the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Proverbs 25:20
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Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone's coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.
[As] vinegar on lye, and [as] smoke for the eyes, So is he that sings songs to a heavy heart.
Singing songs to someone who is sad is like taking away his coat on a cold day or pouring vinegar on soda.
Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
[As] he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon nitre; so [is] he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, Or vinegar on soda, So is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda.
and leesith his mentil in the dai of coold. Vynegre in a vessel of salt is he, that singith songis to the worste herte. As a mouyte noieth a cloth, and a worm noieth a tree, so the sorewe of a man noieth the herte.
As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on soda is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Singing to someone in deep sorrow is like pouring vinegar in an open cut.
As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon soda, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
Like one who takes off clothing in cold weather and like acid on a wound, is he who makes melody to a sad heart.
Like removing clothes on a chilly day or like vinegar on soda is someone who sings songs to a heavy heart.
[As] he that taketh off a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a sad heart.
Singing happy songs to a sad person is as foolish as taking a coat off on a cold day or mixing soda and vinegar.
As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
As hee that taketh away a garment in cold weather; and as vineger vpon nitre; so is he that singeth songs to an heauy heart.
He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a coat on a cold day, or like sour wine poured on soda.
Like vinegar on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood, sorrow gnaws at the human heart.
Hee that taketh away the garment in the colde season, is like vineger powred vpon nitre, or like him that singeth songs to an heauy heart.
As he who takes away a garment from his neighbor in cold weather, as one who drops sand on the string of a musical instrument, as he who afflicts a broken heart, as a moth on a garment, and as a boring-worm on a tree: such is the effect of sorrow on a mans heart.
Singing to a person who is depressed is like taking off a person's clothes on a cold day or like rubbing salt in a wound.
As splendour of dress on a cold day - vinegar upon nitre, so is a singer with songs, unto a sad heart.
And one that looseth his garment in cold weather. As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a very evil heart. As a moth doth by a garment, and a worm by the wood: so the sadness of a man consumeth the heart.
He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on a wound.
Who so taketh away a mans garment in the colde weather, is like vineger vpon lime, or lyke hym that singeth songues to an heauie heart.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
Singing songs to a troubled heartis like taking off clothing on a cold dayor like pouring vinegar on soda.
As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, Or vinegar on soda, So is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
Like one who removes a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on natron, is he who sings songs to a heavy heart.
As he who takes away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar on soda, so is he who sings songs on a heart in misery.
Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
Who so syngeth a songe to a wicked herte, clotheth hi with ragges in the colde, and poureth vyneger vpon chalke.
Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds.
Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a troubled heart.
Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.
Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,Is he who sings songs to an aching heart.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
that taketh: Deuteronomy 24:12-17, Job 24:7-10, Isaiah 58:7, James 2:15, James 2:16
vinegar: Proverbs 10:26
so: Psalms 137:3, Psalms 137:4, Ecclesiastes 3:4, Daniel 6:18, Romans 12:15, James 5:15
Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 28:23 - I will Proverbs 31:21 - afraid
Cross-References
Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight [children] Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah [in marriage], and she became his wife, and he loved her; therefore Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Now Abraham gave everything that he had to Isaac;
but to the sons of his concubines [Hagar and Keturah], Abraham gave gifts while he was still living and he sent them to the east country, away from Isaac his son [of promise].
and he drove away all his livestock and [took along] all his property which he had acquired, the livestock he had obtained and accumulated in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean (Syrian) by not telling him that he intended to leave and he slipped away secretly.
God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob, either good or bad."
Then God [in a visible manifestation] appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Paddan-aram, and declared a blessing on him.
"And you shall say before the LORD your God, 'My father [Jacob] was a wandering Aramean, and he [along with his family] went down to Egypt and lived there [as strangers], few in number; but while there he became a great, mighty and populous nation.
"And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and not one of them was cleansed [by being healed] except Naaman the Syrian."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
[As] he that taketh away a garment in cold weather,.... Either takes it off of himself, or another person, when it would be rather more proper to put another garment on, and so is exposed to the injury of cold weather;
[and as] vinegar upon nitre: nitre was found in Egypt, beyond Memphis, as Strabo says p; there were two mines of nitre, which produced much, and thence it was called the Nitriotic Nome: others say, nitre has its name from Nitria, a town in Egypt q, which gives name to the Nitrian desert, where there is a lake called Latron; from the bottom of which, that sort of nitre, called Natron, arises to the top, as is apprehended, and there, by the heat of the sun, condenses into this kind of substance r, which will react with an acid; and so vinegar poured upon it will irritate and disturb it, cause it to react, and make a noise and a hissing. This must be understood only of this sort of nitre, of the nitre of the ancients; not of the moderns, which is no other than saltpetre; for though this will ferment with vinegar, saltpetre will not s: nitre is dissolved by a liquid, but not any, only that which is cold, as Aristotle observes t, as is vinegar; and therefore, with great propriety, this is joined to what goes before;
so [is] he that singeth songs to a heavy heart; rather distresses and afflicts him the more; as he cannot sing himself, he cannot bear to hear others sing; such rather should be condoled and wept with than to have songs sung to them. Some understand the words in a sense the reverse; the word rendered taketh away, in the first clause, has the signification of adorning with a garment; hence they render it, "as he that putteth on a garment u for ornament in cold weather, and as vinegar to nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart"; that is, as an additional garment drives away cold, and vinegar dissolves nitre, so singing songs to a heavy hearted man drives away sorrow; as in the case of Saul, such an effect had music on him, 1 Samuel 16:21; or rather, to put on a thin garment for ornament in cold weather is as absurd and unseasonable as to put vinegar to nitre, or to a wound, as Schultens, and to sing songs to a heavy heart; all absurd.
p Geograph. l. 17. p. 552. q Isidor. Origin. l. 16. c. 2. r Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 530. s Ibid. p. 532. Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 1009, 1010. t Meteorolog. l. 4. c. 6. u מעדה בגד "ornans vestem suam", Gussetins, p. 880. "ornata veste instruens"; Schultens.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Examples of unwisdom and incongruity sharpen the point of the proverb. Pouring vinegar upon nitre or potash utterly spoils it. The effervescence caused by the mixture is perhaps taken as a type of the irritation produced by the “songs” sung out of season to a heavy heart.
The verb rendered “taketh away” may have the sense (as in Ezekiel 16:11) of “adorning oneself,” and the illustration would then be, “as to put on a fine garment in time of cold is unseasonable, so is singing to a heavy heart.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Proverbs 25:20. As vinegar upon nitre — The original word נתר nather is what is known among chemists as the natron of the ancients and of the Scriptures, and carbonate of soda. It is found native in Syria and India, and occurs as an efflorescence on the soil. In Tripoli it is found in crystalline incrustations of from one third to half an inch thick. It is found also in solution in the water of some lakes in Egypt and Hungary. The borders of these lakes are covered with crystalline masses, of a grayish white or light brown colour; and in some specimens the natron is nearly pure carbonate of soda, and the carbonate is easily discovered by effervescing with an acid. It appears to have its Hebrew name from נתר nathar, to dissolve or loosen: because a solution of it in water is abstersive, taking out spots, c. It is used in the East for the purposes of washing. If vinegar be poured on it, Dr. Shaw says a strong fermentation immediately takes place, which illustrates what Solomon says here: "The singing of songs to a heavy heart is like vinegar upon natron:" that is, "there is no affinity between them and opposition, colluctation, and strife, are occasioned by any attempt to unite them."
And poureth vyneger upon chalke. - COVERDALE. This also will occasion an effervescence. See Jeremiah 2:22.
