Proverbs 28:19

28:18. Uprightness will give men holy security in the worst times; but the false and dishonest are never safe. 19. Those who are diligent, take the way to live comfortably. 20. The true way to be happy, is to be holy and honest; not to raise an estate suddenly, without regard to right or wrong. 21. Judgment is perverted, when any thing but pure right is considered. 22. He that hastens to be rich, never seriously thinks how quickly God may take his wealth from him, and leave him in poverty. 23. Upon reflection, most will have a better opinion of a faithful reprover than of a soothing flatterer.

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread,.... Or, "shall he filled" or "satisfied with bread" (s): shall have bread enough, and to spare; provisions of all sorts, and in great plenty; See Gill on Proverbs 12:11 ; but he that followeth, after vain persons; empty idle persons; keeps company and spends his time with them, when he should be about the business of his calling: shall have poverty enough; or be "filled with it" (t); he shall be exceeding poor, reduced to the utmost distress, be clothed in rags and destitute of daily food. (s) "saturabitur pane", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Schultens. (t) "satiabitur", Tigurine version, Mercerus, Cocceius, Michaelis; "saturabitur", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Schultens.

Proverbs 28:19-20 . He that tilleth, &c. — See note on Proverbs 12:11 . A faithful man — Hebrew, אישׁ אמונות , a man of truths, who deals truly and justly in all his bargains and transactions with men; shall abound with blessings — Shall have many blessings from God, and be well spoken of by men; but he that maketh haste to be rich — More than God allows him; he whose eager desires cause him to pursue riches by right or wrong, and who, therefore, is unfaithful and unjust in his dealings; shall not be innocent — Shall bring such guilt upon himself as will render him execrable both to God and men, and instead of blessings, shall bring curses and misery upon him.

In his ways - Rather "in his double ways" (as in Proverbs 28:6 ). The evil of vacillation rather than that of craft, the want of the one guiding principle of right, is contrasted with the straightforwardness of the man that "walketh uprightly." Shall fall at once - Better, shall fall in one of them (his ways). The attempt to combine incompatibilities is sure to fail. Men cannot serve God and Mammon.

19 He who cultivateth his land is satisfied with bread, And he that graspeth after vanities is satisfied with poverty. A variation of Proverbs 12:11. The pred. here corresponds to its contrast. On רישׁ (here and at Proverbs 31:7), instead of the more frequent ראשׁ, cf. Proverbs 10:4.

[Reformed Biblical] iv. 11. 2 Cor. xi. 27, with Deut. viii. 3. Matt. iv. 2-4); yet not to famish . (Ps. xxxvii. 3. Isa. xxxiii. 16. Matt. vi. 32.). And does not his unfailing care for temporal provision convey the assurance, that he will not suffer the soul to famish? "The good Shepherd knows his sheep." He "seeks them out in the cloudy and dark day," and brings them into his fold, where "they go in and out, and find pasture." (John, x. 9. Ezek. xxxiv. 12.) Awful indeed is the contrast of the wicked—their substance cast out (Job, xx. 15); themselves buried in the ruins of their own family. (Ps. xlix. 6, &c. Luke, xii. 19, 20; xvi. 23.) 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack (deceitful, marg.) hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Every day's observation confirms the fact, that a slack hand im- poverishes (Chap. xix. 15; xx. 4; xxiii. 21; xxiv. 30-34. Eccles. x. 18), and the hand of the diligent enriches (Chap. xiii. 4; xxi. 5), the harvest's lord. Justly is the slothful condemned as, deceitful ; because he pretends,to serve his Master, when in truth be has been doing nothing. (Matt. xxv. 26. Jer. xlviii. 10. M.R.). He becometh poor by wasting his trust. (Chap. xviii. 9. Comp. Matt. xxv. 28, 29.) His life, which might have been a continued feast, is a continual vexation. Industry was the law of Paradise (Gen. ii. 15); and though now it bears the stamp of * By Shobi the brother of his bitter enemy. 2 Sam. xvii. 27, with x. 4. Machir also of the house of Saul. Ib. ix. 4. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 25. † Heb. xiii. 5; five negatives in the original. ‡ Cope in loco .