The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 50

treasures (c•ibr;,;,, mat'monim), i.e. the tree,- preellion in holy worship. The knowledge sures of gold," silver, and precious mete.I of God (c•~S~ M)!''!, daath EI-Ohim) ; lite- conoea.led in the ee.rth. The comparison re.Uy, the knowledge of Elohim. Not merely hero me.do between the eeo.rch for Wisdom cognition, but knowledge in its wider sense. and the search for tho hidden treaBllres of The two ideas of " the fear of the Lord" tho earth was not unfamiliar to the Hebrew and '' the knowledge of God" e.ct recipro- mind, as it is founrl worked out with great ce.lly on each other. Jost as without rever- beauty of detail in the twentr-eighth chapter ence of God there can be no knoudge of him of Job. Age.in, the comparison of Wisdom in its true sense, so the knowledge of God with things most precious in the estimation will increase and deepen the feeling of rever- of me.n is natural and common, and occurs ence. But it is noticeable that the teacher in Pa. cxi.x. 72; Job xxviii. 15-19. The here, as in eh. ix. 10, where, however, it is same ideas and comparisons here used are "the knowledge of the holy" (c•i~hR n1n, presented to us in the New Testament teaching, in our Lord's parable of the man daath k'doshim), gives the chief place to who finds tho hid treasure in the field, and, reverence, and thus indicates that it is in the phraseology of St. Paul, who speaks the basis of knowledge, which is its fruit of "all the treasures of wisdom and know- and result. The relation here suggested ledge," and of "the unseaxchable riches of is analogous to that which snbsists be- Christ." "Divine knowledge is an inex- tween faith and knowledge, and recalls haustible mine of precious ore" (Wardlaw). the celebrated dictum of Anselm: "Neque The language of the Proverbs would".receive enim qurero intelligere ut oredam ; sed additional force from the circumstances of credo, nt intelligam." Elohim, here in- the reign of Solomon, the most splendid and terchanged with Jehovah, is not of fre- prosperous era in the annals of- the Jewish quent occurrence in the Proverbs, as it is national history, in the means taken to only found therein five times, while the secure the treas111·es. of other and distant predominating word which is used to de- countries; the wealth and the riches of -that signate the Deity is Jehovah. But it is diffi- reign (see 2 Chron. ix, 20-22) would help cult to draw any distinction between them to bring out the idea of the superlative value here. Jehovah may refer more especially of Wisdom. In no ere. of the Jewish national to the Personality of the Divine nature, history we.a there such 1:1bunde.nce of riches, while Elohim may refer to Christ's glory such splendid prosperity, as in the reign of (Plumptre). Bishop Wordsworth thinks Solomon, whose ships of Tarahish brought that a distinction is made between the "gold and silver" (see 2 Chron. ix. 20-22), knowledge of Elohim and the knowledge of and this state of things would give point to man which is of little worth. the comparisons whioh the teacher uses in Ver. 6.-For the Lord giveth wisdom. onr text. The Lord Jehovah is the only and true Ver. 5.-Then aha.It thou Ullderstand the Source of wisdom. The truth stated here fear of the Lord, Then (JI;!), introducing is also met with in De.n. ii. 21, "He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them the first apodosis, and answering to the that know understanding." He "giveth," conditional "if" of vers. I, 3, 4. The ' or more properly, "will give" (Jr;i:, yitten, earnest endeavour after Wisdom meets with' its reward, and those the.t seek shall find , future of JI], nathan), wisdom; but the (cf. Me.tt; vii; 7); arid thus an inducement ' connection requires us to understand th1:1t is held forth to listen to the admopition of the assurance applies only to those who t)le tee.char. Understand implies· the power seek after it earnestly and truly ( cf. J as. of discernment, but Zockler gives it the i. 5-7). The two coefficients to our ob- fprther meaning of taking to one's self as 1 faining wisdom are our efforts and God's a spiritual P.ossession, just as "find," mean- ' assistance. Solomon me.y be adduced as a ing primarily "to arrive at." conveys the striking exemplification of this; he asked idea of getting possession of (Mercerus). The for "an understanding heart," and God fear of the Lord (il~i; r,~~:, yir'ath y'hovah); graciously granted his request (see l Kings " the fe1:1r of J ehove.h,0 as in eh. i. 7. As iii. 9, 12). Out of his mouth (1';J7;'.l, mippiv); it _is the. beginning, so _it is the highest ez ore ejus; God is here spoken of anthropo- form of knowledge and tba grna,teet good. logically. He is the true Teacher. The EJ~ewl).ere it is repz:esented. as. a fo11nt11in me1:1ning is.. that God communic1:1tcs ,visdom of life. (eh, xv. 27), , All. tn10 wisdoq:i is through the medium of his Word (Delitzsch, summed .up in "the fear :of the Lord," .It Pi.). 'fhe le.w proceeds from hi::i mouth here means the reverence due to him, O:nd, (~ob nii. 22). In the Book of Wisdom (vii. s_o comprj.ses the,whole range of the religious 25), 1' Wisdom is the breath of the power affections and feelings, which ;resp9n!!, to of God." His ,vord is conveyed to us thrnugh various nttribµ~e11 of the Diviµe chare.cter as men divinely inspired, o.nd hence St. Peter they are revealed, and which find thoir ex- (2 Pet. i. 21) soys that ,: holy men of old  36 THE PROVERBS. [ou. n. 1-22.