Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 25:13
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, [so is] a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
13. the cold of snow ] Rosenmuller, quoted and approved by Maurer, explains this, not of snow falling in harvest, which would be rather an emblem of disaster (Pro 26:1), but of snow mixed with wine or other beverage to cool it. He refers to Xenophon ( Mem. ii. 1. 30), and Pliny ( H. N. 19. 4) in proof that this method of cooling was practised by the ancients. It is possible that such luxury may have been enjoyed by Solomon in his summer palace of Lebanon; but the cold of snow may simply be instanced as the greatest conceivable refreshment in the sultry harvest-field.
In Pro 10:26 we have a companion proverb by way of contrast.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A picture of the growing luxury of the Solomonic period. The snow in harvest is not a shower of snow or hail, which would be terrifying and harmful rather than refreshing (compare 1Sa 12:17-18); but, rather, the snow of Lebanon or Hermon put into wine or other drink to make it more refreshing in the scorching heat of May or June at the kings summer palace on Lebanon (1Ki 9:19, note; Son 7:4, note). More reviving even than the iced wine cup was the faithful messenger. Contrast Pro 10:26.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 25:13
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him.
The value of a good messenger to his employers
It is not necessary to imagine that Solomon here indicates the occurrence in Judea of snow in the time of harvest. It is very improbable that a snowstorm ever happened in that country during that period. The ancients in the East did as we do, preserve the ice and snow of winter in order to cool our summer beverages. A cold draught on a hot summers day was there, as here, most refreshing. What such a beverage was to the thirsty man in the heat of a tropical summer, is a faithful messenger to the soul of his master. Our subject is the value of a good messenger to his employer.
I. His character is refreshing to his master. What more pleasing to an employer than the development of fidelity in his servants? To see them faithful, not only to their engagements, but faithful to moral truth and to God. Even the Eternal Master of us all is pleased with the fidelity of His servants.
II. His influence is refreshing to his master.
1. His service will be likely to inspire his master with confidence in him. He calmly relies upon his representative.
2. His service will be likely to awaken general respect for his master. A faithful messenger can scareely fail to bring honour to his master. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. As the cold of snow] That snow was frequent in Judea, is well known; and that in the East they have snow-houses-places dug under ground, where they lay up snow for summer use – is also a fact. By means of the mass of snow deposited in them the icy temperature is kept up, so that the snow is easily preserved. The common method of cooling their wine, which is as easy as it is effectual, is by dipping a cloth in water, wrapping it round the bottle, and then hanging the bottle in the heat of the sun. The strong evaporation carries off the caloric from the wine, and the repetition of the wet cloth in the same exposure, makes the wine almost as cold as ice.
How agreeable this must be in a burning climate, may be easily conceived. Perhaps it is this to which the wise man refers; for it is a fact that they could have no snow in harvest, unless such as had been preserved as mentioned above; but this could be only in a few places, and within the reach of a very few persons. But cooling their liquors by the simple mode of evaporation already explained, was within the reach even of the labourers in the harvest field. I think the text favours this supposition; for ketsinnerth sheleg, need not be referred to snow itself procuring cold, but to a coldness like that of snow, procured by evaporation. If this interpretation be allowed, all difficulty will be removed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As the cold of snow; either,
1. As drink cooled with ice or snow, as was and is usual in hot countries. Or,
2. As a cool air, such as is in snowy seasons. Or,
3. As drink which is as cold as snow.
He refresheth the soul of his masters, with a true account and speedy despatch of those important affairs which were committed to him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Snow from mountains was usedto cool drinks; so refreshing is a faithful messenger (Pr13:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,…. As water as cold as snow; or as a breeze of air, such as in a time of snow; and so Jarchi,
“as the cold of the days of snow, which a man desires in summer, and not snow simply, for snow itself is not good in the time of harvest;”
see Pr 24:1. Or rather “as a shield” or “covering of snow” h, as the word signifies: perhaps, as Gussetius i thanks, a vessel in such a form, in which snow was kept in summer, is meant; and the same word, the two first radical letters being doubled, is used for the pot, or urn, in which the manna was kept, Ex 16:33. As snow, that in those hot countries used to be kept in vessels, in places underground, to cool their drink with in summertime; just as ice is kept with us, in like places, for the same purpose; and then the sense is, as drink cooled with snow is very agreeable, and exceeding refreshing to those that labour in the field in the time of harvest;
[so is] a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters: such an one that is sent with a message, and faithfully executes it, while he is gone, the mind of his master is very thoughtful about the it sue and success of it; but when he returns and gives him an account of it, and especially when he succeeds to his wish; it “restores” and settles his mind, as the word k signifies; and gives him a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction, and renders the messenger dear and valuable to him. Christ is the messenger, one of a thousand, sent by his divine Father on a message of grace and salvation, in which he has succeeded being faithful to him that appointed him; and so exceeding acceptable to him, his servant, his elect, in whom his soul delighteth! Gospel ministers are messengers, and faithful ones, whose feet are beautiful, and their words acceptable to souls to whom they are sent, and are a sweet savour to him that sent them; and who will commend them as good and faithful servants, and appoint them rulers over many cities, and introduce them into his joy.
h “sicut scutum ex nive”, some in Gejerus, so Aben Ezra; “sicat tectio nivis”, Michaelis. i Comment. Ebr. p. 718. k “restituit”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “faciet reqiuiescere”, Pagninus, Baynus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The following comparative tristich refers to faithful service rendered by words:
Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day
Is a faithful messenger to them that send him:
He refresheth the soul of his master.
The coolness ( from , , to be cool) of snow is not that of a fall of snow, which in the time of harvest would be a calamity, but of drink cooled with snow, which was brought from Lebanon or elsewhere, from the clefts of the rocks; the peasants of Damascus store up the winter’s snow in a cleft of the mountains, and convey it in the warm months to Damascus and the coast towns. Such a refreshment is a faithful messenger ( vid., regarding , Pro 13:17, here following as a kind of echo) to them that send him ( vid., regarding this plur. at Pro 10:26, cf. Pro 22:21); he refreshes, namely ( explicativum, as e.g., Eze 18:19, etenim filius , like the et quidem , Mal 1:11, different from the of conditional clause Pro 23:3), the soul of his master; for the answer which he brings to his master refreshes him, as does a drink of snow-cooled water on a hot harvest day.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
See here, 1. What ought to be the care of a servant, the meanest that is sent on an errand and entrusted with any business, much more the greatest, the agent and ambassador of a prince; he ought to be faithful to him that sends him, and to see to it that he do not, by mistake or with design, falsify his trust, and that he be in nothing that lies in his power wanting to his master’s interest. Those that act as factors, by commission, ought to act as carefully as for themselves. 2. How much this will be the satisfaction of the master; it will refresh his soul as much as ever the cold of snow (which is hot countries they preserve by art all the year round) refreshed the labourers in the harvest, that bore the burden and heat of the day. The more important the affair was, and the more fear of its miscarrying, the more acceptable is the messenger, if he have managed it successfully and well. A faithful minister, Christ’s messenger, should be thus acceptable to us (Job xxxiii. 23); however, he will be a sweet savour to God, 2 Cor. ii. 15.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Faithful Service
Verse 13 emphasizes the satisfaction derived by a master from faithfulness of a servant or, messenger. It is as satisfying as drinks cooled in the hot summer by mountain snow preserved from the previous winter. See comment on Pro 10:26 and Pro 13:17. For Spiritual application see 1Th 2:4; 1Th 4:1; Heb 13:16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) As the cold of snow in the time of harvest.Not a snowstorm, as this would be a calamity (Pro. 26:1), but snow employed to cool drinks in the summer heats. The use of this was probably familiar to Solomon in his summer palace at Lebanon (1Ki. 9:19). The peasants of Lebanon are said now to store up snow in the clefts of the mountain, and convey it in summer to Damascus and the coast towns. For the opposite picture of the unfaithful messenger comp. Pro. 10:26.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. As the cold of snow Snow was used among the Asiatics as we use ice, for the purpose of cooling their drinks in summer. It was considered preferable to ice for this purpose. When packed away in masses and consolidated, it did not melt so readily as ice, and was thought to make a more refreshing drink. Hermon was always covered with snow, and furnished an abundant supply to the adjacent country. The trusty messenger or ambassador, who executes his commission to the satisfaction of these sending him, is as welcome when he returns as the most refreshing drink is to thirsty reapers in the time of harvest. Compare Pro 10:26; Pro 13:17; Pro 22:21.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 25:13. As the cold of snow It was customary in the east to cool their liquors with snow; to which Solomon here most probably refers; for we cannot conceive that he could speak of a fall of snow in the time of harvest; that must have been incommoding, instead of pleasurable and refreshing, which the proverb here supposes it to be. But, though the gratefulness of liquors cooled by snow is, I apprehend, referred to; yet I very much question whether the supposition of those commentators be just, who imagine that those liquors were drank by the reapers: all that Solomon teaches us is, that the coolness given by snow to liquids was extremely grateful in the time of harvest; i.e. in the summer: but as to the reapers themselves, vinegar, mentioned in the book of Ruth as part of the provision for them, seems to be a much more suitable thing for persons heated with such strong exercise, than liquors cooled by snow. See Observations, p. 197.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
Who is this Messenger, this Interpreter, one among a thousand, but the same Almighty Spirit? Job 33:23 . Oh! how refreshing his doctrine! how grateful his influences! Blessed Lord! be thou the faithful witness in my soul of Jesus!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 25:13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, [so is] a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
Ver. 13. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest. ] Harvest men, of all men, bear the heat of the day, being far from shade or shelter, far from springs of water, parched and scorched with heat and drought, in those hotter countries especially. Now, as the cold of snow or ice, which in those countries they kept under ground all the year about to mix with their wines, would be most welcome to such, so is a trusty and speedy messenger; for by his good news he greatly reviveth the longing and languishing minds of those that sent him, who, during the time of his absence, through fear and doubt, were almost half dead. This is much more true of God’s faithful messengers, Job 33:23 whose very “feet are” therefore “beautiful,” and message most comfortable to those that labour and languish under the sense of sin and fear of wrath.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in the time of harvest: i.e. most unusual. Compare Pro 26:1. The emphasis is on “cold” as being refreshing.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 25:13
Pro 25:13
“As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the soul of his masters.”
This subject appears in previous proverbs Pro 13:17 and Pro 17:2. See our comments there. It is amazing that “the cold of snow” would have been available in harvest time. This is either a reference to one’s remembrance of the cold of snow, or to some device by which it was really available. Visitors to Monticello, the home of Jefferson, will remember the deep cistern where ice which was stored in winter was available the year around.
Pro 25:13. Not a snow storm (which would not occur at the season of harvest and which would be a calamity rather than a refreshing blessing) but likely a snow-cooled drink for the harvest workers. How would that be possible? Clarke: In the East they have snow-houses-places dug under ground where they lay up snow for summer use. This snow was used to cool their summer drinks. To have a faithful messenger who could be counted upon was as refreshing to those who would send him as a cold drink in hot weather. Pro 13:17 likens such a messenger to health.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 25:25, Pro 13:17, Pro 26:6, Phi 2:25-30
Reciprocal: Jos 2:24 – Truly the Lord Jos 22:32 – and brought 2Sa 18:27 – He is a good 1Ki 20:33 – the men Pro 10:26 – vinegar Rom 15:32 – and may 1Co 16:18 – they 1Ti 3:11 – not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 25:13. As the cold of snow, &c. Solomon does not here intend a fall of snow in the time of harvest, which must have been incommoding instead of being pleasurable and refreshing, as the proverb supposes what he speaks of to be; but liquors cooled with snow or ice, which they usually were in summer or harvest in the East, and which rendered them extremely grateful; so is a faithful messenger One that faithfully and diligently executes his commission, to the satisfaction of the persons that sent him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters With a true account and speedy despatch of those important affairs which were committed to him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
25:13 As the cold of snow {i} in the time of harvest, [so is] a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
(i) In the time of great heat, when men desire cold.