Proverbs 3:30

3:27-35 Our business is to observe the precepts of Christ, and to copy his example; to do justice, to love mercy, and to beware of covetousness; to be ready for every good work, avoiding needless strife, and bearing evils, if possible, rather than seeking redress by law. It will be found there is little got by striving. Let us not envy prosperous oppressors; far be it from the disciples of Christ to choose any of their ways. These truths may be despised by the covetous and luxurious, but everlasting contempt will be the portion of such scorners, while Divine favour is shown to the humble believer.

Strive not with a man without cause, Either by words, in a wrangling, quarrelsome, and contentious way, for mere trifles; when there is no foundation for it, no just reason given to form a complaint, or pick a quarrel upon; or by deeds, by lawsuits, when there is nothing to proceed upon; or it is so trifling, that it is not worth while to litigate it or contend about: such, who strive either way, are far from following the example of Wisdom or Christ, and from taking his advice, Matthew 12:19 ; if he have done thee no harm; no real hurt to thy person, nor injury to thy substance; if he has not abused nor defrauded thee, nor taken any thing from thee by force or fraud, nor withheld from thee what is thy right and due. But otherwise the laws of God and man ought to take place; right may be sought for, and justice should be done.

Proverbs 3:30-32 . Strive not — Either by words before the magistrate, or otherwise by thine actions; with a man without cause — Without just and necessary cause; if he have done thee no harm — Whereby it is clearly implied, that, in case of injury, a man may, by all lawful means, defend himself. Envy thou not the oppressor — For his impunity and success in his wicked designs, and the wealth which he gains by unrighteous practices; and choose none of his ways — For what men envy in others they seek to obtain for themselves. For the froward — Or, perverse, who walks in crooked and sinful paths, as the oppressor last mentioned, opposed to the upright man, who is called right, or straight, Proverbs 29:27 ; is an abomination to the Lord — And therefore, sooner or later, must be miserable. But his secret is with the righteous — They are his friends and favourites, to whom he familiarly imparts, as men use to do to their friends, his mind and counsels, or his secret favours and comforts, to which other men are strangers.

Verse 30. - The meaning of the precept in this verse is clear. We are nat to strive or quarrel with a man unless he has first given us offence. So Le Clerc, "Nisi injuria prior lacessiverit." The admonition is directed against those who, from spite, jealousy, or other reasons, "stir up strife all the day long" with those who are quiet and peaceable. Strive. The Keri here reads tariv for the Khetib taruv , but without any change of meaning. The verb ruv , from which taruv , is "to strive or contend with the hand and with blows," as in Deuteronomy 33:7 ; or with words, as in Psalm 103:9 (cf. the Vulgate, ne contendas ; and the LXX, μὴ φιλεχθήσης , "Do not exercise enmity," from the unusual φιλεχθρέω . Ruv is here followed by עִם ( im ), as in Job 9:3 ; Job 40:2 ; and Genesis 26:30 Its forensic sense, "to contend with in law," does not strictly apply here, though the precept may be taken as discouraging litigation (Lapide). Without cause ( khinnam ); LXX., ματήν , equivalent to δωρεάν , in John 15:25 ; Vulgate, frustra ; further explained in the concluding clause (see on Proverbs 1:17). If he have done thee no harm. The phrase, gumal raah , is to bring evil upon any one (Schultens).

The verb gamal signifies "to do, to give, to show to any one." Holdea renders, "Surely he will return thee evil," in the sense that unprovoked attack ensures retaliation.]gut this is to ignore the negative force of im-lo , "if not." The verb sometimes means "requiting," but not in the passage before us, nor in Proverbs 11:17 ; Proverbs 31:12 . The Vulgate renders as the Authorized Version, Cum ipse tibi nihil mali fecerit. It is to be remarked that this precept falls below the moral standard of the New Testament teaching (see Matthew 5:39-41 ; Romans 12:17-21 ; 1 Corinthians 6:6-8 ), and of the example of our Lord, of whom it was predicted that "When he was reviled, be reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not" (see Isaiah 53 ). Proverbs 3:30

A third illustration of the same principle is peaceableness: Contend not with a man without a cause, When he has inflicted no evil upon thee. Instead of תּרוּב, or as the Kerı̂ has amended it תּריב, the abbreviated form תּרב or תּרב would be more correct after אל; רוּב or ריב (from רב, to be compact) means to fall upon one another, to come to hand-blows, to contend. Contending and quarrelling with a man, whoever he may be, without sufficient reason, ought to be abandoned; but there exists no such reason if he has done me no harm which I have to reproach him with. גּמל רעה with the accus. or dat. of the person signifies to bring evil upon any one, malum inferre, or also referre (Schultens), for גּמל (cogn. גּמר) signifies to execute, to complete, accomplish - both of the initiative and of the requital, both of the anticipative and of the recompensing action; here in the former of these senses.

Seven is used as a symbol of a whole, since "on the seventh day God rested from all which He had made," and therefore the number seven entered so largely into the whole Jewish ritual. All time was measured by seven. The rule then is; "give without bounds; when that whole is fulfilled, still give." Again in that series of sayings in the book of Proverbs Prov. 30, the fourth is, in each, something greater than the three preceding. "There are three" things that "are never satisfied;" yea, "four" things "say not," it is "enough" Proverbs 30:15-16. The other things cannot be satisfied; the fourth, fire, grows fiercer by being fed. Again, "There be three" things "which go well; yea, four are comely in going" Proverbs 30:29-31. The moral majesty of a king is obviously greater than the rest. So "the handmaid which displaceth her mistress" Proverbs 30:21-23 is more intolerable and overbearing than the others. The art and concealment of man in approaching a maiden is of a subtler kind than things in nature which leave no trace of themselves, the eagle in the air, the serpent on the rock, the ship in its pathway through the waves Proverbs 30:18-19. Again, "Sowing discord among brethren" Proverbs 6:16-19, has a special hatefulness, as not only being sin, but causing widewasting sin, and destroying in others the chief grace, love. Soul-murder is worse than physical murder, and requires more devilish art.

(Compare Psalms 12:6; 119:140). 6. Add … words —implying that his sole reliance was on God's all-sufficient teaching. reprove thee —or, "convict thee"—and so the falsehood will appear. 7-9. A prayer for exemption from wickedness, and the extremes of poverty and riches, the two things mentioned. Contentment is implied as desired. 8. vanity —all sorts of sinful acts (Job 11:11; Isaiah 5:18). 9. be full … deny —that is, puffed up by the pride of prosperity. take the name … vain —This is not ( Hebrew ) the form (compare Exodus 20:7), but "take" rather denotes laying violent hold on any thing; that is, lest I assail God's name or attributes, as justice, mercy, &c., which the poor are tempted to do. ## 10. Accuse not —Slander not (Psalms 10:7). curse … guilty —lest, however lowly, he be exasperated to turn on thee, and your guilt be made to appear. 11-14. Four kinds of hateful persons—(1) graceless children, (2) hypocrites, (3) the proud, (4) cruel oppressors (compare on Proverbs 30:14; Psalms 14:4; 52:2)—are now illustrated; (1) Proverbs 30:15, 16, the insatiability of prodigal children and their fate; (2) Proverbs 30:17, hypocrisy, or the concealment of real character; (3 and 4) Proverbs 30:18-20, various examples of pride and oppression. 15, 16. horse leech —supposed by some to be the vampire (a fabulous creature), as being literally insatiable; but the other subjects mentioned must be taken as this, comparatively insatiable.