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Selected Verse: Proverbs 19:6 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Pr 19:6	Strong Concordance	Many [07227] will intreat [02470] the favour [06440] of the prince [05081]: and every man is a friend [07453] to him [0376] that giveth gifts [04976].
	King James	Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Intreat the favor ... - literally, "stroke the face" of the man of princely nature, who gives munificently.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Intreat the favor ... - literally, "stroke the face" of the man of princely nature, who gives munificently.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
6 Many stroke the cheeks of the noble; And the mass of friends belongeth to him who gives. The phrase 'חלּות פּני פל signifies to stroke the face of any one, from the fundamental meaning of the verb חלה, to rub, to stroke, Arab. khala, with which the Heb., meaning to be sick, weak (viribus attritum esse), and the Arabic: to be sweet (properly laevem et politum, glabrum esse, or palatum demulcere, leniter stringere, contrast asperum esse ad gustum), are connected (Fl.). The object of such insinuating, humble suing for favour is the נדיב (from נדב, instigare), the noble, he who is easily incited to noble actions, particularly to noble-mindedness in bestowing gifts and in doing good, or who feels himself naturally impelled thereto, and spontaneously practises those things; cf. the Arab. krym, nobilis and liberalis (Fl.), and at Job 21:28; parall. אישׁ מתּן, a man who gives willingly, as אישׁ חמה, Pro 15:18, one who is easily kindled into anger. Many (רבּים, as Job 11:19) stroke the face of the liberal (Lat. caput mulcent or demulcent); and to him who gives willingly and richly belongs כל־הרע, the mass (the totality) of good friends, cf. Pro 15:17; there the art. of הרע, according to the manner of expression of the Arab. grammarians, stood for "the exhaustion of the characteristic properties of the genus": the friend who corresponds to the nature (the idea) of such an one; here it stands for "the comprehension of the individuals of the genus;" all that is only always friend. It lies near with Ewald and Hitzig to read וכלּה רע (and every one is friend...) (כלּה = כלּו, as Jer 8:10, etc.); but why could not כל־הרע be used as well as כל־האדם, perhaps with the sarcastic appearance which the above translation seeks to express? The lxx also had וכל הרע in view, which it incorrectly translates πᾶς δὲ ὁ κακός, whereby the Syr. and the Targ. are led into error; but מתּן is not one and the same with שׂחד, vid., Pro 18:6. On the contrary, there certainly lies before us in Pro 19:7 a mutilated text. The tristich is, as we have shown, vol. i, p. 15, open to suspicion; and the violence which its interpretation needs in order to comprehend it, as a formal part of 7ab, places it beyond a doubt, and the lxx confirms it that 7c is the remainder of a distich, the half of which is lost.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

6 Many stroke the cheeks of the noble;

And the mass of friends belongeth to him who gives.

The phrase 'חלּות פּני פל signifies to stroke the face of any one, from the fundamental meaning of the verb חלה, to rub, to stroke, Arab. khala, with which the Heb., meaning to be sick, weak (viribus attritum esse), and the Arabic: to be sweet (properly laevem et politum, glabrum esse, or palatum demulcere, leniter stringere, contrast asperum esse ad gustum), are connected (Fl.). The object of such insinuating, humble suing for favour is the נדיב (from נדב, instigare), the noble, he who is easily incited to noble actions, particularly to noble-mindedness in bestowing gifts and in doing good, or who feels himself naturally impelled thereto, and spontaneously practises those things; cf. the Arab. krym, nobilis and liberalis (Fl.), and at Job 21:28; parall. אישׁ מתּן, a man who gives willingly, as אישׁ חמה, Pro 15:18, one who is easily kindled into anger. Many (רבּים, as Job 11:19) stroke the face of the liberal (Lat. caput mulcent or demulcent); and to him who gives willingly and richly belongs כל־הרע, the mass (the totality) of good friends, cf. Pro 15:17; there the art. of הרע, according to the manner of expression of the Arab. grammarians, stood for "the exhaustion of the characteristic properties of the genus": the friend who corresponds to the nature (the idea) of such an one; here it stands for "the comprehension of the individuals of the genus;" all that is only always friend. It lies near with Ewald and Hitzig to read וכלּה רע (and every one is friend...) (כלּה = כלּו, as Jer 8:10, etc.); but why could not כל־הרע be used as well as כל־האדם, perhaps with the sarcastic appearance which the above translation seeks to express? The lxx also had וכל הרע in view, which it incorrectly translates πᾶς δὲ ὁ κακός, whereby the Syr. and the Targ. are led into error; but מתּן is not one and the same with שׂחד, vid., Pro 18:6. On the contrary, there certainly lies before us in Pro 19:7 a mutilated text. The tristich is, as we have shown, vol. i, p. 15, open to suspicion; and the violence which its interpretation needs in order to comprehend it, as a formal part of 7ab, places it beyond a doubt, and the lxx confirms it that 7c is the remainder of a distich, the half of which is lost.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
A friend - in profession.

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⁷ All the brethren [0251] of the poor [07326] do hate [08130] him: how much more do his friends [04828] go far [07368] from him? he pursueth [07291] them with words [0561], yet they are wanting to him.

⁶ A fool's [03684] lips [08193] enter [0935] into contention [07379], and his mouth [06310] calleth [07121] for strokes [04112].

¹⁰ Therefore will I give [05414] their wives [0802] unto others [0312], and their fields [07704] to them that shall inherit [03423] them: for every one from the least [06996] even unto the greatest [01419] is given [01214] to covetousness [01215], from the prophet [05030] even unto the priest [03548] every one dealeth [06213] falsely [08267].

¹⁷ Better [02896] is a dinner [0737] of herbs [03419] where love [0160] is, than a stalled [075] ox [07794] and hatred [08135] therewith.

¹⁹ Also thou shalt lie down [07257], and none shall make thee afraid [02729]; yea, many [07227] shall make suit [02470] unto thee [06440].

¹⁸ A wrathful [02534] man [0376] stirreth up [01624] strife [04066]: but he that is slow [0750] to anger [0639] appeaseth [08252] strife [07379].

²⁸ For ye say [0559], Where is the house [01004] of the prince [05081]? and where are the dwelling [04908] places [0168] of the wicked [07563]?