Bible Commentaries

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Every wise woman buildeth her own house. — Quaevis pia perita. Every holy and handy woman buildeth her house; not only by bearing and breeding up children, as Rachel and Leah builded the house of Israel, Ruth 4:11 but by a prudent and provident preventing of losses and dangers, as Abigail; as also by a careful planning, and putting everything to the best: like as a carpenter that is to build a house, lays the plan and platform of it first in his brain, forecasts in his mind how everything shall be, and then so orders his stuff, that nothing be cut to waste. Lo, such is the guise of the good housewife. As the husband is as the head from whom all the sinews do flow, so she is as the hands into which they flow, and enable them to do their office.

But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. — With both hands earnestly: she undoes the family whereof she is the calamity, be she never so witty, if with it she be not religious and thrifty, heedy and handy. Sicut ut ligno vermis, ita perdit virum suum mulier malefica. - Hier. Be the husband never so frugal, if the wife be idle, or lavish, or proud, or given to gadding and gossipping, …, he doth but draw water with a sieve, or seek to pull a loaded cart through a sandy way without the help of a horse; it little boots him to bestir himself, for he puts his gets "into a bag with holes." Haggai 1:6 He "labours in the very fire," Habakkuk 2:13 as Cowper, bishop of Lincoln, did, whose wife burnt all his notes that he had been eight years in gathering, lest he should kill himself with too much study (for she had much ado to get him to his meals), so that he was forced to fall to work again, and was eight years in gathering the same notes wherewith he composed his dictionary, that useful book. Young’s Benefit of Affliction. How much happier in a wife was that learned Gul. Budaeus. Coniux mea, saith he, sic mihi morem gerit, ut non tractet negligentius libros meos quam liberos, … My wife seeing me bookish, is no less diligent about my books , than about my barns, whom she breeds up with singular care and tenderness. How well might he have done, having such a learned helper, as a countryman of his Andreas Tiraquellius. did, of whom Thuanus reporteth, quod singulis annis singulos libros et liberos, reip. dederit: That he set forth every year a book and a child, a book and a child! But this by the way only.

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He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but [he that is] perverse in his ways despiseth him.

He that walketh in his uprightness, feareth the Lord. — He is "in the fear of the Lord all day long"; Proverbs 23:17 he walketh "in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost." Acts 9:31 "The fear of the Lord is upon him," so that he "takes heed and does it"; 2 Chronicles 19:7 for he knows "it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him." Ecclesiastes 8:12 God’s "covenant was with Levi of life and peace, for the fear wherewith he feared God, and was afraid before his name." Hence "the law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with God in peace and equity, and did turn many from iniquity." Malachi 2:5-6 He that truly fears God, is like unto Cato, of whom it is said, that he was homo virluti simillimus, and that he never did well that he might appear to do so, sed quia aliter facere non potuit, but because he could not do otherwise.

But he that is perverse in his ways, despiseth him. — Sets him aside, departs from his fear, dares to do that before him that he would be loath to do before a grave person. Thus David "despised God," when he defiled his neighbour’s wife. 2 Samuel 12:9 Not but that even then he had God for his chief end; but he erred in the way, thinking he might fulfil his lust, and keep his God too (he would not forego God upon any terms), as Solomon thought to retain his wisdom, and yet to pursue his pleasures. Hence his partial and temporary apostasy - as the word here rendered "perverse" importeth; his warping and writhing from the way of righteousness - as the Septuagint σκολιαζων tortuose incedens. here interpret it - which was, interpretative, a "despising" of God, a saying, "He seeth it not." Psalms 10:11

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In the mouth of the foolish [is] a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride. — Wherewith he beats others, and lays about him like a madman, or rather like a mad dog he bites all he meets, and barks against God himself; till he procure the hate of God and men, and smart for his petulance, being beaten at length with his own rod, as the lion beats himself with his own tail.

But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. — From the aspersion of false and foolish tongues. Their good names are oiled, so that evil reports will not stick to them. Dirt will stick upon a mud wall, not so upon marble. Or if they lie under some undeserved reproach for a season, either by a real or verbal apology they wade out of it, as the eclipsed moon by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendour. Isaiah 54:17

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Where no oxen [are], the crib [is] clean: but much increase [is] by the strength of the ox.

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean. — The barn and garners are empty. Neque mola, neque farina; no good to be got without hard labour of men and cattle. Let the idle man’s motto be that of the lily, neque laborant, neque nent: "They neither toil nor spin." Matthew 6:28 Man is born to toil, as the sparks fly upwards. Job 5:7 And spinster they say is a term given the greatest women in our law. Our lives are called "the lives of our hands," Isaiah 57:10 because to be maintained by the labour of our hands.

But much increase is by the strength of the ox. — This is one of those beasts that serve ad esum et ad usum, and are profitable both alive and dead. A heathen counselleth good husbands and husbandmens that would thrive in the world to get first a house, then a wife, and then an ox that lustily plougheth and bringeth in much increase. Bede applies this text to painful preachers, set forth by oxen, 1 Corinthians 9:9 Revelation 4:7 for their tolerance and tugging at the work; where these labour lustily there is commonly a harvest of holiness, a crop of comfort. Only they must be dustily diligent. Dιακονος , of κονις , dust.

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faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

A faithful witness will not lie. — Nec prece nec precio, he cannot lend an oath for a need before a magistrate. Nay, he will not lie upon any condition. See Trapp on " Proverbs 13:5 "

But a false witness will utter lies. — Or, He that telleth lies will be a false witness - he that makes light of a lie will not stick at perjury. That was a foul blur to the Romans of old, if true, that Mirrhanes the Persian general chargeth upon them, Romanis promittere promptum est, promissis autem quanqum iuramento firmatis minime stare; Procop., lib. i. de bello Persico. the Romans will presently promise anything, but perform no promise though confirmed with an oath. Of the Romists at this day it is written by an Italian, no stranger to the court of Rome, that their proverb is, Mercatorum est, non regum, stare iuramentis; It is for merchants, not for princes, to stand to what they have sworn. Fides cum hereticis non est servanda is their position, and their practice is accordingly. They play with oaths as the monkey doth with his collar, which he doth slip on for his master’s pleasure, and slip off again for his own. Pascenius scoffs King James for the invention of the oath of allegiance.

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scorner seeketh wisdom, and [findeth it] not: but knowledge [is] easy unto him that understandeth.

A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not. — Or, He seeketh wisdom, and he seeketh it not. He seeketh it not seriously, seasonably, duly; he seeks it as a coward seeks his adversary, with a hope he shall not find him; or a man seeks his false coin, which he hath no joy to look upon. "What is truth?" said Pilate in a jeer to Christ, but stayed not for the answer. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" said those carnal Capernaites, John 6:52 and away they went, who, if they had stayed out the sermon, might have been satisfied in the point. Herod sought to see Christ, but never sent for him, nor went to him; and when the Lord Christ was brought before him, he looked upon him no otherwise than as upon some magician to show him some tricks and make him sport, and is therefore answered with silence.

But knowledge is easy to him that doth understand. — In any science the worst is at first; as the root of the herb moly in Homer is said to be black and unsightly, but the leaf lovely and the fruit pleasant. The more a man sees into heavenly mysteries the more he may. "I love them that love me," saith wisdom, "and those that seek me early shall find me." Proverbs 8:17 Provided that they be not proud persons, but come with a desire to learn and a resolution to practise. He that comes to a fountain to fill his pitcher, must first wash it, and then put the mouth of it downward to take up water. So he that would have heavenly knowledge must first quit his heart of corrupt affections and high conceits - intus existens prohibet alienum - and then humble himself at God’s feet, "every one to receive his words" Deuteronomy 33:3 . See Trapp on " Proverbs 8:9 "

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Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not [in him] the lips of knowledge.

Go from the presence of a foolish man. — If he be a proud fool, as Proverbs 14:6 , a scorner and derider of good counsel, and one that knows not how to lisp out the least syllable of savoury language, break off society with such as soon as may be; for what good can be gotten by their company or conference? "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" They infect the very air they breathe upon, and are therefore called λοιμοι , pests, Dabhar a word, Debher a pest. according to the Septuagint, Psalms 1:1 their tongues have the very plague in them; "their breath as fire shall devour you." Isaiah 33:11 Non potest vir ille sine convitiis quenquam a quo dissentit vel in levissimis, nominare, saith Dr Rivet concerning Bishop Montague; that man hath not the power to forbear railing at any one that dissents from him, though in never so small a matter. Is there any good to be gotten by such? Do not "their words eat as a gangrene." 2 Timothy 2:17

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The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way: but the folly of fools [is] deceit.

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way. — His wisdom begins in the right knowledge of himself, and ends in the right knowledge of God, that he may "walk worthy of God in all well pleasing," worthy of the calling wherewith he is called, that high and "heavenly calling" Hebrews 3:1 to the fruition of high and heavenly privileges, to an angelical and convincing conversation, such as may draw hearts or daunt them. We use to say of him that knows his place, and carries himself accordingly, such a man understands himself well enough. So here.

But the folly of fools is deceit. — Or, Is to understand deceit, to know the devil’s depths, to search his skull for carnal arguments that they may cum ratione insanire, be mad with show of reason, and deceive the hearts of the simple. "This their way is their folly; yet their posterity" - as wise as their foolsih fathers - "approve their sayings," abet their practices. Psalms 49:13

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