Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Verſ. 1. BOaſt not thy ſelf of to morrow, &c.] That is, of any thing thou intendeſt to doe, or any thing which thou thinkeſt to have or enjoy to morrow: for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth; to wit, either the preſent day, or the morrow-day; thou knoweſt not what may happen this day to prevent thine expectations to morrow, or what may come to paſſe to morrow contrary to thine expectations this day. As no man knoweth what is in the womb of a woman with child, till the child be born; ſo no man can tell what a day, which is big, as I may ſay, with Gods decrees, will bring forth, till it ſuddenly comes to paſſe. Now the drift of this Proverb is, to ſhew the folly of all vain boaſting of future things, and likewiſe of all delaying to doe what it is fit ſhould be preſently done, upon pretence of doing it hereafter.
Verſ. 2. Let another man praiſe thee, and not thine own mouth, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, So behave thy ſelf, that other men may praiſe thee; but however praiſe not thy ſelf. And indeed, unleſſe there be a neceſſity for it, as when it is for the vindicating of a mans own innocency, or when the not doing of it is likely to tend to the hinderance of the truth, the hurt of the Church, or the impairing of Gods glory, it is both an unſeemly and an unfitting thing for men to praiſe themſelves. Beſides that ſuch praiſes may be juſtly ſuſpected, it diſcovers much vain-glory and folly in him that doeth it; whence it is that the Apoſtle Paul, being forced in his own defence to praiſe himſelf, doth often uſe that expreſſion 2 Cor. 12. I ſpeak as a fool. And to the ſame purpoſe are the next words, a stranger, and not thine own lips. Yet ſome would have it, that the word ſtranger is here added, becauſe to be praiſed by a mans own kindred, or near relations, is all one as if his own mouth ſhould praiſe him.
Verſ 3. A ſtone is heavy, & the ſand weighty; but a fools wrath is heavier then them both.] Whether a fools wrath be expreſſed by ſome great miſchief, which may well be compared to ſome huge maſſy ſton…e, or by many frequent quarrellings and leſſer wrongs, which may well be compared to a load of ſand, it is heavier the… either ſtone or ſand, that is, it is more intolerable and harder to be born; and that becauſe a fools wrath is uſually cauſeleſſe, and againſt all reaſon, it is boundleſſe and endleſſe, there is no dealing with ſuch men, no pacifying of them: and it is alſo more miſchievous to men, and that eſpecially becauſe it cruſheth and oppreſſeth the minds and ſouls of men, whoſe preſſures are moſt grievous; neither are any indeed but the wiſer ſort of men able to bear the burthen of it.
Verſ. 4. Wrath is cruell, and anger is outragious, &c.] In the Hebrew it is, and anger an overflowing, that is, it will not be kept within bounds, but breaks out, and is like overflowing waters, that carry all before them with unreſiſtable violence: but who can ſtand before envy? or, jealouſie? for which ſee the Note chap. 6.34. The meaning is, that envy is more dangerous then either wrath or anger: and that 1. becauſe envy (which hideth it ſelf, as being aſhamed of its cauſe) doth ſecretly ſeek the ruine of men, and ſo cannot be avoided; whereas wrath and anger do preſently ſhew themſelves: and 2. becauſe, whereas wrath and anger will of it ſelf ſoon be over, and come to nothing, at leaſt they may be appeaſed, eſpecially with benefits; envy is rather encreaſed by ſuch meanes, and can no way be appeaſed, but is endleſſe and boundleſſe in its rage. See the Note alſo chap. 14.30.
Verſ. 5. Open rebuke is better then ſecret love.] By open rebuke is not meant a publick rebuke before many witneſſes, (for that in many caſes is not fitting) but a plain and free reproof without any diſſimulation, and to a mans face, rather then behind his back. And this is ſaid to be better then ſecret love, that is, good will pretended, but no way expreſſed; or, not diſcovered as it ought to be, by reproving men for their ſins. And the reaſon is, becauſe ſuch open reproofs diſcover the reprovers to be faithfull friends, and tend to the good of the reproved, which ſecret love doth not. Yea this may be extended alſo to the reproof of an enemy, that cares not how he ſhames a man by blazing his faults openly: and thus even ſuch reproofs may be ſaid to be better, that is, more profitable, then ſecret love.
Verſ. 6. Faithfull are the wounds of a friend, &c.] That is, the ſharp and piercing reproofs and chaſtiſements of a friend; to wit, becauſe they proceed from an upright heart, and a ſincere deſire of the good of the party reproved, and becauſe men in ſo doing doe the part of a faithfull friend: but the kiſſes, that is, the fawnings and flatteries, of an enemy are deceitfull; or, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, earneſt, or, frequent; to wit, that under the pretence of very fervent love, he may the better deceive.
Verſ. 8. As a bird that wandereth from her neſt, ſo is a man that wandereth from his place.] This is ſeverall waies underſtood by Expoſitours: as 1. that as a bird leaveth not her neſt, but to ſeek meat for her ſelf and her young ones; ſo neither ought a man to leave his calling & family, but upon ſuch neceſſary occaſions: or 2. that as God by his providence feedeth the bird that thus flyeth abroad for her proviſion; ſo will God provide for the man that ſeeks about in a lawfull way to get a livelyhood for him & his: or 3. that a man who t…rries not at home, but wanders up & down abroad, not minding his family, is like a bird that wanders up & down from place to place, & minds not her young ones. But the trueſt & moſt genuine Expoſition I take to be this: that by a man that wandreth from his place is meant, a man that, out of mere lightneſſe & inconſtancy, or out of timorouſneſſe, or any ſuch like cauſe, not having any juſt ground or warrant for it, is never contented with his preſent ſtate or condition or calling, but loveth to be changing, & can never ſtay long in one place or way; & that ſuch a one is compared to a bird that wandreth from her neſt, that is, that leaves her neſt, & is ſtill flirting abroad & roving from one place to another, to imply thereby, either 1. that ſuch a man is no wiſer, nor better ſtayed, then ſuch a bird is; or 2. that he is no more likely of his own accord to ſettle himſelf any where, then ſuch a bird is any where to repoſe her ſelf; or 3. that as a bird is never ſo ſafe as in her neſt, (eſpecially amongſt the Iewes, where God had provided that a bird ſhould not be moleſted in her neſt, Deut. 22.6, 7.) being abroad ſhe is lyable to manifold miſchiefs, & doth many times come ſhort home; ſo it is with thoſe that are ſtill leaping out of one place & calling into another: whereas at home they lived quietly, & in the good eſteem of their neighbours, being got ſo abroad, they wander they know not where, & many times ſome miſchief befals them. Yea & ſome think that Solomon ſpake this principally with reference to thoſe birds that are wont to fly away from thoſe regions where it begins to be cold, into ſome warmer country; & that becauſe ſuch birds at thoſe times are wont to be killed in great numbers, & ſo are the fitter to repreſent the danger of thoſe that abide not in their calling, but are ever ſeeking to change their condition.
Verſ. 9. Oyntment and perfume rejoyce the heart; ſo doth the ſweetneſſe of a mans friend by hearty counſell.) See the Note Pſal. 55.14.
Verſ. 10. Thine own friend and thy fathers friend forſake not, &c.] To wit, neither the one nor the other; or, him that hath been both the one and the other: neither go into thy brothers houſe in the day of thy calamity; as if he ſhould have ſaid, having ſuch an ancient approved friend, in all thy ſtraits make uſe of him rather then any kinſman or brother; & that not only becauſe ſuch friends do many times (though it be not alwaies ſo) love more affectionatly then brothers, but alſo eſpecially, becauſe ſuch friends doe uſually dwell together, (neighbourhood being commonly the originall of ſuch firm & faithfull friendſhip) & ſo are able to help one another ſooner, & oftener, then a brother dwelling far off can poſſibly doe: whence that laſt clauſe is added, for better is a neighbour that is near, then a brother far off; to wit, when a neighbour is ſuch an ancient approved friend; or, this may be ſpoken as arguing from the leſſe to the greater, that if a neighbour, much more a friend is better then a brother.
Verſ. 11. My ſon, &c.] See the Note Chap. 1.8: be wiſe, & make my heart glad; ſee the Notes Chap. 23.15. & 10.1: that I may have wherewith to anſwer him that reproacheth me; that is, that by the diſcovery of thy wiſdome in time to come, I may be able to ſhew the folly of thoſe that now would reproach me, for not giving thee good education.
Verſ. 12. A prudent man foreſeeth the evill, &c.] See the Note Chap. 22.3.
Verſ. 13. Take his garment that is ſurety for a ſtranger, &c.] See the Note Chap. 20.16.
Verſ. 14. He that bleſſeth his friend with a loud voice, riſing early in the morning, it shall be counted a curſe to him.] I conceive that there is in theſe expreſſions an alluſion to a practiſe that was cuſtomarily uſed in thoſe times, namely, that flattering paraſites were wont to goe to the doors of great men, & that very early in the morning before it was day, as affecting to out-ſtrip others, & to be the firſt in that ſervice, & there with a loud voice, that all the neighbours might hear them, to proclaim their goodneſſe & bounty by ſome formes of ſalutation or prayer, which were then uſed, as, Long live ſuch or ſuch an illuſtrious Prince, &c. or, God ſave my noble worthy bountifull benefactor or Patron, &c. or ſuch like. And by ſaying that when a man thus bleſſeth his friend, it shall be counted a curſe to him, Solomons meaning is, that as this, ſo all other unſeaſonable & immoderate praiſings of men to their faces, & in the hearing of others, are no better, nor can be any better eſteemed or endured by wiſe men, (& much leſſe is God like to eſteem otherwiſe of them,) then if they were ſo many direct imprecations: & that 1. becauſe ſuch waies of praiſing men cannot but be diſcerned to be palpable flatteries, & that men do it merely to curry favour with ſuch great ones, whereas indeed they do rather hate & curſe them in their hearts; 2. becauſe if a man ſhould accept of ſuch flatteries, men might have juſt cauſe to account him a vain-glorious fool, one that affected to be praiſed, yet could not diſcern betwixt thoſe that praiſed him, & thoſe that did only delude & deride him; & 3. becauſe ſuch flatteries do exceeding much hurt to thoſe that are ſo flattered in ſpirituall reſpects. Yet ſome underſtand that laſt clauſe, it shall be counted a curſe to him, thus; that ſuch a way of praiſing a mans friends ſhall prove a curſe to him that ſo praiſeth them, in that every one ſhall count him a fawning paraſite, which ſhall be much to his reproach.
Verſ. 15. A continuall dropping in a very rainy day, & a contentious woman, are alike.) See the Note Chap. 19.13. Yet the meaning may be alſo, that as the one will not ſuffer men to ſtay abroad, ſo neither will the other ſuffer them to abide within doors.
Verſ. 16. Whoſoever hideth her, &c.] That is, Whoſoever goeth about to order her ſo, that ſhe may not diſcover her outrage by her chiding & brawling, or at leaſt that her loud out-cries may not be heard, & that ſo it may not be known what ſhe is, both to her own & her husbands ſhame, as namely by uſing her with all poſſible kindneſſe & gentleneſſe, that ſhe may not be angry, or by not anſwering her again, or by ſeeking to pacify her when ſhe begins to be angry, & to huſh her brawling & ſcolding, or by ſhutting her up in ſome place that neighbours may not hear her: ſuch a one hideth the wind, and the oyntment of his right hand, which bewrayeth it ſelf; that is, he undertakes that which is as impoſſible, as if he ſhould undertake to ſhut up the whiſtling wind in any place, or to hold it in his hand, that it ſhould not blow, & that the noiſe thereof ſhould not be heard, or to hold ſome odoriferous oyntment ſo faſt in his hand, as not to ſuffer ſo much as the ſmell thereof to go forth: for as there is no reſtraining of the winds blowing, who hath gathered the wind in his fiſt? ſaith Solomon afterward Chap. 30.4. where it gets into a room, we ſee it will get through every cranny, & the more oppoſition it meets with by any thing that ſtands in its way, the more violently it blows; & as there is no hiding of ſuch an oyntment in ones hand, becauſe being preſſed by a warm hand it will ſlip the ſooner through the fingers, & the ſweet ſavour of it will the more ſpread it ſelf all about; ſo neither is there any preventing or ſuppreſſing the clamours of a contentious woman, but the more means is uſed to that purpoſe, the more ſhe will make the houſe to ring with her loud chiding, yea the whole neighbourhood round about.
Verſ. 17. Iron sharpeneth iron, &c.] As namely, when all cutting tooles are ſharpened by the file, & when by rubbing one ſword or knife againſt another, they are mutually made the brighter & ſharper, & ſo do cut the better: ſo a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend; that is, ſay ſome Expoſitors, ſo doth a man by his rugged & wrathfull looks, language & behaviour, provoke the anger of his dear relations, & make his friend look ſowrely & ſharply upon him; or rather, ſo doth a man by his preſence & conference & conſolation, make the countenance of his friend ſmooth & quick & lively, that was before, by reaſon of ſome affliction & ſorrow that he lay under, exceeding ſowre, dull & dejected. Yea it may be extended to all the benefits that flow from the converſing of friends together: whereas men being alone by themſelves, are uſually heavy & dull, & like a tool whoſe edge is blunted, good in a manner for nothing; when they come to converſe with their friends face to face, by their mutuall conferences, inſtructions, counſels & exhortations, & by the good example they have one from another, they are every way much bettered hereby; it brings them to be of a ſharper wit, & a more vigorous & quicker piercing judgement, their behaviour in all things becomes the more poliſhed & refined, & they are continually provoking & whetting on one another to good works, Heb. 10.24. For becauſe all the affections of men do much appear in their countenances, therefore in all the particulars fore-mentioned it may be well ſaid, that a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Verſ. 18. Whoſo keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof, &c.] That is, He that diligently dreſſeth it, & preſerveth it from wind & cold & all other annoiances, ſhall ſooner or later reap the benefit of his labours in the fruit he ſhall eat of it: ſo he that waiteth on his maſter; that is, that conſtantly & diligently attends upon his perſon & buſineſſe, & is faithfull & truſty therein: shall be honoured; that is, he ſhall at laſt, if not preſently, be well rewarded & preferred, either by his maſter, or others that ſhall obſerve his commendable qualities, or at leaſt God will do it. The drift of this Proverb is to ſhew, either 1. that as there are wayes & means for houſholders to benefit themſelves, ſo alſo for ſervants in their places; or 2. that ſervants muſt be content to wait for the recompence of their faithfull ſervice, as the husbandman doth for the fruit of his trees, after he hath beſtowed much pains upon them; or 3. that it is as equall & juſt that a good ſervant ſhould be well rewarded & honoured by his maſter, as that one ſhould eat of the fruit of that tree which he hath carefully dreſſed & tended.
Verſ. 19. As in water face anſwereth to face; ſo the heart of man to man.] That which ſome would have to be the meaning of this Proverb, that mens minds & fancies differ as much as their faces, ſo many men ſo many minds, is clearly made good in the ſeverall Expoſitions that are given of it, there being very few that undertake to ſhew the ſenſe of it that agree in one and the ſame Expoſition. But the moſt probable Expoſitions that are given of it are theſe: 1. that the hearts of all men living are in regard of naturall corruption as like one to another, as the ſhadow of a mans face in the water is like to the face whoſe ſhadow it is; in the heart of the wickedſt men the beſt of men may ſee, as in a mirror, what their own hearts naturally are: 2. that mens minds, affections & diſpoſitions, are many times as like, as in the water face is to face; there is no man, but ſome other may be found that in regard of his inward temper & diſpoſition doth exactly reſemble him; if one man be of a cheerfull or ſad temper, ſo are others; if one man doth affect learning, or merchandiſe, or husbandry, others may be found that are alſo juſt the ſame way inclined; and the like may be ſaid in many other particulars: 3. that as a man may ſee the face of another man, in ſeeing the ſhadow of his face in the water, though he do not directly ſee the man himſelf, but yet it is but very imperfectly; ſo men may, by obſerving the outward behaviour of men, & by the knowledge & experience which they have of their own hearts, diſcover what is in the hearts of other men, though it be but imperfectly, by gueſs & conjecture, rather then by any clear diſcovery; ſee the Note Chap. 20.5: 4. that as in water, natures looking-glaſſe, if it be clear & ſtill, men may truly ſee their faces, though but imperfectly; ſo by reflecting & looking back into their own hearts & minds, obſerving diligently wherein they doe moſt frequently buſy themſelves, and whereto they are moſt enclined, men may, as in a looking-glaſſe, truly, though but imperfectly, ſee themſelves, the conſcience of every man, if it be clear & undiſturbed, will truly tell him what he is; for, ſaith the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 2.11. what man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of a man which is in him? & 5. that as the ſhadow of a mans face in the water will be proportionable to his face, ſo mens affections will be mutually anſwerable & proportionable to one another; & that becauſe the inward affections of men will diſcover themſelves in their faces, & hereupon men will be affected to other men, as they ſee other men affected to them; a friendly heart will be anſwered with a friendly heart, & as men deal with others, others will deal with them. Each of theſe Expoſitions hath ſome good probability in it: but the two firſt I like the beſt.
Verſ. 20. Hell & deſtruction are never full, &c.) That is, hell & death, or, hell & the grave; ſee the Note Iob 26.6: ſo the eyes of man are never ſatisfied; that is, the eyes of his mind are not ſatisfyed with knowledge; or rather, the eyes of his body are never ſatisfied with ſeeing: either they have never enough of ſeeing that which they are delighted to ſee; or being glutted with what they have ſeen, they ſtill deſire to ſee ſome new thing. But that which I conceive is chiefly here intended is, that mens covetous deſires after earthly things, (which is called the luſt of the eyes, 1 Joh. 2.16. becauſe all earthly things are chiefly repreſented unto us by the eye) can never be ſatisfied; they are ſtill craving more, & are ſtill diſquieted, either becauſe they cannot have what they deſire, or becauſe being glutted with what they enjoy, they ſtill deſire new things. The compariſon here uſed by Solomon ſeems to imply as much as if he had ſaid, And why ſhould we not then hate this inſatiable deſire of earthly things, even as we would hate deſtruction & Hell?
Verſ. 21. As the fining-pot for ſilver, & the furnace for gold, &c.] That is, As theſe are uſed for the trying & purifying of ſilver & gold, ſee the Note Chap. 17.3: ſo is a man to his praiſe. And this Expoſitors underſtand ſeverall waies. For ſome take the praiſe given a man to be as the fining-pot & the furnace, which diſcovers what a man is, & that either 1. becauſe when a man is every where commended & extolled, it is a ſigne that he is a man of a good life, & one that hath done many praiſe-worthy deeds; ſee the Note Chap. 12.8; or 2. becauſe by the men that praiſe him, it may be judged what he is: if a man be praiſed by wiſe and good men, it is a ſigne that he is a good man; but if wicked men praiſe him, it is a ſigne that he is alſo ſuch as they are. But then again others conceive, (& that methinks the words ſeem moſt clearly to imply) that the man that is praiſed, is here compared to the fining-pot & the furnace: & that either 1. becauſe every man in his own conſcience, if he will deal faithfully with himſelf, is beſt able to judge whether thoſe praiſes be juſtly due to him, or whether there be a great deal of the droſſe of flattery in the praiſes that are given him, according to that Gal. 6.4, Let every man prove his own work, & ſo shall he have rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another; or 2. becauſe a mans carriage of himſelf when he is ſo praiſed will diſcover whether he be truly praiſe-worthy or no: for if he be one that deſerveth them not, he will be exalted in his mind, & carry himſelf vainly & proudly; whereas if he be a good man, he will be no way puffed up with it, but rather be the more humbled, & even troubled to hear himſelf ſo praiſed, aſcribing all to the free grace of God; yea ſuch a one will endeavour thereupon to be really ſuch as he is commended to be, & to purge himſelf from every thing that is not agreeable to the praiſes that are given, & to proceed on & to be more and more abundant in every good work.
Verſ. 23. Be diligent to know the ſtate of thy flocks, & look well to thy heards.] That is, leave them not wholly to the care of ſervants, but be thou thy ſelf carefull over them, to ſee that they be every way provided for & ordered, as it is fit they ſhould be. And under this particular, a provident care over mens eſtates in any other calling is likewiſe enjoyned.
Verſ. 24. For riches are not for ever, &c.] That is, If men be idle, & negligent, & do not provide for the preſerving of what they have, if men continually ſpend upon the ſtock, & do not daily adde to their eſtates by ſome honeſt labour, the greateſt eſtates that are will ſoon be waſted, & come to nothing: and doth the crown endure to every generation? as if he ſhould have ſaid, Even the treaſures of Princes will be exhauſted at laſt, if they be exceſſive in their expences, & do not preſerve their eſtates with care & diligence; yea men in higheſt places of honour may be caſt down from their places of dignity, & ſo may ſtand in need of ſomething that hath been ſtored up againſt future times.
Verſ. 25. The hay appeareth, &c.] To wit, when it is meet & ready for carriage; or rather, the graſſe in the meadows ſprouteth out, which is to be reſerved for hay againſt winter: and the tender graſſe sheweth it ſelf; to wit, in the paſtures which are for the ſummer feeding of the cattell: & the herbs of the mountains are gathered; that is, the graſſe, & other herbs which the mountains yield, are gathered for fodder, & other uſes for the cattell & family. And indeed the mountains may be mentioned only with reſpect to the land of Iſrael, that was full of mountains. But now the aime of Solomon in reciting theſe particulars is, to ſhew the commodity which the husbandman ſhall reap by the provident ordering of his eſtate; to wit, that being carefull ſeaſonably to gather & ſtore up the plenty which God of his goodneſſe cauſeth the earth to yield in the ſummer, he ſhall not only have his cattell well ſupplyed with food for that ſeaſon, but alſo lay up for them in ſtore againſt the winter.
Verſ. 26. The lambs are for thy cloathing, &c.] That is, with the skins and the wool of thy lambs & ſheep, whether ſold or made into cloath, thou mayeſt provide all ſorts of cloathing for thy ſelf & family; wherein alſo is implyed, that men ſhould be content with ſuch plain attire, & not waſt their eſtates in bravery above their condition; and the goats are the price of thy field; that is, with the money which thou makeſt of them, (and the goats ſome ſay are particularly mentioned, becauſe they might be better ſpared then the ſheep) thou mayeſt pay the rent of the ground which thou hireſt; or, make full as much of it, as another man would give for it, if it were thine own; or, hire land alſo for tillage, & defray all the charges laid out therein; or, corn for thy family, as well as if thou didſt keep tillage in thine own hands; or, purchaſe lands for thee & thine heires after thee.
Verſ. 27. And thou shalt have goats-milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy houſe, & for maintenance for thy maidens.) Under this particular of goats-milk (which ſome think is expreſſed, as that which is moſt nouriſhing & wholſome) all other milk, & that which is made of milk, is comprehended, & that as the food, wherewith the frugall husbandman ſhall do well to nouriſh both himſelf & his ſervants.