The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 141

times." Similarly the Vulgate, whioh, how- taken from the shattered fragmonts of 11 e,·er, ,ioins "continually" (Hebrew, b'kol- potter's vessel, whioh it is impossible to re- eth; Vulgate, omni tempore) to the rncond unitl'\, So in the oase of the mnn whose life bemistich, thus : " And at all times he has been one of fraud, dec0it, and malice, sows discord (et omni tern.pore jurgia semi- there is for him no hopo of any recovery. ,iat)." He soweth disoord (Hebrew, mid'- The lallgtmge may seem exaggerated, but y611im (Keri) y'shiilli!iikh); literally, he sends the picture is painted with this high oolour- foi·th (i.e. excites) str((e; or, as the margin, ing to exhibit a strong deterrent to such e. he casteth forf.h strife. The Keri reading line of conduct, and further, it may be re- mid'yanim, for the Khetib m'danim, ill pro- marked that, iu the present do.y, only the bnbly, as Hitzig suggests, derived from most confiding would again put trust in a Gen. xxxvii. :-!6. The phrase ·occurs again man who has wilfully and maliciously ns shilliil.-h m'danim in ver. 19, and as shrl- deceived them (cf. Isa. xxx. 14). The lakh mad on iu eh. xvi. 28 (cf. eh. x.12). This second hemistich of this verse ocou1·s again is the culminating point in the character of verbatim in eh. xxix. I. the "icked man. He takes delight in break- Ver. 16.-The whole structure and ing up friendship and in destroying concord arrangement of the thoughts which occur among brethren (see ver. 19), and thus in vers. 16-19 clearly show that this destroys one of the most essential elements is not an independent section, but one for promoting individual happiness and the closely allied to that which has just pre- welfare of the community at large. This ceded. The object is to show that idea of the community is introduced into those evil qualities of deceit and malice the LXX., which reads, '' Such an one which are disastrous to ma:i. are equally brings distnrbance to the city (.S Touoii.,-os odious in the sight of Jehovah, and con- Tapaxas uvvlu.,-71u, ,r&>.. .. )." The motive sequently within the scope of the Divine cause may be either malice or self-interest. displeo.sure. These six thiµgs doth the Lord Ver. 15.-Therefore shall his calamity hate : yea., seven nre an abomination unto come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken him. The use of the numerical proverb, without remedy. Great sins, as Muffet, though common to the gnomic literature of in loc., observes, have great punishments; Persia and Arabia, as Umbreit shows, is by neither only great, but sudden. Therefore; our author confined to this single instance. Hebrew, iil-ken. A Nemesis or retribution Other examples occur in our book in the awaits this me.a of malice and deceit. His words of Agur the son of Jakeh (see eh. calamity or destruction is represented as x.xx. 7-9, 2'1-28), and the midda, the the direct result of, as flowing forth from, name given by later Jewish writers to this what he has done. His calamity; Hebrew, form of proverb, is observable in the apo- eydo. On eyd, see eh. i. 26. ShaJl come cryphal Book of Ecclesiasticus (see xxiii. suddenly; i.e. sooner than he anticipates; 16; xx. 7 aud xxvi. 5-28). When, a~ in when be thinks his diabolical plans are the present instance, two numbers are given, mcceeding, then suddenly his victims will the larger number correspond~ with the discover his fraud and malice, and will rise things enumerated. So in Job v. 19. In e.nd inflict the punishment which is his due. Amos i. and ii., however, there is an excep- l)uddenly; pethii, a variation of pithom jnst tion to this rule.,where the numbers appear used. t,hall lie ie broken; Hebrew, yish- to be used indefinitely. As to the origin of shai•er ; Vulgate, conteretur. The verb the numerical proverb, tho most pl"Obablo shaciir, "to break," •• to break to pieces," explanation is that given by Hitzig and is used of ships which are wrecked (Isa. xiv. adopted by Zockler, namely, that it is duo 29; Ezek. xxvii. 34; Jonah L4); of an army to the exigencies of parallelism. The author which ill defeated and dispersed (Dan. xi. first adopts one number optionnlly, and then 22; 2 Chron. xiv. 12); of the destruction of a second is employed as a parallel to it. a kingdom, city, or people (Isa. viii. 15; Jer. Here, however, the number determined on xlviii. 4) ; and of the complete prostration in the writer's mind is the larger number of the spirit of man by affliction (Ps. xxxiv. seven, and the smaller number six is used aa 19); and as such, in the passage before us, a rhetorical parallel. An examination of conveys the idea of the complete ruin of this the following verses will show that tho man. It is a destruction that shall break seven exactl.f measures the things wh;ch him up. Without remedy (Hebrew, v'eyn are described as odious to the LorJ. The miir'pe; literally, and there is no remedy. Authorized Version, so far as the numborH There shall be, as Fleischer, ns it were, no are concerned, exactly represents tho origi- means of recovery for his shattered members. nal, which, by the use of the cardinal His destruction shall be irremediable, or as number " seven " (shi!vii), and not the the LXX., a uvnp,131, &vla,i,.,-os, a contritio ordinal "seventh," which would be ah'vii. insanibilis ; or as the V ulgate, nee habebit shows that the things enumerateJ are equally ultra medicinam. The idea seems to oe an abomination in God's sight. The view,  OH, VI, 1-85.] THE PROVERBS. 1'31