The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 393

11Dd in a common house." So the Latin seeming prosperity of the wicked, and, look- proverb, "Non quam late, sed quern laite ing to the end of these men, sees how hollo,v ha bites, refert." The Scotch have a proverb is tueir success and what a fntnl issue to the same effect: "A house wi' a reek and awaits thelll. The Vulgate refers the pns- 11 wifo wi' 11 reerd (scold) will sune mak' sage to the zeal of the righteous for the 11 men run to the door." "I had rather salvation of sinne_rs-a thought quite foreign dwell," says the Son of Sirach (Ecclus. xxv. to the present subJect-thur: Excogitatjustll,8 16), "with a lion and a dragon, than to keep de domo impii, ut detrahat impios a malo, house with a wicked woman." "The ri~hteous ~an reflects ooucerning the Yer. 10.-The sonl of the wioked desireth house of the wicked how he may deliver veil. A wicked ninn cannot rest without them from evil." The Hebrew is literally planning and wishing for some new evil A righteous one looketh on the house of th; thing. Nothing is safe from his malignant wicked : he precipif,ates the wicked to de- activity (comp. eh. iv. 16; x. 23). His struction. There is no change of subject in neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes the two clauses, and " a righteous One" (Isa. xiii. 18; xxvi. 10). He does not (tsa~ik) is God, put indeterminately to look with pity on friend or neighbour, if excite the grenter awe (comp. Job xxxiv. they stand in the way of the gratification 17). The Lord keeps the sinners under his of his desires; he will sacrifice any one, eye, that he may punish them at the fit however closely connected, so that be may moment (comp. eh. xxii. 12; Job xii. 19). work his will. Nothing makes a man more '.rho notion of God's moral government of atrociously selfish and hard-he.arted than the universe prevails most strongly in every vice (see eh. xii. 10, and the note there). pronouncement of the writer. The LXX. The LXX. takes the sentence in a passive interprets " the ilouse" as heart and con- sense, "The soul of the ungodly shall not science, and renders, "A righteous man Le pitied by any one." They who have no understands the hearts ol' the godless, and pity for others shall meet with no pity despises the impious in their wickednesses; '' themselves; while, on the other bnnd, the he sees through their outward felicity, knows Lord says, "Blessed are the merciful: for well its unreality, and despises them for the they shall obtain mercy" (Matt. v. 7). low aims and pursuits which satisfy them. Ver. 11.-When the scorner is pllilished, Ver. 13.--Whoso stoppeth his ears at the the G:i.mple is ma.de wise. We had the cry of the poor, A twofold retribution is same thought at eh. xix. 25 i (where see threatened on the unmerciful man. He also uote). The simple (parvulus, Vulgate) shall cry himself, but sha.11 not be heard. 11rofit by the punishment of the incorrigibly He himsdf shall fall into distress, and shall evil But the wise need not chastisement appeal to his neighbours for help in rnin. for tbeir improvement. When the wise is " With the same measure that ye mete instructed (Ps. xxxii. 6), he (the wise) withal, it shall be measured to you again" receiveth knowledge. The wise man uses (Luke vi. 38). This is true also in spiritual every opportunity, takes adrnntage of every matters and in the final judgmeut (see on circnmstance and event, to increase his eh. xiv. 21 and xix. 17; and comp. Matt. kuowledge nnd experience. The Vulgate xviii. 23, etc.; xxv. 41, etc.; Jes. ii. 13). carries on the subject, "And if he (the Ver. 14.-A gift in secret pacifieth anger. simple) follow the wise mau, he shall attain We have had above various maxima about knowledge." Septuagint, "When the in- bribes and presents; e.g. eh. xvii. 8, 23; xvi.ii. temperate man is punished, the bimple is 16. The word translated "pacifieth" is made cleverer; and a wise man under- from the ci:,ra.{ 'A.e"'foµ.•11011 verb np;:,, "to tlll'J). standing will receive knowledge." "For away,'' "avert." Septuagint, ·lwa.Tp{,,.,; it often happens," says St. Gregory (' !\fora!.,' Vulgate, extinguit; Venetian, ,cc/.µ.,/,e&. A xv iii. 38), •• that the mind of the wta.k is gift offered secretly to one incensed, whether the more uneteadied from the hearing of the personal eucmy, ju,]ge, or priuce, ave1-ts tho truth, as it sees the despiser8 of the trutil conaequenc<'B of tlie offence. The nex~ fiourishing; but when just vengeance takes hemistich is parallel iu meaning. And a awav the unjuat, it keeps otuers away from reward (present) in the bosom strong wrath. wick "dness." A present k<'pt handy in the bosom of the Ver. 12.-The righteous man wisely con- petitiouer's garment, ready to be transferred eidereth the house of the wicked: but God at a fitting moment, na experience proves, overthroweth the wicked for their wicke:l.- calms the most violent wrath. Septuagiut, neBB. The Authorized Version introduces "He that is sparing of gifts arouses strong the words "but God" in order to eke out wrath." the sense desired ; the Revised Version, for Ver. 15.-lt is joy to the just to do jndg- the same ree.son, has, " how the wicked are ment. The righteous feel real pleusure in overthrown; " a.nd both versions signify that doing what is right; they have the answer the good man contemplates the fortunes and of a good conscieuce, and the feeling that (JH, XXI, 1-31.J THE PROVERBS. 407