Without counsel purposes are disappointed,.... If a man determines and resolves upon a matter, and at once hastily and precipitately goes about it, without mature deliberation, without consulting with himself, and taking the advice of others in forming a scheme to bring about his designs, it generally comes to nothing; see
Luke 14:28; or "without a secret" s without keeping one; if a man divulges his intentions, it is much if they are not frustrated; so the Targum,
"vain are the thoughts (or designs) where there is no secret;''
if a man makes no secret of what he designs to do, he is easily counterworked, and his purposes disappointed;
but in the multitude of counsellors they are established; his purposes are, as in Proverbs 20:18; having the advice of others, and these many, he is confirmed that he is right in what he has thought of and purposed to do; and therefore goes about it with the greater spirit and cheerfulness, and is most likely to succeed, and generally does; see
s באין סוד "in non secreto", Montanus; "cum non sit secretum", Baynus; "quum nullum est arcanum", Schultens; "ubi non est secretum", Cocceius.