proverbs-20:20-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:20

Here is, 1. An undutiful child become very wicked by degrees. He began with despising his father and mother, slighting their instructions, disobeying their commands, and raging at their rebukes, but at length he arrives at such a pitch of impudence and impiety as to curse them, to give them scurrilous and opprobrious language, and to wish mischief to those that were instruments of his being and have taken so much care and pains about him, and this in defiance of God and his law, which had made... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:21

Note, 1. It is possible that an estate may be suddenly raised. There are those that will be rich, by right or wrong, who make no conscience of what they say or do if they can but get money by it, who, when it is in their power, will cheat their own father, and who sordidly spare and hoard up what they get, grudging themselves and their families food convenient and thinking all lost but what they buy land with or put out to interest. By such ways as these a man may grow rich, may grow very... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:22

Those that live in this world must expect to have injuries done them, affronts given them, and trouble wrongfully created them, for we dwell among briers. Now here we are told what to do when we have wrong done us. 1. We must not avenge ourselves, no, nor so much as think of revenge, or design it: ?Say not thou, no, not in thy heart, I will recompense evil for evil. Do not please thyself with the thought that some time or other thou shalt have an opportunity of being quits with him. Do not... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:23

This is to the same purport with what was said Prov. 20:20. 1. It is here repeated, because it is a sin that God doubly hates (as lying, which is of the same nature with this sin, is mentioned twice among the seven things that God hates, Prov. 6:17, 19), and because it was probably a sin very much practised at that time in Israel, and therefore made light of as if there were no harm in it, under pretence that, being commonly used, there was no trading without it. 2. It is here added, A false... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:20

Whoso curseth his father or his mother ,.... This is dreadful indeed! a person must be got to a great pitch of wickedness to do this; to curse his parents, one or other of them, that have been the instruments of his being, and by whom he has been brought up and put out into the world; to slight them, despise them, and mock at them, is highly base and criminal, but to curse them is shocking! what can such expect but the curse of God upon them? his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:21

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning ,.... Of a man's setting out in the world in trade and business; and which sometimes is got lawfully, and this must be excepted from this proverb; but generally what is got hastily and in a short time is got unlawfully, and so does not prosper. Some Jewish interpreters, as Gersom, understand it of an inheritance which comes to persons from their friends, without any labour or industry of theirs; and which they are not careful to keep,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:22

Say not thou, I will recompense evil ,.... With evil; do an injury to one that has done one to you; private revenge is not to be taken, but should be left to God, to whom vengeance belongs, Deuteronomy 32:35 ; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee ; commit thyself and cause to God; leave it with him to avenge thy wrongs; wait upon him in the way of thy duty, and wait his own time to do thee justice; he will at the proper season, and in his own way, save thee from thine enemy,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:23

Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord ,.... See Gill on Proverbs 20:10 ; which is here repeated for the further confirmation of it, and that it might be taken notice of and avoided; and perhaps this sin of using false weights and measures was common with the Jews; and a false balance is not good ; in the sight of God; but an abomination, as in Proverbs 11:1 ; nor is it good for men in the issue; for though they may gain by it at present, it will prove a loss to them in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:20

Whoso curseth his father - Such persons were put to death under the law; see Exodus 21:17 ; Leviticus 20:9 , and here it is said, Their lamp shall be put out - they shall have no posterity; God shall cut them off both root and branch. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:21

An inheritance - gotten hastily - Gotten by speculation; by lucky hits; not in the fair progressive way of traffic, in which money has its natural increase. All such inheritances are short-lived; God's blessing is not in them, because they are not the produce of industry; and they lead to idleness, pride, fraud and knavery. A speculation in trade is a pubiic nuisance and curse. How many honest men have been ruined by such! read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:23

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:21

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