tendeth TO LIFE AND PLENTY: IT SHALL ABIDE, AND SHALL NOT BE VISITED WITH EVIL.

V. 24. A flothful Man bideth his Hand in his Bofom, 17 by 100

Rather [ בצלחת

WHEN HE RECLINETH ON HIS SIDE: for that is the precife Idea of, viz. proftratus in latus dormivit. The Chaldee, Vulgate, Aquila, and Symmachus render, UNDER HIS ARM-PITS; which feems alfo to be a good Senfe, if the Word would bear it; as either Representation paints Idlenefs in the moft ftriking Colours.

V. 26. He that wafteth his Father, and chafeth away his Mother, is a Son that caufeth Shame, and bringeth Reproach.

In this Verfe (as in almoft every other [אם - בן מביש ומחפיר :

throughout the Part that contains what are ftrictly called the Proverbs) are two distinct Propofitions; and, though our Verfion fupplies four Words, there is no Need of the least Addition: for the Text may be thus rendered literally --- HE THAT ROBBETH A FATHER WILL DRIVE AWAY A MOTHER: THE SON THAT CAUSETH SHAME IS ALSO CONFOUNDED; for this Verb on is always used paffively in Hiphil. The Senfe, according to this Interpretation, is fufficiently obvious, viz. “That the Son who injures either of his Parents will "not hesitate at behaving disrespectfully toward the other: but because "he does not honour them, according to the fifth Commandment, "instead of a Bleffing, he shall have a Curse.”

V. 27. Ceafe, my Son, to bear the Instruction that causeth to err from

חדל בני לשמע - מוסר לשגות מאמרי דעה: .the Words of Knowledge

Rather ABSTAIN, MY SON, FROM NEWS; BE THOU INSTUCTED AGAINST ERRING (or, THE ERRORS) FROM THE WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE. Here is both a Caution and an Exhortation and News, or idle Rumours, are justly opposed to the Words of true Knowledge. you is rendered News, Ch. XXV. 25. DD is here the Imperative Pyhal, and a may be confidered either as the Infinitive, or as a Noun. See Inftances of the Prepofitions thus used in Noldius.

מוסר

CHA P. XX.

V.6. Moft Men will proclaim every one his own Goodness: 7 170M WNP] Not one of the old Verfions acknowledges this last 1;

which feems to have been borrowed from the next Word, beginning with that Letter; in the Room of which another has probably been added fince for the Connection. And as the Hemiftic would be clearer without, I pass it over, and render thus

A GREAT MAN

WILL BE CALLED A BENEFICENT MAN: i. e. "A Man in an " eminent Station, if he live suitably to his Rank, will not want Pa"negyrifts: but where is the truly fincere and righteous Man to be "found?" is used for a great Man, Eft. I. 8. whence comes the Title of Rabbi, which the Jews have fince fo much affected.

V. 8. A King that fitteth in the Throne of Judgment Scattereth away

[מלך יושב על כסא דין - מזרה בעיניו כל רע : .all Evil with bis Eyes

Rather --- A KING SITTETH ON THE THRONE OF JUDGMENT; HE SCATTERETH &c. For there are clearly two different Members in this Period.

[ אזן שמעת ועין ראה - יהוה עשה גם שניהם :

V. 12. The hearing Ear, and the feeing Eye, the Lord hath even made both of them. Rather ---THE EAR HEARETH, AND THE EYE SEETH; BUT THE LORD HATH MADE THEM BOTH. So the LXX and Arabic Verfions.

Rather [כי ערב זר

לקח בגדר

V. 16. Take his Garment that is Surety for a Stranger : — TAKE HIS GARMENT, WHEN A STRANGER IS SURETY. Solomon repeatedly advises to beware of being Surety for any Body: but here he intimates that it is not fafe to admit the Suretyship of a Stranger, without taking a sufficient Pawn, or Pledge, as an additional Security.

[חבלהו

and take a Pledge of him for a strange Woman.

) 1 Our Verfion adopts the Lection of the Maffora, and of Ch. XXVII. 13. viz. : but the present Text may be thus rendered AND TAKE A PLEDGE OF HIM WHERE STRANGERS ARE WITNESSES: literally, in the Teftimony of Strangers.

114

V. 18. Every Purpofe is established by Counfel: n nyya mawn] Rather - ESTABLISH PURPOSES BY COUNSEL. 1 is the Future fingular Kal: but as the Verb in the next Claufe is the Imperative, that Mood seems here preferable.

גולה

V. 19. He that goeth about as a Talebearer revealeth Secrets: a - HE THAT REVEALETH SECRETS is A

Rather [סוד הולך רכיל

WANDERING TALEBEARER.

Hh 2

V.25.

V. 25. It is a Snare to the Man who devoureth that which is holy; THE MAN IS INSNARED Who DE

VOURETH AN HOLY THING. For p is the Part. Pabul.

Rather [מוקש אדם ילע קדש

Rather [ואחד נדרים לבקר : .and after Votes to make Inquiry

--- WHEN INQUIRY COMETH TO BE MADE AFTER Vows. The with the Infinitive is here conftrued as the Gerund.

V. 27. -fearching all the inward Parts of the Belly. "Won :10] Rather — OF THE BODY; as Job. XIX. 17. Mic. VI. 7.

CHA P. XXI.

- Rather [על כל אשר יחפץ יטנו :

V. 1. The King's Heart is in the Hand of the Lord, as the Rivers of Water: he turneth it whither foever he will.-ho ab o'p bo THE KING'S HEART is A STREAM OF WATER IN THE HAND OF THE LORD; &c. abo fignifies any Part, be it ever so small, that is divided from the Body to which it was before united. Hence appears the Aptnefs of the Comparifon. "God as easily influences the Minds of Kings, as a small Quantity of Water, upon a Table, may be directed by the Finger "into this or that Stream, as the Fancy fuggefts.".

Rather רום עינים ורחב לב - נר רשעים חטאת :

feems to חטאת

V. 4. An high Look, and a proud Heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is Sin. HE THAT HATH AN HIGH LOOK HATH ALSO A PROUD HEART; and THE LIGHT OF THE WICKED IS SINFUL. be here in ftatu constructo pro abfoluto, and to be used by a Metonymy of the Effect for the Caufe. The Senfe of the Verfe feems clearly to be this "The Eye is the Index which points out the different Mo"tions of the Heart. If therefore a Man harbours Pride in his Breast, "it will certainly betray itself by his Eye and his outward Carriage: " and the Light, or the Principle, of a bad Heart, must unavoidably "lead aftray." In the fame Senfe our Lord calls the Eye the Light of the Body, and cautions us to take Heed that the Light within us be not Darkness. Luke XI. 34, 35.

V. 5. The Thoughts of the diligent tend only to Plenteoufnefs: but of

מחשבות חרוץ אך למותר - וכל .every one that is bafty, only to Want Rather [אץ אך למחסור :

THE THOUGHTS OF THE DILIGENT

are CERTAINLY TOWARD PLENTY; BUT THE INCONSIDERATE

LAYS

LAYS HOLD ONLY OF WANT. I confider as the Preter of 5:
it occurs in the fame Form and Signification, Ifa. XL. 12. and
(which as an Adjective, applicable to a Perfon, is found only, Ch.
XXIX. 20.) I render inconfiderate; which Signification is clearly dedu-
cible from , to haften, urge, or press forward.

מבקשי

פעל אצרות בלשון שקר

V. 6. The getting of Treafures by a lying Tongue, is a Vanity tossed to and fro of them that feek Death. an :MI PD 7] There can be little Doubt that the present Reading of is faulty. I would therefore read with the LXX, Arabic, and Syriac p, or contractedly p, and render —HE DEALETH FALSELY THAT GETTETH TREASURES BY SLANDERING: THE VAIN MAN IS DRIVEN INTO THE SNARES OF DEATH: or, at leaft, read with Theodotion and Symmachus pas, in this Sense THE ACQUISITION OF TREASURES BY ACCUSING (or, INFORMING) is A DECEIT; even A VANITY DRIVEN ABOUT, SEEKING DEATH. See used as a Verb, in the first Sense, Pf. CI. 5. and in the latter, Ch. XXX. 10.

V.7. The Robbery of the wicked shall deftroy them; D'yen TV] in this Place ought to be rendered

Rather

SHALL TERRIFY THEM.

[כי מאנו לעשות משפט: .becaufe they refufe to do judgment

V. 8. The Way of a Man is froward and ftrange: 'N 777 703OT All the ancient Versions read here; which makes a much better Senfe, viz. THE WAY OF A STRANGER IS FROWARD. By this Reading we have a proper Term opposed to the pure in the next Claufe; for a Strange Man or Woman, in the Scripture Phrase, are fuch idolatrous Heathens, as were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, or Perfons of depraved Morals.

V. 9.

Rather [מדינים ובית חבר:

מאשת

than with a brawling Woman in a wide Houfe. UND THAN WITH A BRAWLING WOMAN, AND IN A WIDE HOUSE, or WHERE there is A WIDE HOUSE, as Job XXIII. 3. &c.

V. 12. The righteous Man wifely confidereth the House of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their Wickedness.

D

,I read here with the LXX, Syriac [לבית רשע - מסלף רשעים לרע :

and Arabic, a; and render - THE RIGHTEOUS WISELY CON

SIDERETH

SIDERETH THE HEART OF THE WICKED, PERVERTING THE

WICKED TO EVIL.

V. 15. It is Joy to the just to do Judgment: but Destruction fhall be

שמחה לצדיק עשות משפט - ומחתה לפעלי .to the workers of Iniquity [ און :

311

18] Rather - It is Joy To THE RIGHTEOUS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT: BUT A TERROR TO THE WORKERS &c.

V. 16. The Man that wandereth out of the Way of Understanding, fall remain in the Congregation of the dead.

Or thus [ בקהל רפאים ינוח :

אדם תועה מדרך השכל

A MAN MAY WANDER OUT OF

THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING; but HE SHALL &c.

V. 18. The wicked fhall be a Ranjom for the righteous, — pass

Rather [רשע

THE WICKED IS CUT OFF INSTEAD OF THE

RIGHTEOUS i. e. " the Mischief he intended fhould fall upon the "righteous falls upon his own Head." That this is the Senfe of the Prepofition, is I think evident from, which corresponds to it in the next Claufe. And as 5 is ufed for difannulling or cancelling a Covenant, it may doubtless be used in general for deftroying. See

Ifa. XXVIII. 18.

V. 20. There is a Treasure to be defired, and Oil in the Dwelling of

ושמן in ו If we omit the [ אוצר נחמד ושמן בנוה חכם - ; the wife

the Sense will I think be clearer thus - OIL IN THE DWELLING OF THE WISE is A DESIREABLE TREASURE.

Rather [זד יהיר לץ שמו - עושה בעברת זדון :

The

V. 24. Proud and haughty Scorner is his Name, who dealeth in proud Wrath. 2]· — THE PROUD, WHOSE NAME IS HAUGHTY SCORNER, MAY PREPARE FOR THE RAGE OF PRIDE: i. e. which is referved for it. common Interpretation of this Verfe approaches to Tautology, and contains no Sentiment: whereas that which is here propofed may be confidered as a Diffuafive from Pride, from the Confideration of the Effects confequent from it. The Verby is thus ufed, 2 Chron. XXXII. 29. Ezek. XLV. 22. and the Particle, Gen. XXIX. 18. Deut. XIX. 21.

כל היום התאוה

V. 26. He coveteth greedily all the Day long:- Di'n bo N] A Subject feems wanting here. The LXX and Arabic read YU, THE WICKED; which answers to pTS, THE RIGHTEOUS, in the next Hemiftic.