“When thou wilt do good know to whom thou doest it; so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.”
To whom. All must not be admitted into the house, nor treated with marks of particular esteem. Yet daily alms must be given without too scrupulous an enquiry, Luke vi. 30. (Calmet) — It would be wrong to encourage sinners, who would run to their ruin. But we must relieve the penitent. (Worthington)
“Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the most High.”
Lord. Christ rewards what good is done to his poor brethren.
“There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that giveth no alms.”
For. Greek, (4.) “Give to the pious, and receive not the sinner, (6.) Do,” &c. (Haydock) — The gospel enjoins us to do good to all. St. Augustine (Dort. iii. 16.) and St. Thomas Aquinas (ii. 2. q. xxxii. a ix.) explain this in a spiritual sense, that we must not partake in the crimes of others. We may also make presents to the virtuous, and pass over people of a different character, particularly when they would abuse our gifts. The honest poor must be preserved.
“Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.”
Rusteth. So his malice always returns, (Calmet) and he shews what he is. (Vatable) — Christianity does not blame due reserve in treating with those whom we know not, or who have formerly injured us. Though we must love them from our heart, yet we need not intrust our secrets to them, nor even to every friend. Joab always retained a hatred for Abner, and Absalom for his brother and father, though they dissembled their resentment. (Calmet) — So the wicked commonly act. (Haydock) — We must love, but not trust them, being wise as serpents, Matthew x. (Worthington)
“Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou shalt be unto him as if thou hadst wiped a lookingglass, and thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away.”
Of him. Greek adds, “and thou shalt be to him as one who has rubbed a mirror, (of brass from the rust. It returns perpetually. Calmet) and shalt know that the rust is not removed for ever. (Grabe) (Haydock)
“Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts?”
Beasts. Vipers, &c. Why should they familiarize themselves with such? Some Italians still handle serpents without fear, pretending that they are the descendants of St. Paul. (Calmet) — But he was never married, (1 Corinthians vii.; Haydock) and they are rather of the race of the Marsi, who formerly claimed the same privilege, having made use of some drugs to prevent the poison. The ancients believed that they could charm serpents.
“An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.”
Blood. Jeremias xli. 6. Samson yielded to the tears of women, Judges xiv. 16., and xvi. 6.
“He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.”
Eyes. Is taken from ver. 16. It is not in Greek. (Haydock) — His tears are like those of crocodiles, which cry when they are going to kill a man. (Calmet)