The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 271

i.e. I.he thnusandth genAraHon of them that in eh. iii. 35, and is taken by Delitzsch and lovo him and keep his commandments (see Nowo.ck in the sense of "carries away" as Gen. xvii. 7, etc.; Exod. xxxiv. 7; 1 Kings the aSl!Ured resnlt. "By anger," says St. xi. 12, etc.; Jer. xxxiil. 20, etc.). Gregory(' Moral.,' v. 78), "wisdom is partecl Ver, 27.-A repetition of eh. xiii. 14, with, so that we are left wholly in ignorance substituting the fear of the Lord for " the what to do, and in what order to do it. . . . law of the wise." The fear of the Lord can Anger withdrnws the light of un.-Ierstn,:d. be called a fountain of life, because, showing ing, while by agit.ating it troubles the itself in obedience, it nourishes the flowers mind." o.nd fruits of faith, produces graces and Ver. 30.-A sound heart is the life of the virtues, and prepares the soul for immor• 11esh. The heart that is healthy, mor., lly tality. Septuagint, "The commandment of and physically, spreads its beneficent in- the Lord is o. fountain of life, and makes fluence over the whole body in all its func- one decline from the snare of death." tions and relations; this is expressed by the Ver. 28.-In the multitude of people is word for "flesh" (beaarim), being in the the king's honour (glory); but in the we.nt plnrnl number, as the Vulga.te render,, ~ila. of people is the deatruotion of the prince; or, carnium. But the contrast is better de- of the prinrYipaUty. This maxim is not in veloped by taking N!:l10 in its other sig-nifi- accordance with the views of Oriental cou- ca.tion of "calm," '' gentle,'' "meek," ns querors and despots, who in their selfish Eccles. x. 4. Thus the Septuagint, "'.rho man lust of aggrandizement cared not what of gentle mind (1rpa.t8vµos) is the physician suffering they inflicted or what blood they of the heart." The tranquil, well-controlled shed; who made a wilderness and called it heart gives health and vigonr to the whole peace. The reign of Solomon, the peaceful, frame (see on eh. xv. 4). :Bnt envy is the gave o.n intimation that war and conquest rottenness of the bones (eh. xii. 4). Envy, were not a monarch's highest glory; that like a canker, eats away a man's life and a happy and numerous people, dwelling strength; it tells on bis physical ns well os securely and increasing in numbers, waa a his moral condition. We have parallel ex- better honour for a king and more to be pressions in classical authors. Thus Horace, desired (1 Kings iv. 20). Increase of popu- • Epi,t.,' i. 257- lation is not, us some political economists " Invidus alteriUB macrescit rebus opimis." would teaob, in itself an evil; it is rather a sign of prosperity, and is in agreement Marti11l, 'Epigr.,' v. 28- with the primeval blessing, "Increase nnd multiply;" and though it may be hard to " Rubiginosis cuncta dentibus rodit; maintain the exact equilibrium between pro- Hominem me.lignum foraan esse tu credas, duction and consumers, yet wise legisfotion Ego esse misernm credo, cui plucet nemo." cnn foresee o.nd remedy the difficulty, the Bengal proverb, "In seeing o.nother's wealth abundance in one part can supply the it is not good to ho.ve the eyes smo.rt." scarcity in another, the providence of God Arabic, "Envy is a raging fever, o.nd hRB watching over all. no rest" (Lane). "0 invidia," cries St. Ver. 29.-He that is slow to wrath is of Jerome (' Epist.,' 45), "prim um mordo.x: great nnderstanding. The Hebrew expres- tui." "When tho foul sore of envy corrupts sion for what the Septuagint calls µ.a.1tpo• the vanquished heart,'' so.ys St. Gregory 9vµ.os, "long-suffering," and the Vulgute, (' Moral.,' v. 85), "the very exterior it;;elf patiens, is" long in nostrils" (oh. xv. 18), shows how forcibly the mind is urged by as the contrary temper, which we had in madness. For paleness seizes the com- var. 17, is "short in nostrils." That organ, plexion, the eyes are weighed down. the into which wn.s breathed the breath of life spirit is inflamed, while the limbs o.re chilled, (Gen. ii. 7), is taken as the seat of the in- thero is frenzy in the heart, there is gnash- ward spirit, and as showing by exterior signs ing with the teeth, and while the growing the dominant feeling. The original is very hate is buried in the depths of the heart, terse, "long in nostrila, great in uniler- the pent wound works into the conscie!lce standing." A mo.n's prudence and wisdom with o. bliucl grief." Septuagint, "A son- are displayed by bis being slow to to.ke eitive heart (1t11p6!11 11/cr611T11C1J) is a worm offence o.nd being pntieut un.-Ier injury. He (cr~r) in the bones." A heRrt tha.t feels too that is he.sty of spirit exalteth folly; i.e. aoutely and is eo.sily affected by external flaunts it in the eyes of all mon, makes circumsto.nces, prepures for itself con,tant plain exposure of it Septuagint, "He who vox,ttion and grief. is short in temper is a mighty fool." "Pas- Ver. 81.-Re that oppresseth the poor re-- sion," ae.ya an old ae.w, "nmkes fools of tbe proaohoth his Maker, even God, who huth wise, o.nd shows the folly of the foolish" placed men in their sever11l conditions (eh, (comp. oh. xii. 23; xiii. 16). 'fhe word xvii. 5; xxii. 2). "The poor sh1tll n~ver rendere!l "exaltetb," c•:,z;, (marim), occlUS cel\se oqt of the land" (Deut. xv. 11); "The  '276 THE PROVERBS. [orr. XIV. 1-35.