17 Be not over much wicked, │ but then, do not be wicked to neither be thou foolish: why │ excess either, and by no means shouldest thou die ¹before thy │ become a clever fool: why time? │ shouldest thou die when it is │ not thy time? ¹ _Hebrew_ not in thy time. │ (17.) =Do not be impious to excess, and do not be= (the quadruple repetition of the particle of prohibition gives emphasis to it, especially at the close of the sentence――(1.) Do not be over right, and (2.) do not be over wise either, (3.) nor impious either, nor (4.) still less either a clever fool, are the four stages of the argument; the emphatic תהי is reserved to the last clause here in this member; in the former clause it stands first, giving it thus a still further sarcastic emphasis, something like our ‘whatever you are do not be’) =an elaborate fool= (סכל, compare chapters ii. 19, x. 3, 14; and see the meaning of this term discussed there. This wickedness then, it seems, is wise folly, or false prudence). =Wherefore shouldest thou die in= what is =not your time?= The sarcasm is surely deep and cutting which, covertly reminding the impious that he has yet to die, advises him not to die before his time. 18 _It is_ good that thou │ It is good that thou shouldest shouldest take hold of this; │ lay hold of the former; yea, also from this withdraw │ moreover, of the latter, by no not thine hand: for he that │ means let your hand touch it, feareth God shall come forth │ for he that fears God comes out of them all. │ safely with regard to all of │ these.