The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 169

excellence (vers. 12-21), (3) She dis- capabilities. At the hand of the gates (I courses of her origin and action (vere. 22- Sam. xix. 3). She posts herself at the side 81). (4) She a.gain inculcates the duty of ?f the city gat11s, uncle~ the arch way pierced hearkening to her instructions (vers. 82- m the wall, where she 1s sure of an audience. At the mouth of the oity, inside the gate, 86). where people pass on their way to the Ver. 1.-Doth not Wisdom oryl (see on country. At the coming in at the doors, by eh. i. 20, and Introduction). The interroga- which persons enter the town. Thus she tive form, which expects an affirmative catches all comers, those who are entering, answer, is a mode of asserting a truth uni- as well as those who are leaving the city. versally allowed. Wisdom is personified, Here standing, as in the Agora or Forum, though we a.re not so plainly confronted by she crieth; she calls &loud, saying what an indi vidua.l, e.s in the preceding case of follows (vers. 4-86). It is a fine picture of the harlot. But it must be remembered the comprehensiveness of the gospel, which that, whatever may have been the author's is meant for high and low, prince and peasant; exact meaning, however worldly e. view the which is proclaimed everywhere, in the courts original enunciation may have afforded, we, of kings, in the lanes of the country, in the reading these chapters by the light cast hovels of the city; which sets forth the in- upon them by later revelation, see in the finite love of God, who is not willing that description of Wisdom no mere idea.I of prac- any should perish, bnt would have all men tical prudence and good sense, no mere come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Pet. poetic personification- of an abstract quality, iii. 9). Septuagint, "By the gates of the but an adumbration of him who is the Wis- mighty she sits, in the entrances sha sings dom of God. the coeternal Bon of the Father. aloud (~f,L11Ein1)." The open, bold, and publio utterances of Wisdom a.re in happy contrast to the secret Vers, 4-11.-She summons various classes and stealthy enticements of Vice. So Christ, of persons to a.tten<l to her, showing how the true Wisdom, says, "I have spoken trustworthy she is, and how precious her openly to the world; I ever taught in the instruction, synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret Ver. 4.-Unto yon, 0 men, I call. "Men," spake I nothing" (John xviii. 20). The ishim (c•f?'•tt); equivalent to liv6pes, ~·iri, men Septuagint changes the subject of this verse, in the highest sense, who ha,e some wisdom aud mukes the pupil e.ddreSBed: "Thou and experience, but need further enlighten- shalt procfo.im (1C11po!m) wisdom, that un- ment (Isa. liii. 8; Ps. o:x.li. 4). The sons of derstanding (t/>p&v.,,,m) may obey thee;" man; c:;r~ ~p. "children of Adam;" equiva- which seems to mean that, if you wish to lent to lf116ponro,, homines, the general kind acquire wisdom, so that it may serve you of men, who are taken up with material practically, you must a.cl as e. herald or interests. St. Gregory notes(' l\Iornl.,' xxvii. preacher, and make your desire ~enere.lly 6) that persons (homines) of perfect life are ic known. Bl Gregory he.a some remarks Scripture sometimes called "men" (11iri). a.bout wilful ignorance of what is right. "It And again, "Scripture is wont to call those is one thing," he says, " lo be ignorant; persons 'men' who follow the ways of the another to have refused to learn. For not Lord with firm and steady steps. Whence to know is only ignorance; to refuse to learn Wisdom says in the Proverbs, 'Unto you, is pride. And they a.re the less able to plead 0 men, I call.' As if she were saying openly, ign9rance in excuse, the more that know- 'I do not speak to women, but to men; be- ledge is set before them, even egainst their cause they who a.re of an unstable mind will. We might, perhaps, be able to pass cannot at all understand my words'" (' Mo- along the way of this present life in igno- ra.I.,' xxviii. 12, Oxford transl.). rnnce of this Wisdom, if she herself had not Ver. 5.-0 ye simple, understand wisdom, stood in the corners of the way" (' Mora.I.,' "The simple," those not yet perverted, but XXV. 29). easily influenced for good or evil. See on Ver. 2.-Bhe standeth in the top of high oh. i. 4, where also is expll\ined the word pla.oes, by the way. She takes her stand, onnah, used here for" wisdom;" equi,alent not in thievish corners of the streets, like to calliditas in a good sense, or ,rc,voup-yla, as the harlot, but in the most open and elevated sometimes employed in tlie Septungint ; BO parts of the city, where she may be best seen here: 11oij0"111"E 1f1Ccu,01 ,ravoup-ylav, "subtlety." e.nd heard by e.11 who pass by (see oh. i. 21, Ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. e.nd note there). In the ple.oes of the paths; For "fools" (khesilim), the intellectually i.e. where many paths converge, e.nd where heavy and dull, see ou eh. i. 22. The heart people meet from different quarters. is considered the seat of the mind or under- Ver. 8.-The expressions in the text indi- standing (comp. eh. xv. 82; xvii. 16, eto.). cate the position which she takes and its Septuagint, '' Ye that are untaught, take iD PROV ERJIS, ll  THE PROVERBS. [oa. vm. l-36. I 1 beart (e'v8«r8e 1<apS(av)." The call thus those who have learned to discern right addressed to various classes of persons is from wrong, and are seeldng to direct thoir )like the section in 1 John ii., "I write unto lives in accord,inee with high motives. !you, little children," etc. Septuagint, "Tbey a.re all prosent (/pw,r,a) Ver. 6.-1 will speak of excellent things; to those that understand, and right (opBa.) to -de rebus magnis, Vulgate; ,u1wo. "fO.p ipw, those that find knowledge." Septuagint. Tbe Hebrew fiagid is else- Ver. 10.-Reoeive my instruction, and not ,whcre used of persons; e.g. a priuce, leader silver ; i.e. acquire wisdom rather than (1 Sam. ix. 16; 1 Chron. xxvi. 24); so it silver, if ever the choice is yours. And may here be best translated "princely," knowledge rather than ohoioe gold (comp. "noble "-nn epithet which the subject- ,•er. 19; oh. iii. 14). (For "knowledge," matter of Wisdom's discourse fully confirms daath, see on eh. ii 10.) The comporison is (cDmp. eh. xxii. 20, though the word there implied rather than expressed in the first is ditforent). Hitzig and others, following clause, while it is made clear in the second. tbe S)Tiac, prefer the meaning, "plain, evi- Thus Hos. vi. 6, "I desired mercy, and not dent truths" (comp. ver. 9); but the former sacrifice," the second matter mentioned interpretation is most suitable. The open- being, not necessarily of no importance, but ing of my lips shall be right things. That always in such cases of inferior importanoo which I announco when I open my mouth to the other. We may quote Horace's com- is just and right (eh. xxiii. lti). Septuagint, plaint of the worldliness of his countrymen, opea.. a marked contrast to the inspired counsel of Ver. 7.-Another co-ordinate ree.son for Proverbs (' Epist.,' i. 1. 52)- •attention. My mouth; chek, " palate " ( eh. v. 3, where see note); the organ of speech. " Vilius argentum est auro, virtutibus aurum. Shall speak truth; emeth (see on eh. iii 3). 0 cives, cives I qua1renda. pecunia primum The verb i"l~O (hagah) properly mea.nr. "to est, Virlus post nummos." speak with one's self," '' to meditate;" and so the versions translate here, meditabitur, Ver. 11.-(See oh. iii. 14, 15, and notes.) µ.•AE'r7JG'EI; bnt this idea is not appropriate Vere. 12-21.-Wisdom tells of her own to the word joined with it, "the palate," and it must be taken to siguify "to utter," excellence. as in Ps. :u:xv. 28 ; xxxvii 30, etc. Ver. 12.-I wisdom dw'ell with prudenoe; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. rather, as in the Revised Version, 1 have Besha, " wickedness," is the contrary of made subtilty (ver. 5) my dwelling. Wisdom moral troth a.ad right. Septuagint, "False inhabits prudence,· animates and possesses lips a.re abominable in my bight." tha.t cleverness and fact which is needed for Ver. 8.-In righteousness; i.e. joined with the praclical puiposes of life. So the Lord righteousness, equivalent to "righteous." is said to "inhabit eternity" (Isa. lvii. 15). In eh. iii. 16 the Septuagint has an addi- Septuagint, "I wisdom dwelt (1<aTE<T1<71vwo-a) tion which may perhaps be an echo of this in counsel and knowledge," which recalls, passage : "Out of her mouth proceedeth "The Word was made flesh, o.nd dwelt righteousness, and she beareth upon her (io-1<,/vwo-ev) among us" (John i. H). In to □ gce law and mercy." But more probably 1 Tim. vi. 16 we find tbe expression, "Who it is derived partly frow Isa. xlv. 23, and alone bath (µ.(,vos lxwv) immortality," ex- partly from eh. xxxi. 26. There is nothing changed with the pbrase, "Who dwelleth froward or perverse in them. In the utter- (ol1<wv) in the unapproachable light." And ances of Wisdom there is nothing crooked, find out knowledge of witty inventions. no distortion of the truth; all id strai~ht- This rendering refers to the production and forward and direct. solution of dark sayings which Wisdom Ver. 9.-They are all plain to him that effects. But the expression fa better ren- 'l!Ilderstandeth. The man who listens to dered, "knowledge of deeds of discretion" und imbibes the teaching of Wisdom finds (eh. i. 4), or "of right counsels," o.nd it tl,ese words intelligiLle, and "to the point." signifies th11.t Wisdom presides over all well- Opening bis heart to receive Divine in- considered designs, that they are not beyond atruction, be is rewarded by having his her sphere, and that she has and uses tho uncJerstanding enlightened; for while "tho knowledge of them. Septua.gint, "I (iyw) natural man receiveth not the things of the called upon understanding," i.e. it is I who Spirit of God" (1 Cor. ii. 14), yet "the inspire all good and righteous thought. secret of the Lord is with them tliat fear Ver. 13.-The fear of the Lord is to hate him" (Pa. xxv. 14), and "mysteries ore evil. Wisdo1n here enunciates the proposi- revealed unto the meek" (Ecclus. ill. 19, tion which is the foundation of Ril her teach- Complutensian ~•). Right to them that ing, only here, as it were, on the reverse :find knowledge (ver. 10). They form an side, not as the begitrning of wisdom (eh. i. even path without stumbling-blocb for 7; ix. 10), but as the hatred of evil; she OH, VIII. l-3G.] 'fHE PROVERBS. 163