Proverbs Chapter 20

Proverbs 20 KJV

1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. [a]

[a] Memorize (Prov. 23:29-35).

2. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: [b] whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. [c]

[b] Second Advent (Prov. 19:12).

[c] E.g., David (1 Sam. 25:32-35).

3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: [d] but a faithful man who can find?

[d] Prov. 16:2, 18:17.

7. The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

8. A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. [e]

[e] White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11).

9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

10. Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

11. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

12. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; [f] open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. [g]

[f] Prov. 6:9-10.

[g] Prov. 12:11, 19:15.

14. It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

15. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. [h]

[h] E.g., Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27).

18. Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

19. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

20. Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. [i]

[i] Rom. 12:14-17; Heb. 10:30.

23. Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

24. Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

26. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

27. The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

28. Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

29. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

30. The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

 RRB notes: Psalm 109

Psalms 109 KJV

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2. For the mouth of the wicked [a] and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

[a] A reference to Judas Iscariot as “the son of perdition” (vss. 3-8; John 17:12; Rev. 17:8). See note on Job 15:20.

3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. [b]

[b] John 15:25; see note on vs. 20.

4. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. [c]

[c] Zech. 3:1.

7. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. [d]

[d] Acts 1:20.

9. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15. Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. [1]

[1] The verse deals with the demise of the Antichrist (Isa. 14:4-10, 19-22; Rev. 19:19-20), and it is coupled with his dealings with the “poor and needy” (Psa. 10:8, 69:33, 72:12, 109:16; James 2:1-7, 5:1-6; 1 John 3:17). Doctrinally, verses 9-19 are a Second Advent passage.

16. Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. [e]

[e] Second Advent (cf. Rev. 13:5-6).

18. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. [2]

[2] Verses 9-20 are an “imprecatory” prayer – a prayer for the damnation of an enemy. In this case, the “prayer warrior” is the Lord Jesus Christ, the very One who prayed “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

21. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23. I am gone like the shadow [f] when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

[f] Job 16:16, 8:9, 17:7.

24. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. [g]

[g] Job 7:5, 19:20, 33:21.

25. I became also a reproach  [h] unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

[h] Like Job and Christ (Psa. 69:9, 20; Job 20:3, 19:3).

26. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27. That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. [i]

[i] Like Job (Job 9:16-18, 22, 24, 31) and Jesus Christ (Isa. 53:10; Acts 2:23, 36).

28. Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, [j] to save him from those that condemn his soul.

[j] Psa. 16:8, 110:1; Matt. 22:44.

>>>>>>> Additional Notes <<<<<<<

Note on Job 15:20 KJV

The wicked man [1] travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

[1] References to the Antichrist (“the son of perdition”) in the Tribulation. The whole passage is Second Advent. It is given as simply the description of a “wicked man.” But in Psalm 10:2-15, you will find “the wicked” connected with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is “that Wicked” of 2 Thessalonians  2:8.

_______