Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 29:3

Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth [his] substance.

3. wisdom ] regarded, as the second clause of the verse shews, as leading to purity of life. Comp. Pro 2:10; Pro 2:16.

spendeth ] Rather, wasteth, R.V. , LXX. Comp. , Luk 15:13; Luk 15:30.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Spendeth … – The laws of parallelism would lead us to expect troubleth his father, but that is passed over as a thing about which the profligate would not care, and he is reminded of what comes home to him, that he is on the road to ruin.

The king – The ruler, as the supreme fountain of all justice, and as the ideal judge, is contrasted with the taker of bribers.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 3. But he that keepeth company] roeh, he that feedeth harlots, yeabed, shall utterly destroy his substance. Has there ever been a single case to the contrary?

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Loveth wisdom; and therefore hateth and escheweth all folly and wickedness.

Keepeth company with harlots; whereby he plainly discovers himself to want wisdom; of which see Pro 7:7, &c.

Spendeth his substance; whereby he not only ruineth himself, but also grieveth his father, as is implied from the opposite clause.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. (Compare Pro 4:6;Pro 4:7; Pro 10:1,&c.).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father,…. He that is a philosopher, especially a religious one, that not only loves and seeks after natural wisdom, but moral wisdom and knowledge; and more particularly evangelical wisdom, Christ the Wisdom of God, who is to be valued and loved above all things; the Gospel of Christ, which is the wisdom of God in a mystery; and the knowledge of it which is the wisdom which comes from above and is pure and peaceable; and which lies much in the fear of God, and in the faith of Jesus Christ, attended with all the fruits of righteousness: such a son makes glad his father, both because of his temporal good, since he does not waste but improve the substance he has given him; and because of his spiritual and eternal welfare; and since instead of being a reproach he is an honour to him; see Pr 10:1;

but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth [his] substance: his father has given him, and comes to want and beggary; all which is a grief to his parents: or, “that feeds harlots” i; who live in a riotous and voluptuous manner, and soon drain a man of his substance, and bring him to a morsel of bread; see Lu 15:13; and such a son grieves his father, seeing he spends his substance and damns his soul.

i “nutrit”, V. L. “pascit”, Pagninus, Piscator, Gejerus, Schultens; “pascitur”, Michaelis; “pascens”, Montanus, Mercerus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

This political proverb is now followed by one of general ethics:

3 A man who loveth wisdom delighteth his father;

And he who keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

Line first is a variation of Pro 10:1. has, according to rule, the Metheg, cf. 9a. is man, without distinction of age, from childhood (Gen 4:1) up to ripe old age (Isa 66:13); love and dutiful relation towards father and mother never cease. Line second reminds of Pro 28:7 (cf. Pro 13:20).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

      3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

      Both the parts of this verse repeat what has been often said, but, on comparing them together, the sense of them will be enlarged from each other. 1. Be it observed, to the honour of a virtuous young man, that he loves wisdom, he is a philosopher (for that signifies a lover of wisdom), for religion is the best philosophy; he avoids bad company, and especially the company of lewd women. Hereby he rejoices his parents, and has the satisfaction of being a comfort to them, and increases his estate, and is likely to live comfortably. 2. Be it observed, to the reproach of a vicious young man, that he hates wisdom; he keeps company with scandalous women, who will be his ruin, both in soul and body; he grieves his parents, and, like the prodigal son, devours their living with harlots. Nothing will beggar men sooner than the lusts of uncleanness; and the best preservative from those ruinous lusts is wisdom.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary