The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 512

lonl(('r int.o the streets nnd open ph\ces. "l\lagnl\ est mcdicinn fa.teri Yulg11IL\ Regnantibt&$ impiis ,·uin,e homi,uim, Quod nocet nb~oondi; q uouil\m sun vulnere. "When evil men are in power, there is nutrit gen, ral ruin;'' Septuagint," In the places Qui tegit, et plagnm trepidat nnd1u-e of the ungodly men are caught." Other medenti." interpretations of the proverb have been suggested, though none is so satisfactory ne "Mighty relief that given above. Thus some take the T' expose what rankles while 'tis hidden still. searching out to mean testing, in the sense that e"\"il times try men's characters, and He feeds who hides his wounds and shuns to show bring out their true nature (1 Cor. xi. 19). Others explain that, under the reign of the His heart's plague to the goou physician." impious, men do not c.ome forward to take Ver. 14.-Kappy is the man that feareth part in public affairs, but retire sullenly alway. Some have taken the fear mentioned into prfrate life. to be the fear with which God is to be re- Ytr. 13.-He that covereth his sins shall garded. Thus Aben Ezra. But it is rather not prosper. To cornr one's sin.;; is either the fear of sin which is meant-that tender nbsolntelv w dii!DITil them or to make c.onscience and watchful heart which lead uen,e;;; ·a ma.n who does this is never free e. man to be prepared for temptation and able from a bnrden of guilt, as the p;;almist says, to resist it when it arises. Such a one dis- .. 'Wilen I kept silence, my bones waxed old trusts himself, takes heed lest he fall (1 Cor. through my roaring all the day long. For x. 12), and works out his salvation with fear day and night thy hand was heavy upon me" and trembling(Phil. ii.12; comp. eh. xiv. 16). (Ps. x.xxii. 3, etc.). Whoso confesaeth and "Grow not thoughtless ofretribntion" (' Pirke for.;a.keth them shs.l.l have mercy. Confession Aboth,' i. 8). A horror of sin cannot be alone without amendment, or what is called instilled too early into the young. Septua- theologica.lly satisfaction, does not win gint, "Happy is the man who piously (6" pardon and mercy. It is when the sinner ,/,},.,d,ffoav) fears all things." St. BernRrd acl.-i10wledges his transgression, and turns (' In Cant. Serm.,' liv. 9), "In veritate didici, from it w newness of life, tha.t God hea.ls nil mqne efficax esse ad gratiam promeren- his backsliding, and turns away his anger dam, retinendam, recnperandam, qua.m si and renews the tokens of his love (Hos. omni tempore core.m Deo inveniaris non xiv. 4). Confession is made to God, aga.inst e.ltum sapere, sed timere. Time ergo cum whom all sin is committed (Josh. vii. 19; arriserit gratia, time cum abierit, time cum Job xxxi. 33; 1 John i 8, etc.); and to denuo revertetur; et hoe est semper pavidum man, if one ha.s transgressed against him, ease." Ke that he.rdeneth his heart shall or if he be in a position to give spiritual fall into mischief; or, calamity (eh. xvi i. 20). counsel. Thus the people confessed their A man hardens his heart who attends not sins before John the Baptist (Matt. iii. 6) to the voice of conscience, the restraints of and the apostles (Acts xix. 18; comp. Jas. religion, the counsel of friends, the we.ruings v. 16). Among the Jews, the high priest, of experience ( comp. ver. 26; eh. :nix. 1 ; acting as the mouthpiece of the people on Exod. viii. 15; Ps. xcv. 8). This man scorns tLe great Day of Atonement, confessed their the grace of God, loses his protection, and iniquities, laying them on the scapegoat; must come to misery. and particular confession was also enjoined, Ver. 15.-A wioked ruler over· the poor and was part of the ritual accompanying a people; e. people weak and resourceless. To sacrifice for sin, by which legal purification such e. powerful tyrant is as fatal as a roar- was obtained (Numb. v. 6, 7, "When e. ing lion or a hungry bear prowling in quest man or woman shall commit any sin . . . of food. The prophets compa.re evil rulers tLen they shall c.onfess their sin which to re.venous lions (see Jer. iv. 7; Ezek. xix. they have done; " so Lev. v. 5). And the 6). They are like lions in strength and very offering of a trespe.ss offering was a cruelty, like bears in craft and ferocity. pnblic recognition of guilt, which was ex- Septuagint, " A hungry lion and a thirsty hibited by the offerer laying his hand on wolf is he who, being poor, rules over nn tl,e head of the victim (Lev. i. 4). Such indigent nation." The poverty of the sub- confession is npoken of strongly by Siracides, jects em Litters the conduct of the ruler. "De not ashamed to confess thv sins, and Ver. 16.-The prince that wanteth under- force not the COllJ'ile of the river" (Ecclus. standing is also a great oppreBBor; literally, iv. 26); i.e. do not attempt the impossible and rich in oppreaiJion. Ewald, Delitzsch, ta;k of trying to hide them. The LXX. Nowack, and others tuke the verse, not as bas, "He wh,, sets forth accounts U{,ryo6- a statement, but as a warning addressed to µ.••os J>..,-yxovs, i.e. blames himself) shall be the ruler, as we have so many addressed to loved.", _ ~-~Ire quott:s 8edulius, 'Carm. a son, and as tho author of tho Book of l'a,;ch., 1v. 16- Wisdom calls upon the judges of the earth Oil, XXVIII, 1-28.] THE PROVEHil3, 637