Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 19:6

Many will entreat the favor of the prince: and every man [is] a friend to him that giveth gifts.

6. prince ] It is better to preserve the parallelism, and to render the Heb. word in its primary sense of princely disposition, the liberal man, R.V. text, than with A.V. and R.V. marg., of princely rank. The same word is rendered liberal, Isa 32:5; Isa 32:8. Comp. Keble’s version of it in Psa 51:12 (Sixth Sun. after Trinity):

“The princely heart of innocence.”

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Intreat the favor … – literally, stroke the face of the man of princely nature, who gives munificently.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Of the prince; or, as others, of the liberal or bountiful man; which comes to the same thing, for kings were anciently called benefactors, Luk 22:25.

A friend; not sincerely, as daily experience shows, but in show or profession, or in the outward expressions of it, whereby they may oblige him.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Many will entreat the favour of the prince,…. Or of the liberal and bountiful man; as kings and princes generally are,

Lu 22:25; such have many to wait upon them, and are humble petitioners to them. Aben Ezra and Gersom interpret the many of great and honourable men, who are courtiers to kings and princes; who wait upon them, ask favours of them, and seek for places under them. The Targum is,

“there are many that minister before a prince;”

he has many servants, and some of them nobles;

and every man [is] a friend to him that giveth gifts; or “to a man of gift” k: who has it in his power to give, and has a heart to it; who is both a rich man and a liberal man; who is both able and willing to communicate to the necessities of others: such a man not only has the poor his friends, but others will speak well of him, and will make application to him on account of the poor; and, for the sake of doing good to them, will court his friendship and acquaintance. Bayne interprets this “man of gift” of Christ, who ascended on high, and received gifts for men, and gives them to men.

k “viro doni”, Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

6 Many stroke the cheeks of the noble;

And the mass of friends belongeth to him who gives.

The phrase ‘ signifies to stroke the face of any one, from the fundamental meaning of the verb , to rub, to stroke, Arab. khala , with which the Heb., meaning to be sick, weak ( viribus attritum esse ), and the Arabic: to be sweet (properly laevem et politum, glabrum esse , or palatum demulcere, leniter stringere , contrast asperum esse ad gustum ), are connected (Fl.). The object of such insinuating, humble suing for favour is the (from , instigare ), the noble, he who is easily incited to noble actions, particularly to noble-mindedness in bestowing gifts and in doing good, or who feels himself naturally impelled thereto, and spontaneously practises those things; cf. the Arab. krym , nobilis and liberalis (Fl.), and at Job 21:28; parall. , a man who gives willingly, as , Pro 15:18, one who is easily kindled into anger. Many ( , as Job 11:19) stroke the face of the liberal (Lat. caput mulcent or demulcent ); and to him who gives willingly and richly belongs , the mass (the totality) of good friends, cf. Pro 15:17; there the art. of , according to the manner of expression of the Arab. grammarians, stood for “the exhaustion of the characteristic properties of the genus”: the friend who corresponds to the nature (the idea) of such an one; here it stands for “the comprehension of the individuals of the genus;” all that is only always friend. It lies near with Ewald and Hitzig to read (and every one is friend…) ( = , as Jer 8:10, etc.); but why could not be used as well as , perhaps with the sarcastic appearance which the above translation seeks to express? The lxx also had in view, which it incorrectly translates , whereby the Syr. and the Targ. are led into error; but is not one and the same with , vid., Pro 18:6. On the contrary, there certainly lies before us in Pro 19:7 a mutilated text. The tristich is, as we have shown, vol. i, p. 15, open to suspicion; and the violence which its interpretation needs in order to comprehend it, as a formal part of 7ab, places it beyond a doubt, and the lxx confirms it that 7c is the remainder of a distich, the half of which is lost.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

      6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.   7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

      These two verses are a comment upon v. 4, and show, 1. How those that are rich and great are courted and caressed, and have suitors and servants in abundance. The prince that has power in his hand, and preferments at his disposal, has his gate and his ante-chamber thronged with petitioners, that are ready to adore him for what they can get. Many will entreat his favour, and think themselves happy in it. Even great men are humble suppliants to the prince. How earnest then should we be for the favour of God, which is far beyond that of any earthly prince. But, it should seem, liberality will go further than majesty itself to gain respect, for there are many that court the prince, but every man is a friend to him that gives gifts; not only those that have received, or do expect, gifts from him, will, as friends, be ready to serve him, but others also will, as friends, give him their good word. Prodigals, who are foolishly free of what they have, will have many hangers-on who will cry them up as long as it lasts, but will leave them when it is done. Those that are prudently generous make an interest by it which may stand them in good stead; those that are accounted benefactors exercise an authority which may give them an opportunity of doing good, Luke xxii. 25. 2. How those that are poor and low are slighted and despised. Men may, if they please, court the prince, and the princely, but they may not trample upon the poor and look at them with disdain. Yet so it often is: All the brethren of the poor do hate him; even his own relations are shy of him, because he is needy and craving, and expects something from them, and because they look upon him as a blemish to their family; and then no marvel if others of his friends, that were nothing akin to him, go far from him, to get out of his way. He pursues them with words, hoping to prevail with them by his importunity to be kind to him, but all in vain; they have nothing for him. They pursue him with words (so some understand it), to excuse themselves from giving him any thing; they tell him that he is idle and impertinent, that he has brought himself into poverty, and therefore ought not to be relieved; as Nabal said to David’s messengers: “There are many servants now a days that run away from their masters; and how do I know but that David may be one of them?” Let poor people therefore make God their friend, pursue him with their prayers, and he will not be wanting to them.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Misdirected Source of Favor

Verse 6 affirms the often demonstrated readiness of men, to be friends toward, and court the favor of men from whom they may obtain gifts and advantages, Pro 17:8; Pro 18:6; Pro 21:14. To seek such is to depend upon men who are subject to human frailty, Psa 146:3-4. Man’s judgment and true need is from the LORD, Pro 29:26; Psa 37:28; Psa 31:19-20; Isa 25:4; Luk 12:7; Php_4:19.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

6. Many will entreat the favour Literally, will stroke the face; will flatter, caress, or make court to, the prince.

A friend to him that giveth gifts A liberal, generous man. Many will esteem acquaintance with him an honour. The “gifts” herein spoken of are not to be understood as bribes, and therefore, condemnatory, but such as proceed from the generous impulses of a noble spirit.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

v. 6. Many will intreat the favor of the prince, literally, “stroke his face,” flatter him; and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, with the expectation of sharing in his generosity. These facts are stated as in agreement with men’s conduct everywhere and do not imply the approval of the Lord.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Pro 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man [is] a friend to him that giveth gifts.

Ver. 6. Many will entreat the favour of the prince. ] Yea, lie at his feet, and lick up his spittle, not being loyal in love for conscience, but submissive in show for commodity. Every man will be thrusting in where anything is to be gotten. The poets make Litae, or Petitions, to be the daughters of Jupiter, and ever about him; to signify, saith the mythologist, that princes and great ones are seldom without suppliants and suitors. a

And every man is a friend, &c. ] See Trapp on “ Pro 17:8 “

a I Z . – Orph. in Arg.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)