PRO 27

Proverbs 27:10

WEB

Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.

BSB

Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

KJV

Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

Matthew Henry

Verses 9–10

Proverbs 27:9–10

Here is, 1. A charge given to be faithful and constant to our friends, our old friends, to keep up an intimacy with them, and to be ready to do them all the offices that lie in our power. It is good to have a friend, a bosom-friend, whom we can be free with, and with whom we may communicate counsels. It is not necessary that this friend should be a relation, or any way akin to us, though it is happiest when, among those who are so, we find one fit to make a friend of. Peter and Andrew were brethren, so were James and John; yet Solomon frequently distinguishes between a friend and a brother. But it is advisable to choose a friend among our neighbours who live near us, that acquaintance may be kept up and kindnesses the more frequently interchanged. It is good also to have a special respect to those who have been friends to our family: "Thy own friend, especially if he have been thy father's friend, forsake not; fail not both to serve him and to use him, as there is occasion. He is a tried friend; he knows thy affairs; he has a particular concern for thee; therefore be advised by him." It is a duty we owe to our parents, when they are gone, to love their friends and consult with them. Solomon's son undid himself by forsaking the counsel of his father's friends. 2. A good reason given why we should thus value true friendship and be choice of it. (1.) Because of the pleasure of it. There is a great deal of sweetness in conversing and consulting with a cordial friend. It is like ointment and perfume, which are very grateful to the smell, and exhilarate the spirits. It rejoices the heart; the burden of care is made lighter by unbosoming ourselves to our friend, and it is a great satisfaction to us to have his sentiments concerning our affairs. The sweetness of friendship lies not in hearty mirth, and hearty laughter, but in hearty counsel, faithful advice, sincerely given and without flattery, by counsel of the soul (so the word is), counsel which reaches the case, and comes to the heart, counsel about soul-concerns, Psa 66:16. We should reckon that the most pleasant conversation which is about spiritual things, and promotes the prosperity of the soul. (2.) Because of the profit and advantage of it, especially in a day of calamity. We are here advised not to go into a brother's house, not to expect relief from a kinsman merely for kindred-sake, for the obligation of that commonly goes little further than calling cousin and fails when it comes to the trial of a real kindness, but rather to apply ourselves to our neighbours, who are at hand, and will be ready to help us at an exigence. It is wisdom to oblige them by being neighbourly, and we shall have the benefit of it in distress, by finding them so to us, Psa 18:24.

Cross-references: Ps 66:16 · Ps 18:24

Hebrew interlinear

H7453

רֵעַrêaʻ/ray'-ah/

n-m — associate

Derivation: or רֵיעַ; from 7462;

an associate (more or less close)

KJV: brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, × (an-) other.

רֵעַ

n.m — friend

רֵעַ 187 n.m. friend, companion, fellow

H1

אָבʼâb/awb/

n-m — father

Derivation: a primitive word;

father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

KJV: chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.

אָב

n.m — father

אָב 1101 n.m. father

1. father of individual

2. of God as father of his people

3. head of household, family or clan

4. ancestor

5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

6. fig. of producer, generator

7. fig. of benevolence & protection

8. term of respect & honor

9. specif., ruler, chief (late)

H408

אַלʼal/al/

adv — not, nothing

Derivation: a negative particle (akin to 3808);

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

KJV: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.

אַל

adv. of negation — not

אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition

H5800

עָזַבʻâzab/aw-zab'/

v — loosen, relinquish, permit

Derivation: a primitive root;

to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.

KJV: commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, × surely.

עָזַב

vb — restore

[עָזַב] vb. restore, repair (?);—Qal Ne 3:8

עָזַב

vb — leave

עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose

Qal

1. leave, c. acc.

2. leave, abandon, forsake

3. let loose, set free, let go

Niph.

1. be left to

2. be forsaken, of house of God

Pu. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city

H1004

בַּיִתbayith/bah'-yith/

n-m — a house

Derivation: probably from 1129 abbreviated;

a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

KJV: court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).

בֵּית

prep — between

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

בַּ֫יִת

n.m — house

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

1. house

2. place

3. receptacle

4. of house as containing a family

5. household, family (592 t.)

6. house, including household affairs

7. lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

8. מִבַּיִת

a. adv. on the inside

b. prep. within

H251

אָחʼâch/awkh/

n-m — brother

Derivation: a primitive word;

a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like 1])

KJV: another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.

אָח

n.m — brother

אָח 630 n.m. brother

1. brother, born of same mother (& father)

2. indef. = relative

3. fig. of resemblance

4. in phr. one … another

H935

בּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/

v — go, come

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.

בּוֹא

vb — come in

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

1. come in

2. come (approach, arrive)

3. go, i.e. walk, associate with

4. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

1. cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

2. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

a. be brought in (of pers. and things)

b. be brought

c. be introduced, put

H3117

יוֹםyôwm/yome/

n-m — day

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to be hot;

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

KJV: age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.

יוֹם

n.m — day

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

1. day, opp. night

2. Day as division of time

3. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

4. Pl. days of anyone

5. Days

6. יוֹם = time

7. Phrases

H343

אֵידʼêyd/ade/

n-m — oppression, misfortune, ruin

Derivation: from the same as 181 (in the sense of bending down);

oppression; by implication misfortune, ruin

KJV: calamity, destruction.

אֵיד

n.m — distress

אֵיד n.m. distress, calamity

1. national calam. of Isr. (apostate)

2. of righteous sufferer

3. oft. of wicked

H2896

טוֹבṭôwb/tobe/

a n-m n-f — good

Derivation: from 2895;

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

KJV: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, × fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).

טוֹב

n.m — a good thing

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. good = benefit

4. moral good

טוֹב

adj — pleasant

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

1. pleasant, agreeable to the senses

2. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

3. good, excellent, of its kind

4. good, rich, valuable in estimation

5. good, appropriate, becoming

6. c. מִן compar. = better

7. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

8. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

9. good, kind, benign

10. good (ethical), right

טוֹבָה

n.f — welfare

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. bounty, good

H7934

שָׁכֵןshâkên/shaw-kane'/

a — resident, fellow-citizen

Derivation: from 7931;

a resident; by extension, a fellow-citizen

KJV: inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.

שָׁכֵן

adj — inhabitant

שָׁכֵן adj. inhabitant, neighbor

H7138

קָרוֹבqârôwb/kaw-robe'/

a — near

Derivation: or קָרֹב; from 7126;

near (in place, kindred or time)

KJV: allied, approach, at hand, any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly).

קָרֹב

adj. — near

קָרֹב, קָרוֹב 78 adj. near;—

1. of city, the nearest

2. of pers.:

a. the nearest to; his neighbour.

b. abs.

c. of near relationship

d. near to י׳

e. near to י׳ in ceremon. function

f. of God (י׳)

g. of word

3. of time

H7350

רָחוֹקrâchôwq/raw-khoke'/

a — remote, precious

Derivation: or רָחֹק; from 7368;

remote, literally or figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often used adverbially (with preposition)

KJV: (a-) far (abroad, off), long ago, of old, space, great while to come.

רָחֹק

adj — distant

רָחֹק, רָחוֹק adj. distant, far, et n.m. distance

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