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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 14:29 - 14:29
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29 He that is slow to anger is rich in understanding;
But he that is easily excited carries off folly.
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם (constr. of אָרֵךְ) is he who puts off anger long, viz., the outbreak of anger, הֶֽאֱרִיךְ, Pro 19:11, i.e., lets it not come in, but shuts it out long (μακρόθυμος = βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν, Jam 1:19); and קְצַר־רוּחַ, he who in his spirit and temper, viz., as regards anger (for רוּחַ denotes also the breathing out and snorting, Isa 25:4; Isa 33:11), is short, i.e., (since shortness of time is meant) is rash and suddenly (cf. quick to anger, praeceps in iram, 17a) breaks out with it, not ὀλιγόψυχος (but here ὀξύθυμος), as the lxx translate 17a. The former, who knows how to control his affections, shows himself herein as “great in understanding” (cf. 2Sa 23:20), or as a “man of great understanding” (Lat. multus prudentiâ); the contrary is he who suffers himself to be impelled by his affections into hasty, inconsiderate action, which is here expressed more actively by מֵרִים אִוֶּלֶת. Does this mean that he bears folly to the view (Luther, Umbreit, Bertheau, Elster, and others)? But for that idea the Mishle style has other expressions, Pro 12:23; Pro 13:16; Pro 15:2, cf. Pro 14:17. Or does it mean that he makes folly high, i.e., shows himself highly foolish (lxx, Syr., Targum, Fleischer, and others)? But that would be expressed rather by הִגְדִּיל or הִרְבָּה. Or is it he heightens folly (Löwenstein, Hitzig)? But the remark that the angry ebullition is itself a gradual heightening of the foolish nature of such an one is not suitable, for the choleric man, who lets the evenness of his disposition be interrupted by a breaking forth of anger, is by no means also in himself a fool. Rashi is right when he says, מפרישה לחלקו, i.e., (to which also Fleischer gives the preference) aufert pro portione sua stultitiam. The only appropriate parallel according to which it is to be explained, is Pro 3:35. But not as Ewald: he lifts up folly, which lies as it were before his feet on his life's path; but: he takes off folly, in the sense of Lev 6:8, i.e., he carries off folly, receives a portion of folly; for as to others, so also to himself, when he returns to calm blood, that which he did in his rage must appear as folly and madness.