Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 17:10
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool.
10. more ] Rather, deeper, R.V.; as we say, makes a deeper impression. See Pro 18:8, Pro 26:22. Maurer compares “altius in pectus descendit” (Sall. Jug. 11), “curam in animos descensuram” (Liv. 2. 52); and for the sentiment, “nobilis equus umbra quoque virg regitur, ignavus ne calcari quidem concitari potest” (Curt. 7. 4): “a noble steed is ruled even by the shadow of the whip; a sluggish one cannot be roused even by the spur.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Pro 17:10
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Moral and corporeal chastisement
I. The one in its sphere is as legitimate as the other. Look at the sphere of each.
1. The sphere of the moral. It is for the wise. The reproof is for men open to reason and impression–men whose natures are susceptible to moral arguments and appeals.
2. The sphere of the corporeal. It is for fools. Of what service is an argument to an ox, or a whip to a soul?
II. The one in its sphere is more thorough than the other. A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
1. The one is more painful than the other. What is pain arising from a few lashes on the body compared to the pain arising in the soul from a conviction of moral wrong? What pain did reproof give David! (Psa 51:1-19.). What agony did the reproving look of Christ give Peter!
2. The one is more corrective than the other. Corporeal chastisement will never do the fool any moral good. You cannot whip the moral devil out of men (Pro 27:22). But moral chastisements correct the wrongs of the soul. The fires of moral conviction separate the gold from the dross. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. A reproof entereth more] Though the rod, judiciously applied, is a great instrument of knowledge, yet it is of no use where incurable dulness or want of intellect, prevails. Besides, there are generous dispositions on which counsel will work more than stripes.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Is more effectual for his reformation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Reproof more affects thewise than severe scourging, fools.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A reproof entereth more into a wise man,…. A single verbal reproof, gently, kindly, and prudently given, not only enters the ear, but the heart of a wise and understanding man; it descends into him, as the word k signifies; it sinks deep into his mind; it penetrates into his heart, and pierces his conscience; brings him easily to humiliation, confession, and reformation. Or, “reproof is more terror to a wise man”; as Jarchi interprets it, and the Tigurine version; it awes and terrifies him more; a single word has more effect upon him, entering more easily into him,
than an hundred stripes into a fool; or, “than smiting a fool a hundred times” l: a word to a wise man is more than a hundred blows to a fool, will sooner correct and amend him; a word will enter where a blow will not; stripes only reach the back, but not the heart of a fool; he is never the better for all the corrections given him; his heart is not affected, is not humbled, nor brought to a sense of sin, and acknowledgment of it; nor is he in the least reformed: or a single reproof to a wise man is of more service than a hundred reproofs to a fool; which are sometimes expressed by smiting, “let the righteous smite me”, c. Ps 141:5.
k “descendet”, Montanus “descendit”, Vatablus, Mercerus, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus. l “magis quam si percuties stolidum centies”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, so Pagninus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Note, 1. A word is enough to the wise. A gentle reproof will enter not only into the head, but into the heart of a wise man, so as to have a strong influence upon him; for, if but a hint be given to conscience, let it alone to carry it on and prosecute it. 2. Stripes are not enough for a fool, to make him sensible of his errors, that he may repent of them, and be more cautious for the future. He that is sottish and wilful is very rarely benefited by severity. David is softened with, Thou art the man; but Pharaoh remains hard under all the plagues of Egypt.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Fool Has No Desire For Wisdom
Verse 10 declares that one rebuke does a wise man more good than a hundred corrections of a fool, Pro 1:5; Pro 9:9; Pro 1:7; Pro 12:15; Pro 17:16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 17:10
CORRECTION MUST BE ADAPTED TO THE CHARACTER OF THE OFFENDER
I. Some men can be influenced by moral means. A man whose moral nature is developed can be brought to a sense of error by an appeal to his own sense of right and wrong. Although he has fallen into sin he does not love it, and the rebuke from without finds an echo in the monitor within his own breast. His susceptibility to reproof arises
1. From a deep sense of hit obligations to God. He knows what God has done to put away sin and its effects from the universe, and gratitude to Him opens his ear and his heart to reproof.
2. From a sense of his own true interest. A man would be counted a fool if he were to be angry with the physician who desired to free him from the dominion of a bodily disease, and a morally wise man is too keenly alive to the worth of his own soul not to listen to a wise reproof.
II. But there are men who can only be aroused to a sense of wrong-doing by physical suffering. Such men, by a long course of crime or by a constant resistance of moral influences, have sunk almost to the level of the brute. They are like the horse and mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle (Psa. 32:9). Nothing can awaken their sleeping consciences but severe and startling judgments or bodily chastisement, and even these stripes may fail to bring them to a right state of mind. Let men, then, beware, lest being often reproved and hardening themselves against it (ch. Pro. 29:1), they become so callous to the words of God and good men, or to the visitations of Providence, as to be past feeling. (Eph. 4:19).
ILLUSTRATION
It was a maxim of Bishop Griswoldwhen censured or accused, to correctnot to justify my error. A certain minister, with more zeal than discretion, once became impressed with the thought that the bishop was a mere formalist in religion, and that it was his duty to go and warn him of his danger. Accordingly he called upon the bishop, very solemnly made known his errand, and forthwith entered upon his reproof. The bishop listened in silence till his visitor had closed a severely denunciatory exhortation, and then in substance replied as follows:My dear friend, I do not wonder that they who witness the inconsistency of my conduct, and see how poorly I adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, should think I have no religion. I often fear for myself that such is the case, and feel very grateful to you for giving me the warning. The reply was made with such evidently unaffected humility, and with such deep sincerity, that if an audible voice from heaven had attested the genuineness of his Christian character it could not more effectually have silenced his kindly intending but mis-judging censor, or more completely disabused him of his false impressions.Episcopal Record.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Fools have sometimes received correction and made a good use of it, but they were fools no longer, for the rod and reproof gave them wisdom; but it is a sign that folly is deeply ingrained when an hundred rods leave men as great fools as they found them.Lawson.
A look from Christ brake Peters heart and dissolved it into tears. But Jeroboams withered hand works nothing upon his heart.Trapp.
The folly of simplicity is a softness of nature; the folly of sin is a hardness of heart; the folly of conceit is a stiffness of will, and little doth a rod enter into any of them. For though the first be soft, it is hard to work upon it, although it be with hard and many strokes of the stick. The woolliness of the sheeps skin keeps back the force of the beating rod The rock in the wilderness first denied water to the Israelites, as, withstanding natures force and the first stroke of Moses, it resisted as opposing the infidelity of sin, to the second stroke it yielded as submitting to Gods power. But it is not the power of Gods rod that enters into a fool.Jermin.
A needle pierces deeper into flesh than a sword into stone.Bridges.
David is softened with Thou art the man; but Pharaoh remains hardened under all the plagues of Egypt.Henry.
Even amongst the children of God themselves there are great diversities of temper; some requiring harder dealing than others to bring them down, and to reclaim them from their follies, as is the case often with children in the same family. A word, or a look, will go with melting and heartbreaking power to the very soul of one, while the severest correction, and oft-repeated, will fail to bring down the stubborn and fractious spirit of another. O for more of the spirit of Job and less of the spirit of Jonah!for more of that truly child-like disposition which gives way before every divine admonition, which melts into penitence under the eye of an offended God, and looks up with a childs submission at the slightest touch of His corrective rod! Wardlaw.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man Takes firmer hold of his judgment and conscience, and so affects more his habits of thought and life, and does more to correct any evil, than a hundred stripes into a fool: than “a hundred stripes” would benefit a perverse, wayward, wicked man. The foolishness is moral opposition to God and his laws.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Ver. 10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man, &c. ] A word to the wise is sufficient. A look from Christ brake Peter’s heart, and dissolved it into tears. Augustus being in a great rage, ready to pass sentence of death upon many, was taken off by these words of his friend Maecenas, written in a note, and cast into his lap, Tandem aliquando surge carnifex. Pray rise at last executioner! a When Luther was once in a great heat, Melanchthon cooled him and qualified him by repeating that verse, Vince animos iramque tuam, qui caetera vincis: b Master your passions, you that so easily master all things else.
Than an hundred stripes into a fool.
a A . – Dio., l. 55. c. 7. s. 2. 6:397
b Joh. Manl., loc. com.
c Dr Preston.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wise man. Hebrew. binah. See note on Pro 1:2.
fool. Hebrew. kesil. See note on Pro 1:7.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 17:10
Pro 17:10
“A rebuke entereth deeper into one that hath understanding Than a hundred stripes into a fool.”
“A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. Deane pointed out that, “The antithesis is put more forcibly in the Septuagint. “A threat breaks the heart of a wise man; but a fool, though scourged, understands not.
Pro 17:10. The contrast here does not mean to elevate rebuke (words of correction) and eliminate stripes (Physical punishments). It merely shows that some words do a wise man more good than stripes do a fool. What a pity that there are some whom neither words nor stripes will help! Peter was a man who was helped by rebuke, by both Jesus and Paul (Mat 16:23; Mat 26:75; Gal 2:11-15).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
or, A reproof aweth more a wise man, than to strike a fool an hundred times. Pro 9:8, Pro 9:9, Pro 13:1, Pro 15:5, Pro 19:25, Pro 27:22, Pro 29:19, Psa 141:5, Rev 3:19
Reciprocal: Gen 21:25 – reproved Jdg 2:4 – the people 1Sa 25:33 – blessed Pro 10:13 – a rod Pro 19:29 – and Pro 26:3 – General Ecc 7:5 – better Eze 3:21 – he shall Luk 17:3 – rebuke
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 17:10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man Penetrates deeper into the mind of an ingenuous person, and produces a greater reformation in him, than a hundred stripes will do for the amendment of an obstinate fool.