and calls in the kings of the earth to his assistance, it
will be of no avail, both he and they shall be destroyed;
or out of hand, immediately, his destructiou will come
upon him, Rev. xvi. 14, 16. and xviii. 8. and xix.
i9--o. 1. see the note on ch. xi. 21. The Targum is,
"from evil he shall not be cleared ;" and the Syriac
version, "he that stretcheth out his hand against his
"neighhour shall not be cleared from evil."
Ver. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, &c.]
Or expiateda, and atoned for: not by the mercy and
truth of men; not by alms-deeds or shewing mercy
to the poor; nor by speaking truth and keeping pro-
mises, and doing justice between man and man; for,
,though these are duties to be performed, they will not
atone for sin; and may be doue by persons destitute
of the grace of God, and whose iniquities are not
purged or pardoned: but by the mercy and truth of
God; through his mercy, in sending Christ to be the
propitiation for sin; and through his truth, in fulfilling
his promises concerning Christ; and particularly con-
cerning pardon on the foot of his sacritice and satisfac-
tion, where mercy and truth have met together: or
through the grace and truth come by Jesus Christ; or
through his atoning sacrifice, by which he has finished
transgression, made an end of sin, and made reconcili-
ation for iniquity; in whic,h there is a rich display of
his own and of his father s grace and mercy, truth
and faithfulness. And by the fear of the Lord men de-
part from evil; having that put into their hearts, and
excited and influenced by the grace and goodness of
God, men are engaged to abstain from evil, and the
appearance of it; it teaches them to deny ungodliness
and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and godly in this
world.
Ver. 7. When a man's ways please the Lord, &c.] As
they do when a man walks according to the rule of
his word; when he walks as he has Christ for an ex-
ample; when he walks after the spirit, and not after
the flesh; when he walks by faith, and does all he does
in faith; without which it is impossible to please God,
Heb. xi. 6. and when all his ways and actions are di-
rected to the glory of God. He malceth even his enemies
to be at peace with him; as Abimelech with Isaac, Esau
with Jacob; and the enemies of the church and people
of God with then, in the latter day, Rev. iii. 9.
Ver. 8. Better is a little with righteousness, &c.]
Gotten in a righteous way, held by a righteous claim,
used in a righteous manner, attended with a life of
righteousness and holiness; and also along with an in-
terest in the righteousness of Christ, which renders ac-
ceptable unto God, yields peace and comfort, and en-
titles to eternal glory and happiness. A truly righteous
man may have but little of this world's goods; but his
small pittance is better than great revenues without
right; obtained in an unjust way; detained from the
right owner of them, and used in an unrighteous man-
her, in a course of sin and wickedness: or, without
judgments; how to make use of them aright, and with-
out a righteousness that will justify them at the day
of judgment; see the note on ch. xv. 16. A little the
true church of Christ enjoys in the wilderness; having
Christ and his grace, Christ and his righteousness, is
better than all the revenues of the church of Rome
gotten by the unlawful methods they are; and which,
in one hour will come to nought, Rev. xviii. 17.
Vet. 9. A man's heart deviseth his way, &c.] This
is to be understood, not of a wicked man, in whose
heart is frowardness, and who devises mischief and
evil imaginations continually, ch. vi. 14, 1.8. for such
are an abomination to the Lord; nor will he direct
their goings, or prosper and succeed them in their
ways: but of a good man, or righteous man, as Aben
Ezra; who thinks of the way in which he should go,
and desires to walk in a right way, as Jarchi; and who
is influenced by the spirit and grace of God to think
and act in this manner; for otherwise the way of man
is not in himself; it is not of his own devising and
finding out; nor is his disposition to walk in it of him-
self; and it is only such a man, a good man, whose
steps are ordered by the Lord, as follows; see Jer.
x. 23. Psal. xxxvii. 23. But the Lord directeth his steps:
to go right on, and not turn to the right hand or the
left; and to walk safely and surely, through a variety
of troubles and difficulties, to his kingdom and glory.
Ver. 10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king,
&c.] Or divination f, as the word signifies; or what is
like to divination, as Aben Ezra and Gersom inter..
pret it {g}. What be says is as an oracle, and should be
strictly true. Some understand it. of the sagacity and
penetration of kings, as was in Solomon, and appeared
in his judging the two harlots; but such is not to be
found in kings in common: rather therefore this ex-
presses and designs what should be, and not what is, ia
kings. These, as the kings of Israel, ought to have
the book of God before them, and read in it, and judge
and pronounce sentence in every case according to it;
they should speak as the oracles of God; and, when
they do, a divine sentence may be said to be in their
lips. But it is best to understand this of the King of
kings, of the King Messiah; into whose lips grace is
poured, and from whence none but words of wisdom,
grace, and .truth, flow; who taught the way of God in
truth; who had the word of God in his heart and in
his month continually; and on whom the spirit of wis-
dom without measure dwelt; and is the wisdom and
word of God, as well as the power of God. His mouth
transgresseth not in judgment; this cannot be said of
any earthly king; they ought not indeed to transgrest
in .judgment with their mouths, but it is notorious that
they too often do: could this be applied to kings in
common, they would have a better claim to infallibility
the the pope of Rome has. But this is true of Christ,
the King of saints; who is a King that reigns in righte-
ousness, and decrees judgment; sits upon his throne,
to order and establish it with judgment: nor does his
mouth ever transgress in judgment, or ever say, or he
do, a wrong thing; his sceptre is a sceptre of righte-
ousne$8.
Vet. 11. A just weight and balance are the Lord's, &c.]
These are of his devising; what he has put into the heart,

{d} \^rpky\^ expiabitur, Montanus, Vatablus; expiatur, Tigurine ver-
sion, Mercerus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis,
Schultens.
{e} \^jpvm alb\^ absque judicio, Pagninus, Montanus.
{f} \^Moq\^ divinatio. V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Gejerus,
Michaelis, Schultens.
{g} So Vatablus, Mercerus, Piscator.