Proverbs 20:7

Pro 20:7 The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him.

Ver. 7. The just man walketh in his integrity.] Walketh constantly; {a} not for a step or two only, when the good fit is upon him. {See Trapp on "Gen 17:1"}

His children are blessed after him.] Personal goodness is profitable to posterity; yet not of merit, but of free grace, and for the promise’ sake; which Jehu’s children found and felt to the fourth generation, though himself were a wicked idolater.

{a} Continenter ambulat.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_20:7

His children are blessed after him.

The just mans legacy

1. Anxiety about our family is natural, but we shall be wise if we turn it into care about our own character. If we walk before the Lord in integrity, we shall do more to bless our descendants than if we bequeathed them large estates. A fathers holy life is a rich legacy for his sons.

(1). The upright man leaves his heirs his example, and this in itself will be a mine of true wealth. How many men may trace their success in life to the example of their parents!

(2) He leaves them also his repute. Men think all the better of us as the sons of a man who could be trusted, the successors of a tradesman of excellent repute. Oh, that all young men were anxious to keep up the family name!

(3) Above all, he leaves his children his prayers and the blessing of a prayer-hearing God, and these make an offspring to be favoured among the sons of men. God will save them even after we are dead. Oh, that they might be saved at once!

2. Our integrity may be Gods means of saving our sons and daughters. If they see the truth of our religion proved by our lives, it may be that they will believe in Jesus for themselves. Lord, fulfil this word to my household! (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It is here observed to the honour of a good man, 1. That he does well for himself. He has a certain rule, which with an even steady hand he governs himself by: He walks in his integrity; he keeps good conscience, and he has the comfort of it, for it is his rejoicing. He is not liable to those uneasinesses, either in contriving what he shall do or reflecting on what he has done, which those are liable to that walk in deceit. 2. That he does well for his family: His children are blessed after him, and fare the better for his sake. God has mercy in store for the seed of the faithful.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The conduct of good men proclaims their sound principles. God's covenant and their good example secure blessing to their children (Pro 4:26; Psa 112:1-2).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(7) The just man.—Comp. Pro_10:2.

His children are blessed after him.—Comp. 1Ki_15:4, Jer_33:20-21.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. walketh] Rather, that walketh, R.V.

ὄς ἀναστρέφεται ἄμωμος ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, μακαρίους τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ καταλείψει, LXX.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The just man walketh in his integrity,.... This is the faithful and upright man, who is made righteous by the obedience of Christ; and walks by faith in him, and according to the truth of the Gospel;

his children are blessed after him; with temporal blessings; and, walking in the same integrity as he does, they are blessed with spiritual blessings here, and eternal blessedness hereafter; see Psa 37:26. It is an observation of an Heathen poet (c), that good things befall the children of the godly, but not the children of the ungodly.

(c) Theoerit. Idyll. 27. v. 32.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The just man walketh in his integrity; he proveth himself to be so not only by his profession, of which he spoke in the former verse, but by his sincere and unblamable conversation. His children are blessed after him, by virtue of that covenant which God hath made with such men, which is not confined to their persons, but entaileth blessings upon their posterity.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. The just man — An upright man. The critics transpose: He that walks in his integrity, a righteous man, (or is a righteous man,) happy are his children after him. Comp. Pro_14:26; Gen_24:67; Job_21:21.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The just man walketh in his integrity. It is better to connect the two clauses together, and not to take the first as a separate sentence, thus: "He who as a just man walketh in his integrity Blessed are his children after him. (comp. Pro_14:26) So the Septuagint and Vulgate. The man of pure life, who religiously performs his duty towards God and man, shall bring a blessing on his children who follow his good example, both during his life and after his death. The temporal promise is seen in Exo_20:6 Deu_4:40 Psa_112:2, etc. Some see here an instance of utilitarianism; but it cannot be supposed that the writer inculcates virtue for the sake of the worldly advantages connected with it; rather he speaks from experience, and from a faithful dependence on Providence, of the happy results of a holy life.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7 He who in his innocence walketh as one upright,

Blessed are his children after him!

We may not take the first line as a separate clause with צדּיק, as subject (Van Dyk, Elster) or predicate (Targ.); for, thus rendered, it does not appropriately fall in as parallel to the second line, because containing nothing of promise, and the second line would then strike in at least not so unconnectedly (cf. on the contrary, Pro 10:9; Pro 14:25). We have before us a substantival clause, of which the first line is the complex subject. But Jerome, the Venet., and Luther erroneously: the just man walking in his innocence; this placing first of the adj. is in opposition to the Hebr. syntax. We must, if the whole is to be interpreted as nom., regard צדיק as permutative: one walking in his innocence, a righteous one. But, without doubt, tsedek is the accus. of the manner; in the manner of one righteous, or in apposition: as one righteous; cf. Job 31:26 with Mic 2:7. Thus Hitzig rightly also refers to these two passages, and Ewald also refers to Pro 22:11; Pro 24:15. To walk in his innocence as a righteous man, is equivalent to always to do that which is right, without laying claim to any distinction or making any boast on that account; for thereby one only follows the impulse and the direction of his heart, which shows itself and can show itself not otherwise than in unreserved devotion to God and to that which is good. The children after him are not the children after his death (Gen 24:67); but, according to Deu 4:40, cf. Job 21:21, those who follow his example, and thus those who come after him; for already in the lifetime of such an one, the benediction begins to have its fulfilment in his children.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The faithful man is here fully drawn, rich in the blessing of his God. Take the history of the father of the faithful. Abraham was the just man, accepted with God, and "walking before him" in his integrity. And did not the covenant of his God engage an everlasting blessing for his children after him? (Gen 17:1-2, Gen 17:7 .) And thus does every child of Abraham, walking in the same integrity, secure "an inheritance for his children’s children."†1 It is ’not however for the merits of the parent, that they deserve it: but such is the mercy of God to the root and the branches; that, because the fathers are loved, their children also are embraced.’†2 But we must shew our integrity, as did our father Abraham, in the practical habit of faith; not only "taking hold of the covenant" on our children’s behalf, but bringing them under the yoke of the covenant.†3

Christian parents! — let integrity, as before God, be the broad stamp of our family religion. Walk not according to the maxims of the world yourselves, nor allow them in your children. Let us make God’s word — his whole word — our universal rule; his ways, however despised, our daily portion. "Let us seek first," for our children as for ourselves, "the kingdom of God and his righteousness."†4 Thus walking in our integrity, we may look for the honored blessing of being the parents of a godly race. Our children are blessed after us; perhaps "after we, having served our own generation by the will of God, shall have fallen asleep." (Act 13:36 .) But well may we be content to wait the coming of that great disclosing day, when "the thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed." For then surely will the children’s blessing be found in the secret records of Heaven, linked with the prayerful, practical exercises of the parents’ faith and love.

Footnotes:

†1 Pro 13:22. Compare Exo 20:5-6 . Psa 25:12-13 ; Psa 37:26 ; Psa 112:2 .

†2 Muffet in loco. ’The branches fare better for the sap of grace in the root.’ — Swinnock’s Christian Man’s Calling, p. 383. ’When God saith — He will be a God to the godly man and to his children, I believe he intended more in that promise for the comfort of godly parents than most of them think of. Act 2:39 . Gen 17:7 . The children of believers are heirs apparent to the covenant of grace in their parents’ right.’ — Ib. The True Christian, p. 193.

†3 Pro 22:6, with Gen 18:19 .

†4 Mat 6:33. This was Mr. Scott’s grand rule of education; and the manifest honor, which his Master vouchsafed to his singleness and integrity in acting it out, is well known. 1Sa 2:30 . See Life, pp. 611-614.

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 7. The just man walketh in his integrity, he who in his innocence conducts himself uprightly, righteously, his children are blessed after him, if they follow him in his righteousness, the Lord’s blessing rests upon them to a thousand generations, Exo 20:6; Deu 7:9.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

walks in his integrity

Here walking refers to living. See how you translated this phrase in Proverbs 19:1. AT: "lives by his integrity" or "lives an honest life" (See: Idiom)

his sons who follow after him

This simply means that they "follow after him" since they are younger than he and his children. If this phrase is awkward in your language it may be left to be implied. AT: "his sons after him" or "his sons" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

is winnowing with his eyes all the evil that is before him

This speaks of the king judging between various types of evil as if he were separating them as a person winnows grain. AT: "sees and sorts the different kinds of evils that are brought before him" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

walk

integrity

king

throne

judge, judges

winnow

evil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.