Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. THe wicked flee when no man purſueth, &c.) To wit, either merely by means of the terrors of their own guilty accuſing conſciences; or it may be by reaſon of ſome pannick fears wherewith they are in an extraordinany manner ſtricken by God: but the righteous are bold as a lion; to wit, becauſe they have a good cauſe & a good conſcience, do contemn all earthly things, are comforted in Gods favour & protection, & by the ſpirit of God are uſually ſtrengthened with incredible courage & boldneſſe.
Verſ. 2. For the tranſgreſsion of a land, &c.] That is, For the generall folly and wickedneſſe of a nation or ſtate: many are the princes thereof; that is, many at the ſame time ſtriving one againſt the other for the ſupreme power, or many in a ſhort time ſucceeding one another; & that either becauſe God by his own immediate hand doth quickly cut them off, or elſe becauſe they are often cut off by the inſurrections & treacheries of others, that thereby get into their places: which doth uſually bring great calamity upon the people, and makes great havock amongſt them; partly by great exactions impoſed upon them, & partly by the ſhedding of much blood amongſt them. But by a man of underſtanding and knowledge the ſtate thereof shall be prolonged; that is, by a man eminently wiſe: which may be meant, either of a wiſe prince, that uſeth all good means to ſuppreſſe or reforme the wickedneſſe of the people; or any other wiſe man amongſt the people, whether near to the Prince or otherwiſe, that by perſwading the ſeditious to be ſtill & quiet, or by his counſell any other way, may do that which may be much for the ſafety & good of a land. And ſo the drift of the Proverb may be, to ſhew, that when a land is indangered by the generall profaneneſſe & folly of a nation, by the wiſdome & piety of ſome one man amongſt them it may be preſerved; or, that the welfare of a nation ſhall be prolonged by men ſingularly wiſe & underſtanding & pious amongſt the ſubjects: Or, we may read it, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, by men of underſtanding & wiſdome shall they likewiſe be prolonged, that is, the lives of the princes ſhall be prolonged.
Verſ. 3. A poor man that oppreſſeth the poor, &c.] As namely when a beggerly judge or officer in ſome inferior place doth abuſe his power for the cruſhing of ſome poor man, or when any other poor man doth by falſe accuſations, or any other way of fraud or force, oppreſſe; ſuch an one is like a ſweeping rain, which leaveth no food; to wit, becauſe it waſheth away not only the fatneſſe of the land, but even the ſeed it ſelf, & many times tears up by the roots, & carries away the new-grown corn, & beateth the fruit off the trees. Now though the drift of this ſimilitude may be to imply the unnaturalneſſe of this ſin, in that as the rain, that ſhould make the earth yield her fruit, doth in ſuch a caſe deſtroy it; ſo the poor that ſhould above others commiſerate the poor, do oppreſſe & undoe them: yet I conceive it is chiefly to imply how boundleſſe ſuch mens oppreſſion is; partly becauſe ſuch men are of a baſe & ſordid ſpirit, & partly becauſe their own penury maketh them inſatiably greedy; (even as we uſe to ſay, that a hungry louſe will bite ſore) where they oppreſſe a poor man they ſweep all away: whereas the rich will not mind ſmall things; with ſuch beggerly people all is fiſh that comes to the net, & what they ſeize upon is preſently ſwallowed down without all hope of recovery.
Verſ. 4. They that forſake the law praiſe the wicked, &c.] And conſequently alſo they will reverence & favour them, juſtify them & take their part upon all occaſions: but ſuch as keep the law contend with them; that is, they will not only find fault with them, but they will alſo rebuke them ſharply, they will withſtand them in the evill they would doe, & cauſe them to be puniſhed for the evill they have done. But yet the drift of this Proverb may be to imply, that though it be enough to prove a man wicked, if he be one that is wont to praiſe & applaud wicked men; yet he that will approve himſelf a good man, muſt do more then diſpraiſe the wicked, he muſt contend with them.
Verſ. 5. Evill men underſtand not judgement, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 37.28, 30. Through their own blindneſſe & wilfulneſſe, & the juſt judgement of God upon them, they are not able to diſcern what is juſt & equall; and conſequently, whatever knowledge they may have in other reſpects, they may be well looked upon as ſuch as underſtand nothing: but they that ſeek the Lord; to wit, by hearing the word & prayer, & by an earneſt endeavour to approve themſelves, & to obtain his favour: underſtand all things; that is, all things that are neceſſary to be known for the well-ordering of their lives, & the attaining of life eternall.
Verſ. 6. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightneſſe, &c.] That is, he is a happier and indeed a richer man: then he that is perverſe in his wayes; that is, then a wicked falſe-hearted man; ſee the Note Deut. 32.5: though he be rich; ſee the Note Chap. 19.1.
Verſ. 7. Who ſo keepeth the law, &c.] And ſo in obedience thereto, & not merely for worldly reſpects, avoideth the company of riotous perſons; is a wiſe ſon, & ſo an honour to his father: but he that is a companion of riotous men, as being one that regards not Gods law; shameth his father, that is, he is a fooliſh ſon, & ſo diſhonoureth his father. See the Notes Chap. 10.5. & 27.11.
Verſ. 8. He that by uſury & unjuſt gain increaſeth his ſubstance, &c.] Or by uſury & increaſe, as it is in the Original: & then by uſury may be meant the taking of intereſt for the lending of money; & by increaſe, the taking of an overplus for the lending of any other things, according to that Lev. 25.37. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon uſury, nor lend him thy victuals for increaſe. He shall gather it for him that will pitty the poor; that is, God will not let him long enjoy it, but by his providence will ſome way bring it into the hands of thoſe that will do good with it.
Verſ. 9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, &c.] That is, He that wittingly & wilfully refuſeth to hear or obey the word of God: even his prayer shall be abomination; ſee the Note Chap. 15.8.
Verſ. 10. Who ſo cauſeth the righteous to go aſtray in an evill way, he shall fall himſelf into his own pit, &c.] That is, They that allure men to the doing of any thing, whereby they hope to bring ſome evill or miſchief upon them, ſhall, through Gods juſt judgement, fall into that very miſchief which they hoped to bring upon the righteous: ſee the Note Chap. 26.27. I know that many Expoſitors, by cauſing the righteous to goe aſtray in an evill way, do underſtand the ſeducing them into ſome way of error & hereſy, or other wickedneſs; & that of ſuch it is ſaid, that they shall fall into their own pit, becauſe thoſe that miſlead men out of the right way, into thoſe crooked wayes that lead to the infernall pit, ſhall themſelves alſo be caſt into that pit whereinto they have cauſed others to fall, according to that Matth. 15.14. if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. But I conceive it is evident, that the firſt clauſe muſt be underſtood of miſleading men into ſome way of miſchief, becauſe of that following clauſe, he shall fall himſelf into his own pit: Only in regard that uſually men draw the righteous into the evill of miſchief, by ſeducing them into ſome evill way of ſin, therefore both may be included. But the upright shall have good things in poſſeſsion; that is, the righteous, whom they ſought to inſnare, ſhall not only eſcape their ſnares, & ſo continue to enjoy thoſe good bleſſings for which they were maligned, but they ſhall alſo poſſeſſe the good of thoſe that would have enſnared them; or rather, they ſhall be bleſſed of God with all good bleſſings, both of this world, & that which is to come.
Verſ. 11. The rich man is wiſe in his own conceit, &c.] To wit, 1. becauſe finding how bravely he lives in every reſpect, and how he is honoured and applauded in the world by reaſon of his riches, he concludeth that it was wiſely done of him to ſeek after riches, & not fooliſhly, out of a ſcrupulous conſcience, to neglect the doing of good to himſelf; 2. becauſe he apprehends that it hath been merely by his own wiſdome that he hath gotten ſo great riches; & 3. becauſe riches do uſually puffe up men, & make them highly conceited of themſelves in every regard: but the poor that hath underſtanding ſearcheth him out; that is, he minds not his outward condition, nor is carried away with the opinion and applauſe of others, but he weighs & examines whether his ſpeeches & actions be ſuch, as do according to the rule of Gods word argue him to be a wiſe man, or no, and accordingly he judgeth of him as he is. The drift of the Proverb may be, to ſhew that God giveth riches to ſome, and wiſdome to others.
Verſ. 12. When righteous men do rejoyce, &c.] To wit, in the down-fall of wicked men, (as appears by the oppoſite clauſe) & becauſe good men do proſper and are exalted, whether themſelves or others, ſee the Note chap. 11.10: there is great glory; that is, both the Church & commonwealth in generall, & the eſtates of private men in particular, are in a proſperous & flouriſhing condition; Religion is advanced, juſtice is executed, peace & plenty abounds, & the glory of God is every where exalted: but when the wicked riſe, a man is hidden; that is, the good man, that indeed only deſerves the name of a man, lyeth cloſe & hideth himſelf, to wit, either for fear of oppreſſion, or for grief, not caring to ſtir abroad when he ſeeth things in ſo ill a condition; or, it may be underſtood more generally of all men, both good & bad, that in ſuch a caſe men are wont to hide themſelves, either out of diſcontent, or for fear of rapine & oppreſſion. And to the ſame effect is that other tranſlation, which is added in the margin of our Bibles, when the wicked riſe, a man is ſought for; that is, a good man is ſought for, and cannot be found; or, men are never in ſafety, but oppreſſours, whether the prince or others, are continually hunting after them; the godly are ſought for to be ſlain, and the rich to be ſpoiled.
Verſ. 13. He that covereth his ſins shall not proſper, &c.] That is, it ſhall doe him no good, as he hopeth it ſhould, for the ſecuring of him either from ſhame or puniſhment; or, God will puniſh him for it without ſhewing him any mercy: for this is clearly implyed from the following oppoſite clauſe, but whoſoever confeſseth and forſaketh them, shall have mercy, to wit, in every regard.
Verſ. 15. As a roaring lion and a ranging bear, ſo is a wicked ruler over the poor people.] That is, in ſtead of being to them what a ſhepheard is to his flock, as by his place he ought to be, he is a terrour to the poor miſerable people, and doth with inſatiable covetouſneſſe and cruelty tear and devour them, being herein like a hungry roaring lion, and a ravening bear. Yet by the poor people here may be meant the poorer ſort of people, whom to oppreſſe is the greateſt cruelty, & who are notwithſtanding ofteneſt devoured by ſuch tyrants, becauſe they are leaſt able to withſtand or revenge their oppreſſions.
Verſ. 16. The prince that wanteth underſtanding is alſo a great oppreſſour, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, he is alſo one of thoſe that are to the poor people as roaring lions and ranging bears, as was ſaid in the foregoing verſe; or, as he is a fool, ſo he is alſo through covetouſneſſe a great oppreſſour, and therefore ſhall not prolong his daies: which is implyed from the following oppoſite clauſe, but he that hateth covetouſneſſe, and ſo like a wiſe man doth not oppreſſe his ſubjects, shall prolong his daies; to wit, through the bleſſing of God, and the love of his people.
Verſ. 17. A man that doeth violence to the bloud of any perſon, shall flee to the pit, &c.] That is, he ſhall ſuddenly be brought to the grave, and till then he ſhall be in continuall terrours and fears: let no man ſtay him; that is, let no man undertake to ſave him; or, no man ſhall be able to ſecure him.
Verſ. 18. Whoſo walketh uprightly shall be ſaved, &c.] To wit, from all the evil deſigns of his enemies; from all dangers & miſchiefs here, and from eternall deſtruction hereafter: but he that is perverſe in his waies shall fall at once; to wit, ſo that he ſhall never riſe again; he ſhall be ſuddenly, utterly & irrecoverably deſtroyed. But ſee the Note chap. 10.9.
Verſ. 19. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread, &c.] See the Note chap. 12.11.
Verſ. 20. A faithfull man, &c.] That is, The man that truſteth in God, & is conſtantly faithfull in word & deed, shall abound with bleſsings; to wit, becauſe he is contented with his eſtate, & will not enrich himſelf by unlawfull means; ſee the Note chap. 10.6: but he that haſteth to be rich, shall not be innocent, or, unpunished; to wit, becauſe he is an unfaithfull man, and will not forbear any thing whereby he may enrich himſelf; ſee the Notes chap. 20.21. & 6.29.
Verſ. 21. To have reſpect of perſons is not good, &c.] See the Note chap. 18.5: for, for a piece of bread that man will tranſgreſſe; that is, if a man make no more conſcience of being exactly juſt, or, when a man hath once againſt conſcience judged unjuſtly, with the leaſt bribe that can be conceived will ſuch a man be corrupted.
Verſ. 22. He that haſteth to be rich hath an evil eye, &c.] That is, he grudgeth to part with any thing, & looketh with a grudging malignant eye upon thoſe that receive any thing from him; or, he envieth & coveteth what others enjoy, (ſee the Note chap. 23.6.) & conſequently he will watch to bereave & defraud others of what they have, not caring by what evil means he enricheth himſelf: and knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him; that is, that notwithſtanding all his care to ſlee poverty, & to enrich himſelf, yet poverty ſhall ſuddenly & unexpectedly ſurprize him, as well he deſerves for his griping from others, (ſee the Note chap. 20.21.) And conſequently hereby alſo is implyed, that he little therefore conſiders, that he ſhall ſtand in need of the compaſſion of others, & ſhall have as little ſhewn him as he hath ſhewn to others.
Verſ. 24. Who ſo robbeth his father or his mother, and ſaith, &c.] To wit, either openly with his lips, or ſecretly in his heart, It is no tranſgreſsion, to wit, as concluding that children are to live upon the eſtates of their parents: the ſame is the companion of a deſtroyer; that is, a man-ſlayer & murderer, (for ſo the word ſeems to be taken Exod. 12.23. Ezek. 9.1.) or a thief and high-way robber, or a plunderer in war, or a riotous ſpend-thrift and waſter, as the word is tranſlated chap. 18.9. And the meaning is, that ſuch an one, under what vain pretences ſoever he thinks to juſtify himſelf, yea though it ſhould be of giving that to God which he ſo ſteals from his parents, much like that of the Phariſees Corban, Mat. 15.5, 6. he is no better then a thief & robber, yea a murderer, & as ſuch deſerves to be put to death, according to thoſe laws Exod. 21.17. & Deut. 21.18, 21: and that becauſe he robs them of their livelyhood, and breaks their hearts with grief. Yet ſome hold, that Solomon by ſaying that ſuch an one is the companion of a deſtroyer, intends to ſhew, either that it is by the perſwaſion of riotous ſpend-thrifts, with whom he keeps company, and the baſe courſes whereinto they draw him, that ſuch an one is brought to this wickedneſſe of robbing his parents, or that ſuch an one is like to joyn himſelf at laſt even with cut-throat robbers.
Verſ. 25. He that is of a proud heart, ſtirreth up strife, &c.] See the Note chap. 13.10. 1. becauſe ſuch an one out of pride of heart cannot bear the leaſt damage or injury done him by others; 2. becauſe he will be prone cauſeleſly to think himſelf ſlighted and injured, if all be not done according to his own mind; 3. becauſe he will not reſt upon God for the righting of him, but will be his own avenger; 4. becauſe having great thoughts of himſelf, he is eager ſtill to ſeek great things for himſelf, and in the purſuit hereof is ready to oppreſſe others, and be offended with thoſe that any way hinder him in his deſigns, therefore he will be ſtill quarrelling and contending with others; which as it muſt needs tend to the waſting of his eſtate, and cauſe him to pine away with inward vexation of mind, ſo it often provokes God to pull him down: which is implyed from the following clauſe, but he that putteth his truſt in the Lord; that is, he that being of an humble ſpirit, can patiently bear injuries, and will by no means be injurious to others, as repoſing himſelf upon Gods carefull providence over him: shall be made fat; that is, he will live peaceably with all men, and by that means he ſhall abound with bleſſings; ſee the Note chap. 11.25.
Verſ. 26. He that truſteth in his own heart is a fool, &c.] That is, He that relyeth upon his own corrupt wiſdome and reaſon, (ſee the Note chap. 3.5.) or upon his own ſtrength and abilities any way, and ſo deſpiſeth the counſell of others, yea never minds the counſell and direction of God in his word, but doeth whatever ſeemeth good in his own eyes, and confidently, ruſheth into any temptation and danger, he is a proud preſumptuous fool, and ſhall ſurely fall into many errours, and deſperate inevitable miſeries: as is implyed from the following oppoſite clauſe, but whoſo walketh wiſely; that is, warily and adviſedly, and according to the rule of Gods word, and the counſell of wiſe men, and that having no confidence in himſelf, truſteth in God, and in all things ſeeketh to God for a bleſſing: he shall be delivered; to wit, out of all thoſe dangers wherein otherwiſe he might have periſhed.
Verſ. 27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack, but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curſe.] That is, The poor people ſhall lade him with imprecations, and God ſhall poure forth manifold plagues and miſeries upon him.
Verſ. 28. When the wicked riſe, men hide themſelves, &c.] To wit, by flying their countrey, or concealing themſelves in ſecret places; & that either to avoid the tyranny of ſuch Rulers, or elſe to decline thoſe publick judgements which God is wont to bring upon people in ſuch corrupt times: ſee the Note above verſ. 12. Yet if we underſtand the firſt clauſe of the righteous only, then the meaning may be, that in ſuch times there are but few righteous men to be found, and that becauſe all in a manner follow the example of their wicked rulers. But when they perish, the righteous encreaſe; to wit, not only becauſe thoſe that before lay hid, do then appear again; but alſo becauſe many others are wonne into the waies of righteouſneſſe by their counſell and example; yea alſo by obſerving the judgements that are fallen upon their wicked rulers, and by the encouragement and good example they have from thoſe good rulers, that ſucceed in their room.