Matthew Henry Commentary Proverbs 1
Matthew Henry Commentary
Proverbs 1
Matthew Henry Commentary
Proverbs 1
"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding; To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity; To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion: That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels: To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings." — Proverbs 1:1-6 (ASV)
The lessons given here are plain, and likely to benefit those who feel their own ignorance and their need to be taught. If young people pay attention to their ways, according to Solomon's Proverbs, they will gain knowledge and discretion. Solomon speaks of the most important points of truth, and a greater than Solomon is here. Christ speaks by His word and by His Spirit. Christ is the Word and the Wisdom of God, and He is made wisdom for us.
"The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; [But] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck." — Proverbs 1:7-9 (ASV)
Fools are persons who have no true wisdom, who follow their own inclinations, without regard to reason, or reverence for God. Children are reasonable creatures, and when we tell them what they must do, we must tell them why. But they are corrupt and wilful; therefore, along with instruction, a law is also necessary. Let Divine truths and commands be most honourable to us; let us value them, and then they will be so to us.
"My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil; Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird: And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof." — Proverbs 1:10-19 (ASV)
Wicked people are zealous in seducing others into the paths of the destroyer: sinners love company in sin. But they have so much the more to answer for. How cautious young people should be! Consent thou not. Do not say as they say, nor do as they do, or would have you do; have no fellowship with them.
Who could think that it should be a pleasure for one person to destroy another! See their idea of worldly wealth; but it is neither substance nor precious. It is the ruinous mistake of thousands that they overvalue the wealth of this world. People promise themselves in vain that sin will turn to their advantage.
The way of sin is downhill; people cannot stop themselves. If young people would shun temporal and eternal ruin, let them refuse to take one step in these destructive paths. People's greediness for gain hurries them into practices that prevent them or others from living out half their days. What does a person profit, though they gain the world, if they lose their life? Much less if they lose their soul?
"Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places; She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words: How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof: I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you. Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah: They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices. For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil." — Proverbs 1:20-33 (ASV)
Solomon, having shown how dangerous it is to listen to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to listen to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three types of persons are here called by Him:
- Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness.
- Scorners. Proud, jovial people, who make a jest of everything. Scoffers at religion, who run down everything sacred and serious.
- Fools. Those are the worst of fools who hate to be taught and have a rooted dislike for serious godliness.
The precept is plain: Turn you at my reproof. We do not make a right use of reproofs if we do not turn from evil to that which is good. The promises are very encouraging. People cannot turn by any power of their own; but God answers, Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you.
Special grace is necessary for sincere conversion. But that grace will never be denied to any who seek it. The love of Christ, and the promises mingled with His reproofs, surely should have the attention of everyone. It may well be asked: How long do people intend to continue on such a perilous path, considering the uncertainty of life and the consequences of dying without Christ?
Now sinners live at ease and defy sorrow; but their calamity will come. Now God is ready to hear their prayers; but then they will cry in vain. Are we still despisers of wisdom? Let us listen diligently and obey the Lord Jesus, that we may enjoy peace of conscience and confidence in God; be free from evil, in life, in death, and forever.
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