Proverbs 16:5 - Exposition

(For the first member, see Proverbs 6:17 ; Proverbs 8:13 .) Says the maxim—

ἀλαζονείας οὔ τις ἐκφεύγει δίκην

"Pride hath its certain punishment."

We read in the Talmud, "Of every proud man God says, He and I cannot live in the world together." A mediaeval jingle runs—

" Hoc retine verbum, frangit Deus omne superbum ."

Septuagint, "Impure in the sight of God is every high-hearted man ( ὑψηλοκάρδιος ) . " The second member is found in Proverbs 11:21 , and must be taken as a form of adjuration. Septuagint, "Putting hands on hand unjustly, he shall not be innocent;" i.e. one who acts violently and unjustly shall be held guilty—which seems a trite truism. Many commentators interpret the clause as if it meant that the cooperation and combination of sinners in evil practices will not save them from retribution. But hand clasping hand in token of completing a bargain or alliance is scarcely an early Oriental custom. There is an analogous saying in Greek which implies mutual assistance -

χεὶρ χεῖρα νίπτει δακτυλός τε δάκτυλον

"Hand washes hand, and finger finger."

The LXX . has here two distiches, the first of which occurs in the Vulgate, but the second is not found there. Neither appears in our present Hebrew text. "The beginning of the good way is to do what is just; this is more acceptable to God than to sacrifice sacrifices. He who seeketh the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness; and they who seek him rightly alkali find peace."