bearing» or the bringing forth Chi!dren, Pſa. 29. 9. Iſa. 54. rs Jer. 4- 31. And the accompliſhment or diſappointment of deſigns is frequently expreſſed by this Mctaphor ; of which ſee 2 Kings 19, 23- Pſal. 7x 14. 1Ja. 59. 4, &c. And thisſenſe ſeems beſt to ſuir with the Context. 9 Either 1 Thy Laws, which are oft called Judgement. Or rather thy Treatnings denounced againſt, and py. niſhments inflited upon Sinners. 7 Either 1, He doth not feel them, thou removeſt them far from him: which indulgence of mine is the cauſe of his inſolency. Or rather 2. He doth not diſcern or regard nor fear them, nor think of them, but goes on ſecurely and retolv« edly in his wicked courſes. He hath not ſo muck F:ith nor Reaſon as to apprehend or confider them,but like a Brute-Beait looks only downward to the Earth, and minds nor things above him. And thus it ſeems beſt to agree with the foregoing and following Clauſes, His Devices ſucceed, and therefore he neither fears Gods Judg. ments nor the power ofhis Enemies: but fancies his Happineſs to be unchangeable; as itfollews v: 6. 5 7: e. He deſpiſcth them-being confident that he can blow them away with a Breath. This is a Geſture of contempt or diſdain both in Scripture, as P/al: 2: $4 Mal: 1:3. andinother Authors, as in Plaur us; where one ſpeaks thus to a proud and bragging Captain» Thou haſt blown away whole Legions with thy Breath, as Leaves are blown away by a wind.
6 He hath ſaid in his heart ?, I fhal not be moyed «; THeb.s-:
for I ſhall t never be jn adverſity x. AT pn t He thinketh or perſwadeth himſelf, « Or, removed, to wit, wn
from my place and happy ſtate, » Or, becauſe I am not in adverſity, ©
therefore I never ſhall bein it. His preſent proſperity makes him
ſecure for the future. Compare Rev: 18: 7. Or, yea ( for this par-
ticle ſometimes hath no other ſignification or uſe, but only to am-
plife or aggravate, as it is alſotaken 1 Sam: 15: 20, and 24:1.) I
ſhall zever be in evil, So the ſenſe of the place is: I ſhall not only be
kept from total ruine or a removal from my place and eſtate, bur
I ſhall not mset with the leaſt c:oſs or trouble, For this evil is
not the evil of Sin, as ſome here underſtand it, in which he knew
that he was, and was reſolvedever to continue, but the evil ofpu-=
niſhment, which was the only thing that he feared or regard»
ed.
7 * His mouth is full of curfing y, and + deceit and *Rom:, fraud z : under his tongue a 5s miſchief and || vanity 6b. 14. , Y Either 1. Of Oaths and Blaſphemies agaiaſt God, Or 2. Of THebide. revLing and execration of other men, eſpecially thoſe that 9% are good ; or thoſe that ſtand in his way and hinder his wicked de- | Or, ink ſigns. Or rather 3. Of Oaths and Imprecatiens againſt himſelf,of 7%) which this wordis uſed Numb. 5: 21. Deut: 29: 12, 21. Neh: lo, 29, By which he endeavours to gain Credit,and to make his Neighbours ſecure, and ſo to make way for the deceit and fraud which here follows. For this wretched Man is repreſented both here, and in the ſucceeding Verſes, as one that doth not a& with open Violence and Hoſtility, but with ſubtil and ſecrer Artifices, uſing all cun- ning Infinuations, and Flatteries, and Lies, and among others, Oaths, of which an Athkeiſtical Politician ſaid, that Men were to be deceived with Oaths, and Children with Rattles or Toyes. z Two words ſignifying the ſame thing, to note the frequency of his Deceits, Or one word may ſignifie the deceit lurking in his heart, and the other the manifeſtation of it in external Frauds and Stratagems. # Either 1. In his Heart, which is under the Tongue, Or rather 2. Under his fair and plauſible Speeckes, the Miſchief here following is hidand covered, Withal hefeems to allude to Serpents whoſe poyſon lies hidden under the Tongue, or within their Teeth. b Or rather niquity, as this word is oft rendred Injury, the vexation or oppreſſion of other men, which he covers wirh theſe fair pre- ences.
8 Heſitteth in the lurking places of che villages c * in the ſecret places d doth he murder the innocent ; his ; Hab;3: eyes Þ are privily ſet e againſt the poor. Heb-hid c Not within the Villages, which is not a fir place for lurking, themſelun, bur about chem, in the ways bordering upon them or leading to them. as Robbers uſe to do. d That he may avoid the ſhameand puniſhment of Men ; which is the only thirg he fears, e Heb. Are hid. The ſenſe is either 1. He winketh as Men do when they ſhoot their Arrows at a Maik. Or rather 2. He watcheth and looketh out of his lurking-place, ro ſpy what paſſengers come that way. He alludes ſtill to the prattices of Robbers.
he lieth in wait to catch the poor : he doth catch g the th ſos poor when he draweth him h into his net, __ Ff Where he Jurks and waits for prey. g Or fnatch, or ſeize upon, to
wit, with violence, and to devour or deſtroy him: þ Or, by Arawing him ; or after he hath drawn h1me He layeth Snares for him,
and when he takes him tears him in pieces: |
10 + He croucheth,avd humbleth himſelf ;, that the +116; #
poor may fall &|| by his ſtrong ones ]. breoketh iLike a Lion ( for he continues the ſame Metaphor ) which ga- himſelf. thereth himſelf together and lies cloſe upon the ground, partlythat || Or, '*® he may not be diſcovered, and partly that he may more ſuddenly, his frmg and ſurely, and fiercely lay hold upon his prey. But for this Tran- pa#?s. ſlation, becauſe this and is not in the Hebrew, and there is another and there prefixed ro the firſt Verb ; ſome joyn that firſk Verb to the end ofthe teath Verſe, and render the place thus, He catcheth the poor by drawing him into his net» and breaks him to pieces, as that Verb properly ſignifies. So there is only a defe& of the pronoun, waich 1s moſt frequent» And this makes the ſenſe complear,which otherwiſe would be imperfe& in that Verſe, and ſheweth us what he doth with his prey when he hath taken it, And this 10th verſe begins very well with the next Verb, He humbleth himſelf; Or He ſtoops, or bends himſelf, k Or, that he may fall ( for this Verb is ſometimes taken aCtively, as Joj.11: 7. Job 1: 15, ) upon the poor, That having firſt couched and lay'a down, and then of a ſudden riſing. he may leap and fall upon his prey, like a Lion. / 7: e. By bus ſtrong members, his teeth or paws.$o it is anEllipſis of the Noun Subſtantive; whereof we have examples, as 2 Sam; 21: 16 new for 4 new ſword; and Pſalm 13: 16; full for a full Cup: and Mat: 1o: 423 cold for cla water,