Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. WIne is a mocker, &c.] The meaning of this may be, that wine doth delude and mock thoſe that drink it, and as it were make fools of them: both in that it doth allure and draw them on by its colour and delicious taſt to drink much of it, as if there were no danger, nothing but delight and pleaſure in it, till on a ſuddain they are inſnared and overcome by it, and then it brings many inconveniencies and miſeries upon them; and likewiſe in that when they are ſo overtaken by it, it makes them ridiculous to others, ſo that men doe uſually deride, mock, and make themſelves ſport with them. And this expoſition may ſeem the more probable, becauſe it agreeth ſo well with the laſt words in this verſe, and whoſoever is deceived thereby is not wiſe. But yet becauſe this ſuits not ſo well with the next following words, ſtrong drink is raging, I rather, as do the moſt Expoſitours, underſtand this Proverb thus: Wine is a mocker; that is, it maketh men mockers & profane ſcorners, and hence it is that the Prophet joineth drunkenneſſe and ſcorning together, Hoſ. 7.5. In the day of our king the princes have made him ſick with bottles of wine, he ſtretched out his hand with ſcorners, (And thus Solomon, having in the end of the foregoing chapter ſpoken of the judgements that are prepared for ſcorners, doth here make known one particular, which doth uſually make men ſcorners:) ſtrong drink is raging; that is, it maketh men outragious: and whoſoever is deceived thereby; to wit, by being wonne thereby to take it immoderately, or by being catched and overcome thereby to his hurt, or by being brought thereby to doe any thing fooliſhly and unadviſedly, which not being in drink he would not have done, which is called erring through wine Iſa. 28.7: is not wiſe; that is, he makes himſelf thereby a very fool, as we uſe to ſay, when the wine is in, the wit is out; or rather, he thereby ſheweth himſelf a fool, and reapeth the fruit of his folly.
Verſ. 2. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion, &c.] See the Note, chap. 19.12: whoſo provoketh him to anger; to wit, by any unwarrantable diſobedience or miſdemeanour: ſinneth againſt his own ſoul; that is, doth by his ſin expoſe his life to manifeſt danger. See the Note chap. 16.14.
Verſ. 3. It is an honour for a man to ceaſe from ſtrife, &c.] That is, to avoid all ſtrife by all poſſible means; or, to give it over, even after he is engaged in it, which is indeed the hardeſt task, becauſe men are wont to eſteem this of all other the greateſt diſhonour to them; but therefore it is alſo the greater proof of a mans wiſdome to doe ſo: ſee the Notes chap. 16.32. and 19.11: but every fool will be medling; that is, intermedling with ſtrife, or with other mens matters, which is uſually the occaſion of ſtrife. And this being an act of great folly, is therefore much to his ſhame and reproach.
Verſ. 4. The ſluggard will not plow, by reaſon of the cold, &c.] Or, the winter▪ therefore shall he beg in harveſt; to wit, when others have great plenty, which muſt needs be an eye-ſore and hearts-grief unto him: and have nothing; that is, nothing to reap; or, nothing ſhall be given him, no not at that time, when becauſe their ſtore comes in then abundantly, men are moſt forward to give, yea even to the brute beaſts.
Verſ. 5. Counſell in the heart of a man is like deep waters, &c.] That is, ability to teach and adviſe men; or, which is all one in effect, wiſdome & prudence, which are the ſprings of all good counſell, do abound in the heart of a wiſe man, even as deep waters or a ſpring of water, that can never be drawn dry: but a man of underſtanding will draw it out; that is, he will uſe means to get it out of him; there is nothing that the other knows, but ſome way or other he will learn it of him: ſee the Note chap. 18.4. The thoughts, & intentions, & deſigns of mens hearts are like waters that are of a great depth, to the bottome whereof men cannot eaſily dive to find what is there, or like waters that are in a deep pit or well, or far ſomewhere under ground, which cannot eaſily be gotten up; and that becauſe it is in a manner impoſſible to know what is in the heart of a man, (for what man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of a man, which is in him? ſaith the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 2.11.) eſpecially when he ſhall ſet himſelf to diſſemble & conceal his purpoſes. And ſome think too that man is here mentioned in oppoſition to women, who are uſually more inclinable to blab forth all that is in their thoughts: but a man of underſtanding will draw it out; that is, a wiſe man will many times by the prudent obſervation of mens geſtures and actions, the words that fall from them, and the company that they keep, by propounding queſtions to them, and entring diſcourſe with them, as if they minded ſomething elſe, gueſſe very right concerning that which is in their hearts.
Verſ. 6. Moſt men will proclaim every one his own goodneſſe; but a faithfull man who can find?] The meaning of this is very eaſy. But if we read the firſt clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bible, moſt men will proclaim every one his own bounty, &c. then the meaning may be, either 1. that it is uſuall with men to boaſt of the great good they have done, or which they intend to doe for others, but that it is rare to find a man that really hath done what he ſaith he hath done, or that doth faithfully make good his great promiſes; or 2. that it is eaſier to find men that are bountifull to others, then to find faithfull men, that injure no man, or then it is to find one that is a faithfull good man in every regard; or 3. that amongſt the many that will boaſt of their bounty, there are but few to be found that are faithfull therein, that is, that do good to others ſincerely for Gods ſake, with a good conſcience, and out of unfeigned love to thoſe to whom it is done.
Verſ. 7. The juſt man walketh in his integrity, his children are bleſſed after him.] To wit, the rather becauſe he will be ſure to leave nothing to his children but what was well gotten; & becauſe many times ſuch children, by reaſon of the good example and education of their parents, are alſo righteous themſelves. But ſee the Note alſo Pſal. 37.26.
Verſ. 8. A king that ſitteth in the throne of judgement, ſcattereth away all evil with his eyes.] Either the meaning is, in generall, that where the magiſtrate doth look to ſee judgement carefully and conſtantly executed upon offenders, wickedneſſe will not there dare to appear: or elſe it may be meant particularly of the ſupreme magiſtrate, to wit, that when he keeps a watchfull eye over the whole kingdome, this will ſuppreſſe all vice amongſt the people; or rather, that when he doth uſe to ſit in the judgement-ſeat in his own perſon, and doth not leave all to be done by inferiour judges; this his care to ſee things, with his own eyes, and accordingly to judge of them, will be a ſingular means to reſtrain the people from much evil, & tha… becauſe he is not in ſuch danger to be corrupted, and is wont to puniſh with greateſt ſeverity, & by reaſon of the majeſty of his perſon, is moſt terrible to offenders. Yet the meaning of this expreſſion may be alſo, that ſuch a king may wi…h a frown awe his people from doing evil.
Verſ. 10. Divers weights and divers meaſures both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.] As namely, when men keep a leſſer wherewith to ſell to thoſe that are ſimple and may be eaſily gulled, and a greater for the wiſer ſort. But ſee the Notes chap. 11.1. and 16.11. and Deut. 25.13.
Verſ. 11. Even a child is known by his doings, &c.] That is, By that which is commonly and generally done by a young child in his geſtures, ſpeeches and actions, a very probable diſcovery may be made concerning him: whether his work be pure, or whether his work be right; that is, whether that which he doeth for the preſent be pure and right as it ought to be, whether there be a work of ſaving grace wrought in him, and ſo whether that which he doeth proceeds from an honeſt upright heart, and conſequently whether he be like to take a good courſe when he comes to mans eſtate.
Verſ. 12. The hearing ear and the ſeeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.] Solomons drift in mentioning this may be to imply, either 1. that therefore God muſt needs hear and ſee whatever is ſpoken or done by men, for which ſee the Note Pſal. 94.9: or, 2. that therefore God can give or withhold the uſe of theſe ſenſes to men as ſeemeth good to himſelf, and conſequently that it is fit that men ſhould be thankfull to God for them, & not abuſe them in any ſinfull way, but uſe them to his glory, and for thoſe ends for which they were eſpecially given them of God; as namely their ears to hear the inſtruction of wiſdome, and their eyes to view Gods works both of creation and providence, & to look into thoſe holy writings, which God hath given men for the well-ordering of their lives: yea and that when men do thus uſe them in a right manner, it is fit that they ſhould acknowledge that this alſo is the gift of God, and that it is not of themſelves. But then again this may be underſtood of a ſpirituall ability to ſee and to hear. And indeed ſeverall of our beſt Expoſitours do underſtand it particularly thus: that the ſeeing eye of the teacher, or of the magiſtrate, whereby he looks to the well-ordering of the people, & the hearing ear of the people, whereby they hearken to the inſtruction of their teachers, and the command of their ſuperiours, are both from God; ſo that neither are therefore to inſult over the other, but that the welfare of kingdomes and commonwealths procured hereby is wholly to be aſcribed to God.
Verſ. 15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Many ſuch precious things there are in the world, which worldly men do highly eſteem: but the lips of knowledge, that is, wiſe & gracious ſpeech, are a precious jewell, that is, far more precious, then thoſe precious things before-mentioned: ſee the Note chap. 3.14. And hereby may be meant, both what a treaſure it is for a man to be able to ſpeak wiſely and learnedly, and likewiſe what a precious priviledge it is to be inſtructed in the word and wiſedome of God by ſuch a man.
Verſ. 16. Take his garment that is ſurety for a ſtranger, &c.] See the Notes chap. 6.1. and 11.15. The meaning may be only this, that if a man be ſo fooliſh, as to be ſurety for ſtrangers whom he knoweth not, we may be aſſured that ſuch a man will in time be brought to ſuch poverty, that ſooner or later his very garments will be taken from him, to ſatisfy ſome debt for which he hath engaged himſelf. Yet ſome take it as an advice given to the friends of ſuch a man, that they ſhall doe well to get what they can from him, and reſerve it for his uſe in a time of need, becauſe otherwiſe all that he hath will he ſeized on by the Creditor, to whom he hath engaged himſelf, and then he will not have a coat to put upon his back. And the moſt of Expoſitours take it as ſpoken to thoſe that ſhould engage themſelves, or lend any thing to a man that is ſo ready to be ſurety for others, even for mere ſtrangers: to wit, either that they ſhould not doe this without taking a ſure pawn from him for their indemnity, and that becauſe ſuch a man will ſurely come to poverty, and being ſo careleſſe of himſelf, he will much leſſe mind them to whom he is engaged; or, that if he forfeits his pawn, though it were his garment, they ſhould not ſpare to keep it; or, if he paid not the debt, that they ſhould ſeiſe upon what he had, even to his very garments; & that not only thereby to ſecure themſelves, that they may not be put to look after the ſtranger they know not where, but alſo becauſe it is fit that ſuch a man ſhould ſmart for his folly, that he may thereby learn more wit for the time to come. Nor is this, ſay they, againſt the Law Exod. 22.26. If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that time the ſun goeth down, &c. becauſe that law was made only in favour of the poor, that in extreme need pawned their garments, (as may be ſeen in the Note there) and not of thoſe that would pretend to be able to paſſe their word for others. But the firſt expoſition I like the beſt. As for the following clauſe, and take a pledge of him, that is, of him that will be ſurety for a ſtrange woman, that is, a woman that he knoweth not, or rather a whoriſh woman; the drift of this is to ſhew, that he that will undertake for ſuch a ones debts, or run in debt to gratifie her, is not fit to be truſted without a pledge; both becauſe no faithfulneſſe can be expected from ſuch, and likewiſe becauſe men may be aſſured hat ſuch a man will come to beggery.
Verſ. 17. Bread of deceit is ſweet to a man, &c.] That is, men are wont to take great delight in that which they get by deceitfull and unjuſt waies; ſee the Note chap. 9.17: but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravell; to wit, by reaſon of the terrours of conſcience, or the heavy judgements of God that ſhall afterwards ſeize upon him. In the expreſſion that Solomon here uſeth there ſeemeth to be an alluſion to gritty bread, made of the grift of corn that hath been thraſhed on a gravel-floor, or ground in a mill, immediately after the ſtones thereof have been picked, or into which in the making of it ſome gravell hath accidentally fallen; which may well be called bread of deceit, becauſe outwardly it ſeems good bread, but being eaten doth exceedingly pain and hurt a mans teeth. With the like expreſſion the miſery of Gods people is ſet forth in the Babylonian captivity, Lam. 3.16. He hath alſo broken my teeth with gravell-ſtones.
Verſ. 18. Every purpoſe is eſtablished by counſell, &c.] See the Note chap. 15.22: and much more therefore ought we to take counſell in our weightieſt affairs, ſuch as warre is; whence the following words are added, and with good advice make war.
Verſ. 19. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer, revealeth ſecrets, &c.] See the Note chap. 11.13. As if he had ſaid, And therefore though it be good to ask counſell, as was ſaid in the foregoing verſe, yet impart not thy ſecrets to ſuch men. And this indeed is implyed in the following words, therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips; that is, with him that is a known flatterer; or whom thou maiſt diſcern only to pretend friendſhip, when his heart is not with thee: & that becauſe ſuch men are wont to cogge and flatter, merely that they may fiſh out mens ſecrets, and then reveal them to others; or becauſe flatterers, if their counſell be asked, will be ſure to ſay as they ſay, be it right or wrong, whom through ſelf-love men are very prone to believe. It may be alſo read, meddle not with him that enti…eth with his lips; and then it may be meant of thoſe that by their flatteries entice men to doe any thing that is evil.
Verſ. 20. Whoſo curſeth his father or his mother, &c.] See the Note Exod. 21.17: his lamp shall be put out in obſcure darkneſſe; that is, firſt, he ſhall be cut off and die in extreme diſhonour & miſery, and then afterwards alſo ſhall be caſt into the utter darkneſſe of hell; (and that this is principally intended, we may the rather think, becauſe on the contrary long life is promiſed to thoſe that honour their father and mother Exod. 20.12.) or 2. he ſhall die childleſſe, ſee the Note Pſal. 132.17. and ſo his name & memory ſhall be utterly taken away; as indeed he that honoureth not his father, deſerves not the honour of being a father; or 3. his proſperity & joy ſhall be turned into extreme miſery, grief and horrour, ſee the Note Job 29.3. or 4. he ſhall not find any favour, counſell or help, either from God or man, in his greateſt calamities, which makes a mans condition juſt like his, whoſe candle is put out when he is in extreme darkneſſe. But ſee the Notes chap. 13.9. and Job 18.5, 6. and 21.17.
Verſ. 21. An inheritance may be gotten haſtily at the beginning, &c.] That is, Men may get a fair eſtate on a ſudden, to wit, when they regard not how they get it, ſo they may be ſpeedily rich, and leave their eſtate as an inheritance to their children: but the end thereof shall not be bleſſed; that is, it ſhall not proſper in the concluſion, nor prove a bleſſing to him that gets it: to wit, becauſe either it may prove a ſnare to his ſoul, in making him profane & wicked, or it may bring ſome vengeance upon him from God, or fill his ſoul with diſmall terrours of conſcience; or elſe rather, becauſe being thus gotten, haſt uſually makes waſte, in that it was not more ſuddenly gathered then it is ſquandered away, even as meat that is ſwallowed down ſuddenly doth ſeldome nouriſh the body, but either is vomited up again, or elſe is turned into corrupt humours. This, I conceive, is the plain meaning of this Proverb. Yet, I know, others do underſtand this of thoſe to whom ſome great eſtate falls ſuddenly, & perhaps unexpectedly; who not knowing the labour of getting it, and not having been inured by little & little to bear ſo great proſperity, are wont to be profuſe in their ſpending.
Verſ. 22. Say not thou, I will recompence evil, &c.] That is, Do not ſo much as threaten it with thy lips, or purpoſe it in thy heart; to wit, not only becauſe it is not lawfull ſo much as to think evil, but alſo becauſe when men have once ſaid they will doe a thing, they are apt to think that then in point of honour or conſcience they are bound to doe it: but wait on the Lord, and he shall ſave thee; he doth not ſay, and he shall revenge thee, but, and he shall ſave thee, intimating, that men ſhould not deſire God to take vengeance on their enemies, but only that he would defend them from their enemies. Men are apt to think, that if they do not revenge injuries, every one will trample over them, and ſo they ſhall be utterly undone. But the Holy Ghoſt here aſſures them that there ſhall be no anger herein, becauſe God ſhall preſerve them. And how much better is it that God ſhould ſave them, then that they by any wicked means ſhould ſave themſelves?
Verſ. 23. Divers weights are an abomination to the Lord, &c.] See the Note above verſ. 10. and chap. 11.1. and 16.11. and Deut. 25.13: and a falſe balance is not good; ſee the Notes chap. 17.26. and 18.5.
Verſ. 24. Mans goings are of the Lord, &c.] See the Notes chap. 16.1, 9. & Pſal. 37.23: how can a man then underſtand his own way? that is, ſince all our actions and the ſucceſſe thereof depend wholly upon Gods providence, therefore it is not poſſible that man ſhould know his own way, to wit, what is moſt expedient to be done by him, or what the event ſhall be of what he doeth.
Verſ. 25. It is a ſnare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, &c.] That is, It is a ſin that bringeth deſtruction upon men; ſee the Note Deut. 7.16. As birds are deſtroyed by eating the meat which is laid for them within the ſnare, & fiſhes by ſwallowing the bait upon the hook; ſo is it with ſuch ſacrilegious perſons. And by devouring that which is holy is meant, not their eating of Gods holy ſacrifices in thoſe times in a heedleſſe, raſh and profane manner, without any devotion, as ſome conceive; but mens alienating to their own private ends any thing that was conſecrated to holy uſes, or which they themſelves had vowed to holy uſes. And if this laſt be included, then are the following words added for the farther illuſtration thereof: and after vows to make enquiry; to wit, whether he can doe what he hath vowed or no; or whether he be ſo indiſpenſably obliged by his vow, that there is no way to be diſengaged from it; or if he do break his vow, what ſatisfaction he may ſome other way make unto God. And obſervable it is, that even this enquiring about not fulfilling a vow, becauſe it manifeſts a deſire men have to doe it, is made a grievous ſin, yea though the vow be never broken.
Verſ. 26. A wiſe king ſcattereth the wicked, &c.] That is, when they are combined together in any way of wickedneſſe he diſperſeth them; or, he cuts them off from amongſt the people, ſee the Note above verſ. 8. even as the husbandman with his fan driveth away the chaff from the wheat: for that he alludeth in theſe words to the husbandmans fanning or winnowing, is the more probable, becauſe in the following clauſe, and bringeth the wheel over them, he ſeems alſo to allude to the cart-wheels wherewith in thoſe times they were wont to beat out their corn, whence is that Iſa. 28.27, 28. The fitches are not threshed with a threshing inſtrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin, &c. But yet this may be meant of ſome kind of engine, called the wheel, uſed for the torturing and executing of malefactors, even as it is ſtil in many countries at this day. Or there may be an alluſion in the words to the chariot-wheels which they uſed in the wars, wherewith they ran over the bodies of thoſe that were beaten down before them.
Verſ. 27. The ſpirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, &c.] That is, the ſoul of man, becauſe of the reaſon and underſtanding wherewith God hath endued it, is as a bright ſhining lamp which God hath ſet up within man, by the light whereof men ſee their waies, and are enabled to order their waies as they ought to doe. And ſome conceive too, that Solomon doth the rather uſe this expreſſion, 1. becauſe the ſoul is in the body of man as a candle in a lanthorn; 2. becauſe in regard of its remaining light, even ſince the fall of man, it is as a lamp ſhining in the dark night of corrupt nature; & 3. becauſe the light of it is as eaſily by death extinguiſhed as a candle is blown out. And then by thoſe following words, ſearching all the inward parts of the belly, is meant either particularly that reflect act of mens underſtanding, which we call conſcience, whereby men do diſcern and judge of the moſt ſecret thoughts and affections, and deſires of their own hearts, according to that of the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 2.11. What man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of man which is in him? and that eſpecially when the ſoul is enlightened with grace, and ſo doth thereby the better diſcover both his corruptions and graces, and diſcern in what ſtate he ſtands with God; (yea ſome underſtand it of mens diſcovering that which is in other mens hearts, for which ſee the Note above verſ. 5.) or rather more generally, that by the light of reaſon men are able to ſearch out thoſe deep and hidden things, that are as much hidden from the outward view of man, as are the entrails in a mans body, and that there is ſcarce any thing ſo ſecret; either in nature or religion, which men by their knowledge and wiſdome will not diſcover. And very probably we may think, that this here is added with reference to the foregoing verſe, becauſe it might be queſtioned, how a king can ſcatter the wicked, ſeeing wicked men are uſually ſo cunning to hide their wickedneſſe? Solomon anſwers here, by a mans wiſdome and underſtanding the ſecreteſt things may be diſcovered.
Verſ. 28. Mercy and truth preſerve the king, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Kings endued with theſe graces need in a manner no other guard about them; both becauſe hereby they procure the favour of God and man towards them, and likewiſe becauſe they cut off the wicked that are perillous to them and to their thrones. But ſee the Notes chap. 3.3. and 16.6. and Pſal. 61.67. As for the next clauſe, and his throne is upholden by mercy, that is added to ſhew, either that however mercy and truth do both tend to a kings preſervation, yet mercy hath the chief ſtroke therein; or elſe, that as theſe graces are a great means of ſafety to a kings perſon, ſo they are alſo a great ſupport to his kingdome: for though mercy be only here again expreſſed, yet together with that the other may be alſo implyed.
Verſ. 29. The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray head.] See the Note chap. 16.31. The drift of this Proverb is to ſhew, that both young and old have their ſeverall ornaments, and ſo have need of one another, and ought to reſpect one another.
Verſ. 30. The blewneſſe of a wound cleanſeth away evil; ſo do ſtripes the inward parts of the belly.] Some take this to be ſpoken by way of ſimilitude, thus: As by cutting and launcing the body, which doth uſually leave blew ſcars behind it, as in letting bloud, or making iſſues, &c. a great deal of corruption is uſually let out of mens bodies, and by that means they are cured of very dangerous diſeaſes; ſo ſharp corrections, which pierce, as it were, even to the very entrails, do purge men from ſin; or, ſo do ſtripes cleanſe men, even from their inward and ſecret ſins. But I ſee not but that both clauſes may be underſtood of the benefit of correction. The blewneſſe of a wound cleanſeth away evil: ſharp reproofs or corrections, whether from God or man, (which are as blows that make men black and blew, o… wounds that leave a blew ſcar behind them) do make men abandon their evil waies. And then the following clauſe, ſo do ſtripes the inward parts of the belly, is added to ſhew, either that ſuch ſharp corrections do purge away even the ſecret evils of the mind (which are as the inward parts of the belly) as well as the wickedneſſe of the outward man; or elſe that then corrections are in this way profitable to men, when they affect men inwardly, and wound their very hearts and ſouls with pain and ſorrow: wicked men will not be reformed but by exceeding ſharp corrections.