The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 373

CHAPTER XX. from strife; or helter, e.e Delit1sch arnl others, to remain far fram atrife. A pm- Vor. 1.-Wine ia e. mooker; or, scorner dent man will not only abstain from causinv tho word (lute) being taken up from the last quarrP.I, but will hold himself aloof from a.II chapter. The liquor ie, ae it were, pcreoni- contention, and thus will have due care for ;fiecl, as doing what men do uncler its in- ~is o~n honour aud dignity. How different fluence. Thus inebriated persona scoff at 1a this from the modem code, which makes what is holy, reject reproof, ridicule all that e. man's honour consist in his readiness to is aerioua. Sept1mgint, 'A1<0>..aurov olvos, avenge fancied injury o.t the risk of his own "Wine is an undisciplined thing;" Vulgate, or his neighbour's life I Septuagint, "It is Luxurioaa rea, vinum. Strong drink is rag- a glory to a man to holrl himself aloof from ing; a brawler, Revised Version. Shel,ar, revilings." Every fool will be meddling (see ai1<epa (Luke, i. 15), is most frequently em- on eh. ll. vii. 14; :,-viii. 1). Delitzach, "Who- ployed of o.ny intoxicating drink not made ever is a fool showeth his teeth," fin'1s from grapes, e.g. palm-wine, mead, etc. The pleasure i1;1 strife._ Septuagint, "Every fool inordini,.te use of this renders men noisy and mvolves himself rn such,'' as in ver. I. boisterous, no longer masters of themselves Ver. 4.-The sluggard will not plough by or restrained by the laws of morality or reason of the oold; propter frigUJ1, Vulgate. deconcy. Septuagint, 'T{Jp,ur,1<011 µ.1811, But i:r;in (choreph) de,notes the time of "Drunke1;1ness. is insolent." Theognia has some sensible hnes ou this matter (' Pa.r:eu.,' gathering-the autumn; so we would trans- 479)- late," At the time of harvest the sluvgard ploughs not"-just when the !!round;0 most •os S' _&.v lJ1rEpSd.>V,:9 'D'&O",os l'-E-rpov, oV1elT& easily and profitably worked. "The weak- KEIVOS' ness of the coultcr nnd other parts of the Tij~ aln-o~ -y~cf,,uu11s 1<apr~pbs obli~ 116011· plough requires that advantage be taken, in 1 Mv8etrat Ii ami>..aµ.va, 'Ta_ v114>ou1 -y!-yve"Ta& all but the most friable soils, of the aoftenino- aicrxpd.· of the surface by the winter or sprin.,. rains~ AlBei-ra., 6' tpli,,w oJSh,, S-rav µe8./m, so that the peasant, if industrions~ has to To 7rplv EWV ,rcf,q,pwll .,.&7, v1,7rt0S, • plo?gh in th? winter, though sluggards still Whosoever is.deceived. thereby is not wise. shrmk from its cold, and have to be.,. 0 in the No one who reels under the -influence of, i~ harvest" (Geikie, 'Holy Land and Bible' overpowered by, wine is wise (Isa. xx.viii. 7). ii. 401). Therefore shlill he beg in harvest Septuagint, .. Every fool is involved in such." and have nothing. So the V::ilgate, Mendi'. Says a Latin adage- cabit ergo restate, et non dabitur illi. Ilut this does not accurately represent the mean- "Euse cadunt multi, perimit sed crapula ing of tile clause. If ever the prosperous plures." a.re disposed to relieve the needy, it would "More e.re drowned in the wine-cup than bo at the time when they have safely gar- In .~!1e ocean,' say the Germans (comp. ell. nered their produce; un appeal to their _::u111. 29, etc.; Eph. v. 18). charity nt su~h e. moment would not be Ver. 2.-The fee.r of a Iring is e.s the roe.r- made in vain. Rnthcr the sentence signifies ing of e. lion (see eh. xix. 12). The terror that tho lazy mC1n, hnviug neglected to liava which a king causes when his anger is rising his lnnd ploughed at the proper time," when is like the roar of a lion, which betokens ho nsks (for his fruits) at hnrvest-time, there danger. Septuagint, "The threat of a kin.~ is nothing." He puts off tilling his fields differeth not fl'.Qm the wrath of a lion." day o.fter ,lay, or never looks to see if his Whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth labourers do their duty, o.ncl so his land is against his own soul; imperils his life, not cultivatccl, and he has no crop to reap which he hC1s no right wilfully to jeopard. when autumn comes. "Ily the street of By- Septuagint," He who enrageth him (d 1rapo!• and-by one arrives at the house of Never" {.vwv aurov)." The Complutensian o.nd some (~panish proverb). T,iking a different in- ,Greek versions introcluoe tho words, Kal terpretation of the wore! choreph, the LXX. J.,,.,µ.,-yv{,µ.,vor, "and has intercourse with renders, " Ileing reproached, the sluggnrJ i:1 him;" i.e. he who having aroused a king's not ashamed, no more than he who borrows resentment does not a.void his presence, ex- corn in harvest." poses himself to certain death. Ver. 5.-Counsel m the heart of me.n is Ver. 3,,-lt is an bo11oµr to a man to o~a.so liko deep water. The thoughts !lnd pur-  884 THE PROVERBS. [ou, xx, 1-80.