Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great [men]:
Ver. 6. Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king.] Ne te ornes coram reqe. Compare not, vie not with him in apparel, furniture, house keeping, &c., as the Hebrews sense it. This was the ruin of Cardinal Wolsey, and of Viscount Verulam.
And stand not in the place of great men.] Exalt not thyself, but wait till God shall reach out the hand from heaven and raise thee. Psa 75:5-8 Adonijah is branded for this, that he exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." 1Ki 1:5 When none else would lift Hildebrand up into Peter's chair, he got up himself: ‘for who,' said he, ‘can better judge of my worth than I can?' ‘Harden thy forehead,' said Calvus to Vatinius, ‘and say boldly, that thou deservest the praetorship better than Cato.' a Ambition rides without reins, as Tullia did over the dead body of her own father, to be made a queen. See my Common Place of Ambition.
a Quintil., lib. ix. cap. 2.