Verse 30. Love of home is an impulse and emotion natural to man; but to no people was fatherland so greatly delighted in, to none was exile and banishment from fatherland so dreadful a thought, as it was to the people of Israel. Expatriation is the worst of all evils with which the prophets threatened individuals and the people; and the history of Israel in their exile, which was a punishment of their national apostasy, confirms this proverb, and explains its form. . . . In general, the proverb means that the righteous fearlessly maintains the position he takes; while, on the contrary, all they who have no hold on God lose also their outward position. But often enough this saying is fulfilled in this, that they, in order that they may escape disgrace, become wanderers and fugitives, and are compelled to conceal themselves among strangers.--_Delitzsch._ The desire of the righteous is not to stay upon earth, neither is that the reward which God hath appointed for them. They know a better place to go unto, and where better things that the earth can afford are provided for them. Hugo de Sancto Victore saith, therefore, making three sorts of men, "He is very delicate whose own country is delicious unto him; he is valiant to whom every country is his own; he is perfect to whom the world is a banishment. The first hath fastened his love upon the world, the second hath scattered his love in the world, the last hath extinguished his love from the world." And this is the _righteous man_ of whom it is here said that he shall never be removed, because he shall never be taken hence with an unwilling and reluctant mind. He having never set his affection upon the world, can never be _removed_ from it. When he goeth hence, he goeth cheerfully and gladly; it is not a _remove_ of him, but a pleasant passage to him.--_Jermin._ _Moved,_ not _re_moved, but _shaken_ shall not be seriously disturbed.--_Miller._ See also comments on chap. ii. 21, 22. For Homiletics on Verse 31, see on Verses 13, 14, and 20, 21. _OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS._ The figure here is of a _sprout_ or _seedling_ which has the capacity to grow for ever. "_Wisdom_" is such a tree. It grows from the mouth of the good man, and will grow for ever; that is, the good man will incessantly spread abroad wisdom. God, who is invisible, spreads abroad wisdom only through the creature. But the ungodly tongue, literally "_the tongue of upturnings,_" overturning everything, and being in this world the great instrument for leading others astray, will be put in a condition to be foiled of such an influence: as the inspired sentence expresses it, will be "_cut out._"--_Miller._