Proverbs 29:3

Pro 29:3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth [his] substance.

Ver. 3. Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father.] {See Trapp on "Pro 10:1"}

But he that keepeth company with harlots.] {See Trapp on "Pro 5:9"} Those she sinners, as they call them, are costly creatures, and they that keep them care not what cost they cast away upon them.

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.

29:3 A man’s wisdom affects his parents (10:1; 15:20; 17:21). • Prostitutes cost money and a man’s wealth is rapidly wasted on them.

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

Both the parts of this verse repeat what has been often said, but, on comparing them together, the sense of them will be enlarged from each other. 1. Be it observed, to the honour of a virtuous young man, that he loves wisdom, he is a philosopher (for that signifies a lover of wisdom), for religion is the best philosophy; he avoids bad company, and especially the company of lewd women. Hereby he rejoices his parents, and has the satisfaction of being a comfort to them, and increases his estate, and is likely to live comfortably. 2. Be it observed, to the reproach of a vicious young man, that he hates wisdom; he keeps company with scandalous women, who will be his ruin, both in soul and body; he grieves his parents, and, like the prodigal son, devours their living with harlots. Nothing will beggar men sooner than the lusts of uncleanness; and the best preservative from those ruinous lusts is wisdom.

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

(Compare Pro 4:6-7; Pro 10:1, &c.).

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 3. But he that keepeth company] רעה roeh, he that feedeth harlots, יאבד yeabed, shall utterly destroy his substance. Has there ever been a single case to the contrary?

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

(3) Whoso loveth wisdom . . .—This verse is illustrated by the parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15).

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

3. wisdom] regarded, as the second clause of the verse shews, as leading to purity of life. Comp. Pro_2:10; Pro_2:16.

spendeth] Rather, wasteth, R.V. ἀπολεῖ, LXX. Comp. διεσκόρπισε τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ … ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον μετὰ τῶν πορνῶν, Luk_15:13; Luk_15:30.

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.

Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father,.... He that is a philosopher, especially a religious one, that not only loves and seeks after natural wisdom, but moral wisdom and knowledge; and more particularly evangelical wisdom, Christ the Wisdom of God, who is to be valued and loved above all things; the Gospel of Christ, which is the wisdom of God in a mystery; and the knowledge of it which is the wisdom which comes from above and is pure and peaceable; and which lies much in the fear of God, and in the faith of Jesus Christ, attended with all the fruits of righteousness: such a son makes glad his father, both because of his temporal good, since he does not waste but improve the substance he has given him; and because of his spiritual and eternal welfare; and since instead of being a reproach he is an honour to him; see Pro 10:1;

but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance: his father has given him, and comes to want and beggary; all which is a grief to his parents: or, "that feeds harlots" (i); who live in a riotous and voluptuous manner, and soon drain a man of his substance, and bring him to a morsel of bread; see Luk 15:13; and such a son grieves his father, seeing he spends his substance and damns his soul.

(i) "nutrit", V. L. "pascit", Pagninus, Piscator, Gejerus, Schultens; "pascitur", Michaelis; "pascens", Montanus, Mercerus.

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

Spendeth ... - The laws of parallelism would lead us to expect “troubleth his father,” but that is passed over as a thing about which the profligate would not care, and he is reminded of what comes home to him, that he is on the road to ruin.

The king - The ruler, as the supreme fountain of all justice, and as the ideal judge, is contrasted with the taker of bribers.

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

Loveth wisdom; and therefore hateth and escheweth all folly and wickedness.

Keepeth company with harlots; whereby he plainly discovers himself to want wisdom; of which see Pro 7:7, &c.

Spendeth his substance; whereby he not only ruineth himself, but also grieveth his father, as is implied from the opposite clause.

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

3. Spendeth his substance — Squanders his wealth. There are but few ways in which riches are so soon and so surely dissipated as by association with lewd women. Comp. Pro_10:1; Pro_6:26; Pro_28:7.

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

The first hemistich is a variation of Pr 10. I (where see note). Keepeth company with; literally, feedeth, as Pro_28:7. Harlots. (see on Pro_6:26) Such vice leads to the wasting of substance, (Luk_15:13) and the great sorrow of the parent. Septuagint, "But he that pastureth (poimainei ) harlots shall waste wealth."

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

This political proverb is now followed by one of general ethics:

3 A man who loveth wisdom delighteth his father;

And he who keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

Line first is a variation of Pro 10:1. אישׁ־אהב has, according to rule, the Metheg, cf. 9a. אישׁ is man, without distinction of age, from childhood (Gen 4:1) up to ripe old age (Isa 66:13); love and dutiful relation towards father and mother never cease. Line second reminds of Pro 28:7 (cf. Pro 13:20).

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.)

These Proverbs in substance have been given before.†1 Yet the variations are instructive. The wisdom is here more distinctly described as loving wisdom. For ’he is wise not only, who hath arrived at a complete habit of wisdom, but who doth as yet love it, or desire it, and listen to it.’†2 Do not we hang off too loosely from its heavenly influence? Let it be manifestly our great object, not as a good thing, but the best — "the principle thing."†3 The awakened sinner loves it from the sense of want; the Christian from its satisfying delight. The taste gives a keen edge to the appetite. What we have grasped of the blessing bears no comparison to what remains. The day-dreams of a world of vanity engage our affections no longer.

Let the young man consider "wisdom’s pleasantness and peace,"†4 her light and security,†5 her "durable riches,"†6 and glorious inheritance;†7 and "wilt thou not from this time cry" to the God of wisdom — "My Father! thou art the guide of my youth"? (Jer 3:4 .) Let him have the flower of thine age. Is not the best sacrifice due to him, who is above the songs of heaven, who has obtained a kingdom for those that love him? No worldly honor, no success of talent, will rejoice a godly father, as will this choice for eternity. (Pro 23:23-25 .)

Folly brings its own shame and sorrow. "The companion of the riotous and vain persons" is readily found in fellowship with harlots, saddening his father, by spending his substance. (Pro 28:7, Pro 28:19 .) One course of vanity leads to another. All end alike in ruin.†8 He may possess the external endowment. But the love of wisdom is the only preservative from "besetting snares."†9

Deep indeed is the anxiety — the joy or the sorrow — connected with children.†10 May it give a deeper tone of simplicity and pleading in dedicating them to God,†11 and training them up for his service! Let us early present them, as "the children, whom the Lord hath given us;" but as his, more than our own — his property — his inheritance. (Psa 127:3 .) Here are our springs of diligence, of hope, and of ultimate reward.

Footnotes:

†1 Pro 10:1; Pro 15:20 ; Pro 23:15, Pro 23:24-25 ; Pro 27:11 ; Pro 28:7 .

†2 Basil, quoted by Bp. Patrick. Preface to Proverbs.

†3 Pro 4:7. See the beautiful description, Sir 6:18-31 ; Sir 6:24 . Bp. Lowth’s elegant translation. - Lect. On Heb. Poetry, 24.

†4 Pro 3:17.

†5 Pro 8:20; Pro 4:11-12 .

†6 Pro 3:14-15; Pro 8:18-19 .

†7 Pro 3:35.

†8 Pro 5:9; Pro 6:26 . Luk 15:30 .

†9 Pro 4:6; Pro 7:4-5 .

†10 Pro 17:21, Pro 17:25 .

†11 1Sa 1:26-28 .

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

by justice

The abstract noun "justice" can be translated as a noun phrase. AT: "by doing what is just" or "by making just laws" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

love

wise

joy

prostitute

king

just

bribe

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

but one who keeps company with harlots Heb. ורעה. He joins harlots to himself, as its apparent meaning. Our Sages, however, said: “He who says, ‘This tradition is acceptable, I will learn it, but this one is not acceptable, I will not learn it.’” The support [for this view] from the verse is that זונות throughout the Scriptures is not spelled fully [with two “vavim”] except this once only.

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.