Ver. 1. A wise son heareth his father’s instruction.] Heb., Is the instruction or discipline of his father; he was not natus sapiens, as Appollonius, sed factus, not born wise to salvation, but made so by his father’s discipline, as Solomon. (Proverbs 4:4) [See Trapp on “Pr 4:4”] But a scorner heareth not rebuke.] Or, Heareth and jeereth; -as Lot’s sons-in-law, as Eli’s sons, and afterwards Samuel’s. Samuel succeeds Eli in his cross, as well as in his place, though not in his sin of indulgence. God will shew that grace is by gift, not by inheritance or education. Ciceroni degenerem fuisse filium constat, et sapiens ille Socrates liberos habuit matri similiores quam patri, saith Seneca. Cicero had a son nothing like him; so had Socrates. Philostratus.
Ver. 2. A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth.] [See Trapp on “Pr 12:14”] [See Trapp on “Pr 10:6”] [See Trapp on “Mt 12:37”]
Ver. 3. He that keepeth his mouth.] As the guard keepeth the gates in a siege. God hath set a double guard of lips and teeth before this gate, and yet, unless he himself set the watch, and keep the door, all will be lost. (Psalms 141:3) But he that openeth wide his lips.] As she did her feet, to “multiply her whoredoms.” (Ezekiel 16:25) Κεχηνοτες, gaping mouthed men are noted for fools by Lucian and Aristophanes. An open mouth is a purgatory to the master, say we. And cave ne feriat lingua tua collum tuum, say the Arabians in their proverb, Take heed that thy tongue cut not thy throat. Scalig. Arab. Prov., cent. 1. prov 75.
Ver. 4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, &c.] Vult, et non vult piger -so the Vulgate reads it. The sluggard would, and he would not; he would have the end, but he would not use the means; he would “sit at Christ’s right hand,” but he would not “drink of his cup, or be baptized with his baptism.” Lyra compares these men to cats that would fain have fish, but are loath to wet their feet. (This is an English proverb; for Lyra was a famous English Jew, and flourished in the year of grace 1320.) Affection without endeavour is like Rachel—beautiful, but barren. But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat,] i.e., Those that work as well as wish, that add endeavours to their desires, as 2 Corinthians 8:11. David, ravished with the meditation of the good man’s blessedness, presently conceives this desire and pursues it; not, Oh that I had this happiness! but, Oh that I could use the means! “Oh that my ways were so directed.” (Psalms 119:4,5)
Ver. 5. A righteous man hateth lying.] Hateth it as hell. (Romans 12:9) “I hate and abhor lying,” saith David; (Psalms 119:163) and yet, among other corruptions, he had an inclination to this sin. See how roundly he tells three or four lies together; (1 Samuel 21:2,8 27:8,10) but he both hated it in himself and prayed against it (Psalms 119:29) But a wicked man is loathsome.] Stinks above ground; a liar especially is looked upon as a pest. Riches cannot make a man so graceful as lying will disgrace him; for “a poor man walking in his integrity, is better than a rich man that is a liar.” (Proverbs 19:1,22) Hence the liar denies his own lie, because he is ashamed to be taken with it. Some read it thus, ‘a wicked man maketh others loathsome, and casteth shame upon them,’ scil., by raising or reporting lies of them, by blasting or blemishing their good names. Thus Core and his complices sought to cast an odium on Moses; the Pharisees upon our Saviour; the Arians upon Athanasius; the Papists upon Wycliffe, whom Binius slanders for his missing the bishopric of Worcester, to have fallen upon that successful contradiction; like as the spiteful Jews said Paul did, because he could not obtain the high-priest’s daughter to wife. αποστυγουντες. Epiphan.
Ver. 6. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright.] That, though belied or otherwise abused, he will not let go his integrity. (Job 27:5) David’s “feet stood on an even place.” (Psalms 26:12) The spouse, though despoiled of her veil, and wounded by the watch, yet cleaves close to Christ. (Song of Solomon 5:7,8) Not but that the best are sometimes disquieted in such cases; for not the evenest weights but, at their first putting into the balance, somewhat sway both parts thereof, not without some show of inequality, which yet after some little motion, settle themselves in a meet poise and posture. But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.] Heb., The sin; as if the man were transformed into sin’s image. “What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?” (Micah 1:5) Tubulus quidam paulo supra Ciceronem Praetor fuit: homo tam proiecte improbus ut eius nomen non hominis sed vitii esse videretur, saith Lipsius. The Pope is called “the man of sin,” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) to note him merum scelus, saith Beza, -made up merely of sin. Lips. Antiq. lect.
Ver. 7. There is that maketh himself rich.] Such πτωχαλαζονες (as the witty Greek calls them) there are not few, that stretch their wing beyond their nest, that bear a port beyond their estate, that trick up themselves with other men’s plumes, laying it on above measure in clothes, fair building, &c., when not worth a groat, but die in prison, or make a fraudulent composition. This is no better before God than rapine and robbery. There is that makes himself poor, &c.] As the newly elected Pope doth, when in his Lateran procession he casts among the people pieces of brass and copper, saying, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give you.” So the friars are a race of people (saith one that hath been long among them) that are always vowing obedience, but still contentious; chastity, yet most luxurious; poverty, yet everywhere scraping and covetous. No Capuchin may take or touch silver; at the offer of it he starts back, as Moses from the serpent; yet he carries a boy with him that takes and carries it, and never complains of either metal or measure. We had in King Stephen’s days a rich chancellor of England, who yet was, and would be, called Roger paupere censu. Bishop Hall’s Serm. Spec. Europ. Bishop Hall’s Epist., 5 D. c. 1. Godwin’s Catalog.