Proverbs 21:6

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue,.... By telling lies in trade; by bearing false witness in a court of judicature; or by preaching false doctrines in the church of God: [is] a vanity tossed

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

By a lying tongue; by false witness-hearing, or by any other false or deceitful words or actions, whereby many men get riches. Is a vanity tossed to and fro; is like the chaff or smoke driven away by the wind; it is neither satisfactory nor durable, but quickly vanisheth away, as hath been frequently observed of estates ill gotten. That seek death; not designedly, but eventually, that take those courses which will bring death or destruction upon them or theirs.

Proverbs 21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue [is] a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.Ver. 6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue.] As do seducers, sycophants, flatterers, corrupt judges, that say with shame, "Give ye"; mercenary pleaders, that sell both their tongues and silence, and help their clients’ causes, as the wolf did the sheep of his cough, by sucking his blood; witnesses of the post that can lend an oath, as Jezebel’ s hired rake hells did, and will not stick to swear (if they may be well paid for it) that their friend or foe was at Rome and at Interamna both at once; false chapmen, that say the best of their worst commodities, and cheat the unwary buyer. These, and the like, though for a while they may thrive and ruffle, yet in the end they prosper not, but perish with their wealth, as the toad doth with his mouth full of earth. God blows upon their cursed hoards of evil gotten goods, scattering them as chaff before the wind. Destruction also dogs them at the heels, both temporal and eternal. This they are said to seek, scil., eventually, though not intentionally. They seek it, because they not only walk in the way to it, but run and flee with post haste, as if they were afraid that they should come too late, or that hell should be full before they got there. Thus Balaam’ s ass never carries him fast enough after the wages of wickedness. Set but a wedge of gold before Achan, and Joshua, that could stop the sun in his course, cannot stay him from the fingering of it. Judas, in selling his Master, what he doth doth "quickly." But with what issue? What got Balaam but a sword in his ribs? Achan, but the stones about his ears? Judas, but the halter about his neck? besides a worse thing in another world. Thus many a wretched worldling spins a fair thread to strangle himself both temporally and eternally. By covetousness they not only kill others, but desperately "drown themselves in perdition and destruction." Fuge ergo, dives, eiusmodi exitum - as St Ambrose concludes the stroy of Ahab’ s and Jezebel’ s fearful end - sed fugies eiusmondi exitum si fugeris huiusmodi flagitium, - Flee, O rich miser, such an end. Such an end you shall avoid, if you carefully flee from such sinful courses.

(6) Is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.—Rather, is (as) the driven (fleeting) breath of those who are seeking death. They are seeking in reality not riches, but death, and these riches will vanish like their own breath. (Comp. Wis 5:14; Psalms 68:2).

Verse 6. Of them that seek death] Instead of מבקשי mebakshey, "them that seek," several MSS., some ancient editions, with Symmachus, the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic, have מקשי mokeshey, the snares. He who gets treasures by a lying tongue, pursues vanity into the snares of death. Our common translation may be as good. But he who, by the snares of his tongue, endeavours to buy and sell to the best advantage, is pursuing what is empty in itself; and he is ensnared by death, while he is attempting to ensnare others.

6. a vanity &c.] Lit. a vapour dispersed; seekers of death. Thus in the abrupt, sententious style of the wisdom of the East the end is described both of the treasures so sought, and of those who so seek them. “A vapour dispersed,” unsubstantial and vanishing away are the treasures gotten by a lying tongue; “seekers of death,” men whose pursuit will end in their own destruction, are those who so acquire them. By the change of a letter in the Heb. word the LXX., Vulgate, and R.V. marg. have snạ ?res (instead of seekers) of death.

Vanity - Or, “a breath driven to and fro of those that are seeking death.” Another reading of the last words is: “of the snares of death” (compare 1 Timothy 6:9).

6. Getting of treasures — This is a difficult verse. I suggest this reading: The acquiring of treasure by a lying tongue is as transient vapour. They (who thus acquire) are seeking death; or, they (the treasures) are death.