Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 27

Introduction

Section IV., Proverbs 25-29.— The title of this section adds to the tradition of a Solomonic collection of proverbs the further tradition of literary activity in the time of Hezekiah. The same general considerations hold good of this section as of Proverbs 10-24. (See Introduction.) It also shows signs of compilation, and falls into two divisions: ( a) Proverbs 25:2 to Proverbs 27:22, and ( b) Proverbs 28 f., separated by a discourse in Proverbs 27:23-27.

Verses 1-27

Proverbs 27:1-22 . A collection of aphorisms on various subjects.

Proverbs 27:3 . cf. Sir_22:14 f. The comparison suggests that “ vexation” is out of place. It is the fool that is a bore, not his anger.

Proverbs 27:4 a Lit. “ ruthlessness of wrath, torrent of anger,” or “ wrath is ruthlessness, anger a torrent.”

Proverbs 27:6 . profuse: a doubtful translation of an obscure Heb. word, although Matthew 26:49 (viz. the force of κατὰ? in κατεφίλησεν ) is quoted in support. AV “ deceitful” depends upon an emendation following the Lat.

Proverbs 27:8 . Cheyne finds a reference to the Exile. Toy allows only a general reference to home-sickness.

Proverbs 27:9 b. The Heb. is untranslatable. It may be a scribal corruption of Proverbs 27:7 b. The LXX reads “ but the soul is rent by misfortunes,” which yields a better sense than Toy grants, if Proverbs 27:9 a be taken as a description of the pleasures of prosperity.

Proverbs 27:10 . Three unconnected lines. It is impossible to restore the original form.

Proverbs 27:12 . cf. Proverbs 22:3.

Proverbs 27:13 . cf. Proverbs 20:16.

Proverbs 27:14 . Probably an ironical reference to fulsome public flattery as more injurious than beneficial to its object.

Proverbs 27:15 . cf. Proverbs 19:13.

Proverbs 27:16 . Corrupt. RV connects it with the preceding couplet. The force of Proverbs 27:16 b is that the woman of Proverbs 27:15 is as difficult to restrain as slippery oil. This is the traditional Jewish exegesis. The LXX disconnects it from Proverbs 27:15, and renders “ The north wind is a bitter wind, but by its name is called well-omened.”

Proverbs 27:19 a. The lit. rendering, “ As water face to face,” gives no sense. LXX has “ As faces do not resemble faces, so do not the minds of men.” Probably we should read, “ As face to face, so mind to mind”— i.e. possibly an Oriental equivalent of “ quot homines tot sententiæ .”

Proverbs 27:20 . cf. Proverbs 15:11.

Proverbs 27:23-27 . A short poem of five couplets dealing with the value of cattle to the farmer; cf. a somewhat similar fragment of agricultural wisdom in Isaiah 28:23-29.

Proverbs 27:25 . cf. Amos 7:1 f. The stages indicated are: ( a) the regular hay harvest (in Amos appropriated for taxation), ( b) the after growth, ( c) the produce of the mountain pastures, which was also stored by the careful farmer.