Westminster Annotations, Proverbs · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Vers. 1. COnsider diligently what is before thee] Eat with sobriety and discretion.
what] Or, who.
V. 2. And put] Or, Or else thou puttest.
And put a knife to thy throat] Bridle thine appetite, as it were by force and violence; or otherwise thou mayest …ndanger thy life, if thou give way to thy greedie appetite.
V. 3. for they are deceitfull meat] For oftentimes the rich, when they bid their inferiours to their tables, it is not for any love they bear to them, but for their own secret purposes. A court-complement.
deceitfull meat] Heb. meat of deceitfulnesses: that is, most deceitfull me…t.
V. 4. Labour not to be rich] 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. Weary not thy self to get riches, nor take more pains then thy strength can bear.
V. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon] Heb. Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flee upon.
V. 6. of him that hath an evil eye] That is, of a covetous man, who looks sowrely on his guests; as on the contrary, a man of a good eye is a liberall man, chap. 22. 9. for he looks chearfully on his guests.
V. 7. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he] He is to be esteemed according to his heart, not according to his words: now he thinks ill towards thee, though he speak kindly to thee.
V. 8. shalt thou vomit up] He will do thee some mischief for his good chear.
and lose thy sweet words] Which he hath spoken to thee: or, thy chearfull words at his table.
V. 10. Remove not the old land-mark] Deut. 19. 14. and 27. 17. chap. 22. 28.
land-mark] Or, bound.
enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse] To take away their corn, or do them harm.
V. 11. For their Redeemer is mighty] Job 31. 21. chap. 22. 23.
V. 13. Withhold not correction from the childe] Chap. 13. 24. and 19. 18. and 22. 15.
V. 14. and shalt deliver his soul from hell] From destruction both of body and soul.
V. 15. my heart shall rejoyce] Chap. 10. 1. and 15. 20.
even mine] Or, even I will rejoyce.
V. 17. Let not thine heart envie sinners] Psal. 37. 1. and 73. 3. chap. 3. 31. and 24. 1.
fear of the Lord all the day long] Chap. 28. 14.
V. 18. For surely there is an end] Chap. 24. 14. The prosperity of the wicked shall not continue long: or, there is a reward for thy pietie in the end, psal. 37. 37, 38. and 58. 11.
end] Or, reward.
V. 19. guide thine heart in the way] In the observation of Gods commandments: or, in all thy courses.
V. 20. Be not amongst wine-bibbers] Rom. 13. 13. Eph. 5. 18.
of flesh] Heb. of their flesh.
V. 22. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, &c.] Chap. 1. 8.
V. 23. Buy the truth, and sell it not] Spare no cost for truths sake, neither depart from it for any gain: be a merchant in buying it, but sell it not again for any pretended or promised gain, as they do their best wares.
V. 24. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoyce] Chap. 10. 1. and 15. 20.
V. 26. give me thine heart] Give thy self wholly to wisedom, and to walk cheerfully in the ways that I prescribe unto thee.
V. 27. For an whore is a deep ditch] Chap. 22. 14.
a strange woman is a narrow pit] So that a man cannot get out again.
V. 28. She also lieth in wait as for a prey] Chap. 7. 12.
as for a prey] Or, as a robber.
and encreaseth the transgressours among men] She seduceth many, and causeth them to offend God.
V. 29. Who hath wo?] Isai. 5. 11.
V. 30. mixt wine] Psal. 75. 8. chap. 9. 2.
V. 31. when it moveth itself aright] Heb. when it goeth up and down in uprightnesses: that is, when it sparkleth, as the most generous wine useth to do.
V. 32. an adder] Or, a cockatrice.
V. 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women] That is, drunkennesse shall bring thee to whoredom: or, make thee see strange sights, by disturbing thy brain.
women] Or, things.
V. 34. in the midst of the sea] Heb. in the heart of the sea, Ezek. 27. 4. Jonah 2. 3. In such great danger shalt thou be: or, roll up and down as ships upon the sea, psal. 107. 26, 27.
V. 35. and I was not sick] Drunkennesse makes men senslesse, so that they feel no blows.
I felt it not] Heb. I know it not.
I will seek it yet again] Though drunkennesse make men worse then beasts, yet it rules them so tyrannically, that they cannot leave it, Isa. 56. 12.