1Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands. 2He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour. 3In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe. 4Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox. 5A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit. 6The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man. 7Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge. 8The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit. 9In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace. 10No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy. 11The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well. 12There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death. 13Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow. 14He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings. 15The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps. 16The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger. 17He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet. 18Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge. 19The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright. 20The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends. 21He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy. 22Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good. 23In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor. 24Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise. 25A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit. 26For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place. 27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death. 28A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction. 29He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish. 30A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones. 31He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour. 32The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness. 33Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish. 34By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples. 35The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
1 A woman who has no fear of God, who is wilful and wasteful, and indulges her ease, will as certainly ruin her family, as if she plucked her house down. #2|. Here are grace and sin in their true colours. Those that despise God's precepts and promises, despise God and all his power and mercy. #3|. Pride grows from that root of bitterness which is in the heart. The root must be plucked up, or we cannot conquer this branch. The prudent words of wise men get them out of difficulties. #4|. There can be no advantage without something which, though of little moment, will affright the indolent. #5|. A conscientious witness will not dare to represent anything otherwise than according to his knowledge. #6|. A scorner treats Divine things with contempt. He that feels his ignorance and unworthiness will search the Scriptures in a humble spirit. #7|. We discover a wicked man if there is no savour of piety in his discourse. #8|. We are travellers, whose concern is, not to spy out wonders, but to get to their journey's end; to understand the rules we are to walk by, also the ends we are to walk toward. The bad man cheats himself, and goes on in his mistake. #9|. Foolish and profane men consider sin a mere trifle, to be made light of rather than mourned over. Fools mock at the sin-offering; but those that make light of sin, make light of Christ. #10|. We do not know what stings of conscience, or consuming passions, torment the prosperous sinner. Nor does the world know the peace of mind a serious Christian enjoys, even in poverty and sickness. #11|. Sin ruins many great families; whilst righteousness often raises and strengthens even mean families. #12|. The ways of carelessness, of worldliness, and of sensuality, seem right to those that walk in them; but self-deceivers prove self-destroyers. See the vanity of carnal mirth. #14|. Of all sinners backsliders will have the most terror when they reflect on their own ways. #15|. Eager readiness to believe what others say, has ever proved mischievous. The whole world was thus ruined at first. The man who is spiritually wise, depends on the Saviour alone for acceptance. He is watchful against the enemies of his salvation, by taking heed to God's word. #16|. Holy fear guards against every thing unholy. #17|. An angry man is to be pitied as well as blamed; but the revengeful is more hateful. 18|. Sin is the shame of sinners; but wisdom is the honour of the wise. #19|. Even bad men acknowledge the excellency of God's people. #20|. Friendship in the world is governed by self-interest. It is good to have God our Friend; he will not desert us. #21|. To despise a man for his employment or appearance is a sin. #22|. How wisely those consult their own interest, who not only do good, but devise it! #23|. Labour of the head, or of the hand, will turn to some good account. But if men's religion runs all out in talk and noise, they will come to nothing. #24|. The riches of men of wisdom and piety enlarge their usefulness. #25|. An upright man will venture the displeasure of the greatest, to bring truth to light. #26,27|. Those who fear the Lord so as to obey and serve him, have a strong ground of confidence, and will be preserved. Let us seek to this Fountain of life, that we may escape the snares of death. #28|. Let all that wish well to the kingdom of Christ, do what they can, that many may be added to his church. #29|. A mild, patient man is one that learns of Christ, who is Wisdom itself. Unbridled passion is folly made known. #30|. An upright, contented, and benevolent mind, tends to health. #31|. To oppress the poor is to reproach our Creator. #32|. The wicked man has his soul forced from him; he dies in his sins, under the guilt and power of them. But godly men, though they have pain and some dread of death, have the blessed hope, which God, who cannot lie, has given them. #33|. Wisdom possesses the heart, and thus regulates the affections and tempers. #34|. Piety and holiness always promote industry, sobriety, and honesty. #35|. The great King who reigns over heaven and earth, will reward faithful servants who honour his gospel by the proper discharge of the duties of their stations: he despises not the services of the lowest.