The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 142

therefore, thnt the seventh vice is odious hands that ahed innocent blood, i.-,. a mur- _to Goel in nn especial degree n.bove the derous and cruel dispoaitfon, which, rather others, is untena.ble, though it has found than have its plans frustrated, will imbue defenders in Lowenstein, Bcrthen.u, and the hands with innocent blood, i..e. the Von Gerln.cli, and is supported by the blood of those who have clone it no injury. Vu!g1Lte, Bex Bunt qum odit Dominus, et Tbe Divine cd'mmand is, "Thou shalt do no septimwm deteslatur anima ~jus. AH the murder," and tho:j6 who break it will find, s~ven things are execrable, all are equally even if they escape man, that the Lord objects of the Di vine a.bhorrence. Besides, is "the avenger of blood," and that he we cannot imagine that the vice of sow- "maketh inquisition" for it (cf. eh. i. and ing discord among brethren, of ver. 19, is ii., and Isa.,. lix. 7, which bear a close resem- more odious to Goel than the crime of shed- blance to this passage). '.rliat the shedding ding innocent blood of ver. 17. Unto him of innocent blood cries for vengeance, and (Hebrew, naph' sho) ; literally, of his soul. pulls down God's heavy judgmants on the Ver. 17.-The enumera.tion begins with murderer, appears in the casti of Cain and pride. A proud look (Hebrew, eynii.yim Abel (Maffet). ram&th); literally, ha,,ghty or lofty eyes, as Ver. 18.-The fourth thing is an heart that in the murgiu; Vulgate, oculoa auUimP-s; deviseth wicked imag:inations. " Wicked LXX., l,,p9dll.µbs {,f3pun·ou. It is not merely imaginations" are literally "thoughts of the look "hich is meant, but the temper of iniquity;" Hebrew, mii.kh'sh'voth avi!n; mind which the look expresses (Wardlaw). Vulgate, cogitationes pe,isimas; LXX., The lofty look is the indication of the 71.o-yurµo/,s Ka1CJJ/,s. The same expression in swelling pride which fills the heart, the Isa. lix. 7 is rendered "thoughts of ini- mentia elatm tumor, the supreme disdain, quity." (On deviseth, Hebrew khoresh, see grande supercilium, for everything and ver. 14 and cb. iii. 29.) The thought is a everybody. Pride is put first, b0C11.use it is repetition of ver. 14a. There are evil at the bottom of all disobedience and rebel- tb.oughts in all men's hearts; but the devis- lion against God's laws. It is the very ing, fabricating of them, nnd thus making opposite of humility, which the apostle, in the heart into a devil's workshop, is the Eph. iv. 2, mentions as the basis, a~ it were, mark o[ utter depravity and wickedness, of all the virtues. All pride is intended, and is abhorrent to God. The devices of and the face of the Lord is against this the heart, though planned in secret, are pride. He "resisteth the proud : " he clear to him" to whom all hearts a.rti open, "knoweth them afar off;" he "bath respeot all desires known, and from whom no secrets unto the lowly;" he •~ will bring down high are hid." The peculiar position whicl.i the looks" (Ps. xvii(. 27); he juclgetb. those heart occupies in the enumeration is to lie that are high (Job xxi. 22). It is against ii,ccoanted for on tl.ie ground that it is the this spirit that .Job prays Jehovl\h "to be- fountain, not only of those vices whicl.i have hold every one that is proud, and abase been already mentioned, but of those whith him," and "to look upon every one that is follow. The fifth thing is feet tha.t be proud, nnd bring him low" (Job.xL 11, 12). swift in running to mischief. Again we are The next thinj!' in the enumeration is a reminded of Isa. !ix. 7, "Tl.ieir feet run to lying tonguer' Lying ie hateful to God, evil." "Mischief" (Hebrew, ra) is e. re- becnuse he is the God of truth. In a con- echo of ver. 14 and ell. i. 16. "To run to cise form the exµressiou, "11 lying tongue," mischief" is to carry out with alacrity rLnd represents what has been already said in without delay what has e.lrendy been devised vers. 12 and l3 of "the wicked roan" who in the l.ie11rt. It implies more the.n fe.lling- "walks with, a froward mouth,". and whose or sliding into sin, which is common to all. oondnct is made up of deceit. ·Lying is It denotes, Cornelins lL Lapide remarks. the wilful perversion of truth, not only by "inexplebilem sceleris aviditatem, et desti- speech, but by any means whatever whereby ne.tum studiuw," e. false impression is conveyed to the mind. Ver. 19.-The sixth thing is pe1jury. A The liar ·• sticks not at any liee, fil\tteries, false wit11ess that speaketh lies; litemlly, or calumnies" (Pat!'ick). Lying is else- he that breathes out, or utlers, lies as a falsd wherti denounced .11s the subjoot which wit11e,is. So the Vulgate, proferentem men- ei.:cite& the Divine ~ispleasure.(see Ps. v. 6; daoia te,item fallacem. The Hebrew pu.ii.kh, cxx. 3, 4; Hos. iv, 1-,-3; Rev ..xxi. 8, 27); is ·" to breathe," "to blow," aud iu tb.e and in the early Christian Ohurch, in the hiph. form,· which is us~cl here (yaphitikh, case. of Ananias and Sapphira, it was hiph. future), it is "to blow out" 01· "utter," puuiijhed with death. On the -subject of either in a bad sense, as in the present lying, see St. Augustine, • Enchiridion,' o, instance, and iu eh. vi. 19: xiv. 5; xix. 5, xviii., wherein he says," Mihi autem videtur 9 ( cf. Pe. x; 5 ; xii. 5); or in a goocl sense, peccl\tum quidei;n 0880 omne mendaoiuro." "to utter the truth," I\S inch. x.ii. 17. Li88; Every lie 18 11 sin, 'l'b.e third thing is Hebrew, k':aoim, plurol of 1''1.:,h;, "falae- 132 THE PROVERBS. [CH, VI, 1-35,