Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 19:28
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
28. ungodly ] Rather, worthless. See Pro 6:12, note.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ungodly witness – literally, Witness of Belial, worthless, untruthful.
Devoureth iniquity – Seizes on it eagerly, as a dainty, lives on it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Scorneth judgment; hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work of executing judgment, but in spite of all gives in a false testimony.
Devoureth iniquity; uttereth with as great greediness, and delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks. Compare Job 15:16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28. ungodly witness(CompareMargin), one false by bad principles (compare Pr6:12).
scorneth judgmentsetsat naught the dictates of justice.
devourethliterally,”swalloweth,” as something delightful.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment,…. Or, “a witness of Belial” z. A false witness is not awed by the place of judgment where he is; nor by the judge before whom he is; nor by the law, the rule of judgment, nor by the punishment of perjury; he scorns all these, and scoffs at them, and proceeds in bearing a false testimony: or he covers that which is right and just, and eludes judgment by specious and sophistic arguments and pretences. Or this may be understood of a false teacher, that scorns the rule of judgment, or colours over things, to make them plausible, and seem to be agreeable to it;
and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity; greedily, and with pleasure commits it; as a hungry man takes in his food; or a thirsty man drinks down water: and in like manner are false doctrines imbibed by men of perverse minds.
z “testis Belijahal”, Montanus, Tigurine version, Baynus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
28 A worthless witness scoffeth at right;
And the mouth of the godless swalloweth up mischief.
The Mosaic law does not know the oath of witnesses; but the adjuring of witnesses to speak the truth, Lev 4:1, places a false statement almost in the rank of perjury. The , which legally and morally binds witnesses, is just their duty to state the matter in accordance with truth, and without deceitful and malicious reservation; but a worthless witness ( vid., regarding , Pro 6:12) despiseth what is right ( with accus.-obj. like Pro 14:9), i.e., scornfully disregards this duty. Under 28b Hitzig remarks that only in Kal means to devour, but in Piel, on the contrary, to absorb = annihilate; therefore he reads with the lxx and Syr. justice instead of mischief: the mouth of the wicked murders that which is right, properly, swallows down his feeling of right. But interchanges with in the sense of swallowing only, without the connected idea of annihilation; cf. for the continuance [duration] of a gulp = for a moment, Num 4:20 with Job 7:29; and one can thus understand 28b without any alteration of the text after Job 15:16; cf. Pro 20:12-15, as well as with the text altered after Isa 3:12, by no means so that one makes the subject: mischief swallows up, i.e., destroys, the mouth of the wicked (Rashi); for when “mouth” and “to swallow” stand connected, the mouth is naturally that which swallows, not that which is swallowed (cf. Ecc 10:12: the mouth of the fool swallows, i.e., destroys, him). Thus 28b means that wickedness, i.e., that which is morally perverse, is a delicious morsel for the mouth of the godless, which he eagerly devours; to practise evil is for him, as we say, “ ein wahrer Genuss ” [a true enjoyment].
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
Here is a description of the worst of sinners, whose hearts are fully set in them to do evil. 1. They set that at defiance which would deter and detain them from sin: An ungodly witness is one that bears false witness against his neighbour, and will forswear himself to do another a mischief, in which there is not only great injustice, but great impiety; this is one of the worst of men. Or an ungodly witness is one that profanely and atheistically witnesses against religion and godliness, whose instructions seduce from the words of knowledge (v. 27); such a one scorns judgment, laughs at the terrors of the Lord, mocks at that fear, Job xv. 26. Tell him of law and equity, that the scriptures and an oath are sacred things, and not to be jested with, that there will come a reckoning day; he laughs at it all, and scorns to heed it. 2. They are greedy, and glad of that which gives them an opportunity to sin: The mouth of the wicked eagerly devours iniquity, drinks it in like water, Job xv. 16.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Fate of Scorners
Verses 28-29 emphasize the perfidy of the ungodly who scorn divine judgment, lie, cheat and sin with abandon; and accept iniquity with delight as if it were choice food and -drink. For such the consequences are severe, Job 15:16; Job 20:5-7; Pro 1:24-32. See also comments on Pro 19:25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(28) An ungodly (worthless) witness scorneth judgment.Despises the orders of the Law to avoid perjury (Exo. 20:16; Lev. 5:1). (Comp. 1Ki. 8:31).
The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.As a dainty morsel. (Comp. Pro. 18:8.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
28. An ungodly witness One not of God, untruthful.
Scorneth judgment Mocketh, derideth it. He hath no concern that justice be done.
Devoureth iniquity Greedily, as a dainty morsel.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 28. An ungodly witness,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 19:28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
Ver. 28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment. ] As if he were out of the reach of God’s rod. And because “judgment is not presently executed, therefore his heart is set in him to do wickedly,” Ecc 8:11 Psa 50:21 he looks upon God as an abettor of his perjury. His mouth devoureth iniquity, as some savoury morsel. But know they not that there will be bitterness in the end? Let them but mark what follows.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
An ungodly witness. Hebrew “A witness of Belial”: i.e. a false witness.
mouth. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6, for the witness given by it.
the wicked = lawless ones. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 19:28
Pro 19:28
“A worthless witness mocketh at justice; And the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity.”
“The scene of the first clause here is a court of justice (Exo 20:16; Lev 5:1); and the second clause, from the parallelism, is to be so understood. The wicked witness inflicts injury by false statements; and the iniquity refers not to the harm done to his own soul, but to the legal rights of others.
Pro 19:28. A worthless witness would include both a false witness (speaking lies) and one who refused to witness (would not tell what he knew). To do either is to mock rather than further justice. Justice dictates that the verdict be built upon the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. One the latter part of the verse: Mischief is the object of his passionate desire: it is a real enjoyment to him to produce calamity; he swallows it eagerly as if it were a sweet fruit (Job 20:12; Isa 28:4); he drinketh it in like water (Job 15:16)-(Lange).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
An ungodly witness: Heb. a witness of Belial, 1Ki 21:10, 1Ki 21:13, Act 6:11-13
scorneth: Psa 10:5, Psa 10:11, Isa 28:14-18, Luk 18:2-4
the: Pro 15:14, Job 15:16, Job 20:12, Job 20:13, Job 34:7, Hos 4:8
Reciprocal: Exo 23:1 – an unrighteous witness Pro 12:17 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 19:28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment Hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work, of executing judgment, but, in spite of all, gives in a false testimony. And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity Uttereth it with as great greediness, delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks; or, is as eager to commit it in word and deed, as if it were as necessary to their well-being as the food they eat.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked {k} devoureth iniquity.
(k) Takes a pleasure and delight in it, as gluttons and drunkards in delicate meats and drinks.