Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 18:3
When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
3. with ignominy reproach ] Or, with ignominy cometh reproach. As shame is inseparable from wickedness, so is reproach from ignominy, i.e. ignominious character and conduct (“a shameful deed,” Gesen.; “turpi mores, turpiter facta,” Maur.).
The rendering, however, of A.V. gives a good sense: when the wicked cometh, all these evil things, contempt, ignominy and reproach, come with him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
With ignominy – Better, together with baseness comes reproach. The outer shame follows close upon the inner.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. When the wicked cometh, c.] would it not be better to read this verse thus? “When the wicked cometh contempt cometh and with ignominy cometh reproach.” A wicked man is despised even by the wicked. He who falls under ignominy falls under reproach.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When the wicked cometh into any place or company,
then cometh also contempt; either,
1. Passively; he is justly contemned and reproached by those who converse with him. Or rather,
2. Actively; he despiseth and scorneth all instruction and reproof, neither fearing God nor reverencing man; for he seems here to note his sin rather than his punishment.
And with ignominy reproach; and he doth not only contemn others in his heart, but showeth his contempt of them by ignominious and reproachful expressions and carriages.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. So surely are sin andpunishment connected (Pr 16:4).
wicked, for “wickedness,”answers to
ignominy, or the state ofsuch; and
contempt, the feeling ofothers to them; and to
reproach, a manifestationof contempt.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also contempt,…. When he comes into the world, as Aben Ezra; as soon as he is born, he is liable to contempt, being born in sin; but this is true of all: rather, as the Vulgate Latin, and with which the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions agree, when he cometh into the depth of sin, or to the height of his wickedness; he commences a scoffer at, and condemner of all that is good: when he comes into the house of God, it may be said, “there comes contempt”; for he comes not to hear the word, in order to receive any profit by it, but to contemn it, and the ministers of it;
and with ignominy reproach: or, “with the ignominious man reproach” l: he that despises all that is good, and treats divine things in a ludicrous way, will not spare to reproach the best of men, and speak evil of them falsely, for the sake of religion. Or the meaning of the whole is, that wicked men, sooner or later, come into contempt, ignominy, and reproach, themselves; they that despise the Lord are lightly esteemed by him; and a vile person is contemned in the eyes of a good man: such bring shame and disgrace upon themselves and families while they live; and, when they die, they are laid in the grave with dishonour; an infamy rests upon their memories, and they wilt rise to everlasting shame and contempt.
l “viro ignominioso, venit opprobriunu”, Pagninus; “cum ignominioso probrum”, Junis Tremeilius “cum probroso opprobrium”, Schultens, so Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The group beginning with Pro 18:3 terminates in two proverbs (Pro 18:6 and Pro 18:7), related to the concluding verse of the foregoing:
3 If a godless man cometh, then cometh also contempt;
And together with disgrace, shame.
J. D. Michaelis, and the most of modern critics, read ; then, contempt etc., are to be thought of as the consequences that follow godlessness; for that means (Hitzig) disgracefulness, i.e., disgraceful conduct, is destitute of proof; always means disgrace as an experience. But not only does the Masoretic text punctuate , but also all the old translators, the Greek, Aramaic, and Latin, have done so. And is it on this account, because a coming naturally seems to be spoken of a person? The “pride cometh, then cometh shame,” Pro 11:2, was in their recollection not less firmly, perhaps, than in ours. They read , because does not fittingly designate the first of that which godlessness effects, but perhaps the first of that which proceeds from it. Therefore we adhere to the opinion, that the proverb names the fiends which appear in the company of the godless wherever he goes, viz., first , contempt (Psa 31:19), which places itself haughtily above all due subordination, and reverence, and forbearance; and then, with the disgrace [ turpitudo ], , which attaches itself to those who meddle with him (Isa 22:18), there is united the shame, (Psa 39:9), which he has to suffer from him who has only always expected something better from him. Fleischer understands all the three words in the passive sense, and remarks, “ , a more artificial expression for , in the Turkish quite common for the copula waw , e.g., swylh tbrak , earth and water, ‘wrtylh ar , the man and the woman.” But then the expression would be tautological; we understand and of that which the godless does to others by his words, and of that which he does to them by his conduct. By this interpretation, is more than the representative of the copula.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
This may include a double sense:– 1. That wicked people are scornful people, and put contempt upon others. When the wicked comes into any company, comes into the schools of wisdom or into the assemblies for religious worship, then comes contempt of God, of his people and ministers, and of every thing that is said and done. You can expect no other from those that are profane than that they will be scoffers; they will be an ignominy and reproach; they will flout and jeer every thing that is serious and grave. But let not wise and good men regard it, for the proverb of the ancients says, such wickedness proceeds from the wicked. 2. That wicked people are shameful people, and bring contempt upon themselves, for God has said that those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed. As soon as ever sin entered shame followed it, and sinners make themselves despicable. Nor do they only draw contempt upon themselves, but they bring ignominy and reproach upon their families, their friends, their ministers, and all that are in any way related to them. Those therefore who would secure their honour must retain their virtue.
| The Language of Folly. | |
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Fruit of Sin
Verse 3 emphasizes the downward progression of sin with three words for shame: contempt, dishonor, and disgrace. Some of these have eternal consequences, Pro 12:8; Pro 14:17; Pro 3:25; Pro 3:33; Pro 3:35; Jer 20:11; Jer 23:40; Dan 12:2.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 18:3. Ignominy, rather, shameful deeds.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 18:3
This verse also, as will be seen from a reference to the Critical Notes, and also from the Comments, is susceptible of several interpretations. We think it treats of
THE SHORT-LIVED PROSPERITY OF EVIL MEN
I. Wicked men do come into places of power and influence. This fact has often tried the faith of righteous men. Asaphs steps had well-nigh slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wickedthat violence covered them as a garment, and that they set their mouth against the heavens; and yet that their strength was firm, and they had more than heart could wish (Psa. 73:2-8). The tiller of the soil knows from experience that the useless weeds and noxious plants often seem to absorb all the nutriment from the earth, and so make it well-nigh impossible for the useful herb and sweet-scented flower to grow in the same field or garden. And moral weeds seem to have a like capability of utilising everything that comes in their way to their own advancementthe unrighteous man makes a fortune, or a position, or a name for himself, while his godly neighbour is struggling for a bare subsistence. In the field of the world, the tares grow as well as the wheat (Mat. 13:26), and often they seem for a time to be more flourishing. Ahab and Jezebel dwell in Samaria, and Elijah is compelled to flee into the desert. Herod feasts in the palace, while John the Baptist is beheaded in the dungeon.
II. Contempt and reproach are their final portion. Their day of power is short-lived. David has recorded as his experience that he had seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-treebut he passed by, and lo, he was not (Psa. 37:35). And however their success may dazzle mens eyes and warp their judgment for a season, contempt is their portion at last. They are often held in contempt even while living, and the reproaches of those who have been made to suffer by them are heaped upon their heads. Many of those who fawned upon them and flattered them while they were prospering will be most ready to scorn and upbraid them, if the day of their retribution arrives before they quit this world. And if they keep their power and influence throughout the term of their human probation, their names will be contemned by posterity, and in the day when everyone receives the things done in his body (2Co. 5:10), they shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
When a wicked man enters upon the stage, that creature, the most degraded of the universe, and who has the least right to show any contempt, is the very person to be the most contemptuous; and the mortal who is himself most disgraced, shows the readiest mind to cry shame upon and to reproach and that even the Most High. Doubtless there is secular truth in all this The disgraced citizen is often the most reproachful.Miller.
I. They bring contempt, not to themselves only, but to the places they fill, and the societies to which they become unitedto themselves, for the unworthy manner in which they fulfil the duties of the trust they have assumed, or have had committed to them; and to their places and societies, with which their names are associated. They entail ignominy and reproach upon all they have to do with. And in no case is this more true, than with regard to offices in the Church. O what an amount of scorn and reproach has been brought upon the sacred office of the ministry by the intrusion, under numberless pretexts, and from numberless causes, of wicked, worldly, ungodly men into its holy functions! How full is Church history of this deplorable evil!and how many infidels and scorners has Church history by this means produced. Thus it was under the old dispensation. The wickedness of the sons of Eli made men abhor the offering of the Lord. And thus it is still. Of the false teachers who should arise in the latter days, it is saidby reason of them the way of truth shall be evil-spoken of. From few other sources, if from any, has there proceeded a greater profusion of unmerited reproach of the name and doctrine and kingdom of the Lord; or has the chair of the scorner drawn a greater number and variety of its sarcastic sneers and bitter revilings. II. The phrase may meanWhen the wicked cometh into intimacy, companionship, familiarity, then cometh contempt.He who admits the wicked to his intimacymakes him his associatemust share the infamy of his ill-chosen companion. Many a time too has this been exemplified.Wardlaw.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(3) When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt.Comp. the whole burden of Psalms 106, that sorrow and shame follow sin.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Ignominy Usually rendered, shame or dishonour. The idea probably is, that contempt follows wickedness, and reproach comes along with an ignominious or shameful act. (Comp. Pro 11:2.) “Reproach along with shame.” Conant.
The Words Of The Wise Are A Wellspring Of Wisdom, But A Fool’s Words Result In Misery For Him, And Finally Bring About His Ruin ( Pro 18:3-7 ).
As with the previous subsection, this subsection majors on the fool (the one who leaves God out of the reckoning). The subsection begins with a reference to ‘the wicked’ (the unrighteous), referred to twice (Pro 18:3 a, 5 a) who is paralleled with two references to the fool (Pro 18:6-7). Possibly of significance is the fact that in the immediate context ‘the wicked’ has referred to the one who accepts a bribe to pervert justice (Pro 17:23), which helps to explain how he is seen to express contempt for society. So let the wicked approach and then comes contempt. But in the end all it brings on him is disgrace and the reproach of his community.
This is then followed by four proverbs, three of which specifically refer to speech. The words of a man’s mouth (as opposed to the mouth of the wise) are as deep waters (Pro 18:4); a fool’s lips enter into contention and his mouth calls for beatings (Pro 18:6); a fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare trapping his person (Pro 18:7). In contrast the mouth of the wise is called ‘the wellspring of wisdom’ (Pro 18:4). This may suggest that we are to see the wicked man in Pro 18:3 as expressing his contempt by his words, and especially by his lying and dishonest tongue (Pro 17:23), whilst the taking note of the person of the wicked and the turning aside of the person of the righteous in judgment might be seen as referring to a dishonest judge’s verdict. Both, in Solomon’s terms, are the work of a fool, or even worse, a worthless person.
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A When the WICKED comes, contempt comes as well, and with disgrace comes reproach (Pro 18:3).
B The words of a man’s MOUTH are as deep waters, the wellspring of wisdom is as a fast flowing river (a wadi) (Pro 18:4).
C To respect the person of the WICKED is not good (Pro 18:5 a).
C (Nor) to turn aside the righteous in judgment (Pro 18:5 b).
B A FOOL’S LIPS enter into contention, and his MOUTH calls for beatings (Pro 18:6).
A A FOOL’S MOUTH is his destruction, and his LIPS are the snare of his life (Pro 18:7).
Note that in A the unrighteous man comes, bringing his contempt of society with him, only to be disgraced resulting in the reproach of the community, whilst in the parallel what the fool says brings ruin on him, and his lips act like a snare for him. In B the words of a man (other than the wise) are as deep waters, and in the parallel they result in contention and in him being beaten. Centrally in C it is not good to show favour towards the person of the unrighteous, or in the parallel to dismiss the righteous.
Pro 18:3
‘When the wicked comes, contempt comes as well,
And with disgrace (ignominy) comes reproach.’
The approach of the unrighteous can only be viewed with foreboding, for he brings along with him his contempt for society. He sees their customs as too restrictive. You never know how he is going to behave. Thus he does not hesitate to manipulate justice for his own benefit (Pro 17:23), he engages in violence as a way of becoming wealthy (Pro 1:10-19; Pro 10:6; Pro 12:6), and he ignores society’s insistence on hard work (Pro 6:6; Pro 10:3-5), seeing it as unnecessary. He walks in the way of non-good (Pro 4:14).
But he does not get away with it. He soon finds himself in disgrace with society and comes under their reproach. Society does not like those who rock the boat.
Some would translate as ‘when wickedness comes, contempt comes as well’ which involves repointing the original consonantal text. This might signify that the contempt is that of the community to wickedness, signifying that they see it as a disgrace, and cover it with reproach.
Pro 18:4
‘ The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters,
The wellspring of wisdom is as a fast flowing river (a wadi).’
In the light of Pro 18:3 we might see this as referring to the mouth of the unrighteous man, an interpretation which may be seen as supported by the parallel fact that the mouth of the righteous is a wellspring of wisdom. Further support is found in the contrast between the deep waters and the fast flowing river. To the Israelite deep waters were usually something mysterious, whereas the fast flowing wadi was welcomed as supplying water for the crops. This is to some extent backed up by Pro 20:5 where we read, ‘counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, (unfathomable and difficult to extract), but a man of understanding will draw it out’. In Psa 64:6 deep hearts belonged to those against whom God would act. Accepting this view would mean that the words of most men, including the unrighteous and the fool, were to be seen as something mysterious and unfathomable, which were at the best difficult to draw on, and at the worst sinful, whilst the words of the righteous, as a wellspring of wisdom, were to be accepted as welcome and fruitful. Elsewhere this wellspring is described as a wellspring (abundant source) of life (Pro 10:11; Pro 13:14; Pro 14:27; Pro 16:22).
An alternative is to see ‘deep waters’ as being neutral, the idea being that some men’s words (those of the righteous) are thirst quenching and fruitbearing, whilst other men’s words (those of the unrighteous) can overflow men and drown them, the emphasis then here being turned onto the words of the righteous in terms of a fast-flowing river.
Pro 18:5
‘To respect (show favour towards) the person of the wicked is not good,
(Nor) to turn aside the righteous in judgment.’
The words of a judge are in mind here. It would not be good if he showed undue favour towards (literally ‘lifted the face of’) the person of the unrighteous, or turned aside, without good reason, the righteous when giving his judgment. It would be a sign that justice was no longer fair and trustworthy. A judge has to be neutral and give his verdict on the basis of the facts, without respect of persons. We could add, if he does not he is unrighteous, and therefore, in Solomon’s terms, a fool (Pro 17:23).
The stress that YHWH laid on true justice can be found in Exo 23:2-3; Exo 23:6-8; Lev 19:15; Deu 25:1; 1Ki 21:9-22; Isa 1:23; Isa 10:2; Jer 22:3; Eze 22:12; Amo 5:12. Neither rich nor poor were to be favoured, and bribery was totally condemned.
Pro 18:6
‘A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for beatings.’
The idea here may be of general contention, or of contention in court. The latter would more specifically explain why his mouth calls for beatings. It was court practise in Israel that if an accuser lost his case over a criminal charge he would receive the punishment that he had wished on his adversary (Deu 19:17-19). Thus the fool who made false charges would face a beating (compare Pro 19:29).
On the other hand Solomon may simply be using that idea as illustrative, and saying that a fool is always so contentious that he calls for beatings, (even if he does not get them), simply because he is usually unjust in his contention (which is what demonstrates that he is a fool). Either way Solomon is expressing his condemnation of the contentious fool.
Pro 18:7
‘A fool’s mouth is his ruin (destruction),
And his lips are the snare of his life.’
He ends the subsection by pointing out that the fool’s mouth gives him away and will thus result in his ruin, for his lips are like the jaws of a trap which ensnare his life. Thus he has moved from being in disgrace and subject to reproach, to deserving to be beaten, and to ultimate ruin and death.
v. 3. When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, Pro 18:3. When the wicked cometh, &c. When the wicked entereth, contempt entereth with him; and with a reproachful man, reproach. See Schultens. Instead of ignominy, we may read, turpitude, scandalous behaviour.
Pro 18:3 When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
Ver. 3. When the wicked cometh, then cometh contempt. ] It comes into the world with him, so the Hebrew doctors expound it. He is born a contemner of God, of his people, and of his ordinances, being “vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,” Col 2:18 and having a base esteem of others, in comparison of himself. Thus “vain man would be wise,” yea, the only wise, “though man be born like a wild ass’s colt,” Job 11:12 and so he could not but confess, would he but consult a while with himself. But he doth with himself as some people do by dogs and monkeys, which they know to be paltry carrion beasts, and yet they set great store by them, and make precious account of them, merely for their mind’s sake.
And with ignominy, reproach. the wicked = a lawless one. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
ignominy = disgrace, or shame (i.e. outward).
reproach = reproachfulness.
Pro 18:3
Pro 18:3
“When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, And with ignominy cometh reproach.”
“Three inevitable traveling companions of wickedness are mentioned here: contempt, ignominy and reproach. “These three terms for shame give triple emphasis to shame, which is the corollary of sin, the antithesis of which is glory, the corollary of holiness (Isa 6:3; Rom 8:30).
Pro 18:3. Another Hebrew parallelism, paralleling wicked and ignominy (no reputation) and paralleling contempt and reproach. The wicked loses a good name and turns despiser of all that is good and of all who are good. When the wicked cometh, watch out! He injects into the association contempt and reproach, The rule is, those who deserve no honor themselves are sure to dishonor all others, and those who themselves are good are the last to suspicion others of evil.
Pro 11:2, Pro 22:10, Pro 29:16, 1Sa 20:30, Neh 4:4, Psa 69:9, Psa 69:20, Psa 123:3, Psa 123:4, Mat 27:39-44, 1Pe 4:4, 1Pe 4:14
Reciprocal: Pro 14:21 – that despiseth
Pro 18:3. When the wicked cometh Into any place or company; then cometh also contempt Either, 1st, He is justly contemned by those who converse with him: or rather, 2d, He despiseth and scorneth all instruction and reproof, neither fearing God nor reverencing man; and with ignominy reproach And he not only contemns others in his heart, but shows his contempt of them by ignominious and reproachful expressions and actions. Bishop Patrick takes this verse in a somewhat different sense, namely, Into whatsoever company or society (suppose into the schools of wisdom) a profane person comes, he brings along with him contempt of God and religion, and good men; and (as one wickedness grows out of another) that contempt improves into affronts, and reproachful language of them.
18:3 When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also {c} contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
(c) Meaning, such a one as condemns all others.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
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: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes