Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 22:21
That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
21. send unto thee ] Rather, send thee, with A.V. marg. and R.V.
The verse is well rendered in the Rel. Tract. Society’s Annotated Bible:
“To teach thee truth, even words of faithfulness;
That thou mayest bring back faithful words to them that send thee”; i.e. to train thee in truthfulness, that thou mayest be faithful and trustworthy in whatever business thou art employed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To them that send unto thee – Better as in the margin; compare Pro 10:26. The man who has learned the certainty of the words of truth will learn to observe it in all that men commit to him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 22:21
That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth.
Certainties
This is an age of inquiry. The ideas of the ancient world are the ideas of the childhood of the race. The Bible is a human book, which we reverence and love as a sacred treasure on account of the Divine spirit which pervades it. Do not place the Bible on the altar of superstition and imagine it to be God. Seek God in it, but with this caution–that all of it is not the actual Word of God. Why should any man seek by unfair means to force another to think as he does? Does not Christ give us an example of mental freedom? He seeks the voluntary and unprejudiced consent of mind, heart, and will.
I. Know the certainty of the words of truth.
1. That God is the heavenly Father of mankind.
2. Our heavenly Father is just, merciful, and loving, and every man may have free access to the great parental heart.
3. Never attempt to escape from any penalty by doing wrong.
II. Wherever there is a penitent soul there is also a kind and forgiving God. Penitence is not perfection.
III. The transgressor must bear the penalty of his sin. It is a just and merciful law of God that the transgressor shall bear the penalty. The Lord Jesus will not save you from the physical penalty of your sin; but He will give you grace to bear the thorn which your own sin has thrust into your life. (William Birch.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth]
1. These are words or doctrines of truth:
1) They are true in themselves.
2) Come from the God of truth.
3) Are truly fulfilled to all that believe.
2. These words of truth are certain, koshet, they are not of dubious or difficult interpretation; they point directly to the great end for which God gave them; they promise, and they are fulfilled. He who pleads them by faith, receives their accomplishment in the spirit and power of Divine love. The Scriptures, as far as they concern the salvation of the soul, are to be experimentally understood; and, by this experimental knowledge, every believer has the witness in himself, and knows the certainty of the words of truth.
VI. What we know ourselves to be true, and of infinite importance to the welfare of men in general, we should carefully proclaim and witness, that they also may believe.
That thou mightest answer the words of truth]
1. When the doctrine of salvation is preached, there will be many inquirers. What is this doctrine? Have any persons received these blessings-the remission of sins, witness of the Holy Spirit, purification of the heart, c., &c.? Who are they? What are the collateral arguments that prove these things, and show us that you have not misapprehended the meaning of these Scriptures?
2. Inquiries of this kind should meet with the speediest and most distinct answers and the doctrines of truth should be supported and illustrated with the words of truth. “That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That I may make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that I may teach thee, not false, or vain, or uncertain things, as the teachers of the heathen nations do, but the true and infallible oracles of God.
That thou mightest answer the words of truth; that being instructed by me, thou mayst be able to give true, and solid, and satisfactory answers.
To them that send unto thee, to wit, for thine advice in great and difficult matters. Or, to those that send thee, i.e. that employ the in any business of moment, whereof they expect an account from thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Specially he desires tosecure accuracy, so that his pupil may teach others.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth,…. Such are the doctrines of the Gospel; they are “the words of truth”; are written in the Scriptures of truth; come from the God of truth; the subject matter of which is Christ, who is the truth, and which the Spirit of truth leads into: there is a “certainty” in these; they are in the sure word of prophecy; are contained in the inspired and infallible word of God, and are no other than the Gospel of God; nothing is more sure than that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and truly and properly God; and that salvation is alone by him; and that whoever believes in him shall be saved; with many other things, which ministers of the word should affirm with boldness and assurance; and which others may come to a certain knowledge of, even to the riches of a full assurance of understanding; and which is the end of their being written in the word, and made known in the ministry of it;
that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee; or, “return” e them to those that send to know what are the words of truth; that inquire concerning them with meekness and fear, and to whom a reason of the hope is to be given; as such are capable of, who have had the certainty of these words made known unto them, or who have been assured of the truth of them: and so Jarchi interprets it, to them that ask of thee instruction; as if it was written, as Lyra says it should, , “to them that inquire of thee”. It may be rendered, “to them that send thee” f; to search for those things, and get the knowledge of them, in order to communicate them, which, when obtained, may be done. Unless God, Father, Son, and Spirit, should be intended, who are concerned in the sending of ministers to preach the Gospel to men; to whom they are to return an account of the words of truth, and of their dispensation of them to the souls of men; which when faithfully done, and success, they give up their account with joy, and not with grief.
e . f “qui miserunt te”, V. L. “mittentibus te”, Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis, so Aben Ezra; “missoribus tui”, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?This rendering is somewhat doubtful, but seems to give the best sense to the passage. The scholar is to be instructed not for his own profit alone, but in order that he may be able to teach others also. (Comp. 1Pe. 3:15.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. The words of truth The meaning is commonly supposed to be, that the pupil has been taught to discriminate between that which is true and good on the one hand, and false and evil on the other. So that he shall be capable of giving sound advice to those who consult him, and to manage the most difficult affairs to the satisfaction of those who employ him; as when a person is employed as an ambassador for a prince, or intrusted with any important agency for others.
Them that send unto thee The marginal reading, “to those that send thee,” is preferred by some interpreters. Compare Pro 10:26; on the last clause, 1Pe 3:15.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 21. that I might make thee know the certainty,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 22:21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
Ver. 21. That I might make thee know the certainty. ] And so find firm footing for thy faith. Luk 1:3 ; Luk 1:5 “These words of God are true,” saith the angel. Rev 21:5 These words are “faithful and true” Rev 22:6 – void of all insincerity and falsehood. How can it be otherwise, whenas they are, as Gregory a speaks, Cor et anima, the very heart and soul of the God of truth? There must needs be a certainty in these words of truth, neither need we hang in suspense. When some took Christ for John Baptist, some for Elias, some for Jeremiah; But “whom say ye that I am?” Mat 16:14-15 – to teach that Christ would not have men stand doubtful, halt between two, be in religion as beggars are in their way, ready to go which way soever the staff falleth; but to “search the Scriptures,” and grounding thereon, to get a certainty, a “full assurance of understanding,” Col 2:2 so as to be able to say, “We have believed, therefore have we spoken.” 2Co 4:13
a Greg., in Reg. iii.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
words = sayings, or utterances. Hebrew. ‘imrah. See App-73.
send unto = inquire of. Illustration: the queen of Sheba (1Ki 10).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I: Luk 1:3, Luk 1:4, Joh 20:31, 1Jo 5:13
answer: 1Pe 3:15
them that send unto thee: or, those that send thee
Reciprocal: Job 36:4 – in Psa 49:3 – mouth Pro 4:2 – good Pro 8:6 – for Pro 18:20 – General Dan 11:2 – will I