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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 22:9 - 22:9
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9 He who is friendly is blessed;
Because he giveth of his bread to the poor.
The thought is the same as at Pro 11:25. טוֹב עַיִן (thus to be written without Makkeph, with Munach of the first word, with correct Codd., also 1294 and Jaman), the contrast of רַע עַיִן, Pro 23:6; Pro 22:22, i.e., the envious, evil-eyed, ungracious (post-bibl. also צר עַיִן), is one who looks kindly, is good-hearted, and as ἱλαρὸς δότης, shows himself benevolent. Such gentleness and kindness is called in the Mishna עַיִן טוֹבָה (Aboth ii. 13), or עַיִן יָפָה. Such a friend is blessed, for he has also himself scattered blessings (cf. גַּם־הוּא, Pro 11:25; Pro 21:13); he has, as is said, looking back from the blessing that has happened to him, given of his bread (Luther, as the lxx, with partitive genitive: seines brots = of his bread) to the poor; cf. the unfolding of this blessing of self-denying love, Isa 8. The lxx has also here another distich:
Νίκην καὶ τιμὴν περιποιεῖται ὁ δῶρα δοὺς,
Τὴν μέντοι ψυχὴν ἀφαιρεῖται τῶν κεκτημένων.
The first line appears a variant translation of Pro 19:6, and the second of Pro 1:19, according to which selfishness, in contrast to liberality, is the subject to be thought of. Ewald translates the second line: And he (who distributes gifts) conquers the soul of the recipients. But κεκτημένος = בַּעַל (בְּעָלים) signifies the possessor, not the recipient of anything as a gift, who cannot also be here meant because of the μέντοι.