Various moral]

25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

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. (T)

CHAP. XX.

WINE is a mocker, strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. 3 It is an honour for a man to

CHAP. XIX.

[precepts continued.

cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

4 The sluggard will not plow by' reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness? but a faithful man who can find?

7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

8 A king that sitteth in 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 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

12 The hearing ear, and the seeing

(T) Farther miscellaneous apothegms.In several of the proverbs in the early part of this chapter, integrity, knowledge, and truth, are contrasted with riches and folly: and the poor man who is honest, intelligent, and pious, is preferred before the rich man who is ignorant, perverse, and fretful. Yet, such is the state of the world, that Wealth maketh many friends, while Poverty scatters them: stil!, in the sight of God and good men, wisdom is better than folly; and he that getteth and keepeth understanding," shall find good in the issue.

Industry, charity, and parental discipline, are favourite topics with Solomon,

especially the latter, of which he appears to have seen and felt the great importance, and probably regretted his own neglect in the case of his son Rehoboam, who, in many respects, answered to the character of the fool which he so well describes. "Chasten," or "correct thy son while' there is hope," implies that parental dis-> cipline should begin early, to have its proper effect; for when habits of insubordination are formed, the task is almost hopeless. Of the latter clause, the margin seems to direct to the preferable interpretation: "Let not thy soul spare him to his own ruin," when perhaps even a parent's heart might rather wish to see him dead, than alive and criminal. (See Notes.)

Ver. 24. Bideth his hand in his bosom.-T'salachat is never the bosom, but a pan, dish, or bowl, sach as the poor eat out of with their hands. 2 Kings XXI. 13; 2 Chron, xxxv. 13. See Oriental Customs, No. 1. The idle man dippeth his hand into the dish for soup, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Ver. 26, He that wasteth his father-Hodgson, "He that plundereth his father, or driveth away his mother, is," &c.

Ver. 27. The instruction.... to err-that is, to bear erroneous teachers. The supplementary words

seem unnecessary.

Ver. 28. An ungodly witness-Heb. " A witness of Belial." See 1 Kings xxi. 10.

CHAP. XX. Ver. 2. The fear-that is, his wrath, which excites fear. Comp. chap. xvi. 14.-xix. 12. Ver. 3, It is an honour for a man-Heb. Ish, a man of rank or eminence, as opposed to a fool. Ver.4. Cold-Marg. “ Winter," which is more ac

curate.

Ver. 6. Most (or many) men his own good. ness, (Marg, "bounty "hut a faithful man—ă nan who is all that he pretends to be—who, &c.

Ver. 10. Divers weights, &c.-Heb. "A stone and ́ A stone."Measures- An ephah and an ephah i. e. stones of different weight, and measures of different capacity.

Various moral]

eye, the LORD 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 naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

18 Every purpose is established by counsel and with good advice make

war.

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

21 An inheritance may be gotten

CHAP. XX.

[precepts continued.

hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. 27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, 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 strength and the beauty of old men. is the grey head.

30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. (U)

:

(U) Various-moral precepts continued. "The first precept in this chapter is against drunkenness, as an enemy to wisdom, even in common things, much more in those of everlasting consequence for that it commonly expels out of men's minds all reverence, both to God and to others, inclining them to take the licence to say or do any thing, without restraint or discretion; and what unruly passions it ex

cites when the brain is disturbed with it, is known to all, and need not be here recited. The word (Homeh) which Solomou here uses, and which we render raging, or outrageous, includes them all; siguifying that discomposed, unquiet, and restless state of mind, which expresses itself in some wild motions or other, according as men are naturally inclined. But nothing worse can be said of it than this, that it makes men stupid sots, or profane

Ver. 13. Open thine eyes-that is, early in the morning, as the context shows.

Ver.15. Rubies- Gems." See Note on ch. iii. 15. Ver. 16. Take his garment, &c.-This is better rendered by Dr. Durell, Mr. Holden, and others;

Take his garment, when a stranger is surety:" but in the latter clause we prefer Dr. Boothroyd's version: "And his pledge for (the debts of) strangers." Ver. 17. Bread of deceit.-Marg. “Lying."Filled with gravel—that is, bread procured by fraud, will eat as if there were sand or gravel in it; which is said to be one way in which criminals were sometimes punished.

Ver. 19. He that, &c.-See ch. xi. 13.

Ver. 20. His lamp shall be put out-that is, his posterity shall be cut off. See 1 Kings xv. 4. and N. Ver. 25. And after rows beginneth, &c. The general sense is, that men do wrong first, and begin

to inquire whether they have done so, when it is too late. But the old divines apply it to sacrilege, thus: A man robs God of his due, and then vows to make amends. See Bp. Patrick.

Ver. 26. And bringeth the wheel over them-that is, crushes them by the weight of his authority, as corn was threshed with the cart wheels. See Isa. xxviii. 27, 28.

Ver. 27. The spirit of man —— Heb. Niskemath, the breath, Gen. Îi.7.

Ver. 30. The blueness of a wound.—This is very difficult to translate. Dr. Boothroyd's version seems most intelligible: "As the suppuration of a wound cleanseth the evil, so (do) stripes," &c. The phrase "the inward parts of the belly," among the Hebrews, answers to our phrase "the inside," which is often used for the inner man-the mind. See ch, xvii. 6. -xxvi. 22.

More miscellaneous]

CHAP. XXI.

THE king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. 5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

8 The way of man is froward and

[proverbs.

strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise; and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but 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.

scoffers at religion and all sobriety."-Bp. Patrick.

"Counsel in the heart of man," that is, his plans and designs, (says Solomon) "is like deep water" in a well; "but a man of understanding" and penetration, "will draw," or wind" it out" of him. Lord Bacon, who was a second Solomon, gives six rules, whereby the secrets of public men may be discovered; namely, their countenances, words, (rather accidental than deliberate) actions, dispositions, the ends or objects they are known to have in view, and the relations of other

persons.

The question, (ver. 9.) "Who can say, I have made my heart clean?" evidently implies its depravity, and the impossibility of cleansing our own hearts, as well

44

as the folly of pretending to perfection in the present life; a doctrine which we shall find Solomon inculcating with equal decision in other places. (See 1 Kings viii. 46; 2 Chron. vi. 36; Eccles. vii. 20.)

The maxim (ver. 27.) that "the spirit of man is the candle (or lamp) of the Lord," is more disputed. The word here rendered "spirit," is the same as is used for the breath of life, which constituted man a living animal; but it seems here to refer particularly to the conscience, which as the lamp of God in the temple, (the sacred chandelier) illuminated the holy place, and showed all the sacred furniture; so the conscience of man, when not put out by sin, discovers all the secret recesses of the human heart. (See Note on ver. 30, and compare 1 Cor. ii, 11.)

CHAP. XXI. Ver. 4. An high look-Hebrew, Haughtiness of eyes." So chap. vi. 17.——The ploughing (Marg,the light," or "lamp") of the wicked is sin.-So the ancient versions, and best modern translators. Michaelis suggests, that "the high look and the proud heart" are the lamp of the wicked, discovering his real character and disposition.

Ver.. Destroy them-Heb. "Awe," or "terrify them."

Ver. 8. Froward. Mr. Parkhurst thinks the word means unsteady, alluding to an overloaded beast; but may it not rather allude to a drunken man, reeling and staggering as he goes?

Ver. 9. A corner of the house top. It was common to form little closets, like arbours, in a corner of the flat roofs, where persons sometimes slept, in the summer time.-Than with a brawling woman, &c.-Heb. "A woman of contentions in a house of society," i. e, a large house, in which several families reside. Orient. Cust. No, 203. Orient. Lit. No. 839.

Ver. 12. The righteous wisely considereth the house of the wicked—that is, investigates their conduct. But God overthroweth the wicked.-The words" but Ged," seem an unnecessary supplement : the Heb. literally reads, "overthrowing the wicked," &c. See Bp. Patrick.

16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.

24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

25 The desire of the slothful killeth

CHAP. XXI.

[proverbs.

him; for his hands refuse to labour.

26 He coveteth greedily all the day long but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

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 the LORD.

31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. (X)

CHAP. XXII.

A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." (Dan. iv. 35.)

A most important sentiment occurs near the close of this chapter; namely, "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination," meaning, in the sight of God; and for this plain reason-wicked men themselves are at enmity with God; and as he reads the heart, he knows this; and that their sacrifice is brought neither from a sense of love nor gratitude, and therefore it cannot be acceptable. Much less can it be so when brought with a wicked mind," or "in wickedness," as the Hebrew reads; that is, from motives of hypocrisy, or to answer some sinister design. See Ps. 1. 7-23.

Ver. 16. The congregation of the dead.-See Note on chap. ii. 18.

Ver. 17. He that loveth pleasure-Marg. "Sport;" but the Hebrew rather means joy and festivity, which agrees with the latter part of the verse.

Ver. 18. The wicked shull be a ransom, &c.—See chap, xi. 8.

Ver. 19. In the wilderness--Heb. "In the land of the desert." See ver. 9.

Ver. 24. In proud wrath-Heb. "In the wrath of

pride;" i. e. in the excess, or outrage of pride.

Ver. 28. A false witness-Heb. A witness of lies."But the man that heareth, &c.—The sense is, the false witness (Heb. " the witness of lies") shall be confronted and coafounded by the true witness, who, having heard to the end, (as the Hebrew implies) speaketh constantly;" ie, gives a trac and consistent evidence.

Ver. 29. He directeth-Marg, "Considereth."
Ver. 31. But safety-Marg, "Victory.”