vW •»?■ PRINCETON, N. J. Piirt of the ADDISON ALKXANPER LIKHARY, ^ -•^^sji was presented by Cftse, Division. Slit'lf, Section* Book, ^^^ THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. AN ATTEMPT TOWARDS AN IMPROVED TRANSLATION OF THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, FROM ^f\t ©riginal Wbve\s>f WITH NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY, AND A $)reltmtnari) Oi00ertation, BY THE REV. GEORGEIiOLDEN, M.A. TANTA DIVIN^E SAPIENTI.E VIS EST, UT IN HOMINIS PECTtS INFUSA, MATREM DELICTORL'M, STULTITIAM LXO SEMEL IMPETU EXPELLAT. Lactantiiis, lib. iii. ^ 26. PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. SOLD BY LONGMAN, HDRST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, LONDON, AND W. ROBINSON AND SONS, AND T. KAYE, LIVERPOOL. 1811). T. Kaye, Printer, Liverpool.. TO GEORGE HENRY LAW, D.D. F.R.^i A.S. LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER; ^ Urrlatc EMINENTLY DISTINGUISHED FOR AN UNWEARIED ATTENTION TO THE DUTIES OF AN EXTENSIVE DIOCESE; AND FOR THE MOST STRENUOUS EXERTIONS TO PROMOTE PURE, UNCORRUPTED CHRISTIANITY; CIDi^ ^ttnnpt TO ILLUSTRATE A PORTION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY HIS lordship's OBLIGED AND DUTIFUL SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. !li0t of 5ulJ0mtJet0, Alanson, R. Esq. Moor-hall, Lancashire. Anderton, Mr. Liverpool. Armistead, W. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Athenapiim Library, Liverpool. Atkinson, Rev. \V., M.A. Vicar of Canewdon, Essex. Babington, Rev. J., M.A. Maxey, Northamptonshire, Baines, Mr. Liverpool. Baron, J. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Barton, H, S. Esq. B.A. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Barton, Rev. H., M.A. Liverpool. Barton, Rev, R. Goosnargh, Lancashire. Baxter, Rev. I. F"laxby, Yorkshire, two copies. Berry-, J. Esq. Aughton, Lancashire. Berry, Rev. H. Rector of Actcn Beauchamp, Worcestershire, luelce copies. Bickerstaft", Rev. R., M.A. Chirk, Denbighshire. ' Bird, Rev. C, M.A. Rector of High-Hoyland, Yorkshire. Blundell, Rev. W., B.A. Liverpool. Rold, Rev. T., M.A. Bootle, near Liverpool. Bootie, Miss Wilbraham, Ormskirk. Bordinan, Rev. W., M.A. Master of the Free Grammar School, Warrington. Borron, J. A. Esq. Woolden-hall, Lancashire. Bourne, J. Esq. Liverpool, Bowness, Rev. R. Poiilton. Boyer, Mr. E. Lathoni, Lancashire, Bradsliaw, Mr. Lythoni, Lancashire, Buee, Rev. L P., LL.B, Cawthorne, Y'orkshire, two copiei. Bulmer, Rev. P., ISLA, Liverpool. Bury, G. F. Esq. Manchester. Bury, Mr. W. Runcorn, Cheshire. Chester, Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of, three copies. Cardwell, Rev. E., M.A. Fellow of Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Carr, Rev. C. Peakirk, Northanipton.shire, Carr, Mr. Lancaster. Carter, Mr. Poulton. Chester, Rev. M, Crosby, Lancashire. Cole, T. Butler, Esq. Kirkland-hall, Lancashire, Corbett, Rev. S., D.D. Wortley, Yorkshire, Cort, Rev, R. Kirkby, Lancashire, LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Dale, Rev. P. S. HoUinsfare, Lancashire. Dawes, R. Esq. B.A. Trinity College, Cambridge. Day, W. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Dean, Mr. High-park, Whitehaven. Dickson, Mr. Poiilton. Donne, Rev. J., M.A. Master of the Free Grammar School, Osvyestry. Edwards, W., B.A. Oswestry. Elletson, D. Esq. Parrox-hall, Lancashire, two copies. Farrington, Rev. W. J. Manchester. Ford, Rev. G., M.A. Rector of North Meols, Lancashire. Forde, Rev. A. B., B.A. MaghuU, Lancashire. Forniby, Rev. R., LL.B. Formby-hall, Lancashire. Forniln, Rev. M, B.A. Fomiby, Rev. R. H., B.A. Liverpool. Forniby, R., M.D. Liverpool. Foster, T. Esq. Ciaphani, Yorkshire. Foxcroft, Rev. T. H., M.A. Rector of Beauchamp Roding, Essex. Geldart, T. Esq. Cappleside-hall, Yorkshire. Gerard, J., M.D. Liverpool. Glazebrook, T. K. Esq. Warrington. Green, Rev.L.B.D. Rector of South Kilvington, Yorkshire, two copies. Gresvvell, E. Esq. Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Greswell, H., B.A. Fellow of Baliol College, Oxford. Griffith, Mr. Livorpool. Grundy, Mr. Kirk by Lonsdale. Haddock, Messrs. Booksellers, Warrington. Hadtield, Rev. A., M.A. Liverpool. Hanier, Rev. J., B.D. Liverpool. Hancock, Mr. Ormskirk. Harkness, Mr. Ormskirk. Harris, Rev. R., B.D. Preston. Harrison, Mr. Wanington. Henderson, G. Esq. B.A. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Hesketh, R. Esq. Heysham, Lancashire. Hesketh, Sir Thomas" Dalrymple, Bart. Rufford-hall, Lancasliire. Hodgson, Mr. S. B. Exeter. Hodgson, Rev. F., D.D. Principal of Brazen Nose College, and Vice- Chancellor of the University, Oxford. Hodgson, Rev. J. M. 'latham Fell, Lancashire. Hodgson, Rev. J. Ciosby, Lancashire. Holden, Mr. Liverpool. Holdcn, Mrs. Halsall, Lancashire. Holden, Rev. G., LL.D. Master of the Free Grammar School, Ilorton, Yorkshire. Hollinshead, H. B. Esij. Summer-vale, near Liverpool. Hollinshead, J. B. Esq. Mayor of Liverpool. Hornby, Rev. H., M.A. Vicar of St. Michael's, Lancashire. Hornby, Rev. J., M.A. Rector of Winvvick, Lancashire, two copies. Houghton, Mr. E. Ormskirk. Howard, Mr. Livorpciol. Hovvson, Rev. J. Giggleswick, Yorkshire. Hughes, Rev. F. L., M.A. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Ingram, Rpv. R , R.D. Master of the Free Grammar School, Giggles- wiek, Yorkshire. Jackson, Mr. Helperby, Yorkshire. Jackson, Rev. W., M.A. Queen's College, Oxford. Johnson, Mr. Lancaster. Kaye, Mr. T. T^iverpool, five copies. Kershaw, Mr. Drniskirk. Knowles, Mr. J. Rootle, near Liverpool, ten copies. Knowies, Mr. Liverpool. Larkins;, L. B. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Law, Rev. F.., M.A. Preston. Lawson, Mr. Heiperhy, Yorkshire. Lilforil, Ris;lit Hon. Lord, two copies. Lister, Rev. R., M..\. Lythoni. Lister, Rev. R., M.A. Vicar of Gargrave, Yorkshire. Literary Society, Settle, Yorkshire. Lloyd, Rev. C, M..A. Rector of Whittington, Salop. Lodge, Rev. T., M.A. Middlesmore, Yorkshire. Long, Mrs. Halsall. Lowe, J. S., M.A. Fellow of Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Lovhani, Rev. R., B.A. Rector of Halsall, Lancashire, /fte co;>«», Loxhani, Rev. Robert, M.A. Rector of Stickney, Lincolnshire. M'Lean, Mr. Maghull, Lancashire. Mallison, Rev. R. 'I'atliam, Lancashire. Master, Rev. E., M.A. Rector of Rnrtbrd, Lancashire. Maurice, L P. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford, Mawdsley, Miss, Scarisbrick, Lancashire. Miller, C. Esq. ALA. Merton College, Oxford. , Miller, Mr. Liverpool. Minshull, Mr. I^ancaster, two copies. Moore, Mr. Bolton-le-Moors. Moore, Rev. M., B.A. Rector of Sutton, Essex. Morrall, .L Esq., B.A. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Moss, Rev. T., ALA. Vicar of Walton, Lancashire. Ogle, J. F., M.A. Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Parker, T. Esc]. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Parker, T. Lister, Esq. Browsholinc-hall, Lancashire, two copies. Parsons, Rev. J., M.\. Prebendary of Peterborough. Pedder, Rev. J., AL.V. Vicar of Garstang, Lancashire. Penny, E. H. Esq., B.A. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Pratt, Rev. I., ALA. Rector of Paston, Northamptonshire. Procter, Air. Lancaster. Procter, Air. St. Bees. Procter, Rev. J. Kirkby-AIalhauulale, Yorkshire. Radcliffe, Mr. Liverpool. Ranisden, Rev. W. B., B.D. Rector of Great Stambridge, Essex. Randolph, Rev. H., M.A. Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Rawstorne, Rev. R. A., M.A. Rector of Warrington. Henshaw, Rev. S., M.A. Rector of Liverpool. Rigby, Aliss, Orniskirk. Robertson, Rev, J. Alauchcster. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Robinson, Rev. J., M.A. Fellow of Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Robinson, W. and Sons, Booksellers, Liverpool, three copies. Robson, Rev. G., M.A. Rector of Erbistock, and Vicar of Chirk, Denbighshire. Rothwell, Mr. Sephton, Lancashire. Rothwell, Rev. R. R., M.A. Rector of Sephton, Lancashire. Saul, Rev. J. Warrington. Shuttleworth, T. S. Esq. Preston. Simpson, Rev. J. vSankey, Lancashire. Smith, Rev. T., D.D. Master of the Free Grammar School, Manchester. Smythe, Rev. J. H., M.A. Liverpool. Stonard, Rev. J., D.D. Rector of Aldingham, Lancashire. Thompson, Mr. Manchester. Topping, Rev. J. Warrington. Usborne, J. Esq. Stamford-hill, Middlesex. Vanbrugh, Rev. G., LL.B. Rector of Aughton, Lancashire. "Vavasour, M. Esq. Brazen Nose College, Oxford. Walker, Mr. Myton, Yorkshire. Wall, Rev. F. S., B.C.".. Fellow of New College, Oxford. Wareing, Mr. Ormskirk. Whalley, Mr. J. MaghuU, Lancashire. Whitehead, Rev. T. Master of the Free School, Hutton, Lancashire. Wilbraham, E. Bootle, Esq., M.P. Lathom-hou.se, Lancashire. Wildig, Rev. G. B., M.A. Liverpool. Williamson, Rev. J. Ormskirk. Wilson, Mr. Poulton. Wilson, Mr. T. Poulton. Wright, H. Esq. Ormskirk. * Yarker, R. Esq. Queen's College, Oxford. Yates, Rev. W., M.A. Rector of Eccleston, Lancashire. THE j^robtifig of ^olomom CHAPTER I. 1 The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, 2 Respecting the knowledge of wisdom and in- struction ; Respecting the understanding of the words o^ prudence; 8 Respecting the attainment of instruction in wis- dom. In righteousness, and judgment, and equity; 4 Respecting the giving to the simple prudence, To the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 The wise w ill hear, and will increase in Icaminjr, And the prudent will attain unto wise counsels, C By understanding a proverb, and the interpretation. The words of the w ise, and their dark sayings, 7 The fear of Jehovah is the principal part of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and instruction. B 4 PROVERBS, CHAP. I. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother; 9 For they will be a graceful wreath to thy head. And chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, " Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, " Let us lay snares for the innocent in vain ; 12 " Let us swallow them up as Hades docs the living, " And whole as those who go down into the pit. 13 " We shall find all kinds of valuable treasure, " We shall fill our houses with spoil : 14 " Cast in thy lot among us; " Let us all have one purse." 15 My son, walk not thou in their way ; Refrain thy foot from their path ; 16 For their feet run to evil. And make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird ; 18 But they lay wait for their own blood, They lay secret snares for their own lives : 19 Such are the ways of all who desire unjust gain ; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 20 Wisdom cricth without. She uttereth her voice in the streets ; 21 She proclaimeth in the chief place of concourse. In the entrance of the gates. In the city she uttereth her words, saying, PROVERBS, CHAP. I. O 22 " How long, ye simple, will ye love simplicity ? " And, ye scorners, delight in scorning? " And, ye fools, hate knowledge ? 23 " Turn ye at my reproof: " Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you, " I will make known my words unto you. 24 " Because I called, and ye refused, " I stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, 25 " Because ye rejected all my counsel, " And have not liked my reproof; 26 " I also will laugh at your calamity; " I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 " When your fear cometh as desolation, " And your calamity approacheth as a tempest; " When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 " Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer ; " They shall seek me diligently, but shall not find me. 29 " Because they hated knowledge, " And did not choose the fear of Jehovah ; 30 " They liked not my counsel, " They despised all my reproof: 31 " Therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own way, " And shall be sated with their own devices. 32 " For the backsliding of the simple will slay them, •' And the carelessness of fools will destroy them ; 33 " But he that hcarkeneth imto me shall dwell safely, " And shall be quiet from the fear of evil." PROVERBS, CHAP. II. CHAPTER II. 1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee ; 2 If, by inclining thine ear unto wisdom. Thou wilt incline thine heart unto under- standing ; 3 Yea, if thou wilt cry -unto understanding. And lift up thy voice unto prudence ; 4 If thou wilt seek her as silver. And wilt search for her as for hid treasure; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And shalt find the knowledge of God. 6 For Jehovah givetli wisdom ; Out of his mouth come knowledge and under- standing. 7 He layetli up sound wisdom for the righteous ; He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly, 8 By keeping the paths of rectitude : And he preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment. And equity, yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth thine heart. And knowledge is pleasant to thy soul, 11 Discretion shall watch over thee. Understanding shall preserve thee ; 12 To deliver thee from the way of the wicked. From every one that speaketh perverse things ; 13 Who desert the paths of righteousness, To walk in the way.-s of darkness ; PROVKRBS, CHAP. HI. 14 Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of the wicked ; 15 Who are perverse in their ways, And fro ward in their paths : 16 To deliver thee from the wanton, From the harlot who flattereth with her words, 17 Who forsaketh the guide of her youth. And forgetteth the covenant of her God : 18 For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again. Neither do they attain the paths of life. 20 Therefore walk in the way of the good, And keep the paths of the righteous : 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it ; 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, And transgressors shall be rooted out of it. CHAPTER III. 1 My son, forget not my doctrine. And let thy heart observe my precepts ; 2 For length of days, even years of life. And peace shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee ; Bind them about thy neck ; Write them upon the table of thine heart; 4 And thou shalt fmd favour and kindness, Both in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in Jehovah with all thine heart. And coulide not in thine own understanding. b PROVERBS, CHAP. III. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him. And he will direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes ; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil ; 8 It shall be a healing medicine to thy navel. And a lotion to thy bones. 9 Honour Jehovah with thy substance. And with the first-fruits of all thy produce ; 10 And thy barns shall be filled with plenty. And thy vats shall overflow with new wine. 11 My son, despise not the chastening- of Jehovah ; Neither be weary of his correction : 12 For whom Jehovah loveth he correcteth. And chasteneth the son in whom he delighteth. 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom. And the man that getteth understanding ; 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, And the produce of it than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than gems. And all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand. And in her left, riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, And happy is every one that retaineth her. 19 Jehovah by wisdom hath founded the earth. By understanding hath he established the heavens. I PROVERBS, CHAP. HI. / 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up. And the clouds drop down the dew. 21 My son, let not these things depart from tljine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion. 22 And they shall be life unto thy soul. And au ornament to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, And thy foot shall not stumble, 24 When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid, Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear ; Nor of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For Jehovah shall be thy confidence. And shall keep thy foot from being taken. 27 Withhold not good from the indigent. When it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 28 Say not unto thy neighbour, " Go, and come again, and to-morrow I >vill give thee," When thou hast it by thee. 29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, When he dwelleth in security by thee. 30 Contend not with a man without cause ; Surely he will return thee evil. 31 Envy thou not the oppressor. And choose none of his ways ; 8 PKOVERBS, CHAP. IV. 32 For the wicked are an abomination to Jehovah, But his intercourse is with the righteous. 33 The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked But he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scomers ; But he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory; But shame shall exalt fools. CHAPTER IV. 1 Heap, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding. 2 Because I give you good doctrine. Forsake not my precepts. 3 For I was a son very dear to my father. And well beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, " Let thine heart retain my words ; " Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live." 5 Get wisdom, get understanding ; Forget not this ; and decline not from the words of my mouth. G Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will guard thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom ; Even with all thy possessions purchase wisdom. 8 Esteem her, and she will exalt thee ; She will bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her. PROVERBS, CHAP. IV. 9 9 She will give to thy head a graceful wreath ; A glorious crown will slie deliver to thee. 10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings. And the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I teach thee in the way of wisdom ; I lead thee in the right paths. 12 When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitened ; And when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction ; let her not go ; Keep her ; for she is thy life. 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of the base. 15 Avoid it, proceed not in it; Turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mis- chief. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall. ' 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness. And drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of the dawn. Which shineth more and more until perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as thick darkness ; They discern not that at which they stumble. 20 My son, attend to my words ; Incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes ; Keep them in the midst of thine heart: 22 For they are life unto those that fmd them, And a healing medicine to all their flesh. c 10 PROVERBS, CHAP. V. ' 23 Guard thy heart with all diligence ; For out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a depraved mouth. And perverse lips remove far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes be fixed on that which is right ; And let thine eyelids direct the way before thee. 26 Ponder well the path of thy feet. And all thy ways shall be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left ; Remove thy feet from evil. CHAPTER V. 1 My son, attend unto my wisdom ; Incline thine ear to my understanding ; 2 That thou mayst preserve discretion. And that thy lips may keep knowledge. 3 Although the lips of an harlot distil honey. And her mouth is smoother than oil ; 4 Yet in the end she is bitter as wormwood. Sharp as a tvvoedged sword. 5 Her feet go down lo death ; Her steps take hold on Hades. G Lest she should ponder the way of life. Her steps are moveable ; she regards nothing. 7 And now, ye children, hearken unto me. And depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove thy way from her. And come not nigh the door of her house ; 9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, And thy years to the cruel harlot : PROVERBS, CHAP. V. 11 10 Lest strano-ers be filled with thy wealth, And with tliy riches in tiie house of a stranger; 11 And thou mourn at the last. When thy flesh and thy body arc consumed, 12 And say, " How have I hated instruction, " And my heart despised reproof; 13 " And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, " Nor inclined mine ear to my instructors ! 14 " I have been in almost all evil, " In the midst of the congregation and assembly." 15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And streams out of thine own well. 16 Then shall thy springs be dispersed abroad. Even rivers of waters in the streets. 17 They shall belong to thee alone. And not to strangers with thee. 18 Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 Let her be as the lovely hind and the pleasant roe ; Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times ; And be thou ravished always with her love. 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a wanton, And embrace the bosom of an harlot ? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, And he pondereth all his goings. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, And he shall be held fast with the cords of his sins. 23 He shall die because he did not mind instruction ; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. 12 rnovEUBS, CHAP. VI. CHAPTER VI. 1 M V son, if thou become surety for thy neighbour ; If thou join thy hand with a stranger ; 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this therefore, my son, that thou mayst be delivered. Because thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour. Go, hasten, stir up thy friends. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes. Nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the toils. And as a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; Consider her ways, and be wise : 7 Who, though she hath no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer. And gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long, sluggard, wilt thou repose ? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Evei' desiring a little sleep more, a little .slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep. 11 But thy poverty shall come as a traveller. And thy want as an armed man. 12 The w orthless person, the wicked man, Walketh with a perverse mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, He speaketh with his feet, He tcacheth with his linjjers. PUOVEUiiS, CHAl'. VI. 13 14 Perverseness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief; He continually soweth discord. 15 Suddenly, therefore, shall his calamity come. Suddenly shall he be destroyed without remedy. 16 These six things doth Jehovah hate ; Yea, seven are an abomination unto him : 17 A proud look ; a lying tongue ; And hands that shed innocent blood ; 18 A heart that deviseth wicked counsels ; Feet that are swift in running to evil ; 19 A false witness that speaketh lies ; And him that soweth discord among brethren. 20 My son, keep thy father's commandment. And forsake not the precepts of thy mother. 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart ; Tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, they shall lead thee ; When thou sleepest, they shall keep thee ; And when thou wakest, they shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the pre- cept a light ; And the reproofs of instruction are the way of life : 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the harlot's tongue. 25 Desire not her beauty in thine heart, Neither let her beguile thee with her eyes. 26 For by means of a lewd woman a man is brought to a piece of bread ; And the adulteress layeth snares for the precious life. 14 PROVERBS, CHAP. VII 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burnt I 28 Can a man walk upon hot coals. And his feet not be burnt i 29 So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbour's wife ; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished. 30 Men do not disregard a thief when he steals. Even to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry : 31 But when discovered, he shall restore seven- fold. He shall give all the substance of his house. 32 He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth his own life. 33 Hurt and dishonour shall he receive. And his disgrace shall not be wiped away. 34 When jealousy inflatnes the rage of man. He will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not accept any ransom. Nor rest content though thou multiply thy gifts. CHAPTER VII. 1 My son, keep my words. And lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and thou slialt live ; And my doctrine as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers. Write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say unto wisdom. Thou art my sister. And call understanding thy kinswoman ; PROVERBS, CHAP. VII. 15 5 That they may preserve thee from the wanton. From the harlot that flattcreth with her words. C) When at the window of my house, I looked through the lattice ; 7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young num void of understanding, 8 Passing tlirough the street near the corner. And he went the way to her house, 9 In the (\\ ilight, in the evening. In the dark and gloomy night: 10 And behold, there met him a woman, Jllth (he attire of an harlot, and subtile of heart. 11 (She is loud and stubborn ; Her feet abide not in her liouse : 12 Now she is without, now in the streets. And lietli in wait at every corner.) 13 And she caught him, and kissed him, ' And \\i\h an impudent face said unto him, 14 " I have a sacrificial-banquet with me; " This day I have paid my vows : 15 " Therefore came 1 forth to meet thee, " Diligently to seek thee, and have found thee. 16 " I have decked my couch with coverings of tapestry, " VA'ith embroideries of Egyptian linen. 17 " I have perfumed my bed, " With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 " Come, let us take our till of love until the morning ; " Let us solace ourselves with lo\es. 16 PROVERBS, CHAP. VIIT, 19 " For the master is not at home, " He is gone a long journey ; 20 " He hath taken a purse of money with him, " And will come home at the time appointed." 21 She allured him with her much-persuasive speech. With the flattery of her lips she seduced him. 22 He follows her immediately, As an ox goeth to the slaughter. Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till a dart strike through his liver ; Or as a bird hasteth to the snare. And knoweth not that it is set for its life. 24 And now, O youths, hearken unto me. And attend to the words of my mouth ; 25 Let not thine heart incline to her ways ; Go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded. And very many are all those that have been slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to Hades, Going down to the chambers of death. CHAPTER VIII. 1 DoTii not wisdom make proclamation .' And understanding send forth her voice .' 2 On the top of the high places by the ways ; In the paths she taketh up her station : 3 At the gates, at the entrance of the city, At the door-ways she exclaimeth ; 4 •' To you, O men, I make proclamation ; " And ray voice is addressed to the sons of men. PROVERBS, CHAP. VIII. 17 6 " O ye simple, exercise piiulencc ; " And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 " Hear, for I will speak excellent things, " And the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 " For my mouth shall speak truth ; " And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 " Righteous are all the words of my mouth ; " There is nothing in them crooked or perverse. 9 " They are all plain to him that understandelh, " And right to them that find knowledge. 10 " Receive my instruction, and not silver, " And knowledge rather than fine gold : 11 " For wisdom is better than gems, " And all the things that can be desired are not to be compared to it. 12 " I Wisdom dwell with prudence ; > " I present the knowledge of discreet things. 13 " The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil ; " Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, " And the perverse mouth do I hate. 14 " Counsel is mine, and sound Avisdom, " I am understanding; I have strength. 15 " By me kings reign, *' And princes decree justice. 16 " By me princes rule, " And all the judges of the earth are illustrious. 17 " I love them that love me, " And those that seek me diligently shall find me. 18 " Riches and honour are with me ; " Even durable riches, and righteousness. D 18 PROVERBS, CHAP. VIII. 19 " My fruit is better than gold, even solid gold ; " And my produce than choice silver. 20 " I march in the way of righteousness, " In the midst of the paths of justice ; 21 " That I may cause those that love me to inherit true riches ; " And that I may make their treasures full. 22 " J ehovah possessed me, the Beginning of his way, " Before his works of old. 20 " I was anointed from everlasting, " From the beginning, before the world was. 24 " When there were no depths I was born ; " When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 " B'efore the mountains were settled, " Before the hills ivere, I was born. 26 " While he had not yet made the earth, nor the plains, " Nor the summits of the dust of the world. 27 " When he prepared the heavens, I was there ; " When he traced out the circle above the face of the deep ; 28 " When he established the clouds above; '* When he strengthened the fountains of the deep; 29 " When he gave to the sea its bounds, " That tlie waters should not pass its limits ; " AVhen he traced out the foundations of the earth ; 00 " Then I, the Fabricator, was by him ; " And I was his daily delight, " Rejoicing always in his sight ; 31 " Rejoicing in his whole creation ; " But my delight is with the sons of men. PROVERBS, CHAP. IX. 19 32 " And now, O children, hearken unto me, " For happy are they that keep my ways. 33 " Hear instruction, and be wise, " And reject it not. 34 " Happy is the man that heareth me, " AV^atching daily at my gates, " AVaiting at the posts of my doors. 35 " For he that findeth me findeth life, " And shall obtain favour from Jehovah; 36 " But he that wanders from me injures his own soul ; " And all they that hate me love death." CHAPTER IX. 1 "Wisdom hath built her house ; She hath hewn out her seven pillars ; 2 She hath killed her fallings ; ' She hath mingled her wine ; She hath also furnished her table ; 3 She hath sent forth her maidens ; She proclaimethupon the highest places of the city 4 " Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither;" To him that wanteth understanding, she saith, 5 " Come, cat of my bread, " And drink of the wine which I have mingled; 6 " Forsake the foolish, and live; " And go in the way of understanding. 7 " He that reproveth a scorner gettcth disgrace, " And he that showeth the wicked his faults. 8 " Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee : " Rebuke a wise man, and he will love Ihce. 20 PROVERBS, CHAP. X. 9 " Give reproof to a wise man, and he will become si ill wiser, " Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in true knowledge. 10 " The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom ; " And the knowledge of the Holy-0«e is under- standing. 11 " For by me thy days shall be multiplied, " And the years of thy life shall be increased. 12 *' If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; " But if thou be a scorner, thou alone shall bear the punishment." 13 A foolish woman is clamorous, She is simple, and regardeth nothing ; 14 And she sitteth at the door of her house. On a lofty seat, in the high places of the city, 15 Inviting the passengers, Who are proceeding on their ways ; saying, 16 " Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither ;" And to him that wanteth understanding, she saith, 17 " Stolen waters are sweet, " And the bread of concealment is pleasant." 18 But he knowelh not that the dead are there. That her guests are in the depths of Hades. CHAPTER X. 1 The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father ; But a foolish son is (he grief of his mother. 2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death. PROVERBS, CHAP X. 21 8 Jehovah will not snftVr the righteous to famish; But he casleth oil' the iniqiiity of the wicked. 4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand ; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; But he that sleepeth in hatvcst is a son that causcth shame. G Blessings are upon the head of the righteous ; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 7 The memory of the righteous is blessed ; But the name of the wicked shall rot. 8 The wise of heart will admit precepts ; But a prating fool shall fall. 9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely ; But he that perN erteth his ways shall be known. 10 He that winkelh with the eye causeth sorrow ; But a prating fool shall fall. 11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life ; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirreth up strifes ; But love covereth all sins. 13 In the lips of the intelligent wisdom is found ; But a rod is tor the back of him that is void of understanding. 14 The wise treasure up knowledge ; But destruction is near the mouth of the foolish. 22 PROVERBS, CHAP. X. 15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; But the destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life ; But the produce of the wicked to destruction. 17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction ; But he that refuseth reproof erreth. 18 He that concealeth hatred 7iath lying lips ; And he that uttereth slander is a fool. 19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin ; But he that refraineth his lips acts wisely. 20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; But the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the righteous instruct many ; But fools die through the want of understanding. 22 The blessing of Jehovah ! it maketh rich ; And he addeth not sorrow with it. 23 As it is a pleasure to a fool to do mischief; So is wisdom a pleasure to a man of understanding. 24 The fear of the wicked ! it shall come upon him ; But the desire of the righteous shall be granted. 25 When the tempest beats, the wicked are no more ; But the righteous have an everlasting foundation. 26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes ; So is a sluggard to them that send him. 27 The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days ; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. PROVERBS, CHAP. XI. ^ 28 The hope of the righteous is joyful ; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. 29 The way of Jehovah is strength to the upright ; But destruction to the workers of iniquity. 30 The righteous shall never be removed ; But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. 31 The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom ; But the perverse tongue shall be cut out. 32 Tlie lips of the righteous love what is acceptable ; But the mouth of the wicked loveth perverseness. CHAPTER XI. 1 A FALSE balance is an abomination to Jehovah ; But a just weight is his delight. 2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame ; But with the humble is wisdom. , 3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them ; But the perverseness of transgressors shall de- stroy them, 4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath ; But righteousness delivereth from death. 5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way ; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. 6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them ; But transgressors shall be taken by their own iniquity. 34 PROVERBS, CHAP. XI. 7 When a wicked man dieth his hope perisheth ; And the expectation of the unjust perisheth. 8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble ; And the wicked conieth in his stead. With his mouth the hypocrite destroyeth his neighbour; But through knowledge shall the just be delivered. 10 At the prosperity of the righteous the city re- joiceth; But at the destruction of the wicked it exults. 11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted ; But by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. 12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth iiis neigh- bour; But a man of understanding keepeth silence. 13 A talebearer walketh about revealing secrets ; But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter. 14 Where no counsel is the people fall; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 15 A man shall suffer when he is surety for a stranger; But he that hateth suretiship is sure. 16 A benevolent woman obtaineth honour. As the mighty obtain riches. 17 Tiie merciful man doth good to his own soul; But he that is cruel troublcth his own flesh. PROVERBS, CHAP. XI. 25 18 The wicked toil for a deceitful recompense ; But he that soweth righteousness has a sure reward. 19 Certainly righteousness tendeth to life ; But he that pursueth veil, pursueth it to his own death. 20 The perverse of heart are an abomination to Jehovah ; But the upright in their w ay are his delight. 21 Though hand join in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished ; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, So is a fair woman which is w ithout discretion. 23 The desire of the righteous is only good; Biit the expectation of the wicked is wTath. 24 There is that scaltereth, and yet increaseth ; And there is that withholdeth more than is right, but yet it tendeth to poverty ; 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat ; And he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 2G He that withholdeth corn the people will curse him ; But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. 27 He that diligently secketh good seeketh Aivour ; But he that searcheth evil, it shall come unto him. 28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall ; But the righteous shall flourish as a branch. K 26 PROVERBS, CHAP. XII. 29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; And the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; And he that winneth souls is wise. 31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed iu the earth ; Yea also shall the wicked and the sinner. CHAPTER XII. 1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge ; But he that hateth reproof is brutish. 2 A good man obtaineth favour from Jehovah ; But a man of wicked devices will he condemn: 3 A man shall not be established by wickedness ; But the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 4 A virtuous wife is a crown to her husband ; But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness to his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are just ; But the counsels of the wicked are deceit: a The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not; But the house of the righteous shall stand. 8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom ; Bui the perverse of heart shall bo despised. PROVERBS, CHAP. XII. 27 9 Better is he that is despised, and is servant to himself. Than he that honoureth himself, and is destitute of bread. 10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast ; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread ; But he that followeth vanity is void of under- standing-. 12 The wicked desire the net of the evil ; But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit. 13 In the transgression of the lips is an evil snare ; But the righteous shall escape from trouble. 1 4 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth ; And the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him. 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes ; But the wise man hearkeneth unto counsel. 16 A fool's wrath is instantly known ; But a prudent man covereth shame. 17 A righteous witness speaketb truth ; But a false witness deceit. 18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword ; But the tongue of the wise is a healing medicine. 28 PROVERBS, CHAP. XIII. 19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever ; But a lying tongue is only for a moment. 20 Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; But to the counsellors of peace is joy. 21 There shall no evil happen to the righteous ; But the wicked shall be filled with affliction. 22 Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah ; But men of veracity are his delight. 23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge ; But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. 24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule ; But the slothful shall be under tribute. 25 Trouble in the heart of man maketh it stoop ; But a kind word maketh it glad. 26 The righteous explore their pastures ; But the way of the wicked seduceth them. 27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting; But diligence is the most precious wealth. 28 In the way of righteousness is life ; And in the pathway thereof there is no death. CHAPTER XIII. 1 A WISE son heareth his father's instruction; But a scorner heareth not rebuke. 2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth ; But the soul of transgressors shall eat violence. PROVERBS, CHAP. XIII. 29 S He that kecpeth his mouth guardeth his life ; But he that is rash with his lips shall have de- struction. 4 The sluggard desireth, and hath nothing ; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 5 A righteous man hateth a false word ; But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. 6 Righteousness keepeth the upright in the way ; But wickedness overthroweth the sinner. 7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing ; There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. 8 The protection of a man's life are his riches ; But do not the poor hear rebuke i i) The light of the righteous rejoiceth ; But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 10 Ignorance joined with pride produces contention ; But with those that deliberate there is wisdom. 11 Wealth through vanity is diminished ; But he that gathereth cautiously shall increase. 12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick ; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 13 Whoso dcspiseth the word shall be punished ; But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. 30 PROVERBS, CHAP. XIII. 14 The doctrine of the wise is a fountain of life. To avoid the snares of death. 15 Good understanding procureth favour ; But the way of transgressors is rough. 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge ; But a fool spreadeth abroad his folly. 17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief; But a faithful ambassador is a healing medicine. 18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction ; But he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. 19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; Therefore it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. 20 He that walketh with the wise will be wise ; But a companion of fools shall be destroyed. 21 Evil pursueth sinners ; But to the righteous good shall be repayed. 22 A good man maketh his posterity his heirs ; But the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous. 23 Much food is produced by the tillage of rulers ; But it happeneth that it is destroyed for want of judgment. 24 He that spareth the rod hateth his son ; But he that loveth him chastiseth him betimes. 25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul ; But the belly of the wicked shall want. PROVERBS, CHAP. XIV. 31 CHAPTER XIV. 1 Every wise woman (wife) buildeth her house; But the foolish pulleth it down with her hands. 2 He that walkcth in his uprightness feareth Jehovah ; But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. 3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride ; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. 4 Where no oxen are the crib is clean ; But much produce is by the strength of the ox. 5 A faithful witness will not lie ; But a false witness will utter lies. 6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, sLadJindeth it not; But knowledge is easy to him that hath under- standing. 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man. When thou perceivest not in him the lips of know- ledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way ; But the folly of fools is deceitful. 9 Fools make a mock at sin ; But among the upright there is favour. 10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness ; And a stremger doth not intermeddle with its joy. 11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown ; But the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 32 PROVERBS, CHAP. XIV. 12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man ; But the end thereof are the ways of death. 13 Even by laughter the heart is made sorrowful ; And the end of mirth is sadness. 14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways ; And a good man shall be filled with his. 15 The simple believeth every word; But a prudent man considereth his going. 16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil ; But the fool transgresseth, and is confident. 17 He that is soon angry acteth foolishly ; And a man of wicked devices is hated. 18 The simple inherit folly ; But the prudent shall be crowned with knowledge. 19 The evil bow before the good ; And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poor is hated even by his own neighbour; But the rich have many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth ; But he that hath mercy on the poor — happy is ho. 22 Do they not err that devise evil ? But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. 23 In all labour there is profit; But the talk of the lips lendeth only to pciuuy. PROVERBS, CHAP. XIV. 33 24 The crown of the wise is their riches ; But the opulence of fools is folly. 25 A faithful witness delivereth souls ; But a deceitful ivitness speaketh lies. 2G In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence ; And his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life. To avoid the snares of death. 28 In the multitude of people is the king's honour; But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince. 29 He that is slow to WTath is of great understanding ; But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. 30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh ; But envy the rottenness of the bones. 31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker ; But he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. 32 The w icked is driven away in his wickedness ; But the righteous hath hope in his death. 33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding; But that ivhich is in the midst of fools is known. 34 Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people. 35 The king's favour is toward a w ise servant ; But his wrath is ayainst him that causeth shame. F 34 PROVERBS, CHAP. XV. CHAPTER XV. 1 A SOFT answer turneth away wrath ; But grievous words stir up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise maketh knowledge agree- able ; But the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. 3 The eyes of Jehovah are in every place. Beholding the evil and the good. 4 The healing medicine of the tongue is a tree of life ; But perverseness therein afllicteth the spirit. 5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction ; But he that regardeth reproof becometh prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure ; But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 7 The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge ; But the heart of the foolish doeth not so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah ; But the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way of the Avicked is an 18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife ; But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. 19 The way of the slothful man is like an hedge of thorns ; But the way of the righteous is made plain. 20 A wise son rnaketh a glad father ; But a foolish man despiseth his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom ; But a man of understanding walketh uprightly. 22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed ; But in the multitude of counsellors they are established. 36 PROVERBS, CHAP. XV. 23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth ; And a word spoken in season, how good is it! 24 The way of life above is for the prudent man, That he may avoid Hades beneath. 25 Jehovah will destroy the house of the proud ; But he will establish the border of the widow. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to Jehovah ; But the words of the pure are pleasant words. 27 He that desireth unjust gain troubleth his own house ; But he that liateth gifts shall live. 28 The heart of the righteous studieth that it may answer ; But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. 29 Jehovah is far from the wicked ; But he heareth the prayer of the righteous. 30 As the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart ; So an honest fame is cheering to a man. 31 The ear that regardeth the reproof of life, Abideth among the wise. 32 He that refuseth correction despiseth his own soul ; But he that regardeth reproof getteth understand- ing. 33 The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom ; And before honour is humility. PROVERBS, CHAP. XVI. 37 CHAPTER XVI. 1 The deliberations of the heart in man. And the utterance of the tongue, are from Jehovah. 2 All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes ; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits. 3 Commit thy works unto Jehovah, And thy designs shall be established. 4 Jehovah hath made all things for himself; Yea, even the wicked he daily sustains. 5 Every one that is proud of heart is an abomination to Jehovah ; Though hand join in hand he shall not be un- punished. 6 Through mercy and truth miquity is expiated ; And through the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil. 7 When a man's ways please Jehovah, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness. Than great revenues without right. 9 A man's heart deviseth his way ; But Jehovah directeth his steps. 10 Divination is upon the lips of the king ; His mouth will not transgress in judgment. 11 A just weight and balance are Jehovah's ; All the weights of the bag are his work. 83 PROVERBS, CHAP. XVI. 12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wicked- ness ; For the throne is established by righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings ; And they love him that speaketh right. 14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death ; But a wise man will appease it : 15 In the light of the king's countenance is life ; And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. 16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold I And to get imderstanding rather to be chosen than silver t 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; And he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 18 Pride precedeth destruction ; And a haughty spirit precedeth a downfall : 19 It is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He that understandeth the word shall find good ; And he that trusteth in Jehovah — happy is he. 21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent ; And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 22 Prudence is a fountain of life to him that hath it ; But the instruction of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth ; And addeth learning to his lips. rnovERRS, CHAP. XVI. 39 24 Pleasant words arc as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and a healing medicine to the bones. 25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man ; But the end thereof are the ways of death. 26 The body of the labourer laboureth for himself; For his mouth layeth this burthen upon him. 27 An ungodly man deviscth evil ; And on his lips there is a burning fire. 28 A perverse man soweth strife ; And a whisperer separateth chief friends. 29 A malicious man cuticeth his neighbour, And leadeth him into the way that is not good. 30 He shutteth his eyes to devise perverse things ; Moving his lips he perfecteth evil. 31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, When it is found in the way of righteousness. 32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. 33 The lot is cast into the lap ; But the whole disposing thereof is from Jehovah. 40 PROVERBS, CHAP. XVIT. CHAPTER XVII. 1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith. Than a house full of sacrificial-banquets with strife. 2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame. And shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. 3 The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts. 4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips ; And a liar giveth ear to a wicked tongue. 5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker ; And he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. 6 Children's children are the crown of old men ; And the glory of children are their fathers. 7 The lip of excellency becometh not a fool ; Much less do lying lips a prince. 8 A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of him who hath it ; Whithersoever it turneth it prospereth. 9 He that concealeth a transgression procureth love ; But he that repeateth a matter separateth friends. 10 Reproof hath more effect upon a man of under- standing. Than to strike a fool an hundred times. PROVERBS, CHAP. XVII. 41 11 Surely a rebellious man seeketh evil; But a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, Rather than a fool in his folly. 13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good. Evil shall not depart from his house. 14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water ; Therefore before contention be meddled with dismiss it. 15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that con- demneth the just. Even both of them are an abomination to Jehovah. 16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool. Seeing he hath no heart to get wisdom? 17 A friend loveth at all times ; And a brother is born for adversity. 18 A man void of understanding joineth hands; And becometh surety in the presence of his friend. 19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife ; And he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. 20 He that hath a perverse heart findeth no good ; And he that hath a double tongue fallcth into evil. 21 He that begctteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow ; And the father of a vicious son hath no joy. 22 A merry heart maketh a good medicine ; But a broken spirit drieth the bones. G 42 PROVERBS, CHAP. XVIII. 23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of judgment. !24 Wisdom is present with him that hath under- standing ; But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father. And bitterness to her that bare him. 26 Surely to punish the just is not good ; Nor to strike princes for equity. 27 He that hath knowledge sparetli his words; And he that is of a forbearing spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool, while he is silent, is counted wise; And he that shutteth his lips is counted prudent. CHAPTER XVIII. 1 He that separateth himself seeketh his desir^ ; He dealeth in all sound wisdom. 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding ; But rather in discovering his heart. 3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh contempt ; And with ignominy cometh reproach. 4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; And the fountain of wisdom as a flowing brook. 5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, To overthrow the righteous in judgment. PROVERBS, CHAP. XVIII. 43 6 A fool's lips enter into contention ; And his mouth provoketh blows. 7 A fool's mouth is his destruction ; And his lips are the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds ; And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 9 He also that is slothful in his work Is brother to him that is a great waster. 10 The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. 11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city ; And as an high wall in his own imagination. 12 Before calamity the heart of man is haughty ; But before honour is humility. 13 He that answereth before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him. 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity ; But a wounded spirit who can bear t 15 Tlie heart of the prudent getteth knowledge ; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16 A man's gift maketh room for him. And bringeth him before great men. 17 He seemeth just that first pleadeth his cause ; But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him, 18 The lot causeth contentions to cease ; And divideth between the mighty. 44 PROVERBS, CHAP. XIX. 10 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; And their contentions are like the bars of a castle. 20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; With the produce of his lips shall he be filled : 21 Death and life are in. the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 22 Whoso fiiideth a wife findeth a good thing ; And obtaiiieth favour from Jehovah. 23 The poor useth entreaties ; But the rich answereth roughly. 24 The man that hath many friends is ready to be ruined ; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. CHAPTER XIX. 1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, Than he that is perverse with his lips, though he be rich. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; And he that haste th with his feet erreth. 3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way ; And his heart murmureth against Jehovah. 4 Wealth maketh many friends ; But the poor is separated from his neighbour. PROVERBS, CHAP. XIX. 45 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished ; And he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 6 Many will entreat the favour of the prince ; And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him ; How much more do his friends go far from him? He pursueth them with words ; they are not to be found. 8 He that getteth wisdom loveth himself; He that keepeth understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished ; And he that speaketh lies shall perish. 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool ; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger ; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion ; But his favour is as dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son is (he calamity of his father; And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House and riches are a paternal inheritance ; But a prudent wife is from Jeliovah. 15 Slothfuhiess castolh into a deep sleep; And an idle soul shall sufler hunger. 46 PROVERBS, CHAP. XIX. 16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that despiseth his ways shall die. 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to Jehovah ; And that which he hath given will he pay him again. 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope ; And thy soul will not desire his death. 19 A man of gTeat wrath shall suffer punishment ; For if tliou deliver him thou must do it again. 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction. That thou mayst be wise in thy latter end. 21 Many are the devices in a man's heart ; But the counsel of Jehovah ! — it shall stand. 22 A desirable thing in man is his kindness ; And a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life ; And he that is full of it shall abide ; evil shall not visit him. 24 A sluggard hideth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple man will become prudent ; And reprove one that hath understanding, and he A\ill understand knowledge. PROVERBS, CHAP. XX. 47 2(> He that wasteth his father and chaseth away his mother, Is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth re- proach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction. That causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment ; And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners ; And stripes for the back of fools. CHAPTER XX. 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a disturber; Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 2 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion ; He that provoketh him to anger simieth against his own soul. 3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife ; But every fool will be meddling. 4 The sluggard will not plough by reason of the winter ; Therefore he shall seek in the harvest, but shall have nothing. 5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water ; But a man of understanding will draw it out. li Most men proclaim every man his own goodness ; But a faithfid man who can find .' 48 PROVERBS, CHAP. XX. 7 The righteous walketh in his integrity ; His children after him are blessed. 8 A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, " I have made my heart clean, " I am pure from my sin ? " 10 Diverse weights, and diverse measures, Are both of them alike an abomination to Jehovah. 11 Even a child will dissemble in his doings, That in truth his work is pure, and in truth it is right. 12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them. 13 Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty ; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. 14 " It is vile, it is vile," saith the buyer ; But when he is gone his way then he boasteth. 15 There is gold, and a multitude of gems ; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. IG Take his garment when a stranger is surety ; And take a pledge of him where strangers are witnesses. 17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man ; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. IS Establish purposes by counsel; And with arood advice make war. PROVERBS, CHAP XX. 49 19 A talebearer walketh about revealing; secrets; Therefore have no dealing;s with a babbler. 20 Whoso curscth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the be- ginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed. 22 Say not thou, " I will recompense evil;" Wait on Jehovah, and he shall save thee. 23 Diverse w eights are an abomination to Jehovah ; And a false balance is not good. ^ 24 A man's goings are from Jehovah ; How, then, can a man understand his own way ? 25 The man is snared who dcvoureth that which is holy. And after vows begins to make inquiry. 26 A wise king scattereth the wicked; And bringeth the wheel over them. 27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inward parts of the belly. 28 Mercy and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by mercy. 29 The glory of young men is their strengtli ; And the beauty of old men is the gray head. 30 The bruises of a wov.nd are a cleanser in a wicked man ; And stripes cleanse the inward parts of the belly. II 50 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXI. CHAPTER XXI. 1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of Jehovah ; He turneth it whithersoever he will. 2 Every way of man may be right in his own eyes ; But Jehovah weigheth the hearts. 3 To do justice and judgment. Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice. 4 The high look, and the proud heart. And the lamp of the wicked are sin. 5 The devices of the diligent tend certainly to plenteousness ; But of every one that is hasty, certainly to want. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, Is a vanity agitated by them that seek death. 7 Destruction shall seize the wicked. Because they refuse to do judgment. 8 The way of man is perverse and strange ; But as for the pure, his work is upright. 9 It is better to dwell in the corner of the house-top, Than with a brawling woman in a common house. 10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil ; Even his neighbour lindelh no favour in his eyes. 11 When a scorner is punished the simple man is made wise ; And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXI. 51 12 The Just One acts wisely towards the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness. 13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, lie also shall cry himself, and shall not be heard. 14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger ; And a reward in the bosom strong wrath. 15 It is joy to the just to do judgment ; But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 10 The man that wandcreth out of the way of under- standing, Shall remain in the congregation of the dead. 17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man ; And he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 18 The wicked is rut oil' instead of the righteous; And the transgressor instead of the upright. 19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness. Than with a contentious and angry woman. 20 Desirable treasure and oil arc in the dwelling of the wise ; But the foolish man squandereth them away. 21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy, Shall tind life, righteousness, and honour. 22 A wise man scaleth the citj^ of the mighty. And castclh down the strength in which they confide. 23 He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue, Keepcth his soul from troubles. 52 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXII. 24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name. Who dealeth in the wrath of pride. 25 The desire of the slothful man killeth him; For his hands refuse to labour : 26 He coveteth eag-erly all the day long ; But the righteous giveth, and spareth not. 27 The sacrifice of the- wicked is an abomination: How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked purpose i 28 A false witness shall perish ; But the man who heard speaketh convincingly. 29 A wicked man hardeneth his face ; But as for the upright, he directeth his way. 30 There is no wisdom, nor understanding. Nor counsel against Jehovah. 31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle ; But safety is from Jehovah. CHAPTER XXII. 1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches ; And favour is better than silver and gold. 2 The rich and poor meet together ; Jehovah is the maker of them all. 3 The prudent man seeth the evil, and avoids it ; But the simple pass on, and are punished. 4 The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah, Are riches, and honour, and life. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXII. 53 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse ; But he tliat keepeth liis soul shall be tar from them. 6 Trahi up a child in the way he should ^o, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender. 8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap affliction ; And the rod of his auger shall be broken. 9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed ; For he giveth of his bread to the poor. 10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; Yea, strife and reproach shall cease. 11 He that loveth purity of heart. His lips are kindness, and the king is his friend. 12 The eyes of Jehovah preserve the wise; But he overthroweth the aflairs of the transgressor. 13 The slothful man saith, " There is a lion without, " I siiall be slain in the streets." 14 The mouth of harlots is a deep pit ; He tiiat is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein. 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child ; But the rod of correction shall drive it from him. IC He that oppresseth the poor to magnify himself. And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. 17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And upply thine heart to my instructions : 54 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXII. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee ; They shall withal be ready on thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I have taught thee this day, even thee. 20 Have I not written to thee excellent things, In counsels, and in knowledge, 21 That I might teach thee the certainty of the words of truth, A7id that thou mightest answer words of truth to them that send unto thee I 22 Rob not the poor because he is poor; Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate : 23 For Jehovah will plead their cause. And spoil the soul of those that spoil them. 24 Make no friendship with an angry man ; And go not with a fmious man ; 25 Lest thou learn his ways. And get a snare to thy soul. 26 Be not thou one of them that join hands. Or of them that are sureties for debts ; 27 Lest, if thou have nothing to pay with, Thy bed be taken away from under thee. 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, AVhich thy fathers have set. 29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business ? He shall stand before kings ; He shall not stand before mean men. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIII. 55 CHAPTER XXIII. 1 "When thou sittest down to eat with a ruler. Consider diligently what is before thee; 2 And put a knife to thy throat. If thou be a man given to appetite : 3 Be not desirous of his dainties ; For they are deceitful meat. 4 Labour not to be rich ; Cease from this thy prudence. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon a transient thing; For riches certainly make themselves w ings ; They fly away as an eagle towards heaVen. 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye; Neither desire thou his dainty meats : 7 For as he is vile in his soul, so is he ; " Eat and drink," sai(h he to thee ; But his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shall thou vomit up ; And thou shalt rescind thy sweet words. 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool ; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 10 llemove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their Avenger is mighty : lie will plead their cause with thee. 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction; And thine ears to the words of knowledge. 56 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIII. 13 Withhold not correction from a child ; When thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod. And shalt deliver his soul from Hades. 15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, When thy lips speak right things. 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners ; But he thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long. 18 For surely there is a reward ; And thy expectation shall not be cut off. 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise. And guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not thou among wine-bibbers. Among those who are lavish of flesh upon them- selves. 21 For the drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty ; And drowsiness shall clothe itself \\'\i\\ rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee ; And despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth, and sell it not, Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIH. 57 25 Therefore (hy father and thy mother shall be glad; And she that bare thee shall rejoice. 2G My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes rejoice in my ways. 27 For a whore is a deep pit ; And a harlot is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as a robber ; And increaseth the transgressors among men. 29 Who hath woe ? Who hath concupiscence ? Who hath contentions '. Who hath anxiety I Who hath wounds without cause ? Who hath red- ness of eyes .' 30 They that tarry long at the wine ; They that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou on the w ine when it is red ; When it sparkles in the cup, and goeth down pleasantly. 32 At the last it will bite like a serpent. And sting like an adder. 33 Thine eyes will gaze upon harlots ; And thine heart w ill utter perverse things. 3-1 Yea, thou wilt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea ; And as he that lieth on the top of a mast. 35 Thou shall say, " They have stricken me, hut I felt no pain; " They have beaten me, but I perceived it not : " When shall I awake .' I will seek it yet again." 58 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIV. CHAPTER XXIV. 1 Envy thou not evil men; Neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studieth destruction ; And their lips talk of mischief. 3 Through wisdom is a house builded ; And by understanding it is established. 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled. With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong ; And a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt wage thy war ; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool ; He openeth not his mouth in the gate. 8 He that deviseth to do evil, Shall be called a malicious person. 9 An evil thought is sin ; And the scorncr is an abomination to men. 10 Dost thou faint in the day of adversity? Let adversity give thee strength. 11 Deliver them that are hurried away unto death, And them that are about to be slain. If thou forbear; I'ROVERBS, CHAP. XXIV. 59 12 Although thou say, " Behold, we know not this man ; " Will not he that weigheth the heart consider it? And will not he that keepcth thy soul know it^ And will he not render to every man according to his works ? 13 My son, as thou eatest honey because it is good, And as the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste ; 14 So let the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul : When thou hast found it, then there shall be a re- ward. And thy expectation shall not be cut off. 15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwel- ling of the righteous. And demolish not his resting-place : 16 For (he righteous man fullcth seven times, and riseth up again ; But the wicked are overwhelmed with evil. 17 Rejoice not when (hine enemy falleth ; And let not thine licart be glad when he stumbleth; 18 Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him ; And he turn away his wrath from him to thee. 19 Emulate not evil men ; Envy not the wicked : 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man ; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; Meddle not with them that are given to change : 22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And who knoweth the ruin of them both I 60 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIV. 23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judg- ment. 24 He that saith unto the wicked, " Thou art right- eous ;" Him shall the peoples curse, nations shall abhor him : 25 But to them that rebuke the wicked shall be favour. And the blessing of the good shall come upon him. 2G Every man shall kiss his lips. That giveth a right answer. 27 Prepare thy work without. And make it ready in the field ; Go afterwards, and build thy house. 28 Ee not witness against thy neighbour without cause ; Neither deceive with thy lips. 29 Say not, " I Avill do so to him as he hath done to me; " I will render to every man according to his work." 30 I went ])y the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of under- standing ; 31 And, lo ! it was all grown over with thorns; Nettles had covered the face thereof. And tlie stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, I considered it well ; I looked, I received instruction : PROVET^RS, CHAP. XXV. 61 33 Thou desirest a little sleep more, a little slumber, A little loldinf? of the hands to sleep : 34 But thy poverty shall come as a traveller. And thy want as an armed man. CHAPTER XXV. 1 These also are the Proverbs of Solomon, Which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah col- lected. 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings, there is no searching. 4 Take away the dross from the silver, And there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 5 Take away the w icked from before the king. And his throne shall be established in righteous- ness. 6 Arrogate not honour in the presence of the king; And stand not in the place of the great. 7 For it is better that it be said unto thee, " Come up hither," than that thou shouldest be put lower, In the presence of tlie prince whom thine eyes have seen. 8 Go not forth hastily to contention, Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 62 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXV. 9 If thou debate thy cause with thy neighbour, Yet discover not the secret of another : 10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, And thine infamy turn not away. 11 A word fitly spoken in its season, Js like apples of gold in curiously wrought baskets of silver. 12 As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an attentive ear. 13 As the cold of snow, in the time of harvest. So is a faithful messenger to them that send him ; For he refresheth the soul of his masters. 14 Whoso boasteth of gifts that he never gives, Is like clouds and wind without rain. 15 By long forbearing is a prince appeased ; And a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 16 Hast thou found honey ? eat so much as is suf- ficient for thee ; Lest thou be satiated therewith, and vomit it. 17 Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house ; Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee. 18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour. Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. 19 Confidence in the perfidious in the time of trouble. Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVI. 63 20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, And as vinef^^ar npon nitre, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart. 21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat ; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink : 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head ; And Jehovah shall reward thee. 23 The north wind bringeth forth rain ; And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. 24 It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, Than with a brawling woman in a common house. 25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul. So is good news from a far country. 26 The righteous erring before the w icked. Are as a muddy fountain, and a corrupt spring. 27 It is not good for the righteous to eat much honey; But to search their own glory is glorious. 28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit, Is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. CHAPTER XXVI. 1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest ; So honour is not seemly for a fool. 2 As the sparrow in w andering, and the swallow in So the curse that is without cause shall not come. 64 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVI. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass. And a rod for the back of fools are necessary ^ 4 Answer not a fool according^ to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him : 5 Answer a fool according to his folly. Lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool, Cutteth oft" the feet, and drinketh damage. 7 As the legs are weak through lameness. So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling; So is he that giveth honour to a fool. ^ As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard; So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10 The great God that formed all things, Both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth the trans- gressors. 11 As a dog returneth to his vomit; So a fool returneth to his folly. 12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit.' There is more hope of a fool than of him. 13 The slothful man saith, " There is a lion in the way, " A lion is in the streets." 14 As the door turneth upon its hinges. So doth the sluggard upon his bed. 15 The sluggard hideth his hand in the dish ; It wearies him to bring it to his mouth again. PROVERBS, CII Al\ XXVI. 56 in The sliif^j^ard is wiser iii Iiis own conccif. Than seven men (liat can return a discreet answer. 17 ylshelhat takelli by tlic cars a ilo^Mliat passelliby; So is lie that meddlelh with contention that con- ' cerns him not. 18 As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and (lea til ; 10 So is the man that deceivelh his neighbour, And sailh, " Am not I in sport T' 20 Where no wood is the fire j^oeth out ; And where there is no talebearer strile ceaseth. 21 As coals to burninj;- coals, and wood to fire; 8o is a contentions man to kindle strife. 22 The words of ;i talebearer are as wounds; And they oo down into the innermost parts of the belly. 2:} As drossy silver laid upon a potsherd ; So are warm lips, and a wicked heart. 24 He that hatcth dissembleth with his lips. And layeth up deceit within him : 2."> When he speaketh fair, believe him not; For he is full of abominations in his heart. 2() Hatred may cover itself with acclamation ; But its wickedness shall be revealed in the con- ^rec^ation. 27 Whoso diu-elh a pit /or another shall fall into it; And he that rollelh a stoiu-, it will return upon him. 28 A lyiui? toni;ue hateth those that are injured by it; And a llatteriug- mouth worketh ruin. K 66 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVII. CHAPTER XXVII. 1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow ; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth ; A strang^er, and not thine own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty ; But a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous ; But who is able to stand before envy ? 5 Open rebuke is better than secret love : 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend ; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb ; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. 8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest ; So is a man that wandereth from his place. 9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a Inan's friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; Neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity. For better is a friend that is near than a brother far off. 11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me. PROVERBS, CFIAP. XXVII. 67 12 The pnulcnt man forseeth the evil, and avoids it ; But the simple pass on, and are punished. 13 Take his garment when a stranj^er is surety ; And take a pledge of him where strangers are witnesses, 14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him. 15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day. And a contentious woman are alike. 16 He that hideth her hideth the wind ; And the ointment of his right hand betrayeth itself. 17 -4s iron is brightened by iron ; So a man exhilarates the countenance of his friend. 18 Whoso keepeth tlie lig-troe shall eat the fruit thereof; And he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. 19 As the face is to the face in water; So is the heart of a man to a man. 20 Hades and the seats of destruction are never full ; So the eyes of man are never satislied. 21 ^s the fining-pot to silver, and the furnace to gold; So is a man to the speech of him that praiseth him. 22 Though thou shouldcst bray a fool in a mortar, Among things pounded with a pestle ; Yet will not his foolishness depart from him. 68 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVIII. 23 Be diligent to know the state of thy flock; Look well to thy herds : 24 For riches are not lor ever ; Neither is the crown from g-eneration to genera- tion. 25 The grass appcareth, and the herbage showeth itself. And the herbs upon the mountains are gathered: 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, And the he goats are the price of the lield : 27 And there shall be goals' milk enough. For thy food, and the food of thy household. And /or the maintenance of thy maidens. CHAPTER XXVIII. 1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth; But the righteous are bold as a lion. 2 By the rebellion of a land many are the princes thereof; But by a man of understanding cmd knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. 3 A man in power that is needy, and oppresseth the poor, Is li/ic a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. 4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked ; But such as keep the law cojitend with them. 5 Evil men understand not judgment. But they that seek Jehovah understand all things. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVIII. 69 6 Better is (he poor that walkcth in his integrity. Than ho that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. 7 He that kccpcth the law is a wise son; Hut he that is a companion of prodigals shamcth his father. 8 He that by usury and unjust gain incrcaseth his substance. He shall gather it for him that hath pity on the poor. i) He (hat turneth away his ear from hearing tlie law. Even his prayer shall be an abomination. 10 He that causeth the righteous to go astray in an e\ il >\ ay, lie shall fall himself into his own pit; But the upright shall ha\c good things in pos- session. 11 The rich man is wise in hi.s own conceit; But the poor man that hath understanding search- eth him out. 12 When the righteous rejoice there is great glory ; But when the wicked rise men conceal themselves. 10 He that covert th his sins shall not prosper; But he that confesseth and fors.ikclh them shall have mercy. 14 Happy is the man that feareth always, But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into c\il. 1-3 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; iSo is a \\ icked ruler over a poor peojjle. 70 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXVIII, 16 A prince void pf understanding is a great op- pressor ; But he that hateth covetuousness shall prolong Jiis days. 17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person, Although he may flee to the pit, let no man stay him. 18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall he saved ; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. 19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread. But he that followeth vanity shall have poverty enough. 20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings ; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. 21 To have respect of persons is not good ; Yet for a piece of bread will a man transgress. 22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye. And considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. 23 He that rebuketh a man after my precepts. Shall find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue. 24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother. And saith, " It is no transgression ;" The same is the companion of a destroyer. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXIX. 71 25 A man of insatiable desire stirrctli up strife; But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat. 26 He that trusteth in his own prudence is a fool ; But whoso walketh wisely shall be delivered. 27 He that givetli unto the poor shall not want ; But he thathideth his eyes shall have many a curse. 28 AVhen the wicked rise men hide themselves ; But when they perish the righteous increase. CHAPTER XXIX. 1 He that beinj!^ reproved hardeneth his neck. Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 2 When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice ; But when the wicked bear rule the people mourn. 8 AA'hoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; But he thatkeepeth company with harlots spcndeth Jiis substance. 4 A king by judgment cstablisheth the land ; But he that rcceiveth gifts overthroweth it. 6 A m;ni thai nattcrcth his neighbour, Sprcadelh a net for his foct. In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare ; But the righteous do sing and rejoice. -^2 PROVERBS, CHAr. XXIX. 7 The righteous consider the cause of the poor; But the wicked regard not knowledge. 8 Scornful men inflame the city ; But wise men turn away wrath. 9 When a wise man contendeth with a fool Whether he rage or laugh there is no rest. 10 The blood-thirsty hate the upright. And seek the life of the just. 11 A fool uttereth all his mind ; But a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. 12 If a ruler hearken to lies, " All his servants will be wicked. 13 The poor and the rich meet together ; Jehovah lighteneth both their eyes. 14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, His throuc shall be established for ever. 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself bringeth shame to his mother. 16 When the wicked are in authority transgression increaseth ; But the righteous shall see their fall. 17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest ; Yea, he shall give delight to thy soul. 18 Where there is no religion the people perish; But l^e that keepeth the law-happy is he. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXX. 73 19 A wicked servant will not be corrected by words ; For though he understand he will not obey. 20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words ? There is more hope of a tool than of him. 21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child. Certainly at length shall lament it. 22 An angry man stirreth up strife; And a furious man aboundcth in transgression. 23 A man's pride shall bring him low ; But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. 24 Whoso is partner with a thief hatcth his own soul, He heareth the adjuration yet will not confess. 25 The fear of man bringeth a snare ; But be that trusteth in Jehovah shall be exalted. 26 Many seek the ruler's favour ; But every man's judgment cometh from Jehovah. 27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just; And he that is upright in his way is an abomina- tion to the wicked. CHAPTER XXX. 1 Tn E words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, Even the prophecy which he spake unto Ithiel., Even unto Ithiel and Ucal. 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man. L 74 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXX. 3 I neither learned wisdom, Nor have the knowledg^c of tlie holy. 4 Who hath ascended into heaven and descended I Who hath g:athcred the wind in his fists ? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? AYho hath established all the ends of the earth ? What is his name, and what is his son's name ? Declare if thou canst tell. 6 Every Vvord of God is {jure ; He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 yVdd thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 7 Two things I request of thee, O God; Deny me them not before I die : 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies ; Give me neither poverty nor riches ; Jhtt feed me with food convenient for me : 9 Lest I be lull, and deny thee, and say, " Who is Jehovah ? " Or lest I he poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. 10 Accuse not a servant unto his master. Lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. 11 There is a generation that curseth their father. And doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes. And yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes ! And tlieir eyelids are lifted up. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXX. 75 14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, and their grinders knives, To devour the poor from oft" the earth, and the needy from among men. 15 The horse-leech hath two daughters, crying, " Give, give." There are three things that are never satisfied ; Yea, four things say not, " It is enough ;" 16 Hades, and the barren womb, The earth that is not filled with water. And the fire that saith not, " It is enough." 17 The eye that mocketh at his father. And despiseth obedience to his mother. The ravens of the valley shall pick it out. And the young eagles sliall eat it. 18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me. Yea, four which I know not: 19 The way of an eagle in the air. The way of a serpent upon a rock. The way of a ship in the midst of the sea. And the way of a man with a maid. 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth and wipeth her mouth. And saith, " I have done no wickedness." 21 For three things the earth is disquieted. And for four which it cannot bear; 22 For a servant when he reignetli ; And a fool when he is filled with meat ; 23 For an odious woman when she is married ; And an hantlmaid that is heir to her mistress. 76 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXX. 24 There are four things which are little upon the earth ; But they are exceeding- wise : 25 The ants are a people not strong. Yet they prepare their meat in the summer. 26 The conies are a people not strong, Yet they make their houses in the rocks. 27 The locusts have no king. Yet they go forth all of them in order. 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands. And is in kings' palaces. 29 There are three things which go well. Yea, four are comely in going : 30 A lion which is the most valiant of beasts, And turneth not away for any; 31 A greyhound ; an he goat also ; And a king against whom there is no rising up. 32 If thou hast foolishly exalted thyself. Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thine hand upon thy mouth : 33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter; And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood ; And the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXXI. 77 CHAPTER XXXI. 1 The words of king Lemuel, Even the prophecy which his mother taught him. 2 What shall I say to thee, my son '. And what, O son of ray womb t And what, O son of my vows i 3 Give not thy strength unto women ; Nor thy ways to that which destroyelh kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine. Nor for princes to desire strong drink; 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish ; And wine unto those that are of heavy hearts ; 7 That they may drink, and forget their poverty. And remember their misery no more. 8 Open thy mouth for the dumb ; Plead thou the cause of the oppressed. 9 Open thy mouth, judge righteOiRsly, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. 10 Who can find a virtuous wife ? For her price is far above gems. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. And he shall not want domestic wealth. 12 She will do him good, and not eviJ, All the days of her life. 13 She seeketh wool and flax, And worketh willingly with her hands. 78 PROVERBS, CHAP. XXXI. 14 She is like a merchant's ships ; She bringeth her food from afar. \ . 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth meat to her household. And a portion to her maidens. 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it, With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vine- yard. 17 She girdeth her loins with strength. And streugtheneth her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good ; Her lamp goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle. And her hands hold the distaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor ; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household ; For all her household are clothed with double garments. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry ; Her clothing is linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected in the gates. When he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24 She maketh vestments, and selleth them; And delivereth girdles to the merchant. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing. And she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom, And upon her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She supcrintendeth the ways of her household. And eateth not the bread of idleness. PROVERBS, CHAP. XXXI. 79 28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed ; Her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29 Many women have acted virtuously ; But thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty vain ; But the woman that leareth Jehovah, — she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands ; And let her own works praise her in the gates. i^nti of tfie lJrobfvl)0» NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY, ON THE ISoofe of iJioiJCilJS. Wottff* CHAPTER I. 1- The Proverbs of Solomoii] — Tlie first six verses, as the commentators observe, contain a prefatory introduction to tlie book, explanatory of the nature and object of the work. — hufD, see Prel. Diss. 2. Respecting the knowledge] — The construction of this and the two following verses depends upon the first verse, and the prefixed b points out the end and object of the Proverbs, namely, to inculcate most important truths respecting the knowledge of wisdom and instruction, ns and cz)>^*^l^. Though the ancient versions sometimes render this noun in a good sense, and the Arabic ^Jij is so used, (Golius, p. 1757,) yet, if I mistake not, it always denotes, in the sacred writings, a weak, simple person, destitute of mental energy, and easily deluded. Ch. vii. 7. has been supposed to be an exception. — (Michaels, Suppl. ad Lex. No. 2095; Cocceius, Lex. Heb. ed. Schulz.) It may, undoubtedly, signify a youth, a young man, in the place referred to, but its usual sense is equally appropriate, and it is, therefore, unnecessary to depart from it. The distinction of 'ns, ^IJ, and yV, three words of common occurrence in the Proverbs, is well ex- plained by Micha'lis. — (Suppl. No. 1304.) " »n3 fatuus, sim- plex, qui inscitia magis quam obfirmatione animi malus est. 2. b'jl stultus, multojam pejor. 3. yh de cujus emendatione desperare philosophus solet." — CD"ii? properly means naked, nudus ; but in its meta- phorical sense it denotes quickness of mind; in a good sense, discernment, sagacity ; in a bad one, cunning or suhtilty. I have rendered the fem. nmj? by " prudence," a word more agreeable to the phraseology of the received translation than ** sagacity," and sufficiently expressive of its meaning. It is extremely difficult to affix precise and definite ideas to the several terms which Solomon uses in this account of the subject of the Proverbs. The most arduous part of the translator's office is to render the true import of abstract terms. It is not to be supposed .that the wise monarch heaped words together at random, accumulating expressions without NOTES, CHAP. I. 85 adding to tlic sense. Such idle verbosity is foreign to the style of the sacred penmen, and cannot be attributed to Solomdn, whose high intellectual powers were enlarged and sublimed by the aid of inspiration. Tn full confidence that the terms in this passage are not tautological, the following attempt to discriminate them, by way of paraphrase, is sub- mitted to the reader. (Ver. 1.) " The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel," which treat of (v. 2) " the knowledge of wisdom," of religion and piety towards God, of " instruction" and moral discipline, of " the understanding of the words of prudence ;" that is, wise and prudent coun- sels ; (v. 3) which treat of " the attainment of instruction in wisdom," which wisdom is to be exhibited in the conduct of life, and consists " in righteousness," with regard to ourselves, " in judgment," in observing the statutes and ordinances of God, and " in equity" with regard to our fellow-creatures; (v. 4) which treat of " the giving to the simple sagacity" to (Uscover what is right, by supplying them with just principles, and correct views of virtue and vice; and " to the young, man knowledge," so that he need not err through ignorance, " and discretion," so that by pondering well these precepts he will not err through wilful obduracy. 5. The wise leill heai-] — The wise and prudent are not such as have already attained wisdom, but such as are desirous of doing so. — Icarniuf/] — npV is applied, ch. vii. 21, to the alluring and persuasive speech of an harlot: here and ch. iv. 2, ix. 9, x^^. 21, 23, it means " acceptabilis doctrina," (Cocc. Lex.) " doctrina qua^ accipitur et acceptatione digna est." — C. B. Micha>lis, Xota> I'beriores in Proverbia Salomonis. — trisc counsels] — m'^ann, in ch. xii. 5, corresponds with mniynD thoughts, in the preceding hemistich; and in 86 NOTES, CHAP. I. Job, xxxvii. 12, it is applied to the counsel? and decrees of the Almighty ; it therefore means prudent designs, wise coun- sels. In this verse the word is rendered " acumen" by Le Clerc, and " solertiam" by Dathe. — See Dindorfii Lex. Heb. 6. By understanding a proverb] — It was customary vvith the Israelites to employ enigmas and parables in inculcating truths of importance, especially in morality, of which we have many examples in the sacred writings. — (Judges, ix. 8, xiv. 14; 1 Kings, x, 1; 2 Kings, xiv. 9; Eccles. xxxix. 2.) The ancient Greek sages adopted the same method of en- forcing moral and important truths : (Burnet, Archieologiae, lib. i. c. 8.) and it is recommended as highly useful and in- structive by Clemens Alexandrinus. — (Strom, lib. 2. initio, &c.) It is doubtful whether such enigmas, allegories, and parables are uitimated by the terms in this verse, or only the acute sayings and useful aphorisms, by which the wise men of antiquity were accustomed to convey instruction. The general sense, however, is clear, namely, that " a prudent man will attain unto wise counsels" by understanding the maxims and sayings of the wise. 1 connect this verse with the preceding one, and consider pan"? as a gerund; " iutelligendo senten- tias." — Schultens. — the interpretation'] — nY'^D occurs only here and Hab. ii. 6, and Parkhurst derives it from \bn, and says " it seems to denote pleasantness, sweetness of expression, an elegant saying, a bon mot;'' but this does not well agree with the con- text in Hab. ii. G. The ancient versions differ : Aq. Theod. render it by tpfxrivEiav; Sym. by 7rpo€Xj;/ia; LXX by aicoreirov Xoyov, the Vulg. by " interpretationem ;" Syr. by ]ZV)^; an^l Targ. by the same word, «ns'?s, which may mean cither interpretatio or sententia allegorica et paraholica. — (Castell, Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. et Rab.) Perhaps it is best to derive the word under consideration from l*!"? illudere, deridere. As NOTES, CHAP. I. 87 ftiose who taunt and mock use shaq> and acute sayings, such as will cut and i)oiietrat(\ nv'^D may mean a sharp arid acute saying; but in so doubtful a case 1 have not ventured to alter the received translation. — dark sayings] — " m»n prnprie sermonem involutnm et t»orfosM;« designat (mn enim, Arab. jU- est torsit, injlrxit) <[uali vctustissimi sapientes suas plerumque solebant obvelare sententias, ne eaideui, nimium patescentes, protritae tandem fierent, atque vilescerent; hinc omnibus aliis etiam accom- modatur sententiis prudenter et concinne prolatis, ubi non tam respectus habetur ad obscuritatem, quam ad gravitatem, ut Prov. i. G; Ps. Ixxviii. 2, et h. 1." — Bosenrauller Scholia in Ps. xlix. 5. See also Ilorsley's Psalms, vol. 1. p. 283, Parkhurst, and Dindorf. 7. The fear of Jehovah] — Religion is the foundation of all that is virtuous and honourable in practice, of all that adorns and dignifies man, and therefore Solomon makes it the ground- work of the wisdom he is going to inculcate. nin» n«v ' the fear of Jehovah, is not that slavish fear which subjects pay to a tyrant; but that pious worship and religious reverence which is due to the Supreme Being; and, if the expression •* the fear of the Lord, or Jehovah," had not been too well sanctioned by use to require a change, the original might have been correctly rendered " the reverence of Jehovah." nt*")* alone is sometimes put for piety, even when the name of God is omitted. In compliance with the example of some of the most emi- nent translators, 1 have rendered the adorable name mrt' by " Jehovah" instead of " Lord," as in the received version. The conceit of Dr. Hales in pronouncing it iahoh is certainly not deserving of imitation; (Dissertations, p. 125;) though others have preced»'d him in the same, or nearly the same, pronunciation of it, — (See Dindortii Lex. Heb. in voc, and 88 NOTES, CHAP. I. Le Clerc on Exotl. iii. 15.) The term Jehovah is familiar, and to adopt a different arrangement of the vowels, especially since the true pronunciation of the Hebrew is irrecoverably lost, is useless, if not absurd. " Usi hie sumus, et alibi semper, voce Jehova, non quod veram banc esse A^ocis pro- nunciationem existimemus ; sed quia, cum non satis nota sit, commodius erat voce uti fict^, nee veris vocalibus instructa, quam voce Doinimis, quae ambigua est." — Le Clerc, Com- ment, in Gen. ii. 4. — the principal part of knowledge] — n'tf^l does not here seem to denote the beginning or commencement, but the most excellent or principal part, as Marg. of E. T. ; and in this sense the same phrase and sentiment occurs ch. ix. 10; Ps. cxi. 10. — See ch. iv. 7, and note. — hut fools] — ^These are persons destitute of true wisdom, who follow their own inclinations without any regard to rea- son, or reverence for God. In the writings of Solomon, folly and vice are nearly convertible terms; anol whatever word expressive of folly is employed, it has reference to moral conduct; as, 'riD, h'MH, h^i, "p'DD. It would be well to trans- late them by different words, but the English language does not admit such variety of expression. 8. 3Iy son, hear, S)-c.] — It was anciently the custom of preceptors to address their pupils by the title of sons : thus the disciples of the prophets are called " the sons of the pro- phets," 1 Kings, XX. 35; 2 Kings, ii. 3, iv. 38; a master, or preceptor is called " a father," Judges, xvii. 10; 2 Kings, ii. 12; 1 Sam. x. 12. St. Paul styles Timothy " his son," 1 Tim. i. 2; 2 Tim. i. 2. St. John styles those to whom his first Epistle was sent his children, ch. ii. 1, v. 21; and thus the royal sage addresses his young hearers, exhort- ing them not to contemn the advice and admonition of their parents; because obedience to parents is a duty second NOTES, CHAP. I. S9 <»nly in importance to obedience to God. — See Pococke, Nota' in Carmen Toj^ai, p. 3. — And forsake not the -precepts] — mm from ni', which in Hiph. signifies to teach, to instruct; uiid liciue nmn is that which teaches, a taiv, a doctrine, a precept. 9. a (jraceful wreath to fhij head] — The instruction and ad- monition of parents will render a man morally amiable and graceful, as necklaces and tiaras give elegance and splendour to the human form : an allusion to the decorations of the head and neck used in the East. Ps. Ixxiii. G; Song of Sol. iv. i). Compare 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10; 1 Pet. iil 3, 4. 10. consent not] — Instead of «an, thirty-six MSS. of Ken- nicott and twenty-two of De Rossi read nann, which I have followed after E. T. ; nevertheless «in "rw go not, yields a good sense. 11. Let vs lay snares] — |3y means to hide, to conceal: snares, of course, is understood, and acconlingly the Vulg. supplies it, " abscondamus tendiculas." — A\'altheri Ellipses Heb. p. 99, ed. Schulz. llala;, 1782. — in vain] — am, I think, refers to 'pih the innocent in vain, those whose innocence will in vain protect them ; but some understand it of those who have done us no injury; and others " irapune," with impunity, there being none to see and nvcnjie it. The LXX render it by 'af.dwr, and the Syr. by (AlO " with guile or fraud." Compare 1 Sam. xxv. 31. 12. as Hades does the licing] — Sheol ('?i«tr) denotes the invisible receptacle of departed souls, as has been e^^nced by many writers, but perhaps by none with more acuteness and precision than by Dr. Campbell in the sixth Prel. Diss, to his Translation of the Gospels. See ch. xv. 11, note, and the authors there cited. The authorized version of this versf is scarcely intelligible. N 90 NOTES, CHAP. I. — and whole] — D»D*nn, I think, means whole, totos, i. e* as Hades daily swallows up many who were living securely in the midst of health and enjoyment, and not expecting so sudden a fate ; so let us swallow them up wholly and in- stantly; let us consume them altogether, as the grave does its victims. Here is an evident allusion to Numb. xvi. 30. But Geier and Dr. Hodgson refer the word to integrity of Ufe, the latter of whom thus renders -the verse : " Let us swallow them up, as the tomb does the living, And the upright, as those who go down into the grave." 13. all kinds of valuable treasure] — "ip' pn b^, not all valu- able treasure, but valuable treasure of all kinds; so Schultens,^ Michaelis, Not. Uber. Dathe, Hodgson. 14. Cast in thy lot] — This is, probably, an allusion to the custom of freebooters dividing their spoil by lot. " Let us all have one purse," i. e. let us all share alike ; and whatever each requires shall be supplied out of the common stock. 15. My son, nalk not] — Associate not with tliem, neither follow their example. 16. For their feet run to evil] — This verse may undoubtedly mean, that the inclination of sinners is to commit evil and to perpetrate murder; as the same phrase signifies Isaiah, lix. 7 : but this and the two following verses may rather be considered as descrii>tive of tlie evil consequences of yielding to the seducements of sinners, and as implying that sin generally causes its own punishment. Verse 18 favours this interpretation. 17. Surely in vain] — "When the consequences of sin are so apparent, who would be entangled in its snares? Even the birds of the air, though not eminent for caution and foresight, avoid the destiuctive net when it is spread in their sight. NOTES, CHAP. I. 91 — of any bird] — i^J3 hv:^, literally, " master or lord of wing," a well-known Hebraism tor a bird. — Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 93, ed. Dathe. 19. Such arc the irays] — This is the Paroemiast's conclu- sion from his preceding remarks on the evil consequences of yielding to the allurement of sinners. Such, says he, and so pernicious are the ways of those who desire unjust gain: wealth obtained by injustice is the destruction of its pos- sessors. " Sensus est; nemo illorum effugere potest exitium, et inevitabile est Dei judicium adversus avaros et irapie quaestuosos." — Glass, p. 94. — unjust gain'] — yvi necessarily means unjust gain in this place, as there is no condemnation against fair and honest gain. It is used in the same sense 1 Sam. viii. 3; Isaiah, xxxiii. 15; Ezek. xxii. 13, 27, and in other places. 20. Wisdom crieth without'] — Some are of opinion that our Lord Jesus Christ is here characterized by the term " Wis- ' is the third person pi. fut.; but such an enallege being inadmissible in Enghsh, I have translated them as the second person pi. fut. 23. my spirit] — By " spirit'' some imderstand the will of God; others the mind, animum et sensus; others the divine influence of the Holy Spirit : but, as wisdom is represented as speaking this, it probably means that the scorner and the fool, on turning or reforming at her reproof, shall be endowed with a portion of the spirit of wisdom. — nn the precepts of wisdom. 2G. I also tcill laugh] — I also; namely, I, wisdom. — at your calamity] — Parkhurst derives T« from m» to throiii, to cast ; but better referred to a root of the same let- ters, as most lexicographers do. In Arabic >io\ is gravis, molestus. — your fear] — A metonymy of the effect for the cause, i. e. I will mock when that which causes you tenor shall come. So (pofiog is used 1 Pet. iii. 14. 28. Then shall they calf] — ^There is something very striking in the change of the tense from the second to the third person, NOTES, CHAP. I. 93 sijjnificative of tho contempt with which wisdom looks down upon sinners. She suddenly starts aside from her harangue to them, and, as if they were too despicable to be any longer in her presence or to be addressed personally, she continues to speak of them in the third person, and to paint in vivid colours the certain misery consequent upon sin. — seek me diligent li/] — 'Jnnu;» from inur nigrum esse, hence inr the daicn, and the verb means to seek diligently or earnestly, as those may be supposed to do who rise early, and commence their search with the dawn. The Nun in the verbs in this verse is doubled, or rather an epenthetic Nun is inserted. — See Altingii Fundam. Punct. Ling. Sanct. p. 385. 31. Tlierefnre shall they eat, 8fc.] — That is, the wicked shall reap the just reward of their transgressions; and the verse may be illustrated by comparing it with ch. xii. 14, xxii. 8; Isaiah, iii. 10; Hosea, x. 13; Job, iv. 8; Gal. \i. 7. — shall be sated] -rity denotes not only to^ll, but to cloy and sate, as is evident from ch. xiv. 14, xxv. 16; Ps. Ixxxviii. 4, in Heb. Ps. cxxiii. 3; Tsaiah, i. 11, itc. iraty " h.e. ad nauseam impU-buntur et comedcnt, ita ut consiliorum suorum vehementer tandem, sed nimis sero, ipsos poeniteat." — Michaelis, Notac Uberiores in Prov. 32. And the carelessness of fools] — That r\-\hm is taken sometimes in a good sense for quietness, security, is evident from ch. xvii. 1; Ps. cxxii. 7; but the parallelism shows that it is here applied in a bad sense, for carelessness or indolence, the too common effect of peace and security. In this latter sense it appears to be used Ezek. xvi. 40. — (See Schultens, Origines Hebrea% pars. 2. c. iii. § 21. et seq.; Gussetii Com- ment, in voc. ; and compare 2 Cliron. xxix. 11 ; 2 Sam. vi. 7 ; 2 Kings, iv. 28.) The Syr. and Chald. render it by .ajiin^ 94 NOTES, CHAP. II. and ']?1D, both signifying erro7: Hodgson's version is, " the indifference of fools shall undo them," and Dathe's, " incuria ignavorum eos perdit." CHAPTER II. 1. And lay vp my commandments] — fsy to lay up, or reserve for future uses, as in ch. vii. 1, x. 14, xiii. 22. Compare Ps. cxix. 11; Luke, ii. 19, 51; for laying up or treasuring up is a kind of hiding. An allusion, as Dymock observes, to the concealing the most valuable things in secret repositories. The personification of wisdom terminates with the preceding chapter, and Solomon now resumes his address to his hearers. 2. If by inclining, Sfc.] — Tlie construction of this verse is rather perplexed. OS is probably to be supphed from the first verse, and prefixed to the beginning of this; so Jun. and Tremel. Piscat. Durell. I am induced by the context to adopt this construction, for ver. 1 — 4 describe the conditions upon which a man may " understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God;" (ver. 5.) Verse 2 should, therefore, be translated with an "if" like the other, as it con- tains one of the conditions specified. Otherwise it might be literally rendered in connexion with the first verse, " If thou wilt receive my Mords, and lay up my commandments with thee, (ver. 2,) To incline thine ear unto wisdom ; thou shalt apply thine heart to understanding." — I'typn"? I construe as a gerund. — a"? the mind, or intellectual part, which the He- brews frequently denominated " the heart." — Micha^lis, Suppl. in voc. 3. Yea, if] — '3 is not redundant, as some suppose, but means certe, omnino. — Noldius, 4. 4. If than wilt seek her] — The pronominal affix nJ, 1 thiuk, refers to HDDn wisdom, mentioned ver. 2. NOTES, CHAP. II. 95 5. Then shalt thou, i^-c] — To seek after religions know- ]edge is to tiiiil it, and to endeavour sincerely anil earnestly to become righteous is to succeed. — Matt. vii. 7. G. For Jehovah giveth wisdom] — " If any man lack wis- dom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." — James, i. 5. " in' (laf, i. e. tradit, docet sapient iain: nam adit in parallelo; V3D ex ore ejvs, illo instituente." — Doederlein Scholia in loc. 7. He latjeth up sound wisdom] — n»tt^in occurs in three other places in Proverbs, oh. iii. 21, viii. 14, xviii. 1, and appears in each to mean wisdom. It is derived from nrif or rather IT' est, existit, and in general means that which is real and substantial ; a])plied to wisdom in particular, it denotes real or sound wisdom. " Est igitur nomcn notionis valde gene- ralis, cujus speciaUorexcontextu semper definienda est, v. c. Iliob. 6. 13, est spes snlida, alibi snpietitia solida, i^r." — (Simonis, Lex. Heb. ed. Eichhorn.) Hence proceeds the variety of the ancient versions. The LXX render it by auTtjpiav; Vulg. by " salutem ;" Syr. ^J^CD spes; and Targum by mnaiy, rendered in the Polyglot " incolumitatem," but perhaps better *' honorem." — (Castell and Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. in nnau;) Dindorf explains it by sahis, incoltimitas, and adoj)ts Dathe's translation ; " Ilic probis solidam servat fortunam." — (Lex. Heb. in voc.) Michivdis (Suppl. ad Lex. Xo. 10G(>) deduces n'UMn from the Arabic ^-jj in its origin the same with LjI pro *-j1 sanavit, solatus fiiit; and translates it " medicina, solatium:" a sense which I cannot fmd that either ty* or any of its derivatives ever undoubtedly possesses, and is moreover unsuitable to ch. iii. 21, xviii. 1. But see Micha'lis, whose explanation is adopted by Schulz in Cocceii Lex. Heb. 8. By keepincj the paths] — If tliis hemistich be referred to those who walk uprightly in ver. 7, the sense will be a« 96 NOTES, CHAP. II. expressed in the version; but if it be referred to God, it should be rendered, " He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. Guarding the paths of rectitude; And (or, for) he preserveth the way of his saints." — rectitude] — tosu^n, a word of extensive import, here im- plying eveiy thing just, and right, and equitable ; every thing morally good. 9. Then shalt thou understand, Sfc.] — It is difficult, as ob- served before, (ch. i. 4,) to define abstract terms with accu- racy; but probably pnY means righteousness as it regards oneself; IDBWO the judgments and ordinances relating to our duty to God; CDniy>o equity to our neighbours. 11. Discretion shall ivatch over theel — By an elegant per- sonification Discretion and Understanding are represented as watching over the youthful aspirant to virtue, and preserving him from the fascinations of vice. "I'Vr "lairn, a similar phrase, occurs ch. vi. 22 ; and the image is taken from the custom of military guards, who keep watch for the safety and tranquillity of the city. 12. the way of the wicked"] — The LXX, Vulg. Syr. Targ. Pagn. Merc. Geier, Le Clerc, Dathe render r"i *Tna "from the evil wayf but the parallelism requires m to be taken as a noun of multitude for the base in general, corresponding with the latter hemistich. — From every one that speaketh ■pei'versc things] — tt^>«o "from every one," because all the verbs which follow are plural. — (Durell, Micha'hs, Not. Uber.) mDsnn from ^an vertere, hence the noun means things turned ; tortuous, distorted, perverse things. NOTES, CHAP. II. 97 15. in their ways] — a is to be siippliofl before an»nmi*. The » in this word is what fp-ununarians call the " Jod nuiltitu- dinis." — Schroeder, Gram. llcb. p. 218; Storr, Observationes ad Analog, et Syntax. Heb. p. Ill, note. 10. To deliver thee from the wanton] — The construction of tliis verse depends upon ver. 11. Discretion sliall watch over thee, Underslandinii ^ha^ preserve thee, in order to dehver thee from the blandishments of meretricious beauty. — fromthe wanton] — mi rwvm, literally, a strange or foreign woman; nnsj, literally, the same; both signifying a lewd woman, a harlot. That the greatest number of courtezans in Palestine were women from for(Mt?n countries is probable, both from their impurcr and more licentious manners, and from the Hebrew ap])eIlations which imply a foreign extraction. Though the laws respecting virginity, and the command that " there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel," (Dent, xxiii. 17; Levit. xix. 29,) sufficiently attest that every breach of chastity was displeasing to God; yet Prov. ii. 17, (see note,) the descent of Jephthah from an harlot, (Judges, xi. 1,) Solomon's decision of the cause of the two harlots, (1 Kings, iii. 16,) the case of Tamar, (Gen. xxxviii. 12,) and the propeusitj' of human nature to sensual pleasure, which neither laws nor education can wholly suppress, aftbrd a proof that some among the Jewish women addicted themselves to this de- bauched manner of life. Some, however, siippose that by the laws in Deut. and Levit. above cited, " noii scorta vul- garia qua'stus aut voluptatis solius cupidine corporum suorum copiani facii'utia, prohibcutur; sed scorta ((|u;v voeant) .syicro, foedo ahcui Cientiiim Nuuiiui dicata, et turpitudineni onuieni in illius honorem exercentia." — (Spencer, de Leg. Hebraeor. lib. ii. cap. 22.) Aniontj the Atiienians severe penalties were laid upon those who deliled women that were citizens of o 98 NOTES, CHAP. II. Athens, while foreigners had the hberty of keeping public stews, and therefore harlots there, like those among the Jews, were called !i,eyai, strange women. — Potter, Ant. lib. iv. cap. 12. It must be owned that the Jewish law did not circumscribe the gratification of the sexual passion within the same limits as the Christian religion does. Polygamy was, perhaps, per- mitted by the law of Moses ; certainly it was practised under it. — (Michselis, Commentaries on the Law of Moses, Art. 94.) An Hebrew might take his slaves or handmaids to his bed, though they became thereby his concubines, a kind of inferior wives. — (Selden, de Jure Nat. et Gent. lib. v. cap. 7, and de Success, in Bon. Def, cap. 3; Michgehs, Commentaries, Art. 88; Parkhurst, Lex. i^j'pd; andExod. xxi. 7.) Under certain restrictions he was permitted to have carnal intercourse with a captive woman taken in war. — (Deut. xxi. 10 — 14 ; Selden, de Jure Nat. et Gent. lib. v. cap. 13.) While such an extensive indulgence of the passions was allowed to the Israelites, there was no room for the restrictions enforced by the Gospel: yet many circumstances concur to prove that these permis- sions were only granted to the hardness of their hearts, and were to be withdrawn at the introduction of a more spiritual law. If a Jew violated a virgin, he was compelled to many hor : (Deut. xxii. 28.) If he enticed a maid and lay with her, he was obliged either to many her, or to give her a dowry; for there is some doubt about the meaning of this law. — (Exod. xxii. 16; Selden, Uxor Hebraica, hb. i. cap. 16.) Prostitution was certainly prohibited in the one sex, and, the crime being nearly the same, they must, by parity of reason, have con- sidered concubinage as prohibited in the other. Besides, eveiy commandment of the Decalogue must be understood to condonm, not only the extreme crime which it expressly pro- liibits, luit every inferior degree of the same kind; (Graves' Lectures on the Pentateuch, part 2, lect. 2 ;) every gratification, I^bTES, CHAP. II. 99 therefore, otit of tlio limits proscribed by the law must have been condoinncd l)y (lie roiiiiiiaiidmeiit " thou slialt not com- mit adultery." The inspired writings of the subsequent prophets an^bi^,) thinks that n'n'7« means her hus- band, because had God been meant, the pronominal affix would have been omitted; but n'n'^s with the fern, affix is used when God is meant Hosea, xiii. 16, in Heb.; Zephaniah, iii. 2; and " the covenant of God" is most naturally inteq)reted of God's covenant with the Israelitish nation. If this exposition be admitted, the harlot mentioned in the preceding verse must have been of Jewish extraction. Should it be deemed er- roneous, I would take " the covenant of her God" for the marriage-covenant, because God first instituted maniage, and still sanctions it as a solemn contract, the violation of which is highly criminal. 18. tinto the dead] — For some excellent remarks on the origin and meaning of c=i'i^;3"i, seeMede, Disc. 7; Peters, Crit. Diss, on Job, p. 318 et seq.; Magee on Atonement, vol. ii. p. 161 et seq. 20. Therefore icalk] — According to this version, the verse constitutes an inference from the preceding discourse, ^voh sometimes means ideo, therefore, (J^oldius, 3,) and so it is rendered by the Syriac. But the verse may, perhaps, be more grammatically translated in reference to ver. 11; that is, Dis- cretion and Understanding shall preserve thee, in order that thou mayst walk in the way of the good, ■kc. So Le Clerc, Gcier, and others. 21. shall remain in it] — So the ancient versions render nnv ; but Schultens translates it by " nervabuntur," refer- ring it to the Arabic jij tetendit arcum, hence yj nervus, chorda, and so the Heb. in'. But the Arabic word has various senses, (see Golius, p. 2614,) and which shall we choose? Besides, I doubt whether the notion of slrenyth and •pith, which, I suppose, is intended by the uncouth word NOTES, CHAP. III. 101 " nervabuntur," or of excellence, which the word does, un- doubtedly, sometimes signify, can enter into its meaning here. It simply iraphes that the upright, so far from entering the ways which U^ad to death, shall enjoy long life on the earth, in contradistinction to the wicked, who " shall be cut off from the earth."— (Ver. 2-2.) CHAPTER III. 1. my doctrine^ — 'mm. See ch. i. 8. — iiiif precepts] — niyo a command or precept, from niY to command, to ordain, to prescribe; and "lyj, which oc- curs about twenty-live times in Proverbs, is to keep or observe that tchich is commanded. 2. and peace] — By " peace" temporal felicity may be meant; or that peace of mind which accrues from virtuous conduct; the satisfaction which arises from an approving conscience. 3. Let not merey and truth] — The imagery here introduced seems to be taken, at least in part, from Deut. vi. 0. The abstract terms " mercy" and "truth" are, probably, to be un- derstood in the most general sense, for every thing that can come under these appellations. But see Poli Synop. and ch. vi. 21, and note. — the tabic of thine heart] — This expression, which occurs Jerem. xvii. 1; Prov. vii. 3; 2 Cor. iii. 3, is, no doubt, an allusion to the tables upon which the ten commandments were written by the finger of God; and to " write them upon the table of the heart," denotes to give them due attention, and to infix them deeply in the mind, so as never to be forgotten. Similar expressions are common among profane authors, as may be seen in Biel, Tliesaurus, ypo^w; Clemens Ilom. § 2. ed. Coteller, not. 23; LeClerc, Ars. Crit. part. 2. sect. 1. c. 4. J 02 NOTES, CHAP. III. 4. And thou stialt find] — ^^yo, the imperative for the future. — favour and kindness] — ^Dtt> cannot here have its usual signification of wisdom or prudence, but must mean either f/ood success, as the root signifies, Deut. xxix. 9; Josh. i. 7; Prov. xvii. 8, and as E. T. Marg. and Durell render it; or kindness, benevolence, as it is rendered by Cocceius, Doeder- lein, Dathe; and though I cannot find any other undoubted application of it in this sense, yet, as it is easily deducible from the former sense, good success and prosperity often producing kindness, and as it seems to be required by the context, I have not scrupled to adopt it. — See ch. xvii. 8, note. 6. In all thy ways acknoivledge him'] — In every action and busine.«s of life acknowledge the superintending care and pro- tection of Providence, and do all things to his gloiy ; and he will conduct thee to the paths of happiness and virtue, 7. Be not icise in thine own eyes] — That is. Be not puffed up with a vain conceit of thy own importance, thy knowledge, and sagacity. — Compare Rom. xii. IG; 1 Cor. viii. 2; Gal. vi. 3. 8. It shall he a healinff medicine] — The efficacy of piety and reformation is here compared to the healing and balsamic virtues of medicine applied to a diseased body. Though thou art distempered with sin, spiritually sick and diseased, so that from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no soundness in thee, but wounds, and bruises, and pntri- fying sores, yet they Avill be bound up by the fear of Jehovah, they will be mollified with the ointment of piety and religion, and thou wilt be restored to pristine health and vigour. " It is a comparison," says Sir John Chardin, " drawn from the plasters, ointments, oils, frictions, which are made use of in the East, upon the belly and stomach in most maladies ; they being ignorant in the villages of the art of making decoG- NOTES, CHAP. III. 103 tions and potions, and the proper doses of such thinp:s, gene- rally make use ot" external medicines." — Quoted in llarmer's Observations, vol. iv. p. 417, ed. Clarke, Loud. 1808. — and a lotion] — npiy occurs ITos. ii. 7, lleb. ; Psalm, cii. 10, Heh. where it inulouhtedly means li(jiiors or drink ; but its derivation from npty to ire/, to moisten, the parallelism, and the consistency of the imagery, show that it implies in this passage some species of medicine, o lineament, a lotion; i. e. a liquid externally applied. The LXX have iTrifjeXeta curat io, probably in the same sense. " Nee negari potest vocem i-mntXeta sat bonum sensum fundere, et bene convenire hebraico 'ipir, aspersio, irrigatio, seu id, qnod corpori robur ac vires daf. Nam inter alia eurationeni, sanat ioneni notat, quemadmodem |Tt)U£X«T9fu ii dieuntur, qni agrotos et vul- neratos cnranf.'' — Schleusner, Opuscula, p. 20'I>. Compare Biel, Thesaurus in voc. i). Honour Jehocuh with thij snhstanec] — Give of thine abundance to the poor; pay thy tithes and oblations; and offer the first-fruits of thy produce, as the law directs. — £xod, xxiii. IJ); Deut. xxvi. 2, et secj. 11. t/ie cliasfening of Jehovali] — "iDirD not only means doctrine and instruction, but likewise restraint, correction ; and mip,ht, in most cases, be adecpiately rendered by disci/)line ; but as the authorized version expresses the sense with suf- ficient correctness, it would be unwarrantable to alter its phraseology. — See Job, v. 17; Deut. viii. o; James, i. 2; Rev. iii. 10. 12. And chasteneth the son] — That our standard version, " even as a father the son in whom he delighteth," may be grammatically extracted from the Hebrew, no one will deny; yet 1 have adopted a difliMeut translation for the following reasons: 1. The verb 3i Ba, in the same way to nouns. — Schultens in Job, p. G40, and Conccs. Haririi. iv. p. 41, not. 82. — from being takcii] — " scil. in foveis aut laqutis, quos tibi struxerunt impii." — Michjclis, Notae Uberiores. 27. the indigent] — Literally, " its owners or possessors," i. €. those who oiiajht to become the possessors of pood, though they are in want of it ; in other words, the indigent : ivhri, LXX ; " egentibus," Dathe, Glass, p. 94, Aben Ezra, Cocc. Schult. Michael. Poli Synop. — in the potter of thy hand] — On the phrase yi^ hi^h see Parkhurst, Lex. "?«, 8 ; Hale's Dissertations, p. 150 ; Rosenmuller on Micha, ii. 1 ; Michailis, Suppl. ad Lex. Heb. in hn. , 20. in security by thee] — The Syriac is, " Devise not evil ^ against thy neighbotir ( ]j.XArD 7Sd ^L»l) dwelling (or, when he dwells) with thee in peace." So Targ. " Est gravis perfidiae genus hominem innoccntia confidentem, et amice se gerentem, dissimulatione adhibita, perderc." — Le Clerc. 30. Contend not, Sfc] — Our standard version is, " Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm," which is objectionable, because it implies, if a man has done us harm, we ought to contend with him, which in some cases is necessary, but is not likely to form a general precept; and because it gives to the word Vdj the sense of doing or iier- forming, which it seems never to bear, but always that of returning, requiting, or recompensing. — (Parkhurst in voc.) The true sense of the precept is, that unprovoked attack 110 NOTES, CHAP. III. brings merited punishment upon the head of the aggressor. If you contend with a man without, cause, he will, in revenge, reward you evil. If, however, the authorized version should be deemed preferable to the one here presented, the sense will be, that we ought not to contend with a man, unless he has first given just cause of ofl'ence. " Sensus est, non esse litem intendendam homini, etiam plebeio, et parum timendo, sine causa, et nisi injuria prior lacessiverit." — Le Clerc. — Surely] — w"? cd« often means cei-te, prnfeeto. — Nol- dius, 1. 31. fhe oppressoi] — Don *tt>'f*, a man whose conduct is violent, rapacious, and unjust; an oppressor. The expres- sion occurs ch. xvi. 29; 2 Sam. xxii. 49; Ps. xviii. 48, cxl. 1, 4, 11. 32. But his intercourse] — That TiD has the sense oi fami- liar and friendly intercourse is evident from Ps. Iv. 14; Job, xix. 19, xxix. 4. — (See Cocc. Lex. and Rosennmlleri Scholia in Ps. XXV. 14.) Applied to the Supreme Being, it denotes that spiritual intercourse which the pious have with him, when he kindly protects them, imjmrts his counsels, and deals with them as with sons. So it is to be understood Amos, iii. 7; Ps. XXV. 14, which RosenmuUer thus translates, " Familiaris Jovte consuetndo cum illis, qui ipsvni colvnt, cum his Jova familiariter agit, consilia sua, taiiquam amicis, eis comnm- nicat, quum contra impii in Jovam ab ejus consuetudine et notitia longissime ahsimt." To the same purpose Dathe ex- plains it. "imD then, in the verse before us, moans (Jod's kind treatment of and familiar intercourse with his saints; or, as Dathe's version is, " Probis vero est familiaris."' In appealing to Arabic, critics are much divided; some re- ferring mo to Ju.;, as Parkhurst; some to Jc-j^, as Michalis; some to jLj, as Kosenmuller. — (See also Cocceii Lex. ed. NOTES, CHAP. III. Ill Schiilz, and Simonis, Lex. ed. Fichhorii.) Wliopver will take the trouble to cxaniiiie the respective derivations of the word proposed by these learned men, and to trace them to their sources, will probably be of opinion, that biblical know- ledge is not likely to be much improved by the dialect of Arabia. 34, Surely he scorneth, Sfc.'\ — The version of the LXX is, Kuptoc vTrfprfCffayoiQ okyriTutjatTui, raneifoig ?£ ^icwtri j^apii', the Lord resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble ; and it is cited by James, iv. 0, ami by Peter, 1 Ep. v. 5, with the single exception of Oeor being substituted for Kvpiog. " The apostle's quotation of this passage, though somewhat different in the words, is the same in the sense with the original, for sconiers, in Scripture, are proud, insolent, tricked men: and to resist such persons, by rendering their schemes abor- tive, and by humbling them, is emphatically called a scorn- ing of thcm.'^ — Macknight. 35. But shame shall exalt fools] — Tt shall bring them into the most conspicuous disgrace, as Dimock expresses it. Schultens, who derives \^hp from r^hp vssit, torruit, thinks here is an allusion to the stigmata imprinted upon the body, and translates the clause, " et elumbes nObilitat inustio infa- mia\" adding, in a note, " Gravis et sententiosa oppositio ; perquam et stolidis stia assignatur hcereditas praclara, ad pos- teros prodtnda, ac propaganda, infciniia svmynr dura tuia, per quam ipsi quoque suo more, meritissimoque jure, iiobilitcnlur." The Jews were forbid to inflict stigmata upon their bodies, but it was customary among the surrounding idolatrous nations, as well as among the Greeks and Romans. — (Levit. xix. *28; Potter's Ant. of Greece, hb. i. cap. 10; Spencer, de Leg. Heb. lib. ii. cap. 14, where the subject is treated witli immense erudition.) But, whether there be any allusion to these stigmata 112 NOTES, CHAP. IV. or not, the sense is clearly as explained above : so Hodgson renders the clause, " But disgrace shall lift fools to notice;" and Dathe, " Stulti infanii;^ sunt faniosi." CHAPTER IV. 1. of afather]^i. e. a teacher or instructor. — Ch. i. 8, note. 3. For I was a son very dear to my father] — Durell, Le Clerc, Hodgson, Dathe connect i"! tender, tenderly loved, dear, with p a son, and the ancient versions, probably, adopted the same construction; I have, therefore, followed it. — Compare 2 Chron. xxii, 5, xxix. 1. — And well-beloved] — As Bathsheba had more sons than Solomon, (2 Sam. v. 14 ; 1 Chron. iii. 5,) Tn» cannot mean only, iinicus, but well-heloved, as Gen. xxii. 2, 12 : «ya7rw/i£>/oc, LXX. 4. He taught me also] — It cannot be doubted that Da^id, a man so eminent for his deep contrition, and his zeal for the service and honour of God, would carefully instruct his son in the doctrines and duties of religion ; and some instances of his pious admonitions are recorded 1 Kings, ii. 2 ; 1 Chron. xxii. 12, xxviii. 9. Happy are they who have been well in- structed and disciplined by parental care and example ! — and thou shalt live] — n'm, imperative for the future, i. e. thou shalt enjoy a long and happy life ; for Solomon, like the Jewish legislator, only uses temporal sanctions i»i enforcing his precepts. — (See Prel. Diss.) In the same way we are to understand ch. iii. 2, vii. 2, viii. 35, ix. 11, x. 27, itc. Verse 10 of this chapter shows that Solomon is speaking only of temporal life and happhiess. 5. Foryet not this] — This version coincides with E. T. which, however, is not - of it; but it is highly proper to say, that as wisdom is the principal thing, therefore obtain it. That n*ty«n does often signify the prin- cipal or most excellent and chief part or thing, see Numb, xxiv. 20; I Sam. ii. 29; Job, xl. IJ) ; Jer. xhx. 35; Amos, vi. 1, (». Compare ch. ix. 10, and note. 8. Esteem her] — The variety of renderings of n'^D/D, oc- curring only here, is truly astonishing : Trtptj^apa/cwffoj' avrijy, LXX; araXitft, Aq. ; ijatmtl^i, Sym. ; " arri|)e illam," Vulg.; noin " love her," Targ. Syr.; " attoUe vel exaUa eam," Aben Ezra, Munst. Pagn. Merc. Mont. E. T.; " extolle," Jim. Trem. Pisrat. Car.; " viam ejus niunito," T.e Clerc ; " eli'eream," Michad. Not. Fb.; " suscipe ilUim," lloubigant; " circumflectitor eam," Schult.; " jnnge tibi eam," Dathe; " magnify her," Hodgson. It may be referred to the root 'r'^D to raise, to elevate; hence, mentally, to raise or elevate any thing in ones esteem ; to prefer, to extol. — (Exod. ix. 17; Q 114 NOTES, CHAP. IV. Ps. Ixviii. 4; Taylor's Concord.) The kindred dialects afford no assistance. Schultens, indeed, refers hoho to the Arabic J— Lj connexvit, concatenavit, with which it appears to have no affinity in meaning; and Michailis refers it to JLi elevavit, but the propriety of this reference may be fjuestioned. Gousset inclines to derive it from "^D abasket, and to translate it, " ' earn in corbe ponito,' allusione vel ad canistra sacra, vel ad canistra coUigentium fructus." — Lex. Heb. in hht). 9. deliver to thee] — The LXX and Vulg. render "]jjnn by vwepaaTTicn] and " proteget," probably connecting it with pn a shield, from |JJ to protect; but analogy requires that it should be referred to a separate root, pn, as Gen. xiv. 20; Hosea, xi. 8, which last fixes its meaning to that of giving ; but whether it includes the sense of giving gratis, (in Arab. Syr. and Chald. it signifies gratis,) or of giving largely and pro- fusely, is very doubtful. — See Schultens in loc. and Park- "urst's Lex. 12. shall not be straitened] — "iv i^h might, perhaps, be more correctly rendered, " thy march shall not be impeded." "ilY to bind, to straiten, to distress; applied to steps or walking, to impede: " thy steps shall not be impeded." — (Hodgson, Le Clerc.) The sense is, " Quicquid agas vel suscipias extra periculum erit et afHictionem ; et vel si summa diligentia et festinatione id feceris, non ideo infeliciter succedet, si sapi- entiam ducem sequares" — Merc. 13. thy life] — The cause of a long and prosperous life to thee. The pronouns n and «>n refer to n?33n wisdom, men- tioned above, as Buxtorf observes (Thesaurus, p. 414.) IG. For they sleep not, unless, Sfc.] — This is very similar to Virgil's expression, " Et si non aliqua nocuisses, mortuus esses ;" and Juvenal's, " Ergo non aliter poterit dormire ; quibusdam Sorauum rixa facit." NOTES, CHAP. IV. 115 17. For iheif eat Sf-c] — Many commentators understand this of food and wine gained by iniquity and violence ; but it strikes me as a figurative way of expressing the great delight the wicked have in their base and disgraceful deeds. They cannot sleep unless they have done mischief; for if they have comniitted no trespass, if they have done no deed of violence, they are deprived of their highest gratification, and sleep is banished from their eyes. — See PoU Synop. and Schultens. 18. But the path of the righteovs, ^'c-l — The imagery in this verse is taken from the dawn, which, by degrees, leads on to perfect daylight ; and the sense is. The path' of the righteous is glorious and honourable; the further it is pursued, it opens to scenes of still brighter prospects, as the morning dawn increases in splendour, till it ends in the full blaze of day. Some think that a future state is here intimated, and that this passage " beautifully expresses the reward of virtue, in- creasing from day to day, until it terminates in endless glory ;" (Graves on the Pent. vol. ii. p. 252 ;) but this is the inteqire- tation of a Christian, not of a Jew of the Solomonic era. — lif/ht of the daini] — r^yi signifies the dawn, aurora ; (Isa.lx. 3, Ixii. 1;) so Oly^ and (oi-tQJ, in Syriac,is thedamt, crepvsctdiuii, aurora. — (Castell.) See Michael. Sup. No. 1514, and Schultens, who renders it " at iter justorum ut lux jubaris Orientis;" or, as Merc, renders it, " velut lux aurora\" It may, however, be referred to m«, and rendered, " The path of the righteous is splendid as the Ught ;" "justorum via instar Incis splendet," Dathe and many in Poli Synop. after theLXX. — which shineth more and more'] — m«i "["pin, literally, ^ro/w^ and shining; a common Hebraism for. shining more and more. Other examples may be seen in Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 274, cd. Dathe. 116 NOTES, CHAP. IV. — until perfect day] — pDJ a participial noun, from pa to prepare, to establish, and CDvn pDi ni? denotes to the full es- tablishment of day, or until perfect day, i. e. till the dawn ends and the day begins. — (See Rosenrauller, Scholia in Hosea, Vi. 3.) Those who consider the phrase to mean mid-day, im- pair, if they do hot completely destroy, the imagery. Besides, though the day increases in heat, the light does not shine more and more till the meridian. Diiport, however, in his metrical Greek version of the Proverbs, has adopted and elegantly expressed this idea. Oir] C^ r]i\iov aiy\i] TrtXet ovpai'odi Trpo, 0^f>a »>■£(' r]wc r), ro Ce yireTai attv t(j) wpag \a^Trporepov re fcwc, (cat of^froi up'ov r/juop, Etwc i]e\ioQ ^taov ovparoy ojii^tS£?»j(;£, SrtXbwj' ayXair)' roii] ocog ectti di^oiwy. Namely, — " As at mom the sun darts its beams in the heavens, but the light becomes each moment brighter, and the day advances, till the sun has attained its meridian, effulgent in splendour; such is the path of the righteous." 19. The way of the leicked, Sfc.] — ^Yliile the path of the righteous is honourable and full of light, that of the wicked is through thick darkness, in which they cannot discern the objects over which they stumble. A figxirative description of the unexpected calamities and certain misery which await the wicked, beautifully contrasted with the happiness of the righteous pictured in the precedhig verse. 22. For they are life, Sfc.] — To those who receive the words of wisdom, inwardly digest them, an«l model their con- duct by them, they are the cause of a long auil prosperous life, and are as salutaiy as healing medicines to a diseased body. — Compare ch. iii. 8, xvi. 24. NOTES, CHAP. IV. 11? 23. G-uard f/itf henrt, &fc.'\ — Tho heart is here compared to a fountain ; and as the streams are limpid or muddy, accord- ing to the state of the fountain from which they spring ; so will the conduct of life be virtuous or vicious, according to the disposition of the heart. — Matt. xv. 11). — the issues of' life] — If the view of the passage here taken be just, ni»yin are those things which proceed from the heart — the actions and proceedings of life. Durell takes the word for " the goings forth," or " the progress of life," i. e. " as the heart is pure or corrupt, so is the whole course of a man's life." — Old version. 24. Put aivuy, Sfc.] — Literally, " depravity of mouth, and perverseness of lips ;" metonymical expressions for corrupt and perverse speech. 2.3. Let thine eyes, d^'c] — A direction to keep justice and equitj' steadily in view, and to use circumspection in every pursuit. — that which is right] — I take nojV not for a particle, as most critics do, but for a noun, signifying equity, riyht, as it does ch. viii. 9; Isaiah, xxvi. 10, xxx. 10, lix. 14; Amos, iii. 10. The LXX render it, oi (xpdaXfxoi aov opda jlXfirtTioaay, where, though op9a may be taken adverbially, yet it more probably means " right things." The Syriac is, " Let thy eyes jo^k at (or, on) equity," ( |Zo^»>Aa.) and likewise the Targum. n3J is a no»ui mas. in two other places in Prov. ch. viii. J), xxiv. 20, though in all the other places it is feminine. — direct the u-riy] — -There seems to be an ellipsis of -j-n the way, after the verb n'tr", to be supplied from lite follow- ing verse. nu?» has the sense of directing, applied to ways, in three other places of this book, ch. iii. 0, ix, 16, xi. 5. The sense is, Look well to thy ways; examine thy conduct. 118 NOTES, CHAP. V. and see that it is right, " Nam liujiis versus hortatio est ad rectifndinem, ei perversitati contrariam, de qua versus superior, et in quam redeunt duo inferiores." — Houbigant. CHAPTER V. 2. may Jieep knowledge] — Doederlein and Dathe expound this of the shame and modesty natural in youth, vs'hieh, being lost through the impure conversation of harlots, often leads to greater transgressions. But, perhaps, the meaning is more general, i. e. by attending unto wisdom, youth w^ill preserve discretion in conduct, and manifest sound wisdom in speech. Then follows the exemplification in one instance, that of illicit love. The LXX, Vulg. and Arabic add a clause to the end of this verse, namely " attend not to a deceitful woman," which Houbigant and Schleusner (Opuscula Critica, p. 272) tliink is required by the context. In my judgment, this addi- tion is unnecessaiy, and unsupported by sufficient authority to be adopted, if it were. It is safer to leave the sacred text, in our opinions, imperfect, than to alter one iota without the most complete evidence. 3. Although, t^c] — A highly figurative description of the soft, alluring speech of a lewd woman, who employs every blandishment to seduce unsuspecting youth. — distil honey] — nsJ occurs five times. Prov. xxiv. 13, shows that it cannot mean the honey-comb, because the honey- comb cannot be eaten; and Ps. xix. 11, proves that it cannot be synonymous with common honey ; it therefore means pure, fine, virgin honey. We find the same expression in Cant, iv. 11, and it is equally common to the Greeks and Orientals. See Good's Song of Solomon, p. IIJ), where a variety of similar passages are quoted from profane authors. To tran- NOTES, CHAP. V. 119 scribe them might amuse, but would not coutributc to the illustration of the passage uudcr cousiileration. 4. Y^et in the end, i^'c] — The pleasures slie promised ter- minate in bitterness and wo; and, instead of being a source of permanent delight, she serves only to plant daggers in the heart. nnnn«, literally, " her en. in the end she is, S:c, — Ilodgs. Michd.'!. 5. Her feet go down, Sfc] — That is, she will lead to cer- tain destruction, if you follow her. Compare ch. ii. 18, vii. 27. G. Lest she should, ^'c] — In order to banish serious reflec- tion, and to avoid the upbraidings of conscience for having forsaken the paths of virtue, she plunges into a vortex of con- tinual dissipation. The context requires us to understand o'^an as the third person fern, with the ancient versions, Cas- talio, Geier, Durell, Le Clerc, Dathe, and Schultens; whose version is, " Iter vitit ne forte libraverit; nutant ()rl)it;v ejus, baud curat." Still, it is not to be denied that E. T. is admis- sible, •* Lest thou shoiddst ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable," i. e. she trios many ways to captivate, and many arts of deception, " that thou canst not know them." — She rcffardith nothing] — rT often means to regard, fn rare for, as may be seen in l*arkhurst, 4 ; Cocceius, 4 and 11; Taylor's Concordance. The expression is here elliptical, and to be supplied by no, as ch. ix. 13, no n^T hj. ; or by nm«o, as Gen. xxxix. 6; or the pronominal affix, refening to C3"n m«, may be supplied, " she doth not regard it," i. e. the way of life. r"in, like the former verb, is the third per- son feminine. H. Itetnore fin/ ««»/] — Tliough, as Durell remarks, the expression " remove thv ^vay" is somewhat harsh, yet the meaning is so evident, that any change is unnecessary. 120 NOTES, CHAP. V. 9. the cruel harlot] — nnw*? to the cruel, namely, to the harlot, who is cruel, because she allures unguarded youth to destruction. — (Vatablus.) The word has a feminine termina- tion ch. xxvii. 4. If the gender be thought an insuperable objection to this explication, it will be best to understand it, in a general sense, for the servants, friends, gallants, &c. of the harlot, who will cruelly pluuder and torment the com- panion of lewd women. 10. And ivith thy riches] — TlYff, literally, " labours," and, by a metonymy of the cause for the effect, riches, u-ealth, which are commonly gained by labour and toil. — (Doederlein.) So nD, literally, " strength," denotes, figuratively, uealth. Job, vi. 22. The origmal may be rendered as E. T. ; and Dathe supplies it thus, " Et robur tuum pereat in domo peregrina." 11. And thou viourn] — anj is applied to express the roar- ing of lions ch. xix. 12, xx. 2, xxviii. 15. It is a stiong expression, denoting the mouniing aiul lamentation of him who, by a dissipated course, has not only consumed his wealth, but reduced himself to a state of disease and wretch- edness. To express the full force of the word has been at- tempted by some translators; as, " ulules," Piscat. ; " ct rugias," Pagn. Mont. Geier, Le Clerc; " et infremas temet vorans," Schult. ; " lest thou roar," Hodgson. — When thy flesh and thy body]— The LXX and Sjiiac take this for an llendyadis, i. e. the flesh of thy body. 14. I have been, ^c] — There are different interpretations of this verse, for which see the commentators; but the sense perhaps is, Alas! how I have disobeyed the voice of my teachers ! I have plunged into almost eveiy kind of vice ; and it is an aggravation of my offences that they have been com- NOTES, CHAP. V. J 21 inittf'il in the mi.lst of the people of Israel, a people higlily favoured of God. /Vbeii Kzra supposes, that the preterite is put for the future, and that the sense is. In a little time 1 shall be involved in all evil. — the congregation and assembft/] — " \ erum conjunctae hae voces mri ^np sirpissime cietuni Israelitaruiu, sive Syna- gogam V. T. significant. " — Geier. 15. Drink waters, 4"c.] — After a dissuasive against incon- tinence, Solomon now recommends the proper remedy, namely, the enjoyment of connubial love. The context, and especially verses 18, 19, 20, prove that the discourse touches upon marriage. It is a beautiful allegorj-, in which a wife is represented by a well, and a legitimate offspring by the streams which issue from it. But the elegance and propriety of the image will not be discerned, without taking into con- sideration, that wells are a valuable possession in many East- ern countries, and that their cool waters aftbrd the most re- freshing draught in these hot and parched regions. It would not, perhaps, be unri>asonable to infer from 2 Kings, xviii.31, that every man anciently had his own cistern for containing water for his own use, which, if true, gives additional energy to the imagery. The bride in the Song of Solomon is called " a spring shut up, a fountain sealed;" (ch. iv. 12. See Percy's translation and notes, p. 75 ;) and the same image is, probably, alluded to Prov. ix. 17; Numb. xxiv. 7 ; Deut. xxxiii. 2B; Ps. Ixviii. 27, Heb.; Isaiah, xlviii. 1. IG. Then shall thy springs, Sfc.'] — If thou contract a lawful marriage, thou wilt be blessed with a numerous progeny, playing in the streets during childhood, and when grown t<» maturity, inhabiting them, pyn a stream or ;•///, here used metaphorically for children, which issue from a wife, as rills from a fountain. — So Aben Ezra, The copulative i is to be n 122 NOTES, CHAP. V. supplied before lys', and translated " then," as by Schultens and Dathe. — even as rivers of waters'] — Perhaps this expression is stionger than the original requires ; for tZD'o 'j'^s is applied to tears Ps. cxix. 136 ; Lam. iii. 48. The meaning, however, cannot be mistaken by any one who attends to the context. It is a bold figure, denoting a numerous oftspring. 17. They shall belong, Sfc.] — ^Thou shalt not only have a numerous offspring, but thou shalt have no doubt of their being really thine own, as must be the case with children sprung from promiscuous concubinage. — See Buxtorf, Vin- dicijE, p. 600. 18. Let thy fountaui] — That is, thy wife, spoken of ver. 15, as is clear from the second hemistich : " let her be blessed," i. e. regarded as a blessing, and treated with every respect. 19. Rejoice ivith] — Participate with her in the pleasures and happiness of the conjugal state. Tlie same expression occurs Deut. xxiv. 5; a good illustration of this text. — (See Parkh. nDiy.) The particle n in ntyi^o signifies cum, iviih. — Noldius, 11 ; so the ancient versions. 19. Let her he, ^t.] — For an account of the animals here mentioned, (nVr' and n"7»t<,) see Bochart, Hieroz. par. i. lib. iii. cap. 18, cVc. ; an abridgment of whose remarks would require a space disproportionate to a note. Various are the reasons alleged by commentators why a wife is compared to these animals, and much learned trifling may be seen in Poll Syiiop. ; butit is sufficient, to vindicate the comparison, to show that these animals were gieatly admired in the age of Solomon. In Canticles, the bride desires her husband to be " like a NOTES, CHAP. V. 1^ roe or young hart upon the mountauis of Bether; (ch. ii. 17, viii. 14;) and though the word translated " the pleasant roe" occurs only here, yet its application shows that it was an animal much admired. It may be observed, that n'^r' is the ibex, or mountain goat. — Bochart, Parkhurst, Cocceius, and particularly Michael. Suppl. See likewise Ilarmer's Outlines of a Commentary on Song of Solomon, p. lo6. — And be thou ravished] — It is obvious that njty cannot mean here, as it usually does, to err, though Buxtorf (Vin- diciae, p. 870) and others would so explain it, — (See Capelli Critica Sacra, p. 944, ed. Vogel. Hala", 1775.) Parkhurst is probably right in asserting, that its primary meaning is to expa- tiate, luxuriate, run u'ild ; hence, to give a loose, indulge, or lose oneself, as it were, in love. Durell thinks that it may be illus- trated by the Arabic \jfJ^, to which Castell does, indeed, give the sense of Icetitiam attulit, ilium exhilaravit, but Colius does not, and the proper meaning is anxif, moerore affeeit. — See Willmet, Lex. Arab. 22. His own iniquities, ^•c] — An image borrowed from the toils of the hunter ; and it implies, that a man shall be ensnared and held fast, like a bird in a net, and finally brought to destruction by his sins, whatever present gratirication they may afford. The aflBx ^ in ijtdV' is pleonastic, or rather, thoiiith not necessar\', is added for the sake of emphasis. — (Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 17(5.) The Nun also, in the same word, is epenthetic. — Altingii Tundam. Punct. Ling. Sanct. p. 399 and 447. 23. did not mind instntction] — IDIO I'Nl, literally, " in there not being instruction," ». e. for the want of instruction, or, in other words, " because he tUd not attend to it." — So Aben Ezra and Gersom. " Quod castigari nuUus queat." — (Schultens.) " Quod adeo proterve repudiarit omnia sana 124 NOTES, CHAP. VI. , superiorum aequaliumve monita, quae ab his tendiculis eimf avoc^rint. i valet propter, ut Gen. xviii. 28 ; Jer. xvii. 3^ imo in eadem phrasi, cum partieula neg. p« constructum, sic occunit Prov. xi. 14, xv. 22, xxix. 16."— Geier. Sec Jy^oldius, p«n, 3. CHAPTER VI. 1. 3Ty son, if thou become surety for thy neighbour'] — The authorized version is, " if thou become surety for thy friend;" but an admonition against becoming surety for a friend is so cruel, so uncharitable, so abhorrent from the spirit of the lavr, (Levit. xix. 18,) and so opposite to the advice of Solomon him- self in other passages, (ch. xiv. 21, xvii. 17, xviii. 24, xxvii. 10,) that it is impossible to conceive this to be the meaning. Some examples of suretiship are recorded in Scripture; as, for instance, Judah became surety to his father for his brother Ben- jamin, (Gen. xliii. 9,) and St, Paul for Philemon, (Philem. 18, 19.) The original word ("]]/">'?) should, therefore, be trans- lated, " for thy neighbom;" and it denotes a neighbour vfith whom thou art little acquainted; as appears, both from the second hemistich, vrhich is explanatory of the first, and also from the parallel passages in this book, namely, ch. xi. 15, XX. 10, xxvii. 13. Even in this case, it can oidybe considered as a maxim of economical prudence, advising great caution and circumspection in becoming surety ; for the offices of love and kindness were to be shown to strangers dwelling in Israel. — (Exod. xii. 49; Levit. xix. 34, xxv. 35; Deut. x. 19.) " Non enim animus Salomonis est omni tempore et casu pecuniaria sponsione interdicere. Inconsideratam juventutem, aliosque male consultos facultatum suarum dilapidatores, a temeritate spondendi avocat, qua sibi suisque noceant, et illi aliquando ipsi pro quo spondent." — Witsius, Miscellanea SasTa, vol. i. p. 22G. Lug. Bat. 1696. NOTES, CHAP. VI. 123 " Concemin|T suretiship, or warranty," says Michailis, " I recollect nothing in the Mosaic writings, except that the term expressing it, Taniniat-jad, (t noitrn,) that is, ^rivin^ or striking hands, once occurs, where the circumstances of per- jury- are enunurated, Lev. vi. 2. It is mentioned more fre- quently in the Proverbs of Solomon, who gives very earnest admonitions respecting it." — (Commentaries on the Laws of Moses, Art. lijl.) But the phrase n» nmtyn only occurs in the place here specified, and its meaning, moreover, is very doubtful. The practice, however, though it may not be al- luded to by Moses, existed in his days; for it is mentioned in Job, ch. xvii. 3; a book as old, if not older, than the time of Moses. — If thou join] — CD« if, is to be supplied from the first clause. rpn pangcre, is here used, and in ch. xi. 15, xvii. 18, xxii. 26; Job, xvii. 3, for striking or joining hands in making an agreement or contract, which was anciently the usual way of plighting faith. Numerous examples might be adduced of this custom, which, for the sake of brevity, I omit; and refer to Parkh. m», 5, and rpn, 5; Durell and Scott on Job, xvii. 3 ; Potter's Antiq. of Greece, 1. ii. c. G. 2. Tho%i art snared, Sj-c] — If thou become surety for a stranger without due caution, thou wilt fall into a snare, and be caught, as a bird in a net, to thy own ruin. 3. Do this, ^-c] — When thou art fallen into a snare by indiscreet suretiship, hasten, and stir up thy friends to thy assistance, widk noir, therefore, 2 Kings, x. 10. Dathe, Schulz, Schleusner (Opuscula, p. 285) refer it to the Arabic »1i dicete, and the LXX, Vulg. Arab, have " quod dice;" but, though the word occurs several times, it is always as a particle. 126 NOTES, CHAP. VI. — Go, hasten] — DD"i, or, as it is sometimes vnitten, «y3"i to tread, to trample, applied to the fouling of water, ch. xxv.26; Ezek. xxxii. 2, xxxiv. 18, 19, " peculiariter usurpatum est de auimalibus, quee, aquam ingressa, pedibus eam calcando couturbant, et limosam reddunt." — (Schroeder, Observat, Selectae ad Orig. Heb. p. 99.) It only occurs in one other text, Ps. Ixviii. 31, from which nothing can be deduced as to its meaning. However, -from its acknowledged sense may naturally arise that of treading nimbly or quickly, hastening ; thus it is rendered ladL /ir] 'n^XvofXEvoe, by LXX; " festina," by Vulg. — stir iipl — am is referred to the Arabic '^-^-^^ timuit, by Schultens, Michselis, Schulz, and Eichhorn ; but its sig- nification in Hebrew tloes not appear to be ever allied to fear. In this place it means to stir up, to excite; so LXX, Sym. Vulg. Syr. and Targ. 5. from the toils] — T is probably a metonymy for a toil or yin, as being the instrument of putting wild animals into our power : Iva tjioi^t] u^irep SopKcig |v /Bpo^wr, LXX ; so the Syr. and Targ. Or Ty the hunter, may be understood, a» E. T. and this renders the parallelism more complete. — (Bux- torf. Lex. Talm. p. 931; Waltheri Ellipses Heb. p. 92. ed. Schulz.) Either way the sense is the same : but the former seems preferable; for though such an application of T is without example in Scripture usage, yet it often occurs in the sense of jtower, agency, instrumentality, (see Dindorf, Si- monis, and Parkhurst,) to which the signification of toil or gin is nearly allied ; and it is veiy suitable to the context, as well as supported by the most ancient versions. G. Go to the ant, ^-c] — ^The beautiful and appropriate lines of Virgil, TEneid, iv. 402, and of Horace, Sat. i. 1. 1, 32, will occui' to the classical reader. — Eor an account of the nature NOTES, CHAP. VI. * 127 and habits of that curious animal the ant, see Parkhurst, hn, 4; Bochart, Hioroz. par. ii. lib. iv. c. 20; Ray on the Creation, part i, p. l3o ; Dciharu's PIiysico-Theolog)', lib. viii. cap. 5. 7. Hath no guide] — pyp docs not occur as a verb; Schul- tens, however, refers it to nvp sccuif, i. c. decisor. i<>^» \\\ Arabic, means decrccit, and Kadi is a title used at present in the East. — ni'erseer] — "iE»y likewise does not occur as a verb, but often as a noun. In several Lex. it is explained a Victor, an inferior magistrate or offiier ; but Numb. xi. IG; Deut. xvi. 18, XX. 5, xxix. 10, xxxi. 28, &c. ; Jos. iii. 2, show plainly that no lictor, or inferior officer, is meant. See Jenning's Jewish Antiquities, I. i. c. i. p. 3G; Micha;lis, Commentaries, Art. 51. 8. Providcth, Sfc."] — " Modem naturalists seem to question this fact; but it may be thought sufficient for the purpose, if it were, in Solomon's time, but a popular notion." — (Durell.) Revelation was not intended to teach natural philosophy to mankind; and, therefore, the sacred writers scruple not to adopt the popular language of their times, though not entirely consonant with philosophic truth. That it was a popular notion, that the ants provided food in summer against winter, is evinced by this passage and ch. xxx. 25 ; yet later writers assert, that " in the evening they consume togetlier whatever has been collected during the day, and do not, as is commonly supposed, lay up any store for the winter, but probably become torpid or die." — Encyclopaedia Britannica. 10. Ever desiring, ««$"'*•] — Admirably descriptive of the sluggard's unwillingness to arouse himself froni the couch of slumbering indolence. He rises not w ith the early mom, but desires a little more sleep, !?l not, and hv projit ; though some give the Arabic sense to V^' altusfuit, proprie, minime altus, i.e. vilissimus. Besides the Heb. Lex. see Merrick and Hosenmuller on Ps. xviii. 5; Michajlis, Epim. in Lowthi Prajl. 9; Grotius, in 2 Cor. vi. 15; Suiceri Thesaurus ; and Schleusneri Lex. in BeXiap. — walkcth] — I'^n is used, in a moral sense, for conducting or behaving, as in numerous instances. 13. He winkcth, ^'c] — The preceding and subsequent verses show, that these expressions are intended to paint the flagitiousness of the wicked, who yield their " members ser- vants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity." — (Rom. vi. 19.) The eye is the index of the soul; by it the passions may be expressed ; and in the base man they indicate his lust, treachery, anger, and revenge. Besides, he uses them as in- struments to allure and beguile ; " he that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow," (ch. x. 10,) and " he that winketh with the eyes worketh evil." — (Ecclesiasticus, xxvii. 22 : compare Ps. XXXV. 19.) The wicked person shows that his feet 'are NOTES, CHAP. VI. 129 runnins: in the foul paths of sin ; thoy j)lainly speak the course he pursues, anil, as it were, invite others to follow his steps. He employs his hands and fingers in the perpetration of evil, and to draw otht.'rs into the same paths, which is, in fact, teaching others to sin ; not to say, that by their signs and motions (ivi'tvfiaait/ cuKTvXuji', LXX) they assist the machi- nations of insidious viilany. If the reader admires etymolo- gical refinement, let him peruse Schultens in loc. and Origines Hebraeae, torn. ii. cap. 2, § 16. 14. He continually] — The athnach should be placed after ri, and nr ^sa should begin the second hemistich, as the Vulg. 15. Suddcnhj shall he he destroyed] — Literally, " he shall be broken," i. e. like " as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again." — (Jer. xix. 11 ; Isa. xxx. 14.) So our translators render the same phrase ch. xxix. 1. 16. These six things, Sfc] — A certain number for an uncer- tain, say many commentators; but it cannot be an indetinite number here, as the things are actually enumerated in ver. 17, IH, 19. A similar form of expression occurs in four other places of Proverbs, ch. xxx. 15, IH, 21, 29, where it is said, there be three, yea, four things, S:c. and in each instance the four things are specitied, and no more: but the same expression in Eccles. xi. 2; Job, v. 19; Amos, i. 3, may, perhaps, be put for an indefinite number. — See Glassii Phil, Sac. p. 1257. 19. that speaketh lies] — Literally, as Hodgson renders it, " that breathes forth lies.'' So Geier, Lc Clerc, Micha?lis, (Suppl. No. 2006,) v'^c. 21. Tie them, tVc] — See ch. iii. 3, and the note, liv only occurs here and Job, xxxi. 36, evidently in the sense s 130 NOTES, CHAP. VI. of binding or tying : " liga ea," Vulg. acjuy^ov, Sym.; to the same sense LXX, Syr. Targ. Arab, and, according to Schultens and Willmet, (Lex. Arab.) the Arabic lXa*, in its primary meaning, denotes torsit, torqueiido ligavit ; but see Golius and Castell. On the passage in Job, xxxi. 36, Mr. Good remarks, it " refers to the practice, arnong the Eastern nations, of having mottoes, or proverbial sayings, inwoven into the most orna- mental and conspicuous parts of their dress, in the same man- ner as we novp find similar mottoes inwoven into the ensignia of the different orders of knighthood, in the different courts of Europe." But it is probable, that the practice alluded to originated from taking such expressions as these in Proverbs, and Deut. vi. 8, and Job, xxxi. 36, in a literal sense ; not that these expressions refer to the practice, already existing, of wearing mottoes and phylacteries. — (Le Clerc on Exodus, xiii. 9; Jenning's Jewish Antiq. 1. i. c. 10.) It is not im- likely that in Deut. vi. 8, &c. there is an allusion to the jewels and ornaments at that period usually worn in the East. How- ever that may be, the expressions ch. iii. 3, vi. 21, are un- doubtedly, at least in part, taken from the Pentateuch. 22. When thou goest, Sfc] — The singular is put for the plural, as the connexion shows. The verse may, perhaps, be more correctly translated — " When thou goest, let them lead thee; When thou liest down, let them keep thee; And when thou wakest, let them be thy meditation." This agrees with the rendering of Dathe. — They shall talk with thee] — i. e. they shall be agreeable to thee, like the familiar intercourse of friends ; they shall form the |)leasing subject of thy meditations, n'ty to think deeply, to meditate; and, as we are apt to talk most of those NOTES, CHAP. VI. 131 things which most occupy our thoughts, it denotes, also, to talk, to speak. This sense, though not in use in the other Oriental tongues, Michaelis confesses cannot well be dispensed with. — Snppl. Xo. '2432. 23. For the commandment, Sfc] — " Ut in tenebris luccrna, aut fax ostendit nobis, qua eundum sit : in ignorantix humanae caligine, qua; nos, per banc totam vitam, cingit, revflatio divina nos docet, quid sit faciendum, quid vilandum." — Le Clerc. Compare Ps. cxix. 105. — And tlie reproofs of instruction'\ — i. e. those reproofs which the voice of instruction gives; " et (jua; disciplinam aft'erunt." — Mercer. 25. Desire not] — inn properly means to desire, and it may be questioned whetiur it ever strictly means to htst after: but see Dindorfii Lex. Heb. — Neitfirr let her beguile'] — inpn, from nph, to take, i. e*. to allure, to beguile. Propertius, 1. i. £leg. l,has an exactly parallel expression, " Cynthia prima suis miserum me cepit ocellis." Many more examples may be found in the edition of Passe- ratius. — with her eyes] — Literally, " with her eyelids," a me- tonymy for the eyes, or rather the glances of the eyes ; for the cvelids are chietiy iustrumtntal in those amorous glances, by which a \vwd woman fascinates the heart of the gazer. ** The eye of an harlot is the snare of her lover," says St. Ambrose ; and it is well known that Eastern women were Vfry curious in painting and beautifying their eyelids, which was supposed to add a wonderful brilliancy and expression. 8ee some entertaining remarks on this custom in JbJurders Oriental Customs, No. 732, Loud. 181G. " Nee capiaris 132 NOTES, CHAP. VI. nutibus illius," Vulg. — Compare Job, xxxi. 1. The classical scholar will find a beautiful passage, allied to this, in Musaeus, Her. et Leand. and another in Paradise Lost, b. xi. 1. 620. 2G. For by means, ^-c] — By frequenting the houses of lewd women a man is brought to poverty and degradation ; " he that keepeth company with, harlots spendeth his substance." — (Ch. xxix. 3 ; see also ch. v. 9, 10.) The clause is elliptical, and must be supplied, as E. T. " a man is brought," " de- venitur." In this way a good sense is produced, without violating grammar, or altering the usual signification of the words ; and it is so construed by Pagn. Muns. Tig. Jun. Trem. Piscat, Merc. Clar. Grot. Mont. Geier, Le Clerc, Schult. Ston-; but the LXX give it another turn, Ttyn/j yap Troprrjg ocrrj lent Ej'oc aprov, and so the Vulg. " Pretium enim scorti vix est unius panis." So Dathe. The Syr. and Targ. depart still more widely from the original. — layeth snares] — Together with illicit intercourse with lewd women, Solomon here joins the aggravated offence of adulteiy, declaring the pernicious effects of it to be certain and enormous, in so much that the polluter of the marriage bed " destroyeth his own life," (ver. 32.) It is not, how- ever, to be inferred from this, that, in ch. ii. 16, and other passages in which the word " harlot" is used, he includes in that term eveiy woman who \iolatcs the laws of chastity, whether manied or single. nJit na'«, mt nti»«, and nnDJ denote an unmarried woman addicted to licentious habits ; but na^J, nDii often means poena vacuus, exempt from punishment, ch. xi. 21, xvi. 3, xvii. 5, xix. 5, 9; Jer. xxv. 29. 30. Men do not disregard, i^'c.] — Theft, even when com- mitted to satisfy the cravings of hunger, is not disregarded, is not treated as a matter of indiH'erenee, but is punished; much more severe is (he punishment which the adulterer shall re- ceive, by whatever pretexts he may varnish over his crime. This is the argument which the Parvvmiast proposes in this and the tliree following vtrses : Doederlein's note is excellent; " nnn spernunt in fnre furta. i. e. non negligunt, nou fractant utlevia; nee inipunitnm dimittunt fureni, dura faniis neces- sitate eonipiilsnni, nt fiiraretur: (pianto niiiuis inipiiiiitateni 134 NOTES, CHAP. \ I. sperabit, qui vagx libidinis restinguendae causa conjugem alterius furtivo amore raj)it." — Scholia in loc. See Le Clerc ; and Cocceiuf in m. 31. shall restore seven-foht] — Theft, by the Jewish law, Avas punished by making restitution; (Exod. xxii. 1 — 4;) and if the offender was unable to make such restitution, he was ordered to be sold for a slave. — (Levit. xxv. 39.) It has been maintained that theft, instigated by extreme want, and com- mitted to appease the calls of hunger, is justified by necessity; (Grotius, de Jure Bel. et Pacis, 1. ii. c. 2, §6; Puffendorf, de Jure Nat. et Gent. 1. ii. c. 6, § 5 ;) but others consider this d'jctrine unwarrantable and subversive of the security of pro- perty'. — (Blackstone's Commentaries, 1. iv. c. 2, § 4.) Such an excuse for theft, in this countiy at least, is wholly inad- missible, as the Constitution has established a legal provision for the poor, and none need ever be reduced to the necessity of stealing to support nature. Such likewise appears to have been the case under the JMosaic dispensation. — (Deut. xxiv. 19 — 22, xiv. 2», 29, xv. 7; Levit. xxv. 35; Deut. xv. 11.) He who reflects upon these laws, which, for the sake of brevity, I have only referred to, will see that it was scarcely, if at all, possible to be reduced to such a state of indigence as to bevompelled to steal to support life; Moses, therefore, made no ordinance for such a case. Michaelis thinks, that a theft committed from pure hunger would have been over- looked; (Commentaries, Art. 284;) but it is more probable, as no exception is made in the Mosaic law for such a case, that, should it be supposed ever to occur, it woidd have been .subjected to the usual punishment. — (See Selden, de Jure Tsiit. ctGent. 1. vi. c. G.) The passage of Proverbs under ronsideration is not a case in point, as Puflendorf and Mi- chttlis observe, (ut supra citati,) for the second hemistich NOTES, CHAP. VI. 135 mpntions " the substance of his house;" ho must, theiofoip, have possessed some property, aiul could not steal through absolute necessity. — seven-fold] — Indefinitely, for a full and complete satis- faction and restitution. Geier says, " h'a?c vox (c3>nj?3iy) nullibi ill sacris ponitur pro numero definito." 32. destrnyeth his oirn life] — Adultery was a crime pim- ishable with death by the Levitical law. — (Levit. xx. 10.) nJlPP' is rendered by Durell, " he that embraceth her, or hath commerce with her;" and so Duport (Greek metrical version,) and Keiske (Conjectura; in loc.) Ezek. xxiii. .3, 8, 21, is appealed to, but it does not make this interpretation satis- factory. The feminine is, as usual, put for the neuter. — Storr, Observat. ad Anal, et Synt. p. 247. 33. Hurt and dishonour, ^-c] — So Horace's fine lines, 1. i. Sat. 2, 37. Audire est operae prctium, procedero recte Qui moechis non vultis, ut omni parte laborent, l^tcpic illis multo corrupta dolore voluptas, Atcjue ha^c rara cadat dura inter sa^pe pericla. ITic se pra^cipitem tecto dedit; ille flagellis Ad m«)rtem civsus; fugiens hie decidit acreni Pnedonum in turbam: dedit hie pro corpore nummos; Hunc perminxerunt calones: quin etiaui ilhid Accidit, ut cuidam testes caudamque salacem Demeteret fr'rrum. Jure omnes. 34. When jealousy, i^-c.] — Durell renders this clause, " When the rage of a man (or rather, of a husband) is moved by jealousy." Dathe's is to the same purpose; but Doeder- lein considers n»jp as the preterite of Piel, and renders it, ** quum iraviri incitata est," 136 NOTES, CHAP. VII. 35. He will not accept, ^t.] — Jealousy is very common and powerful among the people of the East; and is frequently carried to an extent, of which we have no example in Evno- pean countries. " Whoever, in Persia, has the misfortune to see, or the imprudence to look at, the wife of a man of rank, were it but as she travels on the road, and at ever so great a distance, is sure to be severely beaten by her eunuchs, and perhaps put to death; and to meet any of the king's con- cubines is such a capital crime, that, on a certain occasion, when the favourite queen happened, during the chace, to be overtaken by a storm, and under the necessity of taking refuge in a hamlet, not one of the people would let her ma- jesty in, that they might not have the misfortune of seeing her." — Micha?lis, Commentaries, Art. 260; Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 1277. CIIAPTEH VII. 2. As the apple of thine cyc^ — A proverbial expression, denoting the greatest care and tenderness, for no part is more carefully preserved than the eye. — (See Deut. xxxii. 10; Ps. xvii. 8.) In these places pty'« evidently means the pnpil or apple of the eye ; but in ver. 9 and ch. xx. 20, it as evidently means night or darkness. Kimchi, who has been followed by Schultens, Micha-lis, tic. derives the word from tr>'« a man, and supposes it to be a diminutive noun, signiiymg honmnculum, referring to the little image which the spectator beholds in the eye of another. The Arabians denominate the pupil ^.r^^ i^\^\ honiiiiem oculi. " Fateor, puerile et ludens videri etymon posse; sed meminerimus, aliquam partem linguarum et pueris deberi, quorum ex ore patres vocem arripiunt, suamque faciunt." — (Michaelis, Suppl. No. 84.) Geier and others derive it from \mi< niger fnit, which, though not oc- curring in Hebrew, is to be found in the Rabbinical writings. NOTES, CHAP. VII. 137 — (Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. ot Rah. in voc.) Parkhurst deduces it from niy' existit, est, and thinks it means " substance, the very, ipsissinivs, as of ihe eye or of tlie night.' Perhaps it may be referred to fu;» to sleep: sleep is a state of dark- ness; hence the heeniantic noun pit»'« denotes darkness, and, secondarily, the pupil, as being dark or black. In its form resembling in'« strength, from |n', radix inusit ; bj'Ta a river, from ^3' ; fD'n the south, from fo' ; mo'n a eolnmn, from no' ; tyn'n neiv wine, from tyT ; npj'o a nurse, from py ; though the Jod, when an heemantic letter is prefixed, more commonly is changed into Vau. n»n, in the first line, is the imperative for the future, as ch. iv. 4. 3. Bind them, i^t.] — See ch. iii. 3, vi. 21, and notes. 4. Say unto wisdom, (^t.] — By these expressions great in- timacy and familiarity' are implied. AVisdom ought to be as dear to us as a sister, and prudence as intimate with us as a familiar acquaintance. In the same manner Job observes, (ch. xvii. 14,) " I have said to corruption. Thou art ray father; to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister:" by which he means, that he is, as it were, allied to corruption; must speedily turn to corruption, and become the prey of worms and reptiles. — Compare Job, xxx. 2i). 5. That tlieij may preserve thee, Sfc.] — To illustrate the pernicious effects of yielding to the seducements of harlots, and of indtdginu in an unlawftd gratification of the passions, Solomon here introduces an apolo«jue, which, for In-autj' of expression, and elegance of description, has few rivals. It paints, with exquisite truth and colouring, the allurements of a wanton, who accosts, salutes, and inveigles a thoughtless, unsuspicious youth. Seduced by her wiles, he follows her *' as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool goeth to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver;" 138 NOTES, CHAP. VII. till he experiences the bitter consequences of yielding to the persuasion of the harlot, whose house " is the way of Hades going down to the chambers of death." Happy would it be, if youth, warned by the admonitions of the royal sage, and by the celestial voice of Christianity, would avoid the pollu- tions to which the incontinence of the human heart and the lewdness of prostituted beauty are continually inviting them. A riotous, turbulent joy may be gathered from illicit indul- gences; but the sweet satisfaction of a virtuous mind, the calm of conscious innocence, the delightful amenity of a soul actuated by wisdom, and guided by religion, can never be experienced " in the bought smiles of harlots." All is " love- less, joyless, unendeared;*' and even in respect of pleasure, the sole object of the profligate's research, he is a gainer who knows how " to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;" but evidently more so is he when he remembers the awful denunciation, that " whoremongers and adulterers God will judge," 6. When at the wiiidoic, ^•c.] — a3ir« only occurs here and Judges, V. 28. In both places it is accompanied by p'^n ; these two words, therefore, cannot be synonymous. As p'jn, from ^"^n perforare, undoubtedly means the aperture throvgh which light is admitted, a umidow ; iJtrs most probably denotes a lattice, which was used in Eastern countries to pro- tect the house from intrusion, and likewise to admit the air, which must have been veiy cooling and refreshing in hot regions. — (See Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 280, ed. Clarke.) The root iw is not found in Syriac orChaldee; but in A rabic *»_->Jui) »\o;n'\ties frigidusfuit, (Willmet, Lex. Arab.) and to this root it has been referred by Schult. Doederl. Dathe, Schulz, Faber; and, as a lattice (aJ»y«) was, in one point of view, used for the sake of coolness, it bears some faint resemblance to the meaning of the Arabic root. The NOTES, CHAP. VII. 139 inhabitants of the East have, at the present day, kiosks, a kind of l)o\v-\virulo\v, which, as Dr, Russel informs us, " are quite open to \hv rooms, and, havinj;: (latticed) windows in front and on each side, there is a great draught of air, ^^ hich makes them cool in summer, the advantage chiefly intended by them."— Quoted by Parkhurst, r\~\p, H. See also the same author on ixw. 0. near the comer] — Our translators and others take niQ per syncop. for nnJD, " her corner," " loco sc. obvio, et ad capiendos juvcnes accommodato," as Menochius remarks, which derives some support from ver. 12 ; but the version I have given yields a good sense, and is sanctioned by the ancient versions, Le Clerc, Dathe, &c. — her house] — The affix in nn'l is anticipative, referring to the harlot mentioned ver. 10. — See other examples in Glass, p. 157. 9. In the twilight, 4'c.] — The youth, void of understanding, wandered about the street from dusk to dark and gloomy night. Idleness is the parent of much mischief, and to ramble about the streets at the close of day, without a proper object, merely for idle curiosity and amusement, is to court sin, and to fall voluntarily into the snares which lewdness is constantly lading in the way. As the youth could not be seen " in the dark and gloomy night," these expressions must be taken in a comparative sense, for the tirst dusk of night; or else we must sui)pose, that torches or other lights enabled people to see objects in the streets: or, perhaps, it was meant to describe the imprudence of the young man, in loittring about the streets, from the twilight till dark and gloomy night. 10. An(l behold there met, Ac] — From this passage we may infer, that harlots were distinguished among the Jews by some peculiarity of dress, though the Scriptures give no 140 MOTES, CHAP. VII. intimation in what it consisted. Tamar, when she wished to appear Hke one, "covered herself with a veil;" (Gen. xxxviii. 14;) but it was customary for all women in the East to appear in public with a veil ; and if a veil had been the distinguishing attire of harlots, chaste women w^ould not have worn it, as we find they did, from the example of Rebecca. — (Gen. xxiv. 65.) Though it is said, that Judah " thought her to be an harlot, because she had covered her face," (ver. 15,) this seems only to imply that, in consequence of her being veiled, he did not recognize her for Tamar, his daughter-in-law. Among the Athenians, the courtezans wore tlowered garments; (Potter's Ant. lib. iv. cap. 12;) and at Home they were not permitted to wear the stola, but were distinguished by a pe- culiar head-dress, called mitra, or mitella. — (Adam's Rom. Ant. Edinburgh ed. 412, 424.) The obsei-vation above, that it was customary for all women in the East to appear in public veiled, seems confirmed by the history of Tamar, (see Patrick on Gen. xxxviii 15,) of Ruth, (ch. iii. 15,) and by the existence of the same custom among the Asiatics of modern times. — (Jahn, Archaeol. Bibl. § 127.) Among the Greeks, virgins were iiot permitted to appear in public, or to converse with men, without a veil over their faces, (Potter's Ant. of Greece, lib. iv. cap. 11,) which was also the case with women among the ancient Romans. — (Adam's Rom. Ant. p. 422.) Nevertheless, the learned Schroeder supposes, that it was not anciently the custom of virgins to veil their faces previous to their espousals, as this article of dress is not mentioned in the account of Rebecca and Rachel in their virgin state ; (Gen. xxiv. 15, xxix. 9;) nor of Sarah, when she pretended to be the unmarried sister of Abraham (Gen. xii. 13.) — See Schroeder, de Vest. Muher, Heb. cap. vi. § 13. — With the attire] — n»tt^, from niu; ponere, denotes a gar- ment Ps. Ixxiii. 0. my J, literally, " guarded or reserved of KOTES, CHAP. VII. 141 heart," i. e. " concealing her real views with pretences of Jove;'' (Taylor's Concordance;) and is well translated by Castalio and Dathe, " mente astuta," subtile of heart. 11. Site is loud and stubborn] — Diirell renders this clause, *' she cannot rest quiet, but backslideth," and observes, " that the being loud and stubborn are qualities which do not correspond with the meretricious arts of captivating." True ; but verses 11 and 12 are a parenthesis, describing the nature and disposition of a harlot; not the arts she uses to captivate the young men. Whatever softness and fascination she may assume for the purpose of alluring, she is, in reality, loud, tumultuous, boisterous ; obstinate in her vicious purposes, and too refractory to listen to admonition, rmo from "no, which occurs in seventeen other places in the sense of stubborn, rebellious, refraeto)'y. 12. Noiv she is icithont] — y^n2. here may mean, at the out- side, namely, at the threshold of the house. She at one time comes to tlie door of her habitation ; at another, proceeds into the street. Or the hemistich may, perhaps, be rendered, "Now she is in the street, now in the squares or market- places;" for ym sometimes means a street; and am may mean fl square or fortiin, as being a broader place than yin: but T have met with no passage quite decisive of this distinction ; yet, as they are often joined together, they can scarcely be synonymous. 13. with an impudent face] — Literally, " she hardened her face," " vultuni suum obrirmavit," Schultens and others; i.e. with an impudent face : ayuuet irpoatDww, LAX ; " procaci vultu," Vulg. — Compare ch. xxi. 21); Eccles. viii. 1; Dcut. xxviii. 50. 142 NOTES, CHAP. VII. 14. / have a sacrificial banquet] — Those sacrifices which were offered in giateful acknowledgment for mercies re- ceived, and as a means of preserving the favour and blessing of God, are called, in the Levitical code, Shelamim, (CD'o'^tts) or peace-offerings. The animal to be sacrificed was taken either from the herd or the flock; (Levit. iii. 1, 6;) the fat pieces, the kidneys, and tlie rump or tail, if the sacrifice was a sheep or goat, were bumt upon the altar; (Levit. iii. 3 — 5, iii. 9 — 11 ;) the breast and the right shoulder were the priests' due, allotted them for their maintenance; (Levit. vii. 29 — 36;) all the rest of the peace-offering was appropriated for an offer- ing-feast, and consumed by the offerer and his friends. — (Levit. vii, 16, xix. 6; Deut. xii. 6.) It was to such a feast, pre- pared with the remains of the peace-offering, that the harlot invited the unwary youth, as many commentators suppose ; and I think the word Shelamim, in this passage, does not admit of any other rational interpretation. It must mean such a feast, or, in other words, a sacrificial-banquet: as if she had said, " I have an entertainment for thee at my house; for, having this day paid my vows, I mean to devote the remains of my offering to conviviality and joy." — See Josephus, Antiq. lib. iii. cap. 9; Outram, de Sacrificiis, lib. i. cap. 17; Jenning's Jewish Antiq. lib. i. cap. 5. — paid my voirs] — Vows were sanctioned by the Levitical law, and the priest was authorized to enforce their fulfilment. — (Levit. xxvii. 2, et seq. ; Numb. xxx. 1, et seq.; Deut. xxiii. 21 ; Micha>lis, Commentaries, Art. 144.) " There appears no command or encouragement in the Christian Scriptures to make vows; much less any authority to break through them, when they are made. The few instances of vows (Acts, xviii. 18, xxi. 23) which we read of in the New Testament were religiously observed." — Pale/s Moral Philosophy, 1. iii. c. 5. NOTES, CHAP. VII. 143 15. to seek thee] — I determirietl diligently to seek thee, and to invite thee to partake of my festive revelry. i»)a " thy face;" a synecdoche for the whole person, as ivpoawnov in Acts, XX. 25, 3a. IG. I have decked] — Ample scope is afforded in this verse for the acuteness of the philologist. My remarks shall be as brief as is consistent with perspicuity, though they necessarily must be more extensive than usual. The root t^t occurs five times. In Gen. xli. 42; Ezek. xvi. 11, it undoubtedly denotes a chain for the neck, a collar, a necklace; hence the primary meaning of the word most probably is to weave, to intwine; and Q'nno, in this verse and ch. xxxi. 22, will mean woven works, tapestry, or carpets. The virtuous wo- man iu ch. xxxi. 22, is described as making these ana-)o; and the task of spinning, weaving, and even dying, was an- ciently performed by the women. — (Exod. xxxv. 25 ; ch, xxxi. l;J, and note; (Jogiiet'.s Origin of Laws, par. 1, 1. ii. c. 2.) Jlelen and Penelope are represented by Homer as employed at the loom; (Iliad iii. 125, vi. 490, xxii. 440; Odyss. ii. 94, vi. 52, 30G. Compare Odyss. vii. 105; il^neid, vii. 14;) so are tlie iilastern ladies at the present time. " Carpets," says Dr. Shaw, " which are much coarser than those from Turkey, are mad<' here (in Barharij) in great numbers, and of all sizes. But the chiif l)ranch of their manufactories is, the making of %Ae.v, or blankets, as we should call them. The women alone are em|)loyed in this work, who do not use the shuttle, but conduct every thread of the woof with their fingers." — (Ilarmer's Observations, vol. iv. p. 21H.) The arts of tapestr)' and embroidery were brought to a high degree of perfection among the Asiatics at a very early period, and particularly among the Jews, as is evident from the descrip- tion which Moses gives us of the Tabernacle. He speaks of works embroidered with a tissue of various colours, (Exod. 144 NOTES, CHAP. VII. xxvi. 1, 31 ; xxxix. 2,) and of nch embroideries of gold in the habits of the high-priest, and in the veils designed for the Tabernacle. — (Exod. xxviii. 8, xxxix. 3. See Goguet, par. 2, lib. ii. c. 2.) The CDnnn then, of which Solomou speaks in this verse, were, probably, a kind of coverlets, embroidered, and richly ornamented with figures and devices. Such em- broidered carpets or coverlets are in use at the present time. " The Arabs," says D'Arvieux, " have coverlets of all sorts: some are very beautiful, stitched with gold and silk, with flowers of gold and silver." *' When it was dark," says Dr. Chandler, " three coverlets, richly embroidered, were taken from a press in the room which we occupied, and delivered, one to each of us; the carpet or sofa, and a cushion, serving, with this addition, instead of a bed." — (Harmer, vol. iv. p. 102, 148.) The version of Aq. and Theod. is TrspiffTpw^am irepucrrpixxra, stragulis stravi. — my rorich] — Mr. Harmer takes miv for the " funiiture of an Eastern divan;" (vol. ii. p. 373;) but it properly de- notes a mattress or conch; for, first, it occurs ten times, and couch or mattiess is everywhere applicable. Even in Deut. iii. 11, the lyny of Og, which is said to be of iron, was most likely, as Mr. Harmer observes, a mattress stuffed with small pieces of iron, like a coat of mail. 2. This sense is sup- ported by the kindred dialects. ]£D)1 in Syriac and «D1]7 in Chaldee denote a bed or couch. The Arabic does not afford us so clear an evidence, yet jA/^ is a throne, and jr^;*^ •§ lociis gvo vnctu qniescnnt viatores. 3. It is so rendered in the ancient versions. Michalis thinks that the LXX and Vulg. understood the word in this passage to mean a kind of hanging bed, not placed upon the floor, as usual. — (Suppl. No. 2306.) •' In the East, and particularly in Persia and Turkey, beds are not raised from the ground with bed-posts, a canopy, and curtains; people lie on the floor;" as Sir Johi» Chardin informs NOTES, CHAP. VII. 145 us. — (See more in Parkhiirst, ntOJ, 14; Harmer's Observa- tions, vol. iv. p, 418.) But nothing ran be gathered from Scripture as to the fashion of the Jewish bids. — ivith embroideries] — nan to cut, to carve irood; hence nnton -' Jigurcd tapestry or carpeting, from its resemblance to carved work." — (Parkhurst.) This sense is confirmed by the Chaldee and Arabic dialects, as may be seen in Michaelis, Siippl. and Cocceius, ed. Schulz; and by tlie LXX, Vulg. Syr. Targ. See also Dindorfii Lex. Heb. — of Efpiptiun liiirn] — pt2« is (nra^ Xeyof^ievor, and no lip,ht is thrown upon it either by the Oriental dialects, or the ancient versions. It is, probably, an Egj'ptian word denoting linen. — (Simonis, Lex. in voc.) Egj'pt was noted for the pro- duce of flax. — ( Exod. ix. 31 ; 01. Celsius, Hierobot. torn. i. p. 89 et seq.; Bochart, Phaleg, lib. iii. c. 4.) In Joseph's time the linen manufacture appears to have arisen to a great height; and, it formed a considerable part of the ancient commerce of the Eg^'ptians. We are told that " Solomon had horses brought out of l-gvpt, and linen yarn; the king's merchants received the linen yam at a price." — (2 Chron. i. IG; 1 Kings, x.28.) In Ezek. xxvii. 7, we read of " fine linen, with broidered work, from Flgypt." 17. I luwe perfumed] — Perfumes were, as is well known, an article of great luxur>' among the Orientals. The Taber- nacle and its utensils were perfumed with odoriferous oint- ment ; (I'Aod. XXX. 23;) the Psalmist makes mention of per- fumed garments; (Ps. xlv. 8;) and it was usual to lavish per- fumes upon their persons. — (Esther, ii. 12 ; Cautic. iii. (5, v. .5.) Perfumes are still an object of the highest recpiest amonu,- the people of the East; (Harmer's Outlines, p. 123, ami Obser- vations passim ;) and they were anciently so among the more luxurious of the Greeks and Romans. — (See Schroeder, de u 146 NOTES, CHAP. VII. Vest. Mulier, cap. x. § 9, p. 160.) Horace, in a passage very much resembling this verse, makes Canidia say of her inconstant lover, " Indormit unctis omnium cubilibus Oblivione pellicum." — Epod. v. 1. 69. Namely, — " In forgetfulness of me he sleeps in the perfumed bed omnium pellicum.' 18. let ns fake our fill] — n^'M, fieOvarOwfitv, Aq. Sym. Theod.; " inebriemur," Vulg. and many modern translators : but, after an examination of ail the passages whore the root occurs, I think it very doubtful vphether it ever strictly means to be drunken; it rather means to saturate, to satiate, and may be conectly rendered with E. T. in this passage, " let us take our fill," i. e. let us satiate ourselves. 19. For the master] — iy'«n is ambiguous. LXX, Syriac, and some among the moderns, render it " my husband;" but, as it is improbable that a harlot, " who lieth in wait at every corner," (ver. 12,) shoidd have a husband, I have preferred rendering it more indefinitely, " the master," or keeper of the house. 20. ivith him'] — n*!, literally, "in his hand." From ch. i. 14, and Isaiah, xlvi. 6, it may be collected, that tiie ancient Hebrews had bags or purses for the reception of money, w Inch might, therefore, be carried in the hand, or tied to some part of the dress. — (See Schroeder, de Vest. Mulier. cap. xvii. § 6.) Nevertheless, it is correctly rendered by our English trans- lators "with him;" for it is probable, that the ancients did not usualh/ carry their purses in their hands, but in their girdles, or rather they were a part of the girdle itself. — (See Parkhurst's and Schleusner's Lex. in i^o)vr], and Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. Ixxx.) Tl means tcith, apud. Gen. NOTES, CHAP. VII. 147 xliv. 16, 17; Exod. xxi. 16; though the two latter texts are mistranslated in E. T. " in his hand:" so Hkewise in 1 Sam. ix. 8, it should have been icilh, apud. — the time appointed] — SD3 is, probably, the same as noa in Ps. Ixxxi. 4, and may be derived from dd3, mnneravit, i. e. " Feria stativa, tevipus statum, quod in numeratum anni diem semper rccurrit." — (Buxtorf, Lex. in voc.) It may be understood of any appointed time; but Diraock's notion is not improbable, that it may refer, in particular, to one of the three great festivals at which he was obliged to return. Some, however, take it for the new moon, some for the full moon, and some for scenopegia, the feast of Tabernacles. Besides the Lex. see Michaelis and Le Clerc on Ps. Ixxxi. 4. 22. Or as a fool to the coiTcction of the stocks] — There is not, perhaps, any clause in the whole book of Proverbs which has given the critics more trouble than this, nor one which has been more variously translated. After examining the pages of the most approved commentators, I have not found any inter])retation perfectly satisfactory; yet I incline, though with much hesitation, to that of the learned Hunt, who, in a particular dissertation upon the passage, takes "^'in for h^n a hart; D3r for a verb to skip, or bound along, as Isaiah, iii. 16, which Bishop Lowth renders, " and with their feet lightly skipping along," (in Arabic ^j^>^ to rush into, or run upon;) and tdid for a snare or toil. Agreeably to this interpretation of the words his version is, " He goeth after her straightway. As an ox got'th to the slaughter; Or as an hart boundeth into the toils, Till a dart strike through his liver : As a bird hasteth to the snare. And knoweth not that it is for his life." 148 NOTES, CHAP. VII. In support of this version it may be observed, that the LXX, Syriac, and Chaldee, though extremely loose and para- phrastic, introduce a word corresponding with hart; that it renders the parallelism complete ; and that the imagery thus becomes consistent, without putting any violence upon the words : on the contrary, it requires an alteration of the text, unwarranted by MSS. and- but slenderly supported by the versions, nor, perhaps, absolutely demanded by any urgent necessity. This exposition, however, is approved by Taylor, Doederlein, Arnoldi, Dathe. The version of Dr. Hodgson is, " Yea, like a fool, he runneth on to punishment." Parkhurst's is, " And as the fettered fool (f/oefh) to correction; or as the fool fettered for correction." — (In CDS. See Schroeder, de Vestitu Mulierum, cap. 1.) I have followed the authorized version, according to the rule I have prescribed myself in doubtful cases ; at the same time, submitting the expositions, which appear most worthy of attention, to the judgment of the reader, 26. mani/ ivonnded] — 'pVn means to profane, as well as to ivound; the clause, therefore, will admit of being translated, " For many are the profane ichom she hath caused to fall ;** but the authorized version seems preferable; namely, many have been wounded and cast down by her. — And verif mairy] — crDVj; denotes nvmber or qvantity. Numb, xxxii. 1 ; Jer. v. 6, xv. 8, xxx. 14, 15; Ps. xl. 6, 12, cxxxix. 17, XXXV. lU. — (See RosenmuUer on Ps. xxxv. IB.) The parallelism requires this sense, as it corresponds with czj'n in the first line. Symmachus and Theodotion render it ar(tpi0[.i7]-oi : and so do the LXX; and they are followed by many among the modern translators. 27. thambers of death] — See Lowth's Pra;lcct. p. 87. od. Oxon. 1810. NOTES, CHAP. VHI. 149 CHAPTER VIII. We are now arrived at one of the most important chapters in the book of Proverbs, since many, both among the an- cients and moderns, have considered it as relating to the second Person in the Holy Trinity. If their opinion be correct, it is not to be viewed in the hght of a bohl personification of wis- dom, but of a figurative and highly-wrought description of our blessed Lord. Others again have regarded it only as a prosopopoeia, in which the exc( Hence of wisdom is portrayed in the bright and vivid colours which distinguish the produc- tions of the Oriental muses. To form a decided judgment on this important point, we must examine the passage with the utmost scrupulosity, weigh- ing the exact force of the words with philological j)recision, and comparing Scripture with Scripture. Bare assertion is entitled to no respect; sound argument and solid learning ar«» the basis of an enlightened exposition of the sacred Oracles ; and, setting aside the prejudices of early opinions, we should resolve to follow, with undeviating step, the guidance of truth, eternal and immutable truth, to whatever conclusions it may lead us. In examining the contents of this chapter, the interpreter's progress will be much facilitated, if he can commence his in- vestigation with any dear and incontrovertible principles. Such facilities are aHorded in the present instance ; for it may be laid down as a fundamental principle, that it was intended to delineate either (Jod's attribute of iris(t<)>ii, or a real, siib- sistiny Jiviiir/, or /tclitjioii, which, as contradistingui>lied from the two former, may be called abstract uisdoiii. It may, in the next place, he infiMred, that the wisdom spttkcn <»f iVom the twelfth to the thirtieth verse, a passage undoubtedly relating to the same subject, has reference to the Divine Nature, because "Jehovah possessed it the Beginning of his way," (v. 22,) and 150 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. because it existed " from everlasting^ before tlie world was," (v. 23.) If so, it must either mean an attribute, or one of the Persons of the Godhead. Some of the attributes of God may, in an inferior degree, be possessed by man ; as love, mercy, justice, wisdom : others are incommunicable ; as omnipotence, ubiquity, self-existence. Now if, upon examination, some parts of the description shoidd be found to be inconsistent with the notion of an attribute, the necessary inference is, that one of the Persons in the Divine Essence is designated by the title of Wisdom, This conclusion is inevitable; yet it cannot be inferred from this which of the divine Persons is meant; and, in order to determine this question, other circumstances are to be taken into consideration. If, therefore, it should appear, that some passages, though they might possibly be applied to God the Father or the Holy Ghost, are more suitable to God the Son; that others can alone refer to the divine Logos ; and that the same expressions are actually predicated of him in various parts of the sacred writings; its reference to the Son, the second Person in the blessed Trinity, will be fully established. The result of an attentive inquiry, conducted upon these principles, is, that the royal sage commences with the consi- deration of wisdom in the abstract, which, in an elegant per- sonification, he presents to the admiring view of mankind. But, as he proceeds, his imagination becomes warmed ; his mind is elevated to rapturous contemplation of the Deitj% the pure fountain of all wisdom ; and, full of the divine aiHatus, he pours forth the suggestions of sacred inspiration in terms which characterize the Son of God, "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person." — Heb. i. 3. Whether Solomon was aware of the exact import of the expressions which he employed; whether he understood them as descriptive of the Only-begotten of the Father, cannot, per- haps, be determined ; but that the Spirit intended to depict NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 151 somethinjj more than abstract wisdom, even a divine and celestial Being, I have the stronp;est conviction. Probably, the prophets seldom understood the full meaning of the oracles which they delivered ; (1 Pet. i, 10;) but, however that may be, it is our duty to endeavour to learn the mind of the Spirit by a grammatical analysis of the language employed by the sacred penmen. Far be it from us to imitate those German theologians, who, in their biblical criticisms, seem to forget that there is such a thing as inspiration. But " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God;" (2 Tim. iii. 16;) let us, then, search the divine writings with humble diligence and reverent attention; praying for heavenly aid to assist us in under- standing their sacred treasures, and gratefully embracing their hallowed truths, " which are able to make us wise unto salvation." — 2 Tim. iii. 15. 1. Doth not Wisdom, S,'c.] — The abnipt boldness with which this fine prosopopaia is introduced is worthy of re-, mark. The philosophic monarch, at the conclusion of his energetic description of the fatal effects of yielding to the seducements of prostituted beauty, is struck with a sudden thought of the excellence of wisdom, and, as if he- had just heard her voice, exclaims. Hark ! Doth not Wisdom make proclamation? And Understanding send forth her voice? He then depicts her as present to the view — On the top of the high places by the ways. In the paths she taketh up her station, Arc. AVisdom is, in like manner, personified ch. i. 20, ix. 3, aa uttering her voice in the streets, and proclaiming in the high places of the city. Such personifications are not uncommon in Scripture, as Ps. Ixxxv. 10; Job, xxviii. 14, 22; Isaiah, V. 14; Jer. xlvii. 6, 7; Ecclus. xiv. 1, where the Son of 152 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. Sirach elegantly personifies wisdom. — See Lowth's Prjelec- tiones, 13. — make proclainatiori] — »"ip, intransitively, to proclaim, to make proclamation. — And understandingi — nJlln is applied to the wisdom or prudence of man in a great number of passages ; and to the wisdom or understanding of the Deitj' in ch. iii. 19, (and, perhaps, ch. ii. 6 ;) Job, xii. 13, xxvi. 12 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 72, cxxxvi. 5, cxlvii. 5; Isaiah, xl. 14, 28; Jer. x. 12, H. 15. 2. She takefh vp her station] — She stands on the tops of high places of whatever description, near the public ways, in order to be heard by as large a concourse of people as possible. lYJ seems to denote continuity of action. Gen. xxxvii. 7; Exod. vii. 15, xxxiii. 21; Ps. xlv. 9, which Bishop Horsley renders " on thy right hand the consort has her station ;" Judg. xviii. 16, and other places. — Ill the paths] — DO in or among, " inter semitas," Noklius; avafjierrov, LXX. Doederlein explains it dift'erently, " Mihi quidem rfown^s semitarnm videntur publica quasi diver- soria dici, hospitura excipiendorum gratia juxta vias publicas instructa." — Scholia in loc. 4. To you, men, Sfc] — By " men" Aben Ezra under- stands rich men, and by " the sons of men" the poor; and many commentators do the same. See Gousset, Lex. in CD^^<. 5. O ye simple, exercise pi'ndence] — Tiie simple are ex- horted to exercise prudence, and to apply attention to the dictates of wisdom. The Hebrew, literally rendered, is, " O ye simple, cause your sagacit^'^ to learn ; And, ye fools, cause your heart to learn." NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 153 6. excellent things] — As njj, in Ilipli. means to declare, to manifest, czjnjj may signily clear, munijcst things, and the Syriac and Targiim render it *' truth :" or, as tjj denotes a ruler, a chief, it may signify digiiified, excellent things, principihus digna ; at^va, LXX; rjytfun'tKa, 8ymmachus and Theodotion; " de rebus magnis," Vulgate. — And the opening] — nnsa maybe the particle Ben. Pih. and Durell, taking d in oniy'D for a preposition, renders the hemistich, " and I will open my lips with equity," which coincides, in sense, with the authorized version. 7. shall speak trnth] — The verb njn not only means to speak, to utter, but likewise to meditate, and so it is under- stood here by LXX, Syr. Targ. Vulg. ; but its being joined with " mouth," and the second hemistich, limit it to the former. 8. Righteous] — Literally, " in righteousness," pnyn ; but the Hebrews used a substantive with a particle prefixed for an adjective, of which examples may be found in Buxtorf, Thesaurus, p. 338; Schroeder, Listit. reg. 18, 19; Robert- son's Gram. p. 298 ; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 29, ed. Dathe. — crooked] — "^DDJ, from hns to twist, moans crooked, tortuous; o-i^oXior, LXX ; TrtpiirtirXeyfieroy, Aquila, Theodotion; " winding," Hodgson. .9. Tliey are all plain, ^-c] — Personified "Wisdom had pre- viously exhorted the simple to exercise prudence, and the foolisii to be of an understanding heart; (ver. 5 ;) she calls upon them to listen to her words, (ver. 6,) for they are true (ver. 7,) and righteous (ver. 8.) They are also " plain to him that understandeth," that exercises his sagacitN' to understand them; " and right to them that find knowledge," i.e. that X 154 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. seek after knowledge, or endeavour to find it. — See Cocceii Lex. n3J. 10. Jiue gold] — MichKlis (Suppl. ad. Lex. No. 8G1) sup- poses that ynn Jine gold, originates from the Greek -^^vao^, introduced by the Phoenicians, who had commercial inter- course with the Grecian states. It is not to be found in the other Oriental dialects ; and it first occurs Ps. Ixviii. 14, but often afterwards in the Proverbs. AVhatever may be the derivation of the word, there can be no doubt about its sig- nification; and, as Michxlis observes upon another word, " De etymo non laboro, dummodo de vera nominis signifi- catione constet." 11. For wisdom is better than gems] — As personified Wisdom is still continuing her address, the wisdom here mentioned must mean the maxims and decisions, the instruc- tion and knowledge, which she aftbrds, and which, in ver. 19, are called " her fruit;" whereas, in the parallel passage, ch. iii. 15, wisdom itself is meant, wisdom in the abstract, though elegantly personified as in this chapter. The value of wisdom and understanding is beautifully described in Job, xxviii. 12 — 19, on which place Schultens says, " Infinita est sapientia; dignitas, maria et terras praeponderans." 12. / Wisdom ducll with prudence, ^-c.] — The Paroeraiast now takes a bolder flight, upborne on the wings of inspiration, and soars to the contemplation of Primaeval A^'^isdom, the eternal, hypostatic Word. From considering the excellence of wisdom, the transition is easy to the undefiled Source of it: abstract wisdom now disappears; and the inspired writer proceeds to the delineation of a divine Being, who is por- trayed in colours of such splendour and majesty as can be attributed to no other than the eternal Son of God. The appellation of " Wisdom" forms no objection against inter- NOTES, CHAP. VIII. ] 55 preting the passage of the second Person in the Trinity, for he is so denominated 1 Cor. i. 24, 30; Luke,xi. 49, as appears from comparing Matt, xxiii. 34.— (See Schleusneri Lex. ^o^.a, 5.) The primitive fathers styled the Son " Wisdom," or the " Wisdom of God," and used it as a title by which he was commonly distinguished. This is too evident to admit of contradiction. It was even so well known an appellation of our Lord as to be introduced into some of the ancient creeds ; for in that of Gregory Thaumaturgus he is styled (Toia v^EOTWffa, Substantial or Subsisting Wisdom; (Opera, p. 1, Paris, 1(522;) and in that of Lucian, Presbyter of the Church of Antioch, who suftered mai-tjrdom about A.D. 309, he is called - the Word," " the Wisdom," &c.*— (Socrates, lib. ii. cap. 10.) It is true, they likewise occasionally designated the Holy Spirit by the same name; but, as the learned Bull remarks, " Veteres secundic et tertiae Persona-, ob com- munem utrique turn naturam, turn ab eadem 7r;,y,, deorrjTOc derivationem, etiam rioniina fecisse communia. Hinc, ut ' secundam vTrotrratTn' aiitiuando Spiritum Dei vocant, quo tertiam frequentius designant ; ita nomine l, a word which occurs thirty-seven times, and never applied to the wisdom or understanding of God, but invariably to that of man. This, however, does not mihtate against the interpretation of the passage here proposed; for the Son of God may be called " Understanding," in as much as he is the author of it in man ; in the same way as our blessed Lord calls himself " the resurrection and the life," (John, xi. 25,) and as he is styled by the apostle to be made of God unto us " wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," (1 Cor. i. 30,) that is, the author of these blessings. Such metonymical expressions are very common in the sacred writings. It may be observed, that some suppose nJO pro- perly means the power of discerning and judging of things aright. " Inter nnan et ni'i distinguunt ita, ut illud sit lux et cognitio rerum, qua? dicitur sapientia, hoc vero judicium, quod ex hac sapientia oritur, quo inter res discernimus, quod Graeci hiayviocnv vocant, et Latini intelligentiam , sen prudai- tiam." — RosenmuUer, Scholia in Isaiah, xi. 2. 15. By me kings reign] — It is unquestionably true, that monarchs cannot reign happily, nor discharge their royal duties so as to promote the public welfare, without wisdom; and the impossibility either of a long or prosperous reign, without wis- dom and moral rectitude, is a doctrine frequently inculcated in the book of Proverbs. — (Ch. xvi. 12, xx. 28, xxviii. W, xxix. 2, 4, 14.) But the language in this verse has a higher and more important meaning. There is no mention of reigning long or prosperously. Wisdom says, without limitation, " by me kings reign ;" their power, however used, is derived from me ; an expression strictly applicable to Him, " to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth." — (Mat. xxviii. 18.) NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 159 " He removeth kings, and setteth up kings;" (Dan. ii. 21 ;) "tor there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God." — (Rom. xiii. 1. Compare Deut. i. 13, xvii. 14, et seq.) It cannot be denied that the sovereign power is ordained of God; but Wisdom asserts, " by me kings rtign :" Wisdom, therefore, is God, God the Son. 16. By me princes rule, ^t.] — This, Uke the preceding verse, cannot be predicated of an attribute, but must be re- ferred to the Son, by whom God made the world, and by whom he governs it, having committed all power unto him. — Ephes. i. 22; Heb. ii. 7, 8; 1 Cor. xv. 27; John, iii. 35, V. 20, 22, xiii. 3, xvii. 2 ; Mat. xxviii. 18, xi. 27 ; Luke, x. 22. — are illustrious] — C3»ani noble, princely, illustrious, (see Simonis, Lex.) agreeing w ith ynn 'toaiy bo all the judges of the earth. " lUustresque sunt omnes orbis pricsides," Castalio : to the same purpose Munster, the Tigurine Version, and Le Clerc. It is by the appointment of the Supreme Ruler that judges are reverenced, and looked up to with respect. 17. / loce those that love me] — To love is a personal act ; and though it may, perhaps, by a bold figure, be applied to a personified attribute, it seems properly to belong to a person. For n*an« the Keri has 'nn« ; but the final n may be para- gogic. — (See Storrii Observat. ad Analog, et Syntax. Heb. p. 438.) 3n« is the future, contracted for in««. — See Altingii Fundum. Punct. Ling. Sanct. p. 442. 18. Riches, &I-C.] — Wisdom is said to be possessed of " riches and honour;" (ch. iii. IG;) and this verse may, un- doubtedly, be predicated of an attribute ; as, for instance, St. Paul speaks of " the depth of the riches both of the wisdom ami knowledge of God," (Rom. xi. 33,) and of "the riches of his goodness," (Rom. ii. 4,) and of "the riches of his grace," (Ephes. ii. 7.) It may, nevertheless, be appropriately 160 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. applied to the Son, whose " riches," the apostle says, are " unsparchable," (Ephes. iii. 8,) who received from God " honour and glory," (2 Pet. i. 17,) and " in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," (Col. ii. 3.) Even durable wealth] — The radical meaning of pnr is to remove, Gen. xii. 8, xxvi. 22 ; Job, ix. 5, xiv. 18, xviii. 4, xxxii. 15; "they removed speaking from them," i. e. they left it off, Isaiah, xxviii. 9. In Hiph. to cause to remove, as, for instance, into a particular place, Prov. xxv. 1, " which the men of llezekiah collected," caused to remove, "nempe ex siiis libris in hunc librum." — (Cocc. Lex. ed. Schulz.) 2. To grow old, vetcrasr.ere, to continue removing, or going on, (such is its meaning in Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic,) Job xxi. 7 ; Ps. vi. 8, "mine eye waxeth old," i. e. grows dim, like the eyes of the aged, "because of all mine enemies," on account of the grief which they occasion me. (The Chaldee p'nr ancient, occurs Dan. vii. 9, 13, 22.) Hence as a noun, 1st. lasting, durable, Prov. viii. 18 ; Isaiah, xxiii. 18 : 2d. stiff", hard, harsh, being qualities attendant on age, and generally be- longing to durable things, 1 Sam. ii. 3; Ps. xxxi. 18, Ixxv. 6, xciv. 4. In 1 Chron. iv. 22, it may be the name of a place, as Parkhurst observes. These are all the places wherein this root occurs, and, surely, they are explained in an easy and perspi- cuous manner, without having recourse to remote and far- fetched senses, drawn from the dubious sources of the kin- dred languages. Yet, because . 'i-^s- in Arabic means pvlchri- tudo,. nitor, Schultens would superinduce this idea in Isaiah, xxiii. 18, p'nj? nODD " durable clothing;" " non solum dura- bile," says he, " ut dari solet, verum etiam uitoris intcgri, ct cujus pulchrHudo non praforuta;" and this notion is adopted by Dathe and Rosenmuller. — and righteousness] — Aben Ezra takes npny to mean " happiness or prosperity." Doederlein thinks it may be NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 161 opposed to "ip'l^ \^n fallacious wealth: o ^a/i/nwvac rrjc aciKiac (Luke, xvi. 9) means perishable riches, and, by parity of reason, the " manimon ot" righteousness" may mean certain, permanent riches; npny i^ri, therefore, may denote certain wealth: and this clause is rendered " opes firma; et sohdse" by Doederhin; " opes perennes et duraturai" by Dathe. According to this, the verse may be translated, Riches and honour are with me. Even durable and certain wealth. 19. even solid gold] — ani, y^^u, ans, nuD, ts, "lya, all signify gold: there must be some distinction, for so many words can scarcely be quite synonymous ; but I have not been able to ascertain the difference satisfactorily to myself. — See Michailis, Supplem. ad Lex. Heb. No. 597. 20. I march in the way, ^-c] — That is, my proceedings are in righteousness and justice. Dr. Hodgson gives a Hiphil sense to the verb, " In the path of virtue I cause men to walk." 21. That I may caiise, ^-c] — Wisdom proceeds in the way of righteousness and equity, for the purpose of making those who love her to inherit, not frail, perishable wealth, but true, spiritual riches, and of rendering their enjoyment of them full and complete. This is strange language to be spoken of an attribute ; but strictly applicable to the Son of God, through whom we arc partakers of the riches of his grace; (Ephes. i. 7, ii. 7;) through whom we are made rich, (2 Cor. viii. 9,) rich in the possession of spiritual blessings; and through whom alone we can receive " forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in him." — Acts, xxvi. 18. 22. Jehovah possessed me the Beginning of his way] — This version is supported by LXX, Aq. Sym. Theod. and is Y 1.62 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. approved by Aben Ezra, Cocceius, Schultens, Miehirlis, Gill, &c. As this and some of the following verses are of the utmost consequence in determining the correctness of our in- terpretation, they demand a minute and critical examination. — possessed] — 'JJp " possedit me," Vulgate; eKTr^iu-o /ue, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion ; that is, possessed me by right of paternity and generation, as is evident from verses 23, 24, 25 ; and this verb is, undoubtedly, applied to possession by generation Gen. iv. 1. — (Compare Deut. xxxii. 6.) The Father possessed the Son, had, or, as it were, acquired him by an eternal generation ; and the same circumstance, the eternal filiation of the Son, is declared in Micah's famous prophecy by the phrase, " whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." — (Mic. v. 2, See Matt. ii. 0; Bishop Chandlers Defence, ch. ii. p. 150.) But ■'ilp is rendered «aJ):Q creavit, in the Syriac ; »i!^"ia creavit, in the Targum ; and, in the same sense, cKTitrt pe, in the LXX. By this expression of the LXX, the Arians justified themselves in classing the Son among created beings; " verum antiqui Patres, qui ante concilium Nicaenum vixere, per vocabulum KTiffEtJc, non eam solum creationem quae ex nihilo fit, scd omne genus productionis intellexerunt, ipsamque adeo gene- rationem Verbi." — (Valesii Not. in Eusebii liist. Eccles. lib. iv. cap. 26.) Many, indeed, understood this passage as relating to the human nature of Christ; (Suiceri Thesaur. vioc, iii. 3;) but in this they were clearly mistaken, since Wisdom expressly declares, that she was born before the earth and its furniture existed. TloXXaj^ou h rcji' Gmov Xoyuov ytytvvr](TOai, aXX'ou ytyovtrai tov vior'KEyofitvov evpoi t(q av. v^' wy KuracpaytJC eXey-^^oiTai ra -ipevct] Trepi r/jc rov Kvpiov yivvqaewQ vTzoKa^i'varovTEi;, oi -KOi-qair, avrov np' Betay koi appij-ov ytvri](ny Xtyety vok^m'TiQ. " In many places of the sacred Oracles," says Dionysius Boraanus, " the Son is said to be born, but NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 163 nowhere to bo made; wherefore they entertain false opinions concerning the generation of our Lord, who dare to cull his divine and unspeakable generation a creation." — (In llouth's Reliquiee Sacra?, vol. iii. p. 182.) It is not improbable, that the present text of the LXX is corrupt, and that the true reading should be EKTrjaaro. — See Schleusneri Opuscula, p. 30G. - — the Bc(/iiminy] — n'tyi^T means the origin or cause ch. xvii. 14; Jer. xlix. 35; Mic. i. 13, as it does in the pas- sage before us; and is very characteristic of the di^-ine Logos, who was the Beginning, the Origin, the efficient Cause, and Creator of all things; for " all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." — (John, i. 3. See Ephes. iii. 9; Col. i. 15—17; Heb. i. 2, 10; Rev. iv. 11; Waterland's Sermons at Lady Moyer's.) The Son of God is called the " Beginning" Rev. xxii. 13, perhaps i. H, though Griesbach omits (to-^r) kcu teXoc on very respectable autliority; hut in Rev. iii. 14, he is denominated t; apx'7 ~'/c tcrifTewr rov Qiov, which is parallel to Prov. viii. 22, and may, indeed, be rend(>red, " the Lord of the creation of God," but seems rather to mean " auctor initii," the efficient cause or author of the creation. — (See Wolfii Curae and Rosenmulleri Scholia in loc.) He is also styled the " Begin- ning" Col. i. 18, where some suppose npy^r} relates to his being " the first-fniits of them that slept;" (1 Cor. xv. 20;) others to his being the efficient cause and nder of the church, among whom are Fstius and Macknight; others, with more propriet\- perhaps, to his being the creator and cause of all things. In the strict acceptation of the word, the Father alone can be called apy^tj, as being God, not of any other, but of him- self, and as he is the cause and origin even of the Son's divine essence. " The ancient doctors of the church," says the 164 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. learned Bishop Pearson, " have not stuck to call the Father the origin, the cause, the author, the root, the fountain, and the head of the Son, or the whole Divinity." — (On the Creed, p. 63, Oxon. 1 797, vphere he has accumulated abundance of authorities in the notes. See also Clarke's Scrip. Doct. of the Trinity, part ii. § 9 ; Bull, Def. § 4; Suiceri Thes. ap^^/j.) Yet the sacred writers have given the appellation of n'trw"!, opx»?) to the Son, in regard to his being the efficient cause and creator of the universe ; and the ancient fathers have not scrupled to deno- minate him by the same term. Thus Clemens Alexandrinus calls the Son top ayj)ovov kcu civap^ov, np\r]v te Kai UTrap-^rip rivv ovTuyv ; (Strom, lib. vii. p. 700, C;) and in another place he says, (ip^T) Beta roov iravTiov r)v Km euriy, scil. o Aoyoc- — (Admonit. ad Gent. p. 5, D.) Tatian uses the same term, Trjv Se ap'^rjv Aoyou ?i;j'a^ti' TrapftXr/^a^ev.* that by Aoyou ^vvafiiv is meant the Word, is proved at large by Bull. — (Def. Fid. Nic. § iii. cap. G.) At the end of the same para- graph Tatian says, tovtov (scil. Aoyoi) ifffitv tov koo^ov Tr)v ap-)(r}v, " we know that the Word is the Beginning," i.e. the Principle or Cause of the world. — (Orat. ad Grjec. § 7, ed, ^V^orth.) Theophilus Antiochenus also obsei-ves concerning the Son, ovtoq Xsyerai cip-^i] ; and immediately after, ovroc ovf wv TTj'Ei'^a 0£Oi) icai upxVf ''""' crotpia, Kai cvyaftic; vxpitrrov. — (Ad. Autolyc. lib. ii. p. 88, C.) Eusebius characterizes him by the same appellation, apj^jjj' tojv yejfjrwr aTrctrrwi', " the Beginning or Principle of all created beings." — (Preep. Evang. lib. vii. cap. 12, also cap. 15.) The same term is applied to him by Justin Martyr. — (Dial, cum Tiyph. p. 367, D. Colon. 1(58(5.) So the verses " Incerti Auctoris," printed among the works of Tertullian, (Op. p. 638, ed Rigalt,) " Hie Deus, hie ot homo verus, verumquc locutus, De Patre principium, genitura de luminc lumen, Spiritus et Verbum, Patris sub imagine virtus. Cum Patre semper erat, unitus gloria et aevo." NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 165 If this inteqiretation should not be admitted, though it appears the true one, and n'u;»T be taken in the sense of beginning, commencement, as it sig;nifies Gen. x. 10; Deut. xi. 12; Eecles. vii. 8; Jer. xxvi. 1, xxvii. 1, xxviii. 1, xhx. 34; then " Jehovah possessed me the Bepjinning of his way" will refer to the eternal g:eneration of the Son, who was Tpi^roTOKOQ Trao-tjc KTi(7Hi)r, (Col. i. 15,) " begotten before every creature," that is, before any created being had existence. — (Middleton on the Greek Article in loc.) For to call the attribute wisdom " the commencement of God's operation," is totally unwar- ranted by other texts of holy writ; and, as far as we can judge on a subject so far exalted above us, would be an assertion irreconcilable with all our notions of the Deitj\ God did not generate or produce wisdom; it is essential to his very nature; and can, in no respect, be called the beginning or commencement of his way or operation. If n'tt^WT be taken in the signification of chief or principal thing, as ch. iv. 7 ; 1 Sam. ii. 29 ; Dan. xi. 41 ; Amos, vi. 1,6;' Ps. Ixxviii. 51, cv. :3(>, it may refer to the filiation of the Son, who may be called the chief of God's operations, in as much as he was generated from all eternity, and the whole undivided essence of God was communicated to him. Or it may be explained of his being appointed by the Father chief or head over all his works : which interpretation is generally adopted by the ancient fathers, as may be seen in the passages referred to at the end of the chapter, particularly Eusebius, de Eecles. Theol. lib. iii. cap. 2. This gives no countenance to the Arian notion of a creature, and is not unsuitable to Him to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things consist, (Matt, xxviii. 18; Col. i. 17;' Waterland's Second Defence, Qu. 12,) but is wholly inapplicable to wisdom as a quality, for how can an attribute be head, chief, or principal thing ? 166 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. If the word be even understood in the sense oijirst-fruits, as Lev. ii. 12, xxiii. 10 ; Deut. xviii. 4, xxvi. 10, xxiv. 40 ; Jer. ii. 3; Ezek. xx. 40, though it maybe thought, in some degree, to favour the Arian tenets, yet it may equally refer to the filiation of the Son, vpho is the " first-begotten," (Heb, i. 0.) " the first-born of every creature," (Col. i. 15.) At least, the expression, in this sense, cannot be applied to an attribute; for the wisdom of God cannot, in any way, be the effect of his operations. The attributes of the Deity are coeternal with his essence; they cannot be separated from it; and, therefore, cannot be the result or produce of his operations. Hence, in whatever sense n'c;«T may be taken, it is to be referred to the second Person in the Trinity ; though the first, namely, that of author, princinle, cause, or efficient creator, appears to be its true meaning in this verse, — of his ivay] — Some of the preceding observations rest upon the meaning here attributed to y^^^. This word is ap- plied to the operations and proceedings of God Deut. xxxii. 4; 2 Sam. xxii. 31; Ps. xviii. 31, Ixvii. 3, Heb.; Dan. iv. 37, &c. The Behemoth is called h^ 'Dm n>u;«l " the chief of the operations of God," i. e, his most excellent work in the animal creation. — (Job, xl. 19, Heb.) In Ps. ciii. 7, God's " ways" are explained, in the second hemistich, by his •' acts," 1311 his nay, then means the operation, working, or proceeding of God, not referring, I apprehend, to that eternal operation in which the Father communicated his essence to the Son by way of generation, but to his work of creation; and it is so understood by the Targumist, the Syriac translator, Cocceius, Dindorf, Parkhurst, and many com- mentators. Now God's attribute of wisdom cannot have been the beginning ov commencement, nor the Jirst-fruits, nor the chief part of creation ; for this supposes it to have been produced at the creation, which is evidently absurd. Neither NOTES, CHAP. Mil. 167 was it the efficient cause of the creation; for his other at- tributes of mercy, beneficence, and omnipotence equally shared in the stupendous work of creation. The verse there- fore means, THAT Jehovah possessed, by an eternal GENERATION, A>'lSDOM, OR THE SoN, WHO IS THE ORIGIN OR EFFICIENT CAUSE OF ALL THE WORKS OF GoD. Thus, in whatever way this passage can be grammatically rendered, it must be referred to the second Person in the blessed Trinity, I say grammatically rendered; for our au- thorized version, " The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way," is wholly i^admissable; because, 1st. In every other place where n'U^XT signifies the beginning or commence- ment, the particle n is prefixed, namely. Gen. i. 1 ; Jer. xxvi. 1, xxvii. 1, xxviii. 1, xlix. 34; and had such been its meaning here, it would scarcely have been omitted. 2d. The English translation is opposed by the LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, and Tiieodotion ; though it must be acknowledged, that tlie Vulgate, the Syriac, and the Targuni have "in the beginning;" ' but n'U,»«na in Gen. i. 1, was anciently understood to mean the divine Logos; (SuiceriThesaur. apxn ! Ainsworth on Gen. i. 1 ;) and accordingly the Jerusalem Targum renders it «DDini "by Wisdom," meaning the Logos, or Christ, for in ver. 27 it is said, that the Logos, or Word of Jehovah, created man after his image, thereby identifying "Wisdom," Chu km a, with the Logos, Menu a duJehovuh. It is, therefore, not altogether improbable, that the authors of the Latin, Syriac, and Chaldee translations uiulerstood it as referring to Christ, viz. Jehovah had AVisdom in the beginning of his w^ork of creation, as the efficient cause. Without building much upon this, we have, at least, all the Greek versions in the opposite scale, and if the authority of the ancient translators cannot be pleaded in favour of the rendering above given, it is, undoubtedly, not against it. 3d. It is contrary to all the rules of just interpre- tation to consider any phrase as elliptical, when it yields a 168 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. good and apposite meaning without supplying other words ; whereas the Enghsh translators have unnecessarily supplied the preposition "in," while the version here given is literal and grammatical. On the other hand, the reasons alleged in favour of the translation, " The Lord possessed me wt the beginning of his way," are of little weight. . Among the arguments produced by Gousset (Comment. tr>«"i, L. 2) only one deserves any reply; wherein he remarks, " dura estlocutio n'U>«T UJp pos- sedit me primitias, (sine n« quod juxta Zachar. xii. 10, inter- poni debet post pronomen,) talem enim appositionem nominis nudi cum affixo nominis pra^cedentis non novimus." To this it may be answered, 1st. That the passage in Zech, xii. 10, is not a case in point, as any one must be convinced by examin- ing the original. 2d. Nouns are often put in apposition with- out the particle nt^ ; and as pronouns are the substitutes of nouns substantive, they must, from their very nature, admit of the same syntax; and accordingly we find them put in apposi- tion with nouns without the addition of n«, as ver. 4 and 12 of this chapter; Ps. Iv. 14, Heb. ; Isa. xliii. 15; Mich. iv. 8, &c. 3d. Instances of apposition similar to this in the verse before us not unfrequently occur; as 2 Sam. i. 26, 'n« yb]} '^ iy ** I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan;" ibid, xviii. 33, "Would God I had died, 'JS Ul Q"iWa« "I'nnn, for thee, Absalom, my son, my son!" 2 Kings, ix, 5, ntt^n "i»"7« '*? in " 1 have an errand to thee, captain." See also Ps. xxv. 1, xlii. 1, Ixii. 13, Ixxxvi. 4, ci. 1 ; Jer. xv. 5 ; Hos. v. 8; Lam. ii. 13; by consulting which, in the original, it must be evident that a construction like n'U>S"i 'iJp is not unexampled in the Hebrew volume. When to this are added the objections above mentioned to the version '• in the beginning," we have as strong evidence for the translation here adopted as can generally be obtained in philological inquiries. NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 169 After all, should the correctness of the authorized version be maintained, I contend that it is alono applicable to the Son, who " in the beginning was with God, and was God;" (John, i. 1 ;) who " in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of his hands," (lleb. i. 10.) To say of the attribute wisdom, that God pos- sessed it in the beginning of his work of creation, is triHing; certainly is too futile an observation to fall from any sensible writer; how, then, can it be attributed to the wise monarch of Israel .' — Before his works of oW]— That is, before the works of creation; before there were any creatures ; consequently. Wis- dom must have been with Jehovah from all eternity.— See AVaterland s Sermons at Lady Moyer's, Serm. vii. — o/'oW]— »«D, literally, " ex tunc." The observation of Vitringa is excellent: "a time; A quo tempore? A nullo ' certo. ergo ab omni aeteniitate cogitabili."— (Disput. Theol. de Gcneratione Filii, p. 18.) It is scarcely possible, in the whole compass of the Hebrew language, to select terms more expressive of the eternity of Wisdom than those which Solomon employs from this verse to the thirtieth. 23. / was anointed from euer/as/zn^r]— Anointing was a ceremony used by the Jews in the inauguration of kings, priests, and prophets; and an unction is ascril)ed to our Lord in the Scriptures, because he was appointed and ordained to perform all these offices. He was anointed to the prophetical office, " because the Lord hath anointed him to preach good tidings unto the meek," (Isaiah, Ixi. 1.) He was anointed to the sacerdotal office, for he was " a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck," (Ps. ex. 4.) He was anointed to the regal office, for Jehovah declares, " I ha\e anointed (•riDDJ) my king upon my holy hill of Sion," (Ps. ii. G.) Now 170 NOTES, CHAP. VIIT. the second Psalm is most certainly prophetical of Christ, as may be collected from Acts, iv. 25; Heb. i. 5, v. 5, and from verses 8 and 12 being applicable to no other than the Messiah. In Ps. xlv. 8, a Psalm likewise prophetical of our Lord, (see Heb. i. 9, and Bishop Horsley's admirable Ser- mons on this Psalm,) it is said, that God hath anointed him " with the oil of gladness," not with the common anointing oil, but with the unction of the Spirit : and St. Peter teaches us that " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power," (Acts, x. 38; see also iv. 27.) Hence Jesus was anointed to be Prophet, Priest, and King, by the effusion of the Holy Spirit ; for Avhich reason he is called Christ, or Messiah, appellations which sigTiify anointed; and are applied to him by reason of his being anointed to the offices which he actually did and still does perform for the eternal welfare of the human race. It is obvious, tlien, that this part of Solomon's description is, in a very eminent man- ner, applicable to our Saviour, since the same expression, in other places, denotes his being set apart, and ordained to the offices he sustains. The grand scheme of redemption in Christ was laid before the world began ; (Ephes. i. 4 ; Col. i. 2(J; Tit. i. 2; 1 Pet. i. 20;) and Mhen the divine "Word is declared to be " anointed from everlasting," the meaning is, that he was preordained, in the immutable decrees of God, to take our nature upon him, and to become a Prophet to instruct us, a Priest to atone for us, and a King to govern and protect us, in order to eiFectuate the salvation of mankind. For a full discussion of this triple office of our blessed Lord, 1 refer to Pearson on the Creed, Art. 2, p. 150 et seq. ; Kid- der's Dcmonst. of the Messias, part i. p. 11 ; Scott's Christian Life, part ii. § 2 et seq.; Suicer, Thesaur. tom. ii. p. 1550. I am of opinion, however, that it has, moreover, a further reference, even to the Son's origination from the Father. As this anoijiting is said to liave been " from everlasting," it may. NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 171 at least in part, refer to the Father's communication -of the Di- vine Essence to the Son by what divines call generation, so that he is the eternal Father of an eternal Son. This, it is true, may appear to some objectionable, as making the verse a mere tautology with the two following verses ; and, therefore, they will be inclined to explain it snlehi in reference to the offices which he undertook for-the redemption of man, and to which he was ordained in the eternal and immutable pur- pose of God; for he was •' foreordained before the foundation of the world."— 1 Pet. i. 20. Some suppose " to anoint" is a figurative expression, de- noting to confer dignity and honour. *' Power, dominion, and greatness were given to me," as R. Levi Ben Gersom under- stands it ; and it has been thought, that our Saviour was called the Messiah, or Christ, on account of liis being con- stituted a prince, and invested with power and dominion by the Father. — (Suicer, ibid.; Schleusner, Lex.Xptorror.) But it' appears clearly to me, that his title of Christ is derived from the triple character he sustains of Prophet, Priest, and King, to which oflices he was anointed by the efl'usion of the Spirit. However the expression may be explained, how can it be said that divine wisdom was " anointed from everlasting?" Can it with any propriety be asserted of an attribute, that it was anointed, invested with power and authoritv, from ever- lasting? Is it not absurd to affirm of an attribute, that it was V anointed, or ordained to perform an office of any description whatsoever? In what way then, literal or fiixurative, can the expression be predicated of a (juality? But it is strictly applicable to the divine Logos, who was anointed, by the effusion of the Spirit, to perform the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King; who was invested with power and tlignity from everlasting; and who from all eternity derived his exist- ence and essence from the Father, for " in liim dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" (Col. ii. 9;) he " was in 172 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. the beginning with God, and was God," (John, i. 1,) " having neither beginning of days nor end of hfe," (Heb. vii. 3,) but is " the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," Heb. xiii. 8. — before the world was] — Literally, " from the antiquities of the earth," that is, before its existence, as the following verses prove : so the ancient versions. Schultens renders it, " longe longeque ante terram," and adds, in a note, " Ne satisfacit quidem, antequam esset terra. In Hebrseo est ab anterioritatibus terra: ; quod quivis cernit adferre sensum istum, quern in versione proposui." 24. / was born] — Among the different senses of which ^ln, the radix of 'pWin, is susceptible, there are only two that can possibly apply in this and the next verse, viz. to travail, to bring forth, partnrirc ; and to form, to produce, formare* Neither of these significations, however, can agree with divine wisdom, which never was bom, or formed, or pro- duced; but always subsisted as an attribute of the Deity: and, as the sense of forming, producing, or creating is wholly unsuitable to the Son, who is eternal and uncreated, I conclude it is applied to him in the sense of bringing forth, expressive of his divine and eternal generation. To this efl'ect it is rendered by all the ancient versions, except the Arabic, which is of little or no authority. The Targum, indeed, on vcr. 25, according to the Latin translation in the Polyglott, has " condita sum;" but the word n'Jin«, which is there used, should have been rendered " genita sum." — (See Buxtorf, Lex. Chald. Talm. et llab. nJl.) Dr. Bernard Hodgson renders it, " I was," and in ver. 25, " I existed ;" * In regard to this, Michaclis observes, (Suppl. No. 686,) " Fere omnia qtiap pro ea (sell, signifiratione formaruli) adfcrnntur exempla inanifeste purluricndi notioneni liabent ;" so Dindorf, Lex. p. 933. NOTES, CHAP. VIII. ' 173 and Roell, (Dissert. Altera distinct Subsistencies or Persons exist in oiie Godhead, is the unanimous voice of the Scriptures and of the ancient fathers. Of these Persons only One can be selt-existeut and unoricinated, the ca«is(> and original of all things, who is denominated God the Father; for a plurality of Persons so subsisting would necessarily infer a multiplicity of Gods. The Scriptures declare, that the Son is really and truly God, coessential and coexistent with the Father; but the Father alone is self-existent and unoriginated ; therefore, the Son must have derived his being and essence from the 174 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. Father. Now as the Divine Essence, embracing all perfec- tions, is indivisible, the communication of it must be total and plenary, so that the Son is "of one Substance with the Father :" and as the same perfections require us to acknow- ledge that God is immutable, that whal he now is he always was, it follows, that the essence which he had from all eternity, he from all eternity communicated; being always Father as always God ; and, therefore, the Son was " begotten from everlasting, the very and eternal God." But, if the Son were unoriginated, it would constitute him a separate, inde- pendent, self-existent God, the assertion of which leads directly to the error of Tritheism ; since to make three inde- pendent co-ordinate Divinities, is to make three separate and distinct Gods. Some subordination, then, there must be in the Trinity ; some root, centre, or fountain of Deity ; and accordingly we are taught in the sacred writings, that the Son is of the Father, God of God. Wisdom, by which appellation the second Person in the Holy Trinity is de- noted, is expressly said, in the passage under consideration, to be "bom;" the title "Son of God" is applicable to Christ only in his divine nature,* and the relation included in it certainly implies derivation ; indeed, the whole tenor of Scripture evinces his emanation from the Father, who is represented as the cause and source of all things. Of the nature and mode of the Son's origination the human mind can form no conception; the sacred Oracles, however, assure us of the fact; and, as language is the medium of • That the denomination " Son of God" imports the Divinity of Christ, is most ably demonstrated by the Hishop of Lincohi, (Klem. of Tiieol. vol. ii. art. 2,) by Wilson, (Illustration of the ^lethod of Ex- plaining the N.T. by the early Opinions of Jews and Christians con- cerning Christ, cap. 2 et seq.) by the Bishop of St. l)a\id's, (Brief Memorial, p. 78, and Sermon preached before the University of Oxford, 1790,) and by Ur. Jamicson (Vindication of the Deity of Christ, lib. iii.) NOTES, CHAP. Vlll. 175 thought, some word or words must be selected to express this origination, and none are better adapted for this puqwse, or more agreeabk^ to Scripture, than the terra " Generation;" a term not intended to intimate a physical generation ; but to express the unknown manner in which the Son's eternal per- sonal existence is in and of the Father. To object, that eter- nal generation is a self-contradiction, the generator being necessarily prior to the generated, is to apply to the Creator notions derived from the generative process in the creature : whereas, if the Son be a Person in an eternal and immutable Godhead, his personality must have been from eternity; for an origination of it in time is incompatible with the immuta- bihty of the Deity. Little dependence, it is granted, can be placed in metaphysical reasonings upon the nature and attri- butes of the Trinity; our ideas on this abstruse subject have no other firm basis to rest upon than the Scriptures; and as this important, though mysterious, doctrine of the Son's eter- nal filiation is revealed in tliem, we ought to receive it as an iiil'alliblc truth, without presumptuously attempting to explain a sul)ject so far ahovt' the grasp of finite understandings. The fact is certain, tiu- nianiier incomprehensible. " Mihi im- possibile est hujus gincrationis scire secretum. Mens deficit, vox silet, non mea tantum, sed et angelorum. Licet scire quod Filius natus sit: non licet discutere quomodo natus sit. lllud ncgare non licet, hoc qua-rere metus est." — Ambrose, Lib. de I'id. ad Grat. See some excellent observations in Ircna:us, Hyeres, lib. ii. c. 4»; Eusebius, Dem. Evangel, lib. V. c. 1, p. '2i:J et seq. de Eccles. Theol. lib. i. c. 1*2. See also Bishop llorsley's Tracts, p. 513, Dundee, 1812. From the generation of the Son, his Divinity maybe inferred by a just and inevitable consequence; for that which emanates from the great First Cause, after the mysterious manner deno- minated Generation, must be essentially like him. Generation is the vital production of another in the same natiu°e; the very 176 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. idea of it implies identity of nature; what is begotten of God, therefore, must be God; and as hypostatic Wisdom is said to be " bom," corresponding with other passages in the sacred writings where the Logos is emphatically called " the Son," " the First-begotten," and " the Only-begotten," Christ must be truly and essentially God. Most of the pri- mitive fathers advance this argument in proof of Christ's real Divinity; (TertuUian, Apolog. cap. 21. advers. Prax. c. viii. 26; Justin Martyr, Dial, cum Tryp. p. 355. D. 357. D. 358. C. D. ; Tatian, cap. viii. ed. Worth; Clemens Alex. Admonit. p. 68. D. ; Novatian, de Trin. cap. xi. ; Eusebius, de Eccl. Theol. lib. i. c. 10 ;) and as it seems to be absolutely invincible, it has the concurrence of many learned defenders of the faith in subsequent ages. — Pearson on the Creed, vol. i. p. 219 et seq.; Bull, Def. Fid. Nic. § 4, c. 2, § 2 and 4. Though in this Trinity of the Godhead we acknowledge " the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal," we must not derogate from that priority and preeminence which is due to the Father as the fountain and source of Divinity. " Now that privilege or priority consisteth not in this, that the essence or attributes of the one are greater than the essence or attributes of the other; but only in this, that the Father hath that essence of himself, the Son by communication from the Father." — (Pearson on the Creed, vol. i. p. 51).) And again, " we must not so far endeavour to involve our- selves in the darkness of this mystery, as to deny that glory which is clearly due unto the Father; whose preeminence, undeniably, consisteth in this, that he is God not of any other, but of himself, and that there is no other person who is God, but is God of him. It is no diminution to the Son, to say lie is from another, for his very name imports as much ; but it were a diminution to the Father to speak so of him : and there must be some preeminence where there is place for deroga- tion."— (Ibid, p. 60.) So Bishop Bull (Def. Fid. Nic. § 4; c. 2) NOTES, CHAP. Vlir. J 77 »ncl Dr. Waferlond; (Defence, Qu. 13, p. 207, Q„. jj) p. 25)0, Second Defence, passim;) and t!u.s, in ti.e ascrip- tion of preeminence to the Father as the source of Divinity we have the concurrence of three writers, who, for all that constitutes excellence in a theoloijian, discriminatincr judg- ment, sound reason, and profound erudition, have'r^arely been equalled, never excelled. Some Trinitarians, it is true, reject the Sonship of our Lord m his divine nature.-(Brjant'sPhiIoJud*us, p 2o3- Dr. Adam Clarke's note on Luke. i. 35; Faber's Horj^ Mosaic*, vol. ii. § 2, c. 1, Lond. laiR ; Roell, Diss Theol de Generatione Filii.) How the supporters of this hypothesis can avoid either the error of Tritheism, on the one hand or Sabelhanism, on the other, it is difficult to conceive 'to assert three co-ordinate Gods, and they must be so, if all are nnonginated, is to violate the Unity ; to reject a real personal d.stmet.on is to subvert the Trinity: it is therefore, in my apprehension, impossible to deny the Son's origination to ' deny that he is God o/God, - without confounding the Per- sons," or "dividing the Substance." But yet let not this de- claration of my own belief be construed into an impeachment of the faith of those who maintain a diftere.it opinion. What candid and reflecting believer in Jesus will refuse the right hand of fellowship to those who worship the Trinity in Unitj-, though they d.fter from him, in some particulars, on a point con- ^^ssedly so mysterious ? While the plain, fundamental truth, that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are strictly rf,-./„e and uncreated, and yet are not three Gods, but one God is received with full assent of the mind, and reverence of the heart, other considerations are of minor importance, and ought not to interrupt the harmony of the Christian church.* • Dr. Material.,! remarks, "that an explicit profession of eternal generation might have been dispensed «i,h ; provided only that tTe A A 178 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. Nevertheless, the denial of the eternal filiation of Christ is, in my judgment, an error, and an error replete with danger, for the refutation of which it should seem sufficient to allege the expressions of the divine Word, (verses 24, 25,) When there were no depths I was born ; When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled. Before the hills were, I was born. Those, of course, who give into this scheme will endeavour to explain this, either in reference to Christ's being born of a Virgin, which event was immutably predetermined from everlasting in the counsels of God; (see Roell, Diss. Theol. de Generat. Filii, §63, 64, Diss. Altera, § 94;) or to the ex- ternal display of our Saviour's powers in the work of creation, which some of the fathers suppose was the thing intended, in the Scripture language, under the figure of his generation. — (Bull, Def. Fid. Nic. sect. 2, c. viii. § 5, and sect. 3, c. ix. § 12; Waterland's Defence, Qu. 8, p. 134 ; Bishop Horsley's Tracts, p. 63, 261.) Those fathers who refer the Son's generation to his manifestation, or going forth to create the world, as Justin Martyr, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Tatian, eternal existence of the Loj^os, as a re(d, suhsistiup; Person, in and of the Fa sit inter duo distincta supposita." — (Geier.) It exactly corresponds with the FiVangelist's de- claration, that the Word was in the beginning irpoc tov Qeov, with God. — (John, i. 1.) But the Logos in St. John's Gospel NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 185 cannot be the same Person with whom he was; for, as Epiphanius observes, " if the Logos was with God, the Logos cannot be he with whom he was, nor can he with whom he was be the Logos;" (Heres. 65;) neither can the Wisdom here mentioned be the same Person by or near whom he was. — his daily dcliyht] — The root pit'pty is employed when mention is made of children, Isaiah, xi. 8, Ixvi. 1*2; Jer. xxxi. 20 ; but it does not appear to be peculiarly applicable to them, as some imagine, for it is used several times in the 119th Psalm for delighting in the law and ordinances of God. It is a term expressive of great fondness and aftection. — in his sight] — So 'Js"? is rendered by our translators ch. iv. 3, and it implies a distinction of the persons or things spoken of. A quality cannot be »JS^ in the sight of or before the substance in which it exists. Wisdom, as an attribute of God, cannot be 'js*? in his sight, but n in him; it is essential to him, and l)y no boldness of personification can be said to be " before him," or " in his sight;" for that would imply their being separate and distinct things, which they neither arc nor can be. An attribute, however per- sonified, must still be considered in reference to its possessor; and to use such terms as imply their separate existence would violate common sense. It therefore follows, that a Person is meant, and that Person, as appears from the first hemistich, is the Son of God. How suitable the expressions in the latter part of the verse are to the divine Ixigos will be apparent, when we call to mind the Sciipturcs in which Christ is represented as the " only-be- gotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father;" (John, i. 18 ;) as " the beloved Son;" (Matt. iii. 17, xvii.5; 2 Ppt. i. 17 ;) as " the beloved;" (John, iii. 3'j, x. 17; Ephes. i. 6;) as God's " dear Son," or the Son of his love, (Col. i. 13.) But they are wholly incompatible with the notion of an attribute. Can B B 186 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. Wisdom be pronounced the perpetual delight of God, in so emphatic a manner as it is in this passage, without inducing us to think of " the beloved Son?" When Wisdom is re- presented as rejoicing in his sight, does it not naturally lead us to think of a distinct Person ? Is it not inconsistent to affirm of an attribute of God, that it at all times rejoices in his sight ? When we add, likewise, that this Wisdom was the " fabricator" of the world, and learn, from other parts of Scripture, that all things were made by the Son, how can we hesitate to regard it as a description of the eternal Logos ? 31. Rejoicing in his whole creation] — When the Triune God had finished the work of creation, he " saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." — (Gen. i. 31.) Every thing answered the end for which it was made, and the almighty Architect viewed his work with pleasure and approbation. He rejoiced in the whole creation ; yet his peculiar delight is in mankind, the noblest of his creatures ; and when we reflect upon all that he has done for us, his protection, mercy, sanctification, and redemption, we must acknowledge, that although " he is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works," (Ps. cxlv. 9,) yet he has been particularly gracious to man, whom he created " in his image, after his likeness." — (Gen. i. 2G.) — his whole creation] — h3.r\ does not mean " the culti- vated parts of the earth," as some suppose, but the whole world, ver. 2G; Ps. xviii. 15, 1. 12, Ixxxix. 11, xciii. 1; Isaiah, xxxiv. 1 ; Jer. x. 12, li. 15 ; though in other passages it has a more restricted sense, as Isaiah, xiii. 11, xiv, 17, xxiv. 4; Ps. xxiv. 1. It is joined with vn« Ps. xc. 2, and exactly as in the present instance Job, xxxvii. 12, rendered by Dathe ajid RosenrauUer " per totum terrarum orbem;" and so it should be translated here, " the whole world," or " ihe whole creation." NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 187 The whole world is said to be his, (i. e. God the Father's,) on account of the privilege which the Father hath by reason of his divine Paternity. See the note on verse 24. 32. And noxc, O children, Sfc] — It is not certain whether this and the following verses are spoken by hypostatical Wisdom ; or whether the royal sage descends from the con- templation of the eternal Logos, and again introduces ab- stract wisdom personified. The terms employed are suitable to both ; but it seems more probable, that, as the magnificent delineation of the Son was preceded by a personification of wisdom, as it were the harbinger of the mighty Being that was to follow; so, after the disappearance of that august Personage, it is not unlikely that abstract wisdom should be again introduced. As this, however, is a point of minor importance, and as the foregoing interpretation of verses 12 — 31 is nowise affected by the decision, it may be safely left to the opinion of each individual reader. 33. And reject it not] — This line seems defective, as Di- mock observes ; or rather, perhaps, the verse constitutes only one fine, thrown in, as it were parenthetically, between verses 32 and 34. 34. Watching daily at my gates] — No one can be at a loss about the meaning, but it is not easy to say whence the imagery is taken; whether from the practice of lovers, who watch at the doors of their mistresses; (Job, xxxi. 9;) or of ministers at the palaces of sovereigns; or of pupils waiting at and earnestly frequenting the schools of tlie ir preceptors ; or of clients who watch at the doors of their advocates and patrons, if such habits of lite obtained at the age of Solomon : or wiiether it is not an allusion either to the door of the taber- nacle, where the people of Israel assembled for worship ; or to the gates of the temple, where the priests and Levites 188 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. watched, Exod. xxix. 42 ; Ps. c. 4, cxxii. 2. — (See Gill's Bible.) Some translate iptrr"? and "inti/V " ad invigilandunni," " ad observandum," as Schultens ; or " ut vigilet," as Le Clerc, Michaelis, Not. Uber. ; but better by the LXX, aypvirvioj', Ttpu)v. 36. But he that wanders from me] — Nton, in its primary sense, is aberrare a scopo vel via, as in Arabic, conj. 4. — (See Schultens on Job, v. 24, and Opera Minora, p. 14.) Hence »«ton means my wanderer, i. e. he who wanders from me. Dr. Hodgson says, " when this word is used for sinning against it is followed by a preposition;" but it means sinning against or injuring with an accusative with- out a preposition ch. xx. 2, The Polyglott versions also render it like our authorized version, " he that sinneth against me;" but they may have understood it elliplically for 'Vr «ton, as »op Ps. xviii. 40, for '"^ir CD'op. The meaning of these versions appears to be. That he who sins against wisdom, by rejecting her counsel, and deserting her paths, injures bis soul; a^iKH \lvxv^ avTov, Aquila, Symmachus. — love death] — That is, act in the same way as if they loved death; since by vtandering from wisdom they subject themselves to misery and death. " Hoc est, ita se gerit, quasi mortem amaret et vitae praeferret; cum a legum neglectu, nihil nisi malum nascatur, et ssepe etiam misera, ac immatura mors." — Le Clerc. It may not be improper, at the end of this noble chapter, to recapitulate our conclusions. From some characters attri- buted to the Wisdom described verses 12 — 31, and it is only that portion of the chapter to which these observations relate, it was inferred, that it has reference to tlie Divine Nature ; and if so, it must be either an attribute, or one of the Persons in the ever-blessed Trinity. In the course of a NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 189 minute examination, several circumstances were pointed out, which can by no means belong to an attribute. An attribute cannot be the beginning, origin, or efficient cause of God's operation in the work of creative power; it cannot be bom; it cannot be by or near the Deity; it cannot rejoice in his sight : it cannot be called the fabricator or framer of the world ; by all which characters Prima'val Wisdom is de- signated. On the other hand, after a full investigation, not one single expression has been found incompatible with the character and attributes of the divine Logos; and this would be a most astonisliing circumstance, if an attribute had been the subject of the representation. But several ascriptions of personal acts have been discovered, which cannot be accounted for by the nature of figurative langtiage. Thus Wisdom is said to hate, (ver. 13,) to love, (ver. 17,) to have power, (ver. 14,) to appoint kings and princes, (ver. lo, 16,) and we know that " the powers that be are ordained of God." — (Rom. xiii. 1.) Should it still be argued, that some of these may be accounted for on the grounds of Oriental prosopopana ; yet when it is added, that Wisdom was bg or near the Deity, and rejoices in his sight, it must be acknowledged, that these imply a personality which can only belong to a real, subsist- ing Being. Some particulars, also, have been discovered, which can only be affirmed of the second Person in the Trinity. As, for instance, ^Visdom is declared to have been produced by an eternal generation ; (ver. 22, 24, 2.j ;) to have been anointed, set apart and ordained to certain offices, and invested with power and dignity from everlasting ; (ver. 23;) and to have been the efficient cause or creator of the world, (ver. 22, 30.) Wlien we refiect, likewise, that our blessed Lord is charac- terized by similar qualities, and in similar terms, in other places of the holy Scriptures, we are surely justified in the 190 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. conclusion, that such a description was designed by the Spirit to cam- our thoughts beyond the contemplation of abstract wisdom, even to the coeternal and cousubstantial Word. Our confidence in this conclusion will be strengrthened, should it appear to be sanctioned by the authorit\ of Jewish and Christian antiquity. As the subject is important, and the inquini' may be amusing, perhaps useful, I shall endeavour to collect the prevailing sentiments of the primitive ages in re- gard to the passage under consideration. The sacred \Tritings of the New Testament oflfer them- selves, in the first place, to our examinarion. since, if the apostles and evangelists have applied the eighth chapter of Proverbs to our blessed Lord, either by express reference or evident allusion, its application to him will be confirmed by an authorit^• altogether decisive. Xo express reference, it must be acknowledged, can be found ; but it seems to be alluded to in a way which tacitly implies such an apphcation. Our Saviour styles himself the " Wisdom of God" Luke, xi. 49, as is evident by comparing the parallel passage in Matt, xxiii. 34. — (See W^olfii Cur« Philol. in loc.) St. Paul likewise, in 1 Cor. i. 24, calls him the " Wisdom of God." It scarcely admits of doubt, that the apostles, from their familiar acquaintance with, and great veneration for the Hebrew Scriptures, would adopt those ritles of Christ by which he is there characterized. Is it not probable, then, in staling him " AV'isdom" they alluded to Proverbs, where he is distin- guished by that appellation? If this be gTanted, they cer- tainly understood Solomon's picture of Wisdom as relating to the Son of God. Some, moreover, have thought, that the title of our Lord in the beginning of St. John's Gospel is an allu- sion to this chapter of Proverbs, that which in the former is called o Xoyoc being in the latter r] troipia. — (Campbell's Transl. of the Gospels, note in loc.) M'hile I readily accede to Dr. Campbell's observation, that " there is such a coincidence NOTES, CHAP. Vlir. |9l in the thinffs attributed to each, as evidently shows that both were intended to indicate the same divine Personage;" 1 must own, the supposition that the term Logos was suggested by that of Wisdom in the Proverbs rests upon a very slender basis. Upon the whole, these remarks amount to a pre- sumption, that tJie interpretation here adopted is sanctioned by the authority of the apostles; but it would be injudicious to lay too much stress upon them, as Christ may possibly be called Wisdom metonyniically, without any allusion to tlie Old Testament. The next appeal must be to the ancient fathers, whose authority it has become too much the fashion to despise. Infallibility is not in man ; they cannot be held up as always close in argument, correct in judgment, or even unexception- able in morality ; but they who flourished in the first ages, when the stream of traditionary truth was still flowing pure and undefiled, must have known what was the doctrine of the apostles; and, as they appear to have been actuated by a sacred attachment to their religion, and a conscientious regard to truth and virtue, they ought to be considered as faithful interpreters of the general belief; a belief which could scarcely have been coiTupted so near its source.* This, then, is the praise of the ancient fathers ; they are unexceptionable witnesses of the primitive faith, and this faith was exempt from material eiTor and mistake. Yet the • " Omncs enim confitcntnr apostolos fidissimos fnisse viros; ac proinde niillos sihi in siiccessorcs ordinarc voliiissc, nisi qnornni tides et intemitas ipsis probatissinia esse!. Prinii itaque apostoloruni snc- cessorcs Ecclesiam, rnjns rcsjcndic cura ipsis rommissa est, illihatam hand dubie ct incorrnptani ooiiscrvarunt, atquceodeni etiam modo suis ipsonun successoribns tiadidcrunt, hique aliis, et sic deinceps, ut nihil dubii esse possit, qiiin per duo saltern vel tiia ab apostolis secula, Ecctesia in primitive suo vigorc, atque, ut ita loquar, >irginitate floiuerit, eodem nimirum statu, quo ab ipsis apostolis relicta luit."— Bevcridije, Codex Canon. Proani. § 7. 192 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. elder Rosenmuller asserts, that their authority in explaining and confirming the doctrines of religion is nothing.* If this be true, how shall we account for the perversion, or at least misconception, of the doctrines of the Gospel so near to the apostolic era ? How happens it that the most learned of the Christian community, in tlie first ages, were in darkness and error on the most essential matters? Did the apostles and disciples of our blessed Lord both preach and write in vain ? If this cannot be believed, the truth could not be lost, or greatly corrupted, during the first centuries; and the works of the fathers are to be considered as the evidences of that primitive creed, which must have been sound in all fun- damental articles. Hence it follows, that it is an argument of considerable weight in favour of any doctrine which is proved to have constituted a part of tliis primitive creed ; and that it forms a strong ground for believing, that no tenet can be of essential importance which the ancient churches never admitted, or universally rejected. A distinction, however, is to be made between the doc- trines which the fathers deliver as universally adhered to by the orthodox, and the arguments they advance in their sup- port. The tenets they maintain may be true, while they may support them by futile reasoning and erroneous expositions of Scripture. And this is not unfrequently the case; they de- liver the articles of the Christian faith with general accuracy ; but, in their zeal to promulgate them, they sometimes reason incautiously and inconclusively, and expound the sacred writings in such a way as will not stand the test of more mature criticism. Rosenmuller has endeavoured to prove, and not unsuccessfully, in his Historia Interpretationis, that * " Aiictoritatem eoruin in rcligionis dootrina expliciiiula et con- tiimanda esse nullain."— D. I. Geoigii Rosenmulleri Historia Interpre- tationis Lib. Sac. i vol. 12mo. Hiidburg, 1795, 1814, par. 2, p. 255. NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 193) the fathers often adopted an allegorical, arbitrary, and pre- posterous mode of interpretation. Tliis is chiefly observable in their comments upon the Old Testament, as few of them, with the exception of Origen and Jerom, understood anything of the Oriental languages. Candour rc(iuires us to make these abatements; at the same time, if it should be found that a particular passage has been interpreted in a particular manner by the fathers who flourished nearest to the apostolic era, as well as by those in subsequent ages, it would be unreasonable not to pay great deference to such an authority ; a deference eminently due to the bright ornaments of the brightest period of Christianity.* That the second Person in the blessed Trinity was meant by Wisdom in the eighth chapter of Proverbs, according to the judgment of the ancient Christian church, appeal may be made to the following writings of tlie fathers. Justin Martjr, Dial, cum Tryp. p.284 and 359. Colon. 1G8G. Clemens Alexandrinus, Admonit. ad Gent. p. 52. Compare Pvvdagog. lib. i. cap. 10, p. 1*28. Paris, 1G29. TertuUian, Opera, p. 230 and 503, and other places, ed. Rigalt. Paris, 1064. Origen, Comm. in John, and de Princip. 1. i. c. 2, ed. Delarue. Athenagoras, Legat. p. 10. Colon. 108G. Theophilus Antioch, ad Autolyc. lib. iii. p. 88. Colon. 1G8G. Cyprian, advers. Juda^os, lib. ii. cap. 1, p. 31, ed. Fell. Oxon. 1G82. Lactantius, Ub. iv. cap. 6, p. 325, ed. Spark. Oxon. 1G84. Dyonysius Romanus,iu Kouth's Ri>linuia'Sacnv, vol. iii. p. 181. Dyonysius Alexand. lie!. Sac. vol. iii. p. 195. • " Rcligio inilii est, crit, p. 172; hb, iii, cap. 8, p, 212, &c.:) hence, in his opinion, there must have been an intimate union between them, and what is attributed to the one, may, in a * Doubts Imve been raised wlictber this Epistle is to bo attributed to tbc council of Antiocb, or ouly to tlie bishops whose names are pre- fixed ; (see Routh's note, ibid. p. 11)3 ;) but the title, " An Epistle sent to Paul of Samosata by the orthodox IJishops before he was deposed," implies the whole council, as the learned Routh observes. See also \ alcsins's note to Eusei)ii Hist. Eccles. I. vii, c. 30, p. 157 ; and Lard- ner's Credibility, vol. iii. p. 87, ed. 8vo. NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 195 certain sense, bo attributed to the other;* consequently, the eighth chapter, though referable to the Spirit, is equally ap- plicable to the Son. This, at least, is certain, that he under- stood the Wisdom described in it to be aoipia vc(TTwtTa, a subsisting, personal Wisdom, and not an attribute. Besides, the sense ot" the primitive church is not to be collected from one or two particular fathers, but from the general testimony of all in conjunction ; (Beveridge, Codex Can. Procem. § o ;) and from the authorities above cited, and others which might be produced, it is beyond dispute, that, in the first ages after Christ, this chapter was generally expounded of the Son. This attestation of the early Christian church, in favour of the interpretation adopted in the notes to this chapter, must be regarded, by the impartial inquirer, as strong corroborative evidence. The authority of the ancient fathers is contemned by those whose ignorance, or indolence, prevents the perusal of their voluminous works; and, before Rosenmuller, they have been virulently attacked by Daille, Barbeyrac, and others; yet there have not been wanting writers of great judgment and profound erudition who have stood up iii their defence ; as. Cave, Reeves, Beveridge, Zomius, Water- land, who, in the seventh chapter of his Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity, has taken an enlightened view of the (piestion. Notwithstanding the abuse cast upon these ancient and venerable authors, all s(>cts and parties tiiuuiph when they can sanction their peculiar notions by such an authority. What strenuous, though inefVeetual. etVoils did Dr. Priestley make to enlist the primitive Christians on his • Thus, thou<;h lie so tVo(|iieiitly nfTiriiis that God created all thini;s by the Son, he sometimes speaks of the Spiiif, " per qnem facta sunt omnia."— (Lib. iv. c. 51, p. 354.) He also attributes the Scriptures to the dictation of the Father and of the Son as well as of the Spirit. Compare lib. ii. c. 47, p. 173 ; lib. iv. c. 23, p. SOU, and cap. 24, p. 31U. 196 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. side? And how might Belsham and his Unitarian coad- jutors exult, could they prove that their expositions, or rather perversions, of Scripture had been generally received by the primitive doctors of the church ? But such a triumph aw^aits not the abettors of Unitarian principles ; the early fathers vpere believers in the Trinity ; and, in vindicating the Divinity of the Son, they, with few,, if any, exceptions, maintain, that he is designated by the title "Wisdom" in the eighth chapter of Proverbs. The supposition, then, is surely not unreasona- ble, that so unanimous and universal a concurrence in this interpretation was not effected without the sanction of apos- tolical authority. Let us now turn our attention to the opinion of the ancient Jews. We cannot expect to discover in their writings the same clear and definite ideas respecting a Trinity in Unity as prevail among those who have enjoyed the light of Chris- tianity ; their notions are much more dark and confused ; yet they were persuaded of a plurality in the Divine Essence; and Dr. Allix (Judgment of the Ancient Jewish Church) has very satisfactorily proved, that the ancient Jewish church had not only a notion of a plurality in the Divine Nature, but that this plurality was a Trinity. To discuss this subject, however, is foreign from my present pui^pose. The simple question to be examined is, whether the ancient Jews actually ajrplied this delineation of Wisdom to one of the Persons of the Godhead. If this question be decided in the aflSrmative, it will, indeed, afford a strong confirmation of their belief of a plurality in the Divine Nature; but care is to be taken not to diverge from the point at issue, namely, whether the Jewish doctors understood the eighth chapter of a diviue hypostatic Being. I shall produce some convincing evidence to show, that the ancient Jews understood the AVisdom described in Proverbs in a personal sense, and considered it as relating NOTES, CHAP. VIII. 197 to the eternal Word, the second Person in the Divine Essence.* The apocryphal books arc, with j^eat reason, rejected by Protestants in deciding controversies of faith ; but, though they cannot be regarded as divinely inspired writings, nor, consequently, adduced in proof of any docirine, (Church Ar- ticle 6,) yet they serve to show the prevailing sentiments of the Jews at the time in which they were written, and, in some instances, how they interpreted the canonical Scriptures, The apocny'phal book entitled " The Wisdom of Solomon," though much doubt exists respecting its author and the period of its composition, (see Gray's Key,) bears a striking tes- timony to the personality and divinity of Primaeval Wisdom. " For Wisdom," says the author, " which is the worker of all things, taught me ; for in her is an imderstanding spirit, holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undetiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good, quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, kind to man, stedfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits. For Wisdom is more moving than any motion ; she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pure- ness. For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty ; there- fore can no defiled thing fall into her. For she is the bright- ness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the • It will not follow from this, that the Jews expected their Messiah to be a divine Hcing, as is maintained by Allix, Pearson, Pococke, Kidder, \\ liitakcr, \c. They may only have looked for a human Messiah, arcoiding to tiie opinion of Basnage and Wilson; or the more learned and sagacious of the Hebrew doctors may have believed, that their Messiah would be both Goil and man, \^hile the more ignorant expected him to be a mere man. — Bull, Judicium Ecclesix Cathoiicae, cap. 1, ^ 13. 19S NOTES, CHAP. VIII, power of God, and the image of his goodness." — (Ch. v\i. 22 — 26. Compare Heb. i. 3.) Again, " For she is privy to th,e mysteries of the knowledge of God, and a lover of his works. If riches be a possession to be desired in this life ; what is richer than wisdom, that worketh all things ? And if pru- dence work ; who of all that are is a more cunning workman than she ?" — (Ch. viii. 4 — 6.) Again, " Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne : and reject me not from among thy chiljdren. — (Ch. ix. 4. Compare Proverbs, viii. 30.) Again, " And wisdom was with thee : which knoweth thy works, and was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in thy sight, and right in thy command- ments." — (Ch. ix. 9. Compare Proverbs, viii. 27 — 30.) The identity of wisdom described in these extracts with Primaeval Wisdom in Proverbs is very apparent; and proves that the author of this apocryphal book understood the Wisdom of the Paroemiast in a personal sense, and as indicative of a divine Person. Should any doubt remain, it will be completely removed by reading chapter x. et seq. in which Wisdom is said to perform several actions, which, in the Old Testament, are expressly attributed to Jehovah. This is so evident, that it becomes unnecessary to adduce any instances. Besides, the Being who is called " Wisdom" in the first ten chapters, is afterwards denominated the " Word," and, subsequently, the " Lord" or " God;" which demonstrates that the author of the book used the term Wisdom as an appellation of the Logos. The Son of Sirach certainly refers to Prov. viii. 22, when he makes Wisdom observe, " He created me from the be- ginning, before the world, and I shall never fail." — (Ecclus. xxiv. 9.) In the Greek it is sKTitre ^ic, the very expression used in the LXX version of Prov. viii. 22, and,conse(iuently, to be understood in the same way, namely, for production in any manner. — (See the note to Prov. viii. 22.) Wisdom like- NOTES, CHAP. VIIL 199 "wise is said to be made or created, Ecclus. i. 4, xxiv. 8, and some other places, not only in the Greek, but in the Vulgate and Syria e ; but, as this cannot be said of an attribute, we must understand it of the production of Wisdom, or the Word, by generation. 1 am aware that Dr. Randolph, (Vind. of the Doct. of the Trinity, p. 42,) Grotius, and other commen- tators intequet this passage of the quality or attribute of wisdom, displayed by the Almighty in the creation of the world and delivery of the Law ; but the magniticent terms throughout the 24th chapter evince, that hypostatic Wisdom is there delineated, and, consetiuently, that the Son of Sirach considered the AVisdom in Proverbs to be the eternal Word. It must be acknowledged, that in our authorized version it is said, " I therefore, being eternal, am given to all my children which are named of him," (ver. 18,) which, it may be thought, properly refers to abstract wisdom. In tlie New Testament, however, the Son of God is said to be given. — (John, iii. 1(> ; Acts, iv. 12; Gal. i. 4, ii. 20; Ephes. v. 2; iTim. ii. 6; Tit. ii. 14.) But, not to rest the answer upon this alone, it may be remarked, that the phrase objected to is not in the Vulgate, nor Syriac, nor LXX, cither in the Polyglott, Grabe's, or Field"s edition ; and in the Complutensian, which our translators probably followed, it is iuwfii, I give, not cicofuii, I am ijiven : the received translation is, therefore, most likely erroneous. See the various readings in the (Jth vol. of the London Polyglott, and the notes of Flam. Nobilius. Other sources remain tc be consulted, which, upon inves- tigation, yield the same result. Justin Martyr, in arguing with the Jew Trypho, it is reasonable to suppose, cited the canonical books of the Old Testament according to the sense in which thry were generally understood by the ancient Jewish church. Now to prove that apj^tji' npo iratrwy -wi- KTitr^uTiuv o Otoe ytytyi'i]t:e Cvi'Ufiiy riva ti eavrvv XoyiKtjy, tjng Kat Co^a Kvpiov VTTO Tov Tt'Ev^aToc Tov uyiov KuXetrai, vore ct Yior, 200 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. xor£ ct ^o'ations. This conclusion will be confirmed, when it is remarked, that he ascribes the same attributes and characters to both. Thus he styles the Logos the Image of (iod, the Creator of the world, liltenial, the Son of God, and the First-begotten of (iod, (sie the proper references in Bryant's Sentiments of Philo Judwus, § iv. vii. xiv. i. iii.) and by these titles and attributes, as we have seen, he characterizes >Visdoni. Should any doul)t of theii identity remain, it will in- completely removed by hii express K K 206 NOTES, CHAP. VIII. declaration, that the Wisdom of God is the same as the Logos of God, EK Tijc Tov Qeov (Tofiag' r) ce tariv o Qeov \oyog. — Lex. Allegor. p. 39, G. Having therefore proved, that Philo both alludes to and cites the eighth chapter of Proverbs, and that he understood it as a portrait of that divine Being whom he elsewhere de- nominates the Logos, nothing remains to complete the argu- ment, except to prove the personality and divinity of the Logos of Philo. This is established by a weight of evidence, as appears to me, absolutely irresistible ; but as the discus- sion of this question, though one of great interest, is not necessary to my present purpose, I refer the reader, desirous of further satisfaction, to Kidder's Demonstration of the Messias, par. 3, cap. 5. et seq. ; AUix's Judgment of the Ancient Jewish Church ; Whitaker's Origin of Arianism ; Bryant's Sentiments of Philo Judajus ; Jamieson's Vindica- tion of the Deity of Christ, lib. i, Jewish testimony of a subsequent period, were it necessary, might easily be produced in contirmation of our position ; but it may be thought sufficient to quote the sentiments of an author, than whom few have been better acquainted with Rabbinical writings. " Tliey maintain," says Allix, " the wisdom spoken of by Solomon to be the cause by which all particular beings have been formed, and they call it the second number, which proceeds from the Hrst, as from his spring, and brings from it the influx of all blessings. This is the doctrine of R. Nechouniah ben Cana, and of the au- thor of Rabboth, which 72. Menachem quotes at large, ibid, j'ol. 1, col. 1." — (Judgment, &c. cap. 11.) According to the same learned writer, " They understand the Wisdom which rules the world, as it is said, Prov. viii. to be the same which is spoken of Prov. iii. 19, and to be the Son of the living God, the same who spoke by Ezek. xxii. 2. See R. Menach. NOTES, CHAP, IX. 307 m Pent.fol. 1, col. 2, from Bereshit Rubba, and from Zohar, ibid. fol. 2, col. 1, andfol. 35, col. 1, aiulfol. 44, co/. 1." — Judgment, &c. cap. 17. Since, then, we are warranted, by a critical examination of this chapter, in referring it to the second Person in the ever- blessed Trinity; and since both the ancient Jewish and Christian churches concur in this interpretation, we may appeal to it, without hesitation, in proof of the Divinity and eternal Filiation of the Son; — to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. CHAPTER IX. 1. Wisdom hath built her house] — In the preceding chapter Solomon introduced the eternal and hypostatic Wisdom ad- dressing mankind, and portraying his attributes and opera- tions. He now enters again upon a description of the same Wisdom, (from verse 1 to verse 12,) and delineates his future acts in strong and lively, though not unambiguous, imagery. Tn its application to the consubstantial Logos, it may be con- sidered as a prophecy, in which the royal sage, with the eye of prophetic vision, sees the future glory of the Son in the establishment of his church, in the appointment of apostles and ministers, and in the general invitation to accept the offers of evangelic light and life. The description, indeed, runs in the past time; but it is well known, that the Hebrew prophets commonly used the preterite in uttering their pre- dictions, to denote the certainty of the event. — (Gerard's Institutes, No. 089; Macknight, Prelim. Essay, p. 100; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 304.) The correctness of this interpre- tation will appear by a critical analysis of each separate verse. — Wisdom'] — niODn, plural, by way of dignity and emi- nence, as in ch. i. 20. See the note there. 208 NOTES, CHAP. IX. — her housc'\ — The Christian church is denominated a house ipiKoq) 1 Tim. iii. 15; lleb. iii. C, x. 21; 1 Pet. ii. 5, iv. 17. Compare Ps. xxxvi. 9; Isaiah, Ivi. 7. The apostle tells us, that " this man (Jesus Christ) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man ; but he that built all things is God." — (Heb. iii. 3.) St. Paul says, that " Christians are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone ; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for the habitation of God through the Spirit." — (Eph. ii. 20.) These passages are an excellent comment upon the prophetic words of Solomon, " ^^^isdom hath built her house;" i. e. the divine Logos, personated under the title Wisdom, as appears plain from ch. viii. will erect a glorious church when the time of his first advent approacheth. — her seven jnllars] — By pillars are meant the apostles and ministers of Christ. Thus Peter, James, and John are called pillars Gal. ii. 0. Compare Kev. iii. 12. In the epistle from the church of Yienne and Lyons to the churches in Asia, their friends and supporters are called pillars ; (Routh's Reliquiae Sacrae, vol. i. p. 268, also p. 273;) and the ancient fathers frequently designate the apostles and ministers of Christ by the same temi. — (Clemens Rom. Ep. § 5, and the note in ed. Coteler; Suicer in voc. (ttvXoq.) Jeremiah is styled a pillar Jer. i. 18; and a wife is so called Ecclesiasticus, xxxvi. 24. The same metaphorical manner of speaking occurs among profane authors, of which Suicer has produced some examples. — screw] — It is absurd to refine, like Grotius, upon the number seven, and to deduce recondite meanings from it, as NOTES, CHAP. IX. !209 it is usual with the sacred writers to employ a definite number for an indefinite. This expression denotes the firmness and stabiUty of the Christian church. — Michaihs, Not. Uber. 2. She hath killed] — From nato to slay, is derived naa tabbhach, a cnok, and nito tebhach, an animal fit to be kdled and cooked, answering; to rriTiaTci, Matt. xxii. 4. — Compare Gen. xhii. 16; 1 Sam. xxv, 11. — hath mingled her wine] — The learned Gataker (Adver- saria, c. 5) contends, that this expression, " mingled her wine," means " paravit et crateribus infudit," as the words jiinyetv oii'oy are used by Homer; and iUustrates his opinion, as usual, with a profusion of learnin<2;. Mr. Harmer thinks that the mingling of wine, so often mentioned in the Old Testa- ment, " means the opening the jars of old, and, consequently, strong wine ; which opening makes the wine somewhat turbid, by mixing the lees with it; they, it seems, having no way of drawing it ofi" fine from those earthen vessels in which it is kept, M'hich we may learn from D'Arvieux's complaint re- lating to the wine near mount Carmel; and so this mingled irine stands in opposition to netv tcine, which is, to the eye, of an uniform colour." — (Observations, vol. ii. p. 143.) But Bishop Lowth, with more propriety, takes the " mixed wine" of the Hebrews for " wine made stronger and more inebriating, by the addition of higher and more powert'ul ingredients; such as honey, spices, &c." — (Note on Isaiah, i. 22.) 1 need quote no more from a work in the hands of every scholar; but the whole note is well worth perusal. See also the anonymous note in Merrick's Annotations on Ps. Ixxv. i>. 3. She hath sent, At.] — This and the preceding verses depicture the first promulgation of Christianity, when the glad tidings of salvation were proclaimed throughout the world, 210' NOTES, CHAP. IX. both to the Jews and the Greeks. The general invitation to the Gospel covenant is set forth in Isaiah (eh. Iv. 1) as a banquet to be obtained " without money, and without price ;" and the same evahgehcal prophet declares, that the Lord of Hosts will make on mount Zion " unto all people a feast of fat things ; a feast of wines on the lees," (ch. xxv. 6,) which can be explained only of the first establishment of Christianity, when all mankind were invited to the heavenly feast. Our blessed Lord compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who made a nuptial feast for his son ; and when they that were bidden would not come, he sent his servants into the high- ways, and " they gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests." — (Matt. xxii. 1, et seq. ; Luke, xiv. 16.) Christ's spiritual kingdom is represented in other places under images borrowed from a feast. Matt, viii. 1 1 ; Luke, xxii. 29 ; Rev. xix. 9. The commentators observe, that there is a peculiar pro- priety in describing wisdom as surrounded by female attend- ants, because it was, probably, usual in these early times to invite people to a feast by means of a company of females. " Haselquist observed a custom in Egj'pt, which he imagines to be very ancient. He saw a number of women, who went about inviting people to a banquet. They were about ten or twelve in number, covered with black veils, as is usual in that countiy. They were preceded by four eunuchs; after them, and on the side, were Moors with their usual walking- staves. As they were walking, they all joined in making a noise, which, he was told, signified their joy, but which he could not find resembled a pleasing song. This passage of Solomon seems to allude to this practice ; for Misdom is said to have sent forth her maidens, and to cry vpon the high places of the city." — Burder's Oriental Customs. See Har- mer, vol. ii. p. 17. NOTES, CHAP. IX. 211 — upon the highest places] — That is, the most conspicuous part of the city ; but it may, perhaps, allude, as Calmet thinks, to the tops of houses and parapets, from which it was cus- tomary to proclaim aloud what they desired to be publicly known. — (See Matt. x. 27.) 'SJ means a summit or high place, as seems clear from the context, and the parallel place ch. viii. 2. As it is inrui, Xey. it may be illustrated from the Arabic, and Schultens appeals to the Arabic JA»-, to which he attributes th(? sense of cmwexus fuit, though it is not al- lowed either by Golius or Castell. Parkhurst derives it from f]ii to hit or strike. Perhaps both '3J, and F|ji a body, may he refeiTcd to p|3:i radix inusit. which, in Chaldee and Rabbinical, means clansit, cinxit ; hence f\i, in Syriac and Chaldee, means a wing. — See Simonis, Lex. ed. Eichhom, in i^sj. 7. the wicked his faults] — Tlie words " getteth disgrace** must be supplied from the first line ; namely, he who reproves a scorner, and he who points out to a wicked man his (the wicked man's) faults, getteth nothing but ridicule and disgrace. So Cocceius and Parkhurst. 8. Reprove not, ^-c] — By a scorner is meant an obstinate, wicked person, who scorns admonition and laughs at whole- some counsel. — (Ch. i. 4.) AV ith such a one advice and re- proof are alike ineffectual; and he who attempts to admonish him gets nothing but ridicule and contempt. " Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words;" (ch. xxiii. 9 ;) and our Saviour says, " Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine;" (Matt. vii. 0;) where, by " that which is holy," we are to understand the doctrines of the Gospel, and by '* dogs and swine," the wicked who pertinaciously continue in their sins and despise the truth. — (See Grotius, AA'hitby, and 212 NOTES, CHAP. IX. Vorstius, de Adagiis, cap. iv. p. 779.) " Nulli nisi audituro dicendum est," says Seneca. — (Ep. 29.) But these expres- sions are not to be regarded as a dissuasive against reproof from those whose character and office entitle them to give it. There are frequent injunctions in Scripture to use every endeavour, by example, by exhortation, by rebuke, to reform the wicked and impenitent; (1 Thess. v. 14; 2 Thess. iii. 14, 15; 1 Tim. v. 20 ; 2 Tim. iv. 2;) and in Proverbs Solomon himself gives great praise to manly and well-timed rebuke. — (Ch. X. 17, xii. 1, xiii. 18, xv. 5, 31, 32, xxv. 12, xxvii. 5, xxviii. 23.) The precept, therefore, in this verse, is to be understood as a caution against indiscriminate reproof; for unless it be given prudently and discreetly, it will be useless, and sometimes injurious. — a tvise wjow] — ^The h in cziDn'? supplies the place of n«, indicative of the accusative. — (Noldius, 44; Altingii Fund. Punct. p. 432.) Lomed is used in like manner in Syriac. — Schaaf, Lex. Syriac. 9. Give reproof, i^r.] — Notwithstanding the observations of Glass (Phil. Sac. p. 221) and others, I am far from being convinced that fnJ ever means to teach. The expression seems elliptical, and may be supphed from the preceding verses ; i. e. give the reproof before mentioned to a man who desires wisdom, and he will become wise. " A wise man," " a righteous man," are to be understood of men compara- tively so. Similar remarks occur ch. xix. 25, xxi. 11, and they may be illustrated by Matt. xiii. 12 ; xxv. 29. 10. The fear of Jehovah] — ^This is not parallel with ch. i. 7, as the expressions in the original are difterent. The fear of the Lord, in one point of view, is the beginning or com- mencement of wisdom, because it is the foundation upon which true wisdom is built ; and, in another point of view, NOTES, CHAP. IX. 213 it is the principal part of it, because it is essential to wisdom, which cannot exist without it, and because it is the hip,hest wisdom to reverence and obey the Ahnighty. — See Gussetii •Lex. '?'7n, O. P. — of the Holy One] — Dimock asks, "May the text be understood of the Trinity?" a hint worth all his and Ilou- bigant's guesses put together. The nature of the aphorism, and the parallelism in wiiich it corresponds with Jehovah ia the first line, show that it signifies the Triune God. He is often denominated irnp, and some have thought that he is called t^'u^ip ch. xxx. 3 ; Job. v. 1, xv. 15, but this is very uncertain, r^np, however, appears clearly to be used for God in Dan. iv. 14, Ileb. ; (see AVintle in loc. and particularly Horsley's Sermon *21) ;) and in other Scriptures he is desig- nated by a plural noun; as. Gen. i. 1, '2(>, iii. o, 22, xi. 7, XX. 13, xxxv. 7; Deut. iv. 7; Josh. xxiv. 19; Ps. cxlix. 2; Eccles. xii. 1 ; Isaiah, vi. 8, liv. 5. For my own part, when I reflect that the name of God (cd'h'^n) is of a plural form ; that it is joined with plural nouns, adjectives, and verbs ; that other appellations are applied to him in the plural number; and yet that one grand object of the Jewish economy was to establish the unity of the Godhead; 1 cannot but con- clude, that something more was intended by these plural terms than dignity and eminence, namely, that they were designed to indicate, though obscurely, a plurality of Persons m the l^iity of the Divine Essence. — (See Maurice on the Oriental Trinities.) This opinion, however, is opposed by some eminent scholars, Storr, Observat, &c. p. 98; Doeder- lein, Institutio Theologi, 1. i.e. 1, §113, I'^c. A variety of authors on this subject are referred to in Simonis, Lex. voc. 12. If thnu be tcise] — If thou be wise, and listen to luy reproof and instruction, thou wilt do it to thine own F F 214 NOTES, CHAP. IX. advantage ; but if thou scorn them, thou alone shalt bear the punishment of thy folly. From the foregoing examination of this passage, it is obvious, that it may be referred to the eternal Son of God ; at the same time, candour demands the acknowledgment, that no personal characters have been dis- covered which necessarily designate him as the subject. There is nothing incongruous, nothing unsuitable to him ; yet there is nothing that absolutely determines its application to him, as is the case with the eighth chapter. In my own opinion, the true exposition is given in the note to the first verse ; nevertheless, as it will admit an interpretation in refe- rence to wisdom or religion, it must be regarded as an equi- vocal passage, and cannot, therefore, be adduced in proof of the Divinity of our blessed Lord. They who cannot discover in this delineation any intimation of a celestial being, consider it as a beautiful and poetical picture of wisdom or religion, which is represented as a queen sitting in a royal palace, magnificently furnished, and inviting mankind to repair to the splendid banquet prepared for her votaries. She presents a rich intellectual feast, and invites the erring children of mortality to partake of it, promising life and happiness to those who accept the offer, but threaten- ing pain and misery to those who refuse the invitation. — bear the punishment] — «ti>n, clliptically for pr or «ton «trn, which signify to be punished, to bear punishment. Lev. V. 1, 17, xix. 17, xxiv. 15 ; Numb, xviii. 22, 32 ; Ps. Ixxxviii. 15; Ezek. xiv. 10. With great pleasure I refer to Magee on the Atonement, vol. i. p. 43G ; see also Wal- theri EUipsae Heb. p. 81, ed. Schulz. 13. il foolish woman] — Some commentators take this pas- sage for folly personified, as being opposed to the preceding representation of wisdom ; and, like wisdom, she hath her house where she sits, and invites tlie passer by to partake of NOTES, CHAP. IX. 215 her banquet ; (Schultens, Le Clerc, Dathe, Poli Synop. ;) but Solomon expressly denominates the subject of his dis- course " a fooUsh woman," an expression not very compa- tible with a personification of folly ; and all the actions attri- buted to her agree with the character of a wanton. It is, therefore, to be understood as a picture of a harlot, like those in eh. ii. IG, v. 3, 20, vi. 24, vii. 5 ; and no wonder that the royal author, after contemplating the excellencies of wisdom, and the infinite perfections of the Being repre- sented by that term, should turn to the consideration of that which is the greatest obstacle to wisdom, and which is most likely to delude unsuspecting youth, namely, the allurements of licentious beauty. — She is simple] — nvns, feminine plural, i. e. the harlot is simplicity itself, and the plural is used to denote that she is so in a superlative degree. See ch. i. 4, note, no ali- quicl, quidqiiam, as ch. xxv. 8. — (Noldius, 2.) J/t; see ch. V. 6, and note. 14. On a lofty seat] — See some curious observations upon high raised seats in Harmer, vol. ii. p. 500, et seq. — in the high places of the city] — That is, her house was there, in the most elevated and most frequented part of the city. 16. Whoso is simple] — These words Solomon bad before ascribed to wisdom, (verse 4,) but are very properly put into the month of " the foolish woman;" for as wisdom in- vites the simple to come unto her, and receive the excellent viands she provides ; so the harlot invites the simple to her entertainment, which, however sweet for the present, con- tains a deadly poison. It is ironical, namely. Come, ye who are called simple by these wise people, come, and solace yourselves with dehghts.^Ch. vii. 18. 216 NOTES, CHAP. X. 17. And the bread of concealment] — This phrase corres- ponds with " stolen waters" in the first line, and, conse- quently, signifies bread " procured by clandestine and in- direct means," as Durell expresses it; an adage expressive of illicit pleasures; as ch. xx. 17, where see the note. " Nitimur in vetitum semper, cupimusque negata; Sic interdictis iraminet ivger aquis." Ovid, Eleg. lib. iii. 4, 1. 17. 18. But he knoiveth not, <^c.] — This is the reflection of Solomon, bold, animated, energetic. The deleterious effects of harlot wiles are strongly and happily expressed ch. vii. 26, 27, but still with less force and brilliancy. Here the guests of the courtezan are described, by a bold figure, as already dead, and already in the depths of Hades; yet the deluded passenger does not regard it, but accepts her treacher- ous invitation to his inevitable ruin. CHAPTER X. 1. The Proverbs of Solomon] — Here commences the second part of the book. The former chapters are more in the form of a continued discourse, in which the nature and excellence of religious wisdom are depicted in the most lively and beau- tiful colours, aiid in which mankind are exhorted to shun the fascinations of vice. But the remainder of the book contains the dictates of wisdom, expressed in short, terse, antithetic sentences, for the most part unconnected, yet forming a code of moral aphorisms unrivalled for depth of thought, acute- ness of observation, piety of sentiment, and poignancy of expression. Bishop Hall has endeavoured to digest and methodize these Proverbs under the heads of ethics, politics, and economics; (Works, vol. i. p. 181 ;) but the arrangement is often fanciful, and affords little or no advantage to the NOTES, CHAP. X. !^17 reader. The learned Drusius, also, has arranged the Proverbs in an alphabetical series accordins: to their subjects, and added some very useful explanations, in a tract, printed in the third volume of the Critici Sacri. Durcll thinks that the clause, "The Proverbs of Solomon," is a Masoretical glo«s, and the Targiim is the only one of the ancient versions that expresses it; but it is not unlikely that, after the general exhortations are ended, the title should be repeated, especially as the following part may, with more propriety, be called Proverbs. " Ha,'c jam vere Proverbia vel Sententiosa lumina et annnina ; quibus nihil concisius uberiusque simul concipi potest, ut corpus constituunt hujus coUectionis, ita novo titulo inscribi distinguique merebantur." — Schultens. — A wise son, ^t.] — In the writings of Solomon, wisdom and folly have reference to moral conduct; a wise son, there- fore, is one who strives to become virtuous and pious; a foolish son, the contrary. The sentiment in this verse is often repeated; ch, xv. 20, xvii. 21, 25, xix. 13, xxvii. 11, xxix. 3, 15. 2. Treasures of icickedness] — That is, treasures obtained by wicked means. See ch. xx. 17, xxxi. 27. Compare Micah, vi. 10. — But righteousness] — Many understand npny in the sense of alms, henejirence, or liberality; (Mede, Disc. 22, p. 81; Geier, Doederl. Dathe, D"i never means slack, remiss, but deceit or fraud, which it often undoubtedly does. It must, however, signify remiss, slothful, ch. xii. 24, 27, where, as well as in this verse, it is opposed to diligence; 'and in ch. xix. 15, it corresponds with nWr, idleness. The Aleph in u^«T is epenthetic. 5. He that gathereth, Sfc] — The Hebrew maybe rendered, " A wise son gathereth in summer; A shame-causing (or, shameful) son-slecpeth in harvest." The sense is, a wise man will omit no opportunity of doing good ; and will glatnict; " erudiuut," Vulir. Tlie lips of the righteous supply many with spiritual food, with intellectual nourishment. Teaching is often expressed in Scripture by the term feeding; Jer. iii. 15, xxiii. 4; Ezek. xxxiv. 8, 14, 23; John, xxi. 1-3; Acts, xx. 28; Ephes. iv. 11; 1 Pet. V. 2, 3. 224 NOTES, CHAP. X. 22. The blessing, (Src] — The blessing of God maketh ricli, in the best sense of the word, rich in comfort and in the possession of spiritual dehghts. The blessing of Jehovah is the nominative absolute. — Robertson's Gram. p. 311; Schroeder, Reg. 33 ; Glass, p. 67. 23. So is] — Vau is here a particle of comparison. — Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 603; NoldiuS, 61. 25. When the temj)est heats, (^e] — When the day of calamity arrives, and the storm of God's wrath rages abroad, the wricked soon come to an end. This is beautifully de- scribed in Job, XX. 4, et seq. Calamity is represented under the image of a tempest, Job, ix. 17; Ps. I. 3, Ixxxiii. 16, Heb.; Isaiah, liv. 11; Jer. xxiii. 19, xxv. 32, xxx. 23; Ezek. xiii. 11, itc. ; and our Saviour employs the same imagery Matt. vii. 24, et seq. But the righteous have an everlasting foundation ; their hope, faith, and confidence are built upon the Rock of ages, and they remain unmoved amid the storms and tempests by w^hich the vicious are overwhelmed. " As some tall cliff, that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale, and midways leaves the storm. Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread. Eternal sunshine settles on its head." 26. As vinegar, Sfc] — As acid substances often affect the teeth in a disagreeable manner, and as smoke is noxious to the eyes; so is an idle, loitering messenger vexatious to those that send him. — See Bochart, Hieroz. par. 1, lib. ii. cap. 7. 2». The hope of the righteous, SfcJ] — ^This proverb may be true in the most general sense; but it seems to refer more particularly to long life and happiness, which are wished for equally by the virtuous and wicked. The hopes which the former entertain of possessing them are pleasant and NOTES, CHAP. X. 225 consolatory, but the expectations of the latter end in disap- pointment and lejijret. The hope and desire of the wicked is often said to perish, eh. xi. 7; Job, viii. 13, xi. 20, xviu. 14; Ps. cxii. 10; that is, instead of gaining the object of their hopes, they meet with disappointment. 29. T%e way of Jehovah, Sfc] — The way of Jehovah may be taken in an active sense, for the operation or working of Jehovah; /. e. God, in his wise operations or proceedings, gives strength to and estabhshes the upright, and destroys the wicked : or in a passive sense, for the way which Jehovah appoints, namely, religion, or the law of God, which con- fers great blessings to them that embrace it, but destruction to them that wilfully reject it. I prefer the former explication, as the same expression denotes the working or operation of God ch. viii. 22 ; but, as the text is not quite free from am- biguity, I have not ventured to alter the received version. — See Poli Synop. 31. 77tr mouth of the righteous, Sfc."] — " Allegoria sumitur a vite vel arbore, cujus sicut propagines la'tac etflorescunt, ita loquelie qtiasi fructus, dicta sapientia, succum habent et vigorem : at pravorum lingua excinditur, ut solet in arbore sterili et noxia, vel vite quam ars agricolarum ferro amputans coercet, ne silvescat sarmentis et in omnes partes nimia fun- datur, ut ait Cicero Cat. maj. 15." — Doederleinii Scholia. 32. love uliat is acceptable] — m' to love, to rec/ard. — (See ch. V. G, note.) pyn acceptableness, put for that which is agreeable and acc('ptal)le : " ea norinit I<)(|ui, (pi;v suavia sint audita et gratiam ipsi concilient." — Michivlis, Not. I'ber. Compare ch. xv. 20, xvi. 13 ; Vs. xix. 15 ; Col. iv. 6. 226 NOTES, CHAP. XI. CHAPTER XI. 1. A false balance] — See the note ch. xvi. 11. 2. When pride cometh, ^rc] — Shame is an attendant upon pride; " superbiam sequitur ignominia," Dathe. — But with the humble'] — CD'rijy is compared by Micha?lis (Suppl. No. 217-5) with the Arabic «_a^ fecit, pecuhaliter de accurato studio, elahorando in re aliqua, and rendered " apud cantos est sapientia." Schulz refers it to the Syriac Mj^t 1 astute egit, and renders it, *' cum astutis estprndentia." \V ith as much reason we might render it, " with the adorned is wisdom," because j—U?, in conj. 5, means ornavit semef; or " with the strong," because in iEthiopic it means invaluit, fortis fuit. — (See Castell,) How trifling are such derivations! Tliat CD'piJy denotes the humble, is proved, 1. By the pa- rallehsm, being opposed to pnt pride. 2. In Chaklee it means humble, modest. 3. The LXX render it by rcnreti'iot' ; the Syriac by ^wjbZ^SC^ "the meek" or " humble ;" the Vulgate gives the same sense ; Theodotion by £7ri«kw»' ; but Sym- machus by t-mfuXEtn, " with the diligent." 4. This sense is well suited to Micah, vi. 8, the only other place where it occurs, and where it is used adverbially : " What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" i.e. he not high-minded, but humble thyself, and be ready to obey the commandments of God. — (See the Targum on the place.) The traditionary sense, therefore, ought to be adopted. 3. But the perverseness] — Tlie root f]bD occurs nine times; and ch. xix. 3 ; Exod. xxiii. 8 ; Deut. xvi. 19, indisputably prove, that it means to pervert, to turn aside from the right course, accrtcre a recto. As a noun, it is in this verse opposed NOTES, CHAP. XI. 227 to nnn wtegrity, and must, thercforp, mean malicinnsiicss, perverseuess, a sense which suits ch. xv. 4, extremely well. It is sometimes used, not in a moral sense, but to turn amie, to siihverf, to nverlhroir, ch. xiii. (>, xxi. 12, xxii. 12. These are all the passages where it occurs. ^Vhen the mean- ing is 30 clearly established by biblical usage, it is unnecessary to have recourse to the sister dialects for illustration, par- ticularly to refer it to the Arabic jjl—, a word that has many significations. — (Schultens on Prov. xiii. C, xix. 3.) It may, however, be observed, that the above explanation is con- firmed by the ancient versions, (MichaMis, Suppl. Xo. 1754,) and by the Chaldee. — Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. et Rab. 4. the day of ic rath] — i.e. of God's wrath; riches are useless in the day of God's visitation. — Compare ch. x. 2, and note. 5. shall direct his ivai/] — liy' to direct, to make straight, is often spoken of ways, 'y\•^ or m« ; and the meaning of the metaphor is, to direct the behaviour, to regulate the conduct. 7. when a wicked man dieth,Sfc.] — At death, all the hopes of the wicked, all the high expectations which the unjust had formed, are found to be vain and fallacious. — the niijiist] — px has si'veml significations ; n^, strength, grief, or sorrow, labour, ini(fuitii ; but I have followed the LXX, Syriac, Targimi, and Arabic, in rendering a'ji« " the unjust or wicked," thinking it best, in a dubious case, to yield to their authorit^^ Schultens renders it adverbially, " dolen- tissime disperiit," and observes, " Connect© mn« a'Ji« dolorihiis pvriif, pro dolnri/lris fnodis ; ex elegantiore He- braismo (pio plurale substantivum ita resolvi solet." He is followed by Parkhurst. Bishop Horsley, in his note on llos. ix. 4, where he has some acute remarks on the signifi- y their treacherj', falsehood, blas- phemy, and pernicious counsels, it is overthrown. An allusion, perhaps, to the destruction of Sodom and (iomorrah. 12. lie that is, ^t.] — How often does it happen that a fool is exalted in his own conceit, and, in the plenitude of his proud igiiorauce, looks . .4 benevolent uomun, .S'c.] — jn signifies ffraeefiilness, beauty, and also yai'OM/', kindness, benevolence; "[Dn, to lay hold on and to retain, i. e. to obtain and preserve. ^ is often li II 230 NOTES, CHAP. XI. a particle of comparison, sic, ita. Thus the version is gram- matically extracted ; and Schultens well expresses the sense : " Mulier, quantumvis tenera sit ac debilis, si gratia ac virtute praestet, admirationem omnium ad se rapiet; tam valide, tam potenter; ut in hac parte contendi possit cum violentis viro- rum, qui aliorura opes rapiunt invaduntque." So Michaelis, Not. Uber. — See Poli Synop. 17. The merciful man, Sj-c] — Nothing need be added to illustrate this sentiment; it is suflSciently recommended by its native beauty. Though it is, in the main, supported by the ancient versions, Dathe translates it differently : " Qui sui curam non negligit, erga alios quoque est benignus, Et qui niraia in se ipsum severitate utitur, in alios quoque est crudelis." So Michjelis, Not. Uber, and Cocceius, ed, Schulz, in Vdj and ~i3ir. Namely, He who takes due care of himself, by using proper food and raiment, and cheerfully enjoying the wealth with which Providence has blessed him, is generally merciful and kind to others; but he who macerates his body, either through avarice or mistaken zeal, is conmiorily cruel to other people. — See R. Levi Ben Gersom, 18, The wicked toil, 8fc.] — ^The riches for which the wicked labour are fallacious, unstable, perishable; for wealth got by iniquity doth not profit; (verse 4, ch. x, 2; Jer, xvii, 11;) but he who exercises righteousness meets with a sure reward. — recompense] — nVra corresponds with nDty in the second line, and therefore means recompense, as Lev. xix, 13 ; Ps. cix. 20; Isaiah, xl. 10, xlix. 4, Ixii. 11. — Simonis, Lex. Heb. — But he fhatsoueth] — rit is often used, in a moral sense, for the labour and attention bestowed upcn anything, for earnestly engaging in any matter, Job, iv. 8 ; Ps. cxxvi. 5 ; Hos. viii, 7, X, 12 So irretpM is used Gal, vi, 7, 8. NOTES, CHAP. XI. 231 19, Certainly, Sfc] — p may be a substantive, denoting ^rmncss, rectitudo, and then the sense would be " rectum justitia? ;" a periphrasis for righteousness. So Cocceius, Schultens, Dathe, and others. 21. Though hand join in hand] — The expression T*? T is variously rendered, both by ancient and modern interpreters. The Vulgate is scarcely sense ; the Syriac and Targum are to this eft'ect, " He who stretches out his hand against his friend (or neighbour) shall not be guiltless." Schultens (Animadvers. inter Opera Minora, p. 214, and Comment, in loc.) interprets it by " per posteros." The parallelism, in some degree, supports it ; and it is approved by Dathe, and Scliulz, in his edition of Cocceii Lex, ; the former of whom renders the clause, " Hieredes impii non erunt impuniti;" a harsh sentiment ; perhaps not reconcilable \vith the Law of Moses ; for the threat of visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children extended only to the sin of idolatry; (Mainionides, More Xevochim, par, 1, c. liv. p. 90; Graves, Lect. on the Pent. par. 3, Lect. iii. § 2 ;) and certainly it is a translation unsupported by the Hebraic usage. The same interpretation, however, was given before by Mercer, De Dieu, c'v.c. (Poli Syn.) and Durell would alter the text into t"?' posterity, but without authority. Others think the expression denotes confederacy; i. e. though the wicked combine to resist, they shall not be unpunished. — (Poli Synop.) Micha'lis (Suppl. No. 95(>) says, *' Certi nihil habens, conjicio, T^ n» esse, manu in manum inserta tibi promitto," To join hand was anciently, and still continues in the East, a solemn method of promising, and makinc an engagement. — (Parkhurst, m', .5 ; Burder's Orient. Customs.) The LXX seem to have under- stood the expression of promising, X«pi x«P"C eftCaXtoy aht:ui ovK ari^ijjpijTOf; tart, the sense of which I take to be, " He who joins his hand to that of another falsely," namely, who 232 NOTES, CHAP. XI. promises, in order to deceive and injure, " shall not be un- punished." The exphcation of C. B. Michaelis appears as probable as any: " Mamim manni licet jungat, h. e. arabas manus obvertat, imo manibus pedibusque obnixe omnia facial, ut averruncet poenara, taraen non impnnis erit mains." — (Notae Uberiores.) " The wicked, though unith)g all his efforts, and strengthening himself by every possible means, shall find all his earthly hopes and reliances vain. He shall certainly meet with condign punishment; while the arm of the righteous, strengthened by the invincible protection of God, shall deliver him from every danger." — (Dodd's Bible.) And this interpretation suits ch. xvi. 5, the only other place where the expression occurs. So Geier and Waltherus, Elhps. Heb. p. 124. 22. As a jewel of gold, ^t.] — I am unwilling to alter the terse and energetic language of our standard version ; but the Hebrew might be more literally rendered, " A golden ring in a swine's snout, is a beautiful woman that turns from dis- cretion." A fine woman wanting discretion is a degradation to her sex; and all her charms are thrown away, as orna- ments are upon grovelling and filthy animals. There is an evident allusion to the customof wearing nose-jeM'els, or rings set with jewels hanging from the nostrils; of which an enter- taining account is given by Lowth, on Isaiah, iii. 21; Har- mer, Obs. vol. iv. p. 310; Burder, Orient. Cust. ; Parkh. DtJ. See also Schroeder, de Vest. Mul. c. 13. 23. The desire, Sj-c] — ^I'he righteous desire only that which is good, in consequence of which they obtain the blessing of God: but the expectations formed by the wicked, instead of being crowned witli success, terminate in punishment. Aben JiZra explains *]« by generally, for the most part, fere: but this limitation is unnecessary. NOTES, CHAP. XI. 233 — wrath] — That is, the anger of God. — (See Geier.) It is unnecessary' to read map f/HoMro/j, instead of mar 5rnc6///"a/i, according to the Masoretic copies, i. e. as Dathe renders it, " Spes impionim oinnem moduin excedit;" for, as a noun, the sense is perspicuous and good. 24. There is that scattereth] — a^» may be a noun, signify- inji suhstuHce, " substantiara dissipans," as it is rendered by Sfhultens, whose exposition is excellent: " Qui hberalitate effusissima sua omnia dispergit in pauperes, occuUa Dei bene- dictione opes sibi accrescere et accumulari saepe experitur." " He who disperses his wealth among the poor by extensive charities, shall often rind, that, by the secret blessing of God, his treasures shall increase and accumulate." Lowth thus renders the second hemistich: " And (there is) that is unreasonably sparing, yet groweth poor." — Prel. Diss, to Tsaiah, p. xxiv. 25. The liberal soul] — Literally, " the soul of blessing," that is, the kind, charitable, benevolent person, described in the preceding verse. The liberal man (*' he who scattereth") shall be made fat, enriched with plenty and abundance; and he who pours forth his riches upon the poor, like showers upon the dry and parched plains, shall himself be watered with the dews of the divine blessing. — Compare 2 Cor. ix. C, and see ch, xiii. 4. — and he that iratereth] — ^^^^^:), from m» rigavit ; but it may be derived from ^\^'^ satialiis est, i. e. " he that satis- fieth others:" and from the same root »iv may be deduced, the final w b» ins; put for n, and many MSS. have mv : but Parkhursl derives it from «T to fear, to rcverenee; " He that watereth or satisfieth (others) shall be himself respected." 20. He that withholdeth, Sfc] — He that hoardeth up corn in a time of scarcity, on puqjose to raise the price of it, will 234 NOTES, CHAP. XI. receive the maledictions and imprecations of the people. — (See Patrick and Gill.) " Hoc constat, in caritate annona% eos, qui nolunt vendere frumentum congestuni, quod lit a divitibus avaris, maledictis a populo incessi." — Le Clerc. 27. seeketh favour] — Namely, the favour of God. So the ancient versions, it'pa to seek, not to procure, as rendered in E. T. 28. like a branch] — Toe righteous are compared to the germinant branches and exuberant foliage of trees Ps. i. 3, xcii. 12 ; Jer. xvii. 8 ; Hosea, xiv. 5. 29. He that troiihleth] — nji? certainly means to trouble, to cause pain or distress, ver. 17; 1 Sam. xiv. 29; 1 Kings, xviii. 17, 18; Joshua, vi. 18; Judges, xi. 35; 1 Chron. ii. 7; Ps. xxxix. 2; but it is likewise used in reference to the trouble and mischief occasioned by theft and unjust gain Gen. xxxiv. 30; Joshua, vii. 25; Prov. xv. 6, 27. " He that troubleth his house" may therefore mean, he who ac- cumulates wealth by any means, just or unjust. So Schult. Dathe, Doederl. Cocc. ed. Schulz, Michael. The Syriac translator, who is unusually paraphrastic, understood it in this manner, ^Al2 OlA*^ M^'> '• c- " who buildeth his house by fraud." But it may mean, he who causes pain and distress to his family by irrita.bilit^^ quarrels, dissipation, 6:c. In both cases, it is true that he "■ shall inherit the wind," shall, in the end, find nothing but vanity and disappointment. — Compare Eccles. v. 16; Isaiah, xxvi. 18, xli. 29; Hosea, viii. 7. The second line is a general and independent pro- position. 30. And he that trinneth] — This line may be rendered, " The wise man winneth souls;" so Dimock, Le Clerc, and many in Poli Synop. ; that is, he induces them, by his XOTE.S, CHAP. XI. 235 agreeable, insinuating discourse, to turn from folly, and to embrace wis«loin.— " Tree of life ;" see ch. iij. 18. 31 . Behold, the righteous, ^-c.]— Our authorized version is, " Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth ; much more the wicked and the sinner." This must be er- roneous; " for the assertion," as Durell observes, "that God punishes more the wicked than he rewards the good, is not consonant with our ideas of the Supreme Being, nor founded in fact, either under the Theocracy, or in the more general administration of Providence." This remark seems co^rrect. It is generally thought, that this verse is quoted 1 Pet. iv. 18, " if the righteous be scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear ?" which is literally according to the LXX ; but it is more likely, that St. Peter did not intend any citation from Proverbs, as it is not introduced with the usual formularj-, " as the Scripture saith," "as it is written," &c.; and such only, Dr. Owen thinks, can properly be deemed quotations.— (Modes of Quotation, &c. Preface. See also Surenhusius, WitXor KuraXXyi,,;. Praefat.) The apostles were so habituated to the phraseology of the Old Testament, that they naturally adopted the same expressions and phrases, even when no direct apphcation was intended. But, whether this be true or not, the LXX, though they recede considerably from the letter, may, perhaps, give the true sense, chv, in Pih. is to repay, to recomperue ; either in a good sense to reward, or in a bad sense to pvnhh, Deut. vU. 10; Ps. xh. 10; Isa. Iix. 18— (See Schultens in loc. and in Job, xxiii. 14.) The original may, then, be rendered, " If the righteous suffer affliction in the earth, much more shall the wicked and tJie sinner;" the meaning of which obvi- ously is. If the righteous cannot escape affliction, tJie wicked must suffer a ejeat deal more. This, in sense, nearly coin- cides with the version of the LXX, "If the righteous be 236 NOTES, CHAP. XII. scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner ap- pear?" In this way it is understood by Le Clerc, whose version is, " En de justo in terra poena sumitur, quanto magis de improbo et delinquente;" and by Schultens and Dathe, who render it, " Ecce Justus in terra traditur neci : quanto magis improbus et peccator." The former interpretation, however, appears to be more suitable to the usual meaning of the words. |n sometimes signifies si, if, (Noldius, 7,) but more fre- quently ecce, behold. 'D »]« " in collatione rerum affirmativa, valet quanto magis ; in negativa, quanto minus ;' (Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 516 ;) but it also denotes yea, yea also. Gen. iii. 1 ; Neh. ix. 18 ; Ezek. xiv. 21. CHAPTER XII. 1. is hrutisli\ — That is, stupid and indocile, and possessed of a mean, base, and grovelling disposition. 2. u-ill he condemn] — The nominative to i7'tt>T is Jehovah in the first hemistich, or rather the pronoun i^in, referring to Jehovah; but it may be rendered, "But a man of wicked devices acts wrong," " impie agit,'' Vulg. ; so the word means 2 Chron. xx. 35, xxii. 3 ; Job, xxxiv. 12; Dun. xii. 10, S:c. 4. A virtuous wife is a crawn to her husband] — An allusion to the ancient custotn of putting crowns or chaplets upon the head of new married persons. — (Cant. iii. 11.) These crowns were sometimes of flowers, and sometimes of more costly materials, according to the rank and wealth of the parties. — (See Selden, Uxor Hebraica, lib. ii. cap. 15.) Nuptial crowns among the Greeks and Romans were composed of leaves and flowers. — (Potter's Greek Ant. 1. iv. c. 11 ; Adam's Roman Ant. p. 4(»4. See also Suiceri Thesaurus in ore^ovoc.) The NOTES, CHAP. XII. 237 ceremony of crowning the contracting parties at marriage is still observed in the (ircek church, and in some parts of the East. — Hanner's Outlines, p. (5; l*arkhurst in Itoir. — A virtuous infi-] — Literally, " a woman or wife of strength;" yuijj aycpeta, LXX ; -/vy>] Kryyog, Theod. ; but ^»n here and ch. xxx. 10, denotes virtue. It is well observed by Michselis, (Suppl. Xo. 71!),) that in the early stages of society, when the govfrnnu-nt and the laws had little influence, forti- tude was the first and most necessary virtue, and might, there- fore, naturally give its name to the other virtues. Hence " virtus" in Latin, and optrjj in Greek, which, according to their etymology, tfenote manly strength and fortitude, came, at length, to signify virtue in general. 6. TJie words of the u-icked, 4*0.] — The wicked, by their seducing, deceitful, and treacherous language, form, as it were, an ambush against the life of others. Or, perhaps, the sense may be, that the deceitful and treacherous language of the wicked forms, as it were, an ambush against their oicn life ; but the discourse of the righteous preserves them. — Compare ch. i. IG. — //(' in «•«//] — n«, infinitive, is either used for a noun, or for the preterite. — Glass, p. 208. 7. are overthrotcn] — iisn, infinitive for the preterite ; so Syr. and Targ. Some render it imperatively, " overthrow (/. «'. O God, overthrow) the wicked," Vulg. Drusius, Le Clerc. TheL\X render it, ov tny irTpcKfiT] o utrt'^ijc, cK^ax^frai, " wherever the wicked turn," «.\:c. 8. But the perverse of heart] — m]?J. from mr /'> orerthron\ to pervert, means, as we may infer from the parallelism, the perverted in understanding, the destitute of wisdon). I I 238 NOTES, CHAP. XII. 9. is servant to himself] — " That is, who is destitute of servants, and who is under the necessity of oflBciating for him- self." — Hodgson. So LXX, Syr. Vulg. Arab. Schultens, &c. "ih 12.V may undoubtedly be rendered, " and hath a servant," as E. T. Targ. &c. But the version here adopted is more energetic, and renders the antithesis more complete. 10. But the tender merciesi — That is, what the wicked pretend to be tender mercies. We have been accustomed to hear much of the benevolence of infidels, the philanthropy of deists, and the soft gaiety of Gallic scavans: it is all pre- tence; self is their idol, and self-indulgence their object, in the accomplishment of which they are little scrupulous about the means. Where self is the idol, the heart is cruel. While they talk of kindness, and fiiendship, and universal charity, they regard not the cruelty of robbing millions of the consola- tions of religion; while they clamour about reform, they would, with unfeeling barbarity, exult in the demolition of ancient and venerable establishments; while they speak of harmless gaiety and pleasure, they would treacherously cor- rupt piety, and pollute unsuspecting innocence. " A righteous man," so far from injuring a fellow- creature, " regardeth even the life of his beast." 11. vanity] — Q'pn, either vain persons, or vain things. I translate it in the most general sense, with the Syriac, " He who follows, ]AqcUJCO JA:D, after vanity," 12. The icicked desire, 4'c.] — The antitliesis is obscure, as in many other proverbs ; but the meaning seems to be, that the wicked desire all possible means to ensnare and betray ; but the righteous produce good works, as a good tree pro- duces good fruit. — (See Cocceii Lex. my.) nivD is used in this figurative sense Eccles. vii. 20; but some render NOTES, CHAP. XII. 239 it a fortress, arx, by which is meant, security from evils. So Vulg. Doederl. Dathe, Le Clcrc, &c. 13. an evil snare] — That is, not only to catch others, but likewise with which the transgressors themselves are often caught to their own destruction; " for a fool's mouth is his destruction; and his lips are the snare of his soul." — Ch. xviii. 7. See ch. x. 14, and note ; Ps. xxxv. 8. 14. A man shall he satisfied, Sfc] — Tlie meaning is, that virtue, both in word and deed, shall meet with a correspond- ing reward. 15. But the wise man hearkeneth, Sfc] — Our standard ver- sion is, " But he thai hearkeneth unto counsel is wise;" and the Hebrew may be so rendered ; but the version here adopted preserves the antithesis more exactly, and is supported by the LXX and Vulg. IG. AfooVs wrath, 4*c.] — ^The wrath of a fool is manifested in such a way, as to be immediately distinguished to be the wrath of a fool ; but a prudent man throws a veil over the ignominy cast upon him by others, and does not indulge in foolish anger. Or the meaning may be, A fool's wrath is excited the moment he receives an affront; but a prudent man pardons the ignominy cast upon him. — instantly] — ovi " statim," Vulg.; so the word may be used 1 Sam. ix. 13, xiv. 33; Ps. cxxxviii. 3; or it may mean " in the day," i. e. the time of receiving an affront, agreeable to the latter interjirctation of the verse. — See Le Clerc and Poli Synop. 17. A righteous witness] — pny tj', literally, " he who declares righteousness," i. e. a righteous witness, as appears from its opposition to " false witness" in the second hemistich. 240 NOTES, CHAP. XII. — (Compare ch. vi. 19, xiv. 5, 25.) Thus, by tho ai. By tliis construction tlic verse is cleared of all dilliculties, the antithesis is preserved, and there is neither a redundancy or deficiency in the words." Hodgson's version is, " IJut the by-way leadeth unto death." But the common version is literal, according to the Masoretic points ; though all the ancient versions have " ad mortem," reading h» el, instead of ■?« «/. n^TJ i"n, literally, " the way of its paths," a periphrasis for paths; or "|m may mean the journey or proceeding in its paths. The reader must judge wliich of these expositions is preferable. CHAPTER XIII. 1. A u-ise son, ^t.] — There is an ellipsis of raty in the first hemistich, to l)e supplied from the second. If "iDIO be the par- ticiple Hoph. it may be rendered, " A son becomes wise by the correction of his father ; But //r brcnnics a scorner who heareth not rebuke." So Schultens, Doederlein, Datlio. Or, with De Dieu and Durell, " A wise son is instructed (or corrected) by his father; But a scorner lu artth not rebuke." But the first is the most easy and natural construction, "IDIO so often occurring as a noun ; and it is supported by the ancient versions. Such an ellipsis as it requires is not uncommon, as in verse 2. — See Walteri Ellipses, p, 1*2 o. "2. A man shall eat, ^-c] — A wise man shall enjoy much «jood by the discreet use of the valuable faculty of speech, 244 NOTES, CHAP. XIII. but those who transgress in the use of it shall experience trouble, and violence, and punishment. That this is the true interpretation, appears from the following verse, which is a reiteration of the same apophthegm. The Paroemiast has elsewhere given similar instructions respecting the government of the tongue ; and St. James has a noble lesson upon the same subject, Ep. ch. iii. " To eat" is a scriptural phrase for to enjoy, as Gen. xlv. 18 ; Ps. cxxviii. 2, xxxiv. 9 ; Isaiah, i. 19, iii. 10. Compare ch. xii. 14, xviii. 20, 21, xxi. 23. 3. But he that is rash with his lipsl — pmB occurs in no other place except Ezek. xvi. 25, where it implies something criminal, and is to betaken " sensu obsceno ;" vnaty pti?3 must also be understood of opening the lips in a reprehensible manner, rash speaking; irpmzeTm ■^etketnv, LXX ; " qui in- consideratus est ad loquendum," Vulg. The dialects desert us ; the antithesis, however, proves the correctness of this explication. 4. shall he made fat^ — MetaphoricHlly, shall be tilled with plenty and abundance, as ch. xi. 2j, xv. 30, xxviii. 25 ; Ps. xcii. 14. 5. a false word] — npty ~in may mean a false thing, a treacherous conduct; and in this sense the antithesis is more complete. G. Righteousness keepeth, 8;-c.] — Literally rendered, -jm on is " integrity of way," i. c. the upright: and n^ton is " sin," i. e. the sinner : the abstract put for the concrete. 7. There is that, S)'c.] — Some are sedulous to amass wealth, and yet are destitute of the tnio riciies, religion and the favour of God ; others voluntarily continue poor in the eyes of the world, and yet abound in true spiritual riches. — (See Clemens NOTES, CHAP. XIII. 245 Alex. Psedag. 1. iii. c. 7.) Y\\ovtoc is used in a spiritual sense by the sacred writers of the New Testament. — See Schleus- ner in voc. 8. The protection] — "iD3, being here applied to temporal deliverance, is better rendered " protection" than " ransom." Money preserves life in many ways; it discharges the pecu- niary penalties which may be imposed for offences; it ransoms a man from the hands of robbers, and redeems men from slaver}\ — But do not the poor, Sj-cl — Among the various inter- pretations which have been given of this clause, I prefer that proposed by Durell, who constnies it interrogatively. " Doth not the poor hear rebuke? That is," as he observes, "the rich, by their wealth, can always extricate himself out of difficulties; while the poor man, who has nothing to offer by way of atonement for his faults, meets with rebukes." «*?, ill many instances, signifies annon, iionne, (Noldius, 3,) in all which there is an ellipsis of n interrogative. Should this exposition by Durell not be thought satisfactoiy, it may be rendered, as E. T., " But the poor heareth not rebuke," meaning, by " rebuke," the maledictions of those who envy the rich; they are free from the calumnies which attend the rich. " Adeoque licet divitiic aliquando utiles esse possint, tamen et paupertas commoda sua habet, ut patienter et sequu animo ferri debeat." — Michel. Not. Uber, But, whichever interpretation be adopted, it is to be considered as a reflection on what generally happens m human life with respect to poverty and wealth. 0. The lif/ht of the righteous] — Tlie prosperous state of the righteous sliall be a continual source of joy and gladness; but the prosperity of the wicked shall (juickly be extinguished. •• Light" denotes prosperity Job, xviii. 5, 10; Ps. xcvii. 11, K K 246 NOTES, CHAP. XIII. cxii. 4; Isaiah, Iviii. 8, lix. 9 ; and such is the meaning of " lamp'' Job, xxix. 3; Ps. xviii. 29; Job, xviii. 6, xxi. 17; Prov. XX. 20, xxiv. 20, which are analogous to the passage before us. In the New Testament, (pcjQ is put sometimes for felicity, " beata et felix conditio," as Schleusner expresses it, Matt. iv. 16; 1 Tim. vi. 16; James, i. 17. So we find it used by Homer, Iliad, lib. vi. 1. 6, lib. xvi. 1. 741, &c. 10. Ignorance] — I take pi for a noun, feminine np"i, sig- nifying emptiness, vacuity ; and here, emptiness in respect of wisdom, ignorance; because it is opposed to them that deli- berate. " Inscitia cum superbia gignit rixam," Dathe. — (See Cocc.) It may, however, mean a vain, empty person, who by pride creates contention; and so it seems to have been understood by LXX, Syriac,and Arabic; at least, they take it in a personal sense. Some render pi by " certainly," " certe:" (Noldius, 2; Poli Synop. :) " Certainly by pride a man produces contention." 11. Wealth through vanity] — Many explain this clause of wealth gotten by vanity, i. e. by vicious means; but "^an does not appear ever to have this meaning: it signifies vanity, emptiness, and, in this place, light, empty, and vain pursuits and proceedings; which are often, in Scripture, termed " vanity." So Dathe, Durell, Cocceius, Geier. — But he that gathereth cautiously] — Tlie antithesis will lead us to the true interpretation of this hemistich. As the first clause denotes, that wealth is diminished by vain pursuits, the second must mean, that it is increased by dihgence and caution. " t bv de diligenti custodia obvium est, 1 Sam. xvii. 22; 2 Kings, xxii. 5, 9; 1 Chron. xxvi. 28." — Dathe. See Dindorfii Lex. Heb. in T, p. 166. 12. But tchen the desire cometh] — That is, when it is ac- complished, (Vatablus, Dimock,) it is most grateful and NOTES, CHAP. XIII. 247 salutary, like the tree of lite in the garden of Eden. — See verse 19. 13. Whoso dtspiseth the word] — The word and command- ment of God. — shall be punished] — i^, I think, refers to nan, and ^h b^n\ literally, " shall be bound to it," shall be obliged to sufl'er the punishment it denounces. So Parkhurst, ^an, 5. — shall be rewarded] — a^tt^», by a change of the points, may be rendered " shall be safe ;" " in pace versabitur," Vulg. ; vyietret, LXX ; etprjrevH, Aq. Sym. ; " salvus erit," Dathe; which agrees with the Syriac version. 15. Good understanding] — h'Dm directing wisdom, pru- dence, when it is joined with goodness and kindness, (3iD,) procures favour. — is rotigh] — " inculta et horrida est; adeoque sicut Deo, sic et honiinibus invisa, cunctisque exsecrabilis." — Michselis, Not. Uber. 19. The desire accomplished, ^-c] — Because the accom- plishment of desire is sweet to the soul, fools abhor to depart from evil, continuing to indulge their base desires and law- less passions. This interpretation 1 owe to Le Clerc, who observes, that although the chief part of these proverbs con- tain an antithesis, yet there are several exceptions. n'nJ Niph. of mn, and literally, "desire which is done," i.e. ac- compUshcd ; " si compleatur," Vulg. But Dathe, following Arnoldi, appeals to the Arabic ^^ intcrdiccrc aliquid, and venders it, " Cupiditas interdicta delectat," i. p. " nitiraur in vetitum semper, cu[)iniusque negata ;" an explanation ap- proved by Reiske, and by Schulz, in Lex. Cocc. n'rr. The Arabic word, however, has the sense of fecit ut pcrvenirvf. 448 NOTES, CHAP. XIII. (Golius and Willmet, Lex. Arab.,) which may strengthen, in the opinion of some, the interpretation I have given above of JTnJ. This, at least, may serve to confront Dathe's exphca- tion ; but I build little upon appeals to Arabic, as, by such a critical process, a whole host of different senses may be extracted from any given word. 20. He that walketh, ^-c] — ^The influence of companions is great, in so much that, as it has been often remarked, a man's character may be known by the company he keeps. Evil communications corrupt good manners; but friendly in- tercourse with the virtuous and wise has a powerful tendency to enlighten the understanding, and to improve the heart, Schultens (De Defect. Hod. Ling. Heb. § 210) and Storr (Obs. ad Anal, et Syntax, p. 57) discover a force in the expressions of this verse, which few readers will be able to feel. I follow the reading of the Keri. 22. his posterity his heirs] — Literally, " a good man maketh his children's children to inherit," i. e. he maketh tliem his heirs ; but the treasure which the sinner so eagerly amasses, seldom benefit his descendants ; being generally either uselessly hoarded up, or profusely squandered away, and, by a secret fatality, devolve upon some more worthy occupant. From the general observation of mankind, and the concun'ent voice of Scripture, we may conclude, that, in the wise ordination of Providence, wealth imjustly acquired " doth not profit."— Ch. x. 2. Compare ch, xxviii, 8, and note, 23, Much food, ^c] — In the astonishing discordance of the ancient versions and modern translators, I have adopted that which appears to me the most probable ; for probability is the utmost that can bo obtained, on account of the am- biguity of several of the terms. The sense seems to be, that by rulers addicting themselves to agriculture, provisions NOTES, CHAP. XIV. 249 become plentiful; yet it happens, if they have not judgement, great waste is occasioned by acts of maleadrainistration, by the prodigal habits of the people, or the desolations of invad- ing enemies. The Jews were an agricultural nation. 24. He. that spareth, Sfc] — The parent that neglects the correction of his child, whatever indulgence he may show, acts as if he hated him, because he does not promote his real welfare. Notwithstanding that the truth of this maxim is confirmed by daily experience, how many children are injured by the fond partiality of their parents ! By the neg- lect of early correction, the desires obtain ascendancy ; the temper becomes irascible, peevish, querulous; pride is nou- rished, humility destroyed; and, by the habit of indulgence, the mind is incapacitated to bear, with firmness and equa- nimities the cares and sorrows, the- checks and disappoint- ments, which " flesh is heir to." The importance of early discipline is often inculcated by the royal sage, ch. xix. 18, xxii. 15, xxiii. 13, xxix. 15, 17. 25. T/ie righteous cateth, Sfc.^ — " A righteous man never wants a sufficiency, because his desires are moderate, and he makes a temperate use of God's blessings : whereas wicked men bring themselves to poverty by riot and dissipation." — Patrick. CHAPTER XIV. 1. Evei-y wise tcoman] — moDn, plural, as ch. i. 20, ix. 1, abstractly, " wisdom;" ami n^iw, in the second line, abstractly, " folly ;" but put for a wise, and a foolish woman, or rather wife. — her house] — Tliat is, her family, A prudent wife educates her children carefully and piously, restrains her S50 NOTES, CHAP. XIV. family with proper discipline, and thus renders them pros- perous and happy. 3. In the mouth, Sfc] — The language of fools is called " a rod of pride," because they often speak high and proud things, and heedlessly attack others with their speech, as with a rod. — Aben Ezra. — a 7'od] — Iton occurs twice, here and Isaiah, xi. 1, which clearly determines its meaning to be a rod or twig, germinat- ing from the stem of a tree. It is translated " rod, virga," by the Syriac, LXX, Vulg. Aq., in Isaiah ; and also by LXX, Syriac^ Targ. Vulg. and Theod., in Proverbs; and it bears this sense in the Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic dialects. Yet, because the Arabic j\o»- means hasta tremula, Michaelis renders it, " in ore stulti sagitta est," and adds, " Telis acutis comparari maledicta solent. Ps. cxx. 4." — Supplem. No. 712. See also Cocceii Lex. ed. Schulz, in voc. 4. Where no oxen are, <^c.] — The general sense of this proverb is, that many very advantageous things are attended with some inconvenience, which, nevertheless, is outbalanced by their utility. Oxen, as the commentators observe, were principal instruments of husbandry in the East, being em- ployed in plowing, in carrying home the crop, and in tread- ing out the com. — Deut. xxii. 10, xxv. 4. — the crib] — Gousset, Schultens in loc. and in Job, xxxix. 9, Dindorf and Simonis in Lex. and C. B. Michaelis, contend, that Dn« means area, i. e. a place in the open air where com was threshed, one method of doing which was by the treading of oxen. — (Deut. xxv. 4; Lowth on Isaiah, xxviii. 27; Burder, Oriental Customs, No. 71G.) But Mi- chaelis, Suppl. No. 14 ; Schwarz, in Miscel. Theol. et Philol. p. 324 ; IlosonmuUer on Isaiah, i. 3, support the common NOTES, CHAP. XIV. 251 interpretation of stall or crib, prccsepe. Either of tliese inter- pretations will apply to the passages where the word occurs, namely, here, Job, xxxix. i), and Isaiah, i. 3, and both claim the support of some of the kindred dialects : but the latter is certainly sanctioned by the ancient versions. 5. A faithful tcitness, 4'f*-] — Perhaps better thus : *' He is a faithful witness who will not lie; But he is a false witness who will utter lies." G. A scoriier, t^r.] — A sconier cannot find wisdom, be- cause he does not seek it witli a proper disposition; if he did, he would be no longer a scorner. It is quaintly, but excel- lently observed by Lord Bacon, that " He that comes to seek after knowledge with a mind to scorn and censure, shall be sure to find matter enough for his humour, but none for his instruction." — Quoted in Mant's Bible. — is easy] — bpl, enallege for nhpi to agree with nrn; it is derived from hhp levis fuit, and means easy, not difficult to be obtained; £i»j^epr;c, LXX. 7. Go from, ifc] — Better, perhaps — " Go near to a foolish man ; Yet thou wilt not perceive the lips of knowledge." " Si vel e regione steteris stulto, nil sani ex eo audies." — (Dathe.) "ijJD overagainst, in the presence of, e regione, i.e. near. — Noldius, 1. 8. T/ie nisdtnn of the prudent, S)-c.] — To understand his ways and conduct, constitutes an important branch of the wisdom of the prudent ; but fools, deceived by their folly, make a false estimate of themselves. VkoBi atav-or, "know thyself," was an aphorism by some ascribed to an oracle. " This is a dictate." as the British sage observes, " which, in 253 NOTES, CHAP. XIV. the whole extent of its meaning, may be said to comprise all the speculation requisite to a moral agent. For what more can be necessary to the regulation of life, than the know- ledge of our original, our end, our duties, and our relation to other beings ?" — (Rambler, No. 24.) Take Schultens' version as a specimen of his hyjiercritical powers : " Solida compactio soUertis, est, discernere viam suam; at crassities appacta elumbium, impulsio in fraudem est." This profound scholar abounds in such absurdities. 9. Fools make a fnock] — This verse may be rendered, " Sin exposes the foolish to scorn ; But among the upright there is favour," i. e. mutual goodwill, and likewise the favour of God. Hodg- son's version is, " Sinners laugh at fools ; but between the upright there is mutual goodwill." Houbigant observes, " Esset magnus Apollo, qui ha^c verba sine soloecismo red- deret." 1 difl'er from this learned critic ; but let the reader judge. 10. The heart knoweth, Sec] — The heart alone can appre- ciate its sorrows and its joys; a truth confirmed by every one's experience. — doth Hot intermeddle'] — ^This must mean, doth not form a true estimate of its joy ; for it is not true, that " a stranger," i. e. another person, " doth not partake of the joy of the heart." To every heart, surely, there are some who parti- cipate in its joys and sorrows; and even strangers, by sym- pathy, catch some portion of its present feeling; yet they caimot form a correct estimate of it. 12. There is a way ichich seemeth rif/ht] — Not absolutely right, but that which he pretends to justify, and to regard as right; for " the way of a fool is right in his own eyes." — Ch- xii. 15, xvi. 25. NOTES, CHAP. xrv. 253 13. Even by laughter, Sfc] — A depression of spirits oftea succeeds laughter; and mirth l)\it too fr('(|ueiitly ends in sadness. " Ipsa; voluptates in tonuenta vertuntur. Epulvv cruditatem afFerunt ; ebrietates, nervorum torporem et tremorem ; libidines, pedum, nianuum, articiiloruni omnium depravationes." — (Seneca, in Poli Synop.) Tiie standard version, " Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful," is not correct; though sorrow may be occasioned by laughter, it does not exist hi it. 14. The backslider, Sfc] — Both the virtuous and the vicious shall receive the due reward of their deeds, l^ JID, " recedens corde virtutis desertor," Cocceius ; and is well rendered in E. T. " the backslider in heart," i. e. a man whose , heart recedes from virtue. — with his] — vbvn ex se ipso, from himself. As the backslider shall be rewarded according to his ways, so shall the good man, vhvii, from himself, *. e. according to his ways and actions. paty» is to be supplied from the first hemi- stich. Some derive vhvn from " r\hv (ynale) folium, cum affixo, h. e. ex fructibus suis, ex operibus suis." — (Buxtorfi Anticritica, p. 579; Poli Synop.) Capellus, Doederlein, Dathe, Houbigant, would alter the text into vhhjjn, " ex operibus ejus," without authority, and without necessity. 15. The simple, ^-c.] — The apostle says, charity " be- lieveth all things," (1 Cor. xiii. 7,) by which is meant, that love puts a charitable or favourable construction uj)on all things, as far as is consistent with justice; but " the simple believe every word," without thought, and without inquiry. The former proceeds from benevolence of disposition; the latter, from ignorant and stupid credulity. 17. He that is, i^t.] — CD'St* "lyp, literally, " short of nostrils," i. e. irritable, o^uOvf^tor, LXX. '* Tra furor brevis est," as Horace observes; and Cicero says, " Sed tamen L L 254 NOTES, CHAP. XIV. ira procul absit, cum qua nihil recte fieri, nihil considerate potest." — (De Officiis, 1. i, § 38.) Perhaps the bad effects of anger are nowhere expressed with such apostoUcal force and simpUcity as by Ignatius : Ov & fxepicrfiog eunv /cat opyr/, Qeoq ov KUTOiKH, " where there is division and wrath, God dwells not."— (Ad Philadelph. § 8. See Interpol. Ep.) It is observed, by Parkhurst and others, that the Hebrews, Greeks, and llomans agree in representing the nose as the seat of anger. 18. The simple inherit folly] — That is, they embrace folly, and adhere to it, as if it were a paternal inheritance ; for the word hni not only means to acquire by hereditary right, but likewise to possess, retain, possedit, tenuit. — Geier ; Simonis, Lex. — shall be crowned] — The prudent shall be adorned with knowledge; the possession of wisdom shall be " a graceful wreath to their head;" (ch. i. 9;) (Tr£^8»j(Tovrot yvwmy, Theo- dotion. It may, however, mean, that the prudent strenuously embrace knowledge : " strenue sectantur scientiam," Dathe; Kparrjaovmy, LXX. In Syriac and Chaldee, nriD denotes expectavit; therefore, Michaelis (Suppl. No. 1245) renders the clause, " callidi expectant, nondum se habere credunt, sed quaerunt, scientiam:" avaiiivovm, Aquila ; " expectabunt scientiam," Vulg. 19. The evil bow, 4"c.] — Wickedness is constrained to re- verence and respect virtue. Some understand it differently. " The latter hemistich is here not adversative, but exegetical of the former ; and by gates we are to understand, according to the Scripture phrase, the courts of judicature, which were usually over the gates of the Jewish cities ; so that the mean- ing seems clearly and simply to be this : That the wicked are brought low, when they are arraigned before the tribunal of the judge." — DurelK NOTES, CHAP. XIV. 255 20. The poor is hated, Sfc] " Donee eris felix, multos ntimerabis amicos; Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes;" and Horace quaintly, but with much correctness, observes — " Diffugiunt, cadis cum faece siccatis, amici." But it is useless to quote authorities for a truth confirmed by daily experience. Tlie sense is, Tlie poor are little esteemed by their neighbours; but multitudes pay court to the rich, and they have many friends, or pretended friends, mm often means, to love less, mhius curare, posthabei'e. — (Coc- ceius ; Vorstius, de Hebraisniis, cap. 5.) In the same way, fii(T€(ij is used in the New Testament, as may be seen in Schleusner. — For the application of h in this verse, see Nol- dius, 2. Compare ch. xix. 4, and note. 21. lie that despiseth, ^t.] — Our authorized version is very emphatical, by the repetition of the pronoun " he," and in perfect accordance with the original. Schultens well ex- presses the force of the Hebrew ; " ut qui miseretur inopum, o beatitudines ilhus!" Tenderness and mercy to the poor were enjoined by the Law of Moses, (Deut. xv. 7 — 10,) and frequently reconmiended by the wise monarch; ch. xvii. 5, xix. 17, xxi. 13, xxviii. 27. — See Ps. xli. 1. 23. Ill all labour] — As it is not true, as a general propo- sition, that " in all labour there is profit," h'z must not be taken strictly for all, but for many, or rather much; " in much labour," i. e. in diligence and industn,', " there is profit." ^3 is sometimes used in this restrictttl sense ; (Cocceius in voc. ; Michxl. Suppl. II-jB;) and so is ttuq in the New Testament. (See Schleusner in tthc. 2.) Some understand it of all honest and commendable labour. The aniitlusis leads us to ex- pound ayp of labour; but, as it sometimes denotes gi'ief, which is the labour or travail of the mind, it may be rendered. 236 NOTES, CHAP. XIV. " In every affliction there is profit ;" a remark analogous to Eccles. vii. 2, 3. 24. The crown of the ivise, <^c.] — Riches constitute a crown, an honour, and ornament to the wise, because they make a proper use of them ; but the opulence of fools only administers to their folly. n'7l« must, I think, mean opulence, not only by reason of the antithesis, but likewise because, in its usual acceptation, it yields no very apposite sense. Schul- tens refers to the Arabic J^, med. waw. oassm \f\ spissus fuit, (see Indices ad Prov. et Job, and Willmet, Lex. Arab.,) and he shows that Tra^^ve in Greek means dives, opulentns, as well as crassus vel spissus. His interpretation is followed by Parkhurst, Dathe, Schulz, in Cocc. Lex. It must, however, be acknowledged, that this sense of ^h^» is not supported by the ancient versions, nor by any other passage in Scripture ; and therefore, if the received version be retained, i. e. " the foolishness of fools is folly," the sense may be, that the " foolishness of fools," however it may be surrounded with riches, still remains " folly," nothing better, neither useful nor ornamental. — See Le Clerc, and Micha^hs, Not. L^ ber. 26. And his children] — ?. e. the children of him who has this confidence. The pronominal aflix sometimes refers to an antecedent not expressly mentioned, but imphed by the scope of the discourse. — Schroeder, Inst, ad Fund. Ling. Heb. reg. 39; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 158. 28. In the mnltitude, cS-c] — It is a truth acknowledged by the wisest statesmen in all ages, that the chief glory of a king is the abundance of happy and virtuous subjects. " The decay of population," says Dr. Paley, " is the greatest evil that a state can suffer; and the improvement of it the object which ought, in all countries, to be aimed at, in preference to evei-y other political purpose whatsoever." — (Moral and Polit. NOTES, CHAP. XIV. 257 Phil. lib. vi. cop. 11.) " To increase the number of the citizens, as far as it is possible or convenient, is one of the first objects that claim the attentive care of the state or its conductor," &c. — (Vattel on the Law of Nations, lib. i. cap. 14.) Yet, while we assert, that the highest honour of a prince, and the chief glorj' of a nation, is a " multitude of people," we must assent to the doctrine of Malthus, (Essay on the Principle of Population,) that, from the tendency of popidation to press upon the limits of subsistence, a great deal of vice and miserj' is occasioned in the world ; and that the most serious evils arise from a redundancy of population. Nevertheless, the principle of population, though it neces- sarily must occasion some evils, is, on the whole, productive of very beneficial effects, and wisely adapted to a state of discipline and trial. — See Sumner's Records of the Creation. — the prince] — ]^^\•\, in the sense of prince, occurs nowhere else in the singular, though often in the plural for princes or counsellors : but the parallelism and the ancient versions confirm this sense. Some refer it to ntn, and render it, " a wasting destruction." — Poli Synop. Schult. Parkh. Dathe, &c, 29. exalMh folly] — That is, makes his folly manifest to all. — See verse 17, and ch. iii. 35. 30. .4 sound heart, i^-e.] — Kaso and content, the due regu- lation of the passions, and a tranquil state of mind, conduce to the wellbeing of the bodily constitution. Some derive ND"in from nan rcmisit, i. c. a gentle heart; others, more properly, from wsn sanavit, a heart of healing, i. c. either a heart that wishes every good to others, a benevolent heart ; or one that is sound and healthy in itself. I prefer the more general expression, " a sound heart;" because a sound heart is necessarily a kind and benevolent one. Grotius and Le Clerc quote some appropriate passages from the classics. 258 NOTES, CHAP. XIV. 32. hath hope in his death] — What can this hope be but the expectation of an hereafter? Therefore, the righteous do not despair in death, hke the wicked. A clear intimation of a future state! — (See Dathe's note; Jarchi; Graves on the Pent. vol. ii. p. 253.) But Warburton expounds it of the righteous having hope that he shall be delivered from the most imminent dangers. — Div. Leg. lib. vi. sect. 3. 33. Btit that which is, t^c] — The LXX, Syriac, and Arabic read this hemistich with a negative particle : " But it (wisdom) is not known in the heart of fools." As such an alteration of the text, though approved by Capellus, (Crit. Sac. p. 838, ed. Vogel,) is not confirmed by adequate authority, Buxtorf and Durell propose to read it interrogatively: " But is it known in the midst of fools?" which renders the antithesis complete. 34. But sin is a reproach] — This hemistich is rendered " Beneficence is a sinolfering or expiation for nations," or " The beneficence of nations is a sinoffering or expiation," by Grotius, Castalio, Vatablus, Geier, Schultens, Le Clerc, Parkhurst. My reasons for adhering to the received version are, 1. It is scarcely justifiable to call beneficence a sin- offering for nations, even in a metaphorical sense. 2. TDn means to reproach, to put to shame, ch. xxv, 10, and in all languages these are words which bear quite opposite senses, of which examples are given in Pococke, Notje ad Porta Mosis, cap. 2, p. 136, ed. Twells; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 897, ed. Dathe. 3. non denotes reproach in Syriac and Chaldee. 4. This sense is su]>ported by Symmachus, and, probably, by LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate ; certainly they do not countenance the former interpretation. 5. It yields an excellent meaning, and renders the antithesis perfect. — Sec ch. xxv. 10, note. NOTES, CHAP. XV. 259 CHAPTER XV. 1. A soft answer, 4'c.] — This is opposed to 3yp nn, lite- rally, "a word of grief or anger;" /. c. words which irritate and give pain. 4. The healing medicine, Sfc] — Kind and tender discourse is elegantly styled " the healing medicine of the tongue;" and its power to heal the sorrowing mind may aptly be compared to the tree of life in the garden of Eden. G. is much treasure] — The sense is, that temporal pros- perity attends the righteous, but trouble the wicked. Though ion often means strength, yet it denotes treasure Ezek. xxii. 2o, (compare Tsa. xxiii. 18,) and ch. xxvii. 24 ; which proves that it cannot mean secure or durable treasures, as some imagine. 7. doeth not so] — p maybe a noun, denoting r/^A^ rectum, I. c. " the heart of fools disseminates that which is not right." So Doederlein, Dathe, Schultens. It is taken for a verb by Durell, who renders it, " doth not establish it." 8. The sacrifice, &;c.] — For illustration of this verse, com- pare ch. xxi. 27; 1 Sam. xv. 22; Ps. li. 17, etseq.; Isa. i. 11, Ixi. 8, Ixvi. 3; Jer. vi. 20; Amos, v. 22; Mai. i. 10. Homer, Iliad, lib. i. I. 218, says, Oc^t deoic emirettTdriTai, fiaXa T ikXvov avrov. Seneca excellently observes, " Nee in victimis, licet opimae sint, auroque pnefulgeant, deorum est honos ; sed pia et recti voluntate venerantiuni ; itaque boni etiam farre ac fictili religiosi sunt ; niali rursus non eftugiunt impietatem, quamvis aram sanguine multo cruentaverint." — See Poli Synop. 10. the wag] — That is, the way of righteousness ; " viaro vita%" Houbigant. 260 NOTES, CHAP. XV. 11. Hades and the seats of destruction, Sfc] — A fine de- scription of the omnipresence and omniscience of God. Even the mansions of departed souls are open to his inspection and cognizance ; how much more, then, does his eye search the secret recesses of the soul ! The word piiw occurs in four other places, Job, xxviii. 22, xxxi. 12, from which nothing can be inferred ; but the two following texts are important : Job, xxvi. 6, "Hades is naked before him; and the seats of destruction (pniw) have no covering." The word clearly means a place here, and the Targum paraphrases it by «Jna« n»l, " house of perdition." — (See Le Clerc and Ro- senmuller.) It occurs also in Ps. Ixxxviii. 12, Heb., which Bishop Horsley thus translates : " Shall thy tender love be published in the grave, Thy faithfulness in the seats of destruction ? " The Targum on the place renders it, " in the house of per- dition." From these passages we may conclude, that pnas means the place of perdition, " interritus sen perditionis locus," Castell. As it is joined with " Hades," a term including the regions of departed spirits, vihether good or bad, it pro- bably means the mansions where the spirits of the wicked are confined. I do not mean to insist upon this ; for it may be doubted, whether it be consistent with the notions which the ancient Jews entertained concerning the state of departed spirits. It must, however, be understood as denoting a place, and if it be not taken for the mansions of wicked spirits, yet it must be considered as equivalent to Sheol, or Hades. mi«, Prov. xxvii. 20, has the same signification; but f^^^? Esther, viii. 6, ix. 5, means destruction. The belief of a future state does not constitute the express object of the Mosaic revelation; yet that it was nuuU' known, though obscurely, by the Law of Moses, and otlu r books in the Old Testament, cannot reasonably be called in question. Nevertheless, it is, perhaps, impossible to ascertain the NOTES, CHAP. XV. 261 precise notions which the ancient Jewish people formed con- cerning the state of (lr|)arte(l souls, anil the place into which they are received at death. AVindet asserts, that Sheol, or Hades, contains Paradise, and Gehenna, or Hell ; " tarn Paradisum quam (iehennam in Sheol contineri certiim est;" (De Vita Fimctorum, cap. G;) but this and other circumstances men- tioned by him are collected out of the later Kabbins, who cannot be admitted as evidence of the belief of the primitive Jews. That there is an intermediate state between death and the general resurrection, where departed souls are reserved till their reunion with their bodies at the tinal judgment, is the doctrine of Christianity, and of the Established Church. The declaration of our Lord to the penitent thief upon the cross ; the words of St. Paul, (2 Cor. v. 8,) " we are desirous rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord," which imply, that this presence takes place during the period of absence from the body ; the stor^' of the rich man and Lazarus ; and the numerous passages in which the soul is supposed to exist separately from the body ; are satisfactory evidence of an intermediate state between death and the gene- ral resurrection. The same tenet is maintained in the public Formularies of the Established Church. — (See Bishops Bur- net and Toniline on Church Art. 3.) We must not, however, represent Christian ideas, any more than modern Kabbinical notions, as the opinions of the ancient Jewish church ; an error into which we are apt to fall, in discussing the faith and doc- trines of the Hebrews; but they ought to be collected from the Old Testament judiciously inteqireted. Though this is a subject of much importance, it would require too great a space to institute an inquiry into it: I must therefore refer, for more ample information, to the following works: Durell on Job, xxvi. 5 ; Horsley's Hosea, p. 46, 157, and Sermon ; Campbell's Prel. Diss. G; Pearson on the Creed, Art. 3; M M 262 NOTES, CHAP. XV. Parkhurst, Lex. V«ty ; Wetstein on Luke, xvi. 23; Lawrence on the Unitarian Version ; Lowth, de Sac. Poes. Heb. Preel. 7; Magee on Atonement, vol. ii. p. 153; Vitringa on Isaiah, torn. i. p. 432 ; Bishop Bull's Sermons, 2d and 3d ; Peters on Job, part iii. § 6; Burnet, de Statu Mortuorum, cap. 4; Windet, de Vita Functorum. 13. A men-y heart, SfC-l — The antithesis would lead us to understand by nil, in the second line, the breath ; for as a merry heart renders the countenance cheerful, so does a sorrowing heart produce sobbing, and a difficulty of breathing ; yet, as the meaning is excellent in the sense of mind or spirit, and as n«DJ mi means a troubled or afflicted mind ch. xvii. 22, xviii. 14, I have adhered to the received translation. 14. But the 7nouth] — Instead of 'Js, I follow the Keri, which has »3 ; it is supported by all the ancient versions and many MSS. — (Kennicott.) The image is the same in both read- ings, implying that fools addict themselves to and delight in folly. — Compare Isaiah, xliv. 20; Hos. xii. 2, Heb. 15. All the days, Sfc] — It is not true, that all the days of the afflicted are, strictly speaking, evil. It is often asserted in Scripture, that it is good for us to be in trouble and affliction. " Evil" must, therefore, mean painful, grievous, difficult to be borne ; or ^iv may mean the self-affiicted, tliose who mur- mur and repine. The Vulg. Syr. Targ. and Sym. render it " all the days of the poor," i. e. are full of pain and trouble. The Hebrew will certainly admit this inteipretation. 17. Better is a repast, ^c] — Better is a repast of the most humble provision where love prevails, than a banquet of the choicest delicacies accompanied with hatred and contention. This is peculiarly applicable to the marriage state, in which NOTES, CHAP. XV. 263 an union, sweetened by mutual aft'ection and endearment, is far preferable to the greatest wealth, or the most splendid station, without the solace of love. Marriages from pecu- niary motives never yet produced solid happiness, and are, moreover, productive of the most pernicious effects. Where disgust or dissatisfaction exist at home, it is common to search for pleasure abroad ; the spring and source of that criminal dissipation, which brings in its train the decay of every generous sentiment, and the corruption of the moral principle. Should interested marriages become universal, it would require no superior sagacity to predict the speedy ruin of the country. nr\li*. occurs, besides this place, 2 Kings, xxv. 30 ; Jer, xl. 5, lii. 34, which clearly determine its meaning to be a Jixed portion, a stated allowance of food; not viaticum, provision for a jonrney, as Castell, Taylor, and others ex- plain it, being led into this notion by its relation to m» iter facere. — See Harmer's Observations, vol. ii. p. 230 et seq. ed. Clarke, Lond. 1808 ; and Burder's Oriental Customs in loc. 19. TTie way of the slothful man, Sfc] — Either the way of the slothful, whatever repose they aim at, is rough, mazy, perplexed ; full of briars and thorns, which sting and lacerate them on every side : or, ever\' little difficulty appears insuper- able to the sluggard, at least as arduous as breaking through a thorn -fence. — To this effect Abcn Ezra: but the first inter- pretation ajipears to be supported by ch. xxii. 5; the LXX, oEoi aepyuy etrrpuffifvai oKayOai^; and the SjTiac, which is, " The ways of the slothful are full of thonis." 22. Without counsel] — "isn, infinitive used for a noun, as is frequently the case. — (Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 292.) ^\^D can- not here mean a secret, but an assembly met for the purpose of deliberation, or rather, the counsel or deliberation itself. — See ch. iii. 32, note. Compare ch. xi. 14, xx. 18, xxiv. G. 264^ NOTES, CHAP. XV. — But in the multitude] — Dr. Hales thus translates this verse : " Without a priri/ counsel, measures fail ; But ill a Master of the Counsellors, they shall stand." He adds, " The phrase yyv 3T is improperly rendered in the English Bible ' a multitude of counsellors,' than which, in state affairs, nothing can be more ruinous ; for, according to a trite English proverb, ' too many cooks spoil the broth.' Rab, in the Chaldean and Persic languages, signified a ' master' or * chief;' as Rab Mag, ' Master of the Magi,' or the ' Archimagus,' Jer. xxxix. 3. Rab Shakeh, ' chief butler,' Isa. xxxvi. 2. Hence the Jewish title Rabbi, ' my master.' " — (New Analysis, vol. iii. p. 175, note.) So also he renders the phrase ch. xi. 14, xxiv. : but an very often occurs in Proverbs, and always in the sense of multitude, much, abundance, &c.; it is so rendered by all the ancient versions, never master; it is here joined with CD^yyv, plural, which seems to demand the ren- dering, " in the multitude of counsellors;" besides, what meaning is there in " Master of the Counsellors"? Was there ever such an officer ? Or is any such title mentioned or al- luded to elsewhere in holy writ ? To this we may add, that n does not appear ever to denote master, except in proper names, most probably of Chaldaic origin. For these reasons, I must reject the interpretation proposed by the learned author of the New Analysis. 24. The way of life above, S)-c.] — " The way of life above," being opposed to " Hades beneath," may mean a long, pros- perous, and happy life in this world. Such a life is destined for the prudent, that they may avoid Hades beneath, that they may avoid a sudden and immature death. — (Warburton, Div. Leg. lib. vi. sect. 3.) Yet it is not to be denied, that by " the way of life above," heaven and immortality may be NOTES, CHAP. XV. 265 signified; and, therefore, that the sense may be, that the prudent shall inherit immortuHty, and avoid the place of punishment, namely, those mansions of Hades, where the spirits of the wicked are confined. The verse may also admit another interpretation ; that " the way of life above is to the prudent man,'' namely, his hopes and depend- ence are placed upon the almii^hty Power above, and he endeavours, in all his conduct, to please God, in order to attain the way of life, and avoid Hades beneath. " Homo sapiens in omnibus actionibus suis Deum respicit, ut a periculo servetur." — Grotius. 25. the border of the widoic] — Namely, her property and possessions. 26. But the u-ord.s of the pure, 4'c.] — Tliis is the authorized version; but 1 am inclined to believe, that »nan means things, not words, and that the clause should be rendered, " But those (the thoughts) of the pure are pleasant, (or pleasant things") i. e. to Jehovah. — (See Poli Sj-nop.) According to this explication, the antithesis is perfect. Some take CDnno ptire, for " pleasing to God." — Michadis, (Not. Uber.) Dathe, who renders it, " Placent ei sermones suavi." Durell's ver- sion is, " But the pure speak what is acceptable to him." Hodgson's is, " But pleasing are the words of the innocent." 27. But he that hateth gifts] — Tliese must be such as are bestowed for the purpose of perverting right and justice; for it cannot be wrong to receive the gifts of friendship, charity, and gratitude ; it might, therefore, be properly translated " bribes," as Hodgson's version. As " n'n, in Kal, denotes not only to lice, but to eause to live, to presen-e alive," (Parkhurst's Lex.) this hemistich may be rendered, " But he that hateth gifts shall preserve it," i. c. his house ; he shall preserve his family in prosperity'. The antithesis seems to 266 NOTES, CHAP. XV. require this version, though the ancient versions do not admit it : " earn stabiUt," Dathe. 28. The heart of the righteous, Sfc] — " Non temere efFiitit quicquid in buccam venit. Nil loqviitur nisi diu meditatum : itaque recta et bona respondere solet. Loquitur quae sunt ad utiUtatem." — PoU Synop. 30. As the light of the eyes, ^c] — As the pleasures derived through the eye gratify the heart ; so does an honest fame exhilarate a man. In this exposition, " the light of the eyes" means the pleasures which we receive through the rj'es; and oyj/ jtynn, hterally, " fatteneth the bones,'' are metaphorical expressions, to denote the making a man cheer- ful and contented ; i. e. a good name cheers and exhilarates a man; " reficit et IsKtificat hominem," Michselis, (Not. Uber.) Other interpretations may be found in Schultens and Poli Synop. 31. that regardeth] — i?nti> means, 1. To perceive by the ear, to listen. 2. To perceive, to discern, to understand. 3. To mind, to regard, to obey. According to Johnson, the same senses belong to the word " hear;" yet ynty may often be more forcibly, and more perspicuously, translated by some of the words by which it is explained above. — the reproof of life] — i. e. salutary reproof. 33. Tliefear of Jehovah, ^c] — Tlie fear of Jehovah con- stitues the fundamental principle inculcated by Wisdom ; and is, therefore, properly called the beginning, the excellence, or principal part of religion. — (Ch. i. 7.) The latter hemistich re- calls to mind the eulogies on humility in the New Testament, James, iv. 6; Luke, xiv. 11; Rom. xii. 16, v^c. Compare ch. xviii. 12. NOTES, CHAP. XVI. 267 CHAPTER XVI. 1. The deliberations, 4*c.] — We are indebted to God for all we possess; lor the power of reason, and tlie faculty of speech ; for every thing we enjoy mentally and corporeally ; in short, in him we live, and move, and have our being. Such, I think, is the meaning of this ver)' dilhcnlt verse, in the ex- position of which there are so many discordant opinions. But we must examine it critically whether it will bear this ex- plication. — in man] — h often means in: (Xoldius, 18:) czjTi*^ may, then, be rendered " in man ;" or, perhaps with equal propriety, " with respect to man." — Noldius, h, 30. — The deliberations] — OIPD, from "|nr ordinavit, dis- po«»t7, means the arrangements of the mind, i. e. the counsels, schemes, deliberations. — and theuttei'ance'] — njyo does not here mean the answer, but the power of answering, utterance; " eloqnendi facultas," Mercer. The context requires this meaning; for what can the assertion mean, that " the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah," but that the power or faculty of speech is derived from him ? Thus my version seems to be critically established. To distinguish the two hemistichs antithetically, as in the Vul- gate, Syriac, Targum, and several moderns, viz. " The counsels of the heart are man's; but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah," is imjustifiable; for the schemes of the hrart are as much from Jehovah as the answer of the tongue : in both he gives the power ; the use belongs to the free-will of man. 2. All the ways of a man] — That is, the course of life which he pursues, his actions and proceedings. Ilowevir just they m;iy appear in his own eves, and silf-lovt; often renders a man 268 NOTES, CHAP. XVI. blind to his own faults ; yet " Jehovah weigheth the spirits/' he forms a perfectly just estimate of men's hearts and minds. — may he right] — it clean, pure; metaphorically, jwsf, riffht. — Ch. xxi. 2. 3. Commit thy works, ^c.] — In all thy doings, seek the approbation of God ; execute his will ; confide in his super- intending care ; and he will give success to thy designs, as far as is expedient for thee. — Compare Ps. xxxvii. 5, Iv. 22 ; 1 Pet. V. 7. 4. Jehovah had made, Sfc] — The Almighty, through his own good pleasure, created all things; and is even so merciful, that he daily feeds and sustains the wicked. " The mercy of the Lord is everlasting ;" (Ps. c. 5 ;) and " he endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruc- tion." — (Rom. ix. 22.) The Bible translation favours the Supralapsarian doctrine ; but God forbid that we should ever maintain, that it can be consistent with his ever-wakeful mercy to " create the wicked for the day of evil," to call millions of human beings into existence, who, at the same time, are doomed, by an irreversible decree, to eternal perdition. The horrible doctrine of Reprobation is now, I hope, generally renounced by modern Calvinists, though they hold others, which, by just and necessary consequence, lead to it. But as their tenets have no authority in Scripture, grammatically and critically expounded ; so it is very certain that they have no support from the passage before us. According to the translation which I have given of this verse, it is a description of the benevolence of the Almighty, in daily bearing with and sustaining the wicked. But, should the received translation be deemed correct, " the day of evil" would be considered, by a Jew of the age of Solomon, to mean the day of trouble and afttictioii ; in other words, the NOTES, CHAP. XVI. 269 time of temporal punishment. The sense, then, will be, " Jehovah hath made all thintrs for himself; yea, even the wicked, uho are reserved, or who subject themselves, to the day of evil, *. e. the day of punishment." " Non fecit Deus im- piimi; sed facit ut, qiiis(|iiis talis est, sit ad diem malum, sit obnoxius poena? necessario et absque omni dubio secutune." — (Reiske.) Bishop Tomline's interpretation is nearly similar : " The true meaning; of the passage is, that (iod made all things to display his own glorious attributes; and that even wicked men, whose existence and frequent prosperity may seem scarcely reconcilable with the divine perfections, will, in the end, be found to furnish the strongest proof of his long-sutFer- ing in bearing with their iniquities, and of his power and justice in punishing their incorrigible depravity : upon such men ' the day of evil' will ultimately come : ' the wicked is reserved for the day of destruction ; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.' Job, xxi. 30." — Refut. of Calvinism, cap. 4. Some, to avoid the blasphemy of attributing affliction or punishment as the object of God in creating any rational beings, explain " the day of evil" thus; That God made the wicked to inflict evil or punishment upon others. — (Parkhurst, nJj?.) Others give a diHerent turn to the verse, by taking injpn'? for a noun ; i.e. " faeit secuiiduiii responsum suum ; id est, facit ut respondeat voluntati sua», et sumat tinem non quem ipse vult, sed quem Deus intendit." — (Xoldius, An- not. 1404.) So, with some variation, it is understood by Glass, Gousset, Schultens, &c. Desvoeux (Essay on Eccles. p. 462) renders the verse, " The Lord hath made all thing's to be evidence of himself, nay, the wicked to be so in the day of adversity." — daily] — ov^ I understand in the sense of every day, day by day, daily, as Kxod. xxix. 3G, 38; Numb, xxviii. 3, 24; Jer. xxxvii. 21; Kzek. iv. 10. The punctuation, N N 270 NOTES, CHAP. XVI. indeed, is different in these places, but we are no longer in bondage to the Masora. " Dies mulus vel mali, hie est, dies poenae sive calamitatis : ut phrasis sumitur. Gen. xlvii. 9 ; Ps. xxvii. 5, xlix. 6 ; Jer. xvii. 18, &c." — Poli Synop. — sustains] — n:/"i I take for a verb to feed, to sustain: " Impium quoque quotidie alit," as rendered by Dathe, who, after Doederlein, observes,- that nu"), being feminine, cannot properly agree with DV, which is masculine, and ought, there- fore, to be construed as a verb : but every Hebrew scholar must see, that this criticism is not entitled to much weight. 5. Though hand join in hand] — See ch. xi. 21, note. 6. Through mercy, ^c] — It is owing to God's mercy that iniquity can be atoned for. Through his great goodness, God has appointed the expiations for sin in the Levitical law; and through the reverence which all his mercies demand, men are induced to depart from evil, and avoid it. 0. A man's heart, Sj'c..] — Man deliberates concerning his aftairs and proceedings ; but the event of them is in the all- wise disposal of God. Perhaps this verse may be rendered more perspicuously by a greater deviation from the letter : " A man's mind dehberates concerning his proceedings; But Jehovah directeth the issue of them." The meaning may be illustrated by ch. xx. 24; Ps. xxxvii. 23, and particularly Jer. x. 23 : " O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." This is the authorized version, which is .supported by the LXX, Vulgate, and Targum ; but Dr. Blaney, after the Syiiac and Durell, adopts, in my judgment, a less correct translation ; viz. •' 1 know Jehovah, that his way is not like that of men, TS'otlike a human being doth he proceed and order his going," NOTES, CHAP. XVI, 271 10. Divination is, t^'c] — By the kiriij, we arc to understaiul a wise and virtuous nionarcli ; and the wliole relates to his conduct injudicial proceedings, as is evident t'roni the second hemistich. " Divination" rests upon the lips of such a king; that is, by sagacious interrogatories and skilful inipiiries, he investigates the truth of the matters upon wiiich he sits in judgment : and thus " his mouth will not transgress in judg- ment," i. €. he will pronounce an ecpjitable sentence, aop is rendered " divination" by LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and Targura; and, as divination, properly so called, was forbidden, (Deut. xviii. 10,) it must here mean sagacity, penetration in discovering the truth. — (Parkhurst, Lex.) The root is used in a good sense Isaiah, iii. 2. It is not improbable, that Solomon glances at his famous decision about the children of the two harlots, 1 Kings, iii. 10. 11. A just weight, ^-c] — " A just weight and balance" are called " Jehovah's" and " his work," because they are his appointment, aly to the law, Levit. xix. 3o; Deut. XXV. 13, et seq. which requires the use of " a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure." Compare ch. xi. 1, XX. 10, 23. From which passages, in conjunction with the verse before us, we learn, that it was usual with the Israelites to keep their weights in bags; and that their weights were made of stone, and not of metal, lest they should be corroded by the rust, and, in consequence, become lighter. — Lamy, Apparat. Biijiic. lib. i. cap. lo. See Michivlis, Commentaries on the Laws of Moses, Art. 227, wiicrc lie has made some curious remarks on Hebrew weights and measures. 12. It is an abomination, t^T.] — Verses 12 — l.j are spoken of a wise and virtuous monarch, as being alone worthy of the name of king, in llu^ same way as verse 10. 14. as messengers of death] — Tlie king's wrath is instantly followed by vengeance, and thoroforo it itiav be (•()nii)ar('d to 212 NOTES, CHAP. XVI. the Capidgi, or executioner, sent with a warrant from the prince to put an offender to death. Thus " Benaiah was the Capidgi sent by Solomon to put Adonijah to death, (1 Kings, ii. 25.) A Capidgi, in Hke manner, beheaded John the Baptist in prison, (Matt. xiv. 10.) Great energy will then be allowed to the term messengers of death, if we understand the words of the Capidgi of the Jewish princes." — Burder's Oriental Customs; also Harhier, vol. iii. p. 372. 15. In the light, Sfc] — " The light of the king's coun- tenance" means, that, when it is expressive of kindness and benignity, his subjects enjoy Hfe and freedom; contrasted with the preceding verse, in which it is said, that vengeance instantly follows the king's wrath. — the latter rain] — The former and latter rain are often mentioned in Scripture; and, as the Hebrews began their civil year about the autumnal equinox, it is natural to suppose, that " the former rain" was that which fell in October or the beginning of November; and " the latter rain," that which fell in April; for, " during the summer season, the Eastern countries are rarely refreshed with rain," as Dr. Shaw ob- serves. — (Travels, p. 335.) The words translated " the former and the latter rain," (tt^lp^Dl, n'W,) are not expressive of first and second, but of two important sorts of rain. — (See Park- hurst and Cocceius on the words.) That the latter rains, or rains in the spring, are necessary to an abundant crop, appears from the testimony of Dr. Russel. " The more wet the spring," says he, " the later the harvest, and the more plentiful the crop." This shows the beauty of the comparison. The king's favour is as grateful as the spring showers, which fertilize the earth, and produce an abundant crop. — See Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 71, ct scq. NOTES, CHAP. XVI. 273 16. to get 2visdoni] — nip for mJp. — See Altingii Fiindam. Puiict. p. 333. 17. The highway, ^c.] — The Masora notices, that this verse is the middle of the book. IB. Pride precedeth, 8fc.] — Destruction presses hard upon pride and a haughty spirit. 20. He that understandeth the jcord] — The parallehsm in- chnes me to understand by nn " the word of God :" he who diHgently endeavours to know and to obey it, shall find by experience its salutary effects. — (See Poli Synop.) As in, however, means thing as well as word, it may be rendered, " He who handleth a matter wisely," as E. T., or " He who is prudent in his affairs:" " Qui prudenter se gerit," Dathe. — See Le Clerc. 21. shall be called pnidrut] — As the Hebrews used the phrase " to be called," for being really so, (Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 222,) the meaning is, the wise in heart will be pru- dent, will act with prudence. Doederlein, after Michwlis, reads TT\p' ohviain veiiit, i. e. " Sapient! occurrit vel socius haeret prudens;" for which there is no authority, and the re- ceived version is supported by Vulgate and Targum. — And the sweetness of the lips] — I suppose, not only eloquence of language, but also an elegant and agreeable enunciation, which certainly increase the effect even of sound doctrine. 22. But the instruction, Sfc.] — Whatever instruction fools may pretend to give, it will prove only foolishness. Arnoldi, Doederlein, and Dathe, take iDin for a foil or yiet, as ch. vii. 22 ; the latter of whom renders it, " Et laqueus stulto stultitia;" but this is opposed by the ancient versions, and is contrary to the usual acceptation of the words. 274 NOTES, CHAP. XVI. 23. The heart of the 7tnse, Sfc] — The well-regulated mind of the wise renders their language and discourse prudent and discreet. 24. Pleasant words, ^'cJ] — Such an intimate union subsists between the soul and the body, that whatever delights and exhilarates the mind has a salutary effect upon the body. Compare ch. iii. 8, iv. 22, xv. 30, in which last text " bones" are put synecdochically for the whole person, as in this verse. Phny treats of the use of honey, Nat. Hist. lib. xxii. cap. 24. 2-3. There is a way, Sfc.} — See ch. xiv. 12, note, and compare verse 2. 26. The body, i^t.] — 1^3 J here means the person or body; for neither the soul nor appetite, strictly speaking, " labours" to procure subsistence. It has often this sense. — layeth this burthen] — r|Di* only occurs here and Job, xxxiii. 7. Schultens, who is followed by the German lexico- graphers, appeals to the Arabic ^-^i clitellas vel sai'cinas imposuit, I. e. the necessity of food lays this burthen, this task of labouring upon him. This sense of the word suits Job, xxxiii. 7, extremely well. It may likewise be added, in confirmation, that the Chaldee p]31« means ephippittm, and the Syriac *2^| means sollicitavit ; also that the render- ing of the LXX, tKQia^^ETcu, and of the Vulgate, " compulit," give the same meaning, only stript of the metaphor; for to lay the burthen of labouring upon a man, is, in fact, to force and compel him to it. 27. deciwth evil] — Literally, " diggeth;" but, as the meta- phorical expression " diggeth evil" is scarcely admissible in English, it is better to give the sense, " deviseth" or searcheth for evil, as men dig into the bowels of the earth in search of the precious metals. The image is thus explained by others ; NOTES, CHAP. XVI. 275 as the verb m3 often is applied to the digging a pit, the word pit being here understood, it denotes to dig a pit, or pit-fall, i. e. to devise secret mischief. So Parkhurst, Le Clerc, &c. — a burning fire] — By his speech he raises strife, sedi- tion, slander, and spreads abroad mischief hke a devouring fire. — Compare James, iii. (>. 28. And a ichisperei-] — pnj only occurs here and ch. xxvi. 20, xviii. H, xxvi. 22. From the two latter passages we may infer, that it relates to some offence in words; and, as this offence is said to separate friends, it seems to mean tale- bearing, than which few things arc oftener wont to disturb the harmony of social union. This interpretation derives consi- derable support from ch. xvii. 9. The root fjT likewise means to mutter, to invrnntr, (see the Lexicons,) and the ancient versions chiefly confirm it. — chief frienils] — P()bi< denotes a friend, chief, guide, S:c. but " Cuncti significatus tov ti")'?^ hie conveniunt; sejungit enim principes a subditis, maritos ab uxoribus, amicum ab amico, si aurem ei prjebuerint." — Geier. 29. A malicious man] — Literally, "a man of violence;" but as it is not the part of violence to entice or deceive, " Dan D'« non tam vii'um violentum nuncdenotat, quam /a2a- cem; eo quod fallacia sit species violentia; et injuria^." — (Schultens.) I have rendered it by a general term, after the LXX, Syriac, Vulgate. "Homo raalitiosus," Dathe. — See ch. iii. 31, note. 30. He shutteth his eyes, ij'c.] — This is a description of the deep meditation of the " malicious man" (verse 29) in devising perverse things for the purpose of deceiving his 276 NOTES, CHAP. XVI, neighbour. To avoid the distraction of external objects, " h? shutteth his eyes," and, " moving his lips," either muttering, or biting them as people in deep thought are vront, "he per- fecteth" his malicious schemes, nyy is awa^ Xty. and he who will examine the kindred dialects and ancient versions will, probably, derive no greater satisfaction than myself: (besides the Lex. see Schultens, Orig. Heb. par. 2, cap. ii. § 20 :) I have, therefore, adhered to the traditionary sense. 31. The hoary head, SfcJ] — See an admirable essay on the reverence due to a virtuous old age in the Rambler, (No. 50,) a work by which the wisest may be instructed, and the most virtuous may be improved. 32. He that is slow, Sfc] — The classical scholar will call to mind the lines of Horace, lib. ii. Carmen 2. " Latins regnes avidum domando Spiritum, quam si Lybiam remotis Gadibus jungas, et uterque Poenus Serviat uni." 33. The lot is cast, Sfc] — The most important matters among the Jews were regulated by lot. The land of Canaan was divided among the tribes by lot ; and in the same way Mat- thias was chosen to the apostleship in the room of the traitor Judas. — (Acts, i. 26. Compare ch. i. 14; 1 Chron. xxiv. 5; Nehem. xi. 1; Esth. iii. 7; Luke, i, 9.) "The lot causeth contentions to cease;" (ch. xviii. 18;) it may, therefore, some- times very advantageously put an end to private contentions and public hostilities, (Grotius, de Jure Bel. et Pac. lib. ii. cap. 23, § 9,) and may occasionally be used with good effect in the distribution of private property. — (Puft'endoif, de Jure Nat. et Gent. lib. iii. cap. 2, § 5.) n« is here the sign of the nominative. — (Glass, p. 71.) P^^\2. " the bottom or midst of an urn or other vessel into wliich lots are cast." — Parkhurst. NOTES, CHAP. XVII. 277 CHAPTER XVIT. 1. sacri^cial-hanr/nets] — Literally, "sacrifices of conten- tion;" by which I uiulorstand the feasts wont to be made with the remains of peace-oti'erinfjs, and may therefore be ren- dered "sacrificial-banquets." — (Seech, vii. 14, note.) nar, however, sometimes denotes to slay for food; as, 1 Samuel, xxviii. 24; 1 Kings, xix. 21; F-zek. xxxix. 17. " It doth, among the Hebrews, signify martare, to slay, and sacri- Jivarr, to sarrijice, as Oveiv among the C reeks." — (Leigh's Crit. Sac.) See Spencer, de Leg. Heb. lib. iii. cap. 7, who observes, " nat quod sacrificium aut mactationem notat, ad coHvii'iiim signiHcaudum usurpatnr, 1 Sam. ix. 12, 13, xvi. 3." The hemistich may then be rendered, *' Than a house full of feastings with strife, or banquets with strife." In either case the sense is the same, in the main correspond- ing with ch. XV. 17. 2. And shall hare part] — As p'^n signifies both to divide, and to share, to participate in such division ; the second hemistich may mean, either that the wise servant shall be appointed, on account of his wisdom, to divide the parental inheritance among the brethren ; or he shall himself partici- pate in the inheritance, shall be coheir with the brethren. Either way understood it is descriptive of the excellence of wisdom; but the particle "iinU among, in the midst of, favours the latter, as Micha-lis observes, Notae Uberiores. 3. The Jininff-pot, (§y.] — The sense is. As the fining-pot trieth silver, and the furnace gold, so does Jehovah tr)- the hearts of men. — See Jer. xi. 20, xvii. 10; Ps. vii. 9. 4. A n-irhed doer, ifc.] — The wicked listen with pleasure to those who nlt( r scantlal and t'alsehood; antl those addicted o o 278 NOTES, CHAP. XVII. to the odious vice of lying lend a willing ear to a malevolent tongue; both thereby gratify their malignity. It may amuse, certainly not instruct, to peruse the version of Schultens, w ho here out-Herods Herod: " Pigmentis pollens nitorem inducit super labium vanitatis; fucum splendide comens super lin- guam vastissimarum cupiditatum." We may apply to him the v»rords of Micheelis, expressed upon another occasion : " Schultensius perquam coacte (vertit,) et ut commentaiio magis indigeat quam Hebraica. Commentarium in notis addidit, non describendum." jnn put for I'mn, which is the reading of some MSS. (see Kennicott,) and proved by the parallelism ; yet Gousset and Schultens (whom see) do not acquiesce in this remark. 6. Children's children, &;c.'] — The aged and their numerous descendants reflect mutual honour and dignity upon each other, 7. The lip of excellency] — " The lip of excellency" (as E. T. margin) denotes the speaking grave, dignified, and excellent things with elegance and authority. As this cannot belong to a fool, his claim to excellent speech must be mere pretence, and, consequently, unbecoming in one who can utter little but folly. m«J may be derived either from n«J decere, or m« desiderare. — Buxtorf, Lex. Michajlis, Not. Uber. 8. A ffift, 4*c.] — ^The eftect of gifts and bribes is great ; they are esteemed as valuable gems ; and wherever they are bestowed they produce favour and success to the donor ; for " eveiy man is a friend to him that givetli gifts." — (Ch. xix. 6. Compare ch. xviii. 16, xxi. 14.) This is an observation upon what frequently happens in human life, without any commen- dation of it. " Id demum in consuetudinem abiit, ut, qui regem adibat, nunquam sine dono compareret, atque inde mos ad ahos quoque magnates, imo et ad a^quales, qui invisebantur, transivit." — ^Jahn, Archaeol. Biblica, § 177, p. 252, NOTES, CHAP. XVII. 279 — it prospereth] — The primary meaning of hom I take to he wise, prudent : and hence, as prosperity and success are often the result of wisdom and prudence, it denotes to prosper, in Hiph. to render prosperous, to promote one's success. — Deut. xxix. 8; 1 Kings, ii. 3; Jer. x. 21, xx. 11, xxiii. 5; Josh, i. 7, 8 ; Isa. lii. 13. 10. Reproof, Sfc] — This version is hteral, and coincides with the Vulgate, nnn is best deduced from nnJ descendere, " descendit increpatio in pnidentem, i. c. gravius cum afficit, quam si percutias stultum centies." — (Cocc. Lex.) But some derive it from nnn fract us fuit, tcrritus fait :'' "Reproof aweth," Eng. margin ; avirpiQei aTretXt], LXX. 11. Surely a rebellious man, ^-c.] — RebeUion, whether against God, or against lawfully constituted authorities, is productive of evil ; " but a cruel messenger shall be sent against rebels," they shall be severely punished. It is not true, according to the English translation, that " an evil nianseeketh only rebelhon:" no, therefore, must be put for a rebellious man ; the abstract for the concrete. Or ty»« may be under- stood : no iy»« " a man of rebellion," i. e. a rebel. — See Geier and Le Clerc. 12. Let a bear, Sfc.] — See Parkhurst, m, and the authors there cited. 14. The beginning of strife, ^-c.] — As in breaking down the banks of a river, the inundation, though small at first, con- tinues to increase till the whole country' is overflowed; so strife is trifling at its commencement, but, if indulged, increases to insatiable animosity : therefore, dismiss contention before it becomes fierce and unappeaseable. — be meddled tcith] — The word v^y occurs only here and ch. xviii. 1, XX. 3, in all which the traditionary' sense of meddling or engaging in is very applicable. Thus, in the 280 NOTES, CHAP. XVII. present instance, " before contention be meddled with," i.e. before engaging in contention, at its very first origin, dismiss it, otherwise it will grow into irreconcilable hatred. But Schultens, Simonis, Michailis, Schulz, Parkhurst, Dindorf, and Castell, give it the sense of deriding, scorning, which may be very well applied to the passages where it occurs. The ancient versions are at variance among themselves ; and little assistance is to be had from the dialects ; for I cannot think that the Arabic ^-i>^ patuit os, labiis non tegentibus denies, gives much support to the latter interpretation. 16. Wherefore is there, ^c.]— This rendering is supported by the ancient versions ; but it may be differently translated : " Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool ? To acquire wisdom ? But he hath no heart for it." To this effect De Dieu, Jun. and Tremel., Schultens, Datbe. 17. A friend loveth, Sfc.] — True friendship is as wann in adversity as in prosperity ; and it is the ordination of Provi- dence, that a brother should assist his brother in distress. 18. in the presence] — ^That is, in the presence of him to whom, or for whom he becomes surety. The verse contains an admonition against imprudent suretiship. — Ch. vi. 1, note. 11). And he that exalteth his ^raie]— This expression is, probably, to be taken figuratively, for proud and arrogant conduct, which whoever uses, as it were, seeks destruction. But it will admit a different e\i)osition. " Melius forsan nna de ore exposueris. Ostia oris Michas, vii. 5, dicit, nee Tvkai (TTOjJiaTog Grsccis ignotae. TJnde exponere liceat, — amat peccatum qui amat jurgia : et qui os insolentius diducit, qu;erit iiiterritum."— (Doederlein. So Poli Synop.) A less probable explication is given by Lc Clerc and Burder. NOTES, CHAP. XVII. 281 20. He that hath a double tongue] — Literally, " he that ttirns with his tongue," " (jui vertit linguam," Vulg,, by which duplicity of speech is signilied : uri)fi ivfjitTu^vXog yXwaaij, LXX. So Durell ; but £. T. is admissible, " he that hath a perverse tongue." 22. A merry heart, Sfe."] — Cheerfulness of spirit has a beneficial influence upon the body, and contributes to its health and welfare. " The physical state of the body is most happy, when the mind enjoys a moderate degree of gaiety, such as is generally met with in healthy and virtuous persons. The circulation of the fluids and perspiration are then carried on with proper vigour ; obstructions are thereby prevented or removed ; and by this lively and uniform motion, not only digestion, but likewise all the other functions of the body are , note,) and, by a metonymy of the effect for the cause, it denotes him who is rich. *' The rich answereth roughly;" (ch. xviii. 23;) they are proud, haughty, confident; he, therefore, who is haughty and con- fident is generally the same as he who is rich. The anti- thesis, and the parallel passage ch. xxviii. G, confirm this interpretation. 288 NOTES, CHAP. XIX. 2. Also that the soul, Sfc] — ^The English version here adopted yields a good sense, namely. Ignorance is prejudi- cial, and precipitation leadeth into error. But as the Orien- tals have, strictly speaking, no reciprocal pronoun, msi is often used in its stead ; (Robertson's Gram. p. 317 ; Hackspan, Disputationum Sylloge, p. 149;) and the first line may, there- fore, be rendered, " Surely to be without knowing oneself is not good." So the Syriac, OImSH ^Jj 1J> ,^ " he who knows not himself;" and the Targum, (and perhaps Vulgate,) and Durell. 4. many friends] — ^That is, pretended friends, men eager to court the acquaintance of the rich. Ti3» is separated from his neighbour, i. e. is deserted by him, ch. xiv. 20. 7. do hate him] — Not absolutely hate him, but little respect him, as «Jty is used ch. xiv. 20, where see the uote. — they are not to be found] — t^t:):: may refer to ann«, he pursueth his pretended friends with words, but they are un- availing; (see Dimock;) but, perhaps, more properly to " friends," who, though he ptirsues them with words, " are not," i. e. he cannot procure their friendship. " His familiars to his buried fortunes Slink all away; leave their false vows with him, Like empty purses picked : and his poor self, A dedicated beggar to the air, With his disease of all-shunn'd poverty. Walks, like contempt, alone." — Timon of Athens. inj;iD, Jod is wanting before in, (Buxtorf, Thesaurus, 1. ii. c. a,) or it may be put distributively for each of his friends. — Michvths, Not. Uber. 10. Dcliyht, Sfc] — By delight is meant the luxury, and splendour, and elegance attendant on wealth and power. It NOTES, CHAP. XIX. 289 is not seemly for fools to be possessed of these, as they turn them to the worst purposes : much less is it proper for princes to be luider the rule ami direction of servants, men of low habits and mean education, who too often employ their in- fluence to Ratify the j)assions of their superiors. — (Compare ch. xxvi. 1.) Hunt renders it, " It is not seemly for a fool to hold the reins of government :" tliis perfects the parallelism ; but this sense of juyn is not supported by adequate authority. It is rendered " dehght" by LXX, Syr. Targ. Vulg., and must have this meaning Eccles. ii. 8 ; Cant. vii. 7, Heb. — See Michalis, Suppl. No. 1929. 12. Tlie king's wrath, S;c.] — Better perhaps, " The king's wrath roareth as a lion." — Syr. Targ. Dim. Durell. But see Geier. 13. And the contentions of n wife, 4'e.] — ^The allusion in this hemistich is geuerallv thought to be to an old and decayed house, through which the rain continually drops, rendering it highly disagreeable to inhabit. Durell supposes that the allusion is to " the dropping of the eaves of a house, or any contiimed gentle falling of water, than which nothing is more apt to be tiresome and distracting." Mr. Harmer thinks that it refers to the arbours made of the boughs of trees upon the house-tops, in which the iidiabitants of those sultry regions were accustonied to sleep in summer. " Egmont and Hey- man tell us that at Caipha, at the foot of mount Carmel, the houses are small and flat-roofed, where, during the summer, the inhabitants sleep in arl)ours made of the boughs of trees." — (Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 273.) " Dr. Pococke in like manner tells us, that when he was at Tiberias, in Galilee, he was entertained by the Sheik's steward, and that they supped upon the top of the house for coolness, according to their custom, and lodged there likewise, in a sort of closet. 290 NOTES, CHAP. XIX. about eight feet square, of a wicker-work, plastered round towards the bottom, but without any door, each person having his cell." — (Ibid. p. 274.) " However pleasant," says Mr. Harmer, " these arbours and these wicker-work closets may be in the diy part of the year, they must be very disagreeable in the wet, and they that should then lodge in them would be exposed to a continual dropping. To such circumstances then, probably, it is that Solomon alludes, when he says, ' It is better to dwell iti the corner of the house-top, than with a brawling woman in a wide house,' Prov. xxi. 9, xxv. 24. A corner covered with boughs or rushes, and made into a little arbour, in which they used to sleep in summer, but which must have been a very incommodious place to have made an entire dwelling. To the same allusion belong these other expres- sions, that speak of the contentions of a wife being like a con- tinual dropping, Prov. xix. 13, xxvii. 15 : put together they amount to this, Tt is better to have no other habitation than an arbour on the house-top, and be there exposed to the wet of winter, which is oftentimes of several days continuance, than to dwell in a wide and commodious house with a brawl- ing woman, for her contentions are a continual dropping, and, wide as the house may be, you will not be able to avoid them, and get out of their reach." — Ibid. p. 277. — a continual dropping] — into only occurs here and ch. xxvii. 15. In Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic, it denotes to impel, urgere : (Schultens, and Micha^lis, Suppl. No. 924:) hence it may here mean, " either impulsive, impetuous, or continual, when one thing doth, as it were, continually propel or thrust forward another." — Parkhurst. See LXX, Aq. and Syni,, whose versions are learnedly discussed by Hunt on ch. xxvii. 15. 14. House and riches, Sfc] — Houses and riches are often possessed by hereditary right ; and though these are the gift NOTES, CHAP. XIX. 291 of God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, yet a prudent wifi- is more particularly from the Ix)rd; because, first, she is a more valuable possession than riches ; secondly, God bestows this prudence upon her ; thirdly, a virtuous union in marriage is not only approveecial favour. Hence it follows that a pnident wife is deser>ing of the greatest regard and tenderness; and that prayers should be addressed to Almighty God by those who are deliberating upon mar- riage, to direct their choice, and to bless them with pious and discreet partners. Ifi. tlie commandment] — ^That is, the laws and precepts of God ; though it may inchide the commands of parents and instructors. 18. And thy soul, »S*f.] — By early chastisement thou wilt prevent the pain of beholding his vice and profligacy, in comparison of wliirii thou couldst wish to follow him to the grave. This clause may be differently rendered : " Incline not thy soul to his destruction," i.e. by a foolish indulgence, Dimock. " But let not thy soul desire to kill him," i. e. correct him with due moderation, not with too great severity, A(|., \'ulgate, l*uli Synop. Or, if m'Dn be derived from nnn tHmitltitit, it may be rendered as E. T., " Let not thy soul spare for his crying." ir»9J umi is a phrase for earnestly de- siring, Deut.xxiv. I't; Ps. xxiv. 4, xxv. 1, Ixxxvi. 4 ; Jer. xxii. 27, xliv. 14; Hos. iv. 8; Ezek. xxiv. 26, lleb. II). .1 man of tjicdt trrat/i] — Instead of "^nj. many MSS. the Keri, and the ancient versions read '?tj, i. e. a man of fficat ivrnt/i, iiacuniuifios to })e possessed by another, to be stript of one's property, and made poor. — (Taylor's Con- cordance.) So it is used ch. xxiii. 21, xxx. 9; Gen. xlv. 11. Parkhurst derives irmn from lyn. 14. // is vile, ^t.] — This will be confirmed by every man's experience. j?t pt, a Hebrew supt'rUitive. I'i. There is gold, Sfc.] — A comparison, t. e. wise lips are more precious than gold and gems. The verse may be ren- dered, " Substance, gold, and a multitude of gems and pre- cious jewels are the lips of kiiowledso." — (Sec Bayiius and Dimock.) According to this translation, it is a metaphorical description of the excellence of the lips of knowledge. 298 NOTES, CHAP. XX. 16. Take his garment, 8fc.] — In the translation of this verse, I have followed Durell, who remarks, that " Solomon repeatedly advises to beware of being surety for any body : but here he intimates, that it is not safe to admit the suretiship of a stranger, without taking a sufficient pawn or pledge as an additional security." It was common among the Israelites to lend on pledge, which was sometimes grossly abused. — (Job, xxii. 6, xxiv. 3, 9.) It was permitted by Moses, who only made some regulations against its abuse. — Deut. xxiv. 10 — 13; Exod. xxii. 25; Michselis, Commentaries, Art. 150. Compare ch. vi. 1, and note. — where strangers] — Instead of the textual CDnaj, the Keri, the parallel passage ch. xxvii. 13, and many MSS. have n'iDJ. Should this be thought sufficient evidence for its adoption, nnDJ cannot mean a strange icoman, an harlot, as, in that sense, it yields no consistent meaning, but must be put " neutraliter, pro negotio aheno et peregrino;" (see Geier, Michnelis, Not. Uber.;) that is, "take a pledge of him who is surety in the affair of a stranger's business." n'"i31 is applied to things Exod. ii. 22, xviii. 3; Isa. xxviii. 21 ; Jer. ii. 21. 17. Bread of deeeit] — The sense is, IlHcit pleasures ter- minate in pain and misery. " Bread of deceit" is that which is obtained by fraud and deceit ; though it may mean falla- cious bread, that which deceives, and yields no solid satis- faction. — (See Schultens, Doederlein, and Poli Synop.) In either case it denotes stolen and clandestine pleasures, as ch. ix. 17- 19. A talebearer, t^Vc]— This line is nearly the same with ch. xi. 13. — See the note. — a babbler] — nns primarily means to open, as it does ip Syriac and Chaldee ; hence vnatt^ nns means, as Michaelis NOTES, CHAP. XX. 299 well explains it, (Suppl. No. 2093,) " patulo labiis suis, seu, ut Vulgata vertit, fjui d'datut labia sita, uniiiiu ipsi concredita evulgans," i. e. a tattk-r, a babbler. So Dathe. The paral- lelism is a strong contirmation of this interpretation. 21. An inheritance, ^t.] — As wealth obtained by honest means is not to be condemned, whether it be " gotten hastily," by fortunate speculation, or by the slower, but more sure, profits of laudable industry, the sense must be, that a man nmy make such great haste to grow rich, as is inconsistent with honour and liberality, and even integrity of conduct. " An inheritance" acquired by such hasty means, to the neglect of those duties, the exercise of which is demanded by the good of society, " shall not be blessed," it will not pro- duce lasting comfort and ])rosperity. Such appears to be the particular explication of this aphorism; but its general design, as well as that of similar ones ch. xxi. 5, xxiii. 4, xxviii. 20, 22, is to censure and repress an inordinate love of money, than which no passion has a more pernicious efi'ect upon the heart. No generous affection, no exalted sentiment can in- habit the bosom that is tenanted by the spirit of avarice. He who indulges this base passion may not, perhaps, be stained by any sins of gross dfjlinqucncy ; his principles may be, for the most part, sound, and his practice generally upright; but his principles will be paralized by selfishness, and his charac- ter will only exhibit a negative virtue, a mere exemption from vice; it will never be marked by those deeds of ardent bene- volentM', those acts of noble-minded generosity, which dignify the Chrij-tiau and the man. Instead of the textual reading, n^nan, the Keri has n^nan, which, in all probability, is the true reading, as it is confirmed by the parallel passage ch. xxviii. 22, by many MSS., and by all the ancient versions. Schultens (Aniraadvers. inter Opera Minora) wuuld depart from the usual signification of hr\2, 300 NOTES, CHAP. XX. and, referring to the Arabic J^ maledixit, would render it, " haireditas est, cujui* male dicitiir in initio, et extremo ejus nou bene dicetur ;" but this is unsupported by scriptural usage, and totally unnecessary. Capellus, (Critica Sacra, p. 224,) adopting the textual reading, explains it from the Arabic, " haireditas, quee avaritia parta est initio, non benedicetur in fine ;" and this exposition is adopted by the German critics. This comes to the same point with the intei-pretation given above ; nevertheless, 1 take n'jniD to be the true reading. 24. A man's goings, Sfc] — By " goings" I understand the issue or event of a man's proceedings, and by " way,'' the way of life which he has adopted. The sense therefore is, The issue of men's proceedings is in the disposal of heaven; who, then, can understand what will be the result of the line of life that he pursues ? " Sensus est, neminem scire, quis exitus sit futurus eorum, quae adgreditur, a Deo enim eum pen- dere." — Le Clerc. 25. The man is snared, ^'c] — He has committed a tres- pass who has contracted the obligation of a vow before he has made proper inquiry. " For a man to vow, and to devour what he hath vowed, and not to pay it; and then to make inquiry concerning his vow, whether he hath vowed well or ill, or no? This is a snare: this should have been done before he made his vow, and not after." — (Lightfoot's Works, vol. ii. p. 1220.) u;p-iD is the participle Pah.; (Diirell;) or as a noun, " it is a snare to the man who," ii.c. The meaning of ri"? is determined by Obadiah, 1(>, which proves that it signifies to stoalloiv. r"? means o throat, ch. xxiii. 2. If ir*?]?' may be referred to the same root. Job, xxxix. 30, it likewisf! determines the meaning to be that of sivullotring, or sucking up; " gobble up," Bishop Stock. This sense is applicable to Job, vi. 3: " my words are swallowed up," i. e. falter and stick in the throat, " vox faucibus hzeret," as is NOTES, CHAP. XX. 301 the case in excessive grief. — (But see Rosenmiiller in loc.) So in the passage before ua, " he who dcvoureth," swalloweth down, " that which is holy," i. e. he who rashly brings him- self under a sacred obhgation. — (See Taylor's Concorilance.) The root has this meaning in Syriac and Chaldee. The above- cited are all the texts where it occurs. AVhoever wislies to see an useless display of Arabic learning, let him consult Schultens in loc. and on Job, vi. 3. 2G. A wise king, ij-c] — A wise monarch separates the wicked from the good, and indicts due punishment upon them,- as the corn is separated from the straw, wliich is bruised in the threshing. — See verse 8, and note. — the wheel] — Though the punishment of the wheel pre- railed in Greece, (Suicer, Thesaurus rpoxoc,) there is no evidence of its existence among the ancient Hebrews. The image is taken from one of the methods of threshing com in thfe £ast, by a wain which had iron teeth, or edges like a saw. — Lowth on Isa. xxviii. 28 ; Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 716. 27. Tlie spirit of man] — noiyj the spirit or soul of man. "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, (tz)"n nntyj the living principle,) and man became a living soul." — (Gen. ii. 7.) Thus " the vital spark of heavenly flame" is kindled by the Almighty'. Others consider this as a description of conscience, which God has implanted in man, to investigate and examine the inmost recesses of the heart. As the apostle speaks, " what man knoweth the things of a man, (i. e. his concealed thoughts and designs, Macknight,) save the spirit of a man which is in him?" — 1 Cor. ii. 11. 30. The bruises, <^'c.] — In this version I have mainly fol- lowed Parkhurst, though others preceded him in the same R R 302 NOTES, CHAP. XXI. explication. — (See Poli Synop. and Schultens.) Geier, Dathe, Schulz, &c. expound the meaning to be, that the correction of vice is as painful as livid wounds and stripes inflicted on the body. This is a very true remark ; but jtol mn occurs ch. xviii. 8, XX. 27, xxvi. 22, in a metaphorical sense for the inner man, or the mind, and why should we give it a different signi- fication here, when the one authorized by the preceding cita- tions is quite suitable ? According to this view, the meaning is, that chastisement is theonly means of cleansing the wicked, and stripes, properly inflicted, purify th^ heart, mnn vibex, 'the ?narkof a wound, as most Lexicons explain it; but it seems rather to mean bruises, Exod. xxi. 25 ; Ps. xxxviii. 5 ; Isa. i. 6, hii. 5. — a cleanser] — p")D is applied to the scouring or cleansing of vessels Levit. vi. 28, and to the furbishing of metals 2 Chron. iv. 16; Jer. xlvi. 4 : hence, figuratively, to the cleansing of the mind. CHAPTER XXI. 1. The hinges heart, Sec.] — The hearts of kings are in God's rule and governance, and he influences them whichever way he will, as easily as small streams are directed by the hus- bandman. The image is taken from the practice common among gardeners and husbandmen, of directing the course of brooks into small channels and rivulets, for the purpose of irrigating the soil. In the opinion of Grotius, this apophthegm refers to the extraordinaiy providence of God, an opinion which certainly accords with the sentiments of a Jew under the Theocracy; yet it is equally true of the ordinary pro- vidence of God, and by what authority shall we limit the maxims and expressions of the inspired writers, when they ai"e true in the most extensive sense? Q'd 'j'?a properly NOTES, CHAP. XXI. 303 denote waters distributed into artificial canals, Ps. i. 3; Isa. xxxii. 2. — See Bishop Lowth's note on Isaiah, i. 30. 4. And the lamp, Sec] — This is a very obscure verse; the sense of which, I think, is, that the loftiness, the pride, and splendour, and all the prosperity of the wicked, are sin- ful ; for, their hearts being corrupt, they abuse the good gifits of God. nj is rendered by our translators and others " the plowing," but all the ancient versions render it " a lamp," which 1 have adopted, in obedience to their authority ; under- standing by " lamp" a state of prosperity, as ch. xiii. 9, where see note. — See other expositions in Schultens. — is sin] — n«Bn may, perhaps, mean a fall, lapsatio; (see ch. x. IG;) that is, the prosperity of the wicked is transitory, falls away, and ends in pain and vexation. — Schultens, Parkhurst, «ton, 2, Dathe. 5. that is hasty] — i. e. every one that too eagerly longs to be rich to confine himself to the slow gains of industry-, but uses vicious means of procuring wealth, (ch. xx. 21, xxviii. 20, 22,) opposed to " the diligent," the honest, industrious man, in the former hemistich. G. The getting, Sj-c] — The procuring of treasures by deceit and falsehood is a vanity committed only by those who seek death, eventually, not intentionally, as Geier expresses it. There is not sufficient authority- for altering the text, and reading P|"in for fpi, and 'jrpoi for "ir'pm ; thus, " He that gets treasures by a lying tongue, pursuing vanity, falls into the snares of death ;" though this emendation is supported by Houbigant, Diraock, Hodgson, Durcll, Dathe. 7. Dt'stnictioii shall seize, ^r.] — This verse admits very different translations : I have chosen that which appears to mc the most probable, as it seems to be supported by LXX, 304 NOTES, CHAP. XXI. Syriac, Targ. Aq,, and is adopted by Dathe, Cocceius, .) 9. a common house] — Literally, as in English margin, " a house of society." It was usual with the Eastern people for a number of families to live together in one house, (Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 278; Parkhurst, isn,) and Solomon asserts, that it is better to live in solitude, in a small arbour on the roof of the house, than in large apartments in a com- mon house, with a brawling woman, who will excite continual strife and contention. — See ch. xix. 13, and note. NOTES, CHAP. XXI. 305 11. When a scoritcr, if-c] — This rerse is similar to ch. xix, 2i3, i. e. whon a scorner is punished the simple man, i. e. the scorner himself, is made wise. 12. The Just One, t^'c] — " Locus perobscurus," says Mercer. It becomes very perspicuous, if pnv be considered as referring to God, who is often called pny in the Old, and ciKaioQ in the New Testament. One objection, however, must not be concealed, that the word, in every other place of the Proverbs, denotes a righteous person. If this should appear to others sufficient to overturn the proposed exposition, though it does not to myself, I would adopt, next to it, that of Le Clerc, is here taken for vice, loco, in the stead of, (Noldius, 41,) as is evident from its corresponding with nnn in the second hemistich. So Vulgate, Syriac, Targum. 19. woman] — i. e. a wife, and so verse 9th. 20. Desirable treasure, ^c] — Plenty and abundance at- tend the wise, in consequence of their industry and good con- duct; but fools dissipate their substance through indolence and imprudence. nnnJ, participle passive, which answers to the Latin participial adjectives in bills, i. e. desiderabilis; so ^VnD laudabilis, Ps. xviii. 4; n«'7SJ mirabile, Ps. xl. 6; ntaJ contenitibilis ; ty^ii ahominabiUs. — Storrii Observat. in Syntax et Anal. p. 135 ; RosenmuUer in Ps. xlvi. 2. 22. A icise man, Sfc] — The value of wisdom is here demonstrated by it efficacy hi the capture of strong forts and cities ; in Eccles. ix. 14, et seq. by its power in preserving them when assaulted. The sum is, that wisdom is preferable to strength. — in which they cmijide] — The n in nntonn is the prono- minal affix, referring to *i»r, literally, " the strength of its confidence," i. e. the strength of the city in which the mighty confide; cda\fxoQ. 11. He that loveth, Sfc] — The conversation of him who loves purity of heart will be agreeable and virtuous ; and he will be esteemed by the ruling powers. Jarchi refers it to the King of kings, " the blessed God loves and embraces him:" and as this is an undeniable truth, it is most likely included NOTES, CHAP. XXII. 311 in the maxim. In such cases as the present, the most com- prehensive sense is to be preferred. 12. the wise] — Literally, " knowledge," but from the an- tithesis we may infer, that the abstract is put for the concrete, and that it means those who have knowledge, the wise, as £ben Ezra understands it. — the. aff'airs] — '"in is surely better rendered " affairs" (or " matters," English margin) than " words," as it is not easy to define in what way God overthroweth the words of the transgressors, but he certainly overthrows their affairs ; how- ever for a while they may flourish, in the end he will punish them : " evertit res perfidi," Le Clerc. 13. Tfie slothful man, ^-c] — ^This appears to be the slug- gard's excuse for his indolence. He endeavours to extenuate his slothfulness and want of exertion by alleging dangers and difliculties where none exist, as the streets of cities are noi the haunts of wild beasts. A strong and energetic picture ! It may, however, signify, or rather include, the sluggard's timidity and fear of imaginary dangers. — Compare ch. xxvi. 13. See Bochart, Hieroz. par. 1, lib. iii. cap. "2. 14. He that is abhorred, Sfc] — In consequence of their evil practices and depraved dispositions, God, as a judicial punishment, permits those who have offended him to fall victims to harlot wiles. Or " the abhorred of Jehovah" may be a figurative expression for a sinner. A man of base inclinations and conduct will fall into the pit laid for him by the wanton. " T iind," says the Preacher, " more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands : whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." — Eccles. vii. "26. 16. to inapnify himself \ — Literally, " to increase or magnify to himself;" not, as 1 apprehend, restricted to he increase of 312 NOTES, CHAP. XXII. wealth, but including whatever tends to make a man great. He who for this object oppresses the poor, and he who gives to the rich, and courts their favour by bribes, shall come to want; because the former will meet with a just retribution at the hands of Providence, and the latter must give all that he possesses to gratify the avarice of the rich. — See other inter- pretations in Schultens, &c. 17. Incline thine ear, SiX.] — It is observable, as the com- mentators remark, that Solomon now changes his manner of speaking. From the tenth chapter to this verse he has given generally detached and unconnected aphorisms and senten- tious observations ; but from hence to chapter xxv. he uses the admonitory style, and gives a variety of admirable moral precepts, not unfrequently connected together through several verses. It will be seen, that these observations must be understood with some limitations. 18. be ready] — Literally, " they shall be fitted or made ready together;" i. e. the words of the wise and my instruc- tions (verse 17) shall be always ready on thy lips, to speak of them, and to teach them to others. 19. even thee] — The repetition of the pronoun is veiy emphatic. Similar repetitions occur eh. xxiii. 1.5; Gen. xxvii. 34 ; 1 Kings, xxi. 19; Ps. ix. 7. — Buxtorf, Thesaurus, lib. ii. cap. 8, p. 413. 20. excellent thintjs] — mty^tr (cD'iy'?tr according to many MSS. the London Polyglott, and the Keri in Prey's reprint of Vander Hooght's Bible) is of very uncertain interpretation. Some render it *' nudius tertius," i. e. have I not before taught thee? as if compounded of cdv ^^\m ; (Simonis, Lex. ;) others render it " tripliciter," (LXX, Vulgate,) and explain it of the three books of Solomon, (see Grotius,) or of the Law, NOTES, CHAP. XXII. 313 the Prophets, and the TIa^io|g^apha, the three divisions of the Ohl Testament, as the Rabbins expound it. I am most inchned to ap;ree with those who explain it by " triphciter:" at the same time, I understand it as a certain numl)er put for an uncertain, /. c. have I not frequently written, &c. 21. the certainty] — tott^p only occurs here and Ps. Ix. G» Hebrew, where, however, the LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, Sym. probably read ntrp, at least they understood it in the sense oi' bow, arcus. The Vulgate has here " firniitatem," but nothing certain can be collected from the other versions. In Chaldee it signities Veritas, rectitudo, and so does the Arabic r-jj"^ though the Arabic, by one of those contrarieties to be found in all languages, denotes a jttstn dcjlexit, iiiiijuvsfuit. Tlie traditionary sense, therefore, of verily, certainty, is not without other support. — to those that send to thee] — That is, for the purpose of instruction; " (pii to consulunt," Dathe; so LXX. Others, " to those that send thee," Vulg. Targ. " lit veracia dicta referas iis qui tibi negotium mandaverint." — Castalio. 22. in the gate] — That is, in judgment. It is well known, that the gates were anciently the places where the courts of judicature were held; they were likewise places of pul)lic concourse, aiul places where fairs or markets were luld. — See Parkhurst, "irir; Harmer, vol. iv. p. 4o5, et seq. whose observations are well worth reading; Fleurj's Manners of the Ancient Israelites, p. 178, et seq. ed. Clarke, Loudon, 1801). 23. For Jehovah, Sfc] — God, as the righteous judge, will defend them, and avenge their wrongs, bv punishing their oppressors. This is to be referred to the extraordinary- pro- vidence which God exercised over the people of Israel. 314 NOTES, CHAP. XXII. — A7id spoil] — rip only occurs here and Mai. iii. 8, 9, where it seems to mean spoiling or defrauding. Though Schultens, and, after him, Micha^lis, Simonis, and Schulz, appeal to the Arabic «-ji tegere, spec, caput, it is difficult to discover any analogy between the two words. In Chaldee it means spoliare, and the noun |yip spoliator, prce do. — (Bux- torf. Lex. Talni. et Rab.) In this sense it is rendered by Aq. Sym. and Syriac in Malachi ; but in Proverbs the ancient versions partly support the sense oi fixit, injixit, which sense the root has in the Syriac, Chaldee, and Samaritan dialects. The external evidence, hov^^ever, preponderates, and the internal evidence is clearly in favour of the tradition ary sense. 25. And get a snare, <^'c.] — Lest, by imitating him, thou shoultlst fall into great difficulty and danger; for anger is the cause of many evils. 26. Be not thou,^c.'] — See oh. vi. 1, note. Literally, " be not thou among," i. e. be not one of them, mwtyn from niifi ; but i^mi and n\l!i are sometimes used promiscuously. — Simonis, Lex. Heb. 27. Lest, Sfc.] — This version agrees with LXX, Syriac, Targum, Dathe. Tlie construction is involved, but the mean- ing is. Be cautious of becoming surety, for " if thou have nothing to pay with," and shouldst be called upon for the security given, the creditor will seize upon thy effects, and " why should thy bed be taken from under thee?" Why shouldst thou put thyself into such a situation as to hazard the loss of thy whole property? I have expressed this sense in the version : E. T. and Vulgate exhibit a meaning con- trary to what was intended. — See ch. xx. 16, note. 28. Remove not, ^-c] — So ch. xxiii. 10, agreeable to the law Dent. xix. 14, xxvii. 17. The general sense of this precept is. that a mnn should be content with his paternal estate, and NOTES, CHAP. XXIII. 315 not endeavour to increase it by unjust means. Calmet's ex- plication is, " Continue faithfully attached to the ancient cus- toms of your country; follow the religion of your ancestors; respect their manners, their counsels, their establishments; incline not to innovation, which is always danjierous, especi- ally in matters of religioa." — Quoted in Dodd's Uible. 20. He shall stand, ^'c] — " To stand before" is a Scrip- ture phrase, signifying to serve or minister, at the same time often implying something honourable in it. — Deut. x. 8; 1 Sara, xvi. 21; 1 Kings, i. 2, xvii. 1, xviii. 15, x. 8; 2 Chron. xviii. 18; Jer. xv. 19; Dan. i. 5; Luke, i. 19. — luean men] — O'Diyn, being opposed to kings, neces- sarily denotes mean and obscure persons: " ignobiles," Vulgate. CITAPTEK XXIIT. 1. When thou sittesi] — The ancient manner of eating was in a sitting posture, as we do ; but when soft and effeminate luxury began to prevail, they exchanged their seats for couches, kXivoi, and took their food in a recumbent posture. — Cahnet, Diet. art. eating ; Potter's Antiq. lib. iv. cap. 20; Adam's Roman Antiq. p. 435. — what is before thee] — nt^i^ ni< may refer to *' ruler," in the former hemistich, namely, Consider well what a powerful man is before thee, and be circumspect in thy behaviour : but the ancient versions expound it neutrally, i. e. Diligently con- sider what things are placed before thee, and indulge not intemperately, but with moderation. This is favoured by the two following verses; both senses, however, may be included. I'a for pin. — Altingii Fundam. Punct. p. 3l«. 2. And put a knife, ^'c] — So destructive is intemperance, tliat a man might as well put an end to his existence at once. 3i6 NOTES, CHAP. xxin. as indulge immoderately in the luxuries of the table. p3iy is uTral, Xey. It is rendered by words equivalent to " knife" by Syr. Targ. Vulg. Aq. Theod. ; and so it means in Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic. This is strong testimony ; but Taylor (Concord, in voc.) thinks that it comes from pD, and " sig- nifieth a person that stinteth the consumption of provisions : thus. And set a stinter over thy throat, one that shall look after you, and appoint what and how much you are to eat, if thou art a man given to appetite, and canst not govern thyself." Parkhurst and Hodgson explain it by cheek, stop, or restraint ; the former of whom objects to the rendering it " knife," because it is taking the sense from the Chaldee pjD, and " the Jews," says he, " knew nothing of that language till long after the time of Solomon." This observation is not made with his wonted accuracy. Hebrew, Chaldee, and Syriac were originally one and the same language, or at least have descended from one primaeval language ; they still re- tain a considerable affinity; and, had they been even totally different dialects, there must have been sufficient intercourse for the importation of a few terms, since " Solomon reigned over all kingdoms, from the river (i. e. the Euphrates) unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life." — 1 Kings, iv. 21. No good reason, therefore, appears for rejecting the sense of the word which it is com- monly supposed to bear. 3. Be not desirous, Sfe.] — In partaking of splendid banquets prudence is to be used, lest something may occur that will offend the ruler, and so prove injurious to the guest: or temperance is to be exercised, otherwise these dainties will be destructive to health. 4. this thy prudence] — Do not make riches the sole object of thy labours ; cease from this anxiety, which the world calls NOTES, CHAP. XXIII. 317 prudence. Tt is an atl monition against an avaricious dis- position, not against economy, and a due attention to pecu- niary r.iatters. " Thy prudence," ironically, what the world calls prudence, Dathe ; but Lc Clerc supplies hn from the first line, and renders it, " Labour not to be richi neither cease to act prudently." 5. a transient thing] — SoDurell; but ljr»l may mean, which thou canst not possess, canst not lay hold on; " quod non consc(jucris," Dathe. 7. For as, ^'c] — This is a reason for the prohibition in the preceding verse, namely. Desire not the luxuries of an envious man ; for as he is vile in his heart, so is his conduct base and deceitful ; he says, " cat and drink," when he wishes the in- vitation to be refused. There is an amazing diversity in the inter()retation of "iriy : I follow Taylor and Duroll in translating it " vile," a sense which the root undoubtedly has Jer. v, 30, xviii. 13 ; Hos. vi. 10 ; Jer. xxix. 17. 8. The rnorscl, ^'c] — Thou shalt loathe and detest the morsel of the base hypocrite which thou hast eaten, and wilt rescind the conjj)liments thou hast paid to so unworthy a man. — rescinif] — Literally, " thou shalt destroy," i. e. recall, call back, or rescind, thou wilt regret them. " Alterum colon sic Recipiendum autumo, et rescindes iierba tua amce- nissiina ; pigehit te, quod uUo verboruni honore, ulla gratiarum actione, spurcissimum mortalem sis prosecutus." — Schultens. n. For their Avenrfer] — That is, God; (compare ch. xxii. 22, 23;) an allusion to the office of tlie Goel. The Orientals are exceedingly revengeful. Among the Jews the Goel, next of kin to the person murdered, was bound, accordins; to an ancient custom, to avenge the blood of his relation, and to put the murderer to deatli. wherever he might meet with T T 318 NOTES, CHAP. XXIIl. him, except in consecrated places. For a further account of the Goel I refer to Parkhurst and Dindorf in ^«j ; Bauer, Crit. Sac, vol. ii. p. 271 ; Micha^lis, Commentaries, Art. 131. 13. When thou beatest him] — By proper correction thou Svilt prevent him from committing those crimes for which he will deserve death. Though this is, probably, meant of tem- poral punishments only, it is equally true in regard to those that are eternal. This interpretation is confirmed by the next verse. 14. Thou shalt heat him] — Perhaps better in the im- perative, " Beat him with the rod." — Le Clerc, Durell, Hodgson. 15. even mine] — Literally, " even I." The pronoun is pleonastic. — See ch. xxii. 19. 16. my reins] — In the Scriptures various affections are attributed to the reins or kidneys. — Cocc. and Parkhurst, Lex. ; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 850. 17. envy] — It has been remarked, that iUlp, construed with h, is to be understood in a good sense, with 2, in a bad one, for hating on account of another's excellence, happiness, or prosperity; but that this is not strictly correct will appear from examining ch. iii. 31, xxiv. 1, 19 ; Ps. xxxvii. 1, Ixxiii. 3. — (See RoscnmuUer on Ps. xxxvii. 1.) The word "envy" is often used in Scripture not merely for to hate, to be indignant at another for his happiness or possessions, but, at the same time, to have an admiration of the objects which are the cause of envy, and a desire of possessing them. I have retained the word " envy" in the version, though, perhaps, it would be better to substitute " to be zealous of, to affect, to emu- late." Some render tlie verse, " Let not thine heart affect, •or be zealous of sinners ; but always the fear of Jehovah." NOTES, CHAP. XXIII. 319 So Syriac, Durell, Le Clerc, Taylor, Dathe, Schultens, and it is, perhaps, the preferable version. 18. a reward] — ^There is a reward for continuing in the fear of God, and the expectation of it shall not be disappointed. nnn« is rendered " reward" ch. xxiv. 14, a good comment on this place. Such, also, is its meaning ch. xxiv. 20, and, according to many, Ps. xxxvii. 37. The reward spoken of is temporal ; but see Peters' Critical Dissertation on Job, p. 293. 20. among those who, SfcJ] — hh^^ means a glutton verse 21; Deut. xxi. 20, and the root means to be lavish or prodigal ; hence -\\ifl 'hb-\] " lavish of flesh," i. e. great eaters, glut- tons, in"? " upon themselves," but some render it " among themselves," and the Hebrew will bear it : ev eavrotc, Theodotion. 21. And drowsiness] — The abstract for the concrete, the drowsy man, the sluggard; TracvTrcwc/jcLXX. — See Michaelis, Not. Uber. 22. that begat thee] — ni is here a pronominal relative. — Noldius, 11. 23. Bini truth, S^-c] — That is, consider these as the most valuable of ail treasures, and be not tempted to part with them at any price. The metaphor is drawn from mercantile transactions. This verse may be rendered, with Vulgate, Syriac, Targum, and one Hexaplar version, " Buy truth, and sell not wisdom, and instruction, and understanding;" thus forming a single line, but the accentuation makes two lines, or hemistiches. 24. And he that, &fc.] — The Keri and many MSS. omit the Van in nott^'i, and prefix it to the tirst word in this hemistich, which is, therefore, most Ukely the true reading. 320 NOTES, CHAP. XXIII. 25. shall be glad] — That is, if thou be a wise child. Att this is an inference from the foregoing verse, " therefore" is properly supplied. 26. rejoice] — Our translators have followed the Keri nJlvn observe, instead of the Cethib njyin rejoice. Either forms a good sense, and the evidence for each is pretty nearly equal. 27. a narroto pit] — So Vulgate, Syriac, Targum, English Translation, &c. ; but as my means distress, trouble, it may be rendered, " a well of distress," corresponding with " deep pit" in the former hemistich. — Diirell. Compare ch. xxii. 14. 28. as a robber] — The root Finn only occurs here and Job, ix. 12. Schultens, appealing to the Arabic ;j.>>>-, renders it " harpago." Dathe, referring to the same Arabic word, renders it '* instar ferae rabidae." Michaelis, taking the sense from the same Arabic word, renders it " mors." Surely those critics who send us to the Arabic for illustration of this noun trifle most egregiously. The meaning, however, may be determined by the Hebraic usage. In Job, ix. 12, rjnn can mean nothing else than taking away, rapiens, and hence, as a noun, one that takes away, a robber; " quasi latro," Vulgate. As letters of the same organ are easily changed, this word is, probably, allied to eiian, which denotes to seize, rapere, not only in Hebrew, but in Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic. 29. Who hath woe?] — This verse, consisting of six inter- rogatories, may be divided into two or three hemistiches. " Woe," »i«, so the ancient versions, but Schultens and Dathe consider it as a noun, from m« desidcravit, and ren- der it " cuinam libido.*' NOTES, CHAP. XXIII. 321 — Who hath concupiscence?] — The ctTra^ Xtc. »n« I de- rive, with Schultens and Dathe, from na» voluit, conctipivit, and render it " concupiscence," which is commonly the effect of wine. Mich.jeUs (SuppUm. No. 7) renders it " nausea, vomitus," from the Arabic ^\. Many render it " poverty,'' as if allied to fvi«; so Eben Ezra derives it. — who hath atuietii?] — n'ty I take to mean the care and anxiety of a mind absorbed in profound thought ; very appli- cable to the anxious thoughts which arise in the mind of the drunkard, upon reflecting on the foUit's he commits in his in- temperance and madness. Others render it very ditferently. — Who hath redness of the eyes ?] — m'^'^Dn evidently means some disease or bad eft'ect produced in the eyes by in- toxication ; and their being red or bloodshot is commonly the consequence of hard drinking. This word only occurs else- where Gen. xhx. 12. — See Michivlis, Suppl. No. 724. ' 30. mixed wine] — ^The strongest and most inebriating wine. — See ch. ix. 2, note. 31. when it sparkles] — Literally, " when it giveth its eye in the cup." By I'P some understand '* colour," as it signifies Lev. xiii. 35; Numb. xi. 7; Ezek. i. 4, &c. ; but as this would be merely a repetition of the preceding clause, it probably means the brightness and transparency essential to good wine, which may be called its appearance or aspect, but better expressed as in the version. — goeth down] — Descriptive of the gout and relish with which wine of the finest quality goes down the throat, /. e. is drank. See many learned and entertaining remarks on the subject of wine in Ciataker, Adversaria, cap. o. 33. Thine eyes will gaze] — Excess in wine generally leads to sins of lewdness, and certainly to the uttering foolish and 322 NOTES, CHAP. XXIV. perverse things. n«n here means to look upon with dehght, with amorous desire, well rendered by the word " gaze." 34. Yea, thou wilt, ^c] — Thou wilt be surrounded with danger, like the mariner who reposes in a frail bark floating on the ocean ; yet thou wilt be as insensible to thy perilous situation as the seaboy is who sleeps -soundly at the mast- head. This recalls to mind the beautiful lines of Shakspeare : " Wilt thou upon the high and giddy mast Seal up the shipboy's eyes, and rock his brains In cradle of the rude imperious surge," &c. 35. Thou shalt say, Sfc] — This is the drunkard's apology for his darling indulgence, when he awakes in the morning from his debauch. Lulled into a pleasing insensibility by wine, he exclaims, I felt not the ill usage I received. When shall I awake from my insensibility? I am asked. But since the effects of wine are so enchanting, why should I ? I will there- fore seek it yet again. — (See Isa. Ivi, 12, xxii. 13.) The ancient versions supply " thou shalt say," as in the authorized translation, CHAPTER XXIV. 1. Envy not, <^c.] — See ch. xxiii. 17, note ; i. e. emulate not, &c. 3. an house] — That is, a family, res domesticae. 5. A wise man, ^c] — Some render this verse, " The wise is more excellent than the powerful; and the man of under- standing than the mighty in strength." So Syriac, Targum, LXX. This version is admissible; but as a noun with 2 prefixed is often used for an adjective, (see ch. viii. 8, note,) niri, 1 think, means " strong," literally, " in strength.'' According to this view the received version is correct. NOTES, CHAP. XXIV. 323 7. too highi] — niD«"i, with an epenthetic «, for mm.— Altingfii Fundam. Punct. p. 443 ; Capelh Arcanum Punct. lib. i. cap. 18, § 11. — in the gate] — Either in the place of judgment, or of public resort. H. shall be called] — ?'. e. shall be so regarded by mankind. 9. An evil thought] — Literally, "the device of folly," an- swering to what are called in the New Testament ciaXoyiafioi iroi'T^poi, " evil thoughts." — (Matt. xv. 19; Mark, vii. 21; James, ii. 4.) Our blessed Lord's observation is the best comment on this passage. Evil thoughts are sinful ; they are the forerunners of evil practices, and they must be placed under control, or the conduct will not be virtuous and up- right. '• He, therefore, that would govern his actions by the laws of virtue, must regulate his thoughts by those of reason j he must keep guilt from the recesses of his heart, and remem- ber that the pleasures of fancy, and the emotions of desire, are more dangerous, as they are more hidden, since they escape the awe of observation, and operate equally in every situation, without the concurrence of external opportunities." — (Rambler, Xo. 8.) Dr. Paley has admirably treated this subject in his Evidences, part 2, ch. 2. 10. Dost thou faint, ^-c.] — An exhortation to boar mis- fortunes with fortitude and equanimity, very much resem- bling the precept, " Ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito." The initial n is interrogative. The latter hemistich is literally, " Let adversity be thy strength," i. e. let it give thee strength: " Ipsa calamitas animum tibi addat," Dathe. — See Schultens. 11. 12. Deliver, Sfc.] — Verses 11 and 12 are intimately connected together, containing au exhortation to assist the 324 NOTES, CHAP. XXIV. innocent, and to succour the distressed. They may be thus paraphrased : " DeHver those who are hurried away unto death," unto unjust punishment, " and those that are about to be slain," by an unjust sentence. " If thou forbear," if thou do it not, " Although thou say. Behold, we knew not this man," whatever excuses thou mayst advance, " Will not he that weigheth the heart consider it? And will not he that keepeth thy soul know it ? And will he not ren- der to every man according to his works ?" Most assuredly he will, and will punish thee for thy cruelty. — See Schultens. — If thoH forbear] — D» sometimes has the sense of ne (prohibentis) Noldius, 7 : and so it is rendered by LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic; but it yields a good sense ren- dered if, as in the version. — this man] — nt may be put neutrally for " this thing," i.e. " we knew it not," £. T., or for " this man," i. e. whe- ther he suffered justly or unjustly. — Michaelis, Not. Uber. 13 and 14. My son, Sfc] — These two verses appear to be a comparison : as honey is sweet to the taste, and eaten with pleasure, so let the acquisition of wisdom be agreeable. Caph, the particle of comparison, is omitted, as in many other instances. — (Glassii Phil, Sac. p, 441.) It would be absurd, taken literally for a command to eat honey; the im- perative Vow must, therefore, be understood permissive, (Glass, p. 287,) i. e. as thou mayst eat, or as thou eatest. — See Dathe and Le Clerc. IG. For the just man, Sfc] — Injure not a righteous man, for though he frequently falls into distress, yet, by the super- intending care of Providence, " heriseth up again," is delivered from his distress, while the wicked are overwhelmed by their misfortunes. That this is the meaning is plain from the pre- ceding and following verses : yet some expound it by the just NOTES, CHAP. XXIV. 325 man often relapsing into sin, and recovering from it: nay, it has even been adduced to prove the doctrine of the Final Perseverance of the Elect. But hsl is never used for falhng into sin, but into distress and affliction ; as, ch. xi. 5, 14, xiii. 17, xvii. 20, xxvi. 27, xxviii. 10, 14, 18. — See Le Clerc, Poli Synop., and particularly Xoldius, Annot, 1870, ad Concord. ' 17. ichen he stumbleth] — iVtrsn may mean, when he stumbleth into sin, i. e. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth into misfortunes, nor when he is seduced into sin. But it seems better to understand it as equivalent to nj?~i3 I'^iyo' in verse 16 ; i. e. when he is overwhelmed with evil or calamity. 18. And he turn awaif, ^'c] — This is a difficult clause. 1B« seems naturally to refer to Jehovah. Under the extra- ordinary providence exercised over the Jewish people, c£^- laniities were considered as the just inflictions of God's wTath, and prosperity the evidence of his favour ; hence, by a metonymy of the cause for the eft'ect, calamities are sonietimos called, in Scripture, " the wrath of God." — (Ps. Ixxix. 6; Mich. vii. 0; Worn. ii. 5, iii. 5; Eph. v. 6. See Schleusner, opytf.) " His wrath" may, then, mean the misfortunes which God, in his just displeasure, suffers to befall mankintl. -yhu to thee, must be understood, viz. Lest Jehovah l)e disph^ased, and turn the calamities of thine enemy upon (lici', in just punishment of thy cruelty . So Walther, SchuUens, Le Clerc, Miclnvlis, Hodgson, Dathe. is« may, however, refer to " enemy," verse 17, vi/. Utjoice not at his calamities, which will only irritate him tin- more, and serve to perpetuate his enmity, but try to turn away his anger, and to be reconciled to him. According to this tiie translation should be, " But endeavour to avert his wrath from him." The standard ver- sion, '* and he turn away his wratli from him," though it L u 326 NOTES, CHAP. XXIV. agrees with the ancient versions, cannot be right, as it ira- pUes, that we have the power to prevent the wrath of God, and that we ought not to do it. 19. Emulate not] — innn, I think, here means to burn with zeal, to emulate, corresponding with «jp in the second hemistich.— (See ch. xxiii. 17, note.) But it may mean, Be not indignant at evil men, though they prosper; leave them to their Judge, who will punish them, as declared in the next verse. 21. them that are given to change] — ^That is, innovators, who, in religion, are generally dupes or fanatics ; in politics, discontented and rebellious. — See Doederlein, Scholia. 22. And who knoweth] — Their calamity comes unlooked for and unexpected. 23. These things also] — I can see no reason for supposing, with Durell, that this hemistich is an addition by some later hand ; or that it is the Inscription to Proverbs, collected from the books of wise men subsequent to the age of Solomon, as Grotius thinks. It is merely intended to draw attention to what follows, intimating, that these things also which follow deserve the consideration of those who desire to become wise. 25. Btit to them, Sfc.] — This verse is opposed to the pre- ceding one. As those who justify the wicked will be generally hated, so those who rebuke them will be esteemed by the virtuous, and will obtain the approbation of God. Tliere is »!i ellipsis of ptri to be supplied from verse 24, and CDVl' is put impersonally, " redarguentibus suave erit," Cocceius. — the blessing of the good] — 1^a appears to be a noun of multitude for good men ; (see Poli Synop. ;) if itwere an ad- jective, it should be niiD, and nam should not be in regimen. NOTES, CHAP, XXIV. 327 though there are some exceptions to this rule, where of two nouns the former is in regimen, and the latter supplies the place of an adjective. — Schroeder, Gram. reg. 7; Robertson, p. 294. 26. Every man. Sfc] — The best explication of this ellip- tical verse is to supply iy'«, as in the authorized translation; that is, every man will reverence and esteem him who returns just and equitable answers, pwi seems sometimes to mean, to reverence and esteem, because a kiss was the token of honour and respect ; as, Gen. xli. 40; 1 Kings, xix. 18; Ps. ii. 12 ; Hos. xiii. 2, where see Bishop Horsley. Other inter- pretations are given in Schultens, Poli Synop., and Harmer's Observations, vol. ii. p. 351, et seq. 27. Prepare, Sfc.] — The meaning is, that it behoves men to use due circumspection and foresight, and to make the necessary preparations before engaging in any undertaking. I have followed Hunt in taking "[h for a verb, not for a pro- noun, with h prefixed, according to the Masoretic punctuation, and dividing the verse into three lines. But see Schnurer in loc. and Storrii Observat. ad Syntax, p. 294. 28. Neither deceive^ — rrnsn I take to be the second sin- gular preterite Hiph. from nns. 20. to every man] — wuh " unicuique," Vulgate, Schultens. Revenge is strictly prohibited. — (Lev. xix. IR; Rom. xii.l7.) Vengeance belongcth unto the Lord. — Dcut. xxxii. 35; Rom. xii. 19; Heb. x. 30. 31. stone icall] — It appears from several passages of Scrip- ture, that stone walls were in frequent use in the East. — Park- hurst, "nj ; Harmer's Observations, vol. ii. p. 219, et seq. . 32. Tlien J saiv] — This asjiideton is very energetic. ^8 NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 34, But thy poverty] — ^The style is abrupt; but the chain of reasoning appears to be this, that, from considering the effects of sloth and indolence, we receive instiai<;tion ; we are taught diligence, because we see ruin pressing upon the sluggard who ever desires a little more sleep, &c. — Compare ch. vi. 10, 11, which is almost verbally parallel to this passage. CHAPTER XXV. 1. These also are the Proverbs, Sfc] — As no reason ap- pears for questioning the genuineness and authenticity of this title, we must allow that this part of the book, from ch. XXV. 1, to ch. XXX. 1, is the genuine production of Solomon, reduced into its present state by the men of Hezekiah. The canonical authority of these five chapters is proved by theur being cited in the New Testament. — (See Prel. Diss.; Gousset, in pnr, B.) Lightfoot's notion is : " In the purging and cleansing of the Temple, which Hezekiah performed in the beginning of his reign, it may well be supposed, that that copy of Solomon's Proverbs was found mentioned Prov. XXV. 1, and was transcribed by some of Hezekiah's servants out of the old manuscript, which, it is like, was much soiled and spotted with time and neglect." — (Works, vol. i. p. IOC.) Doederlein thus characterizes this part of the book : " Uni- versa autem collectio axiomata oftert sensus fere abstrusioris et magis ad senigmaticam rationem composita, quam parte priore, prjeceptis moralibus ditiore, reperimus." pny ; see ch. viii. IB, note. 2. It is the glory, Sfc] — The counsels, designs, and oper- ations of God are inscrutable, (Deut. xxix. 2J) ; Rom. xi. 33, 34,) and man can only adore with reverent humility that which is so far exalted above his reach. It, therefore, NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 329 redounds to the glory of God, that his ways are unsearchable, and, as it were, concealed; but it is honourable to kings to search out vice, in order to punish it, virtue, in order to reward it, and truth, in order to promulgate it. 0'nV« has not been used before in the Proverbs, but its being opposed to kings shows, that it cannot here mean magistrates. Indeed, it may be doubted, whether it ever bears that signification; though to detail the reasons for this doubt would lead to a discussion foreign from my present design. 3. The heavens for height, ^'e.] — Why there is no search- ing the heart of kings, will be answered ditterently by different people ; but it is the universal confession of the most expe- rienced in state affairs, that it is difficult to discover the heart of kings amidst the flatterers of royalty, state mysticism, and court intrigue, h quod attinet ad, xcith respect to, (Nol- dius, 30,) i. e. there is no searching the heavens, with respect to, or on account of, their height ; nor the earth, on account 6f its depth. So Hodgson and Schultens. 4. Take away'] — un is generally thought to come from njn, which Schultens (conferring it with the Arabic ^^^, sensu /Vrrorjs cestuantis, sive excestnationis) renders " Exaes- tuare scorias ab argento." Michielis (Suppl. No. 954) and Schulz (in Cocc. Lex.) derive it from ny, which they confer with the Arabic ^^%, signifying, in the fourth conjugation, semorit proctil a se aliui/i ; liut this Arabic word has other significations, and the sense given by Schultens to the other is, perhaps, doubtful, certainly not apposite. The context, however, proves, that un means to remove, to take away. — Compare 2 Sam. xx. 13; Isa. xxvii. 8. — And there shall conic, i^w] — This is a difficult clause, and I have met with nothing satisfactory'. Le Clerc, supply- ing D before »^3, renders it " puriim prodibit conflatori vas." 330 NOTES, CHAP. XXV. Hodgson's version is, " And pure metal shall come forth to the refiner;" but '^3 never, as far as I can find, has this sense. May it not be rendered, " Take away the dross from the silver ; and it (the silver) shall come out pure to him who niaketh vessels ?" I merely propose this as a possible expli- cation, leaving it to the judgment of the reader; for, though both Schultens and Schroeder (Observat. ad Orig. Heb. p. 1G3) contend, that the idea of purity and splendour is con- tained in «y% I think they have not given sufficient proof; and, as the common and usual signification of words should not be departed from without strong reasons, I prefer the literal rendering, namely, " And it shall come forth to the finer a vessel," or, "A vessel shall come forth to the finer,'* i. e. he shall make a vessel of it. According to this the translation may be, " Take away the dross from the silver. And the finer (or workman) will make a vessel of it." This agrees with Dathe's version ; and, if not absolutely re- quired, is certainly strongly supported by its connexion with the following verse. 5. Take away, 8fc.] — This is to be taken in connexion with verse 4. If the dross be taken away from the silver, the workman may make it a beautiful and useful vessel; in like manner, if the wicked be taken away from the king, his throne shall be established in righteousness. »J3^ ab, from. — (Noldius, 2.) " Impios ministros a praesentia regis re- pelle," Doederlein. C. Arrogate not] — "nnnn " ne gloriosns appareas," Vul- gate ; ioi^AaZ (J lie glorieris, Syriac ; and so Targum. — in. the place of great meti] — In the situations appointed for men of high rank. NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 331 7. For it is better, 4'c.] — Our Saviour, probably, alludes to this passage Luke, xiv. 8. Grotius, Geier, Houbigant, following the LXX and Vulgate, connect the last line with the next verse, but without necessity. — whom thine eyes have seeii] — " Hoc est, cui te propius adniovisti, ita ut eum familiariter et veluti e proximo intueri posses." — Capelli Crit. Sac. p. 817. 8. Lest thou know not] — Jun. and Trcm. Doederlein, Dathe, Dimock, take |q for a verb, i. e. " Consider (perpende) what thou wilt do in the end thereof." It certainly may be the imperative, from pD, (Ps. Ixxxviii. IG,) or from njD, the final n being dropped; but this is unexampled, and ja is most naturally construed as a particle. Durell's version is, " Go not hastily to strive, lest thou do anything in the end thereof, whereby thy neighbour may put thee to shame :" so Le Clerc and Hodgson. I would gladly accede to this, could such an interpretation of 2. before a verb be sufficiently supported; Ijut, as this does not appear to be the case, (seeGousset, ps,) it is best to supply the ellipsis as in the common translation, which is here adopted. y. Jf thoii, ^'c] — I have supplied the particle if, after Dathe, as it renders the sense clearer. If this should not be admitted, the second line should begin with " but" — " But discover not the secret of another," however much thou mayst be inclined to do it, either to strengthen thy cause, or to provoke thy adversarj-. " To tell our own secrets," says Dr. Johnson, " is generally folly, but that folly is without guilt; to communicate those with which we are entrusted is always treachery, and treachery, for the most part, combined witli fctlly." — Rambler, Xo. 13. 10. put thee to shame] — Mj; tre oihckti], LXX; " nc forte insultet tibi," Vulg. So Ton is used ch. xiv. 34, where see till note. — See Micha^lis, Suppl. ad Lex. No. 7JU. 332 NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 11. Is like apples, <^c.] — A word spoken fitly and in season is as grateful to the soul as delicious fruits served up at ban- quets are to the guests in hot and sultry regions, men pro- bably means the citron, or orange. 1 refer with pleasure to Parkhurst, nsJ, 7, 8, and Harmer's Observations, vol. ii. p. 160, et seq. — in curiously-wrovght baskets] — nVDtyoi : this root clearly denotes pictures, ^gures, or engravings, Levit xxvi. 1 ; Numb, xxxiii. .52 ; Isa. ii. 16 ; Ezek. viii. 12 ; and here signifies the curiously-wrought and ornamented baskets in which fruit was served up at royal banquets. — yitlg spoken] — "in means not spoken simply, but spoken /itly, appropriately ; for the Hebrews sometimes used words, in themselves implying neither praise nor blame, in a sense tear ilp-^jfv, to denote some degree of excellence ; as, " man," for wise man, ch. xiii. 2; "weights," for just weights, ch. xvi. 11; " wife," for good wife, ch. xviii. 22, where see the note. — in its seaso7i] — VJS« b]}, literally, " upon its wheels;" a figurative expression for opportunely, seasonably, correspond- ing with inyn "im ch. xv. 23 ; ev Kaipio avrov, Sym. ; " in tempore, suo," Vulgate ; and so Targum, perhaps ; but see Castell and Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. in «D3. In Arabic, ^U* means tempus, tempestas, Kaipoc. — (See Golius, p. 128.) In the opinion of Durell, VJS« hv means " in reply, or in repartee," and he renders the verse, " A word spoken in reply is like oranges (or, golden apples) in silver vessels :" but this is too confined a sense, — See an elegant explication of this verse in Lowth's Praelectiones, xxiv. p. 314, Oxon. 1810. 12. As an ear-ring, ^-c] — " Sententia est, qui objurgantem audiat, a multis, in (juve incidere potuisset, periculis im- muuem fore ; quam ut elogantius dicat Salomon, cumparat NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 333 admonitiones inaiirihns, quiv plenimque arauleta erant, et custodire aurcs credobantiir, ne verbum malum intiaie posset."~xMich«Iis, Not* et Epim. in Lowthi Privl. p. GO, Oxon. 1810. 13. As the cold of snoto, ^t.]— A faithful messenger is as refresliing to the soul of those who send him, as wine cooled with snow is to the thirsty and parched reaper. " Geierus doubts," says Harmer, " whether the custom of cooling wine with snow was so ancient as the days of Solomon ; but surely Proverbs, xxv. 13, puts the matter out of question : the royal preacher could not speak of a fall of snow in the time of har- vest; that must have been incommoding, instead of pleasur- able, which it is supposed to be; he must be understood, then, to mean liquids cooled somehow by snow." — (Observations, vol. ii. p. lo«, ed. Clarke. See also note in Mant's Bible, and Burder's Oriental Customs in loc.) " The inhabitants of the hot cHmates of the East," says the learned Hunt, " who make use of snow to cool and dilute their liquors in the sum- mer season, have their snmv- houses ; which are certain under- ground vaults or cellars, where they lay up vast quantities of it either in earthen vessels, or close-wrought baskets, to be kept the year round; as well for sale as for their own private use."— (Observations on the place.) Tliis writer ex- ercises much ingenuity in endeavouring to prove, that njy means a po/, or basket, or vessel; but Vulgate and Targum render it " cold ;" not one of the ancient versions by " vessel." «jy, «njy, in Chaldee, mean cohi ; and this sense is very suitable to tin- passage before us. By rendering it " vessel," the comparison is lost, unless " vessel" be understood figuratively, for tlie cooling li(|uor within, which would co- incide in sense with the authorized version. The same notion, however, is adopted by iMicha>lis, Suppl. No. 2172, and Hodgson. X X 334: NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 14. gifts] — npty nnni is rendered literally, . by LXX, Syriac, Targum, Sym. E. T. &c. " a false gift;" but it seems rather to denote gifts promised, yet never bestowed; " vir gloriosus, et promissa non complens," Vulgate. So it is un- derstood by Vat. Piscat. Le Clerc, Michaelis, Doedevlein, Dathe. 15. the bone] — Metaphorically -for hatred or anger; " duri- tiam," Vulgate; " what is stubborn," Hodgson. — See Poli Synop. 16. Hast thou found honey?] — This aphorism is to be understood in a general sens?, namely, that pleasures of every description are to be enjoyed with moderation; for too great indulgence in them produces disgust and satiety, and not unfrequently more serious evils. — Compare verse 27. 17. Let thy foot, S^-c] — A particular illustration of the preceding general remark. lp» in Hiph. to make precious or rare, i. e. " Make thy company valuable and precious to thy neighbour, by not giving it him too often." — Hodgson. So the Syriac version. 18. A maul] — It is difficult to say exactly what is meant by V'SJ3j though, by being joined with a sword and arrow, it undoubtedly denotes some warlike instrument. It is either derived from x^Q or ysj:. — See Cocceii Lex. in both words. 19. Confidence, 4"c.] — The perfidious afford no more assist- ance in time of trouble, than a broken tooth in manducation, or a dislocated joint in walking. 20. As he that taketh away] — This is an ambiguous verse as to the meaning of particular Avords, without altering the general sense of the proverb, mr means transivit Job, xxviii. 8; hence, in Hiph. to cause to pass, i. e. to take away. Such is tlie meaning in Chaldee. Also the Arabic \*^j NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 335 in conjugation 2, and the Syriac |jl, in Aphel, denote fecit ut transiret, abstulit. In this sense the Hel)rew is rendered by Syriac and Targ^um. On the other hand, mj; certainly medLixs to adorn, to put oh, as Ezek. xvi. 11, xxiii. 40; Isa. Ixi. 10 ; Job. xl. 10, &c. and so it is understood in this place by Gousset, Schultens, and Parkhurst, who thus explains it: *' The putting on of a garment (not in cold weather, as trans- lated, but) in the day of cooling, i. e. in the hot summer weather, vinegar upon natron, and he who singeth, or the singing of songs to an ajf/icted heart (are alike,) that is, unseasonable and troublesome." — 7iitre] — nnJ, the natrum or nitre of the ancients, which ferments when mixed with acids. — (Parkhurst, Taylor's Con- cordance.) Such is its meaning in Jer. ii. 22, the only other place where it occurs. — (See Blaney in Jer. and Micha'lis, Suppl. No. 1682.) But Schultens, appealing to the Arabic XjjJ confossio penetrans, (see Golius, p. 2301,) renders it, " acetura super ictu altius adacto :" so the LXX, and it is approved by Doederlein and Dathe. Upon the whole, the standard version seems to be adequately supported. — See Gills Bible. 22. For thou shalt heap, ^'c] — The sense of verses 21, 22, is, that by kindness and benevolence towards an enemy, thou wilt cause him to grieve and lament at having injured tluK^; in consequence of which he will lay aside his enmity, and be reconciled to thee; and for thy humane conduct thou wilt be abundantly rewarded by the AInughty. Such a treatment of enemies is enjoined by our blessed Lord Matt. v. 44. That this is the true interpretation appears from Rom. xii. 20, where the apostle has quoted this passage according to the LXX : " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but rather 336 NOTES, CHAP. XXV. give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Here the apostle exhorts us not to return evil for evil ; but to treat even enemies with kindness and charity, as that is the most likely way to soften them, and to make them lay down their enmity. So it is ex- plained by Wolfius, Doddridge, Schleusner, Macknight, &c. But others suppose the meaning of the apostle to be, that by such a conduct thou wilt bring down the wrath of God upon thine enemy. So Estius, Grotius, Whitby, and some in Poh Synop. The former exposition is preferable; for, 1. The context in Romans treats of the way to overcome evil, to vanquish or subdue it, which is by doing good, not of the way to bring the wrath of God upon it. 2. The apostle cannot be supposed to propose it as a reason for a certain conduct, that it will bring down the wrath of God, even upon enemies, whom we are taught to forgive, and pray for. 3. The pas- sage of Proverbs, which St. Paul adduces to strengthen his argument, does not relate to the divine wrath and vengeance, but to the reconciliation of enmities. It is objected, that the phrase, " coals of fire," in other places, signifies the wrath and indignation of God: Isaiah, Ivii. 14; Ezek. x. 2. Compare 4 Esdras, xvi. 52. But in Ps. cxl. 10, the phrase may mean 9.S in Proverbs, though I acknowledge that it more pro- bably denotes liyhtnings. Compare Psalm, xviii. 13, 14. ^^'hatever the phrase, " coals of fire," may signify in other places, there can be no doubt that the scope of both passages (i. e. Proverbs and Romans) is to admonish us not to retuni evil for evil, but contrariwise, blessing, with acts of kindness, and offices of charity. — (Rom. xii. 17; 1 Thess. v. 15; 1 Pet. iii. 9.) nnn ; see ch. vi. 27, note. NOTES, CHAP. XXV. 337 23. bringeth forth] — I have adopted the marpnal trans- lation of "^Vinn, bocauso it is the usual meaning of tlie word ; because the parallehsra requires it; and because it is so ren- dered by LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Aq. The Vulgate, however, has " dissipat," and Syni. hoKvei ; so Parkhurst, &c. Those who adopt this latter interpretation are mainly influenced by the idea, that the north wind chiefly brings dry and clear weather. But this, probably, was not the case in Palestine. R. Levi Ben Gersom says, " The north M'ind produces rain at Jerusalem, because it brings there the vapours arising from the sea which lies to the north of it." " The sacred writers, having few or no intermediate points, might call that north, which was oidy northward. In this manner will the wind, in its passage, brush along the skirts of the Mediterranean; and may, by dipping its wings in that sea, collect a sufficient (piantity of rain, whereby to water the fields of all Judea; and, indeed, the more westerly parts of Judea might be watered from this sea, if the wind blew directly from the north." — Hunt's Observations in loc. who has well defended the version here adopted. — And a backbiting tongtie] — Literally, " a secret tongue,** i. e. secret, clandestine, calumnious speech, which irritates as much as an open and manly attack. 24. // is better, Sfc] — See ch. xxi. 9, note; also ch. xix. 13, note. 2fi. erring] — too is rendered, by the ancient versions and several moderns, " falling down," which is to be taken in a moral si^n^c,. flipping, making a slip, a faux pas. — (Parkhurst.) AVhen this happens, as is sometimes the case, to a good man, " instead of being the source of justice, and the oracle of truth, he is like a fountain, whose sides are so trodden down, 338 NOTES, CHAP. XXV. and waters disturbed by mud and dirt, that it is no longer capable of refreshing those who resort to it, but is, on the contraiy, become offensive and loathsome." — Hunt. 27. It is not good, ^rc] — Of the multifarious expositions of this verse, the most simple and easy appears to be, to under- stand it in connexion with the preceding one, referring the affix in m33 to pny, a noun of multitude. Thus, (verse 26) The slips and errors of the righteous are injurious in various ways ; (verse 27) it is not good, therefore, to eat much honey, to indulge too much in pleasure, (see verse 16,) which causes many errors and transgressions; but it is good for the righteous to seek their own glory, by steadily adhering to the paths of virtue. By way of specimen, it may be worth while to ob- serve, that this verse is interpreted allegorically by the lovers of mystical exposition. By " honey," they say, is meant physical and metaphysical investigations, siich as concerning the origin of the world and of evil, the nature of the human mind, the economy of the universe, and the like, which are called " honey," because the contemplation of them is sweeter and more delightful than of moral truths. The Paroemiast exhorts men not to indulge too much in these speculations, because it may create weariness and disgust, in like man- ner as too much of luscious food creates nausea and dis- taste. — See more in Vitringa, Observat. Sacrre, vol. ii. lib. 6, cap. 20. 28. lie that hath, ^■c.'] — The man who has no control over his spirit is as liable to the attacks of sin, that formidable spiritual enemy, as a city, whose walls are broken down, is to the assaults of hostile foes. NOTES, CKAP. XXVI. 339 CHAPTER XXVI. 2. As the sparrow, Sfc] — The comparison in this verse is not easily discovered, and, accordingly, it has been variously explained. I take it to be this, viz. Unjust maledictions shall have no eftect, and shall be as much without object, as the wanderings of the sparrow and the flights of the swallow appear to be. — (See Dathe's note, and Capelh Crit. Sac. p. 273, ed. Vogcl.) The verse may, perhaps, be rendered, " As the sparrow for, or, with respect to its wandering, and the swallow for, or, witli respect to its flying," viz. are apparently without object ; " so the curse that is without cause shall not come,'" shall not arrive at its object. 3. A whip, Sfc.'] — Something must be supplied to complete the sense, either as in the version, or comparatively. " As a whip is for the horse, Sec. so is a rod for," {)) thought should be removed by altering the text, agreeably to the SjTiac and Targum, namely, 340 NOTES, CHAP, XXVI. " Answer a fool according to thy wisdom," &c. ; but this emendation is rash and unnecessary. The Caph, in verse 4, denotes simihtude, in verse 5, fitness and propriety. Thus, (verse 4) "Answer not a fool according to his folly," with folly similar to his, " lest thou also be like unto him :" but (verse 5) "answer a fool according to his folly," according as his folly requires, i. e. return him such answers as befit his folly, "lest he be wise in his owii conceit." The reasons sub- joined to each precept confirm this interpretation. — See War- burton's Doctrine of Grace, Prefat. ; Fuller's Harmony of Scripture, p. 17 ; and Geierus. 6. Cutteth off", Sfc] — The sense probably is, He who sends a message by a fool, does the same as if he cut ofl" the messenger's feet, and in consequence of his imprudence suffers damage, by having his message delayed, mistaken, or per- verted. There is confessedly a difficulty in this verse, and some critics would alter the text, though no authority can be adduced for it. — dritiketh] — " To drink," in Scripture language, some- times denotes to suffer injury. — (Job, xxi. 20; Ps. Ixxv. 8 ; Jer. XXV. 16, xlix. 12 ; Obad. 16; Habac. ii. 1^.) So ttow is used. — Schleusneri Lex. 7. As the legs, Sfc] — As the legs are weak through lame- ness, so a proverb in the mouth of a fool is destitute of strength and energy, because it is applied improperly and injudiciously V^Tis irregularly formed from n"?!, in the explanation of which Parkhurst is very successful : or it may be derived from bhi wasted, exhausted, &c. As r\hi denotes to draw ivater, some explain the image by that of the two buckets of a well going up and down alternately, which excellently paints the limping of the lame. — (Gousset, Dindorf, Schultens, Animadvers. inter Opera Minora, p. 232, and his immensely long note in loc.) Hunt properly understands the D, in nOEJO, as a NOTES, CHAP. xxvr. 341 preposition, "through lameness:" the EngHsh transhition, " the legs of the lame, " wouhl require CD'pw to be in regim. 8. As he that] — The honour like the stone is thrown away. CDJ1 lapidarc, to stone ; hence nnjno an instniwent to throw sfoncx, a slinrf. So LXX, Syriac, and Targum ; and this is greatly contirmed by nnv, from TiY to bind, which well applies to the fixing a stone in a sling. The margin of E. T. is, " As he that putteth a precious stone in an heap of stones;" and this is approved by some. — (See Poli Synop. and Parkhurst.) Tlie Vulgate is, " Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum Mercurii," as lie that casts a stone to Mercury's heap; an interpretation defended by Cocceius, Grotius, &.c. A custom anciently prevailed of piling up heaps of stones to point out the way, and travellers threw stones to tho heap in honour of iMercury, the guardian of the ways. These were called ipfjaiui \ooi, lapidum acerri Mercuriales, or tpfiaia. According to this view of the passage the meaning is, " As he who throws a stone to Margeemah, or the heaps of stones in honour of MercuiT, profits nothing, because he throws it to an insensible idol ; so is he who gives honour to a fool." — (See Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. p. 1203; Scaliger, de Emend. Temp. lib. V. p. 4Had, furere, is to be preferred, as it suits the context, is supported by the Greek version published by Valloisou, and possibly by the LXX and Symmachus. — and death] — niO, put for " niO 'Vd instrumentti mortis, i, e. letaha arma." — Waltheri EUipses Heb. p. 61. 344' NOTES, CHAP. XXVI. 20. Where no wood, Sfc.'] — Compare cli. xvi. 28. — Sec Schroeder, Obs. ad Orig. Heb. p. 101. 22. The words, 'e8, as well by looking into his own heart, as he can tell what sort of a face he has by looking upon tlie water ; 350 NOTES, CHAP. XXVII. for " the actions of a man show as much his heart, as the reflection of water shows his countenance." — Durell, whose version (corresponding with that of Le Clerc, Castaho, and Hodgson) I have adopted, as, of all I have seen, the most literal and perspicuous. Nevertheless, as the comparison may be applied in many different ways, " hand sane facile est dictu, usque quo pertineat, et quibus coerceri debeat finibus," as Bishop Lowth remarks, Preelectiones xxiv. p. 317. 20. So the eyes, Sfc] — By " the eyes" is meant what St. John denominates " the lust of the eyes,'' (1 John, ii. IG,) and comprehends the desire of riches, superb dresses, splendid equipages, and the like, in such a degree as to absorb more serious thoughts. A passion for dress and splendour, to a cer- tain extent, is beneficial, by encouraging arts and manufactures; but when it becomes predominant, rivetting the mind upon perishable baubles, and banishing the thought of an hereafter, it is criminal, and is condemned both by the apostle and the Israelitish monarch. As God alone can judge how far this is the case with any individual, we should be cautious in condemning those who may appear chargeable with this offence. Such as inveigh the most bitterly against elegance of dress, ornamental furniture, and all the costly articles of refined luxury, are not always of the most irreprehensible spirit: a declamation against fashion is not unfrequently prompted by a splenetic humour, an envious disposition, or a mortified ambition ; and a refusal to comply with the ever- changing, but harmless, modes of life may often be suspected to arise from self-consequence and pride. More disgusting pride frequently lurks under a threadbare coat, than under vestments of the newest fashion. — For m2Sl bM^\if, see ch. XV. 11, note. 21. As a fining-pot, Sfc."] — As a fining-pot separates the silver from the dross, and the fine gold from alloy, so a man's NOTES, CHAP. XXVII. 351 conscience discerns, in the praises of others, what is deserved, and what is mere adulation ; and in this way a man is proved by the speech of those who extol him. This, hke many other proverbs, is to be taken as generally true; for there may be some exceptions, where the heart has been corrupted by the base flattery of sycophants.— See Le Clerc. — to the .v/JCfc/i]— Literally, " to the mouth," i. e. meto- nymically, the speech. 22. Though thou shouldest, 4^.]— Some think this is an allusion to an ancient species of punishment by bruising in a mortar.— (Parkhurst, tyna; Burdcr's Orient. Cust.) Doeder- lem, with whom Dathe agrees, supposes the image is taken from the art of the fuller in cleansing and bleaching vest- ments; i. e. " sordidissimie vestes arte et labore abluuntur, at hominis stoliditas, longe foedissima animi macula, arte nulla purgatur." In my opinion, the allusion is generally to anything pounded in a mortar; for there is no improbability in the supposition, that mortars of very large dimensions may have anciently been in use, as Dr. Clarke observed some of aa immense size at Rosetta, used in the manufacture of coflee. " After roasting the coffee," says he, «' it is pounded in im- mense iron mortars : three Arabs working at a time, with enormous pestles, each as large as a man can raise. The capacity at the bottom of the mortar being only equal to the reception of one of these at a time; the pestles are raised according to the measure of an air sung by an attendant Arab, Mho sits near to the mortar. The main purport of this curious accompaniment of their labour is to prevent the hand and arm of a boy, kneeling by the mortar, from being crushed to atoms. The boy's arm is always within the mortar, which allows room for each pestle to pass in turn, without bruising him, if he place it in time against the side of the vessel ; but as after every stroke he must stir up the powder at the bottom 353 NOTES, CHAP. XXVII. with his fingers, if the precise period of each blow were not marked by the measure of the song, his arm would be struck off." — (Travels, vol. v. cap. 1, p. 40, 8vo. edit.) The sense therefore is. Though you were to chastise the fool, who refuses all correction, ever so much, so as, if it were possible, to beat him hke things pounded in a mortar, his folly would remain. This must be understood of a fool, who rejects all reproof, and despises all chastisement, or it would contradict other passages where the utility of correct- ing the foolish is asserted. Castell thus explains it : " Though thou thresh a fool on the floor among corn with a threshing instrument; yet wilt thou not remove his folly from him." The Targum is to this effect. —(See Hunt.) Dr. Hodgson thinks the meaning is, not in a mortar, but " at the mortar; or, in the place where corn was ground ; that is, the prison-house, where, in ancient times, slaves were punished." That of- fenders were punished in the grinding-house, he appeals to Judges, xvi. 21 ; Terence, Andria, act 1, scene 2, act 3, scene 4. His version is, " Though thou shouldest chastise a fool in the grinding-house, Amidst the workers at the grist. Yet will he not depart from his folly." This version and comment are ingenious, but, I think, not supported by sufficient evidence. " There are four words," says Durell, " which may be considered as a^ra^ Xey. i. e. tt^iDDn, irriDD, ms'in, '"^ri." As to the first, it is ren- dered to bra;/, to povnd, by Syriac and Vulgate, Aq. Theod. It has the same sense in Syriac and Chaldee; and j^J.^, by a metathesis of Ta into Dal, has the notion of beating, percutiendi. Por the other words see the Lexicons. 23. Be diligent, ^-c] — Here follow (to the end of the chapter) some laudatory observations upon the pastoral life, addressed, with peculiar propriety, to a nation addicted to NOTES, CHAP. XXVII. 353 egriculture, and the tendance of flocks and herds. Several commentators apply those remarks, allcjiorically, to civil and ecclesiastical governors; but whether they were so intended by the Paroeraiast is extremely doubtful. It is not sufficient that a text may be applied in a particular manner; it must be shown that it was the intention of the writer that it should be so applied; otherwise we are extracting a meaning from his words which they were not intended to convey. More error, probably, has arisen from extending the language of the sacred penmen beyond the meaning attached to it by the uthor, than by not reaching the full force of his expressions. — the state\ — Literally, " the face of thy flock," and so it is rendered by all the ancient versions, except the LXX; and it is a remarkably fact, of which I have known instances, that some shepherds can distinguish the sheep of their flocks, individually, by their faces: but by 'JB the face, the state and condition of the flock is most likely to be understood, and consecpiently E. T., " the state of thy flock," gives the true sense. — Look well to] — Literally, " •'pply thine heart," i. e. carefully inspect, or look well to thy herds. 24. For rivhes, ^'c] — Tiiis verse fornix the premises from which the intVretiee, though not expressed, is to be supplied in some such way as follows : Attend diligently to thy flocks; for otlier riches last not for ever, neither does the crown descend from generation to generation; but the care of flocks and herds is always necessary and profitable. OM, neqiie, neither. — Noldius, 8. 2.5. The grass, t^-c] — This verse contains another reason why attention to flocks and herds is always profitable, namely, that the eartii, through tlu' blessing of Providi-iice, spon- taneously brings forth grass and herbage for their support, 354 NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. and, therefore, but little labour is required to procure them subsistence. "I'yn is rendered by our translators " hay," both here and Isaiah, xv. 6, but properly means grass, for in the luxurious countries of the East, where vegetation is so abun- dant, they have very seldom occasion to make hay. — See Parkhurst on the word. — the herbage] — The critics observe, that itrjr denotes the full, ripe grass, " herba adulta quo tempore semen concipit," and «iyT, the young and tender grass; (Mich'd?lis, Suppl. on both words; Le Clerc in Gen. i. 11;) but this distinction ap- pears to me rather doubtful. 20. And the he-goats] — Commerce was at first carried on by bartering with cattle ; goats, therefore, were not only useful for food, but also for trade and barter; hence they are " the price of the field," i. e. so exceedingly valuable that they may be estimated at the price or worth of the field in which they are fed. — See the learned Bochart, Hieroz. par. 1, lib. ii. cap. 53. CHAPTER XXVIII. 1. But the righteotis, Sfc] — The reader will be gratified by perusing Bochart, Hieroz, par. 1, lib. iii. cap. 2, and Suicer, Thesaurus in Xtwv. I forbear to quote from them, as it is not necessary for illustration. 2. Bg the rebellion, ^'c] — The land being split into parties by rebellion, many princes arise to vindicate their several claims ; or, owing to the murders and deaths occasioned by civil commotions, prince succeeds prince in rapid succession; but by a man of understanding the established order of things is preserved. NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. 355 — the state] — Tlie noun p, from pa to prepare, to establish, 6:c. di-iiotes, in this passage, the established state of aAairs. Schultens and Dathe, deriving it from JJD, to which they give the sense of fovit calore, render it *' incoluniitas," appcahng to Gen. xl. 13; Isaiah, xxxiii. 23 ; but these au- thorities are quite insuflicient to support their interj)retation. The same critics hkew ise give to "i"i« the sense of healing, saiiavit, from the Arabic ; but, as appears to me, without any justifiable grounds. Bate and Parkhurst far better explain it to advance, proceed, prosper ; i. e. " by a prudent and know- ing man a state shall prosper." Still, there does not appear sufficient reason to adopt any other than its usual sense of extending, or prolonging. 3. A man in power, ^-c-l — " A lively emblem this of a half-starved villain, newly got into power ; who, not content with making moderate depredations on those he has to dp with, as one who should come into the same office in better circumstances would be, bears down all before him, over- throws the bounds of common justice and humanity, swallows up both the present possessions and future hopes of whole families, and spreads misery and destruction wherever he goes," — (Hunt.) 12 J often mea.i\s the mighty, the powerful, and it is so understood here by Hunt, Geier, &c. — a sweeping rain] — F)nD only occurs here and Jer. xlvi. 15, where it evidently means sweeping away; " overthrown," Blancy. In Arabic it signifies abrasit, and in Syriac and Chaldee destnuit, prostravit ; hence P|nD ntoo is a rain which tears up and carries away all before it. Such violent and tremendous rains, occasioning terrible inundations, are not uncommon in Judaea. — See Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 68, ed. Clarke. 356 NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. 4. the laiv] — mm may either mean the law of God, or tho precepts of wisdom delivered in this book, or sound and wholesome doctrine in general. So in verses 7 and 9. — See ch. i. 8, note. 5. all things] — This must be taken with some limitation, namely, all things relating to " judgment," mentioned in the first clause, by which is meant justice, right, and equity : " they that seek Jehovah comprehend all things relating to what is just and equitable." " Eveiy good thing," says Aben Ezra : and so Syriac and Targum. 8. unjust gaini — nonn increase, being joined with " usury," ("[lyJ,) means unjvst increase, unjust gain. Tliis is to be understood in reference to the Jewish Theocracy. By God's extraordinary providence over his chosen people, un- justly accumulated wealth, no doubt, generally devolved on some more worthy occupant. — (Compare Job, xxvii. 16 ; Eccles. ii. 26 ; ch. xiii, 2'2, and note.) We are not to expect the same immediate retributive justice under the general providence of God. 11. The rich man, Sfc] — A man possessed of great wealth often fancies himself much wiser and much more virtuous than he really is ; but an intelligent man, howev<>r poor, will search him out, will easily discover his vanity and ignorance. 12. But when the u-icked] — When the wicked rise to power, men endeavour to hide or conceal themselves from the effects of wickedness armed with power. This exposi- tion is proved by verse 28. " When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honour is a private station." Cato, quoted by Parkhurat. I will not attem]>t to enumerate the different senses attributed NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. 357 to ir>Dn by the critics; but it may bo observed, that it has undoubtedly two significations in Scripture, to search, and to hide, conceal, or disyuise, (Taylor's Concordance,) in the latter of which it is to be taken here. 13. He that covereth] — ^Tliat is, extenuateth his sins. — See ch, X. 12, note. 14. fcarcth afwaijs] — That is, who always feareth to do wrong, who has continually the fear of God before him. " Non potest dici beatus, (jui perpetuo sibi ab hoste timet, qCiod nullo monumcnto nitatur ; sed videtur res ad Deum re- ferenda, quem vir religiosus semper offendere veretur ; aut etiam ad officiuni boni viri, quod a se violatum sibi vere ex- probrari noUet. KeverA felix est, qui semper timet utrumque, multa cnira et gravia peccata eo metu vitat." — Le Clerc. 15. a ranging bear] — ppm primarily denotes to run, to nish for u-ards,( ten. w. 2; Isaiah, xxxiii. 4; Joel,ii. 9: henqe ppiiy n is a bear running about in quest of prey. This verb also means to desire, as it were to run eagerly after some- thing, I*s. cvii. 1); Isaiah, xxix. 8; Gen. iii. 10, iv. 7. In this acceptation, ppity m may be rendered " a ravening or hungiy bear;" " ursus esuriens," Vulgate; which is defended by Uochart, llieroz. par. 1, lib. iii. cap. 1>. 10. ii prince, ^-c] — As the antithesis is not very apparent, several commentators have tried, by various expetlients, to render it more clear. Thus Hunt, whose remarks are, for the most part, extrennly valuable, translates the verse three different ways, all of which do violence to the strict and literal meaning of the words. If, however, nw (according to the Keri) be referred to the same person, namely, a prince, as the first hemistich, the antithesis will be plainer : thus, " The prince void of understanding is a great oppressor; but he (the prince) who hateth covetousness shall prolong his days." In many of the Proverbs the antithesis ia not exact. :i A 358 NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. 17. A man that, «^c,] — Although the man, who violently sheds the blood of a fellow-creature, may fly to the pit, to some secret lurking-place, to conceal himself from the fury of the avenger of blood, yet let no man detain or secrete him from the just punishment of the law. Other interpretations of this very difficult verse may be seen in Poli Synop. and Schultens. I have adopted that which appears the most easy and natural. As to the avenger of blood, see ch. xxiii. 11, note. 18. shall be saved] — That is, from temporal calamity. — at once] — nn«s is rendered, by some, " in una," vel *' alterutra," scil. viarum; by others, " penitus;" by others, " aliquando," " tandem ;" (Noldius, 2 ;) by others, " semel," Vulgate, Schultens, &c. 19. shall have poverty enough] — Literally, " shall be sa- tiated with poverty." This verse occurs ch. xii. 11, verbatim, with the exception of the two last words. — See note there. 21. To have respect, Sj-c] — ^Though to have respect of persons in judgment is not good, yet for a piece of bread, for a small reward, will a ma» commit this error. — y^^fi^' (i piece of bread] — Durell renders this hemistich interrogatively, " And for a piece of bread should a man transgi'ess ? " Some think " man" does not here mean " any man," '* aliquis," but the man who has respect of persons, mentioned in the first hemistich. " Hoc est, qui id flagitii admittere potest; ut majorem rationem habeat hominum, quam rerura, is potest, vel minimo pretio, corrumpi." — (Le Clerc.) So LXX, o toiovtoq ; and Vulgate, " iste." — (Poli Synop.) " A piece of bread" seems to have been a pro- verbial expression, denoting a small reward or recompense, £zek. xiii. 19. NOTES, CHAP. XXVIII. 359 22. He that, <^c.]— He that is in too great haste to become rich to be content with honest gains, is a man of an envious, mahgnant, avaricious disposition ; and does not reflect, that, under the especial providence manifested to the IsraeUtish nation, such a conduct, so far from succeeding, will rarely fail of meeting with deserved punishment.— (See ch. xx. 21, note.) " An evil eye."— (See ch. xxii. 9.) Margin of E. T. renders the first line, " He that hath an evil eye hasteth to be rich." So Hodgson, &c. The sense the same. 23. after my precepts] — Some take nn« for an adverb, afterwards, postqnam, E. T., &c.; but others, with more propriety, understand it as a preposition, post me, after me, i. e. according to my precepts and example. Thus Geier, Michaelis, Not. Uber. Noldius, 13. 24. The same is, i^c.]- Such a person resembles a man whose life is devoted to the work of plundering and destroy- ing. — Compare ch. xviii. 9. 25. A man of insatiate desire] — msi am denotes a man who is vast and insatiate in his desires, " cujus cupiditas nunquam expletur," Doederlein ; aTrXTjoroc, LXX, according to the Aldine, Coniplutensian, and Alexandrine editions. \itf\^ ', see ch. xi. 25, xiii. 4. 20. lie that trristeth] — An overweening conceit of one's own judgment is an indubitable evidence of folly. — in his oH/i ^jri/deMoe]- Literally, " in his own heart;" " heart" being used, according to the custom of tlie Hebrews, for prudence or judgment, or rather the reasoning faculty, the intellect.— See ch. ii. 2, note. 27. But he that hideth]—Thsit is, he who has no regard nor compassion for the wants and miseries of the poor shall be abhorred.— Compare Isaiah, i. 15; Ezek. xxii. 20". See Schulteus, de Defect. Hodiern. § 170. 360 NOTES, CHAP. XXIX. CHAPTER XXIX. 1. hardeneth his neck] — " A hard neck," and " to harden the neck," signify to be perverse, refractory, contumacious; metaphorical expressions, taken from untractable oxen which do not submit quietly to the yoke. — Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 1125, ed. Dathe. 2. are in authority] — ^The verb nil to increase, to become great, here signifies to increase in authority and dignity, as is evident from its corresponding with hmn, in the second hemistich. 3. He that keepeth company] — ^This is literally rendered, by LXX, Vulgate, Aq. Schultens, " qui pascit meretrices." 4. But he that receiveth gifts] — Though mnnn elsewhere signifies oblations offered with a religious view, it must here mean gifts or bribes given with a design of perverting justice. So Aq. Theod. arrjp a^aipefxarijyv. — (See Bielii Thesaurus in aipaipeixa.) One indubitable application of a word is enough to establish the signification attributed to it; 1 cannot, there- fore, agree with Durell's emendation, who would read n'Din, and render it " the fraudulent man ;" for it receives little, if any, confirmation from MSS. ; and though the LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Arabic have " vir injustus," it by no means follows that they read differently to the received text; for a man who accepts of bribes is an unjust man, and, regarding the sense alone, they might translate it " an unjust man." 5. for his feet] — That is, for the feet of his neighbour. He sliall fall into the pit which he dug for his neighbour, as Gersom observes : but Hunt understands it, for his own feet, i. e. the flatterer's feet. NOTES, CHAP. XXIX. 361 6. In the transgression, Sfc.]—ln the trans^ession of the wicked there is a snare, by which they are caught, as a bird is entaiigleil in the fowler's net, and brought to a miserable state of captivity and bondage ; but the righteous sing and rejoice, live in a state of happiness and freedom. do sirt^]— Schultens, confening pT with the Arabic L renders it " succumbens," (properly, " succumbit ;") Doederlein, Dathe, Schulz, deriving the sense from the same Arabic word, render it "vincit;" Mich*Iis, (Suppl. No. 2347,) appealing to the Arabic ^»j renders it " deliberat."— (See Golius, p. 1005 and 1070.) Amidst these uncertainties of Arabic lore, most readers, I apprehend, will agree with me in deriving pT from pi to shout, to exult, to situj for joy. So LXX, Syriac, Targum. 7. regard not knowledge] — That is, the knowledge of the cause of the poor; for this proverb relates to judicial pro- ceedings. The righteous, sitting in judgment, consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked regard it not. The judicial term ]n contimis this interpretation. 8. inflame] — That is, " occasion tumults and discords; or, set a city on tire, by blowing the tire of divine wrath upon it." — (Durell.) There can be no question that in'Q' may be ren- dered, as in E. T., " bring a city into a snare;" yet the anti- thesis retpiires the sense of blowing up, or injlaming, a sense which the word often bears, and which is adopted here by the LXX, Syriac, Schultens, Le Clerc, Poli Synop,, &c. 9. Whether he rage or laugh] — There is a very great am- biguity in these words; they may refer either to "the wise man," or the " fool;" in my opinion to the latter, as it is not characteristic of wise men " to laugh or rage," either in pri- vate or judicial contentions. The verse may, therefore, be 362 NOTES, CHAP, XXIX. better rendered, " When a wise man contendeth with a fool, either he (the fool) will rage or laugh and there is no rest." "» (Vau) sive, either.^ — Noldius, 63. — there is no rest] — No peace or quiet from the fool's contentions. 10. And seek, 8fc.] — This hemistich is rendered by many translators, " But the just seek his soul or life," i. e. endea- vour to presei-ve and protect the life of the upright. But tt^aj u^pi in other places is used in a bad sense, to endeavour to kill, vitce alicnjus insidias struere, Ps. xxxviii. 13, Heb., xl. 15, Heb., hv. 5, Heb.; Exod. iv. 19; 1 Sam, xxiii, 15, It is probable, then, that such is its meaning in the passage before us ; and in this sense it will suit the context remark- ably well, if C3nty» be understood as the nominative absolute : thus, " As to the just, (the blood-thirsty) seek their life," i. e. they hate the upright, and seek the life of the just. — (For ex- amples of the nominative absolute, see Robertson's Grammar, p. 311; Schroederi Institut. reg. 33; Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 67; Horsley's Hosea, Pref, 31,) Hodgson's version is, " But the upright seek his esteem;" so Vatablus, and this makes the antithesis good, but is not supported by the Hebrew idiom. 11. A fool, 4'c.] — The fool without consideration utters all his thoughts, but a wise man reserves them till a fit occasion. This is a good sense, but I am much inclined to prefer another version, namely, " A fool showeth forth all his anger; but a wise man assuageth it in secret;" i. e. while a foot gives way to the impulse of anger, a wise man assuageth it in secret, by reflecting upon the folly of immoderate pas- sion, and by inwardly applying the sedatives of piety and goodness, nn denotes anger ch. xiv. 29, xvi. 32; Eccles. X. 4; Zech. vi, 8; Judg, viii. 3; and so it is here rendered by NOTES, CHAP. XXIX. 363 LXX, Syriac, Targum. ^^^«a is variously rendered; but, porha[)s, means /« secessv, in secreto. — See Cocceius. 13. The poor, ^c] — The Lord gives both to the poor and the rich to enjoy the lijjht of hfe; he is the common Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor of both. Since both poor and rich must Uve together in society, both have the same hea- venly Father, and both are upon an equality as to spiritual matters, tliis should excite a spirit of kindness and bene- volence towards each other. This explication is confirmed by ch. xxii. 2, where see the note. — the rich] — ^That O'DDn, though only occurring here, means the rich, is clear from its being opposed to *' the poor," and from the parallel passage ch. xxii. '2 ; but as to its deri- vation, the (juestion is more difficult to decide. Schultens illustrates it by the Arabic 8.£=)j fascice ; hence Q'aan iy»« " rir fasciarvm, i. e. veste splendida insignis, dives," So Mich-«lis, Doederlein, Dathe, Schulz. This appears to me exceedingly forced and unnatural : I should rather derive its meaning from the Syriac and Chaldee sense of the word, damno affccif, and render it " oppressors;" by which the rich are meant, for such only are oppressors. Or, as *]in means deceit, it may be rendered, as in the standard version, " the deceitful," if by this term the rich could be charac- terized. — (See Gussetius and Parkhurst.) Whatever may be its etymological meaning, it was certainly intended to denote the rich. 10. When the wicked, Sfc.^ — Though sinners may be midti- plied and prosper for a time, yet, through the retributive jus- tice of God displayed towards the Jewish people, they shall, ill the end, fall and perish. — Compare Ps. xxxvii. 34, 36. — are in authoritij] — nn, used as in verse 2, see note. So Tiffur, Mercer, Gill. 364 NOTES, CHAP. xxix. 18. religiori] — |nn, literally, " vision," is put tropically for " revelation," as Cocceius, whom see, and Dathe explain it. I am not sure, however, whether it would not be better to render it, " When there is no instruction the people perish." ntn sometimes means to perceive, to understand, to learn. Job, XV. 17, xxvii. 12, xxxvi. 25. As it was one part of the prophetical office to teach the law to the people, it is not unlikely that ptn, signifying p>opAe??"c vision, should be put for every species of instruction delivered by the prophets, whether they acquired it supernaturally, or by ordinary means. — (See Geierus, Durell, Taylor's Concordance.) It must, at least, mean either religion or instrucMon, for it corresponds with " law" in the second hemistich. — perish] — Literally, " made naked," i. e. " stript of their honour and defence," as Taylor expresses it, and so perish: but Parkhurst and Robertson, in his Clavis Pent. No. 2755, attribute the sense of apostatizing to ri3, and render it, " When there is no vision, the people will break loose, or apostatize." 19. he will not obey] — Literally, " there is no answer;" the meaning of which is, that the wicked servant, though he un- derstands the words by which he is corrected, he does not return the proper answer, namely, reformation and amend- ment. He does not obey the voice of reproof. " Servant" evidently means " a wicked servant." 21. He that delicately, Sfc] — He that brings up a servant with gieater indulgence and delicacy than are suitable to his station of life, shall lament his error, when he finds that such treatment, instead of making him active and honest, has ren- dered him indolent, inattentive, unfaithful, and perverse. We have in this verse two ana^ Xty. pjsn and pja, the former of which, in Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic, means to make NOTES, CHAP. XXIX. 365 delicate, to educate delicately ; (see Schultens and Michx'lis, Suppl. No. 2040;) ami it is rendeivil in the same sense by the L\X and Vulgate: the Syiiac and Targum use the same root. As to the other uTra^ Xty. pjD, 1 concur witli those critics who derive it from p« gemuit, the Kamets supplying the place of the Aleph, as it often does. lie that brings up a servant in too delicate a manner shall be pJO grieved; he shall lament it. This sense is authorized by the LXX, Syriac, Arabic, Sym. Our translators and several others render it " a son," referring it to pj; but none of the ancient versions acknowledge this sense, and it cannot be grammatically construed as a noun signifying so7i ; for it would be literally, " He that delicately brings up his servant; certainly at length shall be a son," which is nonsense. To render n'H' " shall have him become," as in E. T., is quite uuoxampU'd, as Hunt observes; its proper meaning is, " he shall be." Hunt renders tlie first line, " He, that is indulged from a child, shall be a servant;" but, as this would rc(|uire the omission of the ailix in nay, he proposes also to take it in an active sense, " he that indulges (any one) from his youth, shall make him a servant." Though these versions are supported by the LXX and Syriac, they, in my judg- ment, quite recede firom the letter of the sacred text. But see Schnurrer, Diss, ad loc. quaedam Prov. Salomonis. 24. He henreih the adjuratinu] — n'ps means ihe oath which was administered by the judge; for it was customary for magistrates to demand of accused persons, or witnesses in any cause, in the name of God, to speak the truth. — I^evit. v. 1, where see Poli Synop. and the note in IMant's Bible ; Numb. v. 21; 1 Kings, xxii. l(j ; 2 Chroii. xviii. 15; Matt. xxn. 63. See Michvrlis, Commentaries, Art. 25G. 25. The fear of man'] — Namely, the standing in awe of the power of man, which often leads to unworthy compliances, a B 366 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. and causes a person to shrink from the discharge of his duty, —Compare Matt. x. 28. 26. judgment] — Tiiis may mesin justice, equity, i. e. " Je- hovah administers justice to every man:" or it may mean fortune, fate, condition, as BSU>D signifies Judges, xiii. 12; 2 Kings, i. 7; (see Geier;) that is, " Every man's fate or condition is from Jehovah." Bishop Lowth thus renders the verse, Prel. Diss, to Isaiah, p. 24, ed. 8vo. : *' Many seek the face of the prince ; But the determination concerning a man is from Jehovah." I suppose this coincides in sense with the second exposition above mentioned. CHAPTER XXX. 1. The words, ^c] — ^That Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and TJcal are proper names admits of no contradiction; but different opinions have been entertained as to the persons designated by them. Some think, that by Jakeh David is meant, and by Agur Solomon; an opinion, I trust, fully confuted in the Preliminary Dissertation. Some also think that Ithiel and Ucal mean Christ. " h hie non vertendum ad, sed super, et de objecto intelligitur. De Christo accipe. Dictum viri de Ithiel (i. e. de eo qui est nieciim Dens:) "7«'n't< idem sonat quod, ^«"iJny, nobiscum Deus ; et ^31« Ucal (a. h^^2* potcns fuit,) i. e. omnipotente." — (Calovius. See also Cocceius and Gill.) To this I answer, 1, n'« and »n'« are Chaldee, not Hebrew, which renders the etymology suspicious; and, even allowing this derivation, it should seem to mean with Gody rather than God ivith us. — (Siinonis, Onoraast. p. 494.) 2. These mystical names are nowhere else ascribed to Christ in the Scriptures ; and, though he is spoken of verse 4, and perhaps verse 19, he is not the direct subject of the chapter. NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 367 3. Though the particle h does sometimes signify tfe, concern- ing, yet its usual meaning, when construed with verbs of speaking, declaring, &c., is ad, to. Besides, the only otlier place where d«j is construed with a b following is Ps. ex. 1 , where it untjuestionably means ad, to. 4. If Agur and Jakeh be not mystical names, it is improbable tliat Ithiel and Ucal should be mystical names of Christ. I'or these reasons we may conclude, that Ithiel and Ucal were real per- sons ; though concerning their rank, character, and situation, it is useless to form conjectures in the absence of all authentic history. — See Michielis, Suppl. No. 85, for another explanation. — which he spake] — Literally, " which the man spake/' ». e. Agur. 3. I neither learned, S^c] — These expressions are applicable to Amos, who was no prophet, neither a prophet's son, that is, had no regular education in the schools of the prophets, but was a herdsman ; (Amos, vii. 14 ;) and likewise to any inspired writer who had not been early instructed in divine things, and had not the benefit of learning; but are wholly unsuitable to Solomon, who had been disciplined and taught by his fiitlier from early infancy, (ch. iv. 4,) and was endowed with wisdom by the inspiration of tlie Most High. — 1 Kings, iii. 5, 12. — the hohf] — ^This may signify either holy persons, or holy things; either way incompatible with Solomon. Durell's remark, that, if persons had been nieiint, it would have been written D'trnp, is erroneous; CD'tyip being often applied to persons. 4. WJiat is his 7iame?] — Some of the ancient fathers, and many modem eommentutors, have iuteqireted tlie clauses, " What is his name? and what is his son's name?" of the first aad second Persons in the Holy Trinity ; nor is there the 368 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. least doubt, that the words may bear this explication. Thus, *' Wlio hath ascended up into heaven, or descended?'' Our Saviour applies these v»'ords to himself: " And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came dow^n from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven." — (John, iii. 13. See Whitby.) " Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?" Who hath power over the wind to increase, restrain, and govern it according to his pleasure? Even he who " walketh upon the wings of the wind." — (Ps. civ. 3.) " Who hath bound the waters in a garment?" i. e. in the sea and in clouds. " Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb ? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it." — (Job, xxxviii. 8, 9.) " Who established all the ends of the earth?" Their establishment was the effect of almighty Pov»er. " What is his name" who accomplished these things? " And what is his son's name?" Declare their name and nature, " if thou canst tell." As these re- searches into the nature and operations of God and his Son surpass the limited powers and faculties of man, we ought to acquiesce in the knowledge, that " every Avord of God is pure, and that he is a shield to them that trust in him." To this interpretation it is objected, that it seems incon- sistent with the second and third verses. Neither is it cited in the New Testament; and it is strange, that so clear a de- claration that God has a Son, if it ought to be so explained, should never have been alleged by Christ or his apostles. The former of these objections scarcely requires an answer: and, as there are, undoubtedly, many passages in the Old Testament relating to Christ, not quoted in the New Testa- ment, this circumstance is of little moment against interpret- ing it in reference to the Son of God. It is further objected, that this explication " implies a degree of communication of divine truths beyond what Providence chose to reveal, ia sq NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 369 early a poriod, by any of liis prophets." — (Durell in loc.) But this argument rests upon an assumption of. the very thing to be proved. We can only judge of what God chose to do by what he has done; and the question is, whether he has revealed this great truth of his having a Son to the author of tliis chapter. But the assumption is clearly erroneous, as this truth icas communicated at " so early a period ;" for David ppeaks of " the Son," (Ps. ii. 7,) and we know, from Acts, xiii. 3;i, and Ileb. i. 5, that by his Son is meant the Son of God. The objections, therefore, against the interpretation above given are of no validity. Those who reject it adopt a difterent explanation, namely, Knowest thou the name of the man who can accomplish these things ? Or his son's name, i. e. his disciple, who can perform them ? If not, then acquiesce in the conclusion, that " every word of God is pure." Quis est hominvm, qui id possit? (coelum emetiri, maria comprehendere et s. p.) Quisjilius, hominis, vel, ex more Hebr»o, magistri alicujus discipulus et alumnus? Filii eiiim eruditorum sunt, qui pendent ab ore et institutione magistri. Xostine aliquem ? — (Doederlein, Institutio Tlieol. Christ, lib. i. cap. 1, sect. 3, § 113. See also his Scholia in loc.) Tlie only circumstance in favour of this gloss is, that a pupil or disciple is, in Scripture, sometimes called a " son," (ch. i. 8, note:) nevertheless, this explanation is extremely forced, and so far from growing out of the con- text, is scarcely compatible with it. Upon the whole, I am decidedly of opinion, that this verse contains a clear intimation of a Plurality. To refer the clause '• What is his His name ? and what is his Son's name?" to the first and second Persons in the Trinity, is a natural and unforced interpretation, very suitable to the context ; and the objections that have been made to it are, as we have seen, of little or no force. 370 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 5. Every word, ^c."] — Every promise and revelation of God is pure, without error or deceit; and, therefore, we may rely upon the declarations that God will be a defence to those who confide in him. " Metaphora frequens in Psalmis, ad divinae Revelationis praestantiam significandam. Vide Ps. xii. 7, xviii. 31, ubi legitur hie ipse versus." — Le Clerc. 6. Add thou not, Sfc.'] — This is the inference from the two preceding verses. Since man is unable to comprehend the nature and operations of the Divine Being, we ought humbly to acquiesce in the discoveries which he has been pleased to make of himself in his revealed word; and it is wrong in man to attempt to add thereto, in the presumptuous idea of im- proving Revelation. Agur, probably, alludes to Deut. iv. 2, xii. 32. On the points in riDin, see Mercer, and Altingii Fiyidam. Punct. p. 381. 7. Tivo things, 4'c.] — ^The six preceding verses are an exordium or introduction to the following apophthegms, beginning at this verse. The two things requested by Agur are specified verse 8. — God] — ^This must necessarily be supplied, as Le Clerc observes. Such an ellipsis is not unusual. — See Waltheri Ellipses Heb. p. 55. 8. Remove far from me, Sfc] — It is plain from verse 7, that this verse contains only two petitions, and, therefore, that the second and third lines are to be coupled together, as in the version. — vanity and lies] — " Vanity" is taken by some for ido- latry ; but it seems to have a more general sense, signifying all kinds of sin and error, which may be called vanity, because they are deceitful and disappoint expectation. NOTES, CHAP. X\X. 37 I " Lies," in like manner, denotes every species of deception, falsehood, and treachery. This petition relates to the mind, or spiritual state; the other, to the outward condition, or situation of life. — Gwe me neither ■poverty nor riehes] — " We must not so conceive it as if he prayed absolutely against riches, or absolutely against poverty; (for so the prayer were unlawful, poverty and riches being of themselves thing'^ indiflorcnt, and the blessing of God may go with both;) but it is a prayer of choice, or a comparative prayer; as if he had said. Rather than either poverty or riches, give me, O Lord, if it be thy will, the mean between both." — Medo's Disc. 2U. " Auream quisquis mcdiocritatem Diligit, tutus caret obsoleti Sordibus tecti, caret iiividcnda Sobrius aula." — Horace, Curni. I. ii. ](>. — food convenient for me] — »pn csn*?, literally, " panis dimensi mei," /". e. a suUicirncy, a competent allowance of bread. In the term " bread" the Hebrews comprehended ever}- kind of provision, all things needful for the sustenance of life. — (Olassii Phil. Sac. p. TioO.) The meaning, then, of this part of the petition is, Give me, O Lord, a competency of those things which are necessary in the situation of life in which 1 am placed. This competency will vary according to the various circumstances and conditions of men : what is sutfieient for one rank of life, is absolute want in another more elevated. It does not merely denote a sufficiency " to sup- port a man in his natural life and health, as tlic learned and judicious Mede observes, but that which is sufficient to sup- port and maintain him in that condition, order, degree, and calling wherein God hatii plactd liiiu." This prayer of Agm- exactly corresponds with the petition in the Lord's prayer. 312 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. " Give us this day, tov aprov rjfiivv tov eiriovmov" not " Otjt daily bread," but " bread or food sufficient for us;" for eTTiovaioQ seems properly derived from ettj and oviria, being, or substance, i. e. food necessary for our being and subsistence. — See Parkhurst's Gr. Lex. and Hales's New Analysis, vol. ii. p. 1028, For other explanations of the word, see Wetstein, Schleusner, and Suiceri Thesaurus. 9. Lest I be full, ^c] — The sum and substance of Agur^» prayer is, O Lord, remove far from me all sin and error, all falsehood and deception : give me neither a superfluity, nor a deficiency of those things which befit my station, but a competency adapted to my rank and condition of life : lest, if I have more than enough, my heart may be tempted, through luxury, or the pride of wealth, to forget thee; or lest, if I have not a sufficiency, I should be induced to steal, or to arraign the equity of the divine government, and pro- fane the name of ray God, by perjury and blasphemy. — profane] — u^sn to lay hold on, here evidently means to lay on violently, to violate, i. e. to profane. I can see no reason for restricting it to false swearing; it seems to me to denote every kind of profanation of God's name. 10. ^ccMse not, ^-c.] — This is to be understood cum grano salis. Be cautious in accusing a servant to his master, lest he, in return, revile thy character, and lest thou shouldest be guilty of a false accusation. Schultens inclines to interpret this of God and his worshippers; but of this there is no proof. It is not enough to show that a text may be applied in a particular sense ; it must be shown that it ouy/it to be so applied. ]mh occurs, as a verb, Ps. ci. 5, in the souse of accusing, reviling, speaking against. 11. There is a generation]— T^sime\y, there is a race of men, there are some who, &c. NOTES, CHAP. XXX. ^73 15. The horse-leech, Sfc.] — The most simple interpretation of this difficult passage is that proposed by Dr. Hodgson, namely, by inserting the particle of similitude: " .4s the horse-leech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give; so are there three things which are never satisfied, yea, four, which," &c. : yet, even in this way of translating it, the end and scope of these apophthegms are not apparent; I, there- fore, propose another interpretation. If this and the follow- ing verse be taken in connexion with the preceding one, they will yield a more consistent meaning than in any other way they seem capable of art'ording. Verse 14 describes those cruel and rapacious tyrants, who are restrained by no motives of humanity and virtue from gratifying their lust, their pride, and their avarice. People of such insatiable desires are like the horse-leech, which perpetually craves for more blood; they resemble the grave, the barren womb, &c. which are never satisfied, nor say, " It is enough." In this view, verses 14, ' 15, 16, form an admirably finished picture of merciless and avaricious t>Tants ; and the version should be, " They are like the horse-leech which hath two daughters, crying. Give, give; they are like three things that," «^'C. — horse-lrrch] — The airal \iy. npiVp is explained, by Bochart, (Hieroz. par. 2, lib. v. cap. 19,) to mean fate or destiny, and her t>vo daughters, Sheol and destruction, or, perhaps, Sheol and tlie grarc; an explanation completely overset by the learned Hunt. Schultens, agreehig with Boehart in discarding the common interpretation, explains it by vionstrum malum et fatale, with whom Doetlerlein and Dathe agree. Notwithstanding these high authorities, we have all the evidence for tlie received acceptation of npi'^y which the nature of the subject affords; for, 1. It denotes tlif horse-leech in Arabic. Syriac, and Clialdre. *2. The 3c 374 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. ancient versions confirm it. 3. It suits the context, as appears from the expositions given above. — hath two daughters, Sfc] — A figurative manner of ex- pressing the eager desire and continual craving of the horse- leech for blood. The sense will be the same, if we render it, with Targum, Sym. Castell, Tig. Hunt, Durell, " The horse-leech hath two daughters, Give, give," i. e. hath an insatiable desire for blood. — it is enough] — See Noldius, pn. 16. the barren womb] — Dm nyy is rendered, by Hodgson, " the ravenous gier-eagle," that is, the vulture-eagle, am certainly means a bird of prey Levit. ii. 18; Deut. xiv. 17; but "lyj; never signifies ravenous or voracious; and it occurs in the sense of barren Gen. xvi. 2, xx. 18; Isaiah, Ixvi. 9. Besides, the common translation is sanctioned by the ancient versions. 17. obedience] — The LXX, Syriac, and Targum render nnp> " the old-age of his mother;" but this sense by no means suits Gen. xlix. 10, the only other place where it occurs, whereas it may there signify obedience. In Arabic it means obedivit. But see Hunt and Castelli Lex. — The ravens, Sfc] — See a very learned and entertaining explication of this passage in Bochart, Hieroz. par. 2, lib, ii. cap. 10. 19. The wag of an eagle, ^'c] — The particle p clearly shows that verses 19 and 20 are to be taken in connexion ; consequently, it is a comparison between the way of an adulterous woman and the way of the things here described. The adulterous woman gads about in search of her deluded victim, like as the " eagle" takes its flight into the air to spy NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 375 « out its prey; she uses every species of blandishment and insinuation to allure and beguile, as the " serpent" employs its winding and sinuous motions to pass along the rocks ; she pursues a course surrounded with danger, as " a ship in the midst of the sea" is continually exposed to the fury of the tempest, and the hazard of shipwreck; and she tries every means and exercises all her sagacity to prevent the discovery of her illicit enjoyments, as a man attempts to conceal his clandestine intercourse " with a maid." Such is the conduct of a lewd woman, marked by specious dissimulation and trai- torous blandishment; "she eateth and wipeth her mouth " she indulges her adulterous lust ; yet artfully endeavours to conceal it, and, with unblushing countenance, asserts her innocence, exclaiming, " I have done no wickedness !" Such is the interi)retation which I have been led to adopt, after a careful examination of the critics and commentators.' Tor a reviewof other expositionsrl refer the reader, who has patience to toil throuuh a prolix note, consisting of twelve closely printed quarto pages, to the Commentaiy of Schultens. — the JCfl//]— That is, the mode or manner of acting, the manner of operation, pn " via sexcentis in locis designat insfifutum, intentionem, actionem, molitianem bmam, walam." — Schultens. — with a wau/]— Schultens renders nn'?ra " i,, virgini- tater in his virgin state: " in adolescentia," Vulgate; so LXX, Syriac, Sym. 1 cannot accede to Uiis, because to use the words of Parkhurst, " nn^r nowhere else signifies youth or virf,i„ state, but. in the six other texts where it oc- curs, a virrjin or maid. Besides, a man's conduct in his vir- gin state does n«,t seem anything very unsearchable, nor to suit the other subjecLs mentioned." Some interpret tl.is verse allegorically of the Messiah, and this clause, of his Incarna- tion ; but, in myjudgment, with more ingenuity Uiantrutli. 376 NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 20. She eateth, Sfc] — A delicate manner of expressing impure and illicit pleasures, which are represented under the same images ch. ix. 17, xx. 17. — and wipeth her mouth] — She artfully endeavours to conceal her criminal indulgences. " Occulit fascinus, quem- admodum qui furtim ac illicite cibum degustavit, os suum abstergere solet, ne cui degui^tasse adpareat." — Michaelis, Not. Tiber. 22. For a servant, ^c] — According to the general obser- vation of mankind, those who rise to elevated stations from the lowest ranks are usually the most haughty, tyrannical, and avaricious. " Asperius nihil est humih, cum surgit ui altum." — Claudian. — And a fool, Sfc.]-^-" That is, a man of no principles, in affluent circumstances, and pampered, is to be considered as a pest to society." — Durell. 23. For an odious ivoman] — That is, a woman deserving of hatred on account of her perverse disposition and bad morals, ^lien she is married, her conduct will be base and disgusting. The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Targ. seem to con- firm this interpretation : but Hunt, &c. think that there is an allusion to Deut. xxi. 15, and that n«Uty means a woman, once hated by her husband, but who has regained his favour ; and, having acquired an entire conquest over him, behaves herself in the most imperious manner. — And an handmaid] — Either, by base flattery, worming herself into the affections of her mistress, who, at last, be- queaths her property to her, for it appears, from Gen. xv. 3, that even servants might, by testament, be appointed heirs, or rather, having gained the affections of her master, and supplanted her mistress, she succeeds, in her room, to be his I NOTES, CHAP. XXX. 377 wife, antl becomes as proud and insolent, as her former con- dition was base and servile. Because jyT sipiifies to dis- possess, to drive out, as well as to inherit, LXX, Syriac, and several modern translators render this hemistich, "And an handmaid when slie hath cast out, or dispossessed her niistress." Hunt's version is, " For the hated woman, when restored to the power of a wife ; And an handmaid, when she hath dispossessed her mistress." 24. Little -upon the carlis attributes this description to Solomon ; though it is plainly ascribed to Lemuel's mother in the first verse. The poem is alphabetical, neat without insipidity, and elegantly descriptive without rising to that elevation of thought, and splendour of iniagerj-, which distinguish the bolder flights of poetry. Acrostic or alphabetical poems, that is, those in which each verse or strophe begins with the suc- cessive letters of the alphabet, were common among the Hebrews, and other Oriental nations. — See Asseman, Biblioth. Orient, vol. iii. part 1, p. 63, 328; Eichhorn, Privfat. ad .Tonesii Poes. Asiat. Comm.; RosenmuIIer, Argu- mentum ad Ps. xxv. For an account of those in the Hebrew volume, see Lowth's Prel. Diss to Isaiah, and Pra-lect. 3. — Mlio van fiiid]^-" Non existentia ejusnuxli niulieris negatur, sed raritas iiinuitiir." — Micha-lis, Not. I'ber. See Eccles. vii. 20. 11. ffoinrstic nralf/i] — hhnf, literally, " spoil," put for that abundance of thuigs necessary to domestic comfort, widi 386 NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. which a prudent wife will enrich the house of her husband. *' hhm spolinm, venuste designat lucra undique conqnisita, ac convecta ; quvK sint tanquam 'prcedcE ophn^, quibus domus, cui talis mulier praeest, ditatur." — Schultens. l■^. She seeketh wool andjlax] — " It was usual iu ancient times for great personages to do such works as are mentioned in these words, both among the Greeks and Romans, Lu- cretia with her maids was found spinning, when her husband, CoUatinus, paid a visit to her from the camp. Tanaquilis, or Caia Circilia, the wife of king Tarquin, was an excellent spinner of wool. — (Val. Max. 1. x. p. 348.) Her wool, with a distaff and spindle, long remained in the Temple of Sangus ; and a garment made by her, worn by Servius Tullius, was reserved in the Temple of Fortune. Hence it became a custom for maidens to accompany new-married women with a distaff and spindle, with wool upon them, signifying what they were principally to attend to. — (Pliny, Nat. Hist. 1. viii. c. 48.) Maidens are advised to follow the example of Minerva, said to be the first who made a web ; and, if they desired to have her favour, learn to use the distaff, and to card and spin. — (Ovid, Fast. 1. iii.) So did the daughters of Minyas (Ovid, Met. 1. iv. f. 1, v. 34) and the nymphs. — (Virgil, Geor. 1. iv.) Augustus Caesar usually wore no gar- ments but such as were made at home, by his wife, sister, or daughter. — (Sueton. in Vit. August, c. 73.)" — Burder's Oriental Customs. See also Goguet's Origin of Laws, par. 1, I. ii. c. 2; Harmer's Observations, vol. iv. p. 218, and ch. vii. 1(J, note; Fleury's Manners of the Israelites, ch. x. ed. Clarke. 14. She is like ships, Sfc] — This verse describes her do- mestic economy. As ships take home-manuf;ictures to foreign markets, and bring back, in return, the produce of distant lands; so a virtuous wife exchanges the things which NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. 387 her IkuhIs have wrought for the proihice of forei^ countries, and for such articU's as are necessary for domestic |)urj>oses, seeking the best market, and studious of proper economy. 15. She riseth, Sfc] — Xenophon, in his ff^conomics, cap. 7, § 35, 36, says, that it is necessary for a prudent and vir- tuous wife to reiuain at home, to send forth the servants who have to work in the fields, and to superintend those who are occupied in domestic labours. She is to distribute to them what they are allowed to consume, to exercise gn"cat fore- sight and economy, cVc. Throughout the description which Ischomachus, according to Xenojjhon, gives of a virtuous wife, a great resemblance may be traced to the character delineated in this part of the Proverbs. — See Clemens Alex. Paedag. lib. iii. c. 11. — And giveth meat] — e^nto meat or food, Ps. cxi. 5; Mai. iii. 10. Compare ch. xxx. U. Bpw^uara, LXX. So Syriac and Targum. — And a portion] — That is, the portion of work they are to do, their day's labour; epya, LXX. So Syriac and Tar- gum. pn, being joined with e^no meat, must here mean a portion of work, an appointed task, pcnsum, as in Exod. v. 14; but it sometimes denotes a portion of food, ch. xxx. 8; Gen. xlvii. '22; l^lzek, xvi. 27. — (See Simonis, Lex. Heb. ppn.) " Nota hie earn toti famihie cibum parare, sed ancillis niodo, non maribus, opera pra^scribere." — Cartwright. 1(>, She eonsidereth a field, S^c] — In this description of a virtuous wife we must take into consideration the manner of life, and the habits in a remote age, so difterent from our own. \\ omen of the highest rank were employed in occu- pations which would iippear mean and degrading in these latter ages of deliciicy an.l refinement. They not only la- boured at the loom and dislutl', but hkewise performed many 388 NOTES, CHAP. XXXI, offices which, according to our European ideas, are more suitable to men. They fetched water from the well, as we find Rebecca did, (Gen. xxiv. 15,) and as is still practised, at the present day, in the East. — (Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 32.) It was their business to grind corn, (Exod. xi. 5 ; Matt. xxiv. 41,) and, in some cases, to tend the flocks and herds. Thus, Rachel kept her father's sheep ; (Gen. xxix. 9;) and the seven daughters of Jethro, a prince and priest of Midian, kept their father's flocks, and used to draw water for them. — (Exod. ii. 16.) Every thing, indeed, relating to agri- culture and pasturage was accounted of great importance, and highly honourable among the Israelites. Hence the virtuous wife is here represented as attending to her husband's interests in these respects. " She considereth a tield," she maturely weighs its value, " and buyeth it," if it be an advantageous purchase; " with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard," with the price of her manufactures (verse 24) she causeth a vineyard to be planted. This is similar to what is still practised in Abyssinia. " Most of the laborious occupations, both abroad and at home, devolve upon the women; such as grinding the corn, bringing in wood and water, cultivating the ground, and picking herbs for the consumption of the day." — (Salt's Narrative in Lord Valentia's Travels, vol. ii. eh. 11, 8vo. edit.) A passage quoted by Schultens from Columella forms a good comment upon this place: " Apud Grcvcos, et mox apud Romanos, usque in Patrum nostrorum memoriam, fere domcsticus labor matronalis fuit, etc. Erat enim summa reverentia, cum Con- cordia et diligentia mista, flagrabatqiie nuilicr pulcherrinia jemulatione, studens negotia viri cura sua majora et meliora reddere," «S:c.— Pra;f. 1. 12, de Re Rustica. 17. She girdeih her loins irith strength'] — The loins are sometimes put, metaphorically, for strength, Ps. Ixix. 24; NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. 389 Isa. xlv. 1 : (see Glassii Phil. Sac. p. 1157 :) hence " to ^rd the loins" is a phrase denoting^ to prepare and nerve the body for any strenuous labour or exercise. — (1 Kings, xviii. 46; 2 Kings, iv. 29; Job, xxxviii. 3; Jer. i. 17. Compare Ps. Xviii. 39.) The expression is drawn from the loose, flowing garments of the ancients, which required to be girded close, before beginning any active or laborious office. The sense then is. She uses everj' means to acquire strength and activity of body, which she assiduously exercises in her various works. IB. She perceiveth, (^c.]— She perceives that the traffic in the produce of her labours is advantageous. — Her lamp, Sfc] — This is well illustrated by Parkhurst, by a passage which he quotes from Monsieur de Guys' Senti- mental Journey through Greece : " Embroidery is the con- stant employment of the Greek women. Those who follow it for a living are employed in it from morning to night, as , are also their daughters and slaves. This is a picture of the industrious wife, painted after nature, by Virgil, l have a living portrait of \]ui same kind constantly before my eyes. The lamp of a pretty neighbour of mine, who follows that trade, is always lighted before day ; and her young assistants are all at work betimes in the morning." The lines of Virgil Hlludcd to are in iEn. viii. 1. 407. " Prima quies medio jam noctis abacta; Curriculo expulerat somnum : cum foemina priniuoi Cui tolerare colo vitam, tenuique Minerva, I mpositum cinerera et sopitos suscitat ignes, Nocfein addens open, famulasque ad lumina longo Kxereet penso." 19. to the spindle] — The words ntro and ■]'7S occur nowhere else in this sense, though they are, no doubt, names v( instniments used by the ancient Hebrews in the spinning 3 E 390 NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. of wool; " but what cannot be precisely ascertained," as Parkhnrst observes, " without knowing the structure of the ancient spinning instruments." 20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor, i^*c.] — Though she is industrious and attentive, she is not of a sordid dispo- sition, but is withal charitable and bountiful to the poor. 21. double garments\ — The garments here mentioned are such as are a defence from the cold: the authorized version, then, '* are clothed with scarlet," is evidently improper, as a scarlet colour is no more protection against cold than any other. It is, therefore, better to render cd'Ju> " double garments," with LXX, Vulgate, E. T. Marg. Tig. J. Trem. Geier, Gatak. Pise. Tayl. Houb. Le Clerc, Michail. Dur. Hodgs. Dathe, though the word has nowhere else this signi- fication. — See Gataker, Adver. ch. Ix. 22. coverinys of tapestry] — See tzaniiD explained ch. vii. 10, note. — linen] — Our trcinslators have rendered ifty by " silk;" but this elegant article of luxury was, probably, unknown to the Jews of the age of Solomon. The silkworm was un- known beyond the territories of China, of which it is a native, till the reign of Justinian; (Gibbon's Roman Empire, ch. 40;) and, though silk had been introduced into Persia some cen- turies before, the opinion of the Rabbins, that the silk manu- factures were known in the age of Moses, and even of Abra- ham, is not groinidcd upon any evidence of Scripture. Some think it means a material, like silk, of a bright yellow, which we see sometimes adhering, like a tuft, to a largo kind of shellfish called p'mnce marime. — (Acad, dcs Scienc. aim. 1712, M. p. 204.) Others suppose that it signifies a kind of iine flax, which grew in Egypt or Judaea. — (Bochart, Phaleg. lib. iii. cap. 4.) Others again take it U) mean cotton. — NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. 391 (Gopiet, Origin of Laws, par. 1, I. ii, c. 2.) Parkhiirst. understands it-of fine white linen, or cotton-cloth. The reader will find more on this subject in Celsii Hierobot. par. "2, p. 'ioD; Braunius, de V est. Sacerd. lib. i. cap. B, p. 94; Schroeder, de V^est. Mulieruni, p. 243, 333. Foster's work, de Bysso Antiquorum, I have never seen. 23. Her husband is respected} — AVhen he sits in the place of jud<;mrnt and of pnblic resort, he is marked out and respected as the husband of so pru«lent and excellent a woman. Not, surely, as some commentators explain it, distinjofuished by the elegance and splendour of his dress, the work of her hands. 24. She maketh vestments and selleth them, 6fe.'\ — " He- rodotus informs us that the Egyptian women used to carr)' on commerce. That trade is now, however, lost; and the Arabs of that country are the only people who retain any share of' it. iMaillet (Let. xi. p. 134) says that the women used to deal in buying and" selling things woven of silk, gold, and silver, of pure silk, of cotton, of coKon and thread, or simple linen cloth, whether made in tlu- country or imported. This is precisely what the industrious Israelitish women are sup- posed to huv«' done."— BnrdiT, who has abridged this from Harnier's ()bs( rvations, vol. iv. p. 343. — vestments'] — The origin and meaning of jno is learnedly discussed by Schroeder, de Vest. .Mnli»r. Heb. cap. 1!). He derives it from the Arabic ^^X^ laxavit vestem, ami says it denotes 311 inner nanncnt. worn next to tin- skin, which the Romans call Intrnttas, or S 11 hum las, or Indtisia. That this explanation suits all the j)nssaces where tin- worol. Bibl. § 121. 25. And she shall rejoice, <^-c.] — ^The meaning, probably, is, that, having provided all things necessary, and exercised prudent foresight and circumspection in her affairs, she has no apprehensions for the future, but, as she is now happy, so shall she be in time to come. Under the Theocracy, this was usually tlie case ; and it is generally so now ; for the amiable qualities of virtue and prudence are the likeliest means to secure a wife's present comfort, and her happiness for the future. " Tt) latigh" is used for " rejoicing," " being happy," NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. 393 Job, viii. 21; Gen. xxi. 6; Luke, vi. 21, 25; &c. " Non timet sibi, sed secura est potius in tempus futurum, et parum anj^itur coo;itatione illius." — (Micheelis, Not. Uber. So Le Clerc, Poli Synop.) The explication of Schultens is to this effect ; that, although she possesses the most ample wealth, &c. yet she is not elated with an empty vanity, but clothes herself with modesty and virtue, which she regards as her real and unperishable ornaments. 26. She openeth her mouth, Sfc] — The first hemistich describes the prudence and wisdom of her speech, the second, the kindness and benevolence of it. — And upon her lon(/ue is the law of kindness] — " /. e. en- graved, alluding, perhaps, to the Decalogue, Exod. xxxi. 18." — (Dimock.) But by " law" we are probably to understand doctrine, instniction, precept; (see ch. i. 8;) namely, on her tongue is benevolent doctrine and kind instruction. 27. She svperintendeth, ifc] — This verse delineates her constant attention to the conduct and behaviour of the inmates of her house. Her watchfulness is unremitted ; she not only gives meat to her household, and their portion of dailv work to her maidens, but likewise takes care that they do their duty, and conduct themselves with moral propriety. Accord- ing to the pattern here exhibited, let everj' virtuous wife have a watchful eye to tlie morals of her children and domestics. The lessons of a mother have a powerful effect in repressing the rising passions, and in cultivating the opening virtues of tlie heart. Nor is the influence of a virtuous mistress of a family less salutary upon tlie minds of her servants ; she may check improper discourse and immoral habits; she may, by casual observations and incidental remarks, inculcate the virtues belonging to their situation; and she may promote honesty and frugality, industry and sobrictj', order and 394 NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. regularity among them, which will not only render them useful members of society, but will contribute much to their eternal interests. She who does not anxiously watch over the prin- ciples and moral conduct of her domestics, whatever other graces she may possess, is not entitled to the character of a virtuous wife. — superintcndeth] — nsy is a very cmphatical word : it is applied to the eyes of Jehovah Proverbs, xv. 3; Ps. Ixvi. 7. It denotes, that the good wife carefully attends to every thing that is going on in her house, and regulates all with prudence and kindness; it is, therefore, well expressed by the word " superintend." 28. Her children rise ?//>] — " To rise" (rap) often in Scripture denotes " to begin," " to undertake," " aggredi agen- dum aliquid." — (2 Sam. xiii. 31; Josh, xviii. 4; Neh. ii. 20, iii. 1 ; Job, i. 20, where see Schultens ; Jon. iii. 6, &c.) So the Greek work avitrrrifii is used, (Schleusneri Lex. 5,) and the Arabic *b. — Gobi Lex. Arab. — Her husband also] — Here is an ellipsis of Qip ariseth, after nVya her husband. 29. Many women, 4"c.] — This may be understood as spoken by the husband : thus, " Her husband also, and he praiseth her," saying, " Many women have acted virtuously, but thou exceliest them all." Or it may be taken as an exclamation of the author of the chapter, who, as if charmed with the picture of the virtuous wife which he had drawn, bursts into expressions of admiration, and apostrophizes her in these words : " Many women have acted virtuously, but thou exceliest them all ! " And this appears preferable, as the two following verses are the observations of the author of Uie chapter. NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. 395 — have acted virtuously] — Literally, " Multae filiarum virtuteni strenuam exercuere." — (Schultons, Dathe, &c.) But this idiom cannot well be expressed in English. 31. Give her, Sfc] — Or, taking the imperative for the future, " Tlicy sliall give, or, it shall he givtMi to hor accord- ing to the fruit of her hands, and her works sliall praise her in the gates." Tliat is, she shall be honoured in proportion to her virtues, and her works shall constitute her hijihest praise in the place of frequent resort; they shall publicly pro- claim her merit. The sense of the authorized version, which 1 have not thought necessary to alter, is well expressed by Patrick : " Let every one extol her virtue; let her not want the just commendations of her pious labours in the greatest assemblies, where, if all men should be silent, her own work will declare her excellent worth." It is astonishing how this beautiful delineation of a chaste and excellent matron could ever be taken in any other than a literal sense; yet, such is the fervour of an ovir-heatcd ima- gination, that scmie have not hesitated to interpret it ullegori- cally. They ditfir, however, as to the subject represented by the allegory; a circumstance which need not excite our surprise, for when the guidance of sound judgment and the rules of sober criticism are once deserted, no limits can be set to tlie wililness of fancy, and the vatraries of opinion. The Rabbins suppose that the LsiW or the Synagogue are de- pictured under the emblem of a virtuous wife, while some of tlie Christian doctors, instead of the Law or the Synagogue,' substitute the Scriptures, both of the Ohl and New Testa- ment, or the Church. — (See Schultens's Conimentar\% and Gill on verse 10.) It were waste of time to confute these fancies; the judicious reader cannot fail to discover, that the author only intended, in this ailmiruble picture, to portray. 396 NOTES, CHAP. XXXI. according to the ideas of his. own age, the character of a wise and virtuous wife. The glowing enthusiast, and the dream- ing allegorist, must be left to the enjoyment of their own opinions; argument is used in vain to him who plumes himself on superior light ; criticism passes unheeded before him who, despising the letter, mounts on the wings of allegory, or spiritualizes the naked history: but the literal interpretation is never to be deserted without the most urgent necessity- ; and those who humbly search the Scriptures for divine wisdom, will, with devout and grateful hearts, accept the truths discoverable in them by the steady light of reasou and of learning. Clb^ iStttf* T. Kaye, Printer, Liverpool.. ERRATA. IN THE PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION. i»age X, note, and tlirougliout the work, for Mkhalis, read aiichaelU. xxiii. note, for W read \^» xwii. line 2, for u-ill, read should. lix. 5, for sleight, redd alight. Ixviii. note, for 1175, read 1775. xcv. line 2 from the bottom, for it^ediun, read injlcctiou. IN THE TRANSLATION. Chapter v. Ifi, " Tiien" should be in Italics. viii. 22, dele the comma after me. IN THE NOTES. Page 80, line 9, for Ecchs. xxxix. 2, read Ecclus. xxxix. 2. y;i, 3 from the bottom, for Hebrew, read Hebrtea. 94, 8, for Dymock, read Dimock. 109, 15, for Hale's, read I Inks' s. 111, 9 from the bottom, ior inniuain, rcMl per quam. 123, 10 from the bottom, for The ajflx ^ read The affix U. 137j 7 from the bottom, I'or ujiuhx/ue, read ujiologue. , 164, 12 from the bottom, for Trifi/ui read tti eu^io. 214, 5 from the bottom, for Lllipsw, read Ellipses. 241, lines IH, 19, i'or uliomiu, read aliorum. 24S, 11, 12, for the wnij n/ its paths, riad the iraynfits path. line 3 from the bottom, for /('<(/