participle of nnother verb, is found in 1 Sam. teaching, 11 But if 11, rnau walk in the night, xvii. 41, "The Philistinc'enme nearer and he stumbloth, because there is no light in nearer (lu5lek v'l.-arev);" I Sam. ii. 26, "The him" (John xi. 10; of. xii. 36). The ex- child Samuel grew on more and more (Mlek pression, they know not at whe.t they 'f!'h&del)" (cf. 2Chron.xvii. 12; Jonah i. 11). stumble, carries with it the idee, that they Unto the perfeot day (ad-n'kon hiiyyom); nre so ignorant that they neither know Vulgate, "'•que ad perfedam diem. The wickedness as wickedness, nor do they Hebrew, n'kon 1,ayyom, corresponds to the apprehend the destruction whioh it in- Greek, ;, <1''1'46,pci µ,,r11µ/3pla., equivalent to volves. "Sina, however great e.nd detest- •• the high noon," when the sun seems to able they may be, are looked upon 11.B trivial, stand still in the heavens. The figure, as or ns not sins at all, when men get accus- Fleischer remarks, is probably derived from tomed to them" (St. Augustine, • Enchiri- the balan('e, the tongue of the balance of dion.' cap. SO). On "stumble" (kashal), seo day, which before or after is inclined either ver. 12; and on the destruction of the wicked to the right or the left, being at midday implied in the stumbling, see eh. i. 27, seq.; perfectly upright, and a.s it were firm. So ii. 18-22; iii. 35. kv.11, the unused kal, from which n'kon, the Ver. 20.-The tee.cber here resumes his niph. participle, is derived, is '' to stand up- admonitions after thus citing the example right," e.nd in hiph. "to be set," to stand of bis father's tee.ching, e.nd showing how it 11
firm " " to be established " e.nd hence the resembled the tenor of his own precepts, exp;ession might be rendered, "until the which, upon such e. consideration, were moat steady, or established day,'' which, however, worthy of attention. refers to the midday, or noon, and not to Ver. 21.-Let them not depart from thine the.t point when day succeeds dawn, as eyes; i.e. keep them constantly in view as Rosenmiiller e.nd Schnltens on Hos. vi. 3 the guide of the whole conduct. These me.iota.in. The comparison is not extended words are a repetition of eh. iii. 21, just as beyond the midday, beranse the wish of the the latter pa.rt of the verse reproduces the father was to indicate the full knowledge thought of eh. ii. I. Depai·t. The hipb. which the jnst attain in God, e.nd which can yallizu is here nsed instead of.the ke.l yalilzu know of no decline. A simile.r figure of of eh. iii. 21, but he.a the same force. In gradual development is found in our Lord's the midst of thine heart; i.e. in its inmost parable of the seed growing secretly (Mark recesses ; there the words e.nd sayings are to iv. 28), and is visible in Ps. lxxxiv. 7, 11 They be guarded e.s a man guards e. treaBure stowed grow from strength to strength, every one of awe.y in the inmost chambers of e. house. them in Zion appeareth before God." The The expression implies cherishing them verse illustrates the gradual growth and with e.n internal affection. The· terms of increase of the righteoUB in knowledge, holi- the verse me,y be illustrated by Deut. vi. 6, ness, and joy, e.ll of which are inseparably 8, "And these words, which I command oonnected in the career of such. theethis day. she.II be in thine bee.rt.... And Ver. 19.-The we.y of the wioked is as thou she.It bind them for e. sign upon thine ds.rknesa. In contrast with the path of the hand, e.nd they she.II be as frontlets between just is the way of the wicked, which is de- thine eyes." scribed as darkness itself: i.e. so deeply Ver. 22.-They are life; i.e. they bring enveloped in gloom that the wicked are life (l&hayyim; the plural, as usual). Unto not able even to see the obste.cles and those that :find them ; i.e. to those who by impediments against which they stumble, effort get possession of e.nd procure them ; and which are the cause of their ruin. It the verb malsa, "to find," embodying the is e. way dark throughout-a via tenebrosa idea of activity. Health; mar'pe, derived (Vulgate)-terminating at length in "the from the root rapha, II to bee.I" (like riph'utl, blackness of darkness." As light is emble- of eh. iii. 8, which see), o.nd hence rather matical of knowledge, holiness, and joy, so "the means of health" than "health," darkness represents ignorance, unho!iuess, "healing," or, e.s margin, 11 medicine," "that and misery (see Isa. viii. 22). Darkness which restores to health;" LXX., !a,r,s; (aphelah); strictly, thick darltness, midnight Vulge.te, sanitas. The moral condition is gloom, the entire absence of light. It is regarded o.s enfeebled by sickness, from the word used of the plague of tbick II which it me.y be restored to health and darkness" that settled over e.11 the land of soundness by the words of wiedom. The Egypt, even a darkness that "might be effect of these, however, is not only to re- felt," when the Egyptians "se.w not one store to health, but to maintain in health. another, nor any arose from hie place for 'fbeir tendency is to promote "e. sound mind three days" (Exod. x. 21-23). It ocolll'I! in a sound body." To theil· :flesh; literally, again in eh. vii. 9, "in the black and dark to hiB flesh; the singular, b'~ard, being used night." In this darkness the wicked cannot instead of the plural, whioh we should have help but stumble. Compare our Lord"s expected, because who.t is said applies to OH. IV. 1-27.] THE PROVERBS. 91