| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger, |
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 thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. |
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| 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend. |
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| 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:
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| 5 deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. |
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| 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider 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 having no chief, overseer, or ruler, |
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| 8 provideth her bread in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. |
Provideth her meat – Probably fewer need advice along this line than need advice against the opposite extreme. F577
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| 9 How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? |
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| 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest! |
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| 11 So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man. |
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| 12 A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth; |
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| 13 he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; |
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| 14 deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords. |
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| 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy. |
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| 16 These six things doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him: |
These six things – Elements of character in direct opposition to humility. R3537:3
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| 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; |
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| 18 a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief; |
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| 19 a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren. |
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| 20 My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; |
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| 21 bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck: |
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| 22 when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. |
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| 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: |
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 keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. |
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| 25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids; |
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| 26 for by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul. |
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| 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned? |
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| 28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched? |
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| 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. |
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| 30 They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry: |
To satisfy his soul – Being, person. R205:1, R276:3
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| 31 and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. |
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| 32 Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. |
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| 33 A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. |
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| 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the 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 will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest thy gifts. |
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