cosmetic, shall not be rich, for his property and earnings will be squandered for useless baubles and dangerous luxuries. V. 18. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, for by the punishment which he suffers he atones, in a way, for the errors of the pious or is substituted by God for his intended victim, as Haman was for Mordecai, and the transgressor for the upright. Cp. Josh.

7, 26; Esther 7, 9. V. 19. It is better to dwell in the wilderness, far from the habitations of men, than with a contentious and an angry woman. Cp. v. 9. V. 20. There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, because he will carefully lay up and increase wealth; but a foolish man spendeth it up, he is a spendthrift and a waster. V. 21. He that followeth after righteousness and mercy, eagerly desiring and practising these virtues, findeth life, the true spiritual life whose source is in God, righteousness, such as is acceptable in the sight of God, and honor, as the Lord bestows upon His children, for they are valued highly in His eyes, no matter how despised they may be in this world. V. 22. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, for a wise man will find and suggest ways of taking even a strong fortress, defended by numerous and strong warriors, Eccl. 9, 14. 15, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof, the bulwarks upon which the defenders relied. V. 23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, that is, he who can control them properly, both in refraining from speech and in speaking at the right time and to some definite purpose, keepeth his soul from troubles; for a garrulous fool is always making difficulties for himself. V. 24. Proud and haughty scorner, a puffed-up jackanapes, is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath, in an excess of insolence, with mockery of every

thing that is holy. V. 25. The desire of the slothful, his natural appetites and needs, for which he refuses to provide, killeth him, for want of diligence he dies of want; for his hands refuse to labor; too lazy to work, he is bound to starve. V. 26. He coveteth greedily all the day long, his needs clamor to be met; but the righteous giveth and spareth not, his industry providing not only for his own needs, but for those in actual need as well. V. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination, no amount of mechanical, outward acting will take the place of worship in spirit and in truth; how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind, for transgression, while his heart is still filled with wickedness, the outward sacrifice being intended to cover up the lack of repentance. This

verse applies to all outward, mere mechanical worship, to all the churchgoing of hypocrites. V. 28. A false witness shall perish, chap. 19, 5. 9; but the man that heareth speaketh constantly, being modest and lending a ready ear to instruction, he is able to render reliable testimony, not being obliged to cease for uncertainty or a muddled condition of his mind. V. 29. A wicked man hardeneth his face, trying to hide his wicked thoughts and intentions behind a bold exterior; but as for the upright, he directeth his way, carefully weighing and testing every step, and thus establishing his conduct under all circumstances. V. 30. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord, all human wisdom which would set itself over against the truth of God's eternal Word is folly. V. 31. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, that is, men may make all arrangements and preparations for war, deeming the victory as good as gained; but safety is of the Lord, it is in His hand to give victory or defeat, it rests with Him to decide the issues, 1 Sam. 17, 47.

V. 1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, it is much more precious, Eccl. 7, 1, and loving favor rather than silver and gold, that is, the kind regard of the wise and good is to be preferred to all outward possessions. V. 2. The rich and poor meet together, they are found side by side, in agreement with God's order in the world; the Lord is the Maker of them all, whence it follows that the poor should not envy the rich, and the rich should not oppress the poor. V. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, for his prudence takes into account all possibilities; but the simple, the inexperienced, those who are too foolish to learn, pass on and are punished, they suffer the consequences of their foolishness. V. 4. By

humility and the fear of the Lord, coming to men as a result of these virtues, are riches and honor and life, for outward prosperity, the respect of men, and inner growth are the rewards given to believers by the Lord. V. 5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward, they are often placed in the way of those who are crooked in their thinking and dealing, or they are naturally found along the paths frequented by them; he that doth keep his soul, in conducting himself according to the precepts of true morality and piety, shall be far from them, he will have no such things to hinder him in his way. V. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go, carefully imparting to him the instruction which he needs for the right formation of pious

habits, the method of instruction following the age and the peculiarity of the child; and when he is old, he will not depart from it, his moral habits having been established by constant and proper training, he will naturally conduct himself always in a manner becoming a Christian. V. 7. The rich ruleth over the poor, his wealth giving him a large measure of power, especially if the poor are dependent upon him for loans, and the borrower is servant to the lender, for indebtedness is bound to interfere with the feeling, if not with the fact, of freedom. V. 8. He that soweth iniquity, unrighteousness and wickedness in any form, shall reap vanity, misfortune and calamity; and the rod of his anger shall fail, the staff of his haughty wrath with which he so often tried to intimidate men, is bound to vanish, his tyranny will come to an abrupt end. V. 9. He that hath a bountiful eye, one which reflects kindness, friendliness, and charity, shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor; as he dispenses blessing, he will receive blessing. V. 10. Cast out the scorner, the one whose mockery is directed against godliness in every form, and contention shall go out, for blasphemous taunts engender quarrels; yea, strife and reproach shall cease, with the removal of the blasphemer. V. 11. He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend, literally, "He who loves purity, integrity, of heart, and to whom is grace of lips, the king is his friend," he will stand high in the counsels of the mighty of the earth. V. 12. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, for His eyes are fixed in protecting care upon those who observe the norm of true knowledge as found in His Word, and He overthroweth the words of the transgressor, all the proposals and plans by which the wicked intends to harm the believer. V. 13. The slothful man saith, eagerly making use of every shadow of an excuse to abstain from work, senseless though it may be, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets, so he prefers not to take any chances, but continues to indulge his laziness. V. 14. The mouth of strange women, for so the harlots were commonly designated in the midst of God's people, is a deep pit, on account of the alluring and seductive language which they use in pursuing their intended victims; he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein, in just punishment of his wickedness, the curse of Jehovah thereby going into effect. V. 15. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, the reference being not merely to silly pranks and senseless escapades, but to the sinfulness of a child's nature, which shows itself in evil words and acts; but the rod of correction, which the Lord has entrusted to parents, as His representatives, for the use of which they are responsible to Him, shall drive it far from him, judicious pun

ishment properly administered will put the dread of evil in the heart of the child. V. 16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, his oppression results in ill-gotten wealth for himself, and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to want, such an act will result in nothing but loss to himself. In either case, selfishness is the ruling motive, and in either case the punishment of God will strike the transgressor. V. 17. Bow down thine ear, inclining it in the attitude of the most careful attention, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge, that presented by the inspired author in this new section of the Book of Proverbs. V. 18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, the words of the wise serving to give true delight; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips, abiding there and exerting their authority. V. 19. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day, even to thee, for it is the author's object to teach the fear of Jehovah by his precepts. V. 20. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, most excellent maxims of proper behavior, v. 21. that I might make thee know the certainty, the strict correctness or verity, of the words of truth, that thou, equipped with this knowledge, mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? The reference is to the parents, who have sent their son to the teacher of wisdom and expect him to become proficient in the principles of true wisdom. After this introductory admonition to heed the precepts of truth the author offers maxims of pious conduct. V. 22. Rob not the poor, depriving him of his property by force or by a show of right, because he is poor, unable to procure assistance, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate, the place where local cases were usually decided by the elders or judges of the city; v. 23. for the Lord. will plead their cause, conducting the case of the poor and afflicted, as their Advocate and Champion, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them, taking the side of the wronged and vindicating the poor by punishing the violation of right and justice on the part of the powerful. V. 24. Make no friendship with an angry man, a man of violent temper, and with a furious man thou shalt not go, one who cannot control himself. v. 25. lest thou learn his ways, be infected by his vice, and get a snare to thy soul, for a violent temper is a fatal net to him who is subject to its attacks. V. 26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, by hastily pledg ing himself for the debts of another, or of them that, in a frivolous manner, are sureties for debts. V. 27. If thou hast nothing to pay, being called upon to make good his pledge, why should he take away thy bed

from under thee? the bed having been pledged as a guarantee for the payment of the debt here concerned. Cp. chap. 6, 1—4; 11, 15; 17, 18; 20, 16. V. 28. Remove not the ancient landmark, set to mark the boundaries, which thy fathers have set. Cp. chap. 15, 25. V. 29. Seest thou a man diligent

in his business? one who is skilful, apt, diligent. He shall stand before kings, being invited to serve them with his counsel and with his ability; he shall not stand before mean men, ordinary, obscure persons, for the services of such a man would be considered too valuable to be of benefit to a small circle only.

V. 1. When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, with a person of influence and power, consider diligently what is before thee, keeping in mind throughout the dinner that it is a mightier and loftier one at whose invitation one is present, v. 2. and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite, keeping the usual gluttonous appetite in leash by the strongest warnings and threats, restraining the least sign of selfindulgence. V. 3. Be not desirous of his dainties, craving the finest food on the table; for they are deceitful meat, literally, "bread of deception," it is a deceptive meal, the object of the powerful person not being to dispense free hospitality, but to make use of his guest in some manner. V. 4. Labor not to be rich, the vanity of such an ambition being obvious; cease from thine own wisdom, having enough common sense not to make the acquisition of riches the chief aim in life. V. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not, looking eagerly for, craving eagerly after, something which has no lasting substance? For riches certainly make themselves wings, they are not a dependable possession; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven, they are as unstable as a bird of the air, whence it follows that he who trusts in them is foolish. V. 6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, of a jealous and covetous man, neither desire thou his dainty meats, which are held out before his guest as a sort of bait, not with open kindliness, but with a hidden purpose, for the envious person's selfishness will not permit him to dispense true hospitality; v. 7. for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he, his true nature does not appear on the outside, but his calculating meanness counts every bite his guest takes. Eat and drink, saith he to thee, with apparent politeness and cordial hospitality; but his heart is not with thee, he is not sincere, it is all sham and deceit, planned with selfish calculation. V. 8. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, namely, afterwards, upon finding out about the host's deception, and lose thy sweet words, those spoken in acknowledgment of the supposed hospitality. V. 9. Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. V. 10. Remove not the old landmark, the boundary which was placed when the land was

first divided to the several families, and enter not into the fields of the fatherless, for the purpose of changing the boundary marks or committing other acts of violence; v. 11. for their Redeemer, their Avenger, the one who champions their cause, is mighty; for it is the Lord Himself who acts as their vindicator; He shall plead their cause with thee, appearing as the Advocate of the defenseless and, at the same time, as the Judge of the violators. V. 12. Apply thine heart unto instruction, paying willing attention to correction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge, those which teach prudence and circumspection. V. 13. Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die, that is, the punishment may be bitter, even for the parent, but that fact dare not interfere with the plain duty imposed by the Lord. V. 14. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, with severe punishment, if necessary, and shalt deliver his soul from hell, for the correction will result in blessing to the child, in keeping him from worse transgressions and thus becoming a victim of death in sins. Cp. chap. 3, 27; 19, 18; 22, 15. V. 15. My son, if thine heart be wise, as the result of wholesome teaching here offered, my heart shall rejoice, even mine, for such is the effect of successful teaching upon the instructor. V. 16. Yea, my reins, his whole inner being, shall rejoice when thy lips speak right things, in an outward manifestation of the wisdom of the heart. V. 17. Let not thine heart envy sinners, for their apparent happiness and prosperity; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; that is the proper object of emulation, after which one ought to strive with all his heart. V. 18. For surely there is an end, the end, the Day of Judgment, will surely come; and thine expectation shall not be cut off, God will then fulfil the hopes of the righteous and give them the joys of immortal life with Him. V. 19. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way, by directing it to go straight forward on the right way, in conduct becoming a believer, a child of God. V. 20. Be not among winebibbers, those given to intemperance in drinking, among riotous eaters of flesh, for these two forms of intemperance are usually found together; v. 21. for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, all his prop

erty being dissipated in riotous living; and drowsiness, the laziness and apathy into which the intemperate man is bound to sink in consequence of his excesses, shall clothe a man with rags, bring him to the very depths of poverty. V. 22. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, in ready obedience to all his commands, and despise not thy mother when she is old, it being the tendency of young people to be ashamed of their aged parents and no longer to heed their counsel. V. 23. Buy the truth, not minding the hard labor and sacrifice required to gain it, and sell it not, since it is precious beyond all riches of the world; also wisdom and instruction and understanding, these synonyms including both the knowledge in itself and its application in all situations of life. V. 24. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, being filled with happiness on account of the fact that his son turned out so well and is an honor to his father; and he that begetteth a wise child, one who has acquired true wisdom and understanding, shall have joy of him, this fact will make his old age pleasant. V. 25. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice, this fact being urged in order to stimulate the children in true pious conduct. Cp. chap. 10, 1; 15, 20; 27, 11. V. 26. My son, give Me thine heart, Wisdom herself here pleading with the young person to be devoted to her at all times, and let thine eyes observe My ways, following the conduct, the principles, and the rules of life which are prescribed by true wisdom, as summarized in the Word of God. V. 27. For a whore, as opposed to the person of wisdom, is a deep ditch, and a strange woman, the outsider, the harlot, is a narrow pit, one yielding to her seductions will find it hard to escape from her power. V. 28. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, like a highwayman, and increaseth the transgressors among men, multiplying the number of those who yield to her seductive arts and commit the sin of fornication or adultery. Cp. chap. 7, 5-23. V. 29. Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow, or grief? The Hebrew notes the moaning by giving the sighs Ah! and Alas! Who hath contentions? being most easily involved in quarrels.

Who hath babbling? said of senseless mutterings and mouthings. Who hath wounds without cause? inflicted in drunken brawls. Who hath redness of eyes? the characteristic bloated, bleary, and flushed condition of the face which marks the drunkard and the habitual drinker. V. 30. They that tarry long at the wine, being engaged regularly in drinking it; they that go to seek mixed wine, the strong spiced liquor whose inebriating effects were even worse than that of wine. The admonition, therefore, is spoken: v. 31. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, observing its tempting color with longing eyes, when it giveth his color in the cup, literally, "when it showeth its eye," in an inviting sparkle, when it moveth itself aright, when it glides down the throat smoothly and pleasantly. V. 32. At the last it biteth like a serpent, its ruinous and destructive influence becoming evident afterward, and stingeth like an adder, whose venom had a most deadly effect. V. 33. Thine eyes, under the influence of the liquor, as it clouds the senses, shall behold strange women, rather, strange things, all objects being doubled, or uncertain, or swaying, in the vision of the drunken man, and thine heart shall utter perverse things, foolish talk. V. 34. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, down in its depths, unconscious of his surroundings, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast, asleep in a most perilous position, reeling, staggering to and fro, in momentary danger of being hurled into the

waves.

V. 35. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, the language of the drunken man being well imitated, and I was not sick, he did not feel the pain of it; they have beaten me, and I felt it not, he was not aware of it; when shall I awake? He is anxious to get over the effect of the present debauch. I will seek it yet again; for he who is addicted to the vice of intemperance is bound as with chains, he is a willing slave. The entire description is remarkably true to life and is intended to fill the reader with the deepest aversion and loathing for the sin of drunkenness, which changes men into brute beasts and often degrades them even below the level of animals.

V. 1. Be not thou envious against evil men, desiring their company on account of their apparent prosperity and good fortune, neither desire to be with them, to be one of their number, to be accepted into their ranks. Cp. chap. 23, 17. V. 2. For their heart studieth destruction, they are constantly meditating upon oppression and violence, and their lips talk of mischief, their expressed purpose being to harm others. V. 3. Through

wisdom is an house builded, not only the dwelling, but the occupants of the house being included in the designation, and by understanding it is established, in this way only do people get a home in the true sense of the word; v. 4. and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches, the words describing not a miserly hoarding of money, but a condition of the household which speaks of a comfortable

prosperity. V. 5. A wise man is strong, full of strength, exerting a powerful influence; yea, a man of knowledge, one making use of proper circumspection and caution, increaseth strength, develops and extends his influence, makes use of his power in the proper manner. V. 6. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, carry it forward to a successful issue, and in multitude of counselors, all of whom contribute good advice, there is safety, matters are sure to go forward favorably. Cp. chap. 20, 18; 11, 14; 15, 22. V. 7. Wisdom is too high, altogether unattainable, for a fool; he openeth not his mouth in the gate, he cannot be consulted by the leading men of the city as they deliberate upon the welfare of the community, their place of assembly being in the gate of the city or immediately inside the gate, where the open space was set aside for public meetings. V. 8. He that deviseth to do evil, with whom mischief and wrong is self-evident, who is the master of wickedness, shall be called a mischievous person, his evil reputation will soon be well established. V. 9. The thought of foolishness, literally, "the meditation of folly," is sin, that is, even when folly tries to perform something with prudent reflection, the result is the same, a transgression of God's holy Law, and the scorner is an abomination to men, his mockery makes him an object of loathing. V. 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, in times when anxiety and distress seem to obstruct progress, thy strength is small, for it is necessary to keep up courage, to develop moral courage and capacity of resistance, in order to perform anything worth while in life. V. 11. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, rather, "Deliver those who are taken to death," and those that are ready to be slain, the appeal being directed particularly to such as witnessed the deeds of religious fanatics, who then, as now, often made it a point to interfere with the business of the government and to demand the severest punishments for such as had incurred their displeasure; v. 12. if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, the one addressed trying to salve his conscience with a poor excuse, doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, familiar with the innermost thoughts of the mind, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works? The last is a direct statement: He will requite man according to his deeds, His retributive justice cannot be avoided by a profession of ignorance. Cp. chap. 31, 8. 9. V. 13. My son, eat thou honey because it is good, and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste, this figurative admonition serving to introduce the praise of the loveliness and agreeableness of true wisdom. V. 14. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul, altogether agreeable and full of rich nourishment

when

and therefore well worth acquiring; thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off, the future will show that the acquiring of wisdom was well worth while. V. 15. Lay not wait, O wicked man, with the intention of performing mischief and malice, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting-place, where he is leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; v. 16. for a just man falleth seven times, for misfortunes often seem to single him out, he has his full share of them, and riseth up again, endowed with new strength by the Lord; but the wicked shall fall into mischief, stumble into destruction, their fate being everlasting misfortune. V. 17. Rejoice not, in malignant joy, when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, since delight in another's hurt is just as objectionable as outright violence, v. 18. lest the Lord see it and it displease Him, as all evidences of malice are bound to do, and He turn away His wrath from him, that is, from the enemy, His punishment striking the person of malignant spirit instead. V. 19. Fret not thyself because of evil men, becoming enraged with envy on account of their apparent good fortune, neither be thou envious at the wicked, whose prosperity often seems so great; v. 20. for there shall be no reward to the evil man, he will have no lucky future or end; the candle of the wicked shall be put out, a picture of eventual unhappiness and destruction. V. 21. My son, fear thou the Lord and the king, the government established by Jehovah, 1 Pet. 2, 17; Rom. 13, 1, and meddle not with them that are given to change, those who are always dissatisfied with the government and therefore are always planning revolutions; v. 22. for their calamity, the misfortune sent upon them by God, shall rise suddenly, striking them with unexpected suddenness; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? For those who rebel against the constituted and existing government thereby rebel against the Lord.-V. 23. These things also belong to the wise, the proverbs, or maxims, now following are ascribed to wise men, from this point to the end of the chapter. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment, literally, "to observe faces," that is, to be partial, no matter for what reason. V. 24. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, rendering a verdict in favor of the guilty, him shall the people curse, since perversion of justice in even one case affects the welfare of all, nations shall abhor him; v. 25. but to them that rebuke him shall be delight, the judges who do their duty in punishing evildoers shall be rewarded, and a good blessing shall come upon them, the Lord Himself