Shall be made fat - He shall enjoy the two-fold blessing of abundance and tranquility (compare Proverbs 11:25).

Shall be made fat - Shall be prosperous.

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife,.... Or, of a "large heart" (c), or has an enlarged one; not with useful knowledge and understanding, as Solomon had; nor a heart enlarged with love and affection to the souls of men, as the Apostle Paul had; but either has a covetous one, who enlarges its desire as hell, and is never satisfied with what he has, and so is continually contending with his neighbours, engaging in lawsuits for their property, or unwilling to pay his lawful debts; or of a proud spirit, and despises all around him, and cannot bear opposition and contradiction; and is of a wrathful and revengeful spirit, and always at variance with his neighbours and quarrelling with them; see Proverbs 18:15;

but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat; that trusts in the Lord, both for things temporal and spiritual; does not covet his neighbour's goods, nor disturbs his peace, nor injures his person or property to increase his own, but depends upon the Lord for a supply of necessary good things; such an one shall be fat and flourishing, both in his temporal and spiritual estate; all he does shall prosper; he shall want no good thing, Psalm 84:11.

(c) "latus animo", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; "amplus animo suo": Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "latus anima", Mercerus, Cocceius.

25 The covetous stirreth up strife;

     But he that trusteth in Jahve is richly comforted.

Line first is a variation of Proverbs 15:18; רחב־נפשׁ is not to be interchanged with רחב־לב, Proverbs 21:4. He is of a wide heart who haughtily puffs himself up, of a wide soul (cf. with Schultens הרחיב נפשׁו, of the opening up of the throat, or of revenge, Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5) who is insatiably covetous; for לב is the spiritual, and נפשׁ the natural, heart of man, according to which the widening of the heart is the overstraining of self-consciousness, and the widening of the soul the overstraining of passion. Rightly the lxx, according to its original text: ἄπληστος ἀνὴρ κινεῖ (thus with Hitzig for κρινεῖ) νείκη. Line second is a variation of Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 29:25. Over against the insatiable is he who trusts in God (וּב טח, with Gaja to the vocal, concluding the word, for it follows a word accented on the first syllable, and beginning with a guttural; cf. יא, Proverbs 29:2; יףּ, Proverbs 29:18), that He will bestow upon him what is necessary and good for him. One thus contented is easily satisfied (compare with the word Proverbs 11:25; Proverbs 13:4, and with the matter, Proverbs 10:3; Proverbs 13:24), is externally as well as internally appeased; while that other, never contented, has no peace, and creates dispeace around him.

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made {m} fat.

(m) Will have all things in abundance.

28:25 Fat - Shall live happily and comfortably.

Margin trust

See Scofield Note: "Ps 2:12", Also; Prov 29:25.

25. of a proud heart-literally, "puffed up of soul"-that is, self-confident, and hence overbearing and litigious.

made fat-or, "prosperous" (Pr 11:25; 16:20).

28:24. Here is the wickedness of those who think it no sin to rob their parents, by wheedling them or threatening them, or by wasting what they have, and running into debt. 25. Those make themselves always easy, that live in continual dependence upon God and his grace, and live by faith. 26. A fool trusts to his own strength, merit, and righteousness. And trusts to his own heart, which is not only deceitful above all things, but which has often deceived him. 27. A selfish man not only will not look out for objects of compassion, but will look off from those that call for his attention. 28. When power is put into the hands of the wicked, wise men decline public business. If the reader will go diligently over this and the other chapters, in many places where at first he may suppose there is least of Christ, still he will find what will lead to him.