To come to particulars; if any be angry or given to wrath, will he not quickly be led captive to revile and commit murder? If the affection of covetousness possess any, will he not easily be drawn to deceive and steal? The like is to be said of all the passions of the mind, which, if a man cannot bridle or govern, they will carry him headlong with violence into all mischief and misery, as wild and fierce horses oftentimes run away with an unguided coach or waggon.—Muffett.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Critical Notes.—2. The first clause of this verse should be, As the sparrow flitting, as the swallow flying, etc. Causeless, i.e., “undeserved”—i.e., Such a curse is but transient—it alights for the moment, but, like a bird, does not stay long. Miller and others, however, understand the comparison to carry an entirely opposite meaning. (See [Suggestive Comments] on the verse.) 3. To our English ideas, the whip and bridle are assigned respectively to the wrong animals, but it must be remembered that the Eastern ass is often quite as spirited an animal as the horse. 6. Drinketh damage, or “injury.” As in Job xxi. 20, the verb “drinketh” seems to express suffering in a large measure. 7. Are not equal. The Hebrew word, so rendered, is a very obscure one, and is rendered by Delitzsch, Gesenius, and others, “hang down.” Zöckler and Stuart give the sentence the imperative form, and read, “Take away the legs from the lame, and the proverb in the fool’s mouth.” Parable. This is the common word for proverb—the word that gives the title to the book. On its real meaning, see the [Introduction]. 8. Sling. Gesenius, Zöckler, and many other commentators, adopt the reading in the margin of the English version, and translate this word, which is very obscure, “a heap of stones.” Stuart, Ewald, Delitzsch, and others, retain the word “sling,” which is the reading of the Septuagint. Stuart thus explains the verse, “It would be absurd to bind a stone in a sling, and then expect it to do execution. Equally so it is to bestow honour on a fool, and expect any good consequences from it.” If the first reading is adopted, the word stone must be understood to refer to a precious stone. 9. A thorn. This is generally understood to mean a thorny stick or staff, which is a mischievous weapon in the hands of a drunkard. 10. This verse is very difficult and obscure, and has many and entirely different renderings. Luther, Elster, and others, translate the subject of the first clause, “A master, an able man, formeth all aright,—or all himself.” Delitzsch, Umbreit, and Hitzig, read, “Much produceth all.” The French version is in substance the same as our English marginal rendering. Perhaps the greater number of Hebrew critics favour the rendering of Zöckler, Ewald, Stier, etc., who read, “As an archer, who woundeth everything, so is he who hireth fools and vagrants” (or wayfarers). Stuart and Miller translate the first word, “arrow,” and the former thus explains the proverb, “He who employs fools and vagrants to do his work, will injure himself.” 15. In his bosom. Rather, In the dish, as in chap. xix. 24. 17. Meddleth, rather, “is excited.” 21. Coals to burning coals—i.e., “black coals to burning,” etc. 22. A repetition of chap. xviii. 8. (See on [that verse].) 23. Burning lips—i.e., “lips whence some ardent expressions of friendship.” Silver dross. Impure silver not freed from the dross. 24. Layeth up, rather, “prepareth,” or “mediateth.” 26. Congregation—i.e., “before the people assembled for judgment.” (Zöckler.)
main homiletics of verse 1.
A Gift Wrongly Bestowed.
I. To honour some men is both seemly and right. The snow and the rain come from heaven by Divine command, and are indispensable to the beauty and fruitfulness of the earth. So to accord honour where it is due is a Divine command (Rom. xiii. 7), and is indispensable to our social well-being.
II. But honour accorded to a fool (i.e., a bad man) is incongruous and hurtful. Snow in summer is an exception to the rules of nature. It would indeed be a surprise to our reapers when they were about to gather in the grain, to find the fields white with snow, and such an event would be most mischievous in its effects. And in Oriental countries rain in summer would be equally surprising, and probably as hurtful, since the rain in those lands generally descends in torrents and not in gentle showers as with us. So, although God has commanded us to “honour all men” (1 Peter ii. 17), the wicked man, by his wickedness, puts himself outside this rule, and to place him in a position of honour, or to give him reverence, is entirely out of place, and an act which can only produce evil consequences. 1. It does harm to the man who gives it. The heavy rain or snow falling upon the ripened cornfield, takes away all its beauty and lessens its worth—it may make it utterly valueless. And so it degrades a soul to bow down where it ought to stand erect and firm, and a man who will from cowardice or any other cause cringe before a moral fool is a man who is of no use in the world from a moral point of view. (See on this subject, on [verse 26] of the preceding chapter, page 711.) 2. It injures the man who receives it. It makes him feel as if there was no difference between vice and virtue, when he finds himself receiving that which ought to be given to a good man only, and so he is confirmed in his wickedness. This will be the case especially if the person who does him honour is a better man than himself, it is such a case as is described in the verse referred to above. 3. It has a bad influence upon men around them. It is an encouragement to bad men to continue in their evil courses when they see wickedness enthroned in high places, and worthless men receiving honour instead of the scorn which they deserve. Such an elevation makes all bad men more shameless and daring, and it also discourages and depresses better men. Although the truly good man’s actions spring from a deeper source, and have their origin in a higher motive than the praise or blame of their fellow-men, yet there are many who are not firmly rooted in the practice of virtue, who are much influenced by the moral atmosphere in which they live. If they see their fellow-men doing as God does, and being a respecter of persons in regard to character, and to character only, their better nature will be strengthened, and their efforts to be upright and godly will be encouraged, but if they see “the wicked walk on every side,” and “the vilest men exalted” (Psalm xii. 8), they may give up the struggle after a higher and better life in despair. And thus the effect upon the moral tone of the community will be as blighting and destructive as floods upon the growing corn, or as snow upon the ripening fruits. It is, therefore, the solemn duty of every man in this respect to “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not” (Mal. iii. 18).
outlines and suggestive comments.
Honour is unfit for a fool, in two respects especially; the one, for that punishment is properly due unto him; the other, for that he abuseth his authority, be it civil or ecclesiastical, unto the hurt of those that are subject unto him.—Muffett.