The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 78

Ver. 21.-lly aon, let not them depart hie twofold nature, internal and external. from thine eyea. After the description of Life is in its highest and widest sense the -power of Wisdom exhibited in creating given to the soul (sfle eh. ii. 16, 18; iv. 22; o.nd eusta.ining the earth, the exhortation to viii. 35), and favour is conferred on the keep Wisdom steadily before the eyes, and man, i.e. he becomes acceptable to his neigh- the promises of Divine protection, appro- bours, if he he.a wisdom. The latter ex- pri11tely follow. Since Wisdom is so power• pression is very similar to eh. i. 9, where fol, then, the teacher argues, she is worthy the same promise is expreBBed, "grace" of being retained o.nd guarded, and able to (hon) being equivalent to "ornament of protect. Let them not depart ( al-yaluzu); i.e. grace" (lirlyath hon). Others urnlcrst:inrl "let them not escape or slip ·aside from your " grace to thy neck" (hon l' garg' grotl1Ayka ), mind (cf. Vulgate, ne e.ffluant hmo ab oculis e.s gratia gutturis, in the sense of " grace of tuis). They are to be e.s frontlets between the lips," as in Ps. xl v. 3 ancl eh. xxii. 11, your eyes, as e. ring upon your finger. that is, as the grace of speaking, power of Yaluzu, from luz, "to bend nside," dPflectere, eloquent and effective utterance (Gejerus, a via declinare, which see in eh. ii. 15, Bayne, Lapirle). It is better to take it e.s ought probably to be written yellezu, on the referring to the adornment of the personal analogy of the corresponding passage in eh, character, and so by metonymy ot' the iv. 21. The LXX. renders absolutely µ,¾ favour and kindness which it procures. ,rapappJ71,, "do not thou pass by," from Ver. 23.-Then shalt thou walk in thy ,rapapp 6.,, " to flow by," " to pass by, recede " way sa.tely. 'l'ha lirst of the promises of (cf. Heh, ii. I," Therefore we ought to give protection, which follow from vers. 23- the more earnest heed to these things, lest 26. He who keeps " sound wisdom and e.t any time we should let them slip (p.r, ,ro.-• discretion" shall enjoy the greatest sense ,rapappvwµ,•11)," quoted probably from the of. security in 1111 situations of life. Safely LXX. of this passage), The To.rgum Jone.• (lavetakh); either in confidence, o.s Vulgo.te than rnads, ne vilescat, "let it," i.e. wisdom, fiducialiter, i.e. confidently, because of the "not become worthless." Them, included sense of B!'curity (cf. LXX., 1re,ro,aw, /11 in the verb yaluzu, of which it is subject in ~ip-f,vr,, and ver. 26); or in security: the the original, is to be referred either to adverb la11etakh is equivo.lent to betakh iu "sound wisdom and discretion" of ver. 21b eh. i. 30 and x. 9. 'l'he allusion is obvious. -so Gejerus, Cartwright, Ge'ier, Umbreit, As he who is accompanied by o.n escort Hit.zig, Zockler, Plumptre (a similar tmjeo- proceeds on his way iu safety, so you pro• tion oco\ll's in Deut. xxxii. 5, and is used, .as tected by God will pass your lifo in security; here, to give vividness to the description); or, o.s Trapp, "Thou shalt ever go under o. or to "wisdom, understanding, knpw ledge," double guard, • the peace of Gou ' within of the preceding verses-so Delitzsch and thee (Phil. iv. 7), and the 'power of God' Holden. The first view in every wo.y soe,ns witl,out thee (1 Pet. i. 5).'' And thy foot preferable, o.nd it is no objection to it that shall not stumble j literally, and thou shall "sound wisdom" (tushiyya/1) and "discre• not strike thy foot. Stumble in the origin!\! tion" (m'yimma/1) are fominine, while the is thiggoph, 2 singular kill future of verb "depart" (yaluzu) is masculine (see nagaph, " to smite,'' "strike against with Gosenius, •Gram.,' § 147). The Byriao the foot." So in Ps. xci. I.!. The Autho- reads, "Let it not become worthless (ne vile rized Version, however, correctly gives the fit) in thine eyes to keep my doctrine and sense. The LXX., liko the Authorized my counsels." Xeep 1ound wisdom and Version, mo.kes "foot " the subject, 'O ll~ disoretion. Keep; n'zor, kill imperative of ,roiis uou ob µ,¾ ,rpou,c6,/,r], "(That) thy foot natBiir, " to wo.tch, guard." For " sound may not stumble." For o. similar assum.nce, wisdom" (tushiyyah), eee eh. ii. 7. Hera used see eh. iv. 12. The meaning is: You will for " wisdom" tfcokhma/1 ), as "diaoretion" not stumble, bcco.uso you will be walking (m'zimmah) for "understanding" (t'vunah), in the way of wisdom, which is free from to oontro.st the absolute wisdom and insight stumbling-blocks (L11pide). You will not of God with the corresponding attributes in fall into sin. mnn (see Zockler, in loc.). They belong to Ver. 24.-When thou liest down thou God, but are conferred on those who seelc shalt not be afraid. This is beautifully after Wisdom, and ura then to be gucmled ns illlllltrated by what David says in Ps. iv. 8, priceless treasures. 'l'he Vulgo.te reads, "I will both lny me down in peace and custodi legf.'TTI et consilium; and the LXX., sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell TT/P710'011 8~ lµ.~11 fJov>.r,11 ,cal (11110,a.v, "guard in st1foty." No fear iij to be apprehended my counsel and thought." whoro Jehovah is Protector (see Ps. iii. 5, 6; Ver. 22.-So shall they be life to thy soul, xlvi. 1-3; xci. 1-5; cxxi. 5-8). When and gra.oe to thy neok. So shall they be (im) is rendererl "if" by tho Vulglltc, (n'yikva); and tliey aliall be. Tho "soul" LXX., To.rgum Jonathan. Thou liest lloum; and "neok" stand for the whole man in tish'lcav, "thou shllU lie down," kul future, 64 THE PROVERBS. [OH, Ill, 1-35,