The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 99

nc>ecl to supply "it" after the verb al-tish'- prize. There is e. r,Iay upon the words in kakh, " forget not,'' as Holden states, ond e,s the original (htn'yan ki 1.'neh), whioh is pre- appears in the Authorized Version, since served in our tro.nsla.tion. 11hahiihh is found with min (JJ:?), "of" or Ver. 8,-EHlt her, and she shall promote "from," in Ps. xii. 4 (5), "I forgot to eat thee. 'l'he father here proceeds to point out ~•hahiihh'ti meiilml)," ond the same construc- soma of the benefits which follow from the tion may obtain here. The two verbs, "for- pursuit of Wisdom. Ernalt.her (sii.l'B'llah); get " and "decline from," are not so very Vulgate, arripeillam; LXX.,,r,p1xup·&,,.,<To11 wide in meaning, since the former, shahii.kh, uv.-¾,v; Targum, diligc eam; Syri1tc, blandir'e is to "leave" something from forgetfulness, iUi; Arabic, circumsepi eam. The Hebrew, and the latter, natah, rendered here "decline sii.l's'ltii.h, is the pilpel imperative of salii.l, • from," is "to turn away" from something. "to lift up, exalt." It is equivalent to the The words of my mouth represent as it were kal form. The pilpel form only occurs here, the means by which wisdom may be pur- but the ka.l po.rticiple is met with in eh. xv. chased. 19, where it ha.a the meaning of" to raise up Ver. 7.-Wisdom is the principal thing; e,s a causeway" (see ma.rginal reading in loc.), therefore get wisdom. The older versions, Gesenius renders, "exalt her," BC, with , such as the .Alexandrian LXX. (the verse is praises. The mee.ning of the verb, a.a omitted by the Ve.tican LXX.), Te.rgum, Delitzsch so.ye, is to be determined by the and Syrie.c, agree in rendering this verse, corresponding " she shall promote . thee" " The beginning of wisdom is get wisdom," (th'rom'mtk), and this verb romem is (1) which is equivalent to saying that the begin- to raise or make high; (2) to exalt by be- ning of wisdom consists in the acquisition of stowing honours upon one of low estate, i.e. wisdom, or, e.s Umbreit explains, "in the ro.ising them in general estimation ; it is resolution to get wisdom." That this ren- so used in 1 Sam. ii. 7 by Hannah, in her dering, which is adopted by Luther, Delitzsch, song of thankfulness," He (Jehovo.h) bring- and Umbreit., may be correct appears from eth low and lifteth up (m'romem);" (3) to eh. i. 7 and ix. 10, where we have the so.me extol by praises, as in Ps. xxx. 2. The construction, onlv in inverted order. Seneca's radical meaning of salal seems to be "to aphorism is conceived in much the Bame heap up," as a road is prepared by embank- spirit : " Magna pars boni est velle fieri ments, o.nd by the filling up of ineque.lities bonum ''-" A large part of good is the wish ( cf. Isa. Ixii. I 0). In this sense the passage to become good;" i.e. that the beginning of before us is explained by Levi hen Gersom, being goocl depends to a le.rge extent upon "Prepare the way of Wisdom, ond walk the wish to become so. The objections to assiduously in it." But the context, wherein this rendering are: (1) That it is difficult to the idea of buying is evidently used, favours see how the beginning of wisdom can be the Bottcher's interpretation, "Hold it or her acquisition of it. (2) That elsewhere, e.s in high in price, bid high for her as a purchaser eh. i. 7 and ix. 10, the beginning of wisdom who makes offer upon offer, to secure what is represented e.s the fear of the Lord. (3) he wants." So Pi, in pretio habe. The That it does not fall in well with the con- LXX. rendering, "Circumvallate her, en- text or with the aim of the father's teaching, close her with a wall or l1edge," which is which is to hold up wisdom as pre-eminently reproduced in the Arabic, circumsepi eam, a blessing, as the most excellent and highest " hedge her around," seems out of place with thing attainable. On the other hand, Hitzig, the context. 'l'he Talmudists understand the De Dieu., Doderlein, Zockler, render a.a in verb es signifying" to examine closely," "to the Authorized Version, "Wisdom is the scrutinize, meditate, or reilcct" upon Wisdom principal thing, therefore get wisdom; " i.e. constantly, just as the Roman poet says, wisdom is the highest good, and therefore "Nocturna versate manu, versnte diurna "- ought to be obtained. The word reshith is " ,ve exalt Wisdom when we follow her pre- found with this signification in eh. xxiv. 20; cepts," i.e. when we esteem her-the idea I Sam. ii 29; Job xl. 19; Jer. xlix. 35; which is presented to us in the 'l'e.rgum and Amos vi. 1-6. .And with all thy getting Syrio.c cited above. The sentiment of the get UIJ.dente.nd.ing. This does not mean, as verse agrees with what Jehovah Bays in the the Authorized Version seems to imply, that message of the man of God to Eli, in 1 while you are acq uiriug other things, you are Sam. ii. 30, " Them that honour me I will to acquire wisdom, but that wisdom is to be honour." She shall bring thee to honour, purchlilled with e.ll you have acquired or when thou dost eml>raoe her. Ti.Je LXX. gotten. "Getting" (hin'yon) is the purchase reverses the order of idea.a, " Honour her in money. No price is too high to be paid for order that she may embrace thee." EmbraCtJ her, no sacrifice too great; cf. the parables of 11,er; i.e. in a loving and o.ffectionate manner, the hidden treasure aud goodly pearl (Matt. os a husband does his wife, or a son his xiii. 44; Luke x. 42), in both of which the mother. (~'or the verb 1,liavii.k, see eh. v. 20 : ma.u ~old "all that he had" to obtain the Cant. ii. G; viii. 3.) There ore only three on·. rv. 1-27.] TIIE PROVERBS. 87