A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
Ver. 12. A naughty person.] Lo, every idle man is a naughty man; is, or ere long will be; for by doing nothing, men learn to do evil, said the heathen. a And "thou wicked and slothful servant," saith our Saviour. Mat 25:26 He puts no difference between nequam et nequaquam, an idle and an evil person. The devil also will not long suffer such a one to be idle, but will soon set him to work. Idleness is the hour of temptation.
A wicked man.] Or, An unprofitable man, vir nihili; good for nothing, but to eat, and drink, and sleep, and sport, and sit, and talk, and laugh, and be merry. These are nothing; nay, they are excrements in human society; that live in the world to no purpose, yea, to bad purpose. Oh, it is good, saith one b to do something whereby the world may be the better; and not to come hither merely as rats and mice, only to devour victuals, and to run squeaking up and down.
Walketh with a froward mouth.] Graditur ore perverso. Nothing more usual with idlebies than to go tattling up and down, prying, and spying, and carrying tales and rumours. 1Ti 5:13 See Trapp on " 1Ti 5:13 " It is nothing that they can do; they will say the more therefore; αργοι, περιεργοι. 2Th 3:11
a Nihil agendo male agere discunt.
b Mr Wheatly.