The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 235

ties, even if there by he meets with con- He the.t tilleth his la.nd. Agriculture was tempt and dotr1LCtion, than to be in real the first of industries, and always highly want, o.nd all the time assuming the airs commended among the Jews, bringing a of a rich and prosperous man." This latter sure return to the diligent (eh. x. 5; xx. explanation seems most suitable, as it is not 4; xxvii. 18, 23-27; and Ecclus. xx. 28). at all clear that, at the time the book was He that followeth after va.in persons ; written, the Israelites of moderate fortune rather, vain things; /l&:ra,a, Septuagint, kept slaves, and the proverb would lose its empty, nseless employments, profitless busi- force if they did not do so. Says a mcdirevo.l ness, in contrast to active labour on the jingle- land. The Vulgate renders, qui seclatur " Nobilitas morum plus ornat qua.m geni- otiwm, "he who studieth ease;" but the torum." original, reikim, will not bear this meaning. ls void of understanding; he not only, as Ver. 10.-A righteous man rega.rdeth the is implied, will be reduced to poverty, but life of his beast. For "rego.rdeth," tile shows moral w,·akness and depravity. The Hebrew word is literally" knoweth" (Exod. Septuagint and Vnlgate here introduce a xxiii. 9); he knows what animals wo.nt, paragraph not found in our Hebrew text: what they can bee.r, and treats them "He who takes pleasure (3s <(1'T111 ,jB6s) in accordingly (comp. eh. xxvii. 23). The ea.rouses of wine will leave disgrace in his LXX. translates " pitieth.'' The ea.re for strongholds (oxvpo,µ.a(J'<)" (Isa. xxviii. 7, 8; the lower animals, e.nd their kind treat- Hab. ii. 16). Probably this verse is de• ment, ore not the produce of modern se11ti- rived from the following, with suwe corrup- ment and civilization. Mosaic legislation tion of the text. and various expressions in Scripture recog- Ver. 12.-1\fodern commentators have en- nize the duty. God's mercies are over all deavoured to amend the text of this verse his works; he saves both man and beast; by various methods, which may be seen in he hateth nothing that he ha.th made (Pa. Nowack's note on the passage; but the xxxvi. 6; cxlv. 9; Jonah iv.11; Wisd. xi. existing reading gives an appropriate sense, 24). So he enacted that the rest of the and alteration is not absolutely nP.eded, sabbath should extend to the domestic though it is plain that the LXX. had before animals (Exod. xx. 10); that a man should tllem something different from the iHasoretic help the over-burdened beast, even of his text. The wicked desireth the net of evil enemy (Exod. xxiii. 4, 5); the.t the unequal men (Eccles. vii. 26), that he may use the strength of the ox and the ass should not means which they t1Lke to enrich them· be yoked together in the plough (Dent. selves; or matsod may mean, not the instru- xxii. 10); that the ox sllould not be muzzled ment, but the prey-•• such booty as evil when he was treading out the corn (Dent. men capture;" or yet again, the word may xxv. 4); that tile sitting bird should not be mean " fortress," i.e. tho wicked seeks the taken from her little brood (Deut. xxii. 6), protection of evil men. So the Vulgo.te, De- nor a kid seetlled in its mother's milk (Exod. siderium impii munimentum est pcssimorum, :xxiii. 19). Such hume.ne injunctions were "What the wicke,l desire is the support of perhe.ps specie.Hy needed at a time when evil men," or, it may be, "tile defence of man's life was little regarded, and animal evil men," i.e. th1Lt the:1ti may be secured sacrifices had a tendency to make men from suppression o.nd interruption. Another cruel ILnd unfeeling, when their symbolical interpret1Ltion, which, however, seem, some- meaning wos obscured by long familiarity, what forced, is tlmt "the net" i, a meta- These enactments rege.rding animals, and phor for the judgment of Go,!, which the mysterious significance affh:ed to the overt1Lkes sinners, and iuto which they run blood (Gen. ix. 4; Lev. xvii. 10-14), with such blind inl'11tu1Ltion that they seem afforded speaking lesson9 of tenderness and to "desire" it. The safest explanotion is consideration for the inferior c1·e1Lturcs, and the second one given above, wliich signifies a foTtiori taught rege.rd for the happiness th1Lt the wicked man seeks by every means and comfort of fellow-men. Our blessed to obt1Lin the prey which he sees sinners Lord he.s spokeu of God's c1Lre of llowcrs obtain, and, as is implied, gets small retum and the lower creatures of his hand. But for his h1bour, does not tlCI rnnce his in- the tender mercies; litoro.lly, the bo1cel8, terests. But the root of the righteous rog1Lrded as the se1Lt of feeling. The yieldeth fruit. 'fhe root supplies the :;ap ,rnd wicked cannot ho supposed to hove "tender vigour needed for healthy produce. With- mercies ; " hence it is best to take the word out any evil dovices or plotting, tho righteous in the sense of " feoliugs," "affections." glLin all that they we.ut as the no.turo.l result What should bo mercy aud lovo are in an of their high principles. Another rendering evil me.n only hard-heartedness and cruelty. is, "He (tho Lord) will give l\ root of tbo Ver. 11.-A contrast between industry righteous," will onnblo thom to staud firm and iuleness, reponted at oh. xxviii. U/. in tiwo of trial. Septuagint, "'rho desires 23G THE PROVERBS. [cu. xu. 1-28,