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6:1 [Fili mi, si spoponderis pro amico tuo, defixisti apud extraneum manum tuam :
*H My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a stranger,


Ver. 1. Hand. Agreements were made by shaking hands, Is. lxii. 8. Xen. Anab. iii. — Stranger. Sept. "enemy." He will presently be such, or thy friend's creditor will soon lay hold on thee. By standing surety for another, we expose ourselves to be ruined by his negligence. C. — The Persians had a horror chiefly of lying and debts. Herod. i. 138. — All sureties are not condemned, but only such as are inconsiderate. M. — A diligent compliance with engagements is commended. W.

6:2 illaqueatus es verbis oris tui, et captus propriis sermonibus.
Thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thy own words.
6:3 Fac ergo quod dico, fili mi, et temetipsum libera, quia incidisti in manum proximi tui. Discurre, festina, suscita amicum tuum.
*H Do, therefore, my son, what I say, and deliver thyself: because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run about, make haste, stir up thy friend:


Ver. 3. Make. Heb. "humble thyself, and made sure thy friend," (Prot.) entreating (H.) and forcing him to pay his debts. The Fathers apply this to pastors, who have undertaken to direct others. Their soul is at stake. S. Greg. C.

6:4 Ne dederis somnum oculis tuis, nec dormitent palpebrae tuae.
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.
6:5 Eruere quasi damula de manu, et quasi avis de manu aucupis.]
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6:6 [Vade ad formicam, o piger, et considera vias ejus, et disce sapientiam.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
6:7 Quae cum non habeat ducem, nec praeceptorem, nec principem,
Which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,
6:8 parat in aestate cibum sibi, et congregat in messe quod comedat.
*H Provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.


Ver. 8. Harvest. The economy and diligence of this little republic is admirable. Pliny, xxx. 11. — Some copies of the Sept. add with S. Amb. (Hex. v. []1. &c. C.) "or go to the bee, and behold what a worker it is, and how beautiful is its work; whose labours kings and private people use for health. But it is desirable and glorious to all; and though it be weak in strength, by the love of wisdom it has got forward" (H.) in esteem. C. — Nature has given the form of a monarchy in bees, and of a democracy in the regulations of the ant. Tournemine.

6:9 Usquequo, piger, dormies ? quando consurges e somno tuo ?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
6:10 Paululum dormies, paululum dormitabis, paululum conseres manus ut dormias ;
Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:
6:11 et veniet tibi quasi viator egestas, et pauperies quasi vir armatus. Si vero impiger fueris, veniet ut fons messis tua, et egestas longe fugiet a te.]
*H And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.


Ver. 11. A traveller. Sept. add, "wicked," and Heb. gives the idea of a robber. M. — But, &c. This is not in Heb. Complut. or S. Jerom. C.

6:12 [Homo apostata, vir inutilis, graditur ore perverso ;
*H A man that is an apostate, an unprofitable man, walketh with a perverse mouth,


Ver. 12. Apostate. Heb. "of Belial, without restraint of religion and law. C. — Deut. xiii. 13. M. — Every one who sins through malice and particularly heretics, employ all their members to pervert others. W. — Mouth. No reliance can be had on his promises. C.

6:13 annuit oculis, terit pede, digito loquitur,
*H He winketh with the eyes, presseth with the foot, speaketh with the finger.


Ver. 13. Finger. These signs imply haughtiness, &c. Ps. xxxiv. 19. Is. lviii. 9. The posture indicates the interior sentiments, (S. Amb. off. i. 18.) insomuch, that S. Ambrose would not receive among the clergy one whose gestures were too light. The Persians still speak by signs. C.

6:14 pravo corde machinatur malum, et omni tempore jurgia seminat.
With a wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all times he soweth discord.
6:15 Huic extemplo veniet perditio sua, et subito conteretur, nec habebit ultra medicinam.]
To such a one his destruction shall presently come, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, and shall no longer have any remedy.
6:16 [Sex sunt quae odit Dominus, et septimum detestatur anima ejus :
*H Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:


Ver. 16. Detesteth. This expression does not always mean that the last is worse than the former. M. — All the six sins are damnable, but the seventh is here most so, being against charity and unity, and the devil's sin. W. — Lying seems to be reprobated by three different terms. C.

6:17 oculos sublimes, linguam mendacem, manus effundentes innoxium sanguinem,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
6:18 cor machinans cogitationes pessimas, pedes veloces ad currendum in malum,
A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief,
6:19 proferentem mendacia testem fallacem, et eum qui seminat inter fratres discordias.]
A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.
6:20 [Conserva, fili mi, praecepta patris tui, et ne dimittas legem matris tuae.
My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
6:21 Liga ea in corde tuo jugiter, et circumda gutturi tuo.
Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck.
6:22 Cum ambulaveris, gradiantur tecum ; cum dormieris, custodiant te : et evigilans loquere cum eis.
When thou walkest, let them go with thee: when thou sleepest, let them keep thee, and when thou awakest, talk with them.
6:23 Quia mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux, et via vitae increpatio disciplinae :
*H Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:


Ver. 23. Instruction. Given for our improvement, (H.) with charity. See Deut. vi. 6. Ps. xviii. 9.

6:24 ut custodiant te a muliere mala, et a blanda lingua extraneae.
*H That they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the stranger.


Ver. 24. Stranger. This is often inculcated, because nothing is more dangerous in youth, nor more contrary to the study of wisdom.

6:25 Non concupiscat pulchritudinem ejus cor tuum, nec capiaris nutibus illius :
Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her winks:
6:26 pretium enim scorti vix est unius panis, mulier autem viri pretiosam animam capit.
*H For the price of a harlot is scarce one loaf: but the woman catcheth the precious soul of a man.


Ver. 26. Woman. Who is married, exposes her lover to the danger of death. She chooses the most accomplished men, while the harlot receives the first comer. C.

6:27 Numquid potest homo abscondere ignem in sinu suo, ut vestimenta illius non ardeant ?
*H Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?


Ver. 27. Burn. No one can deal with an adulteress without guilt. M. — All probable occasions of sin must be shunned. W.

6:28 aut ambulare super prunas, ut non comburantur plantae ejus ?
Or can he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?
6:29 sic qui ingreditur ad mulierem proximi sui, non erit mundus cum tetigerit eam.
*H So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.


Ver. 29. Clean. Or be left unpunished. No crime disturbs the order of society so much, nor is pardoned with more difficulty.

6:30 Non grandis est culpa cum quis furatus fuerit : furatur enim ut esurientem impleat animam ;
*H The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:


Ver. 30. The fault is not so great, &c. The sin of theft is not so great, as to be compared with adultery: especially when a person pressed with hunger (which is the case here spoken of) steals to satisfy nature. Moreover the damage done by theft may much more easily be repaired, than the wrong done by adultery. But this does not hinder but that theft also is a mortal sin, forbidden by one of the ten commandments. Ch. — Heb. "they will not despise a thief, when he hath stolen to fill his soul, when he is hunger." Mont. H. — This was commonly supposed to be his motive, and he was only condemned to make restitution, without any further disgrace. C. xix. 24. Ex. xxii. 1. But what necessity could the adulterer plead? Both he and the woman must suffer death. Lev. xx. 10.

6:31 deprehensus quoque reddet septuplum, et omnem substantiam domus suae tradet.
*H And if he be taken, he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.


Ver. 31. Seven-fold. Or as much as may be required. The law never subjected the thief to restore above five-fold. If he had not enough, his person might be sold. C.

6:32 Qui autem adulter est, propter cordis inopiam perdet animam suam ;
*H But he that is an adulterer, for the folly of his heart shall destroy his own soul:


Ver. 32. Folly. Lit. "want," inopiam. Heb. "is faint-hearted, corrupting his own soul, he will do that." H.

6:33 turpitudinem et ignominiam congregat sibi, et opprobrium illius non delebitur :
He gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and his reproach shall not be blotted out:
6:34 quia zelus et furor viri non parcet in die vindictae,
Because the jealousy and rage of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,
6:35 nec acquiescet cujusquam precibus, nec suscipiet pro redemptione dona plurima.]
*H Nor will he yield to any man's prayers, nor will he accept for satisfaction ever so many gifts.


Ver. 35. Gifts. "A husband would rather hear that his wife had been slain, than that she had been defiled." S. Jer. in Amos vi.

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