John Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 26:9

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, etc.] And he perceives it not; or being in his hand he makes an ill use of it, and hurts himself and others with it; so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools, a proverbial sentence respecting religious matters; or a passage of holy Scripture which either he understands not, and has no spiritual perception of, any more than the drunkard has of the thorn in his hand; or which being used as a pun, or by way of jest, as it is the manner of some to pun upon or jest with the Scripture, hurts himself and others, wounds his own conscience, and ruins the souls of others; for it is dangerous meddling with edge tools, and hard to kick against the pricks; so to do is like a drunken man’s handling thorns, which he does without judgment, and to his own prejudice and others. Gussetiusf720 understands this of a fish hook coming up into the hand of a drunkard empty, without taking any thing by it, and so alike useless is what is said by a fool.

Read Proverbs 26:9 →Read the full chapter →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Wesley's Explanatory Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →Keil & Delitzsch →

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