Proverbs 27:12

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) A prudent man foreseeth the evil.—See above on Proverbs 22:3.

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 27:12-13. Of the former of these verses, see on Proverbs 22:3, and of the latter, on Proverbs 20:16.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

27:9,10. Depend not for relief upon a kinsman, merely for kindred's sake; apply to those who are at hand, and will help in need. But there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and let us place entire confidence in him. 11. An affectionate parent urges his son to prudent conduct that should gladden his heart. The good conduct of Christians is the best answer to all who find fault with the gospel. 12. Where there is temptation, if we thrust ourselves into it, there will be sin, and punishment will follow. 13. An honest man may be made a beggar, but he is not honest that makes himself one. 14. It is folly to be fond of being praised; it is a temptation to pride.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12, 13. (Compare Pr 20:16; 22:3).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This was delivered Proverbs 22:3, and is here repeated to enforce the foregoing exhortation, by representing the great advantage of wisdom.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

A prudent man foreseeth the evil,.... See Gill on Proverbs 22:3; or "seeth the evil" (f); the evil of sin, as it is contrary to the nature, will, and law and abominable in his sight; and not only the evil of gross actions of sin, but of indwelling lust; and such an one, who is wise to that which is good, sees the sad work sin has made in the world, and in himself; how it has defaced the image of God in man, stripped him of his righteousness, and defiled all the powers and faculties of his soul; upon which sight of it he is filled with shame, reflects upon himself for his past conduct, loathes sin, and himself for it, repents of it, confesses and forsakes it: he likewise sees the evil of punishment for sin, the just demerit of it, the curse of the law, the wrath of God, the second and eternal death, a separation from God, a sense and feeling of divine vengeance, anguish, and distress intolerable, and that for ever;

and hideth himself; not in secret places, that he may not be seen by the Lord; nor in his own works of righteousness, to secure him from the wrath of God: nor is it to he understood of his hiding himself from sinners and their company, and so escaping the pollutions of the world; but of his betaking himself to Christ, who is the city of refuge, the stronghold, the rock, in the clefts of which the people of God hide themselves; even in his wounds, or in him as a suffering crucified Saviour, and who is the hiding place from the wind, and covert from the storm of divine wrath; such are redemption by him, his sacrifice and satisfaction, his blood and righteousness, and intercession; see Isaiah 32:2; also See Gill on Proverbs 22:3;

but the simple pass on, and are punished; such who are thoughtless and foolish, have no sight nor sense of sin and danger, go on in their sinful course of life without any care or concern, without any fear or dread, till their feet stumble on the dark mountains of eternity; and they fall into the bottomless pit of perdition, from whence there is no recovery.

(f) "videns", V. L. Tigurine version, Piscator; "vidit", Pagninus, Montanus; "videt", Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Schultens.

Geneva Study Bible

{e} A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

(e) Read Geneva Pr 22:3

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. See Proverbs 22:3 and notes.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - A repetition of Proverbs 22:3. The sentence is asyndeton. Proverbs 27:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

ערום appears to lean on חכם.

The prudent man seeth the misfortune, hideth himself;

The simple pass on, suffer injury.

equals Proverbs 22:3, where וּפתיים for פּתאים, ונסתּר for נסתּר, and ונענשׁו&#

(Note: The second Munach is at Proverbs 22:3, as well as here, according to the rule Proverbs 18:4 of the Accentuationssystem, the transformation of the Dechi, and preserves its value of interpunction; the Legarmeh of ערום is, however, a disjunctive of less force than Dechi, so that thus the sequence of the accents denotes that ערום ראה רעה is a clause related to ונסתר as a hypothetical antecedent: if the prudent sees the calamity, then he hides himself from it. This syntactic relation is tenable at Proverbs 22:3, but not here at Proverbs 27:12. Here, at least, ערום would be better with Rebia, to which the following Dechi would subordinate itself. The prudent seeth the evil, concealeth himself; or also, prudent is he who sees the evil, hides himself. For of two disjunctives before Athnach, the first, according as it is greater or less than the second, retains either Legarmeh (e.g., Psalm 1:5; Psalm 86:12; Psalm 88:14; Psalm 109:14) or Rebia (Proverbs 12:2, Psalm 25:2; Psalm 69:9; Psalm 146:5).)

as to time.