Proverbs 17:26

Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) Also.—Among other evil things. The subject of perversion of justice is again taken up.

To punish.—Especially by fining.

To strike—i.e., scourge. (Comp. Deuteronomy 25:1-3.)

For equity—i.e., when they have acted uprightly.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:19. If we would keep a clear conscience and a quiet mind, we must shun all excitements to anger. And a man who affects a style of living above his means, goes the way to ruin. 20. There is nothing got by ill designs. And many have paid dear for an unbridled tongue. 21. This speaks very plainly what many wise and good men feel very strongly, how grievous it is to have a foolish, wicked child. 22. It is great mercy that God gives us leave to be cheerful, and cause to be cheerful, if by his grace he gives us hearts to be cheerful. 23. The wicked are ready to part with their money, though loved, that they may not suffer for their crimes. 24. The prudent man keeps the word of God continually in view. But the foolish man cannot fix his thoughts, nor pursue any purpose with steadiness. 25. Wicked children despise the authority of their father, and the tenderness of their mother. 26. It is very wrong to find fault for doing what is duty. 27,28. A man may show himself to be a wise man, by the good temper of his mind, and by the good government of his tongue. He is careful when he does speak, to speak to the purpose. God knows his heart, and the folly that is bound there; therefore he cannot be deceived in his judgment as men may be.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nor to strike ... - Better, and to strike the noble (in character rather than in rank) is against right. Compare John 18:28.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26. Also—that is, Equally to be avoided are other sins: punishing good subjects, or resisting good rulers.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Also: this particle seems to have relation to the next foregoing proverb, to imply that it is a very evil thing for children to cause grief to their parents, as it is also to do what here follows.

To punish the just; for parents, or princes, or rulers, to whom alone this power belongs, to punish innocent and good men;

is not good; is highly evil and abominable, as is implied. See above, Proverbs 17:20 16:29 17:10, &c.

Nor to strike princes for equity; nor to smite magistrates, either with the hand or tongue, for the execution of justice, as condemned persons are apt to do. Or, as some learned interpreters render it, nor for princes to strike any man for equity, or for doing his duty, or what is just. So this clause best agrees with the former. Besides, it belongs to princes or ms, strafes to punish or strike.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Also to punish the just is not good,.... It is evil, and an abomination to the Lord, Proverbs 17:15. Evildoers indeed should be punished; but to punish the righteous also, as well as them, is far from being commendable;

nor to strike princes for equity: to strike princes, judges, civil magistrates, for doing the duty of their place and office, for doing that which is just and equitable among men, is very criminal, who ought to be encouraged and supported therein. Or it may be rendered, nor "that princes should strike for that which is right" (b) or cause men to be stricken, scourged, and whipped for doing well. The Targum is,

"nor to smite the righteous, who say right things;''

and so the Syriac version renders it, "righteous ones"; and the word signifies ingenuous liberal persons, good men, such as princes are or ought to be; and who should neither be stricken in the due discharge of their office, nor strike others that do well.

(b) "principes percuiere ob rectitudinem", Mercerus; "propter recta facta", Piscator, Gataker.

Geneva Study Bible

Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes {n} for equity.

(n) For their well doing.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. Also] beside other things that are “not good”; as “also” is used in Proverbs 19:2.

punish] Lit. mulct, or (as R.V. marg.) fine.

strike] i.e. inflict the severer punishment of scourging. Deuteronomy 25:1-3.

princes] Rather, the noble, R.V. The Heb. word properly denotes character, liberal, free-handed (Gesen. Lex. s.v.), and so comes to be applied to rank or office. See Proverbs 19:6, where the same word is rendered the prince, A.V., but, in keeping with the parallelism, the liberal man, R.V. text. For illustration of the proverb comp. John 18:23.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. - Also (gam). This may be intended to connect this verso with what was said above (ver. 23) about the perversion of justice; or, as is more probable, it is used to emphasize what is coming, To punish the just is not good. Damnum inferre justo, Vulgate; ζημιοῦν, Septuagint; and the word has a special reference to punishment by fire. Nor to strike princes for equity; the expression, "is not good," being understood from the former clause. "Princes" are the noble in character rather than in position only. Two forms of evil are named, viz. to punish the innocent, and to visit with contumely and injury the man of high character who cannot be induced to pervert justice. Revised Version, nor to smite the noble for their uprightness. So virtually the Vulgate, Septuagint, and Syriac. Another rendering is, "to strike the noble is against right," which seems feeble and less suitable to the parallelism. Proverbs 17:26

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

26 Also to inflict punishment on the righteous is not good;

     This, that one overthrows the noble on account of his rectitude.

Does the גּם [also] refer to a connection from which the proverb is separated? or is it tacitly supposed that there are many kinds of worthless men in the world, and that one from among them is brought forward? or is it meant, that to lay upon the righteous a pecuniary punishment is also not good? None of all these. The proverb must have a meaning complete in itself; and if pecuniary punishment and corporeal punishment were regarded as opposed to one another, 26b would then have begun with אף כּי (quanto magis percutere ingenuos). Here it is with גם as at Proverbs 20:11, and as with אך at 11a, and רק at Proverbs 13:10 : according to the sense, it belongs not to the word next following, but to לצּדּיק; and ענשׁ (whence inf. ענושׁ, as Proverbs 21:11, with the ǎ in ע, cf. also עבד, Proverbs 11:10, for אבד) means here not specially to inflict a pecuniary fine, but generally to punish, for, as in mulctare, the meaning is generalized, elsewhere with the accus., Deuteronomy 22:19, here to give to any one to undergo punishment. The ruler is the servant of God, who has to preserve rectitude, εἰς ὀργὴν τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι (Romans 13:14). It is not good when he makes his power to punish to be felt by the innocent as well as by the guilty.

In 26b, instead of הכּות, the proverb is continued with להכּות; לא־טוב, which is to be supplied, takes the inf. alone when it precedes, and the inf. with ל when it follows, Proverbs 18:5; Proverbs 28:21; Proverbs 21:9 (but cf. Proverbs 21:19). הכּות is the usual word for punishment by scourging, Deuteronomy 25:1-3, cf. 2 Corinthians 11:24, N.T. μαστιγοῦν, δίρειν, Rabb. מכּות, strokes, or מלקוּת from לקה, vapulare, to receive stripes. נדיבים are here those noble in disposition. The idea of נדיב fluctuates between generosus in an outward and in a moral sense, wherefore על־ישׁר, or rather עלי־ישׁר, is added; for the old editions, correct MSS, and e.g., also Soncin. 1488, present עלי (vid., Norzi). Hitzig incorrectly explains this, "against what is due" (ישׁר, as Proverbs 11:24); also Psalm 94:20, עלי־חק does not mean κατὰ προστάγματος (Symmachus), but ἐπὶ προστάγματι (lxx and Theod.), on the ground of right equals praetextu juris (Vatabl.). Thus עלי־ישׁר means here neither against nor beyond what is due, but: on the ground of honourable conduct, making this (of course mistakenly) a lawful title to punishment; Aquila, ἐπὶ εὐθύτητι, cf. Matthew 5:10, ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης. Besides, for על after הכּה, the causal signification lies nearest Numbers 22:32, cf. Isaiah 1:5 (על־מה, on account of anything). If the power of punishment is abused to the punishing of the righteous, yea, even to the corporeal chastisement of the noble, and their straight, i.e., conscientious, firm, open conduct, is made a crime against them, that is not good - it is perversion of the idea of justice, and an iniquity which challenges the penal rectitude of the Most High (Ecclesiastes 5:7 [8]).