Proverbs 27:19 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

The sense is either,

1. As the image of a man's face in the water answers to his natural face who looks into it; or, as in water one man's face is like another s, the difference of men's faces being not there visible: so one man resembles another, either in the temper of his mind or body, in which many men are alike one to another; or in the corruption of his nature, in which all are alike. Or,

2. As a man may see his own face if he look into the water, which is nature's looking-glass, or into any other looking glass; so a man may discern his own heart, if he look into those glasses whereby it discovers itself; if he examine his thoughts and inclinations, together with the general course of his actions. Or,

3. As the face of a man standing by the waters is visible not only to himself, but to others, by the shadow or image of it in the waters; so the heart of a man is in some measure discernible, not only to himself, but to others also, who observe his disposition and carriage.

Proverbs 27:19

19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.