He hath set water and fire before thee: stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt.

“And fire. Or, good and evil, as the Vulgate explains it, (ver. 18.) though the Greek be silent. (Haydock) — The law written on the heart, as well as on the tables of stone, shews man his duty;; and he has free-will to comply with it, Deuteronomy xxx. 15., and Jeremias xxi. 8. (Calmet) — He may enjoy every advantage of life, denoted by these two elements. (Lyr.[Lyranus?]) An quod in his vitæ causa est, hæc perdidit exul His nova fit conjux; hæc duo magna putant. (Ovid, Fast. 4.)”