20:1 A mocker - Wine immoderately drunk makes men mockers. Raging - Makes men full of rage.

20:2 The fear - The terror which the wrath of a king causes.

20:3 Meddling - Is always ready to begin strife, and obstinate in the continuance of it.

20:5 Counsel - Designs of doing something of moment. Deep water - Is secret and hard to be discovered.

20:8 His eyes - With his very looks, or by his diligent inspection into affairs.

20:10 Divers - One greater for shew and one lesser for use.

20:11 Is known - The future disposition of a man may be probably conjectured from his childish manners.

20:13 Open - Shake off sloth and betake thyself to thy employment with diligence and vigour.

20:15 The lips - But wise speeches are of far greater worth.

20:16 Take - As a pledge, without which he ought not to be trusted. Of him - That is surety.

20:18 Established - The way to bring our purposes to good effect is to manage them with serious consideration.

20:20 Lamp - His name and memory shall utterly perish.

20:24 His way - What the issue of his designs will be.

20:25 A snare - It brings guilt upon him. After - After a man has made vows to enquire for ways to break them.

20:26 The wheel - As the cart - wheel was anciently turned over the sheaves to beat the corn out of them. He punishes them as their offences deserve.

20:27 The spirit - The reasonable soul. The candle - Is a clear and glorious light set up in man for his information and direction. Of the Lord - So called because it comes from God in a more immediate manner than the body, Eccles 12:7, and because it is in God's stead, to observe and judge all our actions. Searching - Discerning not only his outward actions, which are visible to others, but his most inward thoughts and affections. The belly is here put for the heart, as it is frequently.

20:30 The blueness - Grievous wounds, which make men black and blue; or severe punishments. Cleanseth - Are the means to reclaim a wicked man, and to purge out his corruption. The belly - Of the heart. Grievous wounds or stripes cleanse not only the outward man by keeping it from evil actions, but even the inward man, by expelling or subduing vile affections: which is a great and blessed benefit of afflictions.