Proverbs Chapter 27 verse 16 Holy Bible
He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil.
read chapter 27 in ASV
He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
read chapter 27 in BBE
whosoever will restrain her restraineth the wind, and his right hand encountereth oil.
read chapter 27 in DARBY
Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
read chapter 27 in KJV
read chapter 27 in WBT
Restraining her is like restraining the wind, Or like grasping oil in his right hand.
read chapter 27 in WEB
Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.
read chapter 27 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 16. - Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind. Whoever tries to restrain a shrewish woman, or to conceal her faults, might as well attempt to confine the wind or to check its violence. And the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. He might as well try to hide the ointment which signifies its presence by its odour. But there is no "which" in the original, which runs literally, "his right hand calls oil," or, "oil meets his right hand." The former is supposed to mean that he is hurt in the struggle to coerce the vixen, and needs ointment to heal his wound; but the latter seems the correct rendering, and the meaning then is that, if he tries to hold or stop his wife, she escapes him like the oil which you try in vain to keep in your hand. An old adage says that there are three things which cannot be hidden, but always betray themselves, viz. a woman, the wind, and ointment. The LXX. has read the Hebrew differently, translating, "The northwind is harsh, but by name it is called lucky (ἐπιδέξιος);" i.e. because it clears the sky and introduces fine weather. The Syriac, Aquila, and Symmachus have adopted the same reading.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16) Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind--i.e., you might as well try and stop the wind from blowing as seek to restrain her.And the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.--Rather, perhaps, and oil meeteth his right hand--i.e., if he puts out his hand to stop her she slips through it like oil.
