Verse 1. Hardeneth his neck] Becomes stubborn and obstinate.
Verse 18. Where there is no vision} My t)ld MS. Bible, following the Vulgate, translates: Wljan propliec^e sc])al tafUn, X^z iieple sctal ben to scatereTr. Whe*b Divine ^revelation, and the faithful preaching of the sacred testimonies, are' neither reverenced nor attended, the ruin of that land is at no great distance.. But he that keepeth the law, happy ia he.^ Go how it may with others, he shall be safe. So our Lord: ** Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."
Verse 2 1. He' that delicately bringeth up his- servant] Silch persons are generally forgetful of their obligationsy assume the rights and privileges of children, and t|6 seldom good fof*any. thing.
Verse 22. An angry man stirreth up strife] His spirit begets its like where^ he goes.
And a furious man ahoundeth in transgression.] His furious spiritis always carrying him into extremes, and each of these is a ^ran^^rM^ion.
Verse 23. A man^s pride shall bring him low] A proud man is universally despised, and sach aie Often exposed to g^M mortifications.. T' 784
2 1 He that delicately bringeth ^ ^c ^'dr ^ up his servant from a child flhall 6i. rigesiiMB have him become his son at the phm^T length.. A:tl.c.c^f.5L
22 ^. An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundetb in transgression.
23 » A man's pride.shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit
24 Whoso is partner with a thief hatetfa hit own soul: ^ be heareth cUrsing, and bewrayeth it hot. -
25 * The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trostin the Lord ^ shall be«afe.
26 ^ Many seek " the ruler's favour: but. every man's judgment cometk from the Lobd.
27 An unjust man is an •abomination to the just; and he that is upright iq the way if aboniination to the wicked.
shall be set on high ^ See Psalm xx. 9; chapter xix. 6.
Verse 34. Haieth his own soul] iras naphsh^, his life, as the ontraged law may at any time seize qp and put him to death.
He heareth cursing] nSit tdoK, the eacecraium or adjuration^ (for all culprits were charged, as before God, ^io tell the truth,) "^r kSi veto yaggid, but n wUl ndt hll it. He has no fear of God, nor reverence for an o&th, because his heart is hardened throagh the deceitfulness of sin.
Verse 25, The fear of man bringeth a snare] How often has this led weak men, though sincere in their general character, to deny theix God, and ahjore his people! See th^ case of Peter; and learn froia this, O reader, that where the mighty have been slain, thou wilt fall, unless thou call on the Strong for strength, and for Courage to use it. Be not ashamed of Jcsrs, nor of his people, nor' of his cross. Glory in thi^ that thou knowest him, art joined to tlcem, and art cobdiimI. worthy to bear it,.
Verse 26. Many seek the ruler* s favwir] To be screened from the punishment determined by the law; but should he grant the favour sought, and pardon the criminal, this takes nbt away his guilt in the sigbt of God, from whom all just judgment pro<;eed8.
Verse ^7. And he that is upright in the way] ^ But as for those that be in Ihe right, way e, the wicked hate
To this verse the Vulgate adds the foUowing: Verbum custodiens filius extra perditionem erit; " The son that keeps the^word shall not fall into perdition." This is not in all copies of the Vulgate: bat it was in that from which my old MS. Bible was made, where it is thus translated: 8!|t Btmt teyfnf ttie toottre «c|jal ben out # perHIc^oti. I beliere verbum here is intended for the Dhrine word; ^e revelation fram God;
Agur*s confession offaiihy 1-6. His prayer, 7-9. Of wicked generations, 'lO-H. Things thai are never satisfied, 15, 16. Of him who despises his parents^ 17. Three wonderful things, 18-20. Three things that disquiet the land, 21-23. Four little but very intelligent animals, 24-28. Four things that go weld 29-31. A man should cease from doing foolishly, and from strife, 32, 33.
Ithiel, eyen unto Ithiel and Ucal, 2 ^ Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
Verse 1. The words of Agur the son of JakeK] The words Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and Veal, have been considered Ky sonie as proper names: by others, as descriptive characters. With some, Agur is Solomon;■ and Jakeh, David; and Ithiel and Ucal are epithets of Christ,
The Vulgate translates, Verba congregantis fiHi vomentis: visio, quam locutus est vir, cum quo est Deus, et qui Deo secum marante confortatus, ait, '* The words of the collector, the son of the vomiter: the vision of the man who has God with him, and iilrho is fortified by God dwelling with him, saith.'^
" The wordes of Agur the sonne of Jakei. ^^ The prophecie of a true faithful] maif, whom God hath helped; whom God hath conforted anjl nouri^^ied."
*' The words of the collector, the son of Jakeh. The parable which "^SJn haggeber, the. strong roan, the hero, spake 4into him who is God with i|ie; to him who is God with me, even the strong God."
From this introduction, from the itanfes here used, and from the style of the book, it appears evident that Solomon was not the author of* this chapter; and that it was designed to be distinguished from his ^ork by this very preface, which specifically distinguishes it from the preceding work. Nor can the words in ▼erses 2, 3, 8, and 9, be at dl applied to Solomon:' they suit no part of SoIomon^s life, nor of his eircumstances. We roust, therefore, consider it an appendix ^ supplement to the preceding collection; something is the manner of that part which' the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, had collected. As to mysteries here, many have been found by them who sought for nothing else; but they are all, in roy view of the subject, hazarded and precarious, I believe Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and Ucal, to be the names of persons who did exist, but of whoro we kno^WBothing but what is here mentioned. Agur seems te have been a public teacher, lad Ithiel and Ileal to have been his- scholara; and
4 ^ Who hath ascended up into AV^.acii:S4. heaven, or descended? " who hath gathered the wind in bis fists? who hath bound the
what he delivers to them was done by prophecy. It. was what the prophets generally term MVO massa, an ORACLE, something iroroediately delivered by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of roan.
Verse 2. Surely I am more bnUish] These words can in no sense, nor by any mode of speech, be true of Soloinon; for wliile h6 was the wisest of men, he could not have said 'that he was more brutish than any man, and had not the understanding of a man. ' It is saying nothing to the purpose, to say he was so inde^ pendently of the Divine teaching. Had he put this in, even by innuendo, 'it might be legftimate: but he does.not; nor is it by fair implication to be understood. Solofnon is not supposed to have written the Proverbs after he fell from God. Then indeed he might have said he had been more brutish than any man. But Agur might have used these words with strict propriety, for aught we know; for it is very probable that he was ft- rustic, without education, and without any human help, as was the prophet Amos; and that all that he knew now was by the inspiration of the Alniighty, in<|ependent]y of which he was rustic and uneducated.
Verse 3. / neither learned wisdom\ I 'have never been a scholar in any of those schools of the wise men^ nor have. the knowledge of the holy, O^vnp kedoshim^ of the saints or holy persons,
. The SeptudgkU give this a different turn:. Oeof Midaxt fu ao^Mv^ nai yvooiv d^Ui»v eyvuna; * God had) taught me visdom, and the knowledge of th« saints I have known."
•This may, refer to the patriarchs, prophets, otJioly men, that lived before the days of Solomon. That isB the translators might have hsid these iti view.
Verse 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended f] Calmet paraphrases this passage thus: "■ Who hath descended, &c. In order to show tbf truth of what he was about to jay,. he obsen;es: / have not the science of the saints; for how mm\d I have acquired it 1 Who is he who could attain to that? Who hoe ascent^ to heaven to leaui that, science; and who has descended in order, to publish it 1 Is the science of salvation one of those things that can be apprehended only by study t Is it not % pure gift of the goodness of God I Moses, after hay* ing shown to the people the will of God, said to them; *• This commandraeot which I commwnA thee this dtjTj
5 ' Every word of God is ' pure: ^ he 15 a shield unto them that put their trust in him^
is not hidden from thee; neither is it far off. It i? not in hearen, that thou shooldest say, Who shall go. up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and 4o it V Deut. xxx. 1 1, 12. The person whose words we are here examining speaks a knowledge more sublime than that contained in thd simple laws of the Lord, common to. all the people of Israel. He speaks of the sublime science of the designs of God, of his ways, and of his secrets; and in this Sense he affirms he has no knowledge.'*.
Who hath gathered the wind in his fists f] It is as difficult for a mortal man to acquire this Divine science by his own reason and strength, as to collect the winds in his fists. And who can command the spirit of prophecy, so that he can have it whensoever he pleases?
What is his name?] Show me the nature of this Supreme Being. Point out his eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence; comprehend and describe him, if thou canst.;
What is his son^ name] Some copies of the Sepiuagint have 17 rt ovofia roic tucvoio ovtov; "Or. the name of his sons;*' meanilig, I suppose, the holy angels^ called his saints or holy onesy ver. 3. - The Arabic has. What is his name f tM^ i^ ts^ and what is the name of his father? him who begat him. But the. Chaldcey the <Syrtac, und the Vulgate^ read as the Hebrew..
Many are of opinion that Agur refers here to the first and second persons of the ever-blessed Trinity. It may be so; but who would venture to rest -the proof of that most glorious doctrine upon such a text, to say nothing of the obscure author J The doctrine is true, sublimely true; but many doctrines have suffered in controversy, by improper text* being urged in their ftivour. Every lover of Gfod and truth should be very choice in his selections, when he comes forward in behalf of the more mysterious doctrines of the Bible. Quote nothing that is not clear; advance nothing that does not tell. When we are obliged to spend « world of critical labour, in order to establish the sense of a text which we intend to allege in favour of the doctrine we wish to support, we may re^t assured that we are going the wrong way to work. Those who indiscriminately amass «very text of Scripture they think bears upon the subject they defend, give their adversaries great advantage against them. I see many a sacred doctrine suffering through the bad judgment of its friends every day. The Godhead of Christ, salvation by faith, the great atoning sacrifice, and other essential doctrines of this class, are all suffering in this way. My heart says, with deep- eoncenii 7«6
6 ^Add thou not unto words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found ^ liar. jpnmaa.
8 Remove far (rtrnk me vanity and lies:
When truth is assailed by all kinds of weapons, handled by the'mostjfowerful foes, injudicious defenders may be ranked «mong its enemies. To sock we may innocently say, " Keep your cabins; you do assist the storm.*'
. Verse 5. Every word of Ood is pure] mOH *0 nflnv ni^K col imrath eloah tseruphak, " Erery oraele of God is purified." A metaphor taken from the pii- ^fy^^ ff metals. Every thing that Go(i has pronounced, every inspiration which the prophets hive received, is pure, without mixture of error,/ withoot dross. Whatever trials it may be exposed to, it b always like gold: ii bears the fire, and conies out with the same lustre, the same purity, and the same weight.
He i» a shield unto them] And this oracle among the rest. " He is the defence of all them that pot their trust in him. hDh lechd, to aU, is added here by nineteen -ot'KennicotVs and De RossCs MSS.; for instead of. O'^DhS lachosim, to the trusters, they read O^Dinn Szh lechol hachosim, " to eyert ohe of them that trust.". Where the preposition and adjective are not only added, but the noun is wiitted more full, and more ^emphatic:. hut a translation cannot well express it without paraphrase.
Verse 6. Add not thou unto his words] Too can no more ihcrease their value by any additioT^ than yoa can that of gold by adding any other metal to it. 'Take care that you do not any thing that this word, forbids, nor leave undone any thing that it Commands; for this is adding and diminishing in Scripture phrase.
Lest he reprove thee] Lept he try thy word by fire, as his lias been tried;- and it appear that, fiur from abiding the test^ the^r^ shows thine to be reprobate silver; and so thou be found a falsifier of God's word, and a Kar.
Itow amply has this been fulfilled in the case of the Romish Church! It has added all the grou stujf in the Apocrypha, besides innumerable legends and traditions, to the word of God! They have been tried by the refiner's fire. And this Church has bees reproved, and found to be a liar, in attempting is filiate on the most holy Grod spurious writings discreditable to his nature.
Verse 1. Two things > have I required of thee] These two petitions are mentioned in the next verse; and he wishes to have them answered before he should die. That is, he wishes the answer noto, that he may live the rest of his life fii the state he describes.
Verse 8. Remove far from me vanity and Ues] 1. mv shittf, all false shows, all false appearunat of ( «©•)
thee, and say, Who «> the Lord? of lest I be poof and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
1 0 i^ Accuse not a servant unto his master^ lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
1 1 T%ere is a generation that cutseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation ^ that cirs' pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their fillhiness.
happiness, every vain expectation. Let me not set my heart on any thing that is not solids, {rue, durable, and eternal. 3. Lies, 2iD 'y^l debar caz^b, bH wards iff deception, empty pretensions, false promises, ttncertain dependences, and words that fail; promises which, when they become due, are like bad bills; they are dishonoured because they are found to he forged, or< the drawer insolvent.
From the import of the original, I. am. satisfied that Agur prays against idolatry, false religion, and falsti worship of every kind. HW shav is used for an idol, a false god. Jer. xviii. 15: " My people have forsaken me; they have burnt incense to vanity;" K'BfS iashshav, " to an idol.'' Psa. xxxi. 6: ** I have hated them that regard lyin? vanities;" Kizr '^an habley shave, " vain idols." Spic also Hos. xii. 1 1; Jonah ii. 8. And:r3 cazaK a thing that fails or. deceives, may well apply to the rain pretensions, false promises, and deceptive religious rites of idolatry.. So Jer. XV. 18: " Wilt thou be unto me as a liar,'^ 3T3K \m kemo achzob, like the false, failing promises of the false gods; " and as waters that fail;" WDW IC^ lo n^emanu, that are not faithful; not like the true God, whose promises never fail. According to this view of the subject, Agur prays, 1. That he may be preserved from idolatry. 2. That he may put no confidence in any words but those pure words of God that never fail them that trust in him.
Give me' neither poverty nor riches] Here are three requests: 1. Give me not poverty. The reason is added: Lest, being poor, I' shall get into a covetous spirit, and, impelled by want, distrust my Maker, and take my neighbour's property; and, in order to excuse, hide, or vindicate my conduct, I take the name of my God in vain; 'n»3n taphasti, " I catch at the name of God." Or, by swearing falsely, endeavour to make myself pass for innocent. JTorstoece t|e name sf mj? 0ro^ — Old MS. Bible. Coverdale, "deny or apostatize from him."
2. (rive me not riches. For which petition he gives a reason also: Lest I befu^l, and addict myself to InzurioQs living, pamper the flMhand tttrre fhe
14 ' There is a ' generation, ^^•^'*^^^-^' whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, * to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The horseleech hath, two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, ^Itis enough:
16^ The grave; and the barren womb; the * earth that is not filled with water; and the fire, that saith not, It is epough.
soul, and so deny thee, the Fonntain of goodness; end, if called on to resort to first principles, I say, Who is Jehovah f Why should I acknowledge, why should I serve him t And thus cast aside all religion, apd all moral obligation.
3. The third /iequest is, Feed me with food convex nient for me, 'DM OnS 'Jfl'non hatripheni lechem chukki; the meaning of which is, ** give me as prej my. statute allowance of bread",*' i. e., my daily bread, a sufficient portion for each day. There is an allusion moide to huniiag,: " Direct so by Ihy good providence, that I may each day find sufficient portion to subsist on, as a hunter in the fore^ prays ^at he may have good speed.'' It is the province of a preacher to ^how the importance and utility of such a prayer, and dilate the circumstances, aiid expand the reasons, after the commentator has' shown the literal sense.
Verse 10. Accfue not a servant] Do not bring a false accusation against a servant, lest thou be found guilty of the falsehood, and he curse thee for having traduced his character, and in bis turn traduce thine. In general, do not meddle with other people's servants.
Verse 11. There is a geiheration] There are such persons in the world. In this and the three following verses the wise man points out four grand evils that prevailed in Kis time.
Averse 12. The second, Those who were self -righteous, supposing themselves pure, and were not so.
Verse 16. The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give.] "This horseleech," says Cabnet, ** is CoyierousNEss, and her two daughters are Avarice and Ambition. They never say,' It is enough; th.ey are never satisfied; they are never contented."
Many explanations have been given of this verse; but as ail the versions agree jn rendering npl^jr «M«A
17 ^ The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of » the valley 'shall pick it out, and the yo.ung eagles shall eat it.
1 8 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
the horseleech or bloodstukerf the general meaning collected has been, ^* There are persons so exoeasirely covetoas and greedy, that they will scarcely let any live but themael?es; and when they lay hold of any thing by which they naay profit, they ne^er let go their hold.till they ha?e -extracted the last portion of good from it." Horace has well expressed tliis disposiUon, and by the same emblem, applied to a poor poet, who seizes on and extracts all he ean from an author of repute, and obliges all to hear him read his wretched verses.
Quern vero arripuit, tenet,- occiditqae legendo^ Non missura cntem, nisi plena cruoris, hiruik>. De Arte Poet., ver. 476
" But if he seize yon, then the torture dread;
He fastens on you till he reads you dead;
And like a. leech, voracious of his food,
Quits not his cruel hold till gorged with blood.*'
The word HplSj; o/uA-oA, which we here translate horseleech, is read in no other part of'the Bil^le. May it not, like Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and Ucal, be a proper name, belonging to some well-known woman.of his acquaintance, and well known to the public, who had two daughters notorious for their covtousness and lechery 1 And at first view., the following verse may be thought to confirm this supposition; " There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not. It is enough y the grave, the barren womb, the earth, the fire. What an astonishing similarity there is between this and the following institute, taken firom the Code of Hindoo liavj,. chap, xx., sec. L, p. 203.
"A woman is never satisfied with the copulation of man, no more than a fire is satisfied with burning fuel; or the main ocean is with receiving the rivers; or death, with the dying of men and animals ^ You can no more satisfy these two daughters of Alukah than you can the grave,- &c.
Some of the rabbins have thought that alukah signifies destiny, or- the necessity of dying, which they say has t%t>o daughters, Eden and Gehenna, paradise and hell. The former has never enough of righteous souls; the latter, of the wicked. Similar to them is the opinion of Bochart, who thinks alukah- metina destiny, and the two daughters, the grave and hell; into the^rj^ of which the body descends after death, and into the second, the soul.
The Septuagint gives it a curious turn, by connecting the fifteenth with the simteenth verse: Ty BdeAAp Btryarepe^ tfcav ayanrjaei ayawafievaif xai al rpeic oArai OWE evewiftnXaaav avnjVf km i rerapr^ oimc igyMceoA?
19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of 9 serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the y midst of the sea; and the way of ^ man with t maid..
eintiv licavov; " The horseleech had three well-beloved daughters; and these three were not able to satisfy her. desire: and the fourth was not satisfied, so as to say, It is enough.?'
After all, I think my own conjecture the most probable. Alukah is a proper name, and the two daughter* were of the description I have mentioned. ' Verse 17. The eye that mocketh at his father\ His seems to be spoken against those who curse tkek father, and d^ nat bless their mother, ver. 1 1.
The ravens of the valley^ Those which freqaait the places where dead carcasses and ofifal are most likely to be found. The raven, the crow, the rook, the daw, the cafrian crow, and the Cornish chough, appear fb be all of the same genus. Some of them live on pulse and insects; others, the raven ia particular, live on carrion.
The young eagles shall eat it.] The mother eagle shall scoop out such an eye, and carry it to the nest to feed her young. Many of the disobedient io parents have come to an untimely end, and, in ihefidd of battler where many a profligate has fallen, and uiN« gibbets, have actjially become the prey <^ lavenoof birds. /. *
Verse 19. The way of an eagle] ^ I borrow, with ihanks, the very sensible note of the Rev. Mr. Holdeo on this passage.
** The particle p ken plainly shows that verses 19 and 20 are to be taken in connection; consequently, it is a comparison between the way of an.adulterants w&man; and the way of the things here described.
*' The adulterous woman goes about in search of her deluded victim, like as the eagle takes its flight into the air to spy out its prey. She uses every species of blandishment and insinuation to allure and beguile, as the serpent employs its windings and sinuous motions to pass along the rocks; she pursues a course surrounded with danger, as a ship in the midst of the sea is continually exposed to the fury of the tempest, and the hazard of shipwreck; and she tries every means, and exercises all her sagacity, to prevent the discovery of her illicit enjoyments, as a man attempts to conceal his clandestine intercourse with a m^. Such is the conduct pf a lewd woman, marked. by specious dissimulation and traitorous blandishment; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth — she indulges her adulterous lust, yet artfully endeavours to conceal it, and with unblushing ' countenance asserts her innocence, exclaiming, / have done no wickedness.'*^
Chauckr^s January and May is an excellent comment on such wUes and protestations.
The way of a man with a maid.] TVchp^ bealmak, vfiih OS in a maid phat one of De Rassl^s MSS. his
21 For llirec things the earlh is disquieted^ and for four tvhkk it cannot bear. ^ ■
22 * For a servant wh^n lie reigiietii; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 For an odious woman wlien she is married I and a^ handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 There be four things which are liltle upon tlje eartlij but ihey arc * exceeding wise:
25 **The ante are a people not strong; yet lliey prepare their meat in the summer;
feeble folk, yet make they their houses In ihe rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go I hey forth all of ttiem '^ by bands;
28 The spider lukelh hold wilh her handi, and is in kings' palaces.
29 There be lUrce things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
Vu7p2 bealmaivt in hix^&tHh,- and with tbia the Sep* TPAoiNTf Fi' ijcPT^Tf, the \'tLGATBt tft attolescenUfti the 8yBt.ic and tKe A a a. bio agree; and so also my own M*S. Bible: — Ctie tot[c of a man fit fits toar'tta «out(ir. Dr. Kcnmcoltf in a sermon preached at OT/flr</, 1765, p. 49^ ha3 defended Lhe reading^ of the ^erman^f corfobotnting it by two MSS,| on*^ in the Harttiauy and the oiher in the Bodkian library, besides that mentioDcd by De Rossi. £5ee De Rossi's Var» Lect. Certainly the way of a man in Aw yatiih con to ins too many intricacies fox huina,n wisdom to explore. He on!y who searches the heart knows fully its Tariotia corrupt principles, and tbetr productions. The comjaon reading may refer to the formation of a child in the womb, Bufc aome have anderstood it of the tmrnatniiate concept hn. See my note on Matt. i. 2^^ where the subject is largely eons id e red.
If we take the four things which Agar says were too wonderful for him^ in ibetr obmous sense, there is Utile diflicnlty in them, 1. The passage which a bird makes through the air; ^. That which is made by a serpent on a rock; and, 3. That mtide by a ship through the sea^ arc such as cannot bo ascertained: for who can possibly show the track in which either of them has passed I And as to the fourth^ if it refer to the suspected incontinence of on© reptttrd a mfgin^ the signs arc so eqmt>octd^ as to be absolutely unascertainable. The existence of the Ayincn has been denied by the ablest anatomists; and the signs of continence or incontinence, except in tho most recent cases, are such as neither mon nor tomnnn can swecir to, even to the present day; and tliey were certainly Dot less difficult lo Agur and his contemporaries. I ah ait carry this matter no fart her «
Verse 2 1. For three ihinga the earth is dtsquieted, and for four whieh it cannot hear] This is another enigmat Four things tnsnppor table to men, 1. A slave, when he becomes ruler ^ 2« An otjerfed. fool^ 3. An ill'iemp^red woman, when mistress of a family. And, 4. A servant maid, when the rule of the house is committed to her. |
I, A slave^ when he comes to bear rulei is an on- | principled ft/rant. It haa been often observed both in, Amcricm and in the West Indies ^ wlien it was judj^ed i tiecesaary to arm some of the most conAdential slaves, that nn re^i mettle were used so cruelly in the drills d&c., a& lho8« btack regiments thai had hlmk officers*
3. Ths overfed fi>ol^ The intelleeiu ally wfai mfl?i, who has every thing at his c<mimandf haa g:eneral1y manners which nono can bear; and, if a favouttle with hiB master^ he is insupportable to all others,
3. An UUlempcrtd womaux when she gets emba^;- rassed with domestic cares, is beyond bearing.
4* A servant maid, when, either ilirough the death of the mistress^ or tho sin of the husband, she is in fact exalted to be head over the family ^ is so insolent and impudent, aa to be hateful to every one, and execrated by ali-
Verse 24. There he four things] Of which it is said, they are venf liule but i}ery ivise. 1. The ants, 3. The rabbits, 3. The iocusls. 4. The spider.
1. The ants sliow iheir wisdom by preparing their meat tn the summer; seeking for it and storing it when it may be had; not for mfiter consumption, for they steep all that time; but for autumn and spring. See the note on chap. iri« O. The ants are a people i they have their houses^ tmvtist cities, puhlic mads, &c. I have seen several of these, both of the brottm and l^r^e Mack ant.
2. The rabbtts act coriously enough in the construction of llieir burrows; but the word |D^ shaphan probably does not here mean the anttnat we call coney or rabbit. It ia most Jikoly tlialiliis is what Dr. Shaw calls the Daman- Israel; a creature very Like a rabbity but never burro w-jog in llie ground, hut dwellmg in clcAs and holes of rocks*
3. Thf^ tocusis. These so rpriain^ animals we hire already met with and described. Though ttiey have no leader, yet they go forCh by troops i some miles in circumference, when they take wing,
4. The spider. This is a singularly curious animal, both in the mtmnci ot constructing her house^ h^t nets, and taking her prey. But the hahits, &c,, of these &nd such like must be sought io works ou na* tural tustGry.
Verse 29, There be three things which go iir^f] Here is another set of emblems; four things which ji^alk beautifully and un/h majesty. I, The tton. 2* The greyhound. 3> The he-goat. And, 4* A kmg,
1. Nothing can he more majestic than the i#s/jfc of the Itonu It is deliberate, equal, firm, and in every' respect becoming the king of the forest.
2. Tk'Q greyhound. O^JHO THI sar^ir j?iOiAnflyim, the ^ri in the loins; but what tltia heast is we do not
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up
dimicLly know. Ii is m> likeli^ thai thia wsia the greyhaund^ whieh in the East &re retnatkably fine, and very jJeeL Scsircely any thing eun be conceived tn git with greater tleetne^t in full chase, ihan i ^eyhound iTV'itti lis prty in view r it teema to ^ncrim over the earth.
3* The g^al^ wr\ laytsh. This is geneTally allowed lo be tha hc-gtfat; and how he walks, and what state he a^smnos, in the presence of his pari of the fiock, every one know&f who has at all noticed thia animal. The ram also, which soma suppose to l>e intended, is bo(h fioYce aad majesiic at the head of the eheep-
4* And a kmg, against Uihom there is nd rising np« Thai iSf asking whose conft, couns<!lS( and troopis, are CO firmly united to him^ as to rettder dl hopes of suo. cessful coiispiracy ag:ain3t hint utterly vain. He walks boldly and tnnji^aUeally about, bting safe in the affections of his people. But Ihe Hebrciv is eingular; it makes but tr: and these avt^ ihey, OipSw ^Soi whether this luuy not be a pr&pcr name^ ns Agur ahounds in ihein; see Ithiei^ Ucal^ and probably Alu' kah, ver. 1 5. But it is said, ^' We knovv nothing of a king natned Alkum.^^ True i nor do w^e know an)' thing of Agur^ lihieli Ucai^ to say aoihing of Aiu^ah, And
mouth. 33 Surely the churning of milk
this might have been some tenaajkable chiejlam^ who carried hi$ Victories wherever he wen I, and vraa remarkably fortunate. If, howeirer, we aeparaie the) word itilo S» at^ " not/' and DID kum^ *' he artne," wb m&y make the interpretation above giveit«
Verse 33. If t him hast doti^ foalishly] And vim has not, at one time or other of his life <
Lay thine hand up&n thy mouih,] UJke iftie ieper; and cry lo God» Uaclean I mnckan! and Jte^ ulen^ to all besides. God will bbl out ihy ojle^ee^ wai neither the world nor the Church ever know it, for be is meretfol; and man is rarely able to pasa by m I committed by his fellows^ especial ly if it be ooi which himself ts by nalure nol liable or incline^j.
Verse 33. And the wringing] Wlo bugcll snpUrt ^tamrtt} out btooH^^Old MS, Bible. ""; -ell ev
*^ draw the milkt ^tud you may have buiur. if yon press tlie nostrils you may bring out blood; and if yovi! draw out your discourse lo a great lenglli« you may I have strife and contention J* Avoid, Ijierefoi^t ^ strong e^citefnents and irritatiozUL Ca^erdaitrs iraji»* lation of this verse is very simple: ** Whoso chymeth mylck maketh butter; he thai rubbt^th his noae, mn^ eth it hlede - and he that eauscth wralh» brysftt^ forth sirifep"
The words and prophecy af King Lemuel ^ and what h*x mother taught Aim, 1,2. Dehuuchery mtd mvek mat to he cwifidtid^ 3-7. How kings shvuld administer justice, 8j 9. The praise of a virtuous trommi mtd ^ good hoiisetrnfci, in Her econmnyr prudence^ watchfttlness, and assiduity tn labmAr^ 10—29* Frailty tf bemdy, 30^ 31.
2 What, my son? and what, *■ the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXL Vena I. The mm-dt of King Lemuei] SieioS '^21 1^0 dibrey temuel melech, ^* The words to Muel the king." So ihe Syrmc; and so I think it should he readf the S lamed being the article or preposiliofi.
But who is MiicI Of Lemuel f SotoTnofif according to general opinion [ and the mother here mentioned » Bai^-sheba^ 1 cannot receive these sayings; for 1. Whoever this was, he appears to have been the ^rsthorn of his mother: cdled here emphatically *1D2 T3 har biini, the son of my mamb; which is not likely io be true of Soiomon^ aa his mother had been the wiffi of Uriah, and possibly had borne that rough atid fallb- 7m ^ fnl soldier some children, ^2, It is inttmnied here I ihat this son had come by a lawful marrtage.* beooe j mj *>J bar nedarati Ihe son of my voi&t her maimnif'; nial covenant; for so it ts moat natural lo Jinderi^taod 1 the words. But is there any proper sen^id in which
Baih-she^, and Soiamon f For although tJie wdo. bona ' in adultery died^ it is by no means)tkiK iIk^e.
3 « Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways •* to thai which destroycth Kings,
4 • /I i# not for kings^ 0 Lemuel, it i$ not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5 ' Lest ihcy drink, and forget the law, and ' pervert the judgment ^ of any of the aftliclftd*
6 ' Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those tlial be ^ of heary heails.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more*
chapter &cems to be much later IbD^ti his tinie, and the aeverd ChaltMsfns which occur in the ifery openjiig of it are no mean praof of ilns* If /t.^'-ur wis not the author of it, it may be considered sts another ^uppJetncnt 10 the book of Proverbe, Most certainly Soloman did iiiit write it
The prophrcij (Fiat his mother iaughi Mm.} ltB^t3 masta may her€ dgntfy (he qtqcU ^ i)ie dtibjeei tjiat came by Dmine impiraiion; Bee on chap. EX3C. 1. From tbia and sotnti other ciretinistances it is probable thai biilh these chapters were written by the jame au- 4h^r. Heuhg^ni thinks that M/tjijia here in the name €i a p/ac^ J* andj therefore, transhtes, ** The words of X^muel, king of MftiMi witk wki^h hi> molber in-^ ilnicled him."
Verae 3. Whuf^ mtj son /] The Chaldee ^3 tar it ti«ed twico in this ver«e, inatead of the Hebrew [3 ben, sdlF. Tbia verso is rer^ elliptical; and commenta^ tare^ according to their different tastes, have inserted wardjii indeed arxme of them a whole st^ntenc^f lo make up the sense. Perhaps Coverdftle has hit the sensd aa nearly as any other: ** These arc ilie wordes of Kyngo Lefnuel; and itio lesij^bu that his mcither taughte him. My aonrie» ttiou son of iD^ body, O my deare beloved Sonne 1"
The son of my vmos I] A child b<*rn after vom's made for oflspring is called the child of st person^s
Verae 3, Give noi th^ slren^ih] Do not waste thy aubatanee on women. In such intercourse the strength of body, soul f and substance ia destroyed. Such con* DectioDa are those which destrnj/ kings, p^So mdachint the Chaldee lermi nation instead of the Hebrew.
Verse 4. U is noi for kings^^io drink mine] An iotemperate man ia ill fit to kold the reins of govern-
^'erse 6. Lesl the*/ drink^ andjhrgei the law] When Ihey should be adintnisteriag juiiticc, they are found i, ^illcapabIe of it; or, if thay go into the judgment-seat, tnay pervert justice.
Verae 6. Git- if shitTii^ drink tint 9 kim tftat is ready W pensh\ \^e have already seen, I hat inebriating drinks were mercifully given to eondennned criminals,
9 Open thy mouth, ** judge righteously, and p plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10 ^ Who can find a \irluous woman? for her price u far above mbies.
1 1 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so thai he shall have no need of spoil,
19 She will do hini good and not evil ail the days of her life.
to render them less aensihle of the toiture they endured in dying. This is what was offi^red lo our Lord; but he refused i|. See note on Psa. civ* 15.
Verae 8, Open thy mouth for thr ' '1 For such aecusf^d persons as have no corns 1 eannot
Are appointed io destfueiiitn.] ^tSn ""JS Beneif ch^ l&ph^ varioLislj translated, children of passoge — indi* getit travellers; children t>f desolation — those who have no possessions, nr orphatis. I believe it either signifies those who are strangers, and are traveUtng from place to place^ or those who are read^ t& periih txt eohsec^uence of waot or oppression. ^
Verse 1 0. Who can find a virtuous woman f] This and the following versea are acrostie^ each beginning wiih a consecutive letter of the Ilebrew alphabet: ver. 10, S< alvph; ver* ll| 3 beO^; vcr. J 2, 1 gunel; and io on to the end of the chapter, the last verse of which has the. letter rt iau. From this to the end of the chapter we have the character of a woman nf genuine worth laid do'^^'n; first ^ m general^ ver. 10, 11, and 12; secondly t ui its particular or component parts, ver, 13-29; and, thirdlyt the summing up of the ehtirae> ter, ver. 30, 31. ^
1. Slie is a virtuous womar^^'^ woman of power and strengih. S'n niPK esketh chayd^ a strong er virtoons wife, Adl of mental energy.
i|. She is invaluaMe; her pnc^ is far abave rubies - — no cjuantiiy of precious stones can be equal to her worth.
3. She is an ^nspott^d wife. The heart of her hus* band doth safely trust in her — -he knows &he will take care that a proper provision is made for his household, and will not wtaie any thing. He has no need for j/jot? — he is not obliged to go out on predatory excursiona* to provide for his faniHy, at the expense of the neighbouring tribes.
4. Sha haa her huaband^s happiness in view conitantly. She reeompenses all his kindness to her in beneficent acts. For iind words she retuma &md
13 She seekelh wool, and flai, and ^ workolh
14 She is like llie merchants' sliips; she bringelh her food from afar,
15 * She riscth also while it is yet night, and * giveih meat to her -household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field and '^buyeth it:
deeds. Her g^(Hi is unmi^ied i she will d^f kirn good-, and not cviL 3, Htr g&^ ia not capricious; it is consioiit and permanentt whilf sho and Iver husband live* His htart safety Irusts in her, for she will do him good ttU the daifs of her life. This is her general character
II. Thia is the second part of her character, giv ing the particulars of which it ia composed.
1. She did not bay read^ w&x^en cloth: she procured the raw maietialy if wo&it roost prob&bly from her o\vnfl0€ksi if JiaJ^t roo»t probably from her own fields.
2. H0re she manafaciured; for she iDorkelh willing' fy With her hands. And all bcr hihour is a cheerfid service; her irnll., her hearty is in it.
It needs no ar^rumenis to praire thnt women, even of the highest rankst among the Greets, Romans, and Israelites, worked with their hands at every kind of occupation necessary for the support of the f^unily. This kind of employment was iioi peculiar to the viriuous woman in the text.
3. She acts like merchants. If she buy any thing for her household^ she sells sufficient of her awn ma~ nufactures iQ pay for it; if she imports^ she e^po^ris: and she sends articles of her own matitifaetuTlng or produce to distant countries; she traffics with the neighbouring tribes.
4. She is an eeonomifit of ttmc; and when ihe nights are long, and the dai/s shm-t, her flimily not only spend a pari of the evening after sunset in domestic labour, but they all arise before daylight ^ and prepare the da^^s foody that they may ndt have their labour interrupted. To those who are going to the fields, and to the^i>cij, she gives the food necessary for the day: ^^C3 teref prey, a term taken from hunting, the object of which was, the supplying their natural watiia: hence applied to daily food^ See notes on chap. xix. 8. And to the women who are to be employed within she gives pn chokf the lask^ihG kind of work they are to do, the materials out of which they are to form it, Bnd the qvantity she expects from each. Thus all the Aervants are seitled: their food, work^ and tasks apiminted. Every thing is done orderly^
5. She provides for the growing wants of her famity. More land will shortly be needed, for the faraiiy la growing up; snd havmg seen a field contlgnouB to lier owQf which was on sale, she estimates its worth,
with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyaTd,
17 She girdeth her loins with strength^ and strength eneth her arms,
1 8 ' She perceiveth that her merchandise u good: her candle goeth not out by iiight
19 Shelayelhher hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the dt staff.
and pufchaaes it a good bargain; and abe pays for it by the fruit of her ajm induslry.
B. She does not TestTiet herself to the bare fi«er«- saries of life; she is able to procure some of tti t^jniforts. She plants a ffmeyardj that she may have for a beverage t for medicine, and for sacmfict. a}so is procured of hef own labour* Whatever out brings its worth tVi; and hm-ter^ not buyxng^ b h€r chief mode of iraffie.
7. She takes care of her own health and strengtJi, not only by means of useful labour, but by healthy ex* ercise. She avoids what might enervate her body, nr aoften her mind^-she is ever active, and girt ready for erery necessary exercise* Her loins are Jlrm^ mad her arms strong.
" H. She takes care to manufacture the ^tst artictes of the kindt and to lay on a reasonal>le pnce thai the may secure a ready sale. Her good^ are iu high repute, and she knows she can sell as much as she can mait. And she Jinds that while she pleases her eu«tootei>i she increases her own profits^
9. She is watthful and careful. Her c^tdle^-\i/&t imnp, burns all niEht^ which is of great adTantage A c^OB of sodden alarms; and in the times and places where there were so many bandUtii this was a tery accessary family regnlation. Perhaps soitie works were carried on during the ntghtt those employed sletpwng in the daytime* Thus labour never atood still; ^ hil^ some slepti. others worked. This w^as no unusual thing in ancient times; and it prevails now; but alas! little children are often thus employed to help to support their indigent parents, and to fill the cofiers of theii unfeeling taskmasters.
1 0. She gives an example of shli and tn^Wf/r^ to her household. She takes the distaff, that on wMch the wool or jf&r was rolled; and the jtpindUt that by twisting of which she twisted the thread with the ri^Af handy while she held the distaff in the gwvrd of the left arm, and drew down the thread with the jlngcri of the leA hand. Alfovvlng that spindle and dutaff are proper tranelations of ^)m^^ hishor, and |Vl3 pehcK this was their use, and the way in which Ihty were used. The spindie and distaff are the most anrtent of all the inairuments used for sptnmng, or making thread. The spinmng-tchecl auperBeded them in the»« counliies; but slill they were in considerable use tilt spinning machinery superseded both them mad tbff spinning-wheels in general,
:ilO ^ She f stretchetfaoutherhandto the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the -needy.
SI She is not afraid of the snow for I^er 4iousehold: -fo;: all her household are clothed ^ith ^ scarlet
22 She maketb herself coverings of tapestry; Ker clothing is silk and purple.
Verse 20. She stretcheth out ker, hand to the poor] 1 1. She is truly charit&ble. She knows that in every portien of a man^s gain God requires a Jot for the poor; and if this is not given, God^s bl^ssiug is not in the rest. And she is not contented to' give common alms. While with one hand (V yad) she relieres the general poor, with both hands (m^ yadeyha) ihe gives to the needy, ^JjrS leaney, to the afflicted