PROVERBS CHAPTER 20.
V. 27. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, the spiritual and moral powers of man, under the direction of Jehovah, penetrate into his innermost being, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
V. 28. Mercy and truth preserve the king, they are the attributes or virtues which make his reign successful, and his throne is upholden by mercy, by gracious kindness and favor.
V. 29. The glory of young men is their strength, for they are in the first flush of their manhood, and their physical power is at its best; and the beauty of old men is the gray head, which gives dignity to their appearance.
V. 30. The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil, literally, “Wounding stripes purge away evil”; so do stripes the inward parts of the belly, for a proper measure of severe discipline penetrates to the depths of the heart and removes the desire for evil, all punishment, rightly administered, having this object.