Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

15. the heart the ear ] While “the heart” within, like some busy workman in his chamber is acquiring knowledge, “the ear” without is no less on the alert in accumulating fresh materials to increase the store.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

With the wise and prudent there is no loss of time. Heart and ear – the mind working within, or gathering from without materials for its thought – are, through this channel or that, ever gaining knowledge.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Pro 18:15-16

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge.

The attainment of knowledge and the power of kindness

I. The attainment of knowledge. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge, etc. It is suggested by the words that the attainment of knowledge requires two things.

1. A heart for it. The heart of the prudent. There must, at least, be in every heart, a consciousness of its need. The opinionated, self-sufficient man, who is wise in his own conceit, will never get knowledge. Though the sun of knowledge shine around him, its beams cannot enter him. All the shutters of his mental house are so closed by self-sufficiency that no rays can enter. A sense of ignorance is the first step to the attainment of knowledge.

2. An effort for it. The ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. The ear is one of the great inlets. Wisdom does not come into the soul unless it is searched for as a hidden treasure. Whilst all this is true of general knowledge, it is especially true of Divine knowledge.

II. The power of kindness. A mans gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men. There are two kinds of gifts, the gift of selfishness and the gift of kindness. A man sometimes bestows a favour on another in order to get back something of a higher value. This gift is a bribe. The gift of kindness is the true gift and the real power. It makes room for the giver in the heart of the receiver, and it bringeth him before truly great men. Great men recognise and honour the generous.

1. Kindness is the mightiest power.

2. Kindness is the Divinest power. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

A mans gift maketh room for him.

Giving: a study in Oriental manners

In the East the custom of giving gifts affects all the relationships of life–domestic, social, commercial, political, and religious. It is difficult in lands of law-defended liberty, democratic representation, and freedom of the press to realise how much is awanting where these are absent, and how great an importance comes to be attached to the means and resources by which, when right cannot be legally enforced, promises may nevertheless obtain fulfilment, the indifferent be made interested, the alienated reconciled, and the powerful and rich become considerate and gracious. It is in this connection that the giving and receiving of gifts plays a prominent part. Amid much variety as to the occasions of giving, and the character of the things given, there are two principal uses. The first and fundamental meaning is affectionate and sincere, and owes its popularity to the warm and impulsive feelings of the people within a certain area. It is the expression and proof of the sincerity of love (2Co 8:8). The second is utilitarian. A mans gift maketh room for him. The abounding hypocrisy that surrounds this second meaning is a tribute to the reality and strength of the original affectionate meaning thus simulated. For illustration we must turn to the circumstances in Oriental life that make gift-giving popular and expedient. To the visitor to the East, beset on all hands by demands for backshish, a present, the principle of gift-giving seems to be the summary of Oriental life and all its institutions.

I. Family life. Here the giving of gifts is pleasant and unconstrained: the proof of the abundance rather than merely the sincerity of love. Special occasions are birth, betrothal, marriage, recovery from sickness, and return of a member of the family from a journey. Money is freely given and lent, the refusal of it being considered shameful, and causing alienation not easily forgotten. A favourite gift is that of jewellery or clothing taken from the person and given to a friend to be a constant memorial of the absent, and a proof that he will be treasured in the heart even as his body is now encased in the clothes of his friend.

II. Social life. Public life is conducted, as far as possible, on family lines. The family is not merely an inner circle of affectionate devotion; it is also a guild of common interests. A daughter is, if possible, married among her relatives. A father putting his son in a shop or office says to the manager, He is your son, implying complete authority over him and regard also for his welfare. The Oriental laws of neighbourhood teaching sympathy, toleration, and helpfulness spring from the family. The conditions of industrial life and the patriarchal form of government have further tended to develop the habit of giving gifts, making an affectionate act the means of attaining mercenary ends, and leading the way to bribery, intrigue, and dishonesty. The Oriental landowner has always paid his labourers in kind–giving them a certain portion of the produce. It is a gift out of what is his personal estate. The sheikh or emir of the leading family further protected the peasantry from the marauding Bedouin, the children of the East, and presents given to him were a grateful acknowledgment of protection and prosperity. Such gifts, putting the receiver in the position of a benefactor, easily took the form of blackmail, and the omission of them was a grave discourtesy. Thus David regarded Nabal after having protected his shepherds. Starting from the simple conditions of pastoral and industrial life, the habit became resorted to wherever dignity had to be flattered or favourable intervention was needed. To the Oriental litigant the chief thing is to obtain the judges personal favour, and a present to him seems a more direct and effective outlay than feeing counsel and collecting witnesses. Even when the judge is known to be intelligent and upright, Orientals pay respect and send presents to the personal friends of the judge in order that they may use their influence with him. Thus, even under the rule of David, Absalom could spread sedition and discontent by declaring how he would revolutionise the administration of the land. Absolute freedom from this taint was a chief item in Samuels testimony as to his own official life.

III. Religion. The claims of religion are much more intimately interwoven with common affairs in the East than they are in the West. There is nothing of Sunday segregation. All business prosperity is publicly declared to be from God, whatever may be the means taken to obtain it. Two sentences especially are often seen written over shop doors, Prosperity is in Gods hand, and This is also from the grace of my Lord. Street beggars recognise this, and pause for a gift when they see a purchase being effected. Something is due to them as a share of the profits from the same Lord. A beggar at the door does not plead his poverty or attempt to explain his circumstances, but pronounces the name of God, and says, I am a guest at your door! and if the door is not opened calls aloud, You are also servants! The beggar is seldom dismissed from the door with the declaration that there is nothing for him. He is told, God will give you. Similarly, the constant cry at the side of the street is, God will bless you; God will direct your path; God will repay it. The custom of giving gifts in its best and most sincere applications thus has its origin in duty to the family and indebtedness to God. Its adaptation to more social and public relationships is the result of these two. Indifference to family honour and the claims of religion makes the profane person or fool of the Bible. The unjust judge (Luk 18:1-8) is sharply silhouetted by the omission of these two principal regards. Orientally there was no third position such as that of an official acting justly for the sake of justice, although atheistical and immoral in personal life. (G. M. Mackie, M. A.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge, by employing his thoughts and studies upon it.

The ear of the wise getteth knowledge, by a greedy and diligent attention to those from whom he may learn it.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

15. (Compare Pro 1:5;Pro 1:15; Pro 1:31).

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

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge,…. More knowledge; for he must have some, and a considerable share, to be denominated “prudent”, whether in things natural, civil, or spiritual: and such will be heartily desirous of more, and make use of all means to attain it, by which they do come at a large share of it;

and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge; a wise man seeks to get it by hearing; he listens to what others say, and especially such that are wiser and more knowing than himself: so such as are wise to salvation, as they desire to know more of Christ and of divine things, and make use of all means for that purpose; among the rest, hearken to what Christians, of a superior class to themselves, drop in private conversation; and particularly they constantly attend to the ministry of the word; and thus seeking it, they find an increase of it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

      15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

      Note, 1. Those that are prudent will seek knowledge, and apply their ear and heart to the pursuit of it, their ear to attend to the means of knowledge and their heart to mix faith with what they hear and make a good improvement of it. Those that are prudent do not think they have prudence enough, but still see they have need of more; and the more prudent a man is the more inquisitive will he be after knowledge, the knowledge of God and his duty, and the way to heaven, for that is the best knowledge. 2. Those that prudently seek knowledge shall certainly get knowledge, for God never said to such, Seek in vain, but, Seek and you shall find. If the ear seeks it, the heart gets it, and keeps it, and is enriched by it. We must get knowledge, not only into our heads, but into our hearts, get the savour and relish of it, apply what we know to ourselves and experience the power and influence of it.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Seeking Knowledge

Verse 15 suggests that the wise and prudent continue to use all means to gain knowledge, utilizing the ear to hear and the mind to search out the deeper meaning, Pro 1:7; Pro 20:12; Pro 25:12; Mat 13:16; Psa 4:4; Php_4:8; 1Ti 4:15.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 18:15

PRUDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

We have before given a definition of prudence as wisdom applied to practice; a prudent man is likewise defined as one cautious to avoid harm. Taking in both definitions, the text suggests

I. That ignorance exposes men to danger. This is true in relation to any and every kind of evil to which men are exposed. A man who is in the general sense of the term an ignorant manwho does not possess even the rudimentary knowledge of an ordinary schoolboyis liable to be imposed upon and deceived by those who know more. Ignorance of physical and scientific truth often leads men to expose themselves to bodily danger without being aware of it, and ignorance of spiritual truth often causes men to become victims of great moral evil without realising their danger. If a man, therefore, desires to avoid harm to body, mind, and soul, he must set himself to acquire knowledge both in relation to things material and spiritual.

II. Prudence, i.e., wisdom applied to practice, is an indispensable qualification for obtaining knowledge. If a man possesses an estate beneath whose surface he knows there lies buried much precious mineral treasure, he must bring much wisdom and skill into play before he has the treasure in his hand. Wisdom must be reduced to practice in sinking the shaft and in working the mine before the hidden wealth is brought to light to enrich its owner. He must work, he must work in harmony with certain fixed laws if he is to become possessor of the treasure. So with obtaining knowledge. A man must exert himselfhe must seekand his exertions must be wisely directed if he is to possess that knowledge which is better than any material treasure because it enriches the better part of a man. It is not enough to be active, but he must see that his actions are wisely directed, that the means are adapted to the end in view. If there is effort without wisdom to guide it there may be seeking without getting.

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS

A heart made discerning gains in knowledge, etc. This is a beautiful fact. Snow gathers snow as we roll it on the ground. A wood gathers wood, like all vegetable or vital growths. A sinner stands dead like a blasted oak, but a saint not only lives by growing, but grows by living.Miller.

The heart is here, as in many other instances, apparently used for the mind in general, including both the intellect and the affections. There is in the wise a love of knowledge, and an application of the mental powers for its attainment. And as the ear is one of the great inlets to instruction, it may here, with propriety, be considered as comprehending all the ways in which knowledge may be acquired.Wardlaw.

The common course is that seeking goes before getting, but here getting is first, and seeking follows after. For surely they are the best seekers of knowledge, and are most earnest after it, who have already gotten it. They who have not gotten it do not know the worth of it, and so have no mind to look after it, or if they have the mind, they have no knowledge how to seek it. But they who have already found it are so affected with the worth of it, so directed by the light of it, as that they still seek more, still get more.Jermin.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

15. Getteth knowledge Comp. Pro 14:33 to Pro 15:14. “Wisdom gathers wisdom A wood gathers wood, like all vegetable growths. A sinner stands like a blasted oak; but a saint not only lives by growing, but grows by living.” Miller.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments