Various observations of moral virtues, and their contrary vices, 1-24.
1 Through desire a man, having separated himself,/
seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding,/
but only that his heart may reveal itself.
3 When the wicked comes, then contempt also comes,/
and with ignominy comes reproach.
4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters,/
and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked/
or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool's lips enter into contention,/
and his mouth calls for strokes.
7 A fool's mouth is his destruction,/
and his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a gossiper are as wounds,/
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
9 He also who is slothful in his work/
is brother to him who is a great waster.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower./
The righteous runs into it, and is safe.
11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city,/
and as a high wall in his own conceit.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,/
and before honor is humility.
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,/
it is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity,/
but who can bear a wounded spirit?
15 The heart of the prudent gets knowledge,/
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man's gift makes room for him,/
and brings him before great men.
17 He who is first in his own cause seems just,/
but his neighbor comes and searches him.
18 The lot causes contentions to cease/
and parts between the mighty.
19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,/
and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth./
And with the increase of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,/
and those who love it shall eat its fruit.
22 Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing/
and obtains favor from the LORD.
23 The poor uses entreaties,/
but the rich answers roughly.
24 A man of many friends may come to ruin,/
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Proverbs, Chapter 18[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
From the tenth chapter to the twenty-fifth are various proverbial sentences without any very apparent connection or coherence with each other, describing righteous and wicked men, setting forth their different temper, conduct, and actions, and the fruits and effects of them. It should be observed, that frequently in the preceding chapters two persons are represented as women: one goes by the name of "Wisdom," the other is called the "foolish" woman and a "harlot," the former is clearly to be understood of Christ, and the latter, being opposed to him, must be antichrist, the whore of Rome and mother of harlots. Now in the following part of this book two sorts of persons are spoken of, the one as wise, righteous, good, etc., and the other as foolish, wicked, etc., who are no other than the followers of Christ and antichrist, which observation is a key to the whole book.