EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
31.
the fruit of their own way] As they sow, so shall they reap, in accordance with the eternal law of righteousness. Comp.
Galatians 6:7-8.
Verse 31. -
Therefore they shall eat, etc. A further enlargement of the declaration of Wisdom, showing that their calamity is the result of their own ways. The futures are resumed in the original from ver. 28. The word "therefore" does not occur, but it is met with in the LXX.,
τοιγαροῦν; in the Vulgate,
igitur; and in the Syriac,
ideo. The truth here expressed is accordant with the tenor of the teaching of the Scripture (comp.
Proverbs 14:14;
Proverbs 22:8;
Job 4:8;
Isaiah 3:10;
Galatians 6:7, 8), and with our daily experience of God's moral government of the world (see Butler, 'Analogy,' part 1, ch. 2,
ad fin.). This sentiment of retributive punishment also found expression in Terence, "Tute hoc intristi, tibi omne est edendum" ('Phorm.,' 2. 1. 4). When we are punished, the blameworthiness lies not with God, but with us sinners (Wardlaw).
They shall be filled; rather,
satiated, or
surfeited;
saturabuntur (Vulgate). The verb
שָׁבַע (
shava) means not only "to fill," but "to be satiated or cloyed" (cf.
Proverbs 14:14;
Proverbs 25:16;
Psalm 88:3;
Psalm 123:4). Michaelis remarks on this word, "Ad nauseam implebuntur et comedent, ita ut consiliorum suorum vehementer tandem, sed nimis sero, ipsos poeniteat" (Michaelis, 'Notre Uberiores in Prov.'), "They shall be filled and eat
ad nauseam, so that at length, but too late, they shall vehemently repent them of their own counsels."
Counsels (
מועֵצות,
moetsoth);
i.e. ungodly counsels, or evil devices. The word only occurs in the plural. Proverbs 1:31
Then - this sublime preacher in the streets continues - distress shall teach them to pray:
28 Then shall they call on me, and I will not answer;
They shall early seek after me, and not find me;
29 Because that they hated knowledge,
And did not choose the fear of Jahve.
30 They have not yielded to my counsel,
Despised all my reproof:
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way,
And satiate themselves with their own counsels.
In the full emphatic forms, יקראנני, they shall call on me, ישׁחרנני, they shall seek me, and ימצאנני, they shall find me, the suffix ני may be joined to the old plur. ending ûn (Gesenius, Olshausen, Bttcher); but open forms like יברכנהוּ, He will bless him,יכבּדנני, He will honour me (from יכבּדנּי), and the like, rather favour the conclusion that נ is epenthetic (Ew. 250, b).
(Note: In the Codd. יקראנני is written; in this case the Metheg indicates the tone syllable: vid., Torath Emeth, p. 7 note, p. 21 note; and Accentssystem, ii. 1, note. In ישׁחרנני the Rebia is to be placed over the ר. In the Silluk-word ימצאנני it appears undoubtedly that the form is to be spoken as Milel, i.e., with tone on the penult.)
The address here takes the form of a declaration: Stultos nunc indignos censet ulteriori alloquio (Mich.). It is that laughter and scorn,Proverbs 1:26, which here sounds forth from the address of the Judge regarding the incorrigible. שׁחר is denom. of שׁחר, to go out and to seek with the morning twilight, as also בּקּר,Psalm 27:5, perhaps to appear early, and usually (Arab.) bakar (I, II, IV), to rise early, to be zealous (Lane: "He hastened to do or accomplish, or attain the thing needed"). Zckler, with Hitzig, erroneously regardsProverbs 1:29,Proverbs 1:30 as the antecedent toProverbs 1:31. With ויאכלוּ, "and they shall eat," the futt. announcing judgment are continued fromProverbs 1:28; cf.Deuteronomy 28:46-48. The conclusion after תּהת כּי, "therefore because," or as usually expressed (except here andDeuteronomy 4:37, cf.Genesis 4:25), תּהת אשׁר (ἀνθ ̓ ὧν), is otherwise characterized,Deuteronomy 22:29;2 Chronicles 21:12; and besides, תהת אשׁר stands after (e.g.,1 Samuel 26:21;2 Kings 22:17;Jeremiah 29:19) oftener than before the principal clause. בּחר combines in itself the meanings of eligere and diligere (Fl.). The construction of אבה ל (to be inclining towards) follows that of the analogous שׁמע ל (to hear). Each one eats of the fruit of his way - good fruit of good ways (Isaiah 3:10), and evil fruit of evil ways. "The מן, 31b, introduces the object from which, as a whole, that which one eats, and with which he is satisfied, is taken as a part, or the object from which, as from a fountain, satisfaction flows forth" (Fl.). In correct texts, ויאכלוּ has the accent Dech, and at the same time Munach as its servant. Regarding the laws of punctuation, according to which וּממּעצתיהם (with Munach on the tone-syllable, Tarcha on the antepenult, and Metheg before the Chateph-Pathach) is to be written, see Baer's Torath Emeth, p. 11, Accentssystem, iv. 4. Norzi accents the word incorrectly with Rebia Mugrash. With the exception ofProverbs 22:22, the pluralet
(Note: A plur. denoting unity in the circumstances, and a similarity in the relations of time and space.)
מועצות has always the meaning of ungodly counsels.
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