Proverbs27
World English Bible · Public Domain
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
10 Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
19 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
23 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
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