The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 27

whioh sinners bring upon themselves, e.nd (zorah), "to be strewn," from ke.l :-iJJ (zarah), the shedding of blood to the foct the.t •thei: "to scatter, or disperse" (Geeenius), and le.y themselves open to ho.ve their own blood meo.ns expanswm, because when a net is shed by judioio.l process (see also Holden). scattered or dispersed it is spread out (see '£he former explano.tion seems preferable to Delitzsch). Of any bird ("J~ S~?-1:,;i, khal- this, o.s putting o. higher law than that of baal l,hanaph); literally, of every pos•e.•or of selF-preservation before youth. The fear of a wing, or, as margin, of everything that halh judges who can condemn to deo.th is nothing a wing, i.e. of every bird. Compare the compe.ro.tively to the fear of him '' who is able to destroy both body ancl soul in hell." same expression in Eccles. x. 20, o:~p;, Sp? This verse is wanting in the Vatican LXX., (baal hach'naphayim) ; i.e. "that which bath Bnd Aro.hie, and hence Hitzig has concluded wings" (Authorized Version). that it is an interpolation made from Isa. Ver. 18.-And they lay wait for their own lix. 7, but upon insufficient evidence, as it blood, etc. The third reason or argument is found in the Alexandrio.n LXX., Chaldee why the teacher's warning should be fol- Paro.phrase, Vulgo.te, and S:yyiac Versions, lowed, drawn from the destruction which all which follow the Hebrew text. The overtakes the sinners themselves. •· Lay latter pa.rt of the verse is quoted by St. ];'aul wait," and "lurk privily," as in ver. 11, from in J:lom. iii. 15. which this verse is evidently borrowed. They propose, as they say, to lay wait for Ver: 17.-Surely in vein the net is spread the blood of others; but it is, says the in the face of any bird. The teacher here teacher,for their own blood. o~-:;17 (l' dhamam ), advances a seco11d reason in support of his c011tra sanguinem suum; they ·1urk privily, warning in ver. 15, under the form of a as they say, for the innocent, but in reality proverb in its strict sense. It is based on the ill-advised audacity of sinners. in flying it is for their own lives; ci;,~;ih (l'naph'sho- in the face of God's judgments. In .,,ain tham); contra animas suas (Yulgate); or, (ClJ~, khinnam), see ver. 11, may be taken as the LXX. puta it, Alrrol -yilp o/ cp6vou in two senses. (I) Le. to no purpos~, p.e'TExovTes, 8110'avp((ovcnv Eav'Tois 1ea.1<0., "For gratis;frustra (Vulgo.te, Chaldee Pnraphrase, they who take part in murder treasure up Arabic). The meaning of the proverb here evjls for themselves;" that is, they are used then is, "to no purpose is the net spread bringing a heavier and surer destruction before birds," i.e: though they see the net upon themselves than they can ever inflict spread before them, they ,nevertheless fly upon others (Wardlaw). The LXX. adds, into it (comp. oh. vii. 23, "As a bird at the close of the verse, 'H 6~ ,ca.-ra.o-Tpacpi, haatelh to the sno.re, o.nd knoweth not tho.t lzvBpii,v 1ra.pa.voµ•w Ka.KT/," And the overthrow- it is for his lifo "). So sinners, when they ing or destruction or transgressors i,, grea.t, are plotting for others, plunge into their own or evil." The Aro.hie V ersian has a similar destruction with their eyes open. Therefore addition. do not associate with them, do not imitate Ver. 19.-So are the wa.ys of every one their crass folly, be we.rned ·by their example, that is greedy of gain. The epipbonema or you will share their fate. This view is or moral of the preceding address. So are supported by the LXX. reading, Ou -yo.p the ways, or such is the lot (a.s Delitzsch), ci&l1<ws i1<nlve-rcu Blwrva. 'lrTepwTois, "For uot or such are the po.ths (o.s Zockler), i.e. so unreasonably is the net spread before birds;" deceitful, so ruinous, e.re the ways. )2 (chen) i.e. they foll into. the· snare (see Luther, is here used as o. qualitative o.dverb. 'Ways; Po.trick, Urobreit, Ewe.I~,· Hitzig, Zi.ickler, n\M")I$ ( ar' khoth ), the plural. of n~~ (OTakh), Pluroptre ). (2) Others, as Delitzsch, Ziegler, Beda, Di.iderlf:lin, Be1·theltu, Wardlo.w, to.ke o. poet. word, equivalent in the first instance khinnam in IL different sense, as indicating to "way," i.q. ·:r:11 (derekh), o.nd metaphori- the escape of the birds-the birds see the cally o.pplied to o.ny one's we.ye, his manner eno.re an.d fly o.wo.y, and so in vain the net of life and i ta reaul t, and hence lot, o.s in is spread in their sight. This explo.nation Job viii. 12, and hence the expression covers is in o.greement with Ovicl.'s statement, '' Qum the three preceding verses. That is greedy nimis apparent retia. vito.t a.vis." The moral of gain (v;~ ~~:i, botsea balsa); literally, con- motive put ,before youth in this co.se is the cupiscentis C011cupiscentiam lucri; i.e. Cl\gerly aggravation: of his guilt if he listens to the longing after gain; he who greedily desires enticements o,f :sinners. The teacher seems riches (avari, Vulgate). Gait!; batsa in to say;" Imitate the birds, flee from tempta- pa.use, from y;:;! (betsa), which takes its tion; if you listen to sinners, you will sin with meaning from the verb J/~i- (batsa), "to your eyes open.'' Is spread; ;,~I? (m'zorah), out in pieces, to brel\k," and hence means expansum, not consperwm eat, i.e. besprinkled properly that whioh is ont or brokon off or strewn with •corn o.a a bait, as Rltshi .. and taken by any one for himself, and s~ llf'zcira7, is the participle passive of pue.l, :-i~i unjust gain-nnything whatever fraudulently  12 THE PROVERBS. [OH, I, 1-33.