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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: |
Proverbs of Solomon – Based on the promised wisdom from above and on experiences gained under peculiar and varied circumstances. R1517:5
Although he spoke 3000 Proverbs (1 Kings 4:32), they were not all deemed of the Lord worthy of preservation as a portion of the sacred Scriptures. R2053:4
Those who reverence the Lord he recognizes as sons. To such the counsels of these Proverbs are addressed, while warnings are given to others. R1518:5
Solomon was granted a supernatural wisdom that he might prefigure Jesus, the "greater than Solomon." (Matt. 12:42) R2053:2
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2 To know wisdom and instruction;
To discern the words of understanding;
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Wisdom – Dealing with wisdom from the earthly standpoint, not the heavenly wisdom, not spiritual understanding. R2053:1
Solomon was granted a supernatural wisdom that he might represent our Lord. R2053:2
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3 To receive instruction in wise dealing,
In righteousness and justice and equity;
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4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion:
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5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning;
And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
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A wise man will hear – No matter how wise a man may be, he still has opportunity to increase his wisdom, and a teachable attitude and desire to know the truth are necessary. R2053:3
Christians need to search the Scriptures daily that they might more perfectly understand the divine plan. R2053:3
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6 To understand a proverb, and a figure,
The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
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7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge;
But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
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The fear of the LORD – Solomon here quotes from one of his father David's Psalms. (Psa. 111:10) R2053:3
Proper reverence for him, now so generally lacking. R2053:5
Allowing our minds to dwell upon the grandeur of God's benevolent, loving and glorious character until a glimpse of his glory awakens in us a feeling of admiration, veneration and love. R1518:3
In the training of a child, every suggestion should take the Lord into consideration. F554
Other fears are discountenanced among the Lord's people; the fear of the Lord should be their only one. CR9:1
Of knowledge – Knowledge from God is accompanied by its equal of understanding and this is how we have become established in the faith. If God gives us knowledge he also gives us a test on that knowledge, and fortifies it with the understanding thereof. R4093:2*
Fools despise wisdom – As mankind awakens from the superstition of the past they go to the opposite extreme of doubt, skepticism, infidelity, irreverence for God and his Word. R2053:5
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8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
And forsake not the law of thy mother:
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My son – Only those begotten of the truth and in covenant with God. R1518:5
Of thy father – God. R1518:5
True prosperity lies in obedience to parents, and in general, learning from the experiences of those who have gone before. R2053:6
Of thy mother – The Abrahamic covenant, typified by Sarah. R4019:5, R1518:5
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9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head,
And chains about thy neck.
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Be an ornament – Mark of honor and respect. R2053:6
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10 My son, if sinners entice thee,
Consent thou not.
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If sinners – Literally the brigands of Solomon's day, much more common then than now. R2054:1
Figuratively the trusts and monopolies (including labor trusts) of our day. R1518:5, R2054:1
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11 If they say, Come with us,
Let us lay in wait for blood;
Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
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Come with us – Join our union or trust. R1518:6
Lay wait for blood – For opportunities to squeeze the life out of those under our power--financially or otherwise kill those opposed to us. R1518:6
Social brigandage, in passing laws that do violence to the liberties and interests of others. R2054:4
Lurk privily – Watch for opportunity to take advantage of their ignorance of our movements. R1519:1
Robbing others by misrepresentation, swindling advertisements, fraudulent deceptions, trickery, etc. R2054:1
For the innocent – It is chiefly the innocent who suffer most from such conspiracies. R1519:1
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12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol,
And whole, as those that go down into the pit;
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Let us – This purports to be the language of murderers who would destroy their victims quickly, and have them lost from sight and from memory. E366
Swallow them up – Completely destroy them as competitors. R1519:1
As in an earthquake, as in Num. 16:30-33. R2600:2
Alive as the grave – As sheol, oblivion, lost from sight and memory. E366
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13 We shall find all precious substance;
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
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With spoil – Grow rich upon the loss and injuries of others. R1519:1
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14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us;
We will all have one purse:
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All have one purse – Let us put our money and skill together so that we can control the markets and reap the harvest. R1519:1
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15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them;
Refrain thy foot from their path:
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Walk not thou – "My soul, come not thou into their secret" scheming. (Gen. 49:6) CR351:4*
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16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
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17 For in vain is the net spread
In the sight of any bird:
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Sight of any bird – Both Capital and Labor can see the devices of each other. R1519:1
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18 And these lay wait for their own blood;
They lurk privily for their own souls.
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And they – These conspirators. R1519:2
Their own blood – Get caught in their own traps. R1519:2, R2054:4
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19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain;
It taketh away the soul of the owners thereof.
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Greedy of gain – "Then they that will (to) be rich fall into temptation and a snare." (1 Tim. 6:9) R2054:4
The life – The living. R1519:2
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20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street;
She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
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Wisdom – The voice of righteousness and prudence, the voice of God. R1519:2
Crieth without – Never before were the obligations of human brotherhood forced upon the attention of all men as they are today. R1519:2
In the streets – The "golden rule" is coming to the front, even in the newspapers of our day. R1519:2
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21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse;
At the entrance of the gates,
In the city, she uttereth her words:
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22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?
And scoffers delight them in scoffing,
And fools hate knowledge?
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Love simplicity – Prefer to remain in ignorance of the just and right ways of the Lord. R1519:3
In their scorning – Of justice and truth. R1519:3
Hate knowledge – The wisdom that cometh from above. R1519:3
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23 Turn you at my reproof:
Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you;
I will make known my words unto you.
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At my reproof – But they will not turn, because they "Imagine a vain thing," --they "set themselves together against the Lord and against his anointed." (Psa. 2:2) R1519:3
I will pour out – Make manifest. R1519:3
My spirit – My disposition. R1519:3
My words unto you – Notwithstanding the fact that they hate such a knowledge. R1519:3
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24 Because I have called, and ye have refused;
I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;
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25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel,
And would none of my reproof:
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All my counsel – As contained in my Word. R2241:1
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26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity;
I will mock when your fear cometh;
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I also will laugh – "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision." (Psa. 2:4) R1519:4, R1079:5
At your calamity – The culmination of the present (1893) unrest will be a terrific whirlwind. R1519:4
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27 When your fear cometh as a storm,
And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind;
When distress and anguish come upon you.
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28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but they shall not find me:
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I will not answer – It will not avert the trouble for men to call upon the Lord once it has begun. R1519:4
"God heareth not sinners." (John 9:31) R2024:1
Prayer privileges are restricted to those who, desiring to flee from sin, come to a knowledge of the Savior and accept the favor of God. R2024:1
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29 For that they hated knowledge,
And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:
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30 They would have none of my counsel;
They despised all my reproof.
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None of my counsel – Some reject the Word of the Lord in toto; others, as truly rejectors, accept it nominally, but never in the sense of putting it into practice in their daily lives. R2241:1
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31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be filled with their own devices.
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Of their own way – The whirlwind of trouble will be the result of their own selfishness. R1519:4
Illustrated by the end of King Saul. R3240:5
And be filled – To satisfaction. R1519:4
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32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them,
And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
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The turning away – From the heavenly wisdom to the earthly wisdom of selfishness. R1519:5
Shall slay them – Incite the jealousy and hatred of the masses and make them special objects of attack in the time of trouble. R1519:5
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33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely,
And shall be quiet without fear of evil. |
Shall dwell safely – "The Lord knoweth them that are his." (2 Tim. 2:19) R1519:5
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