Proverbs 16

Verse 1. It is the part of man, and so forth That is, a man should prepare in his heart and soul what he is to say; but after all, it must be the Lord that must govern his tongue, to speak to the purpose. Not that we can think any thing of good without God’s grace: but after that we have (with God’s grace) thought and prepared within our souls what we would speak; if God does not govern our tongue, we shall not succeed in what we speak. Challoner.—He well put into our mouths what we have to say to persecutors. Lu. 21:14. He often causes us to utter the reverse of what we intended, as Balaam did. Numbers 23. Menochius.—The fairest prospects miscarry without God’s blessing. The enemies of grace would infer from this text, that the beginning of salvation depends on free-will. But Saint Augustine (con. 2. epist. Pelag. ii. 8.) has solidly refuted them, and Solomon does not mean that man acts alone. Calmet. 8:35. Septuagint John 15:5 and 2 Corinthians 3:5. “Man,” says Saint Augustine “does no good things, which God does not cause him to perform.” Calmet.—The Scripture cannot contradict itself. A fresh grace is requisite to execute what God has enabled us to devise, verse 9. Worthington.

Verse 2. Open. Or approved. Menochius.—Hebrew “pure in his own eyes.” He sees not his own defects. Calmet. 21:2. Job 28:23. Calmet.

Verse 3. Open. Hebrew “roll on,” and refer all to God’s glory. Menochius. Psalms 36:5.

Verse 4. Day. His obduracy is of his own choice, and must serve to set the divine justice in the clearest light. Sirach 32:14. Exodus 9:16. Others hence infer that predestination is gratuitous, and reprobation in consequence of sin. It seems rather that temporal goods and evils are here meant. Calmet.

Verse 5. Hand. And he seems to be very quiet. Calmet. 11:21. Septuagint “but he who putteth his hand in hands unjustly, to make a contract, is,” and so forth—The, and so forth is taken from the Rom. Septuagint and occurs before. Calmet. 15:27.

Verse 6. Mercy to the distressed. Calmet. 3:3 and 14:22.

Verse 7. Peace. Thus Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, and so forth were admired by their former enemies.

Verse 10. Judgment. Or “let it not err,” as people look upon the decisions of kings as so many oracles. We ought to act in this manner, as long as they are not visibly unjust. God gave a principal spirit (Psalms 50:14) to Saul, David, Solomon, and to the judges whom he appointed, 1 Kennicott. 10:9. Deuteronomy 34:9. Judges 3:10. Calmet.—Solomon was thus enabled to decide difficult cases. Menochius. Job 29:7.

Verse 11. Bag. Many read sæculi, “of the world.” So Ven. Bede, and so forth All God’s appointments are perfectly just. Calmet. 11:21. It was the custom for people to carry balances to weigh money, before it was coined. Calmet.

Verse 13. Loved. Yet none are more exposed to flattery and deceit than kings. Senec. ep. xxi.

Verse 15. Life. A mild government resembles a serene sky. Sen. Clem. Job 29:23.

Verse 16. Get. Septuagint “the nests of wisdom … and the nests of prudence;” or Churches of Christ, or places of education, may be intended. Calmet.

Verse 18. Fall. Our first parents had given way to pride, before they sinned publicly. Saint Augustine de Civ. Dei. xiv. 13.

Verse 21. Shall. Hebrew “adds learning,” both to himself and to others. Those who are wise and eloquent, must be preferred before those who have only the former qualification. Calmet.

Verse 23. Heart. Or knowledge. Bible.—Wisdom gives beauty to eloquence.

Verse 26. Mouth. The want of food. Eccle. 6:7.

Verse 27. Diggeth. Earnestly pursues.—Fire. Jam. 3:16. Calmet.

Verse 28. Words. Prot. “a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

Verse 30. Lips. These motions indicate fury and pensiveness.

Verse 31. Justice. To the just longevity is promised. Calmet.

Verse 32. Valiant. Septuagint Alex. adds, “and a prudent man than a great farmer.” Γεωργιου. Bible.—Cities. To govern the passions is more difficult. Saint Gregory Past. iii. p. Adm. x. Saint Thomas Aquinas ii. 2. q. 128. a. 6.

Latius regnes avidum domando

Spiritum, quam si Lybiam, and so forth Hor. ii. Od. 2.

Verse 33. Lord. So the apostles had recourse to them, (Acts 1:26) as the Cophts and Nestorians still do when there is a dispute about the election of a patriarch. Renaudot iv. Perpet. i. 7. and 9.—This mode may settle disputes. Calmet. 18:18. But we must not have recourse to it, except where the Church permits, lest we become the dupes of an idle curiosity. Calmet.—Nothing happens by chance. Saint Augustine de Civ. Dei. verse 9.—Septuagint “all things come into the breast of the unjust; but all just things proceed from the Lord.” Bible.