The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 394

they e.re, 118 fe.r e.s they ce.n, me.king God's xxiii. 5; civ. 15). Some nngnente used for will their will, a.nd this brings deep comfort anointing honoured guests were very costly. and stable joy (see some contrary experiences, The pound of spikenard expended by Mary ver. 10 ancl eh. x. 23; xv. 21). lint destruc- of Bethany was worth more thau three tion shall be to the workers of iniquity. The hundred pence-the wages of a labourer for Authorized Version, by inserting " shall be," nearly a whole year (see John xii. 3; Matt. and making this clause a separate assertion, xx. 2). Indulgence in such luxuries would obscures the force of the original, which, as be a token of prodigality and extravagance, in eh. x. 29 (where see note), contrasts the which a.re the sure precursors of ruin; while, effect of right-doing on the good and the evil. on the other hand, according to the trite It is a joy to the former, "but destruction proverb, Magnum -,,ectigal est parsimcnia. [or, 'terror'] to them that work iniquity." That fnlness of meat and luxurioUB habits Et pavor operantibus iniquitatem, Vulgate. tend to spiritual poverty and the loss of They cannot trust themselves to do rightly grace, need not be insisted on. Septuagint, without fear; they cannot commit the result " A man in want (lv6e¾,s) loveth mirth, to God, es the righteous do; if ever they do loving wine and oil unto wealth ( ••• act uprightly, it is against their inclination, ,r,\oV'Tov)." Some translate the last words, and such action will, as they fear, bring "in abundance,'' as if the meaning was that them to ruin. Septuagint, "It is the joy of the poor endeavours to mitigate the severity the righteous to do judgment; but a holy of his lot by get ting all the pleasure he can man is abominable (li.1<&811.p-ros) among evil- from creature comforts however procured. doers." So Wisd. ii. 15, " He [the right- Others think that a negative has fa.lien out eousJ is grievous unto us even to behold : of the Greek, which should be, "not unto for his life is not like other men's, his way3 wee.Ith,'' i.e. he shall not be enriched thereby. are of another fashion . . . he o.bstaineth Ver. 18.-The wicked shall be a ransom from our ways as from :filthiness (a.1<a- for the righteous. The same thought occurs 8ap,n&v)." in eh. xi. 8 (where see note). .,~j (kopher), Ver. 16.-The me.n that wandereth out of "price of atonement," means of reconcilia- the way of understanding. (For ~;,ii?,:i, "un- tion. Delitzsch inst!lnces that the great derstanding," see note 011 eh. i. 3.) 'He who movement which gathered the nations to- forsakes the way of wisdom, the path of gether for the destruction of Babylon put virtue, the religious life, and thus becomes an e11d to Israel's exile ; o.nd that Cyrus, the in proverbial language "a fool," he sho.11 scourge of so many heathen peoples, was the remain (rest, dwell) in tho congregation of liberator of the Jews ( comp. Isa. xliv. 28). the dead; in cCiltu gigantum commorabitur. And the transgressor for the upright. The "The dead" is, in the Hebrew, rephaim, faithless takes the place of the upright; the for which see note on eh. ii. 18. The de- stroke passes over the latter, to fall on the nunciation means primarily that the sinner former, as in Egypt the destroying angel shall soon be with the shades of the dead, spa.red the houses of the Israelites, and shall meet with a speedy deo.th. Words- poured bis wrath on the Egyptians. Sep- worth considers that the writer is saying in tuagint, "A transgressor is the offsconring bitter irony that the evil man shall rest as (11'Ep11<d.8ap/J,a, perhaps equiv11lent to 'ran- 11 guest at a banquet, shall lie down and be som') of a righteous man." regaled, but it will be in the company of Ver. 19.-A variunt of ver. 9. Here, in- tho dcnd. The contrnst seems to lie between stead of the " corner of the roof," we have the wandering and the rest, and this rest a wildemess, e. desert land, as the refuge to is 1·e2"11rded as penal; so that one must needs which the persecuted man must flee. Than Feo here an iutimo.tion of retribution after with a oontentious e.nd e.n angry (fretful) death; anrl comp. eh. xxiv. 14, 20. The woman. So the Vulge.te. But it seems J!'o.thers reg·1rded the Rephaim, "the giants," better, with me.ny modern commentators, as the cle~cendants of the rebel angels, in to take C!):;>), not as another epithet, but W! accordance with their interpretation of Gen. equivalent to "and vexation," i.e. a quarrel- ,·i. 1-4. Thus St. Gregory writes(' Moral.,' some wife, and the vexation that uccompanies xvii. 30), quoting our passage, "}'or whoso- such an infliction. The LXX. adds a word ever forsakes the way of 1·ighteousness, to to the text, as being at the root of the whose number does he join himself, saving matter, "'l'han with 11 quarrelsome, talkati'lle, to thti number of the proud spirits?" and passionate woman." Ver. 17.-He that loveth plee.sure shall Ver. 20.-There is treasure to be desired be a poor man; qui diligit epulas, Vulgate; and oil in the dwelling of the wiss. Precious for feasts are chietly, though not exclusively, tree.sure e.nd store of provision and rich Ull- rntended. He sluill become "a man of guents (ver. 17) are collected ia the house want" ( machesol') 11s eh. xi. 24. He the.t loveth of the wise m11n, by which he may fEUB wine and oil shall not be rich. "Wine and sumptuously, exercise hospitality, and lay oil" wore the usual adjunct.'! of banquets (Pa. up for the future (comp. eh. xxiv. 4). lint• 408 THE PROVERBS. [CD, XXI, 1-31.