As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,.... That so fastens it to it that it cannot be slung out of it, it becomes useless and does not answer the end for which it is put there; or that places it there that it may be cast out, and is cast out, and so is thrown away, and of no more use; or that puts a precious stone, so some interpret it, in a heap of common stones, even in such a heap as is used at the stoning of malefactors; or increases the heap of stones on such, which the more exposes them, and the greater reproach they are loaded with; so the more a fool is praised, it does but bring to mind his folly, and issues in his greater disgrace, so Gussetius o: or rather it has respect to a precious stone put in such a heap of stones, as Luther; or else, according to Schultens, to such an one put into a heap of sepulchral stones; or, as Aben Ezra, that binds up a stone, a common stone, in purple, which to do is ridiculous, so R. Joseph Kimchi; the Vulgate Latin version renders it,
"as he that casts a stone to Mercury's heap;''
a Heathen deity, called by the eastern people Mertholin and Margenah p, which last is near the same with the Hebrew word here used; whose statue was set up where two or more ways met, to direct travellers; and who therefore out of respect to the deity, and to show gratitude to him, used to cast a stone to the heap for the support of it; and which stones, set up in such doubtful places, were dedicated to him, and were called after his name q; and not only travellers did this in honour of the deity, and to make his statue more manifest r, but also for profit, to clear the way from stones; and this custom obtained with the Indians, Arabs, Saracens, and now does with the Mahometans s: and such heaps of stones were also placed in cities, and at the doors of houses, in honour of Mercury, and were called from him Hermae t; these stones were also erected for borders of countries u. But it is not probable that this custom obtained in Solomon's time; and yet some Jewish writers interpret it to this sense, as if he that gives honour to a fool is like him that casts a stone to Mercury; and Jarchi in the text observes it as the sense of some of their Rabbins,
"that he that teacheth the law to a disciple that is not fit, is as he that casts a stone to Mercury;''
and to cast a stone to Mercury is with them the same as to commit idolatry w; but either of the former senses is best;
so [is] he that giveth honour to a fool; it is all thrown away and lost, as a stone out of a sling; or as unseemly as to put a precious stone among a heap of stones, or a common stone in purple;
o Ebr. Comment. p. 777. p D. Herbert de Chefbury d. Relig Gent. c. 7. p. 58. q Suidas in voce ερμαιον. r Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 33. s Vid. D. Herbert de Cherbury, ut supra, p. 59. t Cornel. Nepot. Vit. Alcibiad. l. 7. c. 3. u Pausan. Corinth. sive, l. 2. p. 157. w Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 7. s. 6. & Maimon. in ib.