Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Proverbs · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Verſ. 2. THat thou maieſt regard diſcretion, &c.] To wit, that ſpirituall policy, whereby men are enabled to order their way circumſpectly, and to avoid the ſnares whereinto others fall; ſee the Note chap. 1.4: and that thy lips may keep knowledge; that is, that thou maieſt be able upon all occaſions to ſpeak wiſely, both for the reſiſting of temptations, & in other waies, and as opportunity is given even for the inſtructing of others alſo.
Verſ. 3. For the lips of a ſtrange woman, &c.] See the Note chap. 2.16. It is as if he had ſaid, Therefore do I call upon thee ſo carefully to attend unto my words, or, Therefore is it fit that thy lips ſhould keep knowledge, that amongſt other things thou maieſt be able to avoid & repell the flatteries of a harlot; whoſe lips drop as an honey-comb, are full of ſweet words, which without any preſſing do plentifully flow from her: and her mouth is ſmoother then oyl; that is, her words are ſoft and gentle, and have no harſhneſſe in them.
Verſ. 4. But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged ſword.] To wit, in regard of the bitter terrours of conſcience, and the death and deſtruction which do uſually at laſt fall upon thoſe that are inſnared with her flatteries. The firſt clauſe, her end is bitter as wormwood, may be principally meant of the terrours of conſcience, which at laſt are wont to ſurprize thoſe that defile themſelves with harlots, as in oppoſition to the firſt clauſe of the foregoing verſe, the lips of a ſtrange woman drop as an honey-combe; & then the next clauſe, sharp as a two-edged ſword, may be meant principally of the death and deſtruction which ſuch uncleanneſſe brings men to, as in oppoſition to the laſt clauſe of the foregoing verſe, her mouth is ſmoother then oyl. And beſides theſe words may be ſpoken as in alluſion to the effects of honey eaten: that look as honey, when men eat much of it, doth uſually turn to gall & choler in the ſtomack, & ſo doth cauſe there exceeding bitter gripings & pains; ſo the flatteries of a ſtrumpet do uſually bring upon men many bitter & deadly terrours & miſeries.
Verſ. 5. Her feet goe down to death, &c.] That is, thither ſhe leads thoſe that follow her; ſee the Note chap. 2.18: her ſteps take hold on hell; that is, both ſhe and her aſſociates are at the very brink of hell.
Verſ. 6. Leſt thou shouldeſt ponder the path of life; her waies are moveable, thou canſt not know them.] This is a very hard place. But two expoſitions are moſt commonly followed. For 1. ſome underſtand it of the young mans pondering the waies of the ſtrange womans life & converſation; Leſt, ſaith he, thou shouldeſt ponder the path of life; that is, leſt thou ſhouldeſt mark her way of life, which being diſcovered were indeed enough to make thee loath her: her waies are moveable, thou canſt not know them; that is, her waies are ſo variable, ſhe will have ſo many ſeverall devices to intangle thee, & will be ſo cunning to transform her ſelf into all forms & faſhions, that though thou ſhouldeſt obſerve her never ſo diligently, and as it were weigh her actions, & the waies ſhe takes in a balance, it would be loſt labour, thou wilt never be able to find her out, nor to evade all her ſnares, but wilt be overthrown by her peſtilent inchantments, before thou canſt diſcern her villanous deſigns & courſes. But now, becauſe it is not render'd in our Bibles, Leſt thou shouldeſt ponder the path of her life, but, Leſt thou shouldeſt ponder the path of life, we may ſee that our Tranſlatours did rather underſtand it of the young mans pondering the way of life, that is, the way how he ſhould preſerve his life, or the way of holineſſe, which is the true way of life, and the way that leads unto life eternall. Becauſe the young man might think, that though he kept company with the whoriſh woman, yet he would take care to preſerve his life, by getting in time away from her, or that yet he would in time repent, and have a care of his ſoul; to beat him off from thus flattering himſelf, Solomon tels him here how impoſſible this was: Lest, ſaith he, thou shouldeſt ponder the path of life; that is, Leſt thou ſhouldeſt conſider what courſe thou mighteſt take for the preſervation of thy life; or, Leſt thou ſhouldeſt bethink thy ſelf of ſaving thy ſoul, and of betaking thy ſelf to the waies of holineſſe: her waies are moveable, thou canſt not know them; that is, her waies are ſo variable & inconſtant, ſometimes pretending one thing, ſometimes another, that thou wilt never be able to know what thou maieſt give credit to & what not, and conſequently what courſe it were beſt for thee to take to eſcape the danger thou art in; or, her waies are ſo crafty & crooked, ſo many ſeverall devices ſhe will have to enſnare thee, that thou wilt never be able to diſcover her devices therein, that ſo thou ſhouldeſt bethink thy ſelf of avoiding the danger of them, but it will be with thee as with men that goe in by-paths full of windings & turnings, thou wilt be ſure to looſe thy ſelf; or, her waies run headlong to hell, & thither they will carry thee, without ſuffering thee to diſcern the danger thou art in, or to bethink thy ſelf of the waies of life. This expreſſion of the moveableneſſe of the harlots waies may be uſed, either with reference to the impoſſibility of throughly diſcerning thoſe things that are in continuall motion, & ſo may imply, that by reaſon of the harlots continuall various waies and devices ſhe hath to delight and enſnare the young man that converſeth with her, though he now & then may think of the evil of her waies, and of betaking himſelf into the path of life, yet ſhe will ſoon cauſe ſuch motions to vaniſh away, neither will he be able ſeriouſly to ponder them in his mind; or elſe by way of alluſion to malefactours, or foxes & badgers, that have uſually many ſecret holes and hiding-places to ſhelter themſelves in, that they may not be taken, thereby ſignifying the many wiles the harlot hath to keep her lovers from finding out her miſchievous deſigns.
Verſ. 9. Lest thou give thine honour unto others, &c.] That is, Leſt thou ſuffer others to rob thee of thy good name, the credit & good eſteem which formerly thou didſt enjoy. And by others may be meant either ſimply harlots, becauſe uſually one doth not ſatisfy the luſtfull perſon; or elſe together with them bawds & paraſites, & ſuch other lewd companions, with whom ſuch unclean perſons do uſually converſe. I know that ſome Expoſitours do under this word honour comprehend the wealth wherewith God hath honoured a man, & the children he begets of the adultereſſe, as likewiſe the flower of a mans life, his ſtrength & beauty, all the honourable endowments both of his body & mind, (yea & ſome extend it alſo to that honour of a mans being created after Gods image.) But becauſe theſe may be better compriſed under the following clauſes, I rather take this to be meant of the ſhame & diſhonour which this ſin brings upon men. And thy years to the cruell; that is, leſt thou ſuffer cruell harlots to waſt & ſhorten the years of thy life; or leſt thou ſpend the precious time of thy youth upon them, which might be ſpent otherwaies to Gods glory, & thine own great advantage. And indeed well may the harlot be called cruell, becauſe whereas the wife is carefull of her husbands eſtate & health & ſafety, the harlot cares not how ſhe waſts them, & yet afterwards, when he is brougnt to poverty, will never mind him nor pitty him: beſides that often ſuch kind of women will not ſtick to poyſon or make away their lovers, that ſo ſome other may be entertained in their ſtead. I know that by the cruell ſome underſtand the ſtrange womans husband, that in his jealouſy will fall upon the adulterer with all poſſible fury, not admitting of any excuſe or ſatisfaction, ſee chap. 6.34, 35; & others, thoſe that are the young mans rivals, or elſe thoſe bawds & ruffians & uſurers that do cruelly waſt his eſtate. But the firſt expoſition is clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 10. Leſt ſtrangers be filled with thy wealth, & thy labours be in the houſe of a ſtranger.] That is, Leſt thou doſt waſt thy ſubſtance upon whores & bawds, and ſuch like vile perſons; upon the adultereſſe, her husband, children, & ſervants; upon uſurers of whom thou muſt borrow money, or ſuch as muſt be bribed to conceal thy wickedneſſe. And hereby Solomon doth covertly intimate, what a folly it is for a man to ſquander away that which he hath gotten, by waſting his ſtrength in hard labour, upon mere ſtrangers, ſo that neither his wife, children, kindred or friends, ſhall be any way the better for it. The firſt clauſe is in the Original, Leſt ſtrangers be filled with thy ſtrength, that is, with thy wealth gotten by ſtrength, or which is thy ſtrength, according to that Hoſ. 7.9. Strangers have devoured his ſtrength, that is, the riches of the land: yet ſome underſtand it of mens waſting their ſtrength to ſatisfy the luſt of a harlot.
Verſ. 14. I was almoſt in all evil; &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, I had almoſt fallen into all kind of wickedneſſe; I was almoſt grown to that, that I was not aſhamed to commit all kind of wickedneſſe openly in the midſt of the congregation and aſſembly. But I rather take it thus, I was almoſt in all evil, &c. that is, I had almoſt been overwhelmed with all kind of miſeries, openly and in the ſight of all men, or in the place of arraignment & execution; for adultery by Gods law was puniſhed with death: or, I was almoſt in all evil, that is, I had almoſt fallen into hell, which is worſe then all other evils whatſoever, there was but a ſtep betwixt me & hell: in the midſt of the congregation and aſſembly; that is, even then when in the publick aſſemblies I had good inſtructions, & ſaw many good examples, and was preſſed to doe better by many ſweet motions of Gods ſpirit within me. So that it is all one as if he had ſaid, that he was in a manner in the portall of hell, even whilſt heaven in the means of grace was daily ſet open before him.
Verſ. 15. Drink waters out of thine own ciſtern, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, Enjoy that eſtate which God hath given thee for thy uſe & benefit; husband it as may be moſt for thine advantage, & then enjoy it with comfort, & do not laviſh it away upon ſtrangers. Yea & ſome adde very well, that whilſt men are thus adviſed to take the comfort of their own eſtates themſelves, Drink waters out of thine own cistern, &c. there is covertly herein a promiſe implyed, to wit, that if a man will live ſoberly & chaſtly, he ſhall then through Gods bleſſing keep his poſſeſſions, & enjoy them with comfort, whereas the whore-monger ſhall drink of the bitter cup of penury & want. Now for the better clearing of this expoſition, it muſt be conſidered, that in regard they made ſuch precious account in thoſe hot countries of their ſprings & wells of water, it is no wonder though drinking of their own ciſterns be here put for the comfortable enjoying of their eſtates in generall. But now moſt conceive that Solomon, in theſe words, preſcribes the lawfull and undefiled uſe of the marriage-bed, as a remedy againſt adultery & fornication; alluding, in the expreſſion he uſeth, to thoſe that having a ciſtern or ſpring of water of their own at home, uſe not to fetch water from other mens houſes: Drink waters out of thine own ciſtern; that is, Quench the heat and thirſt of thy naturall deſires by the enjoying of thine own wife; & do not follow after harlots, which indeed doth rather encreaſe then quench this thirſt, even as the dropſy-man the more he drinks the more thirſty he is. But ſee the Note alſo Numb. 24.7.
Verſ. 16. Let thy fountains be diſperſed abroad, and rivers of waters in the ſtreets, &c.] That is, As men are wont to pleaſure their neighbours with the water of their ſprings & fountains, ſo let thine eſtate be laid out for the publick benefit of the place where thou liveſt, eſpecially for the relief of the poor that lye in the ſtreets. And obſervable it is, that the expreſſion here uſed may ſeem to imply, that a mans giving to the poor ſhould be as the flowing of a fountain, which hath never a whit the leſſe water in it, becauſe of that which is given. Yea and this alſo may imply a promiſe, as is noted in the foregoing verſe, that if they do not waſte their eſtates upon harlots, in ſtead of wanting themſelves, they ſhould through Gods bleſſing be able to doe good unto others. Or 2. thus, So ſhall thy children, which ſhall numerouſly ſpring from thee & thy wife, (ſee the Notes Numb. 24.7. & Deut. 33.8.) be diſpoſed abroad in ſeverall places & imployments, or be playing & ſporting in the ſtreets, being a delight to their parents, & an ornament to the places where they are, like ſo many rivulets of pure ſpring-water running along in the ſtreets. So that the drift of this place ſeems to be, both to adviſe, that this ſhould be the aim of men in their marriage, & alſo to promiſe, that this ſhall be the fruit of their marriage, to wit, the having of a numerous & comfortable off-ſpring: which cannot be expected from common whores, both becauſe children of whoredome men dare not uſually own; and becauſe ſuch lewd women ſeldome have children, according to that of the prophet Hoſ. 4.10. they shall commit whoredome, and shall not encreaſe; and becauſe the curſe of God doth uſually cut off ſuch children, or at leaſt make them uncomfortable to their parents.
Verſ. 17. Let them be only thine own, and not ſtrangers with thee.] That is, 1. Do not ſquander away thine eſtate and goods upon harlots, and others that are mere ſtrangers to thee, but keep them for thine own uſe, and for thoſe that belong to thee, or to be diſpoſed at thine own will, in any good uſe as thou ſhalt ſee cauſe. For Solomon doth not contradict in this what he had ſaid in the foregoing verſe, Let thy fountains be diſperſed abroad, &c. And therefore this which he ſaith here is only a charge to young men, not to waſt their eſtates in lewd courſes; though indeed it may be extended to that alſo, as we find in ſome Expoſitours, that even in giving to good uſes men ſhould be carefull not to diſpoſſeſſe themſelves of all, & ſo to bring themſelves to poverty. Or 2. thus, Let thy children be, or, So ſhall thy children be only thine own, and not a ſtrangers with thee: & the meaning is, that if he kept to his own wife, he ſhould be ſure not to be put to father other mens children; & that both becauſe by avoiding harlots, he ſhould be ſure they ſhould not doe him this miſchief, whoſe children might be other mens, though they pretended they were his; and alſo becauſe by being faithfull to his wife, he might the rather aſſure himſelf that ſhe would be faithfull to him.
Verſ. 18. Let thy fountain be bleſſed, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, Be carefull to keep thine own veſſel in holineſſe and honour, 1 Theſſ. 4.4. But I conceive that the two expoſitions given of the foregoing verſes are here likewiſe moſt probable. 1. Let thy fountain be bleſſed, that is, Lay not out thine eſtate upon lewd women, but live chaſtly, and ſo the bleſſing of God ſhall be upon what thou haſt; or, Be ready to diſperſe thy fountains abroad, that is, to give liberally of thine eſtate for relieving the poor (as this phraſe was expounded before verſ. 16.) that ſo God may bleſſe thine eſtate, and the poor may pray for a bleſſing on it. Or 2. Let thy fountain be bleſſed, that is, Let thy wife be bleſſed, or, ſo ſhall thy wife be bleſſed with children, & thy children ſhall be bleſſed that ſhall flow from her. And this expreſſion, I conceive, is the rather uſed, becauſe barrenneſſe was looked upon in thoſe times as a heavy curſe; and becauſe it tends not a little to the fruitfulneſſe of the wife, when the husband hath not, nor doth not, ſpend his ſtrength upon harlots. However, the drift of theſe words is, to ſhew how much better it is for a man to live chaſtly in honeſt wedlock, then to haunt the company of lewd women. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, and rejoyce with the wife of thy youth, ſee chap. 2.17. For herein either the husband is enjoyned to make uſe of his wife for his delight, to wit, of her & of no other woman; or, taking delight in her is preſcribed as a remedy againſt luſting after others. Yea & this may alſo intimate, that there was no true pleaſure but in this way of living: in this lawfull way of wedlock he ſhould rejoyce in his wife and children, & ſhould take the more delight in his wife becauſe of his children; whereas in whores, as he hath already ſhewed, there is nothing but bitterneſſe and ſorrow to be expected.
Verſ. 19. Let her be as the loving hinde & pleaſant roe, &c.] That is, Let her be as delightfull to thee for her beauty & love, as hindes & roes are uſually to great men, who are wont, when they are brought to be tame, & to follow them up and down, to play with them, & to take great delight in them, as being very beautifull & comely creatures. And ſome adde too, that as theſe creatures are tamed by gentle & tender uſage, ſo the wife ſhould be allured to delight in her husband, by all poſſible gentleneſſe & love. But I rather take it thus▪ As the hart doth dearly love the hinde… and the …oe buck the roe, following their mates up and down, and, as it is ſaid, keeping to them & no other; ſo, if thou wilt not be worſe then beaſts, do thou as ardently love thy wife, delight in her, and be faithfull to her. Let her breaſts ſatisfy thee at all times; which cannot be done with harlots, to whom men goe only at ſome times, and by ſtealth; and let this be as a ſure remedy to keep thee from minding the ſtrange woman: and be thou ravisht alwaies with her love; which is in the Original, and erre thou alwaies in her love, (alluding to the wandring of theſe creatures up & down after their mates,) that is, be inamoured with her even to ſome fondneſſe & doting, ſome erring in her love, to wit, ſo as not to ſee any blemiſh that is in her, to have too high rather then too mean an opinion of her; & that alwaies, not ſuffering any thing to alienate thine affection from her, continuing as conſtant a liking to her to the laſt, even when her beauty ſhall be decayed, as when ſhe was in the flower of her youth, and when thou didſt firſt ſet thy love upon her.
Verſ. 20. And why wilt thou, my ſon, be ravisht with a ſtrange woman, &c?] To wit, conſidering what hath been ſaid concerning the dreadfull dangers and miſeries that attend whoredome, and the many bleſſings and comforts which they enjoy that live honeſtly in the married eſtate.
Verſ. 21. For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord, &c.] And therefore though the unclean perſon commit his ſin never ſo ſecretly, that will doe him no good: ſee the Note Job 31.4.
Verſ. 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himſelf, and he shall be holden with the cords of his ſins.] In three ſeverall regards it may be ſaid, that wicked men, and ſo particularly fornicatours & adulterers, are taken and held with the cords of their own ſins. 1. Becauſe by reaſon of the guilt of their ſins they ſtand bound over before God, and liable to deſtruction; ſo that though they may eſcape for a time, & thereupon may think themſelves as ſafe as may be, yet the truth is, that whereever they goe, they carry their chains & ſetters about them, their own conſciences do condemn them, and their wickedneſſe ſhall certainly at laſt bring deſtruction upon them. 2. Becauſe their own iniquities are uſually the very means and occaſion of their ruine: ſee the Notes Pſal. 7.16. and 9.16. And 3. becauſe they are ſo by cuſtome intangled in their ſins, that they cannot poſſibly leave them: which is more eſpecially true of unclean perſons; though they ſee the evil & danger of their ſin, & ſo may think they will repent hereafter, yet it will not be, they are ſo faſt held in the cords of their luſts. And this agreeth beſt with the following words.
Verſ. 23. He …hall die without inſtruction, &c.] That is, becauſe he hath deſpiſed inſtruction; or, God ſhall at laſt deny him the means of inſtruction, becauſe whilſt he had it, he would not regard it: & in the greatneſse of his folly he shall goe aſtray; that is, God ſhall leave him to run on in great folly to eternall perdition. Now his running on in a way of impenitency is aſcribed to greatneſſe of folly, either becauſe no folly, no no… the folly of children & ideots, is ſo great as that, when men to ſatisfy their own carnall deſires will reject Gods counſell; or elſe becauſe wicked men do befool themſelves ſo many ſeverall waies; as in that they mind not Gods diſpleaſure, or can be content for a little momentany pleaſure to hazard their eternall ſalvation, or in that they can flatter themſelves with ſuch vain conceits, as that God will not puniſh them, or that they will repent hereafter, &c.