Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 27:15
A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
15. See Pro 19:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Continual dropping – Here, as in the marginal reference, the flat, earthen roof of Eastern houses, always liable to cracks and leakage, supplies the groundwork of the similitude.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. A continual dropping] See Pr 19:13.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Are equally troublesome, the first not suffering a man to go abroad with comfort, the latter not permitting him to stay at home with quietness.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. (Compare Pr19:13).
very . . . dayliterally,”a day of showers.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A continual dropping in a very rainy day,…. That is, through the roof of a house which is not well covered, or which lets in rain by one means or another; so that in a thorough rainy day it keeps continually dropping, to the great annoyance of those within, and which is very uncomfortable to them: it is observed g that rain is called by the name in the text, because a man is shut up under a roof falls; and continuing long he is shut up within doors and cannot come out;
and a contentious woman are alike; troublesome and uncomfortable; as in a rainy day, a man cannot go abroad with any pleasure, and if the rain is continually dropping upon him in his house he cannot sit there with any comfort; and so a contentious woman, that is always scolding and brawling, a man has no comfort at home; and if he goes abroad he is jeered and laughed at on her account by others; and perhaps she the more severely falls upon him when he returns for having been abroad; see Pr 19:13.
g David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 107. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This proverb passes from the complimentarius to its opposite, a shrewish wife:
A continual dropping in a rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike.
Thus we have already translated (vol. i. p. 9), where, when treating of the manifold forms of parabolic proverbs, we began with this least poetic, but at the same time remarked that Pro 27:15 and Pro 27:16 are connected, forming a tetrastich, which is certainly the case according to the text here lying before us. In Pro 27:15, Pro 19:13 is expanded into a distich, and made a complete verse. Regarding , vid., the explanation there given. The noun , which the Syr. translates by magyaa’ , but the Targumist retains, because it is in common use in the post-bibl. Heb. ( Bereschith rabba, c. 1) and the Jewish Aramaic, signifies violent rain, after the Jewish interpreters, because then the people remain shut up in their houses; more correctly, perhaps, from the unbroken continuousness and thickness (cf. the Arab. insajara , to go behind each other in close column) with which the rain pours down. Regarding , Ker , vid., Pro 6:14; the genit. connection of ‘ we have already at Pro 21:9. The form is doubtful. If accented, with Lwenstein and others, as Milra, then we would have a Nithkatal before us, as at Num 1:47, or a Hothkatal – a passive form of the Kal, the existence of which, however, is not fully established. Rather this word is to be regarded as ( Nithpa. as Deu 21:8; Eze 23:48) without the dagesh, and lengthened; the form of the word , as found in the Cod. Jaman., aims at this. But the form is better established, e.g., by Cod. 1294, as Milel. Kimchi, Michlol 131a (cf. Ewald, 132c), regards it as a form without the dagesh, made up the Niph. and Hithpa., leaving the penultima toning unexplained. Bertheau regards it as a voluntative: let us compare (as , Isa 41:23); but as he himself says, the reflexive form does not accord with this sense. Hitzig has adopted the right explanation (cf. Olshausen, 275, and Bttcher, 1072, who, however, registers it at random as an Ephraimitism). is a Niphal, with a transposition of consonants for , since passes over into . Such is now the genus in the arrangement; the Milra form would be as masc. syntactically inaccurate. “The finite following the subjects is regulated by the gender and number of that which is next before it, as at 2Sa 3:22; 2Sa 20:20; Psa 55:6; Job 19:15” (Hitzig).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
Here, as before, Solomon laments the case of him that has a peevish passionate wife, that is continually chiding, and making herself and all about her uneasy. 1. It is a grievance that there is no avoiding, for it is like a continual dropping in a very rainy day. The contentions of a neighbour may be like a sharp shower, troublesome for the time, yet, while it lasts, one may take shelter; but the contentions of a wife are like a constant soaking rain, for which there is no remedy but patience See ch. xix. 13. 2. It is a grievance that there is no concealing. A wise man would hide it if he could, for the sake both of his own and his wife’s reputation, but he cannot, any more than he can conceal the noise of the wind when it blows or the smell of a strong perfume. Those that are froward and brawling will proclaim their own shame, even when their friends, in kindness to them, would cover it.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
The Contentious Woman
Verses 15-16 emphasize again the irrepressible traits of the contentious woman. She is a continuing annoyance, like the constant dripping of rain; and as difficult to conceal as the wind or oil held in the hand. See also comments on Pro 19:13; Pro 21:9.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15) A continual dropping in a very rainy day.See above on Pro. 19:13.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. A continual dropping rainy day A pouring rain. The word occurs only here. “In a winter’s day, or a stormy day.” Septuagint. “In a day of cold.” Vulgate. “Such rains as we have had thoroughly soak through the earthen roots of these mountain houses, and the water descends in numberless leaks all over the room. This continual dropping tuk, tuk all day and all night, is the most annoying thing in the world, unless it be the ceaseless clatter of a contentious woman.” THOMSON, Land and Book, ii, p. 453. “He is in an ill case the roof of whose house is so ruinous that in a very rainy day, when he shall be wet if he go abroad, he cannot be dry at home; and he is no better that hath a scolding wife, who torments him if he stay at home, and makes him tormented with jeers if he go abroad.” Patrick. Comp. Pro 19:13.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 27:15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
Ver. 15. A continual dropping. ] See Trapp on “ Pro 19:13 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
contentious = wrangling.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 27:15-16
Pro 27:15-16
“A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike: He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil.”
The last line here is not clear; but some of the translations change it: “As well try to pick up oil in one’s fingers. “It is like trying to grab oil with your hand. “To restrain her … is to grasp oil in one’s right hand. One translator did the whole 16th verse over: “The north wind is a harsh wind, but it has an auspicious name. James Moffatt evidently followed the Septuagint here. It reads: “The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious. On Pro 27:16, the KJV has this: “Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. We hope we will be forgiven for the observation that, “The translators have evidently done a lot of guessing here”!
Pro 27:15. The ill-constructed roofs of Eastern houses were very subject to leakage, being flat and formed of porous material (Pulpit Commentary). But even our own type of roof can spring a leak and drip! drip! drip! as long as there is water to drip. Such is unwelcome and wearying, and so are the contentions of a contentious woman. It is a poor way to treat a husband or anyone else. Pro 19:13 says, The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
Pro 27:16. There was an old adage that said there are three things which cannot be hidden but always betray themselves: a woman, the wind, and ointment. This verse may have reference to this since it involves those three (all three) and nothing else. One has as much chance of stopping the wind as stopping the mouth of an angry, fretful and unreasonable woman. Thats why most men married to such often say nothing back but keep on reading the paper or working at whatever they are doing. Their thought: Shell run down in time (like the wind). What is meant by the statement about oil is not so clear, some thinking it refers to the impossibility of concealing the smell of the ointment one has put on his hand and some that it refers to her slipping through his hand if he tries to do anything to her. Clarke confesses: The Hebrew is very obscure and is variously translated. But we know whatever the figure, it would be attempting the impossible.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
A continual: Pro 19:13, Pro 21:9, Pro 21:19, Pro 25:24, Job 14:19
Reciprocal: Pro 7:11 – loud Pro 12:4 – she Pro 30:23 – an odious
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 27:15-16. A continual dropping, &c., and a contentious woman are alike Are equally troublesome; the first not suffering a man to go abroad with comfort; the latter not permitting him to stay at home with quietness. Whosoever hideth her That is, attempts to smother her passion, that it may not break forth to her shame, and to her husbands discomfort and reproach; hideth the wind Undertakes that which is impossible; and the ointment of his right hand Which, being the great instrument of action, by its much stirring diffuseth the savour of it. Houbigant renders it, He who will confine her at home may confine the wind, for whatsoever he shall seal with his hand, that is, whatsoever her husband would wish to keep secret, she will bewray or divulge. The Hebrew is very obscure, but the meaning of the verse evidently is, To attempt to keep such a woman in the house, is to attempt to restrain the wind: and as one cannot touch perfumed oil with the hand but the odour will discover itself, so is it fruitless to endeavour to conceal the bad qualities of a quarrelsome woman; in spite of all endeavours she will discover herself.