Proverbs 30:17
WEB
“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.
BSB
As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
KJV
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H5869
n-f — eye, fountain, eye
Derivation: probably a primitive word;
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
KJV: affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, ( well), × me, open(-ly), (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).
n.f — spring
n.f — eye
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
1. lit. as physical organ
2.
a. eyes as showing mental qualities
b. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
3. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
2. Transferred mngs.:
a. visible surface of earth
b. appearance
c. gleam, sparkle
5. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H3932
v — deride, speak unintelligibly
Derivation: a primitive root;
to deride; by implication (as if imitating a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly
KJV: have in derision, laugh (to scorn), mock (on), stammering.
vb — mock
[לָעַג] vb. mock, deride; also (Niph.) stammer, poet.
Qal mock, deride, have in derision
Niph. a people stammering of tongue (i.e. barbarians)
Hiph. mock, deride
H1
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-'.
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)
H936
v — disrespect
Derivation: a primitive root;
to disrespect
KJV: contemn, despise, × utterly.
vb — despise
[בּוּז] vb. despise
H3349
n-f — obedience
Derivation: from the same as 3348;
obedience
KJV: gathering, to obey.
n.f — obedience
[יִקְּהָה] n.f. obedience
H517
n-f — mother
Derivation: a primitive word;
a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
KJV: dam, mother, × parting.
n.f — mother
אֵם 221 n.f. mother
1. lit. (human) mother
2. fig. of Deborah as caring for her people
3. of animals, dam
4. = point of departure or division
H5365
v — bore, penetrate, quarry
Derivation: a primitive root;
to bore (penetrate, quarry)
KJV: dig, pick out, pierce, put (thrust) out.
vb — bore
[נָקַר] vb. bore, pick, dig
Qal both of boring, or picking out eye
Pi. both of boring out eyes
Pu. the quarry (fr. wh.) ye were digged.
H6158
n-m — raven
Derivation: or עוֹרֵב; from 6150;
a raven (from its dusky hue)
KJV: raven.
n.m — raven
עֹרֵב n.m. raven
H5158
n-m — stream, torrent, valley, shaft
Derivation: or (feminine) נַחְלָה; (Psalm 124:4), or נַחֲלָה; (Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28), from 5157 in its original sense;
a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine)
KJV: brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
n.m — torrent
נַ֫חַל n.m. torrent, torrent-valley, wady
H398
v — eat
Derivation: a primitive root;
to eat (literally or figuratively)
KJV: × at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, × freely, × in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, × quite.
vb — eat
אָכַל 806 vb. eat
Qal
1. eat, human subject
2. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
3. fig. of fire, devour, consume
4. of sword, devour, slay
5. in genl., devour, consume, destroy
6. fig. of oppression, devour the poor
Niph.
1. be eaten by man
2. be devoured by fire, consumed
3. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
Pu. be consumed
Hiph.
1. cause to eat, feed with
2. cause to devoure, obj. sword
H1121
n-m — son
Derivation: from 1129;
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
KJV: afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ( ) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, (young) bullock, (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, very fruitful, postage, × in, kid, lamb, ( ) man, meet, mighty, nephew, old, ( ) people, rebel, robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, spark, steward, stranger, × surely, them of, tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
n.m — son
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
1. son, male child, born of a woman
2. children (male and female)
3. youth, young men
4. the young of animals
5. of plant shoots
6. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
7.
a. member of a guild, order or class
b. of animals son of (the) herd
8. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
9. n. relat. of age
n.pr.m — his son
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
H5404
n-m — eagle
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to lacerate;
the eagle (or other large bird of prey)
KJV: eagle.
n.m — griffon-vulture
נֶשֶׁר n.m. griffon-vulture, eagle
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Verses 15–17
Proverbs 30:15–17
He had spoken before of those that devoured the poor (Pro 30:14), and had spoken of them last, as the worst of all the four generations there mentioned; now here he speaks of their insatiableness in doing this. The temper that puts them upon it is made up of cruelty and covetousness. Now those are two daughters of the horse-leech, its genuine offspring, that still cry, "Give, give, give more blood, give more money;" for the bloody are still blood-thirsty; being drunk with blood, they add thirst to their drunkenness, and will seek it yet again. Those also that love silver shall never be satisfied with silver. Thus, while from these two principles they are devouring the poor, they are continually uneasy to themselves, as David's enemies, Psa 59:14, Psa 59:15. Now, for the further illustration of this,
I. He specifies four other things which are insatiable, to which those devourers are compared, which say not, It is enough, or It is wealth. Those are never rich that are always coveting. Now these four things that are always craving are, 1. The grave, into which multitudes fall, and yet still more will fall, and it swallows them all up, and returns none, Hell and destruction are never full, Pro 27:20. When it comes to our turn we shall find the grave ready for us, Job 17:1. 2. The barren womb, which is impatient of its affliction in being barren, and cries, as Rachel did, Give me children. 3. The parched ground in time of drought (especially in those hot countries), which still soaks in the rain that comes in abundance upon it and in a little time wants more. 4. The fire, which, when it has consumed abundance of fuel, yet still devours all the combustible matter that is thrown into it. So insatiable are the corrupt desires of sinners, and so little satisfaction have they even in the gratification of them.
II. He adds a terrible threatening to disobedient children (Pro 30:17), for warning to the first of those four wicked generations, that curse their parents (Pro 30:11), and shows here,
1. Who they are that belong to that generation, not only those that curse their parents in heat and passion, but, (1.) Those that mock at them, though it be but with a scornful eye, looking with disdain upon them because of their bodily infirmities, or looking sour or dogged at them when they instruct or command, impatient at their checks and angry at them. God takes notice with what eye children look upon their parents, and will reckon for the leering look and the casts of the evil eye as well as for the bad language given them. (2.) Those that despise to obey them, that think it a thing below them to be dutiful to their parents, especially to the mother, they scorn to be controlled by her; and thus she that bore them in sorrow in greater sorrow bears their manners.
2. What their doom will be. Those that dishonour their parents shall be set up as monuments of God's vengeance; they shall be hanged in chains, as it were, for the birds of prey to pick out their eyes, those eyes with which they looked so scornfully on their good parents. The dead bodies of malefactors were not to hang all night, but before night the ravens would have picked out their eyes. If men do not punish undutiful children, God will, and will load those with the greatest infamy that conduct themselves haughtily towards their parents. Many who have come to an ignominious end have owned that the wicked courses that brought them to it began in a contempt of their parents' authority.
Cross-references: Prov 30:14 · Ps 59:14 · Ps 59:15 · Prov 27:20 · Job 17:1 · Prov 30:17 · Prov 30:11