The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 483

i;,ipl for the :first "1?,11'), and renders, " But is only a perversion of intellect, but in the the hire and the hirer of the fool pass other case it is still worse ; for it is folly away," i.e. what the fool gets as wages is joined with madness. The fool is an evil to soon squandered, and the person who took himself; but the haughty man is a plague him into his service is ruined by his inca- to othera too. One cannot be hanghty- pacity. In this case the connection of the minded without being a fool . . . . The soul two clauses would be this : A rich man, in which is pnffed up has a worse disease than the nature of things, grows richer; but there dropsy, while that which is under restraint are exceptions to this rule ; for he who is freed from all evil" (Oxford transl.). employs stupid and incapable people to do Vere. 13-16.-Proverbs concerning the his business suffers for it in property, repu- tation, and probably in person also; and the sluggard. incompetent person derives no benefit from Ver. 18.-This is virtually the same as the connection. It is impossible to give a eh. x.xii. 18. The words for" lion" are dif- decided preference to any of these exposi- ferent in two parts of the verse, shakhal tions; !and ;the passage must be left as a being the ~ion of advanced age, an the full- crux. It is most probable that the Hebrew growu animal; the latter may possibly be text is defective. This would account for assumed to be the more dangerous of the the great variations in the versions. two, and so a climax would be denoted. Ver, 11.-As the dog retnrneth to his There is a proverb current in Bechuana, Tom.it (see 2 Pet. ii. 22, which, however, is which says, "The month of seed-time is the not quoted from the Septuagint), so a fool see.son of headaches." retnrneth to his folly; or, repeateth his folly. Ver. 14.-As the door tnrneth upon its The fool never frees himself from the tram- hinges. The door moves on its hinges and mels of his foolishness; his deeds and words makes no progress beyond its own confined always bear the same character to the end. sphere of motion ; so the slothful man turns The same truth holds good of the sinner, himself on his bed from side to side, but especially the drunkard and the sensuo.list. never leaves it to do his work. Other If they feel temporary compunction, and analogies have been found in this proverb. reject their sin by partial repentance, they Thus: The door opens to let the diligent go do not really sho.ke it off wholly; it has forth to his daily business, while thu slug- become o. second no.ture to them, and they gurd is rolling upon bis bed ; the door rrea.ks soon relo.pse into it. Septuagint, "As when when it is moved, so the lo.zy man groans o. dog goes to his own vomit o.nd becomes when he is aroused; the door now is opened, hateful, so is a fool who returus in his now is shut, so the sluggm·d o.t one time wickedness to his own sin." The LXX. intends to rise, and then falls back in hii o.dds a distich which is found in Ecolus. iv. bed, nnd returns to his sleop (comp. eh. vi. 21, "Thero is a shame that bringeth sin, o.nd 9, 10; xxiv. 83). there is o. shume that is glory und grnce." Ver. 15.-Very nearly identical with eh. Ver. 12.-Seest thou a man wise in his own xix. 24. It forms a climBX to tho two pre- oonoeit 1 (eh. iii. 7). Nothing so shuts the ceding verses. Wordsworth to.Ices " the door ngo.inst improvement us self-conceit. dish" ns a type of sensuLLl plcnsure, which " Woe unto them," says Isai1ih (v. 21), "that the ~lothful loves, whilo hti hll.i no liking are wise in their own eyes, nnd prudent iu for uctive work. their own sight." Such persons, professing Ver. 16.-The sluggard is wiser in his own themselves wise, beoome fools (Rom. i. 22; oonceit. Tho sluggard is here one wlw is xii. 16: Rev. iii. 17, 18). Touching couccit, too idle to think a matter out, and cousiclers Qui sibi sapit, summe desipit. The Oriental his own cursory view as sure to be right. epeuks of the fox finding his shudow very Ho is 0110 who !deems etucly to be 1\11 un- large, and of the wolf when alone thinking necessnry weariness of the flesh (Eccles. xii. himself e. lion. Thero is more hope of a fool 12), and lfatters himself that he is quite th&n of him (eh. x.xix. 20). A fool who is a.hie without it to give a s11tisfoctory ac- conscious of unwisdom may be set right; count of nny question presented to him. but one who fancies himself perfeot, and Than seven men that can render a renson. nticding no improvement, is beyond cure; "Seven" is the number of completeness his cnse is hopeless. Bo the sinner whu (comp. oh. vi. 31; ix. l; xxiv. Hi). The feels nnd acknowledges his iniquity may be idle fool sets more vlllue by his own judg- converted; but the self-righteous Phnrisee, ment thnn by the sense of llny number of who considers himself to hnve no need of wise men. Revised Vtirsion margin," th11t repentnnce, will never be reformed (see Matt. can answer discreolly," is perhl\ps nearer ix. 12; Luke xv. 7; xviii. 14). St. Chry- the Hebrew, which implies the boing able sostom (' Hom. in Phil.,' vii.), "H11ughti- to return a wise and proper 1inswcr to any- 11eas is o. groot evil; it is better to bo a fool thing 11sked of theru. The LXX. rc1,ding n than haughty; for in the one cneo the folly littlo differently, renders, "Wi::!cr seems LL  502 'l'HE PIWVEilDS. [on. XXVI. 1-28.