& 20:18. g Either 1. really, it is above his reach or capacity Or, 2.1n his opinion;he judgeth it too hard for him, he deſpairs of attaining it, he pretends the impoſſibility of it, becauſe he will not put himſelfro the charge or trouble of getting 1t;as on the contrary Wiſdom # ſaid to be eaſie #9 him that underſtanderh, Prov: 14.6. becauſe he ſeriouſly giveth his mind to it, and therefore eaſily and certainly attains to it h For a wilful Fool; era wicked Man, whoſe luſts enfeeble and dar- ken his Mind,and make it unc-pable of Wiſdom. i Either r. he can ſay nothing for himſelf when he is accuſed before the Magie ſtrate, for which he gives frequent occaſion. Or 2. he knows not how to ſpeak acceptably, and profitably in the publick Aſſembly among wiſe men. PE
8 He that deviſeth to doevil,ſhal be called amiſchie- yous perſon &.
P ROY IE ENS
over themſelves,and expoſe themſelves to manifold dangers and ca» lamities,
wy i
Cha p.XXIV (
Or, as others render it, and as the Hebrew Verb is fre+ quently uſed, ke that ebſerveth thy Soul, that feerh all the ſecret Thoughts and inward motions ofthe Heart, Which expoſition is favoured both by the following words, Doth not he know it ? Which agrees better to God's obſerving than to his preſerving 2 mans Seul,and by the former cjauſe,to which this Tranſlaticn doth more exaQaly anſwer,the ſame thing being here repeated in other words, after the manner of theſe Sacred Wricers.y God will certainly deal with thee as thou haſt dealt with bim, eithet rewarding thy performance of this duty, or puniſhing thy negle& of it.
13 My ſon, eat thou honey z,becauſe i: is good;and - ... the honey-comb which is ſweet + to thy taſte. {Heb:upon (NR 2 This 1s not a command but a conceſſion, and is here expreſſed thy palates 4} only to illuſtrate the following Verſe. Honey in thoſe parts was ex- Y cellent, and an uſual and an acceptable food. See Deur: 8: 8: Judges
14418, I Sam: 14' 25. |
14 *So ſhal the knowledge of wiſdom beunto thy ſoul, when thou haſt found it a; * then there ſhal be a re- ward6, and thy expectation ſhal not be cut off -
a Whereby heimplyes, that thereis indeed ſome difficulty and trouble in the purſuit of Wiſdom. bur that it is abundantly come penſated with the ſweetneſs and advantage of it when a Manarrives at it. Heb.and,or,alſo there is a reward. It is not only as good as hc» ney, ſweet for the preſent, bur it is infinitely better, bringing a ſure and everlaſting reward with it. |
15 Lay not waitc,O wicked man,againſt the dwelling of the righteous d, ſpoil not his reſting place.
£ Do him no injury either by ſubtile and ſecret devices, or, as it | follows by manifeſt violence. d Againſt his Perſon or Family or RK Poſſeflion *Job 5.19. |
16 ?For a juft man falleth e ſeven times f, and riſeth PC 34.194 up again:but * che wicked ſhal fall into miſchief g.
"Pſ:19.10 iff] & 119.10Ze ii} *Ch»23.13 i
& 37:24. e Either 1. Intoſin. Or, rather 2. into calamities, of which *Amos 54 heevidently ſpeaks both in the foregoing Verſe, and in the oppoſite + and following branch of this Verſe, and fo this word is uſed in the next Verſe, and P/al:37;24.1ſa. 24:20. Jer- 25:27.Amos 8:14. Mic:7:8, &ce And ſo this.is fitly alledged as a juſt reaſon to difſwade wicked Men from their unjuſt attemprs againſt righteous Men, becauſe they ſhould not ſucceed in them;and although they might by Gods per» miffion- bring them into ſome diſtreſs for a time, yer God would de- liver them out of their hands,and they ſhould be diſappointed of their hopes, f 7, e. Frequently. g Intounavoidable and irrecoverv able deſtru&tion,oft- times in this life,and infallibly in the next, 17 *Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth b,and let nor thine heartbe glad when he ſtumbleths £ Towit, into miſchief, as in the former Verſe. Pleaſe not thy ſelf in his deſtru&ion. Which plainly ſhews that the love of our c< nemies is a Precept of the Old Law as well as ef the Gofpel. ' See
Exoc:; 23: 4, S« |
18 Leſt the LORD ſee #,*and + it diſpleaſe him and and heturn away his wrath from him.
; Underſtand, upoz th:e, which is implyed in the Hebrew Phraſe,
*Job3i.26| Pſal:35:15: Chap:17: 59
*Ifa: 58:2: +1t be evil in his eyes,
k Heb. a Maſter of miſchief. The ſenſe 1s, Though he cover his
he ſhal benoted & branded with that infamy which is due to him. - 9 The thought of fooliſhneſs is fi 2 : + and the ſcor- ner mm zs an abomination to men ». | Oc,bur. ſpake, v: 8. even before it break forth into a&tion,it is a fin inGods 1ght,and it is hateful ro God,Or fool:ſbneſs is put for fooliſh or wick-
ed men,by comparing this with che next clauſe where the ſcorney is
oppoſed to it. So the ſenſe is, All the Thoughts of wicked men are only evil and that continually,as is ſaid of man in his corrupr eſtare Gen. 6; 5. and therefore abomniable ro God. m He who not only deviſeth and praftiſeth wickednels,but obſtinately perſiſts in it, and reje&s all admonitions againſt it. » Is abominable not only to God,
wicked devices with fair pretences & would be berter eſteemed, «|
_ | The very inward thoughtor contrivance of evil, of which he |
ſuch defefts being uſual in that conciſ: Language, Pſal: $4: 11+ Prov.. 19: 1. and oft elſewhere, This conſideration ſtrikes ar the root of that ſinful and inhumane diſpoſition, which is an expeRation ofſafev ty oradvantage to himſelf by his enemies downfal, wbich,faith he,by this very mean thou ſhalt loſe,for thine enemy ſhal be raiſed, and
thy danger greatly increaſed by thy provoking both God and him againſt thee.
: '* a9 19 * ||Fret not thy ſelf & becauſe of evil men 1, neither Ch:a3 a: : be thou envious at the wicked, Verſe x. k Which Tranſlation ofthe word is confirmed by the Parallez || Or keep word in the following clauſe./For their preſent impunity and good 79% compa | ſucceſs. ny with the 20 For there ſhal be no reward to the evil man m, ob g * the {] candle of the wicked ſhal be put our ». :
as all ſinners are, bur to all-ſober men.
10 If thou fainto in the day of adverſity,thy ſtrength. zs Þ {mall p.
o If thou art impatient and unable to bear ſufferings; if thy reſo. lutions flag,& thou giveſt way to deſpondency or deje&ion ofMind ' p Heb. is narrow, it lives ina little compaſs; it is as ſtrait as thy condition 1s; for there isan elegant alluſion in the Hebrew words, The ſenſe is, This is a fizn thar rhou haſt but littleChriſtian ſtrength or courage, for that is beſt known by adverſity. |