A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
Parallel Translations
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A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
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A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
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A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the thoughtless pass on, and are punished.
Cross-references (12)
Passages linked to Proverbs 22:3 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
- Proverbs 14:16 A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
- Proverbs 29:1 He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.
- Hebrews 11:7 By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
- Proverbs 7:7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
- Proverbs 7:22-23 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose. Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
- Isaiah 26:20-21 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For, behold, Yahweh comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no longer cover her slain.
- Exodus 9:20-21 Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.
- Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
- Proverbs 9:16-18 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.” as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, “Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
- Matthew 24:15-18 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (19 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, the punishment, which is prepared for the…
That is, the punishment, which is prepared for the wicked, and fleeth [not to] God for succor.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 22:3 A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, and…
Pro 22:3 A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Ver. 3. A prudent man foreseeth an evil, &c.] Prevision is the best means of prevention. "A wise man’s eyes are in his head," {Ecc 2:14} "his heart is also at his right hand." {Ecc 10:2} The Chinese say of themselves that all other nations of the world see but with one eye, they only with two. The Italians give out that they only do sapere ante factum, look before they leap, forecast an evil before it befall them. But these are praises proper to them that have learned holy and heavenly wisdom, that by certain sights and signs discern a tempest in the clouds, and seek seasonable shelter under the hollow of God’s hand, "under the shadow of his wings." Such prudent persons were Noah, Joseph, Jonadab, Josiah, the Christians at Pella, &c.
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But the fool passeth on.] Pusheth on without fear or wit, as being resolved to have his will, whatever it stand him in.
And is punished.] As a just reward of his rashness. Sin ever ends tragically. Flagitium et flagellum, ut acus et filum. Who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered? {Job 9:4} "With the froward thou wilt wrestle," saith David. {Psa 18:26} "Upon the wicked God shall rain snares," &c. {Psa 11:6} And then, ut leo cassibus irretitus dixit, si praescivissem, as the lion, when he was caught in the hunter’s toil, said, If I had foreknown this mischief, I would have shunned it. So these after wits, these post masters, these Epimetheuses, shall come in (but all too late) with their fool’s ‘Had-I-wist,’ which they should have timeously foreseen and prevented.
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 The evil; the calamity or judgment of God threatened…
The evil; the calamity or judgment of God threatened and approaching.
Hideth himself; retireth to his strong tower, mentioned Pro 18:10; by prayer and repentance putteth himself under the protection of the Almighty. Compare Isa 26:20.
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Pass on in their former road and course of sin, carelessly and securely, as travellers do in a road where they apprehend no danger.
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 See here, 1. The benefit of wisdom and consideration:…
See here, 1. The benefit of wisdom and consideration: A prudent man, by the help of his prudence, will foresee an evil, before it comes, and hide himself; he will be aware when he is entering into a temptation and will put on his armour and stand on his guard. When the clouds are gathering for a storm he takes the warning, and flies to the name of the Lord as his strong tower. Noah foresaw the deluge, Joseph the years of famine, and provided accordingly. 2. The mischief of rashness and inconsideration. The simple, who believe every word that flatters them, will believe none that warns them, and so they pass on and are punished. They venture upon sin, though they are told what will be in the end thereof; they throw themselves into trouble, notwithstanding the fair warning given them, and they repent their presumption when it is too late. See an instance of both these, Exo 9:20, Exo 9:21. Nothing is so fatal to precious souls as this, they will not take warning.
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 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself,....…
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself,.... A wise man, whose eyes are in his head, who looks about him and before him, and is cautious and careful of his conduct and behaviour; he foresees the evil of sin he is liable to be drawn into by such and such company, snares, and temptations; and therefore he keeps from them, and abstains from all appearance of evil, or what would lead him to it; and he foresees the evil of punishment, or the judgments of God that are coming on for sin; and he betakes himself to the Lord, to those hiding places and chambers of retreat and protection he has provided for his people, till the indignation be overpast; see Isa 26:20;
but the simple pass on, and are punished: foolish persons, devoid of the grace of God and the fear of him, go on careless and unconcerned in their sinful course of life, transgressing the law of God; they proceed from evil to evil, from lesser to greater sins; they go on in the broad road to destruction, and are punished with temporal judgments here, and with everlasting destruction hereafter.
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 The evil - The judgment of God threatened, and…
The evil - The judgment of God threatened, and approaching. Hideth - Retires to his strong tower, by prayer and repentance, puts himself under the protection of the almighty. Pass on - Carefully and securely.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil] God…
Verse 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil] God in mercy has denied man the knowledge of futurity; but in its place he has given him hope and prudence. By hope he is continually expecting and anticipating good; by prudence he derives and employs means to secure it. His experience shows him that there are many natural evils in a current state, the course of which he can neither stem nor divert: prudence shows him beforehand the means he may use to step out of their way, and hide himself. The simple-the inexperienced, headstrong, giddy, and foolish - rush on in the career of hope, without prudence to regulate, chastise, and guide it; thus they commit many faults, make many miscarriages, and suffer often in consequence; and the commission of crimes leads to punishment.
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 22:3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, &c.…
Pro 22:3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, &c. — “He whose long experience and observation of things hath made him cautious and circumspect, foresees a calamity before it come, and withdraws himself from the danger into a place of safety; but an incautious and credulous person never foresees any danger, but goes on securely in his accustomed track, till it overtake him.” Thus Bishop Patrick. But in foreseeing temporal calamities, and discerning the methods by which we may escape them, as Mr. Scott justly observes, we can seldom proceed beyond probability, in either respect; but, in the concerns of the soul, faith foresees the evil coming upon sinners in the eternal state, and discerns Jesus Christ, as the refuge from this impending storm, and the penitent and believing soul flees to him, hides himself in him, and is safe, as Noah in the ark. But the careless and unbelieving go on, without concern, till they lift up their eyes in hell, being in torments.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles Bridges 1846 · Public Domain 3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth…
3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.†a
It is a great part of wisdom to see what God is doing, or about to do. When evil is come, most men can see it. But the prudent foreseeth it. Not that God hath given to us the knowledge of futurity. This would only have encouraged presumption. But he has given us prudence, naturally foreseeing evil, and forecasting the most effectual means of deliverance. David was thus directed to hide himself from Saul;†1 Elijah from Jezebel.†2 The disciples were taught to flee from impending evil.†3 Paul repeatedly hid himself from threatened destruction.†4 Even our Divine Master acted on this rule of prudence,†5 till his hour was come. (Mat 26:46 .)
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But to apply it to spiritual evils foreseen — "Noah, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house." (Heb 11:7 .) Josiah endeavored to ward off the threatened judgment by humiliation before God. (2Ch 34:21 .) Paul "labored" for the covering of present acceptance, foreseeing the tremendous evil of "appearing" unsheltered "before the judgment-seat of Christ." (2Co 5:9-10 .)
Not that the prudent man is gifted with supernatural knowledge. He only uses the discernment which God hath given him. He regards the signs of the times. He studies the word of God in reference to coming judgments; and he acts accordingly. To walk carelessly in the midst of evil, is reckless folly. We stand "not by faith" only, but "by faith" balanced with fear (Rom 11:20 ); yet not the fear of bondage and scrupulosity, but of care, watchfulness, and diligence. (Heb 4:1, Heb 4:11 .) Guilty, wandering, tempted, afflicted, dying as we are, common — at least Christian — prudence, shews us our need of an hiding-place. Except we seek one in time, we are lost for eternity. Did we but realize the huge mass of guilt lying upon us, and the infinite wrath that for that guilt hangs over us, could we rest in an unsheltered state? Should not we tread upon all that lies in our way to run to shelter? Coming judgments there may be. But let us set our face towards our hiding-place. God will undertake for our danger. His own most loving voice points us to a shelter in the chamber of his own perfections.†6
Very different is the course of the simple. (Pro 14:15-16 .) Devoid of all prudence; foreseeing no evil; fearing none; given up to their own ways, and reckless of all consequences, they pass on, and are punished by their own folly. (Pro 7:7, Pro 7:22-23 .) Oh! many such are there, who "when the LORD’s hand is lifted up, will not see" (Isa 26:11 ); who will not hear the distant thunder, betokening the approaching storm; who in their fancied security laugh at those, who are preparing for an evil day; laugh even on the brink of that destruction, which, unless Sovereign grace interpose, will make them wise too late.
Footnotes:
†a Pro 27:12 .
†1 1Sa 20:19 ; 1Sa 23:19-21 ; 1Sa 26:1 .
†2 1Ki 17:3 ; 1Ki 19:3 .
†3 Mat 10:23; Mat 24:15-18.
†4 Act 9:23-25; Act 17:14 ; Act 23:17 .
†5 Mar 3:6-7. Luk 4:29-30 . Joh 8:59 ; Joh 10:39 .
†6 Isa 26:20. ’It is nature which teaches a wise man in fear to hide himself. But grace and faith doth teach him where. Where should the frighted child hide his head, but in the bosom of his loving Father? Where a Christian, but under the shadow of the wings of Christ his Savior?’ Hooker’s Remedy against Fear.
Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain are punished--that is, for their temerity; for the evil…
are punished--that is, for their temerity; for the evil is not necessarily punitive, as the prudent might otherwise be its objects.
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 3. Prudent — Here meaning, a sagacious, or farseeing…
3. Prudent — Here meaning, a sagacious, or farseeing man.
Hideth himself — Namely, from the coming evil; he timely provides against it.
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The simple — Those who do not properly read the signs of the times.
Pass on — Rush on, or over, in their usual course, using no foresight to avoid the threatened calamity.
Are punished — Suffer the natural consequences of their ignorance and lack of providence. Both members are expressed in the Hebrew in the past tense — saw evil — hid — passed on — were punished. Comp. Pro_27:12; Pro_15:15; Pro_15:18.
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 3. foreseeth] Rather, seeth.
3. foreseeth] Rather, seeth.
are punished] Rather, suffer for it., R.V. text. “Heb. are mulcted” R.V. marg.; ἐζημιώθησαν, LXX.; afflictus est damno, Vulg. The proverb occurs again Pro_27:12.
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 (3) A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth…
(3) A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself, as the Israelites hid themselves within their houses from the destroying angel, Noah within the Ark, the Christians before the fall of Jerusalem (Luk_21:21) in Pella. (Comp. Isa_26:20.)
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 A prudent man foresesth the evil, and hideth himself.…
A prudent man foresesth the evil, and hideth himself. The whole verse is repeated in Pro_27:12. St. Jerome has callidus, and the LXX has panourgov , as the translation of (arum); but it must be taken in a good sense, as cautions, farseeing, prudent (see note on Pro_1:4) Such a man looks around, takes warning from little circumstances which might escape the observation of careless persons, and provides for his safety in good time. Thus the Christians at the siege of Jerusalem, believing Christ"s warnings, retired to Pella, and wine saved. A Spanish proverb runs, "That which the fool does in the end, the wise man does at the beginning." The simple pass on, and are punished. The subject of the former hemistich is in the singular number, for a really prudent man is a comparatively rare bring; the second clause is plural, teaching us, as Hitzig observes, that many simple ones are found for one prudent. These silly persons, blundering blindly on their way, without circumspection or forethought, meet with immediate punishment, incur dangers, suffer less. A Cornish proverb runs, "He who will not be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock." Septuagint, "An intelligent man (panourgov ) seeing a wicked man punished is himself forcibly instructed; but fools pass by, and are punished". (comp. Pro_21:11)
Thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness.
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All men might be divided into the thoughtful and the thoughtless. They belong either to those who look before them and prepare for the struggle or the danger that is coming, and avoid it; or else to those who go blindly on and stumble over the first impediment in their way. The "prudent man" of the text is not only the cautious man; he is the man of sagacity and foresight, who takes large and extended views of things. There are many illustrations of the thought, of which we may select.
I THE EVIL OF PECUNIARY ENTANGLEMENT. The prudent man forbears to enter into that alliance, or into those relationships, or on to that course of action which will demand more resources than he can supply. But the simple "pass on become involved, and pay the penalty of prolonged anxiety, of great distraction, of painful humiliation, of grave dishonour, of financial ruin.
II THE STRAIN OF UNWISE COMPANIONSHIP. A prudent man will consider well what company he can wisely keep, whose society will be beneficial and whose injurious to him, whether or not he can bear the pressure that will be put upon him to indulge in this or that direction, and he will shun the social circle that would be perilous to his integrity. But the simple take no heed, accept the first invitation that comes to them, become associated with those whose influence is deteriorating, succumb to their solicitation, and pay the penalty of serious spiritual declension.
III THE FORCE OF SOME PARTICULAR TEMPTATION. The wise perceive the danger of the intoxicating cup, of the saloon, of the racecourse, of the gambling table, and they keep steadfastly away. The simple pass on self-confident, presumptuous, doomed, and they are punished indeed.
IV THE PASSAGE OF YOUTH. The prudent recognize the fact that, unless youth yields its own particular fruit of knowledge, of acquisition, of capacity for work in one field or other, the prizes of life must be foregone; and, recognizing this, they do not waste the golden hours of study in idleness or dissipation. But the simple take no heed, trust to the chapter of accidents, wait upon fortune, fling away their precious chances, and are "punished" by having to take the lower path all the rest of their days.
V THE RISK OF LOSING HEALTH. The prudent man sees that, if he urges his powers beyond the mark which kind and wise nature draws for him, he will gain a present advantage at the cost of future good, and he holds himself in check. The simple pass on overwork, overstudy, strain their faculties, and break down long before their time.
VI THE LOSS OF LIFE. The wise man will count on this; he will reckon that any day he may be called to pass from his business and his family and his pleasure to the great account and the long future; and he lives accordingly, ready for life or for death, prepared to encounter the hour when he will look his last on time and confront eternity. The simple leave this stern fact out of their account; they pass on their way without making preparation either for those whom they must leave behind or for themselves when they enter the world where material treasures are of no account whatever; they pass on, and they "are punished," for they, too, reach the hour of departure, but they awake to the sad fact that that has been left undone for which a long life is not too long a preparation. C.
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 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself.
Pro_22:3
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself.
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Seen and unseen evils of life
The great mass of mankind live at hazard, so far as the final end of life is concerned. No certain destination is in their view, nor is their life guided by any central principle. There is a right object at which to aim, a high purpose that should be the centre of every human life, giving it unity and strength.
I. Consider the nature of providence in the conduct of life. Prudence and providence have a close kinship. The word providence expresses the special idea or particular act of providing, while prudence denotes the foresight which shows itself in habit, or the manner of providing.
1. Here is the lowest and basest kind of prudence that stands in opposition to a higher moral life. This is an evil prudence. Self is at the centre of it.
2. Then there is a prudence which might be called neutral, and which is not incompatible with spiritual growth.
3. There is a prudence that is subservient to the higher principle itself. True religion and genuine prudence are allied.
II. Observe the value of prudence in the affairs of life. The prudent man can look behind and before, can estimate probabilities, can consider cause and effect. He decries the future, and is warned. He needs his prudence in the secular affairs of the world. The moral fibre of a man has much more to do with his material surroundings and well-being than many persons seem to think. The prudent man avoids temptations that may be too much for his moral strength.
III. The doom of thoughtlessness. Recklessness brings on ruin. Punishment is not arbitrary, but necessary. (Daniel Jackson.)
Prudent and simple
I. The specification of the persons. Prudent and simple; that is, righteous and wicked. Godly men are in Scripture described as wise men, and wicked men are spoken of as fools. That godly men are truly wise appears in those qualities, and actions, and principles, and properties which belong to them.
1. A godly man hath the true principle of wisdom in him. Wisdom is not a fit but a habit, and implies a spring and principle for the nourishing of it. The right principle of wisdom is a gracious and savoury spirit, the work of regeneration, and the new creature in us.
2. What a man propounds to himself has its influence upon his wisdom. The godly mans aims are heavenly and spiritual.
3. Wisdom is seen in regard to the rule whereby he is led. It is the part of a wise man to have good rules. The Christians rule is the Word of God.
4. In regard to the object whereabout he is conversant, which is the gospel, the doctrine of wisdom.
II. The different account which is given to each.
1. The account of the prudent. He is discovered as to his spiritual judgment and apprehension, and spirit of discerning. He foreseeth the evil. This foresight he has by the dictates of the Word of God; by the concurrence of one thing with another; by the inward hints and suggestions of the Spirit of God. He is discovered in reference to activity and practice. And hides himself. This is done in the exercise of all such graces as are pertinent hereunto: such as meekness, humility, repentance, faith, charity. A godly man hides himself in the whole work of self-reformation and holiness of life.
2. The account of the foolish. Their carriage: They pass on. This is an expression of security, and of pertinancy or progress in sin. Sin blinds the judgment, carries away the heart, and fills men with vain hopes. The more deceitful and fraudulent sin is, the more watchful and vigilant should we be.
2. Their miscarriage, or ill-condition. They are punished. Sin and judgment are relatives, and infer one another. They pass on, and are punished. That is, they are punished because they pass on. Security is the great promoter of punishment, in the nature of things, and in the justice of God. (T. Horton, D.D.)
Hiding-places for the prudent
One main element of safety is a just apprehension of danger. There are encompassing dangers and safe hiding-places in the several regions of our secular business, our moral conduct, and our religious hopes.
1. In the ordinary business of life. For example, when speculation is rife.
2. In the region of practical morality. Frivolous and licentious companions, theatres, Sabbath amusements, and a multitude of cognate enticements.
3. The greatest evils lie in the world to come, and only the eye of faith can foresee them. (W. Arnot, D.D.)
Good and bad prudence
We are not called upon anywhere in the Bible to make little calculations, small and selfish arrangements, to build for ourselves little refuges that will hold nobody else: we are called to far-sightedness, a large conception of men and things and Divine purposes, and to such a calculation of the action of the forces of the universe as will save us from needless trouble and assure us of ultimate defence and protection. Foresight is everywhere taught in the Bible, but not a foresight that is of the nature of selfishness. (J. Parker, D.D.)
Contrast of prudence and folly
A celebrated commander had returned from a period of military service distinguished by the most important victories. After he had retired from a very gratifying reception at court, the sovereign was eloquent in his praise to the surrounding circle. It must be confessed, said one of the bystanders, that he is a lucky general. He has been too long a lucky general, to be only a lucky general, was the apt reply of the discriminating monarch. The same judgment is continually, though silently, made in the ordinary concerns of life. Do we see any one, possessed of the same external advantages and means of wealth with those around him, yet invariably involved in difficulty, poverty, and want? We usually consider him deficient in that prudent foresight which guards against loss, and in that steady industry which leads so commonly to success. The systematically unfortunate very commonly incur the blame of being systematically imprudent.
I. The character of a prudent man.
1. It is, then, one characteristic of the prudent man that he foreseeth the evil. The faculty of combining present situation with future prospect, and of weighing the good or evil of the one by its effect and bearing upon the other, is a gift by which man is broadly distinguished from the brute creation; and by which intellect and civilisation, among those of his own species, assert their superiority over the narrow views and unreflecting sensuality of savage life. The prudent man walks by faith, and not by sight. Eager to avoid the evil and choose the good; anticipating the punishment of obdurate sin or unreflecting indifference, he asks in the anxious solicitude of one who knows that life and death are on the issue, What must I do to be saved?
2. He foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. The sense of danger leads him at once to the effectual remedy. Whither, then, does the wise man flee from impending danger? Even to the sure and certain hope of his Redeemers Cross.
II. The simple pass on, and are punished. Is this, it may be asked, that godly simplicity and sincerity which our Lord; and His apostles, and every part of the instruction of the Word of life continually recommend? No: it is the simplicity of folly, of carelessness, of prejudice, of wilfulness, of the love of sin, of unbelief, of ignorance, of hardness of heart, and of contempt of the Word of God. Promises animate not his obedience. Threatenings arouse him not from his lethargy. Warnings awake him not from his security. Expostulation fails to enkindle his shame, or to give life to his gratitude. The simple pass on. They are carried down the stream of time, silently and surely, toward death and judgment. (R. P. Buddicom, M.A.)
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_22:3. Are punished, rather “must suffer injury.”
CRITICAL NOTES.—
Pro_22:3. Are punished, rather “must suffer injury.”
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Pro_22:4. By humility, rather “The end or reward of humility,” etc. Delitzsch reads “The reward of humility IS the fear of the Lord,” etc.
Pro_22:5. Shall be, etc., or Let him keep, etc.
Pro_22:6. Train up a child, etc. Miller reads “Hedge in a child upon the mouth of his way;” Delitzsch, “Give to a child instruction according to his way,” i.e., conformably to the nature of youth.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro_22:3-4
A HEDGED-UP WAY
I. God will hedge in the way of the froward man. As we have seen in considering former proverbs, men in a fallen condition have a tendency to break loose from restraint—especially from Divine restraint—and to mark out a path for themselves of their own devising. (See on chap. Pro_21:8). Every human creature shows more or less wilfulness in regard to their relations to God and His law—choosing rather to fashion his life according to his own ideas than according to the Divine idea and desire concerning him. And this wilfulness, if unchecked, grows with a man’s growth and strengthens with his years, until his frowardness becomes the distinctive feature of his life. But he will not have it all his own way. He will not find the crooked path which he has chosen altogether pleasant and safe. Thorns will prick his feet and pitfalls will endanger his life. He will find himself confronted and fenced-in by laws of retribution which God has set about him to admonish him to forsake his rebellious way. For all the pain of body or mind which men suffer, and all the obstacles they meet with in the way of frowardness are intended to keep them from a deeper pain and a heavier punishment. A thorn-hedge is set by the side of the highway to admonish the traveller to keep the path, and so avoid, it may be, the precipice or the bog on the other side. If he attempts to climb the hedge he will be wounded, and if he is a wise man the thorn-pricks will lead him to abandon his intention, and so to escape more serious harm. If the hedge does this it fulfils the end for which it was planted. So with the pains and penalties with which God hedges in the present way of the wicked man—they are intended to lead him into a better and safer way.
II. It is a parent’s duty to hedge in the way of his child. The father stands in the place of God to his young children in this respect, for his discipline in their early years is the best possible preparation for the discipline of God later on in life. Indeed the wiser the training of the earthly father the less are his children likely to need the corrective discipline of their heavenly parent. The child that is accustomed to bend its will to the will of a good father will not find it so hard to yield obedience to the will of God as he who has had no such training. He will grow up in the practice of sinking his will in that of a wiser will, and it will not be irksome for him so to do. Having found his father’s yoke an easy one, and having in the path of filial obedience tasted pleasures unknown to the rebellious child, he will the more readily accept the yoke of God, and find in His service perfect freedom. But this blessed result will not be attained without much anxious and sometimes painful effort on the part of the parent. For the natural waywardness of man in general manifests itself in very early life. A child would like to be trained in the way it would go, rather than in the way that it should go. But this would in effect be no training at all. For the training of anything implies a crossing of the natural tendency—a repression in one direction, and an effort towards development in another. The training of the vine does not mean a letting it put forth its branches just where it wills or a twining of its tendrils around any object it chooses—it implies a free use of the pruning-knife and of the vine-dresser’s other implements and methods of restraint and guidance. Every child, like every unwise man, would like to set up its own hedge, and put up its own fences, and prescribe the limits and bounds of its own conduct. But as we have already seen, God lets no man do this beyond certain limits, for He Himself sets “thorns and snares in the way of the froward.” It is, therefore, cruel neglect in a parent to allow a child to do it, for thus the tendency to go in the wrong way is strengthened by indulgence, and every year the path of obedience to God becomes more difficult, and looks less inviting. If the parent does not set a hedge about his son’s path, he is only making it certain that he will encounter thorns and snares further on in life. As to the promise attached to the command in this proverb, it can hardly be said to be of universal application. Solomon himself seems to have been an exception to the rule. We have every reason to believe that his father, after his birth, would train his son most carefully and enforce his precepts by example. We must believe that David’s own bitter experience of the thorns and snares in the path of sin made him very anxious to preserve his son from wandering as he had done, and led him to train him most carefully. It is also said of the sons of a man whose life was outwardly stainless—of Samuel—that his sons “walked not in his ways” (1Sa_8:3). Yet we cannot suppose that Samuel, who had seen in Eli’s family the miserable fruits of non-restraint, had neglected to train his sons. Yet the exceptions are doubtless very few in number compared with the rule,—that a rightly-trained child does not depart from the right way in his riper years, though, in Bishop Hall’s words, “God will let us find that grace is by gift, not by inheritance.”
“Lord, with what care hast Thou begirt us round!
Parents first season us: then schoolmasters
Deliver us to laws; they send us bound
To rules of reason, holy messengers.
Pulpits and Sundays, sorrow dogging sin,
Afflictions sorted, anguish of all sizes,
Fine nets and stratagems to catch us in,
Bibles laid open, millions of surprises.
Blessings beforehand, ties of gratefulness,
The sound of glory ringing in our ears;
Without our shame, within our consciences,
Angels and grace, eternal hopes and fears.
Yet all these fences and their whole array,
One cunning bosom—sin blows quite away.”—Herbert.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro_22:5. A forcible image to show that nothing stands so much in a man’s way as the indulgence of his own unbridled will. The man who is most perversely bent on his purposes is most likely to be thwarted in them.—Bridges.
The ungodly finds nothing in his path to hell but thorns and snares, and yet he presses on in it! A sign of the greatness and fearfulness of the ruin of man’s sin.—Lange.
Pro_22:6. Three different meanings have been found of the interpretation, “according to his way.” (See Critical Notes.) It may be—
1. His way in the sense of his own natural characteristics of style and manner,—and then his training will have reference to that for which he is naturally fitted; or—
2. The way of life which he is intended by parents or guardians to pursue; or,
3. The way in which he ought to go. The last is moral, and relates to the general Divine intention concerning man’s earthly course; the second is human and economical; the first is individual, and to some extent even physical. Yet although the third presents the highest standard and has been generally adopted, it has the least support from the Hebrew idiom, Tr. of Lange’s Commentary.
He learneth best any way that knoweth no other, and he best keepeth any way that groweth in it. Two children that are bred and grow up together, are settled in affection the one to the other. Now, it can be but a childish goodness that is in a child; but if the childhood of goodness shall be bred and grow up with the child-hood of man, it will settle the stronger union between them. Aristotle saith, it is a matter of chiefest moment for a man to be accustomed this way or that.—Jermin.
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. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and…
v. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, for his prudence takes into account all possibilities; but the simple, the inexperienced, those who are too foolish to learn, pass on and are punished, they suffer the consequences of their foolishness.
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 A prudent man
A prudent man
"A man who is wise" or "A man who has good sense." See how you translated "prudent" in Proverbs 12:16.
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the naive
"the inexperienced and immature"
translationWords
trouble
suffer
humble
fear
honor
life
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 22:3 // 27:12 The theme of taking precautions is…
22:3 // 27:12 The theme of taking precautions is found in several proverbs (14:8, 15; 21:29).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.