Works Volume 4, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1. MY ſon, if thou be ſurety for thy *compani…n foreignfriend, †thou haſt foreign ſo the Chaldee, Syriack, LXXII. and Latin.if thou haſt ſtricken thy hand with a ſtranger:
2. Thou art ſnared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Paraphrase. 1, 2. Among all the actions of civil life, wherein our eſtates, and ſo our ſecular prudence is moſt nearly concerned, there is none more highly conſiderable than that of ſuretiſhip for other men; That which moſt frequently tempts a man to it, is the importunity of ſuch as he hath long aſſociated with; The cloſe league which hath been betwixt them, the communication of ſecrets, &c. ſeems to exact this from him, and to make it but reaſonable for him to yield to it. But the anſwer to this appearance of argument is very obvious; The yielding to this ſeeming office of kindneſs to a companion or friend, is really the obliging and ſubjecting thee to the creditour, i. e. to a ſtranger and enemy. And when thou haſt once thus enſnared and entrapt thy ſelf, though it be but by ſpeaking a few words, thou art as faſt and as irreverſibly engaged as the ſilly beaſt that is faln into the hunters toils which were cunningly laid for him; All the difference is, that thou art a captive of thine own choice, thine own act, whether of tongue or handwriting, hath brought this ruine upon thee.
3. Doe this now, my ſon, and deliver thy ſelf, ‖ſeeing foreignwhen thou art come into the hand of thy friend, go *ſtir up thy ſelf, and prevail withhumble thy ſelf, and make ſure thy friend.
Paraphrase. 3. As it is, thy kindneſs to thy friend is become thy ſnare, and hath put thee into the power of thy enemy, and it nearly concerns thee to diſintangle thy ſelf, and there is but one way poſſible to doe it, to haſten to thy companion, who hath drawn thee in, and uſe all importunity to prevail with him to get thee releaſed again.
4. Give not ſleep to thy eyes, nor ſlumber to thy eye-lids,
5. Deliver thy ſelf as a roe from the †ſnare, or ſtroke, and as—hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Paraphrase. 4, 5. This is ſo great and cloſe a concernment of thine, that thou canſt not with any prudence ſleep or reſt till thou have done it, conſidering the danger that attends the leaſt neglect or procraſtination; even as great and preſſing as that of the deer or bird, which is ſhot or caught in a gin, and muſt expect ſpeedily to be deſtroyed, ruin'd irreverſibly, if by ſome ſpeedy courſe thou be not reſcued.
6. Go to the ant thou ſluggard, conſider her ways, and be wiſe:
7. Which having no guide, overſeer or ruler,
8. Provideth her ‖bread, foreignmeat in the ſummer, and gathereth her food in the harveſt.
Paraphrase. 6, 7, 8. As in this, the leaſt delay is moſt pernicious, ſo in all things elſe, ſluggiſhneſs or negligence of thoſe things which are ſo nearly our concernments, ought to be avoided; And to that, if we need any inſtructour, we may go to one of the leaſt and meaneſt of creatures, the ant or piſmire, which hath no proviſion made for it by any either man or other creature, hath none ſet over them, as the cattel of the field have, either to preſcribe them labour, and ſet them to it, or to provide them food, none of their own kind to conduct and rule them, as the bee and locuſt have, and yet this little creature lives in ſociety, great multitudes of them together, and in the ſummer, eſpecially the harveſt time, they go abroad, and bring home great ſtore of proviſion from all quarters, which they lay up moſt carefully (and after tend it, that it take no harm; when it is in danger to putrifie, they bring it out and air it; when it is apt to grow, as about ſeed time, they bite off the ends of it) and being thus gathered and preſerved, it maintains them liberally the whole year about; In all this, every one of them voluntarily labouring as hard as if he had a ſevere *foreign, LXXII.taskmaſter or exacter placed over him. And this certainly is a moſt eminent degree of providence which nature teacheth them, and matter of imitation for thee, both in relation to thy temporal and thy ſpiritual eſtate, by diligence to improve all advantages to thy good of either ſort; and if thou do not tranſcribe this copy in ſome meaſure, thou art not ſo wiſe as all reaſon obliges thee to be, and thou wilt have the ſmart as well as reproach of this folly, that want and penury of all ſorts which is the ſluggards portion.
9. How long wilt thou ſleep, O ſluggard? when wilt thou ariſe from thy ſleep?
10. Yet a little ſleep, a little ſlumber, a little folding of the hands to ſleep,
11. So ſhall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Paraphrase. 9, 10, 11. For ſo, inevitably, it is; and that founds a moſt rational and bitter reproach to thoſe that are guilty of this ſin: Such there are, good ſtore, in the world, ſleepy, ſlothfull perſons, which can never think they have been idle long enough, are always coveting and projecting for, and craving more reſt and quiet and ſecurity in ſin, cannot be perſwaded to labour, to excite their faculties, but give them up ſupinely to doing nothing, or worſe than nothing, an unprofitable, or which is more criminous, a pleaſurable vicious life, have continual averſions to all exerciſe either of body or mind, to d…ence in their particular calling, to the neceſſary duty of prayer to God, to works of mercy (any charitable office) to men, to reſiſting and ſubjugating their own paſſions, and the like; This is a moſt ſcandalous and deteſtable ſin, and (to make it more reaſonable for us to avoid it) 'tis that, which, as was ſaid, will betray him that is guilty of it, to all kinds of want, and extreme penury, ghoſtly and bodily. For example; He that neglects the works of his calling, and is not laborious in that, ſoon comes to utter beggery, in reſpect of the things of this world; he that neglects duties of piety, comes to want that grace which is promiſed to the importunate asker, and to none elſe; he that neglects duties to men, hath all the curſes of this and another world; he that is not at the trouble to mortifie his own unruly appetites, is ſoon overrun and laid waſte by them. All theſe ſorts of miſery, though he expects them not, but in confidence of ſafety, goes on in his idle ſlothfull courſe, will when he little thinks of it, knock at his door, as a traveller or way-goer to an hoſt, that knows nothing of his coming; and when it comes, it comes with a vengeance, there is no way of reſiſting, and as little of ſupporting it; This traveller is ſtout and armed, and will force his entrance, and lay all waſte, where he enters.
12. A naughty perſon, *A man of Beliala wicked man, walketh with a †depraving, pervertingfroward mouth.
Paraphrase. 12. Among other moſt noxious effects of idleneſs and unprofitableneſs, one deſerves to be taken notice of and moſt carefully avoided; that of whiſpering and backbiting, calumniating and detracting, labouring nothing ſo much as to deprave and defame the actions of other men: This is an eminent fruit of ſloth and wickedneſs combin'd together, and a moſt diabolical ſin.
13. He winketh with his eyes, he ſpeaketh with his feet, and teacheth with his fingers.
Paraphrase. 13. Such an one when he hath nothing of weight to ſay againſt a man, will by ſignificative geſtures of all ſorts, give intimations of ſome grand matters, and ſo perſwade others, without laying any particular to his charge, that he is a moſt peſtilent fellow.
14. Frowardneſs is in his heart, he deviſeth miſchief continually, he ſoweth diſcord.
Paraphrase. 14. His thoughts, which have no good buſineſs to take them up, are continually imployed in projecting what miſchief he may doe, and are never more gratefully buſied than when he is a cauſing debate among neighbours: One ſuch perſon in a ‖So the LXXII.City is enough to embroil the whole, and put it into a tumult.
15. Therefore ſhall his calamity come ſuddenly, ſuddenly ſhall he be broken without remedy.
Paraphrase. 15. And as to idle perſons, v. 11. ſo to this, above all, a proportionable vengeance is to be expected; He that is of this temper, ſeldom fails to be met with in his kind, to fall unexpectedly by ſome ſecret hand, (parallel to the ſecrecy of his detracting whiſpering humour) and when he falls, he can never be recovered again, he periſhes unpitied, unregarded.
16. Theſe ſix things doth the Lord hate, yea ſeven are an abomination to him.
17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that ſhed innocent blood.
18. An heart that deviſeth wicked imaginations, feet that be ſwift in running to miſchief.
19. A falſe witneſs that ‖breatheth foreignſpeaketh lies, and him that ſoweth diſcord among brethren.
Paraphrase. 16, 17, 18, 19. And there is all reaſon for this; for as there be ſeven ſins which be very hatefull to God, ſo this is a compound of five, if not of all ſeven, of them. The ſeven are theſe, 1. pride or haughtineſs; 2. lying or fraudulence; 3. guilt of blood; 4. malice or projecting of evil; 5. a pleaſure in miſchieving any; 6. falſe witneſs or calumny; 7. cauſing of diſcord or debates among thoſe that live friendly together. Of theſe, the ſecond, the fourth, the fifth, the ſixth and ſeventh are evidently in this of the detractour or calumniatour, ſee v. 12, 14. And that pride is the root of it, and blood-guiltineſs the effect of it, cannot be doubted; the pride and high opinion of our ſelves, and deſire to be eſteemed above all, conſtantly inciting us to defame others; and the debates and diſcord which are cauſed by back-biting, ending generally in feuds and the bloodieſt murthers. And this is a competent indication how odious this ſin is, and how puniſhable in the ſight of God.
20. My ſon keep thy father's commandment, and forſake not the law of thy mother.
21. Bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22. When thou goeſt it ſhall lead thee, when thou ſleepeſt it ſhall keep thee, and when thou awakeſt it ſhall talk with thee.
23. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of inſtruction are the way of life.
24. To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a ſtrange woman.
Paraphrase. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. In the next place, a principal caution there is for all young men, of which they are to take an extraordinary care; 'Tis that which all parents timely warn their children of, and it concerns them to lay it up, and never forget it, to carry it continually about with them, as the Jews do their Phylacteries, that it may be a perpetual memorative, never out of their ſight; If they doe ſo, they will have the comfort and benefit of it, at home and abroad, ſleeping and waking, in all the varieties of their life; they will ſee and diſcern that timely, which they that diſcern not, run into all the moſt noxious and ruinous courſes; And what is this ſo important a caution, thus pompouſly introduced? Why onelyonly this, that thou be ſure to keep thee from that horrible ſin of fornication or adultery, and not ſuffer thy ſelf by whatſoever flatteries and deceits, by ſoft and fair ſpeeches, the common addreſs of whores, to be ſeduced and enſnared in it.
25. Luſt not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye-lids.
26. For by means of a whoriſh woman a man is brought to a *cake foreignpiece of bread: and the adultereſs will hunt for the precious life.
Paraphrase. 25, 26. Whatever allurement is in her beauty, that may warm and attract thy love, whatever invitation in her behaviour, and amiableneſs of her looks or addreſs, thou art moſt nearly concerned to guard and fortifie thy ſelf, that thou beeſt not captivated thereby, that thou permit not any unclean deſire to kindle ſo much as in thine heart; for as that is adultery in the eyes of that God that requires purity of the heart as well as actions, (ſee Matt. 5.8, 28.) ſo moſt ſad and diſmall are the effects of this paſſion, as by many thouſand examples hath been evidenced, both in relation to mens eſtates, and alſo their lives; Many great eſtates have been utterly ruin'd, and brought to the ſmalleſt pittance, by that ſin, and many bodies have been exhauſted, and brought to noiſome diſeaſes, and untimely death; the very life and ſoul, and whatſoever is moſt precious, is the prey that this vulture gorges herſelf on.
27. Can a man take fire in his boſome, and his clothes not be burnt?
28. Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
29. So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whoſoever toucheth her ſhall not be innocent.
Paraphrase. 27, 28, 29. It is as imaginable that a man ſhall put fire in his boſome, or walk upon live coals, and receive no harm from them, either to his garments or his fleſh, as that a man ſhall adventure on this ſin of adultery, and not exhauſt and ruine himſelf by that courſe; A fire in his bones, and a waſting to his eſtate, are the regular, natural, inevitable attendants of this ſin: But that is not all; The wrath and ſevere puniſhments of God are threatned againſt it, and ſhall purſue, as a moſt juſt revenge, every man that ſhall be guilty of it.
30. Men do not †deal reproachfully withdeſpiſe a thief, if he ſteal to ſatisfie his ſoul when he is hungry.
31. But if he be found he ſhall reſtore ‖ſeven timesſeven fold, he ſhall give all the ſubſtance of his houſe.
32. But whoſo committeth adultery with a woman lacketh *a heart, foreignunderſtanding, †whoſo corrupteth his own ſoul, he ſhall doe this, or whoſo deſtroyeth his life, &c.he that doeth it deſtroyeth his own ſoul.
Paraphrase. 30, 31, 32. For indeed this ſin hath a vaſt aggravation of guilt, compared with moſt other ſins; Theft, for example, is not near ſo heinous; That is ſuppoſed to be committed upon the importunity of hunger, to ſatisfie the neceſſities of nature, and accordingly the puniſhment by the Law apportioned to that, is that of reſtitution, Exod. 22.1. five oxen for an ox, four ſheep for a ſheep, and how oft ſoever he ſteals, thus ſhall he pay, as far as all his wealth or poſſeſſions will extend; which was very regularly provided by the Law againſt thoſe which ſhall by ſtealth invade other mens poſſeſſions. But adultery is not capable of this excuſe or extenuation, that it is done to ſatisfie any natural want, God having afforded a regular courſe to ſatisfie all ſuch deſires as are planted in men by nature, and adultery is a violation of that courſe, a breach of the Laws of Wedlock, neither proceeds it from any other defect or want but what is moſt unexcuſable, a want of a good and orderly will and choice, (ſee Note on ch. 4. i) an effect of great inordinacy of deſires, which hath raſed out that Law of reaſon and juſtice imprinted in the ſoul, and ſo it is a moſt wilfull, enormous, waſting and crying ſin, and that which by political Laws is awarded with death.
33. A wound and diſhonour ſhall he get, and his reproach ſhall not be wiped away.
Paraphrase. 33. To which moſt juſt puniſhment, is added that other of perpetual ignominy, and reproach, which inſeparably and conſtantly attends this ſin.
34. For jealouſie is the rage of a man, therefore he will not ſpare in the day of vengeance.
35. He will not ‖accept the face of foreignregard any ranſome, neither will he reſt content, though thou giveſt many gifts.
Paraphrase. 34, 35. And as the law directs this revenge, ſo there is ſmall hope the guilty ſhall eſcape the utmoſt ſeverity of it in this caſe; The wronged husband is his proſecutour, and he is ſure to be excited and armed with the utmoſt rage that jealouſie can ſuggeſt; and that is as cruel and implacable as the grave, Cant. 8.6. In other injuries ſome reparation may poſſibly be made; but here 'tis not imaginable, no bribe can be thought on ſo great as may hope to propitiate or intercede for him; he will never be perſwaded to let ſuch a wrong paſs unpuniſhed, but will be ſure to purſue to death him that hath thus provoked him.
Annotations on Chap. VI.
foreignV. 3. Humble thy ſelf, and make ſure thy friend] The rendring of the Hebrew, foreign, might be difficult and uncertain, did not all the ancient Interpreters joyn together in one notion, to ſecure us of the true and literal meaning of it. The Hebrew foreign and foreign ſignifies not onelyonly to tread on, but to trouble; ſo Ezek. 32.2. foreign, and troubledſt the waters with thy feet, and ſo Ezek. 34.18. ſo Prov. 25.26. foreign, a troubled fountain; Hence here in Hithpael, being in the reciprocal ſenſe, it may fitly note troubling, exciting, ſtirring up himſelf. Then for foreign, that ſignifies to prevail, Iſa. 3.5. and ſo both together, join'd with the antecedents and conſequents, will thus be rendred, go ſtir up thy ſelf, and prevail with thy companion, i. e. as ſoon as ever thou ſeeſt thy danger by ſuretiſhip, make haſte, and importune him for whom thou art bound, to free thee preſently from thy engagement, give not ſleep to thine eyes, &c. v. 4. without any delay take this courſe to diſintangle thy ſelf; The Chaldee reade foreign, excite him, ſtir him up quickly, i. e. ſolicite him, and ſo the Syriack in the ſame words, and the LXXII. foreign, be not remiſs, but provoke, i. e. ſtir him up: uſing the phraſe foreign, as it belongs to the coward, or ſluggard, to which importunity of ſolicitation is moſt contrary; as Luk. 18.1. foreign, which is all one, is oppoſed to praying always; ſo alſo the Latin, feſtina, ſuſcita amicum tuum, haſten, ſtir up thy friend, foreign, ſaith Symmachus, incite, i. e. importune him till thou prevail.
foreignV. 5. From the hand of the hunter] The Hebrew here hath no more but foreign, which the Vulgar render de manu, from the hand, the LXXII. foreign, from the ſnares. But as the verb foreign, ſignifies to dart, or ſhoot, or throw, ſo the noun foreign, is not onelyonly an hand, but a blow, or ſtroke, or any kind of hurt; The Chaldee, Deut. 32.36. render it foreign, a ſtroke, and ſo frequently elſewhere; Here they reade foreign, which the Latin renders pedica, a ſnare, or toil, but the Tranſlatour of the Syriack (which uſeth the ſame) plagis, ſtrokes, and ſo it moſt probably ſignifies the wound, or ſhot, or ſtroke, that the roe receives from the hunter's arrow, or dart. In the latter part of the verſe, for foreign, from the hand of the fowler, the Chaldee and Syriack reade foreign, from the ſnare; and ſo the LXXII. foreign, from the ſnare, but this probably as a paraphraſe of the fowlers hand which layeth the ſnare, and into which it comes by being caught there. And ſo here, the double uſe of foreign, both for a ſtroke and an hand, hath a ſpecial elegance in it.
V. 7. Guide] For foreign, a captain, or guide, the ancient Interpreters ſeem to have read ſomewhat elſe, either foreign, ſummer-fruit, or foreign, in the plural, in the ſame ſenſe; for the Chaldee reads foreign, which, from foreign, to mow, ſignifies any thing that is mowed, or reaped, and is uſed for the time of harveſt in the next verſe; and herein the Syriack agrees with the Chaldee, and the LXXII. vary but little, reading foreign, husbandry, meaning, I ſuppoſe, the fruit of husbandry, as 1 Cor. 3.9. thoſe whom by Paul's preaching God had brought in to the faith, are call'd God's foreign, husbandry, by the ſame proportion, that they are his foreign, building, the one ripe for harveſt as the other for habitation. OnelyOnly the Latin of all the ancients reade ducem, captain, which agrees ſo well with the other two that follow, that we have no reaſon to doubt of the preſent reading.
V. 12. A froward mouth] The Hebrew reads foreign, foreignperverſeneſs of mouth, by which the Syriack underſtand foreign, quarrelling, ſtrife, from foreign, litigare, jurare, or, as their Latin renders it, detraction, the cauſe of quarrels among neighbours: the Chaldee render it foreign, from foreign, to pervert, deprave, diſtort; and having for the man of Belial, in the beginning of the verſe, ſet foreign, a man that is a calumniatour, they ſeem to direct it wholly to this ſignification, of detracting and depraving the actions of other men, and ſo perverting all to the worſt ſenſe that is poſſible. The LXXII. reades more looſely, foreign he goes ways that are not good; But Symmachus foreign, by diſtortions of the mouth, i. e. either making wry mouths, as detractours uſe to doe, or by his ſpeech diſtorting, depraving the actions of other men. This is here affirm'd of foreign ▪ a man of Belial, as that is derived from foreign, without, and foreign, profit, i. e. foreign, an unprofitable perſon (as that ſignifies a very wicked man.) The phraſe is uſed of Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.25. and there rendred by the Chaldee foreign, a fool, as elſewhere 'tis foreign, ſons of wickedneſs, Deut. 13.13. But in the New Teſtament it is applied to the Devil, 2 Cor. 6.15. who we know is ſtyled foreign, calumniator, as here the Chaldee render it. The LXXII. reade foreign, a fooliſh man, as folly and wickedneſs are all one; The Latin, homo apoſtata, an apoſtate, that being the notion of the word, Deut. 13.13. In this place it moſt probably denotes an idle, fooliſh, and withall a wicked man, that cares not for God's directions of his tongue or life, for of ſuch a one that is true which follows, he goes about depraving and calumniating, idleneſs, folly, and wickedneſs leads to this courſe, ſee 1 Tim. 5.13.
V. 30. Deſpiſe] What is the notion of foreign here, will reaſonably be reſolved by the conſent of all the ancient Interpreters. The Chaldee reads foreign, there is no cauſe why we ſhould be aſtoniſhed or wonder, and the Latin non grandis eſt culpa, it is no grand crime. But this, I ſuppoſe, not from any ſpecial notion of foreign, or foreign, for wondring, but from that uſe of it for contumely or reproach, as that notes the capital puniſhment of malefactours, paradeigmatizing, bringing exemplary puniſhment upon them. To this ſure the learned Caſtalio refers, reading, Non tractatur contumelioſe, he is not handled contumeliouſly.
V. 31. Sevenfold] That the Law of Moſes required not a ſevenfold reſtitution, is manifeſt by the expreſs words, Exod. 22.1. fourfold of ſheep, fivefold of oxen it preſcribes, but not ſevenfold of any thing. And in the New Teſtament, when Zacheus, Luk. 19. converts to Chriſt, and proffers a full reſtitution for all that he had injuriouſly taken from any, and by his abundant charity giving to the poor half that he had, demonſtrates his care of exact juſtice; yet the reſtitution he mentions is not ſevenfold but fourfold. It cannot then with truth be ſaid of the thief here, that he ſhall reſtore ſevenfold. And when ſome endeavour to ſalve this, by ſaying that ſeven is the perfect number, and reſtoring ſevenfold ſignifies making perfect reſtitution; it is not reaſonable to admit this Scholion, becauſe the perfect reſtitution being by the Law ſpecified to be four or fivefold, and not left indefinite, it were ſtrange that the legal definite proportion ſhould be omitted, and another definite proportion that of ſevenfold named, when but four or five at moſt was intended. It is therefore much more reaſonable, what the learned Franzius from Martin Luther obſerves, that the Hebrew foreign, is to be rendred ſeven times, not ſeven fold; ſo the word is uſed and rendred by us, Pſal. 12.6. And then the meaning will be evident, he that ſteals, if he be found, ſhall reſtore, according to the legal rate of amercement; and if he ſteal again, ſo ſhall he ſuffer again; if he ſteal ſeven times, he ſhall be forced to reſtore ſeven times; yea though it amount to all the ſubſtance of his houſe, all that he is worth. And then the compariſon in the Text betwixt the Thief and the Adulterer lies thus; The Thief pays dear for his ſtoln goods, ſometimes whatever he is worth, but theſe other ſort of ſtoln goods, which to ſome men are the ſweeteſt prize, that of his neighbour's wife, this coſts him much dearer, even the loſs of his life and ſoul. The Thief as oft as he ſtole, ſo oft had he ways of redeeming himſelf; but the Adulterer cannot ranſome himſelf by any price, his life is forfeit to the Law, nay, if by ſecreſie he avoid that, he oft brings foul and deſtructive diſeaſes upon himſelf, and his ſoul is in the ſame danger as his life, ſee Note g.
V. 32. He that doeth it, deſtroyeth his own ſoul] The Hebrew ſetting of this paſſage, is moſt fully expreſſed by the Chaldee; The Hebrew literally ſounds thus foreign, he that corrupteth his ſoul, or deſtroyeth his life, foreign, he ſhall doe this; And the Chaldee reade foreign, and he that ſeeks to corrupt his own ſoul, or deſtroy his life, he will doe this. All the difficulty is, whether it be to be rendred of deſtroying the life, or corrupting the ſoul, the words ſignifying both indifferently; If the latter, then it ſignifies this ſin of adultery to be againſt the notions of common ingenuous nature, and founded in a corruption of thoſe principles of right judgment, as Ariſtotle ſaith, foreign, pleaſures are corruptive of principles, and this foul ſin is an effect of that corruption, which was noted before, when it was ſaid of him that commits adultery, that he is deſtitute of a heart; But it is more probably interpretable of deſtroying the life, either by bringing diſeaſes, and ſo death it ſelf, or by calling down capital puniſhment on the malefactour, that ſo it may be here fitly oppoſed to theft in the compariſon here made, theft being puniſhed by the Law with reſtitution, but adultery with death.
V. 6. For foreign, behold and be wiſe, the LXXII. reade foreign — foreign, ſeeing imitate, and become wiſer than he; An uſefull paraphraſe.
V. 8. For foreign, gathereth her food, they reade foreign, maketh great proviſion, by way of paraphraſe alſo. But after this they add another example agreeable to the Ant, that of the Bee, in theſe words, foreign, Or go to the bee, and learn what an artificer ſhe is, and how venerable a work ſhe makes, whoſe labours kings and private men bring for health, and ſhe deſirable and famous to all, though weak in ſtrength, having honoured wiſedom, ſhe hath been advanced. This large addition having no footſteps in the Hebrew, cannot be thought any genuine original part of the LXXII. their Tranſlation, but inſerted by a later hand, yet it is ſo ancient as to be found in moſt copies, and there read by S. Ambroſe, Hexam. l. v. c. 21. and S. Jerom, on Ezek. iii. In Proverbiis de ape dicitur, &c.
V. 10. For [a little ſleep] they reade foreign, thou ſleepeſt a little, thou ſitteſt a little, to note the ſitting ſtill, as well as the ſleeping of the ſluggard. For [folding the hands to ſleep] they reade foreign, thou embraceſt thy breaſt with thy hands, as it is the manner of the idle as well as the ſleepy perſon to doe.
V. 11. For a traveller, they reade foreign, an evil way-goer, for foreign, a man of ſhield, which we render an armed man, (Symmachus, foreign, literally, and Theodotion foreign, a ſpear-man) they reade foreign, a good courſer, in the ſame manner as foreign, ſwift of foot, is Homer's Epithet for Achilles, that valiant Warriour; or as foreign is one of the Olympick Games, or exerciſes of Valour; and then they add, foreign, but if thou be diligent, thy harveſt ſhall come as a fountain, and thy poverty ſhall fly as an ill courſer] meaning to illuſtrate the former ſentence by the contrary; But this with no more probability to be thought a genuine part of the LXXII. than the paſſage of the Bee, v. 7. was.
V. 14. For ſoweth diſcord, they reade foreign, ſuch an one brings troubles to a city.
V. 16. For theſe ſix things doth the Lord hate, yea ſeven are an abomination to him,] they reade, in coherence with the former verſe, foreign, becauſe he rejoyceth in all things which God hateth, but he is broken for the uncleanneſs of his ſoul. In the former part for foreign, ſix, they ſeem to have read foreign or foreign, gaviſus eſt, which they frequently render foreign (as here they doe) Iſa. 66.10. and 14. Lam. 1.22.4.21. And in the latter part, for foreign, and ſeven, they ſeem to have read foreign, and is broken, and then foreign, abomination to his ſoul, is eaſily transformed into [for the impurity of his ſoul.
V. 19. For foreign, breatheth lies, they reade foreign, accendeth, inflameth lies, from the diverſe uſes of the breath to inflame, or ſet on fire, as well as to ſpeak.
V. 22. For foreign, ſhe ſhall lead thee, they reade foreign, lead it away, and let it be with thee, by way of paraphraſe; for as in taking a guide to conduct one in the way, this is the manner, the man takes the guide, and keeps him with him, and he directs the man in the ambiguities of his way, ſo here, the taking the Law and keeping it with him is equivalent, to the Laws conducting him in his journey.
V. 23. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light] they reade foreign, the command of the law is a lamp and light, joyning thoſe into one, the commandment and law, which whilſt they are ſevered, are yet ſuppoſed to ſignifie the ſame thing. Whereas in the end of the verſe they ſever thoſe foreign, reproof and inſtruction, which in the Hebrew are in regimine, reproof of inſtruction.
V. 24. For foreign, from the ſmoothneſs or flattery, for which Symmachus hath foreign, ſmooth-tongued, they reade foreign, calumny (whereas elſewhere they render it foreign, deceit, and ch. 7.21. foreign, a ſnare) either becauſe flattery and calumny go together, (he that flatters one, calumniates others to him) or becauſe the Hebrew foreign ſignifies firſt to divide, then to ſmooth, and that of calumniating may refer to the former ſignification, calumny, breeding diſcord, and diviſion. Accordingly the Syriack here reade foreign from feeding on delations or accuſations, which is their phraſe for calumny, and accordingly they call the Devil he that eats accuſations) and the word foreign which they uſe, comes from foreign, to cut or divide.
V. 25. For luſt not after her beauty in thy heart] they reade foreign, by way of excellent paraphraſe; for if luſt gain the conſent of the heart, it hath certainly overcome that man, before it break out into the actions.
V. 26. For foreign, literally, by a whoriſh woman, to a cake of bread] they reade foreign, the price of a whore is as much as of one loaf, thus ſupplying the Ellipſis, to which alſo the Latin agrees, pretium ſcorti vix eſt unus panis, the price of a whore is ſcarce that of one loaf. And the learned Caſtalio ſeems to approve it, nam meretrix & libidinoſa mulier cum valeat ipſa unum panem, pretioſam venatur animam, a whore when her ſelf is worth but one loaf, hunts the precious ſoul. And thus the ſenſe is well made up; But the Ellipſis is moſt readily ſupplied by that way which our Engliſh hath made uſe of.
V. 32. For foreign, an heart, which the adulterer is ſaid to want, they reade foreign, by foreign, underſtanding the volitive faculty, which is ſeated in the heart.