up herself to the embraces of others. As her beauty
is fitly expressed by a jewel of gold, which is valuable
and desirable, and, rightly placed and used, is orna-
mental; so she is properly represented by a swine,
wallowing in the impurities of lust; to which her
beauty was the snare, and whereby it is quickly sul-
lied and lost. Jarchi applies this to a disciple of a wise
man, or a scholar that departs from the good way, or
from the law; which he explains by taste or sense:
but it may be better applied to the scarlet whore, or
apostate church of Rome; which has departed from
Christ, once her professed husband; from the doc-
trines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it; from all
taste and savour of true religion; and even from com-
mon sense and right reason, as in the affair of transub-
stantiation, and other things; and may be filly com-
pared to a swine with a jewel of gold in its snout,
being decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls;
and yet drunk with the blood of the saints, and martyrs
ofJesus; and wallowing in all the filth of fornication,
of idolatry, and superstition; as well as in all manner
of other sins and iniquities, Rev. xvii. 4--6.
Vet. 23. The desire of the righteous is only good,
&c.] Or, what is good {z}; only good is the object of
it. His desire is to do good, and that only; though
be does not always do what he would do: as he
delights in the law of God, after the inward man; as
he is a righteous, holy, and good man,. and would be
conformable thereunto, and serves it with iris mind,
will, and affections; his desires are to the Lord, and to
the remembrance of his name; he desires his favour,
the discoveries of his love, communion with him, and
communications of grace from him; he desires all
spiritual good things, and every thing that is good,
for himself and others, and which he desires in sub-
mission to the will of God; and all things do work
for and issue iu his good. Good is what he is conti-
nually desirous of, wishing and praying for; and good
is what he has eventually here and hereafter: though
there may be many irregular and unlawful desires in
him at times, and all things he has may not seem good;
yet acting as a good man, his desires are .only good,
and there is nothing attends him but what is for his
good. But the expectation of the wicked is wrath;
what he is desirous of, wishing, and looking for, is
wrath and vengeance upon all that displease him, and
he is angry with; he desires no good to them, but
evil; he desires and hopes for nothing but what is of-
fensive to God, and will bring upon him his fierce
wrath and sore displeasure; so that eventually nothing
else will be the fruit and consequence of his expecta-
tion and hope; and some are so shockingly profane,
and so dreadfully hardened, that they wait for hell, as
Jarchi on the place observes; they look for damnation
and expect it, and are easy about it.
Vet. 24. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth,
&c.] That scattereth his own, as the Septuagint, Vul-
gate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions add: that
disperses his money here and there, among many poor
objects, plentifully and liberally; and his substance is
so far from being lessened by such a conduct, that, by
the blessing of God, it is increased more and more;
or become richer, as the Vulgate Latin; see Psal. cxii. 9.
So he that disperses and dispenses the word of God,
and spreads the truths of the Gospel, and freely and
fully preaches them, increases himself in spiritual
knowledge and understanding. And there is that with-
holdeth more than is meet; or, right or just{a}, by the,
laws of God and men; from himself, from his family,
from his .friends and relations, and from the poor of
the church and of the world; and fi'om the cause .and
interest of Christ, and what is necessary to support
that, according to his ability. But it tendeth to po-
verty, or want b: such a man is often brought to beg-
gary; there is a moth and rottenuess sent into his sub-
stance, which secretly consume it: so he that with-
holds any truth or doctrine, that keeps back any thing
that may be profitable to the saints; this tends to the
impoverishlug of his soul, and the souls of them that
attend on his ministry.
Vet. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat, &c.] Or,
the soul of blessing{c}: that is, as the Vulgate Latin
version renders it, the soul which blesseth; not that
merely prays for a blessing upon others, and wishes
them well, and gives them good words; but bestows
blessings on them, gives good things unto them libe-
rally, cheerfully, and plentifully; and so is a blessing.
to the poor, and receives a blessing from them again;
as such also do from the Lord, by whom they are
made fat; or are blessed with temporal and spiritual 
blessings; and are in thriving and flourishing circum-
stances, both in soul and body. So he that comes full
fraught with the blessing of the Gospel of Christ to
others is enriched with it himself, and becomes more
and more flourishing in gifts and grace. And he that
watereth shall be watered also himself; he that largely
communicateth to others, like a flowing fountain of
water, shall have an abundance communicated to him
again from God, the inexhaustible fountain of mer-
cies. Watering the plants in Christ's vineyard is one
part of the work of a Gospel minister ;. I have planted,
Apollos watered, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 6-8. and such who do
their work well are watered, rewarded, refreshed,
and comforted of God, being largely taught and
richly furnished for such. service by him; so the
Targum," and he that teacheth, also he himself shall
"learn."
Ver. 26. He that witMwldeth corn, the people shall
curse him, &c.] That hoards- it up for a better price,.
in hopes of a better market; and does not bring it out,.
and expose it to sale, when there is a scarcity of it;
so the Targum adds, in famine; or, in straits, as the
Syriac version; in- a time of distress through, famine:
this will bring the curse of the poor upon him, who
will imprecate the most dreadful things on him and
his family. Jarchi interprets it of the law, and of
withholding the teaching of it; but it may be better
applied to the Gospel, and the withholding the mini-

{z} \^bwj Ka\^ tantummodo bonum quid est, Michaelis; tantum
bonum, Cocceius; nihil cupiunt quod bonum non sit, Mercerus;
tamen bonum quid, Gussetius, p. 39.
{a} \^rvym\^ plus aequo, Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus; plus quam
aequum est, Cocceius; prae quam rectum est, seu plus aequo,
Michaelis.
{b} \^rwoxml\^ ad egestatem, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; ad penu-
riam, Cocceius; ad rasam egestatem, Schultens.
{c} \^hkrb vpn\^ anima benedictionis, Montanus, Baynus, Cocceius,
Michaelis; anima benedictioni dedita, Schultens.