The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 71

"·e nre to rely, but also where we are not to especially iu R01n. xii. 16, "De not wise in reh-. your own couceits" (cf. 1 Oor. viii. 8; Go.l. "\'er. 6.-In all thy ways. This expree- vi. 3). It commends humility. The rliligeut eion covers the whole area of life's action- search for Wisdom is commanded. The grellt all its 11cts and undertaldngs, its spiritual hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought and sccu lnr sides, no less than its public and that we have already attaiuecl it (Plumptre). private. It guards against our acknow- In thine own eyes; i.e. in thine own estim11- ledging God in great crises and solemn acts tion; arbitrio tuo (Trem. et Jun.). Fear the of worship only (Plumptre). Aoknowledge Lord, and dep&rt from evil. The connection (daehu); Vulgate, cogita; LXX., -yv,I,p,(,. of this with the first part of the verse becomes The Hebrew verb yada signifies "to know, clear upon reflection. "The fear of the recognize." To acknowledge God is, there- Lord" is true wisdom (Job xxviii. 28: eh. fore, t.o recognize, i.n all our de&lings and i. 7). Fear the Lord, therefore, because it undertakings, God's overruling providence, is the best corrective of one's own wisdom, which "shapes our ends, rongh-hew them '!hich engenders arrogance, pride, presump- as we will." It is not a mere theoretical tion of mind, which, moreover, is deceptive ad.-nowledgment, but one that engages the and apt to lead to sin. The fear of the Lord whole energies of the soul (Delitzsch), has this other adv11ntage-that it leads to and sees in God power, wisdom, providence, the departure from evil ( eh. xvi. 6). It is goodness, and justice. This meaning is con- the mark of the wise man that he fears the veyed by the Vulgate cogitare, which is "to Lord, and departs from evil (eh. xiv. 16). consider" in all parts, "to reflect upon." These precepts form the two elements of David's advice to his son Solomon is, "Know practical piety (Deli tzsch ), an eminent ex- thou (ola) the God of thy father." We ample of which was Job (Job i. 1). ; may well acknowledge Jehovah; for he Ver. S.-It shall be health to thy navel, "knoweth the way of the righteons" (Ps. and marrow to thy bones. A metaphorical i. 6). Acknowledging God also implies that expression, denoting the complete spiritual we first ascerte.in whether what we are health which shall follow from fea.riag tho about to take in hand is in accordance with Lord and departing from evil. Health, his precepts, and then look for his direction (riph'uth); properly, healing; LXX., dims; 11nd illumination (Wardlaw). And he shall Vulgate, sanitas; eo Syriac and Arabic. The direct thy paths ('ll'hu y'yashsher or'khothey- Targum Jone.than has medicina, "medicine," ka); i.e. he himself shall make them as the margin. The root rapha is properly straight, or level. removing all obstacles out "to sew together," and tbe secondary mean- of the way ; or they shall, under God's ing, " to heal," is taken from the healing of n direction, prosper and come to a successful wound by sewing it up. Delitzsch, however, issue; they shall be virtuous, inasmuch as thinks 1'iph'uth is not to be taken as a restoro.- <leviation into vice will be guarded against, tion from sickness, but as a raising up from and happy, because they are prosperous. enfeebled health, or a confirming of tlrn 'fhe pronoun "'hu is emphatic. "he him- strength which already exists. There sho.11 self;" Vulgate, et ipse. Yashar, piel, is "to be a continuance of health. Gesenius make a way straight," as in eh. ix. 15 ; xv. translates "refreshment.'' To thy navel 21; xi 5. Cf. the LXX. op9o-roµ.,w, "to (l'shor'rekha); Vulgate, wmbilico tuo; so Tar- cut btraigbt" (see on eh. xi. 5). God here gum Jonathan. Shor is "the navel," hero binds himself by a covenant (Lapide ). Thie UBed synecdochically for the whole body, power is properly attributed to God, for "it just as "head" is put for the whole man is nut in man to direct his steps" (Jer. x. (Judg. v. 30), "mouth" for the whole person 2c:). speaking (eh. viii. 13), and "slow bellies" Ver. 7.-Be not wise in thine own eyes. for depraved gluttons (Titus i. 12) (Gejerns, This admoaition carries on the thought from Umbreit). The idea is expressed in the tLe preceding verses (5, 6), approaching it LXX., Syriac, and Arabic by "to thy body" from a different direction. It is a protest (T'V uwµa.T, uou; corpori tuo). The navel is u;;ainst ~df-sufliciency, self-conceit, and self- he1·e regarded as the centre of vital strength. reliance. It says, in effect, "Trust in the For the word, see Cant. vii. 2; Ezek. xvi. 4. Lord, do not trust in yourself.'' Wis(lom, as This is the only pince in the Proverbs where l\1icl,aelis remarks, is to trUBt ia God; to this word is found. Gesenius, however, trust in yourself and in your own wisdom takes slwr, or l'shor'relcha, as sto.nding col- i.8 unwisdoru. God deuouncee this spirit: lectively for the nerves, in whiob, lie says, " Woe unto them that are wise in their own is the seo.t of strength, and translates ac- 1,yes, and prudent in their ov.-n sight I" (Isa. cordingly, "Health (i.e. refreshment) shall v. 21), because such a spirit leads to the it be to thy nerves." Marroio (shik'kuy); 1,ruhibi~ self-dependence, and is inconsis- literally, watering or moistenina, as in the 1e1,t with "the fear of the Lord." Th"' margiu; Vulgate, irrigutio. Muislcuing- is ['I"• cr:pt of the text is reiterated by St. Paul, imparted to th0 Loues by tho nmrrow, und tlll:, III, 1-36.j 'l'HE PROVERBS. 57