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to have in View, caufes them to deviate from the ftrait Road, by which Means they come short, and lofe the Prize. St. Paul (Phil. III. 14.) ufes the fame Metaphor, and a Word very fimilar to '; THIS d εμ προσθεν ΕΠΕΚΤΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΟΣ, κατα σκοπον διωκω ; STRETCHING AFTER thofe that are before, I push forward to the Mark. Again, speaking of his own Course of preaching the Gospel, (2 Cor. X. 14.) he fays, Ου γαρ ως μη εφικνυμένοι εις υμας, ΥΠΕΡΕΚΤΕΙΝΟΜΕΝ εαυτός, αχρι γαρ και υμων έφθασαμεν εν τω ευαγίελια τα Χριςου. We did not STRETCH OURSELVES FORWARD BEYOND Our Line, as not regularly coming to you; but we have been the first who have reached fo far as you &c. In the latter Claufe, Dynn, CAUSETH THEM TO WANDER, correfponds with another Expreffion used by the fame Apostle in a like Senfe, 1 Cor. IX. 26. Εγω τοίνυν ουτω τρέχω, ως ουκ αδήλως; where by αδήλως he evidently means, running at random, without minding whether he was in the trait Path to the Goal. The Apostle is thought to have borrowed thefe Terms from the Grecian Games: but might he not have fetched them from the facred Writings belonging to his own Country, in which he feems to have been particularly converfant?

V.28. In the Way of Righteousness is Life; and in the Path-way thereof

ודרך נתיבה אל מות : .there is no Death This [בארח צדקה חיים

fometimes in

Verse ought doubtless to be thus tranflated— IN THE HIGHWAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS is LIFE: BUT IT'S BYE-PATH LEADETH TO DEATH. is always used in a good Senfe: but a a bad one. See Ch. I. 15. VII. 25. Hof. II. 6. By this Construction the Verse is cleared of all Difficulties, the Antithefis is preferved, and there is neither a Redundancy or Deficiency in the Words.

CHAP. XIII.

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בן חכם מוסר - :

V. 1. A wife Son heareth his Father's Inftruction: 28] Rather perhaps A WISE SON IS INSTRUCTED by HIS FATHER: for DD may be confidered here as the Participle Pabul.

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V. 2. A Man fhall eat good by the Fruit of his Mouth: but the

מפרי פי איש יאכל טוב - ונפש .Soul of the Tranfgrelors fhall cat Violence [בגדים חמס

: Dan ] Rather - EVERY GOOD MAN WILL EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE WORD: BUT VIOLENCE COMFORTETH THE TRANSGRESSORS. Our Tranflators feem here to have mistaken the Senfe of the Text; and that which they substitute is involved in Ob

fcurity.

feurity. I join and together in the Conftruction, as the Syntax feems to require and as the Phrafe EATING THE WORD OF GOD, for fudying and digefting it, is scriptural, (fee Jer. XV.16. Ezek. III. 3.) I give the Signification of the Word, as our Verfion does, Numb. III. 16, 51. IV. 45. XXII. 18. XXXVI. 5. &c. which being left indefinite, and being often used for the Divine Commandments, may be fo taken here, as well as 2 and 3, V. 13. And as a Verb is wanted in the latter Hemiftic, I confider D in that Light, and give it the Sense it has, Exod. XXIII. 12. XXXI. 17. and 2 Sam. XVI. 14. or it may be confidered as a Noun, but with the Idea of Luft, or Appetite, (as Exod. XV. 9. Eccl. VI. 7.) thus LUST OF THE TRANSGRESSORS is for VIOLENCE, or VIOLENCE is THE LUST &c. In either Cafe the Senfe is the fame, and the Antithefis preserved in every corresponding Member..

BUT THE

נצר פיו שמר

V. 3. He that keepeth his Mouth, keepeth bis Life: WD] Rather-HE THAT WATCHETH OVER HIS MOUTH &c. for this is one of the Senfes of 3, whence, a Watchman, is derived: befides as the Verbs in the Hebrew are different, fo ought they to be in the Verfion.

Rather [ואין נפשו עצל

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V. 4. The Soul of the Sluggard defireth, and hath nothing: -THE SLUGGARD DESIRETH, BUT hath NOT HIS WILL; or the Thing he defireth: fo wo frequently fignifies. but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat. D'Y 201 :] Rather - BUT THE DESIRE OF THE DILIGENT SHALL BE SATISFIED. See T in the Note on Pf. XX. 3.

[תדשן

V. 5. A righteous Man hateth lying: but a wicked Man is lothfome, and cometh to Shame.

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- ורשע יבאיש ויחפיר : [דבר שקר ישנא צדיק

Rather THE RIGHTEOUS HATETH A FALSEHOOD: BUT THE WICKED IS AN ABOMINATION, AND COMETH TO SHAME: thus is the Verb a rendered, I Sam. XIII. 4. 2 Sam. XVI. 21. But all the old Verfions feem to have read here ; for they agree in rendering it HE IS CONFOUNDED; which feems to be the true Lection. V. 6. Righteoufnefs keepeth him that is upright in the Way: PTY

Rather [נצר תם דרך

WAY.

Rather

RIGHTEOUSNESS KEEPETH THE RIGHT

·but Wickedness overthroweth the Sinner. :nson gbon nyw¬1] --- BUT WICKEDNESS MAKETH THE WRONG Way SLIP

PERY:

PERY: i. e. "finds continual Dangers and Difappointments attending "a criminal Courfe of Life." See D in Taylor's Conc. and as the Verb son fignifies to mifs the Mark, or to turn from the ftrait Way, I make Non have reference to the Way, mentioned immediately before; which I here fupply for the fake of Perfpicuity.

V. 8. The Ranfom of a Man's Life are his Riches: but the poor hear

Rather כפר נפש איש עשרו - ורש לא שמע גערה:

eth not Rebuke. ---DOTH NOT THE POOR HEAR REBUKE? "That is, (I imagine) the rich by his Wealth can always extricate himself out of "Difficulties; while the poor Man, who has nothing to offer by Way "of Atonement for his Faults, meets with Rebukes." The old Verfion is to the fame Effect as that we now ufe; and the marginal Note is, "For his Poverty, he is not able to escape the Threatnings, which "his cruel Oppreffors use against him." Which Explanation, abstractedly confidered, appears to be good: but, compared with the Verfion of the Text, is diametrically oppofite to it. The Interrogation however relieves from the Embarraffment.

בזדון יתן מצה

See

V. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention: 11 p] Rather -- A VAIN Man BY PRIDE CAUSETH CONTENTION. P (contracted for p) thus ufed, Gen. XXXVII. 24. Deut. XXXII.47.

הון מהבל

V. 11. Wealth_gotten by Vanity shall be diminished: by] Qu. ought not this Hemiftic to be rendered WEALTH IS DIMINISHED BY VANITY?

[ ימעט

but he that gathereth by Labour fall increafe. T' TY Tap? 27] is never used to exprefs the Labour of the Hand; though it may appear naturally to admit of that Senfe. All the ancient Verfions, as far as we can collect from their difcordant Readings, feem to have had, inftead of 7, in their respective Texts: and it must be confefied that nothing is more probable than fuch a Metathefis. Admitting this Lection, the Senfe is clear, viz. BUT HE THAT GATHERETH UNTO COMPETENCY SHALL HAVE PLENTY. This Maxim, thus reftrained, inculcates an excellent Leffon. It exhorts to Industry, and checks Avarice, by drawing between them the precife Line of Separation.

תוחלת ממשכה מחלה לב - ועץ חיים .cometh, it is a Tree of Life Rather [תאוה באה:

V. 12..Hope deferred maketh the Heart fick, but when the Defire EXPECTATION PROLONGED CAUSETH AN ANXIETY

ANXIETY OF HEART: BUT THE DESIRE APPROACHING is A TREE OF LIFE. I conftrue as the Participle, rather than as the Preter; because it seems to improve the Sense; for it is well known, that we generally derive more Satisfaction from Expectation than from actual Fruition; unless when by repeated Disappointments the Hope seems to be removed farther off from Day to Day; which is justly said to ficken the Heart.

בז לדבר יחבל

V. 13. Whofo defpifeth the Word fhall be destroyed: han 75 a Our Verfion paffes over the Pronoun ; and alfo does not seem to give the true Senfe of this Hemiftic; which I think ought to be thus tranflated --- WHOEVER DESPISETH A DECREE (or, THE LAW) SHALL BE HOLDEN (or, BOUND) TO IT: i. e. "if he treat "the Laws with Scorn, they fhall be executed against him; or he "shall be bound over, or made to give a Pledge for the Obfervance of "them.", though a Word of a most extenfive Signification, is here restrained by the parallel Word, Commandment, in the next Hemiftic, to a fynonymous Senfe: it is tranflated by this fame Word in a Multitude of Places; but, for Variety, I render it Decree or Law, as 2 Chron. XXX. 5. And in respect to the Verb an, it's primary Sense is to bind; and it is thus rendered, Ezek. XVIII. 16.

**There is here doubtless a Verfe wanting in our present Hebrew Texts; for all the ancient Verfions, except the Chaldee (which in these Cafes is no Authority, as the Jews have certainly reduced it to the Standard of their Texts) read to this Effect, viz.

"TO THE FRAUDULENT MAN NO GOOD WILL COME: BUT THE "WORK OF THE WISE PROSPERETH, AND HIS WAY SUCCEEDETH.”

לסור ממקשי מות: [תורת חכם מקור חיים

104

V. 14. The Law of the wife is a Fountain of Life, to depart from the Snares of Death. I confider, not as in regimine, but as the Plural, with the Ellipfis of the formative 1,, which is not uncommon; and read up hips thus pp. The Verfion, according to this Conftruction and Reading, will be this THE LAWs are To THE WISE A FOUN TAIN OF LIFE; TO THE REBELLIOUS they are THE SNARES OF DEATH. By this Interpretation the Antithefis is restored to every correfponding Word in the Verfe; and hence another Argument befides might be drawn by an Induction of every Verfe, not only in this Chapter, but of the far greater Part of this Book, to prove that it is the most probable Sense.

Ff

V. 15.

V. 15. Good Understanding giveth Favour: but the Way of Tranf

Rather [שכל טוב יתן חן - ודרך בגדים איתן: .gre//ers is hard

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A GOOD CONDUCT CONCILIATETH (or, PROCURETH) FAVOUR: BUT THE WAY OF THE WICKED IS RUGGED. So a fignifies, 1 Sam. XVIII. 14, 15. &c.

V. 19. The Defire accomplished is fweet to the Soul: ayn nini mi87 All the ancient Verfions read here, viz. THE DESIRE OF WHAT IS HONEST, or COMELY &c.

V. 23. Much Food is in the Tillage of the poor: but there is that is

רב אכל ניר ראשים - ויש נספה .detroyed for Want of judgment

DE ] The moft obvious Conftruction of this Verfe is. There is MUCH FOOD IN THE TILLAGE OF RULERS (or, CHIEF MEN) BUT IT HAPPENETH that it is DESTROYED &c. It is a Fact founded in Experience, that where there is great Abundance, there is generally great Wafte. The Word indeed (probably a Mistake for ) in fome few Places fignifies a poor Man: but he cannot be deemed poor who has a Superfluity: befides that the latter Hemistic has no Coherence according to that Sense.

V. 25. The righteous eateth to the fatisfying of his Soul :

צדיק אכל.

Rather [לשבע נפשו

APPETITE.

CHA P. XIV.

חכמות נשים בנתה - :

V. 1. Every wife Woman buildeth her House: n] Thefe four Words are very anomalous; and that owing solely to the Infertion of the 1 in ; which makes it the Nominative Plural, instead of Singular. Most of the ancient Versions read nɔɔn; and fo indeed muft we, if we pay any Regard to the Syntax.

בפי אויל

V.3. In the Mouth of the foolish is a Rod of Pride: —
PRIDE IN THE MOUTH OF FOOLS is a

- Rather [חטר גאוה

ROD, viz. for their Chaftifement &c.

V.7. Go from the Prefence of a foolish Man. when thou perceivest

לך מנגד לאיש כסיל - ובל ידעת .not in him the Lips of Knowledge

'], The LXX, Syriac, and Arabic Verfions, read the Text thus, and add at the Beginning of the Verse; and in the latter Hemiftic myba.

According to this Lection the Senfe וכלי דעת

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