or to Esau or Joseph (Gen_32:20; Gen_43:11).” (Kidner)
  b. And brings him before great men: It is true that a gift can be effective in gaining an audience of even great men. We are grateful that no gift is required to come before the greatest Man, the Man Christ Jesus who offers His work as mediator without cost (1Ti_2:5, Rom_5:1-2).
  i. “Blessed be God! We do not lack any gifts to bring before him. Our welcome is free. The door of access is forever open. Our treasure of grace in his unchanging favor is unfathomable.” (Bridges)
  Pro_18:17
  The first one to plead his cause seems right,
  Until his neighbor comes and examines him.
  a. The first one to plead his cause seems right: This is a strong and familiar principle. When we hear the first side of a dispute or a debate, we often think the first one to plead his cause seems right, and we are quick to take their side against the other.
  b. Until his neighbor comes and examines him: The judgment is very different when the other side is heard from
  his neighbor. The second voice may confront the first one to plead his cause and give both sides of the story.
  i. “Any man may, in the first instance, make out a fair tale, because he has the choice of circumstances and arguments. But when the neighbour cometh and searcheth him, he examines all, dissects all, swears and cross-questions every witness, and brings out truth and fact.” (Clarke)
  ii. “Thus the proverb teaches the equality of disputants and instructs the disciple not only to hear both sides of an argument but to demand direct cross-examination before rendering a decision (cf. Deu_19:16-18).” (Waltke)
  iii. With this principle in mind, it is important that we argue for and defend Biblical truth in a way that can stand before the examination of others. Giving arguments that sound convincing but can be easily exposed or answered by an adversary do no good in defending and advancing God’s kingdom.
  Pro_18:18
  Casting lots causes contentions to cease,
  And keeps the mighty apart.
  a. Casting lots causes contentions to cease: When there is an argument or dispute, appealing to an outside authority to solve the matter can make contentions to cease. In this case, the outside authority is the casting of lots, but the principle can be applied to other agreed-upon authorities.
  i. “Verse 18 speaks of a practice that was widely practiced and highly regarded in ancient Israel, the casting of lots to settle disputed matters. The intent is to give the controversy over to God.” (Garrett)
  ii. “Today God’s word and spiritual leaders figure prominently in divine arbitration (1Co_6:1-8).” (Ross)
  b. And keeps the mighty apart: When an outside authority settles the contention, it can keep mighty warriors from fighting and killing each other.
  Pro_18:19
  A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
  And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
  a. A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city: There is a price to pay in offending a brother. To win him back to friendship and cooperation is difficult, more than we often think. Therefore, we avoid offending our brother, doing so only if necessary and doing all we can to be blameless so that whatever offense is taken is because of him and not us.
  i. “If we take the words according to the common version, we see them express what, alas! we know to be too generally true: that when brothers fall out, it is with extreme difficulty that they can be reconciled. And fraternal enmities are generally strong and inveterate.” (Clarke)
  ii. “It is as if the closer the relationship, the wider the breach. The thread, once snapped, is not easily joined.” (Bridges)
  b. Contentions are like the bars of a castle: The conflict and contentions that come from a brother offended can be as difficult to break as the bars of a castle. They also may imprison those caught in the contentions.
  i. “The proverb so understood is a forceful warning of the strength of the invisible walls of estrangement, so easy to erect, so hard to demolish.” (Kidner)
  ii. “Chrysostom gives this rule: ‘Have but one enemy, the devil. With him never be reconciled; with your brother never fall out.’” (Bridges)
  Pro_18:20
  A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
  From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
  a. A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth: For some, it is possible for them to make their living by what they say. They satisfy their stomach and perhaps that of their family from the fruit of the mouth.
  b. From the produce of his lips he shall be filled: What he says shall fill his stomach and fulfill his financial obligations.
  i. At the same time, this proverb “forces the thought that whatever a person dishes out, whether beneficial or harmful, he himself will feed on it to full measure through what his audience in return dishes out to him.” (Waltke)
  Pro_18:21
  Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
  And those who love it will eat its fruit.
  a. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: The previous proverb said how what a man speaks could provide for his stomach. Here the idea is extended to remind us that the tongue not only has the power of provision but also of death and life.
  i. “The Midrash mentions this point, showing one way it can cause death: ‘The evil tongue slays three, the slanderer, the slandered, and the listener’ (Midrash Tehillim 52:2).” (Ross)
  ii. “Solomon doth vary his words: he speaketh sometimes of the ‘mouth,’ sometimes of the ‘lips,’ sometimes of the ‘tongue,’ as Pro_18:21, to show that all the instruments or means of speech shall have, as it were, their proper and just reward.” (Trapp)
  b. Those who love it will eat its fruit: Those who are wise enough to love and appreciate the power of what a man says will be blessed and will eat the pleasant fruit of wise and effective speech.
  Pro_18:22
  He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
  And obtains favor from the Lord.
  a. He who finds a wife finds a good thing: God brought together the first husband and wife in Gen_2:21-25. In this God gave marriage between a man and woman as a gift to humanity, both as a whole and a blessing on an individual level.
  i. Some commentators believe that this proverb impliesfinds agoodwife (such as John Trapp and Allen Ross); others insist it does not (such as Matthew Poole and Adam Clarke).
  ii. “Although it does not say it, the verse clearly means a ‘good’ wife.” (Ross)
  iii. “For a wife, though she be not the best of her kind, is to be esteemed a blessing, being useful both for society of life, Gen_2:18, and for the mitigation of a man’s cares and troubles, and for the prevention of sins.” (Poole)
  iv. “Marriage, with all its troubles and embarrassments, is a blessing from God; and there are few cases where a wife of any sort is not better than none…. As to good wives and bad wives, they are relatively so, in general; and most of them that have been bad afterwards, have been good at first; and we well know the best things may deteriorate, and the world generally allows that where there are matrimonial contentions, there are faults on both sides.” (Clarke)
  b. And obtains favor from the Lord: In Gen_2:18 God said that it was not good for man to be alone. His gift of Eve to Adam was a demonstration of God’s favor, and He still gives that gift of favor. In the modern western world, the cultural incentives for marriage seem to become weaker year by year, but God’s declaration of good and the giving of His favor doesn’t depend on cultural incentives.
  i. “As with the first man, the Creator gives each fractured male with whom he is pleased one wife to complete the abundant life he intended.” (Waltke)
  ii. “The wording, especially in the Hebrew, strikingly resembles that of Pro_8:35, and so suggests that after wisdom itself, the best of God’s blessings is a good wife.” (Kidner)
  Pro_18:23
  The poor man uses entreaties,
  But the rich answers roughly.
  a. The poor man uses entreaties: It is sadly true that often, when a person is poor in money or influence, all they can do is beg for favor and justice.
  i. “Speaks supplications; comes in a submissive manner; uses a low language, as a broken man. How much more should we do so to God…creeping into his presence with utmost humility and reverence.” (Trapp)
  b. The rich answers roughly: The rich man or woman can speak boldly – even rudely – because they have resources of money and influence. Solomon here described the world as it is, not as it should be. We sense in this proverb a quiet plea to make a better world than what is described in the proverb.
  i. Answers roughly: “Speaketh proudly and scornfully, either to the poor, or to others that converse with him, being puffed up with a conceit of his riches, and of his self-sufficiency.” (Poole)
  ii. “The well-bred man of the world, who is all courtesy and refinement in his own circle, is often insufferably rude to those who are under him.” (Bridges)
  iii. “Was Jesus not as considerate to blind Bartimaeus as to the nobleman of Capernaum? All classes of people alike shared in his tenderest sympathy.” (Bridges)
  Pro_18:24
  A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
  But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
  a. A man who has friends must himself be friendly: This is a basic but often ignored principle. If you want friends, you should be friendly to others.
  b. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother: Even when a man has friends, there is something that will disappoint in human friendship. The flesh and blood friends of this world are important and a blessing, but we need the friend who sticks closer than a brother – Jesus Christ Himself, who called us no longer servants but friends (Joh_15:14-15).
  i. “The bond of real friendship is often closer than the natural tie. The friendship between David and Jonathan is such an example.” (Bridges)
  ii. The transition between the plural (friends) and the singular (a friend) is significant. “It is better to have one good, faithful friend than numerous unreliable ones.” (Ross)
  iii. We apply this to Jesus our Friend as a spiritual principle; it is likely that Solomon did not have the Messiah in mind. “In many cases the genuine friend has shown more attachment, and rendered greater benefits, than the natural brother. Some apply this to God; others to Christ; but the text has no such meaning.” (Clarke)
  iv. “The friend whose loyalty transcends the solidarity of blood is realized in Jesus Christ (cf. Joh_15:12-15; Heb_2:11; Heb_2:14-18).” (Waltke)
  v. “Now I have a question to ask: that question I ask of every man and every woman in this place, and of every child too – Is Jesus Christ your friend? Have you a friend at court – at heaven’s court? Is the Judge of quick and dead your friend? Can you say that you love him, and has he ever revealed himself in the way of love to you? Dear hearer, do not answer that question for thy neighbor; answer it for thyself. Peer or peasant, rich or poor, learned or illiterate, this question is for each of you, therefore, ask it. Is Christ my friend?” (Spurgeon)

Proverbs 18:1
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
I rather accept the expressions in this verse as referring first to the person of Christ in his human nature, and next in him to all his people. The desires of Jesus were wholly of this kind. They were all his own. His desire is towards me, saith the church. Son_7:10. And it was for the sake of the church that Christ separated, that is sanctified, set apart, himself. Joh_17:19 And when a child of God is also set apart, and sanctified, is not his desire towards Jesus in all wisdom? Paul’s account of himself suits all of Paul’s sentiments. When it pleased God (saith he) who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Gal_1:15-16.

Proverbs 18:2-10
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
What a refuge there is in a covenant God in Christ for a believer, however buffeted, to take shelter in? Let a child of God sit down if he will, and ponder over all his discouragements and difficulties; and I will be bold to say, that in the Lord’s name, that is in Christ Jesus, he will find somewhat exactly corresponding, to suit and answer for all. Is he poor? Christ’s name is riches; yea, durable riches and righteousness. Pro_8:18. Is he surrounded with enemies? Then Christ is the mighty God. Isa_9:6. Is he sick? He saith, I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exo_15:26. Do his people need in critical moments a thousand supplies, they know not what, and they know not how? How blessed is that name by which Abraham called the Lord in his moment of necessity; Jehovah-jirah, the Lord shall provide; and at this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. Gen_22:14. In short, in the name of Jehovah we have all; wisdom to guide, power to help, grace to save, mercy to pardon, righteousness to justify, and all temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings. Surely, Lord, they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psa_9:10.

Proverbs 18:11-16
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
If a man’s gift which at the utmost must be of a scanty and transitory nature, hath such a power of opening the heart, what effect, ought the great, the glorious, durable, and eternal gift of God’s dear Son to have in opening our souls to love him who hath so loved us? Qh! that a deep sense of this unspeakable Mercy may bring my soul continually before the Lord, with all the acknowledgments of love, and obedience, and faith, and praise.

Proverbs 18:17-24
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
I pass over again all the intermediate verses, to dwell upon this very sweet one in the end of the chapter. Amidst all the ingratitude and unfriendliness which my heart hath shewn to Jesus, the best of friends; still he is and will be the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. When I Call to mind how I have treated him, and shewn myself towards him; and this, not only before I knew him but since he manifested himself to me, otherwise than he doeth to the world; I blush to think of his unequalled grace, and my unequalled undeservings. In him I behold that description of him by his servant the prophet, and more especially as it concerns myself, most strikingly set forth and confirmed: He will rest in his love. Zec_3:10. He doth indeed rest in his love, for the Lord God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away. Mal_2:16

Proverbs 18:24
REFLECTIONS
Reader! what a blessed thing it is to sit down under the teaching of the Holy Ghost; and while this book of God appears indeed truly parables, and must continue so unexplained, until that Jesus by his Spirit opens it to our understanding, for us to be led therefrom to see, the mysteries of his kingdom: To the pure (saith an apostle) all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure. Mark it down my brother, among the gracious things of God, to be brought out of the darkness of a natural state and to be introduced into the kingdom of his dear Son; what an unspeakable mercy is here! By this one act of sovereign grace all the blessings, privileges; titles, inheritance; all are made over and secure in the everlasting covenant. The Father engageth to bestow all the blessings of it. Jesus hath secured them by his blood and righteousness. And the Holy Ghost undertakes to instruct them into all the knowledge suited to their adopted state and character. He will guide them into all truth. He shall take of mine (saith Jesus) and shew unto you. All mysteries, parables, proverbs, essential for their furtherance in grace, and the knowledge of the Lord, shall be explained unto them. Unto you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables. Hence, saith the Lord God; in one of the sweetest and most encouraging portions of scripture, wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father thou art the guide of my youth? Jer_3:4.