Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 16:27
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire.
27. ungodly ] Rather, worthless, R.V. See Pro 6:12, note.
diggeth up ] This is the literal meaning of the word, but it is here used metaphorically of one who digs pits for his neighbour, as a hunter for his prey, Psa 7:15 [Heb. 16], Psa 57:6 [Hebrews 7 ]. We may therefore render, deviseth, with R.V.
burning ] Rather, scathing, or, as R.V., scorching. His words blight and wither, like the great forest fire, by which “all faces are scorched” (Eze 20:47 [Heb. 21:3], where the Heb. word is the same).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The four verses speak of the same thing, and the well-known opprobrious name, the man of Belial, stands at the head as stigmatizing the man who delights in causing the mischief of which they treat.
Diggeth up evil – i. e., Digs an evil pit for others to fall into. Compare Psa 7:15.
Pro 16:30
The physiognomy of the man of Belial, the half-closed eyes that never look you straight in the face, the restlessness or cunning of which biting the lips is the surest indication. Compare Pro 6:13.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 16:27
An ungodly man diggeth up evil.
Digging up evil
An ungodly man is a son of Belial. In the expression diggeth up evil two ideas may be included.
I. Taking pains to devise it. We dig and search for treasure in a mine, or where we fancy it lies concealed; thus the wicked man does in regard to evil. It is his treasure, that on which he sets his heart, and for it, as for treasure, he digs and searches, aye, often deep and long. He is specially laborious and persevering, when any one chances to have become the object of his pique or malice. Marvellous is the assiduity with which he then strains every nerve to produce mischief, plodding and plotting for it, mining and undermining, exploring in every direction, often where no one could think of but himself, and, with savage delight, exulting in the discovery of aught that can be made available for his diabolical purpose.
II. Taking pains to revive it, after it has been buried and forgotten. He goes down into the very grave of old quarrels, brings them up afresh; puts new life into them; wakes up grudges that had long slept; and sets people by the ears again who had abandoned their enmities, and had for years been living in reconciliation and peace. The son of Belial, in relation to evil, is like one in quest of some mine of coal or precious metal. He examines his ground, and wherever he discovers any hopeful symptoms on the surface, he proceeds to drill, and bore, and excavate. The slightest probability of success will be enough for his encouragement to toil and harass himself night and day until he can make something out of it. (R. Wardlaw, D.D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil] How will the following suit?
Effodiuntur opes irritamenta malorum
“Wealth, the incitement to all evil, is digged up
out the earth.”
A wicked man labours as much to bring about an evil purpose, as the quarryman does to dig up stones.
In his lips-a burning fire.] His words are as inflammable, in producing strife and contention among his neighbours, as fire is in igniting dry stubble.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Diggeth up evil; inventeth or designeth mischief to others, and prosecuteth his evil designs with great and constant industry.
In his lips there is as a burning fire; as his thoughts, so also his words are very vexatious and pernicious; his tongue is set on fire of hell, and sets himself and others on fire by lies and slanders, and other provoking speeches.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. ungodly man(Compare Pr6:12).
diggeth up evillaborsfor it.
in his lips . . . fireHiswords are calumniating (Jas 3:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
An ungodly man diggeth up evil,…. Or “a man of Belial” p, a worthless unprofitable man; a man without a yoke, not obedient to the law of God; such a man digs for sin as for a treasure; nor need he go far for it, he has enough in his own heart, out of the evil treasure of which he brings forth evil things; though he is more solicitious and diligent to search into the sins of others, and dig up them, which have long lain buried; as the Manichees raked up the sins of Austin in his youth; and as the Papists served Beza: but perhaps the evil of mischief is here rather intended, which a wicked man contrives and devises; a ditch he digs for others, though oftentimes he falls into it himself; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, “digs evils for himself”; not intentionally but eventually; see Ps 7:15;
and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire; his tongue is a fire, it is set on fire of hell, and it sets on fire the course of nature; and with its lies, calumnies, and detractions, devours and consumer the good names, characters, and credit of men; and deserves no other than sharp arrows of the Almighty, and coals of juniper; even the everlasting fire and flames of hell, Jas 3:6.
p “vir Belijahal”, Montanus, Tigurine version, Mercerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
27 A worthless man diggeth evil;
And on his lips is, as it were, scorching fire.
Regarding , vid., Pro 6:12, and regarding , to dig round, or to bore out, vid., at Gen 49:5; Gen 50:5; here the figure, “to dig for others a pit,” Pro 26:27, Psa 7:16, etc.: to dig evil is equivalent to, to seek to prepare such for others. Kimchi rightly explains as a form similar to ; as a subst. it means, Lev 13:23, the mark of fire (the healed mark of a carbuncle), here as an adj. of a fire, although not flaming ( , Isa 4:5, etc.); yet so much the hotter, and scorching everything that comes near to it (from , to be scorched, cogn. , to which also is perhaps related as a stronger power, like comburere to adurere ). The meaning is clear: a worthless man, i.e., a man whose disposition and conduct are the direct contrast of usefulness and piety, uses words which, like an iron glowing hot, scorches and burns; his tongue is (Jam 3:6).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. 28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
There are those that are not only vicious themselves, but spiteful and mischievous to others, and they are the worst of men; two sorts of such are here described:– 1. Such as envy a man the honour of his good name, and do all they can to blast that by calumnies and misrepresentations: They dig up evil; they take a great deal of pains to find out something or other on which to ground a slander, or which may give some colour to it. If none appear above ground, rather than want it they will dig for it, by diving into what is secret, or looking a great way back, or by evil suspicions and surmises, and forced innuendos. In the lips of a slanderer and backbiter there is as a fire, not only to brand his neighbour’s reputation, to smoke and sully it, but as a burning fire to consume it. And how great a matter does a little of this fire kindle, and how hardly is it extinguished! Jas 3:5; Jas 3:6. 2. Such as envy a man the comfort of his friendship, and do all they can to break that, by suggesting that on both sides which will set those at variance that are most nearly related and have been long intimate, or at least cool and alienate their affections one from another: A froward man, that cannot find in his heart to love any body but himself, is vexed to see others live in love, and therefore makes it is his business to sow strife, by giving men base characters one of another, telling lies, and carrying ill-natured stories between chief friends, so as to separate them one from another, and make them angry at or at least suspicious of one another. Those are bad men, and bad women too, that do such ill offices; they are doing the devil’s work, and his will their wages be.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Evil Ways of Mischief Makers
Verses 27-30 describe evil ways of mischief makers who:
1) plan evil as one who digs a pit into which others fall, and create ill feeling with inflammatory words, Vs 27; Pro 6:12; Pro 6:14-15; Jas 3:6.
2) spread strife, as a whisperer (tale-bearer), causing ill feeling between close friends, Vs 28; Pro 15:8; Pro 17:9; Pro 18:8; Pro 26:20-22; Pro 29:22.
3) with vigor and pressure entice neighbors Into wicked ways offensive to God and harmful to men, Vs 29; Pro 12:26.
4) use even the physical gestures of the body (winking, facial expressions, use of hands, etc.) to aid effecting wicked plans, Vs 30; Pro 6:13; Pro 10:10; Psa 35:19-20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 16:28. A whisperer, i.e., a backbiter.
Pro. 16:30. Moving, or compressing, indicating resolution, or biting, indicative of scorn and malice.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Pro. 16:27-30
DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE SAME GENUS
I. Human depravity manifests itself in a variety of forms.There may be many lawless children in a family, but they may not all sin against the same lawthey may all rebel against what is true and good, but some may be preeminent transgressors in one way and some in another. One son may be a notorious liar and another may be a slave to ungovernable passion, while a third may be addicted to another and different vice. It is so in the great human familyall unregenerate men are transgressors against Gods good and righteous law, but their transgressions may take different forms.
II. But all ungodliness is subversive of human happiness.If a man sets at nought the law of God, he will be a curse to those around him. There are many such men who seem to delight in increasing the misery of mankind, they make it their business to dig up evil, they work diligently to bring to light that which it is most desirable should be hidden and forgotten, and so they are like a scorching, consuming fire to the peace of many of their fellow creatures. And if they are not so openly and manifestly bad, if they are untruthful men, they must sow around them seeds of suspicion and discord which hinder men from being bound together in bonds of friendship or break such bonds when they have been formed.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro. 16:27. A worthless man. This is the farthest an impenitent moralist will go in condemning himself. He may be a worthless man (a man of Belial, i.e., of no profit), but he is not a harmful man. Solomon calls this mild gracelessness a digging up of evil. Recurring to the potency of the tongue, he says, The lips of such men, sweet as they may seem, fairly scorch and burn.Miller.
In the expression diggeth up evil two ideas may be included:
1. Taking pains to devise it. We dig or search for treasure in a mine, or where we fancy it lies concealed: thus the wicked man does in regard to evil. It is his treasurethat on which he sets his heart; and for it, as for treasure, he digs and searchesay, often deep and long. His very happiness seems to depend on his reaching and finding it. He is specially laborious and persevering when anyone chances to have become the object of his pique or malice. Marvellous is the assiduity with which he then strains every nerve to produce mischief,plodding and plotting for it,mining and undermining,exploring in every direction, often where no one could think of but himself,and with savage delight exulting in the discovery of aught that can be made available for his diabolic purpose.
2. Taking pains to revive it after it has been buried and forgotten. He goes down into the very graves of old quarrels; brings them up afresh; puts new life into them; wakes up grudges that had long slept; and sets people by the ears again who had abandoned their enmities, and had been for years in reconciliation and peace. As to evil, whether old and new, the son of Belial is like one in quest of some mine of coal, or of precious metal. He examines his ground, and wherever he discovers any hopeful symptoms on the surface he proceeds to drill, and bore, and excavate. The slightest probability of success will be enough for his encouragement to toil and harass himself night and day until he can make something of it. The persevering pains of such men would be incredible were they not sadly attested by facts:They search, out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep (Psa. 64:1-6).Wardlaw.
Whisperers are like the wind that creeps in by the chinks and crevices of a wall, or the cracks in a window, that commonly proves more dangerous than a storm that meets a man in the face upon the plain.Trapp.
Pro. 16:28. The idea is, sin cannot keep silence. In its quiet hour it speaks, rolling out (literally) articulate influences. The very idea is terrible. It separates friends. That is, the world being knit together by the law of love, the impenitent separate it asunder. They separate man from his race, and destroy that highest friendship that he might have with the Almighty.Miller.
Pro. 16:29. Yet though a wicked man be never so violent, he cannot compel thee to his ways, he can but entice thee, he can but lead thee; it is still in thine own power whether thou wilt follow him or no. Wherefore though it agree to his violence to lead, let it be thy care to keep back from his ways.Jermin.
Unbelief can hardly be libelled, and Solomons very thought is to show how violent it is! It is the match even of hell, for it derides it! It is the robber even of God, for it thieves from Him. It takes life without paying for it. It assaults the Maker upon His throne. It stares broadly at the truth each Sunday when it listens, and flouts it as though never heard. Unbelief is violence; and yet, as though it were the most seductive charm it seduces (entices) ones neighbour.Miller.
These sons of Belial are also tempters of others. A fearful employmenta fearful delight! Yet the employment would not be followed were there not pleasure in it. The pleasure is fiendishlaying plans and putting every vile art into practice, to seduce the virtuous and unsuspecting youth from the way of rectitude! As there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, so is there a malicious joy in hell when such tempters succeed in turning any from the right to the wrong, from the narrow to the broad way. This is the joy of fiends, the other of angels.Wardlaw.
Pro. 16:30. Wicked men are great students; they beat their brains and close their eyes that they may revolve and excogitate mischief with more freedom of mind. They search the devils skull for new devices, and are very intentive to invent that which may do hurt; their wits will better serve them to find out a hundred shifts or carnal arguments, than to yield to one saving truth.Trapp.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(27) Diggeth up evil.Digs, as it were, a pit for others by his malicious plottings and slanders (Psa. 7:15).
In his lips there is as a burning fire.Set on fire of hell (Jas. 3:6).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. An ungodly man , ( ish beliyya’hal,) a man of Belial, a bad, vile, or worthless man.
Diggeth up evil Labours hard to accomplish wickedness, and in or on his lips there is as a burning fire, bad, bitter, burning words, destructive to the reputation of his neighbours. Conant reads: “A vile man is he that devises mischief.” Comp. chap. Pro 26:23; Jas 3:5, et seq.
v. 27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil, Pro 16:27. In his lips there is as a burning fire See Jam 3:6.
Pro 16:27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire.
Ver. 27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil, ] i.e., He ransacketh and raketh out of the dust, out of the dunghill, such old evils as have long lain hid, to lay in the saints’ dishes, and to upbraid them with. Thus the Manichees dealt by Augustine when they could not answer his arguments, they hit him in the teeth with his youthful follies; whereunto his reply was only this, Quae vos reprehenditis, ego damnavi: What you discommend in me, I have long since condemned. The malicious Papists did the like to reverend Beza, reprinting his wit-wanton poems (put forth in his youth), on purpose to despite him; and objecting to him his former miscarriage which he had sorely repented. This, when one of them did with great bitterness, all the answer he had, was, Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi; This man envies me the grace of Jesus Christ. Neither dealt Aaron and Miriam much more gently with their brother Moses, Num 12:1 when they “spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married.” Who was this Ethiopian woman but Zipporah? – for an Ethiopian and a Midianite are all one and the same. And when did he marry her? Many a year ago. Exo 2:21 But they were resolved to pick a hole in Moses’s coat; and having nothing else to fasten on, they dig up this evil, and throw it as dirt in his face.
In his lips there is a burning fire. An ungodly man = A man of Belial.
An ungodly man: Heb. a man of Belial, 1Sa 25:17, 2Sa 20:1
diggeth: Pro 2:4, Psa 17:14, Psa 17:15, Isa 5:18, Hab 2:13
in: Psa 52:2-4, Psa 57:4, Jam 3:6
Reciprocal: Psa 119:85 – The proud Psa 120:4 – Sharp Pro 10:12 – Hatred Pro 16:30 – moving Pro 18:6 – fool’s
Pro 16:27-28. An ungodly man diggeth up evil Invents or designs mischief to others, and prosecutes his evil designs with great and constant industry; in his lips is as a burning coal As his thoughts, so also his words, are very vexatious and pernicious; his tongue is set on fire of hell, and sets himself and others on fire, by lies, slanders, and other provoking speeches. A froward man Or perverse, who perverteth his words and ways; soweth strife By speaking such things as may provoke one against another; and a whisperer Who secretly carries tales from one to another; separateth chief friends Makes a breach between those who were most dear to one another.
16:27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips [there is] as a {m} burning fire.
(m) For he consumes himself and others.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes