Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 2. A Good man obtaineth favour of the Lord, &c.] That is, though he may be out of favour with the world, yet God of his free grace, whenever he ſeeks to him, will ſhew himſelf favourable to him, & do him good: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn; and ſo alſo puniſh him, to wit, though he may flouriſh for a time, & may juſtify himſelf, and may haply by his crafty hiding of his wickedneſſe deceive many, and though however he ſhall be ſurely applauded by the men of the world.
Verſ. 3. A man shall not be eſtablished by wickedneſſe, &c.] That is, He ſhall not be eſtabliſhed as long as he liveth in any way of wickedneſſe, & he ſhall not ſecure himſelf from danger by any wicked practiſes; but, on the contrary, he ſhall be utterly rooted up: which is implyed from the following clauſe, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved; that is, though they may be ſhaken with many ſtorms of afflictions, yet they ſhall not be overturned by the roots; or, though they ſpread not upwards ſo loftily as the wicked do, yet by their righteouſneſſe they ſhall be unmoveably eſtabliſhed: ſee the Note chap. 10.25.
Verſ. 4. A vertuous woman is a crown to her huſband, &c.] That is, ſhe is an honour to him, his chiefeſt & choiceſt ornament, and conſequently the continuall rejoycing of his heart; ſhe is what woman was by creation appointed to be, 1 Cor. 11.7. the glory of the man, who is her head: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenneſſe in his bones; that is, ſhe is a continuall heart-breaking grief and vexation to him, which pierceth ſo deep, that it waſteth his ſtrength, & conſumeth not his fleſh only, but his bones alſo. And thus the wiſe that was made of a bone of the husband becomes an incurable diſeaſe to him, even as rottenneſse in his bones.
Verſ. 5. The thoughts of the righteous are right, &c.] That is, to doe that which is every way juſt, and to give every man his right; ſee the Note chap. 11.23: but the counſels of the wicked are deceit; to wit, how they may deceive men, and that many times by cloaking their wickedneſſe under fair pretences and profeſſions of honeſty and good intentions.
Verſ. 6. The words of the wicked are to lye in wait for bloud, &c.] They tend to the deſtroying of men both in ſoul & body, ſee the Note ch. 1.11, 19; as, by conſulting together how to effect it, by bearing falſe witneſſe againſt them, by ſeeking to draw them into their ſnares by their flatteries, &c: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them; that is, thoſe for whoſe lives the wicked lye in wait; to wit, by giving them warning of their danger, by diſſwading the wicked from ſuch bloudy practices, by pleading their cauſe before the magiſtrate, by ſtirring up others to appear in their defence, & many other waies.
Verſ. 7. The wicked are overthrown, & are not, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 37.36. both they & their families are overthrown: which is implyed by the following clauſe, but the houſe of the righteous shall stand; that is, not they only, but their families alſo ſhall be eſtabliſhed in an eſtate of happineſſe.
Verſ. 8. A man shall be commended according to his wiſdome, &c.] That is, as a man is more or leſſe ſpiritually wiſe & godly, & manifeſts it in word & deed: but he that is of a perverſe heart, & manifeſts it in his ſpeech & behaviour, & therefore is indeed no better then a fool, though otherwiſe never ſo carnally wiſe, shall be deſpiſed. The main drift of the Proverb may be to ſhew, that though the counſels and enterpriſes of the godly-wiſe may be unſucceſſefull for a time, and ſeem to produce very ſad effects, yet at laſt they ſhall have their due praiſe; and that though, on the other ſide▪ the wicked may be ſucceſſefull and proſper for a while, yet in the concluſion they ſhall be deſpiſed for their folly.
Verſ. 9. He that is deſpiſed, &c.] That is, He that having modeſt thoughts of himſelf, aſpireth not after things too high for him, and ſo liveth in a plain way without any pomp or ſtate, being willing to live in ſome honeſt calling, and if need be, to work with his own hands, and ſo is ſlighted and deſpiſed in the world; & hath a ſervant, that is, and yet as meanly as he lives, he hath wherewith to maintain himſelf & his family, at leaſt he is able to keep one ſervant for the eaſing of himſelf, the furtherance of his buſineſſe, & the advancement of his eſtate: is better then he that honoureth himſelf, and lacketh bread; that is, is in a better condition then he that boaſts of his great parentage, & carrieth himſelf as ſome great man, and yet even then perhaps hath not at ſome times ſo much as bread to eat; or, that makes a great flouriſh in rich attire and the ſtate of his attendance, and ſo comes to extreme poverty and want.
Verſ. 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beaſt, &c.] And therefore much more will ſuch a man ſhew mercy to poor men, when he ſees them in want, and ſhew pitty to his ſervants and thoſe of his own family: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel; that is, they, in ſtead of being mercifull, are cruel, even to thoſe that are men as themſelves, & much more therefore to their beaſts: or, even thoſe actions of theirs which carry the faireſt ſhew of mercy have cruelty mixed therewith; when they deal cruelly with men, & yet pretend great mercy, in that they do not proceed to greater extremities, & ſo their mercies are but at the beſt a leſſer kind of cruelty; and ſo likewiſe, when they give almes to the poor of that which they have gotten with grinding the faces of other men, or with their alms do adde ſuch baſe reproachfull language, that this wounds the hearts of the receiver more then their alms can refreſh them; or, when they pretend to ſhew mercy to a man, but it is with a purpoſe to doe him ſome miſchief; and ſo many other waies that might be added.
Verſ. 11. He that tilleth his land shall be ſatisfied with bread, &c.] And ſo he approves himſelf to be a wiſe man: which is implyed by the following clauſe, but he that followeth vain perſons (ſee the Note Judg. 9.4.) is void of underſtanding; and ſo ſhall come to beggery, and want bread to eat. And thus the oppoſition of theſe two clauſes is more fully expreſſed Prov. 28.19.
Verſ. 12. The wicked deſireth the net of evil men, &c.] Severall waies is this Proverb expounded by Interpreters. 1. Some take it thus; that when wicked men, that have no root of true piety in them, ſee how ſome other evil men proſper and thrive by waies of rapine & fraud, catching men in their net, & gathering them in their drag, as the Prophet ſpeaks Habak. 1.15. they earneſtly covet the wealth which they get, & thereupon are eager to learn their devices, and to goe the ſame way to work as they do, yea and to joyn in ſociety with them, that they may be ſharers with them in their great gains: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit; that is, their piety & uprightneſſe of heart, which as a root under ground is not ſeen by the eyes of men, makes them as a tree that being well rooted doth flouriſh & bring forth fruit, and ſo they have what is ſufficient for them, without any ſuch injurious vile courſes, as wicked men take to enrich themſelves, & herewith they are well contented. 2. Others conceive the meaning of the Proverb to be this; that wicked men deſire that which none but evil men can deſire, namely, to draw men into the waies of perdition, or to inſnare them ſome way or other, that they may ſpoil them of their lives or eſtates; yea that this is a ſport and delight to them, in the proſecution whereof they can be content to endure any hardneſſe or labour, as fiſhers & fowlers and huntſmen will in following their game: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit; that is, though they be of thoſe whom the wicked ſeek to enſnare, yet they ſhall flouriſh for all this, and will be never a whit the leſſe ſerviceable to God in their places for them; or, they are ſo far from deſiring to ſpoil others, that they are ready to give of their own for the relief of others. 3. Some underſtand it thus; that the wicked deſire to enrich themſelves in their ſinfull practices, and that their plots may be ſucceſſefull; but their devices are uſually blaſted, and they ſeldome enjoy the fruit of their deſires: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit; that is, they only enjoy the fruit of their deſires, though a while they may ſeem to be in a withering condition, yet they ſhall flouriſh again. And 4. ſome read the firſt clauſe thus, The wicked deſireth the fortreſse of evil men; & accordingly they take the meaning of the Proverb to be this, that the hope of wicked men, when they are in trouble, is ſtill in ſuch as themſelves; they deſire to be protected by them, or, they deſire to defend themſelves as they do, by their riches, policies, and power; and it may be all in vain: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit; that is, they need no ſuch fortreſſes, their righteouſneſſe doth effectually preſerve them.
Verſ. 13. The wicked is ſnared by the trangreſsion of his lips, &c.] That is, he draweth down the judgements of God & juſt deſtruction upon himſelf by the wickedneſſe of his lips; or, by his own words, wherein unadviſedly he often overſhoots himſelf, he is many times intangled, & brought into great troubles & inconveniences amongſt men: but the juſt shall come out of trouble; to wit, by the wiſdome & righteouſneſſe of his lips; or, the meaning may be this, that though he may come into trouble by the words of wicked men▪ or by his own words, whether by ſpeaking his conſcience and what he ought to ſpeak, or by ſpeaking any thing unadviſedly, yet God will deliver him out of his troubles.
Verſ. 14. A man shall be ſatisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, &c.] The drift of this Proverb may be to ſhew, that not only the good works of the righteous ſhall be rewarded, of which he ſpeaks in the following clauſe, and the recompence of a mans hands shall be rendered unto him, but even his good words alſo. But the firſt clauſe I conceive implyes more then ſo, namely, that a good man ſhall receive abundant bleſſings from God, as the reward of the good which with his mouth he hath done unto others; as he hath ſatisfied many with the wiſdome & graciouſneſſe of his words, ſo ſhall himſelf be ſatisfied with many bleſſings from God. And then for the laſt clauſe, one of our beſt Expoſitours underſtands it thus: & the recompence of a mans hands shall be render'd unto him; that is, by uſing his mouth well he ſhall peaceably enjoy what he hath gotten by the labour of his hands, whereas many by the folly of their lips come to be ſtripped of all their eſtates.
Verſ. 16. A fools wrath is preſently known, &c.] And ſo he doth hereby exceedingly ſhame and diſhonour himſelf: which is implyed in the following oppoſite clauſe, but a prudent man covereth shame; that is, he ſuppreſſeth the folly of his paſſion, which, together with his unſeemly behaviour, in his anger, being diſcovered, would have redounded much to his reproach & ſhame. Some underſtand this laſt clauſe otherwiſe, namely, that a prudent man covereth shame, by paſſing by the reproaches that are caſt upon him, or the ſhame & diſhonour that is any other way done him, taking no more notice of it then if it had never been; and that not in hope of getting the fairer advantage hereafter to be revenged on them, but becauſe having withſtood the firſt violent boiling up of his paſſion, he can afterward the more eaſily keep his ſpirit in order; or becauſe he can patiently endure reproaches and wrongs, and will rather ſuffer then revenge. But the former expoſition is the beſt.
Verſ. 17. He that ſpeaketh truth sheweth forth righteouſneſſe, &c.] That is, He that makes a conſcience in his ordinary talk to ſpeak nothing but truth, will ſpeak nothing but what is juſt, & what becomes a righteous man to ſpeak, when he is called forth in publick to be a witneſſe: for that this is implyed, the following clauſe ſheweth, but a falſe witneſſe, deceit; that is, a man that is inured to lying, when he is called to be a witneſſe, will utter deceit, that is, he will deceive the judge & others with his lies; or, though he maketh a ſhew of truth, and perhaps ſpeaks ſomewhat of truth, yet it ſhall be done in ſuch a cunning way, that it ſhall tend to the overthrow of the righteous mans cauſe. Or elſe we may underſtand it thus; He that ſpeaketh truth, to wit, when he is called to be a witneſſe, sheweth forth righteouſneſſe, that is, ſheweth himſelf thereby to be a righteous man: but a falſe witneſse, deceit; that is, ſuch a one ſheweth himſelf thereby to be a fraudulent perſon. Or thus; He that ſpeaketh truth in his teſtimonies doth thereby promote the doing of juſtice; or, will not be afraid to declare boldly what is juſt: but a falſe witneſſe furthers deceit.
Verſ. 18. There is that ſpeaketh like the piercings of a ſword, &c.] It is as if he had ſaid, as appears by the oppoſite clauſe, that there are a company of fools, whoſe words do wound men like ſharp ſwords; ſee the Note Pſal. 57.4. And many waies this may be done: as by drawing men into any errour or wickedneſſe to the manifeſt deſtruction of their ſouls; by ſetting men together by the ears; by reviling & ſlandering, &c. And ſo likewiſe that which followeth, that the tongue of the wiſe is health, that is, a means of health to men, may be done ſeverall waies: to wit, by curing men of their errours & ſins; by pleading in the defence of the innocent… by pacifying offended minds, & making peace between thoſe that are at variance; by ſatisfying ſcrupled conſciences, and comforting the heavy-hearted, &c. But becauſe both in the foregoing and following verſes Solomon may ſeem to ſpeak concerning witneſſes, therefore ſome underſtand this Proverb alſo particularly of them; to wit, that there are ſome that, by ſwearing falſly againſt the innocent in judgement, do as much as in them lyeth wound them mortally; but that then the wiſe, by examining their teſtimonies, and by uſing other means to clear thoſe that are thus falſly accuſed, do heal theſe wounds, and preſerve the lives of thoſe that were in ſo great danger. Yet I conceive it is beſt to take the words in the more generall ſenſe.
Verſ. 19. The lip of truth shall be eſtablished for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment.] This may be underſtood ſeverall waies. As 1. that he that ſpeaketh truth will not vary in what he ſaith, but will alwaies ſpeak the ſame thing, whereas the liar will be now in one tale, and by and by in another. Or 2. that truth ſhall at laſt prevail againſt errour: though truth may be overborn for a time, & errour may be then cryed up for truth; yet this ſhall be but a while thus: the time ſhall ſoon come, that maintainers of errour shall proceed no farther, for their folly shall be manifeſt unto all men, 2 Tim. 3.9. and then the truth ſhall again prevail. Or 3. that he that ſpeaketh the truth may ſtoutly ſtand to what he hath ſpoken, no man ſhall be able to convince him of falſhood; and though he may be falſly accuſed, or ſuſpected of falſhood, yet his innocency herein ſhall at laſt be cleared: whereas the liar, though he may outface men for a while, ſhall ſoon be diſcovered and proved to be a liar. Or 4. that the man that conſtantly makes a conſcience of ſpeaking the truth, ſhall be bleſſed from heaven here, and live for ever in heaven hereafter; but that on the other ſide, though men may ſeem to thrive by lying for a time, yet they ſhall ſoon find it otherwiſe, and without repentance ſhall be eternally puniſhed. And indeed I ſee not but that all theſe may be intended in the words.
Verſ. 20. Deceit in the heart of them that imagine evil, &c.] The meaning of this is, either 1. that thoſe that imagine miſchief againſt the righteous have many plots in their hearts, whereby they hope to deceive them, & bring them into trouble, but that hereby they ſhall certainly bring upon themſelves extream grief & vexation of ſpirit; which is implyed in the oppoſite clauſe, but to the counſellers of peace is joy: the one ſhall have much trouble & ſorrow, through the diſquiet of their own minds, the terrour of their conſciences, & the curſe of God upon them; the other much joy, through the bleſſing of God upon them, and the ſweet refreſhings of their own conſciences. Or 2. that ſuch plotters of deceit & miſchief may glory & rejoyce therein for a time; but that true joy ſhall be only to the counſellers of peace, with whom it ſhall be well, notwithſtanding the plots of the wicked againſt them. Or 3. which to me ſeems the cleareſt Expoſition, that the plots of the wicked againſt the righteous will deceive them, & bring the evil intended againſt the righteous upon themſelves, to their great vexation & torment; whereas thoſe that ſeek the good and peace of others ſhall have great joy & comfort thereby: ſee the Note chap. 11.18.
Verſ. 21. There shall no evil happen to the just, &c.] That is, nothing that is truly evil, nothing ſhall come upon them in a way of vengeance, or ſhall tend to their deſtruction, but only to try them, & purge them, & do them good, Rom. 8.28: but the wicked shall be filled with miſchief; that is, they ſhall be overwhelmed, inwardly with terrours, & outwardly with the judgements of God upon them.
Verſ. 22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, &c.] To wit, Not only becauſe lying is in it ſelf a ſin moſt hatefull to the God of truth; but alſo becauſe liars do uſually deal unfaithfully with men, breaking their promiſes, & not carrying themſelves according to that they have with their lips profeſſed: whence the oppoſite clauſe is thus expreſſed, but they that deal truly, to wit, both in word and deed, are his delight. Lying alone makes men abominable to God; but God delights only in thoſe that both ſpeak the truth, and deal truly.
Verſ. 23. A prudent man concealeth knowledge, &c.] See the Note chap. 10.14: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishneſſe; that is, their hearts do ſet their tongues on work with all eagerneſſe to make known their folly to all men where they come, to wit, by their vain oſtentation of themſelves, and by their fooliſh and ignorant and wicked ſpeeches: Such a man, as Solomon ſaith elſewhere Eccleſ. 10.3. ſaith to every one, that he is a fool; he cannot conceal his folly, as the prudent man concealeth his knowledge.
Verſ. 24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the ſlothfull shall be under tribute.] It may be read, but the deceitfull shall be under tribute. And well indeed may thoſe two be joyned together; becauſe ſlothfull perſons, to ſupply their wants cauſed by their ſloth, or to avoid labour, are wont by any falſe and fraudulent courſes to ſhift for themſelves.
Verſ. 25. Heavineſſe in the heart of a man maketh it ſtoop; but a good word maketh it glad.] That is, even one word of commiſeration or comfort; eſpecially any word of promiſe out of Gods word, which is called a good word, Jer. 29.10. I will viſit you, and perform my good word towards you, in cauſing you to return to this place.
Verſ. 26. The righteous, &c.] To wit, though he be in never ſo afflicted a condition, is more excellent, (or, more abundant,) that is, is indeed richer, & hath more true worth in him, is more honoured of God & good men, and is every way in a better condition, then his neighbour, to wit, though never ſo great in the world: and that becauſe ſuch a one is rich in grace, & an heire of heaven, which is farre better then all worldly greatneſſe; and becauſe he is well contented with his eſtate, and conſequently his way is anſwerable to his hopes; which is implyed in the following clauſe, but the way of the wicked ſeduceth them. And this may be underſtood ſeverall waies: as 1. that they flatter themſelves with vain hopes of happineſſe in their waies which will deceive them, ſee the Note chap. 11.18; or 2. that their way of heaping up wealth, & making themſelves great in the world, whereby they ſeek to excell others, & for which they think themſelves more excellent then the righteous, doth indeed deceive them, becauſe for all this they are but contemptible men; or 3. that the reaſon why the wicked do not ſeek after the forementioned excellency of the righteous is, becauſe they ſee that wicked men flouriſh and proſper in their way; or 4. that the pleaſure and content which wicked men, through the corruption or their nature, take in their lewd waies, keeps them from the waies of righteouſneſſe, and draws them away ſtill farther and farther into all kind of wickedneſſe.
Verſ. 27. The ſlothfull man roasteth not that which he took in hunting, &c.] The moſt received expoſition of theſe words is this, That as the hunter doth many times looſe the veniſon which, with much labour & craft, he hath gotten in hunting, his dogs ſometimes eating it up, and the keepers of the park at other times taking it away; ſo the ſlothfull man uſually never enjoyeth what he hath gotten by much fraud and oppreſſion (ſee the Note Gen. 10.9.) either becauſe through mere ſloth he is not carefull to keep it from periſhing; or becauſe the curſe of God bereaves him of it, or cuts him off by death, or giveth him over to ſuch unreaſonable covetouſneſſe, that he cannot find in his heart to ſpend it upon himſelf. But yet there is another way of expounding theſe words, which ſeems very probable; namely, that the ſlothfull man will not labour, & therefore it cannot be ſaid that he roſts what he took in hunting, that is, that he eats what he hath gotten by his labour: no, either ſuch an one muſt not have to eat, or elſe he muſt live upon other mens labours, perhaps of what he gets by fraud & deceit. In oppoſition whereto it is ſaid in the next clauſe, but the ſubſtance of a diligent man is precious; to wit, either 1. becauſe his ſubſtance is great, he hath plenty of gold and ſilver and other things which men eſteem precious; or 2. becauſe men are wont moſt to eſteem that which they have gotten with their own hard labour; or 3. becauſe ſubſtance ſo gotten is like to be continued to men, that ſo they may enjoy it, and uſe it to their comfort. But ſee the Note alſo Pſal. 37.16.