The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 325

Yer. 8.-There is a breath of satire in neighbour; and if thou hast seen somethin" this yerse. A gift is as a precious stone in bad of thy friend, let it not pass thy tongu~ the eyes of him that hath it. "A precious as a shmder" (Dukes, § 6 I). The Mosaio stone" is literally" a stone of grace" (oh. Law bad led the way to this duty of forbear- i. 9). The gnome expresses tl:o idea that a ance: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear bribe is like a b1ight jewel that dazzles the any grudge against tho children of thy 8ight and affects the mind of him who people, but thou shalt ll've tl1y neighbour recei¥es it (see on eh. xv. 27; comp. Deut. as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18). Septuagint, xvi. 19; I Sam. xii. 3). Odd, • Art. Amat.,' "He who concealeth injuries seeketh friend- iii. 6fl3- ship; but ho who Lateth to conceal them separateth friends and households." " Muaera, crede mihi, capiunt homincsque _ Ver. 10.;-A reproof entereth more (deepe1") <leosque; mto a W1se man than an hnndred stripe, Placatur donis Jupiter ipse datis." into a fool. A deserved rebuke makes a It is possible that the gnome may have a deeper impression upon a man of under- more general application, and apply to gifts standing than the severest chastisement given to appease auger or to prove friend- upon a fool. Hitzig quotes Sallust, 'Jug.,' ship ( eh. xix. 6; x.xi. 14 ). Septuagint, " A xi., "Verbum in pectus Jugurthre altius, reward of graces is discipline to those who quam quisquam ratus est, descendit." use it;" i.e. moral discipline brings an ample Quint. Curt., !iv. 7, ·• Nobilis equus umbra reward of gTaces to those who practise it. q uoque virgai regitur, igaavus ne calcari Whithersoever it turneth, it prospl'l"eth. q uidem coacitari potest." The an ii thesis The Authorized Version refers these words is put more forcibly in the Septuagint, "A to the gift. Delilzsch points out that the threat breaks the heart of a prudent man ; word., are more properly taken of the person a fool eveu scourged feels it not." "ll·ho receives the gift, so that tLey should Ver. 11.-:-An evil man seeketh only re- be rendered, "Wheresoever he turaeth him- bellion. So the Greek and Latin Versions; self he dealeth wisely." Inflamed by sordid but, as Nowack intimates, e. bad man seeks hopes and the love of gain, he acts with all many other things which do not come possible skill and prudence in order to work directly in the category of rebellion; and it out his wuges and show that he was rightly is better to take meri, "rebellion," as, the selected to receive the present. The ¥erse subject, regarding it as put for the concrete, merely states a common trait among un- thus: "A rebellious man stri veth only for scrupulous men, and pronounces no judgment what is evil." From the point of view of upon it. an Eastern potentate, this is true enough. Ver. 9.-He that covereth a transgression Absolute government looks upon any rising seeketh lova; i.e. strives to exercise, put in against constituted authority, any movement practice, love (comp. Zeph. ii. 3; 1 Cor. in the masses, as necessarily evil, and to be xiv. 4). Thus No,rnck. One who bears repressed with a high hand. Hence the patiently and silently, extenuates and con- succeeding clause, Therefore a oruel mes- ceals, something done or said against him, senger shall be sent against him. The that man follows after charity, obeys the "cruel messenger" (eh. xvi. 14) is tlie great law of love (comp. eh. x. 12). Some executioner of the king's wrath (comp. 1 explain the clause to mean, •• procures love Kings ii. 29, etc.). He is called "cruel" for himself;" but the second member cer- because his erraacl is deadly, and he is tainly is not personal, therefore it is more pitiless in its performance. 'fhis seems to natural to take the first in a general sense. be the sense intended. The LXX. gives a He that repeateth (barpeth on) a matter different notion, derived from the ambiguous sepe.rateth very friends (eh. xvi. 28). He term malak, like the Greek lt'Y)'<ll.os : " Tho wLo is always dwelling on e. grievance, Lord will send forth a pitiless angel against returning to it and briuging it forward on him." The verse then becomes a statement every occasion, alienates the greatest friends, concerning the retribution iafiicted by God only embitters the injury and makes it on oustiaate sinners, such as Pharanb and chronic. Ecclus. :x:ix. 7, etc., "Rehearse the Egyptians. These are delivered over to not unto another tliat which i8 told unto "tho torment01·s" (Matt. xviii. 34), the thee, and thou sl.ialt fa.re never the wor8e. angels that execute the wrath of God, as in Whether it be to friend or foe, talk not Ps. lxxviii. 49 and Rev. viii. 6, etc. As all of other men's lives; and if thou canst sin is rebellion against God, it is ntitural without offence, reveal them not. For he to read into the passage a religious mean- heard and observed thee, and when time ing, and for homiletical purposes it is cometh he will hate thee. If thou hast legitimate to do so. llut the writer's in• heard a worcl, let it die with thee; and be tention is doubtless e.s explained above, bold, it will not burst thee." So the rabbis though his language may be divinely said: "Abstain from quarrels with tay directed to afford a further application. on. XVII. 1-28.J THE PROVERBS. 333