Proverbs27
King James Version · Public Domain
1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
Study
Proverbs 27Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Proverbs 27. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
v1
We know not what a day may bring forth. This does not forbid preparing for to-morrow, but presuming upon to-morrow. We must not put off the great work of conversion, that one thing needful.
v2
There may be occasion for us to justify ourselves, but not to praise ourselves.
vv3-4
Those who have no command of their passions, sink under the load.
Key Words
אַל: not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
הָלַל: to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make ashow, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify
מָחָר: properly, deferred, i.e. the morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereafter
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
מָה: properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
יָלַד: to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
זוּר: to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be aforeigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery
Cross References
Proverbs 27Explicit New Testament parallel warning against boasting about tomorrow and future plans.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identical proverbial warning concerning taking a garment as surety for a stranger.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel comparing a contentious wife to a continual dropping of rain.
Supported by JFB
Classic parallel of a righteous man's faithful, wounding smiting being an excellent oil.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Paul uses the husbandry analogy of eating the fruit to defend ministerial support.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Thematic parallel of death, hell, and the greedy man who cannot be satisfied.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Internal Proverbs parallel listing the grave (Sheol) as never satisfied.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel imagery of the fining pot and furnace testing what is within.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ's parable of the rich fool who presumed on many years to come.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament instruction that he who commends himself is not approved, but whom God commends.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms that he who rebukes a man finds more favor than a flatterer.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Apostolic charge to feed and watch over the flock of God diligently.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Verbal link in God causing grass to grow for cattle and herbs for man.
Supported by JFB
Historical example of Saul's destructive envy triggered by David's praise.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The supreme historical example of the deceitful kisses of an enemy (Judas).
Supported by Matthew Poole