A poor man ie l>etter than a liar. A r,ool: elight.ost labour, a.ncl will not take the least man who gives to one in distTese hiB eym- trouble to win itli livelihoM. An Afflbio pathy and good wishas, even if he oan afford proverb sitys, "He dies of hunger under the un substttntinl ah,. is better than a rioh man date tree." Septu&gint, "Ho who unjustly who promises much and does nothing, or hideth his hnnds in his bosom will not even who fttlsely professes thttt he is unable to apply them to hie mouth ; " i.e. he who will help (oomp. ob. iii. 27, 28). Septuagint," A not work will never feed himself. poor righteous man ie better than a rich Ver. 25.-Smite a soorner, nnd the simple liar." A Buddhist maxim says, "Like a will beware ; will learn prudence, Revised heantiful flower. full of colonrs, but without Version (comp. eh. :xxi. 11; and see note on ~cent. nre the flue but fruit.le:'!! words of him eh. i. 22). 'l'he scorner is hardoue,1 to &II who does not act accordingly" (Max Muller). reproof, nnd is beyon,\ nil hope of being Ver. 23.-The fear of the Lord tendeth to reformed by punishment; in hie Cl\se it is life (oh. xh·. 27). True religion, obedience retribution for outraged virtue thl\t is sought to God's commandments, was, under a tem- in the penalty which ho ie made to pny; poral dispensation, rewardl'd by a long and T,µ..,pla, not 1<0;\.11a-«-retributive, not correc- hnppy life in this world, an n<lumbrntion of tive punishment. Seeing this, the simple, the blessedness that awaits the righteous in who is not yet confirmed in evil, and ie still the world to come. And he that bath it open to better influences, may be led· to &hall a.bide satisfied. The subject passes ta.kc warning and amend his life. So St. from" the fear "to its possessor. Perhaps Paul enjoins Timothy, "'fhem that sin re- better, and sali•ficd he shall pass the night, buke before nil, that others also. may fear" (1 Tim. v. 20). There ie the trite adage- which is the usual sense of J1" (lun), the verb here translated ••abide" (so eh. " Felix quern faoiunt aliena pericula.cautum." xv. 31). God will satisfy the good man's "Happy they huuger, so that he !1tys him down in pea.ce Who from their neighbours' perili!. cautiou a.nd takes bis rest (comp. eh. x.. 3). Vul- leal'n." 1
ga.te, I11 ple11itudine commorabitur, "He eha.11 Septuagint, "When & pestilent fellow i!I dwell in abundance." Re shall not be chnstised, a fool will be cleverer (,ra.,ovp')l6~ visited with evil, according to the promises ,,.,pos)." So Vulgate, Pestilenteflagelld.to stul- (Lev. x.xvi. 6; Deut. xi. 15, etc.). Uuder tus sapientior erit. Reprove one that hath our present dispensation Christians expect understanding, and he will understand not immunity from care and trouble, but knowledge. The scorner does not profit have hope of protection and grace sufficient by severe punishment, but the intelligent for the occasion, and conducive to edifica- man is improved by censure and admonition tion ancl. advance in holiness. The LXX. (comp. eh. xiii. 1; :xv. ~2). Says the adage, traill!lates thus; "The fear of the Lord is "Sapientem nutu, stultum fuste (corripe)," unto life for a man·; but he that is without "A uod for the wise, a stick for the fool." fear (b Ii• ifcpo/3os) shall sojourn in places Ver. 26-ch. :uii. 16.-:;Fourth section of where knowledge is not seeD;" i.e. shall go from bad to wol'l!e, till he ends in society this collection. where Divine 1..-nowledge is wholly absent, Ver. 26.-He that wasteth his father. and lives without God in the world. The The verb shadad, used her~·aucl. in eh: xxiv: Greek interpreters read )11 (dea), "know- 15, may be taken in the sense of " to spoil," ledge," instead of )Ii (ra), '' eviL" " to deprive of property;" but it is better Ver. 2~.-A &10thful man hideth his hand to adopt a more general application, and to in his bosom; Revised Ver.ion, the sluggard assign to it the meaning of "to •maltreilt," l,urieth his hand in the dish. 'l'he worcl whether in person or property. ·Chaseth tsallachath, translated '' bosom" here aud away hie mother; by hie shameless and in the parallel passage, eh. :uvi. 15 (where evil life makes it impossible for her to con- see note), is rightly rendered "dish" (2 tinue under, the same .roof with him; or, lii.ngs x.x.i. 13). At an Oriental weal the it may be, so dissipates his parents' mean~ guesLB sit round a table, on which is placed a. that they are driven from their home. A cliBh conta.i1Jing the food, from which every son that causeth ehame, and bringeth re• one helps himself with hiJ! fiugers, .knives, pr0ach ( comp. oh. :x. 5; xiii, 5; xvi i. 2). spoons, 0.lld forks beiDg uever used (comp. Ver. 27.-Ceaee, my son, to hear the in- l,uth ii. 14; Matt. :uvL 23). Sometimes struction that causeth to err from the words tl,e host himself helps a. guest whom he of knowledge. Thie version fail'ly repre- wishes to honour (comp. Jchn. xiii. 26). And sents the tereo original, if musar, "instruc- will not so muoh a, bring it to his mouth tion," be taken in a bud seuije, like the again. He finds it too great an exertion to "profane and vain babblings and opposi- foed himself, an byperbolical way of denoting tione of the knowledge which is falsely so the gro!!I! \e.ziuess w!iich recoils UOIIJ tbe c11,1led," ce11sured by St. f11,uJ (l Tim, vi, 20} Oil, XIX, 1-29,] THE PROVERBS. 371