Proverbs 25 Commentary

“Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”

Justice. The wicked in a kingdom resemble rust on silver. (Calmet)

“Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: Put: Heb. Set not out thy glory”

Glorious, or a boaster. (Haydock) — We must not seek the first places, Luke xiv. 10.

“Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.”

Not. Septuagint, “repent when thy friend may reproach thee.” (Haydock) — Friend. A word spoken in haste may expose him to ridicule.

“Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: a secret: or, the secret of”

Stranger. It sometimes happens that friends fall out; but if either disclose the secret of the other, he will be deemed infamous. (Calmet) (Josephus, contra Apion 2.) — St. Ambrose says of his brother Satyrus, “though we had all things in common, yet the secret of our friends was not so.”

“Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.”

Grace, &c., is no in Hebrew, Complutensian, St. Jerome, &c. But it is in the Septuagint, “favour and friendship may give liberty; which keep thou for thyself, that thou mayst not be exposed to great shame. But guard thy ways unchangeably.” (Haydock) — Avoid quarrels.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. fitly: Heb. spoken upon his wheels”

Time, (Symmachus) “on its wheels,” (Hebrew) flowing smoothly, (Calmet) or “according to his two faces, is apples of gold in network of silver.” The Scriptures have a double sense. The exterior one leads to that sense which is interior, and more excellent. (Maimonides) (Parkhurst, p. 366.) — Gold, oranges. — Beds. On such the kings of Parthia slept, and these metals were very common under Solomon, 3 Kings x. 27., and Esther i. 6. (Calmet) — Montanus renders mascioth “transparent cases.” Protestants, “pictures of silver.”

“As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”

Bright. Hebrew chali cathem, “an ornament of fine gold,” (Montanus; Protestants; Haydock) may probably denote a collar or ring. The eastern nations wore rings fixed at the top of the ears, and under the nose. Some were so large that they put their meat through them. The Scripture often alludes to these customs, which are so different from ours. (Canticle of Canticles vii. 1.)

“As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.”

Harvest. In June and July, when the heat was most intense, people of quality had snow from Libanus to mix with what they drank, Jeremias xviii. 14. (Calmet)

“By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.”

Hardness. Hebrew and Septuagint, “bones.” (Haydock)

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.”

Up. We must moderate the sensual appetite, (Menochius) and even the study of wisdom, which is compared to honey, chap. xxiv. 13., Romans xii. 3., and Ecclesiastes vii. 17. (Calmet) — We must not be too familiar, ver. 17. (Ven. Bede) (Cajetan)

“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. Withdraw: or, Let thy foot be seldom in weary: Heb. full of thee”

Having. Hebrew, “being tired of thee.” No man is so perfect, but he will manifest some defect, and become importunate. (Calmet)

“As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.”

And. Protestants, “as he that taketh away a, &c., and as vinegar….to a heavy heart.” (Haydock) — The former sentence may be joined with the preceding, as it is improper to deprive a person of his garment, no less than to trust in the faithless; though some would suppose (Calmet) that this conduct, as well as the mixing of vinegar with nitre, is no less absurd than to attempt to relieve by music those who are extremely afflicted, Ecclesiasticus xxii. 6. (Tirinus) — But Solomon does not speak of such, but only of those who are “heavy;” and we know that music has wonderful efficacy in relieving them, (1 Kings xvi. 17.) in like manner as this mixture serves to cleanse the skin and garments, (Jeremias ii. 22.; Calmet) and to purify the ears, when they are deafish. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxi. 10.; Vales. lx.) — As a, &c., is not in Hebrew, St. Jerome, &c. (Calmet) — The Chaldean has the latter part, (Haydock) “grief tries the heart, as fire does silver. As the worm eats wood, so folly,” &c. (Calmet)

“For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.”

Coals of charity; (St. Chrysostom in Romans xii. 20.) or, if he prove obstinate, his punishment will be the greater. (Geier.) — The former sense is more received. (Calmet)

“The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. driveth: or, bringeth forth rain: so doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance”

Rain; (Symmachus; Protestants) or marginal note, “bringeth forth rain.” (Haydock) — But St. Jerome, who live din the country, knew that this wind was rather dry; and therefore he has abandoned the Septuagint, raiseth the clouds,” Job xxxvii. 9., Joel ii. 20., and Ecclesiasticus xviii. 23. The countries north of Palestine were not calculated to produce vapours and rain, which came rather from the south. (Calmet) — Tongue. If the hearers would shew their displeasure, detractors would soon be reduced to silence. (St. Jerome, ad. Rust.) (St. Bernard)

“It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.”

It is. Chap. xxi. 9. Sixtus V does not insert this verse here.

“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”

Tidings. Hebrew and Septuagint. The Vulgate seems rather to speak of a “good messenger.” Homer said that a good messenger honoured the business most. (Pindar, Pyth. viii.) (Calmet)

“A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.”

Falling into disgrace, or sin, occasions the wicked to exult, as if there were no God or religion. (Calmet)

“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.”

Majesty, viz., of God. For to search into that incomprehensible Majesty, and to pretend to sound the depths of the wisdom of God, is exposing our weak understanding to be blinded with an excess of light and glory, which it cannot comprehend. (Challoner) — When the Church proposes to us any mystery, we have only to believe. Hebrew, “but it is glorious to sound their glory,” and see where the wicked end, that we may not envy them, chap. iii. 31., and Psalm xxxvi. 7. (Calmet) — Protestants, “so for men to search their own glory, is not glory,” but a sin. (Haydock) — “It is not good to eat too much honey,” (Chaldean) or to sound the glorious words of God and wisdom, or the mysteries of religion. Septuagint, “But it is right to reverence glorious speeches,” (Calmet) with esteem and humility. (Cat. Gręc.)

“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

Speaking. He lays himself open to every attack, chap. xxix. 11.