The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 306

Ver. 11.-A just weight and balanoe are the truth and Justice which his subjects the Lord's (eh. xi. 1); literally, the balance display in thou conversation. Such a and 8cales of jiu;tiee (are) the Lord'8. They one hates fle.ttory nnd dissimulation, 1md come under his law, are subject to the encourages honest speaking. They (kings) Hivine ordinances which regulate all man's love him that apee.keth right; that wllic/6 dealings. The great principles of truth is jU8t ( eh. viii. 6). 'fhe two clauses are and justice govern all the transactions of co-ordinate. Septuagint," Ho lovcth uprigh~ buying and selling; religion enters into words" (comp. eh. xxii. 11). the business of trading, and weights and Ver. H.-The wrath of a king is BS measures are sacred things. Vu\gate, "The messengers of death, In a despotic monorchy weights and the ba\auce are judgments of the death of an offender follows quickly on the Lord;" being true and fair, they are the offence. Anger the king, and punish- regarded as God's judgment. Septuagint, ment is at hand; instruments are e.lwo.ys "The turn of the bale.nee is justice before ready who will carry out the sentence, and God." All the weights of the bag are his that before tirue is given for roconsidemtion. work. Some have found n diflicultv here, The murder of 'fhome.s e. Becket will occur because the bag may contain false as well a.a an illustration (comp. Etith. vii. 8, etc.). as true weights (Deut. xxv. 13), and it 'l'he LXX. translates, ''. The king's wrath is could not be said that the light weights e. messenger of death," toking the plmo.l were the Lord's work. This Slil'ely is a.s put by eno.llage for the singular ; bµt captions criticism. The maxim merely posaibly the plural may intimate the many states that the trader's weights take their a.gents who are prepared to perform the origin and authority from God's enactment, ruler's behests, and the various means which from certain eternal principles which he he possesses for punishing offenders. This has established. What man's chicanery and first clause implies, without expressly saying, fraud make of them does not come into that, such being the case, none but a fool view. (For the law that regulates such will excite the monarch's rosentment(comp. matters, see Lev. xix. 35, etc.) That cheat- Eccles. viii. 4); then the second clause ing in this respect was not uncommon we comes in naturally. But e. wise man will learn from the complaints of the prophets, paoify it. He will take care not to provoko as Micah vi. 11. The religious character of that anger which gluts its resentment so the standard weights and measures is shown quickly and so fa.tally (eh. xix. 12; x.x. 2). by the term" shekel of the sanctuary" (Ex.ad. Septuagint, "A wise man will appease him," xxxvili. 24, and elsewhere continually). the king; as Jacob propitiated Esau by the Ver. 12.-It is an abomina.tion to kings present which he sent forwo.rd (Gen. xxxii. to oommit wickedness. This and the follow- 20, 21). ing verse give the ideal view of the monarch Ver. 15.-In the light of the king's oounte- -that which he ought to be rather than ne.noe is life (eh. xv. 30; Ps. iv. 6). As what be is (comp. Ps. lxxii.). Certainly the king's anger and the darkening of his neither Solomon nor many of his successors countenance a1·e death (ver. 14), so, when exhibited this high character. The Septua- his look is cheerful and bright, it sheds joy gint, followed by some modern commentators, and life around, as the rain refreshes the translates, "He who doeth wickedness is au parched ground. A oloud of the latter rain. abowination to kings;" but as the "righteous- The former rain in Palestine fo.lls o.bout the ness" in the second clause (the throne is' end of October or the beginning of November, establiahed by righteousness) undoubtedly when the seed is sown; the latter re.in rc1ers to the king, so it is moro natural to comes in March or April, and is absolutely ' take the " wickedness" in the first member necessary for the due swelling and ripening ai; being his own, not his subjects'. When of the grain. It is accompanied, of course, a ruler acts justly and wisely, punishes the with cloud, which tempers the heat, while it unruly, rewards the virtuous, acts as God's brings fertility and \'igour. To this the Ticegerent, aud himself sets the example king's favour is well compared. " He shall of the character which becomes so high a come down," says the psalmist, "like the posiliou, he wins the affection of his people, rain upon the mown gl'B.ss, as showers that they willingly obey him, aud are ready to water the earth" (Pe. lxxii. 6). The LXX., die for 1im and his family (comp. eh. xxv. reading •J:i (beni) for •Jo (peni), translates, 5; l•a. xvi. 5). Law-maker~ should not be "Iu the light of life is the son of tho king; LJ.w-Lreakers. Seneca, 'Thyest.,' 215- and they who are acceptable to him o.re as a cloµd of the latter rain." " Ubi non est pudor, • Ver. 16.-To get wisdom than gold (comp. Nee cura juris, sanctite.s, piete.s, fides, eh. iii. 14; viii. 10, II, ID); and to get under- lnstabile regnum est." standing rather to be chosen than silver; Ver. 13.-Righteous lips arc the delight Revised Version better, yea, to get underBtand- of kings. The idee.l king takes pleasure iu ing is rather to be cl1osen tlia11 [to get] 6tlver. OH, XV[, 1-33.) THE PROVERBS. 313