The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 21

from the root o~v,. (nram), "to be crafty or orease learning, 'l'he chango of construcUon wily," properly means " 1mkcdness" or in the original is reproduced in the Autho- "smoothness;" hence in a metaphorical rizoc\ Version, hut has been rendered vari• sense it expresses "the capacity for escaping ously. Thus Umbreit and Elater, reg1uding from the wiles of others" (Umbreit). We tho verb V'?~ (yish'ma) ne conditional, trans- have this idea expressed as follows in eh. late, " if the wise man hoar; " on the other xxii. 3, "The prudent man (01,v,., arnm) hn.nc\, Delitzsch und Zockler take it as volun• foresect.h thec,il.and hideth himself." In the tati ve," let the wise mo.n hear," etc. The prin- Arabic Version it is rendered by calliditmi, ciple here enuncia.ted is ago.in stated in eh. " shrewdness," in a good sense. The Hebrew ix. 9, "Give instruction to a wise mo.n, and ar'mah, like the Latin calliditas, also means he will he yet wiser," and finds expression "craftiness," as appears in the use of the under the gospel economy in the words of cognate adjective arum in Geu. iii. I, where our Lord," For whosoever bath, to him shall we read, "The serpent was more subtle," etc. be given, and he shnll have more abun- For "subtilty" the LXX. has ,ra.vovp-yla., a dance" (Matt. xiii. 12; of. xxv. 29; Mark Greek word which appears to be employed iv. 25; Luke viii. 18 and xiv. 26). Learn• altogether in a bad sense, as "trickery,"" vil- ing; Hebrew, Mj?_~ (lel,akh ), in the sense of la.iny," "knavery;" but that scarcely appears being transmitted or received (Gesenius, to be the meaning of the Hebrew here, since Delitzsch, Dunn). And a man of under- the aim of the Proverbs is ethical and bene- standing shall attain unto wise OOUI18els. ficial in the highest degree. The Vulgate A roan of understanding (LXX., cS vo~µ.wv; astutia, the quality of the astutus, beside Vulgate, intelligem) is a person of intelli- tile bad sense of craftiness, also bears the gence who lays himself open to be instrncted. good sense of shrewdnells, sagacity, and so better represents the Hebrew. "Subtilty Wise counsels; Hebrew, ni~~r;,r-y_ (talch'buloth). may turn to evil, but it also takes its place This word is derived from ~~Q (khe'Del), a among the highest moral gifts" (Plumptre). ship-rope, a denominative of ~?.h (khD'llel), The simple; Hebrew, o•~~ (ph'thaim), plural and only occurs in the plural. It signifies of 'l:'9 (p't,) from the root iii:,~ (pathakh), ••to those maxims of prudence by which a man be open," properly means the open-hearted, may direct his course aright through life i.e. those who are susceptible to external ( cf. regimen, Arabic). The imagery is taken impressions (Zockler), and so easily misled. from the mR)].agement of a vessel, and is The word occurs in eh. vii. 7; viii. 5; ix. 6; reproduced in the LXX. 1ev/3,pv71rr1s, and xiv. 18; and xxvii. 12. The LXX. properly the Vulgate gubernatio. "Navigationi vita.m renders the word lf1ea.1eoi," nnlrnowing of evil." comparat" (Mariana). The word is almost The same idea is indirectly expressed in the exclusively confined to the Proverbs, and Vulgate parnuli, "the very young;" and the occurs in eh. xi. 14; xii. 5 ; xx. 18; and term is paraphrased in the Arabic Version, xxiv. 6;usually in a good sense, though it iis in quibu, Mn e,t malitia (" those who has the meaning of" strata.gem" in oh. xii. 5. are without malice"). '.rhe Hebrew here In the only other passage where it is found means "simple " in the sense of inexperi- it is used of God's power in tnrning about enced. To tile young man knowledge and the cloudli; cf. Job x.xxvii. 12, "And it discretion. The Hebrew naar (,p~) is here [i.e. the bright cloud] is turned round about used representatively for" youth" ( cf. LXX., by his counsels (1r;i"'1:.i\1ti;i, b'thald1'bulothau)." 71"a.ir veos; Vnlgate, adoleacens) in general, It is the practical correlative of " learning," which stands in need of the qualities here in the first part of the verse. mentioned. It advances in idea beyond "the Ver. 6.-To understand a proverb. This simple." Knowleclge; Hebrew, MP"'! (daath), verse carries on the idea which is stated in i.e. experimental knowledge (Delitzsch); in- ver. 5. The end of the wise and intelligent night (Gesenins); knowledge of good and evil man's increase in learning and prudence is (Plumptre). The LXX. has a.Zrr87i,nr, which that I.Je may be thus enabled to understand clasically means perception by the senses other proverbs. Schultens, followed by and also by the mind. Dis~etwn; Hebrew, ,~;:-;i (m'zimmah),properly "thoughtfulness," Holden, takes the verb 1'~07 (l'havin) as 11 aud hence "circumspection" or "caution " gerund, i11telligendo sententias. This render- (Zockler), or "discernment," that which sets ing does not represent the end~ but points a man on his guard and prevents him being to the proverbs, eto., as means by which tho nuped by others (Plumptre). "Evvo,a. was wise generally attain to learning and pru- probalily adopted by the LXX- in its primary dence. And the interpretation j Hebrew, sense as representing the act of thinking; n;•'?z:i (m'lit,ah). It is difficult to determine intellectu, (Vulgate), equivalent to "a dis- the exact meaning of this word. By Ge- cerning" (see the marginal "advisement"). senius it is rendered "enigma, riddle; " by Ver. 5.-A wiae man will hear, and will in- Bertheau and Hitzig, "discourse requiring OH, I. 1-33.) THE PROVERBS. II