Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 22:9

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

9. bountiful ] Lit. good, in contrast with an evil or grudging eye, Pro 23:6-7.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He that hath a bountiful eye – literally, as in the margin, contrasted with the evil eye of Pro 28:22.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Pro 22:9

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed.

The bountiful eye

The passage before us speaks of bounty in man, and blessedness from God. What is a bountiful eye, and what is the blessing belonging to him who possesses it? The eye is a wonderful part of the curiously wrought human frame. But the term is used in Scripture in a moral point of view, and describes a peculiar state of the mind. Thus we read of the blinded eye, the enlightened eye, the single eye, the evil eye, all of which refer to the state of the mind or heart; and so does the term bountiful eye. Mind, it is not said a bountiful tongue–most men will proclaim every one his own goodness (Pro 20:6); nor a bountiful hand, for man may give all his goods to feed the poor, and lack charity (1Co 13:3); nor a bountiful head, for an ingenious mind may devise schemes of liberality for others and not be truly generous himself; but a bountiful eye–one through which the soul looks in tender compassion–one that considers the cause of the poor (Psa 41:1)–one that compares and contrives–one that affects the heart, stirs it up to feel, and moves the hand to minister. Such an eye looks in the right place to find appropriate objects. It does not shun misery, passing by (like the priest and Levite) on the other side. It looks through the right medium, even the love and compassion of God, and says, If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? It looks to the right end, even the glory of God and the good of man; and looks for a right reward–not the approbation of man, but to please God. A bountiful eye does not say, How much can I give to save appearances, or pacify conscience; but, How much can I spare God and His cause? A bountiful eye may be considered in contrast with the evil eye. Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye (Pro 23:6). Why not? Such an one maketh haste to be rich (Pro 28:22). He attempts to serve God and mammon (Mat 7:12). Thus his eye is evil, and his whole body is full of darkness. Have you a bountiful eye? Be careful of it. The eye of the body wants guarding; so does the eye of the soul. It sometimes grows dim. Covetousness steals silent marches even on liberal souls. Happy is he of whom it can be said spiritually, as of Moses literally, that his eye is not dim, nor his spiritual force abated. The way to strengthen the habit is to be frequent in the act. (Christian Treasury.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 9. A bountiful eye] One that disposes him to help all that he sees to be in want; the bountiful eye means the bountiful heart; for the heart looks through the eye. The merciful heart, even when the hand has little or nothing to give, shall be blessed of the Lord.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

He that hath a bountiful eye, Heb. a good eye, he who looks upon the wants and miseries of others with compassion and kindness, as this phrase is used, Mat 20:15; as an evil eye is put for one that beholds others with envy and unmercifulness, Deu 15:9; Pro 23:6; 28:22

Shall be blessed, both by God and men.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9. a bountiful eyethat is, abeneficent disposition.

for he giveth . . . poorHisacts prove it.

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

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed,…. Or “a good eye” y; who looks about him for proper objects to do good unto; looks pleasantly on them, and deals out cheerfully and bountifully to them; he shall be blessed with an increase of temporal good things, with spiritual blessings, and with eternal glory and happiness; when he does what he does from principles of grace, with a view to the glory of God, not depending on what he does, but upon the grace of God, and the righteousness of Christ;

for he giveth of his bread to the poor; what is his own and a part of it; not all, for he reserves some as he ought for himself and his; but he does not eat his morsel alone, he gives of it to the necessitous; his beneficent hand is a proof of his bountiful eye and liberal heart.

y “bonus oculus”, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius; “bonus oculo”, Junilus & Tremellius, Mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis, Schultens.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

9 He who is friendly is blessed;

Because he giveth of his bread to the poor.

The thought is the same as at Pro 11:25. (thus to be written without Makkeph, with Munach of the first word, with correct Codd., also 1294 and Jaman), the contrast of , Pro 23:6; Pro 22:22, i.e., the envious, evil-eyed, ungracious (post-bibl. also ), is one who looks kindly, is good-hearted, and as , shows himself benevolent. Such gentleness and kindness is called in the Mishna ( Aboth ii. 13), or . Such a friend is blessed, for he has also himself scattered blessings (cf. , Pro 11:25; Pro 21:13); he has, as is said, looking back from the blessing that has happened to him, given of his bread (Luther, as the lxx, with partitive genitive: seines brots = of his bread) to the poor; cf. the unfolding of this blessing of self-denying love, Isa 8. The lxx has also here another distich:

,

.

The first line appears a variant translation of Pro 19:6, and the second of Pro 1:19, according to which selfishness, in contrast to liberality, is the subject to be thought of. Ewald translates the second line: And he (who distributes gifts) conquers the soul of the recipients. But = ( ) signifies the possessor, not the recipient of anything as a gift, who cannot also be here meant because of the .

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

      9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

      Here is, 1. The description of a charitable man; he has a bountiful eye, opposed to the evil eye (ch. xxiii. 6) and the same with the single eye (Matt. vi. 22),– an eye that seeks out objects of charity, besides those that offer themselves,–an eye that, upon the sight of one in want and misery, affects the heart with compassion,–an eye that with the alms gives a pleasant look, which makes the alms doubly acceptable. He has also a liberal hand: He gives of his bread to those that need–his bread, the bread appointed for his own eating. He will rather abridge himself than see the poor perish for want; yet he does not give all his bread, but of his bread; the poor shall have their share with his own family. 2. The blessedness of such a man. The loins of the poor will bless them, all about him will speak well of him, and God himself will bless him, in answer to many a good prayer put up for him, and he shall be blessed.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary