Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 28:25
He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
25. of a proud heart ] Lit. wide of soul. This may mean having his soul enlarged, either by the elation of pride, as A.V. (comp. wide of heart, Pro 21:4; Psa 101:5), or by the desire of gain, He that is of a greedy spirit, R.V. The expression breadth or width of heart is used in a good sense, 1Ki 4:29 [Heb 5:9 ]. Comp. Psa 119:32; Isa 60:5 ; 2Co 6:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shall be made fat – He shall enjoy the two-fold blessing of abundance and tranquility (compare Pro 11:25).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. Shall be made fat.] Shall be prosperous.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He that is of a proud heart, whose property it is to overvalue himself, and to trust to himself and his own wit, or wealth, or strength, stirreth up strife, because he makes it his great business to advance and please himself, and hateth and opposeth all that stand in his way, and despiseth other men, and is very jealous of his honour, and impatient of the least slighting, or affront, or injury, and indulgeth his own passions; and therefore shall not be fat, but lean and miserable, as is implied from the opposite clause.
That putteth his trust in the Lord; which is mentioned as a plain and certain evidence of a humble man, who is mean and vile in his own eyes, and therefore trusts not to himself, but to God only, making Gods will, and not his own will, and passion, and interest, the rule of all his actions, and can easily deny himself, and yield to others, all which are excellent preventives of strife.
Shall be made fat; shall live happily and comfortably, because he avoids that strife which make mens lives miserable.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. of a proud heartliterally,”puffed up of soul”that is, self-confident, and henceoverbearing and litigious.
made fator,”prosperous” (Pro 11:25;Pro 16:20).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife,…. Or, of a “large heart” c, or has an enlarged one; not with useful knowledge and understanding, as Solomon had; nor a heart enlarged with love and affection to the souls of men, as the Apostle Paul had; but either has a covetous one, who enlarges its desire as hell, and is never satisfied with what he has, and so is continually contending with his neighbours, engaging in lawsuits for their property, or unwilling to pay his lawful debts; or of a proud spirit, and despises all around him, and cannot bear opposition and contradiction; and is of a wrathful and revengeful spirit, and always at variance with his neighbours and quarrelling with them; see Pr 18:15;
but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat; that trusts in the Lord, both for things temporal and spiritual; does not covet his neighbour’s goods, nor disturbs his peace, nor injures his person or property to increase his own, but depends upon the Lord for a supply of necessary good things; such an one shall be fat and flourishing, both in his temporal and spiritual estate; all he does shall prosper; he shall want no good thing, Ps 84:11.
c “latus animo”, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; “amplus animo suo”: Junius Tremellius, Piscator “latus anima”, Mercerus, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
25 The covetous stirreth up strife;
But he that trusteth in Jahve is richly comforted.
Line first is a variation of Pro 15:18; is not to be interchanged with , Pro 21:4. He is of a wide heart who haughtily puffs himself up, of a wide soul (cf. with Schultens , of the opening up of the throat, or of revenge, Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5) who is insatiably covetous; for is the spiritual, and the natural, heart of man, according to which the widening of the heart is the overstraining of self-consciousness, and the widening of the soul the overstraining of passion. Rightly the lxx, according to its original text: (thus with Hitzig for ) . Line second is a variation of Pro 16:20; Pro 29:25. Over against the insatiable is he who trusts in God ( , with Gaja to the vocal, concluding the word, for it follows a word accented on the first syllable, and beginning with a guttural; cf. , Pro 29:2; , Pro 29:18), that He will bestow upon him what is necessary and good for him. One thus contented is easily satisfied (compare with the word Pro 11:25; Pro 13:4, and with the matter, Pro 10:3; Pro 13:24), is externally as well as internally appeased; while that other, never contented, has no peace, and creates dispeace around him.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
Note, 1. Those make themselves lean, and continually unquiet, that are haughty and quarrelsome, for they are opposed to those that shall be made fat: He that is of a proud heart, that is conceited of himself and looks with a contempt upon all about him, that cannot bear either competition or contradiction, he stirs up strife, makes mischief, and creates disturbance to himself and every body else. 2. Those make themselves fat, and always easy, that live in a continual dependence upon God and his grace: He who puts his trust in the Lord, who, instead of struggling for himself, commits his cause to God, shall be made fat. He saves the money which others spend upon their pride and contentiousness; he enjoys himself, and has abundant satisfaction in his God; and thus his soul dwells at ease, and he is most likely to have plenty of outward good things. None live so easily, so pleasantly, as those who live by faith.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Pride and Arrogance Vs Humble Faith
Verse 25 contrasts the proud person, self satisfied, contemptuous of others, who stirs up strife as Haman did when Mordecai bowed not to him (Ezr 3:5), with he who puts his trust in the LORD and prospers. The result of these traits are often stated in the Scriptures. Pride engenders strife and destruction, Pro 13:10; Pro 16:18; Pro 21:4. Trust in the LORD brings blessing, Pro 3:5-6; Psa 37:3; Psa 37:5; Psa 32:10; Psa 34:22; Isa 26:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 28:26, AND LAST CLAUSE OF Pro. 28:25
SELF-CONFIDENCE
I. He that trusts in his own heart is a fool, because he refuses to profit by the experience of others. If a man who has made a perilous voyage declares at the end of it that he has found his compass utterly untrustworthy, we should count him a madman who would set out upon a similar expedition with the same faulty guide; and if he went down in mid-ocean to rise no more, we should certainly say that it was his own fault. To trust to a guide which another man had proved to be unworthy of confidence when so much was at stake, would be universally condemned as obstinate foolhardiness. Yet this is what men do in the voyage of life. The testimony of most men who, rejecting the guidance of a higher wisdom, have shaped their lives according to their own ideas and inclinations, has been at the end that they have trusted a guide that had misled them. Solomon himself steered a good deal of his life by this deceiving compasss, and at the end confessed that he had acted foolishly in so doing (Ecc. 1:2). It may be that the words of our text were the expression of his own bitter experience on the subject, and that he is here counselling others to avoid the error into which he had fallen.
II. He is a wise man who seeks guidance from God because he trusts in One who has proved Himself worthy of confidence. He who has declared that the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9) has offered Himself as the object of mans trust and as His infallible guide. Millions of the human family have assented to the truth of the Divine statement, and have testified to the blessedness of submission to Divine guidance, and have been manifestly delivered by their submission from the bondage of evil, and elevated into a region of moral purity and freedom to which other men are strangers. They are living proofs that He who exhorts men to trust in Him is not a deceiver, but can justify the demands He makes upon our confidence and submission. Human experience has set its seal to the inspired word:Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jer. 17:8). Surely, then, he is a wise man who makes the trial for himself.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The heart, indeed, has instrumentality to save us. We must trust everything to that. But it is the heart dwelt in by Christ. He that takes his heart and confides it to the Son of Man, receives for it an altered life, and will be able to trust that heart thus trusted to Christ as the instrument in the battle of deliverance.Miller.
Though the mariner sees not the pole-star, yet the needle of his compass, which points to it, tells him which way he sails. Thus the heart that is touched with the loadstone of Divine love, trembling with godly fear, and yet still looking towards God with fixed believing, interprets the fear by the love in the fear, and tells the soul that its course is heavenward towards the haven of eternal rest.Leighton.
Whoever trusts another for his guide must do it upon account of two qualifications to be found in him:
1. That he is able to direct and lead him.
2. That he also faithfully will give the best directions. There are two things which may make a trust foolish:
1. The value of the thing which we commit to a trust.
2. The undue qualifications of the person to whose trust we commit it. In both respects the confidence reposed by men in their own hearts is exceeding foolish.
1. The honour of God is entrusted. So far as the manifestation of Gods honour depends upon the homage of His obedient creatures, so far is it at the mercy of our actions, which are at the command of the heart, as the motion of the wheels follows the disposition of the spring. God is never disobeyed but He is also dishonoured. II. Man trusts his heart with his happiness in this world, and this is two foldspiritual and temporal. III. He entrusts his heart with the eternal concernment of his soul hereafter. The heart of man will also be found to have eminently these two ill qualities utterly unfitted for such a trust. I. It is weak, and so cannot make good a trust. Its weakness is twofold.
1. In point of apprehension it cannot perceive and understand certainly what is good.
2. In point of election, it cannot choose and embrace it. II. The heart is deceitful, and so will not make good its trust. The delusions of the heart may be reduced to three sorts.
1. Such as relate to the commission of sin.
2. Such as relate to the performance of duty.
3. Such as relate to a mans conversion, or change of his spiritual estate. The heart if it does not find sins small, has this notable faculty, that it can make them so and in duty is willing to take up with the outside and superficies of things, and it will persuade him that he is converted from a state of sin, when perhaps he is only converted from one sin to another; and that he has changed his heart when he has only changed his vice.South.
On the subject of Pro. 28:27, see on chap. Pro. 11:24-26, page 234, and chap. Pro. 14:31, page 389. The subject of Pro. 28:28 has been treated in chap. Pro. 11:10, page 206.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(25) He that is of a proud heart.Who thinks much of himself, stirreth up strife by his struggles with others for pre-eminence, and mostly gains only vexation and disappointment for his trouble; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat, being richly rewarded with that peace which passeth all understanding.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Of a proud heart Inflated of soul, or wide of desire of large cupidity. Zockler, “Proud spirited, arrogant.”
Shall be made fat Shall have abundance. Comp. Pro 11:25; Pro 13:10. Miller reads: “A large appetite stirs up quarrels.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 28:25. Shall be made fat Shall have more abundance. Houbigant. Shall be enriched. See chap. Pro 11:25.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
Ver. 25. He that is of a proud heart. ] Latus animo. He that through pride and ambition cannot keep within bounds of his calling or condition, but thinks great thoughts of himself, and therefore seeks great things for himself, this man, if crossed, is easily kindled, and shall be made lean; God will tame him, and take him a link lower, as we say. Isa 2:11-13 Pro 13:10 See Trapp on “ Pro 13:10 “ This largeness of heart is but as the bigness of a blown bladder, &c.
But he that putteth his trust in the Lord, shall be fat.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hearts soul. Hebrew. nephesh.
trusts = confidence. Hebrew. batah. App-69.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 28:25
Pro 28:25
“He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife: But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat.”
The ancient view of many `wise men’ was simple. “Be good, get rich; be bad and you’ll be poor.” This widely accepted philosophy was vigorously advocated by Job’s `comforters,’ namely, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu. The philosophy was defective in that it made no allowance for exceptions. Nevertheless, there were some residual elements of truth in it. We should understand this proverb in the light that shines on it from the Book of Job. See our comments there.
Pro 28:25. He that is of a greedy spirit is put over against he that putteth his trust in Jehovah. Most people who have lived on the earth could have used more than they had, especially at times. Some have been able to content themselves with the bare necessities (having food and covering we shall be therewith content-1Ti 6:8), trusting the Lord to take care of them through the situation. But others of a greedy spirit will not thus content themselves. They fret under their situation and will do anything to get their hands on more, and their greediness usually results in trouble (stirreth up strife), for in order for him to get more, it usually means that somebody else has less. He usually outwits somebody else, and hard feelings result. But in the long run, who ends up better? The one who trusts in Jehovah shall be made fat (be prosperous).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
trust
(See Scofield “Psa 2:12”), Also; Pro 29:25.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
that is: Pro 10:12, Pro 13:10, Pro 15:18, Pro 21:24, Pro 22:10, Pro 29:22
he that putteth: Psa 84:12, Jer 17:7, Jer 17:8, 1Ti 6:6
made: Pro 11:25, Pro 13:4, Pro 15:30, Isa 58:11
Reciprocal: 1Ki 12:10 – My little finger 2Ch 10:10 – My little finger 2Ch 25:19 – heart Pro 14:3 – the mouth Pro 30:33 – so Ecc 7:8 – the patient Isa 57:13 – but he Dan 11:25 – stir up Mat 26:33 – yet Act 17:13 – stirred
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 28:25. He that is of a proud heart High-minded, self-conceited, insolent, or ambitious; stirreth up strife Because he is constantly endeavouring to advance and please himself, and hates and opposes all that stand in his way; and because he despises other men, is jealous of his own honour, and impatient of the least slight, affront, or injury; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord Who is mean and vile in his own eyes, and therefore trusts not in himself, but in God only, making Gods will, and not his own, nor his passion, honour, or interest, the rule or end of his actions or pursuits, and who therefore can easily deny himself and yield to others, all which things are excellent means to prevent strife, and preserve and promote peace; shall be made fat Shall live happily and comfortably, because he avoids that strife which makes mens lives miserable.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made {m} fat.
(m) Will have all things in abundance.