1Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish. 2As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause. 3A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish. 4Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him. 5Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself. 6He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage. 7The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish. 8Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord. 9Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man. 10Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink. 11Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again. 12Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him. 13The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. 14A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed. 15The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him. 16The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense. 17He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by. 18As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death, 19So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport? 20Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended. 21Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started. 22The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach. 23Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste. 24With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him; 25When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils: 26Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people. 27He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again. 28A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
1 Honour is out of season to those unworthy and unfit for it. 2|. He that is cursed without cause, the curse shall do him no more harm than the bird that flies over his head. #3|. Every creature must be dealt with according to its nature, but careless and profligate sinners never will be ruled by reason and persuasion. Man indeed is born like the wild ass's colt; but some, by the grace of God, are changed. #4,5|. We are to fit our remarks to the man, and address them to his conscience, so as may best end the debate. #6-9|. Fools are not fit to be trusted, nor to have any honour. Wise sayings, as a foolish man delivers and applies them, lose their usefulness. #10|. This verse may either declare how the Lord, the Creator of all men, will deal with sinners according to their guilt, or, how the powerful among men should disgrace and punish the wicked. #11|. The dog is a loathsome emblem of those sinners who return to their vices, #2Pe 2:22|. #12|. We see many a one who has some little sense, but is proud of it. This describes those who think their spiritual state to be good, when really it is very bad. #13|. The slothful man hates every thing that requires care and labour. But it is foolish to frighten ourselves from real duties by fancied difficulties. This may be applied to a man slothful in the duties of religion. #14|. Having seen the slothful man in fear of his work, here we find him in love with his ease. Bodily ease is the sad occasion of many spiritual diseases. He does not care to get forward with his business. Slothful professors turn thus. The world and the flesh are hinges on which they are hung; and though they move in a course of outward services, yet they are not the nearer to heaven. #15|. The sluggard is now out of his bed, but he might have lain there, for any thing he is likely to bring to pass in his work. It is common for men who will not do their duty, to pretend they cannot. Those that are slothful in religion, will not be at the pains to feed their souls with the bread of life, nor to fetch in promised blessings by prayer. #16|. He that takes pains in religion, knows he is working for a good Master, and that his labour shall not be in vain. #17|. To make ourselves busy in other men's matters, is to thrust ourselves into temptation. #18,19|. He that sins in jest, must repent in earnest, or his sin will be his ruin. #20-22|. Contention heats the spirit, and puts families and societies into a flame. And that fire is commonly kindled and kept burning by whisperers and backbiters. #23|. A wicked heart disguising itself, is like a potsherd covered with the dross of silver. 24-26|. Always distrust when a man speaks fair unless you know him well. Satan, in his temptations, speaks fair, as he did to Eve; but it is madness to give credit to him. #27|. What pains men take to do mischief to others! but it is digging a pit, it is rolling a stone, hard work; and they prepare mischief to themselves. #28|. There are two sorts of lies equally detestable. A slandering lie, the mischief of this every body sees. A flattering lie, which secretly works ruin. A wise man will be more afraid of a flatterer than of a slanderer.