Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
Ver. 6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens] Though he conceit himself, and would have others hold him to be, more than a man, and to accord him divine honour. If his pride ascend even up to heaven, so the Vulgate rendereth it. If his gifts ascend up to heaven, so the Septuagint: and indeed hypocrites are ever lifted up with their gifts, as some Corinthians were with their waxen wings, 1 Corinthians 8:1, being enriched in all utterance and knowledge, and coming behind others in no gift, 1 Corinthians 1:7, yet were they babes at best, and carnal, walking as men, 1 Corinthians 3:2,3; their religion was more in notion than in motion; they had the spiritual rickets, which, having grown big in the head, &c.; as the moon, they increased in light, but not in heat. In which respect, also, and for her external privileges, Capernaum is said to be lifted up to heaven, Matthew 11:23; and the temporary, to taste of the heavenly gift, to partake of the powers of the world to come, Hebrews 6:4,5 .
And his head reach unto the clouds] Aequalis astris gradior, saith he in the poet (Sen. in Thyest.), and Bibulus in Coelo est, saith the orator (Cic. ad Attic.). The heathen rhetoric is but dull stuff to that in this Book; and indeed in this one chapter. A hypocrite's head is oft above the clouds of heaven when his heart is beneath the clods of earth; like the eagle, which, when he soareth highest of all, even out of sight almost, hath his eye all the while upon his prey below. Or like the apricot tree, which shoots up and leans upon the wall, but is fast rooted in the earth. This whole allusion may be unto a tree, like that of Nebuchadnezzar, whose height was great, and reached unto heaven, Daniel 4:10,11; Daniel 4:22. Or that of the Amorite, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks, Amos 2:9 .