---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Proverbs 13:1. A wise son heareth his father"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/13"
---

Verse [Proverbs 13:1](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/1). ***A wise son*****heareth*****his father's instruction*** — The child that has had a proper *nurturing*, will profit by his father's counsels but the child that is permitted to fulfil *its own will* and *have its own way*, will jest at the reproofs of its parents.

Verse [Proverbs 13:3](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/3). ***He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life*** — How often have the foolish, headstrong, and wicked, forfeited their lives by the *treasonable* or *blasphemous* words they have spoken! The *government of the tongue* is a *rare* but useful talent.
**But*****he that openeth wide his lips*** — He that puts no bounds to his loquacity, speaks on every subject, and gives his judgment and opinion on every matter. It has often been remarked that God has, given us *two* EYES, that we may SEE *much; two* EARS, that we may HEAR *much*; but has given us but ONE *tongue*, and that fenced in with teeth, to indicate that though we *hear* and *see much*, we should *speak* but *little*.

Verse [Proverbs 13:4](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/4). ***The soul of the sluggard desireth, and*****hath*****nothing*** — We often hear many religious people expressing a *desire to have more* *of the Divine life*, and yet never get *forward* in it. How is this? The reason is, they *desire*, but do not *stir themselves up* to lay hold upon the Lord. They are always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They *seek* to enter in at the strait gate, but are not able, because they do not *strive*.

Verse [Proverbs 13:7](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/7). ***There is that maketh himself rich*** — That labours hard to acquire money, *yet hath nothing*; his excessive *covetousness* not being satisfied with what he possesses, nor permitting him to enjoy *with comfort* what he has acquired. The fable of *the dog in* *the manger* will illustrate this.
**There is*****that maketh himself poor, yet*****hath*****great riches.*** — "As poor," said St. Paul, "yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things." The former is the *rich poor* man; the latter is the *poor rich* man.
As the words are here in the *hithpael* conjugation, which implies *reflex action*, or the *action performed on one's self*, and often signifies *feigning* or *pretending* to be what one *is not*, or *not* to be what one *is*; the words may be understood of persons who *feign* or *pretend* to be either *richer* or *poorer* than they *really are*, to accomplish some particular purpose. "There is that *feigneth himself* to be *rich*, yet hath *nothing*; there is that *feigneth himself* to be *poor*, yet hath *great riches*." Both these characters frequently occur in life.

Verse [Proverbs 13:8](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/8). ***The ransom of a man's life*** — Those who have riches have often much trouble with them; as they had much trouble to *get* them, so they have much trouble to *keep* them. In despotic countries, a rich man is often accused of some capital crime, and to save his life, though he may be quite innocent, is obliged to give up his riches; but the *poor*, in such countries, are put to no trouble.

Verse [Proverbs 13:9](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/9). ***The light of the righteous rejoiceth*** — They shall have that measure of prosperity which shall be best for them; but the wicked, howsoever prosperous for a time, shall be brought into desolation. *Light* and *lamp* in both cases may signify *posterity*. The righteous shall have a joyous posterity; but that of the wicked shall be cut off. So [1 Kings 11:36](../../../kjv/1-kings/11/36): "And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a *light* ( *ner*, a *lamp*) always before me." [1 Kings 15:4](../../../kjv/1-kings/15/4): "Nevertheless for David's sake did the Lord give them *a lamp*, to set up his *son* after him." See also [Psalms 132:17](../../../kjv/psalms/132/17), and several other places.

Verse [Proverbs 13:10](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/10). ***By pride cometh contention*** — Perhaps there is not a *quarrel* among *individuals* in private life, nor a *war* among nations, that does not proceed from *pride* and *ambition*. Neither *man* nor *nation* will be content to be *less* than another; and to acquire the wished-for *superiority* all is thrown into general confusion, both in public and private life. It was to destroy this *spirit of pride*, that Jesus was manifested in the *extreme of* *humility* and *humiliation* among men. The salvation of Christ is a *deliverance* from *pride*, and a being clothed with *humility*. As far as we are *humble*, so far we are *saved*.

Verse [Proverbs 13:11](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/11). ***Wealth*****gotten*****by vanity*** — Wealth that is not the result of *honest industry* and *hard labour* is seldom permanent. All fortunes acquired by speculation, lucky hits, and ministering to the pride or luxury of others, &c., soon become dissipated. They are not gotten in the way of Providence, and have not God's blessing, and therefore are not permanent.

Verse [Proverbs 13:12](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/12). ***Hope deferred maketh the heart sick*** — When once a *good* is discovered, *want* of it felt, *strong desire* for the possession excited, and the promise of attainment made on grounds unsuspected, so that the *reality* of the *thing* and the *certainty* of the *promise* are manifest, *hope* posts forward to *realize the* *blessing*. *Delay* in the gratification pains the mind; the increase of the delay prostrates and sickens the heart; and if *delay* *sickens the heart*, ultimate *disappointment kills* it. *But* when the thing desired, hoped for, and expected comes, it is a tree of life, עץ חיים *ets chaiyim*, "the tree of lives;" it comforts and invigorates both body and soul. To the tree of lives, in the midst of the gardens of paradise, how frequent are the allusions in the writings of Solomon, and in other parts of the Holy Scriptures! What deep, and perhaps yet unknown, mysteries were in this tree!

Verse [Proverbs 13:13](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/13). ***Whoso despiseth the word*** — The revelation which God has in his mercy given to man - *shall be destroyed*; for there is no other way of salvation but that which it points out.
***But he that feareth the commandment*** — That respects it so as to obey it, walking as this revelation directs - *shall be rewarded*; shall find it to be his highest interest, and shall be in *peace* or *safety*, as the Hebrew word may be translated.

Verse [Proverbs 13:14](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/14). ***The law of the wise*****is*****a fountain of life*** — Perhaps it would be better to translate, "The law is to the wise man a fountain of life." It is the same to him as the "vein of lives," מקור חיים *mekor chaiyim*, the great *aorta* which transmits the blood from the heart to every part of the body. There seems to be here an allusion to the *garden of paradise*, to the *tree of lives*, to the *tempter*, to the baleful *issue* of that temptation, and to the *death* entailed on man by his *unwisely* breaking the *law* of his God.

Verse [Proverbs 13:15](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/15). ***The way of transgressors is hard.*** — Never was a truer saying; most sinners have *more pain* and *difficulty* to get their souls damned, than the righteous have, with all their cross-bearings, to get to the kingdom of heaven.

Verse [Proverbs 13:17](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/17). ***A wicked messenger*** — The *Septuagint*: βασιλευς θρασυες, *a bold king*; instead of מלאך *malach*, a *messenger*, they had read מלך *melech*, a *king*: but they are singular in this rendering; none of the other versions have it so. He that betrays the counsels of his government, or the interests of his country, will sooner or later fall into mischief; but he that faithfully and loyally fulfils his mission, shall produce honour and safety to the commonwealth.

Verse [Proverbs 13:19](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/19). ***The desire accomplished*** — See on [Proverbs 13:12](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/12).

Verse [Proverbs 13:20](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/20). ***He that walketh with wise*****men*****shall be wise*** — To *walk* with a person implies *love* and *attachment*; and it is impossible not *to imitate those we love*. So we say, "Show me his company, and I'll tell you the man." Let me know the company he keeps, and I shall easily guess his moral character.

Verse [Proverbs 13:22](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/22). ***A good*****man*****leaveth an inheritance*** — He files many a *prayer* in heaven in their behalf, and his good *example* and *advices* are remembered and quoted from generation to generation. Besides, whatever property he left was *honestly* acquired, and *well-gotten goods are permanent*. The general experience of men shows this to be a common case; and that *property ill-gotten* *seldom reaches to the third generation*. This even the *heathens* observed. Hence:
De male quaesitis non gaudet tertius haeres.

"The third generation shall not possess the
goods that have been unjustly acquired."

Verse [Proverbs 13:23](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/23). **That is*****destroyed for want of judgment.*** — O, how much of the *poverty* of the *poor* arises from their own want of management! They have little or no economy, and no foresight. When they get any thing, they speedily spend it; and a *feast* and a *famine* make the chief *varieties* of their life.

Verse [Proverbs 13:24](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/24). ***He that spareth his rod hateth his son*** — That is, if he *hated* him, he could not do him a greater disservice than not to correct him when his *obstinacy* or *disobedience* requires it. We have met with this subject already, and it is a favourite with Solomon. See the places referred to in the margin ([Psalms 34:10](../../../kjv/psalms/34/10); [Psalms 37:3](../../../kjv/psalms/37/3)).
The Rev. Mr. Holden makes some sensible observations on this passage: "By the neglect of early correction the desires (passions) obtain ascendancy; the temper becomes irascible, peevish, querulous. Pride is nourished, humility destroyed, and by the habit of indulgence the mind is incapacitated to bear with firmness and equanimity the cares and sorrows, the checks and disappointments, which *flesh is heir to*."

Verse [Proverbs 13:25](../../../kjv/proverbs/13/25). ***To the satisfying of his soul*** — His desires are all moderate; he is contented with his circumstances, and is pleased with the lot which God is pleased to send. The wicked, though he use all *shifts* and *expedients* to acquire earthly good, not sticking even at *rapine* and *wrong*, is frequently in real want, and always dissatisfied with his portion. A *contented mind is a* *continual feast*. At such feasts he eats not.

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