Proverbs 25:4

Pro 25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

Ver. 4. Take away the dross from the silver.] The holy prophets were not only most exactly seen in the peerless skill of divinity, but most exquisitely also furnished with the entire knowledge of all things natural. Hence their many similies wherewith they learnedly beautify their matter, and deck out their terms, words, and sentences, giving thereunto a certain kind of lively gesture, attiring the same with light, perspicuity, easiness, estimation, and dignity; stirring up thereby men’s drowsy minds to the acknowledgment of the truth, and pursuit of godliness.

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_25:4-5

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

Purifying fires

No text in Scripture brings out with equal distinctness the higher office of affliction, i.e.,, to develop in us preparation for a true usefulness. The object of furnace fires is not to melt the precious metal, or even to release the dross, but to make the metal ready for the purposes of manufacture. Not the silver ingot, however, but the silver vessel, is the object of the assayer. When God tries His children, it is not simply that they shall come forth as gold, glorious as is purity of character, but that they may be both ready to be shaped for His purposes and capable of being used to fulfil His will. Paul seems to refer to this proverb in 2Ti_2:19-21, the only other passage in which the same truth is taught by the same figure. (Homiletic Review.)

Take away the wicked from before the king.

The removal of wicked men from influential positions

This shows that the vigorous endeavour of a prince to suppress vice, and reform the manners of his people is the most effectual way to support his government.

I. What the duty of magistrates is. To take away the wicked; to use their power for the terror of evil works and evil-workers, to banish those from the court who are vicious and profane, and to frighten them, and restrain them from spreading the infection of their wickedness among the people. Wicked people are the dross of a nation.

II. The advantage of doing this duty.

1. It will be the bettering of their subjects. They shall be made like silver refined; fit to be made vessels of honour.

2. It will be the settling of the prince. His throne shall be established in this righteousness, for God will bless his government, the people will be pliable to it, and so it will become durable. (Matthew Henry.)

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

Pro 25:4-5. Take away the dross from the silver, &c. — When the dross is separated from the silver, and not before, it becomes so pliable, that the finer may cast or work it into what form he pleases; thus, take away the wicked from before the king — Remove from his court and counsels those who, by their wicked advices and practices, provoke God’s displeasure against him, blast his reputation, and alienate the hearts of his subjects from him, and his throne shall be established in righteousness — By such impartial execution of justice, his kingdom will be settled in peace, and his government become as durable as it will be beneficial.

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

There now follows an emblematic (vid., vol. i. p. 10) tetrastich:

4 Take away the dross from silver,

So there is ready a vessel for the goldsmith;

5 Take away the wicked from the king,

And his throne is established by righteousness.

The form הגו (cf. the inf. Poal הגו, Isa 59:13) is regarded by Schultens as showing a ground-form הגו; but there is also found e.g., עשׂו, whose ground-form is עשׂי; the verb הגה, R. הג (whence Arab. hajr, discedere), cf. יגה (whence הגה, semovit, Sa2 20:13 = Syr. âwagy, cf. Arab. âwjay, to withhold, to abstain from), signifies to separate, withdraw; here, of the separation of the סיגים, the refuse, i.e., the dross (vid., regarding the plena scriptio, Baer's krit. Ausg. des Jesaia, under Pro 1:22); the goldsmith is designated by the word צרף, from צרף morf, to turn, change, as he who changes the as yet drossy metal by means of smelting, or by purification in water, into that which is pure. In 5a הגה is, as at Isa 27:8, transferred to a process of moral purification; what kind of persons are to be removed from the neighbourhood of the king is shown by Isa 1:22-23. Here also (as at Isa. l.c.) the emblem or figure of Pro 25:4 is followed in Pro 25:5 by its moral antitype aimed at. The punctuation of both verses is wonderfully fine and excellent. In Pro 25:4, ויצא is not pointed ויצא, but as the consecutive modus ויּצא; this first part of the proverb refers to a well-known process of art: the dross is separated from the silver (inf. absol., as Pro 12:7; Pro 15:22), and so a vessel (utensil) proceeds from the goldsmith, for he manufactures pure silver; the ל is here similarly used as the designation of the subject in the passive, Pro 13:13; Pro 14:20. In Pro 25:5, on the contrary, ויּכּון (ויּכּן) is not the punctuation used, but the word is pointed indicatively ויכּון; this second part of the proverb expresses a moral demand (inf. absol. in the sense of the imperative, Gesen. 131, 4b like Pro 17:12, or an optative or concessive conjunction): let the godless be removed, לפני מלך, i.e., not from the neighbourhood of the king, for which the words are מלּפני מלך; also not those standing before the king, i.e., in his closest neighbourhood (Ewald, Bertheau); but since, in the absolute, הגה, not an act of another in the interest of the king, but of the king himself, is thought of: let the godless be removed from before the king, i.e., because he administers justice (Hitzig), or more generally: because after that Psalm (101), which is the "mirror of princes," he does not suffer him to come into his presence. Accordingly, the punctuation is בּצּדק, not בּצדק (Pro 16:12); because such righteousness is meant as separates the רשׁע from it and itself from him, as Isa 16:5 (vid., Hitzig), where the punctuation of בּחסד denotes that favour towards Moab seeking protection.

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.)

25:4-5 As silver is ready for use once it is refined of impurities, the king’s court can do justice when wicked people are removed. A little bit of evil can spoil much good (Eccl 10:1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

When vice is removed from a king, he is a meet vessel for the Lord’s use.

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

This shows that the vigorous endeavour of a prince to suppress vice, and reform the manners of his people, is the most effectual way to support his government. Observe, 1. what the duty of magistrates is: To take away the wicked, to use their power for the terror of evil works and evil workers, not only to banish those that are vicious and profane from their presence, and forbid them the court, but so to frighten them and restrain them that they may not spread the infection of their wickedness among their subjects. This is called taking away the dross from the silver, which is done by the force of fire. Wicked people are the dross of a nation, the scum of the country, and, as such, to be taken away. If men will not take them away, God will, Psa 119:119. If the wicked be taken away from before the king, if he abandon them and show his detestation of their wicked courses, it will go far towards the disabling of them to do mischief. The reformation of the court will promote the reformation of the kingdom, Psa 101:3, Psa 101:8. 2. What the advantage will be of their doing this duty. (1.) It will be the bettering of the subjects; they shall be made like silver refined, fit to be made vessels of honour. (2.) It will be the settling of the prince. His throne shall be established in this righteousness, for God will bless his government, the people will be pliable to it, and so it will become durable.

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

As separating impurities from ore leaves pure silver, so taking from a king wicked counsellors leaves a wise and beneficent government.

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 4. Take away the dross from the silver] You cannot have a pure silver vessel till you have purified the silver; and no nation can have a king a public blessing till the wicked - all bad counsellors, wicked and interested ministers, and sycophants - are banished from the court and cabinet. When the wise and good only are the king's ministers and advisers, then the throne will be established in righteousness, and his administration be a universal blessing.

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

(4) And there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.—Or, So there results a vessel to the refiner, or silversmith. He is able to make one.

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

4. a vessel for the finer] Such pure metal as the refiner, who has with that very object taken away the dross, can make into a goodly vessel or vase. Egredietur vas purissimum, Vulg.

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.

Take away the dross from the silver,.... By putting it into the furnace, and purging it from it:

and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer; not out of the furnace, a vessel formed and shaped, but pure silver shall come out of it for the refiner; of which a vessel may be made, very honourable, beautiful, and fit for use: the application of it is in Pro 25:5.

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

Then, and not till then, it is fit for that use.

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

4, 5. Take away the dross, etc. — Let wicked counsellors and companions be removed from the king, and their places filled with good men, and the government will be established by equity and justice. A good proverb this for kings, and all who are in authority. Compare Pro_16:12; Pro_20:8; Pro_29:14.

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

Vers. 4, 5. A tetrastich in an emblematical form.

Take away the dross from the silver. Silver was most extensively used by the Hebrews (see "Dictionary of the Bible," sub voc.), whether obtained from native mines or imported from foreign countries, and the process of separating the ore from the extraneous matters mixed with it was well known. (Psa_12:6 Eze_22:20, etc.; see on Pro_17:3) And there shall come forth a vessel for the finer (tsaraph); the goldsmith. The pure silver is ready for the artist s work, who from this material can make a beautiful vessel. Septuagint, "Beat untested silver, and all shall be made entirely pure," where the allusion is to the process of reducing minerals by lamination.

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

Take away - Then, and not 'till then it is fit for that use.

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

The finer produces "the vessel unto honor," by taking away the dross from the silver (Mal 3:2 ), which mars its beauty and purity. Such is the destructive influence of the wicked in the royal counsels.†1 Take them then away from before the king. Let him purify his court and government from this dross. Let him exclude it from high places. Let him discountenance it in authority at any cost.†2 David thus established his throne in righteousness,†3 and commended this resolution by his dying counsel to his wise son.†4 This is political wisdom on scriptural principles. If "righteousness exalteth a nation,"†5 the open acknowledgment of it is the sure path to national prosperity.†6 And will not the throne of our great King be established by the entire and eternal removal of the wicked?†7 In the great day of trial and decision shall I be found reprobate or purified silver? Lord! let me, under the refiner’s hand, be "purified, and purged as gold and silver, that I may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness" in that day. (Mal 3:3 .)

Footnotes:

†1 1Ki 12:10-16 . 2Ch 24:17-24 .

†2 Pro 20:8, Pro 20:26 .

†3 Psa 101:4-8.

†4 1Ki 2:5-6, 1Ki 2:32-33, 1Ki 2:44-45 .

†5 Pro 14:34.

†6 1Ki 15:13 . 2Ch 14:1-7 .

†7 Mal 3:17-18. Mat 13:41-43 ; Mat 25:31-46 .

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

dross

the material in a metal that people do not want and they remove by heating the metal

his throne will be established by doing

The throne is a metonym for the power to rule. These words can be translated in active form. AT: "the king will establish his throne by doing" or "he will have the power to rule because he does" (See: Metonymy and Active or Passive)

translationWords

silver

evil

king

throne

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

Remove dross from silver Heb. הגו, draw away, as in (II Sam. 20:13): “When he was removed (הגה) from the highway.” Just as the silver vessel does not emerge for the work of the refiner until the copper dross is removed from it, similarly, the community cannot be freed from punishment until they remove the wicked from their midst and execute judgment upon them.

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.