A gift in secret pacifieth anger
Appeases an angry man; humbles and "brings [his anger] down"
F25, as Aben Ezra and Gersom observe
the word signifies; which before rose very high, and showed
itself in big words and disdainful looks, as proud wrath does; or
extinguishes it, as the Targum and Vulgate Latin version render
it, and very fitly. Anger is a fire in the breast; and a
restraining or causing it to cease is properly expressed by an
extinguishing of it: this a gift or present does, as it did in
Esau from Jacob, in David from Abigail; but then it must be
secretly given, otherwise it may more provoke; since it may show
vanity in the giver, and covetousness in the receiver; and the
former may have more honour than the latter. Some understand this
of a gift for a bribe to a judge, to abate the severity of the
sentence; and others of alms deeds to the poor, to pacify the
anger of God F26: Jarchi interprets it of alms; and
the Jews write this sentence upon the poor's box, understanding
it in this sense; but the first sense is best; and a reward
in the bosom strong wrath:
the same thing in different words; the meaning is, that a reward
or gift, secretly conveyed into the bosom of an angry man,
pacifies his wrath, when at the greatest height. The Septuagint,
Syriac, and Arabic versions, understand it in a quite different
sense, of a gift retained in the bosom, and not given, and render
it thus, "he that spareth gifts stirreth up strong wrath".