Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Verſ. 1. THe preparations of the heart in man, and the anſwer of the tongue is from the Lord.] That is, both the one and the other are from God; according to that of the Apoſtle, Phil. 2.13. It is God which worketh in you, both to will & to doe, of his good pleaſure. Man can neither prepare his heart to ſpeak, nor ſpeak what he hath prepared, without Gods aſſiſtance: and therefore obſervable it is, that Solomon ſaith not, that the preparations of the heart are from man, but in man, and from the Lord. Yea, if we ſhould conceive that in the firſt clauſe the word (are) was to be underſtood, as ſome tranſlate it, The preparations of the heart are in man, but the anſwer of the tongue is from the Lord, the meaning can be no more but this, that when men have meditated in their hearts both what they will ſpeak, & how and in what order they will ſpeak it, (and ſo there are in their minds whole armies, as it were, of thoughts, marſhalled in order, as in battel-array; which the Hebrew word, that we tranſlate preparations or diſpoſings, doth clearly ſignify) yet ſhall they for all this be no farther able to expreſſe themſelves, then as God ſhall enable them, & give them utterance; nor ſhall they alwaies ſpeak what they purpoſed, but what God ſhall cauſe them to ſpeak; a multitude of thoughts they may have in their minds, but without God they ſhall not be able to utter a word.
Verſ. 2. All the waies of a man are clean in his own eyes, &c.] See the Note chap. 14.12: but the Lord weigheth the ſpirits; that is, he doth exactly know & obſerve the ſouls & hearts of men, what their intentions, the affections and diſpoſitions of their minds are, whether their hearts be purged by faith or no, whether they be pure and ſincere, or profane and hypocriticall; and ſo he diſcovers how vainly they deceive themſelves, and ſo condemns that which to them ſeems right.
Verſ. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord, &c.] To wit, by taking direction from his word, & aiming in all things at his glory; but ſee the Notes Pſal. 37.5. and 55.22: and thy thoughts shall be eſtablished; that is, thou ſhalt enjoy a ſweet ſettlement & tranquillity in thy thoughts and ſpirit; or, thy purpoſes & deſires ſhall be accompliſhed, thy heart being confirmed with chearfulneſſe to proceed on, in thoſe waies which ſhall be moſt effectuall for the accompliſhment of them.
Verſ. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himſelf, &c.] That is, for his own glory: and there are ſome that under theſe words comprehend not only Gods work of Creation, but alſo the works of his continuall Providence, to wit, that he doeth all things for his own glory: yea even the wicked for the day of evil; that is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, that he might uſe them as his inſtruments for the puniſhment of others; or rather, that he might glorify himſelf by the manifeſtation of his juſtice in their deſerved deſtruction. The wicked, both angels & men, were not created wicked by God, but were made ſo by themſelves; yet God foreſeeing what they would be, made them, that his glory might be advanced by their ruine, whileſt they continually doe what they can to diſhonour him, and to oppoſe his glory.
Verſ. 5. Every one that is proud in heart, &c.] Not every one that hath pride in his heart, but every one in whoſe heart pride rules & reigns; yea though he ſhew it not outwardly as many do: is an abomination to the Lord; to wit, though outwardly he lives in never ſo gallant a condition, and ſo God ſeems to give him all things according to his own hearts deſire: though hand joyn in hand, he shall not be unpunished: ſee the Note chap. 11.21.
Verſ. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, &c.] Firſt, Moſt of our beſt Expoſitours underſtand this of Gods mercy & truth; to wit, that by Gods free grace in Chriſt, and by his faithfull performance of the promiſes that he hath made to his people in him, namely, when they doe what he hath required of them in thoſe his promiſes, all the ſins they have committed are perfectly expiated & pardoned▪ And indeed theſe words mercy & truth are frequently thus taken in the Scripture, as before chap. 14.22. & 2 Sam. 15.20. and in divers other places. Again 2. many others underſtand it of mercy and truth in the people of God, meaning by mercy and truth, true mercifulneſſe, or mercifulneſſe & all juſtice and truth in mens dealing; or mercy & the profeſſion and belief of Gods ſaving truth: and that hereby iniquity is ſaid to be purged, not becauſe theſe are the meritorious cauſe of purging men from their ſins, but either 1. becauſe theſe are tokens and evidences of thoſe whoſe ſins are pardoned; or 2. becauſe theſe things do many times procure from God a remitting of temporall puniſhments, as Ahabs humiliation did for him, 1 Kings 21.19; & 3. becauſe mercy and truth, that is, true faith, working by love & charity, are the means of giving us an intereſt in that bloud of the Mediatour, whereby our ſins are purged. So that the drift of theſe words, they ſay, is to ſhew, that in all the ſacrifices, which were in thoſe times offered for the purging away of ſins, God did not ſo much regard the pomp of their ſacrifices and outward ceremoniall worſhip, whereon the moſt of men did wholly rely, as the ſpirituall graces of mercy and truth in thoſe that offered them. Both theſe Expoſitions, I conceive, are ſafe, though the firſt ſeems to me the cleareſt. And then accordingly for the ſecond clauſe, and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, that is, they avoid it, or abandon it for the time to come, the drift of that muſt be to ſhew, either that when God of his mercy and truth doth acquit men from their ſins, it is upon condition that they return not to thoſe ſins again, but that thenceforth they ſhould fear God and ſerve him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the daies of their lives; or elſe that, as mercy and truth do clear us from ſins already committed, ſo the fear of the Lord preſerveth us from ſin for the time to come.
Verſ. 7. When a mans waies pleaſe the Lord, he maketh his very enemies to be at peace with him.] To wit, by over ruling their hearts ſo, that though they hate him, yet they ſhall not ſeek to hurt him; or by inclining their hearts to love him, and to doe him good; or elſe by bringing things on either ſide to that paſſe, that his enemies ſhall be in policy glad to ſeek to be at peace with him. So that if by endeavouring to do that which may pleaſe God, we provoke men to diſpleaſure againſt us, it matters not, God can eaſily help this.
Verſ. 8. Better is little with righteouſneſſe, &c.] To wit, when the man that enjoyeth it is righteous, and his little eſtate hath been gotten righteouſly: then great revenues without right; ſee the Notes chap. 15.16. and Pſal. 37.16.
Verſ. 9. A mans heart deviſeth his way, &c.] That is, whether he will goe, or what he will doe: but the Lord directeth his ſteps; that is, he connot take a ſtep without Gods aſſiſtance; he ſhall neither do nor effect any thing, but according to the will and providence of God. But ſee the Note above verſ. 1.
Verſ. 10. A divine ſentence is in the lips of the King, &c.] That is, a ſentence agreeable to the word of God; or, as true & certain as if it came from God himſelf. It is indeed in the Original, Divination is in the lips of the King, that is, as it were divination; as if he ſhould have ſaid, There is in the lips of kings a ſagacity like that of diviners; or, the ſentence which they pronounce, and the words which they ſpeak, are as ſure and certain, as thoſe of diviners are uſually pretended & eſteemed to be: And indeed, though in the Scripture by divination is uſually meant that divination of ſouth-ſaiers, which is condemned as an abomination, Deut. 18.10; yet ſometimes the word is uſed in a good ſenſe, as in Iſa. 3.2. where that which we tranſlate the prudent, is in the Original the diviner, and yet thereby is only meant men of ſuch a piercing judgement and deep reach▪ that they are able ſhrewdly to gheſſe at the future events and conſequences of things, as if they had a ſpirit of divination: ſee alſo Mich. 3.6. Now accordingly Expoſitours do underſtand this Proverb four ſeverall waies: as 1. that becauſe kings (and ſo all other ſupream magiſtrates) are Gods vice-gerents, their ſentences are to be eſteemed as the oracles of God: or 2. that kings are uſually endued by God, in whoſe place they ſit, with ſuch ſingular wiſdome and ſagacity, that they are able to bolt out the truth of things difficult & abſtruſe, and ſo when they come to hear or decide controverſies, or to give judgement in doubtfull caſes, they are wont quickly to diſcover any evil that is, or hath been practiſed by the parties contending, or by their witneſſes; and ſo they ſeldome or never miſtake in pronouncing judgement, as it is in the laſt clauſe, his mouth tranſgreſseth not in judgement; implying, that therefore it is a weakneſſe & folly in men, either to attempt to deceive the ſupreme magiſtrate, or any way to carp at his decrees: or 3. that thus it is with wiſe & pious kings, who only indeed deſerve the name of kings, ſee 2 Sam. 14.20. and 1 Kings 3.27, 28; becauſe they are conſcientiouſly carefull to ſearch out the truth, & to ſpeak the truth, making the word of God their rule in all things, and are not wont to pronounce ſentence at any time without mature deliberation, grave advice, & begging direction from God, and becauſe God doth in a ſpeciall manner aſſiſt and direct their minds and tongues in ſearching out the moſt ſecret wickedneſſes, and in giving judgement, therefore their ſentence is uſually divine & juſt, and their mouth doth ſeldome erre in judgement: or 4. that thus it ſhould be with kings, that they ſhould wiſely conſider of all things, & ſearch into the moſt ſecret cauſes ſo, that they may ſtill ſpeak that which is right, and may not at any time erre in judgement. And indeed theſe two laſt expoſitions are clearly the beſt, becauſe there are two other Proverbs that follow verſ. 12, & 13. that muſt neceſſarily be expounded after the ſame manner. I know the words may be alſo capable of ſome other expoſitions: as that kings will have their decrees ſtand, & be accounted juſt, whatever they be; or, that Princes & other great mens words are uſually eſteemed as oracles, and all their decrees are counted juſt, whereas with poor men it is no way ſo. But the former expoſitions are clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 11. A juſt weight and balance are the Lords; all the weights of the bag are his work.] That is, they were deviſed by his ſpeciall providence & direction, and are ordained & appointed by him; they have, as it were, his ſeal upon them, ſo that none may uſe any other; if they do, they muſt give an account of it to God, and he will puniſh them for it: ſee the Note alſo chap. 11.1.
Verſ. 12. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedneſſe, &c.] To wit, either to commit it themſelves, or that others ſhould commit it; they abhorre it in themſelves, and dare not doe it, neither will they endure it in others. And the meaning is only, that thus it ſhould be with kings, or that thus it is with good kings: ſee the Note above verſ. 10. For the throne is eſtablished by righteouſneſſe; that is, by executing juſtice in puniſhing the wicked; or, more generally, by a conſtant care to obey Gods laws, whether in prince or people.
Verſ. 13. Righteous lips are the delight of kings.] As namely, men that will not lye nor ſlander, judges that will give righteous judgement, and wiſe & faithfull counſellors, that will not diſſemble nor flatter, but will ſpeak that which is juſt and true, though it be by way of ſhewing them any evil they have done, or any thing elſe that may be extremely harſh and diſtaſtfull to their corrupt nature. But ſee alſo the foregoing Notes verſ. 10. and 12.
Verſ. 14. The wrath of a king is as meſſengers of death, &c.] That is, It is as terrible, & as ſure a forerunner and token of unavoidable death, preſently to be expected, as if many meſſengers ſhould be ſent to a man, which ſhews the thing is certain, to give a man notice that he ſhall be put to death, or as if many ſhould be ſent to him to take away his life, againſt whom there can be no hope to defend himſelf. And the reaſon of this is, becauſe kings have ſuch abſolute power, many ſeverall waies, to cut off any man with whom they are offended. Indeed if their ſervants do but ſee them angry with any man, they will be ready of their own accord to make him away. But a wiſe man will pacify it; to wit, by his prayers to God, by the mediation of friends, or by his own wiſe & calm and gracious ſpeeches. I know it may alſo be meant of a wiſe mans ſtepping in to pacify the kings wrath on the behalf of others. But however the main drift of this clauſe is, to ſet forth the excellency of wiſdome, in that hereby men can pacify the wrath of kings, which no gifts nor tender of ſervice can doe, becauſe they have no need of thoſe things.
Verſ. 15. In the light of the kings countenance is life, &c.] That is, his lightſome and chearfull countenance is, as the light of the ſun is, a means of chearing and reviving the hearts of men, yea though they were before as dead men by reaſon of ſome bitter affliction & ſorrow: and his favour is as a cloud of the later rain; that is, a great refreſhing, & that which uſually brings men to a flouriſhing and proſperous condition. The Proverb may alſo be underſtood more particularly; to wit, that when a man was in danger of death by reaſon of a kings anger, if he be pleaſed to look chearfully again upon him, that will again re-aſſure life to him, & his favour in pardoning him, when it is at laſt procured, will be as a cloud of the later rain: for which ſee the Notes Deut. 11.14. Job 29.23.
Verſ. 16. How much better is it to get wiſdome then gold? &c.] To wit, becauſe wiſdome is the riches of the ſoul, that can never be loſt, that never brings thoſe vexations with it that do alwaies accompany outward riches, that is many waies advantageous to men in this life, and will ſurely bring them to life eternall hereafter: ſee the Notes alſo chap. 3.14. and 8.11.
Verſ. 17. The high way of the upright is to depart from evil, &c.] That is, this is their ordinary courſe; their conſtant purpoſe, deſire & endeavour is, to ſhun every evil way, though through miſtake or violence of temptation they may ſometimes ſtep into the by-waies of ſin. To which ſome adde alſo, that to depart from evil is ſaid to be the high way of the upright, becauſe it is, as rode-waies are wont to be, an eaſie and a ſafe way: an eaſie way, becauſe it is plainly made known in the word of God, and becauſe his affection to it, & inuring himſelf to walk in it, makes it no way ſo hard to him as it is to others; and a ſafe way, becauſe there is no …anger of any evil or miſchief in it. Which is farther ſet forth in the following clauſe, he that keepeth his way, that is, that keepeth cloſe to the way that God hath preſcribed him, preſerveth his ſoul; to wit, becauſe he ſhall be ſurely under Gods protection here, and ſhall as certainly eſcape eternall deſtruction hereafter.
Verſ. 18. Pride goeth before deſtruction, &c.] See the Note chap. 11.2.
Verſ. 19. Better it is to be of an humble ſpirit with the lowly, then to divide the ſpoil with the proud.] This ſeems to be inferred from the foregoing Proverb. And if by the lowly here we underſtand thoſe that are in an afflicted and low condition, then the meaning of the Proverb is clearly this; that it is much better to be a poor man and humble, (which are joyned together, becauſe ſuch a condition doth many times bring men to be of an humble ſpirit) then to be rich and proud, as uſually rich men are: or, that it is better to be in the ſtate of poor captives, and to be humble, then to be in the ſtate of conquerors, and proud; which is ſaid becauſe nothing doth more puff up the ſpirits of men, then victories in the war uſually doe. But if by the lowly we underſtand men of a lowly & humble ſpirit, then the meaning muſt be, that it is better to be one of thoſe that are of an humble & lowly ſpirit, to wit, though thereby a man be the more wronged, as the humble that will bear injuries uſually are, then to be one of thoſe proud ones that are uſually oppreſſors of others, and ſo to have a ſhare among them, when they divide the ſpoil.
Verſ. 20. He that handleth a matter wiſely, &c.] Or, He that underſtandeth a matter, that is, that will undertake nothing raſhly, but by due pondering & adviſing beforehand of what he intends to doe, maketh ſure that he throughly underſtandeth what he is to doe, and how it is to be done, and then doth accordingly manage his work in a prudent manner: shall find good; that is, ſhall proſper in what he undertakes, & ſhall have much refreſhing comfort in the prudent & ſucceſſefull carrying on his enterpriſes: and who ſo truſteth in the Lord, happy is he; to wit, becauſe the Lord will not fail thoſe that truſt in him, but will bleſſe their endeavours, yea though they ſhould ſome way fail in managing their affairs. Now the joyning of theſe two thus diſcovers that the drift of this Proverb is, to ſhew that both theſe muſt be joyned together: we muſt not, under a pretence of truſting in God, neglect any due care of ordering our affairs as becomes wiſe men; neither muſt we truſt in our care and wiſdome for the managing of our undertaking; but for our ſucceſſe therein muſt reſt wholly upon God, without whoſe bleſſings the endeavours of the wiſeſt men are nothing worth.
Verſ. 21. The wiſe in heart shall be called prudent, &c.) By the wiſe in heart may be meant the godly man, or the man that is truly wiſe, ſee the Note chap. 10.8. the man that hath ſome good meaſure of knowledge & underſtanding; and by this, that he shall be called prudent, may be meant, that he is, and is deſervedly to be accounted, a wiſe and prudent man; (as Iſa. 4.3. he that remaineth in Ieruſalem shall be called holy, that is, ſhall be holy) or, that he ſhall ſhew himſelf to be, and ſhall be acknowledged and commended to be an intelligent prudent man, yea though he never ſeeks to ſet forth himſelf as ſuch in any way of oſtentation. And ſo in the following clauſe, and the ſweetneſſe of the lips encreaſe… ▪ learning, by the ſweetneſse of the lips may be meant, any manner of ſpeaking in a way of inſtruction, whereby mens words are pleaſing & delightfull to the hearers, as when men ſpeak fitly & meekly & affectionately & prudently, which will indeed allay the ſharpneſſe of reproofs; or elſe more particularly the gift of ſpeaking eloquently and elegantly: and then of this it is ſaid, that it encreaſeth learning; which though it may be truly ſaid of the teachers improoving his own knowledge by inſtructing others, yet here it is meant of the edifying & profiting of his hearers. Becauſe men will uſually flock after ſuch a teacher, and becauſe ſuch a gift of utterance and elegancy in ſpeaking doth work powerfully upon the hearts of the hearers, therefore it muſt needs encreaſe learning very much. And ſo the drift of the Proverb may accordingly be, either 1. to ſet forth the excellency of wiſdome; the firſt clauſe ſhewing the good it doth to the wiſe man himſelf, to wit, that thereby he attains to the vertue and praiſe of prudence; and the ſecond, what good it doth to others, by cauſing in them an encreaſe of learning: or 2. to diſcover what an acceſſion to wiſdome eloquence is: a wiſe man ſhall be eſteemed for his knowledge and learning, though he be not able elegantly to expreſſe himſelf; but it is the gift of eloquence that makes men inſtrumentall for the encreaſing of knowledge and learning in others.
Verſ. 22. Vnderſtanding is a wel-ſpring of life to him that hath it, &c.] That is, it yieldeth life conſtantly & abundantly to thoſe that have it; or rather, it is in thoſe that have it a conſtant means of conveying life to thoſe that are inſtructed by them; ſee the Notes chap. 10.11. & 13, 14: but the inſtruction of fools is folly; that is, ſay ſome, it is a folly to inſtruct fools; or, fools will be inſtructed no way but by their own folly, that is, by the miſeries which their folly brings upon them. But the meaning is rather this, that when fools undertake to adviſe any body, they can utter nothing but that which is fooliſh and wicked; or, that when falſe teachers inſtruct men, their inſtruction is mere folly. And ſo that which may ſeem to be intended by the oppoſition of theſe two clauſes is, either 1. that the underſtanding of the wiſe is in their inſtructing of others as a wel-ſpring of life to them; but the folly of fools (to wit, wicked fooliſh men, or ſeducers and falſe teachers) is in their inſtructing of others as a wel-ſpring of poyſonous waters, tending to the death of thoſe that are inſtructed by them: or 2. that wiſe men at all times, even in their ordinary diſcourſe, will be ſpeaking to the benefit of others; whereas fools on the other ſide, where they would ſhew moſt gravity, when they undertake to adviſe and teach others, utter nothing but folly, and that which tends to the deſtruction of thoſe that hear it.
Verſ. 23. The heart of the wiſe teacheth his mouth, &c.] That is, A man by his wiſdome knoweth when, & what, and how to ſpeak: and hence it is that the better a man underſtands any thing, the better able he will ſtill be to ſpeak of it; and that wiſe men are wont to ſpeak the more diſcreetly & well in every regard, becauſe they are not wont to ſpeak raſhly, but to meditate beforehand what they ſhall ſpeak; ſee the Note chap. 15.28. Yea & needs muſt they ſpeak wiſely, whoſe hearts are endued with true wiſdome & grace, becauſe alwaies out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, Matth. 12.34. And addeth learning to his lips; that is, the wiſdome that is in the wiſe mans heart enableth him to ſpeak learnedly, and to teach others; or, by teaching others he himſelf learns to be more and more able to ſpeak, both wiſely and elegantly.
Verſ. 24. Pleaſant words, &c.] To wit, ſuch as are the words of the holy ſervants of God, ſee the Note chap. 15.26, as namely, when they are full of wiſdome, learning, eloquence, comfort, gentleneſſe, compaſſion and love, (whether uttered by way of inſtruction or reproof, or any other way;) are as an hony-comb, ſee the Note Pſal. 19.7. that is, ſweet & wholeſome, as is expreſſed in the following words, ſweet to the ſoul, and health to the bones: which may be referred to the hony-comb, as being ſweet to a mans taſt, and healthfull ſeverall ways, or to thoſe pleaſant words, which, as an hony-comb, are delightfull to the minds of men, and a means of health to the body. See the Notes chap. 14.30. and 15.30.
Verſ. 25. There is a way that ſeemeth right, &c.] See the Note chap. 14.12. The very ſame Proverb is again repeated here, becauſe this ſelf-deluſion is ſo exceeding dangerous, and men are naturally ſo exceedingly inclined to it. Or it may be here again inſerted with reference to the foregoing Proverb, that men might conſider, that all words that may ſeem pleaſant to carnal reaſon, are not thoſe pleaſant words which are there intended.
Verſ. 26. He that laboureth, laboureth for himſelf, for his mouth craveth it of him.] It is in the Hebrew, his mouth boweth unto him ▪ that is, it humbly beggeth it of him, to wit, becauſe a man cannot live except he gets meat to eat. The drift therefore of this Proverb may be to ſhew, both how willingly men ſhould ſubmit to any honeſt labour, and how unnaturall a ſin idleneſſe is, even ſuch that it is pitty ſuch perſons ſhould eat, 2 Theſſ. 3.10; and likewiſe that they ſhould not wear out themſelves with toiling for ſuperfluities, becauſe if a man by his moderate labour can but get things abſolutely neceſſary, as food and raiment, it is ſit that herewith he ſhould be content.
Verſ. 27. An ungodly man, &c.] It is in the Hebrew, A man of Belial; ſee the Note Deut. 13.13. As before verſ. 21, 22, &c. Solomon ſhewed how much good is done by the lips of the righteous, ſo here, in the four next verſes, he tells us how miſchievous wicked mens tongues are. An ungodly man diggeth up evil; that is, either 1. he wittingly & continually endeavours in a ſecret way to undermine men & to inſnare them, even as men dig pitfals for others to fall into, ſee the Note Job 6.27; or 2. that night & day he is ſtill plotting to commit ſin, or rather to doe miſchief unto others, being ſtill ſearching in his mind how to effect it, even as men by digging ſearch for minerals in the earth, & then afterwards with great pains he endeavoureth to accompliſh it. And to theſe ſome adde too, that he is ſaid to dig up evil, becauſe he rips up things long ſince done & forgotten, that he may bring ſome evil upon men. And in his lips there is a burning fire; to wit, 1. becauſe therewith he vents his fiery paſſions and diſtempered heats, by railing, threatning, lyes & ſlanders, 2. becauſe by the tongue, which hath in a manner the ſhape & colour of a flame of fire, they kindle ſtrife & diviſions amongſt men, & are as very fire-brands both in Church & commonwealth, whereby they are uſually burnt up & brought into utter deſolation; & 3. becauſe by the ſlanders and other evils of the tongue men vex and torture others, even as men are pained and tortured with the ſcorching & burning of fire.
Verſ. 28. A froward man, &c.] See the Notes chap. 3.32. and 6.12. It ſeems to be meant here of thoſe that out of croſſeneſſe & peeviſhneſſe are ſtill prone to miſinterpret & pervert other mens waies & words: ſoweth ſtrife; that is, ſpreadeth contentions in every place where he cometh: and a whiſperer ſeparateth chief friends; that is, ſay ſome, princes, men in high places, that are united in a ſtrict bond of friendſhip one to another; or rather, friends that are moſt intimate, and do moſt intirely love one another.
Ver. 29. A violent man, &c.] That is, A man head-ſtrong in wickedneſſe, that cannot ſleep except he doe evil, and is regardleſſe of all laws ordained to reſtrain men from evil; or, a man violently bent to doe miſchief: enticeth his neighbour, & leadeth him into the way that is not good; that is, into courſes ſinfull or hurtfull. The meaning may be, that ſuch men are wont with their flattering ſpeeches either to draw others to joyn with them in their wickedneſſe, ſee the Notes chap. 1.10, 11; or elſe to allure them into ſome ſnare or other, that they may bring upon them the miſchief they have plotted againſt them.
Verſ. 30. He shutteth his eyes to deviſe froward things, &c.] That is, He ſhutteth his eyes that he may the more intentively plot and contrive ſome miſchief in his mind; but ſee alſo the Notes chap. 6.13, & 10.10: moving his lips he bringeth evil to paſſe; that is, by his wicked ſpeaking, or, as ſoon as he begins to ſpeak, he preſently effects the miſchief he hath ſo contrived in his mind. Yet by moving his lips may alſo be meant ſuch a kind of mumbling and muttering to himſelf, as is uſuall with men when they are plotting ſome miſchief againſt men, or when their hearts are ſwoln with rage, & a full reſolution to do them ſome evil; or, his whiſpering & ſpeaking ſoftly to his companions, leſt he ſhould be over-heard by ſome body, and ſo prevented in what he hath deſigned to doe. In a word, the meaning is, that wicked men by their cunning plots, and hypocriſy in the cloſe carrying on their deſignes, do work much villany.
Verſ. 31. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteouſneſſe.] To ſuch a one the gray hairs wherewith his head is compaſſed round about is a glorious ornament, even as a ſilver crown which God himſelf hath put upon his head; to wit, becauſe ſuch an one doth in a ſpeciall manner bear in himſelf the image of God, who is the Ancient of daies, Dan. 7.9. as likewiſe becauſe old men by long experience do often attain the greater wiſdome, and the very gray hairs of ſuch men do render their countenance the more comely & grave, and do naturally procure the more authority and reſpect amongſt men.
Verſ. 32. He that is flow to anger is better then the mighty, &c.] That is, he is a man of greater excellency, and more to be commended for his ſtrength and fortitude, then he that is of mighty bodily ſtrength; to wit, becauſe the ſtrength of the ſoul is better then bodily ſtrength; it enables men to bear reproaches and injuries, which are of all burdens the heavieſt & hardeſt to be born, & to reſiſt and overcome a mans own unruly paſſions and ſinfull luſts, together with thoſe principalities & powers Eph. 6.12. which of all enemies are moſt hardly reſiſted and ſubdued. And by mens ſubduing theſe much benefit redounds to other; whereas the mighty man cannot obtain victories nor ſubdue cities, without much bloudſhed and hurt to others. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, and he that ruleth his ſpirit, that is, that overruleth his affections & paſſions, then he that taketh a city; who may the while be a ſlave to his own luſt. But ſee the Note alſo chap. 14.29.