Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 22:18
For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
18. they shall withal be fitted in ] Rather, if they be established together upon, R.V.; i.e. if being kept securely in thy heart they dwell constantly on thy lips.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
What is pleasant in the sight of God and man is the union of two things, belief passing into profession, profession resting on belief.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee]
II. The pleasure and profit which may be derived from an attentive hearing.
1. They should be laid up in the heart – stored, treasured up within thee.
2. This will yield high satisfaction and happiness to the soul: “For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee.”
3. The man who thus attends to the teachings of wisdom shall gain an experimental knowledge of them, so as to be able to speak of them suitably, pertinently and persuasively. “They shall withal be fitted in thy lips.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If thou keep them, the words of the wise, within thee, Heb. in thy belly. i.e. in thine heart, which implies receiving them in love, and retaining them in mind and memory.
Be fitted; be fitly expressed; or, be disposed or ordered. The sense is, When thou hast got them into thine heart, thou wilt be able and ready to discourse pertinently and profitably of them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. These lessons must be laidup in the mind, and
fittedor better,”fixed” in the lips so as to be ever ready.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee,…. Or, “in thy belly” a. That is, in thine heart, in the inmost recesses of it; where the words or doctrines of the wise should be received in the love of them, and carefully laid up and retained; which will upon reflection yield much pleasure, like Ezekiel’s roll, which was in his belly as honey for sweetness; and which also is very profitable as an antidote against sin, Ps 119:11;
they shall withal be fitted in thy lips; become them, and be suitable and graceful to them: or, “shall be ordered [and disposed] in” or “by thy lips” b; being received into the heart, and digested there, they shall easily and freely go off the tongue, which shall be as the pen of a ready writer; they shall be delivered in a regular manner, with great liberty and facility; by a good digestion of Gospel truths, and a comfortable experience of them, persons become apt to teach others.
a “in ventre tuo”, V. L. Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis, Schultens. b “disponantur”, Vatablus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) They shall withal be fitted in thy lips.Rather, if they be established (dwell constantly) upon thy lips. They are to be as a watch, and keep the door of his lips against sin (Psa. 141:3), to teach him what to say in difficulty (Mar. 13:11), how to speak without fear even before kings (Psa. 119:46); by them the praises of God will ever be in his mouth (Psa. 149:6).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. For it is (better, it will be) a pleasant thing, etc. The latter clause should probably have the conditional particle carried forward if they shall be altogether established upon thy lips. The idea is, that they should be committed to memory, and become so familiar that the lips can readily utter them. “If they are ready, all of them, on thy lips.” Conant.
Within thee Literally, in thy bowels.
v. 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, Pro 22:18 For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
Ver. 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee. ] Heb., In thy belly; that is, in thine inwards. Truth it is, that St John found the little book he ate – whether we understand it of the revelation only, or of the whole Bible, which Bishop Bonner’s chaplain called in scorn his little pretty God’s book, it much matters not – bitter in his belly, though sweet in his mouth, Rev 10:10 because ministers find it grievous to be kept from making known the whole counsel of God to their people. But the word of God attentively heard, and by a later meditation well digested and incorporated into the soul, is sweeter than honey, as David felt it; and yields more pleasure than all the tasteless fooleries of this present world.
They shall withal be fitted in thy lips. it is: Pro 2:10, Pro 3:17, Pro 24:13, Pro 24:14, Psa 19:10, Psa 119:103, Psa 119:111, Psa 119:162, Jer 15:16
within thee: Heb. within thy belly, Job 32:18, Job 32:19, Joh 7:38
fitted: Pro 8:6, Pro 10:13, Pro 10:21, Pro 15:7, Pro 16:21, Pro 25:11, Psa 119:13, Psa 119:171, Mal 2:7, Heb 13:15
Reciprocal: Pro 16:23 – heart Pro 18:20 – General Pro 19:8 – he that keepeth Ecc 10:12 – words Mat 13:52 – which Luk 6:45 – good man Act 18:26 – expounded Col 4:6 – your
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge