The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 81

"to return,'' but to T<'tum again to something (cf. Ps. xxvi. 41 5); but it o.lso has the mean• (so Delitzsch); cf. Vulgate, revertere; and ing "to dwell," a.nd the partioiple yd8hev, ns the words, "to-morrow I will give thee," here userl; in Gen. xix. 23: Judg. vi. 21, show. The LXX. adds, " For thou knowest means" o.n inhabitant, a dweller." Securely not, what the morrow may bring forth," (Uvltah); i.e. with full trust (see ou ver. 23). probablv from eh. xvii. 1. If viewed in Devising evil age.inst e. friend is at a.ny time respect of the specific claims which servants reprehensible, but to do so when:he confide11 have for work done, the precept is a re-echo in and is altogether unauspioions of you, is of Lev. xxix. J3 and Dent. xxiv. 15. In an a.et of the greatest treachery, a.nd a.n illustration of the general scope of the outrage on e.ll la.w, human and Divine. It pa.ssage, Grotius quotes, "A slow-footed implies dissimulation. It is the very sin by favour is a favour without favour." Seneca which "the devil beguiled Eve through his says in the same spirit, "Ingratum est subtlety" (Wardlaw), beneficium quod din inter manus dantis Ver. 30.-The meaning of the preoept in h10Sit," "The benefit is thankless which this verse is clear. We a.re not to shive or sticks long between the hands of the giver" quarrel with e. ma.n unless he has first given (Seneca, • Benef.,' i. 2); cf. also Bi.a dat qui us offence. So Le Olerc, "Nisi injuria. prior cito dat. lacessiverit." The admonition is directed Ver. 29.-Devise not evil against thy against those who, from ·spite, jealousy, or neighbour. Thill precept is directed against other reasons, "stir up strife all the da.y abuse of confidence. De'lli.se not evil (al long" with those who a.re quieta.nd peaceable, takhiirosh rli.li.h). The meaning of this ex- Strive. The Keri here reads tariv for the pression lies between "fabricating evil" and Khetib taruv, but without a.ny change of "ploug-hing e'l"il.'' 'fhe radical meaning of meaning. The verb n2v, from which taruv, 7,harii,h, from which takhiirosh, is "to cut is" to strive or contend with the hand a.ad into," ·• 1o inscribe" letters on a. tablet, cog- with blows," e.s in Dent. xxxiii. 7 ; or with nate with the Greek :xa.ptt<T<Teiv, "to cut into." words, a.s in Ps. ciii. 9 (cf. the Vulgate, ne Bat it is used in the sense of "to plough" contend.as; a.nd the LXX., p.¾ cf,•11.•xB11<T11s, in Job iv. 18, "They that plough iniquity "Do not exercise enmity,'' from the unusual (khar'shey Ii.vim)," and Ps. cxxix. 3, "The cf,t>..•:xBpi,.,, Ruv is here followed by ~ ploughers ploughed (khar'shim khar'shim) (im), as in Job ix, 3; xl. 2; and Gen. xxvi. upon my be.ck" (cf. Hos. L 13). This also 30. Its forensic sense, "to contend with in appears from the context to be the meaning la.w," does not strictly apply here, though the in eh. vi. 14. With these we may compare precept ma.y be taken a.a discouraging liti- such expressions as " to plough a. lie " (µ¾ gation (La.pide). Without cause (khinniim); a.pa-rpia ,i,,vlias, rendered in the Authorized LXX., p.a-r,t,v, eqniva.lent to 1;,.,p,&11 in John Version, "Devise not a. lie").; see eh. vii 121 xv. 25; Vulgate, frustra; further explained nnd "to sow iniquity," eh. Ddi. 8-a. cognute in the concluding clause (see on eh. i. 17). figure. "To plough evil" is to devise evil. If he have done thee no harm. The phrase, ro prepare for it, just in the same wa.y 8B & gti.miil raah, is to bring evil upon a.ny one plonghman prepares the land for sowing. (Schultens). The verb gamal signifies "to In this sense the verb is understood by the do, to give, to show to a.ny one." Holden older commentators and by Ewa.Id e.nd renders, " Surely he will return thee evil," Delitzscb. On the other hand, the verb in the sense that unprovoked attack ensures may be used in its other signification, "to retaliation. But this is to iguore the negative fabricate," and hence "to contrive." The force of im-lo, " if not." The verb sometimes noun lcharash is an artificer of iron, etc. means "requiting,'' but not in the passage (Exod. xxxv. 35 ; Dent. xxvii. 15). "To before us, nor in eh. xi. 17; xxxi. 12, 'fhe fabricate evil" is, of course, a.s the Authorized Vulgate renders as the Authorized Version, Version "to devise evil'' The LXX., p.¾1 Oum ipae tibi nihil moli fecerit. It is to be -r<,cTrfvr,, from -r•,c-ra.wap.a.,, "to build," remarked that this precept fa.Us below the inclines to this sense. The Vulgate, ne moral standard of the New Testament 'llwliaris does not clear up the point, though teaching (see Matt. v. 39-41; Rom. xii. moliri ~sua.lly "to contrive,'' is used by 17-21; 1 Car. vi. 6-8), a.nd of th~ example Virgil: • Georg.,' i. 494, "moliri terram," of of our Lord, of whom it was predicted that workina- or tilling the ground. The verb "When he wa.s reviled, he reviled not also o~urs in eh. vL UI; xii. 20; xiv. 22. a.gain; when he suffered, he threatened Seeing he d welleth securely by thee ; i.e. not" (Ree laa.. liii.). as tile Vulgate, cum iUe in te habetjid,wiam, V ~r. 31.-Envy thou not the oppreasor, and "when he bBB confidence in thee;" so the ohoose none of his ways. The thought of LXX.; or aB the 'J.'argurn and Syriac, strife in the preceding ve1"Se lee.ds to the.t "when he dwells with thee in peace." To of oppression, and the precept is directed dwell (yiuhiir) is in Ps. i. l "to sit with a.ny age.inst fellowship with those who outrage one," i.e. to essociate familiarly with him the general la.w of benevolence and justioe. CJH, III, 1-35,] THE PROVERBS. 67