The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 267

Hence, while holy men ore getting tho LXX. has introduced a negative, which mastery over their evil ha.bite, their veTy gives a sense exactly contrary to the He- good practices even become cm object of brew and to all the other versions: " In joys dreo.d to them, lest, when they desire to do there is no admixture of sorrow, but the o. good o.ction, they be decoyed by 11 sem- final joy cometh unto grief." The negativo blance of the thing, lest the baleful eo.nker has doubtless crept inadvertently into tho or corruption lurk under the fair appearance text; if it were genuine, the sentence might of a goodly colour. For -they know that be explained of the sinner's joy, which he they a.re still charged with the burden of :finds for a. time and exults in, but which corruption, and cannot exactly discern the does not last, and is felt to be a. delusion as things that be good" (Oxford transl.). life closes. Ver. 13.-Even in laughter the heart is Yer. 14.-The backslider in heart-ho sorrowful (oomp. ver. 10). This recalls who turns away from God (Ps. xliv. 18)- Lucretius's lines (iv. 1129)- shall be filled with his own ways, shall reap ,, Medio de fonte leporum thefruitsofhisPvil-doings(ch. i.31; xii.14). Surgit amari a.liquid, quod in ipsie floribus Matt. vi 2, "Verily I say unto you, they angat." have their reward." And a good man shall be satisfied from himself. There is no v~rb The text is scarcely to be taken as nniver- expressed in this clause, "shall be satis- sally true, but either as specially applicable fied" being supplied by our translators. to those mentioned in the preceding verse, Delitzsch and others read, "and a good man or as teaching that the outward mirth often from his own deeds." It is simpler to repeat cloaks hidden sorrow (comp.Virgil,' .lEneid,' the verb from the former clause: "A good i. 208, etc.). And the endofthe.tjoyie bitter- man shall be filled with that which belongs ness; it has in it no element of enduro.nce, to him;" i.e. the holy thoughts and righteous and when it is po.et, the real grief that it actions in which he delights. Isa. iii. 10, me.eked comes into prominence. In this "Say ye of the righteous that it shall be mortal life also joy and sorrow are strangely well with him; for they shall eat tl,e fruit intermingled; sorrow follows closely on of their doings." The Vulgate, neglecting the steps of joy; as some one somewhere the prefix, translates, "And over him shall says, "•The sweetest waters e.t length :find be the good man;" Septuagint," And a good their way to the sea, e.nd are embittered man from hie thoughts," the produce of his there." Lesetre refers to Pascal, 'Pensees,' heart and mind. ii. 1 : "Toue se plaignent ... de tont po.ye, Ver. 15.-The simple believeth every word. de tout temps, de tous !\.gee, et de toutes con- "Simple" (:petld), the credulous person, ditions. Une preuve si longue, ei continuelle open to all influences (eh. i. 22). The et si uniforme, devroit bien nous convaincre Yulgate has innocens, and the Septuagint de l'impuissance ou nous sommes d'arriver ll.1ta1<os; but the word is best to.ken in an au bien par nos efforts: ma.is l'exemple ne unfavourable sense. The credulous fool nous introit point . . . Le present ne nous believes all that he bears without proof or sotisfaise.nt je.me.is, l'espemnce nous pipe, examination; having no fu::ed principles of et, de me.lheur en me.lheur, nous mene his own, he is at the mercy of any adviser, jusqu'a le. mort, qui en est le comble eter- and is easily led astray. Ecclus, xix, 4, nel. C'est une chose etrange, qu'il n'y a "He that is hasty to give credit is light- rien de.ns la. nature qui n'ait ete capable de minded, e.nd he that sinneth (thus) shall tenir la place de la fin et du bonheur de offend against his own soul." It is often l'homme. . . . L'homme etant dechu de eon remarked how credulous are unbelievers in ctat natural, ii n'y a rien a quoi il n'ait ete supernaturalism. They who refuse to credit oopCLble de se porter. Depuis qu'il a perdu the most assured fo.cts of ChriHt's history le vrai bien, tout ege.lement peut lui paraitre will pin their faith on some philosophical tel, jusqu'a sa destruction propre, toute theory or insufficiently supported opinion, contra.ire qu'elle est a la raison et a la and will bluster and contend in maintenance nature tout ensemblo." This illustrates of e. notion to-day which to-morrow will also ver. 12. Proverbs like "There is no prove untenable and absurd. Many who rose without a thorn " are common enough despise the miro.culous teaching of the in all languages. The La.tins said, " Ubi Bible accept the follies and frauds of uber, ibi tuber;" and "Ubi mel, ibi fel." spiritualism (comp. John v. 43). Hesiod, Oreek experience produced the gnome- 'Ep-y., 372- •Ap' lnl <TvrtE11ls .,, >,,"""7 1<al fllos. nl<Tnis a• ll.p '1'01 l,µii,s 1tal l,.,r1(1-r/a, (f,>,,E(T,U " Sorrow and lifo are very near of kin!' ll.11Bpas. The Christian learns another leseon, "Belief and unbelief alike are fatal.." " Blessed a.re they that mourn : for they shall be comforted" (Matt. v. 4). The Cato, ' Dist.,' ii. 20-  272 THE PROVERBS. [OH. XlV. 1-35.