The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 135

Western nations the giving of the hand has Chilo (Pliny, 'Nat. Hist.,' vi. 82), "Spon- been always regarded as a pledge of bona sioni non deest ja.ctnra "-" Loss is not jides. Thus Menelaus demands of Helena wanting to a surety." The same idea is (Euripides, ' Hel..' 838), 'E,rl 'ToiO"o, 11v11 conveyed in the modern German proverb, o,{111< ,µ.i;s 8/-y,," Touch my right band now "Biirgen soil man' wiirgen "-" Worry a on these conditions," i.e. in attestation thnt surety." Do this now; or, there/ore. 'fhe you accept them. In purely verbal agree- pltl'ticle epM is intensive, and emph1111izes ments it is the custom in the present day the command, and in this sense is of frequent for the parties to clasp the hand. A further occurrence (Job xvii. 15; Gen. xxvii. 32; example may be found iu the plighting of xliii. 11; 2 Kings x. 10, etc.). It appears troth in the Marriage Service. to be equivalent to the Lo.tin quod dico. Ver. 2.-Thou art snared with the words So the Vulgo.te," Do therefore what I say;" of thy mouth, etc.; i.e. the iuevimblti con- similarly the LXX. renders, "Do, my son, sequence of an inconsiderate undertaking of what I bid thee ( & ,-yw .,-o, ,,,.,.,>..>..oµ.a, )." suretyshio is that you become entangled It carries with it the sense of instant and and involved by yoUl' own -promises, and prompt e.ction. And deliver thyself, when hampered by self-imposed obligations. The thou a.rt oome into the hand of thy friend; Autl,orizcd Version rightly regards this as i.e. set thyself free when thou findest thou the conclusion. So the Vulgate. Others, a.rt actually at the mercy of thy friend for howernr, carry on the hypothesis, and insert whom thou he.et become surety. The ki (•;a,) l,n, "if:" "If thou lll't snared," etc.; but is not hypothetical, but e.ctne.l; it is not" if" without warrant (Zockler, Wordsworth, you a.re, but "when" or because you a.ctu- Plumptre). The LXX. thro"ll"s the thought o.Ily e.re in his power. The Vulgo.te and into the form of a proverb, as "a strong LXX. render •;a, respectively by quia e.nd net to a man are his own wor<ls." A dis- -ydp. Go, humble thyself; '.i.e. present thyself tinction is to be drawn between the verbs e.s o. suppliant, prostrate thyself, offer thyself rendered "entangled" and " taken ; " the to be trodden upon (Michaelis), or humbl0 former, ya"6sh, signifying to be ta.ken un- thyself like to the threshold which is warily, off one's guard; the latter, lakiid, trampled and trode upon (Rasbi), or humble referring, as before observed (cf. eh. v. 22), thyself under the soles of his feet (Aben to the being stricken with the net. They Ezra). The expression implies the spirit of are found in the same collocation in Isa. entire submission, in which the surety is to viii. 15," Many among them shall be snared approach his friend in order to be released and taken." The repetition of the phrase, from his responsibility. The Hebrew verb "with the words of thy mouth," is not un- h,th'riippes bas, however, been rendered intentional or purely rhetorical. It is mnde, differently. Radically raphas signifies "to e.s Delitzsch observes, to bring with greater tread or tre.mple with the feet," and this force to the mind that the entanglements in ho.~ been taken to express haste, or the be- which the surety is involved a.re the result stirring of one's self. So the Vulge.te reads of his own indi.:cretion. festina, "hasten; " and the LXX. 1rT8, µ.~ Ver. 3.-In this verse advice is tendered i1t>..voµ.,11os, i.e. "be not remiss." But the as to what is to be done nndcr t!Je circum- hithp. clearly determines in favour of the stances of this entanglement. The surety reflexive rendering; comp. Ps. lxviii. 30, is to take immediate steps to be set free. " 'fill every one submit himself with pieces The urgency of the advice is to be explained of silver"-the only other passage where by the serious consequences which would raphiis occurs. And me.ke sure thy friend follow in the event of the debtor not satis- (Hebrew, r'hiiv reeyka); re.ther, importune fying the creditor in due time. The surety thy friend, be urgent with him, press upon became liable to the penalties inflicted by ,him to fulfil bis engagement. The verb the Hebrew law of debt. His property rahii11 is properly "to be fierce," "to rage," could be distre.ined. His bed and his gar- and hence with the e.ccusative, e.s here, '' to ment could be taken from him (eh. xxii. 27 assail with impetuosity." In Isa. iii. 5 it is and xx. 16), and he we.~ liable as well e.s need with ~ (b'), and signifies to e.ct fiercely his family to be reduced to the conrlition of against any one. The meaning of the pas- servitude. So we find the son of Sirach sage is the.t if abject submission 01· persua- Eaying, "Suretyship bath undone many of sion does not avail, then sterner measures good estate, and she.ken them as a wave of a.re to be resorted to to go.in the desired the sea: mighty men bath it driven from end. their houses, so that they wandered among Ver. 4.-Tbis verse carries on the thought strange nations" (Ecclus. xxix. 18; cf. 2 one step further. The appeo.l to the friend Kings iv. l; Neh. v. 3-5; and Matt. xviii. is not to be confined to one spasmodic effort 25). Compare the dictum of 'l'he.Ies, the and then relinquished. He is to be followed Greek philosopher, 'E-y-y6" -ir&p" ~• If.-.., up pertine.cionsly o.nd continually, with un- "Give surety, and ruin is near;" and that of wearied diligence, until prev11iled upon to cm. v1. 1-35.] THE PROVERBS. 125