Amplified Bible
Proverbs 20:25
25It is a trap for a man to [speak a vow of consecration and] say rashly, “It is holy!” And [not until] afterward consider [whether he can fulfill it].
Proverbs 20:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
- New International Version (NIV)It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows.
- English Standard Version (ESV)It is a snare to say rashly, "It is holy," and to reflect only after making vows.
- New King James Version (NKJV)It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.
Context of Proverbs 20:25
23Differing weights are detestable and offensive to the Lord, And fraudulent scales are not good. 24Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the Lord. How then can a man [fully] understand his way? It is a trap for a man to [speak a vow of consecration and] say rashly, “It is holy!” And [not until] afterward consider [whether he can fulfill it]. 26A wise king sifts out the wicked [from among the good] And drives the [threshing] wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain]. 27The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.
Read all of Proverbs 20Proverbs 20:25 word by word
מוֹקֵ֣שׁ אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְאַחַ֖ר נְדָרִ֣ים לְבַקֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 20:25
- Proverbs 18:7A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
- Leviticus 5:15“If a person commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, valued by you in shekels of silver, that is, the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.
- Leviticus 22:10‘No layman [that is, someone outside of Aaron’s family] is to eat the holy gift [which has been offered to God]; a foreigner residing with the priest or a hired man shall not eat the holy thing.
- Leviticus 27:30‘And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
- Malachi 3:8“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld].
- Leviticus 27:9‘Now if it is an animal of the kind which men can present as an offering to the Lord, any such that one gives to the Lord shall be holy.
- Numbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself with a pledge [of abstinence], he shall not break (violate, profane) his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow.
- Matthew 5:33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].’
Commentaries on Proverbs 20:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25Who devoureth that which is holy - It is a sin to take that which belongs to God, his worship, or his work, and devote it to one's own use. And after vows to make inquiry - That is, if a man be inwardly making a rash vow, the fitness or unfitness, the necessity, expediency, and propriety of the thing should be first carefully considered. But how foolish to make the vow first, and afterwards to inquire whether it was right in the sight of God to do it!…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Better, It is a snare to a man to utter a vow (of consecration) rashly, and after vows to inquire whether he can fulfill them. Both clauses are a protest against the besetting sin of rash and hasty vows. Compare the marginal reference.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25Verse 25 The evasions men often use with their own consciences show how false and deceitful man is.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25It is important to consider the cost before making a promise to God (see Judges 11:29–40; Ecclesiastes 5:4–6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. devoureth ... holy--or, better, "who rashly speaks promises," or "devotes what is holy," consecrating any thing. This suits better the last clause, which expresses a similar view of the results of rashly vowing.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 20:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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