John Gill Commentary Proverbs 17

Better [is] a dry morsel, and quietness therewith

A small quantity of bread; a broken piece of bread, as the word ^F23 signifies;

which has been long broken off, and become "dry" ^F24 ; a dry crust of bread; old bread, as the Arabic version; an old, mouldy, dry piece of bread: and the word used has the signification of destruction in it: bread that has lost its taste and virtue; or, however, a mere piece of bread is meant, without anything to eat with it, as Gersom, butter, cheese, or flesh:

this, with quietness and peace among those that partake of it, peace in the family, in a man's own mind, especially if he has the peace of God, which passeth all understanding; this is better than a house full of sacrifices [with] strife ;

than a house ever so well furnished with good cheer, or a table ever so richly spread; or where there is plenty of slain beasts for food, or for sacrifice, which were usually the best, and part of which the people had to eat, and at which times feasts used to be made; but the meanest food, with tranquillity and contentment, is preferable to the richest entertainment where there is nothing but strife and contention among the guests;

for, where that is, there is confusion and every evil work: peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are better than meats and drinks.

Mr. Dod used to say, ``brown bread and the Gospel are good fare;'' see (Proverbs 15:17) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: (tp) "frustrum", a (ttp) , "fregit", Gejerus.
• F24: (hbrx) "siccum frustum panis", Tigurine version; "cibi sicci" Junius & Tremellius; "brucella sicca", V. L. Mercerus, Piscator; "buccea sicca", Cocceuis; "frustum sicci, sc. cibi", Michaelis, "frustum siccae buccellae, Schultens, so Ben Melech.

A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame , &c.] That does wicked and shameful actions: that is slothful, and will not attend to instruction or business; that is prodigal, wasteful, and luxurious, and causes shame to his parents, who blush at his conduct. Now a servant that behaves well and wisely in a family is observed and respected by his master, and he puts his wicked and extravagant son under him, makes him a tutor to him, and sets him to watch over him, and obliges his son to obey his orders. Jarchi illustrates this in Nebuchadnezzar ruling over the children of Israel;

and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren ; be appointed by his master's will to a share in his estate among his children, for his faithful service to him in life, and to encourage him to take care of his family, his children, and his affairs, after his death; or through gifts in his lifetime shall have what is equal to what his sons have; or growing rich shall purchase a part of theirs, as Gussetius^F25: or "shall part the inheritance among the brethren"^F26; being a wise man, his master shall leave him executor of his will, to divide his substance among his children, and see that everyone have their proper portion and equal share; but it rather is to be understood of his being a co-heir with them. So the Gentiles, through the will of the Lord, become fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ with the Jews, and share in the same inheritance with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their children; nay, when the children of the kingdom shall be shut out; see (Ephesians 3:6) (Matthew 8:11Matthew 8:12) . Jarchi gives an ancient exposition of it thus,

``a proselyte of righteousness is better than a wicked native; and in time to come he shall divide the spoil and the inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel, at it is said in (Ezekiel 47:23) ;''

FOOTNOTES:

• F25: Ebr. Comment. p. 263.
• F26: (qlxy) "dividet", Mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Syriac version and the Targum; "partitur", Junius & Tremellius; "partieur", Piscator.

The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold Refiners of silver have their fining pots, in which they purify the silver from the dross; and goldsmiths have their crucibles to melt and purify their gold, by which assays of the worth and value of it may be made;

but the Lord tries the hearts ; there is no vessel, as Gersom observes, in which they can be put and tried by creatures; a man does not know, nor can he thoroughly search and try his own heart, and much less the hearts of others; God only knows and tries them, (Jeremiah 17:9Jeremiah 17:10) ; The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it by way of similitude, "as the fining pot is for silver" as silver is refined in the pot, and gold in the furnace, so are the hearts of God's people, and their graces tried and purified by him in the furnace of affliction; the variety of troubles they are exercised with are made useful for the purging away of the dross of sin and corruption, and for the brightening of their graces, (1 Peter 1:7) .

A wicked doer gives heed to false lips
A man of an ill spirit, of a mischievous disposition, who delights in doing wickedness; he carefully attends to those who speak falsehood; he listens to lies and calumnies, loves to hear ill reports of persons, and takes pleasure in spreading them to the hurt of their characters; and men of bad hearts and lives give heed to seducing spirits, to false teachers, to such as speak lies in hypocrisy, who soothe and harden them in their wickedness;

[and] a liar gives ear to a naughty tongue :
or, "to a tongue of destruction" ^F1 ; a calumniating, backbiting tongue, which destroys the good name and reputation of men; and he who is given to lying is made up of lying, or is a lie itself, as the word signifies; who roves and makes a lie, as antichrist and his followers; such a one hearkens diligently to everything that may detract from the character of those especially he bears ill will towards: or it may be better rendered, "he that hearkens to a lie [gives heed] to a naughty tongue" ^F2 ; for a lying tongue is a naughty one, evil in itself, pernicious in its effects and consequences.

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: (twh Nwvl le) "perniciosae linguae", Tigurine version; "linguae confractionum calamitatum, injuriarum", Vatablus; "ad linguam exiliorum", Michaelis.
• F2: So Michaelis.

Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker
He that mocks the poor for his poverty, Upbraids him with his mean appearance, scoffs at the clothes he wears or food he eats, such a one reproaches his Creator; or, as the Targum, "provokes his Creator to anger;" him who is his own Creator as well as the poor man's; him who made the poor man, both as a man and as a poor man; and who could have made him rich if he would, as well as the man that mocks at him; whose riches are not of himself, but of God; and who can take them away, and give them to the poor man if he pleases; and therefore rich men should be careful how they mock the poor; for, as Gersom observes, he that derides a work derides the workman.

[and] he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished^F3;
or "at calamity"; at the calamity of another, as the Vulgate Latin; and so Gersom; for no man rejoices at his own calamity; at the calamity of the poor, as Aben Ezra; or of his neighbour or companion, as the Targum; or at the calamity of any of his fellow creatures.

As the Edomites rejoiced at the calamity of the Jews, but were in their turn destroyed; and as the Jews rejoiced when the Christians were persecuted by Nero, and at length were destroyed themselves by the Romans; and as the Papists will rejoice when the witnesses are slain, and quickly after seven thousand men of name will be slain of them, and the rest frightened, (Revelation 11:10Revelation 11:13) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F3: dyal ) "ad calamitatem", Schultens; "ob calamitatem", Cocceius; "calamitate", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.