The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 328

"calamity," ae in eh. xiii. 17. Speaking of "Nam dolor e.c morbns leti fabricator the various aepeots which words may assume, nterq oe est." Cal.a(' Diet.,' iv. 20) says- "Workers of death are sorrow and disease." " Bermo bominum mores et celat et indicat Ver. 23.-A gift out of the bosom ; i.e. idow." secretly from the fold of the garment, and "Me.n's words bis cb11racter reveal, not from the purse or bag wherein money Bot often they bis mind conceal." was ostensibly carried. A corrupt judge "taketh," i.e. receives a. bribe conveyed to Ver. 21.-Xe that begetteth a fool doetb him secretly (eh. xxi. 14). To pervert the it to his sorrow ( comp. ver. 25). The words ways of judgment. The judges had no for "fool" in the two clauses are different. appointed salaries; hence the unprincipled Here it is 1,eBil, which implies bold, self- among them were open to bribery. The confident folly, the worst form of the vice; strict injunctions of the Law, and the stem in the second hemistich it is nabal, which denunciations of the prophets, were alike rather denotes dulness and stupidity, a want ineffectual in checking corruption (see of mente.l power. A conceited, offensive fool Exod. xxiii. 8; Deut. xvi. 19; Isa. i. 23; causes in.finite trouble to bis fe.ther, both Jer. xxii. 17; Ezek. xiii. 19; Hos. iv. 18, from his need of oonstant correction, e.nd etc.). Septuagint, "The man that receiveth the watchfulness required to repair the con- gifts in his bosom unjustly, his wa.ys shall sequences of hie foolish actions. There is not prosper." For, as Job avows (xv. 34), also the grief at seeing instruction and "Fire shall consume the tabernacles of warning thrown away on a worthless object. bribery." The LXX. adds, "The impious Septue.ofot, "The bee.rt of a fool is a pain toms aside from the ways of righteousness." to him ~ho possesseth it." The father of a Ver. 24.-Wisdom is before [the face of] fool hath no joy. The contrast in the case him that he.th understanding. The idea. is of a good son is seen in eh. xv. 20 and that the intelligent man directs his look :uiii. 24. The LXX. adds a clause from towards Wisdom, and therefore she beams eh. x. 1, with the view of impro~g; the upon him with all her light; as the Vulgate pare.llelism, "But a prudent BOil reJ01ceth puts it, "In the fe.ce of the prudent wisdom hie mother." shines." He has one object to which he Ver. 22.-A merry hee.rt doeth good like directs e.11 his attention ( eh. xv. 14 ). The a medicine. So Aben Ezra, understanding Septuagint rendering is not so satisfactory: the particle of comparison, which is not "The countenance of a prudent man is in the Hebrew. The word translated wise ; " he shows in his look and bearing "medicine" (gehah) occurs nowhere else, the wisdom that guides him. Thw Eccles. and probably means "healing," "relief." viii. 1, "A man's wisdom me.keth his face The cle.use is better rendered, a cheerful to shine, and the hardness of his face is heart maketh a good healing (comp. eh. xv. ohe.nged." The eyes of a fool are in the 13; xvi. 24). Vulgate, aitatem floridam ends of the ee.rth. A fool he.a uo one definite jacit • Septuagint, •ue1<n'iv ,ro1e'i, "makes object in view; be pursues a hundred one to be iu good case." A cheerful, con- duferent things, as they happen to come in tented disposition enables a man to resist the hie way, but misses the most important attacks of disease, the mind, as every one quest of all, and fritters away the powers knows, he.ving mo,t powerful influence over which might have e.idetl him to obtaiu the body. Ecclus. xxx. 22, "The gladness wisdom. of the bee.rt is the life of mnn, and the Ver. 25.-This verse is more or less 11, joyfulness of e. man prolongeth his days." repetition of ver. 21; eh. x. 1; xv. 20; n.ntl A broken spirit drieth the bones i destroys comp. xix. 13. A grief (kaaa). The Vulga.te all life and vigour ( comp. oh. iii. 8; Ps. and Septua!".int translate, "anger." A foolish xxii. 15; xxxii. 4). We all remember the son provok;s the wrath of hi, fa.tiler, 11ud is dietich- bitterness to her that bare him. " Bitter- " A merry heart goes all the diiy, ness" (meme-r) occurs nowhere else; mar Your sad tires in a mile-a." and marar a.re common enough. Ver. 26.-Also (gam). Thie may be So the rabbis enjoin, "Give care no room in intended to connect this verse with what thine heart, for care he.th killed many" was said above (ver. 23) about the perversion (Dukes, p. 68). Religious. r;la,~ness is a of justice; or, as is wore probable, it is used positive duty, and "low spmts, as Ise.ao to emphasize what is coming. To punish Williams says, "are a sin." Asks the Greek the just is not good. Damnum infen·e j11sto1 moralist- Vulge.te; ( 111,..ouv, Septuagint; a~d the wor<1 ~ Ap' l<T-rl ,ruyye11,s -r, A011'1J KCU fJ[os; has a special reference to punishment by fire. Nor to striko princes for equity; the And Lucretius (iii. 473) affirms- expression, " ie not i.ond," boiug understood  336 'l'I-IE PROVERBS. [CH, XVII, 1-28,