صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Hendyadis for DEADLY ARRows, in the fame Manner as Pf. CVII.10. being bound in Affliction and Iron: the Hebrews, having few Adjectives, frequently fupply their Place by using Subftantives expreffive of Qualities in the Abstract. Note, this and the next Verfe properly

make but one.

V. 23. Burning Lips and a wicked Heart

Rather

שפתים דלקים ולב רע

WARM LIPS &c. or "" Lips full of Expreffions of the "warmeft Friendship."

a

כסף סיגים מצפה .like a Potherd covered with Silver Dros

ך על חרש :

Literally, like the Silver of Drofs laid on a Potsherd, or broken Veel. So the warm Lips, though they may at firft deceive by a falfe Appearance, will foon difcover the Wickedness of the Heart, as what seemed to be Silver, on Examination, turns out to be only Drofs.

V. 25. When be speaketh fair

HIS VOICE IS GRACIOUS.

Rather [כי יחנן קולו

WHEN

— for there are seven Abominations in his Heart. Mayın yaw ‘a :12] Rather-FOR HE IS FULL OF ABOMINATIONS IN HIS HEART.

בלבו:

V. 26. Whofe Hatred is covered by Deceit Rather HE THAT COVERETH HATRED

[ocr errors]

תכסה שנאה במשאון

WITH TRANQUILLITY; for that feems to be the Senfe of 18 in this Place, from the Verb j, to be tranquil. Dan is here confidered as if written D; for all the oriental and all the Greek Verfions feem to have fo read.

תכסה

V.28. A lying Tongue bateth those that are afflicted by it; p 1105 All the ancient Verfions render this Place thus A LYING TONGUE HATETH TRUTH: whence I conjecture that, instead of 1', they read 7, PURE THINGS; for fo the Word fignifies both in Chaldee and Syriac.

[blocks in formation]

V. 6.

ונעתרות נשיקות .but the Kifes of an Enemy are deceitful deceitful, I נעתרות As there is no Authority for rendering [ שונא :

would either adopt the marginal Lection EARNEST, or FREQUENt, or, give it the Senfe, which Taylor does from Schultens, viz. FETID,

VIRULENT, POISONOUS.

[כצפור נודדת מן נקה - כן איש נודד ממקומו :

V. 8. As a Bird wandereth from her Neft; fo is a Man that wandereth from his Place. Place feems here too general an Expreffion: the Word I think ought to be rendered FROM HIS HOME, or HOUSE, as 1 Sam. II. 20. and 2 Chron. XXV. 10. or perhaps FROM HIS POST or STATION.

V. 9. —fo doth the Sweetness of a Man's Friend by hearty Counfel.

SO

Rather - So THE COUNSEL OF THE [ומתק רעהו מעצת נפש :

SOUL DELIGHTETH (or, IS SWEET TO) IT'S FRIEND: or as WD is of the common Gender, and not unfrequently used for a Man, this Hemiftic may be rendered, SO THE COUNSEL OF A MAN DELIGHTETH HIS FRIEND.

so

V. 10. Thine own Friend, and thy Father's Friend forsake not ; neither go into thy Brother's Houfe in the Day of thy Calamity:

רעך

The Note [ורעה אביך אל תעזב - ובית אחיך אל חבוא ביום אידך

[ocr errors]

in the old Verfion upon the Day of thy Calamity is, "truft not in any "human Help." But I imagine the Meaning to be, "have Recourse ra"ther in Times of Adversity to a fincere Friend of thy Father's, or of "thine own, than to a Brother :" for it follows, better is a Neighbour that is near than a Brother far off; i. e. "even a good Neighbour that "is ready at hand to affift, is preferable to a Brother, who keeps at a "Distance, regardless of thy Trouble." See the Note Ch. XVIII. 19, 24. and XIX. 7.

The [ערום ראה רעה

V. 12. A prudent Man forefeeth the Evil, three connexive Particles, which the Tranfcriber has omitted in this Verfe, are found Ch. XXII. 3.

V. 14. He that bleffeth his Friend with a loud Voice, rifing early in the Morning, it shall be counted a Curfe to him.

Rather - HE THAT SALUTETH [בבקר - השכים קללה תחשב לו :

:

[ocr errors]

HIS FRIEND WITH A LOUD VOICE, RISING EARLY, IT SHALL BE REPUTED TO HIM A LIGHT THING. See 7 and Sp, which have these Senfes, i. e. "He who is over fedulous and officious in his "Attention upon his Friend creates a Sufpicion that he is hereby more "influenced by private Views, than by his Friend's Welfare.”

V. 16. Whosoever hideth her, bideth the Wind, and the Ointment of bis right Hand, which bewrayeth itself. 17

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

צפניה צפן רוח - ושמן ימינו we may render - WHOSOEVER רוח for ריח If we here read . [ יקרא :

HIDETH HER, HIDETH A SMELL, WHICH THE OINTMENT about

HIS

HIS RIGHT HAND PROCLAIMETH. Or without reference to the contentious Woman, by reading (according to the MS. Interpretation of an ingenious Friend) thus-THE LORD LAYETH UP THE NORTH WIND, AND CALLETH FORTH THE PLENTEOUS SOUTH WIND: i.e. "He ruleth over fecond Caufes, and directeth them to "their due Effects."

V. 17. Iron Sharpeneth Iron; fo a of his Friend.

Man Sharpeneṭh the Countenance 7]

- Rather [ברזל בברזל יחד - ואיש יחד פני רעהו :

AS IRON IS SHARPENED BY IRON,
THE COUNTENANCE OF HIS FRIEND:

SO A MAN IS SHARPENED BY i.e. receives Alacrity and Spirits.

V. 19. As in Water Face anfwereth to Face, fo the Heart of a Man

a

Rather, I [כמים הפנים לפנים - כן לב האדם לאדם: .to a Mann

[ocr errors]

think AS THE FACE is TO THE FACE IN WATER, so is THE HEART OF A MAN TO A MAN: That is (I apprehend) "the Actions of a Man fhew as much his Heart, as the Reflection of "Water fhews his Countenance."

V. 21. As the fining Pot for Silver, and the Furnace for Gold; fo is a

– ואיש לפי מהללו : .Man to bis Praile ,Rather [מערף לכסף וכור לזהב - ואיש לפי

I think --- AS THE FINING POT TO SILVER, AND THE FURNACE TO GOLD, So is A MAN WITH RESPECT TO THE SPEECH OF HIM THAT PRAISETH HIM. That is (I imagine) “a Man's real "Character proves whether the Encomiast be a Flatterer or not.'

[ocr errors]

אם תכתוש את האויל- במכתש בתוך הריפות בעלי

V. 22. Though thou shouldeft bray a fool in a Mortar, among Wheat with a Peftil, &c. "121] Here we have no less than four Words that may be confidered as ana Ay. The Signification of the Verb wn and it's Derivative w may be ascertained from the Chaldee and Syriac; the Verb fignifies to bruife or beat, vn is a Veffel, or Fat, in which the Grapes are gently bruifed before they are put in the Prefs. is derived from 17, which alfo fignifies to bruife, and by (which is rendered with a Peftil, without any Sort of Authority that I can find) I confider as an Error for by or a, compofed of a,y and the Affix. The Senfe therefore of this Place feems to be this-THOU MAYEST BRUISE A FOOL IN A FAT BY MEANS OF STAMPINGS UPON HIM &C. This feems to be the fame Sentiment as that of Horace, viz. Naturam expellas furca licet, ufque recurret.

V. 23. Be thou diligent to know the State of thy Flock: "VYT N] Our Verfion feems here to go too wide from the Text, which is literally, Knowing know thou the Faces of thy Sheep; and feems to fignify-"Be thou particularly acquainted with every one of thy Sheep." It is remarkable that fome Shepherds will know every Sheep in very large Flocks merely by their Faces.

V. 24. For Riches are not for ever: and doth the Crown endure to

Rather [כי לא לעולם חסן - ואם נזר לדור (ו)דור : ? every Generation

[ocr errors]

FOR RICHES are NOT FOR EVER; NEITHER SURELY ARE THEY APPROPRIATED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. It is doubtless better to confider as a Verb in this Place, which is wanted, than to construe it a Crown, which is quite foreign to the Subject.

[blocks in formation]

V. 2. For the Tranfgreffion of a Land many are the Princes thereof: 18 yea] Thus God fays in Ifaiah I will give Children to be their Princes, and Babes fhall rule over them, Ch. III.4,12.

but by a Man of Understanding and Knowledge the State thereof Shall be prolonged.17 13 7821] Rather perhaps SHALL OBTAIN RELIEF: for the Verb 8 has that Senfe in Arabic,

.fignify both Health and a Cure ארוכה et ארכה and גבר רש ועשק דלים

V. 3. A poor Man that opprefeth the poor

Rather --- A MAN IN POWER THAT IS NEEDY AND OPPRESS

ETH THE POOR.

V. 4; They that forfake the Law praise the wicked:

עזבי תורה

That is, they countenance them in their Iniquity, in the fame Manner as they that keep the Law are faid to contend with them, i.e. reprove them.

V. 12.

[ocr errors]

but when the wicked rife, a Man is hidden. yn Dipai DN won'] Rather (as at Verfe 28.) MEN HIDE THEMSELVES,

viz. for Fear.

V. 21. To have respect of Perfons is not good; for for a Piece of

הכר פנים לא טוב - ועל פת לחם .Bread that Man will tranfgres

: yw'] The latter Hemistic ought I think to be rendered interrogatively AND FOR A PIECE OF BREAD SHOULD A MAN

936

TRANSGRESS?

L1

CHAP.

CHAP. XXIX.

V. 4. The King by Judgment ftablisheth the Land: but he that re

מלך במשפט יעמיד ארץ - ואיש תרומות .ceiveti Gifts overthroweth it ,תרמית is doubtlefs a Miftake for תרומות The Word [ יהרסנה:

Fraud or Deceit for the firft fignifies only Oblations, or Gifts offered with a religious View; but is never ufed in a bad Senfe for Bribes. The Chaldee, Syriac, LXX, and Arabic, read ; for which Reafon I would render with them- BUT THE FRAUDULENT MAN &c.

Rather [ איש רע מוקש

בפשע

V.6. In the Tranfgreffion of an evil Man there is a Snare. -yuDI THE WICKED MAN IS ENSNARED BY TRANSGRESSION: thus thefe Words are rendered, Ch. XII. 13. See Ch. XXII. 25.

V.7.-but the wicked regardeth not to know it. :na' mb von]

Rather but THE WICKED REGARDETH NOT KNOWLEDGE.

613

V.8. Scornful Men bring a City into a Snare:—¡mp 5′ 13s WIN]

-

Rather INFLAME A CITY; i. e. occafion Tumults and Discords; or SET A CITY ON FIRE, by blowing the Fire of the Divine Wrath it. The next Hemiftic countenances either of these Senfes.

upon

V.9.

If a wife Man contendeth with a foolish Man,

[ocr errors]

whether he rage

איש חכם נשפט את איש אויל - ורגז ושחק .or laugh, there is no Ref

Rather-A WISE MAN CONTENDETH WITH A FOOL; AND WHETHER HE RAGE OR LAUGH, HE IS NOT DISMAYED:

[ocr errors]

that is, "the wife will continue to reprove the fool, whether he be angry or laugh at his Admonitions." is here confidered as the Niphal of nn.

V. 13. The poor and the deceitful Man meet together: the Lord

רש ואיש תככים נפגשו - מאיר עיני שניהם .lighteneth both their Eyes : Rather [ יהוה :

THE POOR AND OPPRESSED MAN &C. For, that thefe Words are not in Oppofition, but are to be confidered rather as fynonymous, the latter Hemiftic fhews. The Word ɔn occurs only in this Place: as it has no Root in Hebrew, the Sense given to it here is borrowed from the Chaldee and Syriac.

--

באין חזון יפרע - :

V. 18. Where there is no Vifion, the People perish: y] Rather-WHERE there is NO INSTRUCTION, THE PEOPLE

ARE

« السابقةمتابعة »