Weights or Wife, Ch. XVI. 11. XVIII. 22. See the Prepofition thus ufed, V. 20. The following Interpretation of this Verse has been communicated to me by a Friend, viz. "As APPLES OF GOLD IN SILVER "VESSELS, fo is AN EXCELLENT SAYING expreffed IN TERMS "SUITED TO IT. 17 according to the Hebrew Idiom implies Ex"cellence; and the paraphraftic Senfe given to ry, which literally "fignifies, on it's Wheels, is agreeable to the Verfion of the LXX, " which renders this Pafage, ειπαν λόγον επι αρμόζεσιν αυτω. The Metaphor may be taken from Carriages, which when mounted on their "Wheels are in the most convenient State for Ufe. Perhaps the com"mon Expreffion of a Simile or Proverbial Sentence running upon all four may be derived from the fame Origin, as also the Rotundity of "a Phrafe."

V. 12. fo is a wife Reprover upon an obedient Ear. Don' UNTO AN ATTENTIVE EAR.

Rather [על אזן שמעת :

צנת This Word [כצנת שלג

V. 13. As the Cold of Snow occurs nowhere elfe: the Signification of Cold is given to it from the Chaldee and Vulgate. The Syriac read ns, the falling; and fo did reads, the LXX, for they have here todos Xovos.

V. 14. Whofo boafteth himself of a falfe Gift, is like Clouds and Wind

- איש מתהלל במתת שקר : .without Rain [נשיאים ורוח וגשם אין

Rather THE MAN WHO BOASTETH OF A BRIBE &C.

"He

hereby acknowledges, that he is not influenced by the Principles of "Rectitude; and though he may be thought by the World a virtuous "Man from his outward Deportment, yet he is not fo, but is like those "Clouds which threaten Rain, and produce nothing." The old Verfion is The Man that boafteth of a falfe Liberality.

[אתה חתה על ראשו

--

כי גחלים

nn never

V. 22. For thou shalt heap Coals of Fire upon his Head, by mon ns] Qu. might not this difficult Place admit of this Senfe --- FOR THOU WILT TAKE AWAY THE SPARKS left UPON HIS HEAD? Or thus FOR THOU WILT REMOVE THE COALS OF FIRE FROM HIS HEAD? For the Verb fignifies to heap, but always to take away; and n is ufed figuratively for a Spark, and that Spark for an Offspring: fo here by Sparks, or burning Coals, may still more naturally be understood the different Degrees of Wrath. The Prepofition is used in the Senfe laft propofed, Pf. LXXXI. 5. By this Interpretation it is not meant to infinuate, that

K k

the

the Head is the Seat of the Affections: but that it would be made answerable for the wrong Directions of them; agreeably to a well known Scriptural Phrafe, Jof. II. 19. his Blood shall be upon his Head. 1 Sam. XXV.39. The Lord hath returned the Wickedness of Nabal upon bis Head &c. So here the violent Indignation, which is not improperly compared to burning Coals, which refts on an Enemy's Head, and would therefore expofe him to Punishment, is reprefented as quite extinguished in him by the good Offices and kind Behaviour of the Perfon, who before was the Object of his Wrath and Revenge. The common Expofition of this Place feems to me to be exceedingly harsh, viz. that heaping Coals of Fire upon an Enemy's Head means to melt bim into Love and Affection; or, that this Phrafe fignifies, that by doing him good, he becomes thereby exposed to the most severe of all Punishments, if he do not relent, and shew a proper Sense of Gratitude. V. 23. The north Wind driveth away Rain : — Dwa Shinn no3 117]

רוח צפון תחולל

Rather THE NORTH WIND PRODUCETH RAIN: which it is not improbable it did in Judea, as in fome other Countries. o μev Boρίας (fays Theophraftus) και μαλλον οἱ Ετησιοι τοις προς μεσεμβριαν και ανατολην DIXOUTI VETIOL. Lib. de Ventis.

So doth an angry Countenance a backbiting Tongue.

According to our Verfion the verb that is to be [נזעמים לשון סתר :

fupplied here is driveth away: but has no fuch Signification. We must therefore repeat, or understand, the Verb produceth; which is at leaft equally applicable to this Place as the other Verb, thus—so doth A BACKBITING TONGUE AN ANGRY COUNTENANCE. For injurious Reflections are more frequent behind the Back than in the Prefence of an angry Perfon.

V. 26. A righteous Man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled

מעין נרפש ומקור משחת - צדיק מט .Fountain, and a corrupt Spring [ לפני רשע :

yu] That is "A righteous Man forcibly thrown out of Authority, by the prevailing Power of the ungodly, makes the State "of which he is a Member like a troubled Fountain &c."

V. 27. It is not good to eat much Honey:— Though this Advice be true in the literal Sense, yet it is clearly requifite to understand it in the figurative, on account of it's Connection with the next Hemiftic, and becaufe it was thus to be confidered at V. 16. The Meaning therefore feems to be in both Places, "that we ought to restrain our Appetites in respect to the Enjoyments of all temporal Bleffings."

fo for Men to fearch their own Glory, is not Glory. 777

והקר

והקר כבד - The Text ought I think to be thus read [כבדם כבוד : and rendered - מכבוד

NOR TO SEARCH AFTER GLORY BY GLORYING; i. e. "we ought not to proclaim our own Praises, but leave "that to others," as we are directed, Ch. XXVII. 2. The is here negative, on account of the preceding negative. See Ch. XXIV. 28. And is here the Gerund with the Particle prefixed. See Noldius, P. 471.

איש אשר אין

V. 28. He that hath no Rule over his own Spirit Rather-THE MAN WHO REFRAINETH NOT HIS OWN SPIRIT; for yy here does not feem to be a Subftantive, but the Participle prefent Pihel.

CHAP. XXVI.

[חנם לא תבא :

כצפור לנוד כדרור לעוף - כן קללת

V. 2. As the Bird by wandering, as the Swallow by flying, fo the Curfe caufelefs fhall not come. wann] Rather- AS THE BIRD WANDERETH, AS THE SWALLOW FLIETH, SO THE CURSE WITHOUT CAUSE SHALL NOT COME. See the Note Ch. XXV. 3. In the old Verfion the Word, efcape, is added after flying: which makes the Verse rather more intelligible than in the prefent Verfion. The Meaning feems to be "that "Evils, natural or moral, owe not their Being to Chance, like the ac"cidental Flight of Birds in this or that Direction; but are all directed 'by the Will of a superintending wise Providence.”

66

V. 4. Anfwer not a fool according to his Folly, bo wyn bal As the preceptive Part of this Verfe and the next are contradictory, fome have thought that one of the two must be a Glofs: but the Suppofition is furely groundless. Nothing is more confiftent than fuch Precepts on different Occafions, as is plainly the Cafe here. The marginal Explanation in the old Verfion is here fhort, but proper. In refpect to the first, it says, "Confent not unto his Doings;' and, as to Reprove him as the Matter requireth.”

the latter "C

V. 6. He that fendeth a Message by the Hand of a fool, cutteth off

מקצה רגלים חמס שתה - שלח .the Feet, and drinketh Damage The Meaning may be, that he that fends a [דברים ביד כסיל:

Meffage by a fool, will as furely fuffer Damage by not having it duly performed, as if he cut off the Meffenger's Feet. See Ch. XIII. 2.

Or perhaps the Verse may be rendered thus, according to the Syriac— HE THAT SENDETH A MESSAGE BY A FOOL DRINKETH WITH TORTURE FROM THE EXTREMITY OF his FEET. That is, "He that employs a fool to tranfact any Bufinefs of Confequence acts "as ridiculously as he that diftorts his Body by bringing Neck and Feet "together, in order to drink at a Brook." See 3 thus ufed in regimine, Ch. XVII. 24. and Don, confidered as the Participle prefent, fignifying being in Torture, or fuffering Violence.

דליו שקים מפסח

V.7. The Legs of the lame are not equal; Rather --- THE LEGS OF THE LAME FAIL, or ARE EXHAUSTED: which is the common Signification of ; and correfponds better with the next Hemiftic. 7 is irregular, and incapable of being reduced to any known Form: it is generally fuppofed to be 3. m. pl. Imp, Pibel, for 7: but is here confidered as 3. m. pl. Preter Kal, for, or rather for . Symmachus feems to have fo read the Word; for thus he renders the Place • εξέλιπον κνημαι απο χωλου, και παραβολή εν ςοματι

דללו

V. 8. As he that bindeth a Stone in a Sling; fo is he that giveth Honour to a Fool.

The [כצרור אבן במרגמה - כן נותן לכסיל כבוד :

marginal Lection is As he that putteth a precious Stone in a Heap of Stones. Both the Senfes are good, abftractedly confidered, but the Hebrew does not seem to justify either. For the Verbs 3 or 13 never fignify to put, or place, but always to bind; and non, which occurs only in this Place as a Noun, fhould feem to mean a Heap of Stones, from the Verb, to ftone: however the Chaldee and Arabic will here affist us, for ND fignifies a Sling, as does on which account the textual Lection is preferable. The Application of the Comparison to the moral Sentiment is obvious, viz. they are both (the Stone and the Honour) thrown away.

V. 9. As a Thorn goeth up into the Hand of a drunkard, fo is a Pa

חוח עלה ביד שכור - ומשל בפי כסיליס: .rable in the Mouth of Fools

Rather AS A THORN ENTERETH INTO THE HAND OF A DRUNKARD, So doth a PARABLE &c. That is, they each expofe themselves to Ridicule.

V. 10. The great God that formed all Things, both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth tranfgreffors.

רב מחולל כל ושכר כסיל

y] None of the ancient Verfions feem to have had the fame

Text before them, as that which we now have in this Place. The Chal

- רב מחולל בשר כסיל ושכר עבר ים : - dee and Syriac read it thus

The Flesh of a fool fuffereth much: and a drunkard croffeth the Sea. The Arabic has only one Word like our Text, viz., which the others omit, viz. All the Beauty of the wicked is hated in many Things, because their Afpect is grievous to them. The LXX is as unintelligible, υίκ. Πολλα χειμαζεται πασα σαρξ αφρόνων, συντρίβεται γαρ εκτασις αυτών Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Vulgate omit ; and render

,for their Verfions : כל שבר כסיל שבר עברות:- as if they had read

though differently worded, are all to this Effect - Every one that reftraineth the Madman reftraineth Wrath. Notwithstanding this unparalleled Diverfity in the old Interpreters, the prefent Text is not only defenfible, but affords us a better Senfe than any they have given us. I would render it thus EVERY ONE SUFFERETH MUCH, WHO EITHER HIRETH A FOOL, OR HIRETH TRANSGRESSORS. This Sense seems more pertinent to the Place, and more connected with the Context, than it would, if the Verfe be fo conftrued as to refer to God, as in our Verfion.

V.12. —there is more Hope of a fool than of him. : oh mpn]

Rather--- THOU MAYEST HOPE MORE OF A FOOL THAN OF HIM, pn being the 2. P. Fut. Kal.

V. 16. The fluggard is wifer in his own Conceit, than feven Men that

As [חכם עצל בעיניו - משבעה משיבי טעם: .can render a Realon

Self-Conceit does not properly enter into the Character of the Sluggard, what is here faid must I think be understood with reference to the two preceding Verfes: where it is faid "that he continually turneth cc upon his Bed as a Door upon it's Hinges, and choofeth to abide in a reclining Posture upon his Arm, which he can hardly be prevailed "upon through Hunger to draw off from that Pofture, in order to "feed himself - Then follows-Even though feven (or any Number of) wife Men were to endeavour to argue with him on the Immorality of these Proceedings, he will not fuffer their Counsel to have any Effect" fo prevalent are inveterate Habits. Or the Meaning may be, that he adheres to his own Opinion more obftinately than seven Men of Judgment, because he will not give himfelf the Trouble to

examine it.

V. 18. As a mad Man who cafteth Firebrands, Arrows, and Death.

Arrows and Death are here put by an [כמתלהלה הירה זקים חצים ומות :

Hendyadis