A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Ver. 2. A wise man's heart is at his right hand.] He doth his business discreetly and dexterously, he is handy and happy at it. And as he "ordereth his affairs with discretion," Psa 112:5 so he doth his affections too, reining them in with his right hand, and not suffering them to run riot, as the fool doth oft to his utter ruin. As the wise man's "eyes are in his head," Ecc 2:14 so his "heart is at his right hand"; he hath it at command, to think of what he will when he will; it is as a hawk brought to the falconer's lure; or as a horse that is taught his postures. Hence he keeps his credit untainted, he retains the reputation of a wise man, he rightly owns that honour that the Italians arrogate to themselves, in that proverbial speech of theirs; Italus sapit ante factum, Hispanus in facto, Germanus post factum - i.e., The Italian is well advised before the deed done, the Spaniard in, the German after it.
But a fool's heart at his left.] At his left side, so it may be rendered, where nature placed it; he never yet sorrowed as those Corinthians did, 2Co 7:9 to a transmentation, a to a thorough change both of mind and manners; his heart is yet still in the old place, he follows the course of depraved nature, he is a perfect stranger to the life of God.
Or his heart is at his left hand,] i.e., He rashly rusheth upon business without due deliberation, and doth it awkwardly, as with the left hand, and like a bungler, invita Minerva, et collachrymantibus Musis, he brings it to no good upshot. See an instance of this in Hanun and his counsellors; 2Sa 10:2-4 Ahab and his clawbacks; 1Ki 22:6 Antichrist and his adherers. Bellarmine bewails it in these words: Ab eo tempore, quo per vos Papa Antichristus esse coepit, non modo non crevit eius imperium, sed semper magis ae magis decrevit (Lib. iii. de Pap. Rom.
c. 2,3): Ever since you Protestants have made the Pope to be Antichrist, his authority hath not only not increased, but still more and more decreased. Or thus, His "heart is at his left hand"; that is, he puts away reason and wisdom from himself - as, for the most part, those things which men dislike are put away with the left hand. b Thus Junius expounds it.
a Eις μετανοιαν .
b Ut quae aversantur homines fere sinistra depelluntur.