CRITICAL NOTES.—
Proverbs 21:24. Proud wrath, literally “wrath of pride,” or overflowings of haughtiness.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 21:24
A NAME OF DEGREES
I. Many terms are needed to set forth the complete character of the wicked man. A complicated machine has many parts, each of which has a different action and performs a different work, and each of which has its distinctive name. But the whole make up one machine, the name of which includes all the parts. So is it with a wicked man. He is like a complicated and destructive piece of machinery—all that he does and is may be comprehended in the general term, godless, or wicked; but the various vices which go to make up his character have their distinctive name. In this proverb three degrees of wickedness seem to be set forth under different names, each one being an intensified form of the vice that has gone before. First there is pride; the man overrates his own worth, and by so doing underrates the worth of others. From pride of heart comes haughtiness of conduct—he is overbearing and insolent in his bearing towards those whom he looks upon as his inferiors. Then he becomes a scorner—he despises all, whether good or bad, and so fills up the measure of wickedness. For when all feelings of respect and reverence for even human worth have died out of a man he cannot fall much lower.
II. Such a man is a constant vendor of what is within him. He dealeth in it; he cannot keep his pride and scorn to himself, it overflows in his contemptuous carriage, in his haughty look, in his angry words, and in his oppressive deeds. He may deny the fidelity of the portrait which Solomon here draws of him, but he whose dealings with his fellow-creatures are marked by these characteristics must submit to be called by the odious names here given.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
In the course of different proverbs this teacher will be found to have explained all his own use of terms. Piety as wisdom, and wickedness as folly—terms very characteristic of his books—he explains at the very first. Scorner is his favourite name for the impenitent. We were giving reasons for this under the eleventh verse.… The demurest sinner, who seems thoroughly respectful to the truth, would not push along so into the very jaws of death if he were not arrogantly trusting to himself, and if he felt not scornfully free from the necessities of the gospel.—Miller.
It is the nature of pride to show itself as losing the contentment of those things upon which it is placed, unless by showing of them it show itself in them. And yet so odious a vice is pride, and so shameful, as that it would fain hide itself also. But there is nothing that doth so manifest and make known the pride of anyone as his wrath doth; wherefore as the name of a man telleth who he is, so he who dealeth in wrath telleth his name.—Jermin.