angela hormberg

Category: Matthew Henry’s Commentary

  • Proverbs 11:15

    Proverbs 11:15

    Surety

    Commonplace –

    “He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure” (Proverbs 11:15).

    Being in debt is like being shackled. It illustrates another example how something that existed in the ancient times – debt – has not changed in character and remains the same today. Yet Proverbs 11:15 records that there is something worse than debt itself; surety or guaranteeing a loan for someone, especially a stranger.

    I’m not aware of anyone I know who would guarantee -or co-sign- a loan for a stranger; it’s extremely risky. However, I am aware of situations where people have guaranteed loans for family members and friends. Yesterday, I read an article on the internet of a woman who cosigned a college loan for a friend years ago; now the friend has stopped making payments. The guarantor was seeking advice from the internet on how to handle the situation, and it was a very sad story. Not only must the guarantor scramble to cover the payments, but the friendship is likely ending over it.

    In his Commentary, Matthew Henry notes that Christ was surety for us and was wounded for it.

    “Our Lord Jesus was surety for us when we were strangers, nay enemies, and he smarted for it; it pleased the Lord to bruise him” (698).

    Finally, Henry offers the following for consideration:

    “…he that resolves against all such suretiship keeps upon sure grounds, which a man may do if he take care not to launch out any further into business than his own credit will carry him, so that he needs not ask others to be bound for him” (698).

    Wise counsel indeed.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:15.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:14

    Proverbs 11:14

    Counsel

    Commonplace –

    “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).

    When I was young, I met a boy that I really liked – my first boyfriend. At the same time I met him, my parents were going through a divorce and were distracted. As a teenager, I probably wouldn’t have sought their advice, but if they hadn’t been distracted, they might have offered good counsel when I needed it most. However, there is a good chance I wouldn’t have listened anyway, had my parents offered counsel.

    At the same time my parents were divorcing, the church I was was attending was going through problems of its own. I continued to go to church, but I wasn’t as faithful in my attendance.

    Eventually, I stopped dating that boyfriend, but it took a long while for me to turn to God.

    Now, I see the importance of offering wise counsel to my children, being present in their lives, paying attention to what’s going on with them. I also value the strong presence of a church with believers of varied backgrounds, who are willing to share their life experiences, where things went well for them and where they didn’t. I appreciate youth leaders who point them to Christ and the Word. I take to heart Matthew Henry’s words,

    “In our private affairs we shall often find it to our advantage to advise with many; if they agree in their advice, our way will be more clear; if they differ, we shall hear what is to be said on all sides, and be the better able to determine” (698).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:14.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:13

    Proverbs 11:13

    Talebearers

    Commonplace –

    “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter” (Proverbs 11:13).

    In Proverbs 11:13, the talebearer who reveals secrets is contrasted with a faithful man who conceals matters. The writer uses the word ‘secrets’, which means “a session, i.e. company of persons (in close deliberation); by implication, intimacy, consultation, a secret:—assembly, counsel, inward, secret (counsel)” (“H5475”), in reference to the righteous, in which case the secrets are related to good counsel kept close. In his Commentary, Matthew Henry contrasts this with the “tale-bearer, that carries all the stories he can pick up, true or false, from house to house, to make mischief and sow discord, reveals secrets which he has been entrusted with, and so breaks the laws, and forfeits all the privileges of friendship and conversation” (697-698).

    Works Cited

    H5475 – sôḏ – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 5 May, 2026. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5475/kjv/wlc/0-1/.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:13.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:12

    Proverbs 11:12

    Holding peace

    Commonplace –

    “He that is voideth of wisdom despiseth his neighbor: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace” (Proverbs 11:12).

    Have you ever despised your neighbor? In the house next door? In the car next to you on the freeway? In the cubicle next to you at the office? In the chair next to you at the kitchen table?

    According to BlueLetterBible.org, the word used in Proverbs 11:12, despiseth, comes from the Hebrew word “bûz“, which means “to despise, hold in contempt, hold as insignificant”. The one that jumps out at me most is to “hold as insignificant”.

    In order to hold a person as significant, I have to consider them as an individual human being. Do I do that? Because I think that is the pathway away from despising people. If I stop and think about that person and their life and their day, they become more than a momentary issue, they become more like me, a person with a family and a life. Isn’t that what Jesus meant when in Mark 12:31 he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself”?

    The second part of Proverbs 11:12 praises a man who ‘holds his peace’. I have often equated that saying with simply remaining quiet, but it is more than that. It’s actually a beautiful picture. When I hold my peace, I am not giving it away or allowing anyone to steal it. It belongs to me, and I keep it with me.

    In regard to man holding his peace, Matthew Henry notes the following in his Commentary,

    “A man of understanding, that has rule over his own spirit, if he be provoked, holds his peace, that he may neither give vent to his passion nor kindle the passion of others by any opprobrious language or peevish reflections” (697).

    Works Cited

    “bûz“. BlueLetterBible.org https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h936/kjv/wlc/0-1/. Accessed 17 Feb 2026.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:12.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:11

    Proverbs 11:11

    The Righteous in the City

    Commonplace –

    “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 11:11).

    It is quite something to read the ancient words of Proverbs and realize how relatable and true they still are today! In Proverbs 11:11, the writer notes the impact of the upright and the wicked on the city. The upright bless the city and raise it upward, but the wicked tear down and overthrow the city. This is why good men and women are needed to participate in government.

    Matthew Henry has much to say about the good in regard to Proverbs 11:11:

    “…those that are good do good but (as saith the proverb of the ancients) wickedness proceeds from the wicked.

    1. Good men are public blessings – Vir bonus est commune bonum. By the blessing of the upright, the blessings with which they are blessed, which enlarge their sphere of usefulness, – by the blessings with which they bless their neighbours, their advice, their example, their prayers, and all the instances of their serviceableness to the public interest, – by the blessings with which God blesses others for their sake, – by these the city is exalted and made more comfortable to the inhabitants, and more considerable among its neighbors.
    2. Wicked men are public nuisances, not only the burdens, but the plagues of their generation. The city is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked, whose evil communications corrupt good manners, are enough to debauch a town, to ruin virtue in it, and bring down the judgments of God upon it” (697).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:11.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:10

    Proverbs 11:10

    Good Triumphs

    Commonplace –

    “When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting” (Proverbs 11:10).

    Who doesn’t love and long for a happy ending in a story, a book, a movie? How much more so do we love a happy ending to a person’s life? Proverbs 11:10 reveals this universal truth. It is all about getting the happy ending, whether it’s the righteous winning or the wicked being defeated.

    In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell states the following:

    “The happy ending of the fairy tale, the myth, and the divine comedy of the soul is to be read, not as a contradiction, but as a transcendental of the universal tragedy of man” (21).

    Turning to God and accepting Christ releases us from the bonds of the material world and opens up eternity, where justice is always served, good always triumphs over evil, and Proverbs 11:10 is the final outcome. Yet even in our material world, even men without “religion themselves, have a good word for a good man” (Henry 697).

    “Good men are public blessings – Vir bonum est commune bonum” (Henry 697).

    Works Cited

    Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. New World Library. 2008.

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:10.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:9

    Proverbs 11:9

    The Words of the Hypocrite

    Commonplace –

    “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered” (Proverbs 11:9).

    Solomon returns to the subject of speech in Proverbs 11:9, where he points out that the words of the hypocrite destroys his neighbor. A hypocrite, who says one thing and does another, calls out his neighbor in public for a crime, yet does the same crime in his own home. However, the facts of the case will come out, and this knowledge will deliver the just. Matthew Henry provides the following encouragement against the hypocrite,

    “By the knowledge of God, and the scriptures, and their own hearts, shall the just be delivered from those that lie in wait to deceive, and so to destroy, Rom: 16:18, 19” (697).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:9.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:8

    Proverbs 11:8

    Deliverance

    Commonplace –

    “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead” (Proverbs 11:8).

    Proverbs 11:8 states that the righteous are saved from a trouble, but the wicked fall when confronted with the same situation. This happens due to the choices made by each person. A righteous person will choose the good and be delivered. The wicked person will choose evil and fall. Of course, we all see situations in the material world we live in where it appears the good make a good choice and are punished by their choice, sometimes even unto death. However, that viewpoint leaves out the eternal, spiritual perspective, which is essential. As Matthew Henry notes in his Commentary,

    “When a godly man dies his expectations are out-done, and all his fears vanish; but when a wicked man dies his expectations are dashed, dashed to pieces; in that very day his thoughts perish with which he had pleased himself, his hopes vanish” (697).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:8.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:7

    Proverbs 11:7

    The wicked perish

    Commonplace –

    “When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth” (Proverbs 11:7).

    When my granny was alive, she always sent me a birthday card and said she was praying for me. At the time, I was more interested in the money and candy tucked inside the card than her prayers.

    Now that I am older, I think more deeply about her prayers. Some of those prayers were not answered in her lifetime, but their beauty lies in their spiritual nature. The prayers outlived her, and I know some of them were answered after she passed away. I am grateful for her thoughtfulness and kindness towards me, even though I did not appreciate the depth of her gift – a spiritual blessing that did not perish with her.

    In contrast, the wicked pursue only material gain. When they die, their hopes die with them. As Matthew Henry notes in his Commentary “his hopes vanish with him” (697).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:7.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Proverbs 11:6

    Proverbs 11:6

    Deliverance

    Commonplace –

    “The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness” (Proverbs 11:6).

    Death comes for all of us. We never know the exact day and time. We do know that we all want the evil among us to be punished for the wicked deeds done and the good people to be rewarded for their devotion to righteousness. At the time of death, justice, which may have been delayed in the material world, is served in the spiritual one that follows. Contemplating death should be something we all do, because it puts us in mind of justice and causes us to consider what our judgment will be. In light of this, it is good to consider Matthew Henry’s words:

    “For the truths are here [in Proverbs 11:6] of such certainty and weight that they cannot be too often inculcated. Let us govern ourselves by these principles” (696).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:6.” 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.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg