Albert Barnes Commentary Proverbs 29
Albert Barnes Commentary
Proverbs 29
Albert Barnes Commentary
Proverbs 29
"He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." — Proverbs 29:1 (ASV)
Shall be destroyed - literally, “shall be broken” (Proverbs 6:15). Emphasis is placed on the suddenness of the long-delayed retribution in such a case.
"Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; But he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth [his] substance." — Proverbs 29:3 (ASV)
Spends ... - The laws of parallelism would lead us to expect “troubleth his father,” but that is passed over as a thing about which the profligate would not care, and he is reminded of what comes home to him, that he is on the road to ruin.
The king - The ruler, as the supreme fountain of all justice, and as the ideal judge, is contrasted with the taker of bribes.
"In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare; But the righteous doth sing and rejoice." — Proverbs 29:6 (ASV)
While the offense of the wicked, rising out of a confirmed habit of evil, becomes a snare for his destruction; the righteous, even if he offends, is forgiven and can still rejoice in his freedom from condemnation. The second clause is taken by some as entirely contrasted with the first; it expresses the joy of one whose conscience is void of offense, and who is in no danger of falling into the snare.
"Scoffers set a city in a flame; But wise men turn away wrath." — Proverbs 29:8 (ASV)
Scornful men—The men who head political or religious revolutions, who inflame (literally, as in the margin) the minds of the people against the powers that be.
"If a wise man hath a controversy with a foolish man, Whether he be angry or laugh, there will be no rest." — Proverbs 29:9 (ASV)
All modes of teaching—the stern rebuke or the smiling speech—are equally useless with the “foolish” man; there is “no rest.” The ceaseless cavilling goes on still.
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