The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 22

interproto.tion;" by Delitzech, "symbol;" pmbreit, Zookler, Plnmptre). Others, follnw- by Haverniok and Keil, "brilliant e.nd mg the Masoretic arrangement of tho He- plea.sing discourse;" nnd by Fuerst, " figu- brew text, consider it as forming part of the rative e.nd involved discourse." By com- superscription (Ewald, Bertheau, Elater, paring it with the corresponding words, Keil). Ae a general proposition expressin"' "de.rk se.yinge," it me.y be regarded ae the essence of the philosophy of the Israel~ designating tbot which is obscure and in- itee, and from its relation to the rest of the volved in meoning; compare u1<0-r,wos contents of this book, it seems rightly to .\o-yos (LXX.). It only occurs here and in occupy a special and individual position . Hab. ii. 6, where it is rendered "taunting 'rhe proposition occurs again in the Pro- proverb." The marginal reading is "an verbs in oh. ix. 10, e.nd it is met with in eloquent speech," equivalent to facundia, similar or slightly modified fonns in other ''eloquence." Vatabl us eaye that the Hebrews books which belong to the same group of understood it as "meneuram et pondus sacred writings, that ie, those which treat verbi." The words of the wise; i.e. the of religious philosophy-the Khokhmah; e.g. Job xxviii. 28; Ps. cxi. 10; Eccles. xii. 13; utterances of the khaT,hamim (c•,;:i;,!1). Thie expression occurs again in eh. xxii: 17, and Ecclus. i. 16, 25. With this maxim we may nlso in Eccles. ix. 19 and xii. 11, In the compare "The fear of the Lorcl is the in- latter they are described ae "goods and ae struction of wisdom" ( eh. xv. 33). The fear nails fastened by the ministers of assem- of the Lord (nt::ntt:,:, yir'atliy'honah); lite- blies" (i.e. "authors of compilations," as rally, the fear oj Jehovah. The expression Mendelssohn), because they cannot fail to describes that reverential attitude or ho) y make an impression on everybody good or fear which man, when his heart is set bad. The expression, as used in eh. xxii. aright, observes towards God. The original 17, implies that other than Solomonic pro- word, n!_l:,_• (yir'ath) for "fear," ie properly verbs are inoluded in this collection. And the infinitive of 11!.'J; (yare), "to fear or their dark sayings; Hebrew, ci;i'i•i:,) (v'khi- reverence," e.nd as a substantive meaus dotham). The Hebrew khidah (ri~•~), as "reverence or holy fear" (Gesenius). Ser- vile or abject fear ( e.s Jerome, Beda., Estius) m'litsah (n¥'?Z?), its parallel in ,the preceding hemietich, designates obscure,involved utter- is not to be understood, but filiaL fea.r (as ances. It plainly has the sense of" enigma" Gejerus, Mercerus, Cornelius a Lapide, Cart- (Fleischer, apud Delitzsch). Compare al- wright), by which we fear to offend God- 11l-yµ.a.-ra. (LXX.), and amigmata (Vulgate), that fear of Jehovah which is elsewhere which latter is followed by the Chaldee described as "to hate evil " ( eh. viii. 13), Paro.phrase and Syriao (see also Ps. lxxvili. e.nd m which o. predominating element is 2, " I will open my mouth in parables, I love. W e.rdle. w remarks that the " fear of will utter dark snyings of old "). Geseniue the Lord" is in invariable union with love derives it from the root.;nn (khud), "to tie nnd in invariable proportion to it. We knots," and hence arrives at its meaning as truly fear Goel just in proportion as we truly an involved or twisted sententious expres- love him. The fear of the Lord also carries sion, an enigma. with it the whole worship of Go<l. It fa observable that the word Jehova.h (n~n:) is Ver. 7--0h. ix. 18.-Part II. INTBODU0- used in the Hebrew, e.nd not Elohim (c•~S-~), TOBY SECTION. The first main section of a peculiarity which is inve.riably marked· in the book begins here and ends at eh. ix. 18. the Authorized Version by smo.11 capitals. The beginning; Hebrew, n•!'KJ (reshith). It consists of a series of fifteen admonitory This word bas been understood in three discourses 11ddreesed to youth by the Teacher different senses: (I) As initium, tile begin- and Wisdom personified, with the view to ning; i.e. the initial step or ste.rting-point exhibit the excellence of wisdom, and gene- at which every one who wishes to follow rally to illustrate the motto, "The fear of trne wisdom must begin (Gejeras, Zockler, the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," Plumptre). (2) As caput; i.e. the most or wisdom. It urges strong encouragements excellent or princip11l p11rt, the noblest or best wisdom. This sense is adopted in the to virtue, and equally strong diseuasives marginal reading (comp. also oh. iv. 7) from vice, and shows that the attainment of (Holden, Trapp). (3) As tbe principium wisdom in its true sense is the aim of all (V ulgate); i.e. the origin, or basis, as in moral effort. Micah i. 13, " She is the origin, or basis (reshith) of the sin of the daughter of Ziau." Ver. 7.-The fear of the Lord is the begin- Delitzsoh regards the original, reshith, I\S ning of knowledge. This proposition is by embraoing the two ideas of commencement some commentators regardod us the motto, e.nd origin, in the same way as the Greek symbol, or devioe of the book (Delibsoh, &px¾J, Wisdom h11,11 it.a origin in God, and 6 THE PROVERBS. [on. 1. 1-33.