| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand, |
If thou be surety – By endorsing notes or going on a bond, contrary to the instruction of the Lord's Word. R2668:6: F568
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| 2 Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth, |
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| 3 Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend, |
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| 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids, |
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| 5 Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler. |
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| 6 Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise; |
Consider her ways – "Parents ought to lay up for their children." (2 Cor. 12:14) F577
And be wise – Follow her custom of laying up provision in advance of necessity. R2488:2
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| 7 Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler, |
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| 8 She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food. |
Provideth her meat – Probably fewer need advice along this line than need advice against the opposite extreme. F577
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| 9 Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie When dost thou arise from thy sleep |
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| 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest, |
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| 11 And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man. |
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| 12 A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth, |
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| 13 Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers, |
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| 14 Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth. |
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| 15 Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken and no healing. |
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| 16 These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul. |
These six things – Elements of character in direct opposition to humility. R3537:3
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| 17 Eyes high tongues false And hands shedding innocent blood |
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| 18 A heart devising thoughts of vanity Feet hasting to run to evil |
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| 19 A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies And one sending forth contentions between brethren. |
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| 20 Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother. |
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| 21 Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck. |
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| 22 In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked it talketh [with] thee. |
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| 23 For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction, |
The law is light – On "the feast of joy for the Law" (Feast of Tabernacles) the Jews took all the books of the Law out of the chest and put a candle into it in allusion to this verse. R2439:1*
Ultimately the Jewish Law was superseded by the true light--the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. R2439:1
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| 24 To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. |
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| 25 Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids. |
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| 26 For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth. |
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| 27 Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt |
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| 28 Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched |
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| 29 So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent. |
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| 30 They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry, |
To satisfy his soul – Being, person. R205:1, R276:3
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| 31 And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth. |
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| 32 He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it. |
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| 33 A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away, |
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| 34 For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance. |
Day of vengeance – Transition period following the Gospel age. R247:5
Designed to punish evil-doers and prepare the world for the blessed reign of righteousness. R247:5
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| 35 He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes! |
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