Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 1:31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
31. the fruit of their own way ] As they sow, so shall they reap, in accordance with the eternal law of righteousness. Comp. Gal 6:7-8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Pro 1:31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way.
Gods method of punishment
It is to let us punish ourselves. In this way man is led by bitter experience to see his own folly and Gods wisdom. When we will not be guided by God He grants all our wishes and desires to show us how foolish and miserable they are. When a man is cursed with every granted prayer he learns by bitter experience that it is possible to be his own worst enemy. His long-indulged desires become tyrannical tormentors. The promises of God are conditional. He will give us good things if we will do our part; but not if we neglect it, or do the contrary to it. God has given us the dignity of freedom, which involves the terrible possibility of disobeying His commands. It is the best thing for the thoughtless and careless to be let alone of God. Those who look back over their lives can trace most of their errors to the fact that they have tried to take themselves, so to speak, away from the guidance of God. Within the man who delights in sin, and loves darkness rather than light, there is a hell of his own making, from which he cannot depart any more than from himself. Only those who are beyond reformation, and who have altogether decided for the devil, God in this way leaves alone to be creatures of their own appetites and the prey of their sins. On others God inflicts sharp discipline in order to make them like Himself. (E. J. Hardy.)
Vain regrets
A man in South Africa bought a piece of land for the purpose of farming it, but, after a short trial, finding it unsuitable for that purpose, and hearing that gold was found in the neighbourhood, set to work to see if he could find any, but failed. Disgusted with his purchase, he sold it for what it would fetch, getting what we would call a mere song for it. The man who bought it, having also heard that there was a likelihood of gold being found, lost no time in making a vigorous search, and was rewarded in finding both gold and diamonds, which made him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Some years after- wards the former owner, who had left the country, heard from an old friend that gold by the ton and diamonds by hundreds were being taken from his bit of land, and it is said that he gnashed his teeth with rage and chagrin, as, with his hands clenched until the nails entered the palms, he exclaimed, Oh, what have I lost! what have I lost! You who have not accepted Christ, take care that some day when salvation is no longer yours to take or refuse, you in the bitterness of anguish can only say, Oh, what have I lost! what have I lost!
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
They shall eat of the fruit of their own way; they shall receive punishments answerable to their sins.
With their own devices; with the fruits or effects of their wicked devices. What was sweet in their mouths shall be bitter in their bellies, and that destruction which they have plotted against others shall fall upon themselves.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. fruit . . . wayresult ofconduct (Isa 3:10; Eze 11:21;Rom 6:21; Gal 6:7;Gal 6:8).
be filledeven torepletion (Ps 123:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way,…. Their evil ways; be punished according to their deserts, and receive the just reward of their iniquities; see Isa 3:10;
and be filled with their own devices; or “counsels” g: their device and counsel was to put Christ to death; to deliver him to the Roman governor, that he might be crucified, as he was: and they afterwards had their bellyful of crucifixion, as the word h used signifies; such vast numbers of them were crucified by the Romans before the walls of the city, five hundred a day, and sometimes more; insomuch that room was needed for crosses, and crosses for bodies i.
g “de consiliis suis”, Pagninus, Montanus; “ex consiliis suis”, Junius & Tremellius, &c. h “saturabuntar”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c. i Josephus de Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 11. s. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
31. Therefore For this reason they shall suffer the natural and penal consequences of their crimes. There is nothing arbitrary in their doom. As they have sown so shall they reap. They shall eat the fruit of their own doings.
It is possible that there is in the fearful language of this and the preceding verses a special reference to that class of persons described in Pro 1:11-19. It is natural that Solomon, as a sovereign, should think of such flagrant violators of law and right, having, probably, had frequently to deal with them, and being compelled in justice to treat them with great severity, notwithstanding their prayers for his clemency. They had proceeded in their evil courses until arrested by the hand of justice, and then, out of mercy to the innocent, no mercy could be shown to them. But the principle here developed is of higher and wider application. He who refuses to hearken to the voice of wisdom in cultivating and improving his mind till the time is past for such improvement, calls afterwards in vain for such knowledge.
The attainment mocks his efforts. There is a time, place, and opportunity for all things that ought to be done. But he that mis-improves or abuses them loses the advantage forever. So, in an eminent sense, of the knowledge of God and the attainment of his grace; if neglected in this, the day of salvation the appropriate period for seeking it the time will come when we shall have to say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” “Many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able.” We should not, however, apply too rigidly, and without qualification, the strong words and imagery with which the poet-sage invests personified Wisdom, to the great and good sovereign Judge, who, notwithstanding the infinite compassion of his nature, is compelled by the obligations of his justice to treat finally impenitent sinners with great severity. Even a human judge may be very severe in his sentence, yet very kind in his heart. But he must not let his compassion as a man slacken his hand of justice as a judge.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 1:31. And be filled Or, And shall be surfeited.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Ver. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit. ] Eat as they baked, drink as they brewed. They that sow the wind of iniquity, shall reap the whirlwind of misery, Aequum est ut faber quas fecit compedes ipse gestiat.
And be filled with their own devices.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Therefore, &c. Illustrations: Israel (Num 11:4-6;. Psa 106:13, Psa 106:14. Compare Num 11:20-23 and Psa 106:15. See also Num 14:44, Num 14:45). Under Samuel (1Sa 8:7, 1Sa 8:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 14:14, Pro 22:8, Job 4:8, Isa 3:10, Isa 3:11, Jer 2:19, Jer 6:19, Gal 6:7, Gal 6:8
Reciprocal: Gen 27:34 – he cried Exo 32:20 – made the Num 5:22 – go into Num 14:25 – turn you 1Ki 8:32 – condemning 2Ch 6:23 – requiting Job 20:14 – his meat Job 34:11 – cause Psa 94:23 – And he Psa 107:11 – contemned Pro 5:22 – His Pro 8:36 – he Pro 10:21 – fools Pro 11:5 – direct Pro 12:2 – a man Pro 12:21 – filled Pro 13:2 – the soul Pro 13:13 – despiseth Isa 66:4 – will choose Jer 4:18 – Thy way Jer 14:16 – for Jer 21:14 – according Hos 10:13 – eaten Mic 7:13 – for Rom 6:21 – What Eph 5:11 – unfruitful 1Ti 6:10 – and pierced
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the {z} fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
(z) They will feel what convenience their wicked life will give them.