The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 121

of. the LXX. ,l<Tlpx..,.a,, Vulgate ambulant that, though the address is made to all yet (sc. gressus ejus), and other ancient versions, each individually is to apply it to him~lf. all of which understand the verb in this Ver. 8.-Bemove thy way far from her. sense. The meaning of the phrase, p/!n In other words, this is the same as St. Paul t' phalles, is, therefore, " she walks not' in counsels, "Flee fornication" (1 Cor. vi. 14). the way of life-the way that has life for From her (mealtyah; desuper ea). The term its object, e.nd which in itself is full of life conveys the impression that the youth has nnd safety. Far from doing this, the teacher come within the compass of her temptations, goes on to say, her ways are movable; or that in the highest degree he is liable to literally, go to and fro, or jfoctuate; i.e. tl,ey them. The Hebrew meal, compounrled of wilfully stagger hither o.nd thither, like the min and al, and meaning" from upon," being steps of II drnnkard, or liko the uncertain used of persons or things which go a.way steps of the blind, for the verb nuii is so from the place in or upon which they had used in the fo:rmer sense in Isa. xxiv. 20; been. And come not nigh the door of he:r xxix. 9; Ps. cvii. 27; and in the latter in house; i.e. shun the very place where she Lam. iv. 14. He:r steps are slippery (LXX., dwells. "Be so far from coming into her <Ttf>a.>-.lpa,), o:r wander (Vulgate, vagi); they chamber as not to come near the door of her are without any definite aim ; she is al ways house" (Patrick). She and her house are straying in the vagrancy of sin (Words- to be avoided as if they were infected with worth); cf. eh. vii. 12. That thou canst not some mortal disease. The old proverb quoted know them (lo theda); literally, she knows by Muffet is applicable- not. The elliptical form of this sentence in the original leaves it open to various inter- ,, He that would no evil do pretations. It seems to refer to the way of Must do nothing that 'longeth [i.e. be- life; she knows not the way of life, i.e. she longethJ thereto." does not :regard or perceive the way of life. Ver. 9.-The :reasons why the harlot is The verb yada often has this meaning. The to be avoided follQW in rapid snccession. meaning may be obtained by supplying mah, Lest thou give thine honour unto others, equivalent to quicquam, "anything," as in and thy years unto the oruel. The word eh. ix. 13, "She knows not anything," rendered "honoax" (Hebrew, h&a) is not sc i.e. she knows nothing. The objection to much reputation, as the English implies, a! this is that it tro.vels unnecessarily out of " the grace and freshness of youth." It is the sentence to fiud the object which ought so used in Hos. xiv. 6; Dan. x. 8. Tbe :rather to be supplied from the context. The Vulgate renders "honour," and the LXX., object may possibly be the staggering of her (w'1, "life." Hod is derived from the Am.hie feet: she staggers hither and thither with- word signifying "to lift one's self up," and out her perceiving it (Delitzsch); or it may, then •· to be eminent, beautiful." Thy lastly, be indefinite : she knows not whither years: i.e. the best and most vigorous, nnd her steps conduct her (Wordsworth and hence ~e most useful nnd valuable, venrs Zockler). of life. Unto the cruel (Hebrew, l'iik';ari); Vera. 7-14.-The ruinous consequences literully, to the cruel one; but the adjective iikzari is only found in the singular, and of indulgence in illicit pleasures. may be here used in a collective sense as Ver. 7.-The subject of which the teacher designating the entourage of the harlot, her is treoting demo.nds the utmost attention of associates who prey pitilessly on the youth youth. Enough, it might be supposed, had whom they bring within the range of her been said to deter f:rom intercourse with the fascino.tions. So Delitzsch. It seems to bo " strange woman." She has been portrayed so understood by the LXX., which reuds in her real colours, plunging recklessly into ci11,>..ef1µ.o<Tw, immitentibus; but not so by ruin herself, and carrying .her victims with the Vulgnte, which adheres to the singular, her: deceitful, full of intrigues, neither crudeli. If we adhere to the gender of lhti walking in nor knowing the way of life. But adjective akzari, which is masculine, and tu the warning is amplified e.nd made more its number, it may designate the husband impressivo. There is another side of the of the adulteress, who will deal mercilessly picture, tho complete bodily and temporal towards the paramour of his wife. So Zi.ick- ruin of her victim. The argumentum ad ler. Again, it may refer, notwith,t,mding liominem is applied. There is an appeal to the gender, to the harlot herself (so Vata.blu■ personal interest in the details which follow, and Holden), who is cruel, who has no love which ought not to fail in holding youth for the youth, and would see him perish back. The form of tho address which is without pity. Tho explanation of Stuort repeated is very similar to that in eh. vii. 24. and others, including Ewald, that the "cruel The plum! form, "0 ye children" ( cf. eh. one" is the purchaser of the punished adul- iv. 1 and vii. 2!), immediately passes into terer, is without foundation or wa.rrunt, the singular for the reason mentioned before, since there is no historical instance on record  110 'l'HE PROVERBS. [ OH, Y, 1-23,