They hatch cockatrice’ eggs
Wicked devices
I. THE DEVICES OF THY. WICKED.
1. Like eggs--productive.
2. Like cockatrice’ eggs--injurious.
3. Like spiders’ webs--frail, useless.
II. THEIR EFFECT.
1. Upon others--mischief, death.
2. Upon themselves--disappointment, retribution. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
The schemes of the ungodly
The meaning seems to be that the persons spoken of brood over and bring to maturity projects of wickedness, whose effects are almost equally fatal to those who acquiesce in them and to those who oppose them. “He that eateth of their eggs,” i.e either he who enters into their schemes or he who is their victim. “That which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.” Should one try to stamp out one of their diabolical plans, its deadly nature will only be the more clearly manifested. Verse 6 is the development of the second image of Isaiah 59:5, the point of comparison being the uselessness for any good social end of the schemes devised by the ungodly. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)
And weave the spider’s web:--
Hypocritical religion
See the spider’s web and behold in it a most suggestive picture of the hypocrite’s religion.
1. It is meant to catch his prey; the spider fattens himself on flies. Foolish persons are easily entrapped by the loud professions of pretenders, and even the more judicious cannot always escape.
2. A spider’s web is a marvel of skill; look at it and admire the cunning hunter’s wiles. Is not a deceiver’s religion equally wonderful? How does he make so barefaced a lie appear to be a truth.
3. A spider’s web comes all from the creature’s own bowels. Even so hypocrites find their hope and trust within themselves.
4. But a spider’s web is very frail. Hypocritical cobwebs will soon come down when the broom of destruction begins its purifying work.
5. Which reminds us of one more thought, viz that such cobwebs are not to be endured in the Lord’s house. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Spiders’ webs
As the spider weaveth her web to catch the smaller flies, so do they lay their plots to take the poorer sort of people, and them which are most destitute of friends. (W. Day, M. A.)