Proverbs 24:10

“[If] thou faint in the day of adversity, etc.] When under bodily afflictions, stripping providences, reduced to great straits and wants; or under the violent persecutions of men, which is sometimes the case of the people of God; whose times are in his hands, times of adversity, as well as prosperity; and which are appointed by him, when they shall come, and how long they shall last; which is but for a short time, it is but a “day”, and yet they are apt to “faint” under them, through the number and continuance of their afflictions; and especially when they apprehend them to be in wrath; when they have a sense of their sins at such a time, and no view of pardon; when they are under the hidings…”

“Literally, "If thou fail in the day of straits (adversity), strait (or, small) is thy strength," which is then truly tested.”

“24:10 Saying 24: A wise person has self-control and strength under pressure (e.g., Dan 1:8-16; 3:1-18).”

“thou: Sa1 27:1; Job 4:5; Isa 40:28-31; Joh 4:8; Co2 4:1; Eph 3:13; Heb 12:3-5; Rev 2:3, Rev 2:13 small: Heb. narrow Proverbs 24:11”

“The last of these four distichs stands without visible connection: Hast thou shown thyself slack in the day of adversity, Then is thy strength small. The perf. 10a is the hypothetic, vid., at Pro 22:29. If a man shows himself remiss ( Pro 18:9), i.e., changeable, timorous, incapable of resisting in times of difficulty, then shall he draw therefrom the conclusion which is expressed in 10b. Rightly Luther, with intentional generalization, "he is not strong who is not firm in need." But the address makes the proverb an earnest admonition, which speaks to him who shows himself weak the judgment which he has to pronounce on himself. And the paronomasia צרה and צר may be rendered, where possible,…”