14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a broken spirit who can bear?
A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations;
And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for `my' power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.
so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope: and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.
For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me.
As with a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, `Who is' the help of my countenance, and my God.
For thine arrows stick fast in me, And thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation; Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over my head: As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture was changed `as' with the drought of summer. Selah
If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction. And if `my head' exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.
Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than `these' my bones.
So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 18
Commentary on Proverbs 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 18
Pr 18:1-24.
1. Through desire … seeketh—that is, seeks selfish gratification.
intermeddleth … wisdom—or, "rushes on" (Pr 17:14) against all wisdom, or what is valuable (Pr 2:7).
2. that his heart … itself—that is, takes pleasure in revealing his folly (Pr 12:23; 15:2).
3. So surely are sin and punishment connected (Pr 16:4).
wicked, for "wickedness," answers to
ignominy, or the state of such; and
contempt, the feeling of others to them; and to
reproach, a manifestation of contempt.
4. Wise speech is like an exhaustless stream of benefit.
5. accept the person—(Compare Ps 82:2). "It is not good" is to be supplied before "to overthrow."
6, 7. The quarrelsome bring trouble on themselves. Their rash language ensnares them (Pr 6:2).
8. (Compare Pr 16:28).
as wounds—not sustained by the Hebrew; better, as "sweet morsels," which men gladly swallow.
innermost … belly—the mind, or heart (compare Pr 20:27-30; Ps 22:14).
9. One by failing to get, the other by wasting wealth, grows poor.
waster—literally, "master of washing," a prodigal.
10. name of the Lord—manifested perfections (Ps 8:1; 20:2), as faithfulness, power, mercy, &c., on which men rely.
is safe—literally, "set on high, out of danger" (Ps 18:2; 91:4).
11. contrasts with Pr 18:10 (compare Pr 10:15). Such is a vain trust (compare Ps 73:6).
12. (Compare Pr 15:33; 16:18).
13. Hasty speech evinces self-conceit, and ensures shame (Pr 26:12).
14. infirmity—bodily sickness, or outward evil. The spirit, which sustains, being wounded, no support is left, except, as implied, in God.
15. (Compare Pr 1:5, 15, 31).
16. (Compare Pr 17:8, 23). Disapproval of the fact stated is implied.
17. One-sided statements are not reliable.
searcheth—thoroughly (Pr 17:9, 19).
18. The lot—whose disposal is of God (Pr 16:13), may, properly used, be a right mode of settling disputes.
19. No feuds so difficult of adjustment as those of relatives; hence great care should be used to avoid them.
20. (Compare Pr 12:14; 13:2). Men's words are the fruit, or, increase of his lips, and when good, benefit them.
satisfied with—(Compare Pr 1:31; 14:14).
21. Death and life—or, the greatest evil and good.
that love it—that is, the tongue, or its use for good or evil.
eat … fruit—(Compare Pr 18:19; Jas 1:19).
22. The old versions supply "good" before the "wife," as the last clause and Pr 19:14 imply (compare Pr 31:10).
23. the rich … roughly—He is tolerated because rich, implying that the estimate of men by wealth is wrong.
24. A man … friendly—better, "A man … (is) to, or, may triumph (Ps 108:9), or, shout for joy (Ps 5:11), that is, may congratulate himself." Indeed, there is a Friend who is better than a brother; such is the "Friend of sinners" [Mt 11:19; Lu 7:34], who may have been before the writer's mind.