Proverbs 5:2

Pro 5:2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and [that] thy lips may keep knowledge.

Ver. 2. That thou mayest regard discretion.] Or, That thou mayest keep in thy thoughts, as Job did, {Job 31:1} "Why then should I think upon a maid?" "Out of the hearts of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications," &c., saith our Saviour. {Mar 7:21} Many men’s hearts are no better than stews and brothel houses, by reason of base and beastly thoughts and lusts that muster and swarm there, like the flies of Egypt. "There is that leviathan, and there are creeping things innumerable." {Psa 104:25-26} Yea, the hypocrite, who outwardly abstains from gross sins, yet inwardly consenteth with the thief, and partaketh with the adulterer, {Psa 50:18-19} that is, in his heart and fancy, supposing himself with them, and desiring to do what they do. This is mental adultery, this is contemplative wickedness. So it is also to recall former filthiness with delight. She multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot. {Eze 23:21} Surely as a man may die of an inward bleeding, so may he be damned for these inward boilings of lust and concupiscence, if not bewailed and mortified. {Jer 4:14} "The thoughts of the wicked are abominable to the Lord." {Pro 15:26} To look and lust is to commit adultery. {Mat 5:28} Therefore "desire not her beauty in thy heart." {Pro 6:25}

And that thy lips may keep knowledge.] As Joseph did in answering his wanton mistress; {Gen 39:7-9} as he in Augustine did, that replied to his minions, Ego sum - It is I, at ego non sum - but it it is not I.

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_5:2

That thou mayest regard discretion.

The wise mans intention in giving advice

Some knit these words to what follows, and understand them thus: I wish thee to hearken to wise counsels, that thy heart may not admit thoughts of the beauty of strumpets, nor thy lips talk of such wanton objects as they talk of, but that thy thoughts and words may be sober and honest. Others knit them to the words before, as if he had said, Observe my wise precepts, that thou mayest well ruminate of them, and be so full of good thoughts in thy heart, that thou mayest be able to produce them copiously in thy words for the good of others, as I do for thine. But especially that thou mayest know what to think and speak of strumpets fair words and alluring carriage.

I. A readiness to attend will bring a store of knowledge.

II. Let us get ready ears and hearts to get knowledge.

III. Good things heard must be seriously thought on, then and after.

IV. We must labour to know so as not only to understand, but also to utter what we know in fit words. That we may profit others. (Francis Taylor, B. D.)

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

regard--or, "observe."

keep--preserve constantly.

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

2. regard] Rather, preserve, R.V. Comp. keep in the parallel clause of the verse.

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.

That thou mayest regard discretion,.... Observe it; retain it in thine heart, as Aben Ezra adds, and use it; think, speak, and act discreetly, and so avoid the bad woman afterwards described: the Vulgate Latin version is, "that thou mayest keep the thoughts"; and so Gersom interprets the word; "good thoughts", according to the Septuagint version; the thoughts of the heart are to be observed. A man of spiritual wisdom will take notice of them; evil thoughts, which lead to uncleanness, are to be repressed and kept in; good ones to be cherished and improved; wise and sagacious ones (such the word here used signifies) are to be attended to, as being of great advantage in the various affairs and business of life; and spiritual and evangelical wisdom helps to such thoughts, and directs to the observance and exercise of them;

and that thy lips may keep knowledge; may be able to speak of things worthy to be known, and communicate the knowledge of them to others; by which means useful knowledge will be kept and preserved, and be continued in successive ages; see Mal 2:7; even the knowledge of God and of Christ, and of the Gospel and its doctrines; and which will be a means of preserving men, as from false doctrine, error, and heresy, so from profaneness and immorality; and particularly from the adulterous woman, next described.

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

And that thy lips may keep - literally, “and thy lips shall keep.”

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

Thoughts. Or wisdom; and act with discretion. --- Mind, &c., is omitted in Hebrew and St. Jerome. (Calmet) --- By woman all concupiscence, or the inducement to sin, is commonly understood. We must not think of such things. (Worthington)

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).

Regard, or, keep, i.e. hold fast, as it is in the next clause. Discretion; spiritual wisdom for the conduct of thy life, as this word is used Pro 1:4, and elsewhere in this book.

That thy lips may keep knowledge; that by wise and pious discourses thou mayst preserve and improve thy wisdom for thine own and others’ good.

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

2. Discretion — Or, counsels.

That thy lips may keep — Thy lips shall keep.

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 expresses the purposes or results of the preceding admonition. The first is, that thou mayest regard discretion (Hebrew, lishmor m"zimmoth); literally, to guard reflection; i.e. in other words, that thou mayest maintain thoughtfulness, observe counsel, set a proper guard or control over thy thoughts, and so restrain them within proper and legitimate limits, or form such resolutions which, being well considered and prudential, may result in prudent conduct. The word m"zimmoth, however, does not travel beyond the sphere of what is conceived in the mind, and consequently does not mean conduct (as Holden conceives), except in a secondary sense, as that thoughts and plans are the necessary preliminaries to action and conduct. Muffet, in loc., explains, "that thou mayest not conceive in mind any evil or vanity." The word m"zimmoth is the plural of m"zimmmah, which occurs in Pro_1:4. This word generally means any plan, project, device, either in a good or bad sense. In the latter sense it is applied to intrigue and deceitful conduct, as in Pro_24:8. It is here used in a good sense. Indeed, Delitzsch remarks that the use of the word in a good sense is peculiar to the introductory part of the Proverbs (ch. 1-9). The Vulgate renders. "That thou mayest guard thy thoughts or reflection (ut custodias cogitationes)." So the LXX, Ina fulaxhv ennoian agayhn , "That thou mayest guard good reflection," the adjective agayh being introduced to note the sense in which the ennoia , i.e. act of thinking, properly, is to be understood. The prefix li ("to") before shamar, "to guard," in lishmor, expresses the purpose, as in Pro_1:5 Pro_2:2, et alia. The second end in view is, that thy lips may keep knowledge; literally, and thy lips shall keep knowledge. Those lips keep or preserve knowledge which literally retain the instruction of Wisdom (Zockler), or which allow nothing to pass them which does not proceed from the knowledge of God (Delitzsch), and which, when they speak, give utterance to sound wisdom. The meaning may be illustrated by Psa_17:3, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." The same expression occurs Mal_2:7, "For the priest"s lips should keep knowledge," i.e. preserve and give utterance to it. Where "the lips keep knowledge," there they are protected against the lips of the strange woman, i.e. against her allurements, because they will be fortified with purity. Thy lips; s"phatheyka is the dual of the feminine noun saphah, "a lip." The teacher designedly uses this word instead of "thy heart", (cf. Pro_3:1) because of the contrast which he has in mind, and which be produces in the next verse. The LXX, Vulgate. and Arabic add, "Attend not to the deceitful woman," which Houbigant and Schleusner think is required by the context. The addition, however, is without authority (Holden).

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