βKeep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.β
Few. As none can arrive at the perfect knowledge of God, they should be reserved in speaking of Him. (Worthington) β De Deo etiam vera loqui periculosum. (Cicero, de Nat.) β In prayer, (Calmet) we must not pretend to give him any information, like the heathens, Matthew vi. 7. (Haydock)
βBe not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. thing: or, wordβ
Folly. Under anxiety a person is naturally disturbed with dreams, in which some true ideas may present themselves; in like manner, as a great talker will say some things respecting God, which may not be reprehensible, though the greatest part of his discourse will be nothing to the purpose. This is another abuse. All must speak of God and religion, though few are able to do it, with propriety! (Calmet)
βFor a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.β
Pay it. Deuteronomy xxiii. Vows must be fulfilled. (Worthington) β God requires that we should keep the commandments; (Luke x. 28.) and if we engage ourselves to perform some work of supererogation, he expects that we should be faithful. To vow is of counsel; but to comply with it is of precept. An abuse too common among the Jews is here condemned. (Calmet)
βBetter is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.β
Sin by making a vow, above thy strength, (Chaldean; Pineda) or by speaking what may excite the passions. (Thaumat.; Bossuet) β Angel guardian assigned to each one, (Worthington) or the priest, who took cognizance of vows. (Calmet) β Providence, or βforesightβ in me to avoid the evil. Hebrew and Septuagint, βit is an error,β (Haydock) or sin of ignorance, for which certain victims were specified, Leviticus v. 4. The neglect of vows could not be thus expiated. (Calmet) β Use no allurements to lust. (Menochius)
βSuffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?β
Number. Those who observe dreams, are filled with apprehension. The Jews were very subject to this superstition. (Calmet) β As dreams are vain, so are many words or excuses to evade a vow. (Junius; Grotius) β Such pretences must not be made. (St. Jerome) (Menochius)
βFor in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.β
These. God will bring the wicked to judgment, (Calmet) and shew for what design he left them in power. (Haydock)
βIf thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they. at the: Heb. at the will, or, purposeβ
Him. An appeal may be made to the king or to God. Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis. (Horace, iii. ode 1.) β Hebrew, βthe king serves, (Montanus) or is served by the field.β (Protestants) (Haydock) β All have a mutual dependence on each other, and thus the vanity of men and the order of Providence appear. (Calmet)
βMoreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.β
Money. Avarice is like a dropsy, (Calmet) or poison, infecting all the person. (Sallust.) β The miser is the slave, and not the possessor, of his riches, (St. Chrysostom) like Tantalus, who could not drink, though in the midst of waters. (Horace, i. Sat. 1.) β Nescis quo valeat nummus, quem prΔbeat usum.
βHe that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.β
Them. He shews the vanity of the great.
βWhen goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?β
Sleep. Is not the health and content of the poor to be preferred?
βThe sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.β
Owner. When they are taken away, they bring greater sorrow, (Calmet) and even when present, they fill the mind with anxiety. (Haydock)
βThere is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.β
Affliction. Hebrew, βby an evil affair,β or accident. (Calmet) β Who. Hebrew, βand there is nothing in his hand.β (Haydock) β As temporal riches prove detrimental to their owners, so do false philosophy and heresy to those who follow them. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)
βBut those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.β
Labour. All must die in this manner. But it is most afflicting that he was formerly rich, and must leave his son indigent. (Calmet)
βAnd this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?β
Sorrow. The person whose riches have been taken away, had made a bad use of them, (Calmet) living like a miser. It would be more rational to indulge in the pleasures which they afford, though this is also vain, chap. iii. 14.
βEvery man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.β
Delight, while he observes due moderation. His life passes away sweetly. (Calmet)