Proverbs 12 commentary

Those who have grace, will delight in the instructions given them. Those that stifle their convictions, are like brutes.

The man who covers selfish and vicious designs under a profession of religion or friendship, will be condemned.

Though men may advance themselves by sinful arts, they cannot settle and secure themselves. But those who by faith are rooted in Christ, are firmly fixed.

A wife who is pious, prudent, and looks well to the ways of her household, who makes conscience of her duty, and can bear crosses; such a one is an honour and comfort to her husband. She that is the reverse of this, preys upon him, and consumes him.

Thoughts are not free; they are under the Divine knowledge, therefore under the Divine command. It is a man's shame to act with deceit, with trick and design.

Wicked people speak mischief to their neighbours. A man may sometimes do a good work with one good word.

God's blessing is often continued to the families of godly men, while the wicked are overthrown.

The apostles showed wisdom by glorying in shame for the name of Christ.

He that lives in a humble state, who has no one to wait upon him, but gets bread by his own labour, is happier than he that glories in high birth or gay attire, and wants necessaries.

A godly man would not put even an animal to needless pain. But the wicked often speak of others as well used, when they would not endure like treatment for a single day.

It is men's wisdom to mind their business, and follow an honest calling. But it is folly to neglect business; and the grace of God teaches men to disdain nothing but sin.

When the ungodly see others prosper by sin, they wish they could act in the same way. But the root of Divine grace, in the heart of the righteous, produces other desires and purposes.

Many a man has paid dear in this world for the transgression of his lips.

When men use their tongues aright, to teach and comfort others, they enjoy acceptance through Christ Jesus; and the testimony of their conscience, that they in some measure answer the end of their being.

A fool, in the sense of Scripture, means a wicked man, one who acts contrary to the wisdom that is from above. His rule is, to do what is right in his own eyes.

A foolish man is soon angry, and is hasty in expressing it; he is ever in trouble and running into mischief. It is kindness to ourselves to make light of injuries and affronts, instead of making the worst of them.

It is good for all to dread and detest the sin of lying, and to be governed by honesty.

Whisperings and evil surmises, like a sword, separate those that have been dear to each other. The tongue of the wise is health, making all whole.

If truth be spoken, it will hold good; whoever may be disobliged, still it will keep its ground.

Deceit and falsehood bring terrors and perplexities. But those who consult the peace and happiness of others have joy in their own minds.

If men are sincerely righteous, the righteous God has engaged that no evil shall happen to them. But they that delight in mischief shall have enough of it.

Make conscience of truth, not only in words, but in actions.

Foolish men proclaim to all the folly and emptiness of their minds.

Those who will not take pains in an honest calling, living by tricks and dishonesty, are paltry and beggarly.

Care, fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits, deprive men of vigour in what is to be done, or courage in what is to be borne. A good word from God, applied by faith, makes the heart glad.

The righteous is abundant; though not in this world's goods, yet in the graces and comforts of the Spirit, which are the true riches. Evil men vainly flatter themselves that their ways are not wrong.

The slothful man makes no good use of the advantages Providence puts in his way, and has no comfort in them. The substance of a diligent man, though not great, does good to him and his family. He sees that God gives it to him in answer to prayer.

The way of religion is a straight, plain way; it is the way of righteousness. There is not only life at the end, but life in the way; all true comfort.

CHAPTER 12

Pr 12:1-28.

1. loveth knowledge--as the fruit of instruction or training (Pr 1:2).

hateth reproof--(Pr 10:17).

brutish--stupid, regardless of his own welfare (Psa 49:10; 73:22).

3. Wickedness cannot give permanent prosperity.

root ... not be moved--firm as a flourishing tree--(Psa 1:3; 15:5; Jr 17:8).

4. A virtuous woman--in the wide sense of well-disposed to all moral duties (Pr 31:10).

maketh ashamed--that is, by misconduct.

rottenness--an incurable evil.

5. thoughts--or, "purposes."

are right--literally, "are judgment," that is, true decisions.

counsels--(Compare Pr 11:14).

deceit--contrary to truth and honesty.

6. The words--or, "expressed designs" of the wicked are for evil purposes.

the mouth--or, "words" of the righteous delivering instead of ensnaring men.

7. Such conduct brings a proper return, by the destruction of the wicked and well-being of the righteous and his family.

8. despised--as opposed to commended (Pr 11:12).

perverse heart--or, "wicked principles," as opposed to one of wisdom.

9. despised--held in little repute, obscure (1Sa 18:23; Is 3:5).

hath a servant--implying some means of honest living.

honoureth himself--is self-conceited.

10. regardeth--literally, "knoweth" (Psa 1:6).

mercies ... cruel--as acts of compassion ungraciously rendered to the needy. The righteous more regards a beast than the wicked a man.

11. The idler's fate is the result of indolence and want of principle (Pr 6:32; 7:7).

12. the wicked ... evil--They love the crafty arts of deception.

the root ... fruit--their own resources supply them; or, it may be rendered: "He (God) giveth, or, sets (Eze 17:22) the root of the righteous," and hence it is firm: or, the verb is impersonal; "As to the root ... it is firm" (Pr 17:19).

13-14. The wicked is snared, &c.--The sentiment expanded. While the wicked, such as liars, flatterers, &c., fall by their own words, the righteous are unhurt. Their good conduct makes friends, and God rewards them.

15. The way ... eyes--The fool is self-conceited (compare Pr 12:1; 1:32; 10:17; Jas 3:17).

16. prudent ... shame--He is slow to denounce his insulters (Jas 1:19).

18. speaketh--literally, "speaketh hastily," or indiscreetly (Psa 106:33), as an angry man retorts harsh and provoking invectives.

tongue ... health--by soothing and gentle language.

19. Words of truth are consistent, and stand all tests, while lies are soon discovered and exposed.

20. that imagine--or, "plan" (Pr 3:29). They design a deceitful course, to which, with all its evils and dangers to others and themselves, the happiness of peace-makers is opposed (compare Mt 5:9; Ro 12:18).

21. no evil--(as in Psa 91:10), under God's wise limitations (Ro 8:28).

mischief--as penal evil.

22. deal truly--or, "faithfully," that is, according to promises (compare Joh 3:21).

23. concealeth--by his modesty (Pr 10:14; 11:13).

heart ... proclaimeth--as his lips speak his thoughts (compare Ec 10:3).

24. slothful--(Compare Margin), so called because he fails to meet his promises.

under tribute--not denoting legal taxes, but the obligation of dependence.

25. a good word--one of comfort.

26. more excellent--(Compare Margin); or, "more successful," while the wicked fail; or, we may read it: "The righteous guides his friend, but," &c., that is, The ability of the righteous to aid others is contrasted with the ruin to which the way of the wicked leads themselves.

27. (Compare Pr 12:24).

took in hunting--or, "his venison." He does not improve his advantages.

the substance ... precious--or, "the wealth of a man of honor is being diligent," or "diligence."

precious--literally, "honor" (Ec 10:1).

28. (Compare Pr 8:8, 20, &c.). A sentiment often stated; here first affirmatively, then negatively.

Whoso loveth instruction - מוסר musar, discipline or correction, loves knowledge; for correction is the way to knowledge.

But he that hateth reproof is brutish - בער baar, he is a bear; and expects no more benefit from correction than the ox does from the goad.

A good man obtaineth favor - First, it is God who makes him good; for every child of Adam is bad till the grace of God changes his heart. Secondly, while he walks in the path of obedience he increases in goodness, and consequently in the favor of the Lord.

A man shall not be established by wickedness - Evil is always variable: it has no fixed principle, except the root that is in the human heart; and even that is ever assuming new forms. Nothing is permanent but goodness; and that is unchangeable, because it comes from God. The produce of goodness is permanent, because it has God's blessing in it: the fruit of wickedness, or the property procured by wickedness, is transitory, because it has God's curse in it. The righteous has his root in God; and therefore he shall not be moved.

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband - אשת חיל esheth chayil, a strong woman. Our word virtue (virtus) is derived from vir, a man; and as man is the noblest of God's creatures, virtue expresses what is becoming to man; what is noble, courageous, and dignified: and as vir, a man, comes from vis, power or strength; so it implies what is strong and vigorous in principle: and as in uncivilized life strength and courage were considered the very highest, because apparently the most necessary, of all virtues; hence the term itself might have become the denomination of all excellent moral qualities; and is now applied to whatever constitutes the system of morality and moral duties. In some parts of the world, however, where arts and sciences have made little progress, strength is one of the first qualifications of a wife, where the labors of the field are appointed to them. It is not an uncommon sight in different parts of Africa, to see the wives (queens) of the kings and chiefs going out in the morning to the plantations, with their mattock in their hand, and their youngest child on their back; and when arrived at the ground, lay the young prince or princess upon the earth, which when weary of lying on one side, will roll itself on the other, and thus continue during the course of the day, without uttering a single whimper, except at the intervals in which its mother gives it suck; she being employed all the while in such labor as we in Europe generally assign to our horses. In these cases, the strong wife is the highest acquisition; and is a crown to her husband, though he be king of Bonny or Calabar. It is certain that in ancient times the women in Judea did some of the severest work in the fields, such as drawing water from the wells, and watering the flocks, etc. On this account, I think, the words may be taken literally; and especially when we add another consideration, that a woman healthy, and of good muscular powers, is the most likely to produce and properly rear up a healthy offspring; and children of this kind are a crown to their parents.

Is as rottenness in his bones - Does not this refer to a woman irregular in her manners, who by her incontinence not only maketh her husband ashamed, but contracts and communicates such diseases as bring rottenness into the bones? I think so. And I think this was the view taken of the text by Coverdale, who translates thus: "A stedfast woman is a crowne unto her hussbonde: but she that behaveth herself unhonestly is a corruption in his bones."

The wicked are overthrown - Seldom does God give such a long life or numerous offspring.

But the house of the righteous shall stand - God blesses their progeny, and their families continue long in the earth; whereas the wicked seldom have many generations in a direct line. This is God's mercy, that the entail of iniquity may be in some sort cut off, so that the same vices may not be strengthened by successive generations. For generally the bad root produces not only a bad plant, but one worse than itself.

He that is despised, and hath a servant - I believe the Vulgate gives the true sense of this verse: Melior est pauper, et sufficiens sibi; quam gloriosus, et indigens pane. "Better is the poor man who provides for himself, than the proud who is destitute of bread." The versions in general agree in this sense. This needs no comment. There are some who, through pride of birth, etc., would rather starve, than put their hands to menial labor. Though they may be lords, how much to be preferred is the simple peasant, who supports himself and family by the drudgery of life!

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast - One principal characteristic of a holy man is mercy: cruelty is unknown to him; and his benevolence extends to the meanest of the brute creation. Pity rules the heart of a pious man; he can do nothing that is cruel. He considers what is best for the comfort, ease health, and life of the beast that serves him, and he knows that God himself careth for oxen: and one of the ten commandments provides a seventh part of time to be allotted for the rest of laboring beasts as well as for man.

I once in my travels met with the Hebrew of this clause on the sign board of a public inn: יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו yodea tsaddik nephesh behemto. "A righteous man considereth the life of his beast;" which, being very appropriate, reminded me that I should feed my horse.

The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel - אחזרי achzari, are violent, without mercy, ruthless. The wicked, influenced by Satan, can show no other disposition than what is in their master. If they appear at any time merciful, it is a cloak which they use to cover purposes of cruelty. To accomplish its end, iniquity will assume any garb, speak mercifully, extol benevolence, sometimes even give to the poor! But, timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes. The cry of fire at midnight, provided it be in another's dwelling, is more congenial to their souls than the; cry of mercy. Look at the human fiends, "out-heroding Herod," in horse races, bruising matches, and cock fights, and in wars for the extension of territory, and the purposes of ambition. The hell is yet undescribed, that is suited to such monsters in cruelty.

He that tilleth his land - God's blessing will be in the labor of the honest agriculturist.

But he that followeth vain persons - He who, while he should be cultivating his ground, preparing for a future crop, or reaping his harvest, associates with fowlers, coursers of hares, hunters of foxes, or those engaged in any champaign amusements, is void of understanding; and I have known several such come to beggary.

To this verse the Septuagint add the following clause: 'ov estin en oinwn diatribaiv, en toiv eautou ocurwmasi kataleiqei atimian. "He who is a boon companion in banquets, shall leave dishonor in his own fortresses." This has been copied by the Vulgate and the Arabic. That is The man who frequents the ale-house enriches that, while he impoverishes his own habitation.

The wicked desireth the net of evil men - They applaud their ways, and are careful to imitate them in their wiles.

The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips - A man who deals in lies and false oaths will sooner or later be found out to his own ruin. There is another proverb as true as this: A liar had need of a good memory; for as the truth is not in him, he says and unsays, and often contradicts himself.

A fool's wrath is presently known - We have a proverb very like this, and it will serve for illustration: -

A fool's bolt is soon shot.

A weak-minded man has no self-government; he is easily angered, and generally speaks whatever comes first to his mind.

There is that speaketh - Instead of בוטה boteh, blabbing out, blustering, several MSS. have בוטח boteach, Trusting: and instead of כמדקרות kemadkeroth, As the piercings, seven MSS., with the Complutensian Polyglot, have במדקרות bemadkeroth, In the piercings. "There is that trusteth in the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." But I suppose the former to be the true reading.

A lying tongue is but for a moment - Truth stands for ever; because its foundation is indestructible: but falsehood may soon be detected; and, though it gain credit for a while, it had that credit because it was supposed to be truth.

There shall no evil happen to the just - No, for all things work together for good to them that love God. Whatever occurs to a righteous man God turns to his advantage. But, on the other hand, the wicked are filled with mischief: they are hurt, grieved, and wounded, by every occurrence; and nothing turns to their profit.

A prudent man concealeth knowledge - "If a fool hold his peace he may pass for a wise man." I have known men of some learning, so intent on immediately informing a company how well cultivated their minds were, that they have passed either for insignificant pedants or stupid asses.

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule - And why? because by his own industry he is independent; and every such person is respected wherever found.

Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop - Sorrow of heart, hopeless love, or a sense of God's displeasure - these prostrate the man, and he becomes a child before them.

But a good word maketh it glad - A single good or favorable word will remove despondency; and that word, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee," will instantly remove despair.

The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor - That is, if the neighbor be a wicked man. The spirit of the proverb lies here: The Poor righteous man is more excellent than his sinful neighbor, though affluent and noble. The Syriac has it, "The righteous deviseth good to his neighbor." A late commentator has translated it, "The righteous explore their pastures." How מרעהו can be translated Their pastures I know not; but none of the versions understood it in this way. The Vulgate is rather singular: Qui negligit damnum propter amicum, justus est. "He who neglects or sustains a loss for the sake of his friend, is a just man." The Septuagint is insufferable: "The well-instructed righteous man shall be his own friend." One would hope these translators meant not exclusively; he should love his neighbor as himself.

The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting - Because he is a slothful man, he does not hunt for prey; therefore gets none, and cannot roast, that he may eat. There is some obscurity in the original on which the versions cast little light. Coverdale translates the whole verse thus: "A discreatfull man schal fynde no vauntage: but he that is content with what he hath, is more worth than golde." My old MS. Bible: The gylful man schal not fynd wynnynge: and the substance of a man schal ben the pris of gold.

By translating hymr remiyah the deceitful, instead of the slothful man, which appears to be the genuine meaning of the word, we may obtain a good sense, as the Vulgate has done: "The deceitful man shall not find gain; but the substance of a (just) man shall be the price of gold." But our common version, allowing hymr remiyah to be translated fraudulent, which is its proper meaning, gives the best sense: "The fraudulent man roasteth not that which he took in hunting," the justice of God snatching from his mouth what he had acquired unrighteously.

But the substance of a diligent man - One who by honest industry acquires all his property - is precious, because it has the blessing of God in it.

In the way of righteousness is life - חיים chaiyim, lives; life temporal, and life eternal.

And in the pathway thereof there is no death - Not only do the general precepts and promises of God lead to life eternal, and promote life temporal; but every duty, every act of faith, patience of hope, and labor of love, though requiring much self-abasement, self-denial, and often an extension of corporal strength, all lead to life. For in every case, in every particular, "the path of duty is the way of safety." The latter clause is only a repetition of the sense of the former.

Lie in wait - Are designed to entrap others, and to destroy them. Deliver them - From those that lie in wait for them.

Are not - Both they and their families suddenly perish.

Despised - That lives in a mean condition. Honoureth - That glories in his high birth or gay attire.

Regardeth - He will not destroy it either by labour beyond its strength, or by denying it necessary food or rest. Cruel - There is cruelty mixed even with their most merciful actions.

Tilleth - That employs his time in an honest calling. Vain persons - In an idle course of living.

Desireth - He approves those arts, which wicked men use like nets to ensnare other men. The root - That piety, which is the root of his actions, yields him sufficient fruit both for his own need, and to do good to others.

Mouth - By his pious and profitable discourses. Hands - Of his actions.

Hearkeneth - That distrusts his own judgments, and seeks counsel from others.

Covereth - The shame, or injury done to him, which he conceals and bears with patience.

Deceit - He who uses himself to lying in his common talk, will use falsehood and deceit in judgment.

Health - Tends to the comfort and benefit of others.

A moment - Liars, though they may make a fair shew for a season, yet are quickly convicted.

Deceit - They whose hearts devise mischief shall be deceived in their hopes, and bring trouble upon themselves: but they who by good counsels labour to promote peace, shall reap the comfort of it themselves.

Concealeth - He does not unseasonably utter what he knows. Foolishness - Betrays his ignorance and folly.

A good word - A compassionate or encouraging word.

Neighbour - Than any other men. Seduceth - Heb. maketh them to err, to lose that excellency or happiness which they had promised themselves.

Resteth not - Does not enjoy the fruit of his labours. Precious - Yields him comfort and blessing with it.

1. WHoso loveth instruction , loveth knowledg : but he that hateth reproof, is brutish .

Admonition or reproof, as appears from the next Clause, which is a singular means of getting true and sound knowledge.

Sheweth that he is a true lover of knowledge, because he is willing to purchase it upon such unwelcome terms, as reproofs are generally esteemed.

Discovereth himself to be a most foolish and stupid Creature, because he is an enemy to himself and to his own happiness.

Marginal references: Ch. 15. 5.

2. A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn .

Whereby he is and shall be acquitted and justified.

Who designeth and industriously committeth wickedness.

When he standeth in judgment, howsoever he may for the present justifie himself and deceive others into a good opinion of him.

Marginal references: Heb. draweth out.

3. A man shall not be established by wickedness : but the root of the righteous shall not be moved .

By any sinful courses by which he useth to secure or stablish himself; whereby he implies that he shall be rooted up.

To wit, out of its place. He shall stand fast and flourish like a welrooted Tree.

Marginal references: Ch. 10. 25.

4. A vertuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed , is as rottenness in his bones .

A singular ornament and matter of his glorying and joy.

That by her folly or wickedness bringeth shame to her self and to her Husband.

Loathsom and vexatious, and pernicious.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 11. 7.

5. The thoughts of the righteous are right : but the counsels of the wicked are deceit .

His constant purpose is to deal justly and truly with God and with men.

His great care and contrivance is to wrong and deceive others by fair pretences and cunning Artifices.

Marginal references: Heb. judgment.; Ch. 11. 18.

6. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood : but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them .

Are designed and ordered to intrap or deceive others, and to destroy them.

To wit, from those that lie in wait for them: which it doth, either 1. by prayer to God for their deliverance: Or 2. by pacifying the wicked with soft and gentle answers, or by diverting them from their evil course by their good counsels and admonitions: Or 3. by pleading their righteous cause in a judicial or other way.

Marginal references: Ch. 1. 11, 38. 18.

7. The wicked are overthrown, and are not : but the house of the righteous shall stand.

Both they and their Families shall suddenly perish.

The Family or Posterity.

Marginal references: Ps. 37. 37. Ch. 11. 21. & 14. 11.

8. A man shall be commended according to his wisdom : but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised .

To wit, by wise and good men.

More or less according to the degree of Wisdom which his discourses and actions discover to be in him.

Which he sheweth by his wicked words and conversation.

By God and all wise men.

Marginal references: Heb. perverse of heart.

9. He that is despised and ‖ hath a servant , is better than he that honoureth himself , and lacketh bread ▪

That liveth in a [illegible: 1+ letters]ean and obscure condition in the World, for such are commonly despised by men of an higher ra[illegible: 1+ letters]k.

Hath but one Servant. Or rather, as it is in the Margent, is Servant to himself, hath none to wait upon him or work for him but himself, that getteth Bread by his own labours.

Is happier.

That glorieth in his high Birth or gay attire.

Wants necessaries for his own sustenance.

Marginal references: Or, is servant to himself. So Gr.

10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast : but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Which is employed in his Service, he will not destroy it either by labours beyond its strength, or by denying to it necessary food or rest, or by any other way: and much more will he be pitiful to his own Servants, and to poor men.

e There is much cruelty mixed even with their most merciful actions, when they pretend or intend to shew mercy. Heb. the Bowels of the, &c. those very Bowels which in others are the seat of pity in him are hardned and shut up, and onely stir him up to cruelty. In stead of that Mercy which is natural to other men, he hath nothing but cruelty. Their Mercies are here said to be cruel, as the foolishness, and weakness of God, are said to be wise and strong, 1 Cor. 1. 25.

Marginal references: Deut. 25. 4.; Heb. knoweth. Ps. 1. 6.; Or, bowels.

11. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding .

That employeth his time and strength in an honest calling.

That useth their society and idle course of living.

Shall through his own folly want Bread.

Marginal references: Ch. 28. 19.

12. The wicked desireth the net of evil men : but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit .

He approveth and useth those cunning and deceitful arts, which wicked men use like Nets to ensnare other men, and to take their goods to themselves. Or, he desireth the Fortress of wicked men, or, of wickedness, i. e. he seeks to fortifie and stablish himself by wicked practices.

That Justice and Piety, in which he is rooted, and which is the root of his actions, doth of it self, without the aid of any indirect and sinful courses, yield him sufficient fruit both for his own need, and to do good to others. But, because the word fruit is not in the Hebrew, and may seem to be too great a supplement, it is and may be rendred thus, the root of the Righteous giveth it, to wit, that Fortress or security which others seek in wickedness.

Marginal references: Or, the fortress.

13. The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips : but the just shall come out of trouble .

i. e. Brought into trouble.

By his wicked speeches against God and men.

To wit, by his wise and holy, and in offensive speeches, whereby he pacifieth men and gaineth God's favour and protection.

Marginal references: Heb. the snare of the wicked is in the transgression of Lips.; Ch. 18. 7.

14. A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth , and the recompense of a mans hands shall be rendred unto him .

By his pious and profitable Discourses.

i. e. Of his works and actions, of which the hand is the great instrument. Whereby also may be implied that God will not regard nor recompence good words, unless they be accompanied with a good conversation.

To wit, by God, to whom the work of retribution belongs.

Marginal references: Ch. 13. 2.

15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes : but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

The counsel and course which his own mind suggests to him in the ordering of his affairs.

Highly pleaseth him, so that he neglects and despiseth the opinions and advices of others.

That distrusteth his own judgment, and seeketh counsel from others.

Marginal references: Ch. 3. 7.

16. A fools wrath is presently known : but a prudent man covereth shame .

By his rash words and indecent actions, whereby he exposeth himself to shame.

Either 1. the shame, or reproach, or injury done to him by others, which he concealeth and beareth with patience and passeth by, as his duty and interest obligeth him to do. Or, 2. his own shame, to which the [illegible: 1+ letters]olly of rash anger would have betrayed him.

Marginal references: Heb. in that day.

17. He that speaketh truth , sheweth forth righteousness , but a false witness deceit .

Heb. He that will speak truth, i. e. he who accustometh himself to speak truth in common conversation; for the future Tense in the Hebrew Tongue oft notes a continued act or habit.

To wit, as a witness in publick judgment, he will speak nothing but what is true and just; you may depend upon his Testimony.

He who useth himself to lying in his common talk, will use falseshood and deceit in judgment.

Marginal references: Ch. 13. 5. & 14. 5.

18. There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword : but the tongue of the wise is health .

Hurtful and pernicious words, whereby they either corrupt mens minds and manners, or scandalize them, or injure them in their Reputation, Estate, or Life, or otherwise.

His speech both in judgment, and in common discourse, is found and wholesom in it self, and tending to the comfort and benefit of others.

Marginal references: Ps. 57. 4. & 59. 7.; Or, healing. So Gr.

19. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

d The speaker of truth is constant, and always agreeable to himself, and his words the more and longer they are tried, the more doth the truth of them appear, whereas Liars, though they may make a fair shew for a season, yet are easily and quickly convicted of falshood.

20. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

Either 1. towards others, whom they design to deceive, and then to destroy, whilst good Counsellers bring safety and joy to others. Or rather 2. to themselves. So the sense of the Verse is, They whose hearts devise mischief against others▪ shall be deceived in their hopes, and bring that trouble upon themselves which they design against others; but they who by good counsels labour to promote the Peace and Happiness of others, shall reap the comfort and benefit of it to themselves.

21. There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

f Either 1. of sin, or rather 2. of suffering or mischief, as the next clause explains this: No such evil shall befall them, as doth commonly befall the wicked, who are filled, or overwhelmed, and utterly destroyed by it, whereas good men are supported under their troubles, and shall be delivered out of them, and receive much benefit by them.

22. Lying lips are an a bomination to the LORD, but they that deal truly are his delight.

That speak and act sincerely and truly. He implies that although lying lips alone are sufficient to purchase Gods hatred, yet truth in a mans speech is not sufficient to procure Gods favour, unless there be also Truth and Justice in his actions.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 6. 17.; [illegible: 1 word] do [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1 word] ▪ 3. 21.

23. A prudent man concealeth knowledge : but the heart of Fools proclaimeth foolishness .

He doth not vain-gloriously and unseasonably utter what he knows, but keeps it in his breast till he hath a fit occasion to bring it forth for Gods Glory and the good of others.

Whilest he makes ostentation of his knowledge, he betrays his Ignorance and Folly. Compare Eccles. 10. 3.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 13. 16. [illegible: 1 word] 15. 2.

24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule : but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Shall procure Wealth and Power.

Heb. The deceitful. So he calls the slothful, because Deceit and [illegible: 1+ letters]dleness are commonly companions, and such men seek to gain by Fraud what they either cannot or will not get by honest Labour. Compare Prov. 10. 4.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 10. 4.; [illegible: 1 word], deceitful.

25. Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop, but a good word maketh it glad.

A compassionate or encouraging word from a Friend or Minister.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 15. 13.; Isa. [illegible: 1+ letters]0. 4.

26. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour : but the way of the wicked seduceth them .

Either 1. In his temper and disposition, more just, and generous, and publick spirited, and merciful, &c. Or 2. In his condition, more happy, notwithstanding all his sufferings and the contrary opinion of the world concerning them.

Than any other man who is unrighteous.

That course of Life which they chuse and follow, and by which they design and expect to excel other men.

Heb. maketh them to err or wander, to lose that excellency or happiness which they had promised to themselves, in and by their wicked practices.

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

27. The slothful man rosteth not that which he took in hunting : but the substance of a diligent man is precious .

Or, The deceitful man, as v. 24. who seeks to enrich himself by fraudulent and unjust practices.

Doth not enjoy the fruit of his Labours or devices, either because he doth not labour, and so hath nothing to waste or enjoy; or because God oft times deprives him either of such ill-gotten goods, or at least of a quiet and comfortable fruition of them.

Yields him great comfort and satisfaction, partly because it abides with him, and partly because he hath Gods Favour and blessing with it.

28. In the way of righteousness is life, and in the path-way thereof there is no death .

The practice of Justice and Godliness, though it expose a man to some dangers and inconveniences in the world, yet it will certainly lead him to Life and Happiness, whereas the end of all wicked courses is death and destruction.

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

Pro 12:1

Three proverbs on knowledge, the favour of God, firmness and the means thereto. 1 He loveth correction who loveth knowledge,    And he hateth instruction who is without reason.

It is difficult in such cases to say which is the relation of the ideas that is intended. The sequence of words which lies nearest in the Semitic substantival clause is that in which the predicate is placed first; but the subject may, if it is to be made prominent, stand at the head of the sentence. Here, 1b, the placing of the subject in advance recommends itself: one who hates instruction is devoid of reason. But since we have no reason in 1a to invert the order of the words as they lie together, we take the conceptions placed first in both cases as the predicates. Thus: he who loves knowledge shows and proves that he does so by this, that he willingly puts himself in the place of a learner; and devoid of reason is he who with aversion rejects reproof, which is designed to guard him from future mistakes and false steps. Regarding the punctuation דעת אהב (with Mercha on the ante-penult. and the העמדה-sign on the penult.), vid., at Pro 11:26., Pro 1:19. In 1b the Munach in תוכחת is transformed from Mugrash (Accentssystem, xviii. §2), as in Pro 15:10. בּער (cf. Pro 30:2) is a being who is stupid as the brute cattle (בּעיר, from בּער, to graze, cattle of all kinds; Arab. b'ayr, the beast κατ ̓ ἐξ., i.e., the camel); as a homo brutus is compared to a בּהמּה (Ps. 49:21), 73:22), and is called Arab. behymt, from bahym, “shut up” (spec. dabb, a bear; thwr, an ox; ḥamâr, an ass) (Fl.).

Pro 12:2 2 A good man obtaineth favour with Jahve,    But the man of wicked devices He condemns.

He who is an אישׁ מזמּות (Pro 14:17, cf. Psa 37:7) is defined in Pro 24:8 : he is a man of devices, namely, that are wicked, one who contrives evil against his neighbour. The meaning of the subject-conception טוב is defined according to this, although in itself also it is clear, for טוב, used of God (e.g., Psa 73:1; Psa 86:5) and of men (Pro 13:22; Pro 14:14), denotes the good (bonus) in the sense of the benevolent (benignus); the Scripture truths, that God is love, that love is the essence of goodness and is the fulfilling of the law, are so conformed to reason, that they stamp themselves as immediate component parts of the human consciousness. A טוב is thus a man who acts according to the ruling motive of self-sacrificing love; such an one obtains (vid., on יפיק, educit = adipiscitur, at Pro 3:13) the favour of God, He is and shows Himself kind to him, while on the contrary He condemns the wicked intriguer. Hitzig translates: the former of intrigues is punishable (as the Syr.: is condemned; Targ.: his contrivance is shattered to pieces); but to become a רשׁע = reus הרשׁיע does not denote, but either to practise רשׁע, Job 34:12, or to set forth as רשׁע = to condemn, Isa 50:9. Taken in the former signification (Jerome, impie agit), a declaration is made which is not needed, since the moral badness already lies in the reference of the subject: thus ירשׁיע will be used also of Jahve. In proof that the poet did not need to say ואת־אישׁ, Zöckler rightly points to Pro 10:6; Job 22:29.

Pro 12:3 3 A man does not stand by wickedness,    But the root of the righteous remains unmoved.

In רשׁע there lies the idea of want of inward stay (vid., at Psa 1:1); in a manner of thought and of conduct which has no stay in God and His law, there can be expected no external endurance, no solidity. The righteous, on the contrary, have their root in God; nothing can tear them from the ground in which they are rooted, they are as trees which no storm outroots. The very same thought is clothed in other words in Pro 10:25, and another statement regarding the root of the righteous is found at Pro 12:12.

Pro 12:4

We now place together Pro 12:4-12. One proverb concerning the house-wife forms the beginning of this group, and four regarding the management of the house and business form the conclusion. 4 A good brave wife is the crown of her husband,    But as rottenness in his bones is one that causeth shame.

As Pro 11:16 says of אושׁת חן, the pleasant wife (חן = χάρις), that she obtaineth honour, so this proverb of אושׁת חיל, the good wife (חיל = ἀρετή, virtus), that she raises her husband to higher honour: she is for his self-consciousness στέφανος καυχήσεως (1Th 2:19), and is also to him such a crown of honour before the world (cf. Pro 31:23). On the contrary, a מבישׁה, conducting herself shamefully (cf. regarding the double meaning of this Mishle word, which only here occurs in the fem., at Pro 10:5), is to her husband instar cariei in ossibus. רקב (רקב, Pro 10:7) denotes both the caries and the worm-hole (cf. Job 41:19, עץ רקּבון, worm-eaten wood). Like as the caries slowly but continuously increases, till at last the part of the body which the bone bears and the whole life of the man falls to ruin; so an unhappy marriage gnaws at the marrow of life, it destroys the happiness of life, disturbs the pursuit, undermines the life of the husband.

Pro 12:5 5 The thoughts of the righteous are justice,    The counsels of the godless are deceit.

They are so, that is, in their contents and their aim. To the righteous are ascribed מחשׁבות, namely, simple and clear; to the godless, תּחבּות, carefully thought out, prudently thought through schemes and measures, but on that very account not simple, because with a tendency; for the righteous have an objective rule, namely, that which is right in the sight of God and of men, but the godless have only a selfish purpose, which they seek to attain by deceiving, and at the cost of, their neighbour.

Pro 12:6 6 The word of the godless is to lie in wait for the blood of others,    But the mouth of the upright delivereth them.

Our editions have דברי רשׁעים, but the right sequence of the accents (in Cod. 1294 and elsewhere) is דברי רשׁעים; the logical relation in this transformation, which is only rhythmically conditioned, remains the same. The vocalization wavers between ארב־, which would be imper., and ארב־, which is infin., like אמר־, Pro 25:7, ענשׁ־, Pro 21:11, אכל־, Gen 3:11. However one punctuates it, the infin. is intended in any case, in which the expression always remains sketchy enough: the words of the godless are lying in wait for blood, i.e., they are calculated to bring others to this, into the danger of their lives, e.g., before the tribunal by false charges and false witness. דּם is the accus. of the object; for instead of ארב לדם (Pro 1:11), to lurk for blood, a shorter expression, ארב דּם, is used (Ewald, §282a). The suffix of יצּילםElias Levita, in his note to the root פה in Kimchi’s Wörterbuch, reads תּצּילם, and so also do 6 codd. in Kennicot. But פּה is masculine. might appear, after Pro 11:6, to refer back to the ישׁרים; but the thought that their mouth saves the upright, that they thus know to speak themselves out of the danger, is by far less appropriate (vid., on the contrary, בדעת, Pro 11:9) than the thought that the mouth of the upright delivereth from danger those whose lives are threatened by the godless, as is rightly explained by Ewald, Bertheau, Elster. The personal subject or object is in the Mashal style often to be evolved from the connection, e.g., Pro 14:26; Pro 19:23.

Pro 12:7 7 The godless are overturned and are no more,    But the house of the righteous stands.

Bertheau and Zöckler explain: The wicked turn about, then are they no more; i.e., as we say: it is over with them “in the turning of a hand.” The noun in the inf. absol. may certainly be the subject, like Pro 17:12, as well as the object (Ewald, §328c), and הפך may be used of the turning about of oneself, Psa 78:9; 2Ki 5:26; 2Ch 9:12. That explanation also may claim for itself that הפך nowhere occurs with a personal object, if we except one questionable passage, Isa 1:7. But here the interpretation of the רשׁעים as the object lies near the contrast of בית, and moreover the interpretation of the הפך, not in the sense of στρέφεσθαι (lxx), but of καταστρέφειν (Syr., Targ., Jerome, Graec. Venet., Luther), lies near the contrast of יעמד. The inf. absol. thus leaves the power from which the catastrophe proceeds indefinite, as the pass. יהפפכוּ would also leave it, and the act designedly presented in a vague manner to connect with ו the certain consequences therewith, as Pro 25:4., as if to say: there comes only from some quarter an unparalleled overthrow which overwhelms the godless; thus no rising up again is to be thought on, it is all over with them; while, on the contrary, the house of the righteous withstands the storm which sweeps away the godless.

Pro 12:8 8 According to the measure of his intelligence is a man praised,    And whoever is of a perverse mind is despised.

Everywhere in the Mishle שׂכל has no other meaning than intellectus. The praise which is given to a man measures itself לפי שׂכלו (punctuate לפי־שׂכלו, according to Torath Emeth, p. 41, Accentssystem, xx. §1), i.e., according to the measure (so לפי is used in the oldest form of the language) of his intelligence, or as we may also say, of his culture; for in these proverbs, which make the fear of God the highest principle, שׂכל means also understanding of moral excellence, not merely the intellectual superiority of natural gifts. הלּל is here a relative conception of manifold gradations, but it does not mean renown in general, but good renown. Parallel with שׂכלו, לב refers to the understanding (νοῦς); the rendering of Löwenstein, “who is of false heart,” is defective. נעוה (synon. of נפתּל and עקּשׁ, but nowhere else interchanging with it) means here a vero et recto detortus et aversus (Fl.). Such a man who has not a good understanding, nor any certain rule of judgment, falls under contempt (Graec. Venet. τῷ ὀντωτῇ εἰς μυσαγμόν, after the false reading of יהוה instead of יהיה), i.e., he defames himself by his crooked judgment of men, of things and their relations, and is on this account in no position rightly to make use of them.

Pro 12:9 9 Better is he who is lowly and has a servant,    Than he that makes himself mighty and is without bread.

This proverb, like Pro 15:17, commends the middle rank of life with its quiet excellences. נקלה (like 1Sa 18:23), from קלה, cognate with קלל, Syr. 'kly, to despise, properly levi pendere, levem habere (whence קלון, scorn, disgrace), here of a man who lives in a humble position and does not seek to raise himself up. Many of the ancients (lxx, Symmachus, Jerome, Syr., Rashi, Luther, Schultens) explain ועבד לו by, and is a servant to himself, serves himself; but in that case the words would have been עבד לנפשׁו (Syr. דּמשׁמּשׁ נפשׁהּ), or rather ועבדּו הוּא. ועבד לו would be more appropriate, as thus pointed by Ziegler, Ewald, and Hitzig. But if one adheres to the traditional reading, and interprets this, as it must be interpreted: et cui servus (Targ., Graec. Venet.), then that supplies a better contrast to וחסר־לחם, for “the first necessity of an oriental in only moderate circumstances is a slave, just as was the case with the Greeks and Romans” (Fl.). A man of lowly rank, who is, however, not so poor that he cannot support a slave, is better than one who boasts himself and is yet a beggar (2Sa 3:29). The Hithpa. often expresses a striving to be, or to wish to appear to be, what the adj. corresponding to the verb states, e.g., התגּדּל, התעשּׁר; like the Greek middles, εζεσθαι, αζεσθαι, cf. התחכּם and σοφίζεσθαι. So here, where with Fleischer we have translated: who makes himself mighty, for כבד, gravem esse, is etymologically also the contrast of קלה. The proverb, Sirach 10:26: κρείσσων ἐργαζόμενος καὶ περισσεύων ἐν πᾶσιν, ἢ δοξαζόμενος καὶ ἀπορῶν ἄρτων (according to the text of Fritzsche), is a half remodelling, half translation of this before us.

Pro 12:10 10 The righteous knows how his cattle feel,      And the compassion of the godless is cruel.

The explanation: the righteous taketh care for the life of his beast (Fl.), fails, for 10a is to be taken with Exo 23:9; נפשׁ signifies also the state of one’s soul, the frame of mind, the state of feeling; but ידע has, as in the related proverb, Pro 27:23, the meaning of careful cognizance or investigation, in conformity with which one acts. If the Torâ includes in the law of the Sabbath (Exo 20:10; Exo 23:12) useful beasts and cattle, which are here especially meant, and secures to them the reward of their labour (Deu 25:4); if it forbids the mutilation, and generally the giving of unnecessary pain, to beasts; if it enjoins those who take a bird’s nest to let the dam escape (Deu 22:6.) - these are the prefigurations of that דעת נפש בהמה, and as the God of the Torâ thus appears at the close of the Book of Jonah, this wonderful apology (defensio) of the all-embracing compassion, the God also of the world-history in this sympathy for the beasts of the earth as the type of the righteous.

In 10b most interpreters find an oxymoron: the compassion of the godless is compassionless, the direct opposite of compassion; i.e., he possesses either altogether no compassion, or he shows such as in its principle, its expression, and in its effects is the opposite of what it ought to be (Fl.). Bertheau believes that in the sing. of the predicate אכזרי he is justified in translating: the compassion of the wicked is a tyranny. And as one may speak of a loveless love, i.e., of a love which in its principle is nothing else than selfishness, so also of a compassionless compassion, such as consists only in gesture and speech without truth of feeling and of active results. But how such a compassionless compassion toward the cattle, and one which is really cruel, is possible, it may be difficult to show. Hitzig’s conjecture, רחמי, sprang from this thought: the most merciful among sinners are cruel - the sinner is as such not רחוּם. The lxx is right in the rendering, τὰ δὲ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνελεήμονα. The noun רחמים means here not compassion, but, as in Gen 43:30 (lxx ἔντερα or ἔγκατα) and 1Ki 3:26 (lxx μήτρα), has the meaning the bowels (properly tender parts, cf. Arab. rakhuma, to be soft, tender, with rḥm), and thus the interior of the body, in which deep emotions, and especially strong sympathy, are wont to be reflected (cf. Hos 10:8). The singular of the predicate אכזרי arises here from the unity of the subject-conception: the inwards, as Jer 50:12, from the reference of the expression to each individual of the many.

Pro 12:11 11 He that tilleth his own ground is satisfied with bread,      And he that followeth after vain pursuits is devoid of understanding.

Yet more complete is the antithetic parallelism in the doublette, Pro 28:19 (cf. also Sir. 20:27a). The proverb recommends the cultivation of the field as the surest means of supporting oneself honestly and abundantly, in contrast to the grasping after vain, i.e., unrighteous means of subsistence, windy speculations, and the like (Fl.). ריקים are here not persons (Bertheau), but things without solidity and value (lxx μάταια; Aquila, Theodotion, κενά), and, in conformity with the contrast, not real business. Elsewhere also the mas. plur. discharges the function of a neut. noun of multitude, vid., נגידים, principalia, Pro 8:6, and זדים, Psa 19:14 - one of the many examples of the imperfect use of the gender in Hebr.; the speaker has in ריקים, vana et inania, not אנשׁים (Jdg 9:4), but דברים (Deu 32:47) in view. The lxx erroneously at Pro 28:19, and Symmachus and Jerome at both places understand ריקים of slothfulness.

Pro 12:12 12 The godless lusteth after the spoil of evil-doers;      But the root of the righteous shoots forth.

This translation is at the same time an explanation, and agrees with Fleischer’s “the godless strives by unrighteous gain like the wicked (Pro 4:14) to enrich himself, namely, as must be understood from the antithetic members of the parallelism, in vain, without thereby making progress and gaining anything certain. The preterite, as Pro 11:2, Pro 11:8, etc., places the general true proposition as a separate historic principle derived from experience. In 12b יתּן stands elliptically or pregnantly: edet, scil. quod radix edere solet, sobolem stirpis, ramorum, etc., as in the Arab. natan and ânatan are specially used without an obj. of the spontaneousness of an odour.” מצוד (from צוּד, to spy, to hunt) is elsewhere the instrument of the hunt (a net), here the object and end of it. If the words had been מצוּדי רעים, then we would explain after מלאכי רעים, Psa 78:49 (vid., comm. on), and אושׁת רע, Pro 6:24; but in the difference of number, רעים will not be the qualitative but the subjective personal genitive: capturam qualem mali captant. Ewald, who understands ריקים, 11b, of good-for-nothing-fellows, interprets רעים here, on the contrary, as neuter (§172b): the desire of the wicked is an evil net, i.e., wherein he catches all manner of evil for himself. The lxx has here two proverbs, in which מצוד occurs in the plur. and in the sense of ὀχυρώματα; 12b of the Hebr. text is rendered: αἱ δὲ ῥίζαι τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἐν ὀχρυώμασι, which Schleusner explains immotae erunt. The Hebr. text can gain nothing from this variation. That the lxx read ושׁרשׁ צדיקים איתן is not probable, since they nowhere thus translate איתן. But Reiske and Ziegler have, like Ewald and Hitzig, combined יתּן of this proverb with יתן from איתן (Arab. wâtin), firmum, perennem esse. Hitzig translates the distich, after emending the text of 12a by the help of the lxx and the Arab.: the refuge of the wicked is crumbling clay, but the root of the righteous endures (יתן from יתן). Böttcher also reads חמר instead of חמד, and translates (vid., p. 192, l. 11): the refuge of the wicked is miry clay, but the root of the righteous holdeth fast (יתן = Arab. wâtin). But this derivation of a verb יתן is not necessary. The Graec. Venet. rightly, ῥίζα δὲ δικαίων δώσει. The obj. is self-evident. Rashi reads מה שהוא ראוי ליתן והוא הפרי. So also Schultens. The root giveth, is equivalent to, it is productive in bringing forth that which lies in its nature. That the root of the righteous endures (Targ. נתקיּם) is otherwise expressed, Pro 12:3.

Pro 12:13

Proverbs regarding injurious and beneficial words, wise hearing and prudent silence. 13 In the transgression of the lips there lies a dangerous snare;      The righteous escapeth from trouble.

The consecutive modus (ויּצא) is here of greater weight than e.g., at Pro 11:8, where the connection follows without it (ויּבא) from the idea of the change of place. The translation: but the righteous ... restores ויצא (ויצא), and ignores the syllogistic relation of the members of the proverb, which shows itself here (cf. the contrary, Pro 11:9) to a certain degree by ויּצא. Ewald displaces this relation, for he paraphrases: “any one may easily come into great danger by means of inconsiderate words; yet it is to be hoped that the righteous may escape, for he will guard himself against evil from the beginning.” He is right here in interpreting צרה and מוקשׁ רע as the designation of danger into which one is betrayed by the transgressions of his lips, but “inconsiderate words” are less than פּשׁע שׂפתים. One must not be misled into connecting with פּשׁע the idea of missing, or a false step, from the circumstance that פּשׁע means a step; both verbs have, it is true, the common R. פש with the fundamental idea of placing apart or separating, but פּשׁע has nothing to do with פּשׁע (step = placing apart of the legs), but denotes (as Arab. fusuwḳ fisḳ, from the primary meaning diruptio, diremtio) a sinning, breaking through and breaking off the relation to God (cf. e.g., Pro 28:24), or even the restraints of morality (Pro 10:19). Such a sinning, which fastens itself to, and runs even among the righteous, would not be called פשׁע, but rather חטּאת (Pro 20:9). According to this the proverb will mean that sinful words bring into extreme danger every one who indulges in them - a danger which he can with difficulty escape; and that thus the righteous, who guards himself against sinful words, escapes from the distress (cf. with the expression, Ecc 7:18) into which one is thereby betrayed. רע is the descriptive and expressive epithet to מוקשׁ (cf. Ecc 9:12): a bad false trap, a malicious snare, for מוקשׁ is the snare which closes together and catches the bird by the feet. This proverb is repeated at Pro 29:6, peculiarly remodelled. The lxx has after Pro 12:13 another distich:

He who is of mild countenance findeth mercy;

He who is litigious oppresseth souls. (נפשׁות, or rather, more in accordance with the Hebrew original: oppresseth himself, נפשׁו.)

Pro 12:14 14 From the fruit which the mouth of the man bringeth forth is he satisfied with good,      And what the hands of the man accomplish returns back to him.

The proverb finds its final verification in the last judgment (cf. Mat 12:37), but it is also illustrated in the present life. If the mouth of a man bringeth forth fruit - namely, the fruit of wholesome doctrine, of right guidance, of comforting exhortation, of peace-bringing consolation for others - this fruit is also to his own advantage, he richly enjoys the good which flows out of his own mouth, the blessing he bestows is also a blessing for himself. The same also is the case with the actions of a man. That which is done, or the service which is rendered by his hands, comes back to him as a reward or as a punishment. גּמוּל signifies primarily accomplishment, execution, and is a twofold, double-sided conception: a rendering of good or evil, and merit on the side of men (whether merited reward or merited punishment), as well as recompense, requital on the side of God. The first line is repeated, somewhat altered, at Pro 13:2; Pro 18:20. The whole proverb is prophetically echoed in Isa 3:10. The Kerı̂ ישׁיב has Jahve as the subject, or rather the subject remains undefined, and “one requites him” is equivalent to: it is requited to him. The Chethı̂b seems to us more expressive; but this use of the active with the undefined subject, instead of the passive, is certainly as much in the Mishle style (cf. Pro 13:21) as the development of the subject of the clause from a foregoing genitive.

Pro 12:15 15 The way of the fool is right in his own eyes,      But the wise listeneth to counsel.

Other proverbs, like Pro 16:2, say that generally the judgment of a man regarding his character does not go beyond a narrow subjectivity; but there are objective criteria according to which a man can prove whether the way in which he walks is right; but the fool knows not other standard than his own opinion, and however clearly and truly one may warn him that the way which he has chosen is the wrong way and leads to a false end, yet he obstinately persists;Vid., kindred proverbs by Carl Schulze, Die bibl. Sprichwörter der deutschen Sprache (1860), p. 50, and M. C. Wahl’s Das Sprichwort in der heb.-aram. Literatur, u.s.w. (1871), p. 31. while a wise man is not so wise in his own eyes (Pro 3:7) as not to be willing to listen to well-meant counsel, because, however careful he may be regarding his conduct, yet he does not regard his own judgment so unerring as not to be inclined ever anew to try it and let it stand the test. Ewald has falsely construed: yet whoever hears counsel is wise. In consequence of the contrast, אויל and חכם are the subject ideas, and with ושׁמע לעצה is brought forward that which is in contrast to the self-complacency of the fool, the conduct of the wise man.

Pro 12:16

The relations of the subject and the predicate are the same as in the preceding verse.

The fool makes known his vexation on the same day [at once],

On the contrary, the prudent man hideth the offence.

Very frequently in these proverbs the first line is only defined by the adducing of the second, or the second holds itself in the light of the first. A post-bibl. proverb says that a man is known by three things: by his כוס (his behaviour in drinking), his כיס (his conduct in money transactions), and his כעס (his conduct under deep inward excitement). So here: he is a fool who, if some injury is done to him, immediately shows his vexation in a passionate manner; while, on the contrary the prudent man maintains silence as to the dishonour that is done to him, and represses his displeasure, so as not to increase his vexation to his own injury. Passionless retaliation may in certain cases be a duty of self-preservation, and may appear to be necessary for the protection of truth, but passionate self-defence is always of evil, whether the injury which is inflicted be justifiable or unjustifiable. Regarding ערוּם, callidus, vid., p. 56; Schultens’ comparison of the Greek γεγυμνασμένος is only a conceit in want of better knowledge. Regarding כּסה (only here and at Pro 12:23) with מכסּה, as שׁחר (only Pro 11:27) with משׁחר, vid., Ewald, §170a. בּיּום signifies on the self-same day = without delay, immediately, and is well translated by the lxx αὐθήμερον. With another object, 16b is repeated in 23a.

Pro 12:17

Most of the remaining parables of this section refer to the right use and the abuse of the tongue. 17 He that breathes the love of truth, utters that which is right;      But a lying tongue, deceit

This verse is similar in meaning to Pro 14:5 (where 5b = Pro 6:19); the second line of the distich = Pro 14:25. Everywhere else יפיח כּזבים stand together, only here יפיח is joined to אמוּנה; vid., regarding this יפיח forming an attributive clause, and then employed as an adjective, but with distinct verbal force, at Pro 6:19. Viewed superficially, the proverb appears tautological; it is not so, however, but places in causal connection the internal character of men and their utterances: whoever breathes אמוּנה, truth or conscientiousness (the property of the אמוּן, vid., at Psa 12:2), i.e., lets the voice of this be heard in his utterances, such an one speaks צדק, i.e., uprightness, integrity, that which is correct, right (Isa 45:19, cf. Isa 41:26), in relation to truth in general, and to the present case in particular; but he who עד שׁקרים, i.e., he who, against better knowledge and the consciousness of untruth, confirms by his testimony (from עוּד, revertere, to say again and again), therewith gives utterance to his impure character, his wicked intention, proceeding from delight in doing evil or from self-interest, and diverted towards the injury of his neighbour. As אמונה and מרמה correspond as statements of the contents of the utterances, so צדק and שקרים as statements of their motive and aim. מרמה is obj. accus. of the יגּיד (from הגּיד, to bring to light, cf. נגד, visibility) to be supplied, not the pred. nom. dolorum structor, as Fleischer poetically finds.

Pro 12:18 18 There is that babbleth like the thrusts of a sword,      But the tongue of the wise is healing.

The second (cf. Pro 11:24) of the proverbs beginning with ישׁ. The verb בּטה (בּטא), peculiar to the Hebr., which in the modern Hebr. generally means “to speak out” (מבטא in the grammar: the pronunciation) (according to which the lxx, Syr., and Targ. translate it by אמר), means in biblical Hebr., especially with reference to the binding of oneself by an oath (Lev 5:4), and to solemn protestations (Num 30:7, Num 30:9, according to which Jerome, promittit): to utter incautiously in words, to speak without thought and at random, referred erroneously by Gesenius to the R. בט, to be hollow, probably a word imitative of the sound, like the Greek βατταρίζειν, to stammer, and βαττολογεῖν, to babble, which the lexicographers refer to a talkative person of the name of Βάττος, as our “salbadern” [= to talk foolishly] owes its origin to one Jenaer Bader on the Saal. Theod. and the Graec. Venet. give the false reading בּוטח (πεποιθώς). כּמדקרות חרב stands loco accusativi, the כּ being regarded as a noun: (effutiens verba) quae sunt instar confossionum gladii (Fl.). We also call such a man, who bridles his loquacity neither by reflection nor moderates it by indulgent reference to his fellow-men, a Schwertmaul (sword-mouth) or a Schandmaul (a mouth of shame = slanderer), and say that he has a tongue like a sword. But on the other hand, the tongue of the wise, which is in itself pure gentleness and a comfort to others, since, far from wounding, rather, by means of comforting, supporting, directing exhortation, exercises a soothing an calming influence. Regarding רפא, whence מרפּא, Dietrich in Gesenius’ Lex. is right. The root-meaning of the verb רפא (cognate רפה, to be loose, Hiph. to let go, Hithpa. Pro 18:9, to show oneself slothful) is, as the Arab. kindred word rafâ, rafa, raf, rawf (râf) shows, that of stilling, softening, soothing, whence arises the meaning of healing (for which the Arab. has ṭabb and 'alkh); the meaning to repair, to mend, which the Arab. rafâ and rafa have, does not stand in a prior relation to to heal, as might appear from Job 13:4, but is a specializing of the general idea of reficere lying in mitigare, just as the patcher is called ἀκέστρια = ἠπήτρια,Whether ῥάπτειν, explained neither by Curtius nor by Flick, stands in a relation to it, we leave out of view. from ἀκέομαι, which means equally to still and to heal. Since thus in רפא the meanings of mitigating and of healing are involved, it is plain that מרפא, as it means healing (the remedy) and at the same time (cf. θεραπεία, Rev 22:2) the preservation of health, Pro 4:22; Pro 6:15; Pro 16:24; Pro 29:1, so also may mean mildness (here and Pro 15:4), tranquillity (Pro 14:30; Ecc 10:4, calm patience in contrast to violent passion), and refreshing (Pro 13:17). Oetinger and Hitzig translate here “medicine;” our translation, “healing (the means of healing),” is not essentially different from it.

Pro 12:19 19 The lip of truth endures for ever,      But the lying tongue only while I wink with the eye.

None of the old translators understood the phrase ועד־ארגּיעה; the Venet. also, which follows Kimchi’s first explanation, is incorrect: ἕως ῥήξεως, till I split (shatter) it (the tongue). Abulwalîd is nearer the correct rendering when he takes ארגיעה as a noun = רגע with He parag. Ahron b. Joseph is better in rendering the phrase by: until I make a רגע, and quite correct if רגע (from רגע = Arab. raj', which is used of the swinging of the balance) is taken in the sense of a twinkling of the eye (Schultens: vibramen); cf. Orelli’s Die hebr. Synonyme der Zeit und Ewigkeit, p. 27f., where the synonyms for a twinkling of the eye, a moment, are placed together. עד (properly progress) has in this phrase the meaning, while, so long as, and the cohortative signifies, in contradistinction to ארגיע, which may also denote an unwilling movement of the eyelids, a movement proceeding from a free determination, serving for the measurement of a short space of time, Ewald, §228a. ארגיעה, Jer 49:19; Jer 50:44, where Ewald takes כי ארגיעה (when I...) in the same sense as אד־ארגיעה here, which is more appropriate than the explanation of Hitzig, who regards כי as opening the principal clause, and attaches to הרגיע the quite too pregnant signification “to need (for an action) only a moment.” The lip of truth, i.e., the lip which speaketh truth, endures for ever (for truth, אמת = אמנתּ, is just the enduring); but the tongue of falsehood is only for a moment, or a wink of the eye, for it is soon convicted, and with disgrace brings to silence; for a post-bibl. Aram. proverb says: קוּשׁטא קאי שׁקרא לא קאי, the truth endures, the lie endures not (Schabbath 104a), and a Hebrew proverb: השּׁקר אין לו רגלים, the lie has no feet (on which it can stand).Vid., Duke’s Rabbin. Blumenlese (1844), p. 231.

Pro 12:20 20 Deceit is in the heart of him who deviseth evil,      But those who devise peace cause joy.

Regarding the figure of forging, fabricating (lxx, Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, τεκταίνειν), or of ploughing, which underlies the phrase חרשׁ רע, moliri malum, vid., at Pro 3:29. That deceit is in the heart of him who deviseth evil (בּלב־חרשׁי רע, as is correctly punctuated e.g., by Norzi) appears to be a platitude, for the חרשׁ רע is as such directed against a neighbour. But in the first place, 20a in itself says that the evil which a man hatches against another always issues in a fraudulent, malicious deception of the same; and in the second place, it says, when taken in connection with 20b, where שׂמחה is the parallel word to מרמה, that with the deception he always at the same time prepares for him sorrow. The contrast to חרשׁי רע is יועצי שׁלום si ח, and thus denotes not those who give counsel to contending parties to conclude peace, but such as devise peace, viz., in reference to the neighbour, for יעץ means not merely to impart counsel, but also mentally to devise, to resolve upon, to decree, 2Ch 25:16; Isa 32:7.; cf. יעץ על, Jer 49:30. Hitzig and Zöckler give to שׁלום the general idea of welfare (that which is salutary), and interpret the שׂמחה as the inner joy of the good conscience. Certainly שלום (R. של, extrahere, in the sense of deliverance from trouble) means not only peace as to the external relationship of men with each other, but also both internal and external welfare. Thus it is here meant of external welfare; Hitzig rightly compares Jer 29:11 with Nah 1:11 to the contrast between שׁלום and רע. But as מרמה is not self-deception, but the deception of another, so also שׂמחה is not the joy of those who devise the device in their hearts for the deception of others, but the joy they procure for others. Thoughts of peace for one’s neighbour are always thoughts of procuring joy for him, as thoughts of evil are thoughts of deceit, and thus of procuring sorrow for him. Thus וליועצי is an abbreviated expression for ובלב יועצי.

Pro 12:21 21 No evil befalls the righteous,      But the godless are full of evil.

Hitzig translates און “sorrow,” and Zöckler “injury;” but the word signifies evil as ethical wickedness, and although it may be used of any misfortune in general (as in בּן־אוני, opp. בּנימין); thus it denotes especially such sorrow as is the harvest and product of sin, Pro 22:8; Job 4:8; Isa 59:4, or such as brings after it punishment, Hab 3:7; Jer 4:15. That it is also here thus meant the contrast makes evident. The godless are full of evil, for the moral evil which is their life-element brings out of itself all kinds of evil; on the contrary, no kind of evil, such as sin brings forth and produces, falls upon the righteous. God, as giving form to human fortune (Exo 21:13), remains in the background (cf. Psa 91:10 with Psa 5:1.); vid., regarding אנה, the weaker power of ענה, to go against, to meet, to march against, Fleischer, Levy’s Chald. Wörterbuch, 572.

Pro 12:22 22 Lying lips are an abhorrence to Jahve,      And they that deal truly are His delight.

The frame of the distich is like Pro 11:1, Pro 11:20. אמוּנה is probity as the harmony between the words and the inward thoughts. The lxx, which translates ὁ δὲ ποιῶν πίστεις, had in view עשה אמונים (עשׂה אמוּנים, cf. Isa 26:2); the text of all other translations agrees with that commonly received.

Pro 12:23 23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,      And a heart-fool proclaims imbecility.

In 23a Pro 12:16 is repeated, only a little changed; also 16a corresponds with 23a, for, as is there said, the fool knows not how to keep his anger to himself, as here, that a heart-fool (cf. the lying mouth, 22a) proclaims (trumpets forth), or as Pro 13:16 says, displays folly without referring to himself the si tacuisses. To this forward charlatan blustering, which intends to preach wisdom and yet proclaims in the world mere folly, i.e., nonsense and imbecility, and thereby makes itself troublesome, and only to be laughed at and despised, stands in contrast the relation of the אדם ערוּם, homo callidus, who possesses knowledge, but keeps it to himself without bringing it forth till an occasion presents itself for setting it forth at the right place, at the right time, and to the right man. The right motive also regulates such silence as well as modesty. But this proverb places it under the point of view of prudence.

Pro 12:24

We take Pro 12:24-28 together as a group. In these verses the subject is the means of rising (in the world), and the two ways, the one of which leads to error, and the other to life. 24 The land of the diligent attains to dominion,      But slothfulness will become tributary.

In Pro 10:4 רמיּה was adj., but to כּף standing beside it; here it is to be regarded as adj. to יד (sluggish hand) supplied from 24a, but may be equally regarded as a subst. (slothfulness) (vid., at Pro 12:27). Regarding חרוּץ, vid., p. 211. מס signifies tribute and service, i.e., tributary service rendered to a master. In Pro 11:29 עבד stands for it. It is still the experience of to-day, as it was of Solomon’s time, that slothfulness (indolence) brings down to a state of servitude, if not even deeper, but that vigorous activity raises to dominion or to the position of a master, i.e., to independence, wealth, respect, and power.

Pro 12:25 25 Trouble in the heart of a man boweth it down,      And a friendly word maketh it glad.

The twofold anomaly that דּאגה is construed as masc. and לב as fem. renders the text doubtful, but the lxx, Syr., Targum, which introduce another subject, φοβερὸς λόγος (דּבר מדאיג?), do not improve it; Theodotion’s is preferable, who translates μέριμνα ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνδρὸς κατίσχει αὐτόν, and thus reads ישׁחנּוּ. But the rhyme is thereby lost. As כּבוד, Gen 49:6, so also may לב be used as fem., for one thereby thinks on נפשׁ; the plur. לבּות (לבבות), according to which in Eze 16:30 we find the sing. לבּה, may also conform to this. And ישׁחנה as pred. to דאגה follows the scheme Pro 2:10, perhaps not without attractional co-operation after the scheme קשׁת גברים חתים, 1Sa 2:4. השׁחה, from שׁחה, occurs only here; but השׁח, from שׁחח, occurs only twice. דּבר טוב designates in the book of Joshua and in Kings (1Ki 8:56) the divine promise; here it is of the same meaning as 1Ki 12:7 : an appeasing word. Who has not in himself had this experience, how such a word of friendly encouragement from a sympathizing heart cheers the sorrowful soul, and, if only for a time, changes its sorrow into the joy of confidence and of hope!

Pro 12:26 26 The righteous looketh after his pastures,      But the way of the godless leadeth them into error.

In 26a no acceptable meaning is to be gained from the traditional mode of vocalization. Most of the ancients translate יתר as part. to יתר, as it occurs in post-bibl. Hebr., e.g., חבּה יתרה, prevailing, altogether peculiar love. Thus the Targum, טב מן הבריהּ; Venet. πεπερίττευται (after Kimchi); on the other hand, Aquila, active: περισσεύων τὸν πλησίον (making the neighbour rich), which the meaning of the Kal as well as the form יתר oppose; Luther, “The righteous man is better than his neighbour,” according to which Fleischer also explains, “Probably יתר from יתר, πλεονάζειν, has the meaning of πλέον ἔχων, πλεονεκτῶν, he gains more honour, respect, riches, etc., than the other, viz., the unrighteous.” Yet more satisfactory Ahron b. Joseph: not the nobility and the name, but this, that he is righteous, raises a man above others. In this sense we would approve of the praestantior altero justus, if only the two parts of the proverb were not by such a rendering wholly isolated from one another. Thus יתר is to be treated as the fut. of התיר. The Syr. understands it of right counsel; and in like manner Schultens explains it, with Cocceius, of intelligent, skilful guidance, and the moderns (e.g., Gesenius) for the most part of guidance generally. Ewald rather seeks (because the proverb-style avoids the placing of a fut. verb at the commencement of the proverb but cf. Pro 17:10) to interpret יתר as a noun in the sense of director, but his justification of the fixed ā is unfounded. And generally this sense of the word is exposed to many objections. The verb תּוּר signifies, after its root, to go about, “to make to go about,” but is, however, not equivalent to, to lead (wherefore Böttcher too ingeniously derives יתר = יאתר from אתר = אשׁר); and wherefore this strange word, since the Book of Proverbs is so rich in synonyms of leading and guiding! The Hiph. התיר signifies to send to spy, Jdg 1:23, and in this sense the poet ought to have said יתר לרעהוּ: the righteous spies out (the way) for his neighbour, he serves him, as the Targum-Talmud would say, as תּיּר. Thus connected with the obj. accus. the explanation would certainly be: the righteous searches out his neighbour (Löwenstein), he has intercourse with men, according to the maxim, “Trau schau wem.” But why not רעהוּ, but מרעהוּ, which occurs only once, Pro 19:7, in the Mishle, and then for an evident reason? Therefore, with Döderlein, Dathe, J. D. Michaelis, Ziegler, and Hitzig, we prefer to read מרעהוּ; it is at least not necessary, with Hitzig, to change יתר into יתר, since the Hiphil may have the force of the intens. of the Kal, but יתר without the jussive signification is a poetic licence for יתיר. That תור can quite well be used of the exploring of the pasture, the deriv. יתוּר, Job 39:18, shows. Thus altered, 26a falls into an appropriately contrasted relation to 26b. The way of the godless leads them into error; the course of life to which they have given themselves up has such a power over them that they cannot set themselves free from it, and it leads the enslaved into destruction: the righteous, on the contrary, is free with respect to the way which he takes and the place where he stays; his view (regard) is directed to his true advancement, and he looketh after his pasture, i.e., examines and discovers, where for him right pasture, i.e., the advancement of his outer and inner life, is to be found. With מרעהוּ there is a combination of the thought of this verse with the following, whose catch-word is צידו, his prey.

Pro 12:27 27 The slothful pursues not his prey;      But a precious possession of a man is diligence.

The lxx, Syr., Targ., and Jerome render יחרך in the sense of obtaining or catching, but the verbal stem חרך nowhere has this meaning. When Fleischer remarks, חרך, ἅπ. λεγ., probably like לכד, properly to entangle in a noose, a net, he supports his opinion by reference to חרכּים, which signifies lattice-windows, properly, woven or knitted like a net. But חרך, whence this חרכים, appears to be equivalent to the Arab. kharḳ, fissura, so that the plur. gives the idea of a manifoldly divided (lattice-like, trellis-formed) window. The Jewish lexicographers (Menahem, Abulwalîd, Parchon, also Juda b. Koreish) all aim at that which is in accord with the meaning of the Aram. חרך, to singe, to roast (= Arab. ḥark): the slothful roasteth not his prey, whether (as Fürst presents it) because he is too lazy to hunt for it (Berth.), or because when he has it he prepares it not for enjoyment (Ewald). But to roast is צלה, not דרך, which is used only of singeing, e.g., the hair, and roasting, e.g., ears of corn, but not of the roasting of flesh, for which reason Joseph Kimchi (vid., Kimchi’s Lex.) understands צידו of wild fowls, and יחרך of the singeing of the tips of the wings, so that they cannot fly away, according to which the Venet. translates οὐ μενεῖ ... ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ. Thus the Arab. must often help to a right interpretation of the ἅπ. λεγ.. Schultens is right: Verbum ḥarak, חרך, apud Arabes est movere, ciere, excitare, κινεῖν generatim, et speciatim excitare praedam e cubili, κινεῖν τήν θήραν. The Lat. agitare, used of the frightening up and driving forth of wild beasts, corresponds with the idea here, as e.g., used by Ovid, Metam. x. 538, of Diana:Aut pronos lepores aue celsum in cornua cervum Aut agitat damas.

Thus יחרך together with צידו gains the meaning of hunting, and generally of catching the prey. רמיּה is here incarnate slothfulness, and thus without ellipse equivalent to אישׁ רמיה. That in the contrasted clause חרוץ does not mean ἀποτόμως, decreed (Löwenstein), nor gold (Targ., Jerome, Venet.), nor that which is excellent (Syr.), is manifest from this contrast as well as from Pro 10:4; Pro 12:24. The clause has from its sequence of words something striking about it. The lxx placed the words in a difference order: κτῆμα δὲ τίμιον ἀνὴρ καθαρὸς (חלוץ in the sense of Arab. khâlaṣ). But besides this transposition, two others have been tried: הון אדם חרוץ יקר, the possession of an industrious man is precious, and הון יקר אדם חרוץ, a precious possession is that (supply הון) of an industrious man. But the traditional arrangement of the words gives a better meaning than these modifications. It is not, however, to be explained, with Ewald and Bertheau: a precious treasure of a man is one who is industrious, for why should the industrious man be thought of as a worker for another and not for himself? Another explanation advanced by Kimchi: a valuable possession to men is industry, has the twofold advantage that it is according to the existing sequence of the words, and presents a more intelligible thought. But can חרוּץ have the meaning of חריצוּת (the being industrious)? Hitzig reads חרוץ, to make haste (to be industrious). This is unnecessary, for we have here a case similar to Pro 10:17, where שׁמר for שׁומר is to be expected: a precious possession of a man is it that, or when, he is industrious, חרוּץ briefly for היותו חרוּץ rof yl. The accentuation fluctuates between והון־אדם יקר (so e.g., Cod. 1294), according to which the Targum translates, and והון־אדם יקר, which, according to our explanation, is to be preferred.

Pro 12:28 28 In the path of righteousness is life,      And the way of its path is immortality.

All the old versions to the Venet. give אל־ instead of אל־, and are therefore under the necessity of extracting from ודּרך נתיבה a meaning corresponding to this, εἰς θάνατον, in which they are followed by Hitzig: “a devious way leadeth to death.” But נתיב (נתיבה) signifies step, and generally way and street (vid., at Pro 1:15), not “devious way,” which is expressed, Jdg 5:6, by ארחות עקלקלות. And that אל is anywhere punctuated thus in the sense of אל is previously improbable, because the Babylonian system of punctuation distinguishes the negative אל with a short Pathach, and the prepositional אל (Arab. ilâ) with a short Chirek, from each other (vid., Pinsker, Einl. p. xxii.f.); the punctuation 2Sa 18:16; Jer 51:3, gives no support to the opinion that here אל is vocalized thus in the sense of אל, and it is not to be thus corrected. Nothing is more natural than that the Chokma in its constant contrast between life and death makes a beginning of expressing the idea of the ἀθανασία, which Aquila erroneously read from the אל־מות, Ps. 48:15. It has been objected that for the formation of such negative substantives and noun-adjectives לא (e.g., לא־אל, לא־עם) and not אל is used; but that אל also may be in close connection with a noun, 2Sa 1:13 shows. There אל־טל is equivalent to אל יהי טל, according to which it may also be explained in the passage before us, with Luther and all the older interpreters, who accepted אל in its negative signification: and on (the בּ governing) the way ... is no death. The negative אל frequently stands as an intensifying of the objective לא; but why should the Chokma, which has already shown itself bold in the coining of new words, not apply itself to the formation of the idea of immortality?: the idol name אליל is the result of a much greater linguistic boldness. It is certain that אל is here not equivalent to אל; the Masora is therefore right in affirming that נתיבה is written with He raphatum pro mappicato (vid., Kimchi, Michlol 31a, and in the Lex.), cf. 1Sa 20:20, vid., Böttcher, §418. Thus: the way of their step is immortality, or much rather, since דּרך is not a fixed idea, but also denotes the going to a distance (i.e., the journey), the behaviour, the proceeding, the walk, etc.: the walking (the stepping over and passing through) of their way is immortality. Rich in synonyms of the way, the Hebrew style delights in connecting them with picturesque expressions; but דּרך always means the way in general, which divides into ארחות or נתיבות (Job 6:18; Jer 18:5), and consists of such (Isa 3:16). The distich is synonymous: on the path of righteousness (accentuate בארח צדקה) is life meeting him who walks in it, and giving itself to him as a possession, and the walking in its path is immortality (cf. Pro 3:17; Pro 10:28); so that to go in it and to be immortal, i.e., to be delivered from death, to be exalted above it, is one and the same thing. If we compare with this, 1Sa 14:32, it is obvious that the Chokma begins (vid., Psychol. p. 410) to break through the limits of this present life, and to announce a life beyond the reach of death.

Advantages of the Righteous.

1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

We are here taught to try whether we have grace or no by enquiring how we stand affected to the means of grace. 1. Those that have grace and love it will delight in all the instructions that are given them by way of counsel; admonition, or reproof, by the word or providence of God; they will value a good education, and think it not a hardship, but a happiness, to be under a strict and prudent discipline. Those that love a faithful ministry, that value it, and sit under it with pleasure, make it to appear that they love knowledge. 2. Those show themselves not only void of grace, but void of common sense, that take it as an affront to be told of their faults, and an imposition upon their liberty to be put in mind of their duty: He that hates reproof is not only foolish, but brutish, like the horse and the mule that have no understanding, or the ox that kicks against the goad. Those that desire to live in loose families and societies, where they may be under no check, that stifle the convictions of their own consciences, and count those their enemies that tell them the truth, are the brutish here meant.

2 A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord : but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Note, 1. We are really as we are with God. Those are happy, truly happy, for ever happy, that obtain favour of the Lord, though the world frown upon them, and they find little favour with men; for in God's favour is life, and that is the fountain of all good. On the other hand those are miserable whom he condemns, however men may applaud them, and cry them up; whom he condemns he condemns to the second death. 2. We are with God as we are with men, as we have our conversation in this world. Our Father judges of his children very much by their conduct one to another; and therefore a good man, that is merciful, and charitable, and does good, draws out favour from the Lord by his prayers; but a malicious man, that devises wickedness against his neighbours, he will condemn, as unworthy of a place in his kingdom.

3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

Note, 1. Though men may advance themselves by sinful arts, they cannot by such arts settle and secure themselves; though they may get large estates they cannot get such as will abide: A man shall not be established by wickedness; it may set him in high places, but they are slippery places, Ps. lxxiii. 18. That prosperity which is raised by sin is built on the sand, and so it will soon appear. 2. Though good men may have but little of the world, yet that little will last, and what is honestly got will wear well: The root of the righteous shall not be moved, though their branches may be shaken. Those that by faith are rooted in Christ are firmly fixed; in him their comfort and happiness are so rooted as never to be rooted up.

4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Note, 1. He that is blessed with a good wife is as happy as if he were upon the throne, for she is no less than a crown to him. A virtuous woman, that is pious and prudent, ingenious and industrious, that is active for the good of her family and looks well to the ways of her household, that makes conscience of her duty in every relation, a woman of spirit, that can bear crosses without disturbance, such a one owns her husband for her head, and therefore she is a crown to him, not only a credit and honour to him, as a crown is an ornament, but supports and keeps up his authority in his family, as a crown is an ensign of power. She is submissive and faithful to him and by her example teaches his children and servants to be so too. 2. He that is plagued with a bad wife is as miserable as if he were upon the dunghill; for she is no better than rottenness in his bones, an incurable disease, besides that she makes him ashamed. She that is silly and slothful, wasteful and wanton, passionate and ill-tongued, ruins both the credit and comfort of her husband. If he go abroad, his head is hung down, for his wife's faults turn to his reproach. If he retire into himself, his heart is sunk; he is continually uneasy; it is an affliction that preys much upon the spirits.

5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

Note, 1. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and judges them. We mistake if we imagine that thoughts are free. No, they are under the divine cognizance, and therefore under the divine command. 2. We ought to be observers of the thoughts and intents of our own hearts, and to judge of ourselves by them; for they are the first-born of the soul, that have most of its image undisguised. Right thoughts are a righteous man's best evidences, as nothing more certainly proves a man wicked than wicked contrivances and designs. A good man may have in his mind bad suggestions, but he does not indulge them and harbour them till they are ripened into bad projects and resolutions. 3. It is a man's honour to mean honestly, and to have his thoughts right, though a word or action may be misplaced, or mistimed, or at least misinterpreted. But it is a man's shame to lie always at catch, to act with deceit, with trick and design, not only with a long reach, but with an overreach.

6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

In the foregoing verse the thoughts of the wicked and righteous were compared; here their words, and those are as the abundance of the heart is. 1. Wicked people speak mischief to their neighbours; and wicked indeed those are whose words are to lie in wait for blood; their tongues are swords to those that stand in their way, to good men whom they hate and persecute. See an instance, Luke xx. 20, 21. 2. Good men speak help to their neighbours: The mouth of the upright is ready to be opened in the cause of those that are oppressed (ch. xxxi. 8), to plead for them, to witness for them, and so to deliver them, particularly those whom the wicked lie in wait for. A man may sometimes do a very good work with one good word.

7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

We are here taught as before (v. 3 and ch. x. 25, 30), 1. That the triumphing of the wicked is short. They may be exalted for a while, but in a little time they are overthrown and are not; their trouble proves their overthrow, and those who made a great show disappear, and their place knows them no more. Turn the wicked, and they are not; they stand in such a slippery place that the least touch of trouble brings them down, like the apples of Sodom, which look fair, but touch them and they go to dust. 2. That the prosperity of the righteous has a good bottom and will endure. Death will remove them, but their house shall stand, their families shall be kept up, and the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

We are here told whence to expect a good name. Reputation is what most have a high regard to and stand much upon. Now it is certain, 1. The best reputation is that which attends virtue and serious piety, and the prudent conduct of life: A man shall be commended by all that are wise and good, in conformity to the judgment of God himself, which we are sure is according to truth, not according to his riches or preferments, his craft and subtlety, but according to his wisdom, the honesty of his designs and the prudent choice of means to compass them. 2. The worst reproach is that which follows wickedness and an opposition to that which is good: He that is of a perverse heart, that turns aside to crooked ways, and goes on frowardly in them, shall be despised. Providence will bring him to poverty and contempt, and all that have a true sense of honour will despise him as unworthy to be dealt with and unfit to be trusted, as a blemish and scandal to mankind.

9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

Note, 1. It is the folly of some that they covet to make a great figure abroad, take place, and take state, as persons of quality, and yet want necessaries at home, and, if their debts were paid, would not be worth a morsel of bread, nay, perhaps, pinch their bellies to put it on their backs, that they may appear very gay, because fine feathers make fine birds. 2. The condition and character of those is every way better who content themselves in a lower sphere, where they are despised for the plainness of their dress and the meanness of their post, that they may be able to afford themselves, not only necessaries, but conveniences, in their own houses, not only bread, but a servant to attend them and take some of their work off their hands. Those that contrive to live plentifully and comfortably at home are to be preferred before those that affect nothing so much as to appear splendid abroad, though they have not wherewithal to maintain their appearance, whose hearts are unhumbled when their condition is low.

10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

See here, 1. To how great a degree a good man will be merciful; he has not only a compassion for the human nature under its greatest abasements, but he regards even the life of his beast, not only because it is his servant, but because it is God's creature, and in conformity to Providence, which preserves man and beast. The beasts that are under our care must be provided for, must have convenient food and rest, must in no case be abused or tyrannised over. Balaam was checked for beating his ass. The law took care for oxen. Those therefore are unrighteous men that are not just to the brute-creatures; those that are furious and barbarous to them evidence, and confirm in themselves, a habit of barbarity, and help to make the creation groan, Rom. viii. 22. 2. To how great a degree a wicked man will be unmerciful; even his tender mercies are cruel; that natural compassion which is in him, as a man, is lost, and, by the power of corruption, is turned into hard-heartedness; even that which they will have to pass for compassion is really cruel, as Pilate's resolution concerning Christ the innocent, I will chastise him and let him go. Their pretended kindnesses are only a cover for purposed cruelties.

11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Note, 1. It is men's wisdom to mind their business and follow an honest calling, for that is the way, by the blessing of God, to get a livelihood: He that tills his land, of which he is either the owner or the occupant, that keeps to his word and is willing to take pains, if he do not raise an estate by it (what need is there of that?), yet he shall be satisfied with bread, shall have food convenient for himself and his family, enough to bear his charges comfortably through the world. Even the sentence of wrath has this mercy in it, Thou shalt eat bread, though it be in the sweat of thy face. Cain was denied this, Gen. iv. 12. Be busy, and that is the true way to be easy. Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee. Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands. 2. It is men's folly to neglect their business. Those are void of understanding that do so, for then they fall in with idle companions and follow them in their evil courses, and so come to want bread, at least bread of their own, and make themselves burdensome to others, eating the bread out of other people's mouths.

12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

See here, 1. What is the care and aim of a wicked man; he would do mischief: He desires the net of evil men. "Oh that I were but as cunning as such a man, to make a hand of those I deal with, that I had but his art of over-reaching, that I could but take my revenge on one I have spite to as effectually as he can!" He desires the strong-hold, or fortress, of evil men (so some read it), to act securely in doing mischief, that it may not turn upon him. 2. What is the care and aim of a good man: His root yields fruit, and is his strength and stability, and that is it that he desires, to do good and to be fixed and confirmed in doing good. The wicked desires only a net wherewith to fish for himself; the righteous desires to yield fruit for the benefit of others and God's glory, Rom. xiv. 6.

Truth and Falsehood.

13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

See here, 1. The wicked entangling themselves in trouble by their folly, when God in justice leaves them to themselves. They are often snared by the transgression of their lips and their throats are cut with their own tongues. By speaking evil of dignities they expose themselves to public justice; by giving ill language they become obnoxious to private resentments, are sued for defamation, and actions on the case for words are brought against them. Many a man has paid dearly in this world for the transgression of his lips, and has felt the lash on his back for want of a bridle upon his tongue, Ps. lxiv. 8. 2. The righteous extricating themselves out of trouble by their own wisdom, when God in mercy comes in for their succour: The just shall come out of such troubles as the wicked throw themselves headlong into. It is intimated that the just may perhaps come into trouble; but, though they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down, Ps. xxxiv. 19.

14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

We are here assured, for our quickening to every good word and work, 1. That even good words will turn to a good account (v. 14): A man shall be satisfied with good (that is, he shall gain present comfort, that inward pleasure which is truly satisfying) by the fruit of his mouth, by the good he does with his pious discourse and prudent advice. While we are teaching others we may ourselves learn, and feed on the bread of life we break to others. 2. That good works, much more, will be abundantly rewarded: The recompence of a man's hands for all his work and labour of love, all he has done for the glory of God and the good of his generation, shall be rendered unto him, and he shall reap as he has sown. Or it may be understood of the general rule of justice; God will render to every man according to his work, Rom. ii. 6.

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

See here, 1. What it is that keeps a fool from being wise: His way is right in his own eyes; he thinks he is in the right in every thing he does, and therefore asks no advice, because he does not apprehend he needs it; he is confident he knows the way, and cannot miss it, and therefore never enquires the way. The rule he goes by is to do that which is right in his own eyes, to walk in the way of his heart. Quicquid libet, licet—He makes his will his law. He is a fool that is governed by his eye, and not by his conscience. 2. What it is that keeps a wise man from being a fool; he is willing to be advised, desires to have counsel given him, and hearkens to counsel, being diffident of his own judgment and having a value for the direction of those that are wise and good. He is wise (it is a sign he is so, and he is likely to continue so) whose ear is always open to good advice.

16 A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

Note, 1. Passion is folly: A fool is known by his anger (so some read it); not but that a wise man may be angry when there is just cause for it, but then he has his anger under check and direction, is lord of his anger, whereas a fool's anger lords it over him. He that, when he is provoked, breaks out into indecent expressions, in words or behaviour, whose passion alters his countenance, makes him outrageous, and leads him to forget himself, Nabal certainly is his name and folly is with him. A fool's indignation is known in the day; he proclaims it openly, whatever company he is in. Or it is known in the day he is provoked; he cannot defer showing his resentments. Those that are soon angry, that are quickly put into a flame by the least spark, have not that rule which they ought to have over their own spirits. 2. Meekness is wisdom: A prudent man covers shame. (1.) He covers the passion that is in his own breast; when his spirit is stirred, and his heart hot within him, he keeps his mouth as with a bridle, and suppresses his resentments, by smothering and stifling them. Anger is shame, and, though a wise man be not perfectly free from it, yet he is ashamed of it, rebukes it, and suffers not the evil spirit to speak. (2.) He covers the provocation that is given him, the indignity that is done him, winks at it, covers it as much as may be from himself, that he may not carry his resentments of it too far. It is a kindness to ourselves, and contributes to the repose of our own minds, to extenuate and excuse the injuries and affronts that we receive, instead of aggravating them and making the worst of them, as we are apt to do.

17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

Here is, 1. A faithful witness commended for an honest man. He that makes conscience of speaking truth, and representing every thing fairly, to the best of his knowledge, whether in judgment or in common conversation, whether he be upon his oath or no, he shows forth righteousness; he makes it to appear that he is governed and actuated by the principles and laws of righteousness, and he promotes justice by doing honour to it and serving the administration of it. 2. A false witness condemned for a cheat; he shows forth deceit, not only how little conscience he makes of deceiving those he deals with, but how much pleasure he takes in it, and that he is possessed by a lying spirit, Jer. ix. 3-5. We are all concerned to possess ourselves with a dread and detestation of the sin of lying (Ps. cxix. 163) and with a reigning principle of honesty.

18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

The tongue is death or life, poison or medicine, as it is used. 1. There are words that are cutting and killing, that are like the piercings of a sword. Opprobrious words grieve the spirits of those to whom they are spoken, and cut them to the heart. Slanders, like a sword, wound the reputation of those of whom they are uttered, and perhaps incurably. Whisperings and evil surmises, like a sword, divide and cut asunder the bounds of love and friendship, and separate those that have been dearest to each other. 2. There are words that are curing and healing: The tongue of the wise is health, closing up those wounds which the backbiting tongue had given, making all whole again, restoring peace, and accommodating matters in variance and persuading to reconciliation. Wisdom will find out proper remedies against the mischiefs that are made by detraction and evil-speaking.

19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Be it observed, to the honour of truth, that sacred thing, 1. That, if truth be spoken, it will hold good, and, whoever may be disobliged by it and angry at it, yet it will keep its ground. Great is the truth and will prevail. What is true will be always true; we may abide by it, and need not fear being disproved and put to shame. 2. That, if truth be denied, yet in time it will transpire. A lying tongue, that puts false colours upon things, is but for a moment. The lie will be disproved. The liar, when he comes to be examined, will be found in several stories, and not consistent with himself as he is that speaks truth; and, when he is found in a lie, he cannot gain his point, nor will he afterwards be credited. Truth may be eclipsed, but it will come to light. Those therefore that make a lie their refuge will find it a refuge of lies.

Weighty Sayings.

20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

Note, 1. Those that devise mischief contrive, for the accomplishing of it, how to impose upon others; but it will prove, in the end, that they deceive themselves. Those that imagine evil, under colour of friendship, have their hearts full of this and the other advantage and satisfaction which they shall gain by it, but it is all a cheat. Let them imagine it ever so artfully, deceivers will be deceived. 2. Those that consult the good of their neighbours, that study the things which make for peace and give peaceable advice, promote healing attempts and contrive healing methods, and, according as their sphere is, further the public welfare, will have not only the credit, but the comfort of it. They will have joy and success, perhaps beyond their expectation. Blessed are the peace-makers.

21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

Note, 1. Piety is a sure protection. If men be sincerely righteous, the righteous God has engaged that no evil shall happen to them. He will, by the power of his grace in them, that principle of justice, keep them from the evil of sin; so that, though they be tempted, yet they shall not be overcome by the temptation, and though they may come into trouble, into many troubles, yet to them those troubles shall have no evil in them, whatever they have to others (Ps. xci. 10), for they shall be overruled to work for their good. 2. Wickedness is as sure a destruction. Those that live in contempt of God and man, that are set on mischief, with mischief they shall be filled. They shall be more mischievous, shall be filled with all unrighteousness, Rom. i. 29. Or they shall be made miserable with the mischiefs that shall come upon them. Those that delight in mischief shall have enough of it. Some read the whole verse thus, There shall no evil happen to the just, though the wicked be filled with mischief and spite against them. They shall be safe under the protection of Heaven, though hell itself break loose upon them.

22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord : but they that deal truly are his delight.

We are here taught, 1. To hate lying, and to keep at the utmost distance from it, because it is an abomination to the Lord, and renders those abominable in his sight that allow themselves in it, not only because it is a breach of his law, but because it is destructive to human society. 2. To make conscience of truth, not only in our words, but in all our actions, because those that deal truly and sincerely in all their dealings are his delight, and he is well pleased with them. We delight to converse with, and make use of, those that are honest and that we may put a confidence in; such therefore let us be, that we may recommend ourselves to the favour both of God and man.

23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

Note, 1. He that is wise does not affect to proclaim his wisdom, and it is his honour that he does not. He communicates his knowledge when it may turn to the edification of others, but he conceals it when the showing of it would only tend to his own commendation. Knowing men, if they be prudent men, will carefully avoid every thing that savours of ostentation, and not take all occasions to show their learning and reading, but only to use it for good purposes, and then let their own works praise them. Ars est celare artem—The perfection of art is to conceal it. 2. He that is foolish cannot avoid proclaiming his folly, and it is his shame that he cannot: The heart of fools, by their foolish words and actions, proclaims foolishness; either they do not desire to hide it, so little sense have they of good and evil, honour and dishonour, or they know not how to hide it, so little discretion have they in the management of themselves, Eccl. x. 3.

24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Note, 1. Industry is the way to preferment. Solomon advanced Jeroboam because he saw that he was an industrious young man, and minded his business, 1 Kings xi. 28. Men that take pains in study and serviceableness will thereby gain such an interest and reputation as will give them a dominion over all about them, by which means many have risen strangely. He that has been faithful in a few things shall be made ruler over many things. The elders, that labour in the word and doctrine, are worthy of double honour; and those that are diligent when they are young will get that which will enable them to rule, and so to rest, when they are old. 2. Knavery is the way to slavery: The slothful and careless, or rather the deceitful (for so the word signifies), shall be under tribute. Those that, because they will not take pains in an honest calling, live by their shifts and arts of dishonesty, are paltry and beggarly, and will be kept under. Those that are diligent and honest when they are apprentices will come to be masters; but those that are otherwise are the fools who, all their days, must be servants to the wise in heart.

25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

Here is, 1. The cause and consequence of melancholy. It is heaviness in the heart; it is a load of care, and fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits, depressing them, and disabling them to exert themselves with any vigour on what is to be done or fortitude in what is to borne; it makes them stoop, prostrates and sinks them. Those that are thus oppressed can neither do the duty nor take the comfort of any relation, condition, or conversation. Those therefore that are inclined to it should watch and pray against it. 2. The cure of it: A good word from God, applied by faith, makes it glad; such a word is that (says one of the rabbin), Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; the good word of God, particularly the gospel, is designed to make the hearts glad that are weary and heavy-laden, Matt. xi. 28. Ministers are to be helpers of this joy.

26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

See here, 1. That good men do well for themselves; for they have in themselves an excellent character, and they secure to themselves an excellent portion, and in both they excel other people: The righteous is more abundant than his neighbour (so the margin); he is richer, though not in this world's goods, yet in the graces and comforts of the Spirit, which are the true riches. There is a true excellency in religion; it ennobles men, inspires them with generous principles, makes them substantial; it is an excellency which is, in the sight of God, of great price, who is the true Judge of excellency. His neighbour may make a greater figure in the world, may be more applauded, but the righteous man has the intrinsic worth. 2. That wicked men do ill for themselves; they walk in a way which seduces them. It seems to them to be not only a pleasant way, but the right way; it is so agreeable to flesh and blood that they therefore flatter themselves with an opinion that it cannot be amiss, but they will not gain the point they aim at, nor enjoy the good they hope for. It is all a cheat; and therefore the righteous is wiser and happier than his neighbour, that yet despise him and trample upon him.

27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Here is, 1. That which may make us hate slothfulness and deceit, for the word here, as before, signifies both: The slothful deceitful man has roast meat, but that which he roasts is not what he himself took in hunting, no, it is what others took pains for, and he lives upon the fruit of their labours, like the drones in the hive. Or, if slothful deceitful men have taken any thing by hunting (as sportsmen are seldom men of business), yet they do not roast it when they have taken it; they have no comfort in the enjoyment of it; perhaps God in his providence cuts them short of it. 2. That which may make us in love with industry and honesty, that the substance of a diligent man, though it be not great perhaps, is yet precious. It comes from the blessing of God; he has comfort in it; it does him good, and his family. It is his own daily bread, not bread out of other people's mouths, and therefore he sees God gives it to him in answer to his prayer.

28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

The way of religion is here recommended to us, 1. As a straight, plain, easy way; it is the way of righteousness. God's commands (the rule we are to walk by) are all holy, just, and good. Religion has right reason and equity on its side; it is a path-way, a way which God has cast up for us (Isa. xxxv. 8); it is a highway, the king's highway, the King of kings' highway, a way which is tracked before us by all the saints, the good old way, full of the footsteps of the flock. 2. As a safe, pleasant, comfortable way. (1.) There is not only life at the end, but there is life in the way; all true comfort and satisfaction. The favour of God, which is better than life; the Spirit, who is life. (2.) There is not only life in it, but so as that in it there is no death, none of that sorrow of the world which works death and is an allay to our present joy and life. There is no end of that life that is in the way of righteousness. Here there is life, but there is death too. In the way of righteousness there is life, and no death, life and immortality.

CHAP. XII. Verſ. 1. Whoſo loveth instruction, loveth knowledge.]

HEre is ſhewed, that Adverſity is the beſt Univerſity, ſaith an Interpreter. Schola crucis, ſchola lucis, Corrections of inſtruction are the way of life.Vexatio dat intellectum. Men commonly beat and bruiſe their links, before they light them, to make them burn the brighter. God firſt humbles whom hee means to illuminate; as Gideon took thorns of the wilderneſs and briers, and with them hee taught the men of Succoth, Judg. 8.16. See my Treatiſe on Rev. 3.19. pag. 152. &c. Mr. Aſcham was a good ſchool-maſter to Queen Elizabeth, but affliction was a better, as one well obſerveth. That verſe was much in her mouth.

Non ignara mali miſeris ſuccurrere diſco.Virgil.

But hee that hateth reproof] Whether it bee by the rebukes of men, or the Rod of God, hee is brutiſh: tardus eſt, hee is fallen below the ſtirrop of reaſon, hee is a beaſt in mans ſhape; nothing is more irrational than irreligion. That ſapleſs fellow Nabal would hear nothing; there was no talking to him, no dealing with him; but as Horſe and Mule that have no underſtanding, Pſal. 32.9. Baſil complains of the Weſtern Churches, that they were grown ſo proud,Epiſt. ad Evagr. ut quid verum ſit neque ſciant, neque ſuſtineant diſcere, that they neither knew what was truth, nor would bee taught better. Such are near to ruine, and that without remedy, Prov. 29.1. See the Note there.

Verſ. 2. A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord] Or, Hath what hee will of God, id quod vult a domino impetrat; quia ejus voluntas eſt ipſiſſima Dei voluntas, nec aliud vult. Thus Mercer out of Rabbi Levi. Thus it is written of Luther, that by his prayers hee could prevail with God at his pleaſure. When great gifts were offered him, hee refuſed them with this brave ſpeech, Valde proteſtatus ſum me nolle ſic ſatiari à Deo. I ſolemnly proteſted to God, that I would not bee put off with theſe low things. And on a time praying for the recovery of a godly uſeful man, among other paſſages, hee let fall this tranſcendent rapture of a daring Faith, Fiat mea voluntas, Let my will bee done; and then falls off ſweetly, Mea voluntas, Domine, quia tua; My will, Lord, becauſe thy will. Here was a good man, here was a bleſſed man; according to that Rule, Beatus eſt qui habet quicquid vult, & nihil male vult. Bleſſed is hee that hath what hee will, and wills nothing but what hee ſhould.

But a man of wicked devices] Such as no good man is; hee doth not plot or plow miſchief, hee doth not cater and make proviſion for the fleſh, Rom. 13. there is no way of wickedneſs found in him; the peace is not broken betwixt God and him, becauſe his mind never yeelds to ſin, Rom. 7.25.Pſal. 139 hee walks not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit, therefore no condemnation, Rom. 8.1. If an evil thought haunt his heart (as eftſoons it befals) it is the device of the man, hee is not the man of ſuch devices. The wicked (on the contrary) is wholly made up of ſinful thoughts and purpoſes, and is in the midſt of them; therefore God will call him to an heavy reckoning, Jer. 6.19. Rev. 2.23.

Verſ. 3. A man ſhall not bee eſtabliſhed by wickedneſs] For hee laies his foundation upon fire-work, and brimſtone is ſcattered upon his houſe top: if the fire of God from Heaven but flaſh upon it, it will bee all on a light flame immediately. Hee walks all day upon a mine of gun-powder; and hath God with his armies ready to run upon the thickeſt boſſes of his buckler, and to hurle him to Hell. How can this man bee ſure of any thing? [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Cain built Cities, but could not reſt in them. Ahab begat ſeventy ſons, but not one ſucceſſor in the Kingdome. Phocas having built a mighty wall, heard from Heaven; Though thy walls were as high as Heaven, ſin is under it, and will ſubvert it. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Sin hath no ſettledneſs.

But the root of the righteous ſhall not bee moved] For though ſhaken with winds, yet they are rooted as trees: like a Ship at Anchor, they wagg up and down, yet remove not. God is my Rock, I ſhall not bee greatly moved, Pſal. 62.2. Nay, I ſhall not bee moved at all, verſ. 6. the gates of Hell cannot do it, Mat. 16.18. None can take them out of Gods hands, John 10.28. for hee hath laid help upon one that is mighty, Pſal. 89.19.

Verſ. 4. A virtuous woman is a Crown to her husband] Heb. A valiant woman, an able huſwife, ſuch as Bathſheba commends to her ſon, Chap. 31. and as Paul deſcribes, Tit. 2.4, 5. Shee is ſaid to bee a Crown to her husband, not a Ring for his finger, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Naz. or a Chain of gold for his neck, but a Crown or Garland for his head, a chief and choice Ornament, as Sarah was to Abraham, as Livia to Auguſtus, as Placilla to Theodoſius, as Nazianzens Mother to her Husband &c.

Is as rottenneſs in his bones] Not a diſgrace onely to him, but a diſeaſe, and ſuch a diſeaſe, as is far worſe than a quartan Ague: for there bee two good daies for one bad; but here a continual pain, and hardly curable. The wiſe man here expreſſeth the miſchief of an evil wife, by a very apt ſimilitude. And that of Hierome is not much behinde it, Sicut in ligno vermis, ita perdit virum ſuum uxor malefica. As the worm eats into the heart of the tree, and deſtroies it, ſo doth a naughty wife her husband. All evils (as elements) are moſt troubleſome, when out of their proper place, as impiety in Profeſſors, injuſtice in Judges, diſhonour and diſcomfort in a wife, &c.

Verſ. 5. The thoughts of the righteous are right] Hee feeds his thoughts upon the beſt objects; thoſe eſpecially mentioned in that little Bible, Phil. 4.8. Finally brethren, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, &c. if there bee any virtue, if there bee any praiſe, think on theſe things. If worſe, break in, as they will, hee juſtles them out, and rids the room of them. See the Note on Chap. 11.23.

But the counſels of the wicked are deceit] Not their raſh thoughts onely, but alſo their deliberate ones are how to circumvent others, or to cloak their own wickedneſs.Gen. 6. Every imagination, the whole frame of their thoughts is evil, onely evil, and continually evil. If good thoughts look into a wicked heart, they ſtay not there, as thoſe that like not their lodging: The flaſhes of lightnings may bee diſcerned into the darkeſt priſons. The light that ſhines into an holy heart, is conſtant, like that of the Sun, which keeps due times, and varies not the courſe for any of theſe ſublunary occaſions.

Verſ. 6. The words of the wicked are to lye in wait for blood] As they think not,Mat. 5. ſo neither ſpeak they the language of the righteous. Yee are the light of the world; and becauſe the light ſtands in the light of their wicked waies, as the Angel in Balaams way to his ſin, therefore they hate the Saints; and (as all hatred is bloody) ſeek their lives, mixing cruelty with their craft, as Cain, Herod, Julian, &c. The old Serpent lends them his ſeven heads to plot, and his ten horns to puſh. Their own ſtudy and exerciſe alſo hath made them expert and skilful in their helliſh trade; and the taſte of blood hath made them as hungry as hounds after it. Thus I kept the ban-dogs at ſtaves end (ſaid Nicholas Shetterden, Martyr) not as thinking to eſcape them, but that I would ſee the Foxes leap above ground for my blood,Act. & Mon. if they can reach it (ſo it bee the will of God) yet wee ſhall ſee them gape and leap for it.

But the mouth of the upright ſhall deliver them] Shall defend harmleſs men that are helpleſs, Prov. 24.11. Hence thoſe many Apologies of Tertullian, Apollonius, Arnobius, and others for the Primitive Chriſtians under perſecution. Hence wee had that unparralleld peece, Calvins Inſtitutions, which was written upon this occaſion. Francis King of France, willing to excuſe his cruelty exerciſed upon his Proteſtant Subjects, to the German Princes (whoſe friendſhip hee then deſired) wrote to them, that hee onely puniſhed Anabaptiſts for their contempt of the Scriptures, and of all Civil Government. Calvin (though then but five and twenty years of age) not able to bear that blur caſt upon the Reformed Religion under the name of thoſe Sectaries, Scultet. Annal. 454. ſet forth that excellent work, as well to vindicate the truth, as to plead for the innocency of thoſe that profeſſed it.

Verſ. 7. The wicked are overthrown, and are not] Say that the righteous cannot prevail by their Apologies for themſelves and others, God will take the matter into his own hand, and avenge them, Luk. 18.7. as he did the Primitive Chriſtians, and the French Proteſtants, upon their mercileſſe Perſecutors. Tu vero Herodes ſanguinolente time. As Beza warned Charls the Ninth, Author of the Maſſacre.

But the houſe of the righteous ſhall ſtand] Gods houſe the Church ſhall (as the Gloſſe applies this Text) The mountain of the Lord ſhall bee exalted above all mountains. The Church, as it is higheſt in the favour of God, ſo it ſhall bee higheſt in it ſelf: when the enemies ſhall be in that place that is fitteſt for them, the loweſt, that is the foot-ſtool of Chriſt. There is a Council in Heaven will daſh the mould of all contrary Counſels upon earth, Pſal. 2. Gaudeo quod Chriſtus dominus eſt: alioqui totus deſperaſſem. I am glad yet that Chriſt is King: For otherwiſe I ſhould have been utterly out of hope, writes Miconius to Calvin, upon the view of the Churches enemies.

Verſ 8. A man ſhall be commended according to his wiſdome] And all wiſdome conſiſts in this, Ut Deum quis cognoſcat & colat, ſaith Lactantius, That a man rightly know and worſhip God. This did not Apollonius, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Plut. whom yet Philoſtratus commendeth, that he was non doctus, ſed natus ſapiens, not inſtructed, but born wiſe. (See the contrary, Job 11.12) Nor Archimides, who yet had the name and note (ſaith Plutarch) of a Divine, and not Human wiſdome. Nor Ariſtotle, whom yet Averroes admires as the very Rule and Copy that Nature invented, wherein to ſet forth the utmoſt of Human perfection: And further ſaith, that his doctrin was the chiefeſt truth, and his underſtanding the utmoſt extent of human wiſdome. Theſe were wiſe, I confeſſe, in their generations, and ſo accounted: But by whom? Not by Saint Paul; he had another opinion of them. See Rom. 1.22, 23. 1 Cor. 2.6. Not by our Saviour, Matth. 11.25. Not by any that are rightly inſtructed to the Kingdom of Heaven, and have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern good and evil. The Italians arrogate to themſelves the monopoly of Wiſdome, in that Proverb of theirs, Italus ſapit ante factum, Hiſpanus in facto, Germanus poſt factum. Italians, ſay they, both ſeem and are wiſe: whereas Spaniards ſeem wiſe, and are fools; French-men ſeem fools, and are wiſe; Portugals neither are wiſe, nor ſo much as ſeem ſo. Thus the Jeſuites (thoſe great Clerks, Politicians, and Wiſards of the world) doe vaunt that the Church is the ſoul of the World, the Clergie of the Church, and they of the Clergie. But what ſaith that great Apoſtle that knew more than twenty of them? He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord: for not hee that commendeth himſelf is approved, (no nor hee whom the world cries up for a wiſe man) but he whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. 10.18.

But he that is of a perverſe heart] As all are that are not heavenly-wiſe, and that ſhew not out of a good converſation their works with meekneſs of wiſdome, Jam. 3.13, 17. But ſo did none of thoſe Heathen Sages,Rom. 1.26 whom God for their unthankfulneſſe, gave up unto vile affections, and vitious converſation; and ſo ſet a Noveri[illegible: 1 letter]t Univerſi, as it were, upon them, Know all men, that theſe men know nothing aright, and as they ought to know;Rom. 1.22 profeſſing themſelves to be wiſe, they proclaime themſelves fools.

Verſ. 9. Better is he that is deſpiſed] Viz. Of others, and hath no extraordinary opinion of himſelf, but ſticks cloſe to his buſineſs, and hath help at hand when he pleaſes, a ſervant at his beck and check. This was the caſe of Galleacius Caracciolus that noble Marqueſſe, in his exile at Geneva for conſcience ſake. See his life ſet forth in Engliſh by Mr. Craſhaw.

Than he that honoureth himſelf and lacketh bread] That ſtanding upon his Pantofles, and boaſting of his Gentility (as thoſe Spaniſh Hidalgoes) ruffle it out in brave apparrel, but hath not a penny in his purſe, yea, not ſometime food ſufficient to put in his belly. Spaniards are ſaid to be impudent braggers, and extreamly proud in the loweſt ebbe of fortune. If a Spaniard have but a Capon, H[illegible: 1 letter]yl▪ Geog. or the like good diſh to his ſupper, you ſhall find the feathers ſcattered before his door the next morning.

Verſ. 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beaſt] There bee beaſts ad uſum, & ad eſum. Some are profitable alive, not dead, as the Dogge, Horſe, &c. Some dead, not alive, as the Hogge: ſome both, as the Oxe. There is a mercy to be ſhewed to theſe dumb Creatures, as wee ſee in Eleazar, Gen. 24.32. And the contrary in Balaam, who ſpurred his Aſſe till ſhe ſpake, Numb. 22.27. Otherwiſe we ſhall make them groan under the bondage of our corruption, Rom. 8.21. and he that hears the young Ravens, may hear them: for he is gracious. Exod. 22. The reſtraint that was of eating the bloud of dead beaſts, declared, that hee would not have tyranny exerciſed on them whiles they are alive.

But the tender mercies of the wicked] If any ſuch thing there were; but they have no ſuch bowels left, with Judas, no ſuch tenderneſſe, ſcarce common humanity: Cannibal-like, they eat up Gods people as they eat bread, feeding upon them alive, and by degrees; and dealing by them as the cruel Spaniards doe by the Indians; S. Fran. Drakes World encompaſs. They ſuppoſe they ſhew the wretches great favour, when they doe not for their pleaſure whip them with cords, and day by day drop their naked bodies with burning Bacon, which is one of the leaſt cruelties that they exerciſe toward them. In the ſixth Council of Toledo it was enacted, that the King of Spain ſhould ſuffer none to live within his Dominions that profeſs not the Roman Catholick Religion. In purſuance of which Decree, Philip King of Spain ſaid, he had rather have no Subjects than Proteſtants: And out of a bloudy zeal ſuffered his eldeſt Son Charls to be murdered by the cruel Inquiſition, becauſe he ſeemed to favour that profeſſion. When the Spaniards took Heidelberg, they took Monſieur Mylius an ancient Miniſter: and after they had abuſed his Daughter before his eyes, tied a ſmall cord about his head, which with truncheons they wreathed about till they ſqueezed out his brains. What ſhould I ſpeak of the French Maſſacres, and late Iriſh immane and monſtrous murthers, equalling it not, exceeding that at Athens, taken by Sylla, which yet, ſaith Appian, was [non-Latin text not transcribed], a mercileſs Maſſacre: Or that of Prolomeus, Lathurus King of Aegypt, who ſlew thirty thouſand Jews at once, and forced the reſt to feed upon the fleſh of their ſlain fellows: Or laſtly, that of the Jews committed upon the inhabitants of Cyrene, whom they not only baſely Butchered, but afterwards ate their fleſh, drank their bloud, and cloathed themſelves with their Skins, as Dio relates in the Life of Trajan the Emperour?

Verſ. 11. He that tilleth his Land ſhall be ſatisfied, &c. This is true of all other lawful Callings manual or mental, the ſweat of the brow or of the brain. Sin brought in ſweat, Gen. 3.19. and now not to ſweat increaſeth ſin; Men muſt earn their bread before they eat it, 2 Theſſ. 3.12. and bee diligent in their Callings to ſerve God and Men, themſelves and others, with the fatneſſe, and ſweetneſſe thereof; and then they have the promiſe, they ſhall be fed, Pſal. 37.7.

Dum de mor. But he that followeth vain perſons, &c.] It is hard to bee a good fellow and a good husband too. Qui aequo animo malis immiſcetur, malus eſt, ſaith one, Hee that delights in bad company cannot be good.

Verſ. 12. The wicked deſireth the net of evil men] i. e. He ſo furiouſly purſueth his luſts, as if he deſired deſtruction, as if he would out-dare God himſelf; as if the guerdon of his graceleſneſs would not come time enough, but hee muſt needs run to meet it. Jun. in loc. Thus Thraſonical Lamech, Gen. 4.23. thinks to have the odds of God, ſeventy to ſeven. Thus the Princes of the Philiſtims, (whilome plagued) came up to Mizpeh againſt Iſrael (who were there drawing water, 1 Sam. 7. i. e. weeping abundantly before the Lord[illegible: 1 letter]) as it were to fetch their bane. Thus Pope Julius the third will have his Pork-fleſh, al deſpito de dio. And Doctor Story will curſe Queen Elizabeth in his daily grace afore meat, and yet ſay in open Parliament,Act. & Mon. 19[illegible: 1 letter]5. that he ſaw nothing to bee aſhamed of, much leſſe to be ſorry for, but that he had done no more againſt the Hereticks, yea againſt the Queen her ſelf in the dayes of her ſiſter Mary. This Story eſcaping out of Priſon, got to Antwerp, and there received Commiſſion under Duke D' Alva to ſearch all ſhips coming thither, for Engliſh books. But one Parker an Engliſh Merchant, trading to Antwerp, laid his net fair to catch this foul bird, cauſing ſecret notice to bee given to Story, that in his ſhip were ſtore of heretical books, with other intelligences that might ſtand him inſtead. The Canoniſt conceiving that all was cock-ſure, haſted to the ſhip, where with looks very big upon the poor Mariners, each Cabbin, Cheſt and corner above-board were ſearched, and ſome things found to draw him further on; ſo that the hatches muſt bee opened, which ſeemed to bee unwillingly done, and great ſigns of fear were ſhewed by their faces. Speeds hiſt. of great Britain, fol. 1174. This drew on the Doctor to deſcend into the hold; where now in the Trap the Mouſe might well gnaw, but could not get out; for the hatches went down, and the ſails hoyſed up, which with a merry gale were blown into England, where ere long hee was arraigned and condemned of high Treaſon, and accordingly executed at Tiburn, as hee had well deſerved.

Verſ. 13. The wicked is ſnared by the tranſgreſſion of his lips] His heart is oft ſo full of venome that it cannot bee hid, but bliſters his tongue, and breaks out at his lips to his own ruine, as it befell Story, Campian, Garnet, and other Popiſh poyſonful Spiders, who were ſwept down by the hand Juſtice, and drew their laſt thred in the Triangle of Tiburn. Detexit facinus fatnus, & non implevit; as Tacitus ſaith of one that was ſent by the Senate to diſpatch Nero, but bewrayed, and betrayed himſelf.

But the juſt ſhall come out of trouble] They ſuffer ſometimes for their bold and free invectives againſt the evils of the times, or otherwiſe for diſcharging their conſciences, but they ſhall ſurely bee delivered. There is yet one man (ſaith Ahab) Micaiah the ſon of Imlah, by whom wee may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for hee doth not propheſie good concerning mee, but evil. It is very probable that Micaiah was that diſguiſed Prophet, who brought to Ahab the fearful meſſage of diſpleaſure and death for diſmiſſing Benhadad; for which hee was ever ſince faſt in Priſon, deep in diſgrace. But God with the temptation made a way for him to eſcape. So hee did for Peter, Act. 12. Paul, 2 Tim. 4. All the Apoſtles, Act. 4. John Baptiſt indeed was without any law, right, or reaſon beheaded in priſon,Act. & Mon. fol. 1423. as though God had known nothing at all of him, ſaid George Marſh the Martyr. And the ſame may bee ſaid of ſundry other faithful witneſs to the truth, but then by death they entred into life eternal. Mors fuit aerumnarum requies, which was Chaucers Motto; beſides that, heaven upon earth they had during their troubles. Philip Lanſgrave of Heſſe, being a long time priſoner under Charles the fifth, was demanded what upheld him all that while, Reſpondit, divinas conſolationes Martyrum ſe ſenſiſſe, hee anſwered, that hee had felt the divine comforts of the Martyrs. The beſt comforts are uſually reſerved for the worſt times.

Verſ. 14. A man ſhall bee ſatiated with good, &c.] There are empty Vines that bear fruit to themſelves, Hoſ. 10.1. And as empty Casks ſound loudeſt, and baſe metal rings ſhrilleſt: ſo many empty Tatlers are full of diſcourſe, ſed cui bono? as hee ſaid. Plato and Xenophon thought it fit and profitable that mens ſpeeches at meals ſhould bee written. And if Chriſtians ſhould ſo do, what kinde of books would they bee?Mat. 12. Mal. 3. And yet for every idle word account muſt bee given; as for every good word there is a book of remembrance. Much fruit will redound by holy ſpeeches, to our ſelves, much to others. Paul ſheweth that the very report of his bands did a great deal of good in Ceſars houſe. A poor captive Maid was the means of Naamans converſion: As afterwards the words of his ſervants were greater in operation with him, than the words of the great Prophet Eliſha. One ſeaſonable truth, falling upon a prepared heart, hath oft a ſtrong and ſweet influence. Sometimes alſo, though wee know that which wee ask of others as well as they do; yet good ſpeeches will draw us to know it better, by giving occaſion to ſpeak more of it, wherewith the Spirit works more effectually, and imprints it deeper, ſo that it ſhall bee a more rooted knowledge than before; for that ſatiates the ſoul that is graciouſly known; and that is graciouſly known, that the Spirit ſeals upon our ſouls. In the morning therefore ſow thy ſeed, and in the evening with-hold not thy hand, for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper, this or that, or whether they both ſhall bee alike good, Eccleſ. 11.6.

And the recompence of a mans hands ſhall bee given unto him] Hee ſhall eat the fruit of his doings, Iſa. 3.10. For the talk of the lips (if that bee all) tendeth onely to penury, Prov. 14.13. Nos non eloquimur magna, ſed vivimus, ſaid they of old. Origens teaching and living were ſaid to bee both one. Hee cannot look to bee ſatisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, qui operibus deſtruit quod recte docet, who ſayes one thing, and doth another. A ſmoothe tongue, and a rough hand carries away double judgement.

Verſ. 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes] Hee thinks his own wit beſt,Arachne ap. Ovid. Conſilii ſatis eſt in me mihi, hee will not part with his Commonwealth of bables, for the Tower of London. And ſuch a fool is every natural men, Job 11.12. wiſe enough, haply in his generation (ſo is the Fox too) wiſe with ſuch a wiſdome, as (like the Oſtrich-wings) makes him out-run others upon earth, and in earthly things, but helps him never a whit towards heaven; nay hinders him, and hangs in his light, as it fared with the Phariſees, Matth. 21.31. Of ſuch it may bee ſaid, as Quintilian ſaid of ſome over-weeners of themſelves, that they might have proved excellent Scholars if they had not been ſo perſwaded already; ſo might many have been wiſe, if they had not been conceited of their own wiſdome; and ſaved, if not over-well perſwaded of their good eſtate to God-ward. They claſp and hug the barn of their own brain with the Ape, till they ſtrangle it.

—At parit ut vivat regnetque beatus. Hor. Ep. 2. Cogi poſſe negat.—

But hee that hearkneth to counſel is wiſe] Hee that ſuſpecting his own judgement, takes advice of wiſer than himſelf, ſeldome miſcarries. There is that ſelf-love in many, that they think their Mole-hill a Mountain, their Keſtril an Eagle, their Gooſe a Swan. And being ſelf-conceited, they love to bee flattered. Not ſo the wiſe man; hee knows that humanum eſt errare. And that Triſte mortalitatis privilegium eſt licere aliquando peccare. Hee is therefore glad of good counſel, and thankful for a ſeaſonable reproof. Let the righteous ſmite mee.

Verſ. 16. A fools wrath is preſently known] Hee hath no power over his paſſions. Hence [non-Latin text not transcribed] a fool, and [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſuddenly, raſhly, is from the ſame root. Like Tow, hee is ſoon kindled, like a pot, hee ſoon boyls, and like a candle whoſe tallow is mixt with brine, as ſoon as lighted hee ſpits up and down the room. A fool uttereth all his minde, Prov. 29.11. The Septuagint render it, All his anger. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. For, as the Hebrews well note in a Proverb they have, A mans minde is ſooneſt diſcovered, bekis, bekos, becognos, in loculis, in poculis, in ira, in his purſe, in his drink, in his anger. See my Common-place of Anger.

But a wiſe man covereth ſhame] By concealing his wrath, or rather by ſuppreſſing it, when it would break forth to his diſgrace, or the juſt grief of another.Ovid. Ut fragilis glacies, occidit ira morâ. This was Sauls wiſdome, 1 Sam. 10.27. And Jonathans, when incenſed by his Fathers frowardneſs, hee went a ſhooting, 1 Sam. 12.35. And Ahaſhueroſh, when in a rage againſt Haman, hee walked into the Garden. The Philoſopher wiſhed Augustus when angry, to ſay over the Greek Alphabet; Ambroſe deſired an Angels Authority, Gal. 1.8. Theodoſius to repeat the Lords Prayer, before hee decreed any thing.

Verſ. 17. Hee that speaketh truth ſheweth forth righteouſneſs] will bee ready to help the truth in neceſſity, and will do it boldly (as the word ſignifies) even with a courage, not budging, for Charity rejoyceth not in unrighteouſneſs, but rejoyceth in the truth, 1 Cor. 13.6.

But a falſe witneſs uttereth deceit] Coloureth his ſycophancies with plauſible pretences, and faceth down an untruth, Pſal. 119.69. The proud have forged a lye againſt mee. The Hebrew hath it, Aſſuunt mendacium mendacio, they eek out one lye with another, they are loud and lewd liars; as Egeſippus ſaith of Pilate, that hee was Vir nequam et parvi facieus mendacium. What is truth? ſaid hee ſcornfully to our Saviour, q. d. Thy life is in queſtion, and doſt thou talk of truth?

Verſ. 18. There is that speaketh lies like the piercing, &c.] Falſe witneſſes do ſo, with a witneſs. As Doeg, Pſal. 52.2. And his fellow-hackſters with their murthering weapons in Davids bones, Pſal. 42.10. whereby they killed him alive, and buried him in their throats, thoſe gaping graves, open ſepulchres. Ahimelech and his fellow-Prieſts were killed with the tongue, as with a Tuck or Rapiet; ſo was Naboth and his ſons; ſo was our Saviour Chriſt himſelf. Reckon thou Shimei and Rabſhekeh among the firſt and chiefeſt Kil-Chriſts (ſaith one) becauſe ever an honeſt mind is more afflicted with words, than with blows.Act. 2.23. and 3.15. You ſhall finde ſome (ſaith Eraſmus) that if death bee threatned, can deſpiſe it; but to bee belied they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain themſelves. How was David enraged by Nabals railings? Moſes by the Peoples murmurings? Jeremy by the deriſions of the rude rabble? Chap. 20.7, 8,

But the tongue of the wiſe is health] Or, a medicine, as the Tench is to the wounded fiſhes, or as that Noble Lady Elianors tongue was to her Husband Prince Edward (afterward Edward the firſt) who being traiterouſly wounded by a poiſoned knife in the holy land,Speed. Camden. was perfectly cured by her daily licking his rankling wounds, whileſt hee ſlept, and yet her ſelf received no harm; So ſoveraign a medicine is a good tongue, anointed with the virtue of love and wiſdome. Wholeſome words, as certain ſalves or treacles, cure the wounds of afflicted hearts, and extract the poiſon infuſed by evil tongues.

Verſ. 19. The lips of truth ſhall bee eſtabliſhed for ever] Veritas odium parit: Truth breeds hatred: a good Miſtreſs ſhee is, but hee that follows her too cloſe at heels, may hap have his teeth ſtruck out. Hee that prizeth truth, ſhall never proſper by the poſſeſſion or profeſſion thereof, ſaith Sir Walter Rawleigh. Hiſt. lib. 1. c. 1. This is moſt true (for moſt part) of the truth of the Goſpel, Gal. 2.5. the Doctrine according to godlineſs, 1 Tim. 6.3. ſweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly, Rev. 10.9. very pleaſant in it ſelf, but the publiſhing of it (whereby the fruit of it might come to the reſt of the members) is full of trouble and anguiſh. How many faithful witneſſes of the truth have loſt their lives in the defence of it? All which notwithſtanding, the lips of truth ſhall bee eſtabliſhed, ſaith the Spirit here. Great is the truth, and ſhall prevail. Hee that loſeth his life in Chriſts cauſe, ſhall finde it in Heaven, his name alſo ſhall bee famous upon earth, the Generation of the upright ſhall bee bleſſed.

The lying tongue is but for a moment] As is to bee ſeen in Gehezi, in Ananias and Sapphira, in Doeg and others, Pſal. 52.5. God ſhall likewiſe deſtroy thee for ever, and root thee out of the land of the living. Did hee not deal ſo by Julian, Ecebolius, Latomus, Bomelius, Pendleton, Harding, and other, both antient and modern Renegadoes and Apoſtates? How are they brought into deſolation as in a moment? they are utterly conſumed with terrour, Pſal. 73.19.

Verſ. 20. Deceit is in the heart of them, &c.] Incendiaries and Make-bates, Counſellours of contention, have twenty devices to make trouble, and to put all into a combuſtion; but they ſhall either bee defeated of their purpoſes, or have ſmall joy of their atchievements; witneſs our late Engliſh Boutifeaus, with the whole Nation of Ignatius, whoſe practice is to machinate miſchief, and breed hate; being herein no leſs dangerous than once thoſe Jews were, who before they were baniſhed hence, threw bags of poiſon into the wells and fountains that the people were to drink of, and ſo endeavoured to poiſon them all. The juſt judgement of God upon Nicholas Saunders Prieſt, (the fire-brand of Ireland, Anno 1580. ſpent with famine, and forſaken of all ſuccour) is moſt worthy to bee kept in perpetual remembrance. Hee being impatiently grieved at the evil ſucceſſe of his rebellion with Earl Deſmond; and ſeeing that neither the Popes bleſſing,B. Carletons thankf. remem. pag. 49. nor the conſecrated banner, nor the plume of Phoenix feathers (ſo ſaid to bee at leaſt) ſent from Rome could do him any help, loſt himſelf, and ran ſtark mad, wandring up and down in the Mountains and Woods, and finding no comfort, died miſerably. Thus God met with a reſtleſſe and wretched man: and that foul mouth was ſtopped with famine, that was ever open to ſow ſedition, and ſtir up rebellions againſt the ſtate.

But to the counſellours of peace there is joy] They ſhall have peace for peace: peace of conſcience, for peace of Country, pax pectoris, for pa[illegible: 1 letter] temporis; they ſhall be called and counted the children of peace, yea, the children of God, have the comfort and credit of it, Matth. 5.9. (ſee the Note there) as Auguſtus Caeſar, and our Henry the ſeventh had; who as hee went into baniſhment together with the publick peace, ſo hee brought it back with him at his return; and was afterwards wont to ſay, If wee Princes ſhould take every occaſion that is offered, the world ſhould never bee quiet, but wearied with continual wars.

Verſ. 21. There ſhall no evil happen to the juſt] Firſt, for evil of ſin, God wil not lead him into temptation, but will cut off occaſions, remove ſtumbling-blocks out of his way: devoratory evils, (as Tertullian calls them) hee ſhall be ſure not to fall into. That Evil one ſhall not touch him, 1 John 5.18. viz. tactu qualitativo, as Cajetan expounds it, with a deadly touch; nibble hee may at their heels, but cannot reach their heads; ſhake hee may his chain at them, but ſhall not ſet his fangs in them; or, ſo far thruſt his ſting into them, as to infuſe into them the venome of that ſin unto death, verſ. 17. Next for evil of pain; Though many be the troubles of the righteous, Pſal. 34. and they fall into manifold temptations, Jam. 1.2. they go not in ſtep by ſtep into theſe waters of Marah, but fall into them, being as it were precipitated, plunged over head and ears; yet are bidden to bee exceeding glad, as a Merchant is to ſee his ſhip come laden in. Their afflictions are not penal, but probational, not mortal, but medecinal, &c. By this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob bee purged, and this is all the fruit, the taking away of his ſin, Iſa. 27.9. Look how the ſcourging and beating of a garment with a ſtick, drives out the moths and the duſt, ſo doth afflictions corruptions from the heart; and there is no hurt in that, no evil happens thereby to the juſt.

But the wicked ſhall bee filled with miſchief] To treaſure up ſin, is to treaſure up wrath, Rom. 2. Every bottle ſhall bee filled with wine, Jer. 13.12. the bottle of wickedneſs, when once filled with thoſe bitter waters, will ſink to the bottome: The Ephah of wickedneſs, when top full, ſhall be born into the land of Shinar, and ſet there upon her own baſe, Zach. 5.8, 11. Hee that makes a match with miſchief, ſhall have his belly full of it, Hoſ. 4.17. Prov. 14.14. hee ſhall have an evil, an evil, an onely evil, Ezek. 7.5. that is, judgement without mercy, as St. James expounds it, Chap. 2.13. Non ſurgit hic afflictio, as the Prophet Nahum hath it, Chap. 1.9. affliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time: God will have but one blow at him, hee ſhall totally and finally bee cut down at once. The righteous are ſmitten in the branches, but the wicked at the root, Iſa. 27.8. thoſe, hee corrects with a rod (yea, with the rods of men) hominum debilium, of weak or old men, as the word ſignifies, 2 Sam. 7.11. but, theſe, with a grounded ſtaff, Iſa. 30.32, and yet the worſt is behinde too. For whatſoever a wicked man ſuffers in this world, is but hell typical, it is but as the falling of leaves; the whole tree will one day fall upon them. It is but as a drop of wrath fore-running the great ſtorm, a crack fore-running the ruine of the whole building: It is but as a paying the uſe-mony required for the debt that muſt bee paid at laſt.

Verſ. 22. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord] Who hath therefore threatned to cut them off, Pſal. 12.3. and to broil them on coals of Juniper, Pſal. 120.4. which burn ſweetly, fiercely, laſtingly: and to make them eat their falſe words,Act. & Mon. fol. 1825. as Maſter Lewes of Mancheſter made the Summoner (that came to cite his wife) eate the citation, by ſetting a dagger to his heart.

But they that deal truly, are his delight] Hee deſireth truth in the inward parts, Pſal. 51.6. and all his, are children that will not lye, Iſa. 63.8. they will rather dye, than lye; Nec prodam, nec mentiar, ſaid Firmus in Auguſtine: Non ideo negare volo, ne peream; ſed ideo mentiri nolo, ne peccem, ſaid that good woman upon the rack, mentioned by Hierome. As they love in the truth, 2 John 1. ſo they ſpeak the truth in love, Epheſ. 4.15. and are therefore dear to the Father in truth and love, 2 John 3. eſpecially ſince they do truth, as well as ſpeak it, 1 John 6. and do not more deſire to be truly good, than they hate to ſeem to be ſo onely.

Verſ. 23. A prudent man concealeth knowledge] ſcil. Till hee findes a fit time to vent it; for then, the lips of the wiſe do ſpread abroad knowledge, Chap. 15.7. hee is no niggard where there is need, but loves not to outlaſh. Taciturnity is a virtue with him, Tacitus a good hiſtorian.Curtlus. lib. 4 Perſae magnam rem ſuſtineri poſſe non credunt ab eo cui tacere grave ſit. The Perſians hold not him fit for great imployments, that cannot keep counſel, ſaith Curtius.

But the heart of fools proclaimeth fooliſhneſs] In it is, and out it muſt: Pleni rimarum ſunt, they can keep no counſel, hold no ſecrets, muſt needs tell all, whatever come of it: ut qui nec tacere nec prudenter loqui noriut, they can neither hold their tongue, nor uſe it to purpoſe. The Moraliſt adviſeth [non-Latin text not transcribed] either to ſay nothing, or that which is better than nothing. And Socrates being asked by one how hee might have the reputation of a wiſe man? Friſt, ſaid hee, thou muſt hold thy tongue oftner than ſpeak: Secondly, thou muſt learn how to frame thy ſpeeches.

Verſ. 24. The hand of the diligent ſhall bear rule] i. e. It ſhall make rich, and ſo get preferment: for regina pecunia, Mony bears the Maſtery, and is a common medler in moſt buſineſſes. Agathocles, by his induſtry, gat to bee King of Sicily, Crumwel to bee Earl of Eſſex, Cranmer to bee Arch-biſhop of Canterbury, &c.

But the ſlothful (or deceitful) ſhall bee under tribute] Cajetan renders it, Dolus erit ad liquefactionem. Deceitful dealing ſhall melt to nothing. [non-Latin text not transcribed] tributum, fic dictum quia paulatim liqueſcere facit facultates. Buxtorf. The ſame word ſignifieth both melting and tribute, becauſe too much tribute waſteth mens eſtates; as when the ſpleen ſwells, the reſt of the body conſumes. King Johns exactors received from his ſubjects no leſs ſummes of curſes, than of coin: Hee gathered money the ſinewes of warre, but loſt their affections, the joynts of peace. He had a troubleſome reign, ill beloved of his people; and farre a leſſe King, only by ſtriving to be more than he was; the juſt reward of violations: what tribute hee paid to the Popes Legat at his abſolution (eight thouſand Marks, beſides other huge ſummes,Mat. Paris. inſomuch as that John Florentinus the Legat was nicknamed Ferentinus, for bearing away ſo much mony) I need not here relate.Speed. And yet this King was not ſlothful (for his endleſs turmoils kept his body ſtill in motion, his mind in paſſions, and his proweſſe in ure) deceitful, I cannot deny him, in breaking promiſe with His Subjects about their juſt liberties: But a great part of that blame may well lye upon his Court-paraſites, who ſuggeſted, that now hee was a King without a Kingdome, a Lord without a Dominion, and a Subject to his Subjects, &c. Wicked Counſellours; as if it were not enough to bee above men,Daniel. but to bee above mankind, as thoſe Princes would bee, that would not bee under the Law.

Verſ. 25. Heavineſs in the heart of a man maketh it ſtoop] Grief is like Lead to the ſoul, heavy and cold; it ſinks downward, Homer. Odyſſ. 1. Mans mind is like the ſtone Tyrrhenus, which ſo long as it is whole, ſwimeth, but being once broke, ſinketh. and carries the ſoul with it; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. How decrepit was David grown with much grief at ſeventy years of age? The like wee may ſay of Jacob, who attained not to the daies of the years of the life of his Fathers, Gen. 47.9. as being a man of many ſorrows. And this, ſome think, was the reaſon that our Saviour Chriſt, at little paſt thirty, was reckoned to bee toward fifty, Joh. 8.57. Hee was the man that had ſeen affliction by the rod of Gods wrath, Lam. 3.1.

But a good word maketh it glad] Such as was that of our Saviour to the poor Paralytick, Son, bee of good chear, thy ſins are forgiven thee. The promiſes are called a good word, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Jer. 29.10. ſo David found them, Pſal. 119.92. Phyſick for the ſoul (more truly ſo called than the Library at Alexandria) cordials of comfort, breaſts of conſolation, Iſa. 66.11. Wells of ſalvation, Iſa. 12.3. [non-Latin text not transcribed] miſeriarum (as Plato ſaid of Wine and Muſick) that which mitigates mans miſeries; and without which Wine, Muſick, merry company, &c. will prove but miſerable comforters, and at the beſt, but the Devils Anodynes.

Verſ. 26. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour] Let him dwell by whomſoever; hee is ever a better man than his neighbours; hee is a Prince of God amongſt them, as Abraham was amongſt the Hittites. The Jews ſay, that thoſe ſeventy ſouls that went with Jacob into Egypt, were as much worth as all the ſeventy Nations in the world. Nemo me major, niſi qui juſtior, ſaid Ageſilaus, when he heard the King of Perſia ſtiled The great King, i. e. I acknowledge none more excellent than my ſelf, unleſs more righteous; none greater, unleſs better. Upon all the glory ſhall bee a defence, Iſa 4.5. that is, upon all the righteous, thoſe onely glorious, thoſe excellent of the earth, Pſal. 16.2. that are ſealed up to the day of redemption, Eph. 4.30. Now whatſoever is ſealed with a ſeal, that is excellent in its own kinde, as Iſa. 28.25. hordeum ſignatum, excellent barly. The pooreſt Vilage is an Ivory palace, in quo eſt Paſtor & credentes aliqui, ſaith Luther, if it have in it but a Miniſter, and a few good people.

But the way of the wicked ſeduceth them] i. e. The wicked will not bee perſwaded of the juſt mans excellency; hee cannot diſcern, nor will bee drawn to beleeve that there is any ſuch gain in godlineſs, any ſuch worth in well-doing, any ſuch difference betwixt the righteous and the wicked, betwixt him that ſerveth God, and him that ſerveth him not. Hee therefore goes another way to work, but is fearfully fruſtrated; For who ever yet hardened himſelf againſt God, and proſpered? Job 9.4. They think themſelves far better than the righteous; and ſo they were indeed, if they could finde that felicity in wicked wayes, which their deceitful hearts promiſe them. But this they can never do.

Verſ. 27. The ſloathful (or deceitful) man roaſteth not that which hee took in hunting] Hee ſhall never enjoy his evil-gotten goods; but though hee heap up ſilver as the duſt, and prepare raiment as the clay, hee may prepare it, but the juſt ſhall put it on, and the innocent ſhall divide the ſilver, Job 27.16, 17. I read of a falſe Butcher, that having ſtoln an Oxe, and cauſed it to bee dreſt on his wedding day, was on that very day apprehended, and not long after executed. I read of Tecelius, the Popes Pardonmonger in Germany, that having by ſale of Indulgences ſcraped together a huge maſs of money, and returning for Rome, hee was met, and eaſed of his caſh by an odde fellow, who being afterwards proſecuted for a felon, produced a pardon for future ſins granted him by Tecelius himſelf, and being thereupon acquitted by the Judge, hee roaſted that which that other old Fox had taken in hunting.

But the ſubſtance of a diligent man is precious] Great in value, whatſoever it bee in quantity; as a ſmall box-full of Pearls, are more worth than mountains of pibbles. Pſ. 37.16. Prov. 15.16. and v. 2. The houſe of the righteous hath much treaſure, though there bee but curta ſuppellex, Res anguſta domi, hee is without that care in getting, fear in keeping, grief in loſing, thoſe three fell Vultures that feed continually on the heart of the rich worldling, and diſſweeten all his comforts. Jabal that dwelt in Tents, and tended the herds, had Jubal to his brother, the Father of Muſick, Jabal and Jubal, diligence and complacence, good husbandry and a well-contenting ſufficiency dwell uſually together.

Verſ. 28. In the way of righteouſneſs is life] And life (in any ſenſe) is a ſweet mercy, a precious indulgence. Life natural is but a little ſpot of time between two Eternities, before and after, but it is of great conſequence (for ex hoc momento pendet Aeternitas) and given us for this purpoſe, that glory may bee begun in grace, and wee have a further and further entrance into the Kingdome of heaven here, as Peter ſaith, 2 Ep. 1.11.

And in the path thereof there is no death] Chriſt hath unſtinged the firſt death, and made it of a puniſhment, a benefit;Mors janua vitae, porta coeli. Bern. of a poſtern to let out temporal life, a ſtreet-door to let in eternal life. Surely the bitterneſs of this death is paſt to the righteous, there is no gall in it (as the Hebrew word there ſignifies) nay there is hony in it, as once there was in the corps of Sampſons dead Lion. And for the ſecond death, there is no danger; for they ſhall paſs from the jaws of death, to the joyes of heaven; Yea, though hell had cloſed her mouth upon a childe of God, it could as little hold him, as the Whale could Jonah; it muſt (perforce) regurgitate, and render up ſuch a morſel.