The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 146

word kheyk is properly "an undulation" (De- Ver. 30.-The teacher continues his argu- litzsch), not the lap, but as in the Authorized ment with another i!lustmtion, •till keeping Version here, "the bosom," and '' the bosom in view his object, which is to show that the of a garment," as in eh. xvi. 33; xvii. 23; punishment of the adulterer is a sui-ely x.xi. 14. The answer to the question of this impending one and severe in itB chamoter. and the next verse is of course a decided 'fhe argument in vers. 30-33 is one a negative, but we may note that the teacher fortiori, If men do not overlook bu, compares adultery to a burning fire in its severely punish a crime which has been conscq uence.. committed under extenuating cit-cumstances, Ver. 2S.--{lanone go upon hot coals, eto.? much less will they do so where the uime The repeated question is introduced by im, is of a much graver character and has "if," here equivalent to the La.tin an, used nothing to excuse it. Theft and adultery in double questions, as in Gen. xxiv. 21; are brought into compal'ison. '!'heft under all Exod. xYii. 7; Judg. ix. 2, etc. Go; i.e. ciroumsta.nces is a lesser crime than adultery, walk upon hot coals (Hebrew, al-hii.ggi!ka- but here it is minimized to the lowest lim); literally, upon the hot coals. The degree. The case of a man is takeu who Hebrew gii.k:heli!th is coals thoroughly steals to satisfy his hunger; the extent of ignited, as in Lev. xvi. 12 and eh. xxv. 22; the theft cannot be large, but yet he is different from plkham of eh. x.xvi. 21, which punished, and ea.lied upon to make the is "a black coal," or, as Gesenius explains, amplest restitution. Much more, does the charcoal unkindled. Be burned; Hebrew, teacher infer, will be the punishment, and Ukkavi!ynoh,; ie. be burned or BCOrched so equally certain, where adultery is in ques• as to leave a mark by burning, as in Isa. tion, and the crime is of the most heinous xliii. 2 ; this being the force of the verb character affecting the most precious kavoh,. The flames of lust will certainly be interests, and indulged in from the lowest visited with punishment, and with the of motives. Men do not despise a thief, stings of conscience. Job, speaking on this etc. ; i.e. they do not condemn him under very subject, says a deviation from the the ciroumsta.nces, non grandis est culpa paths of virtue "is a fire that consumeth to (Vulgate), "the fault is not a great one;" destruction." And to him who.gives way to but they do despise an adulterer-him they adultery it may be said, in the words of hold in contempt as one" who lacketh under- Horace, though with a different application standing" and destroyeth his own soul (ver. from that in -which they were used by that 32). The verb buz has, however, been other- poet, "i.ncedis per ignes suppositos cineri wise rendered as "to overlook." Zockler doloso." " Yoa a.re walking over fire that lies and Holden explain, "meu do not over- hidden under deceitful ashes" (Gejerus). look," though the former gives the literal Ver. 29.-So he that goeth in to his sense as " men do not despise." Gesenius neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her renders "despise," but explains, "i.e. they Bha1l not be innocent. It is as great a folly do not let him go unpunished." Vata.blus, to suppose that an adulterer will escape the Versions, Arim, Montani, and Munsteri, plIIlishment as to imagine that no injury Hitzig, Delitzsch, and Gesenius, Stuart, will follow where fire bas been applied. Muenscher, and Wo1·dsworth, all agree in Delitzsch illustrates this verse by a pasaage regarding the proper meaning of the verb from Pythagoras's maxim(' Eclog.,' c. 39), To to be "to despise" or "to treat scornfully." Els 7rVp ,ca.l Els ')'UVaL,ca Eµ,1rE'1E'iv 1o-ov lnrd.pxe,. The verb buz, moreover, occurs in th..ia sense Gaeth in; Hebrew, hii.bba el; i.e. haa inter- in eh. i. 7; xi. 12; xiii. 13; xiv. 21; xxiii. course with, as in Gen. vi. 4; xix. 31 ; 9; and Cant. viii. 1, 7. Michaelis's expla- x:u::viiL 9 ; Ps. li. 2. The same in force as nation is as follows : " although n. theft is "toucbeth." Shall not be innocent ; Hebrew, deservedly regarded as infamous in the w-yinnakEh; i.e. p= '!1acuus, "exempt from commonwealth, nevertheleas, if it be com- punishment,'' or shall be unpuniahed (De- pared with adultery, it is less wicked." litzsch, Zockler, Geseniua); cf. eh. xi. 21, The rendering of the LXX., ob 8avµ.auT011 U.11 "The wicked Hhall not be unpunished (lo a>.r;i .,-,s ,cl\[,..,..,,.,, i.e. "it is not a wonder if yrnnakeh),'' aa here. The verb nakah signifies any thief be ta.ken," it is difficult to primarily'' to be pure;" so the Vulgate ren- reconcile with the text in the original, ders non erit mundus, " he will not be pure ; " though it may be explained as expresaiug but the LXX. observes the secondary mean- the certainty of arrest which follows theft, ing of the verb, ou,c &.e.,.,~u•.,.a,, non erit in,- and thus gives colour to the secondary noziUB, "he shall not be let go unpunished," meaning attached to the verb, i.e. that from the Alexandrine verb de.,,&.,, Certain of overlooking. The Syria.c and Ambio and the very heaviest punishment shall Versions follow the LXX., while the come npon him (see also eh. xvii. 5; Jer. Chaldee Paraphrase renders, " It is not a n:v. 29; xlix. 12). With this explanation matter of surprise if a thief steals,'' etc. agree Gejerus and Vatab)W:1. His aoulj Hebrew, 11iiph'sM. NtpMal1 is Cllt, vt. 1-35.] THE PROVERBS. 137