He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
Ver. 26. He that laboureth, laboureth for himself.] He earns it to eat it, he gets it with his hands to maintain "the life of his hands," as it is therefore also called Isa 57:10 Animantis cuiusque vita in fuga est, saith the philosopher; Life will away if not repaired by aliment. Et dii boni; quantum hominum unus exereet venter! a Oh what ado there is to provide meat for the belly! There are those who make too much ado, while they make it "their god," Php 3:19 as did that Pamphagus, Nabal; those in St Paul's time, that "served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies"; and our Abbey lubbers, Quorum luxuriae totus non sufficit orbis; O monachi, vestri stomachi, &c. See my Common Place of Abstinence.
For his mouth craveth it of him.] Heb., Bows down to him, or upon him, either as a suppliant or as importunately urgent. b The belly hath no ears; necessity hath no law. Malesuada fames will have it if it be to be had. Drusus, meat being denied him, did eat the very stuffings of his bed; but that was not nourishment. c The stomach of man is a monster, saith one, which, being contained in so little a bulk as the body, is able to consume and devour all things; and yet is not consumed of itself, nor destroyed by that heat that digesteth all that comes into it.
a Seneca.
b Quippe quem suum cogit os. - Castalio.
c Sueton. in Tiber.