Proverbs 22:18

Pro 22:18 For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

Ver. 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee.] Heb., In thy belly; that is, in thine inwards. Truth it is, that St John found the little book he ate - whether we understand it of the revelation only, or of the whole Bible, which Bishop Bonner’s chaplain called in scorn his little pretty God’s book, it much matters not - bitter in his belly, though sweet in his mouth, {Rev 10:10} because ministers find it grievous to be kept from making known the whole counsel of God to their people. But the word of God attentively heard, and by a later meditation well digested and incorporated into the soul, is sweeter than honey, as David felt it; and yields more pleasure than all the tasteless fooleries of this present world.

They shall withal be fitted in thy lips.] Thou shalt need no other help to discourse: thou shalt get a singular dexterity and volubility of holy language, being able to utter thy mind in pure Scripture - Loquamur verba Scripturae, saith that incomparable Peter Ramus, utamur sermone Spiritus Sancti - thou shalt "so speak and so do, as one that must be judged by that law of liberty." {Jas 2:12}

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.

These lessons must be laid up in the mind, and

fitted--or better, "fixed" in the lips so as to be ever ready.

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

Verse 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee]

II. The pleasure and profit which may be derived from an attentive hearing.

1. They should be laid up in the heart - stored, treasured up within thee.

2. This will yield high satisfaction and happiness to the soul: "For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee."

3. The man who thus attends to the teachings of wisdom shall gain an experimental knowledge of them, so as to be able to speak of them suitably, pertinently and persuasively. "They shall withal be fitted in thy lips."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) They shall withal be fitted in thy lips.—Rather, if they be established (dwell constantly) upon thy lips. They are to be as a watch, and “keep the door of his lips” against sin (Psa_141:3), to teach him what to say in difficulty (Mar_13:11), how to speak without fear even before kings (Psa_119:46); by them the “praises of God” will ever be in his mouth (Psa_149:6).

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

18. they shall withal be fitted in] Rather, if they be established together upon, R.V.; i.e. if being kept securely in thy heart they dwell constantly on thy lips.

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.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee,.... Or, "in thy belly" (a). That is, in thine heart, in the inmost recesses of it; where the words or doctrines of the wise should be received in the love of them, and carefully laid up and retained; which will upon reflection yield much pleasure, like Ezekiel's roll, which was in his belly as honey for sweetness; and which also is very profitable as an antidote against sin, Psa 119:11;

they shall withal be fitted in thy lips; become them, and be suitable and graceful to them: or, "shall be ordered and disposed in" or "by thy lips" (b); being received into the heart, and digested there, they shall easily and freely go off the tongue, which shall be as the pen of a ready writer; they shall be delivered in a regular manner, with great liberty and facility; by a good digestion of Gospel truths, and a comfortable experience of them, persons become apt to teach others.

(a) "in ventre tuo", V. L. Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis, Schultens. (b) "disponantur", Vatablus.

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

What is “pleasant” in the sight of God and man is the union of two things, belief passing into profession, profession resting on belief.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lips. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

If thou keep them, the words of the wise, within thee, Heb. in thy belly. i.e. in thine heart, which implies receiving them in love, and retaining them in mind and memory.

Be fitted; be fitly expressed; or, be disposed or ordered. The sense is, When thou hast got them into thine heart, thou wilt be able and ready to discourse pertinently and profitably of them.

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

18. For it is (better, it will be) a pleasant thing, etc. — The latter clause should probably have the conditional particle carried forward — if they shall be altogether established upon thy lips. The idea is, that they should be committed to memory, and become so familiar that the lips can readily utter them. “If they are ready, all of them, on thy lips.” — Conant.

Within thee — Literally, in thy bowels.

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

This verse gives the reason for the previous exhortation. It is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; in thy mind and memory. (comp. Pro_18:8 Pro_20:27) Thus Psa_147:1, "It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely." They shall withal be fitted in thy lips. This rendering hardly suits the hortatory nature of the introduction. It is better to take the clause in the optative, as Delitzsch, Ewald, Nowack, and ethers: "Let them abide altogether upon thy lips;" i.e. be not ashamed to profess them openly, let them regulate thy words, teach thee wisdom and discretion. Septuagint, "And if thou admit them to thy heart, they shall likewise gladden thee on thy lips."

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

Fitted - Fitly expressed: thou wilt be able to discourse profitably of them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

v. 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, the words of the wise serving to give true delight; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips, abiding there and exerting their authority.

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

for it is pleasant It will be [pleasant] for you at a later time if you preserve them and hide them in your innards lest you forget them. Now when will they be preserved in your heart? When they are established on your lips, when you utter them with your mouth.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.