Proverbs 22:7

22:1 We should be more careful to do that by which we may get and keep a good name, than to raise or add unto a great estate. 2. Divine Providence has so ordered it, that some are rich, and others poor, but all are guilty before God; and at the throne of God's grace the poor are as welcome as the rich. 3. Faith foresees the evil coming upon sinners, and looks to Jesus Christ as the sure refuge from the storm. 4. Where the fear of God is, there will be humility. And much is to be enjoyed by it; spiritual riches, and eternal life at last. 5. The way of sin is vexatious and dangerous. But the way of duty is safe and easy. 6. Train children, not in the way they would go, that of their corrupt hearts, but in the way they should go; in which, if you love them, you would have them go. As soon as possible every child should be led to the knowledge of the Saviour. 7. This shows how important it is for every man to keep out of debt. As to the things of this life, there is a difference between the rich and the poor; but let the poor remember, it is the Lord that made the difference. 8. The power which many abuse, will soon fail them. 9. He that seeks to relieve the wants and miseries of others shall be blessed. 10. Profane scoffers and revilers disturb the peace. 11. God will be the Friend of a man in whose spirit there is no guile; this honour have all the saints. 12. God turns the counsels and designs of treacherous men to their own confusion. 13.

The slothful man talks of a lion without, but considers not his real danger from the devil, that roaring lion within, and from his own slothfulness, which kills him. 14. The vile sin of licentiousness commonly besots the mind beyond recovery. 15. Sin is foolishness, it is in the heart, there is an inward inclination to sin: children bring it into the world with them; and it cleaves close to the soul. We all need to be corrected by our heavenly Father. 16. We are but stewards, and must distribute what God intrusts to our care, according to his will.

The rich ruleth over the poor,.... Usurps a dominion over them, and exercises it in a rigorous, oppressive, and tyrannical manner; otherwise they are generally the rich that rule, and if they rule well, in a lawful, gentle, and righteous manner, it is commendable; and the borrower is servant to the lender; being under obligation to him, he is forced to be subject to him, and comply with his humours, and do and say as he would have him; it was a happiness promised to the Israelites, that they should lend to many nations, but not borrow, Deuteronomy 15:6; compare with this Nehemiah 5:4.

Ruleth over the poor, to wit, with rigour and tyranny, taking advantage of his necessities. Is servant to the lender; is at his mercy, and therefore forced to comply with his pleasure. The design of the proverb is partly to correct this miscarriage of the rich, and partly to oblige all men to diligence, whereby they may deliver themselves from this servitude.

Train - Initiate, and so, educate. The way he should go - Or, according to the tenor of his way, i. e., the path especially belonging to, especially fitted for, the individual's character. The proverb enjoins the closest possible study of each child's temperament and the adaptation of "his way of life" to that.

Verse 7. - The rich ruleth over the poor. "The rich man (singular) will rule over the poor" (plural); for there are many poor for one rich (see on ver. 3). This is the way of the world ( Proverbs 18:23 ). Aben Ezra explains the gnome as showing the advantage of wealth and the inconvenience of poverty; the former bringing power and pre-eminence, the latter trouble and servitude; and hence the moralist implies that every one should strive and labour to obtain a competency, and thus avoid the evils of impecuniosity. The borrower is servant to the lender. (For the relation between borrower and louder, or debtor and creditor, see on Proverbs 20:16; and comp. Matthew 18:25, 34 .) Delitzsch cites the German saying, "Borghart (borrower) is Lehnhart's (leader's) servant." We have the proverb, "He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing." The Septuagint departs from the other versions and our Hebrew text, translating, "The rich will role over the poor, and household servants will lend to their own masters" - a reading on which some of the Fathers have commented. Proverbs 22:7

7 A rich man will rule over the poor, And the borrower is subject to the man who lends. "This is the course of the world. As regards the sing. and plur. in 7a, there are many poor for one rich; and in the Orient the rule is generally in the hands of one" (Hitzig). The fut. denotes how it will and must happen, and the substantival clause 7b, which as such is an expression of continuance (Arab. thabât, i.e., of the remaining and continuing), denotes that contracting of debt brings naturally with it a slavish relation of dependence. לוה, properly he who binds himself to one se ei obligat, and מלוה, as Proverbs 19:17 (vid., l.c.), qui alterum (mutui datione) obligat, from לוה, Arab. lwy, to wind, turn, twist round (cog. root laff), whence with Fleischer is also to be derived the Aram. לות, "into connection;" so אל, properly "pushing against," refers to the radically related אלה ( equals ולה), contiguum esse. אישׁ מלוה is one who puts himself in the way of lending, although not directly in a professional manner. The pred. precedes its subject according to rule. Luther rightly translates: and he who borrows is the lender's servant, whence the pun on the proper names: "Borghart [ equals the borrower] is Lehnhart's [ equals lender's] servant."

deep ditch —a narrow pit, out of which it is hard to climb. lieth in wait —to ensnare men into the pit, as hunters entrap game (compare Proverbs 22:14). 28. increaseth … transgressors —(Proverbs 5:8-10). The vice alluded to is peculiarly hardening to the heart. 29, 30. This picture is often sadly realized now. mixed wine —(Compare Proverbs 9:2; Isaiah 5:11). 31. when … red —the color denoting greater strength (compare Genesis 49:11; Deuteronomy 32:14). giveth … cup —literally, "gives its eye," that is, sparkles. moveth … aright —Perhaps its foaming is meant. 32. The acute miseries resulting from drunkenness contrasted with the temptations. ## 33, 34. The moral effects: it inflames passion (Genesis 19:31, 35), lays open the heart, produces insensibility to the greatest dangers, and debars from reformation, under the severest sufferings. 35. awake —that is, from drunkenness (Genesis 9:24). This is the language rather of acts than of the tongue. ## CHAPTER 24 Proverbs 24:1-34. 1, 2. (Compare Proverbs 23:3, 17; Psalms 37:1). 2. studieth —meditateth. talk … mischief —Their expressed purposes are to do evil. 3, 4. (Compare Proverbs 14:1; Isaiah 54:14). house —including the family. 4. by knowledge … riches —(Proverbs 8:18; 21:20). 5, 6. The general statement (Ecclesiastes 9:16, 18) is specially illustrated (compare Proverbs 21:22; Psalms 144:1). 7. (Compare Proverbs 14:16). in the gate —(Compare Proverbs 22:22). 8. So called even if he fails to do evil. 9. Same thought varied. 10.

## An eye, the organ of sight, by a metaphorical translation oftentimes denotes the mind, judgment, and knowledge; Genesis 16:4-5; Deuteronomy 15:18; 2 Samuel 15:17 ;Sam. vi. 22, Job 32:1; Psalms 15:4; Proverbs 3:7; 28:22; 30:12; Isaiah 5:21; Ecclesiastes 8:6; Matthew 6:22; John 5:35 . Hence the right eye is put for the greatest prudence, Ecclesiastes 11:10 . An evil eye, for a persevere and malignant mind, Deuteronomy 15:9; Proverbs 23:6; 28:22; Matthew 20:15; Mr 7:22 . A good eye, for a good and benevolent mind, Proverbs 22:9 , Ecclesiastes 35:9. An eye signifies a providential carefulness, sometimes a solicitude in evil, as Psalms 10:8 ;---17:8, (see 1 Samuel 18:9 ,) sometimes in good, Genesis 44:21; Numbers 10:31; Ruth 2:9; Job 29:15; Proverbs 1:25; 20:9,12; Ecclesiastes 2:14. Sometimes it denotes experience, Genesis 3:6 . Sometimes spiritual illumination or renewing of heart, Psalms 13:3; 119:18; Isaiah 32:3; Ephesians 1:18 . Sometimes spiritual blindness, Psalms 69:23; Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:15; John 12:40; Acts 28:27; Romans 11:8,10 . See Lamentations 5:17 . It denotes a fountain, Genesis 49:22; Exodus 15:27; Psalms 84:6; 114:8 . XXXX oculus et derivatum XXXX A tear, a humour flowing from the eyes of such as weep, metaphorically denotes wine and oil, because they drop as tears do, when the grapes or olives are bruised in the press, Exodus 22:29 , see Deuteronomy 7:13. Eye-salve denotes the spiritual healing of our natural darkness,