Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

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 explained 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 Poli 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 passage 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, lvii. 14; Ezek. x. 2. Compare 4 Esdras, xvi. 52. But in Ps. cxl. 10, the phrase may mean as in Proverbs, though I acknowledge that it more probably denotes lightnings. Compare Psalm, xviii. 13, 14. Whatever 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 return 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.

23. bringeth forth]-I have adopted the marginal translation of in, because it is the usual meaning of the word; because the parallelism requires it; and because it is so rendered by LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Aq. The Vulgate, however, has "dissipat," and Sym. diaλve; 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 wind 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 only northward. 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 quantity 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.

In this

And a backbiting tongue]-Literally, "a secret tongue," i. e. secret, clandestine, calumnious speech, which irritates as much as an open and manly attack.

24. It is better, &c.]-See ch. xxi. 9, note; also ch. xix. 13, note.

26. erring]-on is rendered, by the ancient versions and several moderns, 66 falling down," which is to be taken in a moral sense, slipping, making a slip, a faux pas.-(Parkhurst.) When 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,

and waters disturbed by mud and dirt, that it is no longer capable of refreshing those who resort to it, but is, on the contrary, become offensive and loathsome."-Hunt.

27. It is not good, &c.]—Of the multifarious expositions of this verse, the most simple and easy appears to be, to understand it in connexion with the preceding one, referring the affix in 72 to py, 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 observe, that this verse is interpreted allegorically by the lovers of mystical exposition. By "honey," they say, is meant physical and metaphysical investigations, such 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 Parœmiast exhorts men not to indulge too much in these speculations, because it may create weariness and disgust, in like manner as too much of luscious food creates nausea and distaste. See more in Vitringa, Observat. Sacræ, vol. ii. lib. 6, cap. 20.

28. He 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.

CHAPTER XXVI.

2. As the sparrow, &c.]-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 effect, 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 Capelli Crit. Sac. p. 273, ed. Vogel.) The verse may, perhaps, be rendered, "As the sparrow for, or, with respect to its wandering, and the swallow for, or, with 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.

"As a

Michælis order, i. e. According

3. A whip, &c.]—Something must be supplied to complete the sense, either as in the version, or comparatively. whip is for the horse, &c. so is a rod for," &c. thought the first line should be read in an inverted "A bridle for the horse, and a whip for the ass." to our European notions, this would be preferable; but we are to consider, that the ass, in eastern countries, was a larger, more beautiful, and more spirited animal than in cold northern regions, and might, therefore, require the bridle to guide it, as much as the horse did the whip to accelerate its pace. "Asini in Oriente, si sedulo educantur, jumenta sunt impigra, alacria, specie pulchra, et minime ignobilia; quare magni æstimantur, et tropice pro hominibus sedulis et industriis veniunt, Gen. xlix. 14."-Jahn, Archæolog. Bibl. § 48, p. 85. See some excellent observations in Parkhurst, ann.

5. Answer a fool, &c.]-There is an apparent contradiction between this and the foregoing verse, which Dr. Kennicott (Second Diss. p. 359) thought should be removed by altering the text, agreeably to the Syriac and Targum, namely,

"Answer a fool according to thy wisdom," &c.; but this emendation is rash and unnecessary. The Caph, in verse 4, denotes similitude, 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 own conceit." The reasons subjoined to each precept confirm this interpretation.-See Warburton's Doctrine of Grace, Prefat.; Fuller's Harmony of Scripture, p. 17; and Geierus.

6. Cutteth off, &c.]-The sense probably is, He who sends a message by a fool, does the same as if he cut off the messenger's feet, and in consequence of his imprudence suffers damage, by having his message delayed, mistaken, or perverted. There is confessedly a difficulty in this verse, and some critics would alter the text, though no authority can be adduced for it.

-drinketh]" To drink," in Scripture language, sometimes denotes to suffer injury.-(Job, xxi. 20; Ps. lxxv. 8; Jer. xxv. 16, xlix. 12; Obad. 16; Habac. ii. 16.) So my is used.-Schleusneri Lex.

7. As the legs, &c.]-As the legs are weak through lameness, so a proverb in the mouth of a fool is destitute of strength and energy, because it is applied improperly and injudiciously

is irregularly formed from л, in the explanation of which Parkhurst is very successful: or it may be derived from wasted, exhausted, &c. As nb denotes to draw water, 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 , in п, as a

« AnteriorContinuar »