angela hormberg

Month: December 2025

  • Proverbs 10:6

    Proverbs 10:6

    Just Desserts

    Commonplace –

    “Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:6).

    In Proverbs 10:6, Solomon lays out the rewards for the just and the wicked. The just receive blessings, while the wicked receive violence. In his Commentary, Matthew Henry made the following comments related to Proverbs 10:6, and the rewards of the just and the wicked.

    “Here is, 1. The head of the just crowned with blessings, with the blessings both of God and man. Variety of blessings, abundance of blessings, shall descend from above, and visibly abide on the head of good men, real blessings; they shall not only be spoken well of, but done well to. Blessings shall be on there head as a coronet to adorn and dignify them and as a helmet to protect and secure them.

    2. The mouth of the wicked covered with violence. Their mouths will be stopped with shame for the violence which they have done; they shall not have a word to say in excuse for themselves (Job 5:16); their breath shall be stopped with the violence that shall be done to them, when their violent dealings shall return on their heads, shall be returned to their teeth” (691).

    I agree with the heart of Matthew Henry’s commentary. Yet, his words seem to suggest justice is served and man will reap his reward for his behavior on earth. This seems to echo the understanding of his time, which, in my understanding (definitely limited), is that if you are a ‘good’ person, God will bless you’, which, as he mentioned, involves others speaking well of you and good things being done to/for you.

    However, there are some people who seem to get away with their wickedness. After pondering this, it seems the only true test of this can come when you die. If you are a wolf in sheep’s clothing or people have a reason to like/need you, they will pay you tribute in life, which would make it seem as if you are receiving God’s blessings through man. A couple of fictional characters that fit this bill jump to mind: Scrooge and Lady Catherine De Bourgh. (At least with Scrooge, we see he changed by the end of the tale.) I am suggesting that it is really only when you die that people reveal their true feelings about you. Do you agree?

    Cross References from Biblehub.com:

    Psalm 1:1-3
    Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. / But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. / He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

    Matthew 5:3-12
    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. / Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. …

    Psalm 112:1-3
    Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments. / His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. / Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

    James 3:13-18
    Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. / But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. / Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. …

    Psalm 37:22-26
    Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed. / The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. / Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand. …

    Matthew 25:34-40
    Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. / For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ …

    Psalm 5:12
    For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.

    Luke 6:20-23
    Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. / Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. / Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. …

    Psalm 24:4-5
    He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully. / He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation.

    1 Peter 3:9-12
    Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. / For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. / He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. …

    Psalm 128:1-2
    A song of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways! / For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.

    Romans 12:14
    Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

    Psalm 84:11
    For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

    1 Corinthians 4:12-13
    We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; / when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

    Psalm 115:13-15
    He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike. / May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children. / May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

    Works Cited

    “Proverbs 10:6”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-6.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 16 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:6.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    We'd love to hear from you!

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:5

    Proverbs 10:5

    What Proverbs 10:5 Teaches About Timing, Diligence, and Learning

    Commonplace –

    “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame” (Proverbs 10:5).

    Proverbs 10:5 is about being diligent in season. It reminds me of a saying we have here in the south, “Make hay while the sun shines”. When a dry, sunny spell arrives, the hay farmer must seize the moment. Rainy weather causes the hay to mold and rot, which spoils the crop. So, the farmer has to keep a watchful eye on the hay to make sure it is ready for baling, and he also must keep an eye on the weather. When the day arrives in which the hay is dry and the weather is sunny, the farmer must be ready to act.

    Today most of us never experience that waiting game; our food arrives packaged and priced, leaving us detached from the rhythm of the fields. Separated from the crops, we lose the important connection of Solomon’s proverb about harvesting at just the right time. Yet, even growing one small plant can help us see the world from a farmer’s perspective. We may not depend on the fruit our little plant produces to stave off our hunger or supply our monetary needs, but taking the time to prepare the soil, plant the seed, and watch it grow helps us realize how much of the process is about the timing and the weather being just right. Through the process, we learn about being diligent and ready.

    Seeing life through the farmer’s lens helps us harvest the universal meaning from Solomon’s proverb. Matthew Henry shares the following helpful, practical wisdom in his Commentary on Proverbs 10:5, where he connects the farming references to life lessons.

    “He who gets knowledge and wisdom in the days of his youth gathers in the summer, and he will have the comfort and credit of his industry; but he who idles away the days of his youth will bear the shame of his indolence when he is old” (691).

    Proverbs 10:5 is timeless and speaks to us across the ages. We all have the potential to learn. Just as a farmer must watch the weather, we must watch the seasons of our own lives, being prepared for opportunity. Do we take the time? Much of my real learning, my self-directed learning, has come late in life. While we still have our wits about us, we can dig in and learn. What are you learning? What are you pursuing? What are you planting? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:5.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    We'd love to hear from you!

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:4

    Proverbs 10:4

    Diligence vs. Laziness

    Commonplace –

    “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:4)

    In Proverbs 10:4, Solomon addresses the importance of being a diligent worker versus being lazy; a diligent hand makes one rich. Here we see that Solomon is not against wealth. He is against attaining wealth through wicked means, as he previously mentioned in Proverbs 10:2, “Treasures from wickedness profit nothing” and Proverbs 10:3, the Lord casts “away the substance of the wicked”. He encourages his listeners to embrace hard work.

    While the ancient Israelites measured success by the fruit of honest labor, today’s popular discourse often equates a good life with the amount of leisure and entertainment we can pack into it. Much of our modern day focus is on ‘having fun’, which is centered on diversion, which could mean anything, such as: blogging, video games, sports, hobbies, social media scrolling, etc. Diversion can enrich life, yet we must ask: why do we seek it? When considering Proverbs 10:4, it’s important to remember that being diligent is not simply related to acquiring and accumulating material wealth. Whether we’re studying Scripture, pursuing a degree, caring for our families, or fixing a leaky faucet, each task becomes an act of worship when approached with intentional effort. Understanding our objective in our diversions changes our perspective on what it means to ‘have fun’ and how we ‘spend’ leisure time.

    To go along with our discussion, here are some thoughts from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Proverbs 10:4 and who is likely “in a fair way to become rich” (690).

    “those who are diligent and honest, who are careful about their affairs, and, what their hands find to do, do it with all their might, in a fair and honourable way, those are likely to increase what they have” (690).

    Proverbs 10:4 is a call to reflect on our personal activities. We are only allotted a certain amount of time in life. Where we are spending it? Is that the best use of it?

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:4.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    We'd love to hear from you!

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:3

    Proverbs 10:3

    God’s Provision

    Commonplace –

    “The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3).

    The subject of Proverbs 10:3 is God, and the focus is on His provision for the righteous and the wicked. The soul of the righteous will be fed, but the material gain of the wicked will be thrown out. Each outcome relates to the specific loves of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous apply themselves to eternal things, so their reward is eternal, centered on their soul being nourished. While the wicked apply themselves to material things, so their outcome is related to what happens to those material, earthly things they hold dear, which will be tossed out.

    Since it’s Christmas time, this verse turns my mind to Charles Dickens’ tale, A Christmas Carol . When Scrooge is given a peek into his future, one of the scenes he observes is his clothing being bartered away. We observe something similar when someone passes away. Their things are divided: some are thrown out, some are sold, and the rest are given away. None of these things have an eternal aspect, and, eventually, all those things come to nothing. So, why do we spend so much time accumulating things that profit us nothing? Well, some of it we need while we are here: clothes, houses, cars, etc. The crucial point is not to impart more meaning and significance into those things. Otherwise, we risk turning them into gods.

    Cross References from Biblehub.com

    Psalm 34:10
    Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

    Matthew 6:31-33
    Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ / For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. / But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

    Psalm 37:25
    I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.

    Philippians 4:19
    And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

    Psalm 23:1
    A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    Luke 12:22-24
    Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. / For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. / Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

    Psalm 84:11
    For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

    Matthew 5:6
    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

    Psalm 145:15-16
    The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. / You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

    1 Peter 5:7
    Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

    Psalm 37:19
    In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

    Romans 8:32
    He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

    Psalm 111:5
    He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.

    2 Corinthians 9:8
    And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

    Psalm 132:15
    I will bless her with abundant provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

    Works Cited

    “Proverbs 10:3”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-3.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 12 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:3.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:2

    Proverbs 10:2

    Honest Gain vs. ill Gotten Gain

    Commonplace –

    “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death” (Proverbs 10:2)

    The message of Proverbs Chapters 1 – 9 is about choice. The choice that is always before us is between good and evil. Verse 10:2 gives us the result of each path; wickedness leads to nothing and righteousness delivers from death. The specific evil mentioned in 10:2 are treasures of wickedness. Later, Jesus will speak to this subject in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. It’s important to remember,though, that the specific word Solomon uses in 10:2 is ‘treasure’, and treasure doesn’t have to be money. It’s whatever that thing, that treasure, is that tempts you to do something that isn’t good. Money is not inherently evil; the evil is not in the money. The potential for good and evil are within each of us.

    Matthew Henry has this to say about honest gain and the treasures of the wicked:

    Honest Gain

    “That which is honestly got will turn to a good account, for God will bless it. Righteousness delivers from death, that is, wealth gained, and kept, and used, in a right manner (righteousness signifies both honesty and charity); it answers the end of wealth, which is to keep us alive and be a defence to us. It will profit to such a degree as to deliver, though not from the stroke of death, yet from the sting of it, and consequently from the terror of it” (690).

    Treasures of the Wicked

    “The treasures of wicked people, much more the treasure which they have made themselves masters of by any wicked people, by oppression of fraud, though it be ever so much, as a treasure, and laid up ever so safely, though it be hidden treasure, yet it profits nothing; when profit and loss come to be balanced the profit gained by the treasures will by no means countervail the loss sustained by the wickedness, Matt 16:26” (690).

    Reading Proverbs 10:2 brings to mind many other verses, which are helpful in understanding this verse, remembering scripture interprets scripture. Following is a list of cross-references gathered from BibleHub.com.

    Matthew 6:19-21
    Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

    Luke 12:15-21
    And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” / Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ …

    1 Timothy 6:9-10
    Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

    James 5:1-3
    Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

    Matthew 16:26
    What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Mark 8:36-37
    What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? / Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Luke 16:11-13
    So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? / No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

    1 Timothy 6:17-19
    Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

    Ecclesiastes 5:10-11
    He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. / When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

    Psalm 49:6-10
    They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. / No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. / For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, …

    Jeremiah 17:11
    Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

    Ezekiel 7:19
    They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

    Zephaniah 1:18
    Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

    Proverbs 11:4
    Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

    Proverbs 15:16
    Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.

    Works Cited

    “Proverbs 10:2”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-2.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 12 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:2.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 10:1

    Proverbs 10:1

    Parents and Children

    Commonplace –

    “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother” (Proverbs 10:1).

    Proverbs 10:1 is about relationships, and the most essential relationship of life: the relationship between a child and his parents. In verse 1, we have the reward of raising up children with wisdom and understanding. When children are raised in faith and love of the Lord, the parents are rewarded with children who walk in the way of goodness. In turn, virtue is its own reward, and we see the children are rewarded with wisdom.

    Reading Proverbs 10:1 brings to mind many other verses, remembering scripture interprets scripture. Following is a list gathered from BibleHub.com.

    “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

    “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

    “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).

    “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1-4).

    Parents who neglect the duty of diligently teaching their children are left heavy with regret, and the children are left to the world’s caprice.

    Matthew Henry notes the following:

    “Solomon, speaking to us as unto children, observes here how much the comfort of parents, natural, political, and ecclesiastical, depends upon the good behavior of those under their charge” (690).

    Henry goes on to point out that when parents teach their children diligently, “if it obtain the desired effect, they themselves will have the comfort of it, or, if not, they will have for their support under their heaviness that they have done their duty, have done their endeavor” (690). If the children turn out well, the parents are comforted, and, even if the children do not turn out well, the parents have the comfort of knowing they did everything they could to teach their children and raise them to be righteous.

    In relation to the children, Henry notes, “[i]t adds to the comfort of young people that are pious and discreet that thereby they do something towards recompensing their parents for all the care and pains they have taken with them”, while “[i]t adds to the guilt of those that conduct themselves ill that thereby grieve those whom ought to be a joy to” (691).

    Works Cited

    “Proverbs 10:1”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-1.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 11 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs Chapter 10

    Proverbs Chapter 10

    Commonplace –

    “The Proverbs of Solomon” (Proverbs 10:1).

    Chapters 1 – 9 of Proverbs represents Solomon’s persuasive argument for following the path of righteousness and turning away from the path of the wicked. On the good path, one finds life, and, on the wicked path, one finds death.

    Proverbs Chapter 10 marks the beginning of the short, insightful words of wisdom of Solomon. Again, we turn to Henry for enlightenment on the subject. As Matthew Henry says it, what we have read so far has “been in the porch or the preface to the proverbs, here they begin” (690).

    “They are short but weighty sentences; most of them are distichs, two sentences in one verse, illustrating each other; but it is seldom that there is any coherence between the verses” (690).

    Due to the style of the proverbs, we will adopt the method of taking each verse on its own and writing on it, following the same manner Matthew Henry used when he wrote on Proverbs.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs Chapter 9

    Proverbs Chapter 9

    Commonplace –

    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

    Proverbs 9 is the culmination of Solomon’s plea for readers to embrace wisdom. He describes wisdom and compares her with the foolish woman; Wisdom cries upon the high places and declares that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the holy is understanding” (v.10) , while folly loudly declares at her own doorstep that “stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten is secret is pleasant” (v.17). The result of following wisdom is long life (v.12), and the result of following folly is death and hell (v.18).

    In his introduction to Proverbs 9, Matthew Henry shares the following:

    “Christ and sin are rivals for the soul of man, and here we are told how they both make their court to it, to have the innermost and uppermost place in it. The design of this representation is to set before us life and death, good and evil; and there needs no more than a fair stating of the case to determine us which of those to choose, and surrender our hearts to. They are both brought in making entertainment for the soul, and inviting it to accept of the entertainment, concerning both we are told what the issue will be; and, the matter being thus laid before us, let us consider, take advice and speak our minds. And we are therefore concerned to put a value upon our own souls, because we see there is such striving for them” (686).

    In his summary, Henry gets to the heart of Proverbs 9. Solomon does set the scene well. Wisdom prepares her home with seven pillars, kills the beast, which will be served, prepares the wine and the table; it is a hospitable and welcoming scene. Then, she sends out her handmaids to call in the guests. Her message is how to get wisdom and understanding: fear the Lord. In contrast, folly is loud and boisterous as she sits at the door of her house, and her only preparation is her enticement to the simple to partake in stealing and secrecy, while inside her home is death and hell.

    Solomon opens Proverbs 9 with the following verse:

    “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars” (v.1).

    What these seven pillars are we are not told directly, but there is speculation. Some believe they are a reference to: the fear of the Lord, knowledge, understanding, discretion, counsel, correction, and instruction. Henry makes the following reference related to the seven pillars: “Some reckon the schools of the prophets to be here intended” (687).

    I really like what Hebrew4Christians.com has to say about today’s chosen commonplace, Proverbs 9:10.

    “The scriptures declare that the starting point for wisdom is not to be found in speculative or abstract reasoning, but in understanding that a personal, holy, and righteous God has give us absolute imperative to love and do justly (see Mark 12:28-31). That is we are truly wise when we reverentially submit our lives to God in obedience to His commandments” (“Binah”).

    Works Cited

    “Binah”. Hebrew4Christians.com, John J. Parsons. https://hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Binah/Printer_Version/printer_version.html. Accessed 9 Dec 2025.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 9.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs Chapter 8

    Proverbs Chapter 8

    Commonplace –

    “Does not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

    She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

    She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors” (Proverbs 8:1-3).

    In his introduction to Proverbs 8, Solomon poses a couple of questions:

    1. “Doth not wisdom cry” (v.1a)
    2. Doesn’t “understanding put forth her voice” (v.1b)

    Wisdom and understanding are open and available to all. They “crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors” (v.3). Unlike folly and ignorance, who lurk in the shadows and use cunning to entrap their prey, wisdom illuminates the soul and can only be found in connection with light.

    From verses 4-36, Wisdom directly addresses the reader and makes it clear that wisdom is readily available to everyone.

    “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

    They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Proverbs 8:8-9).

    And, again,

    “I wisdom dwell with prudence” (Proverbs 8:12a).

    Prudence is practical wisdom; it’s common sense. There is also intellectual wisdom, which is the wisdom we need to understand fundamental, unchanging truths. In Proverbs 8:12, we learn that wisdom is available to the common man and is useful for everyday living.

    In verse 13, Wisdom imparts foundational knowledge, informing the reader what it means to possess ‘fear of the Lord’.

    “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Prov 8:13).

    If you will recall, Solomon shared in Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”. So from the beginning of our journey through these first eight verses of Proverbs, Solomon has been making a passionate plea for us to choose the path of wisdom, which begins with fear of the Lord. Now, in Proverbs 8:7, Solomon clearly states with it means to ‘fear the Lord’, which is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, and contrariness.

    Beginning in verse 22, Wisdom shares that she was with the Lord in the very beginning: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was” (v.22-23). In reference to these two verses, Matthew Henry comments,

    “That it is an intelligent and divine person that here speaks seems very plain, and that it is not meant of a mere essential property of the divine nature, for Wisdom here has personal properties and actions; and that intelligent person can be no other than the Son of God himself, to whom the principal things here spoken of wisdom are attributed in other scriptures, and we must explain scripture by itself” (684).

    In his introduction to Proverbs 8, Henry writes:

    “The word of God is two-fold, and, in both senses, is wisdom; for a word without wisdom is of little value, and wisdom without a word is of little use” (680).

    Proverbs 8 gives instruction in wisdom and also points to the source of wisdom, which is the Word.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 8.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs Chapter 7

    Proverbs Chapter 7

    Commonplace –

    “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye” (Proverbs 7:2).

    In the first 4 verses of Proverbs 7, Solomon commands his son in the imperative voice; he gives his son the following directives:

    1. “keep my words” (v.1)
    2. “lay up my commandments with thee” (v.1)
    3. “Keep my commandments…and my law” (v.2)
    4. “bind them upon thy fingers” (v.3)
    5. “write them upon the table of thine heart” (v.3)
    6. “say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister” (v.4)
    7. “call understanding thy kinswoman” (v.4)

    Solomon advises his son that following these commands will keep him “from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words” (Proverbs 7:5). Solomon did not want his son to be lured in by wicked women, so he is giving him relationship advice.

    Then, Solomon illustrates his instructions with a parable. He tells his son that one day, he was looking through his window out onto the street and he “beheld among the simple ones, [he] discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding” (Proverbs 7:7).

    He sets the scene: the young man was out walking on the street “in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night” (v.9), when he met a woman who was dressed as a harlot and had a cunning heart, which he defines as a woman who “is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house” (v.11). So, here is this young man, who is a simpleton and out among the other youths, walking the streets in the evening and purposely walks the streets near where a known harlot lives, when he comes upon her, a female trickster dressed as a prostitute.

    The woman spots this ignorant young man, her prey, immediately grabs him, kisses him and “with an impudent face” (v.13) expresses that she is a wealthy woman, “I have peace offerings” (v.14), and she is religious, “this day have I payed my vows” (v.14). So, she tells him she isn’t going to rob him, because she doesn’t need the money and, besides, she’s too religious to do such a thing. After which, she informs the wayward young man that her husband has gone on a trip and he won’t be back for a while, which means she is home alone, and invites the youth back to her home for intimate relations. And the young man, like an ox to slaughter, follows after her, which is the beginning of the end for him.

    Solomon follows his story with a warning to children. He tells them to listen and attend to his words: Don’t go after these types of women, who intentionally seek to bring down young men. “Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:27).

    Matthew Henry offers the following summary of Proverbs 7:

    “The scope of this chapter is, as of several before, to warn young men against the lusts of the flesh. Solomon remembered of what ill consequence it was to his father, perhaps found himself, and perceived his son, addicted to it, or at least had observed how many hopeful young ment among his subjects had been ruined by those lusts; and therefore he thought he could never say enough to dissuade men from them, that ‘every one man may possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, and not in the lusts of uncleanness‘.” (677).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs .” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg