성경 주석서

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

So honour is not seemly for a fool. — Honour is the reward of virtue; dignity should wait upon desert. Sed dignitas in indigno est ornamentum in luto, as Salvian. Honour is as fit for a fool as a gold ring for a swine’s snout. Sedes prima et vita ima, will never suit. The order of nature is inverted when the vilest men are exalted; Psalms 12:8 it is a foul incongruity, and of very evil consequence. For thereby themselves will be hardened, and others heartened to the like prosperous folly, felix enim scelus virtus vocatur, saith Cicero. Cicer., De Divinat., lib. ii. The study of virtue also will be neglected when fools are preferred, and God’s heavy wrath poured out in full measure upon these uncircumcised vice-gods - as I may in the worst sense best term them - who misrepresent him to the world by their ungodly practices, as a wicked, crooked, unrighteous Judge.

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As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

As the bird by wandering, and the swallow, — i.e., As these may fly where they will, and nobody cares, or is the worse; so here. And as birds tired with much wandering, and not finding where to rest, return again to their nest, after that they have beat the air with weary wing; so the causeless curse returns to the author. Cursing men are cursed men.

So the curse causeless shall not come. — What was David the worse for Shimei’s rash railings? Or Jeremiah for all the people’s cursings of him? Jeremiah 15:10 Or the Christian churches for the Jews cursing them in their daily prayers, with a Maledic, Domine, Nazaraeis? or the reformed churches for the Pope’s excommunications and execrations with bell, book, and candle? The Pope is like a wasp, no sooner angry but out comes a sting; which being out, is like a fool’s dagger, rattling and snapping, without an edge. Sit ergo Gallus in nomine diabolorum; Annul. Gallic. The devil take the French, said Pope Julius II, as he was sitting by the fire and saying his prayers, upon news of his forces defeated by the French at the battle of Ravenna. Was not this that very mouth that "speaketh great things and blasphemies?" Revelation 13:5 And - as qualis herus talis servus, like master, like man - a certain cardinal, entering with a great deal of pomp into Paris, when the people were more than ordinarily earnest with him for his fatherly benediction: Quandoquidem, said he, hic populus vult decipi, decipiatur in nomine diaboli: Forasmuch as this people will be fooled, let them be fooled in the devil’s name. And another cardinal, when at a diet held at Augsburg, Anno Dom. 1559, the Prince Elector’s ambassador was (in his master’s name) present at mass, but would not, as the rest did, kiss the consecrated charger; the cardinal, I say, that sung mass being displeased thereat, cried out, Si non vis benedictionem, habeas tibi maledictionem in aeternum: Bucholcer. If thou wilt not have the blessing, thou shalt have God’s curse and mine for ever. "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let thy servants rejoice." Psalms 109:28

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whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

A whip for the horse, — viz., To quicken his slow pace. "A bridle for the ass," wherewith to lead him in the right way; for he goes willingly but a foot pace, and would be oft out, but for the bit; and besides, he is very refractory, and must be "held in with bit and bridle." Psalms 32:9

And a rod for the back of fools. — Tυφθεις δε τε νηπιος εγνω . A fool will be the better for beating. Vexatio dat intellectum. Due punishment may well be to these horses and asses - so the Scripture terms unreasonable and wicked men - both for a whip to incite them to good, and for a bridle to rein them in from evil. God hath rods sticking in every corner of his house for these froward fools; and if a rod serve not turn, he hath a "terrible sword." Isaiah 27:1 So must magistrates. Cuncta prius tentanda. If a rod will do, they need not brandish the sword of justice; nor do as Draco did, who punished with death every light offence. This was to kill a fly upon a man’s forehead with a beetle, to the knocking out of his brains.

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Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer not a fool according to his folly. — When either he curseth thee, as Proverbs 26:2 or cryeth out upon thee for giving him due correction Proverbs 26:3 - for every public person had need to carry a spare handkerchief, to wipe off the dirt of disgrace and obloquy cast upon him for doing his duty, - pass such a one by in silence, as not worthy the answering. Sile, et funestam dedisti plagam, say nothing, and you play him to purpose. Chrysost. Hezekiah would not answer Rabshakeh, nor Jeremiah Hananiah; Jeremiah 28:11 nor our Saviour his adversaries. Matthew 26:62 John 19:9 He reviled not his revilers, he threatened not his open opposites. 1 Peter 2:23

Lest thou also be like unto him. — As hot and as headlong as he; for a little thing kindles us, and we are apt to think that we have reason to be mad, if evil entreated; to talk as fast for ourselves as he doth against us, and to give him as good as he brings; so that at length there will be never a wiser of the two, and people will say so.

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Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

Answer a fool according to his folly. — Cast in somewhat that may sting him, and stop his mouth. Stone him with soft words but hard arguments, as Christ dealt with Pilate, lest he lift up his crest, and look upon himself as a conqueror, and be held so by the hearers. In fine, when a fool is among such as himself, answer him, lest he seem wise. If he be among wise men, answer him not, and they will regard rather quid tu taceas, quam quod ille dicat, thy seasonable silence than his passionate prattle.

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He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, [and] drinketh damage.

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool. — The worth of a faithful messenger he had set forth; Proverbs 15:13 here, the discommodity of a foolish one - such as were the spies Moses sent. Numbers 13:1-33 ; Numbers 14:1-38 So when the prophet proves a fool, and the "spiritual man is mad," Hosea 9:7 things go on as heavily as if feet were wanting to a traveller, or as if a messenger had lost his legs.

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The legs of the lame are not equal: so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.

The legs of the lame are not equal. — Locum habet proverbium cum is qui male vivit, bene loquitur, saith an interpreter. Rodulph. Bain. This proverb hits such as speak well, but live otherwise. Uniformity and ubiquity of obedience are sure signs of sincerity; but as [an] unequal pulse argues a distempered body, so doth uneven walking show a diseased soul. A wise man’s life is all of one colour, like itself; and godliness runs through it, as the woof runs through the warp. But if all the parts of the line of thy life be not straight before God, it is a crooked life. If thy tongue speak by the talent, but thine hands scarce work by the ounce, thou shalt pass for a Pharisee. Matthew 23:3 They spake like angels, lived like devils; had heaven commonly at their tongue ends, but the earth continually at their finger ends. Odi homines ignava opera, philosopha sententia, said the heathen; that is, I hate such hypocrites as have mouths full of holiness, hearts full of hollowness. A certain stranger coming on embassy to the senate of Rome, and colouring his hoary hair and pale cheeks with vermilion hue, a grave senator espying the deceit, stood up and said, ‘What sincerity are we to expect at this man’s hand, whose locks, and looks, and lips do lie?’

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As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so [is] he that giveth honour to a fool.

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling. — A precious stone is not fit for a sling - where it will soon be cast away and lost; no more is honour for a fool. See Proverbs 26:1 . Ebenezra saith that Margemah, here rendered a sling, signifies purple, and senseth it thus: As it is an absurd thing to wrap a pebble in purple, so is it to prefer a fool, as Saul did Doeg, as Ahasuerus Haman.

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