of ideas, for it means to urge (Jerome, compulit), properly (related to, incurvare, NP, to constrain, necessitate), to bow down by means of a burden. The Aramæo-Arab. signification, to saddle (Schultens: clitellas imposuit er os suum), is a secondary denom. (vid. at Job xxxiii. 7). The Venet. well renders it after Kimchi: ἐπεὶ κύπτει ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Thus: the need of nourishment on the part of the labourer works for him (dat. commodi like Isa. xl. 20), i.e. helps him to labour, for (not: if, ẻáv, as Rashi and others) it presses upon him; his mouth, which will have something to eat, urges him. It is God who has in this way connected together working and eating. The curse in sudore vultus tui comedes panem conceals a blessing. The proverb has in view this reverse side of the blessing in the arrangement of God. Ver. 27 A worthless man diggeth evil; And on his lips is, as it were, scorching fire. Regarding as, vid. vi. 12, and regarding 7, to dig round, or to bore out, vid. at Gen. xlix. 5, 1. 5; here the figure, "to dig for others a pit," xxvi. 27, Ps. vii. 16, etc.: to dig evil is equivalent to, to seek to prepare such for others. nay Kimchi rightly explains as a form similar to na; as a subst. it means, Lev. xiii. 23, the mark of fire (the healed mark of a carbuncle), here as an adj. of a fire, although not flaming (an, Isa. iv. 5, etc); yet so much the hotter, and scorching everything that comes near to it (from 27, to be scorched, cogn. 7, to which also 7 is perhaps related as a stronger power, like comburere to adurere). The meaning is clear: a worthless man, i.e. a man whose disposition and conduct are the direct contrast of usefulness and piety, uses words which, like an iron glowing hot, scorches and burns; his tongue is pλoyıÇoμévn ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης (Jas. iii. 6). Ver. 28 A man of falsehood scattereth strife, And a backbiter separateth confidential friends. ; 14 .vi ,יְשַׁלַּח מָדוֹן vid. ii. 12, and אִישׁ (מדבר) תַּחְפָּכוֹת Regarding the thought of 286 is found at vi. 19. ?? (with minusculum, which occurs thrice with the terminal Nun) is a Niphal formation from, to murmur (cf. 7!?, from 7), and denotes the whisperer, viz. the backbiter, ilupos, Sir. v. 14, 0upioτTýs, susurro; the Arab. nyrj is abbreviated from it, a verbal stem of 7 (cf. Aram. norgo, an axe, Arab. naurag, a threshing-sledge) cannot be proved. Aquila is right in translating by Tovepuoτýs, and Theodotion by yoyyoos, from 1, Niph. ?, yoyyúgewv. Regarding , confidential friend, vid. p. 82; the sing., as xviii. 9, is used in view of the mutual relationship, and 77 proceeds on the separation of the one, and, at the same time, of the other from it. Luther, in translating by "a slanderer makes princes disagree," is in error, for, púλapxos, is not a generic word for prince. Ver. 29 A man of violence enticeth his neighbour, Cf. Gen. iv. 8. And leadeth him in a way which is not good. The subject is not moral enticement, but enticement to some place or situation which facilitates to the violent man the carrying out of his violent purpose (misdemeanour, robbery, extortion, murder). D (here with N at iii. 31) is the injustice of club-law, the conduct of him who puts his superior power in godless rudeness in the place of God, Hab. i. 11, cf. Job xii. 6. "A way not good" (cf. Ps. xxxvi. 5) is the contradictory contrast of the good way: one altogether evil and destructive. Ver. 30 He who shutteth his eyes to devise falsehood; A physiognomical Caveto. The aπ. λey. y is connected with Ver. 31 A bright diadem is a hoary head, . In the way of righteousness it is foundnamely, this bright diadem, this beautiful crown (iv. 8), which silver hair is to him who has it as the result of his advanced age (xx. 29), for "thou shalt rise up before the hoary head," Lev. xix. 32; and the contrast of an early death is to die in a good old age, Gen. xv. 15, etc., but a long life is on one side a self-consequence, and on another the promised reward of a course of conduct regulated by God's will, God's law, and by the rule of love to God and love to one's neighbour. From the N. T. standpoint that is also so far true, as in all the world there is no better established means of prolonging life than the avoidance of evil; but the clause corre sponding to the O. T. standpoint, that evil punishes itself by a premature death, and that good is rewarded by long life, has indeed many exceptions arising from the facts of experience against it, for we see even the godless in their life of sin attaining to an advanced old age, and in view of the veiled future it appears only as a onesided truth, so that the words, Wisd. iv. 9, "discretion is to man the right grey hairs, and an unstained life is the right old age," which is mediated by life experiences, such as Isa. lvii. 1 f., stand opposed to the above proverb as its reversed side. That old Solomonic proverb is, however, true, for it is not. subverted; and, in contrast to self-destroying vice and wickedness; calling forth the judgment of God, it is and remains true, that whoever would reach an honoured old age, attains to it in the way of a righteous life and conduct. Ver. 32 Better one slow to anger than a hero in war; And whoever is master of his spirit, than he who taketh a city. Regarding DESTIN, vid. xiv. 29, where was the parallel of the contrast. The comparison is true as regards persons, with reference to the performances expressed, and (since warlike courage and moral self-control may be united in one person) they are properly those in which the a determines the moral estimate. In Pirke Aboth iv. 1, the question, "Who is the hero?" is answered by," he who overcomes his desire," with reference to this proverb, for that which is here said of the ruling over the passion of anger is true of all affections and passions. "Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules On the other side, the comparison is suggested: Break your head, not so sore; Break your will-that is more.2 Ver. 33 One casts the lot into the lap; But all its decision cometh from Jahve. The Tora knows only in one instance an ordeal (a judgment of God) as a right means of proof, Num. v. 12-31. The lot is nowhere ordained by it, but its use is supported by a custom running parallel with the Mosaic law; it was used not only in private life, 1 Milton's Paradise Regained, ii. 466-8. 8." Zerbrich den Kopf dir nicht so sehr; Zerbrich den Willen-das ist mehr."-MATTH. CLAUDIUS. but also in manifold ways within the domain of public justice, as well as for the detection of the guilty, Josh. vii. 14 f., 1 Sam. xiv. 40-42. So that the proverb xviii. 18 says the same thing of the lot that is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews, vi. 16, of the oath. The above proverb also explains the lot for an ordeal, for it is God who directs and orders it that it fall out thus and not otherwise. A particular sanction of the use of the lot does not lie in this, but it is only said, that where the lot is cast, all the decision that results from it is determined by God. That is in all cases true; but whether the challenging of the divine decision in such a way be right in this or that case is a question, and in no case would one, on the contrary, venture to make the person of the transgressor discoverable by lot, and let it decide regarding human life. But antiquity judged this matter differently, as e.g. the Book of Jonah (chap. i.) shows; it was a practice, animated by faith, in God's government of the world, which, if it did not observe the boundary between faith and superstition, yet stood high above the unbelief of the "Enlightenment." Like the Greek Kóλπos, p'n (from pan, Arab. hak, khak, to encompass, to stretch out) means, as it is commonly taken, gremium as well as sinus, but the latter meaning is the more sure; and thus also here it is not the lap as the middle of the body, so that one ought to think on him who casts the lot as seated, but also not the lap of the garment, but, like vi. 27, cf. Isa. xl. 11, the swelling, loose, external part of the clothing covering the bosom (the breast), where the lot covered by it is thrown by means of shaking and changing, and whence it is drawn out. The construction of the passive pan (from Arab. tall, to throw along) with the object. accus. follows the old scheme, Gen. iv. 18, and has its reason in this, that the Semitic passive, formed by the change of vowels, has not wholly given up the governing force of the active. signifies here decision as by the Urim and Thummim, Num. xxvii. 21, but which was no lot-apparatus. xvii. 1. A comparative proverb with 2, pairing with xvi. 32 : Better a dry piece of bread, and quietness therewith, Than a house full of slain beasts with unquietness. = Similar to this in form and contents are xv. 16 f. and xvi. 8. an is a piece of bread (n, fem., as xxiii. 8) without savoury drink (Theodotion, kaľ čavтóv, i.e. nothing with it), cf. Lev. vii. 10, a meat-offering without the pouring out of oil. are not sacrificial gifts (Hitzig), but, as always, slain animals, i.e. either offerings or banquets of slain beasts; it is the old name of the Dob (cf. Ex. xviii. 12, xxiv. 5; Prov. vii. 14), part of which only were offered on the altar, and part presented as a banquet; and (in contradist. to na, ix. 2, Gen. xliii. 16) denotes generally any kind of consecrated festival in connection with the worship of God, 1 Sam. xx. 29; cf. Gen. xxxi. 54. "Festivals of hatred" are festivals with hatred. is part. with object.-accus.; in general occurs only once (Jer. vi. 11), and forms a constructive, not at all. We have already, vii. 14, remarked on the degenerating of the shelamîm feasts; from this proverb it is to be concluded that the merriment and the excitement bordering on intoxication (cf. with Hitzig, 1 Sam. i. 13 and 3), such as frequently at the Kirmsen merry-makings (vid. p. 164), brought quarrels and strife, so that the poor who ate his dry bread in quiet peace could look on all this noise and tumult without envy. Ver. 2 A prudent servant shall rule over the degenerate son; Regarding the contrasts of The printed editions present and wa, vid. at x. 5, xiv. 35. in genit. connection: a son (with of the scandalous class, which is admissible (vid. p. 79 and p. 330); but Cod. 1294 and Cod. Jaman,1 Erf. No. 2, 3, write Tsere and Munach), and that is perhaps right, after x. 5, xvii. 25. The futures have here also a fut. signification: they say to what it will come. Grotius remarks, with reference to this: manumissus tutor filiis relinquetur; p tutorio officio. But if he is a conscientious, unselfish tutor, he will not enrich himself by property which belongs to another; and thus, though not without provision, he is yet without an inheritance. And yet the supplanting of the degenerate is brought about by this, that he loses his inheritance, and the intelligent servant steps into his place. Has one then to suppose that the master of the house makes his servant a co-heir with his own children, and at the same time names him as his executor? That were a bad anachronism. The idea of the diaonin was, at the time when this proverb was coined, one unknown-Israelitish antiquity knows only the intestate right of inheritance, regulated by lineal and gradual succession. Then, if one thinks of the degenerate son, that he is disowned by the father, but that the intelligent servant is not rewarded during the life of his master for his true 1 The Cod. brought by Sappir from Jemen (vid. p. 295), of which there is an account in the preface to the edition of Isaiah by Baer and me. |