XIII.

(1) A wise son heareth his father’s instruction.—Or, is his father’s instruction, i.e., the result and embodiment of it.

A scorner.—See above on Proverbs 1:22.

Proverbs 13:1-3. A wise son, &c. — Houbigant translates this verse, “A wise son regardeth the instruction of his father; but a son who is a scorner heareth not rebuke.” A man shall eat good — Shall receive much comfort, credit, and benefit to himself; by the fruit of his mouth — By his wise and profitable discourses; but the soul — That is, the person, as the word soul often signifies; of the transgressors — Of those that transgress with their lips, which seems to be the meaning here; shall eat violence — Shall have that violence and injury returned upon themselves, which they have offered to others in word or deed. He that keepeth his mouth — Namely, shut; that speaks sparingly, and with due care and caution; keepeth his life —

Prevents many sins and mischiefs which others run into; but he that openeth wide his lips — That takes the liberty of speaking whatever he pleases, or all that comes into his mind; shall have destruction — From God or men.13:1 There is great hope of those that reverence their parents. There is little hope of any who will not hear those that deal faithfully with them. 2. By our words we must be justified or condemned, Mt 12:37. 3. He that thinks before he speaks, that suppresses evil if he have thought it, keeps his soul from a great deal both of guilt and grief. Many a one is ruined by an ungoverned tongue. 4. The slothful desire the gains the diligent get, but hate the pains the diligent take; therefore they have nothing. This is especially true as to the soul. 5. Where sin reigns, the man is loathsome. If his conscience were awake, he would abhor himself, and repent in dust and ashes.Heareth - The verb of the second clause is inserted in the first, just as in the next verse that of the first is inserted in the second. Stress is laid upon the obstinacy of the scorner who refuses to hear, not only "instruction," but also the much stronger "rebuke." CHAPTER 13

Pr 13:1-25.

1. (Compare Pr 6:1-5; 10:1, 17). Heareth; which word is understood out of the next clause, as is frequent in the Hebrew text.

Instruction; or, rebuke or reproof.

Heareth not rebuke; he hateth reproof, either from his father or from any other man.

A wise son heareth his father's instruction,.... As he should, and has good reason to do; since it must be cordial, faithful, and disinterested, as well as the effect of age and experience. He "asks for it" and "loves" it, as Jarchi supplies the text; he likes and approves of it, is well pleased with it, and delights in it; seeing it tends to his profit and advantage; he "receives" it, as the Targum, so Ben Melech; he listens to and obeys it, and acts agreeably to it, which shows him to be wise; and this is the way to be wiser and wiser. So one that is spiritually wise will attend to and receive the instruction of Wisdom or Christ; who stands in the relation of an everlasting fin, her to his children; whose instruction is the doctrine of the Gospel; which a wise man hears, so as to understand it; to love and like it, and approve of it; cordially to embrace and obey it, and put it in practice; see Matthew 7:24. The word also signifies "correction" (s), because instruction often comes by it; and he that is a wise man will hear the rod and him that has appointed it, and learn to know his mind by it, and receive instruction from it: or is "chastised by his father" (t), and takes it well, Micah 6:9;

but a scorner heareth not rebuke; that is, a son who is a scorner, as the Targum and Aben Ezra; one that makes a mock at sin, and scoffs at religion: such a man will be so far from hearing, attending to, and receiving the rebuke and reproof of his father, that he will scoff also at that; such as were the sons in law of Lot, and the sons of Eli and Samuel. So scornful men, that make a jest of everything that is sacred, will not hearken to the reproof of God's word, to the rebukes of Gospel ministers, or even to the rebukes of Providence, which will issue in their destruction, Proverbs 5:11.

(s) "obedivit castigationem", Baynus, so Gejerus. (t) "Castigatur a patre, vel castigatus patris", Scultens, so De Dieu.

A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.