The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 509

aoienoe, which will not permit him to tre.ns- Ver. 2.-:ror the tra.negression cf a. !and gress without we.rning of consequences, e.nd many are the princes thereof. This implic~ pe.rUy from the judgment of God, according that the wickedness of e. nation is punishctl to the three.ta denounced in Lev. xxvi. 36, 37. by frequent cha.ages of rulers, who impose A terrible picture of this instinctive fee.r is new laws, taxes, ancl other burdens, which dre.wn in Job xv. 20, etc., o.nd Wied. xvii. 9, ~ea.Uy oppress the people; but re~arding etc. There are numerous proverbs nbout the nntithesis in the second hemistich, we unree.sone.ble timidity, such as being afraid take the mee.oing to be that when iniquity, of one's own shadow (see Ere.emus,' Adag.,' injustice, apostasy, and other evils abound, s.t,. " Timidite.s "). As lhe Eastern puts it, a country becomes the prey of pretenders "The leaf ere.eked, and your servant fled;" and P"rtisans striving for the supremacy. and " Among ten men nine are women" The history of the northern kingdom of (Lane). On the cowe.rdice of sinners St. Israel, especie.lly in the disastrous period Chrysostom se.ys well, "Such is the nature succeediag the death of Jeroboe.m II., affords of sin, that it betrays while no one finds proof of the truth of the statement ( comp. fault; it condemns whilst no one accuses; Hoe. viii. 4). Septuagint, "Owing to the it makes the sinner e. timid being, one the.t sins of ungodly men, quarrels (Kpl,nir, law- trembles e.t e. sound; even as righteousness suits) arise." But by a man of understanding has the contre.ry effoct. . . . How doth the and knowledge the state thereof shall be wicked flee when no man pmsueth? He prolonged, "The state" is the stability, the he.th the.t within which drives him on, an settled condition of the country. The word accuser in his own conscience, and this he is];\ (I.en), here a substantive, equivalent to carries about everywhere; e.nd just as it "station," "base." Umbreit, Nowack, and would be impossible to tlee from himself, so others translate it, "justice," "authority," neither can he escape the persecutor within, "order." When a wise and religious man but wherever he goeth he is scourged, e.nd is at the helm of state, justice continues, hatll e.n incurable wound" (' Hom. in Stut.,' lives, and works; such e. man introduces au viii. 3, Oxford tmnsl.). But the righteoue element of enduring good into o. land (comp. a.re bold as a lion. '.rhey are undismo.yed eh. xxi. 22; Eccles. ix. 15). The good kings in the presence of danger, because their Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, and Hezekiah conscience is at rest, they know the.t God is hnd long and prosperous reigns. Septungin I, on their side, and, who.tever happens, tlley "But e. clever man (1ruoiip-yos) will quench are se.fe in the everlo.sting arms (see Pa. them ( q ue.rrels)." xoi.). Thus David the shepher<l-boy quailed Ver. 3.-A poor man that oppreaseth the not before the giant (1 Sum. xvii. 32, eto.), poor. The words rendered "poor" nre remembering the promise in Lev. xxvi. 7, 8. different. The fonner is rash, "needy,'' The heathen poet Hore.ea could say of the the latter dal, "feeble" (see on eh. x. 15). upright man (' Co.rm.,' iii. 3. 7)- Dolitzsch notes thut, in occordo.nce with the " Si fre.ctus ille.bntur orbis, accents in the Masoretic text, we should Impe.vidum ferient ruinre." tro.nslnte, "A poor mo.n and an oppre,sor of the lowly-a. sweeping nin witllout bringing " Whoso feareth the Lord sho.11 not feo.r nor brend," which woultl meo.n thnt o. tyrnnt be nfre.id; for he is his Hope" (Ecolus. xxxi. who oppresses the lowly bears tho so.me (xxxiv.) H, etc.). St. Gregory (' l\foro.l.,' relation to the poor thnt a devastating rain xxxi. 55, "The lion is not afro.id in the does to those whom it deprives of thei,· food. onset of beasts, because he knows well the.t But it is pretty cerlo.in that "the poor" and he is stronger the.n them all. Whence the "the oppressc.r" designl\te the so.me person fearlessness of a. righteous man is rightly (though tho voce.lizntion is again.st it): compo.red to a lion, because, when he beholds hence the gnome refers to II usurper who, any rising o.gainst him, he returns to the rising to power from poor estnte, mo.kes tile confidence of his mind, e.nd knows that he very worst and mo~t tyro.nnice.l ruler. Such overcomes all his adverso.ries beco.use he a one he.a lea.rued notlling from his former loves him a.lone whom he ce.nnot in o.ny condition but callous indifference, o.nd now way lose oge.inst his will. For whoever seeks to exercise on otliors tho.t power which seeks after outward things, which are taken once galled him. Thus o.mong schoolboys from him even age.inst his will, subjects it is found that the greatest bully is ono himself of hie own accord to outward fear. who hns himself been bullio<l; o.nd needy But unbroken virtue is the contompt of revolutionists make the most rapacious 1m<l earthly desire, because 010 mind is both iniquitous dcmngo~ues. Of such tyro.nts placed on high when it is rniso..i a.hove the the prophets complain (see Iso.. v. 8, etc.: meanest objects by the j11Jgmvni of its hopes, Micah ii. 2). Wordsworth rofers, ns on and is the less affected hy all adversities, illustration, to Catiline 1md his fellow- the more safely it is fortified by boing placed conspimtors, who wera moved by Bl'lfish on things nbove" (Oxford tre.TJsl.). interests to overthrow the commonwco.lth,  THE PROVERBS. [ou. xxvm. 1-28.