Provérbios

Provérbios 24:1

Ver. 1. Like. Be not allured by their prosperity to imitate them. Ps. xxxvi. 1.

Provérbios 24:3

Ver. 3. Wisdom and virtue, and not by injustice can the house be established.

Provérbios 24:5

Ver. 5. Valiant, as well as a good economist. v. 4. C.

Provérbios 24:6

Ver. 6. Counsels. "Consult many what ought to be done, but only a few of the most faithful, or rather thyself alone, what thou art about to do." Veget. iii. 9.

and 27.

Provérbios 24:7

Ver. 7. High. Thus the fool excuses himself. But wisdom condescends to our weakness, if we be truly in earnest. Deut. xxxii. 12. Mouth. To defend himself, or to give advice. C.

Provérbios 24:9

Ver. 9. Of a fool. In as much as he is wicked. Though he may have some pious thoughts, he attends not to them. H. --- He thinks how he may commit evil, and renders himself hateful. C. ---

Heb. "a wicked thought is the sin of folly." Sept. "the fool dieth in sins." ---

Detractor. Heb.

"scoffer." H.

Provérbios 24:10

Ver. 10. Diminished. This is the sad consequences of too much dejection. Eph.

iv. 19.

Despairing, they abandon themselves to impurities. H.

Provérbios 24:11

Ver. 11. Deliver. The Jews often put people to death without any formal trial, pretending zeal, as they did S. Stephen, &c. Our Saviour rescued the adulteress from such a situation, as Daniel had done Susanna. Yet this text may regard poor debtors. Ps. lxxi. 4. C. --- Christian bishops used all their influence to preserve the lives of those who did not deserve death. S. Amb. in Ps. cxviii.

Ser. viii. Off. i. 36. and ep. xxv. and xxvi.

Provérbios 24:12

Ver. 12. I have. Heb. "behold, we know not this man." Pagn. H. --- He is a stranger. But all mankind are brethren, and have a charge to assist one another, even though they be enemies.

Eccli. xvii. 12. Ex. xxiii. 4. C. --- Keeper. Heb. notser, "preserver." As thou hast received many good things from God, shew mercy to thy neighbour.

Provérbios 24:13

Ver. 13. Honey. Of wisdom, which is most delicious. M.

Provérbios 24:14

Ver. 14. Thou shalt. Heb. "yea, it is the last." Mont. --- "Then there shall be a reward." Prot. ---

Thou shalt enjoy old age, or have posterity. C.

Provérbios 24:16

Ver. 16. Fall into smaller sins, (S. Greg. vi. in 2 Reg. xv. &c.) or into disgrace, as yippol (H.) rather intimates. Vat. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. xi. 31. --- Both significations agree with the context.

See Job v. 27. Matt. xviii. 21. C. --- He who is not subject to mortal sin, may still be exposed to many failings, and venial sins, which do not deprive him of the title of just; whereas the wicked consents to mortal sin, from which he riseth not so easily. Hence the wise man admonishes us not to lie in wait, or calumniously seek impiety in the house or soul of the just. W.

Provérbios 24:18

Ver. 18. From. To punish thee. C. --- Thus will thy thirst of vengeance be disappointed. H. ---

The Hebrews believed that there was no evil, which was not caused by sin; and this was true in some sense. But still God often afflicts his servants, (v.

16,) as the whole book of Job tends to prove. C.

Provérbios 24:19

Ver. 19. Contend. Or Heb. "associate." --- Like. v. 1. Ps. xxxvi. 1.

Provérbios 24:20

Ver. 20. Come. Prot. "no reward," (H.) prosperity, &c. as designated also by the lamp. v. 14. C.

Provérbios 24:21

Ver. 21. Detractors. Or those who speak ill of God or the king. C. --- Prot. "that are given to change," (H.) and relapses.

Provérbios 24:23

Ver. 23. These. Sept. have an addition, and then our C. xxx. to v. 15. after which follows the remainder of this chap. and then the ten first verses of the 31st. H.

--- Solomon here resumes the sententious style. C. xxii. 17. C.

Provérbios 24:26

Ver. 26. Lips. And be deemed a friend. M.

Provérbios 24:27

Ver. 27. House, and support thy family. Before building, great deliberation is requisite. Lu. xiv.

28. Those who attempt to instruct others, must first set good example.

Provérbios 24:28

Ver. 28. Cause, and necessity. Sept. "be not a false witness against thy fellow-citizen."

Provérbios 24:29

Ver. 29. Work. Revenge is often reprobated, though the law allowed of retaliation, which the more virtuous did not insist upon.

Provérbios 24:30

Ver. 30. Man. Those who neglected their land were despised. C. --- The ancient Romans esteemed agriculture as a most laudible and profitable employment.

Cato. Rust. i. Cic. Off. i.

Provérbios 24:32

Ver. 32. Which. Sept. "at last I repented: I looked forward to receive instruction."

Provérbios 24:33

Ver. 33. Said I, is not in Heb. C. vi. 10. C. --- Sept. "I will slumber a while," to rest. Sept. "I will enfold my breast in my hands a little." H.