The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 546

sentences each, each quaternion having a BB cruel and remorselese in destroying others C'ertain connection in language and conoin- and despoiling them of their substanoe, a.a nity of idea. First (vers. 11-14) come t~e very ~te~l which they use in their opera- four g-enerations that are evil-four being t10us. Smnlarly, the psalmist speaks of his enemies as men "whose teeth are spears and t.aken as the symbol of universality. The ar1·0WB, and their tongue a sharp sword " sins herein specified had become so general (Ps. lvii. 4; comp. Isa. ix. 12; Jer. v. 17). that they affected the whole generation. To devour the poor from ofl' the earth; i.e. Ver. 11.-There is a generation that so as to be no more seen in the world. Amos ourseth their father. The words, "there viii. 4, " Hear this, 0 ye that would swallow is," are not found in the Hebrew, and the up the needy, and cause the poor of the land four subjects are without a predicate. to fail" (comp. Ps. xiv. 4). Delitzsch calls the group "e, mutilated Q: Vers. 15, 16.-Having spoken of insatiate priamel," which is explained to be a kind cupidity, the writer now introduces four of gnomic poetry containing a series of ante- cedents or subjects followed by an epigmm- things which are insatiable. The form of matic conclusion e.pplicable to ell the ante- the apothegm is elimacteric, mounting from cedents. In the present case the conclusion two to three, and thence to four, like the is wanting, so that we are left in doubt famous passage in Amos i. 3, etc. (comp. eh. whether the author meant merely to de• vi. 16, though there is no special stress there scribe classes of men in his own time or to affirm that such are abominable. Septua- laid on the last member of the climax; Job gint, "A wicked generation curseth its v. 19; xxxiii. 29; Eccles. xi. 2). father (l,ryo11011 ,ca.,cJ11)," which expression is Ver. 15.-The horseleach hath two repeated at each of the four verses. The daughters, crying, Give, give. The word first sin is that which offends against the "crying" is not in the Hebrew, which says, commandment to honour and obey parents. "The alulcah bath two daughters : Give I This was judged worthy of death under the Give I" The insatiable appetite of this old Law (Exod. xxi. 17; see eh. xx. 20, and creature is represented by two words, which note there). And doth not bless their mother. are personified a.a daughters, whom the This is a litotes, "not to bless" being equi- mother has produced and dearly loves. valent to "to curse." This word alulcah is not found again in the Ver. 12.-A generation that are pure in Old Testament; but in later Hebrew and their own eyes (eh. xx. 9). The second in Aramaic it means "leech" or "blood- characteristic is hypocrisy and Pharisairal sucker;" and so it is translated by the Sep- self-rio-hteousness (see Luke xviii. 11). tuagint, {3ob.71.a., and by St. Jerome sangui- And yet are not washed from their filthi- suga. 'fhe wordlis derived from a root which ness; have not cleansed their heart by com- in Arabic means " to adhere." There are plete repentance, either because they have several kinds of leeches common in Palestine, not examined themselves and know nothing and their bloodthirsty nature is well known; of the real state of their conscience, or as Horace says, 'Axe Poet.,' 476- because they care nothing about it and will not reo-ard it in its true light. There ie a " Non missura cutem, nisi plena cruoris, hi- similai:' expression in Isa. iv. 4. Septuagint, rudo." "A wicked generation judgeth themselves It seems simple and quite satisfactory to to be just, but have not washed themselves accept the word thus, and to see in th0 clean (•dw l!ooov a./,.,-oii ov1< 6.,r,vuj,<v)." voracity of the leech an example of the Ver. 13.-A creneration, oh, how lofty are greed further developed in the following their eyes! The third sin is pride and arro- clauses; but commentators have not been gance. (see on eh. vi. 17: xxi. 4). "Lor<]," contented with this explanation, and have baid tlie psalmist, "my heart is not haughty, offered various suggestions which are either nor mine eyes lofty" (Ps. cxxxi. •l). 'fho unnecessary or inadmissible. Thus the Tal- proi:,het rebukes " the etout heart .of !he mud considers alulcah to be an appellation King of Assyria and the glory of his high of hell, and the two daughters to be the looks" (Isa. x. 12). Their eyelids are lifted Power of the world, and Heresy. Some of np ; in supercilious disdain. "Inda Pro- the Fathers regard it as a symbol of the verbio dicimus" eays Erasmus (' Adag.'), devil iind his d11minion ; others, as a personi- "attolli eupercilium, faetidium indicantee" fication of cupidity with its two offshoots, (a.,,. "Arrogantie. "). avarice and ambition. Some modern~ deem Ver. 14.-A generation, whooe teeth are it to mean a vnmpire or bloodthirsty de- as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives. mon, a ghoul, in accordonce with Eastern 'l'h,, fourlh evil is inRatiable cupidity, which myth. But, ns we have soid, such inter- ka<lR Lu oppresRion and injurious treatment pretations a.re unnecessary nnd unsupported of the helplees aU(l poor, which makes men by sufficient authority. 'l'he allusio11 to the  OH, XXX, 1-33.] THE PROVERBS. 575