The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 411

exhibited, and imparting wisdom and piety Ver. 17-ch. xxiv. 22.-Part IV. FrnsT (see on eh. xiii. 24 and xix. 18; anrl comp. APPENDIX TO TSE FIRST GREAT CoLLECTION, eh, xxiii.13; xxix. 15; Eccius. xxx. 1, etc.). containing "words of the wise." 'fhe LXX. pursue their notion of the too- indulgent po.rents letting the child have bis Vere. 17-21.-The introduction to this own way, for they render the lust clause, first appencli:x, containing an exhortation "But the rod and disciplinee.refo.r from him." to attend to the words of the wise, an out- Ver. 16.-He that oppreeseth the poor to line of the instruction herein imparted, with inoree.ee his riches (so the Vulgo.te), and he e. reference to teaching already given. that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. There are various renderings and Ver. 17.-Incline thine ear (comp. eh. iv. explanations of this verse. The Authorized 20; v. 1). The words of the wise; .,,,rba Version says that be who oppressetb the supientium, Vulgate. "Wise" is in the poor to enrich himself, and he who wastes plural number, showing that this is not his means by giving to those who do not e. portion of the collection called, • The Pro- need it, will come to poverty. But the an- verbs of Solomon' (eh. x. 1), but a. distinct tithesis of this distich is thns Jost. The work. (For the term, see note on eh. i. 6.) Hebrew literally rendered brings out the My knowledge. The knowledge which I contrast, Whosoever oppresseth the poor, it impart by bringing to notice these sayings ia for his gain; whosoever gi-oeth to the rich, of wise men. Septuagint, "Incline ( .-apcl- it ill /0'1' his loss. Delitzsch explains the /3a.A>.•) thine ear to the words of wise men, sentence thus: "He who enriches himself by and bear my word, and apply thine heart, extortion from the poor, at any rate gains that thou mayest know that they are good."' what he desires; but be who gives to the Ver. 18.-This verse gives the reason for rich impoverishes himself in vain, has no the previous exhortation. It fa a pleasant thanks, reaps only disappointment." One thing if thou keep them within thee ; in thy cannot but feel that the ml\xim thus inter- mind and memory (comp. eh. xviii. 8; xx. preted is poor and unsatisfactory. The in- 27). Thus Pa. cxlvii. 1, '"It is good to sing terpretation in the • Speaker's Commentary' praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, is more plausible: The oppressor of the poor and praise is comely." They shall withal will himself suffer in e. similar mode, o.nd be :6.tted in thy lips. Thie rendering will he.ve to surrender bis ill-gotten gains hardly suite tbe hortatory nature of the to some equally unscrupulous rich man. introduction. It is better to take the l:lut the terse o.ntithesis of the original is r.lause in the optn.tive, as Delitzsch, Ewald, wholly obscured by this view of the distich. Nowack, and others:" Let them abide alto- It is far better, with Hitzig, Ewe.Id, and gether upon thy lips;" i.e. be not ashamed others, to take the gain in the first hemi- to profess them openly, let them regulate stich o.s that of the poor man, equivalent to thy words, teach thee wisdom and discretion. " doth but bring him gain;" though the Septuagint, "And if thou admit them to sentence is not necessarily to be explained thy bOL,rt, they ehn.11 likewise gladden theu 1\8 su~gesting that the injustice which tl.10 on thy lips." poor man suffers at the hand of his wealthy Ver. lD.-That thy trust may be in the neighbour is o. stimulus to him to exert Lord. The Greek ond Lo.tin versions mo.ku himself in ord11r to better hie position, and this cliluse depend on the preceding Yerse, thus indirectly tends to his enrichment. 'fhe It is better to consider it as dependent on maxim is reo.lly conceived in the religious the second hemistich, the fact of instruc- style of so many of these apparently worldly tion being placed o.[ter the statement of its pronouncements, and states o. truth in the object. All the instruction herein afforded moral government of God intimated else- is meant to teach thnt entire confidence in where, e.g. eh. xiii. 22; xxviii. 8; and tbat tbe Lord which, as soon as bis will is known truth is that the riches extorted from the and understood, leads e. mo.n to do it o.t poor mo.n will in the end redound to hie any cost or pains, leaving the result in God's benefit, that by God's providential control hands. I have made them known to thee the oppression nnrl injustice from which be this day, even to thee. 'fho repetition of ho.a suffered shall w01·k to bis goo,1. In the tbo personal pronoun brings boruo tlie teach- second hemietich the loss is that of the rich ing to the 'disciple, n.llll show, that it is man. By adding, to the wealth of the 1·ich n.ddressed, not merely to tho mn.ss of men, the donor increases hie indolence, encourages but to each individual among them, who thus hie luxury, vice, e.nd extravn.go.uce, and thus becomes responsible for the use which he leads to his ruin-" bringetl, only to want." makes of it (comp. eh. niii. 15). The ex- Septuagint," He that co.lumnie.tee (o-u1<0,Pa.v- pression, "this clay," further emphasizes the ,.,,,.,) the poor increaseth his own substance, exhortation. The learner is not to remember hut giveth to the rich at e. lose (/,r' i>.do-- vaguely that some time or other be received vav,)1" i.e. BO ne to le~sen his substance, this iustruclion, but tile.t on this particular 426 THE PROVERBS. [OB. XXII, 1-29.