Proverbs 25:20

Pro 25:20 [As] he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon nitre, so [is] he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Ver. 20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather.] Music in mourning is held most unseasonable; that was a heathenish custom that the Jews had taken up {Mat 9:23} Cantabat moestis tibia faneribus, saith Ovid, {a} We should rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those that weep. Nabla et lyra lugentibus ingrata, saith Plutarch. Music and mourning agree like harp and harrow; like thin clothing and cold weather; or like nitre and vinegar, saith Solomon. There are those who read the words otherwise, and accordingly sense them thus, As he that putteth on a garment in the cold season, or vinegar on nitre; so is he that singeth songs to a sad heart - that is, Tristitiam dissolvit cantus, ut vestes discutiunt frigus, et acetum dissolvit nitrum. {b} As a garment warmeth the body, and vinegar dissolveth nitre, so a sweet singer, by his delightsome ditty, cheereth up the pensive soul and driveth sorrow out of it. See 1Sa 16:23 2Ki 3:15 Dan 6:18.

{a} Fast., lib. iv.

{b} Junius.

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 25:20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather — When it is most necessary; and as vinegar upon nitre — Producing an effervescence through the contrariety of their qualities; so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart — Such unseasonable mirth does not relieve, but increase a man’s grief, and makes his heart far more heavy and sorrowful than it was before.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, alum.

Which melteth it, and consumeth it.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

1. The absurdity here censured is singing songs to a heavy heart. Those that are in great sorrow are to be comforted by sympathizing with them, condoling with them, and concurring in their lamentation. If we take that method, the moving of our lips may assuage their grief (Job 16:5); but we take a wrong course with them if we think to relieve them by being merry with them, and endeavouring to make them merry; for it adds to their grief to see their friends so little concerned for them; it puts them upon ripping up the causes of their grief, and aggravating them, and makes them harden themselves in sorrow against the assaults of mirth. 2. The absurdities this is compared to are, taking away a garment from a man in cold weather, which makes him colder, and pouring vinegar upon nitre, which, like water upon lime, puts it into a ferment; so improper, so incongruous, is it to sing pleasant songs to one that is of a sorrowful spirit. Some read it in a contrary sense: As he that puts on a garment in cold weather warms the body, or as vinegar upon nitre dissolves it, so he that sings songs of comfort to a person in sorrow refreshes him and dispels his grief.

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

Not only is the incongruity of songs (that is, joyful) and sadness meant, but an accession of sadness, by want of sympathy, is implied.

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 20. As vinegar upon nitre] The original word נתר nather is what is known among chemists as the natron of the ancients and of the Scriptures, and carbonate of soda. It is found native in Syria and India, and occurs as an efflorescence on the soil. In Tripoli it is found in crystalline incrustations of from one third to half an inch thick. It is found also in solution in the water of some lakes in Egypt and Hungary. The borders of these lakes are covered with crystalline masses, of a grayish white or light brown colour; and in some specimens the natron is nearly pure carbonate of soda, and the carbonate is easily discovered by effervescing with an acid. It appears to have its Hebrew name from נתר nathar, to dissolve or loosen: because a solution of it in water is abstersive, taking out spots, c. It is used in the East for the purposes of washing. If vinegar be poured on it, Dr. Shaw says a strong fermentation immediately takes place, which illustrates what Solomon says here: "The singing of songs to a heavy heart is like vinegar upon natron:" that is, "there is no affinity between them and opposition, colluctation, and strife, are occasioned by any attempt to unite them."

And poureth vyneger upon chalke. - COVERDALE. This also will occasion an effervescence. See Jer 2:22.

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

(20) As vinegar upon nitre, by which the nitre is rendered useless.

Is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.—Not the true sympathy advised by St. Paul. (Rom_12:15.)

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

20. taketh away] Better, taketh off.

nitre] The Heb. word nether, occurs only here and in Jer_2:22, where see note in this Series. The substance meant is not saltpetre, which is now what we understand by nitre, but native carbonate of soda, which was found, as Pliny tells us, in the Soda Lakes of Egypt (Smith’s Dict. of Bible, Art. nitre). The untimeliness of singing songs to a heavy heart is illustrated by the first comparison. It is doing exactly the opposite of that which the circumstances demand. It is like taking off a garment just when one ought to put it on. The second comparison teaches vividly that the action which is thus untimely is also irritating when it ought to be soothing, and hurtful when it ought to be helpful. It is like “vinegar on nitre,” like acid on soda, which produces effervescence, calling into active exercise the natural antipathies of the substances, and destroying the virtue of the soda.

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.

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather,.... Either takes it off of himself, or another person, when it would be rather more proper to put another garment on, and so is exposed to the injury of cold weather;

and as vinegar upon nitre: nitre was found in Egypt, beyond Memphis, as Strabo says (p); there were two mines of nitre, which produced much, and thence it was called the Nitriotic Nome: others say, nitre has its name from Nitria, a town in Egypt (q), which gives name to the Nitrian desert, where there is a lake called Latron; from the bottom of which, that sort of nitre, called Natron, arises to the top, as is apprehended, and there, by the heat of the sun, condenses into this kind of substance (r), which will react with an acid; and so vinegar poured upon it will irritate and disturb it, cause it to react, and make a noise and a hissing. This must be understood only of this sort of nitre, of the nitre of the ancients; not of the moderns, which is no other than saltpetre; for though this will ferment with vinegar, saltpetre will not (s): nitre is dissolved by a liquid, but not any, only that which is cold, as Aristotle observes (t), as is vinegar; and therefore, with great propriety, this is joined to what goes before;

so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart; rather distresses and afflicts him the more; as he cannot sing himself, he cannot bear to hear others sing; such rather should be condoled and wept with than to have songs sung to them. Some understand the words in a sense the reverse; the word rendered taketh away, in the first clause, has the signification of adorning with a garment; hence they render it, "as he that putteth on a garment (u) for ornament in cold weather, and as vinegar to nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart"; that is, as an additional garment drives away cold, and vinegar dissolves nitre, so singing songs to a heavy hearted man drives away sorrow; as in the case of Saul, such an effect had music on him, Sa1 16:21; or rather, to put on a thin garment for ornament in cold weather is as absurd and unseasonable as to put vinegar to nitre, or to a wound, as Schultens, and to sing songs to a heavy heart; all absurd.

(p) Geograph. l. 17. p. 552. (q) Isidor. Origin. l. 16. c. 2. (r) Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 530. (s) Ibid. p. 532. Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 1009, 1010. (t) Meteorolog. l. 4. c. 6. (u) "ornans vestem suam", Gussetins, p. 880. "ornata veste instruens"; Schultens.

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

Examples of unwisdom and incongruity sharpen the point of the proverb. Pouring vinegar upon nitre or potash utterly spoils it. The effervescence caused by the mixture is perhaps taken as a type of the irritation produced by the “songs” sung out of season to a heavy heart.

The verb rendered “taketh away” may have the sense (as in Eze 16:11) of “adorning oneself,” and the illustration would then be, “as to put on a fine garment in time of cold is unseasonable, so is singing to a heavy heart.”

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

And. Protestants, "as he that taketh away a, &c., and as vinegar....to a heavy heart." (Haydock) --- The former sentence may be joined with the preceding, as it is improper to deprive a person of his garment, no less than to trust in the faithless; though some would suppose (Calmet) that this conduct, as well as the mixing of vinegar with nitre, is no less absurd than to attempt to relieve by music those who are extremely afflicted, Ecclesiasticus xxii. 6. (Tirinus) --- But Solomon does not speak of such, but only of those who are "heavy;" and we know that music has wonderful efficacy in relieving them, (1 Kings xvi. 17.) in like manner as this mixture serves to cleanse the skin and garments, (Jeremias ii. 22.; Calmet) and to purify the ears, when they are deafish. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxi. 10.; Vales. lx.) --- As a, &c., is not in Hebrew, St. Jerome, &c. (Calmet) --- The Chaldean has the latter part, (Haydock) "grief tries the heart, as fire does silver. As the worm eats wood, so folly," &c. (Calmet)

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).

In cold weather, when it is most seasonable and necessary.

As vinegar upon nitre, which dissolves the nitre, and makes it useless and ineffectual.

So is he, he is no less absurd and impertinent,

that singeth songs to an heavy heart; whose grief is not relieved, but increased by it, as common experience showeth, and divers learned authors have observed.

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

20. As he that taketh away — Rather, putteth off.

In cold weather — Literally, in a day of cold.

Vinegar… nitre — נתר, (nether,) the natron or natrum of the ancients, and wholly different in its qualities from our nitre or saltpetre. It is an alkali, native in India, Syria, Tripoli, Egypt, Hungary, and other parts of the world. It is found in abundance in many parts of Asia, where the natives sweep it up from the ground, and call it soap earth. It was used in washing clothes and in baths. Compare Jer_2:22. It was made into soap by mixing it with oil. It readily dissolves in water, but produces a strong fermentation with acids. It is known in our modern chemistry (or a similar alkali produced by art) as the carbonate of soda. “Vinegar” here, as elsewhere in the Bible, means sour wine. Its Hebrew form is חמצ, (hhomets,) from the root חמצ, (hhamats,) to be sharp, sour, or to ferment.

A heavy heart — Might be rendered a bad heart, which, according to a high authority, has no relish for music: —

The man that hath no music in himself

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.— Shakspeare.

So Melanchthon and others interpret the words, and make the meaning, “pertinacious sinners” are made more furious by admonitions. But the words are generally understood, as in our translation, of a heart affected with grief. Mirth, from its incongruity with his feelings, makes a sad man’s heart more sad. The Septuagint reads: “As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart;” and adds another: “As a moth in a garment and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.”

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

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather. The proverb gives three instances of what is wrong, incongruous, or unwise, the first two leading up to the third, which is the pith of the maxim. But them is some doubt about the rendering of the first clause. The Authorized Version has the authority of the Syriac, Aquila, and others, and gives an appropriate sense, the unreasonable proceeding being the laying aside of some of one"s own clothes in cold weather. But the verb here used, jd (adah), may also mean "to adorn," e.g. with fine garments; hence some expositors understand the incongruity to be the dressing one"s self in gay apparel in winter. But, as Delitzsch remarks, there is no reason why fine clothes should not be warm; and if they are so, there is nothing unreasonable in wearing them. The rendering of our version is probably correct. St. Jerome annexes this line to the preceding verse, as if it confirmed the previous instances of misplaced confidence, Et amittit pallium in die frigoris. "Such a one loses his cloak in a day of frost." Vinegar upon nitre. Our nitre, or saltpetre, is nitrate of potash, which is not the substance intended by rtn (nether ). The substance signified by this term is a natural alkali, known to the ancients as natron, and composed of carbonate of soda with some other admixture. It was used extensively for washing purposes, and in cookery and bread making. It effervesces with an acid, such as vinegar, and changes its character, becoming a salt, and being rendered useless for all the purposes to which it was applied in its alkaline condition. So he who pours vinegar on natron does a foolish thing, for he spoils a highly useful article, and produces one which is of no service to him. Septuagint, "As vinegar is inexpedient for a wound (elkei ), so suffering falling on the body pains the heart." Schulteus, Ewald, and others, by referring nether to an Arabic source, obtain the meaning "wound," or "sore," titus: "As vinegar on a sore." This gives a most appropriate sense, and might well be adopted if it had sufficient authority. But this is doubtful. Cornelius a Lapide translates the Septuagint rendering, Wsper oxov elkei aoumforon , "Sicut acetum trahit inutile;" and explains that vinegar draws from the soil the nitre which is prejudicial to vegetation, and thus renders ground fertile a fact in agricultural chemistry not generally known, though Columella vouches for it. A somewhat similar fact, however, is of common experience. Land occasionally becomes what farmers term "sour," and is thus sterile; if it is then dressed with salt. its fertility is restored. So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart. The inconsistency lies in thinking to cheer a sorrowful heart by singing merry songs. "A tale out of season," says Siracides, "is as music in mourning" (Ecc 22:6). The Greeks denoted cruel incongruity by the proverb, En, penyousi paizein ; "Ludere inter maerentes." As the old hymn says"Strains of gladness Suit not souls with anguish torn.

The true Christian sympathy teaches to "rejoice with them that rejoice, to weep with them that weep". (Rom_12:15) Plumptre, in the "Speaker"s Commentary," suggests that the effervescence caused by the mixture of acid and alkali is taken as a type of the irritation produced by the inopportune songs. But this is importing a modern view into a paragraph, such as would never have occurred to the writer. The Septuagint, followed partially by Jerome, the Syriac, and the Targum, introduces another proverb not found in the Hebrew, "As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the sorrow of a man hurts his heart.

Vers. 20, 25. The inopportune and the acceptable.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly". (Pro_18:24) And if we would do this we must be careful to choose our time for speaking the truth to our friends, and must study to do not only the right but the appropriate thing. We must

I ABSTAIN FROM THE INOPPORTUNE. (Ver. 20) It should require but a very humble share of delicacy to understand that what is very valuable at one time is altogether misplaced and unpalatable at another. We should carefully abstain from:

1. All merriment in the presence of great sorrow. By indulgence in it then we only add fuel to the fire of grief.

2. The discussion of business or the proposals of pleasure in the presence of earnest spiritual solicitude. When men are profoundly anxious about their relations with God, they do not want us to harass and burden them with talk about temporal affairs or about social entertainments; these are good in their time, but not at such a time as that.

3. Entering into the affairs of life in the presence of the dying. Those who stand very near indeed to the future world do not want to be vexed with matters which they are leaving behind for ever. Similarly, it is a mistake to be always or even often discussing death and the future with those who, while not unready for either, are charged with the duties and responsibilities of active life.

4. An urgent insistence upon spiritual obligations in presence of acute bodily suffering or severe destitution. The Christian course, in such a case, is to call in the doctor or the baker.

II CULTIVATE THE ACCEPTABLE. (Ver. 25) How acceptable to the human heart is:

1. Good news from our friends and kindred when afar off from us. It is worth while to take much trouble, to a put ourselves quite out of our way," in order to convey this; it is one of the friendliest of friendly acts.

2. Society in loneliness; the kindly visit paid to the solitary, a conversation( however brief and simple) with those whose hearth is uncheered by companionship.

3. Encouragement in depression. The heart often aches and hungers for a word of cheer, and one very short sentence may lift it up from depths of disappointment and depression into the bracing air of hopefulness and determination.

4. Sympathy in sorrow. Grief does not crave many or fine words; it asks for genuine sympathy the "feeling with" it; if it has this, it will gratefully accept any simplest utterance in word or deed, and will be comforted and strengthened by it. Real sympathy is always the acceptable thing.

5. Guidance in perplexity. When we do not know which way to turn, then the brief word of direction from one who has "gone that way before us" is valuable indeed. There is no kinder friend than the true and faithful guide. If we would take our part well and be to our brethren all that it is in our power to become, we must study to do the congenial and acceptable thing. The man who has acquired this art is worthy of our admiration and our love; we are sure that he will not go without our Master"s commendation; for is it not he who is feeding the hungry, and giving the thirsty to drink? is it not he who is clothing the naked and healing the sick? While we do these two things, should we not also

III BE PREPARED FOR EVERY POSSIBLE CONDITION? We may be sure that uncongenial and congenial things will be said to us, timely and untimely attitudes will be taken toward us; some men will aggravate and others will heal our spirits. The wise man will see to it that he is

(1) rooted in those principles which never change but always sustain;

(2) has his strength in the One "with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. C.

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

As vinegar - Which dissolves the nitre, and makes it useless and ineffectual.

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

What could be more inhuman than taking away a poor man’s garment, or the coverlid of his bed, in cold weather? Such an act of cruelty was forbidden by the God of the poor.†1 Again — what could be more unfitting than pouring vinegar upon nitre; which, instead of being serviceable, would only dissolve it with violent effervescence?†2 Not less unseasonable would be the merriment of singing songs to an heavy heart. (Ecc 3:4 .) "Give wine" — is the inspired rule — "unto them that be of heavy hearts."†3 But however great be the charms of music,†4 they are ill suited to soothe the pangs of sorrow.†5 A constrained song was a keen edge of the Babylonish affliction.†6 And where no unkindness is intended, inconsiderate levity, or even excessive cheerfulness, is as "a sword in the bones." The tenderness, that shews a brother’s tears; that knows how to "weep with them that weep,"†7 as members of the same body;†8 and directs the mourner to the mourner’s friend and God — this is Christian sympathy — a precious balm for the broken heart. The outward expression of this sympathy may not be always needful. But oh! let its spirit be deeply cherished, specially by Christians of a buoyant or frigid temperament; most of all by the minister of Christ, that he may take his chair by the mourner’s side, and "comfort him with the same comfort, wherewith he himself is comforted of God." (2Co 1:4-6 .) Much may be done to correct a constitutional deficiency. Redundancy of feeling, no less than coldness, needs self-control. But never let us forget, that our divine Savior for this end "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses," that "he might be touched with the feeling of them."†9 Yes — "he knoweth our frame;"†10 and his work is not to take away the garment from his child in the cold weather, but to cherish him with all the tenderness of his own bosom.†11 Instead of unsuitably pouring vinegar upon nitre; like the good Samaritan, he "pours in his oil and wine for the healing of the wound."†12

Footnotes:

†1 Deu 24:12, Deu 24:17 . Job 24:7-10 . Isa 58:7 .

†2 The nitre of Scripture is not that salt that commonly goes by the name, but a soda or mineral alkali (the Roman natrum) which strongly ferments with all acids. Dr. Blayney remarks on Jer 2:22 (the only other example of the word), ’In many parts of Asia it is called soap-earth, because it is dissolved in water, and used like soap in washing.’

†3 Pro 31:6. Psa 104:15 .

†4 1Sa 16:23 . 2Ki 3:15 .

†5 Job 30:31. Dan 6:18 . Compare Sir 22:6 .

†6 Psa 137:1-4.

†7 Rom 12:15. Compare Job 2:11-13 .

†8 1Co 12:26 . Heb 13:3 .

†9 Mat 8:17. Heb 4:15 .

†10 Psa 103:14.

†11 Isa 40:11.

†12 Isa 61:2-3, with Luk 10:34 .

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

carbonate of soda

This is a kind of mineral that hisses and bubbles violently when it comes into contact with acids like vinegar. Many translations translate this phrase as "a wound."

sings songs

You may need to make explicit what kind of songs the singer sings. AT: "sings happy songs" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

a heavy heart

The heart is a synecdoche for the whole person. AT: "a sad person" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

heart

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

A worn-out garment on a cold day Heb. מעדה בגד, synonymous with (Isa. 64:5): “בגד עדים, a discarded garment,” a worn-out garment that is fit to be taken off since it is worn out, as we translate into Aramaic “ויסר” (Ex. 7:24) as ויעדי, and He shall remove. Now this is its interpretation: A worn-out garment on a cold day is like vinegar on chalk. chalk Heb. נתר, a kind of soft earth, like our earth that is called creide, which they would hew and make vessels therefrom, and if vinegar falls on it, [the earth] is dissolved and ruined. So... is one who sings songs to a broken heart [lit. on a bad heart. This one] resembles them both. Now what is one who sings songs? This is one who teaches the Torah to a wicked student, who has no intention in his heart to fulfill it.

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.