Proverbs 28:25

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) He that is of a proud heart.—Who thinks much of himself, “stirreth up strife” by his struggles with others for pre-eminence, and mostly gains only vexation and disappointment for his trouble; “but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat,” being richly rewarded with that “peace which passeth all understanding.”

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 28:25. He that is of a proud heart — High-minded, self-conceited, insolent, or ambitious; stirreth up strife — Because he is constantly endeavouring to advance and please himself, and hates and opposes all that stand in his way; and because he despises other men, is jealous of his own honour, and impatient of the least slight, affront, or injury; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord — Who is mean and vile in his own eyes, and therefore trusts not in himself, but in God only, making God’s will, and not his own, nor his passion, honour, or interest, the rule or end of his actions or pursuits, and who therefore can easily deny himself and yield to others, all which things are excellent means to prevent strife, and preserve and promote peace; shall be made fat — Shall live happily and comfortably, because he avoids that strife which makes men’s lives miserable.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

28:24. Here is the wickedness of those who think it no sin to rob their parents, by wheedling them or threatening them, or by wasting what they have, and running into debt. 25. Those make themselves always easy, that live in continual dependence upon God and his grace, and live by faith. 26. A fool trusts to his own strength, merit, and righteousness. And trusts to his own heart, which is not only deceitful above all things, but which has often deceived him. 27. A selfish man not only will not look out for objects of compassion, but will look off from those that call for his attention. 28. When power is put into the hands of the wicked, wise men decline public business. If the reader will go diligently over this and the other chapters, in many places where at first he may suppose there is least of Christ, still he will find what will lead to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall be made fat - He shall enjoy the two-fold blessing of abundance and tranquility (compare Proverbs 11:25).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25. of a proud heart—literally, "puffed up of soul"—that is, self-confident, and hence overbearing and litigious.

made fat—or, "prosperous" (Pr 11:25; 16:20).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He that is of a proud heart, whose property it is to overvalue himself, and to trust to himself and his own wit, or wealth, or strength, stirreth up strife, because he makes it his great business to advance and please himself, and hateth and opposeth all that stand in his way, and despiseth other men, and is very jealous of his honour, and impatient of the least slighting, or affront, or injury, and indulgeth his own passions; and therefore shall not be fat, but lean and miserable, as is implied from the opposite clause.

That putteth his trust in the Lord; which is mentioned as a plain and certain evidence of a humble man, who is mean and vile in his own eyes, and therefore trusts not to himself, but to God only, making God’s will, and not his own will, and passion, and interest, the rule of all his actions, and can easily deny himself, and yield to others, all which are excellent preventives of strife.

Shall be made fat; shall live happily and comfortably, because he avoids that strife which make men’s lives miserable.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife,.... Or, of a "large heart" (c), or has an enlarged one; not with useful knowledge and understanding, as Solomon had; nor a heart enlarged with love and affection to the souls of men, as the Apostle Paul had; but either has a covetous one, who enlarges its desire as hell, and is never satisfied with what he has, and so is continually contending with his neighbours, engaging in lawsuits for their property, or unwilling to pay his lawful debts; or of a proud spirit, and despises all around him, and cannot bear opposition and contradiction; and is of a wrathful and revengeful spirit, and always at variance with his neighbours and quarrelling with them; see Proverbs 18:15;

but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat; that trusts in the Lord, both for things temporal and spiritual; does not covet his neighbour's goods, nor disturbs his peace, nor injures his person or property to increase his own, but depends upon the Lord for a supply of necessary good things; such an one shall be fat and flourishing, both in his temporal and spiritual estate; all he does shall prosper; he shall want no good thing, Psalm 84:11.

(c) "latus animo", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; "amplus animo suo": Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "latus anima", Mercerus, Cocceius.

Geneva Study Bible

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made {m} fat.

(m) Will have all things in abundance.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. of a proud heart] Lit. wide of soul. This may mean having his soul enlarged, either by the elation of pride, as A.V. (comp. wide of heart, Proverbs 21:4; Psalm 101:5), or by the desire of gain, He that is of a greedy spirit, R.V. The expression breadth or width of heart is used in a good sense, 1 Kings 4:29 [Hebrews 5:9]. Comp. Psalm 119:32; Isaiah 60:5; 2 Corinthians 6:11.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife (Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 29:22); literally, he that is of a wide soul. This may certainly denote pride (qui se jactat et dilatat, Vulgate), in which case the gnome says that one who thinks much of himself and despises others is the cause of quarrels and dissensions, occasioned by his struggles for pre-eminence and the ill feeling arising from his overbearing and supercilious conduct. Others, and rightly, take the wide soul to denote covetousness (comp. Proverbs 23:2; Isaiah 14; Habakkuk 2:5). It is the man of insatiable desire, the grasping avaricious man, who excites quarrels and mars all peace, and in the end destroys himself. "Whence come wars," asks St. James (James 4:1), "and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members? Ye lust, and have act; ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war." Septuagint, "An unbelieving [ἄπιστος, Alexand. ἄπληστος, insatiate] man judgeth rashly." But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat (Proverbs 11:25; Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 29:25). The character here opposed to the covetous is that of the patient. God-fearing man, who is contented to do his duty, and leave the result in the Lord's hands. This man shall be made fat, shall be comforted and largely blessed, while he who puts his hope in material things shall fall into calamity. Septuagint, "He who trusts in the Lord will be in his care (ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ ἔσται)." Proverbs 28:25

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

25 The covetous stirreth up strife;

     But he that trusteth in Jahve is richly comforted.

Line first is a variation of Proverbs 15:18; רחב־נפשׁ is not to be interchanged with רחב־לב, Proverbs 21:4. He is of a wide heart who haughtily puffs himself up, of a wide soul (cf. with Schultens הרחיב נפשׁו, of the opening up of the throat, or of revenge, Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5) who is insatiably covetous; for לב is the spiritual, and נפשׁ the natural, heart of man, according to which the widening of the heart is the overstraining of self-consciousness, and the widening of the soul the overstraining of passion. Rightly the lxx, according to its original text: ἄπληστος ἀνὴρ κινεῖ (thus with Hitzig for κρινεῖ) νείκη. Line second is a variation of Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 29:25. Over against the insatiable is he who trusts in God (וּב טח, with Gaja to the vocal, concluding the word, for it follows a word accented on the first syllable, and beginning with a guttural; cf. יא, Proverbs 29:2; יףּ, Proverbs 29:18), that He will bestow upon him what is necessary and good for him. One thus contented is easily satisfied (compare with the word Proverbs 11:25; Proverbs 13:4, and with the matter, Proverbs 10:3; Proverbs 13:24), is externally as well as internally appeased; while that other, never contented, has no peace, and creates dispeace around him.