Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Ver. 8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath] Repetitio est, ut magis iuculcet, saith Vatablus; This precept is doubled and redoubled, that we may the better retain and practise it. Angry a man may be, and must be at evildoers, inasmuch as they break God's law, Psalms 119:134, pollute his name, Ezekiel 36:20; Eze 36:23 Romans 2:23,24; procure the judgments of God upon others also, Joshua 22:18; pull down swift destruction upon themselves, 2Pe 2:1 Romans 2:5. Thus Moses was angry, Exodus 32:19; and our Saviour, Mark 3:5; yet not so angry but that they could at some time pity those they were displeased with, and pray for them too. This they that cannot do are inordinately and sinfully angry, and must at any rate suppress such passionate distempers.

Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil] And he shall have nmch ado not to overdo, not to do amiss, that bridleth not his passions; for these, like heavy bodies down steep hills, once in motion, move themselves, and seldom know any ground but the bottom. Ne igitur accendaris ira saltem ad malefaciendum. Kimchi rendereth it, Ne misceas teipsum, Come not in company with the ungodly, at least to do evil; to do as they do. So to those words in the first verse, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers," the Chaldee addeth, to be like unto them.

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