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CHAP. IV.

V. 3. For I was my Father's Son, tender and only beloved in the

Rather [כי בן הייתי לאבי רך - ויחיד לפני אמי: .Sight of my Motber

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FOR I WAS A SON TENDER TO MY FATHER, AND A DARLING IN THE SIGHT OF MY MOTHER. By this Conftruction one Hemistic reflects Light upon the other. ' fignifies both an only one and a Darling: the Reafon of which is obvious.

V. 18. But the Path of the just is as the fhining Light, that shineth

וארח צדיקים כאור נגה- הולך more and more unto the perfect Day Rather [ ואור עד נכון היום :

AS A SHINING LIGHT, THAT GOETH FORTH AND SHINETH LIKE THE PERFECT DAY, or the Day in it's Meridian Brightness. See y thus used, Nah. I. 10. 1 Chron. IV. 27.

V. 22.

Rather [ולכל בשרו מרפא : .and Health to all their Fleb

--- AND THEY (viz. my Words or Sayings) BEAR TIDINGS OF HEALTH TO ALL: i.e. are replete with wholesome and falutary Counfels.

V. 23. Keep thy Heart with all Diligence; for out of it are the Illues

- Rather [מכל משמר נצר לבך - כי ממנו תוצאות חיים: of Life

THE GOINGS FORTH (or perhaps, THE PROGRESS) OF LIFE: i.e. (as it is added in the old Verfion) "as the Heart is pure or corrupt, fo "is the whole Course of a Man's Life."

CHA P. V.

[כי - שפתי זרה

V. 3. For the Lips of a frange Woman — ] Ought not here, and in the other Places where it occurs in this Book, to be rendered A DEBAUCHED or LEWD WOMAN; for the Import of the Word is ONE WHO IS ALIENATED in her Affections, viz. from her Husband, or from her God?

V.6. Left thou fhouldeft ponder the Path of Life, her Ways are move

ארח חיים פן תפלס - נעו מעגלתיה .able, that thou cant not know them

y] The first Hemiftic does not well connect with the latter, or the Context, in our Verfion; and that because our Tranflators affign a wrong Person to the Verb: for Don is equally the 2d. Per. mafc. or

the

This Overfight is old Verfion before SHE WEIGHETH

the 3d. fem. of the Future, as every Tyro knows. the more remarkable, as they had doubtlefs the them, which renders the Word properly, thus NOT THE WAY OF LIFE: HER PATHS ARE MOVEABLE; THOU CANST NOT KNOW them.

V. 8. Remove thy Way far from her,-977 by pan] This Expreffion is harth, either in the Proper, or the Figurative, Senfe. I would therefore either render with the old Verfion. WAY FAR FROM HER; or, KEEP FROM HER in THY WAY.

KEEP THY

V.9. Left thou give thine Honour unto others,—771 Dunas ¡nn 19) does not feem to be a Noun in this Place, but the Participle prefent; which I would render (Left thou give up &c.) TO THE IDLE, as Deut.VII.io. XXIII. 21. &c. AND THY YEARS TO THE UNRELENTING; meaning the jealous Hufband. See Chap. VI. 33, 34, 35.. which may be confidered as a Kind of Paraphrafe upon this Verfe.

V. 14. I was almoft in all Evil, in the midst of the Congregation and

As the Words [כמעט הייתי בכל רע - בתוך קהל ועדה: .Alembly

Congregation and Affembly are generally used in a good Senfe for religious Meetings, and the Meaning here feems directly oppofite; I would render the latter Hemiftic thus IN THE MIDST OF COMPANY AND THE MULTITUDE. See the firft Word so rendered, Gen. XXXV. 11. and the latter, Pf. LXVIII. 30.

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ונוזלים מתוך בארך : [שתה מים מבורך

V. 15. Drink Waters out of thine own Cistern; and running Waters out of thine own Well. The latter Hemiftic ought to be rendered― AND STREAMS (or, STREAMING DRAUGHTS) FROM THE BOTTOM OF THINE OWN WELL has this Senfe by Construction, Zech. V. 4. where it is faid that the Curfe fhall remain in the midst (i. e. fhall penetrate INTO EVERY, THE MOST DISTANT, PART) of the Houfe. What is meant by this Allegory is explained at Ver. 18, 19, 20. There we find: the Key to unlock this Proverb; which is hereby reftrained to the Marriage Bed, and connubial Benevolence. It does not feem therefore to be a general Maxim (according to the old. Verfion) relative to Sobriety and Charity.

-

יפצו מעינתיך חוצה

V. 16. Let thy Fountains be difperfed abroad, IN TAYO 130'] I would here render Ty THY SPRINGS, to diftinguish it from.

מקורר

771p (at V. 18.) which is alfo tranflated Fountain; not merely on Account of the Sound, but because a different Sentiment is thereby conveyed the first being the Effects, the latter the Caufe. For Solomon himself interprets the p, or Fountain, by THE WIFE; and by Parity of Reason we may conclude, that the Springs, or RIVULETS, here mentioned muft mean THE CHILDREN, produced from that Union. And if there still could remain any Doubt, the next Verse must I think intirely remove it: which fays, Let them be only thine own, and not Strangers with thee; and feems capable of no other Interpretation, than that of an Exhortation TO KEEP THE BED OF WEDLOCK

UNDEFILED.

[אהבים ויעלת חן

אילת

V. 19. Let her be as the loving Hind, and pleafant Roe: in by 'n] Rather-THE BELOVED HIND, AND FAVOURITE ROE. The Comparison is here very appofite; for it is well known, that all the Males of the Deer Kind are remarkably fond of their Females at the Time in which the aspos operates; and, though at other Seasons timid Animals, they will then, at the Hazard of their Lives, encounter any Danger, rather than forfake their beloved Partners.

-and be thou ravished always with her Love. :an nawn nnana] The Verba in all other Places, befides this and the next Verse, fignifies to err, or go aftray: fee V. 23. but the Senfe in Arabic of is Lætitiam attulit, anxius fuit, illum exhilaravit.

*

ובחבלי

V. 22. — and he shall be holden with the Cords of his Sins. ana -bis Sin; which is right according to the present Lection: but the corresponding Word and all the old

In the Margin [ חטאתו יתמך :

חטאותו Verfions point out

CHAP. VI.

[לרעך

בני אם ערבת

y

V. 1. My Son, if thou be Surety for thy Friend, 7] This Maxim against being Surety for a Friend (which Solomon inculcates in different Places) feems to favour more of ceconomical Prudence than of Benevolence. It borders upon a Saying of Thales, mentioned by Diogenes Laertius εγγυα, παρα δε ατη. He means i fuppofe hereby to recommend the greatest Circumfpection before we become bound for any one, and not to forbid this Act of Friendship absolutely in all Cafes whatever. See the Note Job. XVII. 3.

I

V. 5. Deliver thyself as a Roe from the Hand of the Hunter, Syn

ציד Our Tranflators feem to have thought that the Word [כצבי מיד

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had dropped out of the Text: but I think it is more probable that there is only they wanting; and that the Word was originally

DELIVER THYSELF AS A ROE FROM THE HUNTER: for by this Reading the Hemiftics correfpond better in Length; and it feems to have been the Reading of all the old Verfions, except the Vulgate.

V. 8. Provideth her Meat in the Summer — ans pipa ran] Modern Naturalists seem to question this Fact: but it may be thought fufficient for the Purpose, if it were in Solomon's Time but a popular Notion. See the Note on Pf. CXXI. 6. and Ray, on the Creation, &c. (Part I. P. 135.) His Words are" Another Infect noted for her "Prudence, in making Provision for the Winter, propofed by Solo"mon to the Sluggard for his Imitation, is the Ant, which (as all Na"turalists agree) hoards up Grains of Corn against the Winter for her "Suftenance: and is reported by fome to bite off the Germen of "them, left they should fprout by the Moisture of the Earth; which "I look upon as a mere Fiction: neither should I be forward to credit "the former Relation, were it not for the Authority of Scripture; "because I could never obferve any fuch ftoring of Grain by our Country Ants." The Author referred to by Ray is Pliny, B. X. Ch. 72. See also B. XI. Ch. 30. Ælian in feveral Places confirms the Account of the Industry of the Ant. B. II. Ch. 25. B. VI. Ch. 43. &c. So likewife the Poets,

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Hic nos frugilegas afpeximus agmine longo

Grande onus exiguo formicas ore gerentes,

Rugofoque fuum fervantes cortice callem. Ovid. Met. B.VIII. 624.

So Horace in the first Satyr - V. 32.

Parvula, nam exemplo eft, magni formica laboris ;
Ore trabit quodcunque poteft, atque addit acervo
Quem ftruit, baud ignara ac non incauta futuri.

And Virgil,

populatque ingentem farris acervum
(Curculio, atque) inopi metuens formica fenecta. Georg. B. 1. V.184.
Ac veluti ingentem formica farris acervum

Cum populant, byemis memores, tectoque reponunt :
It nigrum campis agmen, prædamque per herbas
Convectant calle angufto; pars grandia trudunt
Obnixa frumenta humeris: pars agmina cogunt,

Caftigantque moras; opere omnis femita fervet. Eneid. IV. V.402.

V. 10. Yet a little Sleep, a little Slumber, un by me byD] By the Plurals being used here seems to be implied Sleep and Slumber often repeated at different Intervals. The Apoftrophe from the Preceptor to the Sluggard is beautiful.

The Senfe [ ובא - ראשך

V. 11. So fhall thy Poverty come feems to require that the in this Place should be confidered as an adverfative Conjunction; or an illative one, as in the old Version.

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- הלך עקשות פה :

Rather - A [אדם בליעל איש און

V. 12. A naughty Perfon, a wicked Man,, walketh with a froward Mouth. BASE (or WORTHLESS) FELLOW is A WICKED MAN, WALKING &c. This Conftruction seems more agreeable to the Genius of the oriental Languages; which have feldom two Subjects put in Appofition; and to the Nature of Hemiftics, each of which almost universally contains a Propofition.

V. 26. For by Means of a whorish Woman a Man is brought to a

Rather [כי בעד אשה - זונה עד ככר לחם - : Piece of Bread

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FOR BY MEANS OF A WOMAN, THE FORNICATOR is brought TO A PIECE OF BREAD. For may as well be here confidered as the Participle prefent, as a Noun.

— and the Adulteress will hunt for the precious Life. wis mun TYP WA] Rather, by Way of autos YEA, THE ADUL

TERESS WILL HUNT FOR THE PRECIOUS LIFE.

V. 30. Men do not despise a Thief,, if he feal to fatisfy his Soul,

למלא נפשו כי ירעב : .when be is bungry [לא יבוזו לגנב כי יגנוב - למלא נפשו כי ירעב :

174

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Rather, I think IS NOT A THIEF TAKEN WHEN HE STEALETH; THOUGH HE LONG TO SATISFY HIS APPETITE? This Construction preferves the Hemiftics diftinct from each other, and conveys a clearer Senfe than the other. Instead of 2, which has no Antecedent, and is befides a Verb foreign to the Purpose, I read t with all the old Verfions; and give ay the Senfe of longing (to avoid Tautology in the next Words) for to hunger and thirft after Righteoufnefs &c. is to long earnestly for that particular Thing.

V. 32.

[משחית נפשו

- he that doeth it, deftroyeth his own Soul. MIND] HE that EMBRACETH HER, or HATH

Rather [הוא יעשנה:

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COMMERCE WITH HER. See Ezek. XXIII. 3. 8, 21.
Dd 2

V. 34.

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