It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
Parallel Translations
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It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
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It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
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It is a snare to a man rashly to say: 'Holy', and after vows to make inquiry.
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Proverbs 20:25 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
- Matthew 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’
- Leviticus 5:15 “If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
- Leviticus 27:9-10 “ ‘If it is an animal of which men offer an offering to Yahweh, all that any man gives of such to Yahweh becomes holy. He shall not alter it, nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good. If he shall at all exchange animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy.
- Numbers 30:2-16 When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. “Also, when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father’s house, in her youth, and her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. Yahweh will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her. “If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips with which she has bound her soul, and her husband hears it, and says nothing to her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her pledges with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which is on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. Yahweh will forgive her. “But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her. “If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her and didn’t disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband has made them void. Yahweh will forgive her. Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges which are on her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her in the day that he heard them. But if he makes them null and void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.” These are the statutes which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father’s house.
- Malachi 3:8-10 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for.
- Leviticus 22:10-15 “ ‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread. If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. But if a priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it. “ ‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest. The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh,
- Leviticus 27:30-31 “ ‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahweh’s. It is holy to Yahweh. If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it.
- Proverbs 18:7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (21 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, to apply it, or take it to…
That is, to apply it, or take it to his own use, which was appointed to God’s, and then inquire how they may be exempted from the fault.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 20:25 [It is] a snare to the man…
Pro 20:25 [It is] a snare to the man [who] devoureth [that which is] holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
Ver. 25. It is a snare to a man who devoureth, &c.] He doeth as a fish that swallows the hook, as the eagle that stole the flesh from the altar with a coal sticking to it, that set the whole nest on fire, &c. What a sad end befell Cardinal Wolsey, while he sought more to please the king than God, as himself said! And what a revenging hand of God pursued his five chief agents that were most instrumental for him in that sacrilegious enterprise! One of them killed his fellow in a duel, and was hanged for it. A third drowned himself in a well. A fourth fell from a great estate to extreme beggary. Dr Allen (the last and chiefest of them) being archbishop of Dublin, was cruelly slain by his enemies. {a} Utinam his et similibus exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timide attrectare! saith Scultetus, {b} who relates this story; I would men would take heed by these add the like examples how they meddle with things once consecrated to God. If divine justice so severely punished those that converted church goods (though not so well administered) to better uses (doubtless, because they did it out of selfish and sinful principles and intentions), what shall become of such as take all occasions to rob God, that they may enrich themselves? Spoliantur parochiae et scholae non aliter ac si fame necare nos velint, saith Luther; {c} Parishes and schools are polled and robbed of their maintenance, as if they meant to starve us all.
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And after vows to make inquiry.] Viz., How he may devour that tit bit without vomiting, and not find it hard meat on his conscience. But a man may easily eat that on earth, that he shall have time enough to digest in hell. The fear of this made Queen Mary restore again all ecclesiastical livings assumed to the crown, saying, that she set more by the salvation of her own soul, than she did by ten kingdoms. {d} And upon the like motive, King Louis of France, about the year 1152, cast the Pope’s bulls, whereby he required the fruits of vacancies of all cathedral churches of France, into the fire, saying, He had rather the Pope’s bulls should roast in the fire, than his own soul should fry in hell. {e}
{a} Acts and Mon.
{b} Scult. Annul., tom. ii. p. 332.
{c} Luth. in Gen. xlvii.
{d} Speed’s Chron., fol. 826.
{e} Ibid., 496.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain It is a snare; it brings guilt and God’s…
It is a snare; it brings guilt and God’s curse and vengeance upon him.
That which is holy, i.e. those meats or drinks which were devoted or consecrated to God; under which one kind he comprehends and forbids all alienation of sacred or dedicated things from God to a man’s private use or benefit; of which see Lev 27:9; Deu 23:21; Mal 3:8,9; Ac 5:1, &c.
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After vows to make inquiry; after a man hath made vows to consider whether he can possibly or may lawfullly keep them, and to invent or inquire of others all ways possible to break his vow, and to satisfy or deceive his conscience in so doing; which inquiry is justly censured as a sin and snare, because it is an evidence of a covetous or irreligious mind, and is the ready way and first step towards the open violation of it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Two things, by which God is greatly affronted, men…
Two things, by which God is greatly affronted, men are here said to be ensnared by, and entangled not only in guilt, but in trouble and ruin at length: - 1. Sacrilege, men's alienating holy things and converting them to their own use, which is here called devouring them. What is devoted in any way to the service and honour of God, for the support of religion and divine worship or the relief of the poor, ought to be conscientiously preserved to the purposes designed; and those that directly or indirectly embezzle it, or defeat the purpose for which it was given, will have a great deal to answer for. Will a man rob God in tithes and offerings? Mal 3:8. Those that hurry over religious offices (their praying and preaching) and huddle them up in haste, as being impatient to get done, may be said to devour that which is holy. 2. Covenant-breaking. It is a snare to a man, after he has made vows to God, to enquire how he may evade them or get dispensed with, and to contrive excuses for the violating of them. If the matter of them was doubtful, and the expressions were ambiguous, that was his fault; he should have made them with more caution and consideration, for it will involve his conscience (if it be tender) in great perplexities, if he be to enquire concerning them afterwards (Ecc 5:6); for, when we have opened our mouth to the Lord, it is too late to think of going back, Act 5:4.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain It is a snare to the man who devoureth…
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy,.... Which is separated to sacred uses, is devoted to the Lord, as firstfruits, tithes, offerings, &c. which if a man converts to his own use is sacrilege, and this is a sin and a snare, and brings ruin on him; see Mal 3:8;
and after vows to make inquiry: that is a sin and a snare also; a man should first inquire before he vows, whether it is right for him to make a vow, and whether he is able to keep it; it is too late after the vow is made to inquire about the lawfulness or expedience of it, and how to find out ways and means to dissolve it and be clear of it; for it is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay, Ecc 5:4; when a thing is in a man's own hands, he may do what he will; but when he has devoted it to another use, it is no longer in his power; as the case of Ananias and Sapphira shows, Act 5:1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A snare - It brings guilt upon him. After…
A snare - It brings guilt upon him. After - After a man has made vows to inquire for ways to break them.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 25. Who devoureth that which is holy] It…
Verse 25. Who devoureth that which is holy] It is a sin to take that which belongs to God, his worship, or his work, and devote it to one's own use.
And after vows to make inquiry.] That is, if a man be inwardly making a rash vow, the fitness or unfitness, the necessity, expediency, and propriety of the thing should be first carefully considered. But how foolish to make the vow first, and afterwards to inquire whether it was right in the sight of God to do it! This equally condemns all rash and inconsiderate conduct. My old MS. Bible translates, Falling is of men often to vowen to seyntis, and after, the vouw is agen brawen. Is it possible that Wiclif could have translated this verse thus? as it strongly countenances vows to and invocations of saints.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Pro 20:25. It is a snare to the man…
Pro 20:25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy — He is insnared in a crime, who takes away, and applies to his own use, any thing consecrated to God, and intended to be used in support of his worship and service; or who alienates any holy thing, and employs it to a secular purpose, which is here called devouring it: and after vows to make inquiry — After a man hath made vows, to consider whether he can possibly, or may lawfully, keep them; or to inquire of others for ways to break them, and to satisfy his conscience in so doing. “There are two pieces of profaneness,” says Bishop Patrick, in his paraphrase on this verse, “which entangle him that is guilty of them in great troubles, nay, often bring ruin upon him: 1st, When he makes no distinction between things holy and common; but converts that which was consecrated to God (the first-fruits, suppose, or such like sacred thing) to his own proper use; and, 2d, When he vows, in his distress, to give something unto God, but having obtained his desires, studies how he may be loosed from his obligations.”
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Better, It is a snare to a man to…
Better, It is a snare to a man to utter a vow (of consecration) rashly, and after vows to inquire whether he can fulfill them. Both clauses are a protest against the besetting sin of rash and hasty vows. Compare the marginal reference.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Charles Bridges 1846 · Public Domain In every path has the great fowler laid his…
In every path has the great fowler laid his snares. Perhaps, however, the most subtle are reserved for the service of God. Offerings made holy to the Lord often were devoured by the hypocritical worshipper, and sacrilegiously appropriated to his own use. Thus Achan, robbing the treasury of the LORD, found a snare to his ruin. (Jos 6:19 ; Jos 7:1 .) This was the sin of "the whole nation;" and fearful indeed was the judgment — "Ye are cursed with a curse." (Mal 3:8-10 .) Voluntary vows were commonly practised;†1 and often inquiry was made after, which ought to have been made before. They were at full liberty not to vow; but having vowed, they were bound to pay.†2
As the counterpart to this hollow, half-hearted profession — ’a man vows in distress to give something to God: but having obtained his desires,’ devoureth that which is holy, and after vows makes inquiry, ’how he may be loosed from this obligation.’†3 Often too in a moment of excitement — perhaps under the glow of a religious meeting — has a sacrifice been pledged to God; and, the impulse having subsided, after the vow inquiry is made how the bond may be retracted. Such evasions — what a revolting exhibition do they present of man’s deceitfulness! ’He entangleth his soul in the snares of death, who resumeth unto a profane use that which is once consecrated unto God, and who, after he hath vowed aught unto the LORD, argues within himself, how to alter that holy purpose, and to defeat God of his due.’†4 Alienation of the gift proves the prior alienation of the heart. Let Ananias and Sapphira testify that God is a jealous God.†5 Take care of rash — be faithful to upright — engagements. Before entering into the service of God, make inquiry into its full requisitions. Beware of a religion of temporary excitement; far different from deep, solid, permanent principle. And whatever be the cost, be true to the consecration of thyself as "a living sacrifice" (Rom 12:1 ) on the altar of thy God.
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Footnotes:
†1 Lev 27:9-10, Lev 27:28-33 .
†2 Deu 23:21-22. Ecc 5:4-6 .
†3 Bishop Patrick.
†4 Bishop Hall.
†5 Act 5:1-10, with Deu 4:24 .
Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Ones. Hebrew, "the saint or holy thing." (Haydock) ---…
Ones. Hebrew, "the saint or holy thing." (Haydock) --- Chaldean, "to make a vow for the sanctuary, and afterwards repent;" having acted inconsiderately at first. To attack the persons or relics of the saints, or to plunder what is consecrated to pious uses, will bring on destruction; so also to make vows, and then seek to evade them, will not pass unpunished. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain devoureth . . . holy--or, better, "who rashly speaks…
devoureth . . . holy--or, better, "who rashly speaks promises," or "devotes what is holy," consecrating any thing. This suits better the last clause, which expresses a similar view of the results of rashly vowing.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 25. Devoureth that which is holy — Having become…
25. Devoureth that which is holy — Having become so by its dedication to God. The probability is, that this verse should be rendered thus: “A rash utterance of consecration is a snare unto a man;” that is, may ensnare him, or bring him into difficulty.
After vows to make inquiry — And as a sequence either regret the vow or withhold the thing devoted. A parallel passage is found in Ecc_5:2. Comp. also Num_30:3, on vows. The passage cautions against making rash vows and afterwards inquiring into their lawfulness, convenience, or practicability. Comp. Psa_15:4. All this should be considered first. Compare Mar_7:11. The Geneva Bible reads thus: “It is a destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified, and after the vowes to inquire;” and explains thus: “that is, to applie or take to his owne vse which was appointed to God’s, and then inquire how thei may be exempted from faute,” (fault.)
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 25. who devoureth that which is holy] This rendering…
25. who devoureth that which is holy] This rendering is retained in R.V. marg., as is also another, rashly to utter holy words. But it is better to render, rashly to say, It is holy (R.V. text), i.e. consecrated (comp. Corban, Mar_7:11). The sequence is thus preserved: and after vows (of consecration, thus rashly taken) to make enquiry (as to the wisdom or possibility of keeping them). παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι, LXX.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (25) It is a snare to a man who…
(25) It is a snare to a man who devoureth that which is holy.—Rather, It is a snare for a man (i.e., gets him into trouble) rashly to say, “It is dedicated” (i.e., when he thoughtlessly dedicates anything to God), and after he has vowed to enquire (whether he can keep his word). (Comp. Sir_5:2; Sir_5:4-6.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain It is a snare to the man who devoureth…
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy. This verse, which is plainly a warning against rash vows, has received more than one interpretation. The Vulgate has, Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, which is explained to mean that it is destruction for a man to persecute the saints of God. But the word devorare is not certain, as the manuscripts vary between this and four other readings, viz. devotares, denotare, devovere, and devocare. The Authorized Version signifies that it is a sin to take for one"s own consumption things dedicated to God, as firstfruits, the priests" portions, etc.: or a man"s snare, i.e. his covetousness, (1Ti_6:9) leads him to commit sacrilege. So Wordsworth. But it is best, with Delitzsch, to take ly (yala) as the abbreviated future of Wl or l, "to speak rashly;" and then kodesh, "holiness," will be an exclamation, like Korban . (Mar_7:11) The clause will then run, "It is a snare to a man rashly to cry, Holiness!" equivalent to "It is holy!" i.e. to use the formula for consecrating something to holy purposes. Septuagint, "It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate something of his own". (comp. Ecc_5:2, Ecc_5:4, etc.) And after vows to make inquiry; i.e. after he has made his vow, to begin to consider whether he can fulfil it or not. This is a snare to a man, strangles his conscience, and leads him into the grievous sins of perjury and sacrilege. Septuagint, "For after vowing ensueth repentance."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain It is a snare to the man who devoureth…
Pro_20:25
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy.
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Selfishness in religion
There were under the Levitical dispensation certain things prescribed by the law as consecrated to God; such as tithes, first-fruits, firstlings of the herds and the flock. There were also things that were voluntarily consecrated as free-will offerings to Jehovah. It is to these, perhaps, that Solomon here specially refers. The expression, to devour that which is holy, characterises the conduct of those who appropriate that to their own use which had been either by themselves or others consecrated to the service of God. The subject leads us to consider selfishness in religion. Selfishness everywhere is bad, but when selfishness intrudes into the temple of religion, it is peculiarly hideous. It is then the serpent amongst seraphs.
I. The appropriating of the consecrated to personal use. The text speaks of the man who devoureth that which is holy. This was the sin of Achan: he robbed the treasury of the Lord (Jos_6:19; Jos_7:1). Will a man rob God? (Mal_3:8-9). This is done now in England.
1. In the personal appropriations of ecclesiastical endowments.
2. In the assumption of sacred offices for personal ends.
3. In the adoption of the Christian profession from motives of personal interest.
II. The endeavouring to avoid the fulfilment of religious vows. And after vows to make inquiry. There are three ideas that must not be attached to this expression.
1. The idea that it is wrong to make religious vows is not here.
2. The idea that it is wrong to break improper vows is not here.
3. The idea that it is wrong to think upon the vow after it is made is not here. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Pro_20:25. The first clause of this verse should be,…
CRITICAL NOTES.—
Pro_20:25. The first clause of this verse should be, “It is a snare to a man to cry out hastily ‘holy,’ i.e., to vow without thought and consideration.”
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MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_20:25
For the correct rendering of this verse see Critical Notes
RELIGIOUS VOWS
I. A man is under no obligation to vow. While the Scriptures contain many references to vows, whereby certain persons consecrated themselves or their property to God and give laws concerning their fulfilment (Numbers 30), there is no command which requires men to enter into such a solemn engagement. The text refers solely to religious vows—to an act of special consecration to God, such as that of Jacob at Bethel when he dedicated the tenth of all his gains to the service of Jehovah (Gen_28:22), or that of Hannah when she promised that, if God would give her a man-child, she would give him unto the Lord all the days of his life (1Sa_1:11). It is obvious that such special acknowledgements of particular and exceptional blessings must be pleasing to God, but He lays upon men no obligation to render them, seeing that their value consists in their being spontaneous—the overflow of a grateful heart, or the result of a deep conviction of the claims of God, or of the need of Divine help in extraordinary circumstances.
II. A man is bound by the most solemn considerations not to vow thoughtlessly. As an intelligent and moral being he is bound to enter upon no course and to make no engagement without first inquiring whether the motive which prompts him at the outset is strong enough to carry him to the end. It is a snare and a sin to promise to a fellow-man and afterwards, in the words of the proverb, “to make inquiry,” i.e., to ask ourselves whether we are prepared to abide by our promise. The inquiry must even in such a case be made beforehand, or we must be branded with unfaithfulness to our plighted word. (These remarks of course do not apply to vows and promises which are in themselves sinful or unlawful. The proverb does not deal with such). If, then, a man is bound to consider well before he promises to man, how much more so before he vows to God! What must be the harm done to conscience and to character, and how great the insult offered to the Divine Majesty, when vows are made and obligations entered into, and afterwards he who thus bound himself finds that he is not morally prepared for the sacrifice. To such an one we might say, as Peter said to Ananias—“Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?… Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Act_5:4-5). “Better is it that thou shouldest not vow,” says the Preacher, “than that thou shouldest vow and not pay” (Ecc_5:5).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
It is questionable whether vows, properly so called, are consistent with the genius of the New Testament dispensation. At any rate, of such vows as were common under the Old, we have no recorded examples under the New. Resolutions to serve God we may, nay we must make; there is no getting on in the Divine life and in the zealous promotion of the Divine glory, without them. But the binding of the soul by particular bonds and oaths, whether verbal or written—obligations superinduced upon those of the Divine law—have been “a snare” to many, Weak minds have often felt the obligation of their vow more stringent than that of the Divine authority.—Wardlaw.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain v. 25. It is a snare to the man…
v. 25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, if he is over-hasty in making a vow to the Lord and in devoting some of his substance to the Temple-service, and after vows to make enquiry, that is, when it was too late, the result usually being that the rash vow is broken.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 It is a snare
It is a snare
This speaks of something being dangerous as if it were a trap or a snare. AT: "It is dangerous" (See: Metaphor)
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to say rashly
to say something quickly and without careful consideration of what it might mean
making his vow
The person has made a vow declaring that something is holy and dedicated to Yahweh. AT: "dedicating it to Yahweh" or "declaring it holy" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
winnows the wicked
This speaks of the king separating the wicked people as if they were grain that he was winnowing. AT: "separates the wicked" (See: Metaphor)
the wicked
This refers to wicked people. AT: "those who are wicked" or "the wicked people" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
he turns a threshing wheel over them
This speaks of the king punishing the wicked as if he were driving a threshing wheel over them. AT: "he severely punishes them" (See: Metaphor)
threshing wheel
"threshing cart." This is a tool used to crush grain and help separate it from the chaff.
translationWords
holy
vow
wise
king
winnow
evil
thresh
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 20:25 Counting the cost is particularly important when making…
20:25 Counting the cost is particularly important when making a promise to God (see Judg 11:29-40; Eccl 5:4-6).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.