of God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, yet a prudent wife is more particularly from the Lord; 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 approved by the Lord, but, whenever it takes place, ought to be attributed to his especial favour. Hence it follows that a prudent wife is deserving of the greatest regard and tenderness; and that prayers should be addressed to Almighty God by those who are deliberating upon marriage, to direct their choice, and to bless them with pious and discreet partners.

16. the commandment]—That is, the laws and precepts of God; though it may include the commands of parents and instructors.

18. And thy soul, &c.]-By early chastisement thou wilt prevent the pain of beholding his vice and profligacy, in comparison of which 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, Aq., Vulgate, Poli Synop. Or, if non be derived from tumultuit, it may be rendered as E. T., "Let not thy soul spare for his crying." WD NW is a phrase for earnestly desiring, Deut. xxiv. 15; Ps. xxiv. 4, xxv. 1, lxxxvi. 4; Jer. xxix 27, xliv. 14; Hos. iv. 8; Ezek. xxiv. 26, Heb.

19. A man of great wrath]-Instead of 2, many MSS. the Keri, and the ancient versions read 7, i. e. a man of great wrath, iracundus; this reading seems, therefore, to be supported by sufficient authority; but Gousset defends the textual reading. Lex. in 2. See Michalis, Not. Uber. Schultens, and Capelli Crit. Sac. p. 233.

* .i. e תוסף instead of יוסף for reading

thou must do it again]—There is not sufficient evidence though thou deliver him, he will do it again;" yet this reading is adopted by Michalis, Doederlein, and Dathe. The sense is much the same either way. Durell's version is, "For notwithstanding thou mayst have interposed, thou must do it again."

20. in thy latter end]-That is, in thy old age; (see Geier;) but Jun. and Trem. Piscat. Le Clerc, Dathe, render it, incorrectly I think, by "tandem," " ut tandem sapiens sis vel fies."

21. Many are the devices]—The designs of man are many and variable; but the purposes of God are sure, permanent, irrevocable. The mutability of man is here opposed to the immutability of the Most High.-Compare Isaiah, xiv. 26, 27, xlvi. 10.

22. A desirable thing]-sn is understood by many in an active sense, i. e. a man desires to be kind;" taking “man” for a good man, as in the next line is meant a poor, but honest man. It is best, I think, to take it in a passive sense for that which is desirable, "id quod desideratur;" a sense adopted and defended by Gousset, Schultens, Hunt, &c.

a liar]-1 signifies a deceiver in general; one who is no more to be trusted in his actions, than credited in his words; "who is all artifice and fraud; who keeps no faith, is true to no engagement; and so is incapable of being a true friend." (Dr. Hunt in loc.) The antithesis, according to this view of 11, is sufficiently correct.

23. And he that is full of it]—raw means he who is full, namely, of the fear of Jehovah: or the ellipsis may be supplied as in E. T.," he who hath it," viz. this fear, "shall

abide satisfied."-Michælis, Not. Uber. But see Schultens and Cocceius in voc.

24. A sluggard, &c.]-Many of the Orientals use neither knives, forks, nor spoons, but only their fingers and hands, in eating even soups and pottage. This custom may illustrate the passage before us. The slothful man, after putting his hand into the dish, is too indolent to lift it to his mouth. This interpretation is questioned in a note to Clarke's edition of Harmer's Observations, (vol. ii. p. 50,) because "the Arabs, in eating, do not thrust in their whole hand into the dish, but only their thumb and two first fingers, with which they take up the morsel, lukme, and that in a moderate quantity at a time. I take the sense, therefore, to be, that the slothful man, in place of taking up a moderate mouthful, thrusts his hand into the pillaw, or such like, and takes a handful at a time, in order to avoid the trouble of returning frequently to the dish." To this it may be answered, that the Arabs do thrust their whole hand into the dish, according to the testimony of Le Bruyn and D'Arvieux, (ibid. p. 49,) and that, supposing they do only dip the thumb and two first fingers. into the dish, this may be called the hand. The explanation proposed in the note above quoted does not show the reason why a sluggard will not bring his hand to his mouth again: the interpretation I have given, therefore, appears correct.

in the dish]-nby only occurs, besides here and ch. xxvi. 15, in 2 Kings, ii. 20, xxi. 13; 2 Chron. xxxv. 13, where it undoubtedly means a pot, pan, or dish; and, as this signification. is so apposite in Proverbs, we need not hesitate to adopt it. The LXX and Syr. render it " in his bosom ;" the Vulg. Targ. (though the Chaldee word used may, perhaps, mean a pot or dish; see Castell and Buxt. Lex. Talm.) Aq. and Sym. "under his arm-pits;" each of which presents a strong image

Q Q

of idleness, but, at the same time, they are not confirmed by the Hebraic usage of the word, nor by Oriental customs.-See Hunt's excellent note in loc.

25. Smite a scorner, &c.]-Stripes have a beneficial effect upon a scorner, and reproof upon one that hath understanding. I taken to be put in apposition with y, and to mean the same person; i. e. smite a scorner, and this simple fellow, the scorner, will become wise. This is the exposition of Schultens, and it is strongly confirmed by the antithesis. It is true, that n and rare generally discriminated, as denoting two different degrees of the same character; (ch. i. 4, note;) but yet, as every scorner is a simple man, it is not incongruous to predicate them of the same person. Abstract terms cannot always be used with philosophical precision. It is obvious that this precept, like some others of a similar kind, can only extend to those whose character or office give them a right to use reproof and chastisement.

the

26. He that wasteth, &c.]-He that by riotous living dissipates his father's property, and causes his father to become prey of care and anxiety; and at the same time "chases away his mother," either drives her away from him by rudeness and profligate conduct, or through extravagance reduces her to beggary, and compels her to leave her home," is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach." The Hebrew will admit Durell's version: " He that robbeth a father will drive away a mother; the son that causeth shame is also confounded." Hodgson's is,

"He who plundereth his father, driveth out his mother; He is a son causing shame, to disgrace shall he come."

27. Cease, my son, &c.]-The best interpretation of this verse seems to be that of the English translators and others, who consider it as an advice against attending to such

instruction as seduces or causes to err from wisdom: but some think it is an irony, (Michalis, Not. Uber.,) and others that is the infinitive, i. e. "The ceasing to hear instruction, is to err from the words of knowledge."-See Schultens and Poli Synop.

28. And the mouth of the wicked, &c.]—The wicked are as well satisfied with perjury and falsehood, as the palate is with delicate meats.

CHAPTER XX.

1. Wine is a mocker, &c.]—Innumerable are the passages in poets, moralists, and divines describing the effects of wine; but, perhaps, its power is nowhere more happily delineated than in the second chapter of the first book of Esdras, (or Josephus, Ant. lib. xi. cap. 3,) to which I refer the reader, who cannot but be gratified by the perusal. By ", Bishop Lowth (on Isa. v. 11) thinks, is properly meant palm-wine or date-wine. Others suppose that it denotes all kinds of strong drink except wine; (Suicer, Thesaurus in ouɛpa ;) but it appears to signify any strong and inebriating liquor. For further information I refer to Beveridge, Annot. in Can. Apostol. can. 3, and the Lexicons of Cocceius and Parkhurst.

2. The king's wrath, &c.]-See ch. xix. 12, and note. 3. will be meddling]-That is, will be engaged in contentions.

4. The sluggard, &c.]-The sluggard will not plow his fields on account of the inclemency of the winter season. "They begin to plow," says Dr. Russel, "about the latter end of September, and sow their earliest wheat about the middle of October. The frosts are never severe enough to prevent their plowing all the winter." (Quoted by Parkhurst, in.) qın includes both autumn and winter.-(Cocceius, Michalis, Suppl. No. 856.) Sym, and Vulg. render it " propter frigus."