Proverbs 26

1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.

2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

7 The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

9 Like 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.

10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

11 Like 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.

12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.

16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

17 He 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.

18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.

21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

22 The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.

24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.

27 He 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.

28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.

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Proverbs 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Verse 1 Honour is out of season to those unworthy and unfit for it. Verse 2 . He that is cursed without cause, the curse shall do him no more harm than the bird that flies over his head. Verse 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 ( proverbs 26:4-5 ) 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. Verse 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. Verse 11 . The dog is a loathsome emblem of those sinners who return to their vices, ( Verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 16 . He that takes pains in religion, knows he is working for a good Master, and that his labour shall not be in vain. Verse 17 . To make ourselves busy in other men's matters, is to ( proverbs 26:18-19 ) 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. Verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13

In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1Ki 13:1-7, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1Ki 13:8-10, but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, 1Ki 13:11-19 upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for disobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a lion that met him in the way, and slew him, 1Ki 13:20-24, of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcass, and buried it in his own sepulchre, where he charged his sons to bury him also when dead, believing that all the man of God had said would be fulfilled, 1Ki 13:25-30 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1Ki 13:33,34.