The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 174

n111,rkcd out (&cp~p,,,) his throne upon the day, which may tnean either ns in Authorized winds." 'l'he tmnslo.tors ho.ve referred tchom, Version, or "I bad delight continually " i.e. •• depth," to the wo.ters above. it may signify (I) either that God' took Ver. 28.-When he established the olonda pleasure in the wisdom which displayed bis above. The reference is to tbo waters o.bove workmanship, saw that it was very good the firmament (Gen. i. 7), which are sus- (Gen. i. 4, etc.), looked with delight on the pended in tile ether; o.nd the idea is that beloved Son in whom he was well pleased God thUB made this medium capable of (Matt. iii. 17, etc.); or (2) it may mean that sustaining them. Vulgate, Quando ~thera Wisdom herself rejoiced in her power and firmabat sursum; Septuagint, " When he her work, rejoiced in giving effect to the made strong the cloucld above" (comp. Job Creator's idea, and so "founding the earth" xxvi. 8). When he strengthened the foun- (eh. iii. 19). Vulgate, delectabar persingulos tams of the deep; rather, 11s in the Revised dies. 'fhe Septuagint adopts the former of Version, when the fountains of the deep these views, "I was that wherein he took bee,ame str011g ri.e. when tho great deep (Gen. delight." But the second interpretation vii. 11) burst forth with power (comp. Joh seems moat suitable, ns the paragrn.?h is xxxviii. 16). The Septnr.gint anticipates stating rather what Wisdom fa in herself the following details by here rendering, than what she wa:e in the eyes of Jehovah. " When he 'made secure the fountains of the What follows ie a parallel. Rejoicing always earth beneath the heaven." before him; Vulgate, ludens coram eo ,nnni Ver. 29.-When he gave to the sea his tempore, as thongh the work of creation was decree (chok. ae Job xxviii. 26; Jer. v. 22); a sport and paatimeofa happy'holiday. The or, its bou71ds. The me11ning is much the expression is meant to denote the ease with same in either case, being whut is expres8ed which the operations were performed, and in Job x:xxviii. 8, etc., "Who .shut up the the pleasnre which their execution yielded. s2a with doors ... and prescribed for it David uses the same word, speaking of his my decree, and set bars and ,loore, and said, dancing before the ark. when he s~ys; Hitherto shalt thou come, o.nd no further, " 'fherefore will •I play before the Lore!" and hero shall thy proud waves be stayed?" (2 Sam. vi. 21; cou,p. eh. x. 23). The LXX. omits .thia hemistich. When he Ver. 31.-B.ejoicing in the habitable part appointed •the foundations of the earth. of his earth. Wisdom declares wherein she Job xxxviii. 4, "Where wast thou when I chiefly delighted, viz. in the world as the laid the foundations of the earth? ... Who habitation of rational creatnres. "And God determined the measuxes thereof? or who saw ernrytbing that he bad made, and, stretched the line upon it? Wherein were behold, it was very good" {Gen. i. 31); the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid comp. Ps. civ. 31, and see the eloquent the corner-stone thereof?," account of Wisdom in the book so named Ver. 30.-Then I was by him. Wisd. (vii. 22-viii. 1). My delights were with the ix. 9, "Wisdom was with thee; which sons of men. Mo.n, made in the image of lrnoweth thy works, and was_ pl'esent when God, is the principal object of creative thou madest the world." So John i. 2, Wisdom's pleasure; anrl her joy is fulfilled "The Word wns with God." Ae one brought only in the Incarnation. When the Word up with him; Vulge.te, cuncta componens; became flesh, then was the end ancl design Septuagint,, ~Hµ1w Tra.p' a.v.-rjj apµa(ovcra, "I of eree.tion exhibited, and the infinite love was with him orranging things in har- of God towards man made, as it were, mony." The Hebrew word is JID!;! (amon), visible o.ud palpable. Septuagint, "Because "an artificer,"" workman" (Jer. lii. 15). Thus he rejoiced when he completed the worl<l in Wisd. vii. 22 Wisdom is called 71 ,,,cl,nwv (.-¾,. ol,couµlVTJ•), and rejoiced in the childreu -r•x•ins, "the worker of 1111 things." The of men." Authorized Version takes the word in a Vere. 32-36.-Wisdom renews the ex- passive state, as equivalent to alumnus, hortation l:efore given (eh. v. 7; vii. 2!), bui "foater,child," and this interpretation is etymologically admissible, and may possibly, now on higher, and not merely mornl or as Schultens suggests, be glanced at in St. social grounds. She dednces, from her ,John's expression (i. 18), "the only beitotten Divine origin nod her care for man, the Sou, which is in-the bosom of the Father." lesson that she is to be sought and prized Dut as the point here iB the creative energy nnd obeyed above all things. of Wisdom, it is be,t to take tl1e term as denoting "artificer." It will then acoord Ver. 32.-Now therefore-having regard with the expression 671µ,ovp-ybs, 11pplied by to what I have revC;?Rled of myself-hearken the Fathers to the Word of God, by whom unto me, 0 ye ohildren; Septuagiu t, " Hear all things were made (Eph. iii. 9, Textus me, my son." Blesaed are they that keep Receptus, nud Heh. i. 2). And I was daily my ways. The expression is interjectional : his dolight; litoi·111ly, 1 was delights day by " Blessings on the man I salvation to the 168 THE PROVERBS, [orr, vm. 1--30.