Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryProverbs 26:14
As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. Jump to: Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Keil & Delitzsch • Henry's Complete • Henry's Concise • Wesley's Notes • Trapp's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleAs the door turneth upon his hinges,.... And moves this way and that way, and opens and shuts, and yet hangs where it did, is not moved from its place: so doth the slothful upon his bed; he turns himself from side to side, but is still on his bed, and does not move out of it, and go about his business. Aben Ezra makes mention of another reading and sense, "the door turneth upon his hinges", and is opened to let men out, one and another, to his work; "but yet the slothful man is upon his bed"; though one and another rise and go about business, and he hears the door open again and again, he stirs not, but keeps his, bed. So profane sinners lie on the bed of sinful lusts and sensual pleasures, indulge themselves in chambering and wantonness, and do not care to rise from hence, and walk honestly as in the daytime; and though their consciences are sometimes jogged by inward pricks, and they are moved a little by the reproofs of their friends, or awakened by the judgments of God; yet these are quickly over, and they give themselves a turn and go to sleep again: sometimes there are some motions in them, some thoughts and resolutions of amendment, some purposes to do good works; but, alas! their slothfulness is so great, and the habits and customs of sin so strong, that they cannot break through them, shake off their sloth, and come out, but remain as they were: and so it is with carnal professors, resting in their own works, and in a round of duties; and after ten, twenty, thirty years' profession, or more, they are just where they were; have no spiritual knowledge, judgment, and experience. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible(Compare Proverbs 6:10; Proverbs 24:33). Copyright Statement Bibliography Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament14 The door turneth on its hinges, And the sluggard on his bed. The comparison is clear. The door turns itself on its hinges, on which it hangs, in and out, without passing beyond the narrow space of its motion; so is the fool on his bed, where he turns himself from the one side to the other. He is called עצל , because he is fast glued to the place where he is (Arab. 'azila ), and cannot be free (contrast of the active, cf. Arab. ḥafyf , moving nimbly, agilis ). But the door offers itself as a comparison, because the diligent goes out by it to begin his work without (Proverbs 24:27; Psalms 104:23), while the sluggard rolls himself about on his bed. The hook, the hinge, on which the door is moved, called ציר , from צוּר , to turn, (Note: The Arab. verb signifies radically: to turn, like the Persian verbs kashatn and kardydan , and like our “ werden ” to grow, turn, accords with vertere (Fleischer).) has thus the name of הסּוב . Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the BibleHaving seen the slothful man in fear of his work, here we find him in love with his ease; he lies in his bed on one side till he is weary of that, and then turns to the other, but still in his bed, when it is far in the day and work is to be done, as the door is moved, but not removed; and so his business is neglected and his opportunities are let slip. See the sluggard's character. 1. He is one that does not care to get out of his bed, but seems to be hung upon it, as the door upon the hinges. Bodily ease, too much consulted, is the sad occasion of many a spiritual disease. Those that love sleep will prove in the end to have loved death. 2. He does not care to get forward with his business; in that he stirs to and fro a little, but to no purpose; he is where he was. Slothful professors turn, in profession, like the door upon the hinges. The world and the flesh are the two hinges on which they are hung, and though they move in a course of external services, have got into road of duties, and tread around in them like the horse in the mill, yet they get no good, they get no ground, they are never the nearer heaven - sinners unchanged, saints unimproved. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the BibleHaving seen the slothful man in fear of his work, here we find him in love with his ease. Bodily ease is the sad occasion of many spiritual diseases. He does not care to get forward with his business. Slothful professors turn thus. The world and the flesh are hinges on which they are hung; and though they move in a course of outward services, yet they are not the nearer to heaven. Copyright Statement Bibliography Wesley's Explanatory NotesAs the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. Turneth — Moving hither and thither upon it, but not removing from its place. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryProverbs 26:14 [As] the door turneth upon his hinges, so [doth] the slothful upon his bed. Ver. 14. As the door turneth upon his hinges.] But comes not off, unless lifted or knocked off. So neither comes the sluggard out of his feathered nest, where he lies soaking and stretching, unless hard hunger or other necessity rouse and raise him. As abroad there is a lion, so at home there is a lusk, a lurdam, and a losel, that lives in the worm to no purpose - yea, to bad purpose, and being wise in his own conceit, will not accept of better counsel. Those whose heads are laid upon down pillows are not apt to hear noises; no more are those that live at ease in Zion to hearken to wholesome advice, or if sometimes they have a kind of willingness and velleity to do better, yet it is but as the door that turns on the hinges, but yet hangs still upon them. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleTurneth upon his hinges; moving hither and thither upon them, but not removing one jot from its place. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14. As the door turneth — “Doors anciently turned on vertical pivots. As the door moves on its hinges, but not from them, so the sluggard moves on, but not from, his bed.” — Muenscher. Conant gives it very neatly: “The door turns on its hinges, and the sluggard on his couch.” So also Zockler. Compare Proverbs 6:10; Proverbs 24:33. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryBed, which he will scarcely leave, though avarice push him forward. (St. Augustine, ser. xxii. or clxiv.) Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedAs the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so (doth) the slothful upon his bed. As the door moves round the same center, and cannot be separated from it. It moves, indeed, but does not move forward. So the slothful lies now on this side, now on that, but will not be torn from his bed. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeAs the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
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