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13:1 [Qui tetigerit picem inquinabitur ab ea : et qui communicaverit superbo induet superbiam.
*H He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.


Ver. 1. Pride. We are naturally prone to it, and the friendship and manners of the proud will increase it. C. — If, therefore, the rich be not virtuous, it is dangerous to keep their company, (W.) both for this and the next world.

* Footnote * Deuteronomy 7 : 2 And the Lord thy God shall have delivered them to thee, thou shalt utterly destroy them. Thou shalt make no league with them, nor shew mercy to them:
13:2 Pondus super se tollat qui honestiori se communicat, et ditiori te ne socius fueris.
He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honourable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than thyself.
13:3 Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam ? quando enim se colliserint, confringetur.
*H What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.


Ver. 3. Kettle. Made of iron. It will presently be broken. So the poor must suffer, if they marry, or have society with those who are much above their rank. C.

13:4 Dives injuste egit, et fremet : pauper autem laesus tacebit.
The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.
13:5 Si largitus fueris, assumet te : et si non habueris, derelinquet te.
If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
13:6 Si habes, convivet tecum, et evacuabit te : et ipse non dolebit super te.
If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.
13:7 Si necessarius illi fueris, supplantabit te, et subridens spem dabit, narrans tibi bona, et dicet : Quid opus est tibi ?
*H If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?


Ver. 7. Thou? Distrust those who promise much. C. — Spem pretio non emo. Ter.

13:8 Et confundet te in cibis suis, donec te exinaniat bis et ter : et in novissimo deridebit te, et postea videns derelinquet te, et caput suum movebit ad te.
*H And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.


Ver. 8. Drawn. Lit. "exhaust." H. — He will feast thee, while he wants thy service, or he will come to dine with thee, and thus reduce thee to distress. Prov. xxiii. 1. C.

13:9 Humiliare Deo, et exspecta manus ejus.
Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.
13:10 Attende ne seductus in stultitiam humilieris.
*H Beware that thou be not deceived into folly, and be humbled.


Ver. 10. Humbled. By foolishly attempting to rival the sumptuous feasts of the great. V. 9. and 11. are not in the Greek. H.

13:11 Noli esse humilis in sapientia tua, ne humiliatus in stultitiam seducaris.
*H Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.


Ver. 11. Wisdom. Depend not on others' bounty. M. — When the cause of God is at stake, be firm, like S. Paul. C. — Pusillanimity in a superior might cause him to neglect his duty. W.

13:12 Advocatus a potentiore, discede : ex hoc enim magis te advocabit.
If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.
13:13 Ne improbus sis, ne impingaris : et ne longe sis ab eo, ne eas in oblivionem.
Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.
13:14 Ne retineas ex aequo loqui cum illo, nec credas multis verbis illius : ex multa enim loquela tentabit te, et subridens interrogabit te de absconditis tuis.
*H Affect not to speak with him as an equal, and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.


Ver. 14. Concerning, &c. is not expressed in Gr. H. — If a person be so weak as to disclose his secret to a great man, he will never be trusted by him. C.

13:15 Immitis animus illius conservabit verba tua : et non parcet de malitia, et de vinculis.
His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.
13:16 Cave tibi, et attende diligenter auditui tuo, quoniam cum subversione tua ambulas :
Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.
13:17 audiens vero illa, quasi in somnis vide, et vigilabis.
*H When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.


Ver. 17. Awake. Be cautious even in sleep, if possible; or seem not to hear what passes at court. C.

13:18 Omni vita tua dilige Deum, et invoca illum in salute tua.
Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
13:19 Omne animal diligit simile sibi, sic et omnis homo proximum sibi.
*H Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.


Ver. 19. Himself. Similarity of manners and of condition is favourable to friendship. C. — The good and bad cannot be friends, their manners are so different. Cic.

13:20 Omnis caro ad similem sibi conjungetur, et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur.
All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.
13:21 Si communicabit lupus agno aliquando, sic peccator justo.
*H If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.


Ver. 21. Lamb. Christ has taught people of different tempers to embrace the faith, which shows his admirable power. Is. xi. 6.

13:22 Quae communicatio sancto homini ad canem ? aut quae pars diviti ad pauperem ?
What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?
* Footnote * 2_Corinthians 6 : 14 Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness?
13:23 Venatio leonis onager in eremo : sic et pascua divitum sunt pauperes.
The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.
13:24 Et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas, sic et execratio divitis pauper.
And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.
13:25 Dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis suis : humilis autem cum ceciderit, expelletur et a notis.
*H When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.


Ver. 25. Away. Ps. lxi. 4. C. — "It is inhuman to push those who are falling." Cic. pro Rabir.

13:26 Diviti decepto multi recuperatores : locutus est superbia, et justificaverunt illum.
*H When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.


Ver. 26. Helpers. Who prevent his ruin, (C.) and turn his words to good sense. M. — Proud. Gr. "what should not be disclosed," απορρητα. H. C. — Their "fault increases, being fed by applause." S. Greg. Mor. iv. 29.

13:27 Humilis deceptus est, insuper et arguitur : locutus est sensate, et non est datus ei locus.
The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.
13:28 Dives locutus est, et omnes tacuerunt, et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducent.
*H The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.


Ver. 28. Clouds. People suppose that the rich must possess genius. Hor. ii. Sat. iii. — "Every one honours the rich." Theog. C. — Exception of persons hinders many good counsels, and promotes evil. W.

13:29 Pauper locutus est, et dicunt : Quis est hic ? et si offenderit, subvertent illum.]
The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.
13:30 [Bona est substantia cui non est peccatum in conscientia : et nequissima paupertas in ore impii.
*H Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.


Ver. 30. Ungodly. The abuse of riches is alone blameable. All things are clean for the clean, while the wicked perverts every advantage.

13:31 Cor hominis immutat faciem illius, sive in bona, sive in mala.
*H The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.


Ver. 31. Evil. Sorrow will manifest itself. C. — Imago animi vultus. Cic. Decorat. iii.

13:32 Vestigium cordis boni et faciem bonam difficile invenies, et cum labore.]
*H The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.


Ver. 32. Find. Few are perfectly sincere. C. — Gr. "a cheerful countenance is the vestige of a heart in good things, (H. prosperity. M.) and the discovery of parables is the effect of laborious enquiries." H. — Study makes the countenance serious. C.

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