Proverbs 14:29

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) He that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly—i.e., brings it into view, or shows himself highly foolish. Or it may signify, “he takes up and carries away folly as his portion,” as Proverbs 3:35 may be translated, “fools receive shame for their portion.”

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 14:29. He that is slow to wrath, &c. — He who is not soon provoked to anger by reproaches or ill usage, shows himself to be a wise and great man; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly — Exposes his folly, and makes it apparent to every body. Hebrew, מרים אולת, lifteth up folly, displays it like a banner.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:18. Sin is the shame of sinners; but wisdom is the honour of the wise. 19. Even bad men acknowledge the excellency of God's people. 20. Friendship in the world is governed by self-interest. It is good to have God our Friend; he will not desert us. 21. To despise a man for his employment or appearance is a sin. 22. How wisely those consult their own interest, who not only do good, but devise it! 23. Labour of the head, or of the hand, will turn to some good account. But if men's religion runs all out in talk and noise, they will come to nothing. 24. The riches of men of wisdom and piety enlarge their usefulness. 25. An upright man will venture the displeasure of the greatest, to bring truth to light. 26,27. Those who fear the Lord so as to obey and serve him, have a strong ground of confidence, and will be preserved. Let us seek to this Fountain of life, that we may escape the snares of death. 28. Let all that wish well to the kingdom of Christ, do what they can, that many may be added to his church. 29. A mild, patient man is one that learns of Christ, who is Wisdom itself. Unbridled passion is folly made known. 30. An upright, contented, and benevolent mind, tends to health. 31. To oppress the poor is to reproach our Creator. 32. The wicked man has his soul forced from him; he dies in his sins, under the guilt and power of them. But godly men, though they have pain and some dread of death, have the blessed hope, which God, who cannot lie, has given them. 33. Wisdom possesses the heart, and thus regulates the affections and tempers. 34. Piety and holiness always promote industry, sobriety, and honesty. 35. The great King who reigns over heaven and earth, will reward faithful servants who honour his gospel by the proper discharge of the duties of their stations: he despises not the services of the lowest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Exalteth folly - Lifts it up, as it were, on high, and exposes it to the gaze of all men.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

29. slow … understanding—(Compare Pr 14:17).

hasty—(Compare Pr 14:17).

exalteth folly—makes it conspicuous, as if delighting to honor it.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Is of great understanding; showeth great and true wisdom in conquering his sinful and shameful passions.

Exalteth, Heb. lifteth up, like a banner; makes it known and visible to all men.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding,.... Or "long in wrath" (e); it is long before he is angry; he is longsuffering, bears much and long, is very patient; such an one appears to understand himself and human nature, and has a great command over his passions; which shows him to be a man of great wisdom and understanding;

but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly; or is "short of spirit" (f); is soon angry; presently discovers resentment in his words, looks, and gestures; such an one "exalts folly", prefers it to wisdom, sets it above himself, and makes it his master: or he "lifts" it (g) up; exposes his folly to public view, so that it is seen of all men to his disgrace.

(e) "longus iris", Vatablus; "longus naribus", Montanus; "longus narium", Schultens. (f) "brevis spiritu", Montanus, Vatblus. Cocceius, Merceus, Michaelis; "curtus spiritu", Schultens. (g) "attollit", Mercerus, Piscator; "alte proclamat", Schultens; "elevat", Baynus.

Geneva Study Bible

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29. slow to wrath] Comp. βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, James 1:19.

exalteth] The Heb. word may either mean, with A.V. and R.V. text, lifteth up, i.e. gives it prominence, brings it into notice; or, with R.V. marg., taketh up, and so carrieth away, as his possession. The first of these is to be preferred.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29. - He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. The Hebrew expression for what the Septuagint calls μακροθυμος, "long suffering," and the Vulgate, patiens, is "long in nostrils" (Proverbs 15:18), as the contrary temper, which we had in ver. 17, is "short in nostrils." That organ, into which was breathed the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), is taken as the seat of the inward spirit, and as showing by exterior signs the dominant feeling. The original is very terse, "long in nostrils, great in understanding." A man's prudence and wisdom are displayed by his being slow to take offence and being patient under injury. He that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly; i.e. flaunts it in the eyes of all men, makes plain exposure of it. Septuagint, "He who is short in temper is a mighty fool." "Passion," says an old saw, "makes fools of the wise. and shows the folly of the foolish" (comp. Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 13:16). The word rendered "exalteth," צּצּצּ (marim), occurs in Proverbs 3:35, and is taken by Delitzsch and Nowack in the sense of "carries away" as the assured result. "By anger," says St. Gregory ('Moral.,' 5:78), "wisdom is parted with, so that we are left wholly in ignorance what to do, and in what order to do it.... Anger withdraws the light of understanding, while by agitating it troubles the mind." Proverbs 14:29

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

29 He that is slow to anger is rich in understanding;

     But he that is easily excited carries off folly.

ארך אפּים (constr. of ארך) is he who puts off anger long, viz., the outbreak of anger, האריך, Proverbs 19:11, i.e., lets it not come in, but shuts it out long (μακρόθυμος equals βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, James 1:19); and קצר־רוּח, he who in his spirit and temper, viz., as regards anger (for רוּח denotes also the breathing out and snorting, Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 33:11), is short, i.e., (since shortness of time is meant) is rash and suddenly (cf. quick to anger, praeceps in iram, 17a) breaks out with it, not ὀλιγόψυχος (but here ὀξύθυμος), as the lxx translate 17a. The former, who knows how to control his affections, shows himself herein as "great in understanding" (cf. 2 Samuel 23:20), or as a "man of great understanding" (Lat. multus prudenti); the contrary is he who suffers himself to be impelled by his affections into hasty, inconsiderate action, which is here expressed more actively by מרים אוּלת. Does this mean that he bears folly to the view (Luther, Umbreit, Bertheau, Elster, and others)? But for that idea the Mishle style has other expressions, Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 13:16; Proverbs 15:2, cf. Proverbs 14:17. Or does it mean that he makes folly high, i.e., shows himself highly foolish (lxx, Syr., Targum, Fleischer, and others)? But that would be expressed rather by הגדּיל or הרבּה. Or is it he heightens folly (Lwenstein, Hitzig)? But the remark that the angry ebullition is itself a gradual heightening of the foolish nature of such an one is not suitable, for the choleric man, who lets the evenness of his disposition be interrupted by a breaking forth of anger, is by no means also in himself a fool. Rashi is right when he says, מפרישה לחלקו, i.e., (to which also Fleischer gives the preference) aufert pro portione sua stultitiam. The only appropriate parallel according to which it is to be explained, is Proverbs 3:35. But not as Ewald: he lifts up folly, which lies as it were before his feet on his life's path; but: he takes off folly, in the sense of Leviticus 6:8, i.e., he carries off folly, receives a portion of folly; for as to others, so also to himself, when he returns to calm blood, that which he did in his rage must appear as folly and madness.