John Gill Commentary Proverbs 29

He that being often reported hardeneth [his] neck
Or "a man of reproofs" ^F4 ; either a man that takes upon him to be a censurer and reprover of others, and is often at that work, and yet does those things himself which he censures and reproves in others; and therefore must have an impudent face and a hard heart a seared conscience and a stiff neck; his neck must be an iron sinew and his brow brass: or rather a man that is often reproved by others by parents by ministers of the Gospel, by the Lord himself, by the admonitions of his word and Spirit and by the correcting dispensations of his providence; and yet despises and rejects all counsel and admonition, instruction and reproofs of every kind, and hardens himself against them and shows no manner of regard unto them.

Such an one shall suddenly be destroyed ^F5 ; or "broken" ; as a potter's vessel is broken to pieces with an iron rod, and can never be put together again; so such persons shall be punished with everlasting destruction, which shall come upon them suddenly, when they are crying Peace to themselves notwithstanding the reproofs of God and men;

and that without remedy ^F6 ; or, "and there [is] no healing" ; no cure of their disease, which is obstinate; no pardon of their sins; no recovery of them out of their miserable and undone state and condition; they are irretrievably lost; there is no help for them, having despised advice and instruction; see (Proverbs 5:12Proverbs 5:13).

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: (twxkwt vya) "vir increpationum", Vatablus, Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus; "vir correptionum", Piscator, Michaelis; "vir redargutionum", Schultens.
• F5: (rbvy) "conteretur", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version "confringetur", Schultens; so Baynus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.
• F6: (aprm Nyaw) "et non (erit) sanitas", Pagninus, Montanus, Baynus; "non sit curatio", Junius & Tremellius; "medicina", Piscator.

When the righteous are in authority
Or "are increased" {g}; either in number or in riches, or in power and dominion; are set in high places, and have the exercise of civil government and the execution of the laws in their hands; for the protection of good men in their civil and religious privileges, and for the punishment of evil men; for the encouraging of all that is good, and for the discouraging of everything that is bad; the people rejoice ;
the whole body of the people, because of the public good; a state is happy under such an administration; everyone feels and enjoys the advantage of it; see (1 Kings 4:20) ; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn ;
or "groan" ^F8 , or "will groan", under their tyranny and oppression, and because of the sad state of things; the number of good men is lessened, being cut off, or obliged to flee; wicked men and wickedness are encouraged and promoted; heavy taxes are laid upon them, and exorbitant demands made and cruelty, injustice, and arbitrary power exercised; and no man's person and property safe; see (Proverbs 10:11) (Proverbs 28:12Proverbs 28:28) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: (xnay) "gemet", Pagninus, Montanus, V. L. "gemit", Michaelis; "ingemiscit", Schultens; so the Tugurine version, Mercerus; "suspirat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.

Whoso loves wisdom rejoices his father
He that is a philosopher, especially a religious one, that not only loves and seeks after natural wisdom, but moral wisdom and knowledge; and more particularly evangelical wisdom, Christ the Wisdom of God, who is to be valued and loved above all things; the Gospel of Christ, which is the wisdom of God in a mystery; and the knowledge of it which is the wisdom which comes from above and is pure and peaceable; and which lies much in the fear of God, and in the faith of Jesus Christ, attended with all the fruits of righteousness: such a son makes glad his father, both because of his temporal good, since he does not waste but improve the substance he has given him; and because of his spiritual and eternal welfare; and since instead of being a reproach he is an honour to him; see (Proverbs 10:1) ;

but he that keeps company with harlots spends [his] substance :
his father has given him, and comes to want and beggary; all which is a grief to his parents: or, "that feeds harlots" ^F9 ; who live in a riotous and voluptuous manner, and soon drain a man of his substance, and bring him to a morsel of bread; see (Luke 15:13Luke 15:14Luke 15:30) (Proverbs 6:26) ; and such a son grieves his father, seeing he spends his substance and damns his soul.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (her) "nutrit", V. L. "pascit", Pagninus, Piscator, Gejerus, Schultens; "pascitur", Michaelis; "pascens", Montanus, Mercerus.

The king by judgment establishes the land By executing, judgment and justice among his subjects, he establishes the laws of the land, and the government of it; he secures its peace and prosperity, and preserves his people in the possession at their properties and privileges; and makes them rich and powerful, and the state stable and flourishing, so that it continues firm to posterity; such a king was Solomon, (2 Chronicles 9:8).

but he that receives gifts overthrows it ; that is, a king that does so; Gersom observes that such a man is not called a king, because such a man is not worthy of the name, who takes gifts and is bribed by them to pervert judgment and justice; whereby the laws of the nation are violated, and the persons and properties of his subjects become the prey of wicked men; and so the state is subverted and falls to ruin.

It is in the original text, "a man of oblations" ^F11 ; the word is generally used of the sacred oblations or offerings under the law; hence some understand it of a sacrilegious prince who of his own arbitrary power converts sacred things to civil uses. The Targum, Septuagint, Syriac and Arabic versions render it, a wicked and ungodly man; and the Vulgate Latin version, a covetous man; as such a prince must be in whatever light he is seen, whether as a perverter of justice through bribes, or as a sacrilegious man.

Though it may be rendered, "a man of exactions" ^F12 , for it is used of the oblation of a prince which he receives from his people, (Ezekiel 45:9Ezekiel 45:13) ; as Aben Ezra observes; and so it may be interpreted of a king that lays heavy taxes upon his people, and thereby brings them to distress and poverty, and the state to ruin.

FOOTNOTES:

• F11: (twmwrx vya) "vir oblationam", Montanus, Baynus, Grotius, Gejerus, Schultens.
• F12: "Vir exactionum", Mercerus; "qui levat exactiones", Munster; "qui tributa imponit", so some in Vatablus; "qui tribbuta extorquet", Tigurine version.

A man that flatters his neighbour
That speaks smooth things to him gives him flattering titles, speaks fair to his face, highly commends him on one account or another:

spreads a net for his feet ;
has an idle design upon him, and therefore should be guarded against. His view is to draw him into a snare and make a prey of him; he attacks him on his weak side, hoping to make some advantage of it to himself. Therefore, flatterers should be avoided as pernicious persons;

or he spreads a net for his own feet, and is taken in the snare which he had laid for his neighbour; or falls into the pit he dug for him, as Gersom observes; see (Psalms 140:5) (Hosea 5:1) .