Proverbs 3:32

Pro 3:32 For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.

Ver. 32. For the froward is abomination.] The vitilitigator, the wrangler, the common barreter, though he may prosper in the world, yet God cannot abide him; his money will perish with him. He will one day say to his cursed heaps of evil gotten goods, as Charles the Fifth, emperor, in his old age did of his victories, trophies, riches, honours; he cursed them all, saying, Abite hinc, abite longe; Avaunt, be packing, hence, away. {a}

But his secret.] They shall be of his cabinet council, that choose rather to lie in the dust than to rise by evil arts, by wicked principles; such were Joseph, Macaiah, Daniel, &c.

{a} Phil. Morn.

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.

That is, his covenant and fatherly affection which is hid and secret from the world.

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

Reasons for the warning.

froward-- (Pro 2:15).

secret . . . righteous--in their communion (Amo 3:7).

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 32. But his secret] סודו sodo, his secret assembly; godly people meet there, and God dwells there.

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

(32) His secret is with the righteous—i.e., He holds confidential intercourse with them. (Comp. Psa_25:14, and the reward of love and obedience to Christ, that both Father and Son will “come” unto the believer, and “make their abode with him,” through the indwelling Spirit, Joh_14:23.)

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

32. his secret] i.e., as R.V. margin explains, his counsel (Gen_18:17), or his friendship (Exo_33:11). Comp. Psa_25:14 (and note there in this Series); Joh_15:15.

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 the froward is abomination to the Lord,.... The perverse man, that pleases not God, and is contrary to all men, as the Jews were; one froward in his words and actions: "who transgresses the law", as the Arabic version renders it; one that acts contrary to the nature, will, and word of God; and such an one is not only abominable in his sight, but an "abomination" itself; it is sin, which is that abominable thing that God hates, that makes him so: and the Targum is,

"for iniquity is abominable before the Lord;''

but his secret is with the righteous: not such who are outwardly so to others, or trust in themselves that they are righteous, or seek for righteousness by their own works; but such who are justified by the righteousness of Christ, which faith receives from him, and in consequence of which a man lives soberly and righteously: with these the "secret" of the Lord is; of his love, grace, and favour, which was from everlasting, and is manifested in regeneration; of his purposes of grace, with respect to election, redemption, calling, and adoption, which is made known in effectual calling; of his covenant, as that he is their covenant God, Christ is their covenant head and Mediator, and that they have an interest in all the grace, blessings, and promises of it; of the Gospel, and the several mysteries of it, which are so to carnal men; of his providences, what he is doing, or what he is about to do, and will do hereafter, Amo 3:7; and of communion and fellowship with him. The phrase denotes friendship and familiarity; God deals with the righteous as a man does with his intimate friend, converses freely with him, and discloses his secrets to him: and the word is rendered "confabulation" by the Targum, Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions; see Job 29:4.

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

The froward; or, perverse, who walketh in crooked or sinful paths, as the oppressor last mentioned; opposed to the upright man, who is called right or straight, as Deu 32:4; Pro 29:27. Is abomination to the Lord; God hates him, and therefore sooner or later he must needs be extremely and eternally miserable.

His secret is with the righteous; they are God’s friends and favourites, to whom he familiarly imparts, as men use to do to their friends, his mind and counsels, or his secret favours and comforts, to which other men are strangers. Compare Psa 25:14; Joh 15:15; Rev 2:17.

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

32. For the froward — The perverse; those departing from the principles of justice.

But his secret — Secret or confidential intercourse or communion, as that of friend with friend. The wicked he loathes, the upright he loves. See Job_19:19; Psa_55:14; Psa_25:14, where the same word occurs, rendered in the first inward, intimate, or confidential friends, in the latter, counsel or intercourse. The word suggests that communion and interchange of thought which takes place only between intimate and confidential friends. The parallelism here is between נלוז, naloz, the curved or bent. rendered froward, and ישׁרים, yesharim, those that are straight, upright, or righteous.

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 warning. The oppressor is here included under the more general term, "the froward." The froward; naloz, hiph. participle from luz, "to bend aside," and hence a perverted or wicked man, one who turns aside from the way of uprightness, a transgressor of the Law (cf. LXX, paranomov ); and so the opposite of "the righteous," y"sharim, "the upright," those who pursue the path of justness, or the straightforward. Abomination (toevah); i.e. an abhorrence, something which, being impure and unclean (cf. LXX, akayartov ), is especially abhorrent to Jehovah. In some passages it is connected with idolatry, as in 1Ki_14:24 and 2Ki_23:13, but is never used in this sense in the Proverbs, where it occurs about twenty times. (see Pro_28:9 Pro_21:27 Pro_11:1, Pro_11:20, etc.) The passage shows that prosperity and worldly success are not always a true measure of Divine favour. His secret (sodo); Vulgate, sermocinatio. Here sod probably means "familiar intercourse," as in Job_29:4 and Psa_25:14; and hence the special favour with which Jehovah regards the upright, by revealing to them what he conceals item others, or his friendship. (compare what our Lord says in Joh_15:14, Joh_15:15) Dathe translates "probis vero est familiaris." Gesenius says sod properly means "a couch," or triclinium on which people recline; but Delitzsch derives it from the root sod, "to be firm," "compressed," and states that it therefore means properly "a being together, or sitting together." The LXX continues the "froward man" (paranomov ) as the subject, and renders, "Every transgressor is impure before God, and does not sit together with (ou sunedriazei ) the just.

Vers. 32-35. The discernment of Jehovah.

This is a leading thought of the Old Testament. In ordinary life, in civilized times, the character of individuals is concealed from us by the intermixtures of society and the complexity of its interests. Even in village life it is difficult to classify people; but God distinguishes in

I HIS VIEW OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER.

1. He abominates the perverse, the crooked, twisted, deceitful character. All in the spirit must be compared with that ideal geometrical rectitude of form, so to speak, which is the truth of his Being.

2. With the upright he "maintains good friendship" (ver. 32), or "is in secret alliance". (Job_29:4 Psa_25:14) To enjoy the friendship of discerning minds, what greater privilege can there be? To live on such terms with God is the privilege of the true soul.

II HIS PROVIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION. "His curse dwells in the house of the wicked." A fatality of evil clings to him and his. But Jehovah blesses the tent of the righteous. He scoffs at the scoffer, but gives to the lowly grace. (comp. Jam_4:6 1Pe_5:5) The wise under this administration inherit glory, while ignominy carries away the fools.

1. These are, in the mode of their presentation, generalized or abstract truths, and as such must be understood. The study of apparent exceptions, even the admission of them, is foreign to this phase of Oriental thought. It was the presence of exceptions, insoluble to ancient thought, which excited the doubt and grief of Job and some of the psalmists.

2. While the truth must be stated, from the exigencies of language, in this sharp polar antithesis, actual human character is found, with all its merits and shades, in the intermediate region.

3. The subtle intermixtures of good and evil in human character, recognized by modern thought, defy complete analysis. We must suspend our judgment in particular cases, leaving all to him who brings to light the hidden things of darkness; conscious that there must be great "reversals of human judgment" upon the character of man (see Mozley"s sermon on this subject). J.

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

Abomination - Therefore sooner or later he must be miserable. The righteous - They are God's friends, to whom he imparts the favours and comforts to which other men are strangers.

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

for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord One who is crooked in his ways.

but His counsel is with the upright Heb. ואת, and with, etc.

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.