Bridges on Proverbs 20:20
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 20:20
 
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20.  Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. {lamp: or, candle}
 
If darkness be the punishment, is it not also the cause of this atrocious sin? For surely even the light of nature must be extinguished, ere the child should curse even those who under God have taught it to speak — the authors and preservers of its existence; its greatest earthly benefactors. Even an undutiful look, much more a word, is an offense against the commandment. What then must be the weight of guilt involved in the cursing of them! The deepest reverence is due to them when they are dead. (Jeremiah 35:1-10.) What then must be the provocation of sinning against them while they are living for their children, in all the active, self-denying energy of love and service! This cursing, according to our LORD's standard, includes “setting light by father or mother;”† willful disobedience — a fearful, palpable mark of the last days.† How God regards it, let his own curse on Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:16), and his judgment of temporal death,† testify. The present degradation of Africa is a witness, on the confirming page of history, of the frown upon an undutiful son (Genesis 9:22-25) — his lamp put out in darkness.† And if the temporal sentence of death is repealed, the more awful judgment still remains unchangeably upon the Divine statute-book — obscure darkness — “the blackness of darkness” — darkness eternal without a ray of light, of which “blackness” is only the shadow, to shew what the substance must be.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jeremiah 35:1-10
1 ¶ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. 3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 4 And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: 5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. 6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: 7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. 8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; 9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: 10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
 
 
Footnote:
Matthew 15:3-6. The original words in Deuteronomy 27:16 (infra) precisely correspond.
 
 
Matthew 15:3-6
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
 
Deuteronomy 27:16
16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
 
 
Footnote:
2 Timothy 3:2. See also the black mark, Romans 1:30, 31.
 
 
2 Timothy 3:2
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
 
Romans 1:30, 31
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
 
 
Deuteronomy 27:16
16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
 
 
Footnote:
Exodus 21:15, 17. Leviticus 20:9. Deuteronomy 21:18-23. Compare chapter 30:17. The Roman punishment for a parricide was to be sewed up in a sack, and cast into the sea. — Cicer. pro Sext. Rosc. Amorino, xi.
 
 
Exodus 21:15, 17
15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. 17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
 
Leviticus 20:9
9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
 
Deuteronomy 21:18-23
18 ¶ If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. 22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
 
Proverbs 30:17
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
 
 
Genesis 9:22-25
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 24 ¶ And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
 
 
Footnote:
Chapter 13:9. Job 18:5, 6, 18. Jude 13. ‘The pupils of his eyes shall behold darkness.’ — LXX.
 
 
Proverbs 13:9
9 ¶ The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
 
Job 18:5, 6, 18
5 ¶ Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. 6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him. 18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
 
Jude 13.
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.