John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 18:1-24
1. Lit. ’One who separates himself seeks desire, quarrels with all wisdom.’ This would mean that a solitary recluse follows his own wishes and opposes everything reasonable. But LXX suggests, ’The alienated friend seeks an occasion of quarrel, seeks by all means to stir up strife.’2. He likes to talk about his own notions. 4. The second half of the v. shows that it is a wise man who is in view; his words are ’as deep waters,’ i.e. are inexhaustible; he is ever ready to give helpful answers.8.... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Proverbs 18:20
The sense here is that we will have to be content to accept the consequences of what we say. "Satisfied" does not mean happy but filled. Yet "productive speech is satisfying." [Note: Ross, p. 1028.] "The oxymoron forces the thought that whatever a person dishes out, whether beneficial or harmful, he himself will feed on to full measure through what his audience in return dishes out to him," [Note: Waltke, The Book . . . 31, p. 85.] read more