CHAPTER XI.

1. A false balance]-See the note ch. xvi. 11.

2. When pride cometh, &c.]-Shame is an attendant upon pride; "superbiam sequitur ignominia," Dathe.

But with the humble]—'ry is compared by Michælis (Suppl. No. 2175) with the Arabic fecit, peculialiter de accurato studio, elaborando in re aliqua, and rendered "apud cautos est sapientia." Schulz refers it to the Syriac

3 astute egit, and renders it, “ cum astutis est prudentia.” With as much reason we might render it, "with the adorned is wisdom," because, in conj. 5, means ornavit semet; or "with the strong," because in Æthiopic it means invaluit, fortis fuit. (See Castell.) How trifling are such derivations! That denotes the humble, is proved, 1. By the parallelism, being opposed to ¡ pride. 2. In Chaldee it means humble, modest. 3. The LXX render it by ranavwv; the Syriac by "the meek" or "humble;” the Vulgate gives the same sense; Theodotion by Eπew; but Symmachus by εμελeo, "with the diligent." 4. This sense is επιμελεσι, 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. be 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]-The root o 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, avertere a recto. As a noun, it is in this verse opposed

to non integrity, and must, therefore, mean maliciousness, perverseness, a sense which suits ch. xv. 4, extremely well. It is sometimes used, not in a moral sense, but to turn aside, to subvert, to overthrow, ch. xiii. 6, xxi. 12, xxii. 12. These are all the passages where it occurs. When the meaning is so clearly established by biblical usage, it is unnecessary to have recourse to the sister dialects for illustration, particularly to refer it to the Arabic, a word that has many significations. (Schultens on Prov. xiii. 6, xix. 3.) It may, however, be observed, that the above explanation is confirmed by the ancient versions, (Michalis, Suppl. No. 1754,) and by the Chaldee.-Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. et Rab.

4. the day of wrath]-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 way]—w to direct, to make straight, is

and the meaning of the ; ארח or דרך,often spoken of ways

metaphor is, to direct the behaviour, to regulate the conduct.

7. when a wicked man dieth, &c.]—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 unjust]—¡ has several significations; as, strength, grief, or sorrow, labour, iniquity; but I have followed the LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Arabic, in rendering "the unjust or wicked," thinking it best, in a dubious case, to yield to their authority. Schultens renders it adverbially, "dolentissime disperiit," and observes, "Connecto N D'UN doloribus periit, pro dolorificis modis; ex elegantiore Hebraismo quo plurale substantivum ita resolvi solet." He is followed by Parkhurst. Bishop Horsley, in his note on Hos. ix. 4, where he has some acute remarks on the signification of 18, thus renders this verse: "When a wicked

man dieth his expectation shall perish, and the hope of the active perisheth."

8. The righteous, &c.]—Retributive justice sometimes takes place even in this world; and the wicked often perish through the devices which they have imagined against the righteous. "His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate."-(Ps. vii. 16. See Prov. xxvi. 27; Eccles. x. 8.) Should this retribution not be apparent to us, who see only the outward condition and circumstances of men, yet we may assert it as an universal truth, that the traitor is ever more wretched than the betrayed. But retributive justice was more visible under the Mosaic Law than at present.

9. With his mouth, &c.]-The hypocrite not only injures his neighbour by slander and falsehood, but often beguiles him to destruction by the artful inveiglements of masked villany.

-the hypocrite]-Michalis, Taylor, Parkhurst, Gataker, (Adversaria, cap. 22, p. 249,) and others, contend, that n does not mean a hypocrite, but a profane person. Hypocrisy and profaneness are nearly allied, and the observation in this verse is true of both. "A hypocrite," says our great lexicographer, "is a dissembler in morality or religion;" such a one is also a profane person. Do not the above-mentioned writers, therefore, attempt to establish a distinction without a difference?

10. it exults]-17, literally, "there is exultation," namely, in the city; but the antithesis is best preserved as in the version.

11. By the blessing]-This may either mean the blessing which God bestows upon the upright; or their prayers and

benedictions, their supplications to the Almighty to grant a blessing to the city. These preserve the city: but "by the mouth of the wicked," by their treachery, falsehood, blasphemy, and pernicious counsels, it is overthrown. An allusion, perhaps, to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

12. He that is, &c.]—How often does it happen that a fool is exalted in his own conceit, and, in the plenitude of his proud ignorance, looks down upon others with contempt!

keepeth silence]-This is not to be understood absolutely; for there are proper opportunities when a man of understanding will stigmatize the faults of others, and will consider it right, by ridicule, censure, contempt, or any other means, to repress folly and condemn více; but it means that prudent caution in the exercise of speech which becomes a virtuous character.-Compare ch. x. 19.

mean הולך רכיל the words

13. A talebearer]-Dr. Blaney, on Jer. vi. 28, thinks that "what we understand by the word sharpers, persons that go about practising imposition wherever they can make advantage of it:" but in this verse, and in ch. xx. 19, it evidently denotes some abuse of speech, because it is joined with the revealing of secrets; and the antithesis in this verse shows, that it means a tattler, a talebearer. Such likewise is its meaning in Chaldee. As 1 denotes a merchant, a trader, 66 one who traffics in tales, a trader in slander,” as Parkhurst expresses it.

means רכיל

15. is sure]" Securus erit, scil. a periculo fractionis, quod imprudentibus imminet sponsoribus."-Michalis, Not. Uber. See ch. vi. 1, note.

16. A benevolent woman, &c.]—¡n signifies gracefulness, beauty, and also favour, kindness, benevolence; p, to lay hold on and to retain, i. e. to obtain and preserve. 1 is often

H H

a particle of comparison, sic, ita. Thus the version is grammatically extracted; and Schultens well expresses the sense :

66

Mulier, quantumvis tenera sit ac débilis, si gratia ac virtute præstet, admirationem omnium ad se rapiet; tam valide, tam potenter; ut in hac parte contendi possit cum violentis virorum, qui aliorum opes rapiunt invaduntque." So Michalis, Not. Uber.-See Poli Synop.

17. The merciful man, &c.]-Nothing need be added to illustrate this sentiment; it is sufficiently 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 nimia in se ipsum severitate utitur, in alios quoque

est crudelis."

So Michalis, Not. Uber. and Cocceius, ed. Schulz, in pa andy. 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 commonly cruel to other people.-See R. Levi Ben Gersom.

18. The wicked toil, &c.]-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]-ny corresponds with 75w in the second line, and therefore means recompense, as Lev. xix. 13; Ps. cix. 20; Isaiah, xl. 10, xlix. 4, lxii. 11.-Simonis, Lex. Heb.

But he that soweth]- is often used, in a moral sense, for the labour and attention bestowed upon anything, for earnestly engaging in any matter, Job, iv. 8; Ps. cxxvi. 5; Hos. viii. 7, x. 12 So oneρ is used Gal. vi. 7, 8.