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1 A Good name is rather to be chosen then great riches, and louing fauour rather then siluer & golde.
2 The rich and poore meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man foreseeth the euill, and hideth himselfe: but the simple passe on, and are punished.
4 By humilitie and the feare of the Lord, are riches, and honour, and life.
5 Thornes and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doeth keepe his soule, shalbe farre from them.
6 Traine vp a childe in the way he should goe: and when he is olde, hee will not depart from it.
7 The rich ruleth ouer the poore, and the borrower is seruant to the lender.
8 Hee that soweth iniquitie, shall reape vanitie: and the rodde of his anger shall faile.
9 Hee that hath a bountifull eye, shall bee blessed: for hee giueth of his bread to the poore.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall goe out; yea strife, and reproch shall cease.
11 He that loueth purenesse of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge, and he ouerthroweth the words of the transgressour.
13 The slothfull man sayth, There is a lyon without, I shall be slaine in the streetes.
14 The mouth of strange women is a deepe pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.
15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correction shal driue it farre from him.
16 Hee that oppresseth the poore to increase his riches, and he that giueth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17 Bow downe thine eare, and heare the words of the wise, and apply thine heart vnto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing, if thou keepe them within thee; they shall withall be fitted in thy lippes.
19 That thy trust may bee in the Lord, I haue made knowen to thee this day, euen to thee.
20 Haue not I written to thee excellent things in counsailes and knowledge:
21 That I might make thee knowe the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answere the words of trueth to them that send vnto thee?
22 Rob not the poore because he is poore, neither oppresse the afflicted in the gate.
23 For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoile the soule of those that spoiled them.
24 Make no friendship with an angrie man: and with a furious man thou shalt not goe;
25 Lest thou learne his wayes, and get a snare to thy soule.
26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from vnder thee?
28 Remoue not the ancient land marke, which thy fathers haue set.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his businesse? hee shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before meane men.
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. 17-21|. To these words, to this knowledge, the ear must be bowed down, and the heart applied by faith and love. To live a life of delight in God and dependence on him, is the foundation of all practical religion. The way to know the certainty of the word of truth, is to make conscience of our duty. #22,23|. He that robs and oppresses the poor, does so at his peril. And if men will not appear for them, God will. #24,25|. Our corrupt hearts have so much tinder in them, that it is dangerous to have to do with those that throw about the sparks of their passion. 26,27|. Every man ought to be just to himself, and his family; those are not so, who, by folly or other carelessness, waste what they have. #28|. We are taught not to trespass on another man's right. And it is hard to find a truly industrious man. Such a man will rise. Seest thou a man diligent in the business of religion? He is likely to excel. Let us then be diligent in God's work.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.