Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 21:6
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue [is] a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
6. a vanity &c.] Lit. a vapour dispersed; seekers of death. Thus in the abrupt, sententious style of the wisdom of the East the end is described both of the treasures so sought, and of those who so seek them. “A vapour dispersed,” unsubstantial and vanishing away are the treasures gotten by a lying tongue; “seekers of death,” men whose pursuit will end in their own destruction, are those who so acquire them. By the change of a letter in the Heb. word the LXX., Vulgate, and R.V. marg. have snres (instead of seekers) of death.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Vanity – Or, a breath driven to and fro of those that are seeking death. Another reading of the last words is: of the snares of death (compare 1Ti 6:9). Some commentators have suggested that the vapor or mist is the mirage of the desert, misleading those who follow it, and becoming a net of death.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 21:6-7
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity.
Dishonesty
I. The evil of dishonesty.
1. A breach of the law of God.
2. An invasion of the Divine right of property.
3. An encouragement to indolence. The workshop is one of the finest fields for human development.
4. A certain development of selfishness.
5. A weapon for the destruction of mutual confidence. Men cannot trust those who are watching for opportunities to defraud them.
6. An incentive to other sins (Jer 7:8; Joh 12:6; Mat 26:15).
II. The remedy for dishonesty.
1. A renewed nature. The Spirit of truth dwelling in a man will make war against all dishonesty.
2. A sensitive conscience. Petty pilfering will deaden conscience with respect to this and all other sins (1Ti 4:2).
3. A realisation of the dignity of labour.
4. A due estimate of the value of human possessions.
5. A consciousness of the Divine presence and oversight.
6. A remembrance of the damaging nature of property dishonestly acquired (Pro 21:7). An act of theft often destroys self-respect, peace of mind, bodily health, and the soul itself. (H. Thorne.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 6. Of them that seek death] Instead of mebakshey, “them that seek,” several MSS., some ancient editions, with Symmachus, the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic, have mokeshey, the snares. He who gets treasures by a lying tongue, pursues vanity into the snares of death. Our common translation may be as good. But he who, by the snares of his tongue, endeavours to buy and sell to the best advantage, is pursuing what is empty in itself; and he is ensnared by death, while he is attempting to ensnare others.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By a lying tongue; by false witness-hearing, or by any other false or deceitful words or actions, whereby many men get riches.
Is a vanity tossed to and fro; is like the chaff or smoke driven away by the wind; it is neither satisfactory nor durable, but quickly vanisheth away, as hath been frequently observed of estates ill gotten.
That seek death; not designedly, but eventually, that take those courses which will bring death or destruction upon them or theirs.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. The gettingor, “whatis obtained” (compare Job 7:2;Jer 22:13, Hebrew).
vanity . . . to and froasfleeting as chaff or stubble in the wind (compare Pro 20:17-21;Psa 62:10). Such gettings areunsatisfactory.
them . . . deathact asif they did (Pro 8:36; Pro 17:19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue,…. By telling lies in trade; by bearing false witness in a court of judicature; or by preaching false doctrines in the church of God:
[is] a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death: such treasures, though ever so great, are like any light thing, smoke or vapour, straw, stubble, chaff, or a feather, tossed about the wind; which is expressive of the instability uncertainty of riches ill gotten; they do not last long, but are taken away and carried off by one providence or another; and they are likewise harmful and pernicious; they issue in death: and those that seek after them, and obtain them in a bad way, are said to “seek death”: not intentionally, but eventually; this they certainly find, if grace prevent not; see Pr 8:36. Jarchi reads it, they are the “snares of death” to him; and so the Septuagint version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
6 The gaining of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting breath of such as seek death.
One may, at any rate, after the free manner of gnomic resemblances and comparisons, regard “fleeting breath” and “such as seek death” as two separated predicates: such gain is fleeting breath, so those who gain are seeking death (Caspari’s Beitrge zu Jes. p. 53). But it is also syntactically admissible to interpret the words rendered “seekers of death” as gen.; for such interruptions of the st. constr., as here by [fleeting], frequently occur, e.g., Isa 28:1; Isa 32:13; 1Ch 9:13; and that an idea, in spite of such interruption, may be thought of as gen., is seen from the Arab.
(Note: Vid., Friedr. Philippi’s Status constructus, p. 17, Anm. 3; and cf. therewith such constructions as (Arab.) man’u fadlah almanhtaji , i.e., a refuser of the needy, his beneficence = one who denies to the needy his beneficence.)
But the text is unsettled. Symmachus, Syr., Targ., the Venet., and Luther render the phrase [seekers]; but the lxx and Jerome read [snares] (cf. 1Ti 6:9); this word Rashi also had before him ( vid., Norzi), and Kennicott found it in several Codd. Bertheau prefers it, for he translates: …is fleeting breath, snares of death; Ewald and Hitzig go further, for, after the lxx, they change the whole proverb into: ( ) , with in the first line. But of the lxx is an incorrect rendering of , which the smuggling in of the ( ) drew after it, without our concluding therefrom that , or (Lagarde), lay before the translators; on the contrary, the word which (Cappellus) lay before them, , certainly deserves to be preferred to : the possession is first, in view of him who has gotten it, compared to a fleeting ( , as Isa 42:2) breath (cf. e.g., smoke, Psa 68:3), and then, in view of the inheritance itself and its consequences, is compared to the snares of death (Pro 13:14; Pro 14:27); for in (here equivalent to , acquisitio , Gen 31:1; Deu 8:17) lie together the ideas of him who procures and of the thing that is procured or effected ( vid., at Pro 20:11).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
This shows the folly of those that hope to enrich themselves by dishonest practices, by oppressing and over-reaching those with whom they deal, by false-witness-bearing, or by fraudulent contracts, of those that make no scruples of lying when there is any thing to be got by it. They may perhaps heap up treasures by these means, that which they make their treasure; but, 1. They will not meet with the satisfaction they expect. It is a vanity tossed to and fro; it will be disappointment and vexation of spirit to them; they will not have the comfort of it, nor can they put any confidence in it, but will be perpetually uneasy. It will be tossed to and fro by their own consciences, and by the censures of men; let them expect to be in a constant hurry. 2. They will meet with destruction they do not expect. While they are seeking wealth by such unlawful practices they are really seeking death; they lay themselves open to the envy and ill-will of men by the treasures they get, and to the wrath and curse of God, by the lying tongue wherewith they get them, which he will make to fall upon themselves and sink them to hell.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Ill Gotten Gain
Verse 6 declares that treasure obtained by a lying tongue is an action by one who seeks death. There may be an illusion of getting away with it for a season, but He who said “Thou shalt not steal” and “Thou shalt not bear false witness” will bring offenders to judgment in due time, Pro 8:36; Pro 10:2; Pro 13:11; Pro 20:21; Pro 28:20; 1Ti 6:9; 2Pe 2:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) Is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.Rather, is (as) the driven (fleeting) breath of those who are seeking death. They are seeking in reality not riches, but death, and these riches will vanish like their own breath. (Comp. Wis. 5:14; Psa. 68:2).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Getting of treasures This is a difficult verse. I suggest this reading: The acquiring of treasure by a lying tongue is as transient vapour. They (who thus acquire) are seeking death; or, they (the treasures) are death. Instead of , ( mebhakske,) the seekers, or, they are seeking, several manuscripts and ancient editions read , ( mokshe,) snares. Should this reading be thought preferable, the last clause would run: They (treasures thus gotten) are snares of death deadly snares. Compare Pro 10:2; Pro 13:11.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 21:6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue He who gathers treasures by a deceitful tongue, pursues vain things. He shall be driven into the snares of death. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue [is] a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
Ver. 6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue. ] As do seducers, sycophants, flatterers, corrupt judges, that say with shame, “Give ye”; mercenary pleaders, that sell both their tongues and silence, and help their clients’ causes, as the wolf did the sheep of his cough, by sucking his blood; witnesses of the post that can lend an oath, as Jezebel’s hired rake hells did, and will not stick to swear (if they may be well paid for it) that their friend or foe was at Rome and at Interamna both at once; false chapmen, that say the best of their worst commodities, and cheat the unwary buyer. These, and the like, though for a while they may thrive and ruffle, yet in the end they prosper not, but perish with their wealth, as the toad doth with his mouth full of earth. God blows upon their cursed hoards of evil gotten goods, scattering them as chaff before the wind. Destruction also dogs them at the heels, both temporal and eternal. This they are said to seek, scil., eventually, though not intentionally. They seek it, because they not only walk in the way to it, but run and flee with post haste, as if they were afraid that they should come too late, or that hell should be full before they got there. Thus Balaam’s ass never carries him fast enough after the wages of wickedness. Set but a wedge of gold before Achan, and Joshua, that could stop the sun in his course, cannot stay him from the fingering of it. Judas, in selling his Master, what he doth doth “quickly.” But with what issue? What got Balaam but a sword in his ribs? Achan, but the stones about his ears? Judas, but the halter about his neck? besides a worse thing in another world. Thus many a wretched worldling spins a fair thread to strangle himself both temporally and eternally. By covetousness they not only kill others, Pro 1:19 but desperately “drown themselves in perdition and destruction.” 1Ti 6:9 Fuge ergo, dives, eiusmodi exitum – as St Ambrose concludes the stroy of Ahab’s and Jezebel’s fearful end – sed fugies eiusmondi exitum si fugeris huiusmodi flagitium, – Flee, O rich miser, such an end. Such an end you shall avoid, if you carefully flee from such sinful courses.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 21:6
Pro 21:6
“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.”
“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. We appreciate this: “A man making money by fraud chases a bubble to his own doom.
Pro 21:6. Connect this verse with Pro 21:5. Getting treasures by lying would be parallel to treasures of wickedness in Pro 10:2 and wealth gotten by vanity in Pro 13:11. In all three verses the result is similar: vapor driven to and fro (this verse), profit nothing (Pro 10:2), and shall be diminished (Pro 13:11). Such people come to seek death (this verse), and the suicide-rate is exceedingly high among the worlds wealthy.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
getting: Pro 10:2, Pro 13:11, Pro 20:14, Pro 20:21, Pro 22:8, Pro 30:8, Jer 17:11, 1Ti 6:9, 1Ti 6:10, Tit 1:11, 2Pe 2:3
seek: Pro 8:36, Eze 18:31
Reciprocal: Psa 10:7 – vanity Pro 4:7 – with Pro 16:8 – great Isa 10:14 – And my Mic 6:10 – the treasures Eph 4:25 – putting