V. 27. The Sacrifice of the wicked is an Abomination: how much

זבח רשעים תועבה - ? more when be bringeth it with a wicked Mind

: 8'' dered

18] The latter Hemiftic ought I think to be ren

BECAUSE HE BRINGETH IT WITH A MISCHIEVOUS DEVICE. See these united Particles thus rendered, Noldius, 6.

V. 28.- but the Man that heareth Speaketh conftantly. yoW WINI

Rather - BUT THE OBEDIENT MAN SPEAKE TH [לנצח ידבר :

-

WITH STEADINESS, or AUTHORITY: i. e. fo as not to be confounded. See Taylor.

V. 29.

but as for the upright, he directeth his Way.

a

is here a mere Expletive, without which the Hemiftic הוא [דרכו :

would be too short. I would therefore render fimply thus

UPRIGHT DIRECTETH HIS WAY; except we adopt the Reading of the LXX and Arabic, ', he UNDERSTANDETH, or PONDEREth. Aquila and Symmachus read as we now do.

That [ עשיר ורש נפגשו - :

V. 2. The rich and poor meet together is, fays the old Verfion, "live together, and have Need the one of the "other" which feems to be the true Senfe; for the Verb was fo fignifies, Ifa. LXIV. 5. and Jer. XV. 11.

V. 4. By Humility, and the Fear of the Lord,—' asu muy apy] Rather THE REWARD OF THE HUMBLE is THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

113

are Riches, and Honour, and Life. :" 711 ] I read HIS RICHES are HONOUR AND LIFE.

and render - עשרו כבוד

הנך לנער על פי

V. 6. Train up a Child in the Way he should go; 1977]y ought here to be rendered AGREEABLY TO, viz. the

Way &c. See Taylor.

זורע עולה יקצור

V. 8. He that foweth Iniquity shall reap Vanity:
AFFLICTION, as Job V. 6. or EVIL, as Ch. XII. 21.

18] Rather

[אהב טהר לב - חן שפתיו רעהו מלך :

V. 11. He that loveth Pureness of Heart, for the Grace of his Lips the King fhall be his Friend. This Apothegm is doubtlefs much embarrassed. The first Part appears

to

to be only a Subject without a Predicate: and the only Object of the King's Attention feems to be the graceful Conversation mentioned in the latter Part. For the Knowledge of another's Sincerity belongs not to Kings; but is the fole Property of Him, who is emphatically called napdiayvans. Hence one would naturally be led to conclude, that the first Hemiftic was defective as well in the Senfe, as in the Metre, and that the Word GOD had dropped from the Text. We fhall accordingly find it in the LXX, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic Versions: and surely on fuch Authorities we may presume to restore it, and render ---- GOD LOVETH THE PURE IN HEART, and he that hath GRACE IN HIS LIPS, THE KING MAKETH HIM HIS FRIEND. is used as an Adjective, Job XVI. 9. and may be confidered as the Participle with the Affix, fignifying does affociate with him. V. 12. The Eyes of the Lord preferve Knowledge, no 173) 77 ***] OBSERVE (or, ARE ATTENTIVE TO) KNOWLEDGE, as Ch. XXIV. 12. &c.

Rather

151

רעהו

and be overthroweth the Words of the Tranfgreffor. "750" :] Either AND HE CONFOUNDETH THE WORDS &c. or — HE OVERTHROWETH THE MATTERS &c. as in the Margin.

[ בגד

V. 16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase bis Riches, and be that

עשק דל להרבות לו - נתן .giveth to the rich fhall furely come to want

imonas 78 wys] All the ancient Verfions, the Vulgate excepted, read the first Hemiftic thus-" He that oppreffeth the poor increaseth "Evil upon himself:" but I do not think they read their Text differently from what we do our's; which I would render thus - HE THAT OPPRESSETH THE POOR TO INCREASE HIS OWN, is as HE THAT GIVETH TO THE RICH CLEARLY TO his own DETRIMENT. That is, they both act equally contrary to the Rules of Wifdom and Understanding, the great Objects of this Book; and though they have Recourse to different Means, yet their Ends will be the fame.

V. 18. For it is a pleafant Thing, if thou keep them within thee; '

: has here no Antecedent to agree with נעים [נעים כי תשמרם בבטנך

for a pleafant Thing, according to the Genius of the Hebrew, would have been expreffed by the Subftantive Dy, which has often the Force of a Neuter. As all the old Verfions, except the Vulgate, read y, which the Syntax requires, I adopt their Lection, and render — FOR THEY ARE PLEASANT, WHEN THOU KEEPEST THEM

WITHIN THY BREAST. The Antecedents are the Words and Knowledge mentioned immediately before.

Rather

V. 19.

יכנו יחדו על שפתיך : .they ball witbal be fitted in thy Lips

I have made known to thee this Day, even to thee.

There feems to be fomething defective after the [היום אף אתה:

Verb made known in our Verfion, as well as in the Text. But the LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, and the Arabic read, instead of on, D”N; which not only completes the Sentence, but makes a better Senfe. The Words alfo 8, as rendered in our Verfion, are not only Tautology, but are incapable of that Meaning. I would therefore fupply them (viz. the Inftructions of Wisdom, mentioned just before) if we retain the Reading of our modern Text: or rather, adopting the Lection of the Greek Copies, render the latter Hemistic thus — I HAVE MADE LIFE KNOWN TO THEE; THEREFORE DRAW NEAR. Life in this Place feems to imply the Path of Life; and the Imperative is an Exhortation to proceed in it.

V. 20. Have not I written to thee excellent Things-?nana abn

שלשים Our Verfion without the leaft Authority gives to [ לך שלשים

the Signification of excellent Things: but in the old Verfion the Word is with more Juftice rendered THREE TIMES, with this Note in the Margin, "That is, fundry Times." Le Clerc fuppofes that this refers to the three thousand Proverbs mentioned, 1 Kings IV. 32. But I think it is most probable, that this alludes to these three Books, which were composed by Solomon and bear his Name; or, that it is only a general determinate Number for an undetermined, and might be rendered OFTENTIMES, as Job. XXXIII. 29. All the ancient Verfions read three Times.

V. 21. That I might make thee know the Certainty of the Words of Truth; that thou mightest answer the Words of Truth to them that fend unto thee.

להודיעך קשט אמרי אמת - להשיב אמרים אמת לשלחך :

The latter Hemistic ought doubtless to be rendered — THAT THE WORDS MIGHT BRING BACK THE TRUTH TO THEM THAT SEND THEE. This is an Inftance of the Figure Antimetabole, which. plays with the Words, and is not uncommon in the best Poets. The Senfe of the Verfe is plainly this that I might acquaint thee with "Truth, that thou mightest report it to them that apply to thee."

V. 24. Make no Friendship with an angry Man: and with a furious

אל תתרע את בעל אף - ואת איש חמות .Man thou Jbalt not go [לא תבוא :

Man] The latter Hemiftic ought to be rendered — AND GO NOT WITH A FURIOUS MAN: for both the Sentences are expreffed by the fame Tense.

בל יתיצב לפני חשכים: .be ball not fand before mean Men

V.29. As the Noun n never denotes a mean, low, or obfcure Condition; I would render ' IN OBSCURITY, as Ifa. LVIII. 10. LIX. 9. or DARKNESS, as Pf. LXXXVIII. 6.

CHAP. XXIII.

[ ושמת שכין בלעך

V. 2. And put a Knife to thy Throat, - quba jaw movi] This is a bold Eastern Phrafe, expreffive of the abfolute Neceffity of reftraining the Appetites; and intimating that there is as much Danger in indulging them, as there is in running against a Knife applied to the Throat.

V. 4. Labour not to be rich: ceafe from thine own Wisdom. yn be

The latt IHemiftic feems incapable of [להעשיר - מבינתך חדל :

any

other Sense than that which is here given to it; but as this Senfe is directly contrary to the whole Purport of this Book, as well as to Reason, we may conclude, that there is fome Fault in the Text. Now, no Omiffion is more common than that of the copulative between the Hemistics: and we fhall find that every one of the ancient Verfions have it. I would therefore restore it, and render LABOUR NOT TO BE RICH, NEITHER CEASE FROM THINE OWN WISDOM: i. e. "if thou be earnestly bent upon acquiring Wealth, thou must neceffarily "be inattentive to the Purfuit of Wisdom, in which thou art engaged." V. 5. Wilt thou fet thine Eyes upon that which is not? y

This is an Idiom which cannot bear to be rendered literally, it fignifying-Wilt thou let thine Eyes fly upon it, and it is not? The Meaning however is clear, which I think ought to be thus exWILT THOU SET THINE EYES UPON A TRANSIENT

--

preffed THING?

for Riches certainly make themselves Wings; y muy

כי עשה יעשה. (עשה inftead of) עשר Perhaps the original Reading was [לו כנפים

--- RICHES MAKE THEMSELVES WINGS: for at prefent there is neither Riches, nor any other Subject to the Verb, except it be a negative one, borrowed from the foregoing Hemistic.

- Rather [כן הוא

V.7. For as he thinketh in his Heart, fo is be: bia hyw 100 ‘3 FOR AS he is VILE IN HIS SOUL, &c. i. e. his Actions correfpond to his Inclinations. y occurs nowhere as a Verb: but is used as an Adjective in this Sense, Jer. XXIX. 17.

- ושחת דבריך הנעימים : [פתך אכלת תקיאנה

V. 8. The Morfel which thou haft eaten fhalt thou vomit up, and lofe thy fweet Words. The Note in the old Verfion upon this Place is "He will not cease "till he hath done thee fome Harm, and his flattering Words fhall "come to no Ufe." This Interpretation may be juft, as far as it relates to the first Hemiftic: but furely the Senfe there given to the latter cannot hold it ought I think to be thus rendered — AND THOU SHALT PUT AN END TO THY PLEASANT DISCOURSES, or WORDS OF COMMENDATION: that is, the Treatment thou wilt receive "from him, is so bad, that it will oblige thee to defift from convivial "Mirth by the Naufea excited from the Badnefs of his Repaft;" or, "inftead of the Compliments thou ufeft to bestow upon him, thou "wilt be disgusted by reflecting upon his fordid and illiberal Usage."

V. 13. for if thou beateft him &c.

THOU BEATEST &C.

-WHEN

Rather [כי תכנו

The Imperative [אתה - תכנו

ישמח לבי גם אני : [

V. 14. Thou shalt beat him would perhaps be preferable in this Place. V. 15. my Heart shall rejoice, even mine. This particular Idiom would perhaps be better tranflated thus MY HEART, EVEN I MYSELF, WILL REJOICE. It is an Hendyadis, expreffive of exceeding great Joy.

-

but be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long.

There is no Occafion to fupply any [כי אם ביראת יהוה כל היום:

V. 17. Word to complete the Senfe; for is governed by p in the preceding Claufe, which ought to be rendered, AFFECT NOT; for this Verb is used in a good, as well as bad, Senfe. See Taylor. The proper Tranflation of the whole Verse seems therefore to be this LET NOT THINE HEART AFFECT SINNERS: BUT ALWAYS THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

V. 18. For furely there is an End ; Margin we have the Word REWARD;

In the [כי אם יש אחרית

which is doubtless the Force Ii 2

of