Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. THe kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it whetherſoever he will.] That is, As husbandmen and others do carry the water of rivers by trenches, water-courſes and pipes, into their grounds, or elſewhere which way they pleaſe; or rather, As God by his Providence turneth the rivers, ſometimes one way and ſometimes another, and ſometimes cauſeth them to turn backward a quite contrary way to that wherein they were before going, as ſeemeth good in his own eyes; ſo doth he alſo turn about the thoughts, affections and deſires, even of kings themſelves, to will and nill what he will have them, ſometimes for the benefit, ſometimes to the hurt of their ſubjects, and often contrary to what they had determined. And this is noted as moſt remarkable in kings, becauſe by reaſon of their great power and pride, they ſeem able to doe almoſt what they pleaſe, and are uſually ſo violent and head-ſtrong in their reſolutions, that there is no diverting them from what they have purpoſed or ſaid they will doe; being herein indeed like the heady and violent ſtreams of ſome great rivers, that carry all before them with unreſiſtable fury; whereas yet notwithſtanding they have not ſo much as their own wills at their own diſpoſing, but God over-rules them as he pleaſeth.
Verſ. 2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, &c.] See the Notes chap. 14.12. and 16.2.
Verſ. 3. To doe juſtice and judgement, &c.] To doe unto all men that which is every way equall and juſt; and that not out of any carnall affections, but out of true judgement and approbation of juſtice: is more acceptable to the Lord then ſacrifice; that is, then any of the ſervices enjoyned by the ceremoniall law, and conſequently then any outward act of Gods worſhip enjoyned by the moral law, ſuch as prayer and hearing the word, &c. and that becauſe God doth more delight in the ſolid and ſubſtantiall ſervices enjoyned by the law, then in thoſe that are merely externall and ceremoniall, and becauſe he is better pleaſed with thoſe duties that are profitable to men, then with thoſe that ſeem more immediately to have reſpect unto himſelf.
Verſ. 4. An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is ſin.] The difficulty of this Proverb lyes chiefly in the laſt clauſe. Some of our beſt Expoſitours do literally underſtand by the plowing of the wicked, their labouring in their particular callings; which they ſay is ſin in them, becauſe unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, Tit. 1.15. And thus they make the drift of this Proverb to be, the ſetting forth of the miſery of wicked men, by ſhewing that in all things they doe they ſin againſt God; not only in thoſe things which are ſimply evil in themſelves, ſuch as are their proud thoughts and high looks, their ambitious aſpiring after things that are too high for them, but alſo in all their naturall and civill actions, which not being evil in themſelves, yet become ſin to them; and that becauſe the men being evil, nothing can be good that proceeds from them, as a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, Matth 7.18. By the wickedneſſe, the pride & other filthy corruptions that are in their hearts, all their actions muſt needs be defiled. But then by the plowing of the wicked ſome do underſtand figuratively the plots and projects and buſy endeavours of wicked men; for which ſee the Note Job 4.8: & that theſe are ſaid to be ſin, becauſe they are all for ſome ſinfull practiſe or other, yea for many and manifold ſins and miſchiefs: and indeed it may be rather underſtood of the miſchief they endeavour to doe, becauſe men in their pride care not what miſchief they doe; yea and this is elſewhere called plowing, Pſal. 129.3. The plowers plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows. As for that tranſlation of this clauſe, which is ſet in the margin of our Bibles, and the light of the wicked is ſin, if that be received, then the meaning muſt be, either 1. that wicked men are wont to glory in their ſin; ſo far are they from hiding and bewailing their ſins, that they exalt themſelves therein, as counting it their only ſplendour and glory: or 2. that their wiſdome and quick-ſightedneſſe in all affairs, wherein they are wont proudly to vaunt themſelves, tends to ſin, and carries them into many ſinfull courſes: or 3. that their good works, though they make a ſplendid ſhew before men, are an abomination to the Lord: or 4. that their endeavouring to exalt themſelves, and to be eminently conſpicuous above others, is ſin: or 5. that their great proſperity & pomp and glory in the world, wherein they much pride themſelves, is an occaſion of much ſin to them.
Verſ. 5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteouſneſſe, &c.] That is, when a man doth wiſely before-hand think and contrive how to manage his affairs, if he do afterwards diligently proſecute what he hath contrived, he muſt needs grow rich: but of every one that is haſty only to want; that is, the thoughts of thoſe that are haſty to be rich, ſee the Note chap. 20.21. or of thoſe that raſhly doe what ever comes into their minds, without any counſell or deliberation about it, muſt needs bring them to poverty.
Verſ. 6. The getting of treaſures by a lying tongue, is a vanity toſſed to and fro, &c.] That is, Treaſures gotten by a lying tongue are a vain thing, they no way do good either to them or theirs, nor ever continue with them, but are like duſt, or chaff, or ſmoke, that is ſcattered by the wind this way and that, till it be brought to nothing; ſee the Notes chap. 10.2. and 13.11: of them that ſeek death; to wit, both temporall and eternall.
Verſ. 7. The robbery of the wicked shall deſtroy them, &c.] It is in the Hebrew, shall ſaw them, or dwell with them, whereby is meant, that their puniſhments ſhould be both terrible, and continuall: terrible, not only becauſe of the ſeverity of Gods judgements, but alſo becauſe terrours of conſcience ſhould, as it were, ſaw and tear and grate their ſpirits; and continuall, becauſe, though their wealth gotten by robbery continued not with them, yet the guilt & puniſhment of their ſin ſhould keep faſt hold of them and abide with them: becauſe they refuſe to doe judgement; to wit, in the ſeat of juſtice (and if this be taken ſo, then the robbery of the wicked in the foregoing clauſe is the oppreſſion of unjuſt judges, who are indeed the great robbers) or, becauſe they will not doe that which is juſt and right; they ſin not therein through ignorance and infirmity, but wittingly and willingly, and being reproved they will not give it over.
Verſ. 8. The way of man is froward, &c.] That is, The way of man in his naturall eſtate, being left unto himſelf, is crooked & ſinfull; ſee the Notes chap. 3.32. 2 Sam. 22.27. and Job 5.13: and ſtrange; that is, contrary to all right reaſon, and no way agreeable to the word of God; ſtrange from what it was, in the ſtate of innocency, or what it ſhould be. Or it may be ſaid to be ſtrange, becauſe in chuſing ſuch waies, men chuſe darkneſſe rather then light, and death rather then life eternall.
Verſ. 9. It is better to dwell in a corner of the houſe-top, &c.] That is, It is better to ſit moping all alone upon the top of an houſe (ſee the Note Deut. 22.8.) where a man muſt needs be expoſed to all injuries of the weather, heat and cold, wind and rain, thunder and lightening, yea upon the battlements there, or to be penned up in ſome narrow corner there, ſo that he can no way ſtir to avoid the inconveniencies above-ſaid: then with a brawling woman in a wide houſe, or, as it is in the Hebrew, a houſe of ſociety; that is, in a fair goodly houſe, and where there is a great deal of company, to wit, becauſe though that be comfortable in it ſelf, yet it is to ſuch a woman an occaſion of the more brawling. So that Solomons aim herein might be to ſhew, that a brawling wife doth ſo overturn the end of marriage, that whereas God ſaid at firſt, It is not good for man to be alone, Gen. 2.18. yet indeed it is better for a man to live alone, then to have ſuch a wife. Yea and ſome conceive, that hereby alſo is implyed, that though a man gets a wife that brings him a ſtately houſe and land for her portion, or ſuch an eſtate, as that thereby he is enabled to live in a fair and ſpacious houſe, yet he had better be without it, if ſhe proves a brawling and contentious woman.
Verſ. 10. The ſoul of the wicked deſireth evil, &c.] That is, he ſinneth not ignorantly and through infirmity, but wittingly and adviſedly; all his delight & deſire is to doe evil. Now if we thus underſtand this clauſe, then the meaning of the next clauſe may be this, his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes; that is, though his acquaintance and friends diſſwade him from his wicked courſes, he will not mind or regard them, but will rather miſchief them, then be hindered by them. But I rather conceive that the firſt clauſe is to be underſtood of the wicked mans deſiring to doe miſchief. And ſo I take the drift of the whole Proverb to be this: that the wicked man is out of envy or malice wholly and only bent to deſire the hurt of men, or to endeavour to doe miſchief to men, inſomuch that he will not ſhew any mercy or kindneſſe to his neareſt friends and acquaintances, when they ſtand in need of it; or, that he is ſo ſet upon miſchief, that he will not ſpare his neareſt relations; or, that his neighbour, though he carrieth himſelf never ſo kindly or friendly to him, ſhall yet find no favour in his eyes.
Verſ. 11. When the ſcorner is punished, the ſimple is made wiſe, &c.] See the Note chap. 19.25.
Verſ. 12. The righteous man wiſely conſidereth the houſe of the wicked, &c.] This may be underſtood many ſeverall waies. As 1. that he conſidereth in what danger the wicked man is, together with his family and poſterity, & how he may reclaim them from their evil waies: and then the next clauſe, but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedneſſe, implyeth that all the endeavours of the righteous man to reclaim them doe no good, and that therefore God at laſt doth utterly deſtroy them. Or 2. that he marks and obſerves their horrible wickedneſſe, and how many are corrupted thereby, and ſo is carefull to keep himſelf from being defiled by them, or having any communion with them: but then the wicked, that mind no ſuch thing, but run on deſperately in their wicked waies, God doth overthrow. Or 3. that obſerving how exceedingly they proſper, he conſiders why this ſhould be, and concluding that hereby God hardens them in their ſins, that they have their portion in this life, and that ſurely God will deſtroy them, &c. this keeps him from being offended; and the wicked indeed are at length deſtroyed according to his expectation. Or 4. that he obſerves and ſeriouſly layes to heart the fearfull judgements that God at laſt brings upon the families of the wicked, and thereby becomes very carefull to avoid their wicked waies: and thus the judgements upon wicked men doe much good to the righteous, whileſt the wicked themſelves reap no good by them, and ſo are at laſt utterly deſtroyed.
Verſ. 14. A gift in ſecret pacifyeth anger, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, it cools the zeal of a judge, when he is ſeverely bent to cut off an offender; or generally it appeaſeth the anger of thoſe that were before highly offended: and that becauſe as gifts are very pleaſing to men, ſo they alſo teſtify the ſubmiſſion of the party that gives them; and being cloſely given, that takes away the ſhame of open receiving. Some apply this alſo to alms given ſecretly, ſo that a mans left hand knoweth not what his right hand doeth, Matth. 6.3. that they tend to the appeaſing of Gods wrath againſt men. And a reward in the boſome great wrath; as if he ſhould have ſaid, a reward in the boſome driveth away wrath out of the boſome. But ſee the Note chap. 17.23.
Verſ. 15. It is joy to the juſt to doe judgement, &c.] To wit, becauſe he delights in doing that which is juſt and equall, and withall knoweth that God is well-pleaſed with him, and will reward him for it, and ſo is herein comforted; and therefore indeed accordingly he ſhall obtain ſalvation: which is implyed by the following oppoſite clauſe, but deſtruction shall be to the workers of iniquity; to wit, becauſe they rejoyce only in working iniquity.
Verſ. 16. The man that wandereth out of the way of underſtanding, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, out of the way of true doctrine, into the crooked waies of errour and hereſy; or, out of the way of Gods commandements, yea though it be through blindneſſe and ignorance: shall remain in the congregation of the dead; that is, ſay ſome, they are ſpiritually no better then dead men; or rather, they ſhall abide unto all eternity amongſt the multitude of the damned, who only indeed are truly dead men; for the righteous by death have an entrance into life eternall. As they walked in their waies, and delighted in the company of ſuch men whilſt they lived, ſo they ſhall abide amongſt them being dead, without any poſſibility of being removed into a better condition. And this is the only reſt they ſhall have; they ſhall not have the leaſt ſhare in the reſt of the faithful, but their wandring ſhall end at laſt in the reſtleſs reſt of the damned unto all eternity.
Verſ. 17. He that loveth pleaſure shall be a poor man, &c.] This may be meant of all kind of ſenſuall pleaſure, or particularly of that of feaſting, becauſe of the following words, he that loveth wine and oil, that is, dainty and coſtly feeding; or, by oil may be meant thoſe exceeding coſtly ointments, which they uſed much in thoſe eaſtern countries, eſpecially at their feaſts.
Verſ. 18. The wicked shall be a ranſome for the righteous, &c.] As namely, when by the puniſhing of ſome hainous offenders Gods wrath is appeaſed, publick judgements are removed, & ſo the righteous are preſerved; as we ſee in the caſe of Achan, & Sauls ſons, 2 Sa. 2 1. But ſee the fuller expoſition of this in the Note ch. 11.8.
Verſ. 19. It is better to dwell in the wilderneſſe, &c.] To wit, in a vaſt and horrid place, baniſhed as it were from all ſociety with mankind, deſtitute of all neceſſary accommodations, where a man muſt live amongſt venemous creatures, & wild beaſts, and haply be ſlain and torn in pieces by them: then with a contentious and an angry woman; which is a miſery worſe then death; ſee the Note above verſ. 9.
Verſ. 20. There is treaſure to be deſired, & oil in the dwelling of the wiſe, &c.] That is, ſtore of all things requiſite both for neceſſity and delight, ſee alſo the Note verſ. 17: but a foolish man ſpendeth it up; to wit, when ſuch treaſures and plenty of proviſions are left him by his father or others.
Verſ. 21. He that followeth after righteouſneſſe and mercy, &c.] To wit, with earneſtneſſe and perſeverance, ſee the Note chap. 15.8: findeth life; that is, long life here, & eternall life hereafter; righteouſneſſe, that is, a juſt reward from God, and as faithfull dealing from men as he hath obſerved towards others; & honour, to wit, both here amongſt men, and eternall in the heavens.
Ver. 22. A wiſe man ſcaleth the city of the mighty, &c.] That is, So much is wiſdome better then ſtrength, that ſometimes by the wiſdome of one man a city may be taken, that is kept by many men of great might. Now though by the wiſe man may be meant the godly man, yet I rather think that Solomon ſpeaks here of naturall wiſdome and policy.
Verſ. 23. Whoſo keepeth his mouth and his tongue, &c.] To wit, from ſpeaking any thing which in wiſdome and juſtice he ought not to ſpeak; ſee the Notes alſo chap. 12.13. & 13.3: keepeth his ſoul from troubles; that is, he keeps himſelf for his life from many ſtreights & miſeries, which otherwiſe he might have brought upon himſelf.
Ver. 24. Proud & haughty ſcorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.] That is, ſuch he ſheweth himſelf thereby to be, ſo he deſerveth to be called, & wil uſually be called: & ſo whilſt he thinks his ſo dealing to be an honour to him it wil be his reproach.
Verſ. 25. The deſire of the ſlothfull killeth him, &c.] That is, his very deſires, not being ſatisfied, becauſe he will not work, do vex and torment him, and are even as death to him; or rather thus, his contenting himſelf with his vain ſlothfull deſires, whilſt in the mean ſeaſon, as it followeth, his hands refuſe to labour, brings him to periſh in penury and want.
Verſ. 26. He coveteth greedily all the day long, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, But becauſe like a wicked wretch he will doe nothing elſe, he will not work, therefore he hath nothing for himſelf, much leſſe to give to others: but the righteous giveth, and ſpareth not; that is, becauſe out of conſcience he is laborious in his calling, he not only hath ſufficient for himſelf and his family, but he is ready alſo to give to others for their relief, and that bountifully and for ever: for becauſe he holds on in his labours, therefore he hath ſtill to give to thoſe that are in want.
Verſ. 27. The ſacrifice of the wicked is abomination, &c.] See the Note chap. 15.8: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? as namely 1. when he thinks any thing good enough for God, and when his ſacrifice is not exactly ſuch as Gods law requireth it ſhould be; or 2. when he offers it, that God may proſper him in any way of wickedneſſe, or that by making ſuch a ſhew of piety, he may the better effect ſome curſed deſign; or 3. when his aim is only to cheat and deceive men, by making them believe that he is a very pious man, when his conſcience tells him, that for his wickedneſſe God muſt needs abhor both him and his ſervice; or 4. when he ſeems deſirous by his ſacrifices to make his peace with God, and yet at the ſame time hath a full purpoſe and deſire to run on in his ſins; or 5. when he hopes by ſuch ſervices, as it were to bribe God, to give him liberty ſtill to hold on in his lewd waies.
Verſ. 28. A falſe witneſſe shall perish, &c.] To clear the oppoſition which is implyed betwixt this and the following clauſe, we muſt take it thus: He that in bearing witneſſe doth teſtify what he hath neither heard nor ſeen, but what himſelf hath deviſed, (yea though it ſhould be truth that he ſpeaketh) ſhall certainly periſh; that is, either he ſhall be cut off by the hand of the magiſtrate, or by ſome judgement of God, and that unto eternity; or elſe he ſhall be utterly ruined & undone, to wit, by ſome other ſevere ſentence pronounced againſt him, whereby his mouth ſhall be judicially ſtopped, that he ſhall never bear witneſſe more, or at leaſt he ſhall be ſo diſcredited, that no man will hear or regard his teſtimony; and all this ſhall be, becauſe his own tongue will diſcover him, by reaſon that ſuch an one ſcarce ever ſpeaks conſtantly the ſame thing, but will be ever and anon contradicting himſelf: but the man that heareth, that is, that ſpeaketh nothing but that whereof he hath been an ear-witneſſe (or an eye-witneſſe) nothing but what he knoweth to be certainly truth; ſpeaketh conſtantly; that is, he is alwaies in the ſame tale, and affirmeth ſtill conſtantly the ſame thing, and that with confidence & boldneſſe: and therefore he ſhall not by death, or by any judiciall ſentence, or by his own ſhame be taken off from bearing witneſſe; yea men will be deſirous to hear his teſtimony in any cauſe whatſoever. I know this Proverb is otherwiſe expounded by ſome: as 1. thus; A falſe witneſſe shall perish; but the man that heareth, that is, that hearkeneth to the law of God, which doth expreſly forbid all bearing of falſe witneſſe againſt our neighbour; ſpeaketh conſtantly, to wit, becauſe he ſhall not periſh or be cut off: or 2. thus; He that heareth others, chuſing rather to hear, then to ſpeak raſhly and falſly, ſhall likewiſe be heard by others; he ſhall alwaies in time and place have opportunity enough to ſpeak, and men ſhall readily hearken to him. But the firſt expoſition is clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 29. A wicked man hardeneth his face, &c.] Some underſtand this Proverb particularly, with reference to the foregoing verſe, of the impudency of wicked men, and the adviſedneſſe and warineſſe of the upright, in bearing witneſſe in any cauſe. But it is better to underſtand it generally: A wicked man hardeneth his face; that is, he will impudently, without any bluſhing, yea though it be againſt the checks of his own conſcience, ſet his countenance to out-face any man, either in denying and oppoſing clear truths, or in excuſing or defending manifeſt evils; and let him be admoniſhed or reproved, he will with a brazen face maintain his waies, not yielding to, but rather inſulting over thoſe that oppoſe him, and without the leaſt remorſe on he will goe, like a traveller that ſets his face againſt wind & weather, being reſolved upon his journey, whatever he endures in it: But as for the upright, he directeth (or conſidereth) his way; that is, he is watchfull over his waies, that he may not goe awry; and when he hath done amiſſe, being reproved, he will acknowledge his fault, repent, and amend what is amiſſe. The oppoſition betwixt the two branches of this Proverb may be conceived thus: The wicked man is impudent, and therefore careleſſe how he walks; but the upright is ſober and modeſt, and therefore carefull rightly to order all his waies.