Proverbs 22:29
WEB
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.
BSB
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
KJV
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H2372
v — gaze, perceive, contemplate, have a vision of
Derivation: a primitive root;
to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have a vision of
KJV: behold, look, prophesy, provide, see.
vb — see
חָזָה vb. (almost wholly poet.) see, behold
Qal
1. see, behold
2. see as a seer in the ecstatic state
3. see, perceive
H376
n-m — man
Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.
n.m — man
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
H4106
a — quick, skilful
Derivation: or מָהִר; from 4116;
quick; hence, skilful
KJV: diligent, hasty, ready.
adj — quick
מָהִיר adj. quick, prompt, ready, skilled
H4399
n-f — deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property
Derivation: from the same as 4397;
properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor)
KJV: business, cattle, industrious, occupation, ( -pied), officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).
n.f — occupation
מְלָאכָה 167 n.f. occupation, work
1. occupation, business
2. property in which one is occupied
3. work as something done or made
4. workmanship
5. service, use
6. public business
H6440
n-m — face, before
Derivation: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from 6437);
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
KJV: accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.
n.m — face
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
I.
1. face, faces
2.
a. presence, person
b. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
3. face of seraphim
4. face of animals
5. face (= surface) of ground
6. as adv.loc. before
7. for other phrases
II. with prepositions
H4428
n-m — king
Derivation: from 4427;
a king
KJV: king, royal.
n.m — king
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
H3320
v — place, station, offer, continue
Derivation: a primitive root;
to place (any thing so as to stay); reflexively, to station, offer, continue
KJV: present selves, remaining, resort, set (selves), (be able to, can, with-) stand (fast, forth, -ing, still, up).
vb — set oneself
[יָצַב] vb. only Hithp. set or station oneself, take one's stand
H1077
adv — failure, nothing, not, lest
Derivation: from 1086;
properly, a failure; by implication nothing; usually (adverb) not at all; also lest
KJV: lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing.
adv — not
בַּל 69 adv. not
H2823
a — dark
Derivation: from 2821;
dark (figuratively, i.e. obscure)
KJV: meaning
Bible49 app
Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.
See Bible49
Verse 29
Proverbs 22:29
Here is, 1. A plain intimation what a hard thing it is to find a truly ingenious industrious man: "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? Thou wilt not see many such, so epidemical are dulness and slothfulness." He is here commended who lays out himself to get business, though it be but in a very low and narrow sphere, and is not easy when he is out of business, who loves business, is quick and active in it, and goes through it, not only with constancy and resolution, but with dexterity and expedition, a man of despatch, who knows how to bring a deal of business into a little compass. 2. A moral prognostication of the preferment of such a man; though now he stands before mean men, is employed by them and attends upon them, yet he will rise, and is likely enough to stand before kings, as an ambassador to foreign kings or prime-minister of state to his own. Seest thou a man diligent in the business of religion? He is likely to excel in virtue, and shall stand before the King of kings.