This chapter contains an account of the queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon to her great satisfaction, 1 Kings 10:1–13, of Solomon’s merchandise and riches, and the magnificence of his court, 1 Kings 10:14–23, of the rich presents sent to him, and of the purchase of chariots and horses, and…

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches The word “good” is not in the text, but is rightly supplied, as it is by the Targum, Septuagint, and Vulgate Latin versions; for it is not any name that is more eligible than riches; nor is it a need name among any sort of persons; for to have a…

The rich and poor meet together In an hostile way, as some; they rush upon one another; the rich despise the poor, and the poor envy the rich; they cannot speak well one of another, as the Arabic version; or they are dependent on one another, they cannot do without each other; as in the natural…

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…

By humility and the fear of the Lord Some render it, “the reward of humility, which is the fear of the Lord” [[16]]; so the Targum; an humble man is blessed with it.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward Who walks contrary to the will and law of God; such a man meets with troubles, which are as thorns, grieving and distressing to him; and is taken in snares, and brought into difficulties, out of which he is not easily extricated; the thorns of…

Train up a child in the way he should go As Abraham trained up his children, and those born in his house, in the way of the Lord, in the paths of justice and judgment; which are the ways in which they should go, and which will be to their profit and advantage; see ; and which is the duty of parents…

The rich ruleth over the poor Usurps a dominion over them, and exercises it in a rigorous, oppressive, and tyrannical manner; otherwise they are generally the rich that rule, and if they rule well, in a lawful, gentle, and righteous manner, it is commendable; and the borrower is servant to the…

He that soweth iniquity [[19]] shall reap vanity He that practises sin, and is frequent in the commission of it; indulges to it in a profuse way, as the sower plentifully scatters his seed; such shall reaper possess nothing but sin and wickedness; for, what a man sows, that shall he reap; he shall…

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed Or “a good eye” [[23]]; who looks about him for proper objects to do good unto; looks pleasantly on them, and deals out cheerfully and bountifully to them; he shall be blessed with an increase of temporal good things, with spiritual blessings, and with…

Cast out the scorner That makes a mock at sin, a jest at religion, and scoffs at all good men, and everything serious and spiritual; cast such an one out of all company and conversation; out of the family, as mocking Ishmael was cast out of Abraham’s family; and out of the church, and all religious…

He that loveth pureness of heart Though man’s heart is naturally impure, and all that is in it, the thoughts, affections, mind, conscience, understanding, and will; yet there is such a thing as pureness of heart; as where the grace of God is; where there it pure love to God, Christ, and to holy and…

The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge That is, the providence of God, whose eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth; these preserve the knowledge of himself, even among the Heathens in some measure; for what may be known of God is manifest in them, and showed to them: more particularly his…

The slothful man saith, there is a lion without Or, “in the street”. This he says within himself; or to those who call out to him, and put him on doing the business of his proper calling, whether in the field or elsewhere, which, through his slothfulness, he has a disinclination to; and therefore…

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit The mouth of harlots; the kisses of their mouth, their fair speech and flattering words, their amorous talk, and lascivious and wanton language, ensnare and draw unwary persons to commit lewdness with them, which bring them into a pit of ruin and…

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child That is, sin, the greatest of all folly; this is naturally in the heart of man; it is in the heart of a child, it is in him from his infancy; it is bound in his heart, it is rooted and riveted in him, being conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; it is…

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches By taking away from them the little they have; by keeping back their hire, defrauding them of the just wages of their labours; or by usury and extortion, or any other unjust method, whereby they distress the poor, and enrich themselves; and he that…

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise Here begins a new part or division of this book. According to some, the “third”; the “first” ending with , the “second” at , and a “third”, beginning here, and ending with .

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, &c.] Or, “in thy belly” [[0]]. That is, in thine heart, in the inmost recesses of it; where the words or doctrines of the wise should be received in the love of them, and carefully laid up and retained; which will upon reflection yield much…

That thy trust may be in the Lord By means of the words of the wise, or doctrines of the Gospel, faith in Christ is first had; men are directed and encouraged hereby to believe in him; and by the same means faith is increased, confirmed, and established.

Have not I written to thee excellent things In the Scriptures. Some render it, “three things” [[2]]; and think that Solomon refers to the three divisions of the Scriptures among the Jews, the law, the prophets, and holy writings; so Jarchi; but some of those writings then were not: or to the three…

That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth Such are the doctrines of the Gospel; they are “the words of truth”; are written in the Scriptures of truth; come from the God of truth; the subject matter of which is Christ, who is the truth, and which the Spirit of truth leads into:…

Rob not the poor, because he is poor And cannot help himself; cannot go to law with him that has injured him, and defend his own cause; which the other knowing, is the more emboldened to spoil and defraud him, which is an aggravation of his sin: or, “for he is poor” [[6]]; to rob any man is an evil…

For the Lord will plead their cause If counsellors at the bar will not, he will; if judges on the bench will not do them justice, he will; he will judge the poor of the people; he will plead their cause, and plead it thoroughly, till he has brought forth judgment unto victory: woe to the man…

Make no friendship with an angry man Do not associate with him; contract not a familiarity with him; make him not a companion; take him not into an intimacy, or use him as a particular friend and acquaintance: a man should be courteous, and carry it civilly to all men; but he should take care whom…

Lest thou learn his ways And be as wrathful and furious, as quarrelsome and contentious, as he is. Evil works and ways are soon learned; men are more ready to imitate what is evil than what is good: Joseph learned to swear in Pharaoh’s court; and the Israelites learned the works of the Heathen,…

Be not thou one of them that strike hands Or “among them” [[11]], of the number of them, that do as they do, give their hand or their bond for others; he surety for them, as it is explained in the following clause; see ; or of them that are sureties for debts; contracted by others; that engage for…

If thou hast nothing to pay When the debtor this, and the creditor demands the debt of the surety: it is weakness in a man to be a surety for another, when he knows he is not able to pay the debt he is bound for, since it may be an injury to himself and family; but it is a piece of wickedness to…

Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set. ] Or, “the ancient border” or “boundary” [[12]]; by which lands, estates, and inheritances, were marked, bounded, and distinguished; set by ancestors in agreement with their neighbours; which to remove was contrary to a law, and a curse is…

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? &c.] In the business of his calling, be it what it will, whether for himself or his master; constant in it, swift, ready, and expeditious at it; who industriously pursues it, cheerfully attends it, makes quick dispatch of it; does it off of hand, at once,…