The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 570

npp1uelled, he bo.th girded himself with winds itself ae it ie spun. The hands con Id strength" (cf. Job xxxviii. 3). Strengthen- not be spared to hold the distaff BR well as eth her arms. By do.ily exercise she makes the spindle, so the first clause shonld run, her arms firm e.nd strong, o.nd ca.pable of " She stretches her hand towards the dis- great and continued exertion. taff'." In the former clause kishar occa.ioned Ver. 18.-TETH. She peroeiveth that her some difficulty to the early translators, who merohandiae is good; Vulgate, 0-usta'Dit et did not view the word o.s connected with the 11idit quia bona est negotia!io ejus, where process of spinning. The Septuagint trans- the paraphrllBe, "she tastes and sees," lates, "She stretches out her arms to useful expresses the meaning of the verb taam works (l1rl 'T& trvµ4>lpov'Ta.);" Vulgate, J'rla- here used. Her prudence and economy num suam miBit ad farti,a. So Aquila and leave her a large surplus profit, which she Symmachus, dv8pe,a.. This rather impedes contemplates with satisfllCtion. There is no the parallelism of the two clauses. There suspicion of arrogance or conceit. The wo.s nothing derogatory in women of high pleasure that is derived from duty done rank spinning among their maidens, just aR and successfully conducted business is in the Middle Ages noble ladi6s worked at legitimate o.nd healthy, a providential tapestry with their attendants. We re- reward of good works. Septnagint, "She member how Lucretia, the wife of Colla- tastes that it is good to work." This com- tinus, wo.s found sitting in the midst of fort and snccess spnr her on to further and her handmaids, carding wool and spinning more continued exertion. Ker ca.ndle (lamp) (Livy, i. 57). Catullus, in his 'Epithal. goeth not out by night. She is not idle Pel. et Thet.,' 312, describes the process of even when night falls, and outdoor ocoupa- spinning- tions are cut short; she finds work for the " Lmve. col um molli le.ua retinebat arnictum; hours of darkness, such o.s is mentioned in Dextera tum leviter deducens fila snpinis the next verse. One recalls Virgil's picture Formabat digitis; tum prono in pollice of the ihrifty housewife (' lEueid,' viii. torquens 407)- Libra.tum tereti versabat turbine fnsum." " Inda ubi prima quies medio jam noctis (' Carm.,' !xiv.) abactm Ver. 20.-CAPH. She is not impelled by Curriculo expulerat somnum, cum femina selfish greed to improve her means a.ad primum, enlarge h~r revenues. She is sympathizing Cui tolero.re colo vitam tennique Minerva e.nd ehar1table, and loves to extend to Impositum, cinerem et sopitos suscitat others the blessings which have rewe.rJe,l ignis, her Gft'orts. She stretcheth out her hand Noctem addens operi, famulasque ad to the poor. "Hand" is here caph, " tho lumina longo palm," evidently conto.ining alms. She Exercei pe118o." knows the maxim (eh. xix. 17), "He thn.t Some take the lamp here in 11.n 111legorico.l hatb pity npon the poor lendeth unto the sense, as signifying life, happiness, and Lord," eto.; and she has no fear of poverty. prosperity, llS eh. xiii. 9 and xx. 20; others, Yea, she reaoheth forth her ha.nds to the o.s denoting a bright example of diligence needy. "Hand," is here yad, with its 11nd piety (M11tt. v. 16). But the simple nerves and sinews reo.dy for exertion ( soo me11ning seems to be the one intended. on oh. x. 4); e.nd the idea is that she puts Wordsworth notes that the passage in forth her hand to raise and soothe tho poor Rev. xviii., which speaks of the "merchan- me.n, not being satisfied with doaling aim~ dise" of the false Church, also affirms that to him, but exercising tbe gentle ministries " the light of a candle" sho.11 shine in her of a tender love. Septuagint, "She opens no more, the two meto.phors in our passage her hands to the neody, and reaches forth applied to the true Church being there her wrist (Ka.p.-ov) to the poor." Liko opplied to Babylon. Dorcas, she is full of good works e.ud alms- Ver. 19.-Yom,. She layeth her ha.nds deeds (Acts ix. 36). It is doubtless implied to the spindle. iil!"•:;i (1,ishar, 11 word not that the prosperity which she experiences is occurring elsewhere) is probably not the the reward of this benevolence (eh. xxii. ll). spinclle, but the distaff, i.e. the sto.ft' to Ver. 21.-LAMED. She is not afraid of which is tied the bunch of flax from which the snow for her household. "Snow," snys the spinning-wheel dmws the thread. To Dr. Geikie (' Holy Land,' ii. 58), "covers this Hho applies her hand; she deftly per- the streets of Jerusnlem two winters in forms the work of spinning her flax into three, but it generally comes in smn.11 quantities, and soon diS6ppears. Yet thero thread. Ker hands hold the diate.1f. 11~~ 11re sometimes very snowy winters. Th11t of (pelek) is the spindle, the cylindrical wood 1879, for exe.mplo, loft behind it seventeen (iu'terwn.rde the wheel) on which the thre11d inches of snow, even where there wns 110  600 TllE PROVERDS, [cH. nxr. 1-31.