The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 378

speak rnsbly;" and then lrode,h, "holiness," man by God himself (Gen. ii. 7), distin!roieh- will be an exclamation, like T,orbctn (Mark ing man from brutes-the conscious h~uman vii. 11). The cla.use will then run, "It is B eoul. We may consider it as equivalent to snare to c. man rashly to cry, Holiness I" what we Christians call conscience, with its equivalent to "It is holy I" i.e. to use the twofold character of receiving light e.nd formula for consccrc.ting something to holy illumination from God, and sitting as judge pnrposes. Septuagint, "It is a snare to a and arbiter of actions. It is named "the man hastily to consecrate something of his Lr,rd'a lamp,'' because this moral sense is twn" (comp. Eccles. v. 2, 4, etc.). And a direct gift of God, a11d enables a man after vows to make inquiry; i.e. after he has to see his real condition. Our Lord (Matt. made his vow, to begin to consider whether vi. 23) speaks of the light that is in he can fulfil it or not. This is a snare to man, and gives a solemn warning against a man, strangles his conscience, and leads the danger of letting it he darkened by him into the grievous sins of perjury and neglect and sin; and St. Paul (I Cor. ii. 11) ee.crilege. Septuagint, "For after vowing argues, " Who among men knoweth the eosueth repentance." things of a man save the epiril of the man, Ver. 26.-A wise king ecattereth the which is in him?" As Elihu says (Job wioked (ver. 8). The verb is zarah, which xxxii. 8), "There is a spirit in man, and means •• to winnow, or sift." The king the breath of the Alrnir;hty giveth them separates the wicked and the good, a.a the understanding." And Aristotle speaks of winnowing fun or shovel divides the chaff practical wisdom (cpp&vfJtr«) combined with from the wheat. The same metaphor is virtue as " the eye of the sou I ( ~µ.µ.ci -rijs used of Christ (Matt. iii. 12), "Whose fan is ,i,vxiis)." Searching all the inward parts of in his hand, and he will throughly purge the belly; i.e. the very depths of the son!, his floor, and gather his wheat into the probing thoughts, desires, affections, will, garner; but he will burn up the chaff and approving or reproving, according as with unquenchable fire" (comp. Jer. xv. 7). they are in conformity with or opposition Septuagint," A winnower (J,.1,cµ:/in•p) of the to God's Law. We must remember that ungodly is e. wise king." And bringeth the Eastern houses, before the introduction of wheel over them. The threshing-wheel is glass, had very scanty openings to admit meant (see Isa. xxviii. 27; Amos i. 3). This light, and lamps were necessary if for any was a wooden frame with three or four purpose the interior had to be thoroughly rollers under it e.rrned with iron teeth. It illuminated. Hence the metaphor used above we.a drawn by two oxen, and, aided by the would strike an Orieotal more forcibly than weight of the driver, who had his seat upon it strikes us. Septuagint, "The breath it, it crushed out the grain, and cut up the (1rvo11, as eh. xi. 13) of man is a light of the straw into fodder. Another machine much Lord, who searches the chambers of the used in Palestine was made of two thick belly." St. Gregory ('l\foral.,' xii. 6-!), "We planks fastened together side by sic!e, and ought to bear in minu that io holy Writ by having sharp stones fixed in rows on the the title of the ' belly,' or the • womb,' the lower surface. It is not implied that the mind is used to be understood. For the king employed the corn-drag as an instru- light of grace, which comes from above, ment of punishment, which was sometimes affords a ' breath way' to man unto life, so used in war, RB possibly may be inferred which same li~ht is said to 'search all from 2 Sam. xii. 31; 1 Chron. xx. 3; nnd the inwcird ports of the belly,' in that it Amos i. 3. The idea of threshing is carried penetrates all the secrets o[ the heart, that on, and the notion is rather of seporation the things which were hidden in the soul than of punishment, though the latter is touching itself it may bring back before the not wholly excluded. The wise ruler will eyes thereof" (Oxford transl.). not only distinguish between the godless Ver. 28.-Mercy e.nd truth preserve the ond the good, but will show his discrimi- king. (For " mercy and truth,'' see note on nation by visiting the evil with condign eh. iii. 3.) The Jove and faithfulness whlch punishment. Septuagint, "He will bring the king displays in dealing with his subjects the wheel upon them ; " the Vulgate hos elicits the like virtues in them, and these curiously, lncurvat BUper eos fornicem, "He are the safeguo.rd of his throne. His throne bends an arch over them," which Latin is upholden by mercy; or, love. So the kiug commentators explain as e. triumphal arch, is well called the father of his people, and meRning that the king conquers and subdues in modern times the epithet "gracious" is the wicked, e.nd celebrates his victory over applied to the sovereign as being tho fountain them. A patent anachronism which needs of mercy ond condescension. Sallust, 'Ju- no comment! gurtlm,' x., "Non exercitus ncquc thesauri Ver. 27.-The spirit of man is the oandle prmsidio. regni sunt, verum amici, quos (lamp) of the Lord. NeBltamah, "spirit,'' or neque ormis cogere nequo auro pt\nne '.' breath," is the principle of life breathecl into qucas; officio et fide po.riuntur.'' Septungint., B9C) THE PROVERBS. [oil, XX. 1-30,