Ecclesiastes 10 commentary

Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to do. Sin is the reproach of sinners, wherever they go, and shows their folly.

Solomon appears to caution men not to seek redress in a hasty manner, nor to yield to pride and revenge. Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. Men are not preferred according to their merit. And those are often most forward to offer help, who are least aware of the difficulties, or the consequences. The same remark is applied to the church, or the body of Christ, that all the members should have the same care one for another.

There is a practice in the East, of charming serpents by music. The babbler's tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; and contradiction only makes it the more violent. We must find the way to keep him gentle. But by rash, unprincipled, or slanderous talk, he brings open or secret vengeance upon himself. Would we duly consider our own ignorance as to future events, it would cut off many idle words which we foolishly multiply. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose. They do not understand the plainest things, such as the entrance into a great city. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city, that it is a high-way, in which the simplest wayfaring men shall not err, 8. But sinful folly makes men miss that only way to happiness.

The happiness of a land depends on the character of its rulers. The people cannot be happy when their princes are childish, and lovers of pleasure. Slothfulness is of ill consequence both to private and public affairs. Money, of itself, will neither feed nor clothe, though it answers the occasions of this present life, as what is to be had, may generally be had for money. But the soul, as it is not redeemed, so it is not maintained with corruptible things, as silver and gold. God sees what men do, and hears what they say in secret; and, when he pleases, brings it to light by strange and unsuspected ways. If there be hazard in secret thoughts and whispers against earthly rulers, what must be the peril from every deed, word, or thought of rebellion against the King of kings, and Lord of lords! He seeth in secret. His ear is ever open. Sinner! curse not THIS KING in thy inmost thought. Your curses cannot affect Him; but his curse, coming down upon you, will sink you to the lowest hell.

CHAPTER 10

Ec 10:1-20.

1. Following up Ec 9:18.

him that is in reputation--for example, David (2Sa 12:14); Solomon (1Ki 11:1-43); Jehoshaphat (2Ch 18:1-34; 19:2); Josiah (2Ch 35:22). The more delicate the perfume, the more easily spoiled is the ointment. Common oil is not so liable to injury. So the higher a man's religious character is, the more hurt is caused by a sinful folly in him. Bad savor is endurable in oil, but not in what professes to be, and is compounded by the perfumer ("apothecary") for, fragrance. "Flies" answer to "a little folly" (sin), appropriately, being small (1Co 5:6); also, "Beelzebub" means prince of flies. "Ointment" answers to "reputation" (Ec 7:1; Ge 34:30). The verbs are singular, the noun plural, implying that each of the flies causes the stinking savor.

2. (Ec 2:14).

right--The right hand is more expert than the left. The godly wise is more on his guard than the foolish sinner, though at times he slip. Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without one.

3. by the way--in his ordinary course; in his simplest acts (Pr 6:12-14). That he "saith," virtually, "that he" himself, &c. [Septuagint]. But Vulgate, "He thinks that every one (else whom he meets) is a fool."

4. spirit--anger.

yielding pacifieth--(Pr 15:1). This explains "leave not thy place"; do not in a resisting spirit withdraw from thy post of duty (Ec 8:3).

5. as--rather, "by reason of an error" [Maurer and Holden].

6. rich--not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the antithesis to "folly" (for "foolish men") shows. So Hebrew, rich, equivalent to "liberal," in a good sense (Is 32:5). Mordecai and Haman (Es 3:1, 2; 6:6-11).

7. servants upon horses--the worthless exalted to dignity (Jr 17:25); and vice versa (2Sa 15:30).

8. The fatal results to kings of such an unwise policy; the wrong done to others recoils on themselves (Ec 8:9); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (Es 7:10; Psa 7:15; Pr 26:27). Breaking through the wise fences of their throne, they suffer unexpectedly themselves; as when one is stung by a serpent lurking in the stones of his neighbor's garden wall (Psa 80:12), which he maliciously pulls down (Am 5:19).

9. removeth stones--namely, of an ancient building [Weiss]. His neighbor's landmarks [Holden]. Cuts out from the quarry [Maurer].

endangered--by the splinters, or by the head of the hatchet, flying back on himself. Pithy aphorisms are common in the East. The sense is: Violations of true wisdom recoil on the perpetrators.

10. iron ... blunt--in "cleaving wood" (Ec 10:9), answering to the "fool set in dignity" (Ec 10:6), who wants sharpness. More force has then to be used in both cases; but "force" without judgment "endangers" one's self. Translate, "If one hath blunted his iron" [Maurer]. The preference of rash to judicious counsellors, which entailed the pushing of matters by force, proved to be the "hurt" of Rehoboam (1Ki 12:1-33).

wisdom is profitable to direct--to a prosperous issue. Instead of forcing matters by main "strength" to one's own hurt (Ec 9:16, 18).

11. A "serpent will bite" if "enchantment" is not used; "and a babbling calumniator is no better." Therefore, as one may escape a serpent by charms (Psa 58:4, 5), so one may escape the sting of a calumniator by discretion (Ec 10:12), [Holden]. Thus, "without enchantment" answers to "not whet the edge" (Ec 10:10), both expressing, figuratively, want of judgment. Maurer translates, "There is no gain to the enchanter" (Margin, "master of the tongue") from his enchantments, because the serpent bites before he can use them; hence the need of continual caution. Ec 10:8-10, caution in acting; Ec 10:11 and following verses, caution in speaking.

12. gracious--Thereby he takes precaution against sudden injury (Ec 10:11).

swallow up himself--(Pr 10:8, 14, 21, 32; 12:13; 15:2; 22:11).

13. Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool's words; last clause of Ec 10:12.

14. full of words--(Ec 5:2).

a man cannot tell what shall be--(Ec 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 11:2; Pr 27:1). If man, universally (including the wise man), cannot foresee the future, much less can the fool; his "many words" are therefore futile.

15. labour ... wearieth--(Is 55:2; Ha 2:13).

knoweth not how to go to the city--proverb for ignorance of the most ordinary matters (Ec 10:3); spiritually, the heavenly city (Psa 107:7; Mt 7:13, 14). Maurer connects Ec 10:15 with the following verses. The labor (vexation) caused by the foolish (injurious princes, Ec 10:4-7) harasses him who "knows not how to go to the city," to ingratiate himself with them there. English Version is simpler.

16. a child--given to pleasures; behaves with childish levity. Not in years; for a nation may be happy under a young prince, as Josiah.

eat in the morning--the usual time for dispensing justice in the East (Jr 21:12); here, given to feasting (Is 5:11; Ac 2:15).

17. son of nobles--not merely in blood, but in virtue, the true nobility (So 7:1; Is 32:5, 8).

in due season--(Ec 3:1), not until duty has first been attended to.

for strength--to refresh the body, not for revelry (included in "drunkenness").

18. building--literally, "the joining of the rafters," namely, the kingdom (Ec 10:16; Is 3:6; Am 9:11).

hands--(Ec 4:5; Pr 6:10).

droppeth--By neglecting to repair the roof in time, the rain gets through.

19. Referring to Ec 10:18. Instead of repairing the breaches in the commonwealth (equivalent to "building"), the princes "make a feast for laughter (Ec 10:16), and wine maketh their life glad (Psa 104:15), and (but) money supplieth (answereth their wishes by supplying) all things," that is, they take bribes to support their extravagance; and hence arise the wrongs that are perpetrated (Ec 10:5, 6; 3:16; Is 1:23; 5:23). Maurer takes "all things" of the wrongs to which princes are instigated by "money"; for example, the heavy taxes, which were the occasion of Rehoboam losing ten tribes (1Ki 12:4, &c.).

20. thought--literally, "consciousness."

rich--the great. The language, as applied to earthly princes knowing the "thought," is figurative. But it literally holds good of the King of kings (Psa 139:1-24), whose consciousness of every evil thought we should ever realize.

bed-chamber--the most secret place (2Ki 6:12).

bird of the air, &c.--proverbial (compare Ha 2:11; Lu 19:40); in a way as marvellous and rapid, as if birds or some winged messenger carried to the king information of the curse so uttered. In the East superhuman sagacity was attributed to birds (see on Job 28:21; hence the proverb).

Dead flies - Any putrefaction spoils perfume; and so a foolish act ruins the character of him who has the reputation of being wise and good. Alas! alas! in an unguarded moment how many have tarnished the reputation which they were many years in acquiring! Hence, no man can be said to be safe, till he is taken to the paradise of God.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand - As the right hand is ordinarily the best exercised, strongest, and most ready, and the left the contrary, they show,

1. The command which the wise man has over his own mind, feelings, passions, etc., and the prudence with which he acts. And,

2. The want of prudence and management in the fool, who has no restraint on his passions, and no rule or guard upon his tongue. The right hand and the left are used in Scripture to express good and evil. The wise man is always employed in doing good; the fool, in nonsense or evil.

When - a fool walketh by the way - In every act of life, and in every company he frequents, the irreligious man shows what he is. Vanity, nonsense, and wickedness are his themes: so that in effect he saith to every one that he is a fool.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee - If the king get incensed against thee.

Leave not thy place - Humble thyself before him, that is thy place and duty; for yielding to him, and not standing stoutly in thy defense, pacifieth great offenses: and then, when his anger is appeased, he will hear any thing in thy justification, if thou have any thing to offer. This is good advice to a child in reference to his parents, and to an inferior of any kind in reference to his superiors.

Several of the fathers understood this differently, It the spirit of the ruler - the influence of Satan - hath risen up against and prevailed over thee, to bring thee into some sin; leave not thy place - do not despair of God's mercy; humble thyself before him, and seek pardon through the Son of his love, and this will be מרפא marpe, a remedy or cure even for חטאים גדולים chataim gedolim, great errors or sins. All this is true in itself, whether found in this text or not.

An error which proceedeth from the ruler - What this error in the ruler is, the two following verses point out: it is simpiy this - an injudicious distribution of offices, and raising people to places of trust and confidence, who are destitute of merit, are neither of name nor family to excite public confidence, and are without property; so that they have no stake in the country, and their only solicitude must naturally be to enrich themselves, and provide for their poor relatives. This is frequent in the governments of the world; and favouritism has often brought prosperous nations to the brink of ruin. Folly was set in dignity; the man of property, sense, and name, in a low place. Servants - menial men, rode upon horses - carried every thing with a high and proud hand; and princes, - the nobles of the people, were obliged to walk by their sides, and often from the state of things to become in effect their servants. This was often the case in this country, during the reign of Thomas a Becket, and Cardinal Woolsey. These insolent men lorded it over the whole nation; and the people and their gentry were raised or depressed according as their pride and caprice willed. And, through this kind of errors, not only a few sovereigns have had most uncomfortable and troublesome reigns, but some have even lost their lives.

Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him - While spoiling his neighbor's property, he himself may come to greater mischief: while pulling out the sticks, he may be bit by a serpent, who has his nest there. Some have supposed that נחש nachash here means a thorn; perhaps from the similarity of its prick to the serpent's sting. He who forces his way through a hedge will be pricked by the thorns.

Whoso removeth stones - This verse teaches care and caution. Whoever pulls down an old building is likely to be hurt by the stones; and in cleaving wood many accidents occur for want of sufficient caution.

If the iron be blunt - If the axe have lost its edge, and the owner do not sharpen it, he must apply the more strength to make it cut: but the wisdom that is profitable to direct will teach him, that he should whet his axe, and spare his strength. Thus, without wisdom and understanding we cannot go profitably through the meanest concerns in life.

The serpent will bite without enchantment - בלא לחש belo lachash, without hissing. As a snake may bite before it hiss, so also will the babbler, talkative person, or calumniator. Without directly speaking evil, he insinuates, by innuendoes, things injurious to the reputation of his neighbor. Gif the eddir bite in silence, noyhing lasse than he hath that privily backbiteth - Old MS. Bible. "A babbler of his tongue is no better than a serpent that styngeth without hyssynge." - Coverdale. The moral of this saying is simply this: A calumniator is as dangerous as a poisonous serpent; and from the envenomed tongue of slander and detraction no man is safe. The comparing the serpent, נחש nachash, to a babbler, has something singular in it. I have already supposed that the creature mentioned, Gen 3:1, was of the genus simia. This has been ridiculed, but not disproved.

The words of a wise man's mouth - Every thing that proceeds from him is decent and orderly, creditable to himself, and acceptable to those who hear him. But the lips of the fool, which speak every thing at random, and have no understanding to guide them, are not only not pleasant to others, but often destructive to himself.

A man cannot tell what shall be - A foolish babbling man will talk on every subject, though he can say as little on the past, as he can on the future.

He knoweth not how to go to the city - I suppose this to be a proverb: "He knows nothing; he does not know his way to the next village." He may labor; but for want of judgment he wearies himself to no purpose.

Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child - Minorities are, in general, very prejudicial to a state. Regents either disagree, and foment civil wars; or oppress the people. Various discordant interests are raised up in a state during a minority; and the young king, having been under the tutelage of interested men, acts partially and injuriously to the interests of the people when he comes to the throne; and this produces popular discontent, and a troubled reign.

Thy princes eat in the morning! - They do nothing in order; turn night into day, and day into night; sleep when they should wake, and wake when they should sleep; attending more to chamberings and banquetings, than to the concerns of the state.

When thy king is the son of nobles - uiov eleuyerwn, the son of freemen; persons well acquainted with the principles of civil liberty, and who rule according to them - Septuagint. Such a one as comes to the throne in a legitimate way, from an ancient regal family, whose right to the throne is incontestable. It requires such a long time to establish a regal right, that the state is in continual danger from pretenders and usurpers, where the king is not the son of nobles.

And thy princes eat in due season - All persons in places of trust for the public weal, from the king to the lowest public functionary, should know, that the public are exceedingly scandalized at repeated accounts of entertainments, where irregularity prevails, much money is expended, and no good done. These things are drawn into precedent, and quoted to countenance debauch in the inferior classes. The natural division of the day for necessary repasts is, Breakfast, eight, or half after; Dinner, one, or half after; Supper, eight, or half after. And these, or even earliers hours were formerly observed in these countries. Then we had scarcely any such thing as gout, and no nervous disorders.

In ancient nations the custom was to eat but once, and then about mid-day.

By much slothfulness - This is remarkably the case in some countries. Houses are not repaired till they almost fall about the ears of the inhabitants. We have an adage that applies to all such cases: "A stitch in time saves nine."

A feast is made for laughter - The object of it is to produce merriment, to banish care and concern of every kind. But who are they who make and frequent such places? Epicures and drunkards generally; such as those of whom Horace speaks:

Nos numerus sumus, et fruges consumere nati.

Epist. lib. i., ep. 2, ver. 27. "Those whose names stand as indications of men, the useless many; and who appear to be born only to consume the produce of the soil."

But money answereth all - This saying has prevailed everywhere.

Scilicet uxorem cum dote, fidemque, et amicos,

Et genus, et formam Regina Pecunia donat;

Ac bene nummatum decorat Suadela, Venusque.

Hor. Ep. lib. i., ep. 6, ver. 36. "For gold, the sovereign Queen of all below,

Friends, honor, birth, and beauty, can bestow.

The goddess of persuasion forms her train;

And Venus decks the well-bemonied swain."

Francis.

Curse not the king - Do not permit thyself even to think evil of the king; lest thy tongue at some time give vent to thy thoughts, and so thou be chargeable with treason.

For a bird of the air shall carry the voice - Does he refer here to such fowls as the carrier pigeon, which were often used to carry letters under their wings to a great distance, and bring back answers? The Targum turns it curiously: "Do not speak evil of the king in thy conscience, nor in the secret of thy heart, nor in the most hidden place in thy house, curse not a wise man; for Raziel calls daily from heaven upon Mount Horeb, and his voice goes through the whole world; and Elijah, the great priest, goes, flying through the air like a winged eagle, and publishes the words which are spoken in secret by all the inhabitants of the earth."

Civil government is so peculiarly of God, that he will have it supported for the benefit of mankind; and those who attempt to disturb it are generally marked by his strong disapprobation. And though there have been multitudes of treasons hatched in the deepest secrecy; yet, through the providence of God, they have been discovered in the most singular manner. This shows God's care for government.

Heart - His understanding is always present with him and ready to direct him. He mentions the right hand, because that is the common instrument of action. A fool's - His understanding is not effectual to govern his affections and actions.

Walketh - In his daily conversation. He saith - He discovers his folly to all that meet him.

The spirit - The passion. Leave not - In anger or discontent. Continue in a diligent and faithful discharge of thy duty, and modestly and humbly submit to him. Yielding - A gentle and submissive carriage.

The rich - Wise and worthy men, rich in endowments of mind.

An hedge - Whereby another man's fields or vineyards are distinguished, that he may either take away their fruits, or enlarge his own fields.

Whoso removeth - Stones too heavy for them: who rashly attempts things too high and hard for them.

Wisdom - As wisdom instructs a man in the smallest matters, so it is useful for a man's direction in all weighty affairs.

Without - If not prevented by the art and care of the charmer; which practice he does not justify, but only mentions by way of resemblance.

Gracious - Procure him favour with those who hear him.

Full of words - Forward to promise and boast what he will do, whereas none can be sure of future events, even during his own life, much more after his death.

Wearieth - Fools discover their folly by their wearisome and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high for them. Because - He is ignorant of those things which are most easy, as of the way to the great city whither he is going.

A child - Either in age, or childish qualities. Eat - Give up themselves to eating and drinking. Morning - The fittest time for God's service, for the dispatch of weighty affairs, and for sitting in judgment.

Nobles - Not so much by birth, as by their noble dispositions.

Thy thought - In the most secret manner. The rich - Princes or governors. A bird - The king will hear of it by unknown and unsuspected hands, as if a bird had heard and carried the report of it.

1 DEad flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour .

Falling into it and abiding and being putrefied in it, especially in those Countries, where there were more filthy and venemous Flies, and where the Oyntments were more pure, and where the Air was more hot than in these parts.

Which comes to pass, partly because all the actions, and consequently the follies of such men are most diligently observed and sconest discerned and tossed about in the mouth's of men, whereas fools and all their carriages are generally disregarded; and partly because of that envious and malicious disposition of mens minds which makes them quick-[illegible: 1+ letters]ighted to discover, and glad to hear and forward to declare the faults of such as by their greater eminency did out-shine and obscure them.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] Flies [illegible: 1 word].

2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand ; but a fools heart is at his left .

i. e. His understanding or wisdom.

Is always present with him and ready to direct him in all his actions. He manageth all his affairs prudently and piously. He mentions the right hand because that is the chief and most common instrument of actions, which by most men are done with more strength and expedition and orderliness and comeliness by their right hand than by their left.

His understanding and knowledge serves him onely for idle speculation and vain Ostentation, but is not at all useful or effectual to govern his affections and actions. He acts prepo[illegible: 1+ letters]erously and foolishly, like one without Heart, as it follows.

3 Yea also when he that is a fool walketh by the way , his wisdom [illegible: 1+ letters]aileth him , and he saith to every one that he is a fool .

Not onely in great undertakings, but in his daily conversation with men, in his looks and gestures and common talk

Or, [illegible: 1 word] wants an Heart, as i[illegible: 1+ letters] he had said, did I say, his Heart is at his [illegible: 1 word] hand I must recal it, for in truth he hath no Heart in him.

He publickly discovers his folly to all that meet him or conver[illegible: 1+ letters]e with him.

Marginal references: Heb. his [illegible: 1 word].

4 If the spirit of a ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place , for yielding pacifieth great offences .

The passion or wrath, as is manifest from the following words, which is oft called Spirit, as Iudg. 8. 3. 2▪ [illegible: 1+ letters]ron. 21. 16. P[illegible: 1+ letters]ov. 25. 28. Eccles. 7. 9.

To wit, in anger or discontent. Withdraw not thy self rashly and hastily from his presence and service, according to the advice, Ch. 8. 3. Continue in a diligent and faithful discharge of thy duty, as becomes a Subject; do not return anger for anger, but mooestly and humbly submit thy self to him.

Heb. healing, a gentle and submissive carriage, which is of an healing nature, whereas pride and passion do exasperate and wid[illegible: 1+ letters]n the breach already made.

Heb, maketh them to rest or [illegible: 1 word] preventeth or removeth them.

Heb. great sins, either 1. such sins as the offended Ruler might commit in the prosecution of his wrath against thee. Or rather 2. such as possibly thou hast committed against him for which he is incensed against thee; or the greatest offences or injuries that one Man commits against another, and much more those slight miscarriages of thine towards the Ruler. Let not therefore a false opinion concerning his unreconcilableness to thee, make thee desperate and draw thee into Rebellion.

Marginal references: Prov. 25. 15.

5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun , as an errour which proceedeth from the ruler .

I have observed another great vanity and misdemeanour amongst men.

So the sense is, like those errours which Rulers commonly commit. Or rather, which is indeed an errour proceeding from the Ruler. For the following miscarriage must needs come from those who have power of conferring Honour and power, &c. So the Hebrew, Cap[illegible: 1+ letters], is not a Note of likeness, but of reality, as it is, Iudg. 13. 23. Neh. 7. 2. Hose. 4. 4. & 5. 10 and oft elsewhere.

Marginal references: Heb. from befor[illegible: 1+ letters].

6 Folly is set in great dignity , and the rich sit in low place .

Foolish and unworthy Persons are frequently advanced by the favour or humour of Princes into places of Highest Trust and Dignity, which is a great reproach and mischief to the Prince, and a sore calamity to all his People.

Wise and worthy men, as is evident, because these are opposed to fools in the former clause: such as are rich in endowments of mind. The ground of the expression may be this, that rich men are capable of all the advantages of men or Books for the attainment of Wisdom, and therefore are supposed to be wise in some measure.

Neglected and de[illegible: 1+ letters]pised, or removed from those High places to which their merits had raised them.

Marginal references: Heb. in grea[illegible: 1+ letters] hei[illegible: 1+ letters]ts.

7 I have seen servants upon horses , and princes walking as servants upon Earth .

Men of a servil condition and disposition, who are altogether unfit for places of Dignity.

Riding upon Horses, as a Badge of their Dignity, as Es[illegible: 1+ letters]. 6. 8, 9. Ier. 17. 25. Ezek. 23. 23.

Which was the case of his own Father, 2. Sam. 15, 30.

Marginal references: Pro 19. 10. & 30. 22.

8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it ; and whoso breaketh an hedg a serpent shall bite him.

With this design that another may unawares fall into it.

Shall through God's just Judgment be destroyed by his own wicked devices.

Whereby another mans Fields, or Vineyards, or Orchards, are distinguished and fenced, that he may either enter upon them and take away their fruits, or by that means enlarge his own adjoining Fields. Possibly he may have a particular respect unto Magistrates or Rulers, whom God hath hedged or fenced in, both with his own Institution of Magistracy, and with his Laws, strictly requiring Obedience from their Subjects; and so he notes the danger of rising and rebelling against them.

Which oft lurks in hedges, and bites those who come within its reach.

Marginal references: Ps. 7. 15. Prov. 26. 27.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith : and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby .

Either 1. The stones which belong to others, and limit or distinguish their Grounds, of which see Deut. 27. 17. Or 2. Great stones too heavy for them. Which rashly attempt things too high and hard for them. Which seems better to agree with the following clause than the former Interpretation doth.

May easily receive hurt by the stones falling unexpectedly and violently upon him.

With an Iron instrument, as the manner is, he being unskilful in that art. Possibly he designs a man who causeth discord and mischief among Friends, or in a Family, or Kingdom

May peradventure cut himself.

10 If the Iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edg, then must he put to more strength ; but Wisdom is profitable to direct .

To wit, the Ax whereby he cut the wood in the former verse, which by the danger there mentioned may be supposed to be sharp, but now saith he, if it happen to be blunt.

Which is necessary to make it cut.

Heb. and wisdom, &c. And as Wisdom instructs a man in the smallest matters, as in this very matter of cutting of Wood, where it teacheth him in this case to use his utmost strength, so it is useful for a mans direction in all his great and weighty affairs. And so he insensibly slides into the commendation of Wisdom, and the censure of Folly, which is the principal design and business of this Chapter.

11 Surely the serpent will bite without inchantment , and a babler is no better.

If not seasonably prevented by the Art and care of the Charmer; which practice he doth not justifie, but only mention by way of resemblance. See on Psal. 58. 5.

Heb. a master of the tongue: which may be understood either 1. Of the Detractor or Slanderer, who like a Serpent bites secretly, who may be so called, because he takes liberty to use his Tongue as he lists, without any regard either to the offence of God, or to the injury of others, like them who said, Our Lips are our own; who is Lord over us? But I do not see either why this Phrase should be limited to the Detractor, which equally belongs to all abusers of the Tongue in any other way; or how this particular Vice of Detraction comes to be inserted here among things of a quite differing nature. Or 2. Of an Eloquent Person, who may well be called a Master of the Tongue, or of Speech, nothing being more usual in the Hebrew, than to call a Man Master of that which he excels in, or hath a full and free power to use. And this clause is and may be rendred thus, And there is no excellency or profit to the Master of the Tongue. i. e. The most Eloquent person, who doth not understand, and in due time use the Charmers Art, cannot by all his eloquence afterward hinder the biting of the Serpent, or the mischievous effects of it: And so this agrees with the principal scope of the Chapter, which is to shew the necessity and usefulness of Wisdom, and the mischief of Folly.

Marginal references: Jer. 8. 17.; Heb. the master of the tongue.

12 The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious : but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself .

Heb. Grace, as profitable, so also acceptable to others, procuring him favour with those who hear him.

His discourses are ungracious and offensive to others, and therefore pernicious to himself.

Marginal references: Pro. 10. 32. & 12. 13.; Heb. grace.; Pro. 10. 14. & 18. 7.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness .

All his talk from the beginning to the end is foolish and mischievous, and the more he talks, the more doth his folly appear, he proceeds from evil to worse, and adds wilfulness to his weakness, and never desists till he hath done mischief to himself or to others.

Marginal references: Heb. his mouth.

14 A fool also is full of words : a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him ?

Either 1. Talkative. Or 2. Forward to promise and brag what he will do, which is the common practice of foolish men: he is a man of words, as we use to say.

These words contain either 1. A Mimetical Representation of his folly in using vain Repetitions of the same words, such as these, a man cannot tell, &c. and who can tell, &c. Or 2. A confutation of his folly in promising or boasting of things which are wholly out of his power: For what shall be, no man can either himself foreknow, or learn it from others.

Marginal references: Pro. 15. 2.; Heb. multiplieth words.; Ch. 3. 22. & 6. 12. & 8. 7.

15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them , because he knoweth not how to go to the city .

Fools discover their folly, as by their words, of which he hath hitherto spoken, so also by their actions, and by their endless and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high and hard for them.

For he is ignorant of those things which are most easie and most necessary for him, as of the way to the great City whither he is going, or obliged by his business to go, which being a great and beaten road, is known even to Children and natural fools.

16 Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child : and thy princes eat in the morning .

Either 1. In Age. Or 2. (Which is more agreeable to the following clause) In Childish Qualities, as Ignorance, Inexperience, Injudiciousness, Rashness, Frowardness, Fickleness, or Wilfulness, and the like: in which sense this word is used, 2 Chr. 13. 7. compared with 1 Kin. 14. 21. Isa. 3. 4, 12. 1 Cor. 14. 20. Eph. 4. 14.

Give up themselves to eating and drinking excessively and intemperately, as it is explained in the next verse.

The fittest time for Gods service, and for the dispatch of weighty affairs, and for sitting in judgment. Psal. 101. 8. Ier. 21. 12. Which circumstance is added as a plain evidence of men that wholly devote themselves to vanity and Luxury; which must needs occasion gross neglect of the great concerns of the Kingdom, the oppression of the people to support such extravagancies, and a woful and general corruption of the people by their example, and otherwise; which makes him say, Wo to that people.

Marginal references: Isa. 3. 3, 4, 5, 12. & 5. 11.

17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles , and thy princes eat in due season , for strength and not for drunkenness .

Not so much by Birth, as even the worst of Kings commonly are, and have been, as by their noble and worthy dispositions, and endowments, and carriages; for such an one is opposed to the Child in the former verse. Sons of nobles are put for noble persons, as the sons of men for men, and the sons of physicians for physicians.

So as may further and not hinder their main business.

To refresh and strengthen their Natures, that they may be fit for action and business.

Not only nor chiefly to please their pala[illegible: 1+ letters]es, and indulge themselves in sensuality.

Marginal references: Prov. 31. 4.

18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth, and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through .

That House which is neglected by its owner, and not repaired, must needs come to ruine. Whereby he intimates, that the sloth and carelesness of Princes in the management of publick affairs, which is an usual attendant upon that Luxury, of which he hath now discoursed, is most destructive both to themselves, and to their people.

19 A feast is made for laughter, and Wine maketh merry : but money answereth all things .

The design and effect of feasting and drinking Wine, is, that Men may exhilarate their Minds with the society of their Friends, and with the use of the Creatures.

It procures not only Meat and Drink for Feasting, but for all other things; as the Heavens are said to answer the Earth, when they give it those showers which it desires and needs to make it fruitful, Hos. 2. 21. And this clause seems to be added as an aggravation of the sin and folly of Luxury, because Princes do thereby wast that Money and Treasure which is so highly necessary for the support and preservation of themselves, and of their Kingdoms, and are forced to squeeze Money out of their People by oppressive and dishonourable and dangerous practices, that they may have more to spend in riotous courses.

Marginal references: Ps. 104. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] g[illegible: 1+ letters]ad the li[illegible: 1+ letters]e.

20 Curse not the king , no not in thy thought , and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber : for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter .

Having spoken of the miscarriages of Kings, he now gives a caution to their Subjects, that they should not thence take occasion to speak irreverently or contemptuously of them, or wish or design any evil against their Persons or Government: For though vices may be condemned, wheresoever they are, yet both Reverence and Obedience are due to Magistrates, as they are Gods Vicegerents and Ordinances, notwithstanding their vices, as is manifest from Rom. 13. 1, &c. 1 Pet. 2. 13, &c.

In the most secret manner, by giving way to such thoughts or affections; for these will very probably break forth into such words and practices.

The Princes or Governours under the King, who are commonly rich: or any other rich men, who can oppress or punish thee by their Wealth, as well as Kings can do it by their Power.

Where thy Wife or Servant may hear thee, and afterwards through folly or passion discover it to thy ruine.

The King will hear of it by unknown and unsuspected hands, as if a Bird had chanced to be at the window when thou didst speak the words, and did hear them, and carry the report of it unto the King. It is a proverbial expression, as when we say, Hedges have Ears, and the Walls will speak. Hence Kings are said to have long Ears.

Marginal references: Ex. 22. 28.; Or, [illegible: 1 word]

Ecc 10:1

The second half of the foregoing double proverb introduces what now follows: “Poisonous flies make to stink, make to ferment the oil of the preparer of ointment; heavier than wisdom, than honour, weighs a little folly.” We do not need to change מות זבוּבי, on account of the foll. sing. of the pred., either into זבוגי ם (as possible by Hitz.) or זב ימוּתי (Luzz.); both are inadmissible, for the style of Koheleth is not adorned with archaisms such as Chirek compaginis; and also such an attrib. clause as זבוב ימות, a fly which dies,” is for him too refined; but both are also unnecessary, for a plur. of the subj., in which the plurality of the individuals comes less into view than the oneness of their character, is frequently enough followed by the sing. of the pred., e.g., Gen 39:22; Joe 1:20; Isa 59:12, etc. It is a question, however, whether by זבובי מות, death-bringing, i.e., poisonous flies (lxx, Targ.,  Luther)The Targ. interprets, as the Talm. and Mid. do, deadly flies as a figure of the prava concupiscentia. Similarly Wangemann: a mind buried in the world. or dead flies (Symm., Syr., Jerome) is meant. We decide in favour of the former; for (1) זבובי מות for זבוּבים מתים (Ecc 9:4; Isa 37:36), “death-flies” for “dead flies,” would be an affected poetic expression without analogy; while, on the contrary, “death-flies” for “deadly flies” is a genit. connection, such as מות כּלי instruments of death, i.e., deadly instruments and the like; Böttcher understands dung-flies; but the expression can scarcely extend to the designation of flies which are found on dead bodies. Meanwhile, it is very possible that by the expression זב ם, such flies are thought of as carry death from dead bodies to those that are living; the Assyr. syllabare show how closely the Semites distinguished manifold kinds of זבובים (Assyr. zumbi = zubbi). (2) In favour of “dead flies,” it has been remarked that that influence on the contents of a pot of ointment is effected not merely by poison-flies, but, generally, by flies that have fallen into it.

But since the oil mixed with perfumes may also be of the kind which, instead of being changed by a dead body, much rather embalms it; so it does not surprise us that the exciter of fermentation is thus drastically described by μυῖαι θανατοῦσαι (lxx); it happens, besides, also on this account, because “a little folly” corresponds as a contrasted figure to the little destructive carcase, - wisdom בע תּח (“giveth life,” Ecc 7:2), a little folly is thus like little deadly flies. The sequence of ideas יב יבּ (maketh the ointment stink) is natural. The corrupting body communicates its foul savour to the ointment, makes it boil up, i.e., puts it into a state of fermentation, in consequence of which it foams and raises up small blisters, אבעבועות (Rashi). To the asyndeton יב יבּ, there corresponds, in 1 b, the asyndeton מח מ כּ; the Targ., Syr., and Jerome,The lxx entirely remodels Ecc 10:1: τίμιον κ.τ.λ (“a little wisdom is more honour than the great glory of folly”), i.e., יקר מעט חכמה סכלות רב (כבוד in the sense of “great multitude”). Van der Palm (1784) regards this as the original form of the text. who translate by “and,” are therefore not witnesses for the phrase וּמך, but the Venet. (καὶ τῆς δόχης) had this certainly before it; it is, in relation to the other, inferior in point of evidence.מכּבוד; thus in the Biblia rabb. 1525, 1615, Genoa 1618, Plantin 1582, Jablonski 1699, and also v. d. Hooght and Norzi. In the Ven. 1515, 1521, 1615, וּמכּבוד is found with the copulat. vav, a form which is adopted by Michaelis. Thus also the Concord. cites, and thus, originally, it stood in J., but has been corrected to מכּבוד. F., however, has מכּבוד, with the marginal remark: מכבוד כן קבלתי מני שמשון (Simson ha-Nakdam, to whom the writer of the Frankf. Cod. 1294 here refers for the reading מך, without the copul. vav, is often called by him his voucher). This is also the correct Masoretic reading; for if וּמך were to be read, then the word would be in the catalogue of words of which three begin with their initial letter, and a fourth has introduced a vav before it (Mas. fin. f. 26, Ochla veochla, Nr. 15).

In general, it is evident that the point of comparison is the hurtfulness, widely extending itself, of a matter which in appearance is insignificant. Therefore the meaning of Ecc 10:1 cannot be that a little folly is more weighty than wisdom, than honour, viz., in the eyes of the blinded crowd (Zöckl., Dächsel). This limitation the author ought to have expressed, for without it the sentence is an untruth. Jerome, following the Targ. and Midrash, explains: Pretiosa est super sapientiam et gloriam stultitia parva, understanding by wisdom and honour the self-elation therewith connected; besides, this thought, which Luther limits by the introduction of zuweilen [“folly is sometimes better than wisdom, etc.”], is in harmony neither with that which goes before nor with that which follows.

Luzz., as already Aben Ezra, Grotius, Geiger, Hengst., and the more recent English expositors, transfer the verbs of Ecc 10:1 zeugmatically to Ecc 10:1: similiter pretiosum nomine sapientiae et gloriae virum foetidum facit stolidtias parva. But יביע forbids this transference, and, besides, מן יקר, “honoured on account of,” is an improbable expression; also מך יקר presents a tautology, which Luzz. seeks to remove by glossing מך, as the Targ. does, by ונכסים עושר מרוב. Already Rashi has rightly explained by taking יקר (Syr. jaḳîr, Arab. waḳur, waḳûr), in its primary meaning, as synon. of כּבד: more weighty, i.e., heavier and weighing more than wisdom, than honour, is a little folly; and he reminds us that a single foolish act can at once change into their contrary the wisdom and the honour of a man, destroying both, making it as if they had never been, cf. 1Co 5:6. The sentence is true both in an intellectual and in a moral reference. Wisdom and honour are swept away by a little quantum of folly; it places both in the shade, it outweighs them in the scale; it stamps the man, notwithstanding the wisdom and dignity which otherwise belong to him, as a fool. The expressive רקח שׁמן is purposely used here; the dealer in ointments (pigmentarius) can now do nothing with the corrupted perfume, - thus the wisdom which a man possesses, the honour which he has hitherto enjoyed, avail him no longer; the proportionally small portion of folly which has become an ingredient in his personality gives him the character of a fool, and operates to his dishonour. Knobel construes rightly; but his explanation (also of Heiligst., Elst., Ginsb.): “a little folly frequently shows itself more efficacious and fruitful than the wisdom of an honoured wise man,” helps itself with a “frequently” inserted, and weakens מך to a subordinated idea, and is opposed to the figure, which requires a personality.

Ecc 10:2-3

A double proverb regarding wisdom and folly in their difference: “The heart of a wise man is directed to his right hand, and the heart of the fool to his left. And also on the way where a fool goeth, there his heart faileth him, and he saith to all that he is a fool.” Most interpreters translate: The heart of the wise man is at his right hand, i.e., it is in the right place. But this designation, meant figuratively and yet sounding anatomically, would be in bad tasteChrist. Fried. Bauer (1732) explains as we do, and remarks, “If we translate: the heart of the wise is at his right hand, but the heart of the fool at his left, it appears as if the heart of the prudent and of the foolish must have a different position in the human body, thus affording to the profane ground for mockery.” in this distinguishing double form (vid., on the contrary, Ecc 2:14). The ל is that of direction;Accordingly, Ecc 10:2 has become a Jewish saying with reference to the study of a book (this thought of as Heb.): The wise always turn over the leaves backwards, repeating that which has been read; the fool forwards, superficially anticipating that which has not yet been read, and scarcely able to wait for the end. and that which is situated to the right of a man is figuratively a designation of the right; and that to the left, a designation of the wrong. The designation proceeds from a different idea from that at Deu 5:32, etc.; that which lies to the right, as that lying at a man’s right hand, is that to which his calling and duty point him; השׂ denotes, in the later Hebrew, “to turn oneself to the wrong side.”

Ecc 10:4

This verse shows what is the wise conduct of a subject, and particularly of a servant, when the anger of the ruler breaks forth: “If the ill-humour of the ruler rise up against thee, do not leave thy post; for patience leaves out great sins.” Luther connects Ecc 10:4 and Ecc 10:3 by “therefore;” for by the potentate he understands such an one as, himself a fool, holds all who contradict him to be fools: then it is best to let his folly rage on. But the מושׁל is a different person from the סכל; and מק אל־תּנּח does not mean, “let not yourself get into a passion,” or, as he more accurately explains in the Annotationes: “remain self-possessed” (similarly Hitzig: lose not thy mental state of composure), but, in conformity with תלך ... אל, Ecc 8:3, “forsake not the post (synon. מצּב and מעמד, Isa 22:19, cf. 23) which thou hast received.” The person addressed is thus represented not merely as a subject, but officially as a subordinate officer: if the ruler’s displeasure (רוּח, as at Jdg 8:3; Pro 29:11) rises up against him (עלה, as elsewhere; cf. אף, Psa 73:21; or חמה, 2Sa 11:20), he ought not, in the consciousness that he does not merit his displeasure, hastily give up his situation which has been entrusted to him and renounce submission; for patience, gentleness (regarding מרפּא, vid., Pro 12:18) 'גּד ... 'ין.

This concluding clause of the verse is usually translated: “It appeaseth (pacifieth) great sins” (lxx καταπαύσει, Symm. παύσει). The phrase (חמה) אף הניח is not to be compared, for it signifies quieting by an exhausting outbreak; on the contrary, יניח in the passage before us must signify quieting, as the preventing of an outbreak (cf. Pro 15:1). It appears more correct to render הנּיח in both cases in the sense of ἐᾶν, missum facere: to leave great sins is = not to commit them, to give up the lust thereto; for hinniahh signifies to let go, to leave off, e.g., Jer 14:9; and to indulge, Est 3:8, here as at Ecc 7:18; Ecc 11:6, “to keep the hands from something.” The great sins cannot certainly be thought of as those of the ruler; for on his part only one comes into view, if indeed, according to the old legal conception, it could be called such, viz., cruel proceeding with reference to him who wilfully withdraws from him, and thus proves his opposition; much rather we are to think of the great sins into which he who is the object of the ruler’s displeasure might fall, viz., treason (Ecc 8:2), insubordination, self-destruction, and at the same time, since he does not stand alone, or make common cause with others who are discontented, the drawing of others into inevitable ruin (Ecc 8:3). All these sins, into which he falls who answers wrath with wrath, patience avoids, and puts a check to them. The king’s anger is perhaps justified; the admonition, however, would be otherwise expressed than by 'l-tnch mq', if it were not presupposed that it was not justified; and thus without meta'basis eis a'llo ge'nos an I-section follows the reflection regarding wise deportment as over against the king’s displeasure, a section which describes from experience and from personal observation the world turned upside down in the state.

Ecc 10:5 “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from the ruler.” The introduction by the virtual relative raithi is as at Ecc 5:12; Ecc 6:1. Knobel, Hengst., and others give to the כ of כּשׁ the meaning of “according to,” or “in consequence of which,” which harmonizes neither with ra'ah nor with raithi. Also Kleinert’s translation: “There is a misery - I have seen it under the sun - in respect of an error which proceedeth from the ruler,” is untenable; for by this translation ra'ah is made the pred. while it is the subj. to ישׁ, and kishgagah the unfolding of this subject. Hitzig also remarks: “as [wie ein] an error, instead of which we have: in respect to [um einen] an error;” for he confounds things incongruous. Hitz., however, rightly recognises, as also Kleinert, the כ as Caph veritatis, which measures the concrete with the idea. Isa 13:6, compares the individual with the general which therein comes to view, Eze 26:10; Neh 7:2; cf. 2Sa 9:8. Koheleth saw an evil under the sun; something which was like an error, appeared to him altogether like an error which proceedeth from the ruler. If we could translate שׁיּ by quod exiit, then כ would be the usual Caph similitudinis; but since it must be translated by quod exit, וגו כשׁ places the observed fact under a comprehensive generality: it had the nature of an error proceeding from the ruler. If this is correct, it is so much the less to be assumed that by השׁלּיט God is to be understood (Dan 5:21), as Jerome was taught by his Hebraeus: quod putent homines in hac inaequalitate rerum illum non juste et ut aequum est judicare. It is a governor in a state that is meant, by whom an error might easily be committed, and only too frequently is committed, in the promotion of degradation of persons. But since the world, with its wonderful division of high and low, appears like as it were an error proceeding from the Most High, there certainly falls a shadow on the providence of God Himself, the Governor of the world; but yet not so immediately that the subject of discourse is an “error” of God, which would be a saying more than irreverent. יּצא = יּצה is the metaplastic form for יּצאה or יּצאת (for which at Deu 28:57 incorrectly יּצת), not an error of transcription, as Olsh. supposes; vid., to the contrary. מלּפני (Symm. ἐξ ἔμπροστηεν) with יצא is the old usus loq. There now follows a sketch of the perverted world.

Ecc 10:6-7 “Folly is set on great heights, and the rich must sit in lowliness. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes like servants walking on foot.” The word הסּכל (with double seghol, Aram. סכלוּ) is used here instead of those in whom it is personified. Elsewhere a multiplicity of things great, such as עמּים, מים, and the like, is heightened by רבּים (cf. e.g., Psa 18:17); here “great heights” are such as are of a high, or the highest degree; rabbim, instead of harabbim, is more appos. than adject. (cf. Gen 43:14; Psa 68:28; Psa 143:10; Jer 2:21), in the sense of “many” (e.g., Ginsburg: “in many high positions”) it mixes with the poetry of the description dull prose.Luzz. reads נתן: “Folly brings many into high places.” The order of the words, however, does not favour this. 'Ashirim also is peculiarly used: divites = nobiles (cf. שׁוע, Isa 32:5), those to whom their family inheritance gives a claim to a high station, who possess the means of training themselves for high offices, which they regard as places of honour, not as sources of gain. Regibus multis, Grotius here remarks, quoting from Sallust and Tacitus, suspecti qui excellunt sive sapientia sive nobilitate aut opibus. Hence it appears that the relation of slaves and princes to each other is suggested; hoc discrimen, says Justin, 41:3, of the Parthians, inter servos liberosque est quod servi pedibus, liberi nonnisi equis incedunt; this distinction is set aside, princes must walk 'al-haarěts, i.e., beregel (beraglēhěm), and in their stead (Jer 17:25) slaves sit high on horseback, and rule over them (the princes), - an offensive spectacle, Pro 19:10. The eunuch Bagoas, long all-powerful at the Persian Court, is an example of the evil consequences of this reversal of the natural relations of men.

Ecc 10:8-9 “He that diggeth a pit may fall into it; whoso breaketh down walls, a serpent may sting him. Whoso pulleth out stones may do himself hurt therewith; he who cleaveth wood may endanger himself thereby.” The futures are not the expression of that which will necessarily take place, for, thus rendered, these four statements would be contrary to experience; they are the expression of a possibility. The fut. יפּול is not here meant as predicting an event, as where the clause 8 a is a figure of self-punishment arising from the destruction prepared for others, Pro 26:27. Sir. 27:26. גּוּמּץ is, Pro 26:27, the Targum word for שׁחת, ditch, from גּמץ = שׁוּח, depressum esse. גּדר (R. גד, to cut), something cutting off, something dividing, is a wall as a boundary and means of protection drawn round a garden, vineyard, or farm-court; גּדר פּרץ is the reverse of פּרץ גּדר, Isa 58:12. Serpents are accustomed to nestle in the crevices and holes of walls, as well as in the earth (from a city-wall is called חומה and חל); thus he who breaks into such a wall may expect that the serpent which is there will bite him (cf. Amo 5:19). To tear down stones, hissi'a, is synon. of hhatsav, to break stones, Isa 51:1; yet hhotsēv does not usually mean the stone-breaker, but the stone-cutter (stone-mason); hissi'a, from nasa', to tear out, does not also signify, 1Ki 5:18, “to transport,” and here, along with wood-splitting, is certainly to be thought of as a breaking loose or separating in the quarry or shaft. Ne'etsav signifies elsewhere to be afflicted; here, where the reference is not to the internal but the external feeling: to suffer pain, or reflex.: to injure oneself painfully; the derivat. 'etsev signifies also severe labour; but to find this signification in the Niph. (“he who has painful labour”) is contrary to the usu loq., and contrary to the meaning intended here, where generally actual injuries are in view. Accordingly בּם יסּכן, for which the Mishn. יסכּן בּעצמו, “he brings himself into danger,” would denote, to be placed in danger of life and limb, cf. Gittin 65 b, Chullin 37 a; and it is therefore not necessary, with Hitzig and others, to translate after the vulnerabitur of Jerome: “He may wound himself thereby;” there is not a denom. סכן, to cut, to wound, derived from סכּין (שׂכּין), an instrument for cutting, a knife.The Midrash understands the whole ethically, and illustrates it by the example of Rabsake we know now that the half-Assyr., half-Accad. word rabsak means a military chief], whom report makes a brother of Manasseh, and a renegade in the Assyrian service.

The sum of these four clauses is certainly not merely that he who undertakes a dangerous matter exposes himself to danger; the author means to say, in this series of proverbs which treat of the distinction between wisdom and folly, that the wise man is everywhere conscious of his danger, and guards against it. These two verses (Ecc 10:8, Ecc 10:9) come under this definite point of view by the following proverb; wisdom has just this value in providing against the manifold dangers and difficulties which every undertaking brings along with it.Thus rightly Carl Lang in his Salom. Kunst im Psalter (Marburg 1874). He sees in Ecc 10:8-10 a beautiful heptastich. But as to its contents, Ecc 10:11 also belongs to this group.

This is illustrated by a fifth example, and then it is declared with reference to all together.

Ecc 10:10 “If the iron has become blunt, and he has not whetted the face, then he must give more strength to the effort; but wisdom has the superiority in setting right.” This proverb of iron, i.e., iron instruments (בּרזל, from בּרז, to pierce, like the Arab. name for iron, hadîd, means essentially something pointed), is one of the most difficult in the Book of Koheleth, - linguistically the most difficult, because scarcely anywhere else are so many peculiar and unexampled forms of words to be found. The old translators afford no help for the understanding of it. The advocates of the hypothesis of a Dialogue have here a support in אם, which may be rendered interrogatively; but where would we find, syntactically as well as actually, the answer? Also, the explanations which understand חילים in the sense of war-troops, armies, which is certainly its nearest-lying meaning, bring out no appropriate thought; for the thought that even blunt iron, as far as it is not externally altogether spoiled (lo-phanim qilqal), or: although it has not a sharpened edge (Rashi, Rashbam), might be an equipment for an army, or gain the victory, would, although it were true, not fit the context; Ginsburg explains: If the axe be blunt, and he (who goes out against the tyrant) do not sharpen it beforehand (phanim, after Jerome, for lephanim, which is impossible, and besides leads to nothing, since lephanim means ehedem formerly, but not zuvor [prius], Ewald, §220 a), he (the tyrant) only increases his army; on the contrary, wisdom hath the advantage by repairing the mischief (without the war being unequal); - but the “ruler” of the foregoing group has here long ago disappeared, and it is only a bold imagination which discovers in the hu of Ecc 10:10 the person addressed in Ecc 10:4, and represents him as a rebel, and augments him into a warlike force, but recklessly going forth with unwhetted swords. The correct meaning for the whole, in general at least, is found if, after the example of Abulwalîd and Kimchi, we interpret חילים גּבּר of the increasing of strength, the augmenting of the effort of strength, not, as Aben-Ezra, of conquering, outstripping, surpassing; גּבּר means to make strong, to strengthen, Zec 10:6, Zec 10:12; and חילים, as plur. of חיל, strength, is supported by גּבּורי חילים, 1Ch 7:5, 1Ch 7:7, 1Ch 7:11, 1Ch 7:40, the plur. of חיל גבור; the lxx renders by δυνάμεις δυναμώσει and he shall strengthen the forces, and the Peshito has חילי for δυνάμεις, Act 8:13; Act 19:11 (cf. Chald. Syr. אתחיּל, to strengthen oneself, to become strengthened). Thus understanding the words יג יח of intentio virium, and that not with reference to sharpening (Luth., Grotius), but to the splitting of wood, etc. (Geier, Desvoeux, Mendelss.), all modern interpreters, with the exception of a few who lose themselves on their own path, gain the thought, that in all undertakings wisdom hath the advantage in the devising of means subservient to an end. The diversities in the interpretation of details leave the essence of this thought untouched. Hitz., Böttch., Zöckl., Lange, and others make the wood-splitter, or, in general, the labourer, the subject to קהה, referring והוא to the iron, and contrary to the accents, beginning the apodosis with qilqal: “If he (one) has made the iron blunt, and it is without an edge, he swings it, and applies his strength.” לא־פנים, “without an edge” (lo for belo), would be linguistically as correct as בּנים לא, “without children,” 1Ch 2:30, 1Ch 2:32; Ewald, §286 b; and qilqal would have a meaning in some measure supported by Eze 21:26. But granting that qilqal, which there signifies “to shake,” may be used of the swinging of an axe (for which we may refer to the Aethiop. ḳualḳuala, ḳalḳala, of the swinging of a sword), yet קלקלו (אתו קלקל) could have been used, and, besides, פנים means, not like פי, the edge, but, as a somewhat wider idea, the front, face (Eze 21:21; cf. Assyr. pan ilippi, the forepart of a ship); “it has no edge” would have been expressed by (פּיפיּות) פּה לא והוא, or by מלטּשׁ איננו והוא (מוּחד, מורט). We therefore translate: if the iron has become blunt, hebes factum sit (for the Pih. of intransitives has frequently the meaning of an inchoative or desiderative stem, like מעת, to become little, decrescere, Ecc 12:3; כּהה, hebescere, caligare, Eze 21:12; Ewald, §120 c), and he (who uses it) has not polished (whetted) the face of it, he will (must) increase the force. והוּא does not refer to the iron, but, since there was no reason to emphasize the sameness of the subject (as e.g., 2Ch 32:30), to the labourer, and thus makes, as with the other explanation, the change of subject noticeable (as e.g., 2Ch 26:1). The order of the words קל ... וה, et ille non faciem (ferri) exacuit, is as at Isa 53:9; cf. also the position of lo in 2Sa 3:34; Num 16:29. קלקל, or pointed with Pattach instead of Tsere (cf. qarqar, Num 24:17) in bibl. usage, from the root-meaning levem esse, signifies to move with ease, i.e., quickness (as also in the Arab. and Aethiop.), to shake (according to which the lxx and Syr. render it by ταράσσειν, דּלח, to shake, and thereby to trouble, make muddy); in the Mishn. usage, to make light, little, to bring down, to destroy; here it means to make light = even and smooth (the contrast of rugged and notched), a meaning the possibility of which is warranted by נח קלל, Eze 1:7; Dan 10:6 (which is compared by Jewish lexicographers and interpreters), which is translated by all the old translators “glittering brass,” and which, more probably than Ewald’s “to steel” (temper), is derived from the root qal, to burn, glow.Regarding the two roots, vid., Fried. Delitzsch’s Indogerm.-Sem. Stud. p. 91f.

With vahhaylim the apodosis begins; the style of Koheleth recognises this vav apod. in conditional clauses, Ecc 4:11, cf. Gen 43:9, Ruth. Ecc 3:13; Job 7:4; Mic 5:7, and is fond of the inverted order of the words for the sake of emphasis, 11:8, cf. Jer 37:10, and above, under Ecc 7:22.

In 10 b there follows the common clause containing the application. Hitzig, Elster, and Zöckl. incorrectly translate: “and it is a profit wisely to handle wisdom;” for instead of the inf. absol. הך, they unnecessarily read the inf. constr. הכשׁיר, and connect חכמה הכשׁיר, which is a phrase altogether unparalleled. Hichsir means to set in the right position (vid., above, kaser), and the sentence will thus mean: the advantage which the placing rightly of the means serviceable to an end affords, is wisdom - i.e., wisdom bears this advantage in itself, brings it with it, concretely: a wise man is he who reflects upon this advantage. It is certainly also possible that הכשׁ, after the manner of the Hiph. הצליח and השׂכיל, directly means “to succeed,” or causatively: “to make to succeed.” We might explain, as e.g., Knobel: the advantage of success, or of the causing of prosperity, is wisdom, i.e., it is that which secures this gain. But the meaning prevalent in post-bibl. Heb. of making fit, equipping, - a predisposition corresponding to a definite aim or result, - is much more conformable to the example from which the porisma is deduced. Buxtorf translates the Hiph. as a Mishnic word by aptare, rectificare. Tyler suggests along with “right guidance” the meaning “pre-arrangement,” which we prefer.Also the twofold Haggadic explanation, Taanith 8 a, gives to hachshir the meaning of “to set, à priori, in the right place.” Luther translated qilqal twice correctly, but further follows the impossible rendering of Jerome: multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.

Ecc 10:11

The last proverb of this series presents for consideration the uselessness of him who comes too late. “If a serpent bite without enchantment, the charmer is of no use.” The Talm. interprets this אם, like that of Ecc 10:10, also as interrog.: Does the serpent bite without its being whispered to, i.e., without a providential determination impelling it thereto? Jer. Peah, i. 1. But לחשׁ, except at Isa 26:16, where whispering prayers are meant, signifies the whispering of formulas of charming; “serpents are not to be charmed (tamed),” לחששׁ, Jer 8:17. Rather for הלּ בּעל the meaning of slander is possible, which is given to it in the Haggada, Taanith 8 a: All the beasts will one day all at once say to the serpent: the lion walks on the earth and eats, the wolf tears asunder and eats; but what enjoyment hast thou by thy bite? and it answers them: “Also the slanderer (לבעל הלשׁון) has certainly no profit.” Accordingly the Targ., Jerome, and Luther translate; but if אם is conditional, and the vav of veēn connects the protasis and the apodosis, then ba'al hallashon must denote a man of tongue, viz., of an enchanting tongue, and thus a charmer (lxx, Syr.). This name for the charmer, one of many, is not unintentional; the tongue is an instrument, as iron is, Ecc 10:10 : the latter must be sharp, if it would not make greater effort necessary; the former, if it is to gain its object, must be used at the right time. The serpent bites בּל לח, when it bites before it has been charmed (cf. belo yomo, Job 15:32); there are also serpents which bite without letting themselves be charmed; but here this is the point, that it anticipates the enchantment, and thus that the charmer comes too late, and can make no use of his tongue for the intended purpose, and therefore has no advantage from his act. There appropriately follow here proverbs of the use of the tongue on the part of a wise man, and its misuse on the part of a fool.

Ecc 10:12 “The words of a wise man’s mouth are grace; but the lips of a fool swallow him up.” The words from a wise man’s mouth are חן, graciousness, i.e., gracious in their contents, their form and manner of utterance, and thus also they gain favour, affection, approbation, for culture (education) produces favour, Pro 13:15, and its lips grace (pleasantness), which has so wide an influence that he can call a king his friend, Pro 22:11, although, according to Ecc 9:11, that does not always so happen as is to be expected. The lips of a fool, on the contrary, swallow him, i.e., lead him to destruction. The Pih. בּלּע, which at Pro 19:28 means to swallow down, and at Pro 21:20 to swallow = to consume in luxury, to spend dissolutely, has here the metaphorical meaning of to destroy, to take out of the way (for that which is swallowed up disappears). שׂפתות is parallel form to שׂפתי, like the Aram. ספות. The construction is, as at Pro 14:3, “the lips of the wise תשׁם preserve them;” the idea of unity, in the conception of the lips as an instrument of speech, prevails over the idea of plurality. The words of the wise are heart-winning, and those of the fool self-destructive. This is verified in the following verse.

Ecc 10:13 “The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his mouth is mischievous madness.” From folly (absurdity) the words which are heard from a fool’s mouth rise to madness, which is compounded of presumption, wantonness, and frenzy, and which, in itself a symptom of mental and moral depravity, brings as its consequence destruction on himself (Pro 18:17). The adjective רעה is as in רע חלי, which interchanges with רעה חו Ecc 6:2; Ecc 5:12, etc. The end of his mouth, viz., of his speaking, is = the end of the words of his mouth, viz., the end which they at last reach. Instead of holeloth, there is here, with the adj. following, holeluth, with the usual ending of abstracta. The following proverb says how the words of the fool move between these two poles of folly and wicked madness: he speaks much, and as if he knew all things.

Ecc 10:14 “And the fool maketh many words: while a man yet doth not know that which shall be; and what shall be when he is no more, who can show him that?” The vav at the beginning of this verse corresponds to the Lat. accedit quod. That he who in Ecc 10:12 was named kesil is now named hassachal, arises from this, that meanwhile sichluth has been predicated of him. The relation of Ecc 10:14 to Ecc 10:14, Geier has rightly defined: Probatur absurditas multiloquii a communi ignorantia ac imbecillitate humana, quae tamen praecipue dominatur apud ignaros stultos. We miss before lo-yeda' an “although” (gam, Neh 6:1, or ki gam, Ecc 8:12); the clause is, after the manner of a clause denoting state or condition, subordinated to the principal clause, as at Psa 5:10 : “an open grave is their throat יח לשׁ, although they smooth their tongue, i.e., speak flatteringly.” The lxx, Syr., Symm., and Jerome seek to rectify the tautology id quod futurum est et quod futurum est (cf. on the other hand, Ecc 8:7), for they read יה ... מה שהיה. But the second quod futurum certainly preserves by מאץ its distinguishing nearer definition. Hitzig explains: “What is done, and what after this (that is done) is done.” Scarcely correctly: aharav of the parallel passage, Ecc 6:12, cf. Ecc 7:14; Ecc 9:3, requires for the suffix a personal reference, so that thus meaharav, as at Deu 29:21, means “from his death and onwards.” Thus, first, the knowledge of the future is denied to man; then the knowledge of what will be done after his death; and generally, of what will then be done. The fool, without any consciousness of human ignorance, acts as if he knew all, and utters about all and everything a multitude of words; for he uselessly fatigues himself with his ignorance, which remains far behind the knowledge that is possible for man.

Ecc 10:15 “The labour of the foolish wearieth him who knoweth not how to go to the city.” If we do not seek to explain: labour such as fools have wearies him (the fool), then we have here such a synallage numeri as at Isa 2:8; Hos 4:8, for from the plur. a transition is made to the distributive or individualizing sing. A greater anomaly is the treatment of the noun עמל as fem. (greater even than the same of the noun pithgam, Ecc 8:11, which admitted of attractional explanation, and, besides, in a foreign word was not strange). Kimchi, Michlol 10 a, supposes that עמל is thought of in the sense of עמל יגיעת; impossible, for one does not use such an expression. Hitzig, and with him Hengst., sees the occasion for the synallage in the discordance of the masc. ייגּענּוּ; but without hesitation we use the expressions ייחל, Mic 5:6, ייסּ, Jos 6:26, and the like. 'Amal also cannot be here fem. unitatis (Böttch. §657. 4), for it denotes the wearisome striving of fools as a whole and individually. We have thus to suppose that the author has taken the liberty of using 'amal once as fem. (vid., on the contrary, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:20), as the poet, Pro 4:13, in the introduction of the Book of Proverbs uses musar once as fem., and as the similarly formed צבא is used in two genders. The fool kindles himself up and perplexes himself, as if he could enlighten the world and make it happy, - he who does not even know how to go to the city. Ewald remarks: “Apparently proverbial, viz., to bribe the great lords in the city.” For us who, notwithstanding Ecc 10:16, do not trouble ourselves any more with the tyrants of Ecc 10:4, such thoughts, which do violence to the connection, are unnecessary. Hitzig also, and with him Elst. and Zöckl., thinks of the city as the residence of the rulers from whom oppression proceeds, but from whom also help against oppression is to be sought. All this is to be rejected. Not to know how to go to the city, is = not to be able to find the open public street, and, like the Syrians, 2Ki 6:18., to be smitten with blindness. The way to the city is via notissima et tritissima. Rightly Grotius, like Aben Ezra: Multi quaestionibus arduis se faitgant, cum ne obvia quidem norint, quale est iter ad urbem. אל־עיר is vulgar for אל־העיר. In the Greek language also the word πόλις has a definite signification, and Athens is called ἄστυ, mostly without the art. But Stamboul, the name of which may seem as an illustration of the proverbial phrase, “not to know how to go to the city,” is = εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Grätz finds here an allusion to the Essenes, who avoided the city - habeat sibi!

Ecc 10:16-17 “Woe to thee, O land, whose king is a child, and whose princes sit at table in the early morning! Happy art thou, O land, whose king is a noble, and whose princes sit at table at the right time, in manly strength, and not in drunkenness!” Regarding אי. Instead of שׁם ן, the older language would rather use the phrase מלכּו נער אשׁר; and instead of na'ar, we might correctly use, after Pro 30:22, 'ěvěd; but not as Grätz thinks, who from this verse deduces the reference of the book of Herod (the “slave of the Hasmonean house,” as the Talm. names him), in the same meaning. For na'ar, it is true, sometimes means - e.g., as Ziba’s by-name (2Sa 19:18 [17]) - a servant, but never a slave as such, so that here, in the latter sense, it might be the contrast of בּן־חורים; it is to be understood after Isa 3:12; and Solomon, Bishop of Constance, understood this woe rightly, for he found it fulfilled at the time of the last German Karolingian Ludwig III.Cf. Büchmann’s Feglügelte Worte, p. 178, 5th ed. (1868).

Na'ar is a very extensively applicable word in regard to the age of a person. King Solomon and the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah show that na'ar may be used with reference to one in a high office; but here it is one of few years of age who is meant, who is incapable of ruling, and shows himself as childish in this, that he lets himself be led by bad guides in accordance with their pleasure. In 16 b, the author perhaps thinks of the heads of the aristocracy who have the phantom-king in their power: intending to fatten themselves, they begin their feasting with the break of day. If we translate yochēēlu by “they eat,” 16 b sounds as if to breakfast were a sin, - with us such an abbreviation of the thought so open to misconception would be a fault in style, but not so with a Hebrew.Vid., Gesch. d. jüd. Poesie, p. 188.f. אכל (for לחם אכל, Psa 14:4) is here eating for eating’s sake, eating as its own object, eating which, in the morning, comes in the place of fresh activity in one’s calling, consecrated by prayer. Instead of אשׁ, Ecc 10:17, there ought properly to have been אשׁריך; but (1) אשׁרי has this peculiarity, to be explained from its interjectional usage, that with the suff. added it remains in the form of the st. constr., for we say e.g., אשׁריך for אשׁריך; (2) the sing. form אשׁר, inflected אשׁרי, so substitutes itself that אשׁריך, or, more correctly, אשׁרך, and אשׁרהוּ, Pro 29:19, the latter for אשׁריו, are used (vid., under Sol 2:14).

Regarding běn-hhorim, the root-word signifies to be white (vid., under Gen 40:16). A noble is called hhor, Isa 34:12; and one noble by birth, more closely, or also merely descriptively (Gesen. Lehrgeb. p. 649), běn-hhorim, from his purer complexion, by which persons of rank were distinguished from the common people (Lam 4:7). In the passage before us, běn-hhorim is an ethical conception, as e.g., also generosus becomes such, for it connects with the idea of noble by birth that of noble in disposition, and the latter predominates (cf. Sol 7:2, nadiv): it is well with a land whose king is of noble mind, is a man of noble character, or, if we give to běn-hhorim the Mishnic meaning, is truly a free man (cf. Joh 8:36). Of princes after the pattern of such a king, the contrary of what is said 16b is true: they do not eat early in the morning, but ba'et, “at the right time;” everywhere else this is expressed by be'itto (Ecc 3:11); here the expression - corresponding to the Greek ἐν καιρῷ, the Lat. in tempore - is perhaps occasioned by the contrast baboqěr, “in the morning.” Eating at the right time is more closely characterized by bighvurah velo vashshethi. Jerome, whom Luther follows, translates: ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam. Hitz., Ginsb., and Zöckl., “for strengthening” (obtaining strength), not: “for feasting;” but that beth might introduce the object aimed at (after Hitz., proceeding from the beth of exchange), we have already considered under Ecc 2:4. The author, wishing to say this, ought to have written lshty wl' lgbwrh. Better, Hahn: “in strength, but not in drunkenness,” - as heroes, but not as drunkards (Isa 5:22). Ewald’s “in virtue, and not in debauchery,” is also thus meant. But what is that: to eat in virtue, i.e., the dignity of a man? The author much rather represents them as eating in manly strength, i.e., as this requires it (cf. the plur. Psa 71:16 and Psa 90:10), only not bashti (“in drunkenness - excess”), so that eating and drinking become objects in themselves. Kleinert, well: as men, and not as gluttons. The Masora makes, under bashti,' the note לית, i.e., שׁתי has here a meaning which it has not elsewhere, it signifies drunkenness; elsewhere it means the weft of a web. The Targ. gives the word the meaning of weakness (חלּשׁוּת), after the Midrash, which explains it by בּתשׁישׁוּ (in weakness); Menahem b. Saruk takes along with it in this sense נשׁתה, Jer 51:30. The Talm. Shabbath 10 a, however, explains it rightly by בּשׁתיּה שׁל־יין.

Ecc 10:18

Since, now, Ecc 10:19 has only to do with princes, the following proverb of the consequences of sloth receives a particular reference in the frame of this mirror for princes: “Through being idle the roof falleth; and through laziness of the hands the house leaketh.” Ewald, Redslob, Olsh., Hitz., and Fürst, as already Aben Ezra, understand the dual עצל of the two idle hands, but a similar attribut. adject.-dual is not found in Heb.; on the contrary, ephraim, merathaim Jer 50:21, rish'athaim, and, in a certain measure, also riqmathaim, speak in favour of the intensification of the dual; 'atsaltaim is related to 'atslah, as Faulenzen being idle, living in idleness to Faulheit laziness, it means doubled, i.e., great, constant laziness (Gesen. H. Wört., and Böttch. in the N. Aehrenl., under this passage). If 'atsaltaim were an attribut. designation of the hands, then shiphluth hadaim would be lowness, i.e., the hanging down of the hands languidly by the side; the former would agree better with the second than with the first passage. Regarding the difference between hammeqareh (the beams and joists of a house) and hamqareh (contignans), vid., note below.המּקרה, with mem Dageshed (Masora: לית דגש); in Psa 104:3, on the contrary, the mem has Raphe, for there it is particip. (Michlol 46 a; Parchon’s Lex. f. 3, col. 1).

Since exceeding laziness leaves alone everything that could support the house, the beams fall (ימּך, Niph. מכך), and the house drops, i.e., lets the rain through (ידלף, with o, in spite of the intrans. signification); cf. the Arab. proverb of the three things which make a house insufferable, under Pro 19:13. Also the community, whom the king and the nobles represent, is a בּית, as e.g., Israel is called the house of Jacob. If the rulers neglect their duty, abusing their high position in obeying their own lusts, then the kingdom (state) becomes as a dilapidated house, affording no longer any protection, and at last a machshelah, a ruined building, Isa 3:6. It becomes so by slothfulness, and the prodigal love of pleasure associated therewith.

Ecc 10:19 “Meals they make into a pleasure, and wine cheereth the life, and money maketh everything serviceable.” By עשׂים, wicked princes are without doubt thought of-but not immediately, since Ecc 10:16 is too remote to give the subject to Ecc 10:19. The subject which 'osim bears in itself (= 'osim hēm) might be syntactically definite, as e.g., Psa 33:5, אהב, He, Jahve, loves, thus: those princes, or, from Ecc 10:18 : such slothful men; but 'osim is better rendered, like e.g., omrim, Exo 5:16 (Ewald, §200 a), and as in the Mishna we read קורין and the like with gramm. indefin. subj.: they make, but so that by it the slothful just designated, and those of a princely rank are meant (cf. a similar use of the inf. abs., as here of the part. in the historical style, Isa 22:13). Ginsburg’s rendering is altogether at fault: “They turn bread and wine which cheereth life into revelry.” If עשׁה and לחם as its object stand together, the meaning is, “to prepare a feast,” Eze 4:15; cf. 'avad lehēm, Dan 5:1. Here, as there, 'osim lěhěm signifies coenam faciunt (parant). The ל of לשׂ is not the sign of the factitive obj. (as leēl, Isa 44:17), and thus not, as Hitz. supposes, the conditioning ל with which adv. conceptions are formed, - e.g., Lam 4:5, האך למע, where Jerome rightly translates, voluptuose (vid., E. Gerlach, l.c.), - but, which is most natural and is very appropriate, it is the ל of the aim or purpose: non ad debitam corporis refectionem, sed ad hera ludicra et stulta gaudia (Geier). שׂחוק is laughter, as that to which he utters the sentence (Ecc 2:2): Thou art mad. It is incorrect, moreover, to take lěhěm veyaim together, and to render yesammahh hayaim as an attribut. clause to yain: this epitheton ornans of wine would here be a most unsuitable weakening of the figure intended. It is only an apparent reason for this, that what Psa 104:15 says in praise of wine the author cannot here turn into a denunciatory reproach. Wine is certainly fitted to make glad the heart of a man; but here the subject of discourse is duty-forgetting idlers, to whom chiefly wine must be brought (Isa 5:12) to cheer their life (this sluggard-life spent in feasting and revelry). The fut. ישׂמּח is meant in the same modal sense as יגבּר, Ecc 10:10: wine must accomplish that for them. And they can feast and drink, for they have money, and money ־הכּל... יע. Luther hits the meaning: “Money must procure everything for them;” but the clause is too general; and better thus, after Jerome, the Zürich Bible: “unto money are all things obedient.” The old Jewish interpreters compare Hos 2:23., where ענה, with accus. petentis, signifies, “to answer a request, to gratify a desire.” But in the passage before us הכּל is not the obj. accus. of petentis, but petiti; for 'anah is connected with the accus. of that to which one answers as well as of that which one answers, e.g., Job 40:2, cf. Ecc 9:3. It is unnecessary, with Hitzig, to interpret יענה as Hiph.: Money makes all to hear (him who has the money), - makes it that nothing is refused to his wish. It is the Kal: Money answers to every demand, hears every wish, grants whatever one longs for, helps to all; as Menander says: “Silver and gold, - these are, according to my opinion, the most useful gods; if these have a place in the house, wish what thou wilt (εὖξαι τί βούλει), all will be thine;” and Horace, Epod. i. 6. 36 s.:“Scilicet uxorem cum dote fidemque et amicos Et genus et formam regina pecunia donat.”

The author has now described the king who is a misfortune and him who is a blessing to the land, and princes as they ought to be and as they ought not to be, but particularly luxurious idle courtiers; there is now a warning given which has for its motive not only prudence, but also, according to Ecc 8:2, religiousness.

Ecc 10:20 “Curse not the king even in thy thought; and in thy bed-chamber curse not the rich; for the birds of the air carry away the sound, and the winged creature telleth the matter.” In the Books of Daniel and Chronicles, מדּע, in the sense of γνῶσις, is a synon. of השׂכּל and חכמה; here it is rightly translated by the lxx by συνείδησις; it does not correspond with the moral-religious idea of conscience, but yet it touches it, for it designates the quiet, inner consciousness (Psychol. p. 134) which judges according to moral criteria: even (gam, as e.g., Deu 23:3) in the inner region of his thoughtsHengst., not finding the transition from scientia to conscientia natural, gives, after Hartmann, the meaning of “study-chamber” to the word מדּע; but neither the Heb. nor the Aram. has this meaning, although Psa 68:13 Targ. touches it. one must not curse the king (cf. Ecc 7:4.) nor the rich (which here, as at 6b, without distinction of the aristocracy of wealth and of birth, signifies those who are placed in a high princely position, and have wealth, the nervus rerum, at their disposal) in his bed-chamber, the innermost room of the house, where one thinks himself free from treachery, and thus may utter whatever he thinks without concealment (2Ki 6:12): for the birds of the air may carry forth or bring out (Lat. deferrent, whence delator) that which is rumoured, and the possessor of a pair of wings (cf. Pro 1:17), after the Chethı̂b (whose ה of the art. is unnecessarily erased by the Kerı̂,הכּן with unpointed He, because it is not read in the Kerı̂; similarly החנית (1Sa 26:22). Cf. Mas. fin. f. 22, and Ochla veochla, No. 166. as at Ecc 3:6, Ecc 3:10): the possessor of wings (double-winged), shall further tell the matter. As to its meaning, it is the same as the proverb quoted by the Midrash: “walls have ears.”Vid., Tendlau’s Sprichwörter, No. 861.

Geier thinks of the swallows which helped to the discovery of Bessus, the murderer of his father, and the cranes which betrayed the murderer of Ibycus, as comparisons approaching that which is here said. There would certainly be no hyperbole if the author thought of carrier-pigeons (Paxton, Kitto) in the service of espionage. But the reason for the warning is hyperbolical, like an hundred others in all languages:“Aures fert paries, oculos nemus: ergo cavere Debet qui loquitur, ne possint verba nocere.”

The Advantages of Wisdom.

1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

In these verses Solomon shows,

I. What great need wise men have to take heed of being guilty of any instance of folly; for a little folly is a great blemish to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour, and is as hurtful to his good name as dead flies are to a sweet perfume, not only spoiling the sweetness of it, but making it to send forth a stinking savour. Note, 1. True wisdom is true honour, and will gain a man a reputation, which is like a box of precious ointment, pleasing and very valuable. 2. The reputation that is got with difficulty, and by a great deal of wisdom, may be easily lost, and by a little folly, because envy fastens upon eminency, and makes the worst of the mistakes and miscarriages of those who are cried up for wisdom, and improves them to their disadvantage; so that the folly which in another would not be taken notice of in them is severely censured. Those who make a great profession of religion have need to walk very circumspectly, to abstain from all appearances of evil, and approaches towards it, because many eyes are upon them, that watch for their halting; their character is soon sullied, and they have a great deal of reputation to lose.

II. What a deal of advantage a wise man has above a fool in the management of business (v. 2): A wise man's heart is at his right hand, so that he goes about his business with dexterity, turns his hand readily to it, and goes through it with despatch; his counsel and courage are ready to him, whenever he has occasion for them. But a fool's heart is at his left hand; it is always to seek when he has any thing to do that is of importance, and therefore he goes awkwardly about it, like a man that is left-handed; he is soon at a loss and at his wits' end.

III. How apt fools are at every turn to proclaim their own folly, and expose themselves; he that is either witless or graceless, either silly or wicked, if he be ever so little from under the check, and left to himself, if he but walk by the way, soon shows what he is; his wisdom fails him, and, by some impropriety or other, he says to every one he meets that he is a fool (v. 3), that is, he discovers his folly as plainly as if he had told them so. He cannot conceal it, and he is not ashamed of it. Sin is the reproach of sinners wherever they go.

Mutual Duties of Princes and Subjects.

4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

The scope of these verses is to keep subjects loyal and dutiful to the government. In Solomon's reign the people were very rich, and lived in prosperity, which perhaps made them proud and petulant, and when the taxes were high, though they had enough to pay them with, it is probable that many conducted themselves insolently towards the government and threatened to rebel. To such Solomon here gives some necessary cautions.

I. Let not subjects carry on a quarrel with their prince upon any private personal disgust (v. 4): "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, if upon some misinformation given him, or some mismanagement of thine, he is displeased at thee, and threaten thee, yet leave not thy place, forget not the duty of a subject, revolt not from thy allegiance, do not, in a passion, quit thy post in his service and throw up thy commission, as despairing ever to regain his favour. No, wait awhile, and thou wilt find he is not implacable, but that yielding pacifies great offences." Solomon speaks for himself, and for every wise and good man that is a master, or a magistrate, that he could easily forgive those, upon their submission, whom yet, upon their provocation, he had been very angry with. It is safer and better to yield to an angry prince than to contend with him.

II. Let not subjects commence a quarrel with their prince, though the public administration be not in every thing as they would have it. He grants there is an evil often seen under the sun, and it is a king's-evil, an evil which the king only can cure, for it is an error which proceeds from the ruler (v. 5); it is a mistake which rulers, consulting their personal affections more than the public interests, are too often guilty of, that men are not preferred according to their merit, but folly is set in great dignity, men of shattered brains, and broken fortunes, are put in places of power and trust, while the rich men of good sense and good estates, whose interest would oblige them to be true to the public, and whose abundance would be likely to set them above temptations to bribery and extortion, yet sit in low places, and can get no preferment (v. 6), either the ruler knows not how to value them or the terms of preferment are such as they cannot in conscience comply with. It is ill with a people when vicious men are advanced and men of worth are kept under hatches. This is illustrated v. 7. "I have seen servants upon horses, men not so much of mean extraction and education (if that were all, it were the more excusable, nay, there is many a wise servant who with good reason has rule over a son that causes shame), but of sordid, servile, mercenary dispositions. I have seen these riding in pomp and state as princes, while princes, men of noble birth and qualities, fit to rule a kingdom, have been forced to walk as servants upon the earth, poor and despised." Thus God, in his providence, punishes a wicked people; but, as far as it is the ruler's act and deed, it is certainly his error, and a great evil, a grievance to the subject and very provoking; but it is an error under the sun, which will certainly be rectified above the sun, and when it shall shine no more, for in heaven it is only wisdom and holiness that are set in great dignity. But, if the prince be guilty of his error, yet let not the subjects leave their place, nor rise up against the government, nor form any project for the alteration of it; nor let the prince carry on the humour too far, nor set such servants, such beggars, on horseback, as will ride furiously over the ancient land-marks of the constitution, and threaten the subversion of it.

1. Let neither prince nor people violently attempt any changes, nor make a forcible entry upon a national settlement, for they will both find it of dangerous consequence, which he shows here by four similitudes, the scope of which is to give us a caution not to meddle to our own hurt. Let not princes invade the rights and liberties of their subjects; let not subjects mutiny and rebel against their princes; for, (1.) He that digs a pit for another, it is ten to one but he falls into it himself, and his violent dealing returns upon his own head. If princes become tyrants, or subjects become rebels, all histories will tell both what is likely to be their fate and that it is at their utmost peril, and it were better for both to be content within their own bounds. (2.) Whoso breaks a hedge, an old hedge, that has long been a land-mark, let him expect that a serpent, or adder, such as harbour in rotten hedges, will bite him; some viper or other will fasten upon his hand, Acts xxviii. 3. God, by his ordinance, as by a hedge, has inclosed the prerogatives and powers of princes; their persons are under his special protection; those therefore that form any treasonable designs against their peace, their crown, and dignity, are but twisting halters for themselves. (3.) Whoso removes stones, to pull down a wall or building, does but pluck them upon himself; he shall be hurt therewith, and will wish that he had let them alone. Those that go about to alter a well-modelled well-settled government, under colour of redressing some grievances and correcting some faults in it, will quickly perceive not only that it is easier to find fault than to mend, to demolish that which is good than to build up that which is better, but that they thrust their own fingers into the fire and overwhelm themselves in the ruin they occasion. (4.) He that cleaves the wood, especially if, as it follows, he has sorry tools (v. 10), shall be endangered thereby; the chips, or his own axe-head, will fly in his face. If we meet with knotty pieces of timber, and we think to master them by force and violence, and hew them to pieces, they may not only prove too hard for us, but the attempt may turn to our own damage.

2. Rather let both prince and people act towards each other with prudence, mildness, and good temper: Wisdom is profitable to direct the ruler how to manage a people that are inclined to be turbulent, so as neither, on the one hand, by a supine negligence to embolden and encourage them, nor, on the other hand, by rigour and severity to exasperate and provoke them to any seditious practices. It is likewise profitable to direct the subjects how to act towards a prince that is inclined to bear hard upon them, so as not to alienate his affections from them, but to win upon him by humble remonstrances (not insolent demands, such as the people made upon Rehoboam), by patient submissions and peaceable expedients. The same rule is to be observed in all relations, for the preserving of the comfort of them. Let wisdom direct to gentle methods and forbear violent ones. (1.) Wisdom will teach us to whet the tool we are to make use of, rather than, by leaving it blunt, oblige ourselves to exert so much the more strength, v. 10. We might save ourselves a great deal of labour, and prevent a great deal of danger, if we did whet before we cut, that is, consider and premeditate what is fit to be said and done in every difficult case, that we may accommodate ourselves to it and may do our work smoothly and easily both to others and to ourselves. Wisdom will direct how to sharpen and put an edge upon both ourselves and those we employ, not to work deceitfully (Ps. lii. 2), but to work cleanly and cleverly. The mower loses no time when he is whetting his scythe. (2.) Wisdom will teach us to enchant the serpent we are to contend with, rather than think to out-hiss it (v. 11): The serpent will bite if he be not by singing and music charmed and enchanted, against which therefore he stops his ears (Ps. lviii. 4, 5); and a babbler is no better to all those who enter the lists with him, who therefore must not think by dint of words to out-talk him, but be prudent management to enchant him. He that is lord of the tongue (so the phrase is), a ruler that has liberty of speech and may say what he will, it is as dangerous dealing with him as with a serpent uncharmed; but, if you use the enchantment of a mild and humble submission, you may be safe and out of danger; herein wisdom, the meekness of wisdom, is profitable to direct. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, Prov. xxv. 15. Jacob enchanted Esau with a present and Abigail David. To those that may say any thing it is wisdom to say nothing that is provoking.

The Contemptibleness of Folly.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom, and of what great advantage it is to us in the management of our affairs, here shows the mischief of folly and how it exposes men, which perhaps comes in as a reflection upon those rulers who set folly in great dignity.

I. Fools talk a great deal to no purpose, and they show their folly as much by the multitude, impertinence, and mischievousness of their words, as by any thing; whereas the words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, are grace, manifest grace in his heart and minister grace to the hearers, are good, and such as become him, and do good to all about him, the lips of a fool not only expose him to reproach and make him ridiculous, but will swallow up himself and bring him to ruin, by provoking the government to take cognizance of his seditious talk and call him to an account for it. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life, 1 Kings ii. 23. Many a man has been sunk by having his own tongue fall upon him, Ps. lxiv. 8. See what a fool's talk is. 1. It takes rise from his own weakness and wickedness: The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, the foolishness bound up in his heart, that is the corrupt spring out of which all these polluted streams flow, the evil treasure out of which evil things are brought. As soon as he begins to speak you may perceive his folly; at the very first he talks idly, and passionately, and like himself. 2. It rises up to fury, and tends to the hurt and injury of others: The end of his talk, the end it comes to, is madness. He will presently talk himself into an indecent heat, and break out into the wild extravagancies of a distracted man. The end he aims at is mischief; as, at first, he appeared to have little government of himself, so, at last, it appears he has a great deal of malice to his neighbours; that root of bitterness bears gall and wormwood. Note, It is not strange if those that begin foolishly end madly; for an ungoverned tongue, the more liberty is allowed, grows the more violent. 3. It is all the same over and over (v. 14): A fool also is full of words, a passionate fool especially, that runs on endlessly and never knows when to leave off. He will have the last word, though it be but the same with that which was the first. What is wanting in the weight and strength of his words he endeavours in vain to make up in the number of them; and they must be repeated, because otherwise there is nothing in them to make them regarded. Note, Many who are empty of sense are full of words; and the least solid are the most noisy. The following words may be taken either, (1.) As checking him for his vainglorious boasting in the multitude of his words, what he will do and what he will have, not considering that which every body knows that a man cannot tell what shall be in his own time, while he lives (Prov. xxvii. 1), much less can one tell what shall be after him, when he is dead and gone. Would we duly consider our own ignorance of, and uncertainty about, future events, it would cut off a great many of the idle words we foolishly multiply. Or, (2.) As mocking him for his tautologies. He is full of words, for if he do but speak the most trite and common thing, a man cannot tell what shall be, because he loves to hear himself talk, he will say it again, what shall be after him who can tell him? like Battus in Ovid: ——————Sub illis Montibus (inquit) erant, et erant sub montibus illis— Under those mountains were they, They were under those mountains, I say— II. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose (v. 15); The labour of the foolish, to accomplish their designs, wearies every one of them. 1. They weary themselves in that labour which is very foolish and absurd. All their labour is for the world and the body, and the meat that perishes, and in this labour they spend their strength, and exhaust their spirits, and weary themselves for very vanity, Hab. ii. 13; Isa. lv. 2. They choose that service which is perfect drudgery rather than that which is perfect liberty. 2. That labour which is necessary, and would be profitable, and might be gone through with ease, wearies them, because they go about it awkwardly and foolishly, and so make their business a toil to them, which, if they applied themselves to it prudently, would be a pleasure to them. Many complain of the labours of religion as grievous, which they would have no reason to complain of if the exercises of Christian piety were always under the direction of Christian prudence. The foolish tire themselves in endless pursuits, and never bring any thing to pass, because they know not how to go to the city, that is, because they have not capacity to apprehend the plainest thing, such as the entrance into a great city is, where one would think it were impossible for a man to miss his road. Men's imprudent management of their business robs them both of the comfort and of the benefit of it. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city that it is a high-way, in which the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err (Isa. xxxv. 8); yet sinful folly makes men miss that way.

Mutual Duties of Princes and Subjects.

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Solomon here observes,

I. How much the happiness of a land depends upon the character of its rulers; it is well or ill with the people according as the princes are good or bad. 1. The people cannot be happy when their princes are childish and voluptuous (v. 16): Woe unto thee, O land! even the land of Canaan itself, though otherwise the glory of all lands, when thy king is a child, not so much in age (Solomon himself was young when his kingdom was happy in him) as in understanding; when the prince is weak and foolish as a child, fickle and fond of changes, fretful and humoursome, easily imposed upon, and hardly brought to business, it is ill with the people. The body staggers if the head be giddy. Perhaps Solomon wrote this with a foresight of his son Rehoboam's ill conduct (2 Chron. xiii. 7); he was a child all the days of his life and his family and kingdom fared the worse for it. Nor is it much better with a people when their princes eat in the morning, that is, make a god of their belly and make themselves slaves to their appetites. If the king himself be a child, yet if the princes and privy-counsellors are wise and faithful, and apply themselves to business, the land may do the better; but if they addict themselves to their pleasures, and prefer the gratifications of the flesh before the despatch of the public business, which they disfit themselves for by eating and drinking in a morning, when judges are epicures, and do not eat to live, but live to eat, what good can a nation expect! 2. The people cannot but be happy when their rulers are generous and active, sober and temperate, and men of business, v. 17. The land is then blessed, (1.) When the sovereign is governed by principles of honour, when the king is the son of nobles, actuated and animated by a noble spirit, which scorns to do any thing base and unbecoming so high a character, which is solicitous for the public welfare, and prefers that before any private interests. Wisdom, virtue, and the fear of God, beneficence, and a readiness to do good to all mankind, these ennoble the royal blood. 2. When the subordinate magistrates are more in care to discharge their trusts than to gratify their appetites; when they eat in due season (Ps. cxlv. 15); let us not take ours unseasonable, lest we lose the comfort of seeing God give it to us. Magistrates should eat for strength, that their bodies may be fitted to serve their souls in the service of God and their country, and not for drunkenness, to make themselves unfit to do any thing either for God or man, and particularly to sit in judgment, for they will err through wine (Isa. xxviii. 7), will drink and forget the law, Prov. xxxi. 5. It is well with a people when their princes are examples of temperance, when those that have most to spend upon themselves know how to deny themselves.

II. Of what ill consequence slothfulness is both to private and public affairs (v. 18): By much slothfulness and idleness of the hands, the neglect of business, and the love of ease and pleasure, the building decays, drops through first, and by degrees drops down. If it be not kept well covered, and care be not taken to repair the breaches, as any happen, it will rain in, and the timber will rot, and the house will become unfit to dwell in. It is so with the family and the affairs of it; if men cannot find in their hearts to take pains in their callings, to tend their shops and look after their own business, they will soon run in debt and go behind-hand, and, instead of making what they have more for their children, will make it less. It is so with the public; if the king be a child and will take no care, if the princes eat in the morning and will take no pains, the affairs of the nation suffer loss, and its interests are prejudiced, its honour is sullied, its power is weakened, its borders are encroached upon, the course of justice is obstructed, the treasure is exhausted, and all its foundations are out of course, and all this through the slothfulness of self-seeking of those that should be the repairers of its breaches and the restorers of paths to dwell in, Isa. lviii. 12.

III. How industrious generally all are, both princes and people, to get money, because that serves for all purposes, v. 19. He seems to prefer money before mirth: A feast is made for laughter, not merely for eating, but chiefly for pleasant conversation and the society of friends, not the laughter of the fool, which is madness, but that of wise men, by which they fit themselves for business and severe studies. Spiritual feasts are made for spiritual laughter, holy joy in God. Wine makes merry, makes glad the life, but money is the measure of all things and answers all things. Pecuniæ obediunt omnia—Money commands all things. Though wine make merry, it will not be a house for us, nor a bed, nor clothing, nor provisions and portions for children; but money, if men have enough of it, will be all these. The feast cannot be made without money, and, though men have wine, they are not so much disposed to be merry unless they have money for the necessary supports of life. Money of itself answers nothing; it will neither feed nor clothe; but, as it is the instrument of commerce, it answers all the occasions of this present life. What is to be had may be had for money. But it answers nothing to the soul; it will not procure the pardon of sin, the favour of God, the peace of conscience; the soul, as it is not redeemed, so it is not maintained, with corruptible things as silver and gold. Some refer this to rulers; it is ill with the people when they give up themselves to luxury and riot, feasting and making merry, not only because their business is neglected, but because money must be had to answer all these things, and, in order to that, the people squeezed by heavy taxes.

IV. How cautious subjects have need to be that they harbour not any disloyal purposes in their minds, nor keep up any factious cabals or consultations against the government, because it is ten to one that they are discovered and brought to light, v. 20. "Though rulers should be guilty of some errors, yet be not, upon all occasions, arraigning their administration and running them down, but make the best of them." Here, 1. The command teaches us our duty "Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought, do not wish ill to the government in thy mind." All sin begins there, and therefore the first risings of it must be curbed and suppressed, and particularly that of treason and sedition. "Curse not the rich, the princes and governors, in thy bed-chamber, in a conclave or club of persons disaffected to the government; associate not with such; come not into their secret; join not with them in speaking ill of the government or plotting against it." 2. The reason consults our safety. "Though the design be carried on ever so closely, a bird of the air shall carry the voice to the king, who has more spies about than thou art aware of, and that which has wings shall tell the matter, to thy confusion and ruin." God sees what men do, and hears what they say, in secret; and, when he pleases, he can bring it to light by strange and unsuspected ways. Wouldst thou then not be hurt by the powers that be, nor be afraid of them? Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same; but, if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, Rom. xiii. 3, 4.

CHAP. X. Verſ. 1. Dead Flies cauſe the ointment, &c.]

THe Preacher had ſaid, that One ſinner deſtroies much good, chap. 8.18. here hee affirms the ſame of one ſin; bee it but a ſmall ſin, a peccadillo, no bigger than a few dead flies fallen into a pot of ſweet odours; it is of that ſtinking nature, that it ſtains a good mans eſteem, and fly-blows his reputation. A great many flies may fall into a tarr-box, and no hurt done. A ſmall ſpot is ſoon ſeen in a Swan; not ſo in a Swine. Fine Lawn is ſooner and deeper ſtained, than courſe Canvaſe. A City upon an hill cannot bee hid, the leaſt eclipſe or aberration in the heavenly bodies is quickly noted and noticed. If Jacob a plain man deal deceitfully, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Sept. the banks of blaſphemy will bee broken down in a prophane Eſau thereby. If his unruly ſons falſifie with the Shechemites, hee ſhall have cauſe to complain, Yee have made mee to ſtink among the inhabitants of the Land, Gen. 34.30. If Moſes marry an Ethiopian woman, it ſhall be laid in his diſh, by his deareſt friends, Numb. 12.1. If Sampſon go down to Timnah, the Philiſtims will ſoon have it by the end, told it will bee in Gath, publiſhed in the ſtreets of Askelon. If David do otherwiſe than well at home,2 Sam. 12. the name of God will ſoon ſtink abroad. If Joſiah go up unadviſedly againſt Pharoah Neeho, and fall by his own folly; this ſhall bee his deriſion in the Land of Egypt, Hoſ. 7.16. The enemies of God will ſoon compoſe Comedies out of the Churches tragedies, and make themſelves merry in her miſery. Shee is ſaid to bee fair as the Moon: which, though it bee a beautiful creature,Cant. 6.10 and full of light, yet is ſhee not without her black ſpots and blemiſhes (Galileus uſed perſpective-glaſſes to deſcry mountains in her.) Theſe the Church Malignant is ever eying and aggravating, paſſing by or depraving the better practices of Gods people. As Vultures, they hunt after carkaſſes, as Swine,Vultures ad male olentia feruntur. Baſil. they musk in the muck-hill: As Beetles, they would live and dye in horſe-dung. It muſt bee our care as much as may bee, to maintain our reputation, to cut off all occaſion of obloquie, to bee blameleſs and harmleſs, Phil. 2.15. fair to the eye, and ſweet to the taſte, as that tree in Paradiſe; without blemiſh from head to foot, as Abſolom was;Tertul. ad Scapul. Non aliunde noſcibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum priſtinorum (as Tertullian ſaith of the Chriſtians of his time) known from all others by their innocence and patience. That was a good choice (for this purpoſe) that hee himſelf made,Tert. de fuga perſ. Malo miſerandum quam erubeſcendum, I had rather bee pittied, than juſtly reproached. Strive wee ſhould to bee as Paul was, a good ſavour, 2 Cor. 2. and not to go out, as they ſay the Devil doth, in a ſtench.

Verſ. 2. A wiſe mans heart is at his right hand] Hee doth his buſineſs diſcreetly and dexterouſly, hee is handy and happy at it.Pſal. 110. And as hee ordereth his affairs with diſcretion, ſo hee doth his affections too, reigning them in with his right hand, and not ſuffering them to run riot, as the fool doth oft to his utter ruine. As the wiſe mans eyes are in his head, chap. 2.14. ſo his heart is at his right hand; hee hath it at command, to think of what hee will, when hee will; it is as an hawk brought to the Faulkners lure; or as an horſe that is taught his poſtures. Hence hee keeps his credit untainted, hee retains the reputation of a wiſe man, hee rightly owns that honour that the Italians arrogate to themſelves, in that proverbial ſpeech of theirs; Italus ſapit ante factum, Hiſpanus in facto, Germanus poſt factum, i. e. The Italian is well adviſed before the deed done, the Spaniard in, the German after it.

But a fools heart at his left] At his left ſide (ſo it may bee rendred) where nature placed it; hee never yet ſorrowed (as thoſe Corinthians did, 2 Epiſt. 7.9.) to a tranſmentation, to a thorow change both of mind and manners; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. his heart is yet ſtill in the old place, hee follows the courſe of depraved nature, hee is a perfect ſtranger to the life of God.

Or his heart is at his left hand] i. e. Hee raſhly ruſheth upon buſineſs without due deliberation; and doth it aukwardly, as with the left hand, and like a bungler, invita Minerva, & collachrymantibus Muſis, he brings it to no good upſhot. See an inſtance of this in Hanun and his Counſellors, 2 Sam. 10. Ahab and his claw-backs, 1 King. 22. Antichriſt and his adherers. Bellarmine bewails it in theſe words: Ab eo tempore, quo per vos Papa Antichriſtus eſſe coepit, non modo non crevit ejus imperium, ſed ſemper magis ac magis decrevit. Lib. 3. de Pap. Rom. c. 2, 3. Ever ſince you Proteſtants have made the Pope to bee Antichriſt, his authority hath not onely not encreaſed, but ſtill more and more decreaſed. Or thus, his heart is at his left hand, that is,Ut quae averſantur homines fere ſiniſtra depelluntur. hee puts away reaſon and wiſdome from himſelf; as, for the moſt part, thoſe things which men diſlike, are put away with the left hand. Thus Junius expounds it.

Verſ. 3. Yea alſo when hee that is a fool walketh, &c,] In his very gate, geſtures, looks, laughings, &c. hee bewraies his witleſneſs, as Jehu did his furiouſneſs by the manner of his marches, 2 King. 9.2. Hee winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his feet, teacheth with his fingers, frowardneſs is in his heart, &c. Prov. 6.13, 14. (See the Note there) ſuch a froward fool was Julian the Apoſtate, as Nazianzen deſcribes him, with his colli crebrae converſiones, oculi vagi, pedes inſtabiles, &c. frequent turning of his neck, toſſing up his head, wilde eyes, wandring feet, &c. And ſuch were thoſe haughty daughters of Sion, that walked with ſtretcht-forth necks, and wanton eyes, mincing and making a tinkling as they went, Iſa. 3.16. their haughtineſs and hauntineſs ſpake them little better than harlots.

And hee ſaith to every one that hee is a fool] Upon the matter hee ſaith it, though hee ſay nothing: Prov. 17.28. it is ſaid, that a fool, whiles hee holds his tongue, is held a wiſe man; that is, if neither by his tongue nor any other part of his body hee diſcover himſelf: but that can hardly bee, ſith folly flows from man (as excrements do from ſick folk) and they feel it not, will hardly be perſwaded of it. Symmachus, Hierome, and others refer the laſt Hee in this ſentence,Dicit de omnibus, Stultus est. not to the fool himſelf, but to every one elſe whom hee looks upon as ſo many fools, like himſelf; ex ſuo ingenio univerſos judicans, judging of others according to his own diſpoſition. For as the Philoſopher ſaith, Qualis quiſque eſt tales exiſtimat alios: Ariſt. Polit. lib. 3. cap. 6. Such as any one is, the ſame hee thinks others to bee: and as men muſe, ſo they uſe, whether it bee for the better or the worſe. Jacob could not imagine that his ſons were ſo baſe, as to make away their brother Joſeph, Gen. 37.32. but ſaid, Surely ſome evil Beaſt hath devoured him. Joſhuah never ſuſpected the falſe Gibeonites, nor the reſt of the Diſciples, Judas, when our Saviour ſaid, What thou doſt, do quickly; and again, when hee ſaid, One of you ſhall betray mee. On the other ſide, fools conceit the whole world to bee made up of folly; as the Lacedemonians once, neminem bonum fieri publicis literis columna inciſis ſanxerunt, Plut. in quaeſt. Graec. Dio. ſcored it upon their publick poſts, that there was none good, no not one: as Clodius and Caligula (being themſelves notorious whoremongers) would not bee perſwaded, that there was any chaſte perſon upon earth: as the Devil charged God with Envy, which is his own proper diſeaſe, Gen. 3.5. The old Proverb ſaith, The Mother ſeeks the Daughter in the Oven, as having been there ſometime her ſelf. I dare ſay (quoth Bonner) that Cranmer would recant,Acts and Mon. if hee might have his living; ſo judging of another by himſelf.

Verſ. 4. If the ſpirit of thy Ruler riſe up, &c. leave not thy place] Thine office,Ne [non-Latin text not transcribed] andiat. Horat. duty, and obedience: A metaphor from military matters. A ſouldier muſt not ſtart from his ſtation, but keep to the place aſſigned him by his Captain: So here, Perdidit arma, locum virtutis deſeruit, &c.

Others render it, do not perſiſt in thy place, do not ſtand to affront anger; but go aſide a little out of ſight, as Jonathan, when his Father had thrown a javeling at him, went forth a ſhooting. See the Note on Chap. 8.3. and on Prov. 15.1.

For yeelding pacifieth great offences] Thus by yeelding, David pacified Saul, Abigail, David. See Prov. 25.15. with the Note. Salve the wound, and ſave thy ſelf. The weak Reed, by bending in a rough wind, receiveth no hurt, when the ſturdy Oak is turned up by the roots.

Verſ. 5. As an errour which proceedeth from the Ruler] Or an ignorance (as Hierom renders it) [non-Latin text not transcribed] (ſo the Septuagint) as a thing unwillingly done. An errour, an infirmity it muſt bee called, becauſe committed by great ones; but in true account it is a groſs evil, the very peſt of vertue, and cauſe of confuſion, viz. the advancement of moſt unworthy and incapable perſons, and that for the Princes pleaſure ſake, becauſe hee will ſeem abſolute. An Earl of Kildare was complained of to our Henry the Eighth:Heyl. Geog. pag. 506 and when his adverſary concluded his invective with, Finally, all Ireland cannot rule this Earl, the King replied, Then ſhall this Earl rule all Ireland; and ſo, for his jeſt ſake, made him Deputy.

Verſ. 6. Folly is ſet in great dignity] Sedes prima & vita ima, theſe ſuit not,Salvian. Dignitas in indigno eſt ornamentum in luto. Royalty it ſelf, without righteouſneſs, is but eminent diſhonour. When a fool is ſet in dignity, it is (ſaith one) as when an handful of hay is ſet up to give light; which with ſmoak and ſmell offendeth all that are near. When as the worthy ſit in low place,Ca[illegible: 1 letter]tw. it is as when a goodly candle (that on a table would give a comfortable and comely light) is put under a buſhel.

And the rich in low place] i. e. The wiſe (as appears by the oppoſition) who, in true account, are the onely rich, James 2.5. rich in faith, 1 Tim. 6.18. rich in good works, Luk. 12.21. rich to God-ward, who hath highly honoured and advanced them, though vilipended and under-rated by men: digni etiam qui ditentur, worthy they are alſo to bee ſet in higheſt places, as being drained from the dreggs, and ſifted from the branns of the common ſort of people. Dignity ſhould wait upon deſert, as it did here in England, Sen. Epiſt. 91. in King Edward the Sixths daies, that aureum ſaeculum, in quo honores melioribus dabantur, as Seneca hath it, that golden age, in which honours were beſtowed on thoſe that beſt deſerved them. But in caſe it prove otherwiſe, as it often doth, (the golden Biſhoprick of Carthage fell to the lot of leaden Aurelius, and little Hippo to great Saint Auſtin. Damaſus the ſcholar was advanced to the See of Rome, when Hierome his Maſter ended his daies in his cell at Bethlehem) yet virtue is its own competent incouragement, and will rather chuſe to lye in the duſt, than to riſe by wickedneſs: Cato ſaid, hee had rather men ſhould queſtion why hee had no ſtatue or monument erected in honour of him, than why hee had. The wiſe Hiſtorian obſerved,Tacit. Annal. that the ſtatues of Brutus and Caſſius, eo praefulgebant quod non viſebantur, were the more glorious and illuſtrious, becauſe they were not brought out with other Images in a ſolemn proceſſion at the funeral of Germanicus. Abſtruſum in deſpecto corpore margaritam conſpicatus. God pleaſeth himſelf (ſaith Baſil) in beholding a hidden pearl, in a diſ-reſpected body. A rich ſtone is of no leſs worth, when locked up in a wicker casket, than when it is ſet in a royal diadem.

Verſ. 7. I have ſeen ſervants upon horſes] i. e. Servile ſouls, Muſcovites are noted to bee ſlaves by nature, deſtitute of all gifts to rule or govern. Quint. lib. 9. c. 2 Subita a diabolo dignitate perflati vias publicas manus terunt. Hieronym. baſe-ſpirited abjects, ſlaves to their luſts, homines ad ſervitutum paratos, as Tyberius ſaid of his Romans, natural ſlaves born to bee ſo (as the Cappadocians) brute beaſts made and taken to bee deſtroied, 2 Pet. 2.12. Hi perfricant frontem & digniores ſe dicunt quam Catonem, qui praetores fierent, as Vatinius did. Theſe ſet a good face upon it, many times; and leap into the ſaddle of authority, ride on ſtrong and ſhining palfries, ride without reigns in the proſecution of their ambitious ends, till, unhorſt with Haman, they that were erſt a terrour, become a ſcorn. See the Note on Prov. 30.22.

And Princes walking as ſervants upon the Earth] In Perſia at this day, the difference between the Gentleman and the ſlave is, that the ſlave never rides, the Gentleman never goes on foot; they buy, ſell, confer, fight, do all on horſe-back. When Doeg Sauls heards-man the Edomite, and Tobiah the ſervant the Ammonite were got on cock-horſe, there was no hoe with them, but they would needs ride to the Devil: When Juſtinian the ſecond was Emperour, Stephen the Perſian, being made Lord High Chamberlain, grew to that height of inſolency, that hee preſumed to chaſtiſe with rods the Emperours own Mother, as if ſhee had been ſome baſe ſlave. In the year of Grace, 1522.Func. Chron. the Boars of Germany roſe up againſt their Rulers, and would lay all levil, that ſervants might ride check by joul (as they ſay) with Princes. Sed miſerabilis & lamentabilis tandem hujus ſtultitiae exitus fuit, ſaith Lavater. Lavat. in hanc loc. But theſe fools paid dear for their proud attempt; and after a miſerable ſlaughter of many thouſands of them, were ſent home by the weeping croſs, ad beatos raſtros, benedictum aratrum, ſanctamque ſtivam, (as Bucholcerus phraſeth it) to handle again (inſtead of guns and ſwords) their bleſſed rakes, plow-ſtaves, and horſe-whips. Their General Muncer was tortured to death;Bucholc. Ind. Chron. being ſo mated and amazed, that hee was not able to repeat his Creed, &c.

Verſ. 8. Hee that diggeth a pit ſhall fall into it] As heedleſs hunts-men do. Hee that being of baſe beginning, and unmeet for Government, ſeeks to ſet up himſelf upon better mens ruines, and where hee findes not a way, to make it, ſhall fall from his high hopes into remedileſſe miſery, as hee hath made a match with miſchief, ſo he ſhall have his belly-full of it. As hee hath conceived with guile, ſo (though hee grow never ſo big) hee ſhall bring forth nothing but vanity, and worſe, Job 15.35.

Prov. 23.32 And whoſo breaketh an hedge] The hedge of Gods Commandements (as our firſt Parents did, to come to the forbidden fruit) a Serpent bites ſuch, and the poyſon cannot be gotten out. Others ſenſe it thus (and I rather incline) Hee that ſeeks to over-throw the Fundamental Lawes, and eſtabliſhed Government of a Common-wealth, and to break down the fences and mounds of Soveraignty and ſubjection, ſhall no leſſe (but much more) imperil himſelf, than hee that pulls up an old hedge, wherein Serpents, Snakes, and Adders, doe uſually lurk and lye in wait to doe miſchief.Speed. Wat Tiler the rebel dared to ſay, that all the Lawes of England ſhould come out of his mouth. Strafford uttered ſomewhat to the like ſenſe in Ireland. Our good Lawes are our hedges, ſo our Oathes ([non-Latin text not transcribed] quaſi [non-Latin text not transcribed]) Let us look to both, or wee are loſt people. Det Deus ut admonitio haec adeo ſit nobis omnibus commoda quam ſit accommoda.

Verſ. 9. Who ſo removeth ſtones ſhall be hurt therewith] So he that attempteth to looſe and remove the joynts and pieces of a ſetled Government, there is danger, that like Sampſon, he'l be cruſht in the ruin: So one gives the ſenſe of it.Pemble. Hee that goeth about to remove a Ruler out of his place, and to divide a ſetled Government that is at unity in it ſelf, undertaketh a dangerous peice of buſineſſe.Granger. As he undertaketh a deſperate work, ſuch ſhall his reward be. It is evil medling with edged tools, &c. ſaith another Interpreter. Some by ſtones here underſtand Land-marks, which to remove was counted Sacriledge among the Romans, Dim. Halic. and worthy of death. What are they guilty and worthy of then,Jerem. 6. that abrogate the good old Lawes of a Land, or the good old wayes of God, that have given reſt to ſo many ſouls? See the Note on Prov. 26.27.

And he that cleaveth wood, ſhall bee in danger thereby] viz. of breaking his tools, if not his ſhins: ſpecially if hee bee a bungler at it. This is to the ſame ſenſe with the three former ſimilitudes. Cyprian makes uſe of this text againſt Schiſmatiques,Teſt. ad Quirinum. lib. reading it thus; Scindens ligna periclitabitur in eo ſi exciderit ferrum, Hee that cleaveth wood ſhall be indangered thereby, if that the iron fall off. Hierom by wood here underſtands Hereticks; as being unfruitful and unfit for Gods building; and makes this Note upon it, Quamvis ſit prudens & doctus vir, &c. Although he be a wiſe and a learned man, who with the ſword of his diſcourſe cutteth this knotty wood,Hieron. in loc. he will bee endangered by it, unleſſe he be very careful.

Lib. 34. cap. 14Verſ. 10. If the Iron be blunt] Pliny calls iron the beſt and worſt inſtrument of mans life, and ſhewes the many uſes of it: as in plowing, planting, pruning, plaining, &c. but abominates the uſe of it in warre and murthering weapons. Porſena enjoyned the Romans, Ne ferro niſi in agricultura uterentur, ſaith hee,Plin. that they ſhould not uſe Iron but only about their Husbandry. The Philiſtims took the like order with the diſarmed Iſraelites, 1 Sam. 13.19. among whom ſwords and ſpears were geaſen, ſhares and coulters they allowed them, but ſo as that they muſt go down to the Philiſtims for ſharpening. Gregory compares the Devil to theſe Philiſtims, blinding and blunting mens wits and underſtandings, leſt the light of ſaving truth ſhould ſhine unto them. Theſe Edge-tools therefore muſt bee whetted by the uſe of holy Ordinances, and much ſtrength put to,2 Cor. 4.4 great pains taken, virtutibus corroborabitur, (ſo the old Tranſlation hath it.) But when all is done, he muſt needſly be obtusè acutus, which ſeeth not that wiſdome is profitable to direct: that is, that (whether the iron be blunt or ſharp, whetted or not whetted, more ſtrength added, or not added) 'tis wiſdome that rectifies all, or the benefit of rectifying is wiſdome. There is none to that, as David ſaid of Galiah's ſword.

Verſ. 11. Surely the Serpent will bite without enchantment] It is for want of wiſdome that the babbler, or tongue-master (as the Original hath it) is nothing better, than the moſt poyſonous ſerpent: nay, in ſome reſpects, worſe. For one Serpent ſtings not another, as back-biters doe their beſt friends. And whereas Serpents may be charmed, or their poyſon kept from the vitals, contra Sycophantae morſum non eſt remedium, as the Proverb hath it, there is no help to be had for the biting of a Sycophant: His tongue is full of deadly poyſon, ſaith St. James. Again,Jam. 3. Serpents uſually hiſſe and give warning (though the Septuagint here read non in ſibilo, the vulgar in ſilentio, in ſilence and without hiſſing, for, without enchantment) ſo doth not the ſlanderer, and detractor: he is a ſilent Serpent, and like the Doggs of Congo which bite, but bark not.Purth. Pilg. And therefore, as all men hate a Serpent, and fly from the ſight of it: ſo will wiſe men ſhun the ſociety of a ſlanderer. And as any one abhorres to be like to that old Serpent the Devil, ſo let him eſchew this evil.

Verſ. 12. The words of a wiſe mans mouth are gracious] Heb. Are grace, Ne ſons quae grace. Col. 4. they are nothing but grace (ſo the French Tranſlatour hath it) ſuch as render him gracious with God and men, (ſo Lyra gloſſeth it) as being uſually ſeaſoned with Salt, and miniſtring grace to the hearers.

But the lips of a fool ſwallow up himſelf] Suddenly, utterly, unavoydably, as the Whale did Jonas, as the devouring ſword doth thoſe that fall under it, as the grave doth all the living. How many of all ſorts in all ages have periſhed by their unruly tongues, blabbing or belching our words, Quae reditura per jugulum, (as Pliny phraſeth it) that were driven down their throates again by the wronged and aggrieved parties?Cave ne feriat lingua tua collum tuum. Scal. Ar. Prov. Take heed (ſaith the Arabick Proverb) leſt thy tongue cut thy throat: it is compared to a ſharp razour doing deceit, Pſal. 52.3. which inſtead of cutting the hair, cuts the throat.

Verſ. 13. The beginning of his words are folly] Hee is an inconſiderate Ideot, utters incoherences, pours forth a floud of follies, his whole diſcourſe is frivolous, futilous. To begin fooliſhly may befall a wiſe man; but when hee ſees it, or hath it ſhewed unto him, he will not perſiſt: Once have I ſpoken, ſaith holy Job, but I will not anſwer again: yea twice, but I will proceed no further, Chap. 40.4, 5. Much otherwiſe the fool, and becauſe hee will bee dicti ſui dominus, (as verſ. 11.) having laſht out at firſt, he lancheth further out into the deep, as it were, of idle and evil prattle. And if you offer to interrupt or admoniſh him, the end of his talk is miſchievous madneſſe, he bluſters and lets fly on all hands, laying about him like a mad-man. And ſo wee have here, (as one ſaith) the Serpent, the Babbler (ſpoken of in the eleventh verſe) wreathed into a circle: his two ends, head and tayl, meeting together.D. Jerm. And as at the one end, he is a Serpent, having his ſting in his head; ſo at the other end he is a Scorpion, having his ſting in his tavl.

Verſ. 14. A fool alſo is full of words] A very wordy man he is,Boni oratoris eſt ſermonem habere rebus parem. Plut. and a great deal of ſmall talk he has: voces ſuſque de que effutit inanes, as Thuanus hath it, he layes on more words than the matter will well bear. And this cuſtom of his is graphically expreſſed by an imitation of his vain tautologies. A man cannot tell (ſaith he) what ſhall be after him, and what ſhall be after him, who can tell? He hath got this ſentence, (that may well become a wiſe man, chap. 6.12. and 8.7.) by the end, and hee wears it thread-bare, hee hath never done with it, miſapplying and abuſing it to the defence of his wilful and witleſſe enterpriſes. Thus the Aſſe in the Fable would needs imitate the Dogge, leaping and fawning in like manner, on his Maſter: but with ill ſucceſſe. The lip of excellency becomes not a fool, Prov. 17.17. (See the Note there: See alſo Prov. 10.19. Prov. 17.27. Eccleſ. 5.3, 7. with the Notes) But empty casks, we know, ſound loudeſt, and baſer metals ring ſhrilleſt: things of little worth are ever moſt plentiful. Hiſtory and experience tells us, that ſome kind of Mouſe breedeth one hundred and twenty young ones in one neſt; whereas the Lion and Elephant bears but one at once, [non-Latin text not transcribed]; ſo the leaſt wit yeelds the moſt words, and as any one is more wiſe, he is more ſparing of his ſpeeches. Heſiod ſaith, that words, as a precious treaſure, ſhould bee thriftily huſbanded, and warily waſted. Chriſtians know, that for every waſte word account muſt be given at the great day, Mat. 12.36. See the Note there.

Verſ. 15. The labour of the fooliſh wearieth every one of them] Whileſt hee laboureth in vain, and maketh much adoe to little purpoſe. Hee medleth in many things, and ſo createth himſelf many croſſes: hee will needs bee full of buſineſſe, and ſo muſt needs be full of trouble, ſith hee wants wit to manage the one,Iſa. 57.10. & 47.13. and improve the other. Thou art wearied in the greatneſſe of thy way. And again, Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counſells, ſaith God to ſuch, as had wearied him alſo with their iniquities, and made him to ſerve with their ſins, Iſa. 43.24. Yea even then, when they think they have done him very good ſervice. Thus Paul, before his converſion, perſecuted the Saints ſo eagerly,Acts 26. and was ſo mad upon it (as himſelf ſpeaketh) that, like a tired Wolf, wearied in worrying the flock, hee lay panting as it were for breath: and when hee could doe no more,Acts 9.1 Act. & Mon. 1684. 1843 yet breathed out threatnings. Thus Bonner would work himſelf windleſſe almoſt, in buffeting the Martyrs, and whipping them with rods, as hee did Mr. Bartlet Green, Mr. Rough, and many others. So the Philoſophers wearied themſelves and their followers in their wild diſquiſitions after, and diſcourſes of the chief Happineſſe: which, becauſe it lay not in their walk, therefore ab itinere regio deviantes ad illam metropolim non potuerunt pervenire, ſaith Caſſian, they wandring from the King of Heavens High-way, they could never be able to get to that Metropolitan City, called Jehovah-ſhammah, or the Lord is there, Ezek. 48.34. They wandred in the Wilderneſſe, in a ſolitary way, they found no City to dwell in, Pſal. 107.4. Fools many times beat their wings much, as if they would fly farre and high, but with the Buſtard, they cannot riſe above the earth: or if they doe, they are ſoon pulled down again by the Devil, to feed upon the worſt of excrements,Picrius. as the Lapwing doth, though it hath a coronet on the head: and is therefore fitly made an hieroglyphick of infelicity.

Verſ. 16 Woe to thee O Land, when thy King is a Childe] ſc. In underſtanding, though not in years, ſuch as was Shechem (Gen. 34.19. Neque diſtulit puer) and Rehoboam, 1 King. 14.21. with 2 Chron. 13.7. Solomon was a Childe-King, ſo was Joſiah, Ʋzziah, our Edward the Sixth: and yet it was well with the Land in their dayes.

Hic regum decus & juvenum flos, ſpeſque bonorum, Deliciae ſaecli, & gloria gentis erat.

Acts and Mon.As Cardan ſings of King Edward in his Epitaph. As hee was the higheſt, ſo I verily beleeve hee was the holieſt in the whole Kingdom, ſaith Mr. Ridley Martyr. And whileſt things were carried on by himſelf, in his health time, all went very well here: and ſi per leges fas illi fuiſſet omnia proprio nutu & voluntate regere, if by the Lawes of the Land hee might have done all himſelf, without Officers, all ſhould have been farre better done, ſaith Mr. Cartwright upon this text. By Childe is here therefore meant a weak or wicked King, that lets looſe the golden reigns of Government, is carried by his paſſions, lyeth heavie upon his Subjects: See Eſay 3.6. compared with verſ. 13. Such Princes are threatned as a plague to a people, Levit. 26.17. and they prove no leſſe: this child-hood of theirs is the maturity of their Subjects miſery, the Land it ſelf is woe, and woe it ſelf the Land, as one Expoſitor obſerved from the word [non-Latin text not transcribed] here uſed; which ſignifieth both Woe and Land. See Job 34.30.

And the Princes eat in the morning] As children uſe to call for meat, as ſoon as they have rubbed ſleep out of their eyes. If the King be a Childe, the State-Officers will be looſe and luxurious: yea, like morning Wolves, will devour the prey,Jam. 5.4 and nouriſh themſelves as in a day of ſlaughter. The morning is a time to ſeek God, and ſearch for wiſdome, Prov. 8.17. to ſit in Counſel, and diſpatch buſineſſe, as was Moſes his manner, Exod. 18. and the ancient Romans. Scipio Africanus was wont before day to goe into the Capitol, in cellam ſovis, into Jupiters Chappel, and there to ſtay a great while, quaſiconſultans de republica cum Jove, ſaith Gellius, Lib. 7. cap. 1 as if hee were conſulting with Jupiter, concerning the Weal publick: whence his deeds were pleraque admiranda, admirable for the moſt paſt, ſaith that Heathen Author.

Verſ. 17. Bleſſed art thou O Land, &c.] Ita nati eſtis ut bona malaque veſtra ad Remp. pertineant. You Governours are of ſuch condition, as that your good or evil deeds are of publick concernment, ſaith hee in Tacitus. Annal. lib. 4. It is either weal or woe with the Land, as it is well or ill governed.

When thy King is the Son of Nobles] Well-born, and yet better bred: Princeps bonis moribus & liberaliter inſtitutus. Hieron. in loc. Speed. for elſe they will bee noti magis quam nobiles, notable, or notorious, but not Noble. Our Henry the Firſt (ſirnamed Beauclark) was often heard to ſay, that an unlearned King was no better than a crowned Aſs. Sure it is, that royalty without righteouſneſs is but eminent diſhonour, gilded rottenneſs, golden damnation. Godly men are the excellent Ones of the Earth, Pſal. 16. the Beraeans were more Noble, or better Gentlemen, than thoſe of Theſſalonica, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Act. 17.11 non per civilem dignitatem, ſed per ſpiritualem dignationem, not by civil, but by ſpiritual dignity; without which, riches, revenue, retinue, high birth, &c. are but ſhadows and ſhapes of Nobleneſſe. Since thou haſt been precious in my ſight, thou haſt been honourable, ſaith God, (Iſa. 43.4.) who is the top of good mens kin, as Religion is the root. But for want of this it was that Jehoiakim, though royally deſcended, is likened to an Aſſe, Jer. 22.19. and Antiochus, though a mighty Monarch, is called a vile perſon, Dan. 11.

And thy Princes eat in due ſeaſon, for ſtrength, &c.] Being modeſt and moderate, not diffluent and debauched. Great men ſhould not cater for the fleſh, Rom. 13. ult. but ſo ſerve the body, that the body politick may bee ſerved by it, and the Lord by both. Did e[illegible: 1 letter]er any one ſee King Deiotarus dancing or drunken? ſaith Cicero: and this hee holds to be a ſingular commendation.Orat. pro Rege Deiotaro. See Prov. 31.3, 4, &c. with Notes: See my common place of Abſtinence.

Verſ. 18. By much ſlothfulneſs the building decayeth] So doth the Common-wealth, not ſheltered with good Government: For as the houſholder is in his houſe, ſo is the Magiſtrate in the City, and the King in his Dominions. In his palace hee may ſee a pattern of his Kingdome, a draught of his City: Eſpecially if it bee, as George Prince of Anhalts was, Eccleſia, Academia, Curia, a Church, an Univerſity, and a Court.Melch. Ad. in vit. For the better diſpatch of civil buſineſſes, there was daily praying, reading, writing, yea and preaching too, as Melanchthon and Scultetus report. Here was no place for ſloth and ſluggiſhneſſe within this moſt pious Princes Territories.Cant. 1.17 1 Pet. 2. His houſe was built of Cedar-beams, of living-ſtones: his polity a Theocratie, as Joſephus ſaith of the Jewiſh Government: and of his people it might bee ſaid, as Polydor Virgil ſaith of the Engliſh, Regnum Angliae Regnum Dei: O the bleſſedneſſes of ſuch a Country!

And through idleneſs of the hands, the houſe droppeth, &c.] Stillicidia praecedunt ruinam, ſic poenas graviſſimas, leviores, ſaith Hierome. If courſe bee not timely taken, the houſe will run to ruine for want of people or reparation: So will that perſon that takes not warning by lighter puniſhments. Surely as one cloud follows another, till the Sun diſperſeth them: So do judgements; greater ſucceed leſſer, till men meeting God by repentance diſarm his wrath.

Verſ. 19. A feaſt is made for laughter; Daniel. and wine maketh merry] Slothful Governours, Regni dilapidatores, (ſo our Henry the Third was called for his pride and prodigality) are all for feaſting and frollicking. See Prov. 31.4. with Dan. 5.3, 4. This cannot bee maintained without money: for the getting and gathering in whereof, the poor people are pilled and polled, and rich mens gifts are received, to the perverting of Juſtice, by thoſe corrupt Rulers, qui vili precio nihil non humile & vile parati ſunt facere, as Gregory Thaumaturgus ſpeaketh in his Note upon this verſe.

But money anſwereth all things] It gives a ſatisfactory anſwer to whatſoever is deſired or demanded. Seneca ſaith, circa pecuniam multum vociferationis eſt, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Lib. 1. excid. Hieroſol. cap. 14 [non-Latin text not transcribed] of [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſtrong and [non-Latin text not transcribed] to prepare. that about mony there is much noiſe, great crying; but though never ſo much, never ſo great, mony anſwereth all, it effects all. What great deſigns did Philip bring to paſs in Greece by his gold? the very Oracles were ſaid [non-Latin text not transcribed] to ſay as Philip would have them; Antipater non tenuis fuit pecuniae, & ideo praevalidae potentiae, ſaith Egeſippus, hee was a well-monyed man, and therefore a very mighty man. The Hebrew, or rather Chaldee word uſed for mony, 1 Chron. 29.7. Ezra 8.27. ſignifies to do ſome great work, becauſe mony is the Monarch of the world, and therein bears moſt maſtery; Among ſuitors (in love and in Law eſpecially) mony drives the bargain and buſineſs to an upſhot.

Verſ. 20. Curſe not the King, no not in thy thought] Or, In thy conſcience: but in this or any other kinde, Auſon.Turpe quid acturus, te ſine teſte time.

[non-Latin text not transcribed]. Thucyd.The preſent Government is ever grievous] And nothing more uſual than to grudge againſt it: but take heed of wiſhing hurt to Rulers (thought is not free) much more of uttering it, though in hugger-mugger; Kings have long ears, heavy hands, walls alſo and hedges have ears. Some may over-hear thee, as Mordecai did the two Traitours, Eſth. 2.22. or thou mayeſt unwittingly and unwillingly betray thy ſelf, as our Powder-plotters.

That which hath wing, &c.] It was a quill, a peece of a wing, that diſcovered that helliſh plot. Wilful murder and treaſon will out by one means or other.Turk. Hiſt. fol. 460 Fr. Hist. Thoſe two Traitours ſent by Mahomet to kill Scanderbeg, falling out betwixt themſelves, let fall ſomething that brought all to light, and themſelves to puniſhment. The like befell that Gentleman of Normandy that confeſſed to a Prieſt his intent to have killed King Francis.