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A good name, Heb. name put for good name, as Ecclesiastes 7:1, the word good being easily understood out of the next clause, in which it is expressed in the Hebrew text. A good reputation amongst wise and good men.

Is rather to be chosen than great riches; partly, because it is a most special blessing from God, being appropriated to worthy persons, whereas God commonly throws away riches upon the basest of men; partly, because it gives a man that tranquillity and satisfaction of mind, and that content and comfort in his condition, which no riches can purchase; and partly, because as it is commonly an evidence of a man’s virtue and piety, so it is accompanied with God’s love and favour, whereas riches are oft given by God in wrath, and to the hurt of the owner.

Loving favour; or, good grace or favour; a good report among men, especially among good men, and that hearty love and kindness which attends upon it.

The rich and poor meet together; either,

1. In a way of hostility or opposition, as this word is sometimes used; the rich contemning and oppressing the poor, and the poor envying and purloining from the rich; and so the following words are a reason why that hostility should cease. Or,

2. In the way of mutual converse; they live together, and need one another.

The Lord is the Maker of them all; not only as they are men, but also as they are poor or rich, which difference comes wholly from God’s providence; they have one common Creator, and Lord, and Judge, and the one cannot despise nor grudge at the other without a reflection upon God.

The evil; the calamity or judgment of God threatened and approaching.

Hideth himself; retireth to his strong tower, mentioned Proverbs 18:10; by prayer and repentance putteth himself under the protection of the Almighty. Compare Isaiah 26:20.

Pass on in their former road and course of sin, carelessly and securely, as travellers do in a road where they apprehend no danger.

By humility; or, because of humility; or, as many others render it, the reward of humility; that reward which God hath graciously promised and will give to humility; which is a grace of great price in God’s eyes. See Isaiah 57:15 Jam 4:6.

The fear of the Lord; by which he distinguisheth true and Christian humility from counterfeit and moral humility, because that ariseth from a deep sense of God’s greatness, and purity, and perfection, compared with our meanness, and filthiness and manifold imperfections, whereas this is quite of another nature, and from other grounds.

Life; the comforts of this life, and the happiness of the next, both which are promised to godliness, 1 Thessalonians 4:8.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; the wicked by their evil courses expose themselves to many dangers and occasions both of sin and mischief.

He that doth keep his soul, that taketh heed to himself, and to his actions, and to the saving of his life and soul,

shall be far from them; either,

1. Will avoid the society of such froward persons. Or,

2. Shall by that circumspection preserve himself from those thorns, &c., with which the pronoun them agrees in number.

Train up, or, initiate or instruct, a child in the way he should go, Heb. in or according to his way, i.e. either,

1. According to his capacity. Or rather,

2. In that course or manner of life which thou wouldst have him choose and follow. Or, as one learned man renders it, in the beginning of his way, i.e. in his tender years, as soon as he is capable of instruction. Heb. in the mouth, &c. The mouth is oft put for the beginning or entrance of any place, as Genesis 29:2 Joshua 10:18 Proverbs 8:3 Daniel 6:17. Will not depart from it, to wit, not easily and ordinarily. The impressions made in childish years will remain, as hath been observed by all sorts of learned writers. But this, as many proverbs of like nature, are not to be understood as if they were universally and necessarily true, which experience confutes, but because it is so for the most part, except some extraordinary cause hinder it.

Ruleth over the poor, to wit, with rigour and tyranny, taking advantage of his necessities.

Is servant to the lender; is at his mercy, and therefore forced to comply with his pleasure. The design of the proverb is partly to correct this miscarriage of the rich, and partly to oblige all men to diligence, whereby they may deliver themselves from this servitude.

He that soweth iniquity, or unrighteousness, whose common practice it is to wrong or oppress others,

shall reap vanity; or, trouble or misery, as this word is commonly used, and as divers here render it. The mischief which he hath done to others shall be returned to him by God’s righteous sentence.

The rod of his anger shall fail; that power which he used with fury and cruelty shall be taken away from him.