(17.) Do not be impious to excess, and do not be (the quadruple repetition of the particle of prohibition gives emphasis to it, especially at the close of the sentence——(1.) Do not be over right, and (2.) do not be over wise either, (3.) nor impious either, nor (4.) still less either a clever fool, are the four stages of the argument; the emphatic תהי is reserved to the last clause here in this member; in the former clause it stands first, giving it thus a still further sarcastic emphasis, something like our ‘whatever you are do not be’) an elaborate fool (סכל, compare chapters ii. 19, x. 3, 14; and see the meaning of this term discussed there. This wickedness then, it seems, is wise folly, or false prudence). Wherefore shouldest thou die in what is not your time? The sarcasm is surely deep and cutting which, covertly reminding the impious that he has yet to die, advises him not to die before his time.
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
It is good that thou shouldest lay hold of the former; moreover, of the latter, by no means let your hand touch it, for he that fears God comes out safely with regard to all of these.
(18.) Good it is that (full relative, referring to both the following clauses) thou layest hold of this, and, moreover, from that do not withhold with respect to thine hand (the root ינח occurs chapters ii. 18, x. 4, xi. 6; see also Genesis ii. 15, xix. 16, etc.——the precise meaning being, in all these cases, ‘to lay up.’ The LXX. translate this word by μιαίνῃς, ‘defile;’ and hence consider the word to refer to the second clause of the verse above; but it may be doubted, as Schleusner points out, whether the rendering of the LXX. is not a misreading of Symmachus’ μὴ ἀνῇς, which was successively altered to μίανῃς and μὴ μίανῃς, so that with this before us we may well reject their reading as not entitled to disturb our confidence in the Hebrew text; observing also that it is את ידך, i.e. do not rest, or do not lay it up, with respect to thy hand; the conclusion is, do not touch either the wickedness or the false prudence. The rendering of the Authorized Version is ambiguous; it is not clear what the second ‘this’ refers to, but evidently admits of the meaning above. The whole drift then of the aphorism is, ‘lay hold of right notwithstanding, and have nothing to do with wickedness’). For he who fears God goes out of (or ‘gets free from,’ as את follows) with respect to all of them (i.e. the whole four difficulties here mentioned; he will neither be over-expectant of an immediate result from his righteousness, nor of his prudence; on the other hand, he will not be either impious, or an elaborate fool).
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
This wisdom is a better defence to the wise than ten powerful men within a fortress.