most celebre,ted is tha,t concerning tl1e, bee ( eh. vi. 8), which follows the lesson on the ant: "Or go to the bee, a,nd lea,rn how diligent she ia, and how noble a work she performeth; whose labours kings and private persons use for health, and she is desired by all and of good repute; and although she is weak in strength, yet because she regardeth wisdom she is highly honoured." There is another long interpolation respecting the king and his power which succeeds eh. xxiv. 22: "A son that keepeth the word shall be far from destruction. Receiving he rcceiveth it. Let no falsehood be spoken by the mouth of a king, and let no falsehood proceed from his tongue. The king's tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; whosoever shall be delivered over to it shall be utterly crushed. For if his anger be provoked, he consumes men together with their sinews, and devoureth men's bones, and burneth them as a flame, so that they cannot be eaten by the yonng of eagles." The last clause seems to refer to the opinion that birds of prey will not tonch carcases struck by lightning. After eh. xi.x. 7, which is given thus: "Every one who hates a poor brother shall also be far from friendship," we have, " Good understanding will draw near to them that know it; and a prudent man will find it. fu that doth much evil perfects mischief, and he that useth provoking words shall not be saved." An additional illustration is sometimes added. Thus, in eh. xxv. 20, omit- ting the reference to leaving off a garment in cold weather, the LXX. give, " Ail vinegar is inexpedient for a sore, so suffering falling on the body afflicts the heart. Ail moth in a garment and worm in wood, so a man's grief injures the heart." In eh. xxvii. 20 we have, "An abomination to the Lord is he who fixeth his eye, and the uninstructed are incontinent in tongue." And in the next verse, "The heart of the lawless seeketb evils, but an upright heart seeketh knowledge." The addition in eh. xxvi. 11 occurs in Ecclus. iv. 21, "There is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace." The Greek origin of the translation appears plainly in some of the interpolations. Thus in eh. xvii. 4, " To the faithful belongeth the whole world of riches, but to the unfaithful not even an obole." The minor interpolations are too numerous to specify. They are for the- most part noticed as they occur in the Exposition, in which also the many deviations from the received Hebrew text in words and clauses are mentioned. The additions are not of much value morally or religiously, and canno( bear comparison with the genuine proverbs. Whether they are corruptions of the Hebrew text, or corrections and additions made by the translators themselves, cannot be decided. It must be noted, in conclusion, that the Greek Version omits many passages which are now found in our Hebrew Bibles; e.g. eh. i. 16; viii. 32, 33; xi. 3, 4; xv. 31; xvi. 1, 3; xviii. 2:i, 24; xix. 1, 2; xx. 14-19; xxi. 5 ; xxii. 6; :xxiii. 23. Of the versions of Aquila, Symmachns, and Theodotion, fragments have been transmitted in Origen's great work, which sometimes afford light in the renderiDg of difficult words. There is also another translation knowu THE PROVEilBS. xxxiii
as Venota, very literal, a.nd made about the ninth century of our era. It belongs to St. Mark's Library at Venice, and has been published, first m 1784, and again of late years.
§ 6. ARRANGEMENT IN SECTIONS. The various superscriptions in the book for the most part divide it into its several parts. There is one at the very beginning, "The Proverbs of Solomon;" the same words are repeated at eh. x. I; at eh. xxii. 17 a new section is commenced with the words, " Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise;" another at eh. xxiv. 23 with the remark, "These things also belong to the wise." Then at eh. xxv. I we have, "These are also the Proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah copied out;" at eh. xxx. l, '' the words of Agur;" at eh. xxxi. 1, "the words of Lemuel," followed by the acrostic ode of the virtuous woman. Thus the book may conveniently be divided into nine parts. PART I. Title and superscription. Ch. i. 1-6. 1 PART II. Fifteen hortatory discourses, exhibiting the excellence of wisdom and • encouraging the pursuit thereof. Ch. i. 7-ix. 18. 1. First hortatory discourse. Ch. i. 7-19. 2. Second ,. ,. Ch. i. 20-33. 3. Third ,. Ch. ii. 4. Fourth ,, Ch. iii. 1-18. 5. Fifth ,. Ch. iii. 19-26. 6. Sixth ,, Ch. iii. 27-35. 7. Seventh ,. Ch. iv. 8. Eighth ., Ch. v. 9. Ninth ,, Ch. vi. 1-5. 10. Tenth ., Ch. vi. 6-11. 11. Eleventh ., Ch. vi. 12-19. 12. Twelfth ,. Ch. vi. 20-35, 13. Thirteenth ,. Ch. vii. 14. Fourteenth ,. Cb. viii, 16. Fifteenth , ,, Ch. ix. , PART III. First great collection of (375) Solomonic proverbs, mostly unconnecteii. Uh. x. 1-xxii. 16,-divirled into four sections, viz. eh. x. 1-xii. 28; xiii. I-xv. 19; xv. 20-xix. 25; xix. 26-xxii. 16. PART IV. First appendix to first collection, containin"'0 "words of the wise." Ch. xxii. 17-xxiv. 22. PART V. Seconll. appendix to first collection, containing further "words of the wise." Ch. xxiv. 23-34. PART VI. Second great collection of Solomonic proverbs gathered by "men of Hezekiah." Ch. xxv.-xxix. P AHT VIL First appendix to second collection : "words of Agur." Ch. xxx. PART VIll. Second appendix to second collection: "words of Lemuel." Ch. xxxi.1-9. PART IX. Third appendix to second collection: acrostic ode in praise of the virtuous woman. Ch. xxxi. 10-31.
§ 7, LITERATURE, The Fathers have for the most part not formally commented on this book. Origen and Basil have commentaries hereon: 'Ex Commentariis in Proverbia,' Orig., 'Op.,' iii.; •In. Principium Prov.,' Basil., ii. Besides these there is Bede, ' Exposit. Allegor.' l'BOVERDB. G xxxiv INTUODUCTION TO THE PROVERDS.
.Among t.he nunierous expositions of later date the most userul are the following: Salazar, 1619; Cornelius a Lapide, 1635, etc.; Melaucthon, 'Op.,' ii.; Dossuct, 'Notre,' 1673; Hammond, • Paraphrase,' iv.; Michaelis, • Adnotationes,' l'i20; Aben Ezra., 1620, and edit. by Horowitz, 1884; Schultens, 1748; Umbreit, 182G; Uosenmiiller, 1829; Lowenstein, 1838; Mo.uror, 1838; Bertheau, 1847; re-edited by Nownck, 1883; Stuo.rt, 1852; Ewald, • Spriiche Sal.,' 1837, 1867; Hitzig, 1858; Zockler, in Langc'11 • Bibelwerk,' 1867; Vo.ihinger, 1857; Delitzsch, in Clarke's 'For, Libr.;' Reuss, Paris, 1878; Plumptre, in the• Speaker's Commentary;' Bishop Wordsworth; Nutt, in Bishop Ellicott's'O<immenta.ry; Strack, in 'Kurzgef. Kommentar,' 1889. 'l'he • 'l'opico.l Arrangement' of Dr. Stock will be found useful; also the Introductions o'f Eichhorn, De W ette, Bertholdt, Keil, and Bleek. THE PROVERBS.
EXPOSITION.