24 O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And when he had so spoken, he held his peace.

CHAPTER IV.

1 The second declareth the power of a king. 13 The third the force of women, 33 and of truth. 41 The third is judged to be wisest, 47 and obtaineth letters of the king to build Jerusalem. 58 He praiseth God, and sheweth his brethren what he had done.

THEN the second, that had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say,

2 O ye men, do not men excel in strength, that

2 Or, have the 2 bear rule over sea and land, and all things in

command.

them?

3 But yet the king is more mighty: for he is lord of all these things, and hath dominion over them; and whatsoever he commandeth them they do.

4 If he bid them make war the one against the other, they do it: if he send them out against the enemies, they go, and break down mountains, walls, and towers.

Some in verses foul and licentious; others in more graceful strains have spoken of its cheering rather than its debasing effects; they have sung of it as the gentle exciter of the sluggish intellect, the soother of care, the giver of hope, the inspirer of courage. And Holy Scripture, while solemnly denouncing drunkenness and all other sensual sins, has not hesitated to speak in praise of wine, to commend its use in due moderation, and to consecrate its employment not only in the offerings of the Law (Num. xv. 7; xxviii. 7, &c.), but in the most sacred rite of Christianity, the religion of purity and love. See such passages as Ecclus. xxxi. 27, 28. Gen. xliii. 34. Ps. civ. 15. Prov. xxxi. 6. Cant. v. 1. Deut. xviii. 4. Jer. xxxi. 12. St. John ii. 9, 10; xv. 1. 1 Tim. v. 23. St. Matt. xxvi. 27. 1 Cor. x. 16. In a multitude of places corn and wine, or corn and wine and oil, are mentioned together as God's good gifts, granted in fulfilment of His promises, or as the chief supports of the life of man (Gen. xxvii. 28, 37. Deut. vii. 13; xi. 14; xvi. 13; xviii. 4; xxviii. 51; xxxiii. 38. Neh. x. 39; xiii. 12. Ps. iv. 7. Hos. ii. 8, 9, 22. Joel ii. 19, &c.).

CHAPTER IV.

1-12. The Strength of the King.

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2. "Bear rule over sea and land." Gen. i. 26; ix. 2. Ps. viii. 6. 3. "He is lord of all these things." Things" is an unfortunate insertion of the translators. The speaker's argument is this: "Men are lords of all things, but the king is more mighty, for he is lord of all (men), and whatsoever he commandeth them to do, they do."

4. "Break down mountains;" Is. xl. 4. Or, "mountain" may be used metaphorically for any great difficulty, or weighty obstacle (St. Matt. xxi. 21.).

5 They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king's commandment: if they get the victory, they bring all to the king, as well the spoil, as all things else.

6 Likewise for those that are no soldiers, and have not to do with wars, but use husbandry, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring it to the king, and compel one another to pay tribute unto the king.

7 And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he command to spare, they spare;

8 if he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if he command to build, they build;

9 if he command to cut down, they cut down; if he command to plant, they plant.

10 So all his people and his armies obey him: furthermore he lieth down, he eateth and drinketh, and taketh his rest:

11 and these keep watch round about him, neither 2 may any one depart, and do his own business, 2 Or, can. neither disobey they him in any thing.

120 ye men, how should not the king be mightiest, when in such sort he is obeyed? And he held his tongue.

13 Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of the truth, (this was Zorobabel) began to speak.

14 0 ye men, it is not the great king, nor the multitude of men, neither is it wine, that excelleth; force.

3

3 Heb. is of

5, 6. Samuel also (1 Sam. viii. 10—18.), in declaring to the people "the "manner of a king," sets forth the demands that he will make for service and for tribute, in order that the fear of his exactions may deter the people from making a king for themselves like the other nations. 7, 8. Compare Dan, v. 19.

13-32. The Strength of Women.

13. "This was Zerubbabel." The historical Zerubbabel, or She-hbazzar (Ezra v. 2, 14, 15; compare Ezra i. 8, 11; ii. 2; iii. 2, 8; iv. 2. Zech. iv. 9.), had been at Jerusalem since the first year of Cyrus (ii. 1, 12, 15.).

a Gen. 2. 24.

who is it then that ruleth them, or hath the lordship over them? are they not women?

15 Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea and land.

16 Even of them came they: and they nourished them up that planted the vineyards, from whence the wine cometh.

17 These also make garments for men; these bring glory unto men; and without women cannot men be.

18 Yea, and if men have gathered together gold and silver, or any other goodly thing, do they not love a woman which is comely in favour and beauty?

19 And letting all those things go, do they not gape, and even with open mouth fix their eyes fast on her; and have not all men more desire unto her than unto silver or gold, or any goodly thing whatsoever?

20 a A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife.

21 He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife, and remembereth neither father, nor mother, nor country.

22 By this also ye must know that women have

17. "These also make garments for men." As in simple and primitive times. Compare Prov. xxxi. 13, 19-24: "She seeketh wool, and “flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. . . . She stretcheth forth her "hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. . . . She is not "afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed "in double garments." So also in Homer, the wife of the King of the Phracians is represented as sitting with her maidens spinning the purple-dyed wool (Öd. vi. 53, 306. Compare also Od. xxi. 350, 351.).

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"These bring glory unto men." Glory" here is used in the sense of ornament, adornment (compare 1 Cor. xi. 15.). The same word in Esth. xv. 1 (literally, "she put on her glory"); 1 Macc. xiv. 9, is translated "glorious apparel." The reference is to rich garments and robes made by women, in which men might be arrayed (compare Prov. xxxi. 23.). In St. Matt. vi. 29, the comparison seems to show that "glory" is used chiefly in the sense of royal robes and rich clothing. 20. Gen. ii. 24. St. Matt. xix. 5. Eph. v. 31.

21. "He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife." This paraphrase may be taken to give fairly the general meaning of the Greek, which is literally, "He giveth up his soul" (as in Gen. xxxv. 18.), “he "dieth with his wife."

dominion over you: do ye not labour and toil, and give and bring all to the woman?

23 Yea, a man taketh his sword, and goeth his way to rob and to steal, to sail upon the sea and upon rivers;

24 and looketh upon a lion, and goeth in the darkness; and when he hath stolen, spoiled, and robbed, he bringeth it to his love.

25 Wherefore a man loveth his wife better than father or mother.

desperate.

26 Yea, many there be that have 2 run out of 2 Or, grown their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes.

27 Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women.

28 And now do ye not believe me? is not the king great in his power? do not all regions fear to touch him?

29 Yet did I see him and Apame the king's concubine, the daughter of the admirable 3 Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king,

30 and taking the crown from the king's head, and setting it upon her own head; she also struck the king with her left hand.

4

3 Joseph.

Antiq. lib. 11. cap. 3. Rabsaces

Themasus.

31 And yet for all this the king gaped and gazed 4 Or, hereat. : upon her with open mouth: if she laughed upon him, he laughed also: but if she took any displeasure at him, the king was fain to flatter, that she 5 Or, be might be reconciled to him again.

24. "Looketh upon a lion."

friends with him.

“Lion” seems used metaphorically for any great risk or danger which the man is willing to face (compare Prov. xxii. 13; xxvi. 13.).

"Goeth in darkness." Compare Job xxiv. 13-17.

26. "Have become servants for their sakes;" Gen. xxix. 20.

27. Compare Judg. xvi., Delilah. 1 Kin. xi. 1-8, Solomon's "strange "wives;" xxi. 5, 25, Jezebel. Prov. ii. 18; v. 5; vi. 26; vii. 27; xxxi. 3. Ecclus. ix. 8, "Many have been deceived by the beauty of a "woman, for herewith love is kindled as a fire."

28. "To touch him." In a hostile sense, to hurt, to injure; as in Gen. xxvi. 11. Job i. 11. Ps. cv. 15.

29. "The daughter of the admirable Bartacus." The name in Josephus (Antiq. XI. iii. 5.) appears as Rabesaces the son of Themasius ; which last word is probably only a corruption of the word rendered "the "Admirable," which is, perhaps, intended as an official title."

32 O ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?

33 Then the king and the princes looked one upon another so he began to speak of the truth.

34 0 ye men, are not women strong? great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day.

35 Is he not great that maketh these things? therefore great is the truth, and stronger than all things.

2 Or, praiseth 36 All the earth 2 calleth upon the truth, and the the truth, Athanasius. heaven blesseth it: all works shake and tremble at it, and with it is no unrighteous thing.

37 Wine is wicked, the king is wicked, women are wicked, all the children of men are wicked, and such are all their wicked works; and there is no truth

33-41. The Strength of Truth.

33. The third speaker has in one respect an unfair advantage in the contest, as he takes two subjects, and makes two speeches instead of

one.

tr

34, 35. "Great is the earth," &c. ... "Is he not great that maketh these things?" Compare Wisd. xiii. 4, 5: Let them understand by "them, how much mightier He is that made them. For by the greatness “and beauty of the creatures proportionably the Maker of them is seen." See Rom. i. 20.

35. "Therefore great is the truth." The "therefore" almost seems to imply that Truth is meant to be another term for "the Maker of all "things," for God; yet Truth is not absolutely identified with God Himself, as Zerubbabel afterwards (in ver. 40.) speaks of "the God of truth." Still, Truth, as the attribute of God, and the law according to which He worketh all things, is described in terms not unfitting to be used concerning God Himself.

36. "All the earth calleth upon the truth, and the heaven blesseth "it: all works shake and tremble at it." This passage is cited by St. Athanasius, in his work Against the Arians (ii. 20.), as the words of "Zerubbabel the wise;" and from them he proceeds to argue in proof of our Lord's Divinity, somewhat to this effect: "If all the earth praiseth the "Creator and the Truth, and blesseth (Him), and trembleth (before Him), "and if this Creator is the Word, as He Himself saith, I am the Truth' "(St. John xiv. 6.), the Word is not a creature," &c.

"All works shake and tremble at it." As conscious of some falsehood, unreality, and defect; this is more fully stated in ver. 37.

37. "All the children of men are wicked." See 4 Esdras iii. 2022; viii. 35.