Verse 1. He. Greek prefixes “on children.” Bible.—And not, and so forth is omitted in Greek It may signify, and not beg, ( Calmet.) or steal. Bible.—The welfare of the country depends on the good education of children, which cannot be performed without correction, ( Calmet.) though this should never be used till more gentle means have been tried. Fenelon on Educ.—The neglect of correction proceeds from a misplaced tenderness, (Proverbs 13:24) which in the end proves most prejudicial both to the child and to the public. Bible.—See Plato, rep. ii. and vii. Arist. pol. vi. Cic. off. ii. Calmet.
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Verse 2. Them. Greek “his acquaintance.” Bible.—He sees himself re-born in his son. verse 4. Calmet.
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Verse 7. Wounds. To which he has exposed himself for his child’s welfare, (2 Corinthians 12:15. Raban.) or if he neglect correction, he will have to bewail the wounds which his son’s imprudence shall occasion. Syr. Vat. Greek Comp. “He who rubs, (Rom. edit.) cherishes his son,” and so forth Calmet.—The eldest brother must take care of the rest, so as even to expose himself to danger. Worthington.
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Verse 8. Horse. A colt full of spirit, when properly broken in, will answer best, so a proper education corrects impetuous tempers. Plut. apop. in Them.
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Verse 10. Laugh. “Smiling he must be feared.” Saint Gregory Mor. xx. 3.
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Verse 11. Devices. Greek “sins of ignorance.” Youth is incapable of guiding itself, being destitute of experience, and too confident. Ezek. 45:20.
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Verse 13. Thee. “Very few excel their father.” Hom. Odys. E.—This is sometimes to be attributed to the neglect of education. Calmet.—Greek subjoins, “on health.” Bible.
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Verse 14. Evils. Health is better than riches. Pythag. and so forth
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Verse 15. Justice. This is the first of all advantages. Calmet.—Thales pronounced him happy who was healthy and rich, and whose “soul was well tutored.” Laert.—Greek “health and a good constitution are preferable to all gold, and a,” and so forth Bible.
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Verse 17. Rest. In the grave. He speaks not of the soul. Job 3:13.
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Verse 18. Grave. The dead cannot partake of them, ( Calmet.) so neither can the sick of their great possessions. Bible.—It was customary to place meat on the tombs of the dead. Calmet.—The pagans invited them to eat; (S. Epip. Ancor.) but the faithful intended it for the poor, who might pray ( Calmet.) for the deceased. Menochius. Calmet. 7:37. Tobit 4:18.—The kings of France were served at table till they were placed in the tomb, and in many monasteries the usual portion is assigned the dead for thirty days, and given to the poor. Calmet.
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Verse 21. Sighing. Thus meat is useless to those whom God visits with sickness. See chapter 20:3.
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Verse 22. Sadness. For temporal things, but trusting in Providence. 1 Peter 5:7. Grief for sin is alone of service. 2 Corinthians 7:10. Calmet.—Pusillanimity must be avoided. Worthington.
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Verse 23. A never. Greek “the joy,” and so forth Proverbs 17:22 and 2 Corinthians 9:7.
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Verse 24. Have. Greek “love thy soul, and comfort thy heart, and drive,” and so forth Bible.
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Verse 25. Many. Bringing on maladies, and driving people into despair, verse 22. It was thought that the sad could not prophesy. 4 Kennicott. 3:15. Hermas ii. Mand. iii. More Neb. ii. 37. Calmet.
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Verse 26. Envy. Or jealousy. These passions banish joy. Envy is like rust. Calmet.
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Verse 27. Always. Greek “will mind the meats which it shall eat.” Bible.—It will feast and enjoy content. This verse and the following chapters are in a much less natural order in the Greek editions, till chapter 37. Calmet.
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This line and the previous two lines are absent from some older MSS.