Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 30:33
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
33. churning wringing forcing ] The Heb. word, pressing, is the same in each case, but its shade of meaning varies with the process described.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Churning … wringing … forcing – In the Hebrew text it is one and the same word. The pressure of milk produces curds, the pressure of the nose produces blood, the pressure of wrath (i. e., brooding over and, as it were, condensing it) produces strife.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. And the wringing] Who hugeli snytith drawith out blood. – Old MS. Bible. This is well expressed in homely phrase. The Septuagint have, “draw the milk, and you may have butter; if you press the nostrils you may bring out blood; and if you draw out your discourse to a great length, you may have strife and contention.” Avoid, therefore, all strong excitements and irritations. Coverdale’s translation of this verse is very simple: “Whoso chyrneth mylck maketh butter; he that rubbeth his nose maketh it blede; and he that causeth wrath bryngeth forth strife.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The forcing of wrath; the stirring up of wrath, either,
1. In a mans self towards others, by giving way to passion, or by fixing his thoughts upon those things which may inflame it. Or,
2. In others by reproaches, injuries, or any other provocations.
Bringeth forth strife; is the cause of many quarrels, and much mischief among men.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
33. That is, strifeor otherills, as surely arise from devising evil as natural effects fromnatural causes.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,…. Or the pressing of it. This is a thing well known and certain, that of milk, when pressed out of the udder, and put into a churn, and there is shook together, by a constant violent agitation or motion, called churning, butter is produced; and cheese is sometimes called pressed milk y, and is pressed with the runnet, and by the hand also z;
and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: a too violent compression of it, or forcible blowing of it, in order to purge it from any impurity in it; instead of doing which it may break the tender skin, and bring forth blood, which may be of bad consequence;
so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife; irritating the passions of men, and provoking them by scurrilous and reproachful words to wrath and anger, produce contentions, feuds, and lawsuits, which are not soon and easily ended; and therefore such a conduct should be carefully avoided. The same word is used in the three clauses, and signifies pressing, squeezing, forcing.
y “Pressi copia lactis”, Virgil. Bucolic. eclog. 1. v. 82. “Et lactia massa coacti”, Ovid. Metamorph. l. 8. v. 666. z “Causem bubulum manu presssum”, Sueton. in Octav. c. 76.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(33) Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter. . . .The same word is used in the Hebrew for the three which appear in the Authorised Version, churning, wringing, and forcing. The sense will be, For (as) pressure on milk produces butter, and pressure on the nose produces blood, (so) pressure on wrath (violence towards a hot-tempered person) produces anger. (Comp. Pro. 15:1.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. Churning of milk, etc. Our excellent Authorized Version has here failed to give the spirit of the original. The same verbs occur in each clause of the verse, and should be translated accordingly. For as the pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese, (or whey,) and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood, so the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife. Miller translates the last clause: “So the pressing down of passion presses away strife.” He makes the apodosis of Pro 30:32, and of part of this.
Butter , ( hhemah,) is supposed to mean milk in general, sometimes curdled milk, curds, cheese; but Miller contends stoutly for whey.
The wringing of the nose Thomson ( Land and Book, vol. i, p. 373) describes the Oriental mode of churning to be by squeezing or pressing a leathern bag (the goatskin bottle of the East) containing the milk. This makes more apparent the meaning of the comparison in the last verse.
So end the , ( hhidhoth,) enigmas of Agur, “in the which are some things hard to be understood.” They have exercised the ingenuity of wise and learned men for ages. We can do little more than repeat their guesses, though, by comparing one with another, we may, perhaps, make a little advance. Among the more probable of these guesses are those of Dr. Miller, who allegorizes the whole book, and this part in particular. According to him, Pro 30:10-14 represent sin as progressive; Pro 30:15-16, as insatiable; Pro 30:18-29, as insidious; Pro 30:21-23, as intolerable; Pro 30:24-28, how to get rid of it; Pro 30:29-33, the practical application. Whether the learned doctor has hit the meaning of the wise man or not, he has given good sound doctrine, put in very forcible language. That the object of these Proverbs is, as Dr. Conant remarks, moral instruction, there can be little doubt. Hence the thought that they are simply an amusing play of the fancy is to be dismissed at once.
In the Septuagint Version this chapter is split up and scattered, a part in one place and a part in another. Pro 30:1-14 come in after Pro 24:22; the remainder after Proverbs 24:37. This is followed again by the first nine verses of chap. 31. Then come in chapters 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29; the book concluding with the remainder of chapter 31, Pro 30:10-31.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 30:33. Surely, the churning of milk This verse is connected with that preceding, and may be thus paraphrased: For from little things there is an easy progress unto greater; and just as you see milk is first pressed out of the cow’s udder, and then, being agitated in the churn, is forced into butter; and as the nose, being wrung, though at first it only purify itself, yet if it be harder pressed, issues forth blood; so words passing to and fro raise a heat, and that, if continued, stirs up anger, which frequently ends in broils and irreconcileable quarrels.” Patrick.
REFLECTIONS.Who this Agur was, is immaterial for us to inquire; it is enough that he wrote under prophetic inspiration, either directing his discourse to Ithiel and Ucal, his children or his disciples; or speaking concerning Ithiel and Ucal; (as many suppose) names applicable to the great Messiah, God with me, and the mighty one, able to save to the uttermost; or addressed to him as the Saviour and Deliverer of his faithful people, who hears their prayers, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
1. He humbly confesses his sin and ignorance. Surely I am more brutish than any man, or a brute rather than a man; such blindness and ignorance is in man’s fallen nature, such perverseness and corruption in his heart: and they who have the deepest knowledge of themselves, discovering more of the folly and sin of their own hearts, than they can possibly see in others, will adopt with deepest sensibility the confession; and have not the understanding of a man, of Adam in innocence, or of men in general. I neither learned wisdom by any power of my own, nor can I understand it unless taught of God; nor have the knowledge of the holy ones; for imperfect are the highest attainments of knowledge respecting the divine Being and his glorious perfections; and the things of God can no man know but by the Spirit of God.
2. He exalts the glory of the great Creator and Redeemer of men: none but he ever could reveal the deep things of God, who came down from heaven, and is ascended thither, Joh 3:13. By his power the stormy winds are restrained, the clouds are wrapped up as in a garment, the deep in swaddling-bands: the earth, founded upon the flood, spoken into being at his word, and upheld by his providence: but who can declare his generation, whose hands have made all these things? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? We are lost the moment we set ourselves to the inquiry; for who by searching can find out God, his nature, perfections, the divine paternity or filiation, and all the other mysteries hid in the triune God? Here we must bow and silently adore.
3. He commends the excellence of God’s word. It is pure, without the least human mixture or adulteration, and tending to produce purity of heart and life in all who receive the scriptures in the light and love of them: it is faithful, none ever trusted the promises and were disappointed; but they, who, according to his word, have made God their refuge, have ever found him their shield to ward off every danger: it is perfect, incapable of improvement; it were daring presumption in man to add thereto, and such arrogance would provoke God’s rebukes, and issue in the confusion of those who should pretend to set up their traditions or fancies on a level with the revelation of God.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
BLESSED Lord Jesus! I desire to adore thee, for having added to all thy servants the Prophets in their testimonies concerning thee, this charming portion of Agur. Indeed, 0 Lord, I cannot but accept what is here said by him, as referring to thee. For who is the Ithiel of the scripture, but JESUS? And who is the Ucal of his people, but He, that is the Lord our righteousness, mighty to save? I may well find interest in the words of Agur; for I can truly say with him, as referring to nature, void of thy divine teaching; I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. And hadst thou not, by the teaching of thy blessed Spirit, brought me acquainted with thyself, I might have been forever asking, without obtaining an answer: what is the name of Jehovah; and what the name of Jesus? But now, Lord, through thy grace preventing me, I do know thee, and desire to love thee, and to live to thee, and rejoice in thee. And because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth. They that know thy name, will put their trust in thee.
Matchless Instructor! let all the divine parables of thy word, be opened and explained to me by thyself. May I see in them, and through them, Christ Jesus; and then in Him I shall find all I need. And, however, to the unwakened, they may remain as a vision sealed, yet if thou, Lord, wilt open mine eyes, 1 shall see the wondrous things of thy law.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Ver. 33. So the forcing of wrath. ] Too much stirring in an offensive matter bringeth forth brawling, lawing, warring, fighting. Patientia laesa sit furor. The most patient person may be put beyond all patience if much provoked. Abner bare long with Asahel, but sped him at length. Abused mercy turns into fury. See Pro 15:1 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
so: Pro 15:18, Pro 16:28, Pro 17:14, Pro 26:21, Pro 28:25, Pro 29:22
Reciprocal: Pro 25:8 – hastily Dan 11:20 – anger
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 30:33. Surely the churning of milk This verse, which is connected with that preceding, is thus paraphrased by the last-mentioned author: For from little things there is an easy progress unto greater. And just as you see milk is first pressed out of the cows udders, and then, being shaken in the churn, is forced into butter; and as the nose, being wrung, though at first it only purge itself, yet, if it be harder pressed, there comes out blood; even so words, passing to and fro, raise a heat, and that, if continued, stirs up anger, which frequently ends in broils and irreconcileable quarrels.