The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 392

verbs we.roing e.gainst precipito.ncy, which Septuagint, "Deetrnction shall sojourn BS e. will occur to every one : Festina lente; guest (l1r,(,vr.,,B11,r,Ta.1) with the ungodly." "More ho.ate, less speed;" "Eile mit Weile." The reason of this fate is given in the con- npo1rhfla. 1rol\l\oi, l11Tl11 al•rfa. Ha,cw11, cluding hemietich : :Because they refuse to do judgment. Tbis is 8- judicial retribution (See a long dissertation on Festinati-0 prt1YprO• on them for wilfully declining ( ver. 25) to pera in Erasmus's ' Adagin.') Thie verse is do what is right. omitted in the chief mo.nuscripts of the Ver. 8.-The way of man is froward and Septuagint. strange; Vnlge.te, Per'flersa via 'flfri, aliena Ver. 6.-The getting of treasures by a est. Both this and the Authorized Versic.'l lying tongne-the acquisition of wee.Ith by miss the antitheeis between tbe guilty and fre.ud e.nd fe.lsebood-ie e. vanity tossed to the pnre wan, which is intended. Ir. "11'1, a.nd fro of them that seek death. The latter translated "and strange" (which seems to clause is variously rendered and interpreted. mean "a:lieu from what is right"), the '1lav The Hebrew is literally, a fleeting breath, ill not the copulative, but part of the word, those seeking death. The Revised Version which is e.n adjective signifying "laden makes the le.et words a separate proposition, with guilt;" so the.t the clause ought to be "They that seek them seek death." But rendered, "Crooked is the way of a. guilty this seems unnecessary, and somewhat op- ma.n" (see note on eh. ii. 15, where, however, posed to the gnomic style, which often com- the word is different, though the idea is bines two predicates in one construction; and analogous). An evil man's way. of life is there is no reason why we should not ren- not open and straightforward, simple and der the words, o.s in the Authorized Version, uniform, but stealthy, crooked, perverse, "of seekers of dee.th." Such e. mode of ob- whither bis evil inclinations lead him. taining wealth is as evo.neecent and unstable Septuagint, "To the crooked ( """"'°"') e.e the very breath, and ends in death, which God eendeth crooked ways;" which recalls is practice.Uy the result of their quest. 'fhus Ps. xviii. 26, "With the pure thou wilt Wied. v. H, "The hope of the ungodly is show thyself pure; and with the perYerse like dust that is blown away with the wind ; thou wilt show thyself froward." God like e. thin froth that is driven away with o.llows the wicked to punish themselves by the storm; like as the smoke which is dis- falling into mischief. As for the pure, his persed here and there with the tempest, work is right; or, straight (eh. xx. 11). e.nd passeth e.way, as the remembrance of a The pure in heart will be right in action ; guest the.t te.rrieth but a day." Some think he follows his conscience o.nd God's lo.w, that the comparison regards the mirage of and goes direct on his course without taming the desert, which deceives travellers with or hesitation. Tho LXX. refers the clause the phnnto.sms of cool waters e.nd refreshing to God: "for pure e.nd right are his ways." sho.de. Such an allusion is found in Isa. Ver. 9.-It is better to dwell in a comer x:n:v. 7. The Talmud enjoins, "Speak no of the housetop, One is to think of the flo.t word that accords not with the truth, tho.t roof of an Eastern honse, which we.a used as thy honour may not vanish as the waters of an e.partment for many purposes; e.g. for e. brook." The Septuagint e.nd Vulge.te have sleeping and conference (1 Sam. ix. 25, 26), followed a different reading (mtl'"'ei p10), for exercise (2 So.m. xi. 2), for domestlc and render thus: Vulgnte, Vanus et ezcors matters (Josh. ii. 6), for retirement and est, et impingetur ad laqueos mortis, "He is prayer (Ps. cii. 7; Acts x. 9). This, though vain and foolish, o.nd will be taken in the exposed to the in.clemency of the weather, snares of deo.th;" Septuagint, "pursues would be not an uncomfortable situe.tion vnin things unto the snares of death (l1rl during a great po.rt of the year. But the pro• 'll'a.-y/8a.s Ba.vclTou)" (eh. xiii. 14; xiv. 27). verb implies a position abnormally inconve- So St. Po.ul soys (1 Tim. vi. 9), "They that nient as o.n alternative prefomble to a. resi- desire to be rich fo.11 into o. temptation o.nd dence inside. Hence, perhaps, it is advisable a snare(1ra-yl8a),and me.uy foolisho.nd hurtful to ronder, with Delitzsch, " Better to sit on lusts, such a.a drown men in destruction o.nd the pinnarle of e. ho1L~e-roof." Septuagint, perdition." "It is better to dwell in a corner of a plac& Ver. 7.-The robbery of the wicked shall open to the sky (tnra.lepou)." Than with e. destroy them; Vulge.te, rapinm impiorum brawling (contentious) woman ~ a _wide delrahenteos; Revised Version, "The violence house; literally, et house of society; 1.e. e. of the wicked eho.11 sweep them a.way,'' like house in common (comp. Yer. 19 and eh. ch1ft' before the wind. Tho violence with xxv. 24). A solitary corner, replete with which they treat others shall rebound on inconveniences, is to be preferred to a house themselves, shall bring its own punishment; she.red with e. woman, wife or other frmala they shall sink in the pit tho.t they ma.de, relation, of e. CJlmrrelsome and 'l'eimtious and their foot shall be to.ken in the net which temper. The LXX. puts _tho ma!ter forc1bly, they hid (Ps, ix. 15; comp. en, i. 18, 19). "than in cieled roows with unnghtoousnesa  408 THE PROVERBS. [au. ur. 1--81.