Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of
trouble
It is not good to put confidence in any man, not in princes, nor
in the best of men; much less in an unfaithful, prevaricating,
and treacherous man; and especially in a time of distress and
trouble, depending on his help and assistance, which is leaning
on a broken reed, and trusting to a broken staff. Or, "the
confidence of an unfaithful man in time of trouble" F15; that
which he puts confidence in; who trusts in his riches, or in his
righteousness, or in his own heart, all which are vain and
deceitful: [is like] a broken tooth, and a foot out of
joint;
which are so far from being of any use, the one in eating food,
and the other in walking, that they are both an hindrance to
those actions, and cause pain and uneasiness: or, "a bad tooth",
so the Targum and Syriac version; a rotten one.