Proverbs 20:29

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) The beauty of old men is the grey head.—As suggesting the possession of experience and wisdom. It is the fault of the aged, therefore, if they do not receive the honour due to them, and this arises from their not having so spent their youth and middle age as to make their old age venerable.

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 20:29. The glory of young men — That wherein they glory as their privilege above old men; is their strength — Namely, of body, and vigour and courage of mind; their fitness for action, their ability to go through business, and overcome difficulties which the aged and weak cannot grapple with. Their strength is their glory, provided they use it well, namely, in the service of God and their country, and not of their lusts; and that they be not proud of it, nor trust to it, remembering that it may soon become weakness, and that while they retain it, its being made a comfort to themselves, and useful to others, depends entirely on the blessing of God. And the beauty of old men is the gray head — That which makes old men venerable is their gravity and experience, which qualify them to give counsel in matters of doubt and difficulty, which are important. The design of this proverb is to declare the peculiar advantages which persons of different ages possess, and the mutual need which they have one of another; and thereby to excite them to mutual love and assistance, and to make every one contented with his own age and condition; and neither to envy nor despise his brother, for the difference of his age and situation in life, as is very usual among men.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:23. A bargain made by fraud will prove a losing bargain in the end. 24. How can we form plans, and conduct business, independently of the Lord? 25. The evasions men often use with their own consciences show how false and deceitful man is. 26. Justice should crush the wicked, and separate them from the virtuous. 27. The rational soul and conscience are as a lamp within us, which should be used in examining our dispositions and motives with the revealed will of God. 28. Mercy and truth are the glories of God's throne. 29. Both young and old have their advantages; and let neither despise or envy the other.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The spirit of man - The "breath" of Genesis 2:7, the higher life, above that which he has in common with lower animals, coming to him direct from God. Such a life, with all its powers of insight, consciousness, reflection, is as a lamp which God has lighted, throwing its rays into the darkest recesses of the heart. A still higher truth is proclaimed in the Prologue of John's Gospel. The candle, or lamp of Yahweh, derives its light from "the Light that lighteth every man," even the Eternal Word.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

29. The glory of young men … the beauty of old men—Each age has its peculiar excellence (Pr 16:31).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The glory of young men; that wherein they glory as their privilege above old men.

The beauty of old men is the grey head, i.e. their old age, expressed by the outward sign of it, wherein they glory as their peculiar privilege, as a testimony of their piety and God’s blessing, and as a token of their great experience and wisdom. The design of this proverb is to declare the several advantages of several ages, and the mutual need they have one of another, and thereby to engage them to mutual love and assistance, and to friendly converse, and to make every one contented with his own age and condition, and not to envy nor yet despise his brother, or the difference of their ages, as is very usual among men.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The glory of young men is their strength,.... That is the excellent thing in them, and it is to their honour when it is employed in the service of their king and country, and especially in the service of God and religion; though it does not become them to glory in it, Jeremiah 9:23;

and the beauty of old men is the gray head; an index of wisdom and prudence; see Job 12:12. The design of the proverb is to show that both have their excellencies and usefulness, young men and old men, and should not despise one another; nor either of them be despised in a commonwealth, both being useful in it, the one for strength, the other for counsel; and so in the church of Christ; see 1 John 2:13.

Geneva Study Bible

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29. - The glory of young men is their strength. That which makes the ornament (tiphereth) of youth is unimpaired strength and vigour, which can only be attained by due exercise combined with self-control. The moralist (Ecclesiastes 11:9) bids the young man rejoice in his youth, and let his heart cheer him in those happy days, but at the same time remember that he is responsible for the use which he makes of his powers and faculties, for for all these things God will bring him to judgment. The Greek gives a needful warning -

Μέμνησο νέος α}ν ὡς γέρων ἔσῃ ποτέ

"In youth remember thou wilt soon be old." Septuagint, "Wisdom is an ornament to young men." But koach is bodily, not mental, power. The beauty of old men is the grey head (Proverbs 16:31). That which gives an honorable look to old age is the hoary head, which suggests wisdom and experience (comp. Ecclus. 25:3-6). On the other hand, the Greek gnomist warns -

Πολιὰ χρόνου μήνυσις οὐ φρονήσεως.

"Grey hairs not wisdom indicate, but age." Proverbs 20:29

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

29 The ornament of young men is their strength;

     And the honour of the old is grey hairs.

Youth has the name בּחוּר (different from בּחוּר, chosen), of the maturity (R. בחר, cogn. בכר, בגר, whence Mishn. בּגרוּת, manhood, in contradistinction to נערוּת) into which he enters from the bloom of boyhood; and the old man is called זקן (Arab. dhikn, as Schultens says, a mento pendulo, from the hanging chin זקן, (Arab.) dhakan, chin, beard on the chin). To stand in the fulness of fresh unwasted strength is to youth, as such, an ornament (תּפארת, cf. פּארוּר, blooming colour of the countenance); on the contrary, to the old man who has spent his strength in the duties of his office, or as it is said at Proverbs 16:31, "in the way of righteousness," grey hairs (שׂיבה, from שׂב, Arab. shâb, canescere) give an honourable appearance (הדר, from הדר, turgidum, amplum esse, vid., at Isaiah 63:1).