Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 29:21
He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become [his] son at the length.
21. his son ] The meaning of the word which occurs only here is doubtful (see R.V. marg.), but this is the most probable rendering of it. The Vulg., as referred to in R.V. marg., has sentiet eum contumacem, shall have him become refractory. The LXX. give the proverb differently: “He that lives delicately from his youth shall be a servant, and shall be grieved with himself ( ) at the last.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Son – The Hebrew word occurs here only and is therefore of doubtful meaning. The favored slave, petted and pampered from boyhood, will claim at last the privilege, perhaps the inheritance, of sonship.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant] Such persons are generally forgetful of their obligations, assume the rights and privileges of children, and are seldom good for any thing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He that delicately bringeth up his servant, allowing him too much freedom, and familiarity, and delicious fare, shall have him become his son; will find him at last grow insolent and presumptuous, and forgetful of his servile condition.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. become his sonassume theplace and privileges of one.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child,…. In a very tender and affluent way uses him with great familiarity; makes him sit at table, with him, feeds him with dainties, and clothes him in the most handsome manner, as if he was one of his own children:
shall have him become [his] son at the length: he will expect to be used as a son; he will not care to do any servile work, or anything, especially that is hard and laborious; he will be for supplanting the son and heir, and think to inherit all himself; or, however, become proud, haughty, and saucy. Jarchi interprets this of the evil imagination, or the corruption of nature, which is in a man from a child; which, if cherished and not subdued, wilt in the issue rule over a man: and some apply it to the body; which, if delicately pampered, and not kept under, will be master of the soul, instead of servant to it, and its members be instruments of unrighteousness.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21 If one pampers his servant from youth up,
He will finally reach the place of a child.
The lxx had no answer to the question as to the meaning of . On the other hand, for , the meaning to fondle; delicatius enutrire , is perfectly warranted by the Aram. and Arab. The Talmud, Succa 52b, resorts to the alphabet ” in order to reach a meaning for . How the Targ. comes to translate the word by (outrooted) is not clear; the rendering of Jerome: postea sentiet eum contumacem , is perhaps mediated by the of Symmachus, who combines with , Niph. . The of the lxx, with the Syr., von Hofmann has sought to justify ( Schriftbew. ii. 2. 404), for he derives = from . We must then punctuate ; but perhaps the lxx derived the word from = , whether they pronounced it (cf. = ) or . To follow them is not wise, for the formation of the word is precarious; one does not see with the speaker of this proverb, to whom the language presented a fulness of synonyms for the idea of complaint, meant by using this peculiar word. Linguistically these meanings are impossible: of Jerome, dominus = (Ahron b. Josef, Meri, and others); or: the oppressed = , from (Johlson); or: one who is sick = (Euchel). and Ewald’s “ undankbar ” [unthankful], derived from the Arabic, is a mere fancy, since (Arab.) manuwan does not mean one who is unthankful, but, on the contrary, one who upbraids good deeds shown.
(Note: In Jahrb. xi. p. 10f. Ewald compares, in an expressive way, the Ethiopic mannana ( Piel) to scorn; menun , a reprobate; and mannan , one who is despised; according to which hcih could certainly designate “a man despising scornfully his own benefactors, or an unthankful man.” But this verbal stem is peculiarly Ethiop., and is certainly not once found in Arab. For minnat (which Ewald compares) denotes benefaction, and the duty laid on one thereby, the dependence thereby produced. The verb (Arab.) minn (= ) signifies to divide; and particularly, partly to confer benefaction, partly to attribute benefaction, reckon to, enumerate, and thereby to bring out the sense of obligation. Thus nothing is to be derived from this verbal stem for .)
The ancients are in the right track, who explain after the verb , Psa 72:17 = = ; the Venet., herein following Kimchi, also adopts the nominal form, for it translates (but without perceptible meaning) . Luther’s translation is fortunate:
“If a servant is tenderly treated from youth up,
He will accordingly become a Junker [squire].”
The ideas represented in modern Jewish translations: that of a son ( e.g., Solomon: he will at last be the son) and that of a master (Zunz), are here united. But how the idea of a son (from the verb ), at the same time that of a master, may arise, is not to be perceived in the same way as with Junker and the Spanish infante and hidalgo ; rather with , as the ironical naming of the son (little son), the idea of a weakling (de Wette) may be connected. The state of the matter appears as follows: – the Verb has the meanings of luxuriant growth, numerous propagation; the fish has from this the Aram. name of , like the Heb. , from , which also means luxuriant, exuberant increase ( vid., at Psa 72:17). From this is derived , which designates the offspring as a component part of a kindred, as well as , which, according as the is interpreted infin. or local, means either this, that it sprouts up luxuriantly, the abundant growth, or also the place of luxuriant sprouting, wanton growing, abundant and quick multiplication: thus the place of hatching, spawning. The subject in might be the fondled one; but it lies nearer, however, to take him who fondles as the subject, as in 21a. is either adv. accus. for , or, as we preferred at Pro 23:32, it is the subj. introducing, after the manner of a substantival clause, the following sentence as its virtual predicate: “one has fondled his servant from his youth up, and his (that of the one who fondles) end is: he will become a place of increase.” The master of the house is thought of along with his house; and the servant as one who, having become a man, presents his master with , who are spoilt scapegraces, as he himself has become by the pampering of his master. There was used in the language of the people, for , in the sense on which we name a degenerate son a “ Schnes Frchtchen ” [pretty little fruit]; and is a place (house) where many are; and a man (master of a house) who has many of them is one whose family has increased over his head. One reaches the same meaning if is rendered more immediately as the place or state of growing, increasing, luxuriating. The sense is in any case: he will not be able, in the end, any more to defend himself against the crowd which grows up to him from this his darling, but will be merely a passive part of it.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
Note, 1. It is an imprudent thing in a master to be too fond of a servant, to advance him too fast, and admit him to be too familiar with him, to suffer him to be over-nice and curious in his diet, and clothing, and lodging, and so to bring him up delicately, because he is a favourite, and an agreeable servant; it should be remembered that he is a servant, and, by being thus indulged, will be spoiled for any other place. Servants must endure hardness. 2. It is an ungrateful thing in a servant, but what is very common, to behave insolently because he has been used tenderly. The humble prodigal thinks himself unworthy to be called a son, and is content to be a servant; the pampered slave thinks himself too good to be called a servant, and will be a son at the length, will take his ease and liberty, will be on a par with his master, and perhaps pretend to the inheritance. Let masters give their servants that which is equal and fit for them, and neither more nor less. This is very applicable to the body, which is a servant to the soul; those that delicately bring up the body, that humour it, and are over-tender of it, will find that at length it will forget its place, and become a son, a master, a perfect tyrant.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Spoiled Servants
Verse 21 warns that to pamper and spoil a servant from childhood will lead him to expect and seek the rights and privileges of a son when he reaches maturity, Pro 17:2; Pro 19:10; Pro 30:10; Pro 30:22-23.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(21) Shall have him become his son at the last.Confidential slaves sometimes rose to be the heirs of their masters property. (See above on Pro. 17:2.) But here the warning seems to be rather against spoiling a slave by over-indulgence, lest he at the last forget his position, just as old and petted servants are apt to become somewhat dictatorial.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. His son at the length So most translators; but some render, “Contumacious, ungrateful.” The English text is generally followed. Patrick, as usual, combines the different senses thus: “Indulging him in too much ease, liberty, and familiarity, will make him saucy, if not contumacious; nay, to domineer and take upon him, as if he were a son, and perhaps endeavor to disinherit the heir of the family.” Two words in this verse are found nowhere else in the Bible, , ( mephannek,) and , ( manon,) rendered son. Oriental servants might become heirs to the master’s property. Compare Gen 15:3.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 29:21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant, &c. Lord Bacon, observing that most of the aphorisms in these last chapters refer to princes and their affairs, remarks on this verse. That both princes and private masters should keep a mean in the dispensation of their grace and favour towards servants; which mean is three-fold; first, that servants be promoted by degrees, not by leaps; secondly, that they be now and then accustomed to repulses; thirdly, that they have ever in their sight before them something whereunto they may further aspire: for unless these courses be taken in raising of servants, princes shall, instead of thankful acknowledgments and dutiful observance, be repaid with nothing but disdain and contumacy; for from sudden promotion arises insolence; from constant attainment of their desire proceeds impatience of refusal; and when there is nothing remaining for future expectation, alacrity and industry will cease. See Advan. of Learn. as above. The Chaldee and LXX read this verse, He who nourisheth himself delicately from his youth, shall become a slave, and at the end shall miserably perish. See Rom 7:24.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 29:21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become [his] son at the length.
Ver. 21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant. ] A master that would be, as he ought, both loved and feared by his servants, must see to two things: – (1.) The well-choosing; and (2.) The well using of them. This Solomon himself, that thus adviseth here, was not so well advised of; for he saw that Jeroboam, who gave occasion, as it is conceived, of uttering this proverb, was meet for the work, and therefore, not examining his religion, entertained him into his service, yea, placed him over the family of Joseph, admitted him into so much familiarity, and so let loose the bridle of domestic discipline to him, that he took estate upon him as a young master in the house, and soon after turned traitor, and would needs be as his son, and more. The like is to be seen in Abner, Ishbosheth’s servant, who grew so haughty and haunty, that he might not be spoken to, 2Sa 3:7-11 and in Zimri, whom his master Elah so favoured and esteemed, that he made him captain over the half part of his chariots. But this beggar, thus set on horseback, rides without reins, to the ruin of his master and his whole house. 1Ki 16:11 So true is that of the poet –
“ A .”
“Asperius nihil est humili dum surgit in altum.”
Tobiah the servant is so insolent there is no dealing with him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
child = youth.
become. Some render “aspire to be”; others = become [insolent] like a son.
son = offspring.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 29:21
Pro 29:21
“He that delicately bringeth up a servant from a child Shall have him become a son at the last.”
“We really do not know the significance of the word rendered `a son’ (or `an heir’ in the margin), and so this verse is obscure.
Pro 29:21. Delicately bringeth up means to pamper, to spoil, to give one privileges and favors without expecting corresponding responsibilities and obligations. On son, the marginal note reads: The meaning of the word is doubtful, accounting for various translations: ungrateful (Ewald); as a son (American Bible Union); his continuator (Youngs Literal). Clarke observes that such persons are generally forgetful of their obligations, assume the rights and privileges of children, and are seldom good for anything. Isnt that true of most people who are delicately brought up, pampered, spoiled? Such boys grow up to be men in name only, and such girls grow up to be poor wives.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Reciprocal: Gen 15:3 – born Pro 29:15 – General Pro 30:23 – an handmaid Luk 7:2 – who Luk 16:3 – I cannot 1Ti 5:6 – in pleasure
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 29:21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant, &c. Allowing him too much freedom and familiarity; shall have him become his son Will find him, at last, grow insolent, and forgetful of his servile condition.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
On the surface, this verse sounds as if it is a wise thing to pamper one’s slave. However, the point is that pampering, as opposed to disciplining, makes slaves disrespectful. A slave is not a son. To bring this parable over into modern life, an employee should not normally receive the same privileges as a son. If he does, the relationship essential to the effective operation of the business will suffer.