32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Know - i. e., "Know, and therefore utter." So, in like manner, the "mouth of the wicked" knows, and therefore speaks frowardness, and that only.
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable - And what they believe to be most pleasing and most profitable, that they speak, but the wicked man knows as well what is perverse, and that he speaketh forth. As the love of God is not in his heart, so the law of kindness is not on his lips.
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,.... To God and man; what is well pleasing to, God, and what ministers grace to the hearers, or what is grateful: and such things they will deliver out; they are used and accustomed to them; not only the righteous know in their judgment what is acceptable, but they use themselves to say those things; they not only know them in theory, but practise them: some men know what is acceptable, but their lips do not know it; they are not used to it, but the contrary;
but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness; or perverse things, as before. Or, "the mouth of the wicked knoweth frowardness" (b); or perverse things; or is used only to speak froward things; things contrary to truth and righteousness, and which they know to be so; their mouth speaks things contrary to their hearts; their hearts and mouths do not agree, when they both flatter and lie.
(b) "Novit tantum perversa", Michaelis,
know--regard and provide for (Psalm 1:6).
frowardness--all kinds of deceit and ill-nature. The word is plural.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable;
But the mouth of the godless is mere falsehood.
Hitzig, instead of ידעוּן, reads יבּעוּן; the ἀποστάζει [they distil or send forth] of the lxx does not favour this, for it is probably only a corruption of ἐπίσταται, which is found in several MSS the Graec. Venet., which translates ποιμανοῦσι, makes use of a MS which it sometimes misreads. The text does not stand in need of any emendations, but rather of a corrected relation between the clauses, for the relation of 31a with 32b, and of 32a with 31b, strongly commends itself (Hitzig); in that case the explanation lies near: the lips of the righteous find what is acceptable, viz., to God. But this thought in the Mashal language is otherwise expressed (Proverbs 12:2 and paral.); and also 32a and 32b fit each other as contrasts, if by רצון, as Proverbs 11:27; Proverbs 14:9, is to be understood that which is acceptable in its widest generality, equally then in relation to God and man. It is a question whether ידעון means that they have knowledge of it (as one e.g., says ידע ספר, to understand writing, i.e., the reading of it), or that they think thereupon (cf. Proverbs 27:23). Fundamentally the two ideas, according to the Hebrew conception of the words, lie in each other; for the central conception, perceiving, is biblically equivalent to a delighted searching into or going towards the object. Thus: the lips of the righteous think of that which is acceptable (רצון, cogn. to חן, gracefulness; χάρις, Colossians 4:6); while the mouth of the godless is mere falsehood, which God (the wisdom of God) hates, and from which discord on all sides arises. We might transfer ידעון to 32b; but this line, interpreted as a clause by itself, is stronger and more pointed (Fl.).
The lips - Knowledge is here ascribed to the lips, as it is to the hands, Psalm 78:72, because they are conducted by knowledge and wisdom. Acceptable - What is truly worthy of acceptation.
*More commentary available at chapter level.