17 he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
The just shall put it on - The righteous shall wear it. It shall pass out of the hands of him who prepared it, into the hands of others. The meaning is, that the wicked, though they become rich, would not live to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. These two verses contain a beautiful illustration of what Dr. Jebb calls the introverted parallelism - where the fourth member answers to the first, and the third to the second:
"Though he heap up silver as the dust,
And prepare raiment as the clay,
The just shall put it (raiment) on,
And the innocent shall divide the silver."
A similar instance occurs in Matthew 7:6 :
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
Neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
Lest they (the swine) trample them under their feet.
And (the dogs) turn again and rend you."
For a full illustration of the nature of Hebrew poetry, the reader may consult DeWette, Einleitung in die Psalmen, translated in the Biblical Repository, vol. iii. pp. 445ff, and Nordheimer's Hebrew Grammar, vol. ii. pp. 319ff; see also the Introduction to Job, Section V.
The innocent shall divide the silver - That is, the righteous shall come into possession of it, and divide it among themselves. The wicked who had gained it shall not be permitted to enjoy it.
The just shall put it on - Money is God's property. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord;" and though it may be abused for a time by unrighteous hands, God, in the course of his providence, brings it back to its proper use; and often the righteous possess the inheritance of the wicked.
He may prepare it,.... Raiment; beginning with that first which was mentioned last, which is frequent in the Hebrew and eastern languages; such things may be done, and often are, by wicked men:
but the just shall put it on; the wicked man will either have no heart, or have no time, to wear it, at least to wear it out, and so a just man shall have it, as the Israelites put on the raiment of the Egyptians, which they begged or borrowed, and spoiled them of, Exodus 12:35; and oftentimes so it is in Providence, that the wealth of wicked men is by one means or another transferred into the families of good men, who enjoy it, and make a better use of it, Proverbs 13:22;
and the innocent shall divide the silver; have a part of it at least, or divide the whole between his children, or give a part of it to the poor; so money that is ill gotten, or ill used, is taken away, and put into the hands of one that will have mercy on the poor, and liberally distribute it to them, Proverbs 28:8.
Introverted parallelism. (See Introduction). Of the four clauses in the two verses, one answers to four, two to three (so Matthew 7:6).
*More commentary available at chapter level.