The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 286

time and pince, or illustrates it, makes it injured by his slander and falsehood to the beautiful nnd pleasant, 6B ver.13. The wise very core. The LXX., with a different man not only has knowledge, but can give reading, tra.nsla.tes, "But he who keepeth it appropriate expression (comp. eh. xvi. 23). it [the tongue] she.II be filled with the Vulgate, "The tongue of the wise adorneth spirit." wisdom." The wise man, by producing his Ver. 5.-A fool despiseth his father's m- sentiments o.nd opinions in appropriate lan- struotion ( eh. x. 1): but he that regardeth guage and on proper occasions, commends reproof is prudent ( eh. xix. 25). The son wisdom, e.ncl renders it acceptable to his who attends to his father's reproof dealeth hearers. Septuagint, "The tongue of the prudently, or becomes wiser. Astutior fiet, wise knoweth what is fair (1<ctll.d)." But Vulgate; 1ra11oup-y&,,.,po<, Septuagint. The the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness Vulgate has here a distich which is not in (ver. 28). A fool cannot open his mouth the Hebrew, but a similar paragraph is without exposing his folly; he speaks with- found in the Septnagint. Thus Vulgate, out due consideration or discretion; as the "In the abundance of righteousness virtue Vulgate terms it, ebullit, "he bubbles over," is greatest; but the imaginations of the like a boiling pot, which emits its contents wicked shall be rooted up;" Septuagint, inopportunely and uselessly. Septuagint, "In the abundance of righteousness is " The mouth of fools proclaimeth evil." much strength; but the impious shall bo Ver. 3.-The eyes of the Lord a.re in every destroyed from the very root." The addi- plaoe, beholding-keeping watch on-the tion seems to have been an explanation of evil and the good. The omnipresence and the following verse, which has been foisted omniscience of Jehovah, the covenant God, in to the text here. is strongly insisted upou, and the sacred Ver. 6.-In the house of the righteous is name recurs continue.Uy in this and the much treasure ( chose11; see on eh. x:xvii. next chapter, and indeed throughout this 24). The good man's store is not wasted Book of the Proverbs (see Wordsworth, in or wrongly used, and is blest by God; a.nd loc.). The LXX. renders the verb <T1<01r,6- therefore, whether a.bsolutely much or little, ovc11, "are we.tohing," as from e. tower or it is safe, and it is sufficient. In a. spiritual high place. To the usual references we sense, the soul of the righteous iB filled with may add Ecolus. xv. 18, 19; xxiii. 19, 20. gra.ces a.nd adorned with good works. Sep- Corn. e. Lapide quotes Prudentius'a hymn, tuagint, "In the houses of the righteous is used in the Latin Church e.t Thursday much strength;" plurima for!itudo, Vul- Lauds- gate. But in the revenues of the wicked is " Speculator e.dste.t desuper, trouble. Great revenues acquired by wrong Qui nos diebus omnibus or expended badly bring only trouble, vexB- Actusque nostroa prospioit tion, and ruin upon a. ma.n and his family. A luce prime. in vesperum." Septua.gint, "The fruits of the wicked shall perish." Spiritually, the works of the "For God our Maker, ever nigh, wicked cause misery to themselves and Surveys us with e. watchful eye; others. Our every thought and a.et he knows, Ver. 7.-The lips of the wise disperse know- From early dawn to dnylight's close." ledge (ver. 2; eh. x. 31). The LXX. takes Ver. 4.-A wholesome tongue is a tree of the verb 1-v: in its other signification of life; a tongue that brings healing, thBt "binding" or "embmcing," and trnnslates, soothes by its words. Septuagint, "the "The lips of the wise ore bound (li,li,,,.a,) healing of the tongue." But the Vulge.te with knowledge;" i.e. knowledge is nlways renclering is better, lingua placabilis, "the on them and controls their movements. Tile gentle, mild tongue" (see on eh. xiv. 30). wise kuow when to speRk, when to be silent, Speech from such e. source refreshes and a.nd what to say. But the heart of the vivifies all who come under its influence, foolish doeth not so ; i.e. doth not disperse like the wholesome fruit of a proliflo tree knowledge. Vulga.te, cor stultorum dissi- (comp. eh. iii. 18; xi. 30). mile erit, "will be unlike," which probably 'l'vxi;s vo<ToO<Tf/S lo-Tl 4id.pµct1<ov 71.&-yos. means the same as the Authorized Version. (Compare a similar uso of the words lo-ken "Tb, 11iok soul by e. healing word is cured." in Gen. xlviii. 18; Exod. x. 11.) But tho But perverseness therein-in the tongue- contrast is stated rather weBkly by this is a brea.oh in the spirit. The perverseness rendering, lips 11nd bee.rt b11ving tho s11rue intended must be fe.laehooil, perversion of tho office to perform; hence it is better, with truth. This is ruin and vexRtion (Isa.. Ixv. Delitzsch, EwBld, and others, to take p_ 14, where the ea.me word is nsed) in the (ken) a.a an odjective in the seu:;e of" right" spirit, both in the liar himself, whose higher or" trustworthy," and either to supply the ue.ture is thus terribly marred ond spoiled, former verb, "disperseth that which is not ond in the ea.so of his neighbour, who is right," or to render, "The heart of the fool 2!)2 THE PROVERBS. [CH. XV. 1-33.