Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. A Good name is rather to be choſen then great riches, &c.] That is, a good repute and report amongſt men gotten by well-doing: and loving favour rather then ſilver and gold; that is, the love and reſpect of thoſe amongſt whom a man lives, eſpecially of thoſe that are for wiſdome and piety and dignity eminent above others, when it is procured by that which is truly amiable and commendable in him. Now both theſe are preferred before great riches. 1. Becauſe both theſe ſpring from vertue and piety, and ſo are the peculiar bleſſings of the faithfull, whereas the worſt of men do many times moſt abound in wealth. 2. Becauſe by theſe much good may be obtained, which by riches cannot be gotten. Riches do often bring men into great danger; when men of good report and well-beloved ſhall either be free from the malice and envy and violence of men, or at leaſt they ſhall find many that will be ready to aid and ſecure them. Again, ſuch men uſually enjoy much quiet and peace, and are free from thoſe vexations and troubles and ſuits at law, wherewith rich men are continually perplexed: yea and riches and advancement in the world are many times procured by a mans good report, and the favour that he enjoyeth amongſt men; whereas, on the other ſide, no riches can buy off infamy, nor redeem a mans reputation when it is once loſt. 3. Becauſe riches are fading tranſitory bleſſings; whereas a good name continueth, and makes a man live as it were after he is dead, and is a great honour to his children after him. And 4. becauſe a good name and good eſteem amongſt men do render a mans ſpeeches and actions the more acceptable unto men, they enable him to doe much the more good in the places where he lives, & are an encouragement to others in well-doing; which riches are not.
Verſ. 2. The rich & poor meet together, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, when the rich declining in their eſtate, & the poor by degrees growing in wealth, come at length to be of equall eſtates: Or thus; Though in regard of their outward condition there is a vaſt difference between the rich & the poor, the rich being honoured, as if they were more then men, the poor deſpiſed & abuſed, as if they were beaſts and not men; yet in many things they meet together, & are every way alike: they are both of the ſame nature, made after Gods image, they have the ſame Lord & Creatour, & in their birth & death are both alike, &c. And indeed the words will bear both theſe expoſitions. But yet the more obvious & ordinary expoſition I take to be the beſt, to wit, that the rich & poor, becauſe there are both of the one & the other in all places, according to that Mat. 26.11. ye have the poor alwaies with you, do often occaſionally meet together, & converſe one with another, yea they do uſually ſeek out one another, as having mutually need one of another: the Lord is the maker of them all; that is, they are all his creatures, & it is God that makes the one rich and the other poor; and that in great wiſdome, becauſe without this difference in mens outward condition, humane ſocieties could not ſubſiſt: ſee the Note chap. 14.31. And this is added to imply, that as the poor ought not to envy or maligne the rich, ſo neither ſhould the rich grow proud, deſpiſe or oppreſſe the poor.
Verſ. 3. A prudent man foreſeeth the evil, &c.] To wit, the miſchief that is like to befall him in any way he is going, or action he is undertaking; or the evil which his enemies have plotted to bring upon him, (as indeed wicked men are uſually ſeeking the ruine of the righteous;) or rather the judgements of God approaching, whether private or publick, which he diſcovers before-hand by obſerving the wickedneſſe committed, & meditating on the judgements threatned, or by taking notice of ſome preſent ſigns & diſcoveries of Gods indignation: & hideth himſelf; to wit, by abandoning ſuch wicked waies and company, by putting himſelf through faith & prayer under the ſhelter of Gods protection, & by uſing all lawfull means to avoid the evil feared: but the ſimple paſs on, & are punished; to wit, as not foreſeeing or not regarding the evil they are in danger of; ſee the Note chap. 14.16. But to all this ſome adde, that Solomon ſpeaks of a prudent man foreſeeing danger, in the ſingular number, but of ſimple ones that only mind preſent things, in the plurall, to imply, that there are multitudes of theſe, but few of thoſe that foreſee dangers and hide themſelves.
Verſ. 5. Thorns & ſnares, &c.] In the foregoing verſe it is ſaid, that By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches & honour & life: & now in oppoſition thereto this is added, Thorns & ſnares are in the way of the froward; that is, wicked men do uſually meet with many inextricable plagues & miſeries in their waies; ſee the Notes upon Job 18.8, 9, 10. Or, by the thorns in the way of the wicked may be particularly meant, the ſtinging terrours of conſcience they many times undergoe; and by the ſnares in their way may be meant, that they are continually intangled in the ſnares & temptations of the devil & the wicked world, yea that all things, good as well as bad, proſperity as well as adverſity, are as ſnares and ſtumbling-blocks unto them; or that they are ſo entangled in their wickedneſſe, that they cannot leave it, being herein, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, as naturall brute beaſts, made to be taken and destroyed, 2 Pet. 2.12. He that doth keep his ſoul, that is, he that doth carefully watch over the ſafety of his ſoul; shall be farre from them, that is, will avoid their wicked waies, not ſo much as coming near the occaſions thereof. Or, He that doth keep his ſoul, to wit, from their wicked waies, shall be farre from them, that is, from the fore-mentioned thorns and ſnares. Yet the words of Solomon here are capable of another expoſition: as that thorns and ſnares are in the way of the froward, becauſe wicked men are prone both to injure and hurt others, and likewiſe to lay ſnares for them, to cheat and deceive them, and to ſeduce them into erroneous and ſinfull waies; which is the ſame in effect with that Rom. 3.16, 17. Deſtruction and miſery are in their waies, and the way of peace have they not known: and that therefore he that doth keep his ſoul shall be farre from them; that is, he that is wary for his own ſafety will keep out of the reach of ſuch miſchievous perſons, and will carefully avoid their plots, flatteries and ſeducements. And ſee alſo the Note chap. 15.19.
Verſ. 6. Train up a child in the way he should goe, &c.] In the Hebrew it is in his way; whereby may be meant alſo, that he muſt be inſtructed in ſuch a manner as is ſuitable to his years, and according to his capacity, as by giving him the ſhorteſt and the eaſieſt inſtructions, and ſeeking to inſtill knowledge into him by little and little.
Verſ. 7. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is ſervant to the lender.] Though it be true, that the rich are commonly choſen into places of office and magiſtracy, and that amongſt the Jews thoſe that were in debt were wont to be fold for ſervants to their Creditors; (ſee the Note Exod. 21.2.) yet here Solomon ſpeaks of rich mens inſulting and domineering over the poor, and the bondage they are kept in that are forced to borrow of them. And the drift of this Proverb is, to warn men to be ſo wiſe, as by honeſt diligence in their callings to endeavour to be able to live of themſelves, that they may never come to live in ſuch ſlavery.
Verſ. 8. He that ſoweth iniquity shall reap vanity, &c.] That is, though he may propoſe divers ends of advantage to himſelf by his inſolent tyrannizing over the poor, his expectation therein ſhall be vain and fruitleſſe, he ſhall reap nothing by it, but affliction and miſery; ſee the Note Job 4.8: and the rod of his anger shall fail; that is, though he may chafe and rage, when he ſees that his iniquity hath no ſucceſſe, yet he ſhall not be able to help himſelf, the waſting of his power in vain ſhall be all his harveſt; or, his perſecution and oppreſſion ſhall ceaſe; or, his authority and power, which in his wrath he uſed for the ſcourging and oppreſſion of others, ſhall be broken, even as a rod when one ſtrikes hard with it doth break and ſnap aſunder; ſee the Note Pſal. 125.3. But now if we read this laſt clauſe, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, and with the rod of his anger he shall be conſumed, then the meaning muſt be either 1. that the tyrannicall abuſe of his power ſhould prove his own ruine; or 2. that he ſhould undergoe the ſame fury, violence and oppreſſion from others, which he had ſhew… ▪ to others: as if he had ſaid, that others ſhould take the rod out of his hand, and beat him with it, or that he ſhould be threſhed with the ſame rod wherewith he had threſ…ed others. For there may be an alluſion in this expreſſion to the rod wherewith they were wont to threſh out their grain, Iſa. 28.27. the fitches are beaten out with a ſtaffe, and the cummin with a rod; and that with reſpect to the ſimilitude uſed in the foregoing clauſe, He that ſoweth iniquity shall reap vanity.
Verſ. 9. He that hath a bountifull eye shall be bleſſed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.] That is, he will give of that which is juſtly his own for the relief of the poor; yea, if need be, he will ſpare the very meat out of his own belly to feed them.
Verſ. 10. Caſt out the ſcorner, &c.] That is, let him be caſt out of mens company & families, out of the Churches, & common-wealths, and places where he lives: and contention shall goe out; as if he ſhould have ſaid, this, & this only, will put an end to contention amongſt men, becauſe one ſcorner will ſet all on a light flame, beſides the danger of his infecting others. Yea ſtrife and reproach shall ceaſe: where by reproach may be meant all railing & reviling and reproachfull language, which uſually follows ſtrife & contention, & wherewith the ſcorner is wont to requite thoſe that reprove & admoniſh him; or elſe, the infamy and ſhame which quarrelling & ſtrife brings upon thoſe that are given to it, yea and upon thoſe amongſt whom they live.
Verſ. 11. He that loveth pureneſſe of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.] This may be read, as in the margin, He that loveth pureneſſe of heart, and hath grace in his lips, &c. & then accordingly the meaning muſt be, either firſt, (as taking the words in the moſt generall ſenſe) that he that loveth pureneſſe of heart, that is, he that is of a pure & undefiled heart and conſcience, that abhorreth all hypocriſy, & loveth truth and holineſſe, uprightneſſe and ſincerity in the inward man, and hath grace in his lips, that is, whoſe ſpeech is holy & gracious, wiſe & profitable to others (ſee the Note Pſal. 45.3.) the king, when he is ſuch an one as a king ought to be, shall be his friend: or elſe, in a more particular ſenſe, that he that is of a loyall faithtull heart, void of all diſſimulation, & ſo never goeth about for fear, or hope of reward, to frame his ſpeech ſo as he thinks will pleaſe princes and great men, but will ſpeak the truth from his heart, & that diſcreetly and prudently, which may be principally intended to be the grace of his lips, ſhall find that God will encline the hearts of princes to favour him. But now reading it as it is in our Bibles, He that loveth pureneſſe of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend, then the drift of the words is to ſhew, why a man of a gracious, ſincere, faithfull heart, ſhall be ſure to find favour with Princes: namely 1. becauſe there will be grace alſo in ſuch a mans lips, he will ſpeak graciouſly and wiſely, and with much content to thoſe that hear him; pureneſſe of heart cauſing grace in the lips, as neceſſarily, as the pureneſſe of ſilver cauſeth it to yield a ſweet and delightfull ſound: & 2. becauſe wiſe men do alwaies abhor diſſembling flatteries. However the drift of the Proverb is, to ſhew, that faithfulneſſe and plain-dealing is the beſt way to preferment; and that the ſpeech of the upright ſhall be acceptable, when the gloſing ſilken words of paraſites ſhall be hatefull. But ſee the Note alſo chap. 16.13.
Verſ. 12. The eyes of the Lord preſerve knowledge, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, The Lord doth continue, uphold, and maintain the truth, and the knowledge of the truth amongſt his people; as namely, by preſerving the Scriptures, the ſpring of ſaving knowledge, & thoſe that are ordained of God to teach men knowledge: and he overthroweth the words of the tranſgreſſour; that is, he conſuteth & bringeth to nought the falſe doctrines of ignorant men & ſeducers. But becauſe of the oppoſition of the following clauſe, I rather take it thus: The eyes of the Lord preſerve knowledge; that is, The watchfull & tender providence of the all-ſeeing God doth preſerve knowing, wiſe & godly men, & doth uphold & proſper their counſels & endeavours: and he overthroweth the words (or, the matters) of the tranſgreſſours; all the counſels & enterpriſes of wicked men; or more particularly, all that they ſpeak or doe againſt the righteous. And there are ſome of our beſt Expoſitours that conceive that this is added with reference to what was ſaid in the foregoing Proverb. Becauſe it might be objected againſt that which was ſaid there, that if men out of conſcience ſpeak the truth from their hearts to princes, it may bring them into danger; in anſwer thereto it is here ſaid, that God will preſerve him that followeth his counſell herein, though never ſo many eyes do watch over him to hurt him. Though ſuch men may be counted fools, that cannot diſſemble & flatter; yet God eſteems this the only true wiſdome and knowledge: & though for a time paraſites may ſeem to proſper, & to have all the favour; yet God will diſcover the vanity of their flatteries, & it may be make thoſe very words of theirs the cauſe of their diſgrace, which they hoped would have been the means of their advancement.
Verſ. 13. The ſlothfull man ſaith, There is a lion without; I shall be ſlain in the ſtreets.] To wit, by the lion before mentioned; & hereby the vanity of this excuſe is repreſented as the more ridiculous, becauſe lions uſe not to be in the ſtreets of towns or cities, but only abroad in the woods and fields. Yet ſome would have the two clauſes here joyned together underſtood disjunctively: to wit, that if the ſluggard be to goe forth to his labour in the field, then he ſaith, There is a lion without, &c. and if he be to goe about any buſineſſe in the town or city, then he pretends danger of being ſlain ſome other way, to wit, by ſome quarrelſome cut-throats that are abroad in the ſtreets, or by ſome enemies of his that lye there in wait for him. However, obſervable is the expreſſion that Solomon uſeth, The ſlothfull man ſaith, &c. He doth not think, but only ſay ſo, even againſt the light of his own conſcience pretending this by way of excuſe. All the lion that endangers the ſluggard is that of idleneſſe, which lyes with him in his bed, yea in his boſome; of which he never complains. But ſee the Note alſo chap 15.19.
Verſ. 14. The mouth of ſtrange women, &c.] See the Note chap. 2.16: is a deep pit; to wit, becauſe by their kiſſes and enticing language, they bring men into a ſin which will hardly ever be left, and into manifold miſeries, out of which men do very hardly and ſeldome eſcape, but do uſually periſh in them; ſee alſo the Notes ch. 2.18, 19. He that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein; that is, the man that God is highly offended with for ſome former wickedneſſe ſhall, in a way of juſt vengeance, be delivered up to this ſin.
Verſ. 15. Foolishneſſe is bound in the heart of a child.] To wit, becauſe folly, wantonneſſe and wickedneſſe, being naturall to children, it muſt needs be a very hard thing to make them leave it.
Verſ. 16. He that oppreſſeth the poor to encreaſe his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall ſurely come to want.] Some underſtand both clauſes of one and the ſame man, to wit, that he that robs the poor, and then gives bribes to the magiſtrates and great men, thereby to ſecure himſelf, ſhall certainly come to poverty. But I rather underſtand it of two different perſons or ſins: to wit, that he that oppreſſeth poor men, and likewiſe he that in a vain-glorious humour, or in hope of getting ſome great matter by them, will be ſumptuouſly feaſting great rich men, and ſending them rich preſents, ſo giving to the rich what he ſhould give to the poor, yea what he hath many times injuriouſly raked from the poor, ſhall both alike come to poverty; and that not only becauſe rich men do often only flout at thoſe that follow them ſo with preſents, at leaſt they never mind them, nor think of requiting them, but alſo becauſe God doth often in anger blaſt their eſtates.
Verſ. 17. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wiſe, &c.] Solomon uſeth this generall expreſſion, either 1. becauſe he would preſſe his ſon to attend to the inſtruction of all godly wiſe men, as well as his own; or 2. becauſe in the cloſe of this book he meant to adde the words alſo of Agur and Bathſheba; or 3. becauſe theſe inſtructions of his, being the very word of God, were the ſame with thoſe that were taught by all thoſe that were truly wiſe: and apply thine heart unto my knowledge; ſee the Note chap. 2.2. From the beginning of the tenth chapter to this place, Solomon hath, as by way of doctrine, given us certain ſhort proverbiall ſentences, every verſe almoſt containing one entire Proverb by it ſelf; but now from hence to the beginning of the 25. chapter, the manner of his ſtile is changed: for beſides that all is here delivered by way of exhortation, the precepts that are here preſſed are for the moſt part more largely delivered in ſeverall verſes, and backed with reaſons, much as before it was in the firſt nine chapters. And hence I conceive it is, that in this and the four following verſes this new exhortation, to attend diligently to Solomons doctrine, is inſerted either by way of cloſing up the former Proverbs, or rather by way of a new preface to that which follows.
Verſ. 18. For it is a pleaſant thing, if thou keep them within thee, &c.] As if he had ſaid, Though the words of the wiſe may at firſt ſeem harſh, and hard to be learnt, and over-ſevere, and ſo be diſpleaſing to thee; yet if thou keep them within thee, that is, if thou doſt once underſtand and believe them, and ſo doſt upon occaſion call them to mind, and meditate on them, & obey them conſtantly, thou ſhalt find them very delightfull and comfortable to thee; ſee the Note chap. 3.17. They shall withall be fitted to thy lips; that is, thou ſhalt be able opportunely to call them to remembrance for the inſtruction of others, and to ſpeak fluently, aptly, & to good purpoſe of every thing, as any occaſion is offered; yea and that with the acceptance and good approbation of thoſe to whom thou ſpeakeſt. And indeed then only do holy words and inſtructions proceed fitly and handſomely from men, when they proceed from the heart & from good men, according to that of David, Pſal. 37.30, 31. The mouth of the righteous ſpeaketh wiſdome, and his tongue talketh of judgement; the law of God is in his heart: for which ſee the Notes there.
Verſ. 19. That thy truſt may be in the Lord, &c.] That is, To the end that knowing & obſerving what I have taught thee, thy truſt may be fixed upon God, his word & promiſes, both for what concerns thy welfare in this life, and that which is to come: I have made known to thee; to wit, all theſe truths that I have taught thee: this day; that is, at this time, ſee Pſal. 95.7. or, in this book: even to thee; as if he ſhould have ſaid, Even to thee, my ſon, to whom I cannot better manifeſt my fatherly love, then in teaching thee theſe things, & whoſe duty it is to apply theſe precepts generally delivered to thy ſelf in particular, and to know them for thine own good. I know ſome read the laſt clauſe thus, truſt thou alſo, & the drift of it is as if he had ſaid, I have done my duty in ſhewing thee thoſe things that ſhould bring thee to put thy truſt in the Lord; be thou now as carefull to practiſe this, as I have been to teach thee.
Verſ. 20. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counſels and knowledge?] That is, excellent counſels, which I have given thee from God, for thine advice and direction in all thy waies, & whereby thou maieſt be enabled to give counſell to others; and excellent precepts appertaining to knowledge, to inform thee in all things, which it is fit thou ſhouldeſt know, for thy welfare here, or eternall ſalvation hereafter.
Verſ. 21. That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, &c.] That is, That I might teach thee, not doubtful conceits, or lying fables, but truths of unqueſtionable certainty, even the ſure Oracles of God: that thou mighteſt anſwer the words of truth to them that ſend unto thee; that is, that thou maieſt be able to give ſound advice to thoſe that ſend to thee to deſire thy counſell, and to ſatisfy thoſe that ſend to be informed in ſome hard caſes or doubtfull queſtions; or, that thou maieſt be able to give a reaſon of thy judgement or doings to any that ſhall call thee to give an account thereof, according to that 1 Pet. 3.15. Be ready alwaies to give an anſwer to every man that asketh you a reaſon of the hope that is in you. But now if we read this laſt clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bibles, that thou mighteſt anſwer the words of truth to thoſe that ſend thee, then the meaning muſt be this; that thou maieſt give a fair account to thoſe that have ſent thee either to be inſtructed, or to manage any great buſineſſe they have committed to thy truſt.
Verſ. 22. Rob not the poor, becauſe he is poor, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, becauſe being poor, he is fitter to be pitied and relieved, then to be robbed and oppreſſed; or rather, becauſe being poor, he is not able to withſtand; let not that encourage thee: neither oppreſſe the afflicted in the gate; to wit, under a pretence of juſtice; ſee the Notes Job 5.4. and 31.21.
Verſ. 25. L…ſt thou learn his waies, &c.] To wit, the angry mans waies, mentioned in the foregoing verſe, by being infected by his example & company, as naturally men are prone to imitate thoſe they love; or by being provoked to anger by his anger, & ſo through often brawling and contending thou getteſt at laſt an habit of frowardneſſe: and get a ſnare to thy ſoul; that is, & ſo beeſt entangled in the ſame ſin, to the endangering of thy ſoul in eternall perdition; or, leſt thou bring thy life into danger: to wit, either by thy friends falling ſuddenly upon thee in his fury ſome time or other, and taking away thy life; or by ſome quarrels whereinto thou maieſt be brought by his means, wherein by thy provoking of others thy life may be brought in hazzard, at leaſt ſome great miſchief or other may befall thee.
Verſ. 26. Be not thou one of them that ſtrike hands, &c.] See the Notes chap. 6.1. and Job 17.3.
Verſ. 27. If thou haſt nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?] See the Note chap. 20.16.
Verſ. 29. Seeſt thou a man diligent in his buſineſſe? &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Such a man is deſervedly to be noted and obſerved; and if therefore thou haſt taken notice of ſuch a man, obſerve likewiſe what the iſſue of his diligence is: he shall ſtand before kings, &c.