Proverbs 19:4

19:3. Men run into troubles by their own folly, and then fret at the appointments of God. 4. Here we may see how strong is men's love of money. 5. Those that tell lies in discourse, are in a fair way to be guilty of bearing false-witness. 6. We are without excuse if we do not love God with all our hearts. His gifts to us are past number, and all the gifts of men to us are fruits of his bounty. 7. Christ was left by all his disciples; but the Father was with him. It encourages our faith that he had so large an experience of the sorrows of poverty. 8. Those only love their souls aright that get true wisdom. 9. Lying is a damning, destroying sin. 10. A man that has not wisdom and grace, has no right or title to true joy. It is very unseemly for one who is a servant to sin, to oppress God's free-men.

Wealth maketh many friends,.... Or "adds" (f); it increases the number of them: so the poet (g), "donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos"; and to this agrees what the wise man says, Proverbs 14:20 ; but the poor is separated from his neighbour; or "friend" (h); he will not visit him as he did in his prosperity, nor suffer him to come into his house or company, or come near him; he is separated from his affection, friendship, and presence: so another poet (i), "if thou art rich, thou wilt have many friends; but, if poor, few.'' (f) "addit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (g) Ovid. (h) "ab amico sua", Pagninus, Montanus, Baynus, Junius & Tremeliius, Piscator, Michaelis; "a sodali sua", Schultens. (i) Theognis.

(4) The poor is separated from his neighbour.— Or, but the feeble, his friend separates himself ( from him ) . It was just in order to counteract these selfish instincts of mankind that the merciful provisions of such passages as Deuteronomy 15:7 . sqq., and Luke 14:13 , were laid upon God’s people.

4 . maketh ] Rather, addeth ; προστίθησι , LXX.; addunt (divitiæ), Vulg.; the contrast being between the new friends gained by wealth, and the existing friend (R.V.) lost by poverty, ὁ δὲ πτωχὸς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου λείπεται , LXX.; A paupere autem et hi, quos habuit, separantur, Vulg.

Verse 4. - Wealth maketh many friends (vers. 6, 7; Proverbs 14:20 ). A Greek gnome expresses the same truth - Ἐὰν δ ἔχωμεν χρήμαθ ἕξομεν φίλους . The poor is separated from his neighbour. But it is better to make the act of separation emanate from the friend (as the Hebrew allows), and to render, with the Revised Version, The friend of the poor separateth himself from him. The word for "poor" is here dal , which means "feeble," "languid;" so ver. 17; and the came word ( rea ), "friend" or "neighbor," is used in both clauses. The idea of man's selfishness is carried on in vers. 6 and 7. The Law of Moses had tried to counteract it ( Deuteronomy 15:7 , etc.), but it was Christianity that introduced the practical realization of the law of love, and the honouring of the poor as members of Christ. Septuagint, "But the poor is deserted even by his whilom friend." Proverbs 19:4

4 Wealth bringeth many friends; But the reduced - his friend separateth himself. The very same contrast, though otherwise expressed, we had at Proverbs 14:20. Regarding הון, vid., vol. i, p. 63. דל is the tottering, or he who has fallen into a tottering condition, who has no resources, possesses no means. The accentuation gives Mugrash to the word (according to which the Targ. translates), for it is not the subject of יפּרד: the reduced is separated (pass. Niph.) by his misfortunes, or must separate himself (reflex. Niph.) from his friend (מרעהוּ, as Ecclesiastes 4:4, prae socio suo); but subject of the virtual pred. מרעהוּ יפּרד: the reduced - his friend (מרעהו, as Proverbs 19:7) separates himself, i.e., (according to the nature of the Semitic substantival clause) he is such (of such a fate) that his friend sets himself free, whereby ממּנּוּ may be omitted as self-obvious; נפרד means one who separates himself, Proverbs 18:1. If we make דל the subject of the separatur, then the initiative of the separation from the friend is not expressed.

A child does nothing cautiously, because it is uninstructed; a savage is also rash and precipitate, till experience instructs him. A man who has not the knowledge of God is incautious, rash, headstrong, and precipitate: and hence he sinneth - he is continually missing the mark, and wounding his own soul. PROVERBS 19: 3 The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the LORD. Verse 3 The foolishness of man - Most men complain of cross providences, because they get into straits and difficulties through the perverseness of their ways; and thus they fret against God; whereas, in every instance, they are the causes of their own calamities. O how inconsistent is man! PROVERBS 19: 4 Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend. Verse 4 The poor is separated from his neighbor - Because he has the "disease of all-shunned poverty." PROVERBS 19: 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free. PROVERBS 19: 6 Many will entreat the favour of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. PROVERBS 19: 7 All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone. Verse 7 Do hate him - They shun him as they do the person they hate. They neither hate him positively, nor love him: they disregard him; they will have nothing to do with him. ‫שנא‬ sana signifies not only to hate, but to show a less degree of love to one than another.

ut knowledge; without wisdom or prudence to discern his way, and what and how he ought to act in his several cases and concernments. ## It is not good; it is very evil and pernicious. ## That hasteth with his feet; that rashly and headily rusheth into actions without serious consideration. So two vices are here censured, the want of knowledge, and the neglect or disuse of knowledge in a man’s actions. ## Proverbs 19:3 Perverteth his way; either. 1. Enticeth him to sin. Or rather, 2. Crosseth and blasteth his designs and enterprises, and brings losses and miseries upon him. His heart fretteth against the Lord ; he ascribes his unhappiness not to his own sin and folly, which is the true cause of it, but to God and his providence, against which he unjustly murmurs. Proverbs 19:4 Is disowned and forsaken by those who are most obliged to help him. ## Proverbs 19:5 Shall not be unpunished; though he escape the observation and punishment of men, yet he shall not avoid the judgment of God. ## That speaketh lies; that accustometh himself to lying, either in judgment or in common conversation. ## Proverbs 19:6 Of the prince; or, as others, of the liberal or bountiful man ; which comes to the same thing, for kings were anciently called benefactors, Luk_22:25. ## A friend; not sincerely, as daily experience shows, but in show or profession, or in the outward expressions of it, whereby they may oblige him.