John Trapp on Job 20:16

Verſe 16. He ſhall ſuck the poiſon of Aſps] That lyeth in his head, whence alſo it hath its name in the Original. See the Note on verſ. 14. Caput aſpidis ſuget, ſaith the Vulgar. It is ſaid of the Toad that he hath in his head a ſtone of great vertue called Buf[illegible: 1 letter]nites. But the Aſp hath nothing in his head but ſtrong poyſon. This the rich wretch ſhall ſuck. Like as he was went to ſuck the blood of the poor oppreſſed, to eat their fleſh, Pſal. 14.4. and to eviſcerate them.

The Vipers tongue ſhall ſlay him] Perinde cade[illegible: 1 letter] timale ficium, ſaith Junius: His wickedneſſe ſhall prove his bane, unleſſe he preſently take the Antidotes of Repentance where by to expel the poiſon[illegible: 1 letter]re it get to the vitals. Repentance is the ſouls beſt vomit, the hardeſt, but wholſomeſt Phyſick. It is Repentance unto life, whereas the ſins of the impenitent are mortal, ſaith Saint John 1 ep. 5.17. or rather Immortal as ſaith Saint Paul, [illegible: 1 word] The hand that is here and elſwhere lifted up in threatning. Iſai. 26 11. will fall down in puniſhing. The wages of ſin is death When the Barbarians ſaw the Viper hanging on Saint Pauls hand, they looked when he would fall down dead, Acts 28 46. The divels deſigne want here to have ſlaine Paul, but he was defeated. And Brentius holdeth that the Metaphor here uſed is taken not ſo much from Serpents, whoſe venome lyeth in their tongues, as from Satan,Brent. in loc. who by the Serpent in Paradiſe, caſt our firſt parents into all kind of evils. Another there is, who thus deſcanteth upon this Text, Caput Viperis ſuget. When Vipers engender, the female ſucketh the head of the male, and biteth it off with great delight; then ſhe conceiveth her young ones, which eat out her belly: So the Oppreſſour, getting the poor mans goods, they ſeem ſweet unto him, but at the laſt his ſin findeth him out, for it biteth like a Serpent, and ſtingeth like an Adder, as Sermon ſaith of drunkenneſſe (which Auſtin calleth, dulce vemenum, a ſweet poyſon) Prov. 23.32.