A false witness shall not be unpunished ,.... See Gill on Proverbs 19:5 ; and he that speaketh lies shall perish ; or "be lost", shall be undone for ever; he shall not enter into the holy city, but have his part in the lake of fire: they that speak lies in hypocrisy, doctrinal ones, and are given up to believe and profess them, such shall be damned, 2 Thessalonians 2:11 . read more
Making the most of ourself and our life How shall we most truly "love our own soul" but by making all we can make of the nature and the life God has entrusted to our care! And how shall we do this? Surely by "getting wisdom" and "keeping understanding." To look at the subject negatively and, beginning at the bottom, to take an upward path, we remark— I. THAT CONTEMPTUOUS CARELESSNESS MEANS CERTAIN RUIN . "He that despiseth his ways shall die." The man who never pauses to... read more
Maxims of intelligence I. THE WORTH OF INTELLIGENCE . 1 . It is self-conservative ( Proverbs 19:8 ). We all love our own soul or life in any healthy state of body and mind. We all want to live as long as possible. It is natural to desire to live again beyond the grave. Then let us understand that there is no way to these ends except that of intelligence, in the highest and in every sense. 2 . It is the source of happiness. ( Proverbs 19:8 .) The truth is very... read more
A repetition of Proverbs 19:5 , except that shall perish is substituted for "shall not escape." Septuagint, "And whosoever shall kindle mischief shall perish by it." The Greek translators have rendered the special reference in the original to slanderers and liars by a general term, and introduced the notion of Divine retribution, which is not definitely expressed in the Hebrew. read more
Lessons heeded and ignored (19:1-29)Moral uprightness is more important than wealth, and wise action is more important than hasty action. People are foolish when they blame God for the trouble they bring upon themselves through their own mistakes (19:1-3).Often the reason the rich have many friends is that these ‘friends’ hope to gain personally from their wealth or influence (4-6). The poor lose their friends, though in a sense they are rich if they maintain their understanding (7-8). People... read more
A false witness, &c. The repetition of Proverbs 19:6 is needed, and punishment is denned. read more
"A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish."This is almost a verbatim repetition of Proverbs 19:5. See comment above. read more
4. Further advice for pleasing God 19:1-22:16As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (Proverbs 16:1 to Proverbs 22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends, because there are fewer groupings of proverbs. read more
1. Fool] read, ’rich’ (Proverbs 28:6). 2. Read, ’Also, desire without knowledge,’ etc. Desires must be controlled by knowledge. The hasty in action will miss his mark. ’While the discreet advise, the fool doth his business.’3. Perverteth] RV ’subverteth.’ It is his own fault, yet he blames God for it. 6. Great nobles and great donors are always sought after.10. Delight] RV ’delicate living.’ He cannot appreciate refinement. Slaves have often risen to great power in the East: the danger is that... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 19:9
Here is, 1. A repetition of what was said before (Prov. 18:5), for we have need to be again and again warned of the danger of the sin of lying and false-witness-bearing, since nothing is of more fatal consequence. 2. An addition to it in one word; there it was said, He that speaks lies shall not escape, and intimated that he shall be punished. Here it is said, His punishment shall be such as will be his destruction: he shall perish; the lies he forged against others will be his own ruin. It is... read more