Proverbs 19:5

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.

A false witness shall not be unpunished,.... He that bears false witness against his neighbour in an open court of judicature; though be may not be detected by men, and so escape the punishment due to such offenders by the laws of God and men; yet God, who knows all hearts and actions, will not suffer him to go with impunity; if not punished in this world, he shall be in the world to come; for bearing false witness, or perjury, is a grievous offence to God; and he that speaketh lies shall not escape; even he that useth himself to lying in private conversation shall not escape the reproach of men; for nothing is more scandalous than lying; nor the wrath of God, such shall have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, Revelation 21:8.

Proverbs 19:5 . A false witness shall not be unpunished — Though he escape the observation and punishment of men, yet he shall not avoid the judgment of God. And he that speaketh lies — That accustoms himself to lying, either in giving evidence in courts of justice, or in common conversation; shall not escape — The righteous judgment of God, though he may flatter himself with hopes of impunity, for the Lord is jealous of his honour, and will not suffer his name to be profaned.

Verse 5. - This verse is repeated below (ver. 9). It comes in awkwardly here, interrupting the connection which subsists between vers. 4 and 6. Its right place is doubtless where it occurs below. The Law not only strictly forbade false witness ( Exodus 20:16 ; Exodus 23:1 ), but it enacted severe penalties against offenders in this particular ( Deuteronomy 19:16 , etc.); the lex talionis was to be enforced against them, they were to receive no pity: "Life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." He that speaketh lies shall not escape. The Septuagint confines the notion of this clause to false accusers, Ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν ἀδίκως , "He who maketh an unjust charge shall not escape," which renders the two clauses almost synonymous. We make a distinction between the members by seeing in the former a denunciation against a false witness in a suit, and in the second a more sweeping menace against any one, whether accuser, slanderer, sycophant, who by lying injures a neighbour. The History of Susanna is brought forward in confirmation of the well deserved fate of false accusers. Ψευδὴς διαβολὴ τὸν βίον λυμαίνεται . "A slander is an outrage on man's life." Proverbs 19:5

In Proverbs 19:5 and Proverbs 19:9 we have the introductory proverb of two groups, the former of which, in its close as well as its beginning, cannot be mistaken. 5 A lying witness remaineth not unpunished; And he who breathes out lies escapeth not. Regarding יפיח, vid., vol. i, p. 148: as here we read it of false witness at Proverbs 6:19; Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 14:25. לא ינּקה occurs four times before, the last of which is at Proverbs 17:5. The lxx elsewhere translates יפיח כזבים by ἐκκαίειν ψευδῆ, to kindle lies; but here by ὁ δὲ ἐκαλῶν ἀδίκως, and at Proverbs 19:9 by ὃς δ ̓ ἂν ἐκκαύσῃ κακίαν, both times changing only because ψευδής goes before, and instead of ψευδῆ, the choice of a different rendering commended itself.

[Bible] 18:18. The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty. 18:19. A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities. 18:20. Of the fruit of a man's mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him. 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: they that love it, shall eat the fruits thereof. 18:22. He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked. 18:23. The poor will speak with supplications, and the rich will speak roughly. 18:24. A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother. Proverbs Chapter 19 19:1. Better is the poor man, that walketh in his simplicity, than a rich man that is perverse in his lips and unwise. 19:2. Where there is no knowledge of the soul, there is no good: and he that is hasty with his feet shall stumble. 19:3. The folly of a man supplanteth his steps: and he fretteth in his mind against God. 19:4. Riches make many friends: but from the poor man, even they whom he had, depart. 19:5. A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall not escape. 19:6. Many honour the person of him that is mighty, and are friends of him that giveth gifts. 19:7. The brethren of the poor man hate him: moreover also his friends have departed far from him. He that followeth after words only, shall have nothing. 19:8. But he that possesseth a mind, loveth his own soul, and he that keepeth prudence, shall find good things. 19:9. A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall perish. 19:10. Delicacies are not seemly for a fool: nor for a servant to have rule over princes. 19:11. The learning of a man is known by patience: and his glory is to pass over wrongs.

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.