Proverbs 27:6

Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend,.... That is, friendly reproofs; which, though they may be severe, at least thought so, and may grieve and wound, and cause pain and uneasiness for the present,

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Faithful are the wounds; they proceed from an upright, and truly loving, and faithful soul, and really promote the good of the person reproved. The wounds; the sharpest reproofs, which for the present wound his spirit and reputation. The kisses; all the fair speeches and outward professions of friendship. Are deceitful; or, are to be deprecated; are perfidious and pernicious, and such things as one may pray to God to be delivered from them. Or, are forced, like things which are procured with great difficulty, and many entreaties.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.Ver. 6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.] And are therefore to be prayed for; "but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful," or to be detested, and therefore prayed against: so some read the words, and make the opposition. See this done by David. Knocks from "a righteous man" he would take for "kindnesses"; but the precious oils of the wicked - answerable to their kisses here - he would cry out of, as the "breaking of his head"; for so Mercer, Ainsworth, and others read that text, and the Septuagint accordeth, saying, Let not the oil of the sinner supple my head; by oil meaning flattering words, as Psalms 55:21. Reproofs and corrections, though sharp and unpleasant, yet if looked upon as issuing from that love that lies hid in the heart, they are faithful - that is, fair and pleasant, as the Chaldee interprets it. But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful,] i.e., His glossing and closing with us for a further mischief; such as were the kisses of Joab, Judas, Absalom, and Ahithophel are not to be fancied, but deprecated and detested. Theophrastus hath in his character drawn out these kissing cut-throats, who can be affable to their enemies, and disguise their hatred in commendation, while they privately lay their snares: men Italianated, that can salute with mortal embracements, and clasp you in those arms which they mean to imbrue in your dearest blood. These treacherous kissers are of kin to that mad Haeket, hanged in Queen Elizabeth’ s days, who bit off his honest schoolmaster’ s nose as he embraced him, under colour of renewing their love, and ate it down before the poor man’ s face. So, and no better, are the kisses, that is, the fawnings and flatteries, of perfidious persons. Cap. περιειρηνειας. Camden’ s Elizabeth, Anno 1592.

(6) Faithful are the wounds of a friend—i.e., the “open rebuke” of the previous verse, the “smiting” and “reproof” of Psalms 142:5. The kisses of an enemy are deceitful.—Rather, plentiful, showered upon one, but all meaningless.

6. deceitful] This rendering follows the fraudulenta of the Vulgate; whereas earnest (A.V. marg.) may be due to the ἑκούσια of the LXX. The alternative rendering of A.V. marg., frequent, or, as it is happily given in R.V., profuse, is to be preferred. He overdoes his part.

Deceitful - Better, abundant. Very lavish is the enemy of the kisses that cover perfidy, but lavish of them only. His courtesy goes no deeper.

6. The wounds — Cutting rebukes from faithful friends are, from the nature of the case, few. They are never given except when necessity demands them.