Lll 5RARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 OIKT OK 
 
 Mrs. SARAH P. WALSWORTH. 
 
 Received October, 1894. 
 -cessions No. 5*f$ / fi Cljss No. 
 
COMMENTARY 
 
 BOOK OF PKOVEKBS. 
 
 BY 
 
 MOSES STUART, 
 
 LATELY PROFESSOR OF SACRED LITERATURE IN SHE THEOLOGICAL 
 SEMINARY AT ANDOVER, MASS. 
 
 NKVV YORK- 
 
 M. W. I) ODD, BRICK CHURCH CHAPEL, 
 1 H . > 2 . 
 
5-7310 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
 
 I. W. STUART, EXECUTOR, 
 In the Clerk s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 I. CHAIGHEAD, PIUNTEa, 
 53 Vesey Street. 
 

 PREFACE 
 
 THE history of the present undertaking is brief and simple. 
 After completing my Commentary on Ecclesiastes, I felt specially 
 attracted toward another book, (that of the Proverbs), by reason 
 of its close affinity with Ecclesiastes, in a variety of respects. 
 The gnomic form of much that is in the latter book, naturally 
 produced in my mind, after having spent so much time upon it, 
 an interest in respect to the other book, which is filled with 
 gnomes. A large circle of clerical friends, (many of whom had 
 once been my pupils), who are now moving in extensive spheres 
 of usefulness, and enjoying the approbation of highly respected 
 churches, gave me, early in the summer of the present year, 
 cheering and animating encouragement to proceed in the writing 
 of a Commentary on the Proverbs. My own inclination and 
 choice had already, in a measure, anticipated their friendly 
 request ; for when that reached me, I had gone on more than 
 half-way through the book, in the writing of the Commentary. 
 Other friends and brethren, also, have since approved and encour 
 aged the undertaking. A kind Providence has spared my life, when 
 I had little reason to expect its continuance : and from time to 
 time, after repeated partial interruptions of my labors, (during some 
 of which I was led seriously to doubt whether I should ever be 
 able to renew them), I have been enabled to complete what I 
 had begun, if not according to my wishes, yet according to my 
 best ability. 
 
4 PREFACED 
 
 In the composition of the work which follows, I have felt even 
 a deeper interest than I had anticipated. As to the Hebrew in 
 which it is written, it bears the unmistakable stamp of antiquity. 
 Nothing can be more diverse in this respect than the Proverbs 
 and the Preacher. A true lover of the old Hebrew must needs 
 enjoy the reading of the Proverbs. Then, in the next place, such 
 a book as this, which records so many hundreds of short, pointed, 
 pithy sayings, or maxims- QKSJ ex.hil.it mi,ch of the common con 
 versational idiom of the Hebrews. Moreover, many of the nicer 
 .and more difficult points, in respect to Hebrew Grammar, are 
 here developed, as we should naturally conclude they would be ; 
 for proverbial sayings generally take large liberties as to the forms, 
 idioms, and syntax of any language. The student, who is desirous 
 of mastering such difficulties, will acquire much useful training in 
 the accurate investigation of the idioms in the book before us. 
 Nowhere, in the Hebrew Scriptures, is knowledge of this kind 
 more often required than here. And it is in the study of this 
 book, that the masterly Syntax of Ewald, in regard to the most 
 obscure and difficult points of the Hebrew language, affords 
 peculiar, and in general, adequate aid, aid which can scarcely 
 be found to such an extent in any other work of this nature. I 
 acknowledge myself indebted to him, for illustrations of some 
 points elsewhere either overlooked or imperfectly exhibited. 
 There is scarcely any anomaly in the Hebrew Scriptures, on 
 which he has not touched ; and not only so, but adduced illustra 
 tion and confirmation of his method of sclvhv it. 
 
 > 
 
 Ernesti, almost a century ago, said that no interpretation, which 
 is at variance with the laws of grammar and of idiom, can be the 
 true one. The reason is obvious. To be at all understood, the 
 sacred writers must of course conform to the itsus loquendi of 
 their times. The laws of grammar, so called, do nothing more 
 than exhibit facts respecting the ttsits loquendi of any language. 
 They are not laws which grammar makes, but laws which it 
 discovers and exhibits. If, then, we do not attain to a right 
 understanding of these laws, wo of rouvs? must, to a certain 
 
PREPACK, 
 
 extent, fee ignorant of the usus in question ; and when we are 
 thus ignorant, how can we interpret with any good measure of 
 assurance, that we are in the right ? We may give credit to the 
 learning and judgment of others, but we cannot trust our own. 
 
 On such a ground of exegesis as that mentioned above, I have 
 aimed that the following work should have its basis. There has 
 never been, consciously on my part, any endeavor to dictate what 
 the sacred writer ought to say, but merely to find out tu/iat he has 
 said. And to do this, all guessing, conjecture, or imagination 
 must be dismissed, and must stand aside. My reverence for 
 God s Word is such, that Avhen I find out what his servants have 
 said and sanctioned, I regard it as of more value than all which 
 any uninspired interpreter can say. Hence my partiality for a 
 simple commentary of explanation, at least for the use of all 
 preachers of the gospel. A commentary merely hortatory and 
 practical, they should themselves be able to make. They ought 
 not to depend on others, in this case. But to find the real 
 nucleus, out of which this practical commentary is to be devel 
 oped, one must of necessity betake himself to the aid of gram- 
 matico-historical exegesis. The present work is designed to aid 
 such an undertaking, to facilitate the labor of the student, and to 
 spare him as much of time in regard to the investigation of ma 
 terials, as is practicable, when this is to be carried through by his 
 own efforts. 
 
 I believe I may venture to assert that there is no real difficulty 
 as to form, idiom, or syntax, in the book of Proverbs, on which I 
 have not touched, and which I have not endeavored to explain. 
 Hence the saving of time, as I would hope, to the reader. The 
 materials are gathered for him ; they are fitted for structure ; and 
 he has only to apply his own efforts, in order to erect and complete 
 the structure designed. It has been my intention always to conduct 
 him so as that he may see with his own eyes, if he will use them ; 
 and, moreover, see as clearly as if he had expended his time in 
 collecting for himself the materials now made ready to his hand. 
 Ex cathedra direr? is not desinedl tho order of rhp da. in the 
 
D PREFACE. 
 
 following work. Nothing is intended to be established by mere 
 assertion or assumption, but every opinion given is designed to be 
 defended by facts and reasons. Of these, the reader has as good 
 a right to judge as the writer. 
 
 Brief I have aimed to be. I have been so, specially in the 
 Commentary. I have not labored to explain what can be made 
 no plainer than it already is. Smaller difficulties are briefly and 
 summarily discussed. In a few cases only, has a kind of exegetical 
 dissertation been deemed necessary ; and these are treated with 
 all needful and becoming amplitude. 
 
 In a large number of cases, where the language is figurative, 
 or peculiarly compressed, or elliptic, or hyperbolic in the mode 
 of expression, I have subjoined to each verse a summary of what 
 I deemed to be the real sentiment designed to be expressed, in 
 plain and simple English idiom. The expert in commentary will 
 not be displeased with this ; the tyro will, as I would hope, grate 
 fully accept of such aid, and avail himself of it. 
 
 I have become more and more attached to a close translation 
 of the original, as a most important aid in the study of a Hebrew 
 book. Our idiom better expresses the Hebrew, than any other 
 modern European language, or than the older Latin or Greek. 
 De Wette has made a noble translation of the Scriptures into the 
 German ; and this language stands next to our own, in exhibiting 
 the power of the Hebrew idiom. But I have forborne habitually 
 to consult his version of the book in question, because I wished to 
 give my own impressions of the meaning of the Hebrew, without 
 any embarrassment. De Wette, however, may well be consulted 
 by the student ; but now and then I have found in him evidence 
 that he had not always mastered some of the peculiar idioms of 
 the book, nor always investigated specialities of syntax in it. I 
 have, therefore, forborne to consult him, with less reluctance than 
 I should have felt, without having come to the knowledge of these 
 facts. I hardly need to say that my aim has been to keep close 
 to the original, and to employ pure and simp! fi-nylixh words in 
 my version. The Inttor will speak for itsoh". I have more often 
 
PREFACK. 7 
 
 hesitated in order to find a Saxon word which is not vulgar, 
 instead of a word derived from the Latin or Greek, than from 
 almost any other cause. After all, I have been forced, at times, 
 upon the latter class of words, either to avoid vulgarism, or to 
 give the nicer shade of meaning demanded by the Hebrew. 
 E. g. the meaning of "Sb is to satisfy, and also to satiate. In cases 
 where the latter meaning is plain, our version has given filled, or 
 satisfied, neither of which convey the Hebrew shade of meaning. 
 I have been obliged, therefore, to use satiate ; for I could not say 
 stuffed, crammed, or the like. But then, this is no more a Latin- 
 ism than satisfy ; and it may be employed with equal propriety. 
 In all cases where a real equivalent Saxon word presented itself 
 a word in good repute I have preferred it. It is such a 
 usage of our English translators, which has made our common 
 version an immortal monument of the noble Anglo-Saxon. 
 
 A good and faithful translation is of itself, for the most part, 
 an adequate interpretation. Hence its importance. That in such 
 a book as that of Proverbs, our English translators should have 
 sometimes erred, being furnished with no other knowledge than 
 what the lexicons and grammars afforded them two centuries ago, 
 is much less a matter of wonder, than that they should so gen 
 erally have been in the right. No apology however is needed, 
 as I trust, at the present time, for differing from them in a few 
 cases, where new light has been poured upon grammar, idiom, or 
 the general subject of Hebrew antiquities. 
 
 Thus much for the history and manner of my present work. 
 A word as to the book itself, which is the subject of commen 
 tary, and I have done. 
 
 The book of Proverbs, I venture to assert, has a deep historical 
 interest, as well as a moral, social, industrial, and pious one. 
 Solomon doubtless did not make or compose all the proverbs con 
 tained in it. Many of them he selected, digested, and arranged. 
 But the mass of the book passed through his hands, or at least 
 through his mind ; and therefore it has his sanction. But there 
 can be little doubt, that by far (ho greater part of the book orig 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 inated among the Hebrew people as such. Most of the maxims 
 are plainly the offspring of sound common sense, of much expe 
 rience, and of acute discrimination. They bear the evident 
 stamp of serious, thinking, and devout minds. I have spoken of 
 them as a selection. There is good reason for thus speaking ; 
 inasmuch as in 1 Kings 4 : 32, we are told that Solomon " spake 
 three thousand proverbs." If now he drew from these, in order 
 to compose one book of Proverbs, he must have selected ; for the 
 present book contains less than one thousand. The internal testi 
 mony of the book discloses the certainty, that the proverbs of 
 other wise men besides Solomon are contained in it. The store, 
 then, of Hebrew proverbs must have been very great, in the time 
 of Solomon. 
 
 Let this however be as it may, there can be no doubt that this 
 book had great currency among the Hebrews. It fell in, therefore, 
 with the feelings and views of that people. It is here, then, that 
 we come to see the historical element of the book. It is a picture 
 a vivid picture of the internal Hebrew man ; of his genius, 
 feelings, practical reasonings, morals, industry, social condition, 
 internal relations, comity, and, in a word, of the whole state of 
 the Hebrews, and their rank among the society of nations. "What 
 is generally popular and approved among the masses of any peo 
 ple, must be that which is congruous with their civil, social, and 
 moral condition. What they thought, and felt, and said, on all 
 the great problems relating to a social state and the respective 
 rights of men, in regard to their mutual relations and depen 
 dencies, or in respect to their moral and religious views and feel 
 ings, all this is completely before us, in the picture drawn in 
 the book of Proverbs. Not that there were no dissenters from 
 many of its maxims ; for there were doubtless bad men among 
 them, at that time ; and the like have been found in every age 
 and among every nation. But the mass of the people must have 
 been of a different character ; for how else could they relish 
 and heartily approve of such a manual of ethics, of sobriety, chas 
 tity, industry, and economy, as tho book boforo us contains ? In 
 
9 
 
 this book, then, is virtually contained the history of their mental 
 and moral state and progress, -^* a history more minute, more 
 graphic, more extensive, and, I may add, more interesting, than 
 all the external histories of the nation taken together. 
 
 And what story does this tell of the Hebrew people, in the 
 days of Solomon ? One, I venture to say, that the proverbs of 
 no nation destitute of the Bible ever did or can tell. I have 
 pursued this course of thought to some length in my Introduction 
 to the book ; and I have also compared a .considerable mass of 
 the Arabic and Greek proverbs with those in the book before us. 
 The reader may now judge in some measure for himself, whether 
 foreign nations had any good reason to despise the Hebrews. All 
 the heathen moralists and proverbialists joined together cannot 
 furnish us with one such book, as that of the Proverbs in the 
 sacred Scriptures. 
 
 The subject is one of deep interest, to all who wish to acquire 
 an intimate knowledge of the mental and moral state of the He 
 brews in ancient times. If the preceding remarks are all well 
 grounded, then is it plain, that this book gives a better insight 
 into their manners and morals, than all their histories, not even 
 excepting the sacred ones. If the student will carefully peruse 
 the book with this view of the matter before him, he will find 
 himself richly repaid in the end, by coming at most interesting 
 developments of the Hebrew national character. 
 
 The book in its present form, was a thing of gradual accom 
 plishment. " The words of the wise," in 22 : 17, seq. ; the addi 
 tions made by " the men of Hezekiah," 25 : 1, seq.; and the com 
 positions of Agur and Lemuel, 30: 1, seq., 31: 1, seq.; are all 
 witnesses to the correctness of this statement. But all these 
 topics are amply discussed in the Introduction. 
 
 I have only to add,* that I have purposely adapted my work to 
 beginners in Hebrew study. Hence the minute and careful solu 
 tion of all which is abnormal, either in form, idiom, or syntax. It 
 is of little or no use to pursue the study of the original Scriptures, 
 without aiming at minute philological accuracy, Half-way be- 
 
10 PREFACE. 
 
 tween this and a mere popular preaching commentary, is the 
 least satisfactory way of all. It is too high for the common reader, 
 and too low for the accurate inquirer. It therefore satisfies 
 neither. 
 
 Should a kind Providence still preserve me in life, with the 
 power of action, I think seriously of endeavoring, at some future 
 period, to write a commentary on this book, altogether adapted to 
 common readers, that is, to the great mass of our population. 
 There is no book on earth of deeper interest, in a social, moral, 
 industrial, and economical point of view, than the book of Prov 
 erbs. May and should it not have a wider diffusion, and be more 
 read and studied, and better understood ? I believe it may, if 
 it shall be duly provided with popular and appropriate illustra 
 tions. I hesitate, indeed, as to my own competency duly to per 
 form this task ; but I cannot hesitate as to cherishing an ardent 
 desire that it should be speedily and well performed. 
 
 MOSES STUART. 
 
 Andover, 1852. 
 
if 
 
 t 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 1. Name of the Book. 
 
 THE full name of the book is miys h 5 ^j Proverbs of 
 Solomon, which constitute the first two words that present 
 themselves in the text to the reader. More commonly, only 
 the first of these words is employed to designate the book ; 
 and accordingly, ^ iri is the running title in our Hebrew 
 Bibles; and in our English ones, the common appellation 
 given to it is PROVERBS. The Talmud, and all the later 
 Jews, exhibit the like usage. In Baba Bathra however 
 (fol. 14. 6), the name trzz n ^Bfc, i. e. Book of Wisdom, is 
 given both to this book and to that of Coheleth or Ecclesi- 
 astes. 
 
 In the Greek Christian fathers, we find not only naQOifitat 
 Ja^0juo0j>ro, (a literal translation of the first compound 
 Hebrew name), but very frequently meet with doqpta, as a 
 title for the book ; or, as Gregory Nazianz. has it (Orat. xi.), 
 we also meet with // navaQ^rog Goiftu. This last designa 
 tion is also given by Clement of Rome (i. 57) ; and Eusebius 
 (Hist. Ecc. iv. 22) speaks of Hegesippus, Irenaeus, and 
 others, as giving to Proverb? the same title. Semler thinks 
 this to be the title of an apocryphal book of Proverbs, (Pref. 
 to Vogel s edit, of Schultens on the Prov.) ; but without any 
 valid reason. Thus much however is true, viz., that the 
 Christian fathers apply nn.vnQKT.og <jncf.?a also to the book of 
 
12 1. NAME OF THE BOOK. 
 
 Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon ; see Cotelerius in Episk 
 Clem. i. 57. It seems probable, that the Jews, before the 
 writing of the Talmud, were accustomed, in common parlance 
 at least, to call the book fr^n ; probably because of the 
 peculiar wisdom of Solomon, its main author, or because 
 Wisdom makes so conspicuous a figure in it, and is often 
 introduced as a personage speaking. It was natural, there 
 fore, to name her words ciocpi a. And so, in imitation of this 
 title of the book, we have a late apocryphal one which is 
 entitled Goqt a Solopuivzog. In this way we may see a 
 sufficient reason, why (in Baba Bathra as quoted above) 
 the name Book of Wisdom was employed. 
 
 Our English word Proverbs, however, or the German 
 Spruche, does not accurately express "b v A proverb 
 usually means a short and pithy saying which is often 
 employed, and commonly with point and special significancy* 
 But this proverb may be either prose or poetry ; and more 
 usually with us, it is the former. Not so as to ^laa , Tlie 
 word Vita means comparison, resemblance, similitude. But,, 
 as applied to the book of Proverbs, it should not be taken- 
 as meaning, that this composition in a peculiar manner 
 abounds in the use of figurative or tropical language or 
 similitudes. In fact, Proverbs is quite distinguished from 
 the Psalms and Prophets, by the comparative infrequency 
 of such language. The comparison or similitude, in the 
 present case, belongs not so much to- the kind of diction, a* 
 to the poetic parallelisms everywhere employed. Scarcely a 
 single proverb is completed in one clause, or short sentence. 
 Nearly every verse is bimembral ; a few only are trimem- 
 hral : and still fewer have four or more clauses. But whether 
 there are two, or three, or more clauses, they are always- 
 adjusted to each other by the like- measure or metre. Being 
 pla ed side by side, being of the like length, and usually 
 standing in the closest connection, they form a basis of simil- 
 ifitrlp, even in. tlu>ir external form, Theiv internal structure 
 
2. DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK. IS 
 
 helps to confirm this idea. The parallelisms are either syn* 
 onymous, or antithetic, or synthetic. The first repeat, in the 
 second clause, the same or the like sentiment which is devel 
 oped in the first clause ; the second place the two clauses in 
 contrast, or antithesis ; and the third continue the sentiment 
 begun in the first clause, by adding something in the second, 
 either confirmatory or explanatory, or else something which 
 advances the movement of thought. In this case, the par 
 allelism is one of measure, or metre, rather than one of mean* 
 ing. Hence the position side by side, (in the last case as 
 well as in the others), the like length of the clauses, and al 
 least the general correspondence of meaning, all naturalh 
 lead to and suggest the name fViiia . This name, moreover 
 is appropriately given to a book which consists wholly of 
 language so adjusted and measured, that all parts suggest 
 the idea either of comparison or of similarity. 
 
 It is easy now, in this light, to see the special significance 
 of the Hebrew name ; while our English one does not serve 
 at all to characterize the manner of the book, (as the Hebrew 
 designation does), but merely its matter. Most of the latter 
 (but not ail) is, indeed, of a proverbial and gnomic cast ; but 
 the Hebrew name shows that this matter has put on a special 
 and poetic costume, in respect to measure and arrangement. 
 But we have no English word which will exactly correspond 
 with the Hebrew. We may as well abide, therefore, by the 
 common usage, and name the book, as is wont, the PROVERBS, 
 
 2. Leading Divisions of the Book. 
 
 Independently of striking differences in the style and mode 
 of composition, in various portions of the book, there are 
 some palpable boundaries, which are evidently designed to 
 separate one part from another. For example, there are at 
 least six different titles, which serve to show where a new. 
 
14 2. DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK. 
 
 separate, and different composition begins, if they do not 
 indicate a new and different writer. 
 
 Prefixed to the book stands a general title, introductory to 
 the whole, and comprehensive of the whole. This is in chap. 
 1 : 1 7. First, we have the name, Proverbs of Solomon, 
 which in this case is generic. Then follows a designation of 
 the general design and object of the book, which comprehends 
 all parts of it. The book not only teaches how to acquire 
 wisdom and instruction, to know justice and judgment, but 
 also " to understand the words of the wise, and their dark 
 sayings" v. G. Accordingly, where the special proverbs of 
 Solomon (included in 10 : 1 22: 16) break off, the words of 
 the wise constitutes a new title, 22 : 17. Dark sayings, or 
 enigmas, is also specially significant, and has reference, in all 
 probability, to the closing part of the book, where are many 
 of this character. But of this, more in the sequel. 
 
 Of the general title, then, in 1: 1 7, we are now pre 
 pared to make some estimate. It is plain, that it stands at 
 the head of a collection, which embraces some things not 
 written by Solomon, but by other wise men. That this 
 general title was affixed by a later compiler, will also appear 
 more plainly in the sequel ; for this general title evidently 
 alludes to all the various contents of the book. At the 
 same time, it may, and perhaps does, serve to introduce the 
 first part of the work, which comprises 1: 8 9: 18, for two 
 titles might be deemed superfluous. This first division is 
 separated from all the rest of the book, by both manner 
 and matter. In what particular way these serve as a line of 
 distinction or separation, must be a subsequent question; 
 for at present we are concerned only with the titular signs 
 of distinction. 
 
 The second portion of the book, chap. 10: 1 22: 16, 
 commences with a new and simple title, viz., The Proverbs 
 of Solomon. In style and character these are, as we shall 
 
2. DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK. 15 
 
 hereafter see, very discrepant from the first nine chapters. 
 The subordinate and internal divisions of this second part, 
 it concerns us not at present to notice. 
 
 The third division begins with 22: 17, where the pupil is 
 admonished to hear THE WORDS OF THE WISE. These too 
 are peculiar in their manner, and somewhat in their matter, 
 and they extend from 22 : 17 to the end of chap. 24. "We 
 shall hereafter see, that they exhibit plain marks of an 
 authorship different from that of Solomon. They may have 
 passed under his revision ; but they differ much from his 
 proverbial style. There too, as before, is a subordinate 
 division, commencing with 24 : 23, and ending with the 
 same chapter. 
 
 The fourth division is made by the title in 25:1, " These 
 are the Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king 
 of Judah copied out." These have, as we might expect, many 
 traits in common with the second or Solomonic division, 
 in 10: 1 22: 16. They exhibit, also, various discrepan 
 cies of manner, which show that the plan of collecting and 
 arranging here, was different from that which predominates 
 through the whole of the second division. There are some 
 evident tokens that this fourth division was copied out, by 
 the sacred scribes of Hezekiah, from different collections or 
 volumes of Proverbs, current at that period. What be 
 longed to Solomon, in those collections, seems to have been 
 selected by the scribes from among other proverbs, and 
 then brought together by them into one little volume. The 
 evidence here becomes quite clear, that our present book of 
 Proverbs was not completed, in respect to the final and 
 entire compilation, until nearly three centuries after Solo 
 mon ; (Solomon f 975 ; Hezekiah f 698). Before the labor 
 of selecting and copying out, performed by the pious king s 
 scribes, the contents of Prov. 25: 1 29: 27, would seem to 
 have been circulated in connection with books of proverbs, 
 different from the second division of the compound book 
 
16 2. DIVISIONS of THE BOOK, 
 
 now before us, viz. 10: 122: 16. A title, which gives US 
 a history like that here given, is rarely, if at all, found 
 anywhere else in the Scriptures* 
 
 The ffth division consists of chap. 30 ; which, as its title 
 indicates, appears to be the work of Agur, a son of the 
 queen of Massa. But if no special title had designated this 
 chapter as coming from a hand different from that of Solo 
 mon, yet the contents themselves would offer satisfactory 
 proof of this. The style and manner are altogether differ- 
 ent from anything else in the book of Proverbs, or in the 
 Old Testament. 
 
 The sixth division consists properly of the words of Lem 
 uel, in chap. 31 : 1 9 ; but if we make the division more gen 
 eral, it embraces the whole of the last chapter. Yet a sub 
 division, in this case, seems necessary, since the eulogy of the 
 virtuous woman, in 31 : 10 31, is entirely different from 
 anything else in the whole book. The song is alphabetical, 
 i. e. each successive clause begins with each successive letter 
 in the alphabet. This is artistic beyond any other example 
 in the book ; but still the piece is one of the most simple and 
 beautiful specimens of lyric eulogy that can be found in the 
 Hebrew writings. Who wrote it? is a question for discus 
 sion in the sequel. It would seem probable (see Comm, on 
 *>(): 1), that Agur and Lemuel were brothers, and sons of 
 the same queen of Massa ; and not improbably, moreover, 
 the beautiful picture of the " virtuous woman" was drawn 
 by the hand of that fortunate and excellent mother. What 
 Lemuel writes, is in fact and confessedly only a repetition 
 of the excellent advice which his mother gave him ; and 
 she, who could give such advice, might also draw the picture 
 in question. 
 
 The reader must not be startled with the apprehension, 
 that we are about to bring in foreigners and unknown per 
 sons, as writers of a part of the Hebrew Scriptures. If he 
 will turn to the Comra. on 30: 1, he may find reason to 
 
3. WHY ONE COMMON NAME? 17 
 
 believe, that Massa was held and inhabited by the sons of 
 Simeon, i. e. by Hebrews, during the reign of Hezekiah, and 
 probably for some time afterwards ; see 1 Chron. 4: 41 43. 
 Inasmuch as chaps, xxx. xxxi. stand last in the book, and 
 after the portion copied out by the men of Hezekiah king 
 of Judah, it is probable that they were obtained last of all, 
 by the final compiler of the book. I speak of compiler, 
 because the inscription in 25 : 1, shows beyond all doubt, 
 that the collection of the whole, and the uniting of them in 
 one compact body, was a work performed at least about 
 three centuries later than the time of Solomon. 
 
 3. Why is one common name given to the whole ? 
 
 Certainly not, as we have seen, because that Solomon 
 wrote the whole ; for the testimony of the book itself de 
 cides against this, beyond any appeal. And if it did not, 
 the contents of the book would speak against universal 
 sameness of authorship. Still, Solomon appears to have 
 been the principal author. Chap. 10: 1 22: 1G are plainly 
 his ; and so 25 : 1 29 : 27. These constitute a very large 
 portion of the book. From chap. x. to the end of* the work, 
 we have only four and a half chapters which appear to have 
 come from other hands. More difficult is it to decide 
 respecting the first division, viz., 1 : 8 9 : 18. The gen 
 eral title (1: 1 7), as we have seen above, refers to other 
 words than those of Solomon, viz., the words of the wise, 
 comp. 22:17 24:34; and under these we may also 
 arrange chaps, xxx. xxxi., for Agur, Lemuel, and the queen- 
 mother, were doubtless among the wise. But whether the 
 general title to the whole compilation, (inasmuch as it refers 
 to the different parts of the whole), specifically designates 
 also the first nine chapters, is a question about which one 
 may be at a loss. If the title should be interpreted, as 
 designating what follows immediately as bolon_<ringr to Solo- 
 9* 
 
18 0. WllY ONE COMMON NAME? 
 
 mon alone, then it would seem very strange, that this title 
 should be formally repeated again, in 10: 1. What need 
 of this, in case there was no distinction between what pre 
 cedes, and what follows, as to authorship ? Nay, the very 
 fact that such a title stands in 10: 1, creates, as it has been 
 alleged, a doubt of course, whether what precedes belongs 
 to Solomon. The natural implication, it is said, would seem 
 to be, that what had preceded did not belong to him. And 
 if to this we add the circumstance, that 1: 1 7 is, to all 
 appearance, merely a generic title of the whole book, then, 
 it is further said, we seem to have no evidence before us, as 
 to the authorship of 1: 8 9: 18. Yet this is not quite so 
 conclusive, as it seems at first view to be. The plain truth 
 is, that 10:1, seq. is so wholly different in its tone and 
 texture from what precedes, that it doubtless belonged 
 originally to a little book by itself, which had the title that 
 now stands connected with it. Solomon may then have 
 written some, or (so far as. this matter is concerned) even 
 all, of what precedes, since no adequate evidence against 
 this can be made out from the title in 10 : 1. But it seems 
 equally probable, (as we shall see by and by), that there 
 may be works of more than one author in Part I. Still, 
 the name of Solomon may be given to the whole book, for a 
 reason like to that which makes the book of Psalms to be 
 styled David in the New Testament, and also leads us 
 to speak every day of David s Psalms, meaning thereby the 
 whole book of Psalms, although David did not write much 
 more than half of the book. The Proverbs of Solomon is a 
 short, a good, and an easy name for the whole, a name which 
 rests on the ground of the old maxim : A potiori nomen Jit. 
 Solomon wrote most of the book. Solomon was the author 
 of at least three thousand proverbs, 1 Kings 4: 32 ; he was 
 therefore a great master of gnomic lore ; he was wise above 
 all other men, and the book of Proverbs extols wisdom 
 more than anv othor hook : nml flnnllv. ho wns the great 
 
!. CHARACTERISTICS or PART I. 19 
 
 exemplar or pattern in the art (if I may so speak) of 
 gnomic writing; and so the book may well be named as it 
 now is. If it is not all Solomon s, it is nearly all alter the 
 general manner of Solomon ; and from him, as the highest 
 master of gnomic composition, it may appropriately receive 
 its name. 
 
 4. Arrangement and Characteristics of Part I., including 
 1:89: 18. 
 
 (1) As arranged in the Hebrew, this part consists of two 
 hundred and forty-seven verses. Nearly all of these are 
 simple parallelisms, i. e. they consist of two members or 
 clauses in each verse. Only eleven triplets are found, in the 
 whole. 1 The distribution of the parallelisms, as to the 
 different species of them, is very unequal. If I have 
 reckoned rightly, there are two hundred and nine synony 
 mous parallelisms; thirty-six synthetic; and only four anti 
 thetic, which last are all in one group, viz. : 3 : 32 35. In 
 the whole two hundred and forty-seven verses, we have only 
 eleven exceptions to bimcmbral parallelism ; and these con 
 tain each three clauses. 
 
 (2) From this survey of the kinds of parallelism, it is 
 evident that Part I. differs widely from the style and man 
 ner of Part II. Here, c. 1015 exhibit one hundred and 
 eighty-six antithetic verses, and only twenty-three synthetic ; 
 while c. 1G 22: 16 reverse this order, and exhibit twenty- 
 four antithetic, and one hundred and fifty-nine synthetic. 
 But in neither of these two divisions of Part II. do \ve find 
 the synonymous parallelism at all ; while in Part I. there 
 are two hundred and nine to thirty-six synthetic and four 
 antithetic. These parallelistic distinctions, therefore, between 
 the two divisions, are of a most palpable and striking 
 
 1 These are in 1: 22, 23, 27. 3: X. 4 : 4. f>: 19. 6 : 3, 13. 7: 23. ft : 13. 
 9 : 2. 
 
20 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART I. 
 
 nature. Specially is this the case with c. 10 15, where the 
 antithetic equals one hundred and eighty-six, the synthetic 
 arc only twenty-three, and there are no synonymous parallel 
 isms. Yet this last species makes up almost the entirety of 
 Part I. What bearing this may have on the sameness of 
 authorship in both cases, will come in due time to be 
 discussed. 
 
 (3) Part II., i.e. 10:122:16, contains only three 
 verses, (19: 7, 23. 21: 20), where the triplet is employed; 
 and even in these, there is synthetic parallelism. In this 
 division, moreover, no subject is continued so as to comprise 
 more than one verse or sentence. This last circumstance 
 is very striking, when contrasted with Part I. Here the 
 same subject is continued, in 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, and even up 
 to 25 verses ; and this occurs so constantly, that connected 
 and in some degree prolonged discourse is, we may well say, 
 altogether the usual order of the day. 1 I find only four 
 cases out of the whole in which a subject is completed by 
 one verse, viz. 3 : 30, 33 35. This certainly is very re 
 markable, and has nothing like to it in extent, in any other 
 portions of the book of Proverbs, and very little which is 
 like to it even in kind. Only 23: 2935. 24: 3034. 27: 
 2327. 31: 37, 1031, afford specimens (all excepting 
 one are brief) of the like nature, throughout all the rest of 
 the book. Most distinctly marked, then, is Part I., as to 
 treating subjects continuously, and constituting a kind of 
 short discourse, rather than a gnome ; for this is the char 
 acter and tenor of the composition in this Part. All these 
 things seem to plead strongly for different authors ; but the 
 
 1 E.g. (1) 8 and 9, 1019.2033. (2) 1 9, 1015, 1619. 20 
 23. (3) 1 and 2. 3 and 4. 5 mid 6, 7 and 8. 9 and 10, 1 1 and 12, 1318, 
 19 and 20, 21 24 ; 25 and 26, 2729, 31 and 2. (4) 1 and 2. 36, 
 7_9 5 1013, 1419. 2022, 2327. (5) 1 and 2, 3 14, 1521, 22 
 and 23. (6) 15, 611, 1215, 1619, 2023, 2435. (7) 15, 
 6_27. (g) l ll, 1236. 9) 16. 79. 1012. 1318. 
 
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART I. 21 
 
 discussion of this question must be deferred, for a little 
 time. 
 
 (4) A subordinate and artistic classification appears, here 
 and there, in groups of tens. So 1: 1019. 3: 1 10, 11 
 20. 4: 1019. 8: 1221, 2231. The like of this we 
 meet with nowhere else, in this book. I call it artistic, 
 because, somewhat like that of the alphabetical Psalms, such 
 an arrangement appears to be purposely made, for the sake 
 of aiding the memory. 
 
 (5) Many paragraphs in Part I. are headed with the 
 address: My soft. 1 This appears nowhere in Part II., and 
 but very rarely in the latter part of the book. But this 
 address does not stand at the head of every new and distinct 
 paragraph, although it serves to distinguish paragraphs so 
 far as it goes. It is easy, however, to distinguish them by 
 the subject-matter of their contents, without the aid of such 
 an address. This is another striking point of difference 
 between Parts I. and II., on which we must touch again 
 hereafter. 
 
 (6) Some of the most extended sentences in all the Bible, 
 are found in Part I. For example, the whole of chap. ii. 
 (twenty-two verses) is in reality but one sentence. Then 
 again, examine 1: 29 33, which is virtually of the same 
 description; and so 6: 2026. 7: 620. 8: 2231. 9: 13 
 18, with many others of less extent indeed, but still 
 longer than is elsewhere common in the book of Proverbs. 
 This is, at least, a circumstance that must be brought into 
 the account, when we come to inquire about autliorship. 
 
 (7) The name of t^rt ?!* occurs nowhere in Proverbs, 
 except in 2 : <3, 1 7, and in the little work of Agur, 30 : 5, 9. 
 Everywhere else rvirn is employed, to designate the Godhead. 
 To speak in the language of some recent critics, the authors 
 were Jehovists, and not Elohists. And such being the case, 
 
 E. . 1: 8. 10. 2: 1. 3: I. 11. 4 : 10. 20. 5 t. 6 : 1 , 20. 7: 1. 
 
22 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART 1. 
 
 would it not seem probable, that this second chapter came 
 from the hand of a person, who was different from the other 
 writers ? We must weigh this in the sequel. 
 
 (8) The poetic character of some portions of Part I., is 
 greatly elevated above the rest of the book, with the excep 
 tion, perhaps, of 31: 10 31, which contains the exquisite 
 eulogy of a virtuous woman. In solemn and awful grandeur, 
 1: 20 33 is hardly surpassed by any monitory passage of 
 the sublime Isaiah. Indeed, it reminds one of many pas 
 sages of a like nature in this prophet. There we have that 
 lofty and glowing description of Wisdom, in 8: 12 3G, 
 hardly surpassed by any scriptural writer. Such is the all- 
 pervading spirit of the poet which breathes through it, that 
 on an aesthetical ground it can well claim a high preemi 
 nence. Then, in 7: G 27, is a picture of the " strange 
 woman," which for vivacity, simplicity, and graphic power, 
 has seldom been exceeded. Nothing can be more discrepant 
 than these pieces are, from the poetry which pervades not 
 only Part II., but the whole book, with some two or three 
 exceptions of a very limited extent. The cause of this differ 
 ence in style is not merely the different subject-matter of Part 
 1. and that of the rest of the book ; for there is plainly another 
 and different spirit in the lofty aspirations of the first portion 
 of the book from that of the rest. One is constrained to 
 feel that he is in different company, when he reads Part I., 
 and then the rest of the Proverbs. Still, as there is almost 
 always some room for debate, where taste merely is con 
 cerned, we must not place so much reliance on this aestheti 
 cal judgment, as on plain and simple matters of fact. 
 
 (9) In case the compositions of different authors are com 
 prised in Part I., there is still a pervading unity of design 
 in the whole. The principal design of all is, to lead the 
 young in the way of happiness and peace ; to warn them 
 against the dangers and attractive temptations which often 
 assail them ; and to show them that they will be safe only 
 
5. AuTHOiiSHir OF PART I. 23 
 
 by acquiring that heavenly wisdom, which will guide them 
 in attaining to the highest good. There are indeed, here 
 and there, a few brief passages which are apparently iso 
 lated ; e. g. 3 : 30 35. But almost throughout the whole, 
 the main objects which have been stated are in view. 
 
 "We have now before us the design and the individual 
 characteristics of Part I. We seem, then, in some good 
 measure, to have prepared the way for the discussion of the 
 questions which yet remain. 
 
 
 
 5. Where and by whom was Parti, composed ? 
 
 We put first the question : Is it the work of one writer, 
 or of several ? 
 
 Some facts in respect to Part I. seem to have an impor 
 tant bearing on this question. It is a fact, that the same 
 subject, specially in regard to two prominent topics, is very 
 often repeated; and this not merely by slight allusions and 
 recognitions en passant, but by formal and protracted dis 
 cussions or representations. For example: The "strange 
 woman" is not only described, with warnings and admoni 
 tions subjoined in 2: 16 19, but in the fifth chapter the 
 subject is resumed, and carried on through the whole of it. 
 In 6 : 20 35, it appears again with very considerable detail. 
 But even this does not suffice. Chap. 7 : 1 27, resumes the 
 subject, and carries it on through all the minutiae of tempta 
 tions. But while one is by this time ready to think, that 
 nothing more can be said in regard to the strange woman, 
 she makes her appearance once more, in 9 : 13 18. It is 
 indeed true, that all these descriptions vary from each other, 
 in many respects. The costume is not at all the same 
 throughout. But the person is the same in all. 
 
 What are we now to say, in view of this ? Is there any 
 tolerable probability, that the same writer, within so short a 
 compass, repeated his subject at length five different times ? 
 
24 o. AUTHORSHIP OF PART I. 
 
 Certainly this is not the usual method of writing, among 
 intelligent men ; and surely not in a continuous composition. 
 In a large volume, repetitions may occur through forgetful- 
 ness, and the writer may be pardonable for them. But that 
 such oblivion could come over a writer, in a composition so 
 brief as that of Part I., is hardly to be credited. Why did 
 he not say all that he had to say on this subject, in one 
 continuous composition ? There seems to be no assignable 
 good reason for so often quitting and resuming the same 
 subject. Certainly, it makes rather strongly against the 
 unity of authorship, when we find these repetitions so fre 
 quently made. It is a much more probable solution of the 
 difficulty, to suppose that the compositions of different 
 writers on the same subject, are brought together here by a 
 compiler, and united in one piece. It was a subject in the 
 time of Solomon, which must have assumed a grave and 
 threatening aspect. The golden age of that king, was one 
 in which wealth and splendor, and luxury, and consequently 
 sensuality, very much abounded. At least, if we are to 
 judge of it by Solomon s own example, we must surely 
 come to such a conclusion. This state of things seems to 
 have reused up holy seers and men of God. In different 
 ways they attacked a prevailing vice ; and the compiler of 
 the book of Proverbs, or perhaps Solomon himself, seems to 
 have selected the most urgent and persuasive appeals of 
 these men, and, for the sake of impression, combined them 
 all in one book. Hence the repetitions ; and these are 
 indeed so frequent, that we can scarcely deem it probable 
 that they were made by one and the same writer. 
 
 But the example of repetitions on the subject of incon 
 tinence, does not stand alone. There is another, which at 
 least is equally conspicuous. I refer to that of Wisdom. In 
 1 : 20 33, her awful warnings are uttered. In chap, ii., she 
 is found again giving her instructions. In 3 : 13 20, is a 
 most attractive and beautiful picture of her. In chap. iv. 
 
5. AUTHORSHIP OF PART I. 2o 
 
 she again appears as an instructor. . In v. and vi. she warns 
 against various vices, specially against sloth and incontinence. 
 In chap. vii. she again admonishes and advises in respect to 
 the latter vice. In chap. viii. she is personified, and a most 
 magnificent description of her is given. In ix. she reappears 
 once more", and employs all her powers of persuasion to 
 attract learners, and make them docile. The repetition here 
 is on the whole even more frequent than in the former case, 
 although the descriptions, in this case, excepting in chap, 
 viii., are not so protracted as in the first case. Still, it is 
 hardly supposable, that one and the same writer would have 
 repeated the same subject so often, within so limited a piece 
 of composition. It is, at least, easier to account for such 
 repetition, on the ground that several writings are here com 
 bined, than on the ground that here is only one and the 
 same writer. 
 
 More especially must we feel constrained to adopt such a 
 solution here, because the discrepancy of style is so great 
 between different portions of Part I. Read, for example, 
 1 : 2033, and then compare this with any other piece in this 
 first part. That in chap. viii. may equal or surpass it as to 
 the sublime of poetry, but hardly in the powerful impression 
 which it makes. But that the two pieces are wide asunder 
 in manner, is evident at first sight, and particularly to any 
 one familiar with the original Hebrew. 
 
 Admitting, then, what we seem to be constrained to admit, 
 viz. that there are several authors "concerned with Part I.; 
 who w r ere they ? And was Solomon one of them ? 
 
 On the first question we have no more to say, than that they 
 are not specifically disclosed in chaps, i ix. Nor has any 
 history known to us given an account of them. We judge, 
 then, only as led by the force of internal evidence, arising 
 from the many repetitions of the same subject, and the differ 
 ence among them in point of style. I say style, and not 
 diction merely, because the diction itself, although slightly 
 
26 5, AUTHORSHIP OF PART L 
 
 Taxied, has no such diversity as to afford any good! basis for 
 sound critical reasoning against sameness of authorship. One 
 thing may be said in passing, in respect to diction, viz. that 
 the whole book most clearly belongs not to the very late 
 Hebrew. It is quite a different book from Coheleth. Chalda- 
 isms and Syriasms may indeed, in a few cases, be found in 
 it, but not more than in any piece of Old Testament poetry 
 which is of equal length. It seems quite clear from the 
 general tenor of the diction throughout the book, that it must 
 have been written in the middle age of the Hebrew, L e, 
 between the time of Solomon and that of Josiah. There is 
 a strong probability that most of it was in writing long before 
 the time of Hezekiah ; for his sacred scribes added no new 
 compositions of their own y but merely copied out some of 
 Solomon s works, which already existed in other and previous 
 volumes. That there was still remaining very much which 
 they did not copy, is clear from the fact, that Solomon wrote 
 three thousand proverbs (1 K. 4 : 32) ; while, in the whole 
 book of Proverbs now before us, there are only nine hundred 
 and seventeen verses, and of course considerably fewer 
 proverbs, since many of them consist of two or more verses 
 each. 
 
 Writers contemporary with Solomon would be likely of 
 course to employ a diction similar to his ; but the style of 
 each individual would be different from that of the others ; 
 and such a difference as it is natural to suppose, we may 
 easily find in Part I. I concede it to be possible, that the 
 same individual might, at different times, have composed the 
 various pieces in Part. I.; because the discrepance between 
 the parts is not sufficient of itself to settle the question deci 
 sively about sameness or severalty of authorship. But other 
 reasons combine with this, to make probable a diversity of 
 authorship. 
 
 I must request the reader, in view of tl iis, to cast his eye 
 again on Nos. 1 and 2 above; where he will see, that nearly 
 
5. AUTHORSHIP OF PART I. 27 
 
 the whole of Part I. is made up of synonymous parallelisms, 
 while in Part II., (the expressly acknowledged genuine work 
 of Solomon), there is none at all of this kind of writing. It 
 is possible, that a writer, in consequence of a special and 
 designed plan, might purposely adopt these different modes 
 of writing. But plans of so artificial a nature are not com 
 mon in ancient writings, and specially in the biblical ones. 
 The discrepance is so great in this case, that some design of 
 this kind in the writer must be made probable, or else we 
 must attribute that discrepance to difference of authorship. 
 Then again, it is a fact (see No. 3), that all of Part II. 
 exhibits the completion of a subject within the compass of one 
 and the same verse ; while in Part I. there are only four 
 verses which resemble Part II. in this respect. It may have 
 been through design, for this plainly is possible ; but, on the 
 other hand, everything wears the appearance of being written 
 without any particular plan of this kind ; and if so, it is 
 natural to suppose a diversity of authorship. 
 
 The groups of tens in Part I. (No. 4), and the frequent 
 addresses, My son, (No. 5), which are nowhere found in Part 
 II., serve to widen the discrepancy of manner between the 
 two writings. The extended and very long sentences in 
 Part I. (No. 6), to which there is no resemblance in Part 
 II. ; and also the use of Elohim in Part I., and there only 
 as it respects the mass of the composition (No. 7) ; help to 
 widen the same breach. And, as we have just seen above 
 (No. 9), the poetic spirit and range in Part I. is widely dif 
 ferent from that in Part II. As I have already said, it is 
 possible that the same man, through special design, might 
 write in this varied manner; but is this a probable thing? 
 It seems to me that it is not. I see no difficulty in ascribing 
 to the prophets and holy men of Solomon s time, the composi 
 tion of some parts of i ix. ; for then they stand on the same 
 ground as to authority with that of Solomon s writings ; and 
 the supposition of diverse authors remove? most or all of the 
 
28 5. AUTHORSHIP OF PART I. 
 
 difficulties which have been brought to view. Why then 
 may we not admit it ? 
 
 But supposing we do admit it ; is Solomon, who unques 
 tionably wrote Part II., to come in for a share in Part I. ? 
 Are not the discrepancies of style and mode of arrangement 
 so great between the two, as to preclude the idea of Solomon s 
 authorship as to any portion of Part I. ? 
 
 We must call to mind here, that Solomon was an exten 
 sive and very prolific writer. He not only composed three 
 thousand proverbs, but wrote one thousand and five songs, 
 besides his treatises (we know not how many) on botany and 
 zoology. " Would they had all been spared to us ! " we are 
 prone to say. Then we might peruse, to their full extent, 
 the writings of the wisest man in ancient times. But a holy 
 Providence knows what is best ; and it is quite probable, 
 that we now have the most select and profitable part of the 
 wise king s writings. But to return ; a man who wrote so 
 much, and on such a variety of things, must have possessed 
 an uncommon power of composing, and this power was exer 
 cised in a variety of ways. This being admitted, we might 
 say, perhaps, that the last portion of Part I., viz. chaps. 
 6 : 20 9 : 18, (which seems to be but one extended dis 
 course), may have come from the hand of Solomon. It is, 
 at all events, well worthy of him. Chaps, vii. viii. and a 
 part of ix., are in a style of finish, beauty, and magnificence, 
 which well becomes the celebrated and learned king. This 
 differs, I readily concede, quite widely from Part II. ; but 
 we must call to mind, that the kind of writing is entirely 
 different. The proper gnomic does not at all belong to 
 Part I. ; while all of Part II. is gnomic. The vivid picture 
 in chap, vii., and the lofty strains of chap, viii., well become 
 what we may suppose to have been the genius and mental 
 power of such a king. 
 
 But why not extend the like reasoning to the whole of 
 Part I. ? Because this would present the inexplicable diffi- 
 
5. AUTHORSHIP OF PART I. 29 
 
 culties already adverted to and described above, viz. those 
 which would attach to a repetition of the same subject so often, 
 and in such a narrow space, by the same individual writer. 
 We have acknowledged the possibility of one and the same 
 authorship throughout ; but the probability against it is too 
 strong to be overcome by anything short of some positive 
 evidence ; and this we have not. . 
 
 But what of the inscription or introduction, 1: 1 7 ? Does 
 not this attribute the whole to Solomon ? This subject has 
 been already discussed ( 2. 3.) ; and we have seen that 
 this introduction has reference to the whole book, some parts 
 of which, (e. g. 22 : 17 24 : 34 and xxx. xxxi.), are surely 
 not from Solomon s pen. We have seen, then, that the 
 inscription is generic, and not specific ; and that the book is 
 Solomon s in a like (or even in a stronger) sense than the 
 book of Psalms is David s. It does not follow, therefore, 
 from this inscription, that we are obliged by it to ascribe all, 
 or even any, of Part I. to Solomon. But inasmuch as other 
 authors are not here expressly intimated, we may well sup 
 pose that Solomon himself brought Part I. into its present 
 form, by selecting from other prophets or holy men of God, 
 what would well accord with his great design, viz. to recom 
 mend wisdom, and to show its high importance. Hence the 
 repetitions ; hence the discrepancies of style. And if he not 
 only wrote 6: 20 9: 18, but compiled the rest, well might 
 the work be attributed to Solomon. There is nothing in the 
 language or manner of Part L, or in any portion thereof, 
 which gives us any hint that a part of the composition is 
 later than the time of Solomon. There is not one word in 
 it, for example, of warning against idolatry, the crying sin 
 of all times after that of Solomon. How could this have been 
 omitted, when other sins are here censured in language of 
 the gravest rebuke ? Everything in this part of the book 
 looks like belonging to the age of Solomon, and nothing is 
 against this view of the matter. And surely it will be admitted 
 
30 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART II. 
 
 that Solomon performed a very appropriate work, when he 
 compiled Part I. as an introduction to his own in Part II. 
 
 I cannot prove that my supposition is true by any direct 
 testimony ; neither can any one prove that it is not true. 
 But in the absence of specific history, or testimony, it seems 
 to me that a very probable case has been fairly made out ; 
 and at all events one which relieves us from most of our 
 critical difficulties. 
 
 As to the other question proposed at the beginning of this 
 section, viz. when was Part I. composed ? it is of course 
 answered by the preceding remarks on the authorship, in 
 case they are well grounded. The time was the age of 
 Solomon. 
 
 6. Characteristics of Part II., 10 : 122 : 16. 
 
 The great question of authorship is here decisively an 
 swered, by the inscription to the piece as it stands in 10 : 1. 
 There is no critical ground for suspecting that this inscrip 
 tion is incorrect. The time when it was written, is of course 
 also settled. What remains is, to exhibit the distinctive 
 characteristics of the writing now before us. 
 
 (1) The piece itself seems to be divided, or distinguished 
 as to its method, into two leading portions, viz. x xv. (which 
 I shall name A.), and xvi xxii. 1C, (named B.). I refer to 
 the kinds of parallelism respectively employed in each part, 
 A. and B. The part A. has one hundred and eighty-six 
 antithetic parallelisms, and twenty-three synthetic ; while, on 
 the other hand, the part B. has twenty-four only of the first 
 kind, and one hundred and fifty-nine of the latter, (see 4. 
 2). In the first, the antithetic is altogether predominant ; in 
 the second, the synthetic. What led to such an evident 
 diversity of manner in the two parts, we are unable to say. 
 It seems probable, however, that, at first, the two compositions 
 were separate, and were composed at different times, although 
 
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART. II. 31 
 
 by the same writer. Diversity may have been an object 
 designed to be accomplished by the change of parallelisms. 
 In other respects than that of the different kinds of parallelism, 
 there is very little, in regard to any discrepancy, that deserves 
 particular notice. We shall soon see that tire same general 
 characteristics belong, for the most part, to both divisions. 
 
 (2) All throughout the piece is of one tenor, as to the 
 completion of sentences by a single verse ; for every verse 
 forms an independent and complete sentence. Rarely is there 
 ever a similarity of subject in two or more continuous verses, 
 so as to connect them even in a loose way. And so palpable 
 is this trait, that the order of the verses might be almost 
 indefinitely changed, without any serious injury to any part 
 of the piece. Even the two parts of the same verse very 
 rarely run into each other, so as to form one composite sen 
 tence. The exceptions to this are nearly all in one single 
 chapter, viz. in 20 : 10, 11, 12, 14, 19, 21, 30. Such a rigid 
 method, from beginning to end, both in A. and B., shows that 
 the writer had a special design in view, viz. to insert only 
 such proverbs as were complete in one verse, whatever the 
 kind of parallelism might be. This method, although of 
 frequent occurrence in the sequel of the book, is nowhere else 
 so rigidly observed as here. 
 
 In A., as we have seen, almost the whole of the verses 
 sire of the antithetic order ; and in B., of the synthetic. The 
 general rule as to completing the sense, is common to 
 both parts ; and so is it also in regard to the respective 
 length of the parallelisms ; but in B., there are very few 
 examples of the antithetic kind. In 21: 15, 20, 26, 28, 29, 
 31. 22 : 3, are included nearly, if not quite, all the cases of 
 this nature. This does not indeed show a difference of 
 authorship, but merely a different design in the writer as to 
 method, in A. and B. It looks very much as if originally 
 there were two libelli, the ne for antithetics, and the other 
 for synthetics. It is impossible to examine the whole matter 
 
32 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PAKT II. 
 
 minutely and critically, without coming to the conclusion,, 
 that such an arrangement is designed, and not accidental*- 
 But one author, however, is admissible in the present case r 
 because the general principle of systematic arrangement, in- 
 other respects, is so uniform throughout, and so entirely con 
 sistent, as to- imply that the whole plan proceeded from one 
 and the same mind. 
 
 (3) There is another characteristic exhibited in some pas 
 sages of Part II., which shows a peculiar artistic (if I may 
 so call it) construction. This is, that the same word or words* 
 or one or more words of the like import, which are leading 
 and important words, are arranged consecutively in two or 
 more verses, and repeated in each, although the general tenor 
 of meaning in the verses themselves is different. For ex 
 ample : In 10 : 6, 7, we find p^x and d^ttS*! in both verses. 
 So in 10 : 14, 15, ttnrra , stands in both ; so 10 : 16, 17, d^nb ; 
 10: 18, 19, ittsia and Tpn&ia; 10 : 20, 21, both p^s and ab; 
 10: 28, 29, tTOih; 10: 31, 32, rnrfinn. All these (in one 
 chapter) look like designed arrangement. So also 11: 8, 9, 
 ybna and ^brp ; 11: 10, 11, rn^p and SVip; 11: 25, 26, ria^a; 
 11: 30, 31, p-vns. Again, in 12 : 5, 6, 7, tTOTn ; 12 : 15," 16,. 
 Vn&jj. In 14: 12, 13, ftrwix; 14: 17, 18, nbgx; 14: 26, 27, 
 STirr nx-n . In 15 : 31, 32, nnsin . In 16 : 27, 28, 29, m* . 
 In 18 : 6, 7, b^DS) ; 18 : 10, 11, ts and its ; 18 : 18, 19, d-wa , 
 These are specimens. More might be added ; but these 
 will suffice. Such a thing is evidently the result of designed 
 grouping ; and probably it was done in order to aid the 
 memory of the pupil. 
 
 The like to this, and for a like purpose, may be seen in 
 15 : 33 and 16 : 1 7, 9, 11, where the word rnrr occurs ten. 
 times in succession. So in 16 : 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, Tjb a occurs 
 (partly in the plural) five times. And the like to all this is 
 sometimes found in the Psalms, probably thus composed for 
 the sake of easy remembrance. 
 
 A few (very few) cases occur, of like matter in two con.- 
 
G. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART II. 33 
 
 tinuous verses ; even then each may be taken separately, and 
 be disconnected without injuring either verse. But there 
 is no general plan in such an arrangement ; and each verse, 
 although similar, is in fact independent of the other. 
 
 There is, moreover, throughout Part II., a general corre 
 spondence in the measure or length of the clauses, or verses. 
 Generally, the first clause has four words, and the second 
 three ; but sometimes they stand four and four, and five and 
 three ; and in a few cases, three and three. In a few cases, 
 also, where small words are attached to larger ones by a 
 Maqqeph, there are nine, and even ten and eleven words ; 
 see 17: 2,8. 19: 18. 21: 1. 
 
 In some cases, (but few), there is, in the second clause, a 
 virtual repetition of the sentiment of the first ; e. g. in 11: 7. 
 14 : 19, 26. 16:16. 17 : 6. 18 : 3. Sometimes (very rarely) 
 the second clause is exegetical of the first ; as in 15 : 3. In 
 a few cases, the second clause gives the reason or ground of 
 the first; e. g. 16: 26. 21: 7. Comparatives by as some 
 times appear; as in 10: 26. 11 : 32 (2 being implied). The 
 comparative degree by *f? is not unfrequent ; as in 15: 16, 
 17. 16: 8, 19. 17: 10. 21 : 19. 
 
 We must not omit to mention, that there is a considerable 
 number of cases, in which there is a repetition of a preceding 
 proverb, in a different place. Thus 14:12, and 16:25, 
 (comp. 21: 2). 21: 9 and 19 ; and so a repetition of one clause 
 of a verse ; e. g. 10 : 1 and 15 : 20 ; 10 : 2 and 11:4; 10 : 
 15 and 18: 11; 15: 33 and 18: 12; and specially is this, 
 identical as to one clause, in 11; 21 and 16: 5 ; 14: 31 and 
 17:5; 19: 12 and 20 : 2. 
 
 This last circumstance suggests to our consideration, that 
 there were various sources from which Part II. must proba 
 bly have been derived.. We cannot well suppose that Solo 
 mon sat down to the composition of Part II. as he would in 
 order to write chap, viii., i. e. his eulogy on Wisdom. In the 
 last case, he probably drew directly from his own concep- 
 
34 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART 11. 
 
 tions, without reliance on any other writing. But in the case 
 of mere gnomes or popular proverbs, he was in quite a dif 
 ferent position. Many, perhaps most, of these proverbs were 
 such as common sense and long experience had for substance 
 already suggested to the minds of intelligent men. They 
 were floating among the common people, and subjected 
 thereby to more or less disfigurement or change. Solomon s 
 mind, under divine influence, could easily recognize such of 
 these proverbs as were true and useful ; and, acknowledging 
 them to be so, he transferred them into written language, so 
 that they might be rendered permanent in their true and 
 proper sense, and be thus guarded against alterations. These 
 common maxims of life, thus sanctioned by him when in such 
 a state, became authoritative and general truths. Of course, 
 we may properly assign the authorship of them to him ; for 
 he selected them, adopted them, and published them as con 
 sonant with his own views. They were only of traditional 
 currency before this ; but now they became a part of Scrip 
 ture, under the sanction of Solomon. 
 
 We are obliged, as it seems to me, to account in this way 
 for the many repetitions, in Part IL, of the same things. One 
 sole concipient writing, purely from his own mind, in a compo 
 sition like this, would never have repeated the same things 
 so often, and within so limited a space. His memory could 
 scarcely be so treacherous, as to forget what he had just said. 
 The only probable way, then, in which these repetitions came 
 to be introduced, was through the medium already described. 
 If Solomon wrote three thousand proverbs, he must have 
 been a great lover of gnomic lore, and probably must have 
 read everything of that nature which was then in circulation. 
 Doubtless, at times, he selected whole paragraphs from other 
 collections, and, transferring them to his own, just as they 
 were, and because he assented to the truth of them, he 
 transcribed them in the state in which they stood in other 
 Mss. In this way, we may suppose many of the maxims in 
 
I 6. CHARACTERISTICS \>r PART II. 35 
 
 1?art II. to have been transferred from otlier collections of 
 gnomes, and when the transfer was made, it was (as usual 
 in ancient times) made without curtailing or expunging. 
 Hence came about the repetitions in question, because they 
 were connected with other matter which was not repetitious. 
 We may suppose, that most well-read persons of that day 
 would recognize at once what was new, and what had been 
 transferred. We cannot new do what they could then do$ 
 but we can easily see how the whole matter of repetition 
 tnight take place ; and that without supposing the wise king 
 to have forgotten himself, or rather, to have forgotten what 
 lie had just written. The proverbs transferred from com 
 mon life into Part II., are now of course just as valid, by the 
 sanction of Solomon, as they would have been, had he com 
 posed them all de novo. 
 
 I see no other probable way of accounting for the phe 
 nomenon in question. It seems hardly feasible to make out 
 the probability of a de novo composition ; and specially at 
 the expense of taxing the writer s memory with failure, and 
 denying him a consciousness of what he had just written. 
 But as the matter has now been represented, we find no 
 serious difficulties attendant upon the repetition of the same 
 gnome. It does seem probable, at least, that some such 
 cause occasioned the repetition new ra question; for the 
 only motive of repetition, independent of this consideration, 
 xnust have been the special importance of the matter 
 repeated. But investigation will show, that in the present 
 instance it could not have sprung from this source, because 
 the things repeated, to say the least, are not more impertant 
 than many other things not repeated^ 
 
 We must call to mind here, that Solomon wrote f or com 
 posed some three thousand proverbs ; white in die book 
 before <us, less than one third part of these are contained, 
 He might then, in compiling Part II., have selected much 
 from his own previous libettL Who can show even a proba- 
 
36 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF FART II. 
 
 bility that lie did not ? Still, one would naturally supposs 
 that, in selecting and transferring his own compositions, he 
 would take more liberty of omitting what was repetitious^ 
 than he would when extracting from others. Most proba 
 bly, then, the repetitions occur in cases of extracting from 
 others, while we may still believe that Solomon selected 
 much from his own previous writings, which was adapted to 
 his design in the writing of Part II. 
 
 (4) Ewald (as usual) finds a VGTSQOV TTQOTEQOV in the 
 order of Parts I IV. He arranges them thus. (1) Part 
 H. (2) Part IV, (3) Part I. (4) Part III. Hitzig 
 cleaves to the present order of parts, in our Hebrew 
 Scriptures. Such being the case, we may well believe, 
 since the difference between them is so great, that the 
 reasons of Ewald for his arrangement are not of a very 
 cogent nature ; more specially so, since Bertheau has shown; 
 (Einl. 3), that there are no valid arguments for such are 
 arrangement. Part II., which Ewald ranks as the oldest,, 
 he attributes to a period of two hundred years after the 
 death of Solomon. Part IV., which he ranks next, was 
 composed, as the inscription shows, in the time of Hezekialv 
 i. e. about three hundred years after Solomon. Still later r 
 as he avers, came Part I., which he ranks as the third ii> 
 order; and last of all, Part III., that is, 22 : 17 24:- 34. 
 
 I shall but briefly discuss this matter, inasmuch as the- 
 whole thing seems to me quite arbitrary. Ewald alleges, 
 (1) That there is a great diversity between Parts Land II... 
 as to their form or manner.. This, we have not only 
 acknowledged, but also have shewn at length above. But 
 this proves nothing as to the time of composition. Contem 
 porary writings may be, and often are, exceedingly diverse, 
 He says that Part II. has the air of antiquity, L e. it is 
 characterized by even measure, sentences complete in one 
 verse, and strongly marked parallelisms. But conceding 
 this, (which indeed is true), 0n the ground which we occupy 
 
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART II, 37 
 
 it does not touch the case. Solomon, as we have seen, 
 probably selected proverbs from those in common use, and 
 reduced them to writing. The older they were, the better ; 
 for in this case the currency of them would meet with no 
 objection. All nations, in their more uncultivated state, are 
 attached to gnomic sayings, and abound in them. Culti- 
 Yated nations more seldom form new proverbs* Before 
 books are written, gnomes are the books of the multitude. 
 The intelligence of keen observers strikes out many a true 
 and happy thought, which is the result of oft-repeated expe 
 rience. So with the Hebrews at all events, who were surely 
 a talented nation, A large portion of Part II. may have 
 been traditionally current, before Solomon s day ; and well 
 may his book, containing more or less of selections from 
 proverbs long current, wear to us the air of great antiquity. 
 But this is nothing to the purpose of showing, that Part IL 
 was imitten long before the other Parts, The truth is, that 
 the difference in manner between Parts I. and II., is appa 
 rently a matter of design* In other words, the writer or 
 writers of Part I. intended to write continued and connected 
 discourses ; while the compiler of Part II. intended just the 
 contrary. But this is a matter which has nothing to do with 
 the time when these. Parts were respectively written. 
 
 (2) Ewald objects to the first two Parts being coetaneous, 
 that the difference in language between them is very great. 
 
 But even if we allow this, it cannot prove anything of 
 consequence. If much of Part II. consists of proverbs 
 long in use, it of course exhibits more or less of the older 
 language. Besides this, the fact that the gnomes in Part II. 
 are all made up of one sentence each, and that they are 
 brief, pointed, compressed, popular maxims, is enough to 
 account for variation, in some measure, from the diction of 
 the continuous and connected discourses in Part I. To 
 establish his point, Ewald produces some four or five words 
 and phrases in Part IL, which are not found in Part I. But 
 4 
 
8& 6. CflARACTfcmsfics OK PART IL 
 
 this proves nothing ; for different compositions and different 
 subjects of course demand different language. On the other, 
 hand, there are many leading and characteristic expressions 
 and words, which are common to Parts I. and II. For 
 example : xa-i-? > rns;i , r^a , n^r s<b , v^n Y$ , niEsn (plur.) 
 rnt adulteress, nirsnn, "j Ti^a n>-a, s^ IZ^JT, :ns and s^n put 
 together, f iba , rvnnx , jTirx and many others. If any one 
 will take his Hebrew Concordance, and trace these words in 
 it, he will see that they belong in common to Parts I. and 
 II. This is enough to overwhelm all the cases produced by 
 Ewald, of peculiar usage in Part II. ; even if they were in 
 point as far as they go. Every one who reads and com* 
 pares, will see that there are very many expressions which 
 are alike in both Parts. The compositions, as we have 
 seen, are in all probability not all from the same hand ; but 
 that they are contemporaneous, or nearly so, seems to be 
 impressed on the diction and on the thoughts everywhere 
 to be met with. 
 
 (3) Ewald asserts, that the external relations apparent in 
 Parts I. and II., are diverse and unlike. 
 
 In proof of this, he appeals to the case of lawless 
 marauders wandering through the country, as brought to 
 view in 1: 1119. 2: 1215. 4; 1417. It is true, how 
 ever, that the very nature of the composition in Part IL, 
 (all of it introducing and concluding a subject in each 
 verse), renders such a prolonged description as we find in 
 Part I. impossible. But 12: 6 compared with 1: 11, will 
 show that both Parts recognize one and the same thing as 
 to predatory excursions. The passage in 3 : 31, which 
 cautions against envying those who oppress, Ewald thinks 
 peculiar to Part I. But the numerous passages in Part IL, 
 which threaten the rapid loss of unjust gain, and the speedy 
 perishing of the wicked who are rich, surely correspond to 
 and expand the idea in 3 : 31. 
 
 These, then, are all the reasons which Ewald finds, to dis* 
 
7. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART III. 39 
 
 prove contemporaneousness* Yet these are surely but a broken 
 reed to lean upon. On the other hand ; what will he say 
 to the thoughtless suretyship which is described and censured > 
 in 6 : 14, and also in like way, in lit 15, 17: 18. 20 : 16 ? 
 All this seems to indicate a sameness of period for both 
 compositions. 
 
 The result, then, seems plainly to be this, viz., that Parts 
 I. and II. were written at or near the same period ; that in 
 all probability they passed through the hands of Solomon, 
 as both compiler and original author ; and as we have direct 
 testimony to his authorship in respect to Part II., in the 
 sense above explained, so we have probable evidence from 
 the position and nature of Part I., and its adaptedness as an 
 introduction to the book, that it was put in its present place 
 by the wise king, and of course sanctioned by his authority, 
 even if it were not compiled in part by him. If the last 
 three chapters of Part I. are his composition, (and this they 
 would seem to be), then is it altogether probable that he 
 complied the rest. The general introduction in 1: 1 7> 
 seems to come from the hand of the latest compiler of the 
 book, as it relates, in part, to portions of the work written 
 some three hundred years after the time of Solomon. 
 
 In this general conclusion, as to the contemporaneous rise 
 of Parts I. and II., Bertheau seems fully to agree. At least 
 he deems Ewald s arguments as making nothing against 
 this. Hitzig adopts the present order of the Parts as the 
 true one ; and he observes, in confirmation of this, that the 
 five books of the Psalms were originally collected and 
 arranged as they now stand. 
 
 7. Characteristics of Part III., 22: 1724: 34. 
 
 The general inscription in 1: 1 7, refers to THE WORDS 
 OF THE WISE, as one thing which the book is designed to 
 teach, v. 6. Here now, in 22 ; 17, we find that same title, in an 
 
40 7. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART III. 
 
 exhortation to give a hearing ear to such words : " Hear the 
 words of the wise Again, in 24: 23, some additions to the 
 words of the wise are said to be made ; and these are con 
 tained in 24 : 2334. Here, then, \ve have at least two 
 collections of those words of the wise In the first, the 
 compellation, My son, is several times repeated ; but in the 
 second part it does not at all appear. Our next question 
 is : How is Part III. characterized ? 
 
 (1) In Part III., the construction of the verse or metre 
 is nothing like so regular as in Part II. We have indeed 
 here (as there) verses of eight, seven, and six words ; but 
 they stand mingled with others of eleven words, (22: 29. 
 23:31, 35); of fourteen words, (23:29); and even of 
 eighteen words, (24: 12). In some of these instances, dis 
 tinct traces of proper parallelism can hardly be discovered. 
 They are a kind of measured prose. 
 
 Here, moreover, the parallelisms are all synthetic, except 
 ing only 24 : 1 G, which is antithetic. Here also sentences 
 completed in one verse are the exception, (and a small one) 5 
 those in two or more, are the rule. Very often, three 
 verses are combined in a sentence, e. g. 23: 1 3, 6 8, 19 
 21. In one case, 24: 30 34, we have five verses; and 
 in 23 : 2935 (virtually one compound sentence) we have 
 oven seven verses. All this makes a great variety and a 
 miscellaneousness in the composition. In general, Part III. 
 is strikingly different from anything which precedes it. 
 
 (2) Here, as in Part I., we have the address : My son. 
 And where this is not prefixed to a paragraph, an address 
 is often made to the second person singular, thou. 
 
 (3) As to the arrangement of the proverbs here, some 
 times those similar in their tenor are brought together ; 
 e. g. 23 : 15, seq. But in general, no pains appears to have 
 been taken to make out arrangements regularly consecutive. 
 Neither the compiler, nor the original concipients, seem to 
 have felt the necessity of subjecting themselves to the ordi- 
 
.7. AUTHORSHIP OF PART III. 41 
 
 nary gnomic rules ; for in some places we have, as it were, 
 short parables ; e. g. 23 : 2935. 24 : 3034. 
 
 On the whole, then, the discrepancy between Part III. 
 and the preceding Parts, is striking, and would of itself 
 raise doubts in the mind of the reader, as to identity of 
 authorship in each of the Parts. But when to all this is 
 superadded the distinctive titles in 22: 17, and 24: 23, it 
 would seem that there is little room for critical doubt, that 
 the authors of Part III. are different from that or those of 
 the preceding Parts. But, 
 
 (4) When was Part III. first written ? Ewald places it 
 as contemporaneous with Part I., i. e. according to him, 
 about one hundred years later than Part II. We have seen 
 that he gives no satisfactory reasons for assigning an earlier 
 period to Part II., and a later one to Part I. So far as 
 language or phraseology is concerned, there is much reason 
 to believe that all three Parts are nearly of the same age. 
 E. g. $j?n and rns 1 are joined here, as in Parts I. II. ; 
 22:26 and 6:1/17:18. So Parts II. III. have many 
 expressions in common; e. g. d^rfbb, 22:21 and 10:26; 
 t*~2 rnvj , (an adulteress), 22: 14 and 23: 27; rvibann, 
 24 T : 6 and 11: 14, 20: 18 ; dW Wi3j3, 24: 24 and 11: 26, 
 (the latter having dixib ) ; -ps "j^ in 23 : 6, and p? nils in 
 22 : 9. Ewald says, that the warning against sedition, 
 24:21, is peculiar to Part III.; but 17:11 and 16:14 
 show that this subject is fully recognized in Part II. 
 Thoughtless and hasty suretyship is denounced in 22 : 27, 
 and in 20 : 16 also is the same thing virtually the subject of 
 reprobation. On the score of language, then, no striking 
 differences can be made out, but, as we have seen above, 
 quite the contrary. 
 
 (5) By ivhorii was Part III. compiled ? To this question we 
 
 can give no definite answer, because the title (in 22 : 17) does 
 
 not name any author. Was the compiler, then, probably the 
 
 same who compiled Parts T. II. ? We cannot answer this 
 
 4* 
 
42 7. AUTHORSHIP OF PART III. 
 
 question with any pretensions to certainty ; but there is a 
 probability still in this case, which appears somewhat strong. 
 The compiler presents himself as speaking, only in 22 : 17 
 21. The rest of the piece contains the words of the wise. 
 But the compiler s own words are too few for us to draw 
 any conclusions from them. The address or exhortation in 
 them is of a tenor like to that of the addresses in Part I. ; 
 although the style of one portion of the address, viz., in 22 : 19 
 21, is different from that in the addresses of Part I. The 
 discrepancies and the resemblances in general have already 
 been stated. There can be hardly any room to doubt, that 
 the words of the wise (22: 17) forms a new category, stand 
 ing at the head of something superadded. The only ques 
 tion is Did Solomon, (in case he compiled Parts I. II., as 
 seems quite probable), also add Part III. to the others which 
 he had compiled ? For my own part, I feel quite disposed 
 to answer this question in the affirmative. It need not follow 
 from this, that Solomon himself compiled the different por 
 tions of Part III., or even that he wrote the exhortation in 
 22 : 17 21. He might have lighted on this collection, with 
 its introduction, made by some prophet or man of God in 
 his time, and, approving of it, have appended it to Part II., 
 his principal work. But that Part III. is not his own proper 
 composition, seems to be quite probable from the discrepance 
 yf this Part from the others, in respect to metres, length 
 of parallelisms, and other external marks of distinction. 
 Specially is this made probable by the fact, that emphasis 
 is often made in Part III., by the express repetition of the 
 pronoun; e. g. J~inx r;N in 22: 19 ; srn C]X, 23: 14, 15, 19, 
 20. 24: 6, 27, 32. This usage is very rare elsewhere, in 
 the whole book. 
 
 We may easily believe that Solomon, who had such an 
 attachment to gnomic lore, meeting with Part III. in its 
 present form, and so made ready as it were to his hand, 
 selected it to be added to his own little volume. Some of it 
 
7. AUTHORSHIP OP PART III. 43 
 
 may even have been taken from other parts of his own 
 works. At all events, however this may be, we cannot well 
 suppose that it was added to Parts I. II. after the time of 
 Hezekiah, when Part IV. was added; see 25: 1. Had not 
 Part III. already been in existence before this, it would of 
 course have been put after what is now Part IV. in the 
 compilation ; for had it been in existence, and not been 
 already united to Parts I. II., then it was almost a matter of 
 course for the men of Hezekiah to have put Solomon s work, 
 now in Part IV., immediately after Part II., so that all the 
 writings of Solomon might be connected together. We can 
 imagine no motive why late compilers should insert Part III. 
 between Part II. and the present Part IV. It would of 
 course have been postponed. 
 
 We may then take it as altogether probable, that Parts 
 I III. were first collected and put together, and were in 
 circulation, and probably had long been so, when the men of 
 Hezekiah made an addition, by collecting from various writings 
 of Solomon that stood in other collections, that which now 
 belongs to Part IV., and joining this with the other preced 
 ing Parts. We may account for the sameness of one clause 
 in 20 : 18 and 24 : 6, and so of one in 11 : 14 and 24 : 6, by 
 the supposition, that the compiler of Part III. had drawn 
 from sources which contained some things belonging to Sol 
 omon. Particularly may this principle be applied to 6 : 10, 
 11 and 24 : 33, 34. The first was either in some composition 
 adopted by Solomon, and incorporated with Part I., or else 
 came from some of Solomon s libetti of proverbs, which do not 
 appear in his works now extant. The compiler of Part III. 
 met with the same libellus, and extracted 24: 33, 34, from it. 
 The same writer, in the same continuous book, would scarcely 
 have made such repetitions. On any other ground than the 
 one now suggested, they can hardly be accounted for. 
 
 By whomsoever composed, Part HI., although it differs 
 much from the preceding one, cannot well be placed below 
 
44 8. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART IV. 
 
 the preceding Part. It is full of life and power, and in point 
 of graphic description, it is not exceeded by anything in the 
 whole book ; see, for example, 23 : 2935. 24 : 3034. 
 
 One word on a subordinate division of Part III., which 
 commences with a new title in 24 : 23, running thus : DTasnb 
 rtex fia , i. e. these also belong to the wise, the b being a b 
 auctoris, as in the Psalms. The C5> settles the question, 
 that there is a new addition appended here. It compares 
 well with the preceding division, both in spirit and in manner. 
 It was indeed well worthy of reception. The probability of 
 course is, that it was derived from a source different from 
 that of the preceding division. The na shows the design of 
 the compiler, viz. that the two portions of Part III. should 
 be inseparably connected. 
 
 8. Characteristics of Part IV. chap, xxv xxix. 
 
 The authorship, and of course the time of compilation, is here 
 made certain. This Part contains the Proverbs of Solomon, 
 which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah,. copied out, 25:1. 
 The men of Hezekiah must of course mean, the sacred scribes in 
 the service of the king, or his counsellors. Among these doubt 
 less were many excellent men, who would zealously perform 
 such a labor. The verb ip wrt , rendered copied out, lit. 
 means, to transfer from one place to another. In respect to a 
 writing, this must mean, to transcribe, or to copy. Sept., very 
 happily : l$ey()d\l)avTO. This shows .that other volumes, or 
 portions of volumes, comprising the gnomic compositions of 
 Solomon, were then in circulation, besides what is contained 
 in Parts I. II. above. From them the scribes of the pious 
 king made a selection, and chaps, xxv xxix. is the fruit of 
 this selection. We must notice the characteristics. 
 
 (1) In respect to parallelisms, there are ninety-three syn 
 thetic, and thirty-five antithetic ones, but no synonymous 
 members of verses. In respect to the metres, they very 
 
8. CHARACTERISTICS OP PART IV. 45 
 
 much resemble those in Part II., the verses mostly consisting 
 of eight, seven,- and six words. In some cases, two closely 
 connected verses contain of course many more ; e. g. 25 : 6, 7, 
 comprise twenty words; and 25 : 21, 22 amount to eighteen 
 words. The antithetic verses (=35) are strenuously and 
 regularly antithetic. But in chaps, xxv xxvii., most of the 
 verses are comparisons, either in the strict, or in the freer 
 sense. In many, we can hardly make out a parallelism ; 
 e. g. 25 : 8, 9, 10, 21, 22. 26 : 18, 19. 27 : 1. 29 : 12. Yet 
 there is a symmetry even here, in respect to the form of the 
 clauses. We meet here with repeated instances of a proverb 
 extended to several verses ; which is altogether different from 
 Part II. There are some passages, e. g. 26 : 23, 28, and 27 : 
 23, 27, which have a lofty poetic spirit, quite different from 
 that of common gnomes. 
 
 (2) There is a striking resemblance in Part IV. to Part 
 II., in regard to the repetition of the same word or phrase in 
 different verses. E. g. 25 : 1 and 2, D^E ; 25 : 4 and 5, 
 iarj; 25:8,9, 10, s n ; 25:11, 12, snt ; 25: 19, rnx e -p, 
 and 25 : 20, rn n^ ; 26 : 3 12, b^03 (sing, or plur.) in each 
 of the ten verses ; 26 : 1316, te in each verse ; 26 : 20, 
 21, DW; 27: 1, 2, Vsnrfi and b|rn ; 27:5, 6, rnnx and 
 nni x . So in 27 : 7, 9, pirra and prra ; 28 : 4, 7, 9, rnin ; 
 28 : 3, 6, 137 ; 28 : 2, 16, rpw ; 28 : 12, 28, s^-i c-p ^29 : 
 2, 16, rrp^-j: ni s-na and trrr-i niana ; 28: 14 and 29: 1, 
 nrp-o ; 29 : 8, 10, v^x . All this looks like designed selec 
 tion and arrangement, in such a way as to attract attention, 
 and to help fix passages in the memory ; and this may be 
 called Solomonic ; for it is very common in Part II. 
 
 (3) The point of striking difference between Part II. and 
 IV. is, that in the latter, there are many cases of two or more 
 verses connected in one sentence, which is never the case in 
 Part II. ; e. g. 25 : 6 and 7, 9 and 10, 21 and 22. 26 : 18 and 
 19. 27 : 15 and 16. Moreover, in 26 : 2328, there are six 
 verses united ; and in 27 : 2327, there are five. 
 
46 8. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART IV. 
 
 (4) Part IV. shows that the men who compiled it were 
 different from the compiler of Part II. One and the same 
 compiler or author would never have repeated, in Part IV., 
 so many things which are said in Part II. Compare, for 
 example, the following passages : 25 : 24 with 21:9; 26:13 
 with 22 : 13 ; 26 : 15 with 19 : 24 ; 26 : 22 with 18 : 8 ; 27 : 
 13 with 20 : 16 ; 27 : 15 with 19 : 13 ; 27 : 21 with 17 : 3 ; 
 
 28 : 6 with 19 : 1 ; 28 : 19 with 12 : 11 ; 29 : 22 with 15 : 18, 
 (and more there are of the same kind which it is needless to 
 cite). No one continuous writer ever would have repeated 
 himself so often. But others, who selected from his works, 
 might easily come to insert such repetitions, because they 
 stood connected with other matter that surrounded them, and 
 which was cited. 
 
 Different is the case in regard to repetitions of Part III., 
 viz. the words of the wise. We find only one instance of 
 this, viz. 28 : 21 and 24 : 23. In respect to repetitions of 
 itself in Part IV., there is only one example, viz. 26: 12 and 
 
 29 : 20 ; but even here, there is so much variation of the 
 latter from the former, that a case of repetition can hardly 
 be made out. So in 28 : 12, 28 : 28, and 29 : 2, there is the 
 like general sentiment, but the costume is different. 
 
 On the whole it is clear, from the view given above of 
 repetitions in Parts II. and IV., that the compilers of both 
 drew from the same original sources, whether they were the 
 works of Solomon, or of others. And these close resem 
 blances serve to confirm what 25 : 1 1 asserts, viz. that Part 
 IV. is made up, or compiled, from the works of Solomon. 
 
 Ewald says, that the diction of Part IV. serves to show 
 that it sprung from Northern Palestine. But as he has not 
 given specific examples, nor any reasons for such an opinion ; 
 as there is nothing in history respecting Hezekiah, which 
 serves to confirm the notion, that he sent sacred scribes 
 thither in order to collect proverbs ; and specially, as we can 
 discover no diagnostics in this case of a provincial dialect ; 
 
9. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART V. 47 
 
 I do not see any ground for such an assertion. Most of all 
 did Solomon s works circulate at and near Jerusalem; and 
 there, most probably, were found the works from which 
 Part IV. is selected. 
 
 Finally, this Part, although compiled by the men of Heze- 
 Iciah, has Solomon for its real author ; and therefore is of the 
 same authority as the preceding Parts of the book. 
 
 9. Characteristics of Part V. chap. xxx. 
 
 In the Commentary on 30 : 1, the title to this Part is fully 
 discussed ; and the attempt is made to show, that the most 
 probable meaning of v. 1 is this : " The words of Agur, the 
 son of her who was obeyed in Massa," [i. e. of the queen of 
 Massa]. It is there shown, that Massa was probably a re 
 gion or city, lying east of the gulf of Akaba, once possessed 
 by the Amalekites, who at last were expelled by the sons of 
 Simeon. These last settled down in the room of the expelled, 
 during the time of Hezekiah, whose scribes copied out Part 
 IV. of the book of Proverbs ; 1 Chron. 4 : 41 43. It seems 
 natural, then, to suppose that Parts V. and VI. must have 
 been united to the book of Proverbs, after Part IV. had 
 been joined to it ; and the arrangement itself speaks for this. 
 Whether the addition was made by the same men of Heze 
 kiah, who selected and added Part IV., we have no means 
 of determining with certainty. But in itself it seems quite 
 probable. It is clear, that Agur was a son of the queen of 
 Massa ; and, as king Hezekiah reigned some twenty-nine 
 years, and as the Simeonites may have made their conquest 
 of Massa and settled there in the earlier part of his reign, 
 they may, as living in a distant country, have had, and prob 
 ably they did have, an Emir or prince of their own to rule 
 over them ; and this prince may have been the father both 
 of Agur and Lemuel, for they seem to be brothers, and sons 
 of the same mother ; see. on 30 : 1. The queen in question, 
 
48 9. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART V. 
 
 may have been such in consequence of the demise of her 
 husband, who gave her his throne ; and on this account, as 
 chap. xxx. was written during her reign, Agur is spoken of as 
 being her son. A distinguished woman she must have been, 
 according to 30 : 1, 31 : 1. It is not said of Agur, however, 
 that he was a king ; yet of Lemuel (probably his older 
 brother) this is said, 31:1. But as Agur was the son of a 
 queen, he of course was a prince. 
 
 Chap, xxx., then, came in all probability from the hand of a 
 Hebrew. So the language itself of course indicates. There 
 is nothing specially provincial in the diction ; although the 
 form and manner of the composition is altogether sui generis. 
 If the sacred scribes of Hezekiah selected this composition 
 of Agur, and judged it meet to be joined to the rest of the 
 book of Proverbs, we should be satisfied that it properly 
 belongs there. 
 
 (1) In regard to the parallelisms here, all but three are 
 of the synthetic order. Three are partially antithetic. In 
 regard to the quantity or space assigned to one and the same 
 subject, some are completed in one verse ; others in two ; 
 more frequently there are three verses, as in 18 20, 21 23 ; 
 sometimes four, as in 24 28, and once even six, 1 6. The 
 length of the verses here is often widely discrepant from that 
 in Part II. ; for here are verses of eleven, twelve, thirteen, 
 and even twenty-four words (v. 4). 
 
 Strict correspondence of the parallelisms is not regarded 
 much here. Many of them, likewise, are but little more 
 than measured prose, excepting the poetic spirit which reigns 
 in them. This, and the kind of metre belonging to them, 
 probably contributed to place this composition in a book of 
 poetic proverbs. 
 
 There are some things in chap. xxx. which are altogether 
 peculiar. The repeated reckoning there of two things (v. 7) ; 
 of four things in vs. 11 14; then of three increased by a 
 fourth in vs. 15, 18, 21, 29 ; then of four things in v. 24; is 
 
9. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART V. 49 
 
 unlike in extent to anything else in the whole Bible, except 
 ing in Amos i. and ii., where we have three and then a 
 fourth added, eight times in succession. There is, in our 
 f.ext, a kind of play of the fancy upon the numbers; and the 
 gradual increase, first from two to three, then to three with 
 an appendix, and then four, shows a design or plan of 
 arrangement in the writer s mind. It is plain, indeed, 
 that the design of Agur is not to develop merely maxims 
 or rules of conduct. In fact, there is little of precept here, 
 excepting it be obtained in the way of making out deductions 
 from what is said in the representations of things. Some of 
 the matter is very grave, and attains to a high moral sub 
 limity ; see vs. 2 6, where the unsearchable nature of God 
 and the excellence of his truth are strikingly developed. 
 Then come some excellent sentiments, in vs. 7 9. Then 
 follow four classes of individuals, who seem to be held up 
 to indignation, vs. 11 14. Next, we have one of the m TH 
 (enigmas), which seern to be plainly adverted to in the gen 
 eral introduction to the book, 1 : G. It is difficult to make 
 out the moral of vs. 14, 15. The insatiability of the things 
 named there belong to mere natural objects, and has no 
 moral character. It is probable, that under these nvv-n is 
 couched some moral truth, which is designedly left for the 
 reader to discover if he can. Perhaps the passage relates to 
 avarice ; perhaps to sensual appetites which are nourished, 
 and which grow stronger by indulgence. More difficult still 
 would it be, to find out the design of vs. 18, 19, were it not 
 that v. 20 gives us some clue. The amount of what is here 
 said seems to be, that wickedness may sometimes be so con 
 cealed, that no traces of it can be discovered by any one, 
 besides those who commit, it.. The design of vs. 21 23 is 
 like that of vs. 11 14, viz. to hold up to our dislike several 
 incongruous things. On the other hand, in vs. 25 28, there 
 are four notable examples of sagacity and active industry 
 and order, which are designed to stimulate us. Last of all, 
 
.50 9. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART V. 
 
 come exemplars of comeliness and strength. Nothing in all 
 these particulars seems to be dependent on the manner of 
 their consecution. They are seized as they occur to the 
 mind, while it is employed in the excogitation of something 
 which is designed to be enigmatical. Consequently, there 
 is no mutual connection between them, and each is independ 
 ent of the other. And after all that we can do in the way 
 of inquiry, such passages as vs. 15, 16, and also vs. 29 31, 
 remain in a good measure among the real riffl. They 
 seem to be written more for the sake of entertaining and 
 interesting the reader, (if I may so speak), than for his direct 
 instruction. They are evidently designed to whet his curi 
 osity, and set him on the alert, in order that he may educe 
 from them something useful. Surely, such an object is not 
 beneath the office of him who teaches youth, in a book like 
 the present, which has not a few passages of witty and 
 sarcastic irony. Why should this be entirely excluded? 
 Did not Elijah use the most cutting irony, in speaking to 
 the priests of Baal? A heathen moralist has said, that 
 " ridicule sometimes cuts deeper than severity." And when 
 the wise king has said, that " a sluggard, who dips his hand 
 into the dish, will not so much as bring it to his mouth," in 
 order that he may feed himself; and also that " the sluggard 
 will not turn himself over in bed, but must be rolled over by 
 others," has he not uttered sarcasm, and held up such a man 
 to ridicule ? Even so with Agur. "When he says that " there 
 is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes, and their eye 
 lids lifted up ! " (v. 13), and again, when he says that " there 
 are four things which the earth cannot endure," and counts 
 among these " a servant who comes to bear rule," and " an 
 ugly woman who comes to be married," does he not teach in 
 the way of sarcas?n? vs. 21 23. Verses 1821 are indeed 
 of a peculiar tenor ; but the point to be illustrated, viz. con 
 cealed wicked doings, is vividly illustraH .*! by the similes 
 adduced; although in the last of them thrro is a boldness 
 
10. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART VI. 51 
 
 of illustration that seems somewhat hazardous, in the view 
 of things as now regarded by us. 
 
 On the whole, this chapter has no parallel, and even no 
 similar, in all the Bible. And still, the moral and religious 
 tone of it is high. Look specially at 1 G, 8 and 9, 17, 32, 
 33. The language is vivid and poignant throughout. And 
 if p. iT n comes within the plan of the whole collection of 
 the book of Proverbs, as 1: 6 assures us it does, we cannot 
 wonder that the men of Hezekiali, or the like men who came 
 after them, added the piece before us to this book. In the 
 narrower sense, hardly any of the verses in it are proverbs ; 
 but the instructions given assume the general costume of 
 proverbs, i. e. they exhibit metre and parallelism, although iu 
 the laxer sense. 
 
 The tenor of this chapter seems to render it certain, that 
 the general introduction in 1 7 was not written, until this 
 was added, and probably chap. xxxi. also ; for 1: 6 appears 
 pointedly to recognize such a composition as this. That the 
 compilers of Part IV., the men of Hezekiah, made this ad 
 dition to the book, and wrote the general introduction, cannot 
 indeed be positively proved ; but it still remains quite 
 probable, that the book was completed, and brought to its 
 present form, by them. If so, then was it completed not far 
 from 700 B. c. There is nothing in its diction or in the facts 
 to which it adverts, that renders a junior age of this compo 
 sition necessary, or even probable. 
 
 10. Characteristics of Part VI. chap. xxxi. 
 
 The introduction, in v. 1, tells us that the sequel contains 
 The words of king Lemuel. It tells us also, that he was king 
 of Massa ; and since 30 : 1 presents us with a queen of Mas- 
 sa, and Lemuel is said (31: 1) to have been taught by his 
 mother ; and since the two compositions (in ch. xxx. xxxi.) 
 are united together, as if they came from the ame or a like 
 
52 10. CHARACTERISTICS OP PART VI. 
 
 source ; we may reasonably conclude, that both originated 
 in Massa, and at or near the same time. For this cause, it 
 was natural to associate them together, as the compiler has 
 done. In case this is conceded, then the time, place, and 
 author, are sufficiently ascertained, if what has been said in 
 9 is correct. 
 
 The part appropriate to Lemuel consists only of vs. 1 9. 
 The king was warned, .he says, by his sagacious mother, 
 against wine, and women, and oppression in the judgment of 
 causes. The parallelisms here are altogether regular, and 
 unusually synonymous. The verses, indeed, are not all of the 
 same length ; but there is nothing specially notable in regard 
 to them, in this respect. The composition is through and 
 through gnomic in its cast, and the precepts given are not 
 only excellent in a moral point of view, but highly impor 
 tant. Well might Agur exalt the excellence of a mother, 
 who could teach thus ; and in a filial and honorable manner 
 did he behave, when, although a king, he attributed to her 
 the honor of the composition which he wrote down. 
 
 CHAP. 31: 1031. 
 
 I have not ranked this as a seventk Part of the book, (as 
 might be done), because it seems to me probable, from the 
 connection here, that the same mother who taught Lemuel, 
 composed the eulogy that follows, of a virtuous, or rather of 
 an energetic woman ; or else the son, perhaps, may have 
 composed it in honor of his mother. If it be objected that 
 such occupations as are here described, could not well be 
 attributed to the queen-mother, it should be called to mind, 
 that the queens of small nations or tribes were not exempt, 
 in those times, from labor, or rather from overseeing the 
 affairs of their household. Every classical reader is familiar 
 with the story of Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, and of the 
 web which she daily wove. But it is not necessary, that 
 this should apply personally to the queen herself of Massa; 
 
10. CHARACTERISTICS OF PART VI. 53 
 
 it is sufficient that she, or whoever wrote the piece, had right 
 views of the importance of industry and care in the mistress 
 of a household, and has given us the outline of them. 
 
 As to the eulogy itself, it is in the highest style of paral- 
 lelistic writing. In perfection of metre, scarcely any even 
 of the Psalms exceed it. Nearly every verse is a synony 
 mous parallelism, and the whole composition has an air of 
 such simplicity, vivacity, and naivete, that it is truly admi 
 rable. From whatever quarter the composition came, there 
 is no discerning reader who would not regret its omission. 
 The tenor of it is, indeed, not the same as that of the Prov 
 erbs in general ; but as it inculcates, in a most attractive 
 manner, both industry and frugality, it falls in entirely with 
 the general spirit and design of the Proverbs. 
 
 One other circumstance should be noted. This is, that the 
 song is alphabetical, like a number of the Psalms, and the 
 book of Lamentations. This method of writing reminds one 
 of our acrostics. Beyond all doubt, such a composition must 
 be designedly artistic. Why this fashion of writing should 
 be introduced, we may not be able to say with certainty, but 
 there is much probability that the object in view was to 
 make songs easy to be remembered. The alphabetic order 
 of the verses would plainly aid recollection. Whether this 
 method of writing belongs only to the later Hebrew, as 
 Ewald, and after him Bertheau, asserts, is a question that 
 does not concern the passage before us ; for this was com 
 posed, as we have seen, in Hezekiah s time, or soon after, 
 i. e. not far from 700 u. C. But in regard to Ewald s gen 
 eral assertion, it may be said, that violence must be done to 
 the Hebrew text, in order to make it good ; for Ps. xxv. 
 xxxiv. xxxvii. are expressly ascribed to David, in the title. 
 I know not how the genuineness of such titles can be dis 
 proved. If not, then David, the leader of all lyric poets among 
 the Hebrews, practised this method of writing, and of course 
 it did not originate with the later Hebrews. 
 
54 11. PLAN OF THE BOOK. 
 
 11. Plan of the Book. 
 
 Having thus gone through with the several parts of the 
 book before us, and endeavored to show the manner and de 
 sign of the composition, and the authorship of the various 
 portions of it,. it may be well to add some miscellaneous 
 remarks on the general nature and design of the PLAN which 
 appears to have been followed in the compilation of the book. 
 
 (1) The first thing which strikes us is, that all the prov 
 erbs are adapted to regulate our moral, religious, social, and 
 civil demeanor. Some principle of conduct, some rule of 
 life, some cautions adapted to produce sobriety and regularity, 
 lie upon the face of the whole book. Historical allusions are 
 scarcely found in it ; and yet this mode of proverbializing 
 was not unknown to the Hebrews, as one may see in Judg. 
 7:13. 8:2,21. 1 Sam. 10:11. 19:24. Such we meet 
 with, also, in the Arabic Proverbs of Meidani (edit. Schul- 
 tens) ; e. g. " More profligate than Abu Lahab," (No. 113) ; 
 " We have got Phalhas to sup," (111) ; " Making more gain 
 than Agrab," (121) ; "More arrogant than the foolish Tha- 
 kis," (147) ; and so in a multitude of cases, but still inter 
 mingled, now and then, with cautionary and preceptive 
 gnomes. So in the Proverbs of Abu Obaid. A collection 
 of proverbs by the Caliph Ali, comes much nearer to the 
 book before us, since it is mostly made up of didactic pre 
 cepts. It is evident throughout the book of Proverbs, that 
 the design is not to give that which can have only an indi 
 vidual application, but such maxims as are of general or 
 universal use. The popular proverbs in mass doubtless com 
 prised many which had an historical basis ; for this is usual 
 among all nations. But although the compilers of the book 
 of Proverbs must have known this, their design was to select 
 only such maxims as were of general import. Both the 
 maxims of Solomon, and of other wise men, appear in our 
 
11. PLAN OF THE UOOK. 55 
 
 book ; but only that part of either of them which was 
 adapted to general instruction. The like to this \ve find in 
 the book of Psalms, A pure individual and historical basis 
 none of them have ; although historical facts are adverted to 
 in some of them, and are often interwoven. But they are 
 merely subservient, and not predominant. This, moreover, 
 is of course the most instructive method in the propounding 
 of proverbs, and one the most generally useful. 
 
 (2) A survey of the different parts of the book, as to 
 form and manner of arrangement, is fraught with instruc 
 tion in regard to the plan of the compilers. Evidently, 
 Part I. was designed to comprise the longer and more con 
 nected series of thoughts. If it arose, as we have seen it to 
 be probable in 5. from combining several compositions of 
 different writers, yet nothing was admitted which was con 
 trary to the designed plan of Part I. Like compositions 
 respecting wisdom and incontinence, and some other things, 
 were brought together, because both matter and manner 
 permitted them to be associated. The whole forms an 
 appropriate introduction to the rest of the book. 
 
 On the other hand, Part II. consists wholly, as we have 
 seen, of proverbs completed in one sentence. From whatever 
 sources the proverbs were selected, only such were admitted 
 as belonged to this category. Not even a mixture of long 
 and short was allowed, as in the rest of the book. Solomon 
 himself, or any other person who selected from him, adhered 
 rigidly to this rule through the whole of Part II. 
 
 It was not because Solomon composed no other than simple 
 and single proverbs, that no other are admitted into this Part 
 for Part IV., selected from Solomon s works, exhibits every 
 variety of proverb. It was plainly because the plan of 
 selection rejected all the longer gnomes. On this ground, 
 moreover, it becomes plain, why Part IV. is separated from 
 Part II. by intervening matter, viz. the words of the wise. 
 If the men of Hezekiah s time had not found Parts I III. 
 
56 11. PLAN OF THE BOOK. 
 
 already collected and united together, they doubtless would 
 have joined Part IV. to Part II., still preserving the title. 
 That they did not adopt this order, seems to be the conse 
 quence of possessing an older and an authoritative compila 
 tion already made and received, and current probably for a 
 long time among the Hebrews. This they would not ven 
 ture to disturb. They merely added other things, therefore, 
 of like nature, although sometimes discrepant in respect to 
 form. Consequently, the plan was completed, by adding 
 Parts IV. V. and VI. ; which are nearly all of the mixed 
 kinds of composition. 
 
 In 22 : 20, the compiler, or he who added Part III. to the 
 first two, in his introduction to Part III., speaks of the 
 precepts which " he had before Written " to instruct the 
 reader. This helps, therefore, to distinguish Part III. from 
 that which precedes. In all probability, he who added this 
 third part, did not compose it, but transferred it from other 
 collections of proverbs. But nothing hinders our supposing 
 that this compiler was Solomon himself. Indeed, it is diffi 
 cult to understand 22 : 20, in any other way, than to suppose 
 this to be implied; for who else wrote the preceding 
 Part II. ? 
 
 Bertheau says, that the title in 10: 1, The Proverbs of 
 Solomon, necessarily implies that what precedes (c. i ix.) 
 was not regarded by the compiler as belonging to Solomon. 
 I do not consider this criticism to be well grounded. The 
 title in 10 : 1 is the result of a plan, which separates one 
 kind of gnomes from another, since they differ in respect to 
 form and length. Part II. stood by itself at first ; and when 
 inserted in the compilation, it was inserted entire, title and 
 all. But this does not make, by any fair construction, any 
 denial of Solomon s claim to authorship in respect to some, 
 or even all, of Part I. For other reasons which have been 
 stated above ( 5), we conclude that there were several 
 authors concerned with the writing of Part I. ; but the 
 
11. PLAN ot THE BOOK. 57 
 
 reason in question, considering the nature of the case, can 
 hardly be deemed valid. 
 
 (3) It has already been brought to view, that the general 
 introduction in 1 : 1 7, must have been written after the com 
 pilation of the whole book was made. The ground of this is, 
 that in 1 : 6, mention is made of the words of the wise, which 
 are to be produced, as well as the proverbs of Solomon. 
 This title, as we have seen, is found in 22 : 17, which begins 
 Part III. of the book, and this Part includes 22:17 
 24 : 34, i. e. two and a half chapters. Then follows the 
 selection from Solomon s writings, by the men of Hezekiah, 
 xxv xxix. ; and after this the compositions of Agur and 
 of Lemuel, together with the eulogy that closes the book. 
 Bertheau classes under or among the words of the wise, 
 these last compositions. This may be allowed, in one 
 respect; for doubtless both of these authors are to be 
 classed among the wise. But I apprehend that Bertheau, 
 and all other critics whom I have seen, have failed to dis 
 cover, in the general introduction (1 : 1 7), what is intended 
 (I might say) to specificate the last part of the book. Chap. 
 1 : 6 runs thus : " So that he may understand a proverb, and 
 a dark saying, the words of the wise, and their enigmas" 
 Whoever reads attentively chap, xxx., will see at once what 
 dark saying and enigmas here mean. How exactly these 
 words characterize this chapter, must be felt, indeed, by 
 every discerning reader. When commentators of the pres 
 ent day have done their utmost, they are obliged to confess, 
 as I have done, that they can see but darkly. There are 
 parts of the chapter that yet remain in a measure unex 
 plained, not as to the language, perhaps, but as to the 
 design of the writer. Nearly the whole chapter puts on 
 veiled or enigmatical forms. The meaning of most can be 
 made out by diligence ; but it requires not a little both of 
 diligence and of knowledge to make it out satisfactorily. In 
 view of this, all seems to be plain in 1 : 6. Not only is 
 
58 11. PLAN OF THE BOOK. 
 
 22: 17 24: 34 designated by the words of the wise, but the 
 closing part of the book seems to be specifically designated 
 by dark sayings and enigmas. 
 
 From this view of the matter, it appears quite certain, 
 that the general introduction in 1: 1 7 was designed to 
 cover the whole ground, and therefore must have been written 
 when the collection or compilation was completed. Of 
 course this introduction came from a later hand, from some 
 one who lived at or after the time of Agur and Lemuel. 
 
 The whole order of the book in general reminds us of 
 the order of the five parts of the Psalms. Passing by 
 Prov. i ix., as an appropriate introduction to the book in 
 general, we have in Part II. the proverbs of Solomon ; in 
 Part III. the words of the wise; in Part IV. again the 
 proverbs of Solomon ; in Parts V. VI. the words of Agur 
 and Lemuel. So with the book of Psalms ; Part I. the 
 Songs of David, ii xli. Part II. songs of Davidic sing 
 ers, xlii 1. Part III. David again, li Ixxii. Part IV. 
 Davidic singers again. (Exceptions in these parts are few^. 
 So there comes David, his contemporary singers, and then 
 David again, followed again by them. So in Proverbs; 
 beginning with c. x., we have first Solomon, then his con 
 temporaries ; then Solomon again, followed at the close by 
 Agur and Lemuel. The two last Parts, like the two last in 
 the Psalms, were added to the book, before extant, a consid 
 erable time after the first two were in circulation. 
 
 There can be no doubt, that a book like that of the Prov 
 erbs, must have arisen gradually. These proverbs had 
 many of them, doubtless, been long in circulation ; and they 
 were adopted by the compilers because of their truth, and 
 of their moral, civil, social, and economical worth. But the 
 book was not so long in being completed, as the book of 
 Psalms. If we regard David as commencing this last 
 book about the latter half of the eleventh century B. c., 
 and call to mind that it was not closed until after the 
 
12. IDIOM&. 59 
 
 return from the Babylonish exile, it must have been 
 receiving accessions for about five hundred years. In 
 the case before us, we do not go down much beyond three 
 hundred years from the commencement of the book, in 
 order to find the probable completion of it 
 
 12, Idioms and Peculiarities of the Book* 
 
 (1) Those who have been disposed to find a late period 
 for the composition of Proverbs, have ill succeeded in find 
 ing arguments to correspond with their wishes. From 
 beginning to end, the Hebrew bears no special marks of 
 the later dialect. Indeed one is astonished, considering the 
 nature of the composition, to find how few of the w r ords 
 vary from the older Hebrew. It was to be expected, that a 
 book which records the maxims and gnomes of the common 
 people and every-day life, would exhibit many a word and 
 phrase not elsewhere to be found ; since the language of 
 popular intercourse usually varies much from that of books. 
 Yet seldom do we find much difficulty here in regard to this 
 matter. We find indeed, of necessity, and from the very 
 nature of the case, many expressions of sentiment nowhere 
 else to be found ; but the costume of this varies little from 
 that of the common Hebrew. 
 
 In the grammatical forms, there are some traits which are 
 noticeable. One of these is, the frequency with which the 
 paragogic or demonstrative 5 is employed, before the suffixes 
 appended to verbs ; e. g. in 2 : 4, nrrprirn and Si2ir&nn , and 
 the like. I have not kept count of these paragogics thus 
 employed, but I have an impression that they are the 
 predominant usage of the book, in cases of a verbal-suffix 
 to the Imperfect. 
 
 (2) Another particular deserves special notice, as it has 
 an important bearing on the grammar, or rather on the 
 exegesis, of the language. This is, that the plural number* 
 
60 12. IDIOMS. 
 
 specially of the feminine, is very often employed in the 
 way of intensity, and also as a method of constituting abstract 
 nouns. E. g. in 1: 20. 9: 1, we find nvcrn plural, joined 
 with a verb singular, because the idea is an abstract one, or 
 because (more probably) the plural form merely denotes 
 wisdom par excellence. Nowhere have I met with this usage 
 so often as in this book ; and many a passage would have 
 gained much in our English version, had our translators 
 well understood this. Besides, it saves much grammatical 
 difficulty. Where a plural noun is joined with a verb 
 singular, it has been often put to the score of anomaly ; 
 whereas, in many, if not most, of these cases, there is 
 merely a concord ad sensum, in respect to the noun and the 
 verb. For example, rn^sn , as above represented, is either 
 an abstract noun, or a designation of intensity ; and in either 
 case the sense is that of the singular. Hence the verb 
 singular. Just so with **}?:* elsewhere. It is a plural of 
 intensity; God par excellence. Hence the singular verb 
 joined to it. It is impossible for any one to read the book 
 of Proverbs, with these principles of construction in view, 
 without a feeling that the usage in question widely pervades 
 the Hebrew language. But it appears, as I believe, no 
 where so often as here. 
 
 (3) In such a book as that before us, there must of 
 necessity be some peculiar words, used as the names of 
 things which are nowhere else mentioned. But still, the 
 ana s fayopsva here are not numerous. In the cases which 
 follow, some are peculiar as to form ; some peculiar as to 
 meaning; and some occur in no other book. E. g. 1: 10, 
 &dh = nn xn; 3: 2G, izb ; 12 : 27, rprn ; 15 : 4, nbo (bis) ; 
 17: 3. 27: 21, cfls-a ; 17: 14, s&arpi ; 17: 22, raa ; 18: 8, 
 ; 22: 8, \7l ; 22: 14, nss ; 23 : 7, W; 23 : 21, 
 
 5 ; 23 : 28, tj-jn ; 23 : 19, Tax ; 23 : 34, bsn ; 25 : 11, 
 ; 26: 8, rrcaT? ; 2G: 18. fibnbira; 27: 15, ^ao ; 29: 11, 
 29 : 21, r>S3* ; 31 : 19, "rtia-3 : ib. T&3. Probably 
 
13. IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK. 61 
 
 I may have overlooked some of the same nature. But this 
 is a small list, considering the extent of the book, and also 
 the great variety of subjects which it exhibits. Every book 
 of any considerable length, has of course its anas keyopsra ; 
 and a book which exhibits the language of popular inter 
 course, may be expected usually to have many words of 
 this class. We can only say, that here are fewer peculiar 
 words than one would naturally expect. Besides, the fact 
 of some words being peculiar to this book, establishes noth 
 ing either as to the antiquity or the lateness of them. The 
 indicia of later Hebrew, such as we find so frequently in 
 Coheleth, are not to be met with here. The difference in 
 style and diction between the two books, is a thing so palpa 
 ble, that no one can help seeing and feeling it, who is 
 familiar enough with Hebrew to judge of a difference in 
 style. 
 
 13. Practical Importance of the Booh 
 
 Gnomes, proverbs, comparisons, and even enigmas, have 
 always been the storehouse of a nation s practical wisdom 
 and ingenuity, in the earlier stages of its existence. A nation 
 without any books, and unacquainted with the art of writing, 
 could perpetuate the wisdom of its leaders, only in the way 
 of handing down, traditionally and orally, the maxims and 
 short sayings of wise men. These usually obtained so much 
 currency and credit, that subsequent literary acquirements 
 rarely expelled many of them from their wonted circulation. 
 Few proverbs, perhaps, are originated, after a cultivated state 
 begins ; but the mass of any people are not dependent on 
 books, for the modes of intercourse which prevail among 
 them. In fact, the proverbs which are rife and continuous 
 among any people, are always indicative of their manners, 
 habits, and feelings. They contain a compendious history 
 of a nation s mental exercises, in regard to all the various 
 objects of thought and reflection. They are the result of 
 6 
 
62 13. IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK, 
 
 experience, of sagacity, of a knowledge of men and things ; 
 and they serve an important purpose in stimulating as well 
 as enlightening them. 
 
 It is no matter of wonder, then, that every nation which 
 has made any figure on the world s stage, should abound in 
 proverbs. The oldest gnome of the enigmatical kind, which 
 we find on record, is that of Samson, in Judg. 14: 12 18, 
 which takes the form of what we call a riddle. Doubtless 
 the Hebrews must have had an almost inexhaustible store 
 of proverbs, since \ve find that Solomon alone spoke three 
 thousand of them, 1 K. 4 : 32. If, as seems probable ( 6. 5), 
 Solomon added Part III. of the Proverbs to the other two 
 preceding Parts, and selected it from the works of other wise 
 men, it would seem that the Hebrews abounded in proverbial 
 lore, at that period, beyond almost any other nation. The 
 Arabians, however, who are a kindred people, and one of 
 lively fancy, vivid imagination, and ready, poignant wit, have 
 perhaps outdone the Hebrews in this respect. Lockman, an 
 alleged contemporary of Solomon, the author of some beauti 
 ful Arabic Fables, exhibits many proverbial sayings in them ; 
 and in later writers, such as Meidani, Tsamahshari, Abu 
 Obeid, and the Caliph Ali, appear a great multitude of 
 gnomic sayings. Burckhardt made an immense collection, 
 which has since been published. In Persia, Ferid Attar 
 and Sadi have exhibited many select apothegms of their 
 nation. The Scythians (Herod, iv. 31), the Hindoos, and 
 the Chinese, possessed like stores. Even Odin, in northern 
 Europe, had a proverbial system of ethics ; (see Eddae 
 Saemundianae Pars dicta Havamoal, edit. Resenii). Among 
 the Greeks and Latins, also, are many gnomic productions. 
 Proverbs have always been, with the mass of the people 
 everywhere, the most favored kind of moral lore. 
 
 Imagine a people, like the ancient Hebrews, destitute of 
 books and the art of printing, and then ask : What would be 
 the value of such Proverbs as are contained in the book 
 
13. IMPORTANCE OF THE PROVERBS. 63 
 
 before us ? It would be almost beyond estimation. Short, 
 pithy, pointed, sensible sayings, imprint themselves deeply 
 on the mind and memory ; and by these, a people may 
 become in a good measure instructed in their moral, civil, 
 and social duties. One advantage is, that the mind comes 
 to have within itself the stores to which it may resort for 
 prudential counsel in time of need. It must not be supposed, 
 that all the proverbs of Solomon were composed de novo by 
 him. They came originally from many thinking minds, in 
 different conditions of life, and with a great variety of expe 
 rience. Solomon selected many, composed others, and put 
 together those which he judged to be true, most striking, and 
 most worthy to be preserved. No matter what their origin 
 was, whether among men inspired or uninspired ; for surely, 
 inspiration or special divine suggestion, was not needed for 
 the composition of many of the Proverbs. The natural wit, 
 and discernment, and talent for observation, which many 
 shrewd men possessed, was adequate to such a task. Nee 
 Deus mtersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus may be applied in 
 this case. But all these proverbs had afterwards the sanction 
 of an inspired man, as to their truth and importance ; and 
 consequently they are of the same authority as if composed 
 de novo by the compilers. The case is like that of the book 
 of Genesis ; which, as we can hardly doubt, originated from 
 various sources, but passed through the hands of Moses, and 
 received its present shape from him, and is, therefore, now 
 stamped with his authority. It matters not, then, how much 
 of the book of Proverbs Solomon actually composed ; we only 
 need his sanction to what it now contains. 
 
 In looking carefully through the whole book, there will be 
 seen a collection of moral and prudential maxims, which 
 attain a high elevation in the dominion of morality, industry, 
 social kindness, and indeed of all the civil and social virtues. 
 A people who originated these, and brought them into pop 
 ular use, must needs have made great advances in civil arid 
 
64 13. IMPORTANCE OF THE PKOVEKBS. 
 
 social life. A Caft re or a Tartar could hardly understand 
 them, even if proposed in his own language ; and if he should, 
 he would have little relish for them. To have received and 
 retained them, then, and set so much value on them as the 
 Hebrews did, shows a state of moral cultivation, in the time 
 of Solomon and Hezekiah, by no means of an inferior grade. 
 It cannot be denied that there is a high tone of religion, 
 morals, social obligation, and even comity, pervading the 
 whole book. Humility before God, reverence for him, the 
 love of our neighbor, justice, kindness, temperance, gentleness 
 of spirit and demeanor, prudence, economy, active diligence, 
 chastity, purity, of heart, modesty, and (in a word) all 
 which makes men happy in themselves, and creates a happy 
 state of society, are exhibited and urged in the most pointed 
 manner in the book before us. And we, after all the light 
 which Christianity has shed upon us, could not part with 
 this book without a severe loss. Better by far to loose all 
 that Socrates, and Plato, and Plutarch, and Epictetus, and 
 Cicero, and Seneca, and their heathen compeers, ever left 
 behind them, on subjects of this nature. Pity that the book 
 is not more studied, and better understood, by Christians of 
 the present day ! A popular exhibition of the results of 
 critical examination, with a plain and explicit statement of 
 the real sentiment conveyed by each proverb where there is 
 any obscurity, would be, as I cannot but hope, a favorite book 
 for the people ; and at all events an exceedingly useful one. 
 The book contains a striking exhibition of practical wisdom, 
 so striking that it can never be antiquated. 
 
 14. Ancient Versions of the Book. 
 
 I. THE SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 Eichhorn, after commending the Sept. translation of the 
 Pentateuch above that of any other books of the Old Testa 
 ment, proceeds thus : " The next place must be given to the 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 65 
 
 translator of the Proverbs. His work proceeds not in the 
 stiff gait of a dictionary ; for he had both languages at his 
 command. Often, he expresses merely the .sense of the 
 original ; but when he misses that, you recognize his genius 
 even in his mistakes," Einl. 165. 
 
 I apprehend that one would get but an imperfect view of 
 the Sept. version of Proverbs, from reading such a passage 
 as this. The stiff gait of a dictionary, I suppose, means a 
 literal translation made out by the help of a lexicon merely, 
 help in regard to the sense given to the words. And true 
 enough it is, that the translator does not limit himself to any 
 lexicographal bounds. Almost everywhere, and on all occa 
 sions, does he overleap them, more or less. Why he does 
 so, Eichhorn does not go on to explain, excepting that he 
 says of the translator, that "he had both languages at his 
 command." One who has compared the version throughout 
 with the original Hebrew, will be slow, I apprehend, to 
 claim for the translator a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, 
 whatever he may affirm of his acquaintance with the Greek. 
 Undoubtedly, he approaches nearer to a classical diction, than 
 any other Septuagintal translator. He seems to have been 
 conversant with the classic Greek, and to have taken great 
 pains to make his version bear the stamp of it. There is no 
 other book in all the Septuagint, which has so few Hellenisms 
 as the book of Proverbs. If it be any praise, in a case like 
 the present, to aim at and exhibit classicity of style, then has 
 our Greek translator acquired a right to eulogy, so far as 
 Uiis is concerned. But alas for the reader of this version ! 
 He can surely acquire but a very imperfect view of the 
 original by means of it. The liberties taken with the 
 Hebrew are almost beyond calculation. A literal or exact 
 rendering of it is indeed, one might almost say, the exception 
 rather than the rule. But classical Greek is no compensation 
 for this. We go to such a translation, rather to find what 
 the Hebrew original means > than lo find classical Greek; for 
 
66 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 this we can find, in a better form, in the classics themselves. 
 Consequently, its unfaithfulness to the original is not com 
 pensated for, by any skill in selecting Greek words which 
 are aesthetically good. I am aware that some critics have 
 spoken of this Greek version of the Proverbs, as standing on 
 a level with the golden verses of Pythagoras. For its 
 moral and religious qualities, it is undoubtedly far above the 
 verses of that celebrated sage. But this belongs to the 
 original writer, and not to the translator. 
 
 In an introduction like the present, there is no room for 
 an expanded view of the faults of the translation before us. 
 All which I shall aim at will be, to give specimens of whole 
 classes of additions ; of omissions ; of strange and peculiar 
 renderings, which do no justice to the original, and for which 
 we cannot well account ; and also of cases where error was 
 committed by mistaking the proper vowels, or mistaking sim 
 ilar letters. 
 
 (1) ADDITIONS. These are either a single clause, two 
 clauses, three, four, etc., even up to several verses. Speci- 
 meas I shall now subjoin, presenting them in English, for 
 the convenience of the reader. The literal translation of 
 the Hebrew is printed in the usual type, while the Sept. 
 version beneath it is thrown into small type. 
 
 Chap. 1 : 18. But these lie in wait for their own blood ; 
 they lurk for their own lives. 
 
 For these are partakers of murder; they treasure up evil for them 
 selves ; but the destruction of transgressors is grievous. 
 
 We can account for treasure up here, because the Hebrew 
 word "|S^ sometimes means to lay up or conceal treasures ; 
 but the concealing, in the case before us, is concealing them 
 selves, and not hiding treasures. The last clause is con 
 structed of de novo material. 
 
 3 : 15. More precious is she [wisdom] than pearls, and all 
 thy jewels cannot compare with her. 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 67 
 
 More valuable is she than precious stones ; nothing bad can compare 
 Tith her ; she is well known to all those who draw nigh to her, and no 
 precious thing is comparable to her. 
 
 Here is a whole verse, or two clauses, without any voucher 
 for it in the original. 
 
 4 : 27. Turn not aside to the right or to the left ; withdraw 
 thy foot from evil. 
 
 Incline riot to the right or to the left ; turn away thy foot from the 
 way of evil ; for the ways which arc on the right, God knoweth, and 
 those on the left are perverted ; but he will make thy paths straight, 
 and lead on thy goings in peace. 
 
 Here are two short, yet entire, verses added. 
 
 6:8. In summer she [the ant] prepareth her food ; at 
 harvest-time she hath gathered her provender. 
 
 She prepares her food in summer; and makes much store in harvest. 
 Or, go to the bee, and learn how laborious she is, and how decorously 
 she executes her task ; the fruit of her labors kings and private persons 
 make use of for health ; she is desired by all, and is illustrious ; and 
 although weak in respect to strength, since she honors wisdom, she is 
 promoted. 
 
 This is travelling out of the record, with a witness. 
 
 16: 5. An abomination of Jehovah is every man of a 
 lofty mind ; should hand be added to hand, he will not go 
 unpunished. 
 
 Unclean before God is every one of a proud heart ; thrusting hands 
 into hand unrighteously, he shall not go unpunished. The beginning 
 of a good way is doing righteously, and is acceptable to God, rather 
 than slaying sacrifices ; he who seeketh the Lord, shall find knowledge 
 with righteousness, and they who seek him rightly shall find peace. 
 All the works of the Lord are with righteousness 5 but the ungodly is 
 reserved for the day of evil. 
 
 Such are some of the specimens of the boldness, with 
 which the translator executed his task. But after 24 : 22, 
 follows a whole passage, inserted between vs. 22 and 23, 
 
68 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 together with 30: 1 14 joined on to it, and transferred 
 hither from its proper place. It runs thus : 
 
 The son who keepeth the word, shall be free from destruction ; and 
 whoever has received it, let him utter to the king no falsehood from 
 his tongue, and let nothing false go forth from his tongue. The 
 tongue of a king is a sword, and not fleshly ; and whomsoever he shall 
 deliver up> shall be dashed in pieces ; for if his anger be excited, he 
 destroys men with chords, and devours the bones of men ; yea, he 
 consumes them as a flame, so that they cannot be eaten by the young 
 of eagles. My son. fear my words ; and receiving them, repent. 
 
 How tame, and spiritless, and incongruous, all this sheer 
 interpolation is, will be felt by every intelligent reader. It 
 is unnecessary to comment upon it. It is well that there 
 are not many such passages as this, either as to extent or 
 taste; for then the version, as such, with all its boasted 
 classic Greek, could scarcely be redeemed from contempt. 
 
 Let not the reader imagine, however, that I hav T e given 
 him anything more than a mere prelibation. But my limits 
 forbid extracting any more under this category. Instead of 
 this, I would refer any one who wishes to pursue the subject 
 of comparison for himself, to the texts cited in the margin. 1 
 
 Among these more than fifty texts will be found very 
 many which add a whole verse, and some which consist of 
 two or more verses. And all these, be it noted, are only a 
 moderate portion of the verses which have added something 
 to the text, or at least inserted something which is not in it. 
 Had I catalogued the whole, it would amount to some twenty 
 or twenty-five per cent, of the whole book. As it is, we 
 have here more than sixty verses, (including those produced 
 at length above, and such additions as include two or more 
 
 1 See 1 : 7, 14. 3: 16, 18, 22, 28. 4: 10. 5:2, 1G. 6:11, 16, 25. 7:2. 
 8: 21. 9:7, 10, 12, 18. 10:4. 11: 16. 12: 11, 13, 26. 13:9, 11,13, 22. 
 15:5, 13, 27, 29 ; 30, 33. 16:17. 27, 28. 17:5, 6. 16:21. 18:22. 
 19:7. 22:9, 14,30. 24:7. 25:10,20. 26:11. 27:20. 21. 28:17. 
 23 : 7, 25. 31 : 3. 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 69 
 
 verses), which are made de novo by the translator, so that 
 if no more were reckoned, we have a proportion of some 
 sixty-five to the whole number of verses = 917. In other 
 words, we make out fourteen per cent, of adulteration of text 
 by direct interpolation. A formidable mass, indeed, in a 
 professed copy of the original ! But if to this, one should 
 add all the minuter additions or variations, he must swell 
 the account to the full amount above stated, or even more. 
 
 (2) OMISSIONS. First of a clause ; e. g. 8 : 29, where the 
 Hebrew runs thus : " When he marked out for the sea its 
 limit, so that the waters should not pass beyond its shore ; 
 when he defined the foundations of the earth." For all this 
 the Sept. has only : " When he made strong the foundations 
 of the earth." The like in 3 : 3. 4:5. 7 : 25. 17 : 19. 21 : 18. 
 In other cases a whole verse, and sometimes several verses, 
 are omitted; e. g. 11:4. After 15 : 29, a new chapter 
 begins, and then, after giving v. 1 of chap, xvi., vs. 30, 32, 33, 
 of chap. xv. are inserted, while v. 31 is wholly omitted. 
 After 16: 1, these three verses of chap. xv. are not only 
 inserted, but vs. 2 4 belonging to chap. xvi. are wholly 
 omitted. After 18 : 22, vs. 23, 24 are omitted. In chap. 
 xix., vs. 1,2 are omitted, and v. 3 is tacked on to the end of 
 chap, xviii., so that chap. xix. begins with v. 4. In chap. xx. ? 
 after v. 9, comes vs. 20 22 ; and not only this, but vs. 14 
 19 are wholly omitted. After 22 : 5, v. 6 is wholly omitted. 
 Put all these together, and we have a serious defalcation 
 and departure from the original Hebrew. 
 
 (3) PECULIAR DEPARTURES from the original text. 
 These are so numerous that they cannot well be reckoned. 
 I need to give but a few specimens to show the nature of 
 them. Thus 1:12, "Let us swallow them up alive as 
 Hades ; and let those in a sound condition be as those who 
 go down to the pit." For the last clause, the Sept. has 
 the following : " And let us take away their remembrance 
 from the earth." In 2:16. thf Hebrew runs thus : "That. 
 
70 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 they may deliver thee from the strange woman ; from the 
 stranger who maketh smooth her words." The Sept. says : 
 "To remove thee from the straight way, [to make thee] a 
 stranger to righteous knowledge. My son, let not evil 
 counsel take hold of thee." In 14: 9, the Hebrew stands 
 thus: " Sin-offering mocketh fools; but with the upright, 
 there is ready acceptance." Sept. : " The houses of trans 
 gressors need purification ; but the houses of the righteous 
 are acceptable." 
 
 Such are some of the specimens under the present cate 
 gory. Very many of those referred to in the Note, are 
 equal to, and some surpass, the specimens produced. But 
 beside all that I have marked, and which are submitted to 
 the reader in the Note below, 1 there are smaller departures 
 from the Hebrew quite beyond enumeration. No one who 
 reads the Hebrew text intelligently, can fail of meeting 
 them in every paragraph ; I had almost said in every verse. 
 One of two things is true; either the translator had no 
 adequate knowledge of the Hebrew, and paraphrased in 
 this way because he did not know his original well enough 
 to render it more exactly; or he took unbounded and 
 unwarrantable liberties with his text, and designed merely 
 to fix up what he thought would be a readable book, in 
 well-chosen Greek diction. In either case, he has very 
 unfaithfully and inadequately performed his task. If the 
 reader will spend one tenth part of the time in following 
 and comparing the texts referred to in the Note, which it 
 
 1 See and compare 1: 19. 2 : 18. 4:15, 25. 5:19. 6:14. 7 : 7, 10, 22. 
 8:2,27. 9:1,3. 10:5,10,12,24,26. 11:7,9,14,24,25,26,30,31. 
 12 : 2, 28. 13 : 4, 15, 23. 14 : 7, 15, 23, 24, 32, 35. 15 : 1, 4, 15, 22, 23. 
 16:21, 30, 33. 17: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 23. 18: 1,8, 11, 14, 19. 
 19: 6, 13, 18. 20: 1,4. 21: 8, 10,14. 22: 11, 19, 26. 23: 2,7, 15,20,21, 
 27, 28, 29. 24 : 5. 9. 10, 11, 15, 30, 31. 25 : 4, 9, 19, 20, 23, 27. 26 : 6, 
 10, 11, 18, 23, 24. 27 : 9, 13, 19, 22. 28 : 2, 10, 26. 29 : 9. 30 : 1, 3, 15, 
 31, 32. 31 : 1, 2, 3, 4. 21, 26. 29. Amount hf>ro - 110 verso*. 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGIXT. 71 
 
 has cost me to collect them, he will, by his own efforts, have 
 the whole matter before him, and have it in such a way as 
 descanting on the Sept. cannot give it to him. The amount 
 of departures is indeed very great, and beyond all reason 
 able measure. 
 
 (4) DIFFERENT READING of the Vowels, or mistaking 
 similar letters. In 3 : 4, the Heb. words ato bab, good discre 
 tion, the Sept. has rendered TTQOVOOV xald, consider things 
 good, reading the wordbrsb as a verb in Piel, viz. bsb. In 
 4: 21, the Heb. rp^-a , from thine eyes, the Sept. translates 
 eel Tiifl ai GOV, thy fountains, having read the Heb. as TpS^SE , 
 which means fountains. In 11: 3, we have a" 1 "! ^? Msn, the 
 integrity of the upright; in the Sept., we find aTro&avcov 
 dtxatoe, i. e. they read the first word as n^fi . Even then 
 the gender is anomalous. In 23 : 28, the Heb. has vpoi fi , 
 she shall add, from CjDJ ; but the Sept. derived the verb from 
 CiGX , to take away, and have rendered it avahoj&ijGETai, 
 shall be destroyed. In 19 : 6, r^in means the friend; but the 
 Sept. has xcc/.o^, reading it rnn from r*n , to do evil. In 
 19 : 23, we have "~* evil ; Sept. read r^ knowledge, from S 1 ^ . 
 In 20: 4, Heb. C|~irra , during autumn ; in the Sept., oveidi^o- 
 fjievotg , reading the word Sftrra , Part, of the Piel of j^nn , to 
 reproach. And so of the rest. 1 
 
 Such are the leading classes of additions, omissions, 
 strange translations, and changes of proper vowels for 
 wrong ones. Besides all this, there occurs not a little con 
 fusion in the order of verses, and the ending of chapters ; 
 e. g. see in lo: 29 and 16: 1, seq. See also 18: 22, seq., 
 where four verses are omitted, and chap. xix. begins with 
 v. 4. After 20 : 9, seq., occur next vs. 20 22 ; then 
 the regular order up to v. 13 ; after which vs. 14 19 are 
 
 1 See also 7 : 18. 8 : 1. 1 : 21. 2:7. 11:8, 18, 19, 28. 12 : 23. 13 : 17, 
 19. 15:14,15. 16:10. 17:3,9. 13:9. 20:4,6. 21:6. 22:11,18. 
 23: 3, 4. 24: 7. 25: 2. 26: 10, 13. 28: 12. 15, 28. 29: 5, 14, 16. Sum 
 r - 34 ofios. 
 
72 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 wholly omitted. After 24 : 22, follows an interpolation of 
 some four entire verses, having nothing correspondent to it 
 in the Hebrew, and being followed by chap. 30:1 14. 
 Then comes 24: 2334 ; and after this, 30 : 1533. This 
 too is followed by chap. 31 : 1 9 ; and then the regular 
 order is resumed with 25 : 1, seq. Once more ; after the 
 end of chap xxix., the rest of chap, xxxi., viz. vs. 10 31, is 
 subjoined, and comes in, as in the Hebrew Bible, at the close 
 of the book. Such is the oft-repeated VGTEQQV KQOTSQOV of 
 the book before us, brought about by the carelessness of the 
 translator, or of some copyist, or else by the ill arrangement 
 of his Hebrew codex. 
 
 I find nothing, however, in all these changes and addi 
 tions made by the Sept. version, which properly ranks 
 under the Jewish tti Vra, i. e. allegorical, spiritualizing, 
 double-sense commentary. The passage in 6 : 8, (produced 
 above, p. 67), respecting the bee, comes the nearest to a 
 tti VTO of anything in the book. This interpolation does in 
 fact approach somewhat near to the mn , which means 
 story, narration, anecdote, and the like, added to the text, 
 in order to give pleasure to the reader. 
 
 We meet with nothing which betrays, with certainty, the 
 where and when of the translator. It would seem, however, 
 from his conceded classical knowledge and style, that he 
 was a native Greek, imperfectly acquainted with Hebrew. 
 It would not be easy for a Jew to free himself from that 
 kind of reverence for the Scriptures, which would restrain 
 him from tampering with them as much as our translator 
 does, unless the MidrasJi or the Haggadoth were designedly 
 in view. Even these were not designed to change the text 
 itself, but only to amuse and attract the reader. But 
 throughout the Septuagint version reigns a spirit, which is 
 entirely different from that which appears in the Targum 
 of Job or Psalms. There, we have plenty both of the 
 Mid rash and Haggadoth. In fact, the levity (I had almost 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 73 
 
 said) with which the book is treated, in the Septuagint 
 version, indicates strongly that the author was a man 
 embarrassed by none of the usual Jewish prejudices, in 
 regard to the exterior of the Scriptures. Whoever he was, 
 we are under no great obligations to him for a translation 
 so interpolated, so full of omissions, so often abandoning the 
 proper meaning of Hebrew words, and so frequently built 
 on incorrect readings of the vowels and consonants. All 
 these are high and substantial charges against it. But 
 they are not made out, by any theory or desire of mine. 
 They are forced upon our notice, by a careful attention to 
 all the minutiae of the Septuagint ; and they lie before the 
 reader, not in the form of an exparte decision, made without 
 a hearing of the party concerned, but in the form of direct 
 and unequivocal testimony which cannot be called in ques 
 tion. The condemning evidence is stamped on the very 
 face of the whole book. 
 
 Looking now deliberately on this mass of facts, is it not 
 to be regarded as a stain upon the escutcheon of sacred 
 criticism, that the Septuagint version before us has been so 
 long and so much extolled ? Long ago began the practice 
 of praising it. Once commenced, it has become a kind of 
 traditionary inheritance among critics. See, for example, 
 at the beginning of this section, what Eichhorn has said 
 respecting it. The like had been done before, and has since 
 been often repeated. With how much reason, has been 
 amply shown above. Even Havernick and Bertheau seem 
 to have taken mainly upon trust what they say of this 
 version ; although the latter has made some critical dis 
 criminations as to the characteristics of the Sept. But 
 such indiscriminate eulogy as we find in most cases, leads 
 one to see how many of such things are said merely upon 
 trust, and without any rigid examination. The Septuagint 
 is opened, perhaps, at a venture, and the critic lights, it 
 may be, on this passage and that, which are translated into 
 
71 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : SEPTUAGINT. 
 
 good Greek, and rendered in a spirited manner. Now and 
 then, too, a lucky hit occurs. All this can be found, I well 
 know, here and there in the version. But it is very unequal. 
 AVere it not for the diction, one might almost be led, in 
 some cases, to suspect different translators. But as the 
 diction forbids this, we can account for these inequalities 
 only by recurring to an ancient criticism on Homer, one 
 made by a master in this art : " Aliquando bonus dormitat 
 Homerus." But our translator not only nods, but dreams, 
 at times, and exhibits not a little of the perplexity and 
 intricacies and claro-obscure of a dreamy state. It is high 
 time that the indiscriminate eulogy of his performance were 
 laid aside by critics, who examine, or ought to examine, for 
 themselves. 
 
 All this serves to show, beyond any ground of reasonable 
 doubt, that the Septuagint, as a whole, never came from one 
 man, nor from the same body of men. There is such a 
 wide diversity in the style of different books ; such manifest 
 tokens of different degrees of knowledge as to the Hebrew 
 original, and with all (as in the present case) such a wide 
 difference in the sense of obligation to keep close to the 
 text, that it is really beyond all critical possibility to 
 vindicate a oneness of authorship to the whole version. 
 
 Those who are prone, as many still seem to be, to set up 
 the version of which we are treating, as a corrector of the 
 Hebrew Scriptures, should look well before they leap. 
 Those who make desperate endeavors to force upon us 
 the Septuagint chronology, ante-diluvian and post-diluvian, 
 would do well to read J. D. Michaelis on this subject, in 
 his Syntagma Dissertationum. Nothing is plainer, than 
 that the object of the Septuagint chronology is, to make 
 out the supposed requisite period of five thousand years, 
 before the birth of the Messiah. Hence, by various strata 
 gems, six hundred out of the needed one thousand years, 
 are made out before the flood ; and the complement, after it 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 75 
 
 Thus in the Heb. of Gen. 11: 10 13, we have the gene 
 alogy of Shem, the son of Noah, in this order : " Shem, 
 Arphaxad, Salah, Eber," etc. ; in the corresponding Sept., 
 we have " Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Salah, Eber," etc. 
 Unluckily for this apparent piece of pious fraud, we find in 
 the Sept. itself, in 1 Chron. 1:17, 18, the exact Hebrew 
 order, viz., " Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Eber," etc., and no 
 Cainan. The man who played this trick with the Septua- 
 gint, should have kept a better look-out for the genealogy in 
 Chronicles, and have adapted this as well as the other list 
 of names to his design. It is well, however, that imposture 
 is not always on its guard. But as for those critics who 
 would fain bring us to the Septuagint chronology, and thus 
 exalt the Septuagint above the Hebrew, and at its expense, 
 I would beg leave to commend to them 1 Chron. 1: 17, 18, 
 compared with Gen. 11: 10 13, and also the Septuagint 
 version of the book of Proverbs, as exhibited above. 
 
 II. THE PESHITO OR OLD SYRIAC VERSION. 
 
 When or where the name Peshito was first given, ia 
 uncertain. But as this word probably means THE SIMPLE ; 
 there seems to be little room for doubt, that the name was 
 designed, whenever given, to distinguish it from the kind of 
 metaphrastic versions, such as exist in the Targums ; where 
 not only the sense of the text is often given loosely, but the 
 version is interlarded with Midrash and Haygadoth. In oppo 
 sition to this stands the Syriac version, justly named Simple, 
 inasmuch as it is the most literal and simple of all the 
 ancient versions. The man or men who made it were un 
 doubtedly persons whose vernacular was Syriac, but who 
 studied the Hebrew so as to attain an intimate familiarity 
 with it. The transition is easy from one language to the 
 other. Our missionaries among the Arabians and Syrians 
 find, that it takes but as it were a few days for an intelligent 
 
76 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 
 
 Arabian or Syrian to learn to read fluently and understand 
 the Hebrew. This might have been done, or rather, must 
 have been clone, by the Syriac translator of the Old Testa 
 ment, and certainly by the translator of the book of Proverbs. 
 Otherwise the translation could not have been so literal and 
 exact as it is. 
 
 In the region called anciently Adiabene, which lay in east 
 ern Syria, (or more anciently in western Assyria), between 
 the Euphrates and the Tigris, and north of Mesopotamia, 
 were located the ten tribes, who were carried away captive 
 by Shalmaneser the king of Assyria, 2 K. 17 : 23. Jose- 
 phus (Antiq. V. 2) says, that at the time of the return of 
 the Jews from the Babylonish exile, only two tribes returned ; 
 but that "the ten tribes, consisting of immense myriads 
 (fivQiddss uTreiQOi) of Jews beyond the Euphrates," did not 
 return, because they liked their long-wonted habitations too 
 well to quit them. King Agrippa, just before the Roman- 
 Jewish war, in exhorting the Jews to submission, advises 
 them " to place no confidence in the aid of their fellow tribes 
 (opoyvlovg) of Adiabene ;" Bell. Jud. II. c. 16, p. 808, edit. 
 Col. There can be no question, that a vast number of Jews 
 were at that time scattered over that country, then subjected 
 to the Parthians. The same Josephus tells us, that Izates, 
 king of Adiabene, sent (of course before the destruction of 
 Jerusalem) "Jive sons, who were young, to learn the language 
 vernacular with the Jews, and to obtain accurate instruction" 
 Antiq. XX. c. 2, p. 687. This king was himself a zealous 
 convert to Judaism, as was also his mother, Helena, who 
 visited Jerusalem. When the Jewish priest Eleazar visited 
 Izates, he found him reading the Pentateuch ; ut sup. p. 685. 
 The reign of this king was probably A. D. 40 60. It must 
 then have been a Septuagint or Greek copy of the Old 
 Testament ; for probably no version had yet been made into 
 the Syriac. Is there not then the highest probability, that 
 this king, whose zeal for Judaism had induced him to send 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 77 
 
 five sons to learn the Hebrew language and religion, did on 
 their return, direct them to translate the Hebrew Scriptures 
 into the Syriac language ? A brother of Izates, viz. Mono- 
 bazus, seems also to have been a zealous convert to the He 
 brew religion ; for the Talmud (Tract. Yoma, c. 3. 10) 
 relates, that this individual, the son of Helena, consecrated 
 golden vessels to the temple at Jerusalem. Some time, then, 
 during the latter half of the first century, it is probable that the 
 Old Testament Peshito was made. It. is enough to render 
 this probable, that Helena, the queen-mother of Adiabene, 
 and Izates her successor, and his brother Monobazus, were 
 zealous Judaizers ; and Izates, moreover, had five sons, 
 thoroughly instructed in Hebrew, by the master Rabbies in 
 Jerusalem ; (see a copious history of these personages in Jos. 
 Antiq. XX. 2). It seems quite probable, at all events, that 
 the O. Test. Peshito was made first, before the N. Test. Ver 
 sion, and separately from it. One reason for this is, the 
 strong probability that Izates would promote such an object, 
 since he could easily accomplish it by the aid of his sons. 
 Then again, the N. Test. Syriac, when it cites passages from 
 the O. Test., cites them not from the O. Test. Peshito, but 
 makes a new version of its own. This shows that the N. 
 Test. Syriac translator was a person different from the trans 
 lator of the Old Testament ; for the same person, making 
 the entire version of both Testaments, would very naturally, 
 in translating the N. Test., quote his O. Test. Version, where 
 the O. Test, is cited ; or if he first translated the N. Test., 
 then he would have conformed passages of the 0. Test., cited 
 in the New, to the version which he had already made. 
 Once more, the tradition among the Syrians themselves 
 assigns both translations to the same period, but not to the 
 same persons ; see the excellent and recent Latin Essay on 
 the Syriac Versions, by J. Wichelhaus, Halle, 1850, p. 119. 
 Of the N. Test. Peshito, it would be irrelevant to say 
 much here. Suffice it to remark, that Adiabene was early 
 
78 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 
 
 filled with Christians, even before the end of the first cen 
 tury. In Acts 2 : 7, seq. we read of men who were " Par- 
 thians, Medes, Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia" 
 as being present to hear the sermon of Peter, on the day of 
 Pentecost, and that three thousand of his audience were con 
 verted on that day. Must not some of these have been 
 persons from Adiabene, who would of course carry back to 
 their respective places the gospel of Christ ? The Syrians 
 have an ancient and apparently uniform tradition, that the 
 N. Test. Peshito was made by the disciples of an apostle, or 
 at least of one of the Seventy disciples, who first preached 
 the gospel in East Syria. In all probability, then, this ver 
 sion was made near the close of Cent. I., or near the begin 
 ning of Cent. II. This shows a good reason, why some of 
 the later books, viz. 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and the 
 Apocalypse, are omitted in the N. Test. Peshito. They 
 had not yet come, at so early a period, into circulation among 
 the inhabitants of that distant region. But I can merely 
 refer the reader to Wichelhaus, as cited above, where he 
 will meet with more than he can elsewhere find, in regard 
 to this deeply interesting version. 
 
 But to return : If we consider it quite probable that the 
 five sons of Izates, who were taught at Jerusalem, made the 
 Peshito version of the Old Testament, then we have in it a 
 good mirror to reflect the forms of Hebrew criticism and 
 exegesis, at that period, at least among a part of the Jewish 
 literati. And certainly, when viewed in this light, we must 
 feel disposed to give them much credit. Of all the ancient 
 versions of the Old Testament, the Peshito is the truest and 
 the best. It shows great skill in transferring the Hebrew- 
 idiom into the Syriac ; although this was not a difficult task 
 for a man skilled in both languages. Of course there would 
 be some words in the Hebrew, which antiquity had rendered 
 obscure, and the meaning of which the translator into Syriac 
 has sometimes missed. But on the other hand, he has 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 79 
 
 poured light on many an obscure word or phrase ; which is 
 of serious importance to the interpreter of the Hebrew 
 Scriptures. 
 
 It has been objected to the position that the Old Testa 
 ment Peshito was made directly from the Hebrew, that in 
 some places it conforms to the Sept. The fact is in some 
 few cases apparently so ; but it is easy, since the passages 
 are so few, to ascribe them to changes afterwards made in 
 the copies of the Peshito, out of a superstitious regard to the 
 Sept., which was supposed to be of divine origin. Besides, 
 in some cases, the Sept. translator, and the Syriac one, may 
 both have drawn from the same exegetical sources among 
 the Jews. 
 
 So far as our present object is concerned, I can say, from 
 actual comparison, that the Syriac is as remote from the 
 Sept., as this is from a true representation of the Hebrew. 
 No connection between the two translations is discernible, 
 beyond very narrow limits. That the Peshito translator, 
 however, was conversant with the Sept., can hardly be 
 doubted. That he has followed its irregularities, its incor 
 rectnesses, its additions, and its omissions, to any extent even 
 worth naming, is certainly not true. 
 
 The Peshito of Proverbs is indeed a model as to manner. 
 Where it becomes exegetical, it uses the fewest words possi 
 ble. It indulges in no paraphrases. It exhibits no Midra- 
 shim or Haggadoth. Some things (small ones) have probably 
 crept into it from marginal notes ; such as might be taken 
 from the Syriac commentary of Ephrem Syrus. Most of 
 the departures from the Hebrew are confined to the book of 
 Psalms ; and these may be accounted for from the fact, that 
 the Psalms were a liturgic book. 
 
 It is strong proof against the authenticity of the Apocry 
 phal books, that no one of them ever belonged to this ancient 
 version. Ephrem Syrus, indeed, cites them; but not as 
 books canonical or authoritative. 
 
80 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : PESHITO. 
 
 In a few cases, we find additions made to the Hebrew ; 
 and who the person was that made them, is a point difficult 
 to be settled. What I mean is, that these additions are so 
 small, compared with the mass of the book, that it is more 
 easy to suppose them to have come in from the margin, in 
 process of time, than to account for them by supposing the 
 translator himself to have made them, and in a manner so 
 contrary to the general tenor of the version. This, how 
 ever, Bertheau accounts for, by supposing that the Hebrew 
 text, from which the translator made his version, differed 
 from our present Masoretic text. He appeals to the fact, 
 that several clauses, or even whole verses, are found here 
 and there, which are added to our present text. The fact 
 itself of addition cannot well be denied. Thus in 4 : 4, there 
 is added, at the close : " And my law, as the pupil of thine 
 eyes." In the midst of 11 : 16 are inserted two dames. In 
 13 : 13, the same ; also in 14: 22 and 14 : 23, in the middle 
 of the verse. In 22 : 21, there are some two words added. 
 There may be a few other cases of this latter kind ; but not 
 enough to make out an amount worth reckoning. In some 
 of these cases, it would seem to be not improbable, that the 
 Hebrew text has suffered somewhat by the omission of one 
 or more clauses ; for the matter supplied in the Syriac seems 
 to be quite congruous. But in others I should -be inclined 
 to believe, that they came in the way of having originally 
 been marginal annotations. We surely can make but very 
 little of so few additions as are here, if we compare them 
 for a moment with those of the Septuagint. 
 
 Bertheau further remarks, that considerable departures 
 from the Hebrew are to be found in the Peshito. He 
 refers us to 7 : 22, 23. 15 : 4, 15. 19 : 20. 21 : 16. 22 : 24. 
 But most of these departures are so small, and of so little 
 importance as to the sense, that they are scarcely worth our 
 special notice. Some of them are evidently nothing more 
 than a different manner of translating several Hebrew words. 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARGUM. 81 
 
 The result of all this is, that the general character of the 
 Peshito for fidelity, is by no means impeachable. The addi 
 tion of some five verses in the whole book, would hardly 
 serve as a good basis for an impeachment ; and most of the 
 alleged discrepancies hardly deserve our notice, except for 
 some special purposes of criticism. 
 
 Thus much for this noble old version, which gives us a 
 portion of the separate history of the Hebrew text ; for this 
 image of it, I mean the Peshito, has come down from the 
 first century of our Christian era, through hands different 
 from those of the Hebrews. It is doubly important to us, in 
 consequence of its being a version of the Hebrew so close 
 and literal. Of course, it casts light on many difficult 
 Hebrew words, although not upon all ; and it shows us, at 
 all events, what ideas were attached to such Hebrew words 
 by those who spoke one of the Semitic dialects. The reader 
 of it will much advance and expand his knowledge of the 
 Semitic languages, by a diligent and faithful study of it. 
 Walton s Polyglot is the most convenient apparatus for the 
 Syriac text, as it has the vowel-points. The comparative 
 study of the sacred books in different languages, is greatly 
 facilitated by this immortal work. Whoever reads the 
 Peshito version of the Proverbs carefully, will be ready to 
 bear witness to the directness, and plainness, and faithful 
 ness of it. Never can he doubt that it is well worth special 
 attention. 
 
 III. THE CHALDEE TARGUM. 
 
 That the Chaldee Targum, i. e. translation of the Old 
 Testament Hebrew into the later Chaldee, arose from differ 
 ent authors, is agreed on all hands. Of the Pentateuch, 
 Onkelos was the translator ; and he rendered it into quite 
 pure Chaldee. His version is generally close, faithful, and 
 for the most part as it were verbum verbo. In the small 
 poetic portions of the Pentateuch, however, interpolations 
 
82 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARGUM. 
 
 have been made, which disclose themselves, and show that 
 they came not from the hand of Onkelos. The work, as 
 a whole, is the most perfect specimen of the later pure 
 Chaldee which we have. 
 
 Of the prophets, both former and latter in the Hebrew 
 sense, Jonathan ben Uzziel is supposed to have written a 
 Targum. The former prophets, i. e. most of the historical 
 books, are more literally translated than the second, pro 
 phetic, poetic part. In general, his version is less true and 
 literal than that of Onkelos. He indulges himself at times 
 in the introduction of Midras/t, and even some brief Hagga- 
 doth. But he is well worth consulting in very many cases, 
 where obscure and difficult Hebrew words occur. 
 
 The Jews generally assign the Hagiographal Targum to 
 Joseph the Blind, a somewhat uncertain, if not a mythic per 
 sonage. Nothing is more evident than that the Targums 
 of this portion of Scripture came from different hands, at 
 different times. Such is the diversity of style, manner, and 
 even language, of the Targums, in different books, that any 
 other supposition is altogether improbable. Compare, for 
 example, the Targum on the Proverbs and on Canticles. 
 
 Among the Hagiographal Targums, those of Psalms, Job, 
 and Proverbs, are distinguished for their qualities. These 
 books constitute the only ones which are acknowledged by 
 the Rabbins of older times to be poetical. The symbolic 
 name of these, among the Jews, is the word nax , which 
 means truth. The letter it stands for ai^x , Job ; a stands 
 for B^Vaa, Proverbs; and n for e^nn , Psalms. Because 
 these three books constituted the corpus of Hebrew poets, 
 (if we accede to the Masorites), and because they are better 
 translated than the rest of the Hagiography, a confident 
 opinion has arisen, and has often been expressed, that they 
 came ironi one and the same hand ; and not only so, but 
 that they were executed as near to each other in point of 
 time, as the nature of the case would permit. We must 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARSUS, 83 
 
 examine this matter a little, because the character of the 
 Targum on the Proverbs is deeply concerned with it. 
 
 Le Long, in his Biblioth. Sac. (I. p. 91), is the first in 
 whom I find the Targum on rrax ascribed to one and the 
 same person. Havernick (Einl. 82) says, that "The 
 Targum on Proverbs stands so related to that on Job and 
 Psalms, as to the manner of expression and comprehension, 
 that all are rightly regarded as belonging to one and the 
 same person." Zunz, a distinguished critical Rabbi of the 
 present day, in his Gottesdienstliche Vortrdge (p. 64), declares, 
 that " the Targum on the Proverbs has the same linguistic 
 character as that on the Psalms and Job." Bertheau con 
 cedes this, and says that we may deduce from it the conclu 
 sion, that all these Targums took their rise about the same 
 time and in the same region, (Einl. in Comm. iiber Prover- 
 bien, 6). He next puts the Targum on Proverbs down 
 very low, in point of time, because he finds the name Con 
 stantinople in the Targum on the Psalms, and the word 
 a:x (= ciyy&oi) in the book of Job. If the assumption be 
 true, then the reasoning is well ; for surely it must be a 
 late Targum, which could originally employ such words. 
 Still, it is easy to suppose them to have once been mere 
 glosses on the margin, which afterwards crept into the text 
 since that text has been in circulation. Such words do 
 indeed look very much like glosses explanatory. 
 
 With all the deference due to such authorities, I must beg 
 the liberty of dissenting from this judgment. I am bound to 
 state my reasons ; and I shall now proceed to do it. 
 
 (1) There are several characteristics of usage as to the 
 forms of words, which widely distinguish the Targ. on Prov., 
 from those on Job and the Psalms, (a) In Prov. we find 
 everywhere the letter 3 used as the formative prefix to third 
 pers. masc., sing, and plural, instead of the usual *. Exam 
 ples are not needed, except merely to illustrate the nature 
 of the case ; e. g. 16 : 10, sing. bi3fl3 bisrn ; so third plur. 
 
84 14. ANCIENT TERSIONS : TAKGUM. 
 
 "|SiB!iD7 , in Prov. 2 : 22. Hundreds of cases occur 
 of the same nature. So far as I have made out an estimate, 
 at least one half of the Fut. forms, third mase. sing, and plur., 
 are made out in this way, and about one half with the else 
 where usual and normal i formative. This is surely a very 
 striking distinction, and one which shows that the Targumist 
 of the Prov. was familiar with the Syriac dialect, so familiar, 
 that the cases with : formative of the third pers. Fut. which 
 are there normal, were, either consciously or unconsciously, 
 carried over into his Chaldee version. This goes to show 
 that both person and country, in this case, are different from 
 those in the other case. The Targums of Psalms and Job, 
 never exhibit this peculiar dialect at all. 
 
 (b) In the later Targums it is a well-known practice 
 occasionally to clip or abridge the plural formations of nouns, 
 and instead of *p to write and read i- , thus making the 
 absolute and construct forms of a noun plur. to be the same. 
 Now in the Targ. of Prov., this abridged form is the much 
 more usual form of the plur. absolute, so that the regular 
 forms are the exception, and not the rule. On the contrary, 
 in Job and Psalms we meet indeed with the abridged nominal 
 forms, but merely as the exception, and not as the rule. The 
 difference in this usage between the two books in question 
 and the Prov. is so palpable, that it cannot escape the notice 
 of any attentive reader. 
 
 > (c) There is a striking difference between the Targums 
 in question, in respect to employing the word Jehovah. In 
 the original Hebrew of Proverbs, we find the word God 
 (Dir6x) only six times, while rrirn is employed seventy-six 
 times. In translating rrirn , however, in the book of Prov 
 erbs, the word xrrax is nearly always employed ; and very 
 rarely can be found the word "^ , i. e. rrjrn . How different 
 in Psalms and Proverbs, where, in the latter, ^ is the rule, 
 and xr&K the exception! This is another charasteristic 
 difference, then, which is very striking. Nowhere in Prov- 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TAKGUM. 85 
 
 erbs is ^"i x^^a employed as a periphrasis for God ; while 
 in Job and Psalms this is not unfrequent. 
 
 (2) The genius and style of the Targum on the Proverbs, 
 is altogether different, in some highly important respects, 
 from that in Job and Psalms. The former is preeminently 
 literal and close, and, considering the nature of the book, not 
 a whit behind the Targum of Onkelos. It stands side by 
 side with the Peshito, and is very little, if any, inferior to it, 
 so far as this book is concerned. In reading many chapters, 
 I have scarcely found difference enough in the Targum from 
 the Hebrew, to induce me to take a single note of it. In 
 some very few cases, like those in the Syriac, there is a 
 small addition, and sometimes the same which is made in the 
 Syriac ; e. g. in 7 : 22, 23. 14: 14. 15:4. But on the other 
 hand, the Syr. and Chald. more often differ from each other, 
 where either of them disagrees with the Hebrew, than they 
 agree with each other. This shows that the Targum is not, 
 as Bertheau and others suppose, a copy of the Syriac. Both 
 offer incontestable evidence of having been made from the 
 original Hebrew. There is not in all the ancient versions, any 
 specimen of a more plain, direct, intelligible, and faithful trans 
 lation than this Targum. Bertheau says, however, that there 
 are many departures from the Hebrew in it ; and he appeals 
 to 7 : 22. 10:3. 14:14. 25 : 1, 20, etc. But whoever ex 
 amines these passages, will find the departures too insignifi 
 cant to make much impression upon him. Put all of them 
 together, they will not amount to so much as may be found 
 in a single chapter of the Sept. Instead of drawing from 
 them an argument to prove that the Heb. text of the Tar- 
 gumist was different from our present one, we can deduce 
 the conclusion with confidence, that in nearly all respects it 
 must have been the same text which we now have. So lit 
 erally and exactly does the Targum reproduce it in another 
 language. 
 
 Let us now turn for a moment to the Targum of Job and 
 8 
 
86 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TAKGUM. 
 
 of the Psalms, and see what liberties they have given them 
 selves, in regard to the original Hebrew. 
 
 Heb. Job 1: 3. His substance also was seven thousand 
 sheep ; and three thousand camels ; and five hundred yoke 
 of oxen ; and five hundred she-asses, and a very great house 
 hold. 
 
 Chald. His substance was seven thousand sheep, one thousand for 
 each of his sons ; and three thousand camels, one thousand for each of his 
 daughters; and five hundred yoke of oxen.yor himself; and five hun 
 dred she-asses, for his wife; and service-labor exceedingly much. 
 
 Thus much at the outset ; which, however, is a prelibation 
 quite congruous with the sequel. 
 
 1 : 6. Now there was a day, when the sons of God came 
 to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also 
 among them. 
 
 Chald. And it came to pass, on the day of judgment at the beginning 
 of the year, that there came troops of angels, that they might stand in 
 judgment before Jehovah, and Satan also came in the midst of them. 
 
 1 : 10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about 
 his house, and about all that he hath on every side ? Thou 
 hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is 
 increased in the land. 
 
 Chald. Hast thou not by thy Word protected around him and around 
 the men of his house, and around all which he hath round about him ? 
 And the works of his hands hast thou blest, and his possessions are 
 mightily increased in the earth. 
 
 3 : 5. Let darkness and death-shade pollute it ; let a 
 cloud dwell upon it; let the utmost bitternesses of the 
 day terrify it. 
 
 Chald. Let darkness defile it, and the shadows of death ; let a 
 cloud dwell upon it ; let as it were the bitternesses of the day terrify 
 it, even the grief which distressed Jeremiah, when the house of the 
 sanctuary was destroyed, and Jonah, when he was precipitated into 
 the sea of Tarshish- 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARGUM. 87 
 
 4 : 10, 11. The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce 
 lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. (11) The 
 old lion perisheth, for lack of prey, and the stout lion s 
 whelps are scattered abroad. 
 
 Chald. The roaring of Esau which is compared to a ravenous 
 lion, and the voice of Edom which _js compared to a lioness, they 
 rage as bears over their prey ; and his princes (who are compared to 
 the lioness) separate themselves that they may seize the prey. (11) 
 As the lion perisheth, when he hath no prey, so will perish Ishmael, 
 because he hath no merit ; and also his sons, the robbers, who separate 
 themselves from the right way. (Another reading). Ishmael, who is 
 compared to lions, shall perish because he has no merit ; and the sons 
 of Lot, who is likened to the old lion, shall be separated from the 
 congregation. 
 
 The like we find almost at every step of our way, through 
 the whole book. But it is of no use to cite further ; 
 6vv%os kt ovra. 
 
 Turn we now to the book of Psalms. Here is more 
 moderation, indeed, but still a like spirit. 
 
 Ps. 19:12 (11). Moreover, by them is thy servant 
 warned, and in keeping of them is great reward. 
 
 Chald. Truly by them is thy servant warned ; as their varieties 
 were kept, so was the good of Israel accomplished. 
 
 45 : 18. I will celebrate thy name in every generation ; 
 therefore shall the nations praise thee forever and ever. 
 
 Chald. At that time shall ye say : We will remember thy name in 
 every generation ; therefore the people who shall sojourn, shall confess 
 thy name forever and to ages of ages. 
 
 46 : 6. God is in the midst of her, she shall never be 
 moved ; God shall help her, at the approach of the 
 morning. 
 
 Chald. The Shechinah of Jehovah is in the midst of her, she 
 shall not be moved; Jehovah shall help her, because of the righteous 
 ness of Abraham, who prayed for her at early morning. 
 
88 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARGUM. 
 
 110:1. Jehovah said unto my Lord: Sit thou at my 
 right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 
 
 Chald. Jehovah hath declared by his Word, that he would make 
 me Lord over all Israel ; but he said to me again : Wait for Saul of 
 the tribe of Benjamin, until he die, for there is no kingly dominion 
 which will bring near an associate with it ; and after this, I will make 
 thine enemies thy footstool. [Another Targum]. God said by his 
 Word, that he would give me rale, because I have sat as a learner of 
 the instruction of the law, at his right hand. Wait thou until I shall 
 make thine enemies thy footstool. 
 
 It must be noted, that these specimens by no means stand 
 alone, as if they were singular or strange, in the Targums 
 of these books. More or less which resembles them will 
 be found on every side, if any one will take the pains to 
 pursue an examination. Let it be noted also, that the 
 Peshito has not the least spice of this Midrash, in any one 
 of the passages above cited ; and so generally, in regard to 
 all the Midrashim and Haggadoth of the Targums. What 
 then becomes of Bertheau s position, viz., that the Targums 
 copied the Syriac version ? 
 
 But as to the main point before us, nothing can be plainer, 
 than that the judgment of Zunz, of Havernick, and of 
 others, as to identity of authorship in respect to the Targums 
 of rtax , is a hasty judgment, made up without much exam 
 ination, and at all events without sufficient grounds. We deny 
 the assertion, in its whole length and breadth ; and we have 
 produced witnesses on whose testimony we may rely. 
 
 As we have no certainty in respect to the individual who 
 was the author of the Targum on Proverbs, so we may be 
 allowed to indulge a little in conjecture, keeping all the 
 while in mind that it is no more than conjecture. It is 
 plain that the Syriac translator lias nowhere exhibited either 
 the Targumic paraphrases, or glosses, or Midrashim, or 
 Haggadoth. Now as the Targum on Proverbs has the 
 same character in all respects, as the version of the Syriac ; 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : TARGUM. 89 
 
 and specially as the author of the Syriac has more than 
 half the time employed 3 as a prefix formative of the third 
 pers. sing, and plur. of the Fut., instead of the usual and 
 normal , (thus showing a strong bias to use Syriac forms, 
 and showing thereby that he was probably a Syrian Jew) ; 
 putting all these things, I say, together, and bringing into 
 the account the strong resemblance between the two ver 
 sions, viz., the Syr. and Chald., is it not quite probable, that 
 the Chaldee version was made for such of the Mesopota- 
 mians as spoke Chaldee ; or at least made by a Syrian Jew, 
 who was conversant with the Peshito, and imitated its main 
 features ? I mean that he followed the general style and 
 manner of the Peshito, not that he copied from it individu 
 ally, or made it a basis of his version in this special respect. 
 Too often does he differ from the Syriac, to render such a 
 supposition allowable. 
 
 In this way AVC can account for what all acknowledge, 
 viz., the resemblance between the Peshito and the Targum. 
 The taste of the translator was formed by the Peshito ; and, 
 approving of this, he has translated simply, neatly, and 
 accurately. Invaluable would the other Targums be, if 
 they were all like this. 
 
 When this work was performed, is uncertain. I can find 
 nothing which indicates a late period. On the other hand, 
 the tenor and spirit of the Targum, would seem to render it 
 probable, that it was made not much after that of Onkelos. 
 There is the same simplicity ; although the Chaldee is 
 not so pure. But this depended more on individuality of 
 character and talent, than on any particular time. The 
 deepest Rabbinisms of the Talmud do not abound here. 
 Neither the form nor the manner of any part of the work 
 speaks of the Talmudical age. In such an age, it would 
 hardly have been possible to make a version so true, simple, 
 and literal as that of the Targum on the Proverbs. The 
 universal remains of the later Rabbinical ages exhibit a 
 
 8* 
 
90 14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : VULGATE. 
 
 different taste and style of writing. Midrash was a thing 
 of course to be expected in them ; and the later the version, 
 the more does this, and also Haggadoth, abound. Hence 
 the mare magnum of Rabbinism into which the Targums on 
 Ecc. and Canticles plunge. Indeed, the general tenor of 
 the Tprgums on the Hagiography, is widely diverse from 
 that on the Proverbs ; so widely, that an earlier age is the 
 only probable period of the rise of the Targum before us. 
 
 IV. THE VULGATE. 
 
 Little need be said of this, as it is so easily accessible, 
 and every one can compare for himself. In general, it is 
 about as literal, simple, and faithful, as the Targum and the 
 Peshito. Now and then, we meet with a case where Jerome 
 read the text with different vowels from the present Maso- 
 retic ones ; in some cases the similar letters are exchanged. 
 These all, however, are not of any amount worth special 
 reckoning. Jerome appears to have entered well into the 
 spirit of the book, and in general to have understood it 
 aright. 
 
 The perplexing title to chap xxx. he has rendered nearer 
 to the Heb. text, than any of the ancient translators. Still, 
 one part of it is a singularity : " Verba Congregantis filii 
 Vomentis, visio, quam locutus est vir, cum quo est Deus, et 
 qui Deo secum morante confortatus, ait." He renders I lax 
 as a Part, of "lix , to collect, and so makes out the Gen. Con 
 gregantis. But Vomentis seems to be a problem. He 
 doubtless sought for the root of the strange word (njr^) in 
 Kip, to vomit, which he must have read in the Imperf. 
 Hiphil, *$* = X"^ . Hence his Vomentis, (a personal 
 name which is strange enough). For the rest, xittig is 
 visio, and fix? is rendered participially, or rather as a verb 
 deponent. Cum quo est Deus, is made out from bxTV>xb , 
 which he must have read bx "imxb , making r,*x out of nx , 
 
14. ANCIENT VERSIONS : VULGATE. 91 
 
 with, Yodh being used only as a mater lectionis. In the 
 second case, this same word is rendered : Et qui Deo secum 
 morante, which is merely a variation of phraseology. Then 
 comes confortatus, for which we have no word left but brs; , 
 and which must have been regarded by Jerome as the Part, 
 of Pual, omitting (as not unfrequently) the a formative. 
 Jerome, therefore, probably attached to it the idea of fed, 
 supplied with food, and so, tropically, comforted. He seems 
 not to have conjectured, that there were any proper names 
 in the last part of the verse. 
 
 The Sept. translator has shown that the verse in question 
 baffled his knowledge of the Hebrew. He sums up the 
 whole verse thus : 2\ide Myu 6 dvqQ rolg niGT&vovGi &erp, 
 xal navoficu. The toig niarevovGi it is somewhat difficult 
 to make out, but still it may be done. They must have read 
 bis "^"ixb , i. e. to those who consent to or confide in God. As 
 to the last words, xal Travopcu,, th ey are the literal rendering 
 of i=xj, Fut. apoc. of n^3. See Comm. on 30: 1, where 
 this hint is followed out, in the rendering and explanat on 
 of the verse. 
 
 The Targum here gives the lead to our common English 
 version, and follows closely the present Hebrew vowels. The 
 Peshito is in perplexity : " The words of Agur, the son of 
 Jakeh, who obtained the prophetic gift, and acquired strength, 
 and said to Ithiel." In acquired strength, we see the same 
 idea which in Jerome is expressed by confortatus est, i. e. 
 the Pual Part. ^3X , fed, nourished. 
 
 It is obvious that, in consequence of the various hints 
 given in these versions, the recent exegesis of this passage 
 has been aided not a little. At all events, we seem now to 
 have obtained a version which is more congruous with per 
 spicuity and with the context. 
 
 The difficult word Di pbx,in 30 : 31, plainly perplexed 
 Jerome. He has rendered the clause thus : Nee est rex, qui 
 resistat ei. The nee is against the tenor of the sense, which 
 
92 15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIBAUH. 
 
 demands et here. Had he rendered it thus: Et rex cui 
 nemo resistat, he would have come very near to the meaning 
 of the original. 
 
 On the whole, we could not well dispense with the 
 Vulgate. It is so far literal and close, as to afford either 
 new aid in interpreting the text, or else it helps to confirm 
 the other and older versions. 
 
 15. Apocryphal Imitations of Proverbs. 
 
 Of these we have two books, comprised in the so-called 
 Apocrypha. This contains books written originally for the 
 most part in Greek, and at a late period, i. e. during the 
 second century B. c. The usual names of the two books in 
 question, are The Wisdom of Solomon, and The Wisdom of 
 Jesus the son of Sirach, which last is also named Ecclesi- 
 asticus, and thus distinguished from JEcclesiastes or Coheleth. 
 We begin with the latter, because that, in all probability, 
 it is the older of the two ; and which, for convenience sake, 
 we shall call simply Sirach. 
 
 I. SIRACH. 
 
 In the prologue to this book, the name of the original 
 author is given, viz. Jesus, who was a Jew of Jerusalem, that 
 devoted himself to sacred studies, and to "gathering the 
 grave and short sentences of wise men who had been before 
 him ;" and not only this, but " he uttered some of his own, 
 full of much understanding and wisdom," (Pref.). His book, 
 " almost perfected," was bequeathed by him to his son ; and 
 the last bequeathed it to his own son, Jesus, named after his 
 grandfather the author of the book. 
 
 It was written originally in Hebrew; but the original 
 seems to have perished long ago, and we have no specimens 
 of it left, excepting about some forty passages, preserved in 
 the early Jewish Rabbinical writings. These show that it 
 
15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIRACH. 93 
 
 was written in pure Hebrew ; as might be expected from 
 the character and attainments of the author. The Greek 
 translation of the book was made by the son of Sirach (and 
 grandson of the author), about A. D. 131. It must therefore 
 have been written about A. D. 180 ; at all events, before the 
 bitter and bloody persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, since 
 no express allusion to them seems anywhere to be made. 
 Chap, xxxvi. may perhaps be construed as having relation 
 to these ; but I apprehend the meaning here to be more 
 general, and it has too little of intensity. The Greek 
 version which is before us, is doubtless a pretty faithful one ; 
 since the author appears to be a modest and sensible man, 
 and one well skilled in both languages, if we may trust to 
 his Prologue. Doubtless the Greek version became cur 
 rent abroad, at Alexandria, and elsewhere, where Greek 
 was understood, and where there were but few who could 
 read the Hebrew. 
 
 The whole work is plainly a designed imitation of the 
 Proverbs of Solomon. But it is much more copious than 
 the Proverbs, containing fifty-one chapters of about the 
 ordinary length. 
 
 In manner and form, the resemblance to the work of the 
 true Solomon is somewhat striking. By far the greater 
 portion of the book consists of parallelisms completed in one 
 and the same verse ; like Part II. of the book of Proverbs. 
 Yet there is nothing like the uniformity, in this respect, 
 which reigns in Part II. It resembles much more Part IV. 
 of Proverbs, where single couplets are often exchanged for 
 double ones, or for treble, and even more. So in Sirach. 
 It comprises some fourteen hundred and one verses in the 
 whole ; and of these, at least two hundred and sixteen are 
 double couplets, and some are treble, and some even more. 
 Then again, there are a few examples, as in the book of 
 Proverbs, of sentences completed by only one member of 
 the parallelism ; e. g. 12 : 7. 17 : 10. 32 : 21. 22. 34 : 4, 5. 
 
9-1 15. BOOK OF THE Sox OF SIRACH. 
 
 37 : 3, 17. It is unnecessary to refer to the complex verses 
 individually, as they everywhere present themselves to the 
 eye of the observer. 
 
 Besides these, however, are a large number of passages 
 where the same subject is continued through several verses ; 
 e. g. 4: 11 19, respecting wisdom ; again the same subject, 
 6 : 1833. So as to various subjects, in 9 : 19. 10 : 7 
 18. 14: 20 to 15: 5. 24: 134. 25 : 1726. 26 : 127. 
 30: 113. 31 : 110 and 2531. 33 : 2531, al. Chaps, 
 xliv 1. are a continuous and connected eulogy of the ancient 
 worthies. Chap. li. is one continuous prayer. Besides these 
 striking exhibitions of long-continued subjects, there are 
 many more of a briefer kind, comprising two, three, four, or 
 more verses. 
 
 As to the poetry of the book, it is, as might be supposed 
 in regard to a period so late, of the looser kind, in respect to 
 a very considerable part of it. Indeed, one might well say 
 of a large portion : " Nisi pede differt, sermo merus." Take, 
 at random, as a sample of much in the book, a passage 
 in 37: 1216. 
 
 (12) Be continually with the godly man. whom thou knowest to 
 keep the commandments of the Lord ; whose mind is according to thy 
 mind, and who will sorrow with thee if thou shouldest miscarry; (13) 
 And let the counsel of thine own heart stand, for there is no man 
 more faithful unto thee than it; (14) For a man s mind is sometimes 
 wont to tell him more than seven watchmen, who sit above in a high 
 tower. (15) And above all this, pray to the Most High, that he will 
 direct thy way in truth; (16) Let reason go before every enterprise, 
 and counsel before every action. 
 
 Here, if we except v. 1 6, there is scarcely a vestige of 
 poetical costume. Yet there is a kind of correspondence in 
 the length of clauses, such as may be found in some of the 
 latter part, of Proverbs, and in Coheleth. All this is char 
 acteristic of the later form of Hebrew poetry. 
 
 The book contains a large number of excellent maxims ; 
 and almost or quite an equal number of sentences, which 
 
15. BOOK OF THE SOX F SlKACH. 05 
 
 rather incline toward tame and common-place ethics. 
 Eichhorn has characterized the work pretty justly. He 
 says : " The book of Jesus Sirach is a rhapsody of moral 
 declamations ; of reflections both longer and shorter on the 
 course of worldly things, on the modes of life and of wise 
 living among men of all conditions, ranks, and age. It is a 
 collection of various thoughts and sallies of the mind, some 
 times separate and sometimes connected ; of common and 
 discriminating, of witty and pointed sayings, which have 
 respect to a wise and prudent use of life. It is a fit com 
 panion for the Wisdom of Solomon," Einl. iv. p. 42. 
 
 This is not a proper place for pursuing critical character 
 istic into detail. We must therefore be content with a few 
 hints more, which may give a general lead to our thoughts 
 respecting the character of this book. 
 
 With not a little here and there that is either fiat or 
 mediocre, there are some sentiments, also, which are erro 
 neous in a moral or religious point of view ; e. g. 3 : 30, 
 " Alms maketh an atonement for sins." In 4:5, 6, the 
 author recognizes the ancient superstition, (still widely 
 spread among the heathen), that cursing by an envious 
 and malignant man, will have a sure fulfilment. Some 
 singular ideas appear here arid there. In 18 : 9, he states 
 the number of man s days, at most, to be a hundred years. In 
 20 : 4, is a sentiment respecting eunuchs, that at least seems 
 strange. In 25 : 24, he says : " Of the woman came the 
 beginning of sin," (adhering to the letter of the history in 
 Genesis, like Paul, in 1 Tim. 2: 1315). In 33: 2531, 
 is a singular paragraph respecting servants, which contains a 
 strange mixture of severity and of kindness* " Bread, cor 
 rection, and work, are for a servant ; tortures and torments 
 for him also, when he is idle or vicious. If he will not 
 work, put on more heavy fetters." This looks ominous ; 
 but it is softened somewhat and amended by what follows : 
 " Be not excessive in demands on him ; let him be unto the* 
 
96 15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIRACH. 
 
 as thyself; entreat him as a brother, for thou hast need of 
 him." This shows at least, that, although among the He 
 brews the punishment of servants was left at the discretion 
 of the masters, yet the maxims of humanity were predom 
 inant, and all unnecessary severity was to be shunned. 
 Singular, indeed, also, is 38: 1 15, in respect to a physi 
 cian, and the aid which he may render. More strange are 
 some things in 38: 16 23, in respect to mourning for the 
 dead. The thoughts concerning the leisure necessary to a 
 man who would become learned, although expressed in a 
 manner unique, and even in such a way as to provoke a 
 smile, will yet address themselves with force to the sympa 
 thies of every real student ; see 38 : 24 34. 
 
 Some of the writer s similes are quite peculiar. Thus, 
 speaking of himself as having many thoughts to communi 
 cate, he says: " I am filled as the moon at the full," 39 : 12. 
 In the doctrine of evil spirits who inflict vengeance, he is a 
 full believer, 39 : 28. Yet there are no special traits of 
 superstition, or Pharisaic views respecting the worth of 
 legal rights and ceremonies; indeed, the direct contrary 
 seems to be taught, in 8:9. 
 
 Throughout the book, there is a high moral and religious 
 tone. The great doctrine of retribution is everywhere 
 advanced, as in the book of Proverbs and Coheleth. 
 Yet the immortality of the soul, and future rewards and 
 punishments, are rather implied, than expressly taught; 
 plainly they are not taught as in Wisdom 2 : 23. 3 : 1 3, 
 al. So far as the interests of religion are concerned, the 
 book, with the exception of a very few verses, might be 
 joined with our Canon of Scripture, without any serious 
 injury. But with all the good which it contains, and the 
 many prudential and excellent maxims which it inculcates, 
 one cannot help the feeling, while reading it, that it is quite 
 different from anything in the Old Testament or the New. 
 Indeed, it is plainly a true copy of a pious Jew s feelings, 
 
15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIRACH. 97 
 
 at the time when the book was written. But we find in it 
 no Messianic hopes, and no certain index to the then pre 
 vailing opinions of the Jews, in relation to this great subject. 
 This seems strange ; and the more so, as chaps, xliv 1. con 
 tain a eulogy of distinguished men, in the regular order, for 
 the most part, of Jewish history. This last composition, by 
 the way, is widely distinguished from all the rest of the 
 book ; not so much by mere style and manner, as by a long- 
 protracted discourse or eulogy, which ends with the famous 
 high-priest, Simon, one of the Maccabees, and drops the 
 subject with him, without an attempt to look into the future 
 condition of the Jewish people, or at any deliverer of them 
 from their oppressions by the heathen. 
 
 That they were under such oppression, when the author 
 wrote, is plain. Such passages as 36 : 1 14. 51:2 11. 50: 
 24 29, and others which might be adduced, clearly show this. 
 But before the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Jews had 
 been treated with more or less severity alternately by both the 
 Egyptian and Syrian kings, and also by their neighbors, the 
 Samaritans ; see 50: 25, 26. Strong as 36 : 1 14 seems to 
 be, it would probably have been much stronger had it been 
 written under Epiphanes. It should be noted, that foreign 
 rulers are complained of, and not native Jewish rulers. 
 
 Nothing is clearer, than that the author was, through and 
 through, a genuine Palestine Jew. His literature is all 
 sacred ; his circle of knowledge merely scriptural. He is 
 familiar with all parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, and alludes 
 to passages almost without number, in Prov., Job, Coheleth, 
 the Pent., and also the Psalms and Prophets. Yet he has 
 hardly ever quoted literally. He puts new costume on 
 ancient personages, and so presents them to the reader, that 
 the latter is sometimes at a loss to discover where they have 
 been found or met with ; comp. e. g. Prov. 17 : 2 with Sir. 10 : 
 25 ; Prov. 18 : 12 with Sir. 10 : 7. One thing is remarkable, 
 considering that he lived at a time when Greek domination 
 9 
 
98 15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIRACH. 
 
 had been exercised for two centuries over nil hither Asia, 
 and of course Greek literature had been widely diffused, 
 viz. that still, Si rack never manifests any acquaintance with it; 
 a matter in which he greatly differs from the author of 
 the book of Wisdom, who was thoroughly a Graecizing Jew, 
 as to extent of knowledge. 
 
 It is specially to be noted also, that there is, in this Jewish 
 writer, not a spice of Midrash or Haggadoth ; no curious, 
 conceited, allegorical, or mystical interpretations of the Heb. 
 Scriptures. This is the more remarkable, since Philo of 
 Alexandria everywhere abounds so much in them. But 
 such seems to have been the difference between the Alexan 
 drine and the Palestine taste, about the commencement of 
 the Christian era. The Targum on the Proverbs, and the 
 early Peshito version of the same book, speak plainly as to 
 the same point, and shows that the mystical and allegorical 
 among the proper Jews, was an exotic of later growth, 
 although, when once domesticated, it flourished among the 
 Rabbins belonging to the dispersed Jews, beyond all example 
 elsewhere. 
 
 Whoever washes to make a comparison of this peculiar 
 book of Sirach with the Proverbs, may select for a main 
 topic that of Wisdom. Let him now compare Sir. chap. i. 
 4:1110. G:18 33. 14:2027; and most of all, let him 
 compare 24:1 25: 12, with Prov. viii. ix., the former 
 being designed as a kind of counterpart of the latter. Sirach 
 is, indeed, not destitute of some fine sentences and noble 
 sentiments ; but as a whole, how striking the difference 
 between the imitation and the original! In the former, there 
 are many things which might well be spared, because they 
 are superfluous, and which one would rather wish to see 
 Stricken out, because they approach the declamatory, and 
 almost border on the puerile. In point of real fact, the 
 imitation, when placed beside the origir.:; ! , ran hardly be 
 said to be anything more than a failure, pardonable, per- 
 
13. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIHACH. 99 
 
 haps, but still rendering the picture unworthy of the high 
 rank of that in the proper book of Proverbs. 
 
 Everywhere the well-informed reader will find material 
 for comparison between Sir. and the O. Test. It would be 
 useless to occupy room here with a list of such passages ; for 
 they occur on almost every page. 
 
 On the whole, as a specimen of Jewish thought, feeling, 
 ethics, and religion ; also of Jewish exegesis and theology ; 
 during the interval between the disappearance of the proph 
 ets and the coming of Christ, the book before us is well 
 deserving of critical attention. It will richly repay the 
 student, by the enlarged views it will give him of ancient 
 Heb. customs, manners, and modes of thinking and writing. 
 Had such a book come from the hand of a heathen Greek, it 
 would probably have found ten commentators, where it now 
 has obtained one ; and long since it would have been made 
 a part of a classical course of study. As it is, few now even 
 read it ; much fewer study it ; and yet it has more sound, 
 prudential, ethical, and religious precept in it, than the whole 
 body of Greek and Roman moralizers, from Socrates down to 
 jMarcus Antoninus. I know of no good reason, why a He 
 brew writer, who has higher eminence as a moralist and a 
 religionist, should be put in a place below those to whom he 
 is actually superior. It is true, that the Greek of Sirach is 
 not as attractive as that of Plato and Xenophon ; but to me it 
 seems not much inferior to that of Epictetus or of Plutarch. 
 
 After all, as has already been said, the book does not, in 
 spirit and manner, seem like to the books either of the New- 
 Testament or of the Old. There are some things in it, which 
 are trivial and unimportant ; there are many which are 
 mediocre ; while, at the same time, much of it would make 
 no unworthy addition to the book of Proverbs itself. In 
 animation, however, in graphic sketching, in energy, and in 
 the power of making a deep impression, the latter book must 
 ever bo regarded as quite preeminent. Tin s indeed, of itself. 
 
100 15. BOOK OF THE SON OF SIKACII. 
 
 would not decide that Sirach should be excluded from the 
 Canon. But inasmuch as some of the sentiments (e. g. that 
 of alms making an atonement) are plainly wrong ; since the 
 author makes no claim to inspiration ; and since the book was 
 professedly compiled long after the succession of Heb. proph 
 ets had ceased, and accordingly has never been recognized by 
 the Jews as an inspired book, or admitted to their Canon, 
 although originally written (as Jerome testifies) in Hebrew ; 
 we cannot accede to the Romish arrangement, which includes 
 it among the books of Scripture, even when this inclusion is 
 qualified by naming the book deutero-canonical. 
 
 One thing, at least, is demonstrated by the existence of such 
 a book, viz. that the proverbial literature of the Hebrews, if 
 we may so speak, was exceedingly rich. The first Prologue, 
 (from the hand of Pseudo-Athanasius, in Synopsis Scrip- 
 turae Sac.), says that the author collected most of his book 
 " from the grave and short sentences of wise men," and also 
 "uttered some of his own." This, although no authentic 
 declaration, at least shows what the opinion of the Christian 
 fathers in the fourth century was, and in itself it looks quite 
 probable. How many of these gnomes had come down 
 traditionally from Solomon himself among the Hebrews, we 
 cannot determine ; but that many of them were ancient, and 
 sanctioned by popular and long-continued use, seems quite 
 probable. It would be difficult to find such copious gnomic 
 stores among any other nation. The Arabians, indeed, are 
 very rich in this particular, as has been noted above ; but a 
 large portion of their maxims and pointed sayings have an 
 historical basis ; like to our rich as Croesus ; cruel as Nero ; 
 ambitious as Alexander, and the like. In moral and religious 
 gnomes, we could not expect them to abound as the Hebrews 
 do. The simple fact, that such a vast store of gnomes, 
 moral, religious, and prudential, existed among the Hebrews, 
 shows that their minds had been busy with subjects of this 
 nature, beyond any of their heathen neighbors. In fine, the 
 
15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 101 
 
 book before us, which displays the richness of these stores, 
 has claims on the attention of all who read the Hebrew 
 Scriptures, and wish to study the Hebrew character. Nor 
 will a proper attention to it be without a due reward. 
 
 H. THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 
 
 Such is the current title of a book, belonging to the Apoc 
 rypha, and which seems to have been regarded by many as 
 one of the genuine works of Solomon. It is useless, at this 
 time, to refute at large an opinion which has so little in 
 its favor. The question has long been regarded by most 
 critics as settled, that the production is from a much later 
 hand, from some person who lived in Egypt and was a 
 Jew, but who was extensively acquainted with the literature, 
 the manners and customs, the superstitious and idolatrous 
 rites, of Egypt and of all the countries in hither Asia. Two 
 considerations suffice to show, that Solomon had no con 
 cern in the composition of this book. The first is, that the 
 style is for the most part utterly discrepant from the plain 
 and simple style of the Proverbs ; the second, that refer 
 ences are everywhere made in it to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and 
 other late sacred writers, who lived some centuries after 
 Solomon was dead. To these arguments we might add 
 others, scarcely less decisive, viz. that the book was orig 
 inally written in Greek (no Hebrew original being ever 
 mentioned as known) ; and also that it is filled with most 
 demonstrative evidences of the knowledge of Alexandrine 
 Platonism, as it existed at or near the time of Philo Judaeus, 
 among the disciples of the later Platonism. 
 
 Hence, even in ancient times, the more discerning among 
 the Christian fathers rejected it from the Canon. The Jews 
 never admitted it. To Philo and Josephus it was unknown ; 
 at least, it is not mentioned by either of them. Athanasius, 
 Cyrill Hieros., Gregory Nazianz., and Epiphanius, declare 
 it to be apocryphal ; and Origen omits it, in his catalogue 
 
 9* 
 
102 15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 
 
 of canonical writers. It is almost needless to add, that all 
 enlightened modern and Protestant critics reject it from the 
 Canon. 
 
 It is much easier to show that Solomon was not the author 
 of the book before us, than to show who did write it. It has 
 been attributed to Zerubbabel (J. M. Faber) ; also to Philo 
 the elder (Drusius), a contemporary of Demetrius Phalereus, 
 in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphia, and mentioned by 
 Josephus, Cont. Apion. I. 23. For the former no good his 
 torical reason is alleged ; for the latter, it is enough to say, 
 that Philo the elder was a heathen, while the book of Wisdom 
 discloses, in every page, the hand of a pious and zealous 
 Jew, intimately acquainted with all parts of the Jewish 
 Scriptures. Not a few have attributed the book to Philo 
 Judaeus ; and even in Jerome s time, there were some who 
 were of this opinion, as he tells us in his Pref. ad Lib. Sap. 
 Many things seem to favor this opinion. A large number 
 of maxims, ideas, and hypotheses are found to be alike in 
 both. The coloring of New Platonism is common to both. 
 The like knowledge of Egypt, and of literature in general, 
 is common to both ; and so far as time is concerned, Philo 
 may have been the author, for he was born some twenty or 
 twenty-five years before the Christian era. But Eichhorn 
 (Einl. iv. s. 166, seq.) has shown beyond all question, that 
 the discrepancies between Philo and the book of Wisdom, 
 are too numerous and too important to admit of sameness 
 of authorship. The agreements are sufficiently accounted 
 for, on the ground that the author, whoever he was, lived in 
 the same country, and at or near the same time, as Philo. 
 Two men, brought up in the same philosophico-religious 
 school, and surrounded by the same people and the same 
 objects, must needs hold many opinions, and have many 
 views, in common. Nothing can be more certain, than that 
 the theological views of the author of Wisdom, are different, 
 in many respects very different, from those of Philo. The 
 
15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 103 
 
 latter, in his views of the Godhead and of sin and holiness, 
 was half a Platonic heathen, as Dorner has fully shown, 
 corap. in Biblioth. Sac. 1850, p. GOG, seq. ; the former is true 
 to his Jewish origin and his religion. A holy God, making 
 retribution to sinners, and rewarding the just, stands out in 
 high relief, from every page of the book of Wisdom. In 
 Philo s hands, sin and holiness, in their appropriate scrip 
 tural sense, scarcely develop themselves in a prominent way. 
 There have not been wanting some of high name, who 
 regard the book as of Christian origin. So Bunsen, in his 
 book on the Church of the Future. Dr. Nitzsch, of Bonn, 
 (Deuts. Zeitschrift, 1850, No. 47, seq.), has fully answered 
 his allegations, and shown the utter improbability of such a 
 supposition. Indeed, I know not how one can carefully 
 read the whole book, and then cherish such an opinion. 
 There is not one word about a Christ, present or to come, in 
 the whole book. There is not even a Messianic longing or 
 hope expressed in it. After a careful examination of those 
 passages which are alleged to have their basis in the New- 
 Testament, I have found none which did not admit of 
 another solution. E. g. Wisd. 15 : 3 is compared with John 
 17: 3, but may easily be referred to Jer. 9 : 24 ; so Wisd. 
 15 : 7 is referred to Rom. 9: 21, but may be easily traced 
 to Jer. 18: 6, or to Is. 64: 8. Again, Wisd. 14 : 2527 is 
 referred to Rom. 1 : 28 32. But the two descriptions need 
 not be so regarded, as if the one were dependent on the 
 other, (for there is considerable dissimilitude), but viewed 
 as springing from a like source, viz. a thorough knowledge 
 of heathen character. And so of all the other cases, where 
 similarity is said to exist, it either springs from a common 
 source of quotation, i. e. the Old Testament, or else from 
 a knowledge of facts common to both, or from traditionary 
 exegesis. It was impossible for a real Christian to write 
 a book so religious, and not once recognize the religion of 
 Christ as already existing, or about to be introduced. 
 
104 15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 
 
 Of all the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, the one 
 before us stands preeminent as to an express recognition of 
 the immortality of the soul, and of a future retribution of the 
 righteous and the wicked ; see 1 : 15. 2:23. 3 : 1, 4. 4:7 
 10, 14, 19. The supremacy of the Godhead; his wise provi 
 dence ; his hatred of sin, specially of idolatry ; his propensity 
 to mercy ; and his love to the obedient, are everywhere 
 displayed and insisted on in such a way, as that the book, 
 in respect to its main constituents, might very safely be 
 admitted to at least a deutero-canonical rank. But hardly 
 could we place it higher. In 11 : 17, we have a declaration 
 which indeed is not altogether clear, but which seems 
 somewhat plainly to recognize the Platonic doctrine, that 
 God did not create, but only arranged and adorned matter 
 without form : " Thy hand formed the world, dpoQCpov 
 vlr^g ; " (contrary to the spirit of Gen. 1: 13). Chap. 8 : 20 
 indicates plainly the preexistence of human souls, before their 
 union with bodies. Much coloring also is given to various 
 parts of the book, by the Platonism of the writer ; uncon 
 sciously developed, it may be, but still, as the book now is, 
 this serves to distinguish the whole of it very widely from 
 both the Old Testament and the New. In a word, since the 
 Jews have never acknowledged the book as canonical, we 
 may well accede to their judgment in the matter, at least if 
 we regard a prophetic origin as necessary to make a book 
 sacred ; or, if we demand of a book that, in order to be 
 ranked as canonical, it must present internal evidence of 
 close resemblance to the admitted Hebrew Scriptures, that 
 resemblance cannot be found here. That the book before 
 us can claim neither the one nor the other of these charac 
 teristics, must be admitted by every discerning and candid 
 reader. 
 
 Still, it is a highly distinguished and deeply religious 
 book. Its author was extensively read in the learning of 
 the times, and all Egypt and hither Asia are evidently 
 
15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 105 
 
 before him, and his allusions extend even to some of the 
 Parsi religious notions, as well as to the different modes of 
 idolatry. It is a book which deserves much more attention 
 than it has received ; and one on which, I may add, we have 
 no tolerable commentary in our language. 
 
 But our specific object is not a critique at large upon the 
 book. We have said thus much, merely to give the reader 
 a general view. Our more particular purpose of comparison 
 with the Proverbs, must now be pursued. 
 
 Like the Proverbs, it exhibits a large number "of gnomic 
 precepts, couched in parallelisms ; but these in general are 
 of the looser kind, and savor somewhat of the prosaic. Still, 
 the number of verses, which contain three, four, or more 
 clauses, is quite large, and specially frequent in the middle 
 and close of the book. Many of these are merely a kind of 
 measured prose. There is also a very considerable number 
 of verses, which contain only one clause. Indeed, such is 
 the internal structure of the book, on the whole, that we can 
 hardly suppose the writer to have designed to write poeti 
 cally, I mean as to measure. It stands out prominently 
 and widely distinguished from the generality of the book of 
 Proverbs in these respects. 
 
 But inasmuch as the writer personates Solomon, and 
 represents him as speaking, we naturally expect that he 
 would have his eye on the writings of the wise king, and in 
 many respects aim at imitating them. This he has done ; 
 but how successfully, each one can decide for himself, who 
 will take the pains to compare some of the topics which are 
 common to both books. We must limit ourselves here, how 
 ever, to one principal topic, which constitutes the leading 
 similitude between the two books. As Solomon was counted 
 the wisest of men, and as he has presented us with a sublime 
 and striking picture of Wisdom, in Prov. i ix., specially in 
 chap, viii., so the writer of the book before us, has, directly 
 or indirectly, pursued this topic throughout his book. In 
 
106 15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 
 
 Part I. (chap, i vi.), which is addressed to magistrates and 
 kings, he points out the counsel which Wisdom gives, in 
 order that they may live uprightly and do good to others. 
 In this counsel is included many a maxim, which is of a 
 generic nature, and might well stand in the book of Proverbs. 
 
 These admonitions being completed, the writer next pro 
 ceeds, in imitation of Prov. viii., to eulogize and personify 
 Wisdom. Chaps, vii ix. are occupied with this subject, and 
 with the expression of the writer s earnest desire, to enjoy 
 the teachings of Wisdom. Chaps, x xix. are occupied with 
 exhibiting the blessings conferred by wisdom on the good, 
 and the severe penalties which she inflicts on the foolish or 
 wicked ; specially on those who are devoted to idol-worship. 
 The example of punishment, taken from the plagues of 
 Egypt, is repeatedly introduced, and the writer dwells upon 
 these plagues, and adorns his style with much rhetorical dic 
 tion, and by the accumulation of splendid, and many of them 
 poetical, images. But alas ! he has overdone the matter, 
 and displayed not a little of erroneous taste and artificial 
 rhetoric. Is this to be attributed to the wise king? No; a 
 writer so artificially ornate, and showy, and sometimes all 
 but declamatory, can never have been Solomon himself, nor 
 even any one who had caught either his style, or his simple 
 manner of thinking. 
 
 Yet with this occasionally swelling and pompous rhetoric, 
 and the evident efforts to write finely, there is intermingled 
 many a vivid image, and many a truly eloquent thought. 
 The later Grecian rhetoric everywhere gleams through ; but 
 this does not wholly obscure or suppress what is highly 
 worthy of perusal. 
 
 I have already mentioned, that WISDOM is the leading 
 topic of the book, Wisdom as she is in herself, and Wis 
 dom as exhibited in the practical instruction and guidance 
 of men. We must dwell for a moment on this subject. 
 
 I would premise here, that Goyia is the more usual word, 
 
15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 107 
 
 employed to designate that wisdom of God which is mani 
 fested in his word and in his works. It has two other names, 
 which, as employed in this book, are of nearly or quite the 
 same import. It is sometimes spoken of as nvzvua, and 
 sometimes as P.oj Oj,*. These are, indeed, too plainly of the 
 same substantial import, to need any argument in the way 
 of confirmation, 
 
 The Wisdom or Word of God is personified in the repre 
 sentation ; and sometimes, as an energizing influence, it is 
 said to be diffused over all creation, and to dwell in and 
 guide the good and pious. A few expressions must be 
 quoted to enable the reader to make a comparison with 
 Wisdom, as exhibited in the book of Proverbs. 
 
 Wisd. 1: 6. Wisdom is a loving Spirit ... (7) For the Spirit of the 
 Lord filleth the world, and . . . containeth all things. 6: 12. Wisdom 
 is glorious, and never fadcth away. 
 
 In chap. vii. the writer goes on to show how ardently 
 Solomon desired communion with Wisdom, and what uni 
 versal knowledge of men and things she communicated to 
 him, 7: 1 21. Personifying her, the writer then proceeds 
 as follows : 
 
 V. 22. Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me, for in 
 her is an intelligent spirit : holy, one only, manifold, subtile, mobile, 
 clear, undented, perspicuous, incapable of harm, loving good, quick, 
 incapable of hindrance, prone to do good, (23) Philanthropic, stead 
 fast, sure, free from care, all-powerful, overseeing all things, pervading 
 all intelligent, pure, and most subtile spirits ; (24) For Wisdom is 
 more mobile than all motion ; she passeth through and pervadeth all 
 things by reason of purencss ; (25) For she is the breath of the power 
 of God. and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty ; there 
 fore no defiled thing can light upon her; (26) For she is the radiance 
 of everlasting Light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and 
 the image of his goodness*, (27) And although but one, she is able to 
 do all things, and remaining in herself she makcth all things anew ; 
 and in all ages, passing into pious souls, she maketh them friends and 
 prophets of God. (28) For God loveth no one, except him who dwell- 
 
108 15. WISDOM OP SOLOMON. 
 
 eth in Wisdom ; (29) For she is more beautiful than the sun, and 
 above all the arrangement of the stars ; compared with the light, she 
 is found superior to it. (30) Night indeed will follow, but it will not 
 prevail against Wisdom. 
 
 From tbis soaring and adventurous flight of fancy and 
 philosophy, the writer descends, in order to relate the doings 
 of Wisdom in Solomon and in others, in chap. viii. " God only 
 can bestow Wisdom," he says at the close, " and she is to be 
 obtained only by prayer." Chap. ix. exhibits a specimen of 
 praying for her ; and Solomon is alleged to have uttered 
 such a prayer. The rest of the book exhibits the doings of 
 Wisdom, in respect to the righteous and the wicked, by de 
 tailing a series of historical events recorded in, and drawn 
 from, the O. Testament. Very much of it is occupied with 
 inveighing against idolatry ; and scarcely anywhere can be 
 found more indignant sarcasm and cutting reproof in respect 
 to this sin. Chaps, xvi xviii. are occupied with a vivid, 
 highly wrought, and in many respects poetic, picture of the 
 plagues of Egypt ; which is brought to a close by a descrip 
 tion of that terrible night, in which all the first-born were 
 stricken dead. The awful executioner, on this occasion, is 
 thus described : 
 
 18 : 15. Thine Almighty Word leaped down from heaven, out of 
 thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war, into the midst of a land de 
 voted to destruction ; (16) And brought thine unfeigned command 
 ment as a sharp sword, and standing up, filled all things with death. 
 It touched the heaven, while it stood on the earth. 
 
 Such are the views of the writer before us, on the subject 
 of the Wisdom or Word of God; views partly Platonic and 
 partly Hebraistic. To deny that they are in some respects 
 sublime, would be to do the author injustice. Not a few of 
 his conceptions are indeed lofty, and morally pure, and 
 highly spiritual. An immeasurable distinction between 
 Wisdom and any corporeal personage, is everywhere kept 
 
15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 109 
 
 up. Yet plainly the whole is personification merely, and 
 Wisdom is not a hypostatic or personal substance. 
 
 A single look will tell the whole story of the difference 
 between the picture before us, and the truly sublime and 
 simple representation in Prov. viii. We turn away from 
 the comparison, after making it, with almost a rising dislike 
 of the picture by the later and factitious Solomon, when 
 viewed in connection with that of the original and real one. 
 Later Grecian philosophers and rhetoricians might applaud 
 the book of Wisdom ; for its style is adapted to their taste. 
 We too may admire its lofty religious tone, its high and 
 reverential regard for the God of the Bible, and its deep- 
 toned abhorrence of heathen pollution and idolatry. We 
 may well wonder, indeed, that there is so little in the book 
 which will give any offence to a well-informed Christian 
 mind. The author, beyond a doubt, was a person of uncom 
 mon piety and zeal for religion, so far as he knew what con 
 stituted true religion. We find in him neither Pharisaism 
 nor Sadduceeism. He seems to have been a true and 
 warm-hearted disciple of Moses ; while he was, as it were, 
 unconsciously a disciple of the later Platonism. 
 
 Hence the conclusion, that he was not a Christian. A 
 man of feelings so ardent, must have spoken out plainly 
 and fully concerning the Messiah. But not one word about 
 such a personage, either as already come, or to come. The 
 idea of a spiritual Messiah seems, indeed, to have been 
 mostly given up among the Jews who lived at, or some 
 time before, the beginning of the Christian era. A temporal 
 deliverer was all they in general expected ; at any rate, no 
 other appears in the books of Wisdom and of the Son of 
 Sirach. In fact, it is quite doubtful whether we can find 
 even such an one, who is a specific person. I am aware, 
 indeed, that some have referred Wisd. 2: 12 22 to the 
 persecution and death of Christ, because "the just man" 
 who is persecuted, is called "the son of God (v. 18). But 
 10 
 
110 15. WISDOM OF SOLOMON. 
 
 this cannot prove anything important to the purpose in 
 question, because, in the idiomatic language of the Jews, all 
 good men were called the children of God. The passage is 
 in its nature too general to admit of the specific application 
 in question. The sequel to the text before us shows plainly, 
 that the just man (in v. 18) is only a type or representative 
 of the righteous in general ; see specially 3 : 1 7. The pas 
 sage in 3 : 8, is the only one that seems to be Messianic : 
 " They [the just] shall judge the nations, and have domin 
 ion over the people ; and their Lord shall reign forever." 
 The context shows, that this designates merely the ultimate 
 triumph of the righteous, and the establishment of a per 
 petual kingdom by him who is the Guardian and Guide of 
 just men. It might be Messianic, if the context called for 
 such a meaning ; but as it is, the context does not seem to 
 allow of this interpretation. 
 
 What is there, then, in all the book, to determine its age ? 
 Nothing, excepting that the want of any reference to Christ, 
 as already come, or near at hand, shows that the writer was 
 not a Christian. The address to judges and kings, in i vi., 
 gives strong evidence that oppression and violence were 
 then and there rife. The severe reproaches of idolatry in 
 x xix. show, moreover, that the writer was much annoyed 
 by idol-rites and worship. He could not, therefore, have 
 lived in Palestine, where idolatry never flourished, after the 
 return from the Babylonish exile ; but, as the tenor of his 
 work shows, he must have been a resident in Egypt. If he 
 had lived at or near the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, 
 then was there in Egypt, at that time, a mingled and motley 
 throng of idol-worshippers, the old Egyptians or Copts, the 
 Greeks, and the Romans, who had recently added Egypt to 
 their domain. Doubtless these different nations had a rival 
 spirit in the performance of their religious rites, and there 
 fore exhibited much zeal in the prosecution of them. All 
 of them were idolaters, although of different classes. This 
 
16. GENERAL REMARKS. Ill 
 
 fact will well account for the phase of the last part of the 
 book of Wisdom. The book may have been written in 
 Philo s time, for he was born some twenty or twenty-five 
 years B. c. ; but clearly it was not written by him ; at least 
 if diversity in the style, and in the manner of treating sub 
 jects, can decide anything in respect to such a question. 
 The probability is, therefore, that some pious Jew, whose 
 name is not given, either not long before, or else a little 
 after the birth of Christ, wrote the book of Wisdom. It is 
 singular, indeed, that his book is so free from all expres 
 sions, which might help to determine the exact period in 
 which he lived. 
 
 At all events, however, while we have abundance of man 
 ifest tokens that he meant to tread in the steps of Solomon, 
 inasmuch as he had assumed his name, we yet see, in the 
 most convincing manner, how insufficient Grecian art and 
 philosophy are, to enable a writer to imitate the genuine 
 Hebrew authors, who were under the leadings of divine 
 inspiration. The deep conviction of all this, which the 
 study of the book of Wisdom gives, is enough to repay the 
 reader amply for the labor which that study costs. 
 
 1 6. General Remarks on the Proverbs of the Hebrews. 
 
 We have now come to a position, in which we can survey 
 to advantage the ground of proverbial lore among the He 
 brews. We have seen how very extensive it was, even so 
 early as the days of Solomon, " who spake three thousand 
 proverbs," 1 Kings 5 : 32. Nothing is plainer than that, 
 when the book of Proverbs was written, or at any rate 
 when it was finally completed, there were great multi 
 tudes of proverbs which had been originated by others, as 
 well as by Solomon, and which were then current among the 
 Hebrews. The work of Jesus Sirach shows us a very 
 large number, which were current nearly two hundred 
 
112 16. GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 years B. c. The author of the book of Wisdom has exhib 
 ited many more, which are incorporated with the body of 
 his work. At a later period still, we have a large accession 
 also in the Pirqe Abhoth, or Maxims of the Fathers, among 
 the Mishnical Tracts. Had we the whole in one body, and 
 if to these were added the many gnomes scattered up and 
 down the Mishna and the Talmud, such a book would con 
 stitute a Corpus ProvcrUorum not to be equalled, perhaps, by 
 the proverbs of any other nation. 
 
 It is thus that the want of means to publish and circu 
 late books, occasions an active and energetic people to 
 embody the result of their experience and reflections in 
 short and pithy sentences, which are easily impressed on 
 the mind, and are easily remembered for a long time. In 
 this way, traces of the mental energy of an unlearned 
 people do not perish or wholly disappear, by the progress 
 of time ; for their character and their wisdom are enstamped 
 on the gnomes and apothegms which are perpetuated by 
 tradition. 
 
 There is a still more interesting point of view, in which 
 we may contemplate this matter. The proverbs of a nation 
 exhibit in reality, as has already been remarked, a history 
 of its social, moral, and religious culture or condition. Max 
 ims and gnomes are perpetuated among any people, only 
 because they accord with their feelings, views, and reason 
 ings. Of course, they are unmistakable intimations of its 
 social, moral, and religious views or condition. No history 
 of its external relations, of its wars and conquests, or even 
 of its political revolutions, can give us such an insight into 
 the character and genius of a nation, as the current maxims 
 which regulate their every day life. In these are embodied 
 the mental reasonings, the moral feelings, the social propen 
 sities, and (in a word) the whole character of the interior 
 man. And hence we might confidently say : Place before 
 us the whole store of popular proverbs among any people of 
 
16. GENERAL REMARKS. 113 
 
 ancient times, and we will tell you to what pitch of civiliza 
 tion, refinement, and moral culture they have arrived. 
 
 Highly important, then, in respect to a knowledge of that 
 most distinguished people, the ancient Hebrews, is the gnomic 
 lore, which has, through various channels, descended to us. 
 Their external history, important as it is, makes them far less 
 known to us, than this internal one. Consequently, as has 
 been intimated before, he who intends to become extensively 
 acquainted with their whole and true character, must study 
 it as developed in their proverbs. 
 
 It has often been said : " Give me the privilege and power 
 of composing the popular ballads of any people, and I will 
 readily concede to you all other means of moulding and con 
 forming them to your wishes." This may be true as to 
 cherishing a military or a patriotic spirit ; and perhaps it 
 may reach even farther than this. But I would say with 
 double emphasis : " Give me the power and privilege of 
 composing all of a nation s proverbs, and of making them 
 popular and current, and all you can do with books and 
 treatises will have less influence upon the mass of them, than 
 the homely maxims which are in every body s mouth and in 
 every heart." 
 
 I would further remark, that, if we may judge of the ancient 
 Hebrew nation by their proverbial lore, we must surely place 
 them in an elevated rank among the nations of former times, 
 as to their social, moral, and religious views. In vain do we 
 go to Hindoostan, to Persia, to Arabia, to Greece, or to Rome, 
 for any such body of popular maxims to regulate both the 
 heart and life, as we find among the Hebrews. In all this, 
 the elevating influence of the Old Testament religion on the 
 national character becomes a plain and palpable fact. In 
 literary cultivation the Greeks exceeded them ; and in later 
 times, the Romans. But this kind of cultivation seems to 
 have produced but a partial influence on the moral and 
 religious state of those heathen nations. And although bad 
 10* 
 
114 17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 
 
 men among the Hebrews were never wanting, in any age, 
 yet that the mass of the nation should have chosen and re 
 tained the gnomic precepts that have been recorded in their 
 books, is evidence not to be gainsayed of their superior moral 
 culture, and of their general social and moral condition. 
 
 Having ventured on such an assertion, I must crave the 
 liberty to offer some specimens of heathen proverbs in order 
 to substantiate it. I can of course present here only a few 
 of these ; and that few I shall confine to the nations of 
 Arabia and of Greece, who bordered on Palestine. What I 
 do select, will be limited, moreover, to those only which ap 
 pear to be among the more important, and which are most 
 worthy of the comparison in question. The great mass of 
 them, (which are indeed not without significance, but are 
 comparatively less important), I must of necessity omit. 
 
 17. Specimen of Arabic Proverbs. 
 
 In the second edition of Erpenius s Arabic Grammar, with 
 Notes by A. Schultens, is inserted, among other things, 
 and in the way of helping to make out a Chrestomathy, a 
 Century of Arabic Proverbs, i. e. a hundred proverbs, selected 
 from the large mass of Arabic proverbial lore. The design 
 of these is to present specimens of the best part of this species 
 of composition. From these I shall select and translate as 
 many as the present occasion will allow, in order that the 
 reader may compare them with the Proverbs of Solomon. 
 The numbers prefixed, correspond to those prefixed in Erpe- 
 nius ; so that the original Arabic may be easily found and 
 compared, by any one desirous of so doing. 
 
 (1 ) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. 
 
 (2) The learned man. in his own native land, is like gold in the 
 mine. 
 
 (3) He who regards himself as a wise man. both God and man will 
 regard him as an ignorant one. 
 
17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 115 
 
 (4) Whoever desireth to become powerful in wisdom, he must not 
 let women rule over him. 
 
 (5) It is easier to withdraw a malicious man from his malice, than 
 a melancholy one from his sadness. 
 
 (6) Beware of him, whom thou knowest not well. 
 
 (7) He who is borne onward in the chariot of hope, will have pov 
 erty for a companion. 
 
 (9) In the head of an orphan, the surgeon obtaineth knowledge for 
 himself. 
 
 (11) It is better for thee to keep thine own secret, than that others 
 should keep it for thce. 
 
 (15) A fool who is his own enemy, how can he be the friend of 
 another? 
 
 (18) Long experience is increase of knowledge. 
 
 (19) If all men should become wise, the world would be depopulated. 
 
 (20) Kobbery taketh away much wealth. 
 
 (21) Sloth and much sleep remove from God, and bring on poverty. 
 
 (23) Do good, if you desire others to do good to you. 
 
 (24) Correct thyself that thou mayest correct others. 
 
 (25) The beginning of anger is madness, and its end is sorrow. 
 
 (27) The man whom concupiscence overcomcth, will perish. 
 
 (28) Religious duty slayeth concupiscence. 
 
 (29) A wise enemy is better than a friend who is a fool. 
 
 (30) To abstain from coveting, is to be rich. 
 
 (32) Poverty is better than forbidden riches and unjust gain. 
 
 (33) The tongue of a mute is better than the tongue of him who 
 uttereth falsehood. . 
 
 (34) The worst of men, is a learned man who profiteth not by his 
 learning. 
 
 (35) There are two who are never satisfied ; he who seeketh after 
 learning, and he who seeketh after wealth. 
 
 (36) A person without instruction is a body without a soul. 
 (39) He who multiplieth words, will slip up. 
 
 (41) A learned man in exile, is better than a pensioned fool. 
 
 (42) Hear and learn ; keep silence and have peace. 
 
 (46) Patience is the key of joy, but haste is the key of penitence. 
 
 (48) He who justified! himself without being blamed, will bring 
 blame upon himself. 
 
 (50) Three are not profited by three, the noble by the ignoble, meu 
 of probity by those without probity, the wise man by the fool. 
 
116 17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 
 
 (52) He is the wisest man, who looketh at the end. 
 
 (53) Three things are unknown, except in three places; bravery 
 is not known except in war, a wise man is not known except in anger, 
 nor a friend except in time of need. 
 
 (54) He who cannot tell good from evil, must be joined with beasts. 
 
 (56) A wise man is not wise, until he has conquered all his lusts. 
 
 (57) He who maketh experiments, increaseth knowledge; he who 
 taketh everything upon trust, increaseth error. 
 
 (59) When thou hast uttered a word, it hath the mastery over thee ; 
 when thou hast not uttered it, thou hast the mastery over it. 
 (61 ) Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. 
 (64) He who praiseth obscurity perpctuateth it. 
 (66) The love of the world and of riches is the source of all sin. 
 (69) Whatever is in the hands of a servant belongeth to his master. 
 (71 ) The world is a carcase, and they who seek it are dogs. 
 
 (74) Reckon not thyself with men, so long as anger getteth the 
 better of thee. 
 
 (75) Be content with what Godgiveth, and thou shalt be rich. 
 
 (76) Abstinence is a tree, whose root is contentment and its fruit 
 quietude. 
 
 (76) The visitor is in the grasp of him who is visited. 
 
 (79) A camel kneeleth down in the place of a camel. 
 
 (80) The world consisteth of a sufficiency, and not of an abundance. 
 (83) Hare visits increase love. 
 
 (86) Perfection consisteth in three things; devotion in religion, 
 patience in adversity, and prudence in life. 
 
 (87) A ruler without justice is a river without water. 
 
 (89) Learning without action is like a cloud without rain. 
 
 (90) He who honoreth his father, prolongeth his days. 
 
 (91) A rich man without liberality is like a tree without fruit. 
 
 (92) A poor man without patience is like a lamp without oil. 
 
 (93) A youth without penitence is like a house without a roof. 
 
 (94) A woman without modesty is like meat without salt. 
 
 (95) One day of the learned man is worth the whole life of an 
 unlearned one. 
 
 (98) Show not thine enmity to thine enemy, nor to him who 
 envieth thee. 
 
 (99) Undertake nothing, until thou hast well considered it. 
 
 (100) Talk not with a fool, neither have any intercourse with him, 
 for nothing will shame him. 
 
17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 117 
 
 Very few of these maxims need any explanation. Re 
 specting those which may seem doubtful, I will add a word 
 for the sake of the reader. 
 
 In No. 9, the chirurgeon or surgeon is represented as 
 choosing the orphan s head for the purpose of dissection, i. e. 
 of examination. The gist of the proverb lies not in the 
 assertion that knowledge is acquired by dissecting a head, 
 but in the assertion that an orphan s head is selected as the 
 subject of operation. He has no parents to prevent the 
 profanation of his dead body, and to rescue it from a treat 
 ment to which the bodies of criminals only were subjected. 
 The surgeon, desirous of knowledge, ventures on obtaining 
 it by dissection in such a case, without the fear of being 
 brought to punishment. The moral of the gnome seems to 
 be, that men, under pretence of accomplishing something 
 useful, will invade the rights of others who cannot avenge 
 themselves, in order to secure some advantage. 
 
 No. 19 is a sarcasm on women. The somewhat occult 
 meaning is, that if all men were wise, they would abstain 
 from marriage and from sexual intercourse, and so the 
 world would soon become depopulated. In reality, the 
 gnome is the outpouring of bitter irony, against the woes 
 of an unlucky union in marriage. 
 
 No. 79 is of partial application, being used only in refer 
 ence to such things as, being alike, usually follow one another 
 in succession. We say : " Like begets like," to the same 
 purpose. The original imagery is taken from a spring or 
 watering-place, where camels successively kneel to drink, 
 each taking the same attitude and the same place which its 
 predecessor occupied. The general meaning of all the rest 
 of. the proverbs here, will be obvious to every intelligent 
 reader. 
 
 In No. 39, will slip up is the literal meaning of the Ara 
 bic ; we might give the secondary meaning of the Arabic 
 verb, viz., will err. But the other is more graphic. This 
 
113 17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 
 
 corresponds well in sentiment with Ecc. 5:3, "A fool s 
 voice is known by the multitude of words ; " and also to 
 5:7, " Many words are vanities." It is evident at first 
 sight, that the same sentiment for substance is common to 
 all these declarations. 
 
 It will not escape the notice of the considerate reader, 
 how often the Oriental proneness to comparison and meta 
 phor, manifests itself in these very brief maxims. Let him 
 cast his eye over Nos. 7, 36, 46, 76, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94. 
 No. 71 is very striking: "The world is a carcase; and they 
 who .seek it, are dogs." There is a kind of playful but cut 
 ting sarcasm in this ; and above all, when we consider the 
 full tropical import of the word dogs. The like says Paul : 
 " Beware of dogs" Phil. 3:2; and also John, Rev. 22 : 15, 
 " Without are dogs" 
 
 Every one must be struck, moreover, with some surprise, 
 at the numerous maxims that are here found, which corre 
 spond altogether in spirit, and some of them even in diction, 
 with what is said in the Scriptures. Let him compare Nos. 
 1, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 32, 39, 42, 54, 66, 75, 83, 87, 90, 98, 
 99, 100, with corresponding declarations of the Bible, which 
 he may easily find ; for in this way he may learn, how well 
 the morale of the Scriptures corresponds with the conclusions 
 of sober reason and conscience in the breasts of even the 
 heathen, when somewhat enlightened. He may also learn 
 in this way, that Solomon probably adopted many of the 
 maxims of social life as true, and gave them his sanction, 
 not because he composed them de novo, but because they 
 were true. 
 
 In regard to the parallelism, (which we find everywhere 
 prevalent in the proverbial lore of the Hebrews), we find it 
 in Arabic but seldom ; and even then it seems rather to be 
 accidental than expressly designed. Most of the Arabic prov 
 erbs, moreover, are very short, as well as pithy. Yet we now 
 and then meet with a protracted one. like some of the long 
 
17. ARABIC PROVERBS. 119 
 
 ones in the latter part of the book of Proverbs ; No. 53 
 above affords an example. In No. 70 of Erpenius, we have 
 another specimen : " A fool is known by six properties ; that 
 he is angry without reason ; that he speaks useless things ; 
 that he trusts every and any one ; that he changes when 
 there is no reason for change ; that he seeks what does not 
 belong to him ; and that he does not distinguish his friend 
 from his enemy." But the like to these, as to length, very 
 seldom occurs. 
 
 One other circumstance will cast some light on the 
 frequent occurrence of two things^ three things, and four 
 things, (which seem at first view so strange), in Prov. xxx. 
 In the Centuria of Erpenius, Nos. 35, 44, give us specimens 
 of twos; Nos. 50, 53, 80, of threes ; and No. 70 above, of 
 six. Both these and Proverbs xxx., taken together, and 
 compared with Amos i. ii., will show how deeply such modes 
 of expression have been engraved on the Oriental mind 
 and discourse. 
 
 Finally, I cannot refrain from the remark that, in a mere 
 aesthetical point of view, the Hebrew proverbs are, for the 
 most part, altogether superior to the Arabic. There is more 
 point, vivacity, and energy in most of them. Yet some of 
 the Arabic gnomes are very striking. But if we go from 
 the aesthetical ground to the moral and religious one, com 
 parison can hardly be made between them. The social 
 morale of the Arabic is good ; but the higher considerations 
 of accountability to God and retribution, of our relations to 
 God, and of our duties which grow out of these, stand in 
 high relief on the Hebrew picture, and only in the back 
 ground in the Arabic one. Others may impute this to what 
 natural causes they see fit ; but my persuasion is, that it 
 comes by reason of special divine illumination upon the 
 minds of the Hebrews. 
 
 For the rest ; the proverbs of the Arabians are exceedingly 
 numerous. The Extracts (Pars) from Meidani, by H. A. 
 
120 18. GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
 Schultens (Lug. Bat. 1795), consist of four hundred and 
 fifty-four proverbs ; and there are several other and much 
 larger collections besides this. Most of these have an historical 
 basis, instead of a generic and abstract meaning. The like 
 of this we sometimes find in the Hebrew Scriptures ; e. g. 
 " Is Saul also among the prophets ? " 1 Sam. 10:11. 19 : 24, 
 and the like in other places. We find, in Meidani, that the 
 great mass is of the following type : " More avaricious than 
 Madara ; " " More pious than Amallas ; " " Colder than the 
 north wind than ice than hail than the day after the 
 rain ; " " Farther off than the vulture s eggs than the stars 
 than the Pleiades ;" "More odious than the visage of sellers 
 in a dull market ; " " More arrogant than Thakis ; " " More 
 liberal than Hatern." With these and the like are intermin 
 gled now and then a preceptive or didactic gnome which is 
 of a generic tenor. 
 
 Every one sees at once, therefore, that the gist of the great 
 mass of Arabic proverbs, can be gathered only by a knowl 
 edge of particular persons, things, and places. Not so with 
 the Hebrews. Doubtless, however, the Hebrew people had 
 in general circulation many such proverbs as the Arabic 
 presents ; yet only a few of these have been committed to 
 writing in the Sacred Records. 
 
 18. Specimens of Greek Proverbs. 
 
 These might be found in their highest perfection, in the 
 writings of Plato and Xenophon which exhibit the conversa 
 tions of Socrates, who abounded in maxims. They might 
 be found, in great abundance, in a didactico-poetic form in 
 the choruses of the Greek Tragedies, i. e. in the works of 
 Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. Above all, is Aeschy 
 lus the distinguished religious and moral poet of the Greeks. 
 The lofty form given to moral maxims, in the exquisite 
 choruses which display the highest talent of the poets, would, 
 
18. GREEK PROVERBS. 121 
 
 in an aesthetic point of view, make them to compete with the 
 Hebrew poetic gnomes. From Plutarch, from Epictetus, 
 and others, a large accession to these stores might be selected. 
 But it would lead me too far away, should I pursue this 
 method of illustration ; and it would also detain the reader 
 longer than he would wish, should we attempt to travel over 
 this ground. I shall content myself, therefore, with a brief 
 selection, from the sayings of some of the Greek poets, who are 
 styled Gnomici Poetae Graeci. I use the edition of Brunck, 
 18mo. 1784. 
 
 Theognis (fl. 549 B. c.) thus expresses himself: 
 
 (1 ) The sun looks clown on no man now living, who is entirely good 
 and temperate. 
 
 (2) All things do not take place in accordance with the earnest 
 wishes of men, for the immortals are much better than mortals, (ib.) 
 
 (3) Everyone honoreth the rich, and dishonored! the poor; yet 
 there is the same mind in all. [All men have the same or the like 
 intelligent spirit ; and so, in this respect, all men are equal.] 
 
 (4) There arc all kinds of bad dispositions in men, and all kinds of 
 virtuous ones, and of contrivances for livelihood. 
 
 (5) It is a base thing, that a drunken man should consort with sober 
 ones ; and a base thing, if a sober man abide with drunkards, p. 27. 
 
 (6) Youth and early life render a man light-minded ; yea, they rob 
 many of their minds even to distraction, (ib.) 
 
 ( 7 ) Take counsel twice and thrice, as to whatever may come into 
 thy mind, for a hasty man is a doomed one. 
 
 (8) Knowledge and modesty follow the good; not indeed the mul 
 titude, but certainly the few. 
 
 (9) Hope and danger among men are alike, for they are both 
 troublesome demons. 
 
 (10) Swear not that this thing shall not be, for the gods will con 
 trol, to whom belongeth the end, (p. 26, scq.) 
 
 My next extract is from the remains of Solon, (a contem 
 porary of Theognis), the famous Athenian legislator ; Brunck, 
 ut sup. p. 73. 
 
 (11) He is a happy man, who hath beloved children, horses whose 
 hoofs are uncloven, and hounds of the chase, and a stranger-guest. 
 
 11 
 
122 18. GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
 (12) No mortal is entirely happy, hut all arc subject to distress, even 
 all the mortals on whom the sun looks down, p. 76. 
 
 (13) In great doings, it is difficult to chime in with all. 
 
 (14) I am becoming old, but I am always learning many things. 
 
 (15) The mind of the immortals is always hidden from men. 
 
 (16) Satiety brecdeth contempt, even when much pleasure followeth. 
 [Things luscious speedily produce disgust]. 
 
 (17) By the help of the gods I have accomplished things unhoped 
 for; and at the same time, no work is in vain. p. 84. 
 
 The next following extracts are from Simonides, a con 
 temporary of both the preceding writers, Brunck, ut sup. p. 
 99, seq. 
 
 (18) A man can obtain nothing better than a good wife, and nothing 
 more horrible than a bad one. 
 
 (19) No one is altogether faultless or harmless, p. 100. 
 
 (20) We should not think of one who is dead, (if we think at all), 
 more than one day. [It is useless to protract grief, when there is no 
 remedy for the evil suffered]. 
 
 (21) Death overtakes him who shuns the contest. 
 
 (22) Being but a man, say not what shall be ; nor, seeing a man, 
 how long he shall be ; for swifter than the swift-winged fly, is our 
 change of condition. 
 
 (23) Our season of living is short ; but when a mortal man is once 
 laid under the ground, he lieth forever. 
 
 (24) Zeus only hath a cure for all things. 
 
 From the Works and Days, usually attributed to Hesiod, 
 a contemporary of Homer, are selected the following 
 maxims : 
 
 (25) Whoever ventureth to strive with rulers, wanteth understand 
 ing, and undcrgocth reproach and sufferings Avithout the hope of 
 victory. 
 
 (26) Jupiter hath given this law to mortals: for a beast becometh 
 food for beast, and a fish for fishes, and a bird for birds, because they 
 are restrained by no sense of right ; but the better light of justice is 
 given to men. 
 
 (27) He descrvcth the wrath of the gods and the hatred of men, 
 who livcth without activity; like a stingless (Irene, the sluggard 
 consumeth what hath been gathered by the labor |;>f others], p. 180. 
 
18. GliEEK PllOVERBS. 123 
 
 (28) Shamefacedness often maketh men poor ; confidence rendereth 
 tlicm ricli ; that which is given of the gods, and is not acquired by 
 plunder, is the hotter possession. 
 
 (29) When prepared, do not put off a tiling until to-morrow and 
 to-morrow; he who procrastinateth provoketh losses to his sorrow. 
 
 (30) Silver is a second life to sonic pitiable mortals. 
 
 (.31) Time is to a man sometimes a mother, and sometimes a step 
 mother, p. 182. 
 
 The next extracts are taken from relics of the Greek 
 comic poet, Menander, p. 191 ; (fl. 300 B. c.) 
 
 (32) Peace nourishcth well the husbandman, although among the 
 rocks ; but war badly, even in the plain. 
 
 (33) A daughter marriageable, if she say nothing, by her very 
 silence saith much respecting herself. 
 
 (34) I have never envied the dead, who is expensively buried ; for 
 he comcth to a house which is the same as that of him who is buried 
 without expense. 
 
 (35) Do not find fault if I speak, although I am young; specially 
 do not blame me, if I speak the words of reflecting men. 
 
 (36) He who is severe toward his son in the way of admonition, is 
 bitter indeed in his words, but paternal in his deeds. 
 
 (37) It is not easy to check a weighty stone hurled from the hand; 
 and so, with a word from the tongue. 
 
 (38) He is the most powerful man, who best knoweth how to do 
 most wrong to his fellow-men. 
 
 (39) He whose body is diseased hath need of a physician; but he 
 who is diseased in soul needeth a friend ; for a kindly word is an 
 expert in relieving sorrow. 
 
 (40) When one deems himself to have a mind in love, he will 
 appear to another as having no mind. 
 
 (41) He who condemneth before hearing openly, the same is a bad 
 man, nurturing an evil credulity. 
 
 It would be easy to make many remarks, in view of these 
 proverbs, on the state of society which they disclose, and on 
 the difference between them and the Arabian gnomes. But 
 this is not the appropriate place for commentary at large. 
 I advert only to a few particulars which are of the more 
 striking kind. 
 
124 18. GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
 In general, the morale, so far as it goes, is good. Even 
 some measure of religiosity is developed, in several of the 
 maxims. But let it be noted, that only the supremacy or 
 sovereignty of the Deity is specially brought to view. How 
 could a Greek, who in any measure believed in the popular 
 mythology, regard the gods as either holy, or just, or good? 
 With him we find, indeed, a disposition toward fear and 
 submission; but where, in heathen proverbial lore, is the 
 precept to love God, and hope for his salvation ? And inas 
 much as God is love, and should be loved, all the wisdom of 
 Greece falls short of teaching the main thing in religion. 
 To teach this belongs only to revelation. Nos. 2, 10, 15, and 
 indirectly 22, afford a specimen of the Greek theosophy. 
 The want of perfection in all men, is exhibited in Nos. 1, 
 19. The substantial equality of men is taught, in Nos. 
 3, 33. Solon s idea of a happy Athenian gentleman (sit 
 venia!) is strikingly exhibited in No. 11. One portion of 
 the English gentry would like such legislation right well. 
 
 The precepts concerning temperance, sober consideration, 
 industry, slander, self-conceit, and the like, are in the main 
 pungent and much to the point. If the reader will look 
 back to Nos. 9, 31, 32, 37, 39, he will see, that a striking 
 acuteness of observation and power of expression are very 
 manifest. No. 37 vividly illustrates the heroism of ancient, 
 and alas ! of modern times also. No. 39 may appear some 
 what obscure, at first view. In reality it expresses only 
 this idea, viz., that a man desperately in love often acts like 
 a fool ; which, we may well believe, is as true now as it was 
 in Menander s time. 
 
 On the whole, if we compare these proverbs with our 
 present book of Proverbs, where the same subjects (at least 
 in part) are touched upon, we shall see, that the Hebrew 
 gnomes are graver, and withal have a stronger grasp. 
 Above all, religious principle, the love of God and the love 
 of man, and the doctrine of accountability and of future 
 
18. GREEK PROVERBS. 125 
 
 retribution, are manifestly lacking in the Greek proverbs. 
 And although some of these topics are touched upon in the 
 Memorabilia of Socrates, for example, and some good 
 things are said there, and also by Plutarch, yet the God of 
 the Bible is so immeasurably different from the gods of the 
 Greeks, (even their speculative ones), that it were irrational 
 to expect from them a Hebrew theology. As Jehovah was 
 not known to the Greeks, so they could form no appropriate 
 precepts respecting his worship. 
 
 In the mean time, if any one will compare the proverbs 
 of the Greeks Avith those of the Arabians, he- will easily 
 see, that each class is stamped with peculiar national char 
 acteristics. We can only refer here to one example. No. 
 19 of the Arabic gnomes says, that "if all men were wise, 
 the world would be depopulated," i. e. all wise men will 
 abstain from sexual connections; while No. 18 of the Greek 
 proverbs says, that " a man can obtain nothing better than 
 a good wife, and nothing worse than a bad one." The 
 Arabians have always held females in comparative con 
 tempt, except just at that season of life which is appropri 
 ate for writing love-songs. Accordingly, Mohammed, as 
 most have understood him, excludes women from heaven ; 
 for he supplies a new genus of women, viz., the Houris, for 
 the use of his followers in Paradise. The Greeks divided 
 their divinities, higher and lower, into male and female, 
 an idea which partakes of the impracticable to an inhabitant 
 of hither Asia, tinctured with Asiatic notions. Hence the 
 Arabian readily utters sarcasms in earnest on women, where 
 the Greek would only playfully utter them. Culture made 
 a great difference between the two nations ; Disciplina 
 emollit mores. 
 
 How different are the views disclosed by the Hebrew 
 Proverbs ! Father and mother are put on the same level in 
 relation to their children. Eternal Wisdom is personified 
 by a, female, in order to represent her as attractive and per 
 il* 
 
126 19. USE OF THE BOOK. 
 
 suasive. The marriage vow must be sacredly kept, Prov. 
 5 : 15 23. Wise women build up their houses, 14: 1. A 
 good wife is a great treasure, 18: 22. Yet the vices of 
 women are not overlooked, 2:16, seq. 5 : 3, seq. 6 : 24, seq. 
 7: 5, seq. The book, moreover, concludes with a delightful 
 song, in praise of virtuous and energetic women. All this 
 shows a state of society, and of moral and social feeling, far 
 in advance of that which existed among the Arabians and 
 the Greeks. 
 
 One striking feature in the style of the Greek proverbs 
 is, that there is nothing more than merely accidental, but 
 never designed, parallelism in them. Even in poetry, (and 
 I have quoted only such), this characteristic is wanting. 
 The Greek poetry demanded not parallelism, but measure, 
 i. e. artificial arrangement of long and short syllables ; the 
 Hebrew demanded no regular measure of syllables long 
 and short, but parallelism and a kind of rythm among the 
 clauses thereof. So much do education, state of society, 
 country, and different occupations and usages, affect the 
 tenor of any nation s thoughts and their modes of expres 
 sion. 
 
 19. Use of the Booh of Proverbs. 
 
 We do not resort, at the present day, to this book, with 
 the expectation of finding Christian instruction in it, which 
 is of a higher and peculiar evangelical nature. Its homilies, 
 if we may so speak, are not on points of doctrine, but on 
 those of moral, social, and industrial virtues. Religion, or 
 reverencing and obeying God, is indeed often and everywhere 
 a subject of regard. It is intermingled with all our social, 
 relative, and personal duties. But the precepts here are 
 generic. They are such as we might expect under the old 
 Covenant, and are not entirely in the manner of the new. 
 Still, although in one sense the Proverbs are not a part of 
 the Gospel, (in its limited and appropriate sense), yet they 
 
19. USE OP THE BOOK. 127 
 
 prescribe in morals, manners, and social and relative duties, 
 the same things for substance which the Gospel, in its fuller 
 and enlarged sense, requires. We may now employ them 
 for a highly important purpose, viz. to inculcate justice, pru 
 dence, temperance, chastity, industry, and in a word, all the 
 duties usually denominated either moral, social, or industrial ; 
 and also reverence for God, and for his commandments. 
 
 It may in truth be said of the book of Proverbs, that it 
 contains the essence of what might be expanded into hun 
 dreds of discourses, on things religiously, socially, and 
 morally important. The advantage it possesses over homi 
 lies on the virtues, is this, viz., that what is widely expanded 
 in the latter, is concentrated in the former, and only the 
 essence of the thing in question is expressed. Consequently, 
 it makes a deep impression ; and this causes the impression 
 to be lasting. A brief and pithy aphorism is remembered 
 easier and longer than an expanded discourse. It is on this 
 ground, that the book before us holds a high place among 
 didactic books. It is a general regulative of every one s 
 active life and social demeanor. And it contains matter far 
 more grave and important, than any or all of the books on 
 morals, which have ever been composed by those who were 
 destitute of the light of revelation. 
 
 We have many and excellent moral and religious precepts 
 in the New Testament ; and most of them in a form which 
 is not to be bettered. But the book of Proverbs touches 
 many points not fully developed in the New Testament, and 
 assists greatly in guiding the simple into the way of wisdom. 
 Besides, it is pleasing to find, that so much of the book of 
 Proverbs is available for us at the present time. As the 
 gnomes here are never dependent on individual facts, or 
 individual history, it is very plain that they must convey 
 general precepts and doctrines, which are not dependent on 
 specific time or mere individuality. Now as man is essen 
 tially the same being in all times and countries, there are 
 
128 20. PECULIARITIES OF EXEGESIS. 
 
 certain rules or principles, which have respect to his con 
 duct, that are always applicable. From the very nature of 
 the book of Proverbs, its use is not limited to any age or 
 nation. In reading the Pent., we mid many laws and pre 
 scriptions, which were designed to be temporary and local ; 
 and which, therefore, have now only an indirect relation to 
 us. Not so in the book before us. There is very little in 
 it, which does not apply to us at present, as really and truly 
 as to the Hebrews. Of course, we can avail ourselves of 
 it as a practical Vade mecum, in all the various conditions 
 and circumstances of life, because we can draw from it 
 that practical advice which we need. 
 
 The value of such a book, couched in such brief, and 
 pithy, and pungent language, and containing so much sound 
 wisdom and practical judgment respecting the various affairs 
 of life, is, and must ever continue to be, very great. Its 
 usefulness will cease, only when men cease to live and act 
 as men, in all their mutual relations and dependencies. 
 
 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis appropriate to the Book. 
 
 On this subject, much cannot be said here. As a book on 
 Hermeneutics is no part of our present task or design, we 
 shall take for granted all the great principles of historico- 
 philological exegesis, and merely make a few remarks, on 
 some peculiarity in the application of them to the present 
 book. 
 
 This peculiarity arises from the fact, that the language of 
 the book is so compressed, brief, pointed, and strong. There 
 is scarcely any book which calls upon us so often to apply 
 the golden mean between literality on the one hand, and 
 flimsy and diffuse generality on the other. A multitude of 
 the gnomes would be absurd, in case they were to be liter 
 ally interpreted. Some of them would be contradictory ; 
 e. g. " Answer a fool according to his folly ; " and again, 
 
20. PECULIARITIES OF EXEGESIS. 120 
 
 " Answer not a fool according to his folly." Both of these 
 are right and proper advice, in their connections, and for 
 reasons which the context brings to view. And so of other 
 gnomes. But the principal thing in the present case is, 
 that the strong and pointed language, so often employed in 
 order to make the sentiment impressive, demands almost 
 everywhere a degree of modification or tempering. So is it 
 with most of the proverbs, which we employ in every-day 
 life. Strong and pointed expression must often be put to 
 the account of a design to make a deep impression ; but 
 precision and exactness of sentiment must be made out by 
 aid of the context, (if there be any which stands connected, 
 for often there is none, i. e. the gnome is entirely indepen 
 dent), by reasoning from the nature of the case, and by 
 comparison with similar declarations. 
 
 Sometimes the modification in question has respect to the 
 intensity of the language, and sometimes to its tropical 
 nature. For example : " When a man s ways please the 
 Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him," 
 Prov. 1G: 7. Is this a universal truth? It stands in the 
 form of one ; yet apostles, martyrs, eminent Christians in 
 all ages, have often found their enemies very far from being 
 peaceful toward them. 
 
 So 16 : 10. "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; 
 his mouth transgresseth not in judgment." And do all 
 kings pass sentence in this way ? Do kings mouths never 
 transgress in judgment ? In this case, plainly, that which 
 ought to be is described, rather than that which actually is, 
 although the form of the sentence is a simple and seemingly 
 universal assertion. 
 
 So 16: 13. "Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and 
 they love him who speaketh right." And are there no 
 kings, then, who love flattery, and therefore love lying lips ? 
 And do all kings love those who speak that which is right ? 
 So when the writer says : " Pleasant words are . . . sweet 
 
130 20. PECULIARITIES OF EXEGESIS. 
 
 to the soul, and health to the bones," (Prov. 16 : 24) ; can 
 there be any other valuable meaning here than a tropical 
 one? Again, Prov. 16: 27, " An ungodly man diggeth up 
 evil, and in his lips is a burning fire." This is plainly 
 tropical. But since didactic poetry does not admit of the 
 figurative, in like manner and measure as that which is 
 descriptive and devotional, we seldom find any difficulty in 
 Proverbs on the score of tropical language ; or if we do, 
 the solution is usually at hand. What is generally true 
 elsewhere, in regard to tropical language, may be so consid 
 ered here. The usual rules which are - prescribed, are 
 adequate for the occasion. 
 
 In respect, however, to intensity of affirmation, it is obvi 
 ous that we must often meet with it in this book. The bare 
 attempt to explain the meaning of many gnomes, without 
 any modification of the language exhibited in the assertion, 
 would be wholly fruitless. The result indeed of a literal 
 exegesis would, in many cases, be a downright untruth. 
 
 When I speak, as in the title to this Section, of peculiari 
 ties in the exegesis of the Proverbs, I wish to be understood 
 that this pertains only to the frequency of the modifications 
 to be made, and not to the mere fact itself of modification. 
 There is scarcely any part of the Bible which is doctrinal 
 and didactic, where the very same phenomena are not found, 
 and where the same solution is not called for. But it must 
 be obvious to every intelligent reader, that when sentiment 
 is to be conveyed in the briefest, the most compressed, and 
 the most animated and energetic method possible, it must 
 assume many prominent and (so to speak) sharp corners 
 and edges, which will cut even too deep, unless the inter 
 preter understands how to mediate between the form of 
 expression and the real sentiment of it. 
 
 Indeed, of all the books in the world, I should say the 
 Bible is preeminently the one, which appeals most often to 
 common sense and sound judgment, in order to be interpreted. 
 
20. PECULIARITIES OF EXEGESIS. 131 
 
 To the common sense and reason of mankind is it all 
 addressed ; and were it not for these, the great mass of 
 mankind would in reality have no Bible. Any rule of 
 exegesis at war with these, is ipso facto repealed. Set 
 common sense, moreover, to judge of the meaning of 
 Scripture, the single words being once explained, and it 
 will rarely miss the mark. When our Saviour says, in his 
 Sermon on the Mount : " Whosoever shall smite thee on thy 
 right cheek, turn to him the other also ; And if any man 
 will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have 
 thy cloak also ; And whosoever shall compel thee to go a 
 mile, go with him twain ; " does good common sense ever 
 misinterpret this? Matt. 5:39 41. These sayings of 
 our Lord are unquestionably proverbial ones ; and they are 
 to be so modified in expounding them, that the true design 
 of the speaker may be bronght out of them. Just so in the 
 book of Proverbs ; for there are many proverbs in that 
 book, which are uttered in like manner, and demand the 
 same application of the common-sense rules of interpre 
 tation. 
 
 If it be asked : " How can we know what common sense 
 dictates as to interpretation ? " The answer is, that common 
 sense, and that only, can judge for itself; and if we are 
 possessed of that, we need not be much at a loss what to do. 
 Without it, all the technical rules in books of hermeneutics 
 will be of little or no avail. And if any one aver, more 
 over, that " this judge is fallible, and may deceive us," our 
 answer is, so is man, man universal, fallible. But still, he 
 can trust many of the judgments which he makes. And 
 so, for the most part, he can confide in his common sense, 
 respecting this or that method of interpretation. 
 
 In fact, fallible or infallible, it is the highest court to 
 which we can make an appeal ; for enlightened and 
 religious common sense constitutes that court. If these 
 fail us, then we shall not be able to find any higher tribunal, 
 
132 20. PECULIARITIES OP EXEGESIS. 
 
 nor any further resort, in times of deep perplexity. No 
 mechanical or technical rules will of themselves make a 
 good interpreter. The idea that this is an art, learned like 
 one of the arts manual, and that one can obtain a knowl 
 edge of it in the same way as the arts in general are 
 learned, is a visionary idea, that never can be realized. The 
 study and knowledge of rules may ward off many errors, 
 and correct faults, in the interpreter ; but the positive part 
 of his duty must be evermore under the guidance of com 
 mon sense and sound judgment. All the acuteness imagina 
 ble in philology, and all the antiquarian lore which any one 
 may possess or acquire, will not of themselves make a good 
 interpreter. They may very much assist him. They may 
 be the sails even, or the steam-moved wheels of the ship, 
 but it depends after all on the mind of the man who steers 
 that ship, whither she shall go,- and where she shall land. 
 John Calvin, with a moderate skill in the Hebrew, and no 
 very distinct and accurate perception of the Hellenistic 
 idiom of the New Testament, was, on the whole, one of the 
 most able commentators we have hitherto had. Sound 
 judgment, perspicacity, and simplicity, are predicable of 
 him in an unusual degree. 
 
 It needs such qualities as have been described, to inter 
 pret well the book of Proverbs. If Calvin has sometimes 
 failed in interpretation, as doubtless he has, it is owing more 
 to the general lack of information in philology and sacred 
 antiquities, at the period in which he lived, than to any 
 deficiency in his own powers of exegesis. An interpreter 
 of the present day has many helps, of which he was 
 destitute. 
 
 On the whole, no one should object to the book of Prov 
 erbs, that its language often needs much modification. Nor 
 can he well doubt, whether common sense should be applied 
 to the interpretation of proverbs. The very fact, that most 
 of proverbial lore is the result of strong conviction and 
 
21. EXEGETICAL HELPS. 133 
 
 concentrated feeling, expressed in language that corresponds, 
 is of itself significant of the manner in which we are to 
 interpret. Proverbs are to be regarded as proverbs, i. e. as 
 short, pithy, animated sayings, which of course are to be 
 interpreted as such. Let the interpreter of them beware, 
 and not mistake costume for person. If he can dexter 
 ously avoid this, he may hope to gain a satisfactory knowl 
 edge of the book before us. 
 
 21. Exegetical Helps. 
 
 It would be to no valuable purpose to make out a com 
 plete catalogue of these. I shall mention only those, which 
 appear to me to be of the more valuable class. 
 
 P. Melancthonis Explicatio Prov., 1535. It is needless 
 to say, that Melancthon was both a scholar and a Christian. 
 
 J. Merceri Comm. in Prov. Solomonis, 1651, edit. 2. 
 Mercier seldom makes trifling or irrelevant remarks. 
 
 Prov. Salom. a M. Geiero, 1725, ed. 2, a specimen of the 
 older commentary, and of the manner of Geier. 
 
 C. B. Michaelis, Annott. in Prov., in his Uberior Annott. 
 in Hagiographa, 1720, 4to. A sound interpreter, and well 
 skilled in the Oriental languages. 
 
 Prov. Salom., edit. A. Schultens, 1748, in compend., ed. 
 G. I. L. Yogel et Teller, 1769, (the best edition). Schul 
 tens has everywhere brought Arabic to bear upon the lan 
 guage of Proverbs ; and, while he has carried this to great 
 and unwarrantable excess, he has still furnished many 
 important hints to the interpreter. 
 
 Umbreit, Commentar ii. d. Spruche, 1826 ; a book which 
 has many good illustrations, and exhibits much diligence and 
 a good degree of learning. 
 
 Besides these, Zicgler, a man of some note, has given a 
 translation of the book, with Remarks (in German), 1791. 
 And the like has Muntinghe done, in Dutch, which has been 
 12 
 
134 21. EXEGETICAL HELPS. 
 
 translated into German by Sclioll, one vol. 8vo. 1800. Both 
 of these writers are deserving of consultation ; specially the 
 latter, who was an eminent critic and theologian. 
 
 There are some essays on the ancient versions of Prov., 
 which deserve attention, in I. G. Ja ger, Observatt. in Prov. 
 Salom., 1788; also in Dahler, on the Sept. version of the 
 book. 
 
 The most critical and thorough work on Proverbs, although 
 very brief, is that -of Bertheau, 1847, in vol. vii. of the recent 
 Exeget. Handbuch zum Alt. Test. There is more of true 
 philology and criticism in it, than in all the commentaries 
 which preceded. The Neology of the writer is scarcely 
 apparent. He has shown in general much candor- and great 
 acuteness, in his work ; and I acknowledge myself specially 
 indebted to him for many good hints. I have sometimes 
 differed from him in opinion; but I have assigned my 
 reasons for differing. 
 
 There is also a recent work on Proverbs, by C. Bridges, 
 of England ; but, as I have not seen it, I cannot character 
 ize it. The older work of Hodgson on the Proverbs seems 
 not to have excited any permanent attention. 
 
 The leading writers of an homiletic cast, it is easy for the 
 student to consult, if he desires. Henry, Scott, Adam 
 Clarke, and others, have in substance preached very many 
 sermons on the book of Proverbs, and not a few good ones. 
 The aim of the Commentary which follows, is simply to 
 develop the meaning of the Hebrew text. This once 
 attained, every preacher of the Gospel ought, at least, to be 
 able to make out his own deductions, and to construct his 
 own homilies. If he needs aid of this sort, any of the com 
 mentaries just mentioned above will supply it. 
 
COMMENTARY. 
 
 PART I. CHAP. I. 17. 
 
 [The first seven verses are a general introduction to the whole book. 
 Yet the whole book came not originally from one and the same hand. 
 As is shown in the Introduction to this work, other writers besides 
 Solomon (jomposed some minor parts of it, vix. 22: 17 24: 34, and 
 xxx. xxxi. The original authorship of a part of the first nine chapters 
 is, as the Introduction shows, not quite certain. There is no specific 
 assertion, to say the least, of Solomon s authorship, in regard to these 
 chapters. The title in 1: 1 belongs, as a general characteristic designa 
 tion, to the whole book ; and this professedly contains not only Sol 
 omon s writings, but also " the words of the ivise" v. 6. Because the 
 book consists mainly of Solomon s Proverbs, it is significantly named 
 after him : just as we often speak of the Psalms of David, when we 
 intend to designate in a generic way the whole collection. Of course, 
 then, if this be conceded, we have no other means of deciding the 
 question of authorship, in respect to chaps, i ix.. than the comparison 
 of the style with that of x xxii. 16, which we know to have been 
 written by Solomon; see 10: 1. But the two compositions are so very 
 different in their tenor, that a real comparison becomes difficult, and 
 but little, if any, satisfaction is to be gained from it, because the sub 
 jects are so unlike. So much can be said, however, in favor of the 
 position that Solomon wrote the first part of the book, viz. that if the 
 compiler of the book, in its present form, did not mean that we should 
 attribute it to that king, why did he not prefix some special title, in 
 order to guard against it, as he has done in 22 : 17. 25 : 1. 30 : 1. 31 : 1 ? 
 But let the authorship of chaps, i ix. be assigned to whomsoever it, 
 may, it alters not the contents of the piece itself, nor the nature of the 
 general introduction in 1: 1 7, which evidently is appropriate not 
 only to the first part of the book, but to all the other parts. 
 
 V. 1 simply gives the general title. V. 2 indicates, in a general 
 way, the object or design of the book, which is to communicate 
 
136 PART I CHAP. I. 1. 
 
 instruction as to wisdom, and to teach the intelligent discernment of 
 instructive discourse. In vs. 3, 4, more particular specifications are 
 made, in order more completely to unfold the general ideas of v. 2. 
 The simple and inexperienced may learn, by what this book contains, 
 sober considcrateness, justice, equity, uprightness, and sagacity, as well 
 as acquire skill in devising plans of action. In vs. 5, 6, the attention 
 of even the wise is invited, in order that they may add to their knowl 
 edge and their dexterity, even so as to understand proverbial and 
 pointed sayings, and discern the true meaning of what the wise 
 utter in an enigmatical way. V. 7 admonishes the reader that wisdom 
 cannot even commence, (much less be completed), without the fear of 
 God ; and that only fools will despise the instructions of wisdom. 
 
 The order of thought stands thus: (1) The general object of the 
 book, v. 2. (2) The particular things to be taught, and the persons 
 vvho are to be instructed (vs. 3 6), viz. first, the young and unwary, 
 and then, secondly, even the wise may, by the things developed here, 
 become more wise, and dexterous, and acute in discerning. (3) To profit 
 by the book, without a reverence for God at the outset, will be expected 
 in vain 5 and none but fools will despise such an admonition.] 
 
 (1) The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Jerusalem. 
 
 The Hebrew word ^do is of wide extent. Its original 
 meaning is similitude; and hence it is often employed to 
 designate compositions which abound in comparisons and 
 similitudes, whether they be prophecies, or consist of didactic 
 matter, or of pointed irony ; (see Lex.) The name is appro 
 priated mostly to discourse written in parallelisms, i. e. in 
 the forms of poetry ; for in such discourse, similitudes are 
 most frequent. Parable the word V:ra may and does also 
 designate, as Ezek. 17: 2. 24:3. But more often is the 
 word applied, as in the present case, to sententious sayings, 
 gnomes, or pointed apothegms, where these (as usual) are 
 composed in parallelisms or couplets ; for this last circum 
 stance shows, that the idea of comparison is not wholly dis 
 missed even in this particular use of the word. The running 
 Hebrew title of the book before us is taken from the word now 
 under consideration, *b ft (the plur. const, form) being re 
 tained, while, for the sake of brevity, the word Frs ViJ in the 
 
PART I CHAP. I. 2. 137 
 
 Gen. is omitted. It is unnecessary, however, to interpret 
 this generic title-word very strictly or narrowly, as if all the 
 book consisted merely of gnomes ; for it is plain, from the 
 latitude of meaning which the word has, as explained above, 
 that it will cover all the ground occupied by this book. 
 Solomon is, at all events, the principal, if not the only author ; 
 and the book may, therefore, be well and appropriately 
 named after him. 
 
 T^JB in this case refers to Solomon, and not to David 
 The two last words are in apposition with the two preceding 
 ones ; and each of these two clauses, in and by itself, serves 
 to designate Solomon more specifically. Israel is here the 
 generic appellation (as often) of all the descendants of Israel 
 or Jacob, i! e. of the nation en masse. 
 
 (2) In order that one may know wisdom and instruction that one 
 may understand the words of the intelligent. 
 
 r,5^ , for \ , see 100. 1. c. For Inf. r*"i (from ^), see 
 68. 3. n. 1. Wisdom usually means here, not mere saga 
 city, but a considerate and discerning state of mind in regard 
 to the whole circle of duty, moral, religious, and prudential. 
 Instruction, ^G*ra , is that which is communicated by 
 teachers to the younger and inexperienced. The first mean 
 ing of the word is chastisement ; then discipline, which is 
 administered in this way ; and finally (as here) instruction 
 as the result ; for such a meaning is appropriate here, since 
 it is descriptive of the nature of the good to be obtained, and 
 of the method of obtaining it. The implication is, that the 
 young are here designated as one class, or rather as the 
 leading class, to be taught ; and this corresponds well with 
 v. 4. Specially in chaps, i ix. are the young addressed. 
 
 That one may understand, is a secondary meaning of "" Sfi , 
 which originally designates the idea of separating, distin 
 guishing ; and from this comes the secondary meaning, viz. 
 to gain accurate knowledge. The Hiphil form of the verb 
 12* 
 
138 PART I CHAP. I. 3. 
 
 seems to indicate the necessity of translating thus : to cause 
 dne to understand. But the Hiph. of "pa often has a Kal 
 sense, (see Lex. Hiph. 2) ; and moreover rs"i , in the first 
 clause, is in Kal, and the parallelism, therefore, demands the 
 Kal sense of "psrt , if feasible, as in fact it is. I have ren 
 dered its 1 3 by intelligent, putting the concrete, i. e. intelligent 
 person, for the abstract intelligence. That I have given the 
 meaning truly is plain from the fact, that words must be 
 spoken or written by persons, and not by an abstraction. 
 Such cases of abstract for concrete, occur too often to need 
 any argument for defence, or even for explanation ; see under 
 104. 2. e. g. By the intelligent, is here meant persons of 
 superior capacity and education, to understand whose writings, 
 a good degree of intelligence in the reader is necessary. 
 The design of the book before us is to assist in the acquisition 
 of such intelligence. 
 
 (3) That one may receive the instruction of discreetness, righteous 
 ness and justice, and uprightness. 
 
 tofi, a noun of Inf. Hiph. form, (Ewald, Gramm. 
 156. c.) ; meaning considerate and discreet counsel or 
 action. What youth most of all need, is discretion or 
 sobriety ; for they are prone to act with much ardor and 
 precipitation. Righteousness and justice and uprightness 
 are so near to each other in respect to meaning, that they 
 may be regarded as particulars of the same genus. The 
 design in accumulating words of a meaning so kindred, is 
 not to urge any nice distinctions between these virtues 
 which are to be made by the mind of the reader, but simply 
 to bring before him the whole domain (so to speak) of 
 moral propriety and fitness. Strictly considered, p*i:s means 
 that which is right = righteousness ; and then it branches off 
 into what is lawful, what is due, probity, integrity ; and 
 finally, it designates the result of these, viz., liberation, solus, 
 and also happiness or prosperity in general EBUJ^ has its 
 
PART I CHAP. I. 4. 139 
 
 basis in the idea of judgment, viz., of a court, and then (by 
 consequence) it comes to mean law, or. supreme authority. 
 It naturally, in this way, designates statute, ordinance, decree ; 
 and finally, whatever is in accordance with these =just, 
 lawful. In accordance with the last meaning, I have trans 
 lated it by justice. This does not mean simply justice in 
 our dealings between man and man ; for it designates a 
 wider sense of jus, justum, legitimum. t*Td^, uprightness, 
 the plur. form being used, as in many other cases, to denote 
 the abstract noun, 10G. 2. a. The three nouns comprise 
 whatever is right and proper, conformed to law, and agreeable 
 to integrity. They cover the whole ground of moral action, 
 both as it regards the mutual rights of men, and also in 
 regard to probity of mind. These virtues lie at the basis 
 of a great portion of the book of Proverbs. Some of the 
 commentators (Ewald, de Wette, et al.) join the three last 
 nouns of the verse with bsbin (in the Gen.), and make all 
 the four nouns to be Genitives dependent on "ibsra, and 
 then translate thus : the instruction of discreetness, of righte 
 ousness, etc. But evidently, the verse has two (and but two) 
 parallel members, and the last three nouns are therefore in 
 the Ace., being governed by rnjs? implied in the sense of 
 acquiring, and mentally transferred from the beginning 
 of the verse. The first clause the Sept. translates thus : 
 dt^cKj-O ai TS GTQOCpag hoycov, vorjcai rs dixuiOGVvqv, in 
 which they make teii n an Inf. verb, and separate it from 
 its proper connection. Of course, they must have read 
 -iGtts , i. e. they took the noun to be of the abs. form, and not 
 of the construct, as our text makes it. Not so the Chald., 
 Vulg., and Syriac, which all take the word in question as 
 a verbal noun. 
 
 (4) That they may impart sagacity to the simple; to the young, 
 knowledge and reflection. 
 
 nr& , Inf. of -jna with \ , 65. 2. n. 3. I take it to be 
 
140 PART I CHAP. I. 5. 
 
 coordinate with Fi^ b in v. 2, and to stand connected with, 
 *bvv of v. 1 ; and thus we have : Proverbs . . . in order to 
 know, etc. ... in order to impart or that they may impart, etc. 
 C^rab , the simple, lit. to those who are open (root nriQ to 
 open), i. e. open to every kind of impression from without, 
 and so, not being wary (D lis), they are easily misled. It is 
 also written D^ra in 23 : 3, and a^r,3 in 1: 22, the sing, being 
 ins ; as to the !* in the first form, in the place of the 1 radi 
 cal, see 91. vi. 6. ^"^S cunning, either in the good or 
 bad sense of the word. In Gen. 3:1, the serpent is called 
 D^ns? , subtle. In our text, the cunning is taken in the sense 
 of sagacity, i. e. a shrewdness which leads to the apprehen 
 sion of approaching dangers and temptations, and suggests 
 the means of escaping them. This is what the fi^sra have 
 not. To this latter word 155 of the second clause corre 
 sponds. It means a youngling, one who of course has not 
 yet come to the period of i~rz*)3 i"^*"? comes from a root 
 (C^t) which means literally to bind or tie together ; then 
 figuratively, to meditate, e. g. a plot or plan. In the first 
 case, viz., the meaning of plot, it is taken in malam partem ; 
 and more usually the noun tiffi? means wicked device, mis 
 chievous plot. But a plan may be either for good or bad ; 
 and it is in the first of these senses, that ftatEi is here used. 
 I have translated by reflection, because I can find no word 
 that comes nearer to designate the thing here intended ; for 
 reflection indicates a continued meditation on a subject, and 
 carries with it the idea of sober and wary determination. 
 This is just what the youngling needs. Knowledge and 
 reflection are important ends to be brought about by reading 
 the book before us. Sept., very well : 
 
 (5) Let the wise man listen, and he will add to his learning, and 
 the intelligent one will acquire skill in management. 
 
 The Imperf. form, 2S ^ is optative or voluntative here, 
 125. 3. b. E]t> l h;i , is to be taken as a proper or ordinary 
 
PART I CHAP. I. G. 141 
 
 Put. here, for the Van is not consecutive, (comp. 48. b. 2), 
 and the accent is thrown on the pewit merely because the 
 ultimate is followed by a tone-syllable in the next word. 
 Of course the ?? of the ordinary form, by losing the 
 accent becomes ?o , 29. 3. b. nj?b is what one receives, 
 viz., from a teacher, and so means doctrine, learning, knowl 
 edge, root nb to tale or receive. ^3 , Nipli. Part, adjective, 
 intelligent, i. e. one endowed with the power of discrimina 
 tion, from "pS to discriminate. ri"?2nn , (2 for to), from ^Qn 
 rope, especially the anchor-rope or the helm-rope ; so that 
 guidance, management, is a derived or secondary sense ; and 
 the shade of the idea is expressed in the version. It is the 
 plur. of abstraction, 10G. 2. a. Sentiment: Even wise 
 men may increase their knowledge and their skill, as to 
 controlling various matters, by the reading of the Proverbs? 
 
 (6) So that he may understand a proverb, and a dark saying, the 
 words of the wise, and their enigmas. 
 
 "p^hb is not a continuance or resumption of the Infinitives 
 in vs. 2 4, but it connects with the preceding verse, in the 
 way of exhibiting the consequences of attending to the 
 Proverbs. The reader of this book may be able, by due 
 attention, not only to understand a ^tzia , i. e. figurative or 
 parabolic speech, but even such words as constitute a iix*bv , 
 which word the Seventy have well translated by axoTStvbs 
 Ao/oc, , i. e. a dark saying, one that needs interpretation, 
 (from the Iliph. pbn , to interpret). Not only so, but he 
 may also come to understand even the enigmatical words of 
 the wise, rn^n comes from "!*n , which in Arabic means to 
 make knots. A knotty saying (our usage admits this expres 
 sion) is one that is difficult of solution or interpretation ; a 
 saying that is pointed and shrewd, but wrapped in such an 
 envelop as demands a discriminating intellect to develop 
 and understand it. In both clauses I take the 1 to be that 
 of mere accession, 152. B. 2. The noun following the 1 
 
142 PART I CHAP. I. 7. 
 
 qualifies the preceding noun, by characterizing specifically 
 the nature of its meaning. Sentiment : * The study of the 
 Proverbs will render a wise man more capable of under 
 standing the apparently obscure, or singular, or pointed 
 sayings of the wise. 
 
 (7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge-, wisdom 
 and instruction fools despise. 
 
 As to sentiment, comp. 9:10. Ps. Ill: 10. Sir. 1: 16, 25. 
 The first Arabic proverb, in the collection of one hundred 
 proverbs by Erpenius (in his Arab. Gramm.) runs thus: 
 " The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God." The pre 
 ceding verses (2 6} having shown the design of the book, 
 the introduction is now concluded by v. 7, which shows what 
 temper of mind must be possessed by him, who means to be 
 profited through the reading of the Proverbs. Fear of 
 God means : Paying him reverential awe ; it does not desig 
 nate terror. The verse declares, that not even a beginning of 
 true knowledge can be made, without the reverence in ques 
 tion ; much less then can a full knowledge be gained with 
 out it. It is God who gives wisdom and knowledge ; as is 
 declared in 2 : 6 below. Wisdom and reverence for God 
 are inseparably linked together, and this is the constant doc 
 trine of the Old Testament. That wisdom (so called), which 
 is without the fear of God, is no wisdom ; for he who has no 
 knowledge of God, cannot be wise, but is a fool, comp. Job 
 5 : 3. Strikingly does the verse before us accord in spirit 
 with the words of the Saviour : " If any man will do his 
 will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God," 
 John 7: 17. 
 
 Wisdom and instruction fools despise, i. e. none but fools 
 will despise such wisdom and instruction as are here prof 
 fered. All w//o fear God will avoid such a course. The 
 fool, then, as here characterized, is one who is chargeable 
 with impiety. c-biijt comes from bix to be foolish, the root 
 having a 1 movable. 
 
PART I CHAP. I. 8. 
 
 [Thus ends the compiler s introduction to the book of Proverbs. 
 It exhibits, (1) The title. (2) The design of the work, vs. 2, 3. 
 (3) The persons are specified for whom it is designed, and the benefit 
 pointed out which they may receive, vs. 4 G. (-4) The subjective 
 qualification of the reader, in order to be profited, is then explicitly 
 disclosed. Every verse consists of two parts parallelisms; and 
 nearly all of these contain tJiree words. Once, in v. 5, we have Jour 
 words ; and twice, in v. 7. It is evident, that this rigid adherence to 
 even measure has occasioned several ellipses of verbs, as has been 
 hinted above, but these are not such as to obscure the sense.] 
 
 CHAP. I. 8 IX. 18. 
 
 Admonition to love wisdom in all circumstances and condi 
 tions, to strive for the acquisition of it, and to shun everything 
 which is opposed to it. 
 
 As to the characteristics of this part of the book of Prov 
 erbs, both in respect to style and sentiment, the reader is 
 referred to the discussion concerning them in the critical 
 Introduction. 
 
 CHAP. I. 833. 
 
 [This may be sepai atedinto three divisions ; (1 ) vs. 8, 9. (2) Vs. 10 19. 
 (3) Vs. 20 33. The first two verses here exhibit the relation of the 
 person addressed to his monitor, and make an earnest appeal to him, 
 urging him readily to receive the proffered instruction. To induce 
 him so to do, it holds forth the beautiful ornaments of character, 
 which such a readiness will confer upon him.] 
 
 (8) Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the 
 teaching of thy mother. 
 
 My son is the usual address of a teacher to a learner, and 
 is common in Persia and Arabia, as well as in Palestine. 
 The learner is usually a young person ; but the term son, in 
 this case, is merely indicative of affection, and not of descent. 
 In other words, the writer assumes the attitude of a parent 
 addressing his children. irntn , Imperf. Kal, second pers. of 
 
144 PAKT I CHAP. I. 9. 
 
 Bina . bx designates a negative, in a hortative or imperative 
 clause. rvvin doctrine, teaching, which is the original sense 
 of the word, since it conies from fT"H , to instruct. It passes 
 over, very naturally, to the sense of law, precept. But in 
 Prov. it is often used as above ; e. g. 3 : 1. 4:2. 7: 2. 28 : 
 7, 9. 29 : 18, al. Specially does it designate parental in 
 struction, which has in it something of the nature of law. 
 
 (9) For a graceful wreath shall they be to thy head, and a collar to 
 thy neck. 
 
 The moral beauty which will become conspicuous by fol 
 lowing the advice given in the preceding verse, is here 
 symbolized by objects of conspicuous adornment to the per 
 son. Graceful wreath, means a beautiful one, for "jn , like 
 the Greek %aQig, means both beauty and grace or favor. 
 The second noun supplies the place of an adjective, 104. 1. 
 on , are they, 119. 2. The simple meaning is, that obe 
 dience to parental precepts will be as a beautiful diadem on 
 the head of him who yields it. Collar to thy neck, comp. 
 Dan. 5 : 29, which relates that Belshazzar, in order to honor 
 Daniel, commanded " a chain of gold to be put around his 
 neck." The insignia of office and honor were usually dis 
 played by some conspicuous ornament on the neck. np3 
 is plur. probably because the chain or collar consisted of 
 many composite parts ; but we may express the idea sub 
 stantially by the singular collar which is preferable in 
 our language to the plural form. The meaning of the whole 
 is plain : Obedience to paternal precepts will be to thy 
 character and reputation, what diadems and necklaces of 
 honor are to the person. In other words : It will render 
 thee conspicuous and admired for thy virtues. 
 
 Second division; vs. 10 19. 
 
 [This contains an earnest dissuasive from associating with those, 
 who seek for gain in robbery and murder. The warning thus placed 
 
PART 1 CIIAI*. I. 10, 11. Uo 
 
 at the head of all others, betokens a state of society much like that 
 which now exists in Italy. It would seem that Banditti were not only 
 frequent, but that the attractions which such a, mode of life offered to 
 young, idle, and profligate persons, were great and dangerous. The 
 civil police must of course have been unskilful or inefficient. Such a 
 mode of life was not only utter ruin to character, but it was fraught 
 with the most imminent danger of destruction . Those who lived in 
 this way. as it would seem, employed all the arts of persuasion to 
 entice the young to join their corps, and thus to strengthen them in 
 their warfare against the peaceful possessors of property. They 
 promised them abundance of shining gold and houses filled with 
 spoil, vs. 10 14. The youth is cautioned to keep himself far from 
 them, and is assured that their wicked course will speedily end in a 
 dreadful doom.] 
 
 (10) My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 
 
 sims? , Imperf. Piel of fina . xnn, for ssxn , from xsx = 
 isx , to consent, being a weaker form of the common verb as 
 last given. The omission of fc< in writing, when it quiesces, 
 is too common to need particular illustration, 8. 4. The 
 Piel form of iPiEP designates repeated attempts at persuasion, 
 continued efforts to persuade. 
 
 (11) If they shall say: Come now with us, let us lay wait for blood, 
 let us lurk for him who in vain is innocent. 
 
 The actions of banditti are here accurately described. 
 They lie in wait, in order to destroy the unsuspecting. They 
 lurk, so as to cause no alarm to him, who, confiding in his inno 
 cence or harmlessness, goes forth in security. But his inno 
 cence is C2H fruitless, or in vain. His imagined security 
 exposes him the more to the assassins, inasmuch as he goes 
 unarmed. That csn qualifies or modifies ips , is plain from 
 its position. The meaning is, that even innocence is fruitless, 
 as to exempting from the attack of such assassins ; comp. 
 Ps. 35 : 11). G9 : 5. Lam. 3 : 52. At the same time, this 
 greatly aggravates the crime of the robbers. The sing. "pa 
 is generic, comprehending that class of persons. The sequel 
 
 13 
 
U6 PART I CHAP. I. 12, 13. 
 
 shows this, where they are spoken of in the plural number. 
 fisb , i. e. the Imper. r (root T}5?)> with fi T paragogic 
 or hortative, 48. 3. The like is the case with the other 
 two verbs, only that they are Imperf. first pers. plur., which 
 tense often follows the Imp. mode, 
 
 (12) Let us swallow them up alive, like the under-world; even 
 those in full strength shall be as those who go down to the pit. 
 
 Swallow them (plur. pron.) up, means to devour in a sud 
 den and fearful manner. Like the under-world, i. e. Sheol, 
 Hades, which swallows up the race of man. Alive, a^n , 
 the same in Ps. 55 : 1 6. 124 : 3. Usually, the grave devours 
 or swallows up only the dead ; but the depredators, in this 
 case, propose to do to the living, what the grave does to the 
 dead in consuming them, yet not literally, but figuratively. 
 The idea is that of sudden and unexpected destruction in 
 the midst of life, and in the full state of health, as the subse 
 quent dTqicn plainly indicates. Gesenius has mistaken the 
 meaning of this word here. He gives incolumis, salvus, as 
 the sense. But plainly the meaning is kindred to and con 
 nected with D^n . The two words indicate life and good 
 health. Comp. as to swallowing up, Num. 16 : 30, 31. Senti 
 ment : Let us destroy those suddenly and unexpectedly, 
 who are not only among the living, but in sound health. 
 This shall be no protection to them. We can as easily 
 devour them as the grave devours the unresisting dead. 
 Tin iTnii , pit-descenders, i. e. the buried dead. Comp. for 
 this phrase, Ps. 88 : 5. Ezek. 26 : 20. 31: 14. The essence 
 of the comparison lies in this, viz. that living persons, who 
 are of sound health, may be as easily and surely devoured, 
 as the grave devours dead ones. No resistance or danger 
 from them need be anticipated. 
 
 (13) All precious wealth shall we find ; our houses shall we fill 
 with spoil. 
 
 This verse begins the persuasive part of tl.e address to the 
 
I CHAP. I. 1417. 147 
 
 youth. The hortative is dropped here, as the form of the 
 verb (without n- paragogic) indicates, and the plunderers 
 venture to predict the consequence of their foray. "tjyi 
 denotes what is precious or rare, referring probably to jewels, 
 and the like. ^tia , irreg. plur. of rva , with suff. bbd , a 
 second Ace., governed by the verb of filing, 135. 3. b. 
 136. 1. 
 
 (14) Thy lot shalt thou cast in the midst of us ; one purse shall be 
 for us all. 
 
 In other words : Thou shalt be a partner with us, and 
 entitled to thy full proportion of the spoil. One and the 
 same purse shall be for all, repeats the same idea in a dif 
 ferent form, viz. * We will have one common purse. Thus 
 far the exhortation of the plunderers. The teacher s advice 
 comes next. 
 
 (15) My son, go not in the way with them; keep back thy foot 
 from their paths. 
 
 This is in direct opposition to the counsel of the plun 
 derers, and is as much as to say : Do not associate with 
 them, but refrain from all intercourse. n Fix , compounded 
 of a- suff. pron., and nx preposition = with. 
 
 (16). For their feet run to evil; and they hasten to shed blood. 
 
 In other words : They are eager to do evil, and hasten 
 swiftly to scenes of bloodshed. T\&zb , with short 6 in the 
 final syllable, because of the Maqqeph which follows. 
 
 (17) Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. 
 
 13 cannot be causal here, for this verse assigns no reason 
 or ground of the preceding one. This particle not unfre- 
 quently has an intensive meaning, (like the Latin imo, or 
 the German ya, truly, indeed), in the beginning of a sentence ; 
 e. g. Is. 28:28. 8:23. 32:13. Ps. 77:12. 71:23. Ex, 
 22 : 22. Job 8 : G ; see Ewald s Gramm. 320. b., Ges. Lex, 
 ^3, 5. c, who, however, has given but a narrow view of this 
 
148 PART I CHAP. I. 18, 19. 
 
 not unfrequent usage. The writer means to say: it is 
 indeed true that the net, etc. "Hi tE , Part, of Pual, from 
 i"p.f. The 1 is merely a fulcrum for the vowel Hholem, 
 which is substituted for the regular Qibbutz, because the 
 Dagh. is excluded from the "i. r. r^n, with the article, an 
 appropriate kind of net being meant. ?:3 bs 3 , lit. pos 
 sessor of a wing, i. e. winged creature = bird ; see Lex. 
 In other words : Birds which see the net spread for them 
 fly away, as we well know, and escape. The comparison 
 intended is completed by the next verse. 
 
 (18) But these lie in wait for their own blood ; they lurk for their 
 own lives. 
 
 The 1 is here adversative, 152. B. b. For their own 
 Hood . . .for their own lives, not to protect and save them, 
 but they act as if they were bent upon destroying them. 
 They use their cunning and their efforts in the like way, as 
 if they were laboring to bring themselves into ruin. The 
 implication is, that while they spread the net for others, they, 
 like the birds, will take cognizance thereof and escape. But 
 not merely this ; those who spread the net will be resisted 
 and attacked, and will lose their own lifeblood. Their 
 confident boast of easy conquest will not be realized. Instead 
 of spoiling others, they will be despoiled ; for others will 
 have their eyes open to see the net, and thus they will escape 
 it, and moreover inflict vengeance on those who-laid it. The 
 but at the beginning of the verse, seems to indicate that the 
 plunderers are less wary than the birds, and rush on to a 
 destruction which might easily be avoided, if they would but 
 open their eyes to see its indications. 
 
 (19) Such are the ways of every one greedy of plunder; it taketh 
 away the life of its master. 
 
 Such is the conclusion of this second division, viz., vs. 10 
 19. rxa 3. X3, lit. plundering plunder, is a usual Hebraism 
 to make out a strong expression. The shade of meaning is 
 
PART 1 CHAP. I. 20. 149 
 
 truly given in the version. ^?a, plur. form with suff.,but 
 with the meaning of the singular ; see Lex. n^ in pause. 
 Imperf. of npb , in the sense of taking aivay ; see Lex. b. 
 
 Such is the solemn warning of paternal admonition, ad 
 dressed to all the young who are tempted to embark in un 
 lawful doings for the sake of gain. It escapes them after 
 all, and they, by their wicked course, bring on themselves 
 destruction. 
 
 Third Division, vs. 2033. 
 
 
 
 [In the preceding paragraph, the invitations and allurements of 
 wicked depredators addressed to youth are pi-csented. The fatal 
 consequences of listening to them arc also brought to view. The 
 section now before us presents a call or invitation of a character 
 entirely opposite. Heavenly wisdom, (here personified in the oriental 
 manner), utters a louder, moi e distinct, and more earnest call, urging 
 upon the young the fear of God. The importance and necessity of 
 this are proclaimed in all conspicuous places, where the people throng, 
 in the streets and bustling market-places, at the openings of the 
 gates, and throughout the city. She rebukes men for loving and 
 cleaving to folly and hating knowledge, and exhorts them to listen to 
 her admonitions, vs. 20 23. She presents the consequences of not 
 listening to them, and of rejecting them ; and declares, that at a future 
 period she will remain unmoved by their outcries, Avhen calamities 
 invade them, vs. 24 27. Finally, when their sorrows become insup 
 portable, she predicts that they will earnestly call upon her to interpose ; 
 but she assures them that she will remain quiet and inactive, as they 
 did, when she called unto them. Their hati-ed of true knowledge and 
 their impious rejection of all admonition, suffice to justify the course 
 which she will take. vs. 28 31. From this particular view of their 
 actions and their consequent doom, the writer deduces an important 
 general sentiment, viz. that the aversion of fools to wisdom, and their 
 spiritual sloth, must at last bring about their utter ruin ; while those, 
 who timely hearken to admonition, shall dwell in safety and quietude, 
 without any fear of evil, vs. 32, 33.] 
 
 (20) Wisdom crieth aloud without ; in the broad streets she utter- 
 eth her voice. 
 
 n, of the plur. form, but sing, in meaning. The 
 13* 
 
150 PART I CHAP. I. 21. 
 
 ground of this is, either that the plur. is a favorite form for 
 abstract nouns, or else (as usual) the plural form denotes 
 intensity; see the same in 9 : 1. So Hitzig, and so Ewald 
 (Gramm. edit. 5. 165. <?.), both inclining to the first solution. 
 Hence ns iFj , as Ewald supposes, is prob. sing, (see ^P33 in 
 9: 1), the fern, ending na being added to distinguish the 
 third pers. fern, from the second masc. ; see the like in 8 : 3. 
 Judg. 5 : 26. Ex. 1: 10. Is. 27: 11. 28 : 3. Job 17: 16; see 
 Ew. Gramm. 191. c, who fully notices this peculiarity. If 
 any one prefers the plur. of the verb here, in accordance with 
 the form of the noun, he is at liberty to do so, although this 
 principle does not apply to most of the parallel cases which 
 are referred to, where the verb is plainly singular. rnn rna , 
 lit. in the wide places, but the word commonly designates tJie 
 streets, which are usually wide openings. inn , gives out, 
 utters, where the verb is third fern. sing. ; as is also the suff. 
 pron. in nbip ; and these sing, forms render probable the 
 conclusion above made respecting the sing, of ns in . 
 
 (21) At the head of the bustling places she makes proclamation, 
 in the openings of the gates ; in the city, she utters her words. 
 
 rvhah , plur. fern. Part, of Kal, from frart , and meaning 
 noisy places, i. e. places where the busy and bustling throng 
 are met together, probably = market-places. Openings of 
 the gates, the place where tribunals were held, and consul 
 tations carried on, because of the broad space around the 
 opening. The punctators, by a pause-accent, have joined 
 this clause with the last part of the verse, since they have 
 separated the first ari^og at aoph ; but the pause-accent ought 
 to stand on D^STS . The word -nya is not to be joined with 
 this as an accession to it, for then it would have a "i before it. 
 But it needs no Vav if we translate as above. In the open 
 ings of the gates and in the city are two different phrases ; 
 but the latter is coordinate with the former, and is designed 
 to be an enlargement of it. All the places of usual con- 
 
PART I CHAP. I. 22. 151 
 
 course are first mentioned, and then comes the generic word, 
 comprising both these and all others not yet mentioned, viz., 
 ^53 . It would seem from the manifold and wide-spread 
 action here described, that under the appellation of wisdom 
 are here comprised all the wise men and teachers and proph 
 ets, who, in various ways and in different places, taught and 
 proclaimed to men their duty. 
 
 (22) How long, ye simple, will ye love simplicity, and scomers 
 delight themselves in scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 
 
 , for the form, see under v. 4 above. WiiXFi , Imperf. 
 Piel, with Tseri under x , because the following Gutt. (n) 
 excludes the Daghesh. As to ins , simplicity is the first 
 meaning of this root, which is indeed an abstract meaning, 
 but then such abstracts are often employed as concretes ; 
 e. g. folly fo? fools, simplicity for simple persons, and the like. 
 taixb > P lur - Part- of Y*b 5 like d^rra from nia . crfc siian , 
 delight themselves, seems to present a Dat. commodi in cnb . 
 But we may also translate, desire for themselves, with a Dat. 
 of the person for whom. "pxb is here an abstract noun, from 
 Y*b , although this ending more usually is concrete, 85. 2. 4. 
 In the second clause, "."ran is in the Perf., which is somewhat 
 unusual in such a case of habitual action. The other two 
 clauses present the Imperfect, as usual in such cases. There 
 are, however, many cases of designating past action which 
 still continues and will continue, where the Perf. is employed ; 
 for this tense is used to designate general truths, which have 
 by experience already been established and definitely settled ; 
 e. g. comp. Ps. 10: 3. 33 : 13, seq. 39 : 12. 84: 4. Prov. 11: 
 2, 8. 22: 12, etc. 1 Sam. 2 : 35. Ewald has most fully 
 treated of this, in 135. b. In several of the examples above 
 cited, the Perf. and Imperf. precede and follow each other, 
 in the same train of narration ; which shows that, by usage, 
 they often occupy nearly the same ground. Still, we may say 
 in general, that the Imperf. looks more to what is going on 
 
152 PART I CHAP. I. 23, 24. 
 
 arid will go on, but the Perf. more to what has past and still 
 continues. The knowledge which is hated, is that knowledge 
 which is equivalent to wisdom, viz., the knowledge of what 
 is good and true and pious. 
 
 (23) Turn ye sit my reproof: behold ! I will pour out my spirit 
 npon you, I will make you to know my words. 
 
 to iJn, Imperf. for Imper. hortative, 125. 3. c. The b 
 which follows, points out the direction toward which they 
 are to turn, quasi : turn ye toward my reproof, i. e. put your 
 selves in such a posture, as to notice it and take warning ; 
 or b may mean here on account of, because of, Lex A. 6. 
 nspiax (Hiph. of s-na), lit. I will cause to gush forth my spirit 
 unto you, or upon you. My spirit, i. e. my animating and 
 energizing influence. This influence is here plainly of a 
 moral and sanctifying nature; and those who hearken to 
 wisdom will have experience of it. The transition from the 
 primitive meaning of ri*Ti (wind) is easy and natural. The 
 wind is an invisible and mysterious, yet powerful agent. 
 Even so the divine H*n is the invisible and yet powerful 
 agent, in moving and quickening the minds of men to obe 
 dience. / will make you to know ; the pronoun canx is in 
 the Ace. and is governed by the verb (the Hiph. of STJ with 
 n- paragogic) ; which also governs "nrw a second Ace., 136. 
 1. The nx is merely the Ace. partic. All here promised 
 will follow from turning, i. e. from true repentance and the 
 forsaking of sin. But the next verse shows the great con 
 tumacy of those who will not hearken, and also the earnest 
 ness with which they have been admonished and warned. 
 
 (24) Because I have called, and ye have refused. I have stretched 
 forth my hand, and no one hath listened ; 
 
 Our pres. tense might be employed in rendering all the 
 verbs here, since the Perfect often designates enduring 
 action, just as our present tense also does. But, although 
 adopted by Bertheau (Coinm.), I prefer the Perfect; for 
 
PART I CHAP. I. 2527. 153 
 
 the speaker seems to take his stand at the close of proba 
 tion, when final trial and retribution are about to ensue. I 
 have called is therefore appropriate. Called, i. e. proclaimed 
 the truth, and given you repeated invitations to listen to it. 
 Stretching forth the hand, is the gesture of one earnestly 
 beseeching. Listened, viz. to my call. 
 
 (25) But ye have rejected all my counsel, and have not desired my 
 reproof. 
 
 WiBFfi , = the Praeter sense, by reason of the 3 consecu 
 tive ; which is not frequent in such a book as the present, 
 but is common in narrations. However, the discourse as 
 sumes here somewhat of the form of narration. 
 
 (26) Even I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear 
 cometh. 
 
 Even I, not I also, for who are the others that laugh and 
 mock ? Even 1, is emphatic, I, who have warned you so 
 often, so tenderly, and so earnestly, even I, shall henceforth 
 treat you as enemies, who deserve contempt. X22 , Inf. 
 const, before a noun which is its subject. Lit. in the coming 
 of your fear, i. e. of that which was your fear, or which you 
 feared. The intensity of the tropical language here makes 
 the expression exceedingly strong. Laughing at and mock- 
 ing, are expressions of the highest and most contemptuous 
 indignation. Comp. Ps. 2 : 5, where, as applicable to God, 
 this same bold language is employed. 
 
 (27) When your fear cometh as a destructive tempest, and your 
 calamity advances as a sweeping 1 whirlwind, when distress and 
 aiiguish come upon you. 
 
 The word mxd , in the text, if retained, should be pointed 
 thus : !~nx;J . The Masorites, however, have adjusted the 
 vowels to the marginal reading rtx v J ; unnecessarily, for the* 
 text-form is normal, and probably legitimate. This verse 
 exhibits one of the usages, in respect to the Inf. construct, 
 
154 PART 1 CHAP. I. 28. 
 
 which deserves special notice, viz., the fact that a word 
 qualifying the action of the verb, or designating the object 
 of its action, may be placed between the Inf. const, and the 
 noun which is its proper subject. Thus to the first belong 
 Siwrs and nsios ,both placed between the Inf. and its subject, 
 and qualifying the action of the verb ; to the latter belongs 
 ttrbs , designating the object of the verb s action. "trjK!! > 
 Imperf., is a change of construction ; but this tense fre 
 quently is a continuative of the Inf. mode ; and this usage 
 serves the purpose of variety. The imagery employed 
 here is vivid and awful. It is partly obscured in our com 
 mon version. Umbreit translates nx d and ttsno, by Don- 
 nerwetter and Sturmwind, which come near the force of the 
 original words. 
 
 (28) Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they 
 shall earnestly seek me, but they shall not find me. 
 
 Here, in the version, shall implies confident prediction, 
 will both predicts and expresses determination. In all three 
 of the plur. verbs, the 1 final of the normal forms is omitted, 
 and it is written in each case by a vicarious Qibbuts ( 9. 1. 
 &.), a very common usage in writing ; (read u-n e ni) ; see 
 also 47. 3. n. 4. This ending (:- ) differs somewhat in 
 development from the Nun epenthetic, as described in 57. 
 4 ; for that takes the vowels (_ ) and () before it, and is 
 usually written by a Daghesh. The effect, however, of 
 both seems to be nearly the same, see Note in 57. 4. This 
 development of the Imperf. with a sun ., as here, is confined 
 to poetry, and is frequent in this book ; see Note, ib. The 
 verb imr means to burst or break forth ; and so "iWJ comes 
 to mean morning. So we say, break of day ; and the like 
 did the Hebrews. But while the idea of early does not 
 belong to the verb of itself, still, the nature of the action 
 designated implies intensity, earnestness. I have so trans 
 lated. The verb comes to designate seeking earnestly, as its 
 
PAKT I CHAP. I. 2931. 155 
 
 secondary sense, by reason of the impetuosity usually ex 
 hibited by those who are anxious seekers. The Piel form 
 in the text gives additional intensity to the meaning. 
 Sentiment : When danger is imminent and punishment has 
 begun, then, sinners who have refused to listen unto warn 
 ings, and have despised admonition until their probation has 
 ended, will seek anxiously, but in vain, for deliverance from 
 further punishment. 
 
 (29) Because they have hated knowledge, and have not chosen the 
 fear of God. 
 
 The word rnn , because, is introductory to the four follow 
 ing clauses, each and all of which belong to the protasis of 
 a long sentence ; the apodosis follows, being introduced by ^ 
 apodotic in v. 31. The arrangement stands thus: Because 
 they have done so and so ... therefore they shall be pun 
 ished so and so. nna (n in Pause) might be translated : 
 delighted in or desired. But the word choose is better here, 
 because it indicates the giving of preference to one thing 
 over another. They did not give preference to piety over 
 disobedience. 
 
 (30) They desired not my counsel; they despised all my reproof. 
 
 The preceding verse gives the positive part of their wick 
 edness; this, the negative one, i. e, they refused counsel, 
 they despised reproof. 
 
 (31) Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, they 
 shall be satiated with their own counsels. 
 
 The 1 here, at the beginning, marks the commencement 
 of the apodosis, and consequently may be rendered therefore. 
 Their way, means their conduct, Their counsels (root 
 Y^) means here devices or plans. The la stands for I B, 
 the quiescent being omitted, as oftentimes, in writing. Our 
 version translates sirato? by filled. The Heb. verb is of a 
 
156 PART I CHAP. 1. 32, 33. 
 
 stronger signification ; which is given in the version above. 
 I should prefer a Saxon word to the Latin derivate satiated ; 
 but where is it to be found? 
 
 Such is the fearful doom of the contumacious opposers 
 of heavenly wisdom. The two following verses develop the 
 general ground or principle, on which this sentence is 
 founded. 
 
 (32) Surely, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and 
 the slothful quietude of fools shall destroy them. 
 
 Turning away, viz., from proffered admonition. 
 quietude, here designates unfeeling apathy under all remon 
 strances and exhortations to rouse up to dutiful action. 
 Amid all these the simple remain unmoved and indifferent. 
 Quietude cannot be meant here, in the way of peaceful 
 enjoyment. 
 
 (33) But he who hearkeneth to me shall dwell in confidence; he 
 shall be tranquil, without fear of evil. 
 
 Lastly comes, to crown all, the promises of reward to the 
 obedient. The second clause explains the first. Dwelling 
 niiS, in confidence, (Ace. of manner), means, that he will 
 have no reason to apprehend evil, and therefore will not 
 anticipate it. *|2x;^1 (made Fut. by )) is the Pilel form of 
 ixa . I take the a in ^n3^ to mean without, Lat. sine; so 
 in Job 11: 15. 21: 9. Gen. 27: 39. Is. 14: 19. Jer. 48: 45. 
 Like ni32 in the preceding clause, it denotes the manner of 
 the tranquillity. Our version quiet from fear can hardly 
 afford a tolerable meaning. We say free from fear, delivered 
 from fear, and the like ; but quiet from fear would seem to 
 mean : quiet through or by reason of fear ; which is far from 
 the true idea. The accents divide, as in the version above. 
 The last two words need no "i before them, because they 
 merely qualify the verb. 
 
PART I CHAP. II. 122. 157 
 
 CHAP. II. 1-22. 
 
 Exhortation to seek after wisdom ; many and important 
 benefits will ensue from finding it. 
 
 [Continued, constant, and earnest seeking after wisdom will lead to 
 the fear and the knowledge of God, vs. 1 5. Jehovah will impart wis 
 dom to such seekers, and sound discretion ; he will protect them and keep 
 them in the right path, vs. 68. Consequently, the sincere seeker will 
 be led to understand the good and the true ; and such knowledge shall 
 give pleasure to his soul, and discretion shall preserve him, vs. 9 11. 
 These will save him from the evil and perverse man, who forsakes 
 uprightness and walks in darkness ; who rejoices in evil doing and 
 perverseness ; whose ways are crooked and perverted, vs. 12 15. He 
 shall be delivered from the strange woman who flatters ; who forsakes 
 the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God : whose 
 house goes down to death, and her paths to the land of ghosts ; and 
 all who go in unto her, return no more to the paths of the living, vs. 
 1 6 1 9. We must watchfully observe and walk in the paths of the 
 good ; for the upright shall have a safe and permanent habitation in 
 the land, while wicked traitors shall be cut off from it. vs. 20 22. 
 
 Properly speaking, this whole chapter has not only one theme, but 
 it virtually consists of only one prolonged and composite sentence. 
 There is nowhere any sign of the commencement of a new theme or 
 sentence ; nor any palpable marks of separate strophes. Yet the 
 structure, in another respect, is somewhat artistic. Analysis will 
 show that there is a peculiar arrangement. If we divide the chapter 
 into two parts, each has in it a series of connected verses of four, 
 four, and three, making eleven verses in each part. The first four 
 verses in the chapter constitute a protasis ; the second four, an apodo- 
 sis ; and then the three which follow (vs. 9 1 1 ), are a second apodosis ; 
 both the apodoses commence alike with "p^iTi tX . In the second part 
 of the chapter (vs. 1222), which describes the divine protection, the 
 two first groups of four begin each with ^^Kb , and the last group 
 of three begins with "jSE^ , which is equivalent to the !p that stands 
 before the verb at the head of the two other groups. Besides this 
 peculiarity of numerical arrangement and harmony, every verse has 
 only two parts or parallelisms, and for the most part, these have the 
 same number of word* in them, which i.s usually ihree. In a few 
 
 14 
 
158 PART I-CHAP. II, 13. 
 
 cases we find four, where the words are short, and two where they are 
 long. This shows that some kind of rhythm is aimed at, although 
 we cannot successfully decipher it. The whole chapter is, in one 
 respect, a monogram by itself; but still, it is here intimately con 
 nected with, and allied to, the main subject. The tenor of the style, 
 in this chapter, is like that in the surrounding context.] 
 
 (1) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and treasure up my 
 commands with thee ; 
 
 To receive, is the first thing in a sincere disciple. To 
 treasure up or carefully keep, designates another and higher 
 degree of readiness to obey, inasmuch as it shows the value 
 put upon the instructions. This is the beginning of the 
 protasis, which is continued, by coordinate conditional 
 clauses, throughout the three following verses. 
 
 (2) So as to make thine ear attentive to wisdom, and incline thine 
 heart to understanding. 
 
 ttJ|Dfi means to erect (or prick up, as we say) the 
 ear, i. e. to put it in a listening attitude. So the Germans : 
 Die Ohren spitzen. When the ear of any animal is flexible, 
 it is erected in listening, in order to catch any sound more 
 easily. The version above gives the meaning for substance ; 
 it would hardly do to translate prick up thine ears, for with 
 us this borders on the vulgar style. The Inf. mode here 
 seems alien from the other forms of verbs in the paragraph. 
 But it is not unfrequent to substitute this, with a b prefix 
 (as here) in the room of an Imperf. tense. It serves to 
 vary the construction. The form ntarn (r. HM3) exhibits the 
 normal Imperf. here. Both wisdom and understanding are 
 abstracts, and so have the article (as is more usual) before 
 them, 107.3. c. ^, from aWaab; hence the Dagh. 
 forte. 
 
 (3) Yea, if thou wilt call for discrimination, and utter aloud thy 
 voice for understanding. 
 
 The ^3 here is simply an intensive ; see under 1: 17 above. 
 
PART I CHAP. II. 4-6. 159 
 
 Wia, from "pa to distinguish, to discriminate, may be well 
 rendered as it is above. M3ian is indeed of the same root, but 
 by usage it rather designates the consequences of discrimina 
 tion, i. e. intelligence or knowledge. inn , to give forth, and 
 here (ab exigentia loci) to utter aloud. The design of the 
 verse is to exhibit earnest request for wisdom; for such 
 earnestness of course would be uttered with a loud voice. 
 
 (4) Jf tliou wilt seek for her as silver, and search her out us hidden 
 treasures. 
 
 As silver, i. e. as men usually seek for silver, viz., with 
 eagerness or earnestness. nstjonn , for ns- , see p. 289, in 
 col. B; nn (and not nn) because of the Guttural; the verb 
 is in Kal. As hidden treasures, i. e. (as before) with such 
 eagerness as men usually exhibit in search of such treasures. 
 
 The protasis ends here, and now comes the apodosis, 
 ushered in by "pan tz* . 
 
 (5) Then shalt them understand the fear of Jehovah, and acquire 
 a knowledge of God. 
 
 narr\ is the usual Hebrew designation of true piety ; 
 not fear in the sense of terror, but in that of reverence. 
 To Jind knowledge means to acquire it, to get possession of 
 it. Tfie fear of Jehovah is a treasure, Is. 33 : 6 ; it is also 
 a refuge in times of danger and trouble, Prov. 14:20, 
 comp. also Ps. 19 : 10. 115:11. All true wisdom leads to 
 a knowledge of God. 
 
 (6) For Jehovah will communicate wisdom; from his mouth is 
 knowledge and understanding. 
 
 The ground of the preceding assurance is here given. 
 The connection is thus : Wonder not at the promises made, 
 for [->s causal] Jehovah gives wisdom, and from his 
 mouth cometh knowledge. Top means what his mouth 
 utters, viz. his words. These are the sources of all true 
 wisdom. 
 
160 PART I CHAP. II. 79. 
 
 (7) He keeps in store help for the upright, a shield for those who 
 walk blamelessly. 
 
 The Kethibh would be normally pointed thus : "jaxsi ; but 
 the Qeri bids us read IBS? , which is right, because this verb 
 is a continuation of ",fp in v. 6, which is in the Imperfect. 
 JW , a shield, is governed by ",fes^ mentally carried forward. 
 This clause might perhaps be translated thus : a shield is he, 
 etc. But if this was the shape of the sentiment designed to 
 be communicated by the writer, he would of course have 
 said : awn ^ . en is used adverbially. 
 
 (8) He will pi-otect the paths of justice : he will watch over the way 
 of his saints. 
 
 ^lisb is another example of the Inf. in continuation of the 
 Imperf. ; see the remarks on the same construction under v. 
 "2. above. *^ n 5n for l^On , as the Qeri informs us. If the 
 Kethibh is retained as a singular, then it must be pointed 
 iT &n , which, generically taken, would amount to the same 
 as the Qeri. The Todh before such a l suffix is sometimes 
 omitted in writing. This verse merely enlarges upon and 
 enforces the preceding one. 
 
 The three following verses are a second apodosis, begin 
 ning, like the preceding group of four, with "pan tx . 
 
 (9) Then shalt thou understand right and justice and uprightness, 
 every good path. 
 
 The accents throw n^"di"2l into the second clause. But 
 if it belongs there, we should expect the *i before it to be 
 omitted ; as it in fact is, before the next and final clause. 
 The whole verse is, first, an accumulation of the particular 
 things to be sought after ; and then follows a generic clause, 
 which cpmprises everything besides which is good. The 
 word ja$ or track is here = Tfyx , i. e. it signifies manner of 
 life, pursuit, and so the meaning is : l Every pursuit in which 
 may be found. 
 
PART I CHAP. II. 10, 11. 161 
 
 (10) For wisdom shall come into thy heart, and knowledge shall be 
 pleasant to thy soul. 
 
 13 , for, causal. It is implied also before the following 
 three clauses, just as in vs. 6, 7. The masc. dsr (in pause) 
 is noticeable ; for rr n seems to be unequivocally fern. We 
 might translate thus : As to knowledge there shall be pleas 
 ure to thy soul. This seems to have been the mode of con 
 ception in the mind of the writer, who appears to have used 
 the verb in an impersonal way. However, the anomaly in 
 question stands not alone ; see the like discrepancy in gender, 
 in the Chrori. 2 : 48. Gen. 4:7. Is. 21: 2. Lev. 2:8. 13 : 14, 
 and many more examples in Ges. Lehrgeb. p. 71 G. The 
 strictness of concord is not rigidly carried out in Hebrew, 
 either as to gender or number. See Ges. ut supra. 
 
 (11) Reflection shall watch over thec ; understanding shall preserve 
 thee. 
 
 is here used in the good sense, indicating repeated 
 thinking or reflection on a subject. The last verb (a verb 
 ",) preserves the 3 in the Imperf. ; which is not frequent, 
 except Gutturals follow it. Examples, however, are not 
 wanting, 65. 2. n. 1. The fi2 has an assimilated 2 in it, 
 and tj is written (and so not unfrequently) with the parag. 
 n- . As to the course of sentiment, there is first ti promise 
 of benefit, and then a promise that this shall be rendered 
 stable by protection. The same order appears in vs. 6, 7, 
 above. 
 
 In the second half of the chapter, the discourse takes a new direction. 
 The blessings of wisdom and knowledge, of guidance and protection, 
 have already been set before those addressed, and also deliverance 
 from evil. But there is one special evil, that has not yet been brought 
 particularly into view, in this address. It is that of incontinence. True 
 wisdom will be certain to deliver those who possess it, from all defiling 
 and destructive intercourse with the unchaste. This constitutes the 
 closing theme of warning ; and the writer is so much in earnest, that 
 he exhibits more than usual fervor, and more of poetic cnergv. This 
 14* 
 
162 PART I CHAP. II. 1214. 
 
 shows that the times were fraught with danger as to the vice in ques 
 tion, and that there was urgent need of guarding the young against it. 
 Something like to this is also true, in respect to men of deception and 
 falsehood, whom vs. 12 15 have brought into view, and have also 
 warned the youth to shun them. But when the Avriter comes to his 
 last theme, which has been described above, he shows that he had 
 adopted an arrangement in his discourse designedly climactic. His 
 greatest energy, therefore, is developed at the close.] 
 
 (12) That they may deliver thee from the way of evil, from the 
 man who spcaketh perversely. 
 
 The preceding verse speaks of safe keeping by reflection 
 and understanding. Here the object of such a guardianship 
 is set forth. So we have a b before the Inf., designed to 
 express the idea, in order that. The subject of ^Btt (Hiph. 
 Inf. of bxa) is reflection and understanding. sn , evil, a noun 
 here, but still qualifying Tp n . rnastttt (from ^srj),lit. per 
 versities. It is an abstract plur. here, used adverbially, (so 
 rendered in the version), or it may be rendered perverse 
 things, i. e. deceptive, mendacious, fraudulent things. 
 
 (13) Who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of 
 darkness. 
 
 In v. 12, isix is generic ; accordingly we here find the 
 plural, the subject being the same as before. rpbb (see on 
 1: 2 for b) in order that they may walk. That is, in other 
 words : " They choose darkness rather than light, because 
 their deeds are evil." 
 
 (14) Who rejoice to do evil, who exult in evil perversions. 
 
 This verse adds to the description, by showing that they 
 do evil with a strong feeling of gratification. ^:P (in Kal) 
 has no subject expressed, (if there were one, it would be ^K), 
 because the relative n in the Part. (= -iisx ) is carried forward 
 mentally, and supplies the true subject. The an at the end 
 of the verse, serves to strengthen the preceding noun, and 
 to make it more intensive. 
 
PART I CHAP. II. 1517. 163 
 
 (15) Whose ways are distorted, and in their paths they are perverse. 
 
 Distorted or tortuous ways means deceitful and fraudulent 
 conduct. Perverse means substantially the same thing, viz., 
 first, literally, that which is bent, crooked; and therefore, 
 secondly, its tropical meaning is fraudulent. The Part. 
 comes from Mb , flectere. 
 
 Thus much for the first four verses of this second division. The 
 next four are occupied with the subject of the strange woman. 
 
 (16) That they may deliver thee from the strange woman, from, the 
 stranger who maketh smooth her words. 
 
 snb stands in the same connection as in v. 12, i. e. reflec 
 tion and understanding (v. 11) will so guard thee, as to 
 deliver, etc. fT-iT , participial noun, from ^Tjlit. one who 
 turns aside, deflects, i. e. from the paths of rectitude, and 
 usually applied to a foreigner as an enemy. But the idea 
 of a foreign origin is not essential (indeed it is not admissi 
 ble) here, if we compare the remaining verses. The woman 
 in question acts as foreign women were wont to do ; and 
 hence the name of stranger is applied to her. *na| lit. desig 
 nates one of foreign origin ; but as the next verse speaks of 
 the woman in question as forgetting the covenant of her God* 
 she must of course be a Hebrew, and merely one who acts 
 like a heathen. We often speak of heathen men as living in 
 our midst, meaning merely to designate those who act like 
 heathen. So the writer before us. The pron. "idx is 
 omitted before ft^EN , as it very often is in poetry, and not 
 unfrequently even in prose, 121. 3. To make smooth her 
 words means to speak enticing and flattering words. 
 
 (17) Who forsaketh the friend of her youth, and forgetteth the 
 covenant of her God. 
 
 ^fc S , plur. form, in order to express the idea of extended 
 time, 106. 2. a. nnaia , (in Pause which makes the a), 
 the Perf. being used in order to designate a continuing or 
 
164 PART I CHAP. II. 18, 10. 
 
 abiding period = has forgotten and is forgetting. The cove 
 nant of her God, shows that, in the ceremony of marriage at 
 that time, appeal was made to God, who was called to wit 
 ness the vows and promises made. The adulterous woman 
 (and such is the one meant here) breaks these vows, or this 
 covenant. She has a double load of guilt, that which 
 respects her husband, and that which has respect to God. 
 All this refers to some custom at weddings, in regard to 
 vows and promises, which the Pent, has not enjoined or 
 described, but which the times and the exigencies of the 
 case had rendered necessary. 
 
 (18) For her house sinketh down to the dead, and her paths to the 
 shades. 
 
 As nntj now stands accented (on the penult), it must come 
 from nvd, and is third pers. fern. But its subject, n^a, is 
 nearly always masc. There can be little difficulty in the 
 case, however, if any one consults the list of common gender 
 nouns in Ewald s Grarnm. 174. d, which expressly includes 
 rna ; and so decides Bertheau, in his Comm. on this verse. 
 I have rendered r.sra (death) by dead, the abstract being used 
 for the concrete ; and so this first clause of the verse is like 
 the last. To the shades, or gJtosts, i. e. the manes or umbrae 
 of the Latins ; for shades has often this sense in English. 
 D^KS"! means ghosts, spectres, inasmuch as it signifies 
 debilcs, flaccidi, i. e. weak, withered, having neither blood 
 nor energetic vitality. The popular belief among the He 
 brews was, that the region of the dead (biata the under world) 
 was peopled by such umbrae. Sentiment : Her habitation 
 will sink into certain destruction and ruin. There is plainly 
 a reference to the earth as swallowing up Korah and his 
 company ; this is, therefore, a loud note of warning to the im 
 prudent and unsuspecting youth, who may be enticed by the 
 adulteress. It is still more fully developed in the next verse. 
 
 (19) All who go in unto her, return not ; they do not attain to the 
 paths of life. 
 
PART I CHAP. II. 2022. 165 
 
 In jtosittS i , the accent is drawn down on the ultimate, by 
 the i paragogic, and therefore Q under the Yodh of the 
 first syllable is dropped. wwi* , Hipli. of sirs , because the 
 Kal form is not in use. Sentiment : The destruction of 
 all who visit her is certain and irremediable. 
 
 (20) So that them shouldstgo in the way of the good, and keep the 
 paths of the righteous. 
 
 That is, all these warnings are uttered that, in order that, 
 etc., "jSpclb; which is like to the b at the beginning of vs. 12, 
 1 6. The way of the good, or path of the righteous, is the 
 only way of peace and safety. 
 
 (21) For the upright shall inhabit the land, and men of integrity 
 shall remain therein. 
 
 Men of integrity, CIBIEFI , are those who do not walk in the 
 crooked and perverted ways mentioned in v. 15 ; comp. 
 Matt. 5 : 5. >nr^ , Niph. Imperf. of in;> , lit. shall be left, 
 or be remaining. The meaning is, that while the wicked are 
 cut off from the land, the upright shall remain or be left therein. 
 
 (22) But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the trench, 
 erous be swept away from it. 
 
 This accords with the usual tenor of threatenings in the 
 Old Testament. " The wicked shall not live out half their 
 days." Premature and violent death will come upon them. 
 ins 1 ; makes some little difficulty, being, as it would seem, 
 from nw , and in the Imperf. Kal. Lit. they will sweep them 
 selves away, i. e. tear themselves away, from the land. I 
 should prefer a root nno (like mrr), and point it in Niphal, 
 liUST [, which would give of course a passive sense. There 
 is another way, however, of solving the difficulty. Render 
 thus : And the treacherous shall they sweep from the land, i. e. 
 the people or magistracy will sweep away the c^a a , the 
 verb having (as often) an indef. subject which: is not ex- 
 
166 PART I CHAP. III. 1, 2. 
 
 pressed. This is the most simple construction, as the text 
 now stands ; and this amounts to the use of a passive voice, 
 Ewald, 272. b. See Roedig. Gramm. 134. 3. b. 
 
 CHAP. in. 135. 
 
 [This chapter has a triplex division, viz. (a) vs. 1 10. (6) vs. 11 
 20. (c) vs. 21 35. Each of these divisions is introduced by the com- 
 pellative, 132 . The first division has artistic marks about it. It is 
 subdivided into five couplets, each of which consists of two verses. 
 In every one, the second verse of the couplet exhibits a promise of 
 good, consequent on obedience to what is prescribed. 
 
 A summary of contents is rather a difficult task, since there is so 
 much of the gnomic stamp in the chapter. In some cases several 
 verses are connected ; but there is no long-continued series respecting 
 the same subject. The first division (vs. 1 10) comprises summarily 
 this : My son, attend diligently to my instruction ; for long life and 
 peace will be the consequence, vs. 1, 2. Never neglect kindness and 
 faithfulness, for these will render thee- an object of favor to God and 
 man, vs. 3, 4. Trust implicitly in God, and he will direct thy ways, 
 vs. 5, 6. Be not wise in thine own conceit, but fear God, who will 
 keep thee from evil, and make thy condition safe and salutary, vs. 
 7, 8. Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and he will make abundant 
 provision for thy support and comfort, vs. 9, 10.] 
 
 (1) My son, forget not my instruction ; let thy heart keep my com 
 mandments 
 
 The original sense of rni n is here retained, viz., instruc 
 tion, from rrn to teach. "THEE (read mits-vo-thi) is from 
 Mis , with a 1 movable consonant. "ian , with a radical 
 assimilated, while in 2 : 11. 5 : 2, it is retained in full, in the 
 same tense. This shows an oscillation of usage, in regard 
 to the Imperf. of verbs ",2 . The Imperf. here, as is very 
 common, is hortative. 
 
 (2) For length of days, and years of life, and also peace, shall be 
 added to thee. 
 
 This is of like tenor with the fifth commandment, which 
 has the same promise. Long life is a very frequent prom- 
 
PART ICHAP. III. 3, 4. 167 
 
 ise to the obedient; comp. Prov. 9:11. 10:27. On the 
 contrary, the impious are soon cut off; see 2:22. And 
 also peace, since this commences the second clause, it needs 
 some note of distinction. By rendering n and also, we make 
 a distinction, and one quite within the province of this par 
 ticle. That the wicked shall not have peace is clear ; see 
 Is. 48:22. 57:21. Will they add who or what will 
 add? Apparently the Nom. or subject is the instruction and 
 commands of v. 1. But the verb is masc., the nouns both 
 fern. ; of course the Nom. indefinite must be supposed = 
 they shall add, which is equivalent to a passive ; and so I 
 have translated it (see 134.3) by the passive. woi 1 * 
 might be rendered, cause to increase ; but Kal has no Imperf. 
 in use, and Hiphil is its substitute ; and so we may render 
 simply by add; but this means here increase. 
 
 (3) Let not kindness and faithfulness forsake thee ; bind them on 
 thy neck, inscribe them on the tablet of thy heart. 
 
 That is, demean not thyself so as to compel them to for 
 sake thee, or, treat them not with neglect so as to alienate 
 them, lOtt means kindness of disposition toward others, 
 love of a friend, or the love of God for us. n^X (apoc. 
 form of P.ssx) means faithfulness or truthfulness, prop 
 erly that which can be relied on, that which is stable. 
 Bind them on thy neck, i. e. wear them as a conspicuous 
 ornament of honor, (see on 1: 9) ; for such were chains 
 about the neck, set with rubies. Inscribe on the tablet of 
 the heart, i. e. inscribe them on a tablet which will be always 
 present with thee, and always reminding thee of thy duty ; 
 comp. Jer. 31: 33. The c_ plur. suff. after each Imper. 
 verb, refers to kindness and faithfulness in v. 3 ; and not, 
 as C. B. Michaelis and others say, to instruction and com 
 mand in v. 1, for these are both fem., while the suff. is 
 masculine. 
 
 (4) And thou shalt find favor and good success in the sight of God 
 and man. 
 
168 PART I CHAP. III. 5-7. 
 
 follows another Imper. which contains a monition, 
 and therefore, although Imp. in form, it here designates a 
 promise of what is consequent upon obedience, 127. 2. 
 bab is somewhat difficult here. If (with Bertheau) we ren 
 der ^understanding^ (as in 13 : 15. Ps. Ill: 10), it hardly 
 seems appropriate ; for the fact of having obeyed, shows of 
 itself that the obedient is already in the possession of bsto . 
 One meaning of V^istt, however, is successum habuit or 
 dedit. As kindred to this I have given the meaning of ^siu 
 in the version ; and then we have something that corresponds 
 with a gift now bestowed, and not before possessed. Ges. 
 renders it by felicitas, in his Lex., which = our good luck. 
 
 In the sight, etc., i. e. in the view, judgment, or opinion, 
 of both God and man. In other words : Thou shalt find 
 favor and be truly prospered, God and man both bearing 
 witness to thy well-directed efforts. 
 
 (5) Trust in Jehovah with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine 
 own understanding. 
 
 This inculcates humility, and stands opposed to pride and 
 self-confidence. bx, to, toward; so the Heb., but in our 
 own idiom we say : lean upon. 
 
 (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him. and he will make straight 
 thy paths. 
 
 This verse connects intimately with the preceding one, and 
 presents a good reason for following the advice there given. 
 
 i"n with the suff. becomes sinr 1 -; . ion has an emphatic 
 sense, and it is inserted for this reason. The meaning is, he 
 and none else. Tir^ is reg. Piel Imperfect. 
 
 (7) Be not wise in thine own view: fear Jehovah, and turn away 
 from evil. 
 
 That is, instead of confiding in your own sagacity and 
 ability to secure your peace and welfare, fear God and avoid 
 
PART I CHAP. III. 810. 169 
 
 doing evil. This is the safer and wiser course ; for the fear 
 of God will guard you against the doing of evil. 
 
 (8) It shall be healing to thy body, and refreshment to thy bones. 
 
 inn , of the optative or voluntative form, but as it has no 
 * to mark an apodosis, it must be taken as indicating prom 
 ise ; comp. 5: 18. 7:9. ^"-l^?, from ^lizj with suff., with 
 Hholem shortened by its standing in a mixed syllable, lit. 
 thy navel. Being the central point of the body, it is virtu 
 ally taken as the representative of the whole. isip r , lit. 
 irrigation, figuratively refreshment. Sentiment : The fear 
 of God will give healing in sickness, and refreshment in a 
 time of need. Bones represent the substantial parts of the 
 human frame, which, when wearied or exhausted, needs rest 
 and refreshment. 
 
 (9) Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first fruits of 
 all thy produce. 
 
 This refers to the precepts of the Law, which direct that 
 of all the first fruits an offering shall be made to God, Ex. 
 23:19. Lev. 2:12, 26. 19:23. Deut. 18:4, 11. comp. 
 Gen. 28 : 22. Sentiment : To show gratitude to God for 
 his blessings, is one of our leading duties. 
 
 (10) Then shall thy granaries be filled abundantly, and thy presses 
 shall burst forth with new wine. 
 
 The blessings of plenty shall be copiously bestowed on the 
 obedient. The corn and the wine shall abound and overflow. 
 yyo , used adverbially. TB pnp. i , placed first emphatically. 
 The shape of the Hebrew seems to be thus : And as to 
 new wine, thy presses shall pour it forth. So the accents 
 indicate. 
 
 Second Division, vs. 11 20. 
 
 [It is difficult to make out a connected plan here. Vs. 11,12, enjoin 
 diligent attention to the chastisements which Providence inflicts. Vs. 
 15 
 
170 PART I CHAP. III. 11, 12. 
 
 13, seq. relapse into the praises of Wisdom, and the precious rewards 
 that she bestows : which are better than silver, gold^ rubies, and all 
 choice things, vs. 13 15. Length of days, riches, honor, pleasure, 
 and peace, arc all within her gift, vs. 16, 17. She is a tree of life, 
 which makes those blessed who lay hold of her, v. 18. Jehovah 
 founded the earth by her assistance, and established the heavens ; he 
 clave the abysses, and made the clouds to distil rain, vs. 19, 20. 
 
 It is apparent, therefore, that there is no visible connection between 
 vs. 11, 12, and the sequel. But vs. 13 20 are closely united in one 
 theme.] 
 
 (11) My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor loath 
 his reproof. * 
 
 This comes appropriately after a promise of blessings ; 
 for it is as much as to say : * You must not expect that all 
 will be prosperity. Adversity will come; God s chastening 
 hand will smite ; but do thou not shrink from it, nor repine, 
 for it is the hand of fatherly discipline, smiting for your 
 spiritual good smiting in order to keep you humble, and 
 to teach you how dependent you are x>n him/ "pF*? is 
 stronger than the preceding verb, and the verse is climactic. 
 Our English version (weary) does not give the true sense 
 of this word, since it is too weak to express the Hebrew. 
 
 (12) For whom Jehovah lovcth he chasteneth. even as a father the 
 son in whom he delighteth. 
 
 Chastisement, in the way of discipline, is only a fruit of 
 kmdness; see Deut. 8:5. Ps. 118:18. Prov. 13:24 
 nini demands ^rx to be supplied before it, since it consti 
 tutes a relative clause. It is singular that the Sept. should 
 here have read ^xa* 1 , and rendered it [taGTtyoi, chastens, 
 instead of reading the text nxa*! , and as a father. In Heb. 
 12: 6, this version is followed. This shows that the Sev 
 enty had no vowel-points to guide them. The verb rpa P 
 is to be mentally supplied before *2-rs< , from the preceding 
 clause. The word SX3, as a father, men-ly qualifies the 
 manner of the chastisement. In other words : If promised 
 
PART I CHAP. III. 13, 14. 171 
 
 prosperity should be interrupted, and suffering come, remem 
 ber still, that when God chastens the obedient, it is not from 
 want of love for them, but only with a design to try and to 
 purify them. Remember, moreover, that, such being the 
 case, he will chastise in measure and in mercy, even as an 
 affectionate father does. 
 
 (13) Blessed is the man Avho hath found wisdom, even the man who 
 draweth forth understanding. 
 
 Here the two tenses (in a kind of contrast) have a special 
 significance. xxa , Perf., has found and stiff Jinds ; p"^ 
 (Imperf. Hiph. of pis), lit. makes to come forth, i. e. habitu 
 ally draws forth from its fountain. The Targum well ren 
 ders here by spS 1 ?, causes to gush forth ; see Ps. 144: 13. 
 Is. 58 : 10. The Imperf. designates that the wise man does 
 this habitually, or that he is doing and will do this. The 
 two clauses stand related almost as past habitual obtaining 
 does to future acquiring which will be continual. In the 
 second case, the causing wisdom to come forth, implies that he 
 will obtain it from God, the source of all good ; comp. Prov. 
 8 : 35. 18 : 22, for the like sentiment. 
 
 (14) For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver; and the 
 produce thereof than fine gold. 
 
 "inb means lit. gain resulting from traffic. p*in is a 
 word whose etymology has perplexed the critics. Ges. says, 
 that " it designates gold, sive a colore acuto dictum est, sive 
 quod avide appetitur ab hominibus." Certainly not a very 
 satisfactory etymology. Pure gold is rather dull of color 
 than acute or sharp ; and the avide appetitur in this word, 
 must be referred to the Arabic for any support. There is a 
 more easy solution. The ancient mines in hither Asia, as 
 well as those now in California, doubtless yielded gold, more 
 or less of which was like the pure lumps now found in the 
 latter region. This was of course in the highest repute ; 
 
172 PART I CHAP. III. 1517. 
 
 for what was native, could not have been alloyed by any 
 fraud. Now as one sense of yyi is to dig, fodere, so f Hn 
 lit. means, that which is dug out ; and this appellation seems 
 to be applied to gold xaz l^o^r, as being the most valuable 
 of all which is dug out of the earth. All the ancient ver 
 sions understand the word as meaning the better sort of gold. 
 Sentiment : Wisdom is better than the most splendid 
 wealth/ 
 
 (15) More precious is it than pearls; and all thy jewels cannot 
 compare with i{. 
 
 The tenor of the discourse is climactic. Pearls and jewels 
 are valued as the highest kind of riches. ta^iQ is elsewhere 
 always written &WB, (see Job 28 : 18. Prov. 8: 11) ; and 
 so we have it in the Qeri of the margin. One cannot well 
 doubt, that the second 3 has fallen out in the Kethibh here. 
 Jewels are figuratively named ^^BFt thy desirable things, be 
 cause they are things so much desired and sought after in 
 the East, for the adornment of both sexes. See a like com 
 parison in order to show the worth of wisdom, in Job 28 : 12 
 28, truly a most splendid description. liuj i (yish^vu) 
 from STTiT with 1 medial consonant. 
 
 (16) Length of days is in her right hand; in her left are riches and 
 honor. 
 
 As to long life, compare 9:11; also vs. 7 10 above, and 
 v. 2. As to riches and honor, comp. 8:18. 22 : 4. In her 
 right hand, and in her left, i. e. she dispenses her blessings 
 with both hands, or, in other words, abundantly. 
 
 (17) Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 
 
 Her ways means the ways which she points out and recom 
 mends. 03?b , whatever is lovely, pleasant, agreeable. Peace 
 is a word expressive of the opposite not only of all disquie 
 tude, but also of all alarm from fear of evil. 
 
PART I CHAP. in. 1820. 173 
 
 (18) A tree of life is she to those who lay hold upon her ; and those 
 who grasp her, shall each be blessed. 
 
 A tree of life is a tree whose fruit imparts or preserves 
 life ; with reference, perhaps, to the tree of life in the garden 
 of Eden. "NSKT? , sing, number, while the subject apparently 
 is plural. But this word here is what grammarians call an 
 individualizing predicate. In other words, when the subject is 
 plural and comprehends a mass, the predicate, by being sim 
 ply put in the singular, makes the declaration contained in 
 it applicable to each and every individual of the mass. I 
 have therefore so rendered it in the version. Comp. for like 
 usage, Ex. 31: 14. Gen. 27: 29 (bis), comp. 12 : 3. Zach. 
 11:5; see Ewald, 309. a. On the other hand, the sing, 
 often goes over, in a continued construction, into the plural, 
 when it has a generic and therefore comprehensive mean 
 ing; see Ew. ib. and comp. Rodig. 143. 4. 143. 1. 
 
 (19) Jehovah hath founded the earth by wisdom ; he hath estab 
 lished the heavens by understanding. 
 
 This is the highest testimony to the excellence of wisdom 
 which can be given. To the Most High she is as it were a 
 counsellor. How invaluable, then, to erring men, who so 
 much need counsel ! The words rrcan , nw , and fiiintn , are 
 so often interchanged with each other, that we may safely con 
 clude variety of diction merely to be the object in view, and 
 not the expression of ideas substantially different from each 
 other. In v. 19, the first and last of these three words are 
 obviously of the same import. The next verse gives us the 
 other variation, which is plainly equivalent in signification. 
 
 (20) By his knowledge the abysses were cleft ; and the clouds which 
 distil the dew. 
 
 In Gen. 1: 6, the waters (= rvis ifirn) are separated, and a 
 part are congregated above the firmament and a part below ; rf 
 see v. 7 in the sequel there. It is this dividing to which 
 15* 
 
174 PART I CHAP. III. 21. 
 
 the WjMa of the text refers. It needed great skill and wis 
 dom to make this separation, so as to promote the most ben 
 eficial ends. To the upper dittfi belong the clouds with 
 their aqueous contents. These distil the waters of the upper 
 region upon the earth, and fructify it. The clouds IBS 1 ?; , 
 distil, i. e. gently drop or let fall, viz. the dew. This is effected 
 by his wisdom (here called n^n), which is strikingly mani 
 fested in this arrangement of the two abysses. Without the 
 v-apory dinn above, there could be no dew. 
 
 Such is the impassioned and sublime eulogy of Wisdom. 
 Well may the writer urge all his readers, to strive for the 
 attainment of it. 
 
 Third Division, vs. 2135. 
 
 [The monitor now resumes his hortatory address to his pupil, to 
 persuade him to cleave to the pursuit of wisdom. It will keep him in 
 safety ; he may lie down in security and sleep sweetly, for no fear of 
 destruction will disturb him, since Jehovah is his keeper, vs. 21 26. 
 The next five verses all begin with ^ , which stands before clauses 
 designed to be prohibitions. One must not withhold any feasible good 
 from his neighbor ; he must not put off a favor to him. which he can 
 now do ; he must not slander him ; he must not causelessly contend with 
 him ; he must not be emulous of him, vs. 27 31. All this must not 
 be done, for Jehovah hates the perverse, while he is the friend of the 
 righteous ; his curse is on the house of the wicked, while the habitation 
 of the just is blessed, vs. 32, 33. Inasmuch as he mocks scorners, and 
 shows favor to the righteous, the wise shall inherit glory, but shame 
 shall take away fools, vs. 34, 35.] 
 
 (21) My son, let them not depart from thy sight ; hold fast counsel 
 and reflection. 
 
 One difficulty here is, to find the plur. masc. subject of 
 *it^ . Some choose the two nouns in the second clause, and 
 say that they are here anticipated, (as it sometimes happens). 
 But both of these nouns are feminine. If we fall back, as 
 does Bertheau, on v. 1 of the chapter, then there is the same 
 
PART I CHAP. HI. 2224. 175 
 
 objection. It is easier, therefore, to make sitbj refer to the 
 various fii W , i. e. things said, or matters treated of in the 
 context preceding, and thus give to the verb a comprehensive 
 aspect. Meaning : * Do not lose sight of any of these precepts 
 or things inculcated. isa , to keep or guard with care, to hold 
 fast or firmly. n^n (from rra^) counsel, viz. such as had 
 now been given. Ftatt? ? here in a good sense again, refec 
 tion, or rather here, the result of thought and reflection, viz. 
 such a result as had been communicated ; not = devote your 
 self to reflection, for this would be expressed by sb- bj< WfeJ . 
 The reward follows : 
 
 (22) And they shall he life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 
 
 What shall be so ? The verb is masc., and therefore the 
 subject cannot be the two nouns that immediately precede. 
 The reference, then, must be regarded as the same as that 
 implied in the case of itV; . But all difficulty may be avoided 
 by making t^n (plur.) the subject, and translating thus : 
 Life shall be to thy soul, i. e. long life, life par excellence. But 
 neither Umbreit nor Bertheau notice this. Grace to thy 
 neck, i. e. they shall adorn thy neck with a collet of honor ; 
 comp. v. 3, and specially 1: 9. If the first clause be rendered 
 as just proposed, then the second must run thus : Grace shall 
 be to thy neck. 
 
 (23) Then shalt thou go on thy way in confidence ; and thy foot 
 shall not stumble. 
 
 riD^b , the b of condition, see Lex. B. 3. C]ian (from ^52), 
 to hit or strike against anything, and thence to stumble. In 
 other words : The journey of life shall be safe and smooth. 
 
 (24) When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid ; yea, when 
 thou liest down, thy sleep shall be sweet. 
 
 When danger is feared, sleep is apt to be light and inter 
 rupted. Sweet sleep accompanies quietude and a sense of 
 security. The shape of the Hebrew in the last clause stands 
 
176 PART I CHAP. in. 2527. 
 
 thus : And shouldest tliou lie down, then thy sleep shall be sweet. 
 But the version above expresses well the sense. 
 
 (25) Fear not any sudden terror, nor the destructive tempest of the 
 wicked when it shall come. 
 
 D ikrna , lit. suddenly, as an adverb. But very often an 
 adverb is employed in the place of an adjective. Tempest 
 of the wicked may mean that tempest which the wicked raise ; 
 but the passive meaning is better here, viz. that tempest 
 which comes, sudden and furious, to sweep away the wicked. 
 
 (26) For Jehovah will be thy confidence ; yea, he will keep thy foot 
 from the snare. 
 
 TjbbS3 , lit. in thy confidence. But this English version 
 would not give the true meaning. The a here is the Beth 
 essentiae or Beth predicate, and merely gives intensity to the 
 expression, comp. Ex. 18:4; see 151. 3. a. y. lab, 
 snare, found only in this book. Sentiment : * Jehovah will 
 impart to thee strong confidence, and keep thee from concealed 
 dangers. For similar declarations, see Ps. 78 : 7. Job. 8 : 
 14. 31: 24. 
 
 (27) Withhold not good from those to whom it belongs, when it is 
 in the power of thy hand to do [it.J 
 
 Good is here favor of any kind a favor, as we say. 
 T^ssb , lit. to the owners of it, i. e. those to whom it belongs 
 or is due. b n htta , when it appertains to. bx , might, 
 strength, power, probably the remoter root of ^K, God, 
 quasi the Mighty One. For the same expression as here, see 
 Gen. 31:29. Mic. 2:1. Deut. 28:32. Neh. 5:5. ^ 
 has the vowels of ^pjj (Qeri) in the sing. ; but this is useless, 
 for we may just as well read ^ tota |^. rlbs b omits, through 
 brevity, the pronoun which I have supplied in the version 
 above. The next verse shows more exactly what the present 
 one means. 
 
PART I CHAP. in. 2831. 177 
 
 (28) Say not to thy friend : Go, and return, and to-morrow I will 
 give, when it is with thee. 
 
 rpsnb , with vowels for the sing. ^Spb , which is correct 
 here (so Qeri), as the verbs which follow are in the singular. 
 fc ,r}^ (Imperf. of ira), here used absolutely without any 
 object, simply designating the act of giving. ^1? and yet it 
 is or there is, Io2. B. b., which I have expressed for substance 
 in the version. The Norn, to sh may be sia (of v. 27) ; but 
 it may also be rendered impersonally by there is. The other, 
 however, is rather preferable. 
 
 (29) Devise not evil against thy neighbor, when he dwelleth securely 
 with thee. 
 
 nn , lit. fabricate, machinate, but trop. as above ; see 
 Ezek. 21:36. Dwelleth securely with thee, probably refers 
 here to the sojourning traveller, who seeks a friendly lodge, 
 and feels secure in it, in accordance with the laws of hospi 
 tality nearly universal in hither Asia. The host is not to lay 
 a plan for robbing his guest, who has entrusted himself to his 
 care and protection. Doubtless there were men enough who 
 practised such breaches of good faith and kindness ; and 
 hence the necessity of a warning. Such a crime was a very 
 aggravated one. Nirn , plainly = when he, and it is designed 
 to be emphatic. 
 
 (30) Strive not with a man Avithout cause, when he has done thee 
 no harm. 
 
 n-hn , the Kethibh should be pointed ; but the Qeri is also 
 well. The esti here is explained by the next clause. There 
 is no proper cause or ground of striving, where no wrong has 
 been done. :ra , lit. rendered thee. The Hebrews often 
 said : Render good or evil to a person, where we say : Do good 
 or evil to him. The Nom. subject is comprised in the verb 
 
 (31) Be not envious toward the man of violence; and choose none 
 of his ways. 
 
178 PART I CHAP. III. 3235. 
 
 X3J5FI , means a jealous love or desire, and indicates a high 
 degree of affection or desire toward any person or thing, 
 which brings with it anxious wishes to obtain or retain it. 
 Sentiment : Do not anxiously covet the booty which men 
 of violence acquire ; do not desire any connection with them. 
 None of his ways, i. e. none of those ways in which he 
 develops the character of a depredator. 
 
 (32) For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah ; but with the 
 upright is his secret. 
 
 *& is employed here as in 2 : 26, i. e. to introduce a new 
 shade of thought. It may, however, be regarded here (as 
 also there) as causal, introducing a reason for the preceding 
 declaration. iTio = secret or confidential intercourse. Only 
 friends, i. e. the upright, enjoy this privilege ; comp. Job 
 19 : 19. Ps. 55 : 15, where a like sense of the word occurs. 
 
 (33) The curse of Jehovah is on the house of the wicked ; but the 
 habitation of the righteous he will bless. 
 
 The curse of Jehovah, when it falls on the house of the 
 wicked, destroys and eradicates it ; comp. in Zach. 5 : 3, seq. 
 Mai. 2 : 2. 
 
 (. 34) When he mocketh the .scorncrs, and giveth grace to the humble ; 
 
 A protasis, of which the following verse is the apodosis. 
 Emphasis rests on xin here, and for this purpose, indeed, 
 it is inserted. Meaning: When he (God) himself mocks, 
 etc. ; here the verb is followed by b before the object. It 
 may be employed either with or without it ; but most usual 
 is the latter construction, Ps. 119 : 51. Prov. 14:9. n^as, 
 Qeri fi^W , both forms, however, are used and are normal. 
 
 (35) The wise shall inherit glory, but as to fools shame shall 
 sweep [them] away. 
 
 Glory means here honor, or an exalted station. "ji 
 has been differently rendered : Shame shall elevate or ennoble 
 
PART I CHAP. IV 179 
 
 fools, spoken sarcastically ; so Ziegler, Ewald. But Chald., 
 Syr. C. B. Mich., and others : Shall receive shame, making 
 vnn = take up, with the adjunct notion of carrying away. 
 I prefer the meaning sanctioned by Ezek. 21: 31. Is. 57: 14, 
 viz., to take off, to sweep away, like as the dust which is ele 
 vated by the wind and is swept off, as may be seen in Is. 
 17: 13. comp. Is. 29 : 5. Ps. 3a : 5. At least the image, un 
 derstood in this way, is very vivid. It stands thus : Fools 
 are elevated like the light dust, and then are swept away in 
 the same manner. Their shameful conduct brings this upon 
 them. But the following sense is not a bad one : Shame is 
 the exalter of fools ; said, of course, ironically. It is at least 
 literal, and very significant, and is not without parallels. 
 Mimtinghe significantly : Shame is the nobility conferred on 
 fools, "pb^ , lit. lightness, rather favors, however, the idea 
 of being elevated and swept away, as light bodies are wont 
 to be, by the storm, i. e. by the divine indignation. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 127. 
 
 [This chapter also has three divisions, made by My son, at the be 
 ginning of each. In the first portion, vs. 1, 2, the children are exhorted 
 to listen to wise and good instruction. The writer goes on to 
 state, that when he was a child, he received instruction from parental 
 affection, Avith counsel to observe it diligently, vs. 3, 4. The advice 
 given was, above all things to acquire wisdom, and never to swerve 
 from it; for this would keep him in safety, vs. 5. 6. Wisdom is there 
 fore the first or principal tiling, and should be obtained at all events. 
 She will exalt and honor him, who attains her. She will also adorn 
 him with a beautiful wreath and diadem, vs. 7 9. 
 
 The corresponding clauses here, and throughout the chapter, are 
 very exact, with the single exception of v. 4, which alone has three 
 clauses. The Syriac has a clause after v. 4, omitted in the present 
 Hebrew text, which runs thus : Let my taw be as the apple of thine eye. 
 If this were admitted, it would make v. 4 into four clauses, i. e. into 
 two verses, and would restore regularity to the whole chapter. The 
 Sept. is so perplexed here, that we cannot well make out from it what 
 its Heb. text was.] 
 
180 PART I CHAP. IV. 15. 
 
 (1) Hear, ye children, the admonition of a father, and listen to 
 knowledge and understanding. 
 
 The plural, era , is employed here in the room of the 
 usual singular. Comp. 1 : 8, as to the tenor of the command. 
 
 (2) For good doctrine have I given to you ; forsake not my in 
 struction. 
 
 For njD>, see 1: 5. 9: 9. The Perf. inna has what is 
 called the continuing or permanent sense, have given and still 
 give. Win , here in its primary sense. 
 
 (3) For a son was 1 to my father, a tender and only [child] in the 
 view of my mother. 
 
 The design is to refer to a tender age (7^ ) or early child 
 hood, and also to the fact that he either was, or was treated 
 as, an only son ; of course, as one much beloved. In this con 
 dition he received, in early life, the paternal instruction thus 
 timely given. In other words, he had been taught from 
 childhood the lessons of wisdom which he was going now to 
 teach. Son to my father denotes something more than 
 physical origin. The writer means, that he was treated as a 
 son by his affectionate father ; who, as the next verse shows, 
 was his instructor. The second clause shows in what light 
 his mother regarded him, treating him as a tender and only 
 child. Trp , only, means more than simply beloved ; for 
 special affection is usually the lot of the only child. In the 
 New Testament, [lovoyEvifi has just the same meaning. 
 
 (4) And he taught me, and said tome: Let thine heart take fast 
 hold of my words ; keep my commands and thou shalt live. 
 
 *:n*>l , Hiph. of !Tn^ ; in Kal the meaning to teach is want 
 ing. JTW], (for 1 with Seghol, see 102. 2. <?.), lit. and 
 live. But being a second Imper., it implies a promise, 127 
 2, and is equivalent to the Imperf. second person. 
 
 (5) Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, and decline not 
 from the words of my mouth. 
 
PART I CHAP. IV. 69. 181 
 
 Each clause here is bi-membral. Forget not, has no 
 Ace. after it expressed ; but ^cs is a proper one, and may 
 be gathered or supplied from the next member of the clause. 
 
 (6) Forsake her not, and she will keep thee ; love her, and she will 
 preserve thce. 
 
 rnrix , love her, the Imp. with Pattah, nnx , makes the 
 form in the text, before the suff. h- is appended. For the 
 repeated 3- , suff. to two of the verbs, see Gramm. p. 289, 
 B. on the left. 
 
 (7) The principal thing is wisdom, get wisdom ; even with all thy 
 property, procure understanding. 
 
 That is, if it cost thee all thy wealth, still obtain wisdom. 
 It is worth more than all which can be given for it. There 
 fore at all events obtain it, if it be possible. a before the 
 noun which expresses the price paid for a thing, is common, 
 Lex. a, B. 9. 
 
 (8) Exalt her, and she will elevate thee ; she will honor thee, when 
 thou shalt embrace her. 
 
 &bo , Pilpel of ^D . In other words : Hold her in the 
 highest estimation, and thou thyself shalt be exalted and 
 honored. Embrace her, is indicative of, or designed to 
 express, affectionate attachment. 
 
 (9) She will give to thine head a graceful wreath ; a beautiful dia 
 dem will she bestow on thce. 
 
 For sentiment and mode of expression, see 1:9. ^3WPi , 
 an unfrequent verb, and used only in Piel ; so here, and in 
 Gen. 14 : 20. Hos. 11:8. It governs two Accusatives here, as 
 Piel often does, 136. 1. The second division of the chap 
 ter now follows, and urges still further the acquiring of wis 
 dom, and holds up the many advantages that are secured 
 
 by it. 
 
 16 
 
1*2 PART I CHAP. IV. 1013, 
 
 Part Second, vs. 1019. 
 
 [In different forms are presented the ideas of the writer with respect 
 to the importance of wisdom. His earnestness on the subject appears 
 from his repeated exhortations to acquire the possession of it, and the 
 promises of many blessings to be derived from it. Long life, safety, 
 and deliverance from danger, are the reward, vs. 10 12. One should 
 therefore grasp it firmly, and hold it fast ; and in order to do this, he 
 must never frequent the path of the wicked, vs. 13, 14. That path he 
 must firmly reject ; he must turn from it, and go on in another direc 
 tion, v. 15. The wicked are sleepless, unless they can do evil. They 
 feed on the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence, vs. 
 16, 17. Truly the path of the just is like the rising light of the dawn, 
 shining more and more unto perfect day ; but the path of the wicked 
 is dark, they know not on what they stumble, vs. 18, 19.] 
 
 (10) Listen, my son, and receive my words, that they may increase 
 for thee years of life. 
 
 Comp. the same sentiment in 3:2, and see the remarks 
 there. For the meaning of "i before 13^ , see 152. B. e. 
 
 (11) I have instructed thce in the way of wisdom. I have made thee 
 to tread in the paths of uprightness. 
 
 for ""rni n , Hiph. of JTVJ . To teach the disciple wis 
 dom, is to prepare him of course to walk uprightly. 
 
 (12) When thou goest. thy step shall not be straitened ; and if 
 thou mnnest, thou slmlt not stumble. 
 
 The verse is climactic. Running increases the danger 
 of stumbling ; but even the higher danger shall be warded 
 off. For ^s? , Imperf. Kal of ^ , see Lex. No. ii. The 
 Pattah belongs to the intrans. verb as such here ; but with 
 out this reason, the "> final would well account for it. 
 
 (13) Take fast hold of instruction, and do not let go ; keep her, for 
 she is thy life. 
 
 tfnn , apoc. second person of Imperf. Hiph. of rifi n , in- 
 
PART I CHAP. IV, 1416. 183 
 
 stead of the normal apoc. tpfi, 74. Note 14. This form 
 is hortative. rnss , keep her who ? Doubtless wisdom 
 (the great object before the writer s mind) is implied here ; 
 for the preceding "IOTO , its equivalent, is masc. The Dag- 
 hesh in 3 is Dagh. euphonic, 20. 2. 2 ; also called dirimenSj 
 i. e. separating. It makes the preceding short syllable and 
 the Sheva half-syllable to be heard more distinctly, and is 
 in itself a mere arbitrary sign of one of the niceties in pro 
 nouncing certain words. Ewald has treated more fully of 
 it than other grammarians, in 92. c. ^n fern, in refer 
 ence to wisdom implied. Let not go, without an Ace. after 
 it, renders it necessary to make out a supply mentally, either 
 thus: Remit not thy hold, or else: Remit not instruction. 
 Either is good. 
 
 (14) In the path of the wicked do thou not go, nor travel in the 
 way of evil men. 
 
 "ittjttfi , a new verb, for the sake of variety in the diction ; 
 lit. take [no } steps. The bx before the two verbs shows that 
 they are voluntative or hortative, rather than peremptory. 
 Absolute prohibition would require &tb . 
 
 (15) Reject it, pass not upon it ; turn from it, and pass away. 
 
 The Imp. With suff. here, IHS iB , in the simple state would 
 be 3ns . The Pattah under the 1 is made a Qamets, by 
 being placed in an open syllable. "^5?^ ? with final short 
 o because of the Maqqeph. "ib?3, and pass away, i. e. 
 from the path of the wicked, not pass on it, i. e. on the road 
 of the wicked. In other words : * When in thine own right 
 path, avoid the ways of the wicked ; turn from them, and 
 go forward as you were before going. 
 
 (16) Tor they sleep not unless they have done evil j and arc robbed 
 of their sleep, if they have caused none to stumble. 
 
 The three Imperfs. here denote habitual and customary 
 action, i. e. they express an enduring Present, which of 
 
184 PART I CHAP. IV. 17, 18. 
 
 course must comprise a future sense. wn^j , from r:n , 
 Imperf. Hiph. ; 5*n , as a root, would also give the same form. 
 The verb is intrans. and abs., and therefore has no object 
 after it. Are robbed of their sleep, lit. their sleep is taken 
 away or robbed. I have preferred our familiar English 
 idiom here. The 1 in the last verb is manifestly wrong. 
 Hiphil does not allow this. The Qeri puts Yodh for it; and 
 to this letter the vowel that precedes is adapted. The 
 Kethibh would be pointed ^te"? , in Kal, and would then 
 give an irrelevant sense. 
 
 (17) Eor they feed on the bread of wickedness, and the wine of 
 violence do they drink. 
 
 That is, they feed on the bread which wickedness has 
 obtained, and drink the wine which they have procured by 
 their violence. 
 
 (18) But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light; which 
 goes on and shines until the full completion of the day. 
 
 ttW , splendor, but here evidently the dawning light. "rixji 
 Tjiifi, Inf. abs. and Part., (see 128. 3. b. n. 3), which indi 
 cate a constant progression in giving out light. jisji, Part. 
 Niph. in the const, state, meaning that which is established or 
 completed. I have translated it by full comj&tion, meaning 
 thereby the highest point of the light s progress, which of 
 course is at mid-day. After this, the light decreases ; and the 
 second part of the day belongs not to the imagery here pre 
 sented. Sentiment : The path of the just will ever become 
 plainer, clearer, and more certain, until they come to the 
 consummation of their journey. But then what follows ? 
 This question is not answered here ; but may we not sup 
 pose the same feeling to have pervaded the mind of the 
 writer, as that which "the Psalmist entertained, when he 
 said : In thy light shall we see light, i. e. in thy presence is 
 true and eternal light, light in the highest sense ? Ps. 36 : 
 10 (9). This is indeed the perfect day. 
 
PART I CHAP. IV. 1921. 185 
 
 Indirectly, this verse seems to confirm the idea of perseve 
 rance in the way of righteousness. The path grows brighter 
 constantly, even until the consummation of the journey. 
 This would not exclude the idea, that clouds and darkness 
 might occasionally eclipse the light ; but it seems to estab 
 lish the position, that, although eclipsed, it is not quenched, 
 it will surely return. 
 
 (19) The \vay of the wicked is as thick darkness ; they know not 
 on what they shall stumble. 
 
 Here, thick darkness is contrasted with the light of the 
 preceding verse. Of course, in such a darkness no one can 
 know on what he may stumble. In otheu words : They 
 are surrounded with darkness which exposes them to con 
 tinual danger of stumbling to their ruin. 
 
 Third Division, vs. 2027. 
 
 [This begins like the other divisions, with exhortation to listen dili 
 gently, and keep the precepts given carefully in mind, because they 
 will secure life and prosperity, vs. 20 25. The heart must above all 
 be guarded, for the issues of life are from this, v. 26. One must turn 
 away from those who spe ak perversity and deceit, and look only on 
 the path which is straight and direct, vs. 24, 25. He must well con 
 sider his goings, and then his way will be steadfast, v. 26. From this 
 way he must never turn, either to the right or to the left.] 
 
 (20) My son, listen to my words ; incline thine ear to my sayings. 
 
 cart , apoc. Imper. of M^3 , in Hiph., instead of the normal 
 rran . The final n with its vowel is dropped in order to form 
 the apoc. word ; and by reason of this, the Dagh. of course 
 falls out of the B , because it cannot stand in a letter now 
 become final. 
 
 (21) Let them not recede from thy sight; keep them in the midst 
 of thy heart. 
 
 W 1 ^ , Imperf. Hiph. of t^? , more Chaldaeorum^ with a 
 16* 
 
186 PART I CHAP. IV. -2225. 
 
 Dagh. in the b . The normal form would be sif b; . The 
 peculiar Hiph. signification hardly obtains here. So we 
 have sis^i from "j^ , in the same way of conformity to the 
 Chaldee. Sentiment : Always keep them before thee, and 
 let them ever be in thy mind. 
 
 (22) For they arc life to those who find them; and to the whole 
 body are they healing. 
 
 Tliey are life, viz., his words or precepts, see v. 20. Find 
 is to obtain. "hfcja , lit. his flesh = his body. The l suff. is 
 sing., and is an individualizing of the plural di^xxob ; see 
 on 3 : 18 for explanation of the idiom. MB 1 ?}? is a simple 
 Hiphilic noun, Dealing. 
 
 (23) Above all [other] watching, guard well thy heart, for out of it 
 are the issues of life. 
 
 I take a before bs here to be comparative = more than, 
 rather than. TaTlJa , that which is kept, or custodia, i. e. 
 keeping or watching over. I have varied the shade of mean 
 ing in the version, in order to make it more expressive. 
 Issues of life, because the heart is the fountain, where, if 
 good precepts are laid up and kept, they flow out, as it were, 
 and become the occasion of virtuous conduct which tends 
 to life. 
 
 (24) Turn away from thee perverseness of mouth; and craftiness of 
 lips remove far from thee. 
 
 Both of the Ace. nouns are abstracts, and therefore strongly 
 significant. rwiapps designates perversion, lit. contortion; 
 while rvitb (const, of ffi f? from tlb ) means the same thing 
 called by another name. Lit. the last means deflection, i. e. 
 from the right way, or a winding and turning course instead 
 of one straight forward. The moral idea designated by 
 both, is crafty deception, whether by words or actions. 
 
 (25) Let thine eyes look straight forward, and thine eyelids keep a 
 direct course before thee. 
 
FART I CHAP. IV. 26, 27. 187 
 
 This is said in opposition to the obliquity and perverse- 
 ness mentioned in the preceding verse. One must not turn 
 aside from the plain way of integrity, nor even look wish 
 fully at any other course. Eyelids is of course, here, only 
 another designation of the eye i. e. a part for the whole. 
 
 (26) Ponder well the path of thy foot, that all thy ways may be 
 
 steadfast. 
 
 &|Q , lit. to weigh in a balance ; fig. as in the version. 
 That all thy ways may be steadfast, i. e. may be such as will 
 never incline to go with the perverse, now in this direction 
 and then in that. In other words : If the way is well 
 chosen, there will be no occasion for deflection from it. The 
 course will be a straight and steady one/ 
 
 (27) Turn not aside, to the right or to the left; withdraw thy foot 
 from evil. 
 
 In v. 20 occurs aft , Imp. of ft as , and an apoc. in Hiph. ; 
 here is at] (of the same root) second pers. sing. apoc. of 
 Imperf. in Kal, instead of the full form ftan . In the apoc. 
 form, the short Hhireq goes over into the long vowel Tseri ; 
 see Lex. In Hiphil it would be an. The formation is 
 somewhat irregular. This verse presents, in another form, 
 the sentiment of the preceding one. The last clause gives 
 a general and summary direction. 
 
 CHAP. V. vs. 123. 
 
 [This is one connected discourse, devoted to warning against adul 
 tery. It begins, as usual before, Avith summoning the disciple to 
 hear attentively, that he may learn discretion, vs. 1, 2. The strange 
 woman beguiles by flattery; but the sequel is bitter and destructive, 
 vs. 3, 4. Her steps go down to Sheol : and she conceals and renders 
 doubtful the path of life, vs. 5, 6. Again a careful listening is de 
 manded ; the disciple is urged to keep far from the way of the strange 
 woman, and from her habitation, lest he should be robbed of his 
 property, and he himself become a prey to the cruel, and all the fruits 
 
188 PART I CHAP. V. 1, 2. 
 
 of his toil be seized by them, vs. 7 10. Bitter sorrow will follow his 
 ruin, and much self-reproach Avill be uttered for not listening to teach 
 ers, and thus running into the greatest dangers, vs. 11 14. The 
 young man is counselled to confine his enjoyments to their lawful 
 and proper bounds ; within them he may find all needful satisfac 
 tion. And these enjoyments should be exclusively his ; while he 
 should take pleasure, on his part, in rendering happy the wife of his 
 youth. Her love alone should allure him, vs. 15 19. He must not 
 seek strangers : for God looketh on alt his doings, and will duly weigh 
 them, vs. 20, 21. The iniquities of the wicked will surely overtake 
 them, and they shall die through their great folly in rejecting instruc 
 tions, vs. 22, 23. 
 
 The subject of this chapter has already been strikingly introduced, 
 in 2: 16 22. The line of thought in both compositions must of 
 course be for substance the same, inasmuch as both treat of one spe 
 cific vice. But the costume of each is different. Even the construc 
 tion of the parallelisms is varied, the present chapter being much less 
 confined by strict adherence to rythm than the second. Indeed, there 
 are several long-continued and closely-connected descriptions here, 
 e. g. vs. 3 6, 8 14, 15 19, which are somewhat unusual in this 
 book. Again, some of the verses here exhibit a scanty measure of 
 words, e. g. vs. 14, 17. On the other hand, some verses are trimem- 
 bral, as v. 19. So far as we can judge of Hebrew rythm, it is much 
 less strictly regarded here, than is usual in the book of Proverbs.] 
 
 (1) My son, listen to wisdom, incline thine ear to understanding. 
 
 an , Hiph. Imper. Apoc., see in 4 : 20, 27, what is said on 
 Vn and an - The form of this verse is the same as before, 
 on like occasions. The mode of address amounts to an 
 almost established formula of compellation, in consequence 
 of its frequent repetition. By a Maqqeph after En , the 
 punctators have contrived to make this and the following 
 word into a kind of compound word = n^uipn , and cor 
 responding to it. 
 
 (2) In order to preserve thoughtfulness, and that thy lips may keep 
 knowledge. 
 
 The b before the Inf. indicates design or object. niata , 
 (in the good sense), thoughtfulness or reflection. This maj 
 
PART I CHAP. V. 3, 4. 189 
 
 exist for purposes of either good or evil ; the context will 
 usually show which is meant. Instead of another Inf. with 
 b, we have now an Imperf. preceded by i , which is equiva 
 lent, and is often employed in a continued representation. 
 See the same usage in 2 : 8, and the remarks there made 
 upon it. r\y^_, the 1 here = the conj. that, and that, 152. 
 B. e. One other difficulty occurs, noticed neither by Um- 
 breit nor Bertheau. The last verb is plur. rnasc., while 
 *l n rBb is apparently feminine. The true solution, as I ap 
 prehend it, lies in the fact, that the members of the human 
 body, although usually fern., are most of them employed 
 occasionally as masculine ; e. g. such is the case with the 
 hand, foot, finger, eye, arm, ear, tooth, heard, etc. ; see Ewald, 
 174. d. The 5 radical is also retained in the Imperf. here ; 
 a usage uncommonly frequent in this book. Sentiment : 
 4 The object of listening is to preserve thoughtfulness of 
 mind, and to acquire the power of communicating knowl 
 edge. The indication of this lies in the noun lips, which 
 are the instrument of communication. 
 
 (3) For the lips of the strange woman distil honey, and her palate 
 is smoother than oil. 
 
 nsb comes from fpa . nssbn , third plur. fern, of Imperf. 
 Kal, from fjaa. Here 3 (as more usual) is assimilated, 
 and a plur. fern, is joined with lips ; directly the reverse of 
 the usage in the preceding clause. This shows, of course, 
 the common gender of the noun in usage. Palate is only 
 another name for lips or tongue, as we see in 8 : 7, where it 
 is presented as uttering truth. Both of these words (lips 
 and palate), have a tropical meaning here, i. e. they are 
 equivalent to speech, words. So honeyed words, and words 
 smoother than oil, are highly descriptive of persuasive and 
 delusive flattery. 
 
 (4) But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 
 
190 PART I-CiiAP. V. 5, 6. 
 
 Her end = the ultimate consequences brought about by 
 her, or we might briefly say : at last. FHE , bitter, in con 
 trast with the sweet or honey of the preceding verse. SJiarp 
 or cutting stands in contrast with smooth, in the verse before. 
 Two-edged sword, lit. a sword of edges or mouths. Here 
 are exhibited both usages in respect to the article after 3 of 
 similitude ; the first noun has the article, the second omits 
 it. Both usages are normal; see 107. 3. a. When any 
 word is added, that designates some attribute which defines 
 the word that has the 3 , then the article is generally omitted, 
 because the thing is already made definite. Under this 
 category falls the word S nra , which is defined by 
 
 (5) Her feet go clown to the grave, her steps take hold of the world 
 beneath. 
 
 T/m , as the context shows, plainly means here the place of 
 the dead, i. e. the grave. So Sheol is parallel with it, having 
 the meaning which is assigned to it in the version. Senti 
 ment : ( Her ways lead to certain and irremediable ruin. 
 bl KiB is put at the beginning of the clause for the sake of 
 emphasis. 
 
 (6) That she may not ponder the path of life, her ways are become 
 unsteady, while she regards it not. 
 
 The latter part of this verse is somewhat obscure, and it 
 has been variously rendered by different critics, some taking 
 both verbs as second pers. sing. ; others take both as the 
 third pers. fern Ways are unsteady, *i"3 , vacillate. This 
 creates the danger ; for how can she be certain, in such a 
 case, of choosing safety ? It is moreover added, that she is 
 regardless of this vacillation, and therefore is in the greater 
 danger still. In other words : She is so busied and per 
 plexed with her vacillating course, that she fails to ponder 
 the path of life. srin (from r^), to care for, to take 
 knowledge of, see Lex. 
 
PART I CHAP. V. 710. 191 
 
 (7) And now, children, hearken to me; and turn not away from 
 the words of my mouth. 
 
 Another formula employed in calling attention ; only we 
 have the plural here, viz., sons, and not my son. In *B , the 
 Yodh suff. (= of me) coalesces with the Yodh of the noun, 
 and so one Yodh falls out, as is usual in such cases. 
 
 (8) Eemove thy way far from her; and come not near the door of 
 her house. 
 
 The second clause repeats the sentiment of the first, but 
 gives to it a more graphic shape. 
 
 (9) That thou mayest not give to others thy bloom, nor thy years 
 to a cruel [master.] 
 
 For Tin , as designating youthful bloom or splendor, see 
 Dan. 10 : 8. Hos. 14:7. The idea here expressed I take to 
 be this, viz., that the adulterer was of course exposed to a 
 punishment for his crime, and this punishment usually ter 
 minated in his being sold into slavery ; and sold, probably, 
 to some hard master, in the way of punishment. The Le- 
 vitical law inflicted death for adultery, Deut. 22 : 22, seq. 
 If the injured person prosecuted him who did the injury, he 
 might insist on this penalty ; but if he chose to act more 
 mildly, he might sell the offender into bondage, while the 
 price obtained was accepted in part as a mulct for the crime. 
 The idea of bondage through life seems to be suggested by 
 the word TWS (years) of the text. Cruel [master"], was 
 such an one as the injured man would be very likely to 
 choose, in the way of retribution. 
 
 (10) That strangers may not he replenished with thy wealth ; nor 
 thy painful toil he in the liou.se of a stranger. 
 
 What a slave earns, of course goes to his master, and 
 becomes his nb . Or, in the present case, it may be that 
 forfeiture of the goods of the offender to the injured, as a 
 
192 PART I CHAP. V. 1114. 
 
 part of the penalty. Painful toil is service performed in 
 bondage, the avails of which are stored in the house of the 
 master. 
 
 (11) For them wilt moan in thy latter end, when thy body and thy 
 flesh arc consumed. 
 
 Tpb2 , body, originally the whole body in distinction from 
 taS3 . ^d belongs mostly to poetry, but is limited in its 
 meaning to flesh. Both together, as here, comprise the 
 complete whole or entirety of the human physical system. 
 Meaning : When total ruin comes, as it will at last come, 
 then thou wilt bemoan thyself. 
 
 (12) Then shalt thou say: How have I hated instruction, and my 
 heart despised reproof! 
 
 Then shalt thou say, for "] and the Perf., see 124. 6. a. 
 How have I hated, etc., that is : Very much have I hated, 
 etc. 
 
 (13) And I have not hearkened to the voice of my teachers, and to 
 my instructors I have not inclined mine ear. 
 
 The force of 7p$ , in the preceding verse, may extend also 
 to this, and we may translate : And how have I refused to 
 hearken, etc.! "nia (Qamets by reason of the pause), Part. 
 noun of Hiph., root rn^ , i^ia has a suff. pronoun (*<-), and 
 is in the plural. 
 
 (14) I was well-nigh in all evil, in the midst of the assembly and 
 of the congregation. 
 
 B?3 , almost, prope, or (as above) well-nigh. In all evil, 
 \. e. evil of every kind, or rather, the worst evil In the 
 midst of the assembly, etc., who are here supposed to sur 
 round him, and to condemn and punish him by stoning him 
 to death ; for so were adulterers dealt with, Ezek. 1 G : 40. 
 Ti, counselling assembly, who had judicial power. Here 
 ends the lamentation. It is followed by counsel and caution, 
 
PART I-CnAp. V. 1518. 193 
 
 such as, if obeyed, would save the repetition of the like evils 
 and dangers. 
 
 (15) Drink waters from thine own cistern, and flowing streams 
 from thine own well. 
 
 Figurative language is here employed to designate the 
 demeanor of the young married man, who desires to live 
 chastely and innocently. He must confine himself to his 
 own lawful sources of enjoyment, and not go abroad in quest 
 of other sources. nrp ps , Part, noun, designating flowing 
 streams. The imagery is drawn from a well with a living 
 spring, which sends forth streams of water. 
 
 
 (16) Let [not] thy fountains issue forth abroad, thy water-brooks in 
 the streets. 
 
 The meaning of this, as it stands in the Heb. text, seems 
 to be simply, that his water-sources are not to be confined to 
 himself, but others also may have the enjoyment of them. 
 Yet the very next verse contradicts this view. There seems 
 to be no feasible way of solution left, except we adopt the 
 reading of the Sept. and Aquila, who both prefix bx before 
 liZSP , e. g. fir} v7iSQex%eta&(X). I have inserted this negative 
 in brackets in the version. So De Dieu, Umbreit, and Ber- 
 theau. Sentiment : Guard well thy house against the 
 approach of seductive persons. 
 
 (17) Let them be for thee alone, and not for strangers with thee. 
 
 This confirms what has been said above. This cistern 
 and these well-streams are to be his alone. With thee, i. e. 
 in common or in company with thee. 
 
 (18) Let thy fountain be blessed, that tliou mayest have joy from 
 the wife of thy youth : 
 
 Blessed, viz., with children or offspring, so much the object 
 of desire and joy in the East. So the sequel : mayest have 
 joy. The wife of his youth brings him children, which 
 
 17 
 
194 PART I CHAP. V. 1922. 
 
 makes him a joyful father. This would not take place, in 
 case the husband sought after harlots. 
 
 (19) A lovely hind and a graceful doe let her breasts satiate thee 
 at all times, with her love do thou continually inebriate thyself. 
 
 The hind and doe are a continued description of the wife 
 of youth, and in apposition with the latter. Or we may 
 supply inn from G : 18. Intoxicated with love is a common 
 expression among us; and so with the Hebrews. The 
 meaning is, that the chaste husband should find ample scope 
 to satisfy his desires, when confining himself to the wife of 
 his youth. It is not an exhortation to excessive venery, but 
 merely a declaration, that in a chaste conjugal union there 
 is ample means for the full satisfaction of reasonable con 
 jugal desires. na i n means to stagger or reel as a man 
 intoxicated, and is to be taken figuratively of course here, as 
 designating ample enjoyment of love. 
 
 (20) And why shouldest thou intoxicate thyself, my son, with a 
 strange woman ; and embrace the bosom of a stranger ? 
 
 The latter clause of the verse explains the former. The 
 intoxicating passion of unlimited sexual desire, is what the 
 writer means to describe. What need of this, when he has 
 ample sources of enjoyment at home ? 
 
 (21) For directly before the eyes of Jehovah arc the ways of man ; 
 yea. all his ways doth he ponder. 
 
 rpb , coram, directly before ; of course, in full and plain 
 view. This verse gives the reason why the remonstrative 
 question of the preceding verse was asked : * Why shouldest 
 thou do so, when Jehovah s eyes are upon thee, and he will 
 bring thee to judgment ? 
 
 (22) His iniquities shall ensnare him thr wicked; and by the 
 rords of transgression he shall be held fast. 
 
 Jn insb". 3 is a demonstrative ending before the i, and 
 
TART 1 CHAP. VI. 1. 195 
 
 the latter is a pronoun anticipative or pleonastic, which is 
 explained by the noun that follows, 119. 6. n. 3. Senti 
 ment : His wicked deeds will involve him in toils, and hold 
 him fast for punishment. 
 
 (23) He shall die without instruction, and through the abundance 
 of his folly shall he reel. 
 
 The pronoun sin prefixed to the verb is emphatic. 
 Without instruction, i. e. because he refused to receive any, 
 and through lack of it he now perishes. rtair 1 ^ refers back 
 to vs. 19, 20. There the husband has ample enjoyment of 
 love, or is inebriated with it ; here the transgressor reels by 
 reason of the fulness of the cup of retribution which he is 
 compelled, like criminals about to die, to drink to the dregs. 
 
 Vs. 15 23 are remarkable, in this book, for a continued 
 series of tropical language. The delicate subject introduced 
 is purposely clothed with this costume, in order to avoid 
 anything which is unseemly in expression. 
 
 CHAP. VI. vs. 119. 
 
 [Only vs. 1 19 of this chapter stand in mutual connection. Vs. 
 20 35 belong to a theme which seems to comprehend the whole 
 of 6: 20 9: 18; consequently, this part should have been joined to 
 chap. vii. Here, vs. 1 19 are subdivided into four parts, viz. (a) 
 Vs. 15. (6)611. (c) 12 15. (d) 16 19. The first treats of 
 becoming surety for the debts of others ; the second, of idleness or 
 sloth ; the third, of crafty deceit ; the fourth, of seven things which 
 Jehovah hates. 
 
 In (a), comprising 1 5, warning is given against becoming en 
 snared by pledges of surety, and advice to hasten an accommodation 
 in relation to them, by earnest efforts, in order that the person pledged 
 may escape being sold into slavery, when he has no ability to redeem 
 the pledge.] 
 
 (1 ) My son, if thou art pledged for thy friend hast shaken hands 
 for a stranger : 
 
196 PART I CHAP. VI. 2, 3. 
 
 The sentence is unfinished, and is completed in the next 
 verse, only so far as the protasis is concerned. The nx , the 
 sign of conditionally, is to be mentally carried forward 
 through all the four clauses of vs. 1, 2. FJ^?, given 
 pledge, become surety, i. e. for the payment of another s debt ; 
 and this, whether he be friend, s n , or enemy, "it . The latter 
 word has the article, because it distinguishes a specific class ; 
 the former would have it, if the suffix did not prevent it, 
 108. 2. To shake hands is both our gesture and expres 
 sion, in making unwritten contracts, even at the present 
 time. The Hebrews said: Strike hands, i. e. bring them 
 together with force. Both actions mean the same thing. 
 Those who strike hands, upon a contract offered and 
 accepted, agree mutually to abide by it. 
 
 (2) [If] thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth; 
 art caught by the words of thy mouth; 
 
 Both of these are plainly a part of the conditional protasis. 
 For brevity s sake, neither DX nor ) is repeated before the 
 three last clauses. This adds to the energy and force of 
 the description. 
 
 (3) Do this then, my son, and free thyself, for thou hast come into 
 the power of thy friend ; go cast thyself down as a suppliant, and 
 strongly urge thy friend. 
 
 pxsrt , Niph. reflexive, as often. Come into the power of 
 thy friend, i. e. hast given him a right to enforce payment 
 of the debt ensured, even by reducing thee to bondage. 
 Sjin here is not the same as in v. 1, but the friend to whom 
 (not for whom) the pledge is given. DQ npft , lit. give up 
 thyself to be trodden upon, i. e. prostrate thyself; and here, 
 plainly, in the way of supplication. Tp:n is not plur., but 
 sing, with suff. The original form of this is iisn , and many 
 nouns from roots ri? , preserve in the sing., before a suff., the 
 original Yodh of the root, and thus take apparently the form 
 
PAIIT I CHAP. VI. 48, 197 
 
 of the plural. See 91. 9 ; and also a full illustration in 
 Ewald, 256. b. The two phases of the same word result 
 merely from a difference in orthography. 
 
 (4) Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids ; (5) 
 Free thyself as a hind from the hand even as a bird from the hand 
 of the fowler. 
 
 V. 4 warns against all inactivity and delay ; v. 5 presents 
 the danger as such, that it should be speedily escaped. Of 
 course, from the hand, in the first instance, is elliptical, of the 
 hunter being spontaneously implied, according to the sugges 
 tion made by the next clause. Bertheau changes the reading, 
 and puts in Hsra , from the net, instead of n*n ; and so Sept., 
 Syr., and Targum. The sense is good ; but the change is 
 unnecessary. 
 
 (b) Verses 611. 
 
 [Exhortation to diligence. The slothful man should go to the ant 
 for instruction, who timely provides for herself, vs. 6 8. If he will 
 not rouse up to action, then poverty and want will speedily destroy 
 him, vs. 911.] 
 
 (6) Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be Avise. 
 (7) To her is no leader, overseer, or ruler. 
 
 nsn , see mentally, i. e. consider. No overseer, etc., that 
 is, the ant is not compelled by superiors to labor, but, from 
 the love of diligent employment, she engages in it. Whether, 
 as a matter of fact, the ants, like the bees, have their leaders, 
 does not seem to be apprehended by the writer. He assumes 
 the common opinion, viz. that they have none. 
 
 (8) In summer, she prepares her food; at harvest-time, she has 
 gathered her provender. 
 
 In the early part of the summer, "pj2 , she begins her work ; 
 and when the harvest is cut down, "HX|33 , she has already 
 collected her store. Hence the second verb is in the Perf., 
 to denote that the collection has been made antecedently to 
 the harvesting. 
 
 17* 
 
198 PART I CHAP. VI. 912. 
 
 (9) How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down ? When wilt thou rise 
 up from thy sleep ? 
 
 ina-is , until when, in reference to the time when sleeping 
 shall end. In the second clause stands simply irro, in 
 reference to the beginning of waking up. This and the 
 following verse constitute a protasis, to which v. 11 is the 
 apodosis. 
 
 (10) A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding- of the hands to 
 lie down. 
 
 This presents the anticipated answer of the sluggard to the 
 preceding questions. He begs longer quietude ; at least that 
 he may have indulgence for a short period more. Both of 
 the nouns, sleep and slumber, are in the plural, in order to 
 denote the continuance or expansion of such a state, plur. 
 intensive. Folding of the hands is the putting them into a 
 state of inaction or of rest, and is preparatory to the quiet 
 here desired. Such is the anticipated answer of the sluggard. 
 The consequences follow : 
 
 (11) And then shall thy poverty ccme like a traveller, and thy want 
 like a man of the shield. 
 
 Ka*i, and so shall come, 152. B. a. 3, i. e. the *i is consec 
 utive or consequential. T^D^S , not simply as one who walks 
 leisurely, for the Piel form denotes intensity ; therefore, as a 
 courier, runner, etc., who moves rapidly. If a robber-traveller 
 be meant, as many assert, then we might translate by high 
 wayman. Man of the shield, i. e. one who is armed with a 
 shield, and therefore a soldier or invading enemy. Two 
 things are denoted by this imagery ; ( a) That idleness will 
 quickly bring poverty ; (b) That it will come as a destroyer. 
 
 (c) Verses 1215. 
 
 [The vices here enumerated, are such as will bring sudden and 
 irremediable destruction.] 
 
 (12) A worthless man, a man of wickedness, goeth forth with a 
 perverse mouth. 
 
PART I CHAP. VI. 1315. 199 
 
 Perhaps the true shape of the first clause is thus : A 
 worthless man is a bad man, i. e. being useless (bs^bs) is being 
 wicked. But on the whole, I rather incline to the climactic 
 sense, as given in the version. Then the meaning of the 
 verse stands thus : A very bad man is he, whose mouth 
 habitually speaks perverse things or deceits. Mri?? is the 
 Ace. of manner, and may be regarded as qualifying the noun 
 that follows, 104. 1. n. 1. 
 
 (13) He winketh with his eyes, he talketh with his feet, he maketh 
 signs with his fingers. 
 
 Here (as often in this book) the * of plurality before the 
 suff. 1 in nouns, is left out in two cases. The Qeri has noted 
 and corrected them. This, however, is a matter of indiffer 
 ence, as it changes not the manner of reading. All the modes 
 of communication here described are characteristic of plotters 
 and sly intriguers, who deal secretly in this way, in order 
 that their words may not be adduced in testimony against 
 them. Maketh signs, is the original meaning of !"H^a , Part. 
 Hiph. of JTTJ , the 1 after a being omitted, because it is quies 
 cent. Every one s recollection will supply him with exam 
 ples of like doings among intriguers. 
 
 (14) Perversions are in the heart of him who deviseth evil, who is 
 ever stirring up contentions. 
 
 That is, he is very perverse, etc., the plural of intensity being 
 here plainly and significantly employed. Stirring up con 
 tentions, viz. between neighbors and friends. E^ri belongs, 
 as to its vowels, to the Qeri C" 1 ?^ 1 ^ . The Kethibh should be 
 pointed D* 1 ?^ , hardly a form that needs correction, perhaps, 
 for it reappears in v. 19, and is not there corrected. Here, 
 the Imperf. follows (as often) in the sequel of a preceding 
 participle. Both denote habitual action. 
 
 (15) Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly ; he shall be dashed 
 in pieces, and there will be no remedy. 
 
200 PART I CHAP. VI. 1619. 
 
 Such is the consequence of perverse and fraudulent dealing, 
 which rouses up strife. A remediless evil awaits it, which 
 will come suddenly, and of course unexpectedly. 
 
 (d) Verses 1619. 
 
 Seven evils are next specified, this being a favorite number, 
 indicative of completion or fulness. They are not climactic, 
 for some of the worse stand near the beginning. 
 
 (16) These six things Jehovah hateth ; yea, seven are the abomina 
 tion of his soul. 
 
 It is not unfrequent among the Hebrews to begin with one 
 less than the full sum intended, and then to add that one as 
 the sign of completion ; comp. Amos. 1: 3, 6, 9, 11, 13. 2 : 1, 
 4, 6. I prefer the Kethibh rrhrifi , because the plural is 
 intensive ; which is altogether apposite here. The enumera 
 tion follows : 
 
 (17) Lofty eyes; a lying tongue; and hands shedding innocent 
 blood; (18) A heart devising plans of evil ; feet swift to run unto evil. 
 
 Here, in y*rb , the b defines the purpose for which the feet 
 are made swift. In fisnb , the b shows for what object this 
 is done. The article, implied in b of the last word (= the 
 evil), refers back to the preceding ix , which is synonymous, 
 so that this is virtually a case of repetition, 107. pref. 
 remarks. 
 
 (19) Who bi-eatheth forth falsehood a lying witness and stirreth 
 up strife between brethren. 
 
 rpsn , Imperf. Hiph. of ms , here in a clause in which 
 "ittJx (he who} must of course be implied. We have 
 like expression : He utters falsehood with every breath. 
 1J5T2J 12 is in apposition with this implied T^x , and explana 
 tory of it. The dash in the version is designed to indicate 
 this. rfe d E , Part, after the Imperf. ; often is such a sequency 
 to be met with ; more often, however, the Part comes first, 
 and then the Imperf. follows. Both denote customary action. 
 
PART I CHAP. VI. 20. 201 
 
 CHAP. VI. 2035. 
 
 [As stated above, this belongs to a theme, which, in its full extent, 
 occupies 6:20 9: 18. This large portion, however, is subdivided 
 into three parts: (1) Chap. 6 : 20 35. (2) Chap. vii. viii. (3) Chap, 
 ix. As usual, the writer begins with an exhortation to hearken ; and 
 then he adds promises of good in case of obedience, vs. 1 3. Lay 
 hold of, and make thyself familiar with, parental admonition, saith he 
 and then it will guide and watch over thec, and be thy light, vs. 20 
 23. It will keep thec from temptations to defilement, v. 24. Lust not 
 after beauty, for unchastity will impoverish thee, and adultery expose 
 thee to the loss of life, vs. 25. 26. If a man takes tire into his bosom, 
 his clothes will be burned : and burning coals will scorch the feet, vs. 
 27,28. So with the adulterer, v. 29. Even a thief, who steals to satisfy 
 hunger, although he may not be despised, yet, if caught, will have to 
 make ample retribution, vs. 30, 31. An adulterer is destitute of reason, 
 and suicidal ; he will incur disgrace not to be wiped away, vs. 32, 33. 
 Jealousy is an outrageous passion, and will not be propitiated by any 
 bribes, vs. 34, 35. 
 
 Here the subject of 2 : 16 22 and 5 : 3 14 is again resumed, but it 
 is presented in an attitude somewhat different. The whole being taken 
 together, (and chap. vii. must also be specially joined with the present 
 section), it seems to betoken compositions originally different, which 
 were given out at different times. But here they are collected into 
 one fasciculus. So far as we can judge from the style and manner of 
 the pieces, they appear to come, at least they might come, from one 
 and the same hand. They are not expressly ascribed to Solomon ; but 
 the eulogies of wisdom, so often repeated in this part of the book, 
 naturally turn our thoughts to him. And surely he had good reason 
 to understand, and could w r ell describe, the mischiefs of lascivious 
 gratification. Possibly the pieces were written by other hands, and 
 compiled by Solomon. In that case, it would be natural to speak of 
 them as his. When we compai-e 10: 1 22: 16, expressly ascribed to 
 Solomon, the kinds of composition, or subject (so to speak) is so dif 
 ferent, that there is hardly room to find analogies of style with any 
 success. But, whoever wrote that portion of the book now before us, 
 wrote what is palpably true ; and this is sufficient for our purpose.] 
 
 (20) Keep, my son, the commandment of thy father, and forsake 
 not the instruction of thy mother. 
 
 Comp. 1: 8, where in substance the same formula is found. 
 
202 PART I CHAP. VI. 2124. 
 
 (21) Bind them upon thy heart continually; fasten them around 
 thy neck. 
 
 Comp. 3 : 3. Here the idea seems to be, that the com 
 mands are inscribed upon the ornaments, or the vestments, 
 of the breast and throat. Meaning : Keep them carefully, 
 and always make them conspicuous/ 
 
 (22) When thou goest forth, it shall lead thee ; when thou liest 
 down, it shall watch over thee ; and when thou awakest, it shall com 
 mune with thee. 
 
 The sing, here, it, refers to fms of v. 20. ^rptot? , gov 
 erning the Ace. of the object which it affects, like *p.i!P , 
 dwell with thee, as we must translate Ps. 5 : 5. The mean 
 ing is, that it will suggest to him themes of meditation in 
 respect to a course of safe conduct. 
 
 (23) For a torch is the command, and instruction a light, and a 
 way of life is instructive admonitions. 
 
 Torch and light are symbols of the clear and lucid teach 
 ing of parental care. Instructive admonitions are called a 
 way of life, because they point out the way and means of 
 life. A special design of these comes next into view. 
 
 (24) To keep thee from the base woman, the stranger of flattering 
 tongue. 
 
 This seems, at first, to refer to a foreign prostitute. The 
 latter part of the verse is so marked by the accents, that it 
 should be rendered thus : from the flattery of the stranger 
 tongue. But as we have woman, a concrete noun, in the first 
 clause, it is hardly probable, that an abstract noun would 
 correspond to it in the second. We may render nj?bn , then, 
 as the const, fern, adj., from pbn , put in construction with 
 jittJb . In this case we may carry forward a to M^aa ; or 
 (with the accentuators) we may dispose of it, by making it an 
 adjective agreeing with "j-idb (fern.) and translate thus: 
 flattering with a foreign tongue. 
 
PART I CHAP. VI. 25, 26. 203 
 
 (25) Lust not after her bounty in thy heart ; let her not captivate 
 thee with her eyelid*. 
 
 iB T 1 makes with a stiff., PPSH . Eyelids here means the 
 lashes of the eyelids, which the Hebrew women and others 
 in the East adorned by coloring them with a dye, (Tp5 or 
 stibium), and making them more dark and strikingly defined. 
 Great stress is laid on this, among female adornments in the 
 East, even down to the present time. The eyebrow also is 
 stained with it. Its aid in creating artificial and alluring 
 beauty, is here plainly alluded to. 
 
 (26) For by reason of a woman who playeth the harlot, [one 
 cometh J to a piece of bread ; and [another] man s wife hunts after 
 the precious [life]. 
 
 A verse of some difficulty, because it is elliptical. To a 
 piece of bread, is brachylogy, such as belongs to popular 
 apothegms like the Greek eig xoQaxag ! Of course xian , 
 or some such word, is implied before this phrase ; as in the 
 Greek above, fidl.ls is implied. ns-it , a Participial, and 
 translated above so as to retain its verbal sense. Meaning : 
 <A man comes to abject poverty by lavishing his money on 
 harlots. But a still greater evil is the concomitant of 
 adultery. In this case, a man s life was forfeited, according 
 to the Mosaic law, Deut. 22:22, comp. Ezek. 16:40. 
 Meaning : * An adulteress allures to that which may cost a 
 man his life, the price of his life. I have inserted another 
 in the version, merely to guard against mistake of the 
 meaning. 
 
 In this simple way, the crimes of fornication and adultery 
 are compared, as to the respective evils which ensue. The 
 first impoverishes, by demanding money as the purchase of 
 her favors ; the second destroys what is far more valuable 
 than money, viz., life. This makes the whole very signifi 
 cant. Bertheau and some others render thus : Since for a 
 harlot^ even a piece of bread, i. e. this is enough, or she will 
 
204 PART I CHAF. VI. 2730. 
 
 be satisfied with this ; but the wife of a man will ensnare the 
 precious [life]. But this is making the writer merely to 
 say, that harlot-hire is very cheap, and the price of adultery 
 very high. But against this is the fact, that the latter is not 
 usually venal for money ; and also, that the moral tone of 
 the verse is much lowered in this way. The writer sets 
 himself against every kind of illicit intercourse, (see 5 : 15, 
 seq.), and dissuades from it. The shape given to the text 
 by Bertheau, would seem to imply no more than that a man 
 can gratify his passions, at a much cheaper rate than adultery 
 will cost. Is this to the writer s purpose ? nip" 1 fern, of 
 *i]^, like iTnirn and TiM, is a tropical and affectionate 
 designation or qualification of the soul or life. 
 
 (27) Can a man take up fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be 
 burned ? (28) Can a man walk on burning coals, and his feet not be 
 scorched ? 
 
 *ttSi , in the plur., is here employed as fern. ; as it some 
 times is, Ewald, 174. d. p. firnsn, Imperf. Niph. third 
 plur. fern., from His. These questions are too plain to need 
 any answer. The close of the comparison follows therefore 
 immediately : 
 
 (29) So whoever approacheth the wife of his friend, shall not be 
 innocent, not any one who toueheth her. 
 
 If the last clause, (which now is brachy logy), were filled 
 out, it would run thus : Every one who toueheth her [shall not 
 be innocent. ] This I have briefly but virtually expressed 
 in the version. 
 
 (30) Men do not despise a thief, when he stealeth to satisfy his 
 appetite, because he is hungry. 
 
 Imperf., marking customary action. Men have 
 regard to the temptation of such a man, and look on his 
 fault with a feeling of pity. Here the first 13 = when ; the 
 second = because. 
 
PART I CHAP. VI. 3135. 205 
 
 (31) But when caught, he must render a recompense seA-en-fold; 
 all the wealth of his house shall he give. 
 
 In Ex. 22 : 1, a jive-fold restitution is enjoined. The 
 seven here designated has therefore the usual figurative 
 meaning of seven, i. e. ample, complete. In aggravated 
 cases, doubtless the mulct would extend to all his little 
 property. 
 
 (32) He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh under 
 standing ; he who will destroy his own life, even he doeth this. 
 
 Both participles here, as often elsewhere, imply their own 
 subjects or Norn, cases, viz., he who or whoever. - xitt is 
 emphatic, and is so translated. ft|iB:3 , will do it, viz., the 
 adulterous deed. It implies, that only such as lack under 
 standing will act in this suicidal manner. 
 
 (33) Stripes and shame shall he meet with, and his reproach shall 
 not be blotted out. 
 
 This presents the least punishment that can follow the 
 crime in question ; but even this at best is but a sad alter 
 native of the other. 
 
 (34) For jealousy makes an enraged man ; and he will not spare in 
 the day of revenge. 
 
 "asrrran , lit. is the rage of a man ; the version gives the 
 substance of the idea, in conformity with our own idiom. 
 The adulterer may count upon the vengeance of the injured 
 and enraged husband. 
 
 (35) He will accept of no ransom; lie will not yield, when thou 
 shalt make large the bribe. 
 
 155 xto 1 ! , lit. lift up the face, i. e. to make one to look up 
 with courage and hope. The contrary is : His countenance 
 fell, i. e. he looked sad and stern. Here it is tropically used 
 for accepting. No ransom will cause him to pass by the 
 offence. ^niii is the bribe offered for propitiation ; but in 
 vain, for he will not yield to the offer, will not consent to it. 
 18 
 
206 PART I CHAP. VII. L 
 
 CHAP. VII. INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This is surely a vivid picture of the evils connected with the crime 
 in question. Especially does the writer bear hard upon the adulterer ; 
 whom he considers as much the most guilty. The punishment of 
 death by the magistrate, when the crime is fully detected, or the ven 
 geance inflicted by jealousy, is set forth in colors adapted to deter 
 men devoted to illicit enjoyments from their pursuit, if they would 
 but duly contemplate the consequences. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 127. 
 
 [The great danger to which the crime of adultery exposes one, has 
 been set forth in strong colors. The writer now proceeds, in the way 
 of forewarning, to set forth the alluring and deceitful arts practised 
 by the adulteress (see vs. 19, 20), in order to inveigle and mislead the 
 unwary youth. Forewarned, forearmed. If he gives diligent heed to 
 the words of the faithful monitor, he may learn to shun the ways of 
 crime and destruction. As usual, at the outset he is exhorted to 
 hearken, and to impress deeply on his heart what is said, vs. 1 5. 
 The remainder of the chapter is occupied with graphically describing 
 the demeanor and wanton actions of the enticing adulteress.] 
 
 (1) My son, keep my sayings, treasure up my commands with thee. 
 (2) Keep my commands, and thou shalt live ; and let my instruction 
 be as the pupil of thine eye. 
 
 rn , Imper. in the sequel after another Imper. == Imperf. 
 2d person, 127. 2, comp. in 4: 4. "pms;, lit. little man 
 of the eye, has reference to the reflected image of a man, 
 seen in the pupil of that organ. The Greeks called it XOQJJ 
 or xoQaffiov, damsel or little damsel; the Latins, pupa or 
 pupilla, of the same meaning ; and so our English word 
 pupil means of course the same, for it is merely the Latin 
 word pupilla abridged. As to the last clause, keep (from 
 the first clause) might be mentally inserted before instruc 
 tion ; and this would be normal exegesis. Equally well 
 here, however, does the implied copula-verb answer the pur- 
 
PABT I-CHAP. VII. 3-5. 207 
 
 pose, as in the version. In either case, the meaning is: 
 * Let my instruction be watchfully guarded or kept, as one 
 guards the sight of his eyes. Comp. 3:3. 6 : 21. 
 
 (3) Bind them on thy fingers ; inscribe them on the tablet of thine 
 heart. 
 
 C^CJD , bind them, masc. pronoun, referring to " 1 ^x in v. 1 ; 
 and so of the next verb and suffix. On thy fingers, refers 
 to rings with large signets, on which were inscribed some 
 weighty sentences or maxims ; as in later days, and more at 
 large, on the phylacteries. Transcribe them on the tablet of 
 thine heart, expresses the deep and abiding characters in 
 which the precepts should be written, so that they can 
 neither be lost nor erased. 
 
 (4) Say to wisdom : My sister art thou ; and call understanding a 
 familiar acquaintance. 
 
 That is, cultivate habits of the most endearing intimacy 
 with, and friendship for, wisdom and understanding. FIK 
 in Pause, for tnx , second pers. fern, pronoun. The Dagh. in 
 n final is a compensative sign of the 5 which is assimilated ; 
 for the full form would be n3i< . When the word is written 
 in the abridged form, (as in our text), the fi still remains, 
 because the Dagh. virtually represents another letter before 
 this tn , as the full form shows. sfib (= sfniE ) is a Hoph. 
 Part., here used as a noun concrete ; for acquaintance here 
 designates a person, as in our English usage. The true 
 meaning is given above in the version. 
 
 Next comes a cogent reason why so much attention and 
 care should be given to the acquisition of wisdom and 
 understanding. 
 
 (5) In order to keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger 
 who flattereth with her words. 
 
 The last clause being a relative one, nm is implied before 
 the verb njD^nn in Hiphil. fi nBX in the Ace. ; lit. who 
 
208 PART 1 CHAP. VII. 68. 
 
 maketh smooth her words, That there is good reason for 
 such keeping or restraint, is now shown, in the sequel. It 
 begins therefore with a *>3 causal. 
 
 (6) For through the window of my house, through the lattice-work, 
 I looked. 
 
 13512;* , window-slats, like our Venitian blinds, made to keep 
 out the sun and rain, and let in the air. The word is a 
 formative of Pilel., Dec. viii. ^BJDWS , Niph., (in Pause), 
 because Kal is not in use ; lit. I stooped myself, i. e. took the 
 attitude of stooping, in order to look attentively. 
 
 (7) That I might see among the simple, and observe among the 
 sons, a lad destitute of understanding. 
 
 fc^Ki , voluntative, (not and I saw, but that I might see), as 
 shown by the following M3^3J< , whose paragogic n- denotes 
 the voluntative, 48. 3. For the Qamets in ^ , see 102. 2. d. 
 S jtf , first pers. of Imperf. Kal, from fix 1 } , in the apoc. form, 
 where short Hhireq of the praeformative goes over into 
 Tseri ; see 74. Note 3. b. In this class of verbs, what is 
 effected by n- paragogic elsewhere, is here effected by 
 apocope. Hence the voluntative meaning. If the simple 
 idea / saw were here meant, then we should have 
 lix nxi . fi5iax , Imperf. voluntative, without the 1 conj. 
 being written, although it is mentally carried forward from 
 the preceding verb, and makes the verb voluntative. 
 
 (8) He was passing in the street near her corner, and treading the 
 way to her house. 
 
 Her corner, i. e. a corner of the streets where she was 
 wont to go, that she might meet with and decoy paramours. 
 res appears to have 33 for its root. In Arabic, this root 
 means to divide. The way to her house may be rendered 
 the way of her house. Our idiom gives preference to the first 
 mode of expression. 
 
PART I CHAP. VII. 912. 209 
 
 (9) In the twilight at evening of the day, in the midst of the 
 night, even the thick darkness. 
 
 t)tt35 , lit. in the breeze of the night, i. e. the time when the 
 cool wind begins to blow ; comp. Gen. 3:8. yis is the 
 evening after the sun has set. pd- X (as in v. 2) is lit. 
 pupil of the eye ; but as that is in the centre or middle of 
 the eye, so it designates here the middle of the night, i. e. 
 midnight, when the darkness was greatest ; but as the mode 
 of expression is unusual, its meaning is made plain, by the 
 epexegetical clause ii^BK] . 
 
 (10) And lo ! a woman in order to meet him. in the attire of a 
 harlot, and wary of mind. 
 
 niis5 , in the sense of attire, is not common ; but it is found 
 also in Ps. 73 : 6. Bertheau puts n^t p.iia in apposition 
 with inttitt , = a woman a harlot-dress ; meaning, by the 
 last two words, to designate the woman herself. But this 
 is not an easy or inviting construction. I take it to be 
 simply the Ace. of manner ; as rendered in the version 
 rvnsa , fern. Part, in const, state, has been much controverted. 
 But without any good reason ; for watchful, wary, guarded 
 of mind, appropriately describes such a wily personage. 
 
 (11) Noisy is she, and refractory ; her feet abide not in her own 
 house. 
 
 , Part. Pres. fern of Jrcrt , noisy, bustling about, in 
 stead of staying quietly at home. ^^> Part. fern, in 
 Pause, refractory or contumacious, as to the rules of order 
 and decorum in her husband s house. Hence the sequel : 
 Her feet abide not at home, the place for modest women. 
 
 (12) Now abroad, and then in the wide streets ; and near to every 
 corner she lurketh. 
 
 This is descriptive of her conduct, while she is hunting 
 for her prey. Finding it not in one place, she goes to 
 another. 
 
 18* 
 
210 PAKT I-CHAP. VII. 1315. 
 
 (13) And she caught hold of him, and kissed him ; she made up an 
 impudent face, and said to him : 
 
 The description being finished, the narrative recommences. 
 rm;fi , Hiph. from tts . We should expect to find a Dagh. 
 form in the t . Normally this would be so. But when the 
 final syllable, in such a case, is toneless, (as here, the accent 
 being on the penult), the doubling is in a goodly number of 
 cases omitted; see 66. n. 11, and also Ewald, 193. b. 
 63. b. Lit. it runs thus : made strong her face ; which 
 however has the meaning given above. What she said, in 
 order to lure her prey, now follows ; and the address is 
 dexterously managed. 
 
 (14) Peace-sacrifices are due from me ; to-day I fulfil my vows. 
 
 by , lit. on me, i. e. they are on me as a duty to be per 
 formed, or the obligation lies on me to make the offerings ; 
 a sense frequently conveyed by ^2, Lex. A. 1. a. y. The 
 offerings here named are those of thanksgiving and joy, on 
 account of blessings received. Of such offerings the guests 
 partook in part ; so that a rich feast is here virtually set 
 before the simpleton, under the garb of a religious usage. 
 The pretence is, that she had before bound herself by vows, 
 to make the offerings in question. This therefore is repre 
 sented to be a lucky day for the invited guest. Umbreit 
 thinks there is no good evidence of a feast-meal on such 
 occasions; but see Lev. 7: 13 17. For the peace-offerings 
 themselves, see Lev. 3:1, seq. For vow-offerings, see Deut. 
 23 : 22. Ps. 50 : 14. Ecc. 5 : 3, 4. 
 
 (15) Therefore have I come forth to meet thee ; to seek diligently 
 thy face, that I might find thee. 
 
 , in Piel, and therefore with an augmented force, which 
 is expressed in the version above. The Guttural H excludes 
 the Daghesh. For i before the last word, see 152. B. e. 
 
PART I CHAP. VII. 1618. 211 
 
 (16) With coverlets have I strewed my couch, with tapestry of 
 Egyptian thread. 
 
 D ^ TO means the coverlet, and ^ri in n the action of spread 
 ing it on the couch. The 3 of the noun should normally 
 have a Dagh. lene ; but it seems to be left Raphe or soft 
 here, seemingly in order to imitate the sound of the verb 
 ^TE"! = i^i , and having the same meaning. It is written in 
 the same way (Raphe) in Prov. 31: 22. It indicates, in 
 this case, merely a softening of the a so as to resemble the 
 5 . Why ? is a question which only the Masorites of ancient 
 times could well answer. At all events, the orthography is 
 abnormal. tvtaan , striped stuffs ; i. e. tapestry, which was 
 usually figured or striped by the aid of needlework. The 
 corresponding Arabic verb (aan) means : to be particolored. 
 Egyptian thread, doubtless means fine thread or yarn, 
 either of cotton or flax. To speak of the tapestry in this 
 way, conveyed a meaning of like import with our phrase 
 ology, when we speak of a Turkish carpet, meaning the best 
 of carpeting. 
 
 (17) I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 
 
 The last three nouns are in the second Ace., which indi 
 cates here the means employed, or the instrument, etc. The 
 spices named were costly and favorite ones in the East ; 
 comp. Ps. 45 : 8. ^FiBS from t]si5 . Of course, the liquid 
 extract from these spices is meant ; for the substances them 
 selves would hardly be commodious for sprinkling. 
 
 (18) Come, then, let us take our fill of love until the morning, let 
 us enjoy ourselves in amorous delight. 
 
 fisb, from ^ Imp. of TjVj, the hortative form. The 
 plur. d^ i and also Q^nx , are plur. intensive, i. e. they aug 
 ment the force of the words. Plainly the plur. here is not 
 one of abstraction. ftO^SW , Hithp. of &bs and hortatory ; 
 tho word is a weakened form of yte . The verb having 
 
212 PART I CHAP. VII. 1922. 
 
 here a reflective sense, a preposition (a) is inserted after it, 
 in order to govern the noun and express more fully the 
 instrumentality. The article (involved in 2) is employed in 
 the way of speciality, i. e. delights appropriate to the nature 
 of the case. 
 
 (19) Eor the man is not at home, he has gone a long journey. 
 
 "irv^a, lit. in his house the Heb. mode of saying: at 
 home. irisn , the man, i. e. the master of the house. 
 rp i , way, and trop. journey. pirTra, distant, lit. of or be 
 longing to distance, of Jar away. It might mean from a 
 distance, but then a verb of returning, or the like, must 
 precede it. 
 
 (20) A purse of money hath he taken in his hand ; on the day of 
 the full moon he will return home. 
 
 Return home, lit. enter his house. The purse of money 
 intimates a long delay, one which he expects will be attended 
 with expense. 
 
 (21) She turneth him aside by the abundance of her speech; she 
 forceth Jam alon b her smooth talk. 
 
 isinBii , fern. Perf. Hiph. of fiwa , with suff. 
 n? usually means doctrine, but here it is = taking or persua 
 sive words. Smooth talk, lit. smoothness of her lips. Lips 
 is to be taken tropically, as designating what the lips utter, 
 i. e. talk. 
 
 (22) He that goeth after her, will speedily go as an ox to the slaugh 
 ter, yea. as to a foot-chain for the chastisement of a fool. 
 
 Tjbirt here does not seem to refer specifically to the indi 
 vidual is 3 of v. 7, but to any and every one, who is led 
 away. The Part, involves its own indefinite Norn., i. e. 
 ^whoever. Speedy mischief ensues; and evil that is una 
 voidable and disgraceful ; for the ox cannot escape his fate, 
 and the chain disgraces and renders powerless the fool. I 
 
PAHT I CHAP. VII. 2325. 213 
 
 have, in my version, carried forward bx before niaa , to the 
 noun oas . 
 
 (23) (Until an arrow shall pierce through his liver); even as a 
 bird hastened! to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. 
 
 ST) atbl , knoweth not, may be applied to the bird rushing 
 heedlessly into the snare. The last two verses are, as 
 they strike us, somewhat involved and apparently defective. 
 V. 23 has three clauses, the first of which seems to belong 
 to something which should precede, i. e. either to the last 
 clause of v. 22, or to something dropped from the text. 
 There are three comparisons of the simpleton here ; (1) To 
 an ox going to the slaughter-bench. (2) To a criminal 
 chained by the feet in order to punish him and to prevent 
 escape. (3) To a bird hastening heedlessly into a snare. 
 The simpleton, like the latter, knows not that his life is in 
 danger, and therefore rushes on. Interpreters disagree 
 about the detail of the passage ; and, in like manner, the 
 ancient versions, Sept., Syr., Chald., give involved and diffi 
 cult meanings ; which shows, either that they had a text 
 before them different from the present, or else that they 
 assigned to the text, vowels different from the present Maso- 
 retic ones. That the text has in some way been disturbed, 
 seems quite probable from the fact of its present abnormal 
 condition. But I shall make no attempt to amend it, for 
 this must be done by mere conjecture. The general mean 
 ing of the two verses is quite plain : Unexpected evils will 
 speedily come upon the adulterer. 
 
 (24) And now, children, hearken to me : listen to the words of my 
 mouth. (25) Let not thine heart turn aside to her ways ; do not 
 wander in her paths. 
 
 BiZ hortative form of fiab , Kal. Imperf. ; see 74. n. 3. c. 
 3?nt) , same form (but of 2d person) from nsn , 74. n. 
 3. b. c. This is a general conclusion and deduction, in 
 respect to the whole matter as already represented. 
 
214 PART I CHAP. VII. 26, 27. 
 
 (26) For many are the slain which she hath cast down ; even mighty 
 men arc all her slain. 
 
 I take the exact shape of the Hebrew to be as in the ver 
 sion, because a^S^ is placed first, and therefore becomes (as 
 usual) a predicate of the sentence. The sense is at all events 
 virtually given in the version. n^sn, Hiph. of ^S2. In 
 the second clause, the Hebrew runs thus : even the mighty 
 are all her slain, i. e. she slays all of them who go in unto 
 her, but not all the mighty among men. The appeal is on 
 this wise : l If even the mighty are destroyed by her, how 
 can the mere youngling expect to come off with impunity ? 
 
 (27) Her house is the way to the under-world, going down to the 
 chambers of death. 
 
 Lit. the ways of Sheol, i. e. the way par excellence, the 
 plur. of intensity. * He who goes to her house, goes assur 
 edly in the way to Sheol, is the meaning. ni -n h , Part. 
 Pres. plur., and fern. ; for irrfl (with which it agrees) is of the 
 common gender, and so may have a fern, participle, as here. 
 Chambers of death, (i. e. of the dead, abstract for con 
 crete), has reference to lodging-places built in under-ground 
 tombs, for the reception of the dead. 
 
 Thus concludes this grave and earnest warning against 
 adulterous intercourse. To see its full force, one must re 
 flect that, by the Mosaic law, the adulterer could be put to 
 death, John 8 : 5. Deut. 22 : 22. Ezek. 16 : 40. Hence the 
 propriety of holding up the terrors of death before the per 
 son inclined to commit the offence in question. Punishment 
 in a future world is rarely brought directly before our view, 
 in the Old Testament, 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 136. 
 
 [A course directly the opposite to that of the adulterous woman, 
 does Wisdom pursue, in order to gain her adherents. She seeks no 
 
PART I CHAP. VIII. 215 
 
 covert in darkness, but makes her invitations in a public manner, 
 and in the most frequented places, v. 1 3. She addresses men, even 
 the simple and foolish, and entreats them to hear the excellent truths 
 which she proclaims, because they are all just and plain and upright, 
 vs. 4 9. Her instruction is worth more than silver or gold, or pre 
 cious stones, vs. 10, 11. She has sagacity and knowledge, and declares 
 the fear of God to be hatred of evil, and that she abhors pride and 
 perverseness of heart, vs. 12, 1-3. She has at her disposal such coun 
 sel and skill, that kings and princes rule through her assistance, vs. 
 14 16. She loves those who seek her, and bestows on them enduring 
 wealth and honor, vs. 17, 18. Better than all wealth is her fruit; for 
 she walks in the way of justice and of right. She will fill their coffers 
 with her treasures, v. 21. As to her exceeding excellence and worth, 
 and her claims to be heard, they are exhibited by showing, that she is 
 employed by Jehovah himself as his agent. Even before the earth 
 was founded, from the very beginning ; when there were no depths or 
 fountains of water ; before the mountains and hills ; before the earth 
 was made, and its elevations ; when the heavens were established and 
 the abyss limited ; when the clouds were stationed above, and the 
 fountains of the abyss below were made firm ; when the bounds of the 
 waters were established, and the foundations of the earth ; even then 
 wisdom was witli God and near him ; she was his delight, and always 
 rejoiced before him ; and she has continued to rejoice in the last and 
 best work of creation, the world of mankind, vs. 19 31. Finally, 
 she exhorts men to listen to her, because all who seek earnestly after 
 her will be made happy, and obtain favor from God. But those who 
 sin against her, destroy their own life, vs. 32 36. 
 
 Thus ends this splendid piece of composition. The personification 
 of Wisdom ; the giving to her a place in the divine counsels and 
 operations ; and the description of her aid in constructing the mani 
 fold and magnificent structures of the natural world, afford a beautiful 
 specimen of sublime and impassioned allegory, similar in many 
 respects, (but not in all), to the sublime description of the Logos in 
 John 1 : 118. 
 
 It is well known, that nearly all the ancient and most of the mod 
 ern expositors, have found here the same personage as the Logos in 
 John i. They supposed that John took this chapter as the basis and 
 model of his description of the Logos ; and they seem not to hesitate 
 in declaring, that the divine Logos is in reality here designated by 
 Solomon. And yet the two cases are in some respects widely differ 
 ent. The Logos was not onlv with Cod, but was God; by him all 
 
216 PART I CHAP. VIII. 
 
 things without exception were created ; not by him as a mere instru 
 ment, but in his proper capacity as God. He became incarnate, also, 
 and lived and acted among men. He was therefore a proper person, 
 a real ens per se. and not a mere attribute or quality. But nothing like 
 this is here said of Wisdom. Being personified, she must of course be 
 spoken of in a personal way. But we must see what is ascribed to her, 
 before we can determine whether she is a concrete agent, or only an 
 attribute personified. The task of distinguishing is not difficult. Wis 
 dom is not asserted to be God. She is something which Jehovah 
 possessed, or rather created, (which Slip primarily means, v. 22) ; she is 
 not Jehovah himself. Tropicallv of course is !13|2 to be understood ; 
 for, as a divine attribute, she was not literally created. But the man 
 ner of expression shows, that she cannot be God himself, or the eter 
 nal Logos who is God. When all his creative acts and his arrange 
 ments of the universe were performed and made (vs. 24 29), even 
 before these began (v. 23), she was anointed to her office of counsellor 
 (v. 23) ; she was near him in all his creative doings (i^SX , v. 30), i. e. 
 she stood by, as his ready counsellor and instrumentality. She was 
 his special delight, and his faithful confidant ("jiBSj), v. 30. Here the 
 allegory, which personifies, represents her as a counsellor and instru 
 mental aider in the work of creation, installed in that high office before 
 the world began, vs. 22 23, 30. The obvious meaning is : In wisdom 
 has God made all his works; like what the Psalmist says, in Ps. 
 104 : 24. Omnipotence without wisdom, would be an object of un 
 speakable terror. But ivisdom, whose every essence it is to choose the 
 best ends and the best means of accomplishing them, is the leading devel 
 opment of a benignant creative power. Hence the importance here 
 attached to wisdom, in her highest manifestations. Of unspeakable 
 dignity and worth she must be ; and therefore ought highly to be 
 regarded by men. But as to a real personality, there is nothing here 
 that leads us properly to the belief of this. Indeed, the representation is 
 incompatible with this, when considered in its time light, viz., that of 
 allegorical poetry. Wisdom is not God, but that which (Jod possesses, 
 and in which he greatly delights, v. 30. 
 
 One beautiful touch finishes this admirable picture. It is, that 
 wisdom, from the beginning, looked forward with joyful anticipation 
 to the world of mankind, made in the image of God, and capable of 
 enjoying him forever. No wonder the ancient Fathers of the church 
 found here that Wisdom, which pitied and saved our perishing race. 
 But the Logos, as God, had that wisdom, and those joyful anticipa- 
 
FAUX I-CiiAi . VJ1L 13. 217 
 
 tions. Because both the Logos and Wisdom concur, in regard to the 
 matter before us, in the same end or object, it is not necessary to con 
 ceive of them simply as one and the same. The Logos is plainly not 
 an attribute but a person. Wisdom did not, like him, become incarnate. 
 Plainly, therefore, Wisdom is not a real person, but an attribute poeti 
 cally personified.] 
 
 (1) Doth not wisdom call? Doth not understanding utter her 
 voice 1 
 
 A question asked by xbtt implies, that an affirmative an 
 swer is certain : like the interrog. ov in Greek. "jpin , give 
 forth = utter. 
 
 (2) On the summit of the high places by the way-side, in the midst 
 of the highways, she takes her stand. 
 
 d^a -m , lofty eminences of any kind, which of course are 
 conspicuous. *bs , lit. over against, i. e. by the side of the 
 way. fP2 , within or in the midst of] Lex. n^3 , No. 6. 
 Some, (and so Umbreit), render pis by house ; then, house 
 of the paths, they say, means a house on the corner, where 
 the highways meet and cross each other. But Wisdom here 
 is represented as going into public places, in order to give, 
 out her invitations ; of course, we should not put her into a 
 house. The idea of the first clause is, that of high eminences 
 on the side of the way ; of the second, that she not only 
 makes proclamation there, but also among the throng, i. e. 
 in the midst of the highway. nna? , Niph. reflex., stations 
 herself. 
 
 (3) Near the gates, at the opening of the citv, at the entrance of 
 the avenues, she makes proclamation. 
 
 These different descriptions are not synonymous, for they 
 distinguish different locations at the city-gates = within 
 them, and on each side of them. Of course, crowded places 
 are designated. rt| -in , prob. third fern. sing. Imperf. ; see 
 on 1: 20, where this anomalous form is accounted for; it 
 being the same in appearance as the third fern, plural. 
 
 19 
 
218 PABT I CHAP. VIII. 49. 
 
 (4) Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is unto the sons of men. 
 (5) Ye simple, understand sagacity; and ye fools, understand 
 discretion. 
 
 "ra^is > sagacity ; but the word has here a good sense = 
 prudent foresight ; it may, when the context demands, have 
 a bad one = artful cunning. ib , tropically wisdom, cau 
 tious prudence ; for nb bx Wto means to consider, ponder. 
 
 (6) Hear, for I will speak plain things; and the opening of my lips 
 shall be uprightness. 
 
 The root of D^" 1 }? (^5 5 ) nieans to be conspicuous or mani 
 fest. Wisdom declares, that what she utters is manifest, i. e. 
 that it is plain and intelligible. The opening of my lips = 
 my words. Uprightness, i. e. without any duplicity, in 
 honest sincerity. 
 
 (7) For my palate meditateth truth, and the abomination of my 
 lips is falsehood. 
 
 Palate meditateth means, that the palate, which is em 
 ployed in speaking, carefully weighs and considers what it 
 is about to utter. Of course, the mode of expression is 
 tropical. As S ih here stands opposed to rvcx , it must 
 mean specifically falsehood ; and so I have translated, i. e. 
 ad sensum. 
 
 (8) All the words of my mouth arc uprightness ; there is in them 
 nothing deceitful or perverse. 
 
 In P1S2 we have a Beth essentiae ; therefore it is = up 
 rightness ; see on this a, the remarks on 3: 26. 
 
 (9) All of them are easy to understand, and plain are they to those 
 who possess understanding. 
 
 I understand t^nbji here in a sense like to that of 
 in v. 6. ro3 means to be before one s eyes, of course to be 
 visible, or plainly to be seen. So TJ^ (G^r-) is sometimes 
 joined with rp n , in order to denote a way straight and plain ; 
 
PART J CHAP. VIII. 1012. 219 
 
 Lex. ir* , No. 2. The writer had just said, that his words 
 were not tortuous or perverted ; for if so, they would mislead, 
 and could not be easily understood. Here he says, that all 
 of them are made plain and straight. But the two plural 
 nouns may be rendered upright and just. This rendering is 
 adopted by Bertheau, because, as he says, there is a contrast 
 with the deceitful and perverse of the preceding context. 
 But this contrast is equally conspicuous in the version above. 
 The ideas which Bertheau and others suggest, have already 
 been often repeated in the preceding context. Either method 
 of interpreting, however, can be made out grammatically. 
 
 (10) Receive my instruction and not silver; and knowledge rather 
 than choice gold. (11) Tor wisdom is better than pearls, and all 
 precious things will not compare with her. 
 
 ^BH , things desirable XO.T l%6%r]v, therefore precious. 
 snari , Imperf. of Jiva with i consonant. Comp. v. 19 and 
 3:14, for the sentiment. 
 
 (12) I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and a knowledge of skilful 
 plans do I obtain. 
 
 frtfvs , prudential sagacity here. Dwell with prudence 
 the Heb. is stronger, viz. inhabit prudence, i. e. prudent 
 sagacity is her dwelling-place ; which signifies, that in all 
 things she stands intimately connected with it, and has her 
 stable abode and defence in it. niat^a is something which 
 is often thought upon or revolved in the mind, which stands 
 connected with the formation of well-considered plans. It 
 may have a bad sense, viz. plots, devices. But here, it is 
 clearly employed in a good sense. X^"?x ? obtain, as often. 
 The first verb and the second, although in different tenses, 
 both convey the idea of an enduring present. So they are 
 often employed, 124, 3. 125, 2. The object of the writer 
 is not to make wisdom and prudence co-equals ; but to show 
 that wisdom ever exercises a prudential and preserving care, 
 that she never forsakes the society of prudence. The latter 
 
220 PART I CHAP. VIII. 1316. 
 
 is here presented, as if it were the dwelling in which wisdom 
 Ihtes. It is a somewhat singular, but a strong metaphor, to 
 express the idea of constant and intimate connection. 
 
 (13) The fear of Jehovah is hatred of evil of pride, and haughti 
 ness, and the way of evil : and a mouth which is perverse do I hate. 
 
 nxsb , Inf. const, as a noun, the 1 being omitted, see Lex 
 Several verbs xb form their Inf. with ni- , like verbs ft, 73. 
 n. 2. i5l Hsja , in the Gen. after the same Inf. noun implied, 
 the three nouns being in apposition with the preceding r^. 
 So I have translated. Perverse mouth, lit. a mouth of per 
 versities, intensive plur. = very perverse, or habitually per 
 verse. 
 
 (14) Mine is counsel and sound discretion ; as for me, my might is 
 understanding. 
 
 What is here affirmed of wisdom, is preparatory to what 
 follows. These are the qualities which are necessary in 
 order to rule well. Bertheau inclines to make ^ a virtual 
 Dat. = *b , and so to render as follows : Mine is understand 
 ing, mine power. The sense is good, and perhaps it is the 
 true one ; but the Heb. text, as it now is, will hardly bear 
 this, since the pronoun stands first. The version above 
 seems to give a more exact shape of the text. For the senti 
 ment which it gives, comp. Ecc. 9:16: " Wisdom is better 
 than strength" So our text : " Wisdom is true strength." 
 
 (15) By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. (16) Byrne 
 princes rule, and nobles all the magistrates of the earth. 
 
 By me, i. e. by my aid. The different classes of rulers 
 are here exhibited, in order to show that all are, or should 
 be under the guidance of wisdom ; at any rate, are under her 
 control. diBBia is generic here, and embraces all magis 
 trates. Of course, by reigning, etc., is meant, that the govern 
 ing is as it should be, i. e. a proper method of ruling, which, 
 without wisdom, is impracticable. 
 
PART ICHAP. VHI. 1721. 221 
 
 (17) I love those who love me; and those who earnestly seek me, 
 shall find me. 
 
 OK is emphatic, and so placed first. The Kethibh should 
 be pointed thus, f^atti* , i. e. those who love her ; but the 
 Qeri reads, isfti* , those who love me, which best accords with 
 the fashion of the sequel, nnx , contract form of Srtxx , 67, 
 2. 23. 2. a ; for the first pers. of the Imperf., in verbs NS , 
 drops the X of the root. Qamets, because of the pause. 
 ^rrrp Part. plur. of Piel, with suff. ^i- written fully, 
 without the usual Dagh. forte in the last 3, 57. 4. This 
 mode of writing happens seldom out of this book. 
 
 (18) Kiches and honor are with me; enduring wealth and pros 
 perity. 
 
 With me, i e. in my possession and at my disposal. 
 Enduring wealth, in opposition to the usual, fleeting worldly 
 riches. ^7^ here means the fruits of righteousness, i. e. 
 prosperity, happiness, salus, see Lex. No. 4. The context 
 renders this shade of meaning the most probable. 
 
 (19) My fruit is better than native gold than purified gold; and 
 my revenue, than choice silver. 
 
 Gold and fine gold, in our English version, fail to give the 
 shade of the ideas communicated by "pin and tB. 
 
 (20) I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths 
 of equity. 
 
 T||tix , Piel, which, in this verb, has sometimes the same 
 meaning as Kal, but here Piel denotes habitual walking. This 
 declaration is here introduced for the purpose that follows : 
 
 (21) To cause those who love me to inherit substance; yea, their 
 treasuries will I fill. 
 
 As the Inf. b^nsnb here stands between two Imperfects of 
 the first pers., it may be translated : / will cause, etc., in 
 conformity with the Hebrew idiom ; see on 2 : 2, 8. Some 
 19* 
 
222 PART I CHAP. VIII. 22. 
 
 difficulty has been made about is* , by those who make a 
 verb of it. They join it with anx, and translate thus : who 
 are my lovers. But then is* must precede, in such a case, 
 and not follow ; and again, the verb Vin?n would be left 
 without an object, when one is demanded. The noun \a* 
 here means substantial good, i. e. that which endures. 
 
 Here, all the promises, as usual in the Old Testament, 
 seem to be like those in the Pentateuch, viz. promises of 
 temporal good. Yet this good is to be rendered more secure 
 and lasting, than is usual. 
 
 We now come to the animated and noble personification of Wisdom. 
 From the beginning, she has been the counsellor and confidant (so to 
 speak) of the Creator of heaven and earth ; and like him, she rejoices 
 evermore in the happiness of man, made in his image. The language 
 is exceedingly bold, and almost adventurous. But still, we must 
 remember that we are reading animated and glowing poetry, and not 
 simple didactic prose. 
 
 (22) Jehovah created me, the firstling of his way, before his works, 
 long ago. 
 
 Assuming that Wisdom, in this chapter, is the same as the 
 Logos of John, many ancient and modern expositors have 
 contended strongly here for rendering the clause with ^Sip 
 by Jehovah possessed me. So the Vulgate, Luther, and many 
 others. But the Sept. gives &m0e, created ; and so the Chald. 
 and Syriac. Recent commentators, generally, I believe, side 
 with the latter. The theological disputes of Arian times 
 called into action all possible effort to defend the same inter 
 pretation which is given in the Vulgate version, possedil me, 
 on the part of the Trinitarians ; for they believed Wisdom 
 and the Logos to be one and the same. If Wisdom, (allow 
 ing this last position of theirs), was created, then, thought the 
 Orthodox, a decisive advantage is given to Arius, who main 
 tained the creation of the Logos or Son of God. Therefore 
 possessed me was the meaning given by the anti-Arians. It 
 is plain that this would help their cause, since it would show, 
 
PART I CHAP. VIII. 22. 223 
 
 that before the mundane creation began, Jehovah already 
 possessed the Wisdom in question, and therefore it must, as 
 they averred, be eternal. But as the assumption of a proper 
 person here, such as the Logos was, is clearly against the 
 tenor of the whole piece, we need not be bound by any of 
 their scruples or fears. Philology, at all events, must have 
 its proper place, independent of party views. !tj , then, 
 means originally, to erect any thing, to set it up or make it 
 steadfast. As naturally flowing from this, come the mean 
 ings : to create, to found, exemplified in Deut. 32 : 6. Psalms 
 139 : 13. Gen. 14 : 19, 22. Moreover, the Arabic (nip) 
 means to create. Then come the derived meanings : pre 
 pare, acquire ; and lastly, to acquire by purchase, i. e. to buy. 
 But the simple sense of possedit, as given by the Vulgate, 
 has no footing in the Hebrew. We feel compelled, there 
 fore, to relinquish it. In so doing, no theological question is 
 in reality affected thereby. The anti-Arians, indeed, lose 
 their assumed foothold, viz. that of eternal possession of 
 Wisdom; which they compare with the Logos, and with 
 John s assertion that he was TTQOS TOV Oeov. The Arians, 
 on the other hand, gain nothing by the proposed exegesis ; 
 for, to make it of any avail to them, they must show that 
 Wisdom and the Logos are not only persons, but are one and 
 the same person. As such an assumption is demonstrably 
 groundless, so they cannot prove the creation of the Logos, by 
 the clause in question. The writer means to say that the 
 first of God s creation was the wisdom, which guided all 
 subsequent measures. Only poetically, of course, can this be 
 said ; and it is said only because the poet converts Wisdom 
 into an allegorical personage, and makes her as it were a 
 distinct agent. In and by Wisdom, God made all things. 
 Of course, if Wisdom be personified, then she, considered as 
 a personage, must have had a beginning, (for God only is 
 self-existent) ; and her rise must have been antecedent to the 
 
224 PART I CHAP. VIII. 23. 
 
 works which were performed by her aid. Comp. vs. 24, 25, 
 which again assert her rise or birth. 
 
 Accordingly, she is said to be is 1 ^ ITVBJO , the firstling or 
 first creation of his active formative power or doing, fp n being 
 equivalent here to action or doing. The idea of this com 
 pound phrase stands in apposition with the preceding TJ , 
 me. To supply a before rvran , and then translate : in the 
 beginning, is manifestly a departure from the text. Before 
 his works means his creative works here ; elsewhere it means 
 doings of any sort. txa is again another epexegetical clause, 
 added to the preceding one. It here means long ago, in its 
 most extensive sense, i. e. before the creation of the world. 
 Nothing is clearer than that wisdom must have preceded all 
 the works mentioned in the sequel, in which she aided. One 
 must be, before he can act. 
 
 On the whole, I do not see how we can translate 15:53 by 
 any of the secondary meanings of rj3 . For what sense 
 would it make to say : Jehovah acquired, procured, obtained, 
 or purchased me, etc. ? From whom did he obtain or procure 
 Wisdom ? Who possessed it, before he acquired or procured 
 it ? These questions preclude this secondary exegesis, and 
 cast us upon the first, viz. Jehovah set up or established 
 Wisdom first of all, and employed her aid in devising the 
 plan and order of the creation. Poetically, indeed, but very 
 strikingly is this expressed. 
 
 (23) Of old was I anointed ; from the beginning, from the earliest 
 period of the earth. 
 
 The personification is carried on consistently. When 
 wisdom has been raised up, she is inducted into her august 
 office by anointing or consecration. The other sense of ^02 
 here, i. e. poured forth, has no tolerable meaning, as it applies 
 in this way only to the pouring out of libations or of melted 
 metal. h *ni? , plur. of nn , means of course the commencing 
 period of the earth. The whole verse repeats, in another 
 
PART I CHAP. VIII. 2427. 225 
 
 form, the views of the preceding verse. The ancient versions 
 are all at fault here, not understanding TODS . The main 
 idea, viz. that of antiquity, is greatly expanded in the sequel. 
 
 (24) While there were no depths I was born, when there were no 
 fountains laden with water. 
 
 If there be difficulty about ^^ , as to the meaning given 
 above, this verse would seem to solve it. Here, wisdom is 
 said to be born. ifrbbin , Foal of b^n . Laden or heavy with 
 water, Gesenius takes no notice of the Dagh. forte in "n of 
 ^2=3 , but puts the word down merely as a Part. Niph. But 
 surely it belongs not there. It is an intensive adjective, 
 formed from the Niph. Part., and agrees with the masc. form 
 d^STS implied. Laden means containing ponderous masses. 
 The deep here, rvixriniri , refers to the great abyss beneath 
 the earth ; see Gen. 1: 2. 
 
 (25) Before the mountains were sunk down, before the hills, was I 
 born. 
 
 Sunk down, i. e. sunk into the earth. Before the hills 
 [were sunk], I was born; again repeating the leading idea 
 of the former verse, i. e. her very ancient birth. 
 
 (26) When he had not formed the land and the deserts, nor the 
 mass of the dust of the earth. 
 
 Probably land here means terra culta, to which the word 
 deserts stands opposed. rx-i seems here to mean sum, mass ; 
 comp. Ps. 139 : 17. Inasmuch as SiTiS" is plur., it probably 
 means clods of dust ; or the plur. may designate the widely 
 extended and multitudinous dust. 
 
 (27) When he established the heavens. I was there ; when he marked 
 out the circle on the face of the waters. 
 
 The heavens, i. e. the welkin, or (in other words) the con 
 cave set with stars. ipn , Inf. of ppn , the usual ph goes 
 of course into the short vowel, Qibbuts, when it takes a suff. 
 
226 PART I CHAP. VIII. 28, 29. 
 
 The suff. designates the agent : when he defined, i. e. described, 
 marked out. Mn is the circle or concave of the arched 
 heavens. On the fa#e of the waters, i. e. on the ocean, 
 which, in the view of the Hebrews, surrounded the whole 
 earth, and the edges of the ivelkin or vault of heaven, were 
 supposed by them to rest upon the face of it. Here ain = 
 Sip^n in Gen. 1: 6. The idea is : When he defined or cir 
 cumscribed the vault of heaven, which rests on the face of 
 the great ocean. 
 
 (28) When he fixed the clouds on high ; when the fountains of the 
 abyss were made firm. 
 
 Fixed the clouds, means that he firmly established the 
 location or sustentation of them ; and ^y^ defines where 
 this was. Lit. this word means : on the part of the upper 
 region, i. e. above the !^n or welkin. The fountains of the 
 abyss are the reservoirs of water above the firmament, Gen. 
 1:7. 11: 7. How the fountains are made firm, may be seen 
 in Job. 26:8. Firm or strong they must be, in the view of 
 the Hebrew, who knew nothing of the true formation of rain- 
 showers, in order to retain the abysses of water above. For 
 the breaking up, or rather cleaving of these abysses, at the 
 time of the deluge, see Gen. 7: 11, and comp. rpri? in Job 
 26:8, where the same imagery is presented. tits?, Inf. 
 Kal, is intrans., and does not mean actively to strengthen, but 
 to be or become firm or strong. Hence I have rendered it as 
 intransitive. 
 
 (29) When he marked out for the sea its limit, so that the waters 
 should not pass beyond its shore ; when he defined the foundations of 
 the earth. 
 
 ipn , from the noun p n , root ppn . "PB , not mouth here, 
 but lip tropically understood, = edge, margin, shore. h ipin , 
 Inf. of ppn , = ipn , but taking the form of a verb 12 , i. e. 
 as if it were from pin . See for this usage, 66. n. 9. 
 Umbreit says, that foundations here means pillars, and refers 
 
PART I-CHAP. VIII. 30, 31. 227 
 
 to Job 9 : 6 for proof. It is clear, in this passage of Job, 
 that pillars are supporters; but they are not therefore 
 exactly equivalent to foundations* 
 
 (30) Then was I near him as a confidant ; I was a delight continu 
 ally, rejoicing before him at all times. 
 
 Vs. 24 29 all belong virtually to a protasis, of which 
 v. 30 is a part of the apodosis. The } before the first verb 
 is continuative, and is so rendered. The verb (used as a 
 Praeter) connects with the implied Perf. (was) before ">:>:$ 
 in v. 27. Near him, i. e. in his immediate presence. 
 p sj* , as a noun, may mean artificer (see Lex.), or, as it 
 seems to me. it more probably means here, one confided in 
 as faithful and true. This agrees better with the tenor of 
 the latter part of the verse. Dwarr, reduplicate form 
 from s? ja , plur. of intensity, like the Latin deliciae, i. e. a 
 source of muck delight. Bertheau : ergotzliche Spielerei = 
 a delightful sport. This hardly consists with the root ; and 
 Jer. 31 : 20, to which he appeals, surely does not satisfacto 
 rily confirm this meaning. Rejoicing, rpnb s , lit. laughing^ 
 sporting, e. g. as an innocent and joyful child sports. The 
 imagery is vivid ; but the dignity of the agent seems to pro 
 hibit a literal version. Indeed, the verb pnb is only a 
 weakened form of pri^ , and would rather import smiling. 
 I have given a meaning ad sen sum in the version, although 
 it does not present the exact light and shade of the original. 
 Our mode of expression, in relation to such a subject, is 
 grave and respectful, and will hardly permit us to translate 
 by laughing or sporting, much less dancing (as some trans 
 late) here. 
 
 (31) Rejoicing in the habitable world his earth ; and my delight 
 was with the children of men. 
 
 Umbreit wrongly : and lam the delight of mankind. The 
 writer tells us here, that Wisdom did not confine her pres- 
 
2-28 PART I CHAP. VIII. 3234. 
 
 ence merely to the heavenly world. When the inhabited 
 earth appeared, she descended and abode upon it, mingling 
 with men, and taking delight in counselling and guiding 
 them. Truly an exquisitely fine thought, and a very at 
 tractive turn of the discourse. If Wisdom has acted thus, 
 with what gratitude arid readiness ought men to listen to 
 her ! This is the obvious deduction from the text, and it 
 prepares the way for the closing exhortation. ban is a 
 poetic word = the Greek y// orAov^v^. His earth, i. e. 
 this same earth which he created by Wisdom. With the 
 sons of men, i. e. associating with them, mixing with them, 
 going among them. 
 
 After this sublime description of the excellence and dig 
 nity of Wisdom, with great effect does the writer return to 
 his persuasive exhortations. 
 
 (32) And now, ye children, hearken to me ; for blessed are they 
 who keep my ways. 
 
 THOX , has the form of plur. const., but always is employed 
 in this way only, and virtually therefore an interjection. 
 Before the verb *ni^ an TIJX is implied. My ways means : 
 those which I prescribe. 
 
 (33) Hear instruction, and be wise, and reject it not. 
 
 After wn&n (Qamets in Pause), the noun "toto is of course 
 implied. This verb occurs often in this book, viz., 1: 25. 
 13: 18. 15:32. 
 
 (34) Blessed is th man who hearkenetfi to me, so as to watch at 
 my doors continually, so as to keep watch at the posts of my gates. 
 
 The b before the two Infinitives is designed to mark the 
 verbs as limiting and explaining seia , by showing what such 
 hearkening consists in. Wisdom is here conceived of as 
 dwelling in her temple, (see 9:1), and the anxious inquirer 
 for her, as watching and waiting for the opening of her 
 doors. 
 
PART I CHAP. VIII. 35, 36. 229 
 
 (35) For he who findeth ma, findeth life; and he shall obtain favor 
 from Jehovah. 
 
 232 has the vowels of the Qeri, which drops the Yodh 
 final. This is the most simple reading. But the Kethibh 
 would answer well, if pointed ^XSE , finders, and the preced 
 ing word also pointed thus, ^XiJia , the finders of me. The 
 sense is the same in both ways. pEi , Imperf. Hiph. of 
 p*ifi, with retracted accent, and therefore shortened final 
 syllable, 97. n. 7. 
 
 (36) But whosoever inisseth me, injureth himself; all who hate me, 
 love death. 
 
 ^an is here used in its original sense, viz., that of missing 
 a mark. In this way it stands contrasted with the ixxfc 
 (finding) of the preceding verse. The missing, however, is 
 here taken as voluntary, because it takes place through neg 
 lect and indifference. Love death, i. e. inasmuch as they 
 are shunning my counsel and refusing my .reproof, they 
 show that they love " the way that leads to Sheol, going 
 down to the chambers of death ; " for this is the way to 
 which the adulteress invites them. 
 
 In this allegorical and truly poetic description of the dignity and 
 excellence of wisdom, we may see the high import attached to the 
 worcH where the writer employs it as designating moral and religious 
 attainments or conduct. Of course, folly, which is the antithesis, be 
 comes in his writings also a very significant word. The design of the 
 chapter is to exhibit the claims which Wisdom has to be heard, on 
 the ground of her antiquity, her excellence, and her sympathy with 
 men. Being personified, she must be spoken of in accordance with 
 this, for the sake of congruity. Not being God himself, who is eter 
 nal and self-existent, she must of course be conceived of as originated. 
 But it was before time began, i. c. before the creation. Her origination 
 (so called) consists in her active development. She was the n* 1 *JX l 
 (firstling) of the creation. If any one still insists, that the real Logos 
 is to be found here, i. e. a real and not a poetical personage ; and also 
 that 133J5 of v. 22 means possessed, (as many have said and still say) ; 
 then let him reperuse vs. 24, 25, and consider what ^FlVVin means. It 
 20 
 
230 PART I-CHAP. IX. 
 
 is never applied to begetting as an act of the father, but only to bring 
 ing forth, as the act of the mother ; then passively it designates the 
 effects of that act, viz., the being born, in relation to the child. It is 
 quite a different word from 1-b-i , to beget, which applies both to father 
 and mother, like the Greek yevvaw and TIKTSIV, and the Latin parere. 
 If, then, the interpreter will honestly follow out his Logos-scheme 
 here, he must come at last to such a position, that the question may 
 well be asked : Who then was the mother of Wisdom, and brought her 
 forth ? The verb cannot be attached to the action of a father. And 
 if we are obliged to answer such a question as the word iftbbin 
 naturally raises, we must go I know not where to find an answer. In 
 fact, this course of proceeding, if followed out, leads at last to a down 
 right absurdity. The Logos (as hypostatically such) had no mother; 
 nor, as self-existent and independent God, could he have in a proper 
 sense a father. If the doctrine of real eternal generation be applied to 
 vs. 22 31, then, to be impartial, we must find an eternal mother, as 
 well as father. /Self-existence and independence, in their true sense, are 
 essential attributes of Godhead ; and derivation, in any way or man 
 ner, known or unknown, obvious or mysterious, is still derivation, and 
 therefore it is directly opposed to self-existence and independence. A 
 derived supreme God is, at least to my own mind, a contradiction in 
 substance if not in terms. The eighth chapter of Proverbs, there 
 fore, should cease from being appealed to, in order to show the gen 
 eration of the Logos who was God God over all the true God and 
 eternal life, John 1:1. Rom. 9:5. 1 John 5 : 20 ; and therefore unde- 
 rived and self-existent. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 118. 
 
 [This is the closing part of the large discourse which reaches from 
 6 : 20 to 9 : 18. It is a kind of summary of the whole, not closely 
 connected and rigidly continuous, but passing from one subject rapidly 
 to another, in order to touch upon the leading points of the discourse. 
 The nature of the case neither calls for, nor admits, the poetic fire and 
 animation of the preceding chapter. The flow of speech seems less 
 animated. The abruptness of the sentences, however, and the fre 
 quent transitions, to which allusion has already been made, occasion 
 little or no obscurity, because of their obvious relation to the preced 
 ing context. It ends, as we might expect such a discourse to do, with 
 a most solemn warning against the crime in question, by setting the 
 fearful and inevitable consequences of it before the reader. 
 
PAK I CHAP. IX. 1, 2. 231 
 
 The chapter begins with the declaration, that Wisdom has provided 
 herself a house or temple, where all due preparation is made for the 
 feast, to which she invites her chosen guests, vs. 1, 2. She sends forth 
 her criers to summon these guests ; yet not any one and every one is 
 invited, but the simple who lack information, vs. 3, 4. The scorner 
 and the vile transgressor are not fitted for the instructions of wisdom, 
 and would not receive them or profit by them. Her guests are invited 
 to an excellent repast, not of physical luxuries, but (what is much 
 better) of exhortations to walk in the way of life, vs. 5, 6. Scorners 
 refuse reproof; and to administer it only brings contempt and con 
 tumely on the reprover, vs. 7, 8. Not so with the wise, v. 9. Wis 
 dom is the fear of God, which secures long life ; for this receives a 
 recompense which is meet, as scorning also does, vs. 9 12. But that 
 enemy of all true wisdo^p, the adulteress, who watches for her prey, 
 and gives out her invitations, addresses the simple, and tells them 
 that " stolen waters are sweet," vs. 13 17. It is an unwary youth, 
 who does not see that her ways lead, as they surely do, to destruction, 
 v. 18.] 
 
 (1) Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewed out the seven 
 pillars thereof. 
 
 The writer had just spoken of watching and waiting at 
 the doors of wisdom. Here he assigns to her a dwelling, 
 a goodly structure, well supported and magnificently adorned, 
 in the manner of a temple. The apparent plur. nton is 
 virtually an abstract noun, and ad sensum may have a predi 
 cate in the sing., as here; see 1: 20. Seven pillars is a 
 sufficient or complete number; a meaning that seven often 
 tropically designates. The suff. in n^E? may apply to rva 
 (for this is sometimes fern.), and so I have applied it in the 
 version. Berth., and others, refer it to wisdom; which, 
 however, seems to be less appropriate. 
 
 (2) She hath killed her slaughter-beasts, she hath mingled her wine, 
 she hath set in order her table. 
 
 Some refer rna to an animal slaughtered for sacrifice ; 
 but rnt designates this. The feast here does not appear to 
 be a sacrificial onev The meaning is, that she has prepared 
 
232 PART I CHAP. 1X.B 5. 
 
 meat for the feast, to which she invites her guests. So of 
 the wine, which she has mingled, i. e. mixed with water, or it 
 may be with milk (Is. 55 : 1) ; for the temperate ancients 
 never drank wine undiluted. All the predicates and suffixes 
 here are singular; which shows that niBsn above is re 
 garded in that light. 
 
 (3) She hath sent forth her maidens, she maketh proclamation on 
 the ridges of the high places of the city. 
 
 Females were the usual heralds of good tidings among the 
 Hebrews; see Ps. 68: 12. Is. 40: 9. Here it is appropri 
 ate, that Wisdom should send her/ewfa/e servants, in order 
 to give the invitation to the feast. The accents join anpn 
 to the first clause of the verse ; wrongly, for it leads the 
 second clause. She makes proclamation, viz., by her mes 
 sengers. To this Berth, assents. ^BS , back, ridges, i. e. the 
 summits of elevated places, from which proclamation might 
 most extensively be made and heard. 
 
 (4) Whosoever is simple, let him turn aside hither; as to him that 
 lacketh understanding, she saith to him : 
 
 1D^ would normally be "ib^, as a hortative Imperf.; but 
 sometimes the same hortative tense occurs in the shape pre 
 sented by the text, 71, n. 4. Turn aside, viz., from the 
 path of the simple, and repair to the house of Wisdom. 
 *3D~"!Dn may be taken as in the Nom. abs., and is so taken in 
 the version ; or we may bring forward the IE of the preceding 
 clause, and translate thus : whoever lacketh understanding. 
 The sentence is left unfinished by the verse. The first 
 clause exhibits the words of Wisdom ; the second, those of 
 the writer. 
 
 (5) Come ye. feed on my viands, and drink the wine which I have 
 mingled. 
 
 The plural is here used, because the address is to many in- 
 
PART I CHAP. IX, 610. 233 
 
 dividuals, to each and every simpleton. cnb means generally 
 to eat; and dnb means first, food in general, and then bread. 
 
 (6) Forsake simplicity, and ye shall live ; and walk in the way of 
 understanding. 
 
 Q^xrQ, abstract plural here, lit. simplicities. Ye shall 
 live, because the Imper. is here used in the sense of prom 
 ise, 127. 2. ITCJX, Kal Imper., more usually in Piel. 
 
 (7) He who reproveth a scorner, getteth shame for himself; and he 
 who rebuketh the Avicked, it is a blot to him. 
 
 That is, he meets with shameful and reproachful treat 
 ment ; not that what he does is shameful, but that the man 
 reproved acts shamefully toward him. TQ*ra , lit. his blot, or 
 reproach, i. e. his reproof becomes the ground of reproach. 
 Hence the caution in v. 8 : 
 
 (8) Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, 
 and he will love thee. 
 
 This verse gives the ground of the preceding assertion. 
 The hatred of the scorner is roused by reproof, and so he 
 will manifest it in reproaches. For stiff. ^- ( = ^2 ), see 
 p. 289 Gramm., for the forms. Exactly the reverse will be 
 the wise man s conduct. He will be grateful, and will love 
 thee for fidelity. 
 
 (9) Give to a wise man, and he will be still more wise; communi 
 cate knowledge to the righteous man, and he will add to his learning. 
 
 The giving in this case implies admonitory counsel. Sen 
 timent : * The good man will duly appreciate this, and so 
 will add to his stock of instruction. 
 
 (10) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah; and a 
 knowledge of the Most Holy, is understanding. 
 
 may indicate here the first or leading advantage ; 
 but the main object seems to be to assert that even a begin- 
 
 20* 
 
234 PART I CHAP. IX. 1114. 
 
 ning in wisdom cannot be made without the fear of God. 
 fc T *hfp, (like&nnfc*), plural of intensity, the meaning of 
 which is given in the version. The same in 30 : 3. Scorners 
 and fools, therefore, who have no fear of God, cannot attain 
 true wisdom. 
 
 (11) By me thy days shall increase, and years of life shall be added 
 to thee. (12) If thou becomcst wise, thou art wise for thyself; and 
 shouldest thou scorn, thou ajone shalt bear it. 
 
 V. 11 makes the usual promise of long life. V. 12 shows 
 the advantage to be gained for one s self, by becoming wise. 
 Wise for thyself, i. e. to thine own advantage. fisbn may 
 be translated, if thou scornest, by bringing forward the QX of 
 the preceding clause. The same thing is attained by the 
 rendering in the version. N^n (from Kb5) shalt bear, viz. 
 the consequences of scorning, the penalty affixed to it, for 
 this is of course implied. 
 
 (13) A foolish woman is noisy, she is silly, and knows nothing. 
 
 &s , lit. of folly, an abstract noun, but used here as an 
 adjective. Noisy, comp. 7 : 11, i. e. is bustling about and 
 talking much. The adulteress is of course here aimed at. 
 n^H5 , with nirx implied before it, from the preceding clause, 
 i. e. a woman of simplicities, or a very silly woman. rra, 
 anything. The Dagh. is merely euphonic, and inserted 
 because of the Maqqeph, so as to make a kind of short 
 syllable with the preceding vowel. 
 
 (14) She sitteth at the door of her house on a seat in the high 
 places of the city. 
 
 K&2 , seat, lofty seat, but not throne here, unless we say, 
 that she takes her seat as if enthroned, i. e. haughtily, and 
 also in a splendid dress. The idea is makes herself con 
 spicuous to public gaze, and challenges attention. Next 
 t ollvrs ^e design in view : 
 
PART I CHAP. IX. 1518. 235 
 
 (15) In order to call to passengers on the way, to those who are 
 going straight forward in their paths. 
 
 That is, in order to allure such way-passengers as were 
 going directly on in pursuit of their proper business, and 
 who were not hunting for by-paths. Of course, such are here 
 considered as unwary and unguarded. 
 
 (16) Whosoever is simple let him turn aside hither; and as to him 
 that lacketh understanding, she saith to him: (17) Stolen waters are 
 sweet, and bread in secret places is pleasant. 
 
 In v. 16 the same thing is repeated, which is said of 
 Wisdom in v. 4. But the tenor of the address that follows, is 
 of course opposite to that in v. 5, seq. Bertheau represents 
 v. 17 as the words of the writer, and not of the woman ; but 
 Umbreit assigns the words to the woman. Rightly ; for they 
 are more apposite to her than to the writer ; who, if he speaks 
 them, must be supposed to speak ironically. The contents 
 of v. 17 are undoubtedly a common proverb. But this 
 proverb the woman dexterously uses, in order to persuade 
 the simpleton. Bread f lntp , of secret places, means bread 
 eaten in secret places, i. e. in the retired haunts of pleasure, 
 whither the woman will conduct her guests. 
 
 (18) And he knoweth not that the Shades are there her guests 
 in the depths of the under-world. 
 
 d^KBl. ghosts, umbrae, the dwellers in the under-world. 
 Her guests, lit. those invited by her and accepting the invita 
 tion, go down to certain destruction. 
 
 Such is the unhappy end of him, who listens to the invitations of 
 the adulteress. The opposite of this, (see v. 11), is many days of life, 
 or long life. Neither the promise nor the threatening, so far as the 
 language here employed is concerned, goes beyond the retributions of 
 the present world. How much was at that time supposed to be 
 implied, however, by such language, beyond its first and obvious 
 meaning, i. e. whether the language is tropically or literally employed, 
 is a question which it would be difficult to answer. It may have 
 depended much on subjective knowledge and feeling, in particular 
 
28G PART li-CHAP. X. 13. 
 
 TAUT 11. CHAP. X. 132. 
 
 [A summary of this is out of the question ; inasmach as scarcely 
 any two verses are connected together, and never more than two. 
 Each verse is, almos-t without exception, complete in itself. The 
 whole composition is strictly and invariably apothegmatic ; and in a 
 large proportion of the cases, the second or^of is in contrast with the 
 first. The regular arrangement of all this, shows great care and skill 
 in the selection. Of course, in such a composition, the only connec 
 tion which one verse has with another, is that of similarity of con 
 struction and rhythm, there being usually the same number of words 
 in each verse. Brevity, energy, and vivacity of expression, character 
 ize the whole. For particulars, see Introduction, 6.] 
 
 (1) THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. A wise son maketh a glad 
 father ; but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. 
 
 Wise and foolish have now become very significant words, 
 by reason of what has already been said concerning wisdom 
 and folly. The Hebrews said : the grief of his mother, as 
 in our text ; we should more readily say : A grief to his 
 mother. 
 
 (2) The treasures of wickedness do not profit; but righteousness 
 delivereth from death. 
 
 In these contrasts, a 1 almost everywhere stands at the 
 head of the second clause, and in the sense of but, 152. B. 
 b. Do not profit, because they cannot deliver from death 
 the possessors of them ; on the contrary, righteousness does 
 deliver. Not from natural death, (for all die), but from 
 that death which is a punishment for crime, or (in other 
 words) from sudden death. 
 
 (3) Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to hunger ; but 
 the greedy desire of the wicked will he repel. 
 
 The Hiph. form, l" 1 ^ , has here the modified sense of 
 permitting to be hungry, or letting one go hungry, not that of 
 
PART II CHAP. X. 47. 237 
 
 making hungry. Sentiment: The Lord will provide all 
 needed good for the righteous; but the cravings of the 
 wicked he will refuse to satisfy. 
 
 (4) Poor is he, who worketh with a slack hand ; but the hand of 
 the diligent maketh rich. 
 
 , more usually written n . nrb>, doeth, worketh, with 
 implied, or rather, the Part, itself of course implies an 
 indefinite Nom., when it is not expressed. Slack hand, 
 lit. deceit/id hand, the Ace. of instrument, 135. n. 3. 
 i"P2*i f which lit. means deceitful, is here rendered slack, i. e. 
 sluggish, because such a hand frustrates all reasonable ex 
 pectation of accomplishing the end desired. Besides, it is 
 opposed to the hand of the diligent, which of course implies 
 activity and energy. 
 
 (5) He who gathereth in summer is a wise son ; he who sleepeth in 
 harvest-time, is a base son. 
 
 The two participles here, as usual, supply their own indef. 
 Nom., viz. whoever, or he who, is qui. C;p3 is Part. Niph., 
 because Kal is not used, and is employed in the simple 
 intrans. sense, as Kal might be. Izarra > lit. causing shame ; 
 which is equivalent to base. 
 
 (6) Blessings are on the head of the righteous; but the mouth of 
 the wicked concealeth injury. 
 
 That is, blessings will come upon the righteous, because 
 of the good they do ; but the wicked conceal or keep secret 
 a meditated injury, i. e. the mouth speaks not concerning it, 
 in order that, by secrecy, they may strike the surer blow. 
 The injured, in such a case, will bestow no blessings on 
 them. This last thought is implied, but not expressed. 
 m s^a j plural of intensity, i. e. abundant blessing. 
 
 (7) The memory of the just shall be blessed ; but the name of the 
 wicked shall rot. 
 
238 PART II CHAP. X. 811. 
 
 , lit. for a blessing, which means, that every one 
 who recalls the memory of the just, shall do it with invoking 
 a blessing on him, (the usual custom of the East, down to 
 the present hour) ; so this = blessed. aj? 1 } , spoken of wood, 
 means to be worm-eaten, or as we say : powder-posted ; con 
 sequently, in a fragile and perishable condition. Tropically 
 taken, it means shall be loathsome. 
 
 (8) The wise of heart will receive commands ; but he who is fool 
 ish with his lips, shall rush headlong. 
 
 Commands are those of God, or of wisdom. Foolish with 
 his lips = speaks foolishly. cnnBto may be a Gen. after 
 the adjective before it ; or it may be taken as the Ace. of 
 manner. BS^ , in Niph. as intrans. Kal, because Kal is 
 not here employed. 
 
 (9) He who walketh in integrity, walketh safely; but he who per- 
 verteth his ways, shall be discovered. 
 
 TjVi > Imperf. of tjb^ , accent retracted, and therefore the 
 normal Tseri final is shortened ; and all this, because a 
 tone-syllable immediately follows, 29. 3. b. The deceiver 
 shall be made known = shall be discovered. 
 
 (10) He who winketh with the eye shall give pain ; and he who is 
 foolish with his lips, shall rush headlong. 
 
 Eye and lips, Ace. of instrument, and so we supply with 
 in English. ras? , a Piel form, intensive ; Qamets in pause. 
 Meaning : He who is trickish and deceitful, shall be duly 
 punished. 
 
 (11) A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous ; but the 
 mouth of the wicked concealeth injury. 
 
 The righteous speaks words adapted to preserve life, he 
 gives saving or salutary counsel ; the wicked use deceit, in 
 order to perpetrate injuries. 
 
PART II CHAP. X. 1216. 239 
 
 (12) Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth over all trans 
 gressions. 
 
 Imperf. Polel of 1W, 1 after 3 being omitted. 
 fc^Ta , from j ra , root -p n . Meaning : The spirit of true 
 love is ever ready to pity and forgive transgressions. 
 
 (13) In the lips of the intelligent, wisdom is found; but a rod is 
 
 Wisdom utters not that which will be injurious ; but a 
 fool says that which will be likely to provide a rod for him. 
 
 (14) The wise treasure up knowledge ; but the mouth of a fool is 
 destruction near at hand. 
 
 X"? may mean lay up, in the sense of a prudent holding 
 back of communications, on some occasions where they might 
 do harm = " Cast not your pearls before swine." The other 
 clause shows, that the words of a fool are such as often occa 
 sion his speedy destruction. n^Pfp here means imminent, 
 for what is close by is ready to act. 
 
 (15) The wealth of the ricli man is his strong city; the destruction 
 of the poor is their poverty. 
 
 This is of course to be qualified. The simple meaning is : 
 There are times when the wealth of the rich will avert 
 danger and suffering ; and at such a time the poor may 
 perish for want of money. 
 
 (16) The work of the righteous is unto life; the earnings of the 
 wicked arc unto sin. 
 
 Bertheau and Umbreit render r&s S by Lohn, reward. So 
 indeed the word may mean. But its primary meaning, given 
 above, is well ; and so the ancient Versions. The meaning 
 is, that the promise to righteous doing is life, i. e. long life ; 
 hence the tendency of the doing is unto life. On the other 
 hand, the fruits of wicked doing, i. e. the earnings of the 
 \vioked, tend to sin. In other words: They so appropriate 
 
240 PART II CHAP. X. 1720. 
 
 their earnings as to lead them into sin ; or, their earnings 
 are acquired by sinful practices, and so bring on them the 
 evils of sin. 
 
 (17) A way of life is he who keepcth instruction ; but he who for- 
 saketli reproof, leadeth astray. 
 
 In other words, the well-instructed man gives discreet 
 counsel, which points out the way of life. So Christ, as 
 teacher, is called the way, John 14: 6. !r?rra, causeth to 
 wander, or leadeth astray, namely, from the path of life. As 
 the righteous points to this path, by instruction, and by his 
 own example in following it, so the wicked lead astray by 
 precept and by example. 
 
 (18) He who concealeth hatred is of lying lips ; and he who uttereth 
 slander, is a very fool. 
 
 ijDia "^Bto is preceded, no doubt, by ui^X implied, i. e. a 
 man of lying lips. But the version gives the idea sufficiently 
 well. fits-ia , Hiph. Part, of KSJ , lit. causes to go forth, which, 
 applied to slander, means uttering it. Nlii , he is, ( 119. 2). 
 The design of it here is to give intensity to the expression ; 
 which I have imitated in the version. 
 
 (19) In multiplying words there will be no lack of transgression ; 
 but he who restraineth his lips is prudent. 
 
 a "i is the Inf. const, of 33^ . If it were a noun, it would 
 shorten its vowel, and read "2~\ , robh. Sentiment : Much 
 speaking exposes one to say things that will be injurious ; 
 (see the graphic passage relative to this, in Ecc. 5 : 1 7) ; 
 and therefore a prudent man will guard well his lips. 
 
 (20) Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous: the heart of the 
 wicked is worthless. 
 
 The tongue utters words ; the heart conceives them ; so 
 that tongue and heart have, in this passage, substantially the 
 same thing in view. It is assumed here, that the righteous 
 
PART II CHAP. X. 2123. 241 
 
 utters that which is accordant with his character, and then 
 his words are of much worth. But the conceptions of the 
 wicked are rasps , lit. as a very little thing = worthless, as 
 expressed in the version. 
 
 (21) The lips of the righteous feed many; but fools die for lack of 
 understanding. 
 
 Feeding with the lips, of course means imparting instruc 
 tion. A teacher was called fis i , i. e. a feeder, by the He 
 brews ; and so the New Testament noipTjv ; comp. vs. 11, 17. 
 "tort may be, and probably is, the Inf. const, nominascens 
 of the verb *iOn . Fools, who will not receive the food 
 (the instruction) which the righteous impart, perish for lack 
 of knowledge. Perhaps "ion is const, of ion adj. ; if so, 
 then we must translate thus : through him that lackeih under 
 standing ; the meaning then is, that fools die by the influence 
 over them of foolish men. 
 
 (22) The blessing of Jehovah that maketh rich; nor will he 
 increase sorrow therewith. 
 
 &rri , that, is intensive ; as much as to say : this is that 
 which, i. e. this and nothing else. CjO n , Imperf. Hiph. with 
 i formative omitted. The Nom. to this verb seems to be 
 Jehovah, taken from the first clause : Jehovah will not in 
 crease, etc. Sentiment : God s blessing enriches, and that 
 without increasing sorrow. The meaning is not, that he 
 who is enriched shall have no sorrows in the present life ; 
 but that sorrows are not of necessity increased by riches, 
 when it is Jehovah who bestows them. The prosperity of 
 the mere worldling, procured by unlawful means, brings 
 many sorrows with it; comp. the vivid picture of this, in 
 Ecc. 2:2123. 5: 10, 11. 6: 1, 2. flas, with it, viz., 
 with the bestowment of the blessing. 
 
 (23) It is like sport to a fool to do mischief; but wisdom belongeth 
 to the man of understanding. 
 
 21 
 
242 PART II CHAP. X. 2427. 
 
 pl nia , Inf. nominasc. To do mischief, lit. to execute an 
 evil device, evil because mischievous. Of course, a man of 
 understanding will not regard doing mischief as sport or a 
 joke, but as a very serious matter. 
 
 (24) The terror of the wicked that shall come upon him ; but the 
 desire of the righteous he will grant. 
 
 Terror here means that which is feared, i. e. the ground of 
 terror. issoinn, Imperf. third fern, of xi s, with the suff. 
 33- . *$* has doubtless Jehovah implied for its Nom. ; see 
 v. 22. The nature of the case also implies thus much ; for 
 we may ask : Who punishes the wicked ? Who blesses the 
 righteous ? And the answer is spontaneous. 
 
 (25) When the whirlwind passeth over, the wicked is no more; but 
 as to the righteous there is an eternal foundation. 
 
 The 3 before the Inf. is here expressive of time, i. e. 
 when; and so oftentimes. s>dn "pxi, lit. then is not the 
 wicked. I have conformed it more closely to our own idiom. 
 But the whirlwind produces no effect on the established 
 righteous, because he stands on a foundation that is never to 
 be moved, or which is eternal. 
 
 (26) As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is a slug 
 gard to those who send him. 
 
 Every one s experience readily explains this. Vinegar 
 sets the teeth on edge, as we express it; smoke causes 
 painful excitement to the eyes ; and a vexation like to 
 these is a sluggard who is commissioned on an errand that 
 requires haste. The article follows the 3 of comparison 
 here throughout; 107. n. 1. a. Tnbiu , Part. plur. with 
 suffix. 
 
 (27) The fear of Jehovah will increase days: but the years of the 
 nicked shall be curtailed. 
 
 A sentiment very often repeated, and oi:<> on which much 
 
PART II CHAP. X. 2831. 243 
 
 stress is laid. Days of course means time. n^pn , in 
 Kal, but being intrans. here, it may be rendered passively. 
 
 (28) The expectation of the righteous is joyful: but the hope of 
 the wicked shall perish. 
 
 Joyful, lit. joy ; and it is so, because he believes that his 
 expectation will be realized. TJie hopes of the wicked, on 
 the other hand, will be frustrated. 
 
 (29) A strong hold for uprightness is the way of Jehovah ; but 
 destruction is for the workers of iniquity. 
 
 The way of Jehovah, is the way in which he acts ; so that 
 the sentiment stands thus : < The upright will find protection, 
 in the doings or providential arrangements of Jehovah. 
 This same way of his will bring destruction upon the wicked. 
 
 (30) The righteous shall never be moved ; but the wicked shall not 
 inhabit the land. 
 
 Heb. not forever = never. Bisa";, Niph. Imperf. of wn. 
 The threatening here is equivalent to other threatenings, 
 which declare that the wicked shall be cut off shall not live 
 out half their days, etc. The land here means the promised 
 land, i. e. Palestine. But under this promise, a more gen 
 eral truth may lie. 
 
 (.31 ) The mouth of the just bringcth forth wisdom; but the tongue 
 of perversity shall be cut out. 
 
 nr , lit. germinates, shoots forth in buds, and thence, more 
 generally, produces or brings forth. ni s^ntn , plur. of 
 intensity, or else the fern. plur. simply for an abstract noun. 
 
 We say of the tongue, cut out, rather than cut, or cut off. 
 This shows the difference between the language and thoughts 
 of the righteous and the wicked ; the one inculcates wisdom, 
 the other speaks that which condemns him to the loss of his 
 
244 PART II CHAP. XI. 13. 
 
 (32) The lips of the righteous know what is well-pleasing ; but th 
 mouth of the wicked is perverse. 
 
 "Jl S n, lit. approbation, pleasure; used as an adjective, 
 well-pleasing, viz., to Jehovah. Hence his blessing on the 
 righteous. But the wicked utter only perversities, i. e. a 
 series of falsehood and deceit, the plur. being intensive ; 
 which of course cannot be well-pleasing to God. 
 
 CHAP. XI. 131. 
 
 (1) Balances of deceit are the abomination of Jehovah; but a 
 complete weight is his delight. 
 
 The balances here mentioned are such as are provided 
 with false weights, for the purposes of fraud. What we 
 call full weight, is in Hebrew lit. a stone of completeness. 
 The weights were stones ; and they were complete when they 
 were full or exact. 
 
 (2) Does pride come, then shame will come; but with the humble 
 is wisdom. 
 
 The 1 before bj is the Vav consequential ; and so have I 
 translated. fiisw* is an unusual word in poetry, but the 
 meaning here is plain, "pit characterizes lofty assuming de 
 meanor, while riss means to carry one s self meekly and lowly. 
 
 (3) The integrity of the upright shall lead them ; but the perverse- 
 ness of the treacherous shall destroy them. 
 
 anil-3, Hiph. Imperf. of nni, with plur. suff. twigi, 
 should be read as in the Qeri with i prefix, and then it is 
 the Imperf. of Tra with a suff., and this calls forth the Dagl 
 in the n. Lead them, e. g. as a shepherd leads his sheep, 
 and therefore in the path of safety and peace. Destroy 
 them has here an intensive word in the Heb., quasi lay hold 
 on them with violent force. 
 
PART II CHAP. XI. 48. 245 
 
 (4) Wealth will not profit in the day of wrath ; but righteousness 
 will deliver from death. 
 
 SI i, Hiph. of b?j. Wrath here means divine indigna 
 tion ; see Ezek. 7: 19. 
 
 (5) The righteousness of the upright shall make even his way; 
 but the wicked shall fall by his wickedness. (6) The righteousness 
 of the upright shall deliver them ; but by their own greedy desire the 
 treacherous shall be ensnared. 
 
 An even way is one on which the righteous will not stum 
 ble. Deliver them, viz., from punishment or evil. Greedy 
 desire will strongly tempt men to sin, and so they will be 
 ensnared. 
 
 (7) When a wicked man dieth, his hope shall perish ; and the ex 
 pectation of the afflicted perisheth. 
 
 His hope of riches or pleasures perishes at death. 
 n^i x , is however a doubtful word. Most have taken it as a 
 noun plur. from fc ^j< , baseness. But it may be regarded as a 
 Part, here ; see Hos. 9 : 4, and Hitzig in loc. If a Part. 
 from "jsix = Chald. ",5X , then it signifies afflicted. The 
 meaning of the verse then would be, that * when the wicked 
 die, all their hopes perish ; and when they are sick and af 
 flicted, their expectation of recovery or alleviation will be 
 frustrated/ So Bertheau, and so the Vulg. ; and the sense 
 thus given is striking. There is indeed no antithesis here, 
 but the representation is climactic. The truth of the first 
 clause is plain to all ; the second will strike with the more 
 force, because it shows the extent of the mischief which 
 wickedness occasions. However, the other interpretation is 
 not a bad one : The expectation of baseness [of the base~\ shall 
 perish. The plur. d^aix is, when thus understood, a plur. 
 of intensity. But the first method is somewhat more specific. 
 
 (8) The righteous shall be rescued from distress; and the wicked 
 shall come in his stead. 
 
 21* 
 
246 PART II CUAP. XL 912. 
 
 Safety is here pledged to the righteous ; while the wicked 
 is doomed to the suffering of that which was before urgent 
 on the righteous. 
 
 (9) By the mouth, a vile person desti-oys his neighbor ; but by the 
 knowledge of the righteous shall he be delivered. 
 
 By the mouth, i. e. by what the mouth speaks. 
 Niph. Imperf. plural, although neighbor (sing.) is the subject. 
 But then, this word is here virtually a noun of multitude, 
 meaning every and any neighbor. A plur. verb in such case 
 is very common. 
 
 (10) When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth ; but 
 when the wicked perish, there is shouting. 
 
 Here are two Infinitives const, with s before them, both 
 governing the Gen. as Inf. nominascens. Here are also two 
 rejoicings. The first is the joy which men usually feel, 
 when the righteous are prospered ; the second is the shout of 
 exultation, when base transgressors- fall. 
 
 (11) By the blessing of the upright, the city shall be exalted; but 
 by the mouth of the wicked, it shall be razed. 
 
 Exalted, ETifi , seems here to mean, put in a condition of 
 safety, or out of the reach of assault; like sab, which 
 means first to exalt, and then to render safe. The ground of 
 the figure is a high wall, or a munition of rocks, the loftiness 
 of which secures the safety of the enclosed city. The 
 mouth of the wicked is here supposed to utter curses or false 
 hoods, so as to bring vengeance on the city, or, so to speak, as 
 to betray it by traitorous communications. 
 
 (12) He that useth despitcfully his neighbor, is one who lacketh 
 understanding ; but the man of intelligence will keep silence. 
 
 tS , Part, of MS , seems here to mean the utterance of con 
 temptuous and slanderous language, which is despiteful 
 usage ; for, as opposed to this (in the next clause) stands 
 
PART 11 CHAP. XL 13 Ib. 247 
 
 keep silence, i. e. will not utter reproaches ; either he will be 
 silent where others reproach ; or, he will be silent in respect 
 to that, which the fool treats and speaks of contemptuously. 
 
 (13) He who goeth about as a slanderer, rcvcaleth secrets; but he 
 who is of a faithful spirit, concealeth a matter. 
 
 In other words : A slanderer will even reveal secrets, in 
 order to gratify his propensity for prating ; but a man of a 
 trusty spirit will conceal what is committed to him in confi 
 dence. 1^X5 in const, state, so that the final Qamets of the 
 Part, form is shortened, 110. 2. 
 
 (14) Where there is no guidance the people fall; but by an increase 
 of counsellors there is safety. 
 
 rvibann, plur. abstract, lit. pilotage, steer smanship, from 
 ban , rope, or brsh , sailor == rope-man ; like our English Salt 
 for sailor. All these meanings are secondary and tropical, 
 for the root seems rather diverse from them. nH , Inf. of 
 SS^ . ITJI I , Part, used as a noun ; and as it is here used 
 in a generic sense, it may therefore be regarded and rendered 
 as a plural. So I have given it in the version. 
 
 (15) An evil man showeth himself as evil, when he giveth pledge 
 for a stranger : but he who hateth the striking of hands, shall be safe. 
 
 3W , Niph. Imperf. of sn , and in its reflexive sense ; as 
 in the version. He shows himself as evil, by hastily pledging 
 himself, and then not redeeming his pledge as promised. 
 n^ p in means lit. those who strike hands, being to appearance 
 a participle. The translation, however, I have made so as 
 to refer rather to the action than to the agents. Much diffi 
 culty has been made with this verse, by taking an as Inf. 
 abs. in Kal, from yn . Erroneously, for this would be ?"h f 
 and not sn . But the method of explanation, proposed in 
 the version, is easy and obvious. 
 
 (16) A beautiful woman taketh fast hold of honor; even as the 
 mighty grasp at riches. 
 
248 PART II CHAP. XL 1719. 
 
 honor , in opposition to shame. A woman truly 
 lovely will be eager to maintain strict propriety of conduct, 
 instead of subjecting herself to reproach and shame. 
 tj vxi ns , generally violent, terrible, but also very powerful, as 
 here ; see Lex. The meaning of the whole is, that a lovely 
 woman will be as solicitous to maintain her honor, as the 
 mighty usually are in quest of spoil or riches. Here com 
 parison is signified by the 1 before the second clause, and 
 therefore we may translate it and so, or even as, 152. 
 B. 3. 
 
 (17) He who doeth good to himself, is a man of kindness ; but he 
 who troubleth his own flesh, is cruel. 
 
 The design of this is not to recommend selfishness, in the 
 proper sense of that word, but a wise and prudent care and 
 solicitude for one s own real good. This is kindness, i. e. 
 kindness to himself. On the contrary, he who vexes him 
 self by an improper course of conduct, is cruel to himself. 
 
 (18) The wicked acquireth deceitful gain; but he that soweth 
 righteousness a sure reward. 
 
 is not only work, but also the fruits of it, i. e. reward 
 or gain. To deceitful gain stands opposed sure reward. 
 Before nsiiJ , one may supply, if he chooses, ntob from the 
 preceding clause. 
 
 (19) As is righteousness in respect to life, even so is he that pur- 
 sueth evil in respect to death. 
 
 That is, righteousness will gain the sure reward (before 
 mentioned), and wickedness will meet with its recompense, 
 viz. death. Some take *3 as a noun = steadfastness, and 
 some as an adjective, firm, fixed. But this is unnecessary. 
 The usual sense, as above, is well. The Sept. and Syr. read 
 ja, son. The text, from the seeming imperfection of its 
 present construction, appears to have been disturbed ; or, at 
 least, it was misread, by some of the translators in ancient 
 times. 
 
PART II CHAP. XI. 2023. 249 
 
 (20) The perverse of heart are the abomination of Jehovah; but 
 those who are upright in their way, are his delight. {21 ) Hand to 
 hand, the evil man shall not go free ; but the seed of the righteous 
 shall be delivered. 
 
 In v. 21, we have two adjectives in the const, state, before 
 the nouns which modify them ; which construction is very 
 frequent in this book, and common elsewhere. "nb T) , is 
 an expression sui generis. Different meanings have been 
 assigned to it ; (a) Hand against hand, i. e. one man s hand 
 against his neighbor s = the injurious man. (b) From one 
 hand to another = from one generation to another, (c) Join 
 ing hand to hand, in the way or as a token of assurance = 
 truly, verily. All these are little better than guesses. The 
 phrase is evidently a proverbial one, and, like other brief 
 gnomes, it is doubtless abridged or compressed. The most 
 simple interpretation is that of J. H. Michaelis : * Hand 
 joined to hand, will not protect the guilty, or get him clear. 
 In other words : * Let the evil man struggle with all his 
 might, he will not escape. This is a good sense, and, in my 
 view, the most easy and natural of all. The same is repeated 
 in 16 : 5. 
 
 (22) A ring of gold in the snout of a swine, is a beautiful woman 
 who departs from sound discretion. 
 
 In other words : Her beauty is like a gold ring in the 
 snout of a swine, in case she departs from sound propriety 
 in her conduct. A homely proverb, but very expressive. 
 , Part. fern, const, of *viO, lit. a receder from. 
 
 (23 ) The desire of the righteous is good only; the expectation of 
 the wicked is indignation. 
 
 That is, the desire of the righteous will end in good or 
 blessing ; for God blesses the obedient. The wicked, too, 
 have desire or expectations ; but they will end in indigna 
 tion, i. e. in bringing upon them the wrath of God, or punish 
 ment. 
 
250 PAKT lI-CHAi>. XL 24 26. 
 
 (24) There is who scattered], and yet addition is made ; and he 
 who holdeth back more than is right, [it will be] only to poverty. 
 
 That is, there are those who give liberally, and yet grow 
 rich. fjOia, addition is made, Part. Niphal. There is a 
 different class, who keep back "IT^E beyond rectitude, i. e. more 
 than what is just and proper, and yet they grow poor in 
 spite of their parsimony. Schultens and Bertheau take Tip 
 here in the Arabic sense of the word, viz. riches. But this 
 is against the rule which binds us to the Hebrew alone, so 
 long as the word in question is sufficiently used to make it 
 plain ; which is the case here. Mean parsimony tends 
 only to poverty, is the sentiment of the last clause ; and 
 this is so significant, that we need not forsake the usual 
 meaning of the Hebrew. 
 
 (25) The soul of blessing shall be well nourished ; and he who 
 waters, even the same shall be watered. 
 
 Soul of blessing, designates here, a man who cheerfully 
 imparts blessings. 1^^ > lit. shall be made fat ; the real 
 idea is given in the version. rn*^ , Part. Hiph. of nil ; 
 but the following ao n comes from rnj , and is Imperf. Hiph., 
 the final K being put for the in, as the vowel-points show, 
 74. n. 22. That is : The liberal man shall be liberally 
 treated. 
 
 (26) He who keepeth back corn the people shall curse him; but 
 blessings shall be on the head of him who procureth grain. 
 
 This refers to those, who, in a time of famine, hoard up 
 their stores of corn in order to sell at a very advanced price, 
 and thus take advantage of the poor and starving. Bless 
 ings on the head, because, in the act of blessing, the hands 
 of him who blessed were laid on the head of the object of 
 blessing. l^aisa, Hiph. Part, of the denominative verb 
 "narn, constructed from "ow, grain. Hence the Hiph. 
 verb, to procure grain. The verb, in other conjugations and 
 cases, has a very different sense. 
 
PART II CHAP. XI. 2731. 251 
 
 (27) He who earnestly seeks after good, will seek for [God s] good 
 pleasure; but as to him who seeketh for evil, it shall come upon him. 
 
 The highest good is the good will of the Lord ; so that a 
 seeker for it will make it his object to obtain this. The 
 two first words of the second clause are in the Norn, inde 
 pendent, and are so translated. 
 
 (28) He who trustc-th in his riches, he shall fall; but as a leaf shall 
 the righteous blossom, (29) He who troubleth his own house shall 
 inherit the wind ; and a servant shall the fool be to him who is of a 
 wise mind. 
 
 For v. 28, see Is. 66: 14. Ps, 92 : 13. V. 29, He that 
 troublcth, etc., seems to refer to mismanagement, or the want 
 of proper industry and economy. Such a man will acquire 
 nothing valuable, but live as it were upon the wind. Nor is 
 this all ; such a negligent and slothful manager shall be 
 reduced, even to becoming a servant to him who is wise 
 enough to be active and economical. 
 
 (30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and hewhowinneth 
 souls is wise. 
 
 T)ie fruit of the righteous man, is the results which he 
 produces by his words and actions. These, like a tree of 
 life, impart to others a living and animating principle. 
 Winneth souls, lit. taketh souls, but the real meaning here is 
 given in the version. It is only a wise man who can do 
 this ; and to do it is true wisdom, and one of its noblest 
 works. 
 
 
 
 (31) If the righteous -halt be recompensed in the earth; surely 
 ;hen the wicked and the sinner. 
 
 The question is not, whether all the reward of the right 
 eous, or of the wicked, shall be dispensed in the present world ; 
 but the text says, first, that here the righteous shall receive 
 blessings ; and then, secondly, that the wicked shall surely 
 have some retribution, viz. by sudden and premature death, 
 
252 PART II CHAP. XI. 31. 
 
 and by the various evils which they must here suffer. If 
 God s mercy bestows the one, his justice will inflict the other. 
 Bertheau makes ^3 fix to mean but not. How, I am 
 unable to see, (consult the Lex.), unless by making the last 
 clause a negative interrogatory, so that ^3 C]X must be 
 regarded as = Is it truly so that ? which would imply a 
 negative; see in Gen. 3:1. Of course, if we adopt this, 
 we must render ,fi , at the beginning of the verse by if; as 
 it sometimes clearly means. Indeed, with views differing 
 from his, I have so translated it in my version. But if 
 Bertheau is in the right, (and he may be salva Jide), then the 
 latter clause must be rendered thus : Is it so indeed, that the 
 wicked and the sinner [will be recompensed?^ If this be 
 the sentiment, it looks like denying that adequate recom 
 pense will be made in the present world to the wicked. This 
 certainly is true in one sense ; for impenitent sinners do not 
 here suffer all which they deserve. But is this truth revealed 
 in such a shape, in the Old Testament ? All along we have 
 had, continually occurring, the threats of evil to the wicked, 
 such as being prematurely cut down, having their hopes 
 frustrated, etc. And can we safely build a different mode 
 of speaking one so widely different on a doubtful gram 
 matical construction ? I have not ventured on this, in my 
 version. And if Bertheau be in the right, then I apprehend 
 *n should be taken interrogatively, as ex often is. We must then 
 render thus : Will the righteous be recompensed in the earth ? 
 Is it indeed so, then, that the wicked [will be recompensed f] 
 But if these are real question*, we should expect some 
 answer. And yet there is none. We must then regard the 
 first clause as an assumption, viz. If the righteous shall be 
 rewarded in the earth, (as all concede), then, etc. In this 
 case, the sentiment runs thus : Since the righteous receive 
 a recompense in such a world of suffering and sorrow as 
 this, then doubtless the wicked will also receive a retribution/ 
 In other words : * The providential government of God is one 
 
PART II CHAP. XL 31. 253 
 
 of moral retribution ; for both the righteous and the wicked 
 have their appropriate recompense under it, even in the 
 present world. There is no necessity of straining these 
 words, so as to make them mean, that all the reward of 
 either class is here given and received. When the apostle 
 says, that " Godliness is profitable unto all things, having 
 promise of the life that now is," (1 Tim. 4 : 8), this does not 
 hinder him from adding : " and of that which is to come. * 
 But an addition like this is rare in the Old Testament ; 
 indeed, it cannot be found in such a shape. I draw, there 
 fore, from our text this simple sentiment : The retributive 
 government of God is exercised over both the righteous and 
 the wicked, in the present world, assigning to each their 
 appropriate reward. If the writer reasoned analogically in 
 his own mind, he was doubtless ready to say : * The like 
 retributive government must extend to the other world, as well 
 as to this. But that other world is not explicitly brought to 
 view, in the book of Proverbs. 
 
 I cannot see how a negative form can well be given to 
 this last clause. Not that grammar stands absolutely in the 
 way, but because the whole book everywhere discloses the 
 punishment or chastisement of sinners in the present life. 
 This lies on the very face of it. This does not, as has 
 already been said, deny chastisement in a future world ; for 
 of this the writer does not here treat. How then can we 
 fairly make out of the last clause a denial of retribution in 
 the present world, which is not only everywhere threatened, 
 but is also everywhere in the Old Testament historically 
 exhibited as matter of fact ? I must therefore abide by 
 the sentiment of the version. It will not be in point for 
 Bertheau to refer to such texts as Ecc. 9 : 1, 2, 11, 12. 8 : 14, 
 and the like ; for these are merely sentiments of an objector. 
 Such an attitude the author of the book and chapter before 
 us does not assume. 
 
 22 
 
254 PART II CHAP. XII. 14. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 128. 
 
 (1) He who lovcth instruction, loveth knowledge; and he who 
 hateth admonition is brutish. 
 
 Instruction and admonition are nearly equivalent here. 
 The first, however, is more general ; the second somewhat 
 specific. "i 2 a might be rendered, in our vulgar tongue, is 
 a boor ; for this English word looks very much like a deri- 
 vate from the Hebrew root. 
 
 (2) The good man shall obtain goodwill from Jehovah; but the 
 man of evil devices will he punish. 
 
 Rare is the use of aia , as here, for moral good. The 
 usual words are pi is , or Ton , or DTBPI , to designate what 
 we usually name a good man in the moral sense. rrtsta , 
 in the bad sense here, which is the more common one. 
 Siurp , lit. shall make guilty, i. e. shall treat as guilty, which 
 of course means shall punish. But who does this ? Jeho 
 vah, as the preceding clause shows. 
 
 (3) A man shall not be established by wickedness ; but the root of 
 the righteous shall never be moved. 
 
 Wickedness cannot secure enduring prosperity ; but the 
 root of the righteous, (who is here tacitly compared to a tree), 
 cannot move hither and thither. In this last case, viz. sup 
 posing the root to be moving hither and thither, the standing 
 of the tree would then be unstable. 
 
 (4) A virtuous woman is the diadem of her husband ; but like rot 
 tenness in the bones, is she who causeth shame. 
 
 ^n , like the Latin virtus, has two meanings, viz., that of 
 strength or fortitude, and also that of probity ; see Heb. Lex. 
 JNo. 4. Rottenness in the bones, would cause the whole fab 
 ric of the body to crumble and fall. FUBISE , causing shame, 
 viz. by her base conduct. 
 
PART II CHAP. XII. 58. 255 
 
 (5) The purposes of the righteous are justice; but the counsellings 
 of the wicked are deceit. 
 
 Purposes are justice, i. e. not his outward actions and 
 words merely, but even his internal thoughts and intentions. 
 m bsnn == xvfizQvrjGZi?, controllings, directions, equivalent to 
 counsel in respect to conduct. These are connected with 
 fraud. The Hebrew is stronger ( are justice are deceit) 
 than the corresponding adjectives. 
 
 (6) The words of the wicked are a lying in wait for blood ; but the 
 mouth of the upright will deliver them. 
 
 The wicked concert plans for lying in wait to shed the 
 blood of the innocent ; for that such persons are implied, 
 seems to result from db^sr , where the plur. suff. to the verb 
 refers to the upright who are in danger, who must be the 
 same persons that the wicked wish to destroy. "3^2$ , with 
 short o, because of the Maqqeph. It is the Inf. nominascens 
 of Kal. 
 
 (7) When the wicked are overturned, they are no more; but the 
 house of the righteous shall stand. 
 
 Tl iBft , Inf. abs., which is of all numbers, genders, and per 
 sons, and so may be translated as above. Or we may render 
 thus : Is there an overturning of the wicked, or are the wicked 
 overturned, then are they no more, i. e. final destruction shall 
 succeed their overthrow. The lot of the righteous is the 
 reverse of this. They are not overthrown, but remain 
 steadfast. 
 
 (8) According to his discretion shall a man be praised; but he who 
 is perverse of heart, shall be despised. 
 
 ^sb is used as a particle = pro ratione secundum, root ns . 
 fT.Si in reg. becomes MWJ as in the text, and is a Niph. 
 Part, adjective, r. rns> . mb , lit. for contempt, i. e. shall be 
 exposed to it. 
 
256 PART II-CHAP. XII. 912. 
 
 (9) Better is he who is despised, yet has a servant, than he who 
 honoreth himself and lacketh bread. 
 
 Better, not in a moral sense, but as we say, more lucky, or 
 better off". To make ib "1:52 mean serve himself (with Um- 
 breit), can be done only by shifting the vowels and pointing 
 thus : i b ^as . But this adds nothing to show the betterment, 
 which consists in the fact, that the despised person has one 
 to aid his labors in the field, and thus procure sufficiency of 
 bread, while he who boasts of honors lacks even the 
 necessaries of life. Sentiment : * Better is the condition of 
 a poor man, who has the means under his control of aiding 
 his exertions for sustenance, than the nobleman, real or fan 
 cied, who is in a state of starvation. 
 
 (10) The righteous careth for the life of his beast; but the tender 
 mercies of the wicked are cruelty. 
 
 srni, taketh knowledge of , careth for ; and so, frequently. 
 irrana , suff. state of rrana . nta&t , prop, adj., but here 
 used as a noun cruelty. i While the righteous care even 
 for the enjoyment of the brutes, the wicked disregard both 
 man and beast. 
 
 (11) He who tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread ; but he 
 who followeth after vain persons, lacketh understanding. 
 
 Sato 1 ? , lit. shall be satiated with, dnb after it being the Ace. 
 of the means ; Qamets in pause. The sense is given in the 
 version. Sip n , comp. Judg. 9 : 2. 2 Kings 4 : 3, for the 
 meaning here given to the word. It might mean vanities ; 
 but this would not alter the general sense of the clause. 
 Vain persons here means idle and profligate men, who will 
 not labor in order to till their land. 
 
 (12) The wicked desireth an evil net ; but the root of the righteous 
 shall be firm. 
 
 Ewald has changed the text until it yields this meaning : 
 The desire of the wicked is an evil net ; but the root of the 
 
PART II CHAP. XII. 13. 257 
 
 righteous endures, i. e. the wicked wish to ensnare the good, 
 but they are frustrated. Others have varied the meaning 
 in several ways. All this is unnecessary. The wicked de 
 sires an evil net, i. e. destruction, in the same sense as when 
 Wisdom says : " All who hate me, love death" 8:36; and 
 also like to 11: 27, " He who seeketh after evil, it shall come 
 upon him." Where a false course is preferred to a true one, 
 the Hebrews spoke of the man who exhibits such a prefer 
 ence, as loving, seeking after the false course, regardless of 
 consequences ; and so here. As to the root of the righteous, 
 see under v. 3. ",n? is an uncertain word. It comes appa 
 rently from IPS , which often means put, place, constitute, with 
 an object after it. That object may be tinfcj here, provided 
 we make the word God a Nom. to in? . Still, putting or 
 placing does not give a sense altogether appropriate here. 
 But there is another verbal root, IITJ , from which IP^X , 
 strong, firm, comes ; and this seems to me to be the probable 
 root of in? here. If so, it is to be placed with the third 
 class of verbs "> , whose Yodh radical in the Imperf. assim 
 ilates with the letter that follows, as in the case of verbs IB ; 
 see 70. Then we have a good sense. The verb so under 
 stood is intrans., and snai is the Nom. to it. Thus we obtain 
 the following version : The root of the righteous shall be firm. 
 It is no more strange, to say the least, that Tseri should be 
 the last vowel here, than that it should be in the case of in? 
 from IPS . Irregular verbs sometimes form the Imperf. in this 
 way, 47. 3. n. 2. This, moreover, makes the sense quite plain 
 and easy. Sentiment : The wicked desire that which will 
 destroy them ; but the righteous that which will give them 
 firmness and safety. 
 
 (13) In the transgression of the lips is a snare of the evil man; 
 but the righteous shall escape from distress. 
 
 The evil which a man utters, often ensnares him, and 
 causes him distress ; but the righteous, who refrains from 
 sinning thus, escapes the distress consequent upon sin. 
 22* 
 
258 PAHT 11 CHAI- XII. 1417. 
 
 (14) By the fruit of a man s mouth, lie shall abound in good; and 
 the reward of a man s hands he shall return to him. 
 
 Fruit of the mouth is what the mouth speaks. The sup 
 position is here, that a righteous man speaks in harmony 
 with his character. This shall bring him abundant good. 
 Also what he does, as well as says, will not be useless. The 
 reward of his hands, i. e. the reward of what his hands have 
 done, he [Jehovah] will return to him. If bira were Nom. 
 to the verb, as some make it, we should expect 51^ , as the 
 Kethibh has it. But adopting n^ in Hiph. (the better 
 reading), we must then make Jehovah the Nominative. Of 
 ten elsewhere is this word implied. This gives a good sense. 
 
 (15) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he who 
 hearkeneth to counsel is wise. 
 
 The fool, being self-conceited, feels that he needs no 
 counsel ; but a man truly wise will cautiously seek for 
 counsel, when perplexities arise. 
 
 (16) The fool his vexation is made known at once; but he who 
 concealeth what is shameful is war. 
 
 d fas, lit. on the day, i. e. at the very time when his vexa 
 tion arises, he immediately and imprudently discloses it. 
 More wary or sagacious (B*ns) is he, who conceals shameful 
 things. The meaning of this last clause is : Who keeps 
 back from bruiting abroad every shameful slander ; or per 
 haps (here), who refrains from immediately manifesting 
 his indignation at contumelious treatment, or at shameful 
 conduct towards himself. A fool talks loudly about such 
 matters, and takes ready and high offence ; the wise man 
 more prudently passes them by in silence. 
 
 (17) He who breatheth forth truth, uttereth that which is right; 
 but a false witness deceit. 
 
 ^B^ , Hiph. of ns breathes out or forth, seems to indi- 
 
PART 11 CHAP. XII. 1820. 259 
 
 cate the natural habit (so to speak) of truth-telling, i. e. he 
 utters it as habitually and readily as he breathes. The case 
 here in view, seems to be that of giving testimony ; for so 
 the "is (witness) of the next clause indicates. Deceit, i. e. 
 uttereth deceit, for the verb T 1 *^ is to be carried forward men 
 tally, from the first clause, and supplied here. I have imi 
 tated the brevity of the original, in the version, which, by a 
 discriminative punctuation, still makes the idea of the writer 
 plain. Sentiment: A lover of truth will testify truly, 
 while a lying witness speaks only to deceive. 
 
 (18) There are who prate, like the stabbings of a sword; but the 
 tongue of the Avise is healing. 
 
 is sing. ; but since it is generic here, I have assigned 
 to it a plur. number in the version, because this agrees bet 
 ter with our idiom in such a case. Deep and deadly wounds 
 does a rtaia make, like those of a sword. But the wise 
 speak in order to soothe or allay wounded feelings, not to 
 aggravate them. KS 1 ^ is a noun here, a formative of 
 Hiphil, which gives it the additional shade of being causal 
 of healing. 
 
 (19) The lip of truth shall stand fast forever; but the tongue of 
 falsehood, only for the twinkling of an eye. 
 
 The lip of truth shall be rewarded by steadfastness of safe 
 condition. Lit. nspa nx-i? , until I shall make a wink ; for 
 the verb is a Hiph. denominative, derived from wn , a wink ; 
 and so the Hiph. verb means to make a wink. But in our 
 text, the word is employed as a Hiphilic noun with a Prep. 
 before it. Sentiment : A lying tongue shall suddenly be 
 destroyed the very reverse of the safe condition of those 
 who speak truth. 
 
 (20) Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil ; but to the 
 counsellors of peace joy. 
 
 The meaning of the first clause must be developed by the 
 
260 PART II CHAP. XII. 2124. 
 
 aid of the second. Deceit, then, is the object to be accom 
 plished by devisers of evil, when they give counsel. But 
 peace-counsellors instead of contriving deceit so as to injure 
 others, have in their hearts the purpose of making their 
 neighbors glad. It may, however, be rendered subjectively 
 thus : peace-counsellors shall have joy. But joy seems to be 
 the counter-part here of deceit ; and of this evil-devisers are 
 not the recipients, but the authors. So of peace-counsellors, 
 their object is to become authors of the satisfaction or joy of 
 others. 
 
 (21) No calamity shall befall the righteous ; but the wicked shall be 
 filled with evil. 
 
 x*] , lit. shall be caused to happen, in Hoph. The version 
 gives the true sense. sn , Ace., governed by a verb of 
 filing, 135. 3. b. sifi&a is made a virtual Imperf. by the 
 Vav prefixed to the clause with which it is connected. If 
 the verb stood first, the case would be plain ; but since the 
 Nom. here precedes, only for the sake of emphasis, the Vav 
 before it exercises its usual power over the verb. This is 
 demanded by the connection with nsx^ in the Imperfect. 
 
 (22) An abomination of Jehovah are lying lips; but those who 
 practice truth are his delight. (23) A wary man concealeth knowl 
 edge ; but the heart of fools proclaims folly. 
 
 V. 22, the doers of truth means those who adhere to it in 
 word and work ; comp. the Greek noiew ii]v dtf&etav, John 
 3 : 21. V. 23, concealeth knowledge, means that he modestly 
 forbears to obtrude his knowledge upon others, or is some 
 what shy of displaying it. On the other hand, the fool has 
 so much self-conceit that he cannot forbear displaying his 
 folly. Display he will make, at all events ; and if so, it 
 must of course be one of folly. 
 
 (24) The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but a slothful [hand] 
 shall be tributary. 
 
PART II CHAP. XII. 25, 26. 261 
 
 The diligent, by his activity, attains to power and influ 
 ence, fi^ fern. adj. or Part., means lit. deceitful, but as it 
 stands opposed here to the hand of the diligent, it here 
 virtually means slothful ; for such a hand deceives the hopes 
 of those who depend upon its earnings. GTsb , lit. for 
 tribute, i. e. it is obliged to become a tributary or a servant 
 to the diligent. Sentiment: Idleness brings poverty and 
 dependence. 
 
 (25) Sorrow in the heart of a man will bow it down; but a goodly 
 word will gladden it. 
 
 n|rra?, Hiph. Imperf. of firra, exhibits two apparent 
 anomalies ; first, the verb is masc., while the Nom. nsx n is 
 fern. ; secondly, the suff. fi|- is fern., while it relates to -nb . 
 As to the first, real analogies are quite rare. If the verb 
 preceded, the case could be solved on the ground of a kind 
 of impersonal use of the verb ; but here the noun precedes, 
 and the case is therefore one which is wholly abnormal. 
 Still the sense is plain, and unavoidable. As to the two 
 fern, suffixes appended to the two verbs, there is little of 
 serious difficulty. Nearly all the names of parts of the 
 human body are, or may be, treated as nouns feminine. So 
 with ^b , which is plainly treated as fern, here ; see a large 
 list of these in Ewald, 174. d. Goodly word means either 
 good tidings, i. e. an announcement that things are going on 
 well, or a word of comfort and encouragement. 
 
 (26) The righteous showeth the way to his friend ; but the way of 
 the wicked will mislead them. 
 
 *irn , Hiph. Imperf. of -ilfi , or its equivalent "Ynfi , lit. to 
 lead one round, i. e. so as to take a survey. J ift TQ > a pe 
 culiar formation = $*\ , friend. It seems to be made up of 
 "ft, from or of, and sn; which is of unfrequent occurrence. 
 If the word were a participial of nan , it must be written 
 nyyq . Still, the meaning is plain. wnti , Imperf. Hiph. 
 of nsn , with plur. suffix. 
 
262 PART TT CHAP. XIII. 1. 
 
 (27) The indolent man shall not roast his game ; but a precious 
 treasure of any man is a diligent person. 
 
 fi*r"i , here indolence ; but as it means the indolent man, 
 the verb is masc., i. e. it is a case of concord ad sensum. 
 The most probable meaning seems to be, that indolence will 
 prevent the slothful from catching the game, and so he will 
 have none to roast. But perhaps the sentiment is still more 
 pointed, viz., he is too lazy to cook his game when caught. 
 The text will bear either explanation. The "pin , on the 
 other hand, will be sure to obtain game for his employer, 
 and so is a treasure to him. 
 
 (28) In the way of righteousness is life; and [in] her path-way is 
 no death. 
 
 The Masorites have removed the Mappiq from the fn in 
 PJSHM ; wrongly, as it necessarily refers to ft^s . niE-bx 
 I take to be a compound word, in which the ^N is a nega 
 tive like our un in un-do, etc. Comp. Prov. 30 : 31, where 
 we find nipbx , i. e. ?s not, and Wp people, meaning, in a 
 kind of tropical way, obedient subjects, literally, such as do 
 not rise up, i. e. in rebellion, = non-resistants. Death by 
 itself is the opposite of life ; but as no opposition is here 
 admissible, a negative is put in, which gives the meaning 
 no-death, and this is equivalent to d^n . Generally aft is 
 employed in such cases ; e. g. ] r s~x^, no-wood, i. e. something 
 different from, and opposite to, wood. So ^X Jtb, tt^X"xb, 
 tnx-x b , etc. All such combinations approach to our nega 
 tive use of un. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 125. 
 
 (1) A wise son is instructed of his father; but a scorner hearken- 
 eth not to rebuke. 
 
 , as pointed, is a noun in the const, state, so that lit 
 it means instruction* i. e. we have the abstract for concrete ; 
 
PART II CHAP. XIII. 25. 263 
 
 and as concrete, it is rendered in the version above. I pre 
 fer, with Ewald, to assign it to the Part, in Hophal, for then 
 we have he who is instructed. Sentiment : In order to be 
 wise, a father s admonitions must be received ; but scorners 
 will not submit to this. 
 
 (2) Of the fruit of a man s mouth he shall eat good; but the soul 
 of the treacherous violence. 
 
 That is, in case a man speaks what is right and proper, he 
 shall eat the good fruit of so doing ; while the soul of him 
 who speaks treacherously [shall eat] violence ; i. e. such an 
 one will be violently dealt with or treated, by those whom he 
 has betrayed. 
 
 (3) He who guardeth well his mouth, preserved! his life; he who 
 openeth wide his lips destruction to him. 
 
 Not unfrequently, anger and slanderous words provoke to 
 murderous deeds. To guard well against these, is therefore 
 to preserve life. Openeth wide, speaks, loudly and much, 
 such things as provoke assault. Destruction to him ; may 
 be taken as an exclamation optative ; or simply thus : 
 destruction will be to him. The latter is more probable. 
 Wishes of evil do not appear in this book. 
 
 (4) His soul the sluggard s strongly craves, and there is noth 
 ing ; but the soul of the diligent shall be abundantly fed. 
 
 The pronoun in ^23 is anticipative, and refers to bis, 
 more Syrorum, 119. 6. n. 3. There is nothing, because 
 the sluggard will do nothing to provide. "p-f 7*? lik ^all be 
 made fat. The real sense is given in the version. In the 
 one case, there is starvation ; in the other, plenty. 
 
 (5) A false report the righteous will hate: but the wicked causeth 
 shame and putteth to the blush. 
 
 The wicked man, instead of loathing slander, will so speak 
 as to cause others to be ashamed and to blush for him. Pos- 
 
264 PART II CHAP. XIII. 68. 
 
 sibly the last clause may mean: acteth shamefully and 
 scandalously ; in which case we must give to Hiphil a Kal 
 meaning. 
 
 (6) Righteousness will preserve the innocent in his way; but 
 wickedness casts headlong the sinful. 
 
 dpi , torn, short o, because it is in regimen ; ground-form 
 tin . nxan (for nxan), lit. sin ; but it is a plain case of 
 abstract for concrete ; and so it means sinners. 
 
 (7) There is who showeth himself as rich, and yet hath nothing at 
 all ; there is who showeth himself as poor, and yet there is much 
 wealth. 
 
 In both cases the Hithp. Part, retain that peculiar mean 
 ing of the conjugation which designates pretence, show, 53. 
 3. a. Both classes of such men are hypocrites and deceiv 
 ers ; the one for pretending to possess what he does not 
 possess, the other for pretending to be worth nothing, (in 
 order to cheat his creditors), when in fact he is rich. Sen 
 timent : i Men will often play the hypocrite for the sake of 
 gain. 
 
 (8) The ransom of a man s life is his riches ; and yet the poor 
 heareth not rebuke. 
 
 4 Riches will frequently buy off a man from punishment, 
 is the meaning of the first clause. That of the second is 
 somewhat obscure. To me it appears thus : Notwithstand 
 ing this obvious advantage of wealth, yet the poor man will 
 not listen to those who rebuke him for sloth and wasteful 
 ness, which have made him poor. The supposition on this 
 ground is, that the man is poor by his own fault. Or it is 
 thus : The rich are inculpated by oppressive magistrates, in 
 order to exact money from them in the way of ransom ; the 
 poor escape such accusations, because they have nothing to 
 give as a ransom. This is a possible sense ; but hardly the 
 more probable one. 
 
PART II CHAP. XIII. 913. 265 
 
 (9) The light of the righteous is joyful; but the lamp of the 
 wicked shall be put out. 
 
 Is joyful, tropically understood, i. e. burns brightly and 
 cheerfully, as if rejoicing. The reverse is true of the lamp 
 of the wicked. 
 
 (10) Only by pride is strife produced; but with those who take 
 counsel is wisdom. 
 
 We may translate the first clause thus : Only by pride one 
 produces or occasions strife. The sense is the same as that 
 in the version. Qi^" i2 , Part. Niph. of ys* , denoting mutual 
 or reciprocal action, as Niph. often does, 50. 2. b. Of course, 
 taking counsel denotes mutual communication. Those who act 
 thus modestly, and do not proudly follow their own opinion, 
 will walk in the path of wisdom, and produce no strife. 
 
 (11) Wealth gotten without effort will grow small; but he who 
 gathereth into the hand increaseth [it]. 
 
 bifi , vanity, nothingness, is a peculiar word for slight effort, 
 or no effort. Yet the other clause seems to make this neces 
 sary. The meaning is : Wealth which is in any way obtained 
 without industry or effort. Nothing is more true, than that 
 this is often squandered in a little time. But that which is 
 gathered by industry, which is collected by handfuls, is com 
 monly of that stable character, which secures increase. 
 
 (12) Hope deferred maketh the heart sick ; but a tree of life is the 
 desire which is accomplished. 
 
 " We live by hope." When the realization of it is long 
 deferred, the heart sinks with discouragement. Tree of life 
 is a vivid image of the animating power of hope when it is 
 fulfilled. nxa , spoken of desire, of prophecy, or of a sign 
 of something future, means happeneth, or is accomplished, see 
 Lex. Kia . 2. e. 
 
 (13) He who despiseth the word, shall bring destruction on himself; 
 but he who feareth the commandment, is he who shall be at peace. 
 
 23 
 
266 PAKT U CHAP. XIII. 1416. 
 
 Word, viz., of warning and reproof. "ife-b^IT; , Niphal 
 reflexive, with the pronoun of object expressed. The true 
 sense is given in the version. oVir , lit. shall be made to 
 have peace. 
 
 (14) The instruction of the wise man is a. fountain of life, that one 
 may turn away from the snares of death. 
 
 rrrin in its original sense here, instruction ; as is quite 
 usual in this book. It not only gives life, but it operates so 
 as to turn away the unwary from the snares of death. itob, 
 is here equivalent to -iton (third fern.) with rni tn for its Nom. 
 Frequently is the Inf. with b employed in such away; 129. 
 3. n. 1. Comp. v. 25 below. 
 
 (15) Kindly discretion procureth favor ; but the way of the treach 
 erous is stony. 
 
 Sto , kindness, must be associated with discretion or intelli 
 gence, in order to secure favor. Way of the treacherous is 
 "r^x , which last word means, first, lasting , then firm or hard, 
 and finally (in poetry) a rock, from its hardness ; see Lex. 
 No. 4. A stony way, is one which it is hard to travel. Hard, 
 in our English version, is equivocal. A way literally hard, 
 would be easy of travel ; but hard in the sense of difficult, 
 Laves us what the Ileb. aims at, yet not exactly what it ex 
 presses. The Heb. figuratively presents the ground of the 
 way as being hard or difficult, viz., because it is stony. 
 Treachery will of course render a man s way through life 
 very difficult ; for resentment will follow, and many of its 
 consequences. It leads into a stony way, and makes rough 
 travelling. 
 
 (16) Every wary man will act with foresight; but the fool diffuseth 
 abroad folly. 
 
 roy means here that kind of knowledge, which has respect 
 to what a man is about to do, and therefore = foresight. 
 Spreadeth abroad his folly, namely, by actim- rithout foresight, 
 All men s^e. in such a case, what folly he 
 
PART II CHAP. XIII. 1720. 267 
 
 (17) A wicked messenger fallcth into trouble; but a faithful ambas 
 sador is healing. 
 
 Wicked here means one who acts deceitfully through sloth ; 
 comp. 10 : 2G, which expresses the idea fully. A wicked man, 
 in the common sense- of this phrase, may be, and often is, a 
 swift messenger. But wicked as a messenger, is what the 
 proverb means ; and this of course means slothful, inactive, 
 and therefore disappointing those Avjio send him. He falls 
 into evil, because he is punished by those who sent him, for 
 his negligence. On the other hand, a faithful messenger, 
 ("i" 1 ^ , from the root "H2 to go round), is ttSin , lit. healing, 
 and here soothing or alleviation, i. e. relief from anxiety to 
 hear something, respecting the matter of the embassy or 
 mission; comp. this last word in 12 : 18. 
 
 (18) Poor and despised is he who rejecteth instruction; but he who 
 watchfully observeth admonition shall be honored. 
 
 "i^l la* 1 "! , lit. poverty and contempt, both abstracts, which, 
 in the version, I have turned into concretes, because such is 
 the real meaning of the words. "vaia, is here used in the 
 frequent sense of watchfully observing or attending to. 
 
 (19) Desire accomplished, is sweet to the soul; but it is an abom 
 i nation of fools to turn from evil. 
 
 The contrast here implies, that the first clause has respect 
 to the desire of the wise. This, it is taken for granted, is for 
 good ; and when that good is attained, then is it grateful to 
 the spirit of a good man. On the other hand, fools cling 
 with such tenacity to evil, that they will not quit it so as to 
 cherish such desires. 
 
 (20) He who walketh with the wise shall be wise; but he who 
 delighteth in fools, showeth himself as evil. 
 
 The Kethibh of two verbs should be thus pointed : tpbtt 
 . . . csni , i. e. first the Inf. abs. as a command, and then the 
 
2C8 PART II CHAP. XIII. 2123. 
 
 Imper. as declaring the sequel ; a common construction, and 
 equally good as the Qeri, 128. 4. b. c. 127. 2. In the 
 Qeri, cam of the Kethibh is of course read csrn . run 
 has here the secondary sense of the word, in which it = 
 t^, and is merely a softened form of it. Such a sense of 
 the word is frequent in this book; see 15: 14. 28: 7. 29 
 3, and comp. Lex. si-n , Imperf. Niph. of y*n , and reflex 
 ive like Hithp., 50. 2. c.., 
 
 (21) Evil will pursue sinners ; but the righteous will he reward with 
 good. 
 
 The Nom. to dlbia^ , ( because of Maqqeph), is Jehovah ; 
 which word is very often omitted in these apothegms, for 
 the sake of brevity ; but only in cases where it is readily 
 supplied. The Piel verb here governs, as usual, two Accu 
 satives, 136. 1. 
 
 (22) The good man makes heirs of children s children; but the 
 wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. 
 
 We cannot exactly imitate the Heb. b^njn as to form, 
 since it governs the Ace. directly. But the version comes 
 near to this. Laid up for the just, the wealth which the 
 sinner lays up, is speedily dissipated, or by his premature 
 death it soon goes to others. God regards it as treasured 
 up for the just, and often appropriates it in this way. 
 
 (23) The fallow-ground of the poor [yields] an abundance of food; 
 and there are, who are taken away by reason of injustice. 
 
 The Hebrew implies is where I have inserted yields, be 
 cause this word is more accordant with our idiom. The 
 second clause, by its contrast, leads us to understand poor 
 here, as meaning the righteous poor; for unless they are 
 righteous, this promise does not enure to them. asiaa fctbs , 
 see what is said of such combinations in Heb., under 12 : 28. 
 Maqqeph should be inserted here between the words, as it 
 is there. Lit. by not-justice, i. e. by injustice, as in the ver- 
 
PART H CHAP. XIV. 1. 269 
 
 sion. new refers to the violent death which is threatened 
 and frequently ensues, after flagrant acts of injustice. Sen 
 timent: The righteous poor have their wants supplied; 
 the unjust perish because of their wickedness or oppression. 
 
 (24) He who withholdeth the rod hatcth his sou ; but he who loveth 
 him, earnestly seeketh his instruction. 
 
 Hateth his son, i. e. treats him as real hatred might well 
 dictate. So it is said : " Those who hate me, love death ; " 
 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, etc." A 
 common idiom, in Hebrew, and a very energic one. 
 iind , Piel with suff. ; and this sun". is anticipative of iDto , 
 and related to it. This mode of phraseology is designed for 
 intensity, although our Grammars call it pleonasm ; 119. 
 6. n. 3. But it may be, that the Ace. i - is for the Dat, and 
 means for him, 119. 4. We are not obliged to understand 
 rod here in the mere literal sense; but it means at least cor 
 rection in some way for faults. 
 
 (25) The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his appetite ; but the 
 stomach of the wicked shall be empty. 
 
 For the first clause, comp. 10 : 3. "pa , lit. belly ; and then, 
 any of the principal viscera contained in it, e. g. the stomach, 
 the womb, etc. "i&nn (Qamets in pause), lit. shall be lacking. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 135. 
 
 ( 1 ) A woman s wisdom buildeth up her house ; but folly teareth 
 it down with her own hands. 
 
 an , plur. for the simple abstract noun, which therefore 
 may take a verb singular, (concord ad sensum) ; see on 
 1: 20. Q^3 , plur., of women, i. e. such wisdom as belongs 
 to women, or such as becomes them. The version is a shade 
 more specific. Her house, if referred to wisdom, (as the 
 grammar seems to require), must mean the house where she 
 23* 
 
270 PART II CHAP. XIV. 2, 3. 
 
 dwells. Teareth it down with her own hands, viz., the hands 
 of folly. The to- refers to rv2 , which is usually masc. 
 
 (2) He who walketh in his integrity, feareth God; but he who is 
 perverse as to his ways, dcspiseth him. (3) In the mouth of a fool, 
 haughtiness is a rod ; but as to the lips of the wi.se, they shall preserve 
 them. 
 
 V. 2. K n ; const, state. The same is true of fftji , Part. 
 Niph. sinria , Part, of fit a with suff. V. 3, Haughtiness 
 is a rod, i. e. he speaks so haughtily as to bring chastise 
 ment a rod upon himself. On the other hand, what the 
 wise utter will conduce to their safety. tn wrn , Imperf. 
 third plur. fern., with 1 in order to prolong the sound before 
 a pause, (as in 47. 3. n. 1). Still there is an anomaly 
 here, which nearly or quite all of the critics have failed to 
 explain, and most of them even to notice. The full third 
 fern. plur. Imperf., without suffix, would be fia nfrirFi , the suff. 
 form, srrairn, see 59, (here nsrairn), and with suff. d*nsradn ; 
 whereas we now have, instead of Wi which is the normal 
 ending, the syllable d n . But Tseri is the union-vowel of 
 the suff. to the third sing. Imperf., and *i to the third plur., 
 whether masc. or fern. The pointing is therefore plainly 
 anomalous. Schelling (Comm. in loc.) says, that an ancient 
 error scribarum has put D^srorn for the proper wra -an , by a 
 transposition of the *i . It may be so ; but this does not ac 
 count for the C -form of the suff., instead of tl . Gesenius 
 (Lehrgeb. s. 306, No. 10) puts the verb here in the 2d pers. 
 sing. ; against the usage of the book, which makes no such 
 transitions of person as belong to lyric and prophetic poetry. 
 The suff. is masc. plur., because it refers to the wise. The 
 si after the "i is dropped out in writing, plainly because of 
 the si inserted before it ; but then it should still be written 
 d^ (not tn ). Of course we are compelled to admit an error 
 here in the vowel ; or else to admit a peculiar anomaly in 
 pointing, for which an analogon has not yet been produced. 
 Of the meaning of the passage, as a whole, there is no room 
 for doubt. 
 
PART II CIIAP. XIV. 47. 271 
 
 (4) "Where there are no oxen, the stall is empty: and there is an 
 abundance of productions through the strength of cattle. 
 
 Where no oxen are employed, the stalls are not filled ; but 
 where the strength of cattle is employed, there increase of 
 produce will be the result. ira is generic. 
 
 (5) A faithful witness will not speak lies: but he who breatheth 
 forth falsehood, is a lying witness. 
 
 That is, he who habitually indulges in falsehood. ITS 11 
 breathes it forth will do the same thing when called to 
 testify. 
 
 (6) The scorner seeketh wisdom, and there is none: but knowledge 
 is easy to the understanding man. 
 
 Knowledge is the gift of God to sincere seekers ; but the 
 scorner belongs not to them, and therefore may seek and 
 not find. V|33 , Part. Niph. of bb . But the gender is 
 masculine, although rs n is the subject. This brings into 
 view an important class of exceptions to concord in gender. 
 It seems that Inf. forms, even when fern, to appearance, are 
 sometimes treated as abstracts without any really appropriate 
 gender, and may resolve themselves of course, in such cases, 
 into the leading gender, i. e. the masculine. So in Prov. 
 16:16. 29 : 25. Ps. 73 : 28. See also for n?^ , Prov. 2 : 10. 
 Job 33 : 3. And sometimes this same license is abnormally 
 extended to other nouns, which are not fern. Infinitives ; e. g. 
 in 12: 25 above, also Job 8 : 7. Ezek. 7: 25. Josh. 2 : 17. 
 See Ewald, 174. g, who has more extensively developed 
 this idiom, than any other grammarian. 
 
 (7) Go from the presence of a foolish man, for thou hast not dis^ 
 cerned the lips of knowledge. 
 
 That is, quit the company of fools, for they can teach thee 
 nothing. Thou hast knocked at the wrong door, to find 
 what thou seekest, if thou goest to them. It is not there, 
 and therefore thou hast not discerned it. 
 
272 PART II CHAP. XIV. 813. 
 
 (8) The wisdom of the wary man discerns his way; but the folly 
 of fools is deceit. 
 
 The wary consider and understand the way in which they 
 go ; but fools, through inconsideration, are deceived as to 
 their way. and are easily misled. They have not sufficient 
 wisdom to discern the right way. 
 
 (9) Sin-offering mocks fools; but among the upright there is ready 
 acceptance. 
 
 Not, as most interpreters : Fools mock at sin-offering, for 
 then the verb must be plural. d rx is plainly the Nom. ; and 
 the meaning is, that when sin-offering is formally presented 
 by fools, it mocks their hopes, because it is not accepted. 
 Exactly the reverse is it with the upright. Their offerings 
 find "psTn , good-will, i. e. ready acceptance. 
 
 (10) The heart knoweth its own bitterness ; and with its joy a 
 stranger cannot intermeddle. 
 
 In other words : Men learn by experience the bitterness 
 of suffering, better than any one can tell them ; and others 
 are not altogether adequate judges. And so with enjoy 
 ment ; it is subjective, and therefore not fully cognizable by 
 any intermeddler. 
 
 (11) The house of the wicked shall be destroyed ; but the tent of 
 the upright shall flourish. (12) There is a way which is right in the 
 view of a man, and yet the end thereof are the ways of death. 
 
 For v. 11, comp. 12 : 7. V. 12, ^sb = Tpsa, in the view 
 of. Ways of death, plur. of intensity, = the sure way of 
 death. 
 
 (13) Even by laughter the heart is made sad; and the end of joy 
 itself is sorrow. 
 
 That is : There are cases where laughter is premature, 
 and is quickly turned into sorrow. So things in which we 
 rejoice at first, sometimes become the occasion of grief. 
 
PART II CHAP. XIV. 1417. 273 
 
 The suff. to ftjvnrix is anticipative of Siniaia , and relates to 
 it; see under 13:4. This expresses intensity; which is 
 also exhibited in the version above. 
 
 (14) He shall be satiated with his own ways, who turneth back 
 with his heart ; but away from him is the good man. 
 
 In 5^ aio , the first is a Part, pass., lit. the phrase means 
 turned back of heart, which we are obliged to modify some 
 what, in our idiom. His ways, are evil ways, and there 
 fore will meet with ample retribution. ^5?^ ^ as occasioned 
 much perplexity. Some have changed it into other words, 
 significant of works, retribution, etc. It means, however, as it 
 is translated above ; and the sentiment is, that the good man 
 will keep aloof from him who turns back. He will not asso 
 ciate with him, while in this apostatizing condition. 
 
 (15) The simple will credit every report; but the wary will give 
 heed to his steps. 
 
 A mark of folly is excessive credulity ; and by this the 
 simpleton is misled. But the wary man will, as we say, 
 look before he leaps. "H ^JS. , is sing. ; but our idiom requires 
 the plural. 
 
 (16) A wise man feareth, and turneth away from evil; but the fool 
 is haughty and confident 
 
 "la^rri , usually means : is enraged ; but here it is opposed 
 to the modest and humble course of the wise, and means to 
 act haughtily ; see in Lex. The fool is, from self-conceit, 
 haughty, and confident in his own opinion. He fears not 
 evil. 
 
 (17) He who is hasty in his anger, committeth folly; and a man of 
 evil devices will be hated. 
 
 tnax -ixp , is a peculiar phrase. The opposite is in v. 29 
 below, viz., d*;Bx Tpi< ; lit. short of anger, and long of anger. 
 *isp is the const, of ^Xjs , 111. 2. It is singular, that the 
 nostrils should have been pitched upon by the Hebrews, as 
 
274 PAIJT 11 CHAP. XIV. 1820. 
 
 the most expressive symbol of anger. This passion does 
 indeed inflate and distend the nostrils, and sometimes express 
 itself by snorting ; but the eye is more significant of it, as 
 we are apt to think. Yet however this may be, the sec 
 ondary sense of >r;X is anger, rage. Short ("i^p) of anger 
 means Itasty to become angry, i. e. no delay is given to it. 
 In the latter clause, nrara is taken by Berth, in the good 
 sense = consideration ; and he makes out the sense thus : 
 * A man of prudent consideration will be hated, i. e. provided 
 he does evil. But whence comes this last supplement ? I 
 see no special ground for it. On the other hand, Uinbreit 
 and J. H. Michaelis render as above ; and so doing, all is 
 plain. Comp. 24: 8 and 12 : 16. 
 
 (18) The simple inherit folly; hut the wary are crowned with 
 knowledge. 
 
 M^ , in Hiph. ; but as there is no Kal, it is here used 
 in an intransitive way, and may be rendered passively as 
 above. So Gesenius : coronantar intelligentia, in Lex. Lit. 
 it would run thus : Make a crown of knowledge. 
 
 (19) The evil how down hefore the good; yea, the wicked at the 
 
 gates of the righteous. 
 
 That is, the ivicked low down (from the first clause), be 
 fore the gates of the righteous. The first clause represents 
 them as suppliants in poverty, addressing the righteous ; the 
 second makes the sentiment more specific, representing them 
 as beggars at the door of their righteous neighbors. Jintt, 
 Kal Perf., from nnia , Dagh. omitted in n because of the 
 Guttural. 
 
 (20) Even by his neighbor is the poor man hated ; but they who 
 love the rich are many. 
 
 This has respect to the negligence and coldness with 
 which the poor are usually treated, even by their neighbors 
 who best know their wants ; while the rich find many pro- 
 
PAUT 11 CHAP. XIV. 2124. 275 
 
 fessed friends and flatterers a true but sad picture of 
 what is happening every day. 
 
 (21) He who despiseth his neighbor, is a sinner; but he that show- 
 eth mercy to the poor blessed is he ! 
 
 This verse is designed as a sequel to the preceding one, 
 which states the fact as to the treatment of the poor. Such 
 conduct is sinful. But he that showeth mercy, will draw down 
 blessings upon himself. 
 
 (22) Do not those err who devise iniquity \ But merciful and trusty 
 are they who devise good. 
 
 Mercy and truth, are abstracts for merciful and truthful. 
 The devising of good, here refers to the good which is devised 
 in regard to the poor. Such as devise it are merciful to the 
 poor, waA. faithful or true to their duty as humane men. 
 
 (23) In all toil then- i:-j profit ; but the word of the lips tendeth only 
 to want. 
 
 That is : * Every sort of doing is attended with profit ; but 
 lip-doings are rewarded by want. The word of the lips 
 means, of course, that which the lips utter. Here, prating 
 is in view, i. e. the much speaking or utterance of what is 
 useless and mischievous. This makes a man hated, and 
 causes him to be neglected by those who might employ him 
 in labor that would yield some profit. The consequence is 
 want or poverty. Is only to want, strictly follows the Hebrew; 
 but in our idiom we usually say : tends only to want, and so 
 I have translated. 
 
 (24) A crown of the wise is their wealth; but the elevation of fools 
 
 is folly. 
 
 The wealth which the wise acquire, instead of being fool 
 ishly squandered, is used in such a way as to be an ornament 
 to them. But high dignity conferred on fools, only makes 
 their folly conspicuous, and serves not at all to adorn them. 
 
276 PART II CHAP. XIV. 25, 26. 
 
 That the first rnfiX here has a different meaning from the 
 second, seems to be nearly certain. Otherwise we must 
 translate thus: The folly of fools is folly ; which would be 
 merely a tame truism of little significance. Truisms are not 
 the order of the day, in this book. The proverb plays upon 
 the two senses of apparently the same word, and its point 
 consists in their difference of meaning. The old root, Sw , 
 is expressive first, of strength, might ; hence ^>x , God, or the 
 mighty One. Secondly, it designates, (as "would naturally 
 follow from the first meaning), being powerful or having 
 power, as, e. g. a prince or a king. So the Arabic Vix (av-val) 
 means prince, primus ; and the Heb. t^x and D^X mean 
 potentates. Of course rfj-ix , derived from the root now in 
 question, may mean principatus, premiership, elevation in 
 rank. But the second nb-ix comes from Pix , to be foolish. 
 In this way, the proverbial saying becomes a striking paro 
 nomasia ; which, in apothegms, is quite frequent in all lan 
 guages. We have then this sentiment : While riches are 
 so employed by the wise as to become an ornament to them, 
 high rank bestowed on a fool, instead of serving to honor 
 him, only manifests more conspicuously his folly. It sets 
 him up as a mark of observation and contempt/ Bertheau 
 has taken a different course, but, as it seems to me, a much 
 less significant one, viz., The foolish perversion of riches is 
 folly. But I do not see whence we can readily deduce the 
 first part of this explanation. 
 
 (25) A faithful witness saveth lives; but he who breatheth forth 
 falsehoods, is a deceiver. 
 
 Saves lives, viz., those lives which are endangered by false 
 accusations ; but he who utters falsehoods is a deceiver, i. e. 
 is treacherous to the cause of truth and justice. rtE-Ta , lit. 
 deceit, but here used as abstract for concrete. The meaning 
 is given in the version. 
 
 (26) In the fear of Jehovah is strong .confidence ; and to his sons 
 there shall be a refuge. 
 
PART II CHAP. XIV. 2730. 277 
 
 The first clause is descriptive of a person who fears God, 
 although he is not named, but only characterized. Hence, 
 in the second clause, we find iijnb , to his sons. Whose ? 
 The answer must be : The sons of him ivho fears God. 
 Sentiment : * Piety is a ground of confidence for one s self 
 and children. 
 
 (27) The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, to depart from the 
 snares of death. 
 
 Comp. 13 : 14. The fear of God answers the double pur 
 pose of being in itself a source of life, and also a means of 
 escaping from death. 
 
 (28) The glory of a king is in a numerous people; but in the lack 
 of people is the destruction of a prince. 
 
 jin is taken by Gesenius and some otners here, as "jTYn , 
 prince. Such forms, in a like sense, occur occasionally, and 
 they are grammatically possible ; e. g. psiiss and piais . But 
 if we derive i n from nn , to make slender or lean, then we 
 must translate the two last words thus : Is destructive leanness, 
 viz., to the king. This makes good sense ; but the other 
 makes the parallelism more exact. 
 
 (29) He who is slow to anger, has much understanding; but heAvho 
 is of a hasty spirit, setteth folly on high. 
 
 For o^QX Tynj* , see remarks on v. 17. n*n "i^p, is of the 
 like nature and opposite meaning. d^a , Hiph. Part, of 
 W"\ , here means not to elevate in the usual sense of exalting, 
 but to set on high, so as thus to make it a conspicuous object. 
 
 (30) The life of the flesh is a soothing heart ; but a rottenness of 
 the bones is passionate vehemence. 
 
 , plur., only here. The plur. form can hardly be 
 here regarded as expressive of an abstract noun, or as one 
 of mere intensity. There is no place, at least no demand, 
 for either meaning. I should incline, with Bertheau, to put 
 24 
 
278 PART II CHAP. XIV. 31, 32. 
 
 the form, in this case, to the account of designed parallelism 
 of form, or of rhythm, with the plural nte? . But perhaps 
 C^m is to be taken in the extensive sense of the plur., and 
 if so, it = the entire body. The Part, adjective XQ^ S stands 
 opposed to ftx?f? soothing in contrast with exciting. Rot 
 tenness of the bones, would be a thorough destruction of the 
 human frame ; and is intensive in its meaning. i"^?p? 5 is 
 sometimes envy, then jealousy, and next indignation ; but 
 here its generic meaning, passionate vehemence, is most 
 congruous. 
 
 (31) He who oppresseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; but he 
 honoreth him, who hath compassion on the poor. 
 
 God made the poor, and ordered their condition ; reproach 
 for mere poverty is therefore out of place, and a kind of 
 impiety. Of course the meaning is here limited, in some 
 good measure, to such as are poor by birth or misfortune, and 
 extends not to the poor who have become so by sloth and 
 crime. Yet even these, although they may be made amenable 
 to justice, ought not to be oppressed. He honoreth him, i. e. 
 honoreth God, who, etc. Our verb compassionate, used 
 actively, would take an Ace. after it, like the Heb. ",5 n . 
 Comp. 17:5. 22 : 2. But I have preferred the more usual 
 phraseology in the version. 
 
 (32) In his baseness the wicked is thrust away; but the righteous 
 hath confidence in his death. 
 
 Thrust away, viz., taken suddenly away out of life. " The 
 wicked shall not live out half their days." The righteous 
 man, on the contrary, fiDh , exercises trust or confidence, when 
 he dies. How ? or why ? are questions for those to answer, 
 who deny that the Hebrews had any hope of a future state. 
 If they had not, then what is the ground or source of hope or 
 confidence, in a dying hour ? This verse must be a real prob 
 lem for those who have such views of the state of knowledge 
 
PART II CHAP. XIV. 3335. 279 
 
 among the Hebrews. If there was nothing beyond the grave, 
 in their view, on what is the hope or confidence here spoken 
 of fixed ? 
 
 (33) In the heart of the understanding dwellcth Avisdom ; but what 
 is -\vithin fools shall he made known. 
 
 Dwelleili, rjsisn , rests, quietly abides. The Heb. is stronger 
 than the version. ^52 answers, to 2? , and means the inner 
 part, the mind or heart, not the mere physical interior. 
 /Shall be made known, what ? The only answer seems to be, 
 wisdom, (the verb is fern.). Of course, the latter part of the 
 verse is a pointed saying, an oxymoron, q. d. while wisdom 
 dwells quietly in the breast of the intelligent, a fool parades 
 his boasted wisdom, and makes it known to all men. The 
 passage is weU and fully illustrated by 12 : 23. 13 : 16. 15:2. 
 In the second case, therefore, wisdom is implied, but the word 
 is employed ironically = such wisdom as belongs to fools/ 
 
 (34) Righteousness exalteth a nation ; but sin is the reproach of 
 any people. 
 
 "ion , reproach, being a sense of the word which is rare in 
 the Hebrew, but very common in Aramaean. E"}2S<b , the 
 sing, is rarely employed ; the plur. is designed to signify the 
 people en masse or collectively considered, i. e. it is the plur. 
 of extension. 
 
 (35) The good will of a king is toward a discreet scn r ant; but he 
 who behaveth shamefully, will be the object of his indignation. 
 
 Bertheau prefers to supply b before d HE , and translates 
 thus : And his anger will be to the base servant. This is well 
 enough as to sense and grammar ; but the other method, as 
 in the version, is more significant and energic. 
 
280 PART 11 CHAP. XV. i 7. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 133. 
 
 ( 1 ) A soft answer turneth away wrath : but bitter words heighten 
 anger. 
 
 Bitter words, lit. a word of grievousness, so to speak. 
 ffoy* , Hiph. causes to rise, heightens. Nothing excites anger 
 so often and so much as bitter words. 
 
 (2) The tongue of the wise makcth knowledge grateful ; but the 
 mouth of fools will pour out foolishness. 
 
 nSJ n a^i?" 1 ^ , may be rendered, makes knowledge good. So 
 Bertheau ; but the true idea I take to be expressed in the 
 version. When the wise speak, it is in such a way as to 
 make the instruction grateful to those who listen. 3pa^ , 
 (from SS3), makes to gush forth, a very strong expression. 
 
 (3) The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, watching the evil and 
 the good. (4) Softness of the tongue is a tree of life ; but perverse- 
 ness therewith is a crushing of spirit. 
 
 , watching, is more intense than beholding. Soft 
 ness of the tongue, means mild and pacifying language. A 
 tree of life is a vivid image of life-giving power. n*na, lit. 
 in spirit. The meaning is given in the version ; and in Is. 
 65 : 1 4 we have the same words, with the prep, a omitted. 
 
 (5) A fool despises the instruction of his father; but he Avho re- 
 gardeth admonition shall become wary. (6) In the house of the 
 righteous there" is much wealth ; but the gain of the wicked is a 
 trouble. 
 
 V. 5, tn^S? , lit. shall act warily, which, however, is sub 
 stantially expressed in the version. V. 6, rva , Ace. of 
 place, in the house, as we express it. The Heb. might use 
 in (a), but needed it not. - rrnasa (in Pause), Part, noun, of 
 Niph. formation, meaning disturbance, inquietude. 
 
 (7) The lips of the wise disperse knowledge; but the heart of the 
 fool is not stable. 
 
PART II CHAP. XV. 810. 281 
 
 inn , Piel Imperf. of rnt . "jsts-x^ , may be, and often is, 
 rendered is not so, i. e. is not so that it scatters knowledge. 
 So Chald. and Vulgate ; but the Sept. and Syr. render as 
 above. This gives a better sense ; for the meaning is, that 
 the heart of the fool has not steadfastness enough to select 
 or retain a firm position, so as to aid others by good counsel. 
 
 (8) The sacrifice of the wicked is the abomination of Jehovah ; but 
 the prayer of the upright is his delight. (9) An abomination of Je 
 hovah is the way of the wicked ; but he will love him who followeth 
 after righteousness. 
 
 The sacrifice of the wicked, and so the prayer of the wicked, 
 and the way of the wicked, are all an abomination to Jehovah. 
 Why ? Because he sees no sincerity or real humility in 
 any of them, inasmuch as all is done for the sake of appear 
 ance, or at most, through terror of punishment. Sft iB , is 
 Piel, and intensive = habitually pursues. 
 
 (10) A grievous chastisement is for him who forsaketh the way 5 
 he who hateth admonition shall die. 
 
 The way is the way of Jehovah, i. e. that which he pre 
 scribes. Shall die, is a phrase which we often meet with, 
 in connection with commination for offences. Sometimes it 
 is explained by phrases significant of sudden death, early 
 death, premature or violent death, and the like. But at other 
 times, it occurs, as here, unexplained by any additions. 
 How much are we to attribute to it ? To say that it threatens 
 punishment, is saying only what lies of course upon the face 
 of it. But ivhat punishment f and how much ? These are 
 more difficult questions. Clearly all sinners are not pun 
 ished in this world, either with sudden, or violent, or prema 
 ture death. The Psalmist often complains of their flourish 
 ing condition, and of there being " no bands in their death." 
 And every day we see the like at the present time. If then, 
 under these expressions, the Hebrews did not suppose there 
 lay some threat of future retribution, what did or could 
 24* 
 
282 PART II-CnAp. XV. 11. 
 
 they make of them? That their views on the subject 
 were somewhat indistinct, as to various particulars, no one 
 well informed on the subject will venture to deny. But 
 I know not who can fairly read the book of Ecclesiastes, and 
 deny all definite views among the Hebrews in regard to this 
 matter. Let him ponder well the following passages, viz., 
 3: 16, 17. 8: 1113. 11: 9. 12: 13, 14. It is indeed true, 
 that when the book before us was written, " life and immor 
 tality had [not] been brought to light." But can we make 
 out anything significant, or really intelligible, in the passage 
 before us, and in other like passages, without supposing the 
 Hebrews to have looked to some future retribution ? To 
 say to the wicked man : Thou shall die, if we mean merely 
 a natural and ordinary death, is saying no more than Provi 
 dence says, every day, to the good as well as to the wicked. 
 To say that all of the wicked die, or shall die, a sudden, vio 
 lent, premature death, is saying what is most evidently not a 
 matter of fact or truth. What then did or could a Hebrew 
 mean by such phraseology ? This question necessarily forces 
 itself upon us. I trust the phrase in question has some 
 meaning ; and if it has one which is intelligible, it would 
 seem to be, that the idea of future retribution must have 
 entered into the minds of those who employed this language. 
 Otherwise no meaning, which is at the same time both sig 
 nificant and true, can well be attached to it. 
 
 (11) The Under-world and Destruction arc before Jehovah ; surely 
 then the hearts of the children of men. 
 
 Sheol and Abaddon are two different names for one and 
 the same place. /Sheol is properly the region of the dead ; 
 and fTnax, the place of destruction; and this last phrase 
 characterizes, in another way, the world of the dead, i. e. 
 the place where their bodies are destroyed, or the world which 
 is deep beneath, and therefore dark and obscure. But God 
 sees even this, however dark ; much more then are human 
 
PART II CHAP. XV. 1216. " 283 
 
 hearts all open and plain before his sight. " I, the Lord, 
 search the heart." 
 
 (12) A scorncr will not love his reprover ; unto the wise he will not 
 go. (13) A merry heart maketh comely the face: but by vexation 
 of heart, the spirit is broken. 
 
 He will not go to the ivise, because he hates reproof, and 
 expects that they will administer it. A merry heart here 
 means merely a joyful one. Maketh comely or fair the face, 
 because joy lights it up with hope and with smiles, and so 
 makes it look pleasant. 
 
 (14) An intelligent mind will seek earnestly after knowledge ; but 
 the mouth of fools will delight in folly. 
 
 For ISB (so Kethibh) read IB with the Qeri ; for the verb 
 which follows is in the singular. nr^ , in its secondary 
 sense, namely delight in = nis n , see Lex. The mouth will 
 delight in, means that it will utter readily and in abundance 
 foolish words. 
 
 (15) All the days of the afflicted are sad; but cheerfulness of heart 
 is a perpetual feast. 
 
 It is plain that t^sn here means sad, (as often elsewhere), 
 from the contrast presented in the verse. Cheerfulness, 
 which is lasting and diffuses itself over all our actions and 
 enjoyments, is not merely like a feast which is temporary, 
 but is like a" perpetual feast, i. e. an enduring source of 
 pleasure. 
 
 (16) Better is a little, with the fear of Jehovah, than much treas 
 lire, and trouble therewith. 
 
 Trouble or perturbation refers to the perplexity and solici 
 tude, that usually accompany the possession of riches. The 
 efforts for the safe keeping of them, the fear of losses and 
 the like, occasion of course much anxiety. How insignifi 
 cant then the pleasure of wealth, in comparison with that 
 of p ety, even in moderate circumstanc.es ! 
 
284 -PART II CHAP. XV. 1721. 
 
 (17) Better is a dinner of herbs and love therewith, than a stalled 
 ox and hatred therewith. 
 
 A further development of the trouble which wealth occa 
 sions. If he, who can feed on stalled oxen, is exposed to 
 hatred and envy because of his wealth, then his neighbor 
 who feeds on herbs, in quietude and without molestation or 
 envy, is much the happier man. nn^K > viaticum, meal, such 
 as an jrjix (traveller) takes on his journey, i. e. plain and 
 coarse food. 
 
 (18) An angry man will stir up strife ; hut he who is slow to anger, 
 will appease contention. 
 
 The sentiment is plain. See nearly the same ideas, in 
 29:22. 28:25. 
 
 (19) The way of the slothful is like a thorn-hedge ; but the way of 
 the upright is a high-way. 
 
 A thorn-hedge presents impassable obstructions to the tray- 
 eller, at least very annoying ones. Not so with the upright ; 
 their way is elevated ; and the idea of elevating a way, is 
 that of constructing a way like what we call a turn-pike road. 
 In other words : The way of the upright is plain and easy ; 
 that of the wicked, greatly obstructed. 
 
 (20) A wise son will make a glad father ; but a foolish man de- 
 spiseth his mother. 
 
 Comp. 10 : 1. The wise listeneth to parental advice ; the 
 foolish despise it, and so give pain to the adviser, instead of 
 making him glad. 
 
 (21) Folly is joy to him who lacketh understanding 5 but the man 
 of intelligence will make straight his going. 
 
 To commit folly is his delight, is the meaning of the first 
 clause. nab , Inf. fern, of 7^ ; lit. then, the two last words 
 mean : Will take a straight course to go. The sense of the 
 words is given in the version, in a way conformed to our 
 
PART II CHAP. XV. 2225. 285 
 
 idiom ; but the real meaning is a moral one = will act 
 uprightly and not deceitfully. 
 
 (22) Plans without counsel are frustrated; but by the increase of 
 counsellors, there shall be stability. 
 
 -ten, Inf. abs. Hiph. of "fiB, 128. 4. b; lit. there is a 
 frustration. nipfi is also quasi impersonal, and may be 
 rendered as in the version ; comp. in Is. 7: 7j for the mean 
 ing. If we render strictly, it must be thus : It shall stand 
 firm, where the pronoun it refers to the whole concern or 
 undertaking ; or we may naturally enough supply the con 
 jugate noun that corresponds to n^ss/h (Part.) which would 
 be 1-1x3 . The sense is substantially the same in either way. 
 
 (23) There is joy to a man in the answer of his mouth; and a 
 word spoken in its season how goodly ! 
 
 That is, a man has joy in answering with goodly or timely 
 words. It is a source of satisfaction, to have such an 
 answer in his power. C. B. Michaelis and others : There is 
 rejoicing (on the part of others) over the man who answers, 
 etc. But b can hardly be brought to the meaning of over 
 here, nor is the sense improved by thus translating. 
 
 (24) The way of life to the wise is upward that he may turn away 
 from the Under-world beneath. 
 
 Upward is here employed as the antithesis of fi^a , down 
 ward, beneath. In other words, he chooses his way so as to 
 keep himself in the region above, and not in the abyss beloiv. 
 riBB is in pause, for rr&q ; and this is compounded of a^ , 
 a low place, and tt- local, for the regular accent of the word 
 is on the penult, which shows that rt is local, and not radical. 
 
 (25) The house of the proud Jehovah will demolish; but he will 
 establish the border of the widow. 
 
 House probably means here family or household; or it is 
 like our familiar word establishment. Instead of demolishing, 
 
286 PAKT II CIIAI-. XV. 2631. 
 
 he will render firm and secure, the domains of the widow. 
 H&" 1 , Imperf. of HD3 . 
 
 (26) An abomination of Jehovah arc the devices of evil ; but words 
 of comity arc pure. 
 
 db , suavity, pleasantness, or as in the version. Are pure, 
 i. e. in the eyes of Jehovah, the opposite of that which is 
 abomination in his view. Pure = acceptable, i. e. the case 
 is like to that of an offering, which must be pure in order to 
 be accepted. 
 
 (27) He troubleth his house, who acquireth unrighteous gain; but 
 he who hateth bribes shall live. 
 
 The gain in question is plainly that which results from 
 bribes, as the latter clause shows. The supposition is that 
 of being bribed, in the case of deciding as a judge. The 
 honest judge who refuses such gifts, shall be prospered. 
 
 (28) The heart of the righteous meditatcth on an answer: but the 
 mouth of the wicked gushes forth with malignity. 
 
 Meditates on an answer, because he is anxious to give a 
 right and true one. The wicked makes no scruple to belch 
 forth malignant things. rvb 1 ?, plur. of intensity. 
 
 (29) Far removed is Jehovah from the wicked; but the prayer of 
 the righteous will lie hear. (30) The light of the eyes rejoiceth the 
 heart; a good report maketh the bones to flourish. 
 
 Light of the eyes is that which the eyes see ; just as good 
 report is what the ears hear. There is an implied compari 
 son here, viz. : As the light rejoices, etc., so a good report ren 
 ders one s state or condition pleasant. 2:12 (in pause) here 
 in the singular, but it is generic. Of course, "j^ ifi has a 
 secondary or tropical meaning here, as given in the version. 
 
 (31) The ear which heareth the reproof of life, shall dwell in the 
 midst of the wise. 
 
PART II CHAP. XVI. 1, 2. 287 
 
 Reproof of life, is that which leads to life, or which ad 
 monishes respecting the way of life. Hearkening to this, is 
 of course the way in which the path of life and of wisdom 
 is to be found. 
 
 (32) lie who rejccteth instruction despiseth his own life; but he 
 who hcarkeneth to reproof, acquired! understanding. 
 
 Here again we meet with that peculiar and forcible idiom 
 of the Hebrew, despiseth his own life, i. e. treats it as though 
 he despised it makes no provision for its safety and wel 
 fare. The phrase is of the same tenor as the following : 
 All that hate me love death ; He that cometh to me, and hateth 
 not his father, etc. 
 
 (33) The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom ; and before 
 honor is hurnilitv. 
 
 That is : * Without the fear of Jehovah, wisdom cannot be 
 acquired ; or in other words : Wisdom counsels to fear 
 God. This necessarily implies humility ; and therefore, in 
 order, to obtain honor from him, humility must precede the 
 gift. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 133. 
 
 (1) The preparations of the heart appertain to man; but from 
 Jehovah is the answer of the tongue. 
 
 Preparations of the heart, are what the heart devises or 
 intends. But answer of the tongue, is an answer to that 
 which the tongue utters, viz., its requests. God only can 
 accomplish what is desired. The German maxim is very 
 appropriate here : Man denki ; Gott lenkt. 
 
 (2) All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes ; but Jehovah 
 
 wcigheth the spirits. 
 
 Gomp. 21: 2. 24: 12, the same as this verse, with only a 
 little variation of phraseology. A man, who judges all his 
 own conduct to be pure, judges wrongly ; but he will be 
 
288 PART II CHAP. XVI. 3, 4. 
 
 corrected by him who impartially weighs and scans the 
 spirits of men, and whose judgment is unerring. 
 
 (3) Cast upon Jehovah thine undertakings, and thy plans shall be 
 established. 
 
 ba, Imper. of ^ba, lit. roll, devolve; we say, in such a 
 case cast upon, etc. Comp. Ps. 22 : 9 (10). 37: 5. In 
 other words : l Look to God in all thine undertakings, and 
 he will give accomplishment to them. 
 
 (4) Jehovah hath made everything for its purpose; yea, even the 
 wicked for the da of evil. 
 
 litwnab has been misunderstood by most of the ancient 
 interpreters, and by many modern ones. The suff. refers 
 to b 3 . They render it as though the word were the same 
 as i5?.3ab,jfor himself. The noun nssa lit. means answer; 
 see 15 : 1, 23. 16 : 1. The tropical sense is, that which, cor 
 responds to, or is consonant with, any purpose, design, or 
 action. So everything (bis) is made in accordance with its 
 correspondence, i. e. with the design or purpose to which it 
 answers. Ttie wicked are fitted, by their temper and con 
 duct, for the day of retribution. It is an ordinance of God 
 that they shall receive that retribution which is the answer, 
 or that which corresponds, to their conduct. That the Ma- 
 sorites had some such view of the word ifisrab , seems prob 
 able from their inserting the article, (b exhibits it, as also the 
 Dagh. that follows), for either could not belong to the par 
 ticle ^yq . Of course they doubtless had nsrs , answer, in 
 view. So anxious do they seem to have been to indicate 
 this, that they have inserted the article against the rule, 
 which requires its omission when the word has a suff. pro 
 noun, 108. 2. This should not be overlooked ; for it gives 
 us, at least, their judgment in regard to the true state and 
 meaning of the word. 
 
 [In respect to the sentiment of the text, it is a passage which has been 
 sometimes urged to an excessive length. When the extreme Predes- 
 
PART II CHAP. XVI. 5. 289 
 
 tinarian deduces from it the sentiment, that " God made the wicked 
 for the very purpose of punishing them and of making them forever 
 miserable," I must regard this as pushing matters to a great extreme. 
 And yet, there is one light in which we may view this matter, which 
 will show that to a certain extent, or within certain limits, this senti 
 ment may be assented to. That God made every thing and every 
 man. to answer the purposes which it or he does actually answer, 
 cannot be denied, unless we maintain that things and men arc what 
 they are, contrary to his will. This would be to make the creature 
 superior to the Creator. When the text says, that God made the 
 wicked for the day of evil I understand it as meaning, that God has so 
 arranged things, that punishment will certainly follow the commission 
 of sin, unless averted by repentance. He has connected together 
 sinning and suffering, so that there can be no escape for the impenitent 
 sinner. 
 
 There is quite a difference between the position, that God has made 
 sinning to be connected with suffering, and the proposition, that God has 
 made men sinners, and made them so in order that they might be 
 fitted for damnation. There have been some, who have maintained 
 the latter position, by virtually omitting, in their reasoning, a link 
 a very important one which belongs to a considerate and logical 
 train of reasoning. That link is YQalfree moral agency ; and with this 
 stands connected consequentially another link, not less important, 
 viz., voluntary ill-desert of the sinner, and the consequent justice of pun 
 ishing him. God has so arranged his government of moral beings, 
 that the day of evil will and must come, to such of them as sin and 
 remain impenitent. Ttie day of retribution is the 133>E , the correspond 
 ent answer to the doings of the sinner. In other words, as before : 
 He has made punishment to correspond to crime. Further than 
 this, I think few will now venture to go.] 
 
 (5) An abomination of Jehovah is every man of a lofty mind ; 
 should hand be added to hand, he will not go unpunished. 
 
 nna , adj. const, form of fnss , with n Mappiq and mova 
 ble. *rb T< , see under 11:21. I take the idea here to be, 
 that although one hand should be added to the other, i. e. 
 although a haughty man may employ all his poiver (for this 
 the use of both hands indicates) of resistance, yet he will not 
 be able to get free from the penalty of his offence. 
 
290 PART II CHAP. XVI. 610. 
 
 (6) By mercy and truth is sin expiated, and in the fear of Jehovah 
 there is a turning away from evil. 
 
 The figurative sense of ^^ (atoned) is doubtless in 
 tended here. Neither sin-offerings nor the blood of bulls 
 and goats ; neither mercy to others, nor adherence to truth ; 
 can atone for sin, in the higher and proper sense of this 
 word. But mercy and truth, exhibited by a good man, may 
 be a good reason why he should go free from such visita 
 tions as overtake the presumptuous wicked in the present 
 world. In accordance with this, are the constantly recur 
 ring promises made in this book to a good and virtuous 
 course of conduct. The fear of Jehovah, is the most effect 
 ual of all persuasives to turn from evil. Without it, an 
 evil course will never be heartily forsaken. 
 
 (7) When the ways of a man are well-pleasing to Jehovah, he will 
 make even his enemies to be at peace with him. 
 
 A truly pious man will be blessed of God, and have peace 
 even on the part of his enemies. They will find little to 
 censure, and have little or no pretext for injury. Of course, 
 this is only a general truth ; to which are not a few excep 
 tions. Such are the cases of persecution for righteousness 
 sake. 
 
 (8) Better is a little with justice, than large revenues without right. 
 (9) The heart of man deviseth his way, but Jehovah will make firm 
 his steps. 
 
 sba , lit. with not = without. S^n* , Piel, with an in 
 tensive sense laboriously devise his way. But that way 
 will not be successfully travelled, unless Jehovah shall make 
 his steps firm and vigorous. 
 
 (10) An oracle is on the lips of a king; in judgment his mouth 
 should not prevaricate. 
 
 usually means sentence of a god, or of his agent, 
 viz., a diviner. What is here meant is, that what a king 
 
PART II CHAP. XVI. 11. 291 
 
 utters is of high import and authority. On the lips, means 
 hangs on the lips, or depends on the lips. Since this is the 
 case, he should look well to it, that he utters nothing perfid 
 ious or prevaricating. bre 1 ? means, to act perfidiously, or to 
 prevaricate. The sentence of a good king should be just, 
 simple, sincere; and there should be in it no design of 
 deceiving or misleading. 
 
 (11) The steel-yard and the balances of justice are Jehovah s; his 
 work are all the stones of the bag. 
 
 obs is always associated with balances, and it would seem 
 therefore to belong to the apparatus for weighing. Most 
 probably it was the rod or yard, on which the figures indi 
 cating exactly the weight were marked. The Hebrew says 
 nothing indeed of steel, but our English word, as in the ver 
 sion, gives us the familiar idea of the thing aimed at. Sen 
 timent of the first clause : t Jehovah employs no other than 
 just weights ; or else: Only just balances does Jehovah 
 approve. The second is more difficult. His work are all 
 the stones of the bag, refers to the stones, which were used as 
 weights, and kept in a bag; see Deut. 25: 13. Mic, 6: 11. 
 But why are all these called his work ? The answer may be 
 given thus : The all in this case refers to the whole of the 
 weights, great and small; and as the latter are employed 
 only in adjusting niceties of weight, so the idea seems to be, 
 that the balances which Jehovah approves or employs, are 
 adjusted with the utmost possible exactness in all respects. 
 In this way we find the second clause to be climactic. Sen 
 timent : Jehovah not only does justice, but he exacts jus 
 tice of all men toward each other. 
 
 It is evident, that if the balances and iveights are spoken 
 of as belonging to God in the sense of his employing them, 
 the language is highly figurative. The sentiment, however, 
 is quite plain, viz., that Jehovah, in all his dealings, is per 
 fectly just. In case we interpret the passage in this way, 
 
292 PART II CHAP. XVI. 1214. 
 
 there is plainly instruction given to men by it. The object 
 is not merely, nor even mainly, to teach the perfect justice 
 of God, but to hold this up as an exemplar for men. On 
 the other hand, the whole sentiment may have this turn 
 given to it : Jehovah acknowledges as his, viz., as that 
 which he approves, only just balances and weights. He 
 condemns all others. I prefer the last. 
 
 (12) The doing of evil is an abomination of kings ; for by righte 
 ousness is the throne established. 
 
 The sentence is capable of this meaning : It is an abomi 
 nable thing for kings to do evil ; but the next verse shows 
 that we must understand by abomination here, the feeling 
 of mind which kings have, or should have themselves, 
 and not that which they excite in others. Why do they 
 abominate the doing of evil? The answer is: Because 
 they are exposed to lose their throne by it ; or, in other 
 words : Righteousness among the people is the only thing 
 which can render the throne stable. The first interpreta 
 tion gives a good meaning; but the second gives one in 
 accordance with the following verse. ,13^ , Imperf. Niph. 
 of "(Sis . In XS3 , the Dagh. is compensative, the old form 
 being XD"i3 , as in Syriac ; see Lex. 
 
 (13) Lips of truth are the delight of kings, and he who speaketh 
 uprightly shall be loved. 
 
 p 1 !^ , lit. justice, but here being in opposition to false 
 speaking, it may with propriety be rendered as in the ver 
 sion. Q^r-; , adverbial Ace. plur., 98.2. 116.3.- 
 3ftN (in pause), without any express Nom. We may sup 
 ply the indef. Nom. one; or, (which is here altogether 
 equivalent), render the verb passively, as in the version. 
 Or, with all the ancient Versions, we may supply T^>a , as an 
 obvious mode of particularizing the preceding fi^a . 
 
 (14) The wrath of a king is messengers of death ; but a wise man 
 will propitiate it. 
 
PART n CHAP. XVI. 1517. 293 
 
 That is, when the king is angry, he commissions the mes 
 sengers of death to execute his indignant sentence. The 
 simple manner of saying this, by merely using the phrase : 
 is messengers of death, is bold, striking, and pointed. The 
 phrase is elliptical, but not obscure. Since kingly wrath 
 is attended with such bitter consequences, a wise man will 
 seek to soften it ; cornp. 19:12. 20 : 2, and Ecc. 8 : 4. 
 
 (15) In the light of the king s countenance is life; and his favor is 
 like the latter rain. 
 
 The wrath of the king (v. 14) has here an antithesis in 
 the phrase : the light of his countenance ; for the counte 
 nance is lighted up, when one is pleased. In this is life ; 
 for the object of complacency is in no danger from messen 
 gers of death. Latter rain is that which falls just before 
 the harvest, and fills out and completes the crops. 
 
 (16) To acquire wisdom how much better than fine gold! To 
 win intelligence, is to be chosen rather than silver. 
 
 nb is Inf. const., although this form is somewhat rare, 
 74. n. 2. In the second clause, m ajD (the normal form) is 
 employed. Variety in the form of the same word appears 
 to be here an object of choice. nnas , that which is to be 
 chosen, optandum. There is no article here before gold and 
 silver. Usually it is inserted in such cases, ( 107. Kern. 5); 
 but poetry, and especially the brevity of gnomes, may 
 omit it. 
 
 (17) The highway of the upright is the turning away from evil ; 
 he who preserved! himself, carefully watcheth his way. 
 
 The upright will not wittingly go in the path of evil, and 
 therefore they turn away into another and safer way. Who 
 ever means to remain secure, must look well to the way 
 which he takes, and adhere constantly to it. The partici 
 ples here are employed to designate what is habitual mid 
 constant. 
 
 
 
 *#K. 
 
 RlLK 
 
294 PART II CHAP. XVI. 1822. 
 
 (18) Before destruction is pride : and before stumbling is haughti 
 ness of spirit. (19) Better is lowliness of mind with the humble, 
 than the dividing of spoil with the haughty. 
 
 " God will resist the proud." Pride goes before destruc 
 tion, and is the ground or cause of it. rna , a Segholate 
 of class iii. ( 91.6), and therefore when it is put in the 
 const, state with a noun, it does not change its form. 
 fii ttsnnat , (so Qeri, but without any necessity), the prep. 
 ~nx has the meaning of companionship, association with ; 
 see Lex. nx , ii. 2. The dividing of spoil implies victory, 
 and of course exultation, the usual consequence of which is 
 pride or haughtiness. In this way it stands virtually 
 opposed to lowliness of mind. p|n Inf. of Piel, here 
 nominascens. 
 
 (20) He who is prudent respecting any matter, shall find good; and 
 as to him who confideth in Jehovah blessed is he ! 
 
 *tt may mean command, and then we have it thus : He 
 who acts wisely in respect to commandment, etc. But the 
 sense given above is of wider extent, or more generic. 
 The form l^m is never employed but in the plural const. 
 or suff. state, as here. 
 
 (21) He who is wise of heart shall be called intelligent; and sweet 
 ness of speech will increase instruction. 
 
 The Heb. lit. thus: To the wise of heart, there shall be 
 called ",1:23 . This idiom our language does -not employ. I 
 have conformed the version, therefore, to our own idiom, the 
 sense remaining the same. Sweetness of speech means 
 gentle and persuasive language; for lips, as the Heb. has it, 
 here means what the lips speak. This sweetness attracts 
 listeners, and so increases knowledge. 
 
 (22) A well-spring of life is discretion to him who possesseth It; 
 but the instruction of fools is follv. 
 
PART II CHAP. XVI. 2325. 295 
 
 There is a variety of opinion in respect to some parts of 
 this verse. Still, there seems to be little difficulty in it. 
 1^23 brj , is lit. the prudence of its possessor, i. e. the pru- 
 deiice of him who is the possessor of such a virtue. We 
 are obliged to change the manner of the expression. 1^>2 
 has a plural form, which attaches to it in the same manner as 
 to n^rt ^N; (see Lex.) without a plur. meaning, constituting 
 what is called a pluralis excellentiae. TJte master or pos 
 sessor of discretion = the discreet man. Such a man is a 
 fountain of life to others, because of his example and pre 
 cepts. But a fool, if he undertake to instruct, can only 
 teach folly ; and this is no fountain of life, but of death. 
 
 (23) The heart of the wise will make his mouth skilful; and will 
 increase instruction upon his lips. 
 
 Wisdom will cause discreet speech, which is skill in elo 
 quence ; and will add instruction to what is on the lips of 
 such a man, i. e. to the words which he utters. It will do 
 so, because discreet language will naturally attract listeners. 
 tpp i = sp&ii , Hiph. Imperf. 
 
 (24) Pleasant words are a honey-comb, sweet to the soul, and heal 
 ing to the bones. 
 
 Are a honey-comb, that is, are like to, etc., for nothing is 
 more common, than for a Hebrew to say are for are like. 
 pi r.E seems of course to have relation to n ox , plur. But 
 I take it here as an abstract noun, like the neuter adj. in 
 Greek and Latin. Often so in Hebrew. Lit. then we have 
 siveetness, which does not require conformity of either num 
 ber or gender to its antecedent. The same in respect to 
 Mna . Bone, in the sing., is taken in the same tropical 
 sense, as liaa , i. e. it here means the person or whole body. 
 
 (25) There is a way which is right in the sight of a man; and yet 
 the end thereof is the ways of death. 
 
296 PART II CHAP. XVI. 2628. 
 
 See 14 : 12 for the same. In other words : A man may 
 come to regard a thing as right, which in the end will prove 
 to be destructive and fatal. How often is this maxim still 
 verified ! 
 
 (26) The appetite of him who toils, is toilsome to him, for his 
 mouth urgeth him on. 
 
 Is toilsome to him, i. e. makes him strenuously exert himself, 
 for appetite is urgent. Ib , I regard as Dot. incommodi here, 
 viz., to his inconvenience. His mouth = appetite. It is 
 urgent on him, corresponds with the Heb. Tbs , the }>$ being 
 put before the thing or person urged ; as often in Hebrew. 
 Meaning : A strong appetite unappeased is urgent and 
 troublesome. 
 
 (27) A worthless man diggeth up evil; and on his lips is as it were 
 a scorching fire. 
 
 fK3 , Part., is somewhat of a difficult word here. The 
 verb means to dig, e. g. a well, pit, ditch, etc. Ges. renders 
 n^ rn 3 by perniciem parat, which gives the sense, but 
 drops the imagery. To me it appears thus : As a man who 
 digs a well, naturally and justly expects some good reward 
 for his labor, in the water which it affords, so the worthless 
 man who digs up evil, finds his appropriate reward ; or, as 
 we say, (with a small variation of the verb in Hebrew), digs 
 up evil, that is. obtains it as the reward of his efforts. The 
 ivorthless man here seems to be described in the second 
 clause, as a detractor, calumniator. On his lips (== the 
 words which hang upon his lips) is that which resembles a 
 scorching fire, i. e. heated calumnious speeches. 
 
 (28) A man of perversities will stir up strife ; and the prater sepa- 
 rateth friends. 
 
 A man of perversities, is one who is very deceitful and 
 crafty. "jsria , with formative \- , the root being rna , to speak 
 
PART II CHAP. XVI. 2031. 297 
 
 rapidly. Such a prater very often separates friends by 
 tattling scandal, 
 
 (29) A m:m of violence will deceive his neighbor; and cause him 
 to go in a way not good. 
 
 That is, he will allure or deceive his neighoor, so as to 
 lead him to the commission of violence, i. e. of rapine and 
 spoil, and thus bring him into an evil and dangerous way. 
 
 (30) He who shutteth his eyes in order to devise what is perverse, 
 he who compresseth his lips, hath accomplished evil. 
 
 The eyes are often shut, when one designs to think closely 
 and strenuously about anything ; because notice of all that 
 is external can thus be prevented, and one can then, as we 
 say, think the harder. Compression of the lips, indicates firm 
 determination or resolution. This is taken as a sign of 
 evil already committed ; because his firm resolution, it is 
 here supposed, will be carried into execution. Hence the 
 declaration : hath accomplished evil. 
 
 (31) A crown of splendor is gray-hair, should it he found in the 
 way of righteousness. 
 
 The image is vivid. Gray hairs crown the head ; but 
 that crown, in the case supposed, is splendid or beautiful. 
 Yet this is not so in and of itself merely ; for the wicked 
 have gray hairs also in old age. In my version, I have 
 made the second clause express the condition on which such 
 a crown is splendid. This neither Umbreit nor Bertheau 
 have done. They understand it thus : It is a crown of 
 splendor, because it is evidence that the man is good ; for 
 none but the good attain to such an age. But is this con 
 gruous with facts ? With facts that always were, and still 
 are, before every man s eyes ? The version above does not 
 contravene any laws of grammar ; and certainly it comports 
 with truth. The Nom. to xsan is irnito , which = old age. 
 
298 PART II CHAP. XVi. 32, 33. 
 
 (32) Better is he who is slow to anger, than the mighty; and he 
 that ruleth his own spirit, than he who taketh a city. 
 
 Moderation of one s own passions is better than deeds of 
 valor ; and subjugation of one s own mind, than the con 
 quest of a city. Clearly there is a high and noble moral 
 tone in this. 
 
 (33) The lot is cast into the lap ; but from Jehovah is the whole 
 disposal thereof. 
 
 Men may cast lots in order to ascertain their future luck ; 
 or they may embark in adventures at much risk, hoping that 
 all will come out well ; but Jehovah alone can and does 
 decide the issue of all such matters. 
 
 [There is in this verse an idiom of which our Grammars have taken 
 a very inadequate notice. It is this, viz., that the Ace., b^iSTTniK , 
 appears here as a Norn, or subject ; and so it is rendered in the ver 
 sion ad sensum indeed, yet not in such a way as discloses the idiom 
 of the Hebrew. The real fact is, that there is a large number of cases, 
 where the verb passive in the third sing.^ is used in a kind of impersonal 
 way, without reference to the number or gender of the noun which 
 seems to be its Nom., but which is actually in the Ace. The fact that 
 such noun belongs to the Ace. seems to be evident, from the consid 
 eration that there is, in respect to the verb, no regard paid either to 
 the number or gender of the nouns in question. This may be easily 
 shown. We may make two divisions: (I.) Those nouns which follow 
 the passive verb of the third sing, masculine, which is nearly always in the 
 Imperf. (a) Sinn. masc. with ntt before it, the usual mark of the 
 Ace.; c. g. Gen. 17 : 5. Ex. 10 : 8. 21: 28. 25: 28. Lev. 10 : 18. Deut. 
 12: 22. 20: 8. Josh. 7: 15. 2 Sam. 21: 11. Prov. 1G: 33. Jcr. 38 : 4. 
 50 : 20. Gen. 4 : 18. Num. 26 : GO. Lev. 13 : 49. (I) Pliir. masc. with 
 nj< before it; Lev. 2: 8. Jcr. 35 : 14. Gen. 27: 42. Ex. 27: 7. Amos 
 4: 2. (c) Sing. fern, with DK ; Num. 32 : 5. 1 Kings 2 : 21. (d) Sing, 
 fern, without mjg, Ex. 31: 15. Hos. 10: 6. (II.) Nouns preceding the 
 verb, and without fitf . (a) Fern, sing., Ex. 12:16. Is. 14:3. 21:2. 
 (b) Fern, plural, Ex. 13 : 7. Num. 28: 17. Ps. 87: 3. Job 22 : 9. 
 
 I find but one instance of a fern, noun without HX , joined with a 
 verb in the third sing. masc. of the Perfect, viz., Num. 26 : 62. There 
 may be more of the like kind : but they must be rare. 
 
PAUT II CIIAP. XVII. 1. 299 
 
 With such a list before us as is exhibited above, it would be diffi 
 cult to maintain with Gesenius (in. Lex.), that HX may stand before 
 the Norn.; for if this be admitted, it will solve only a small part of 
 the phenomena in question. These present us with a verb sing. 
 masc., in the Imperf. of some passive voice, and .connected with the 
 sing, masc., and plural masc.. and fern, sing., all with flX , (and also 
 fern. sing, without fix), all following the verb; then preceding the verb, 
 we have, without P.X , the fern, sing., and the fern, plural. Those nouns 
 which are without PK (the Ace. mark), are still so conditioned, that 
 we know they must be in the Ace. It follows from this view of the 
 subject, since the verb remains in the same condition in all these vari 
 eties of gender, number, and location, that it must be used in an 
 impersonal way, for it has manifestly no conformity to its apparent 
 subjects or Nominatives. The Heb. employs the sing. Passive often 
 in a neuter way, instead of the 3d pers. plur. with an indef. Nom., 
 which the Chaldee and Syriac so often exhibit. Plainly the third 
 sing. pass, in Hebrew, is equivalent to the third plur. active with an 
 indef. Nom. In the latter case, (see 134. 3. 6), the active voice would 
 demand the Ace. ; and as the third sing. pass, is used in its place, 
 since it is lighter and more facile of enunciation, it retains the same 
 case which the act. third plur. would require. 
 
 Very much of what is usually named anomaly as to concord in the 
 Hebrew, is easily solved in this way : and if this, idiom be fully under 
 stood, one may thereby explain a large portion of the alleged anomalies 
 of the Hebrew. Ewald, in 273. 6, has done more to illustrate this 
 Hitherto obscure matter, than I have elsewhere found ; and to him I stand 
 mainly indebted for the list of examples produced above, although he 
 has not classified them, as lias here been done.] 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 128. 
 
 (1) Better is a dry morsel and quietude therewith, than a house 
 filled with slaughtered beasts and strife. 
 
 nnrnt is not limited to beasts appropriate to offerings; 
 for these Q^ns:: appropriately indicates. It means beasts 
 slaughtered, either for feasts or offerings, i. e. it is generic. 
 "We cannot well imitate the Hebrew here, which lit. runs thus : 
 slaughtered beasts of strife. The Gen. here of strife 
 
300 PART II CHAP. XVII. 25. 
 
 qualifies the preceding noun, and indicates either that the 
 beasts were obtained by strife, or that they are eaten with 
 strife. The dry morsel is bread; and this, without any fat 
 or flesh to accompany it. 
 
 (2) A discreet servant shall rule over a son who acteth basely ; and 
 among brethren shall he divide an inheritance. 
 
 By discretion the servant will at last obtain a higher place 
 than the profligate son, and even become his master. He 
 will, moreover, attain to an inheritance, as if he were of the 
 same class with the brother-heirs. The base son will 
 become the slave of his former servant, and give up his 
 property to him. 
 
 (3) The fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold ; but the 
 searcher of hearts is Jehovah. 
 
 That is, the fining-pot may try silver, and the furnace 
 disclose true gold ; but only Jehovah can explore the human 
 heart. 
 
 (4) An evil doer listeneth to the lip of mischief; the deceitful man 
 listeneth to the tongue of destruction. 
 
 3ns , Part. Hiph. of yyy , final Pattah because of the *i . 
 "i^, lit. falsehood or deceit ; but here the abstract is plainly 
 used for the concrete, and is so rendered in the version. 
 pra , apparently from "p" . which however I do not find in 
 Ges. Lex. ; but it may be taken as = T"N;C , Hiph. of "jtx to 
 listen; Ewald, 141. a. 2. Such contractions are not un- 
 frequent, in which N is omitted in the writing. The plur. 
 rnn is intensive here ; which we cannot well imitate, without 
 circumlocution. 
 
 (5) lie who deridetli the poor, reproacheth his Maker; he who 
 rejoiceth in sudden calamity, shall not be guiltless. 
 
 The second clause leads us to assign sudden calamity as 
 the cause of the poverty brought to view in the first. 
 Part. n^3> , with the suff. *n- . 
 
PART II CHAP. XVII. 69. 301 
 
 (6) The crown of the aged is the sons of sons ; and the glory of 
 children is their fathers. 
 
 That is : Parents are honored and made happy by a nu 
 merous progeny, and dutiful children glory in their ancestors. 
 
 (7) The lip of eminence is not comely for a fool ; much less the lip 
 of falsehood for a prince. 
 
 Lip of eminence, means speech such as belongs to eminence 
 (= eminent men), or is characteristic of it. Eminence is 
 entitled to command, and to be obeyed. Such a place, then, 
 is not seemly for a fool. *nn^ , first remainder ; then abun 
 dance ; then eminence, as here. 13 t)K, after a negative, 
 means much less ; see Lex. After 13 , rnxi (contracted from 
 rma) is implied. 
 
 (8) A present is a precious stone, in the eyes of its possessor; 
 whithersoever it shall turn, it will prosper 
 
 A present (^nw) here means a bribe given to secure influ 
 ence. He who receives such a present, regards it as a pre 
 cious stone, e. g. as of value like a diamond. Hence comes 
 the tropical language of the last clause. A diamond reflects 
 a variety of lights, when viewed on this side or on that. 
 Turn it how you please, it will never cease to reflect lustre ; 
 and this, the text calls prospering or succeeding, i. e. it never 
 fails to reflect lustre. So of a bribe if accepted ; it will in 
 fluence in many ways, even without a consciousness of its 
 power, on the part of the receiver. Turn he which way he 
 will, the influence of it will follow him. 
 
 (9) lie who covereth a transgression, secketh love; but he who 
 repeateth a report, scparatcth friends. 
 
 "ilM , a word or saying, means, as the sequel shows, a 
 report which is wounding to the good name or the feelings 
 of a friend. The repetition would show some degree of sat 
 isfaction in the thing ; which of course would be offensive. 
 naio for naiia , Part. 
 
 26 
 
302 PART II CHAP. XVII. 1014. 
 
 (10) Rebuke will sink deep into an intelligent man, more than the 
 smiting of a fool a hundred times. 
 
 nnpj , Imperf. fern. Kal of nns , n (with Tseri) because the 
 Gutt. rejects Daghesh. Sentiment : i A man of intelligence 
 will be more influenced by mere rebuke, than the fool by 
 severe scourging. 
 
 (11) Only contumacy will the evil man seek ; but a cruel messen 
 ger shall be sent against him. 
 
 The contumacy, np , here in question, is that of subjects 
 toward their rulers. When displayed, the ruler sends his 
 messenger of justice, who will severely punish. 
 
 (12) Meet a bear robbed of her whelps by a man, but not a fool in 
 his folly. 
 
 iJiB, Inf. abs. for Imper., 128. 4. b. c. [Meet] not a 
 fool, etc. That is : It is better to meet an enraged bear, 
 than a fool in the exercise of his folly/ 
 
 (13) He who requiteth evil for good, evil will not depart from his 
 house. 
 
 The Kethibh reads v^ in Hiph., the Qeri lito in Kal ; 
 both are equally good. This agrees well with : " Render 
 not evil for evil." 
 
 (14) The commencement of strife is the letting out of water; be 
 fore it rolleth itself onward, let strife alone. 
 
 Where water is dammed up, a small breach in the dam 
 occasions a rush of water, which speedily widens that breach, 
 and then it rolls on in impetuous torrents. So with strife, 
 which, though trifling at first, when persevered in, becomes 
 impetuous and mischievous. Therefore, Let alone strife, be 
 fore it rolls on, like the impetuous torrent. i:&b , before in 
 point of time here, Lex. D. 2. b. "bann , Hith. Inf. of s&a , 
 which is like to bba , according to the older interpreters, and 
 so Bertheau. This sense is quite congruous here, as it keeps 
 
PART II CHAP. XVII. 1517. 303 
 
 up the metaphor of water rushing forth so that it cannot be 
 checked. 
 
 (15) He who justifieth the wicked, and he who condemned! the 
 righteous, are, even both of them, an abomination of Jehovah. 
 
 Even both is designed to specificate, and to speak with 
 energy. It does not assert that both are guilty in the same 
 degree, but represents both to be so far guilty, as to be an 
 abomination of Jehovah. 
 
 (16) Why should a price be in the hand of a fool, in order to ac 
 quire wisdom, when there is no understanding ? 
 
 That is, a man cannot purchase wisdom for any price, who 
 is without understanding ; for this is absolutely necessary to 
 the acquisition of it. 
 
 (17) The friend loveth at all times; but a brother for adversity 
 must be born. 
 
 A somewhat difficult passage, in respect to the last clause. 
 At all times, i. e. as well in adversity as in prosperity, a 
 true friend will love. A brother for adversity, (for so the 
 accents indicate the connection to be), is one who will act 
 the part of a brother in a season of adversity. Of such an 
 one it is said : "ib^ , he must or shall be born, (possibly) he is 
 born. I do not understand this last clause, unless the asser 
 tion is, that none but such as are born brethren, i. e. kindred 
 by blood, will cleave to us when in distress. Yet this is 
 true only in a qualified sense ; for the most that we can say 
 is, that comparatively few are friends in adversity, excepting 
 one s relatives by descent. But another shade of meaning 
 may be assigned to the passage ; which is, that such a man 
 as a friend in adversity, is yet to be born, i. e. none such are 
 now to be found ; thus making it substantially equivalent in 
 sense to the expression : * How few and rare are such faith 
 ful friends ! 
 
304 PART II CHAP. XVII. 1822. 
 
 (18) The man who lacketh understanding, striketh hands; he 
 maketh a pledge before his friend. 
 
 Striking hands, is the confirming of a contract. He 
 maketh a pledge, viz., to some third person, in the presence 
 of his friend, who can bear testimony to it, and therefore 
 make it binding. The last clause is elliptical, viz., he who 
 makes such a pledge [wants understanding]. 
 
 (19) A lover of sin is a lover of strife ; he who maketh his gate 
 lofty, seeketh destruction. 
 
 The man of strife loves sin ; the man of pride, who erects 
 lofty structures, is preparing for ruin, for " pride will have 
 a fall." 
 
 (20) The perverse of heart shall not find favor: and he who is 
 turned hither and thither with his tongue, shall fall into mischief. 
 
 7;ari3 , (Part.) is rendered in conformity with the primary 
 meaning of ^Sfn , to turn. The meaning is, that the tongue 
 now says this, and then that, so that it is continually turning 
 and winding in its course. Mischief usually and naturally 
 ensues. 
 
 (21) Whoever hegetteth a fool, it is a trouble to him; and the 
 father of a fool will not rejoice. 
 
 See the antithesis to this in 15 : 20, and comp. 18 : 13. 
 Witt not rejoice, =will have reason to mourn; (a form of 
 speech which the rhetoricians name meiosis, i. e. jutW<, 
 diminution, where less is said than is meant). 
 
 (22) A glad heart will do the body good ; but a mind afflicted will 
 dry up the bone. 
 
 ntia is found only here, and seems to be a doubtful word, 
 as to its meaning. In Hos. 5:13, the verb evidently means 
 loosening or taking off a bandage. On this account, sanatio 
 is given here by Ges. and others, as the meaning of the noun. 
 But the Chald. and Syr. translate the word by body; to 
 
PART II CHAP. XVII. 2327. 305 
 
 confirm whicli, we may appeal to the kindred words, n^a and 
 SiJ ia , body. This makes a more congruous sense ; for body 
 then corresponds to fi ia , bone, in the other clause ; whicli 
 last is only a tropical appellation of corpus. Sept. svexTew, 
 to be in a sound bodily state. To dry up the bone, is to deprive 
 it of all moisture and succulence, so that it becomes like the 
 bones of those who have long been dead. The imagery is 
 very vivid. 
 
 (23) A bribe is taken from the bosom of the wicked man, in order 
 to pervert the ways of judgment. 
 
 Taken from the bosom, i. e. taken in a concealed or secret 
 way. And this bribe is received, in order that a wrong 
 decision in a court of justice may be given. 
 
 (24) Near by an intelligent man is wisdom; but the eyes of a fool 
 are in the ends of the earth. 
 
 Near by, VSBrnx , lit. with the face or person, i. e. in close 
 connection with him. Wisdom being thus at hand, he can 
 always employ it with readiness. But a fool is looking far 
 abroad for it, and so he never is able to find and to use it. 
 
 (25) A foolish son is a vexation to his father, and a bitterness to 
 his mother. 
 
 Comp. v. 21 above, and 10 : 1. TS"?, only here; it is a 
 derivate of -nia , 84. II. 14. iFTib-p , fern. Part, of *b* , in 
 a suff. state, 93. D. a. 
 
 (26) Moreover, to punish the righteous is not good; to smite noble 
 men is beyond right. 
 
 Is not good, is a mere meiosis, i. e. a softening down of the 
 positive mode of expression, viz., is bad, or is wicked. So 
 in the other clause, is beyond right = is wrong, by , over, 
 over and above, i. e. beyond. See Lex. 
 
 (27) He who keepeth back his words, understandeth knowledge; 
 and he who is of a cool spirit, is a man of understanding. 
 
 2(5* 
 
306 PART II CHAP. XVIII. 13. 
 
 A prudent restraint in speaking, is everywhere commended 
 in this book. In the second clause, "ipi in the Kethibh, is 
 changed in the Qeri into "ip" 1 , precious. The first is altogether 
 preferable, being more congruous. 
 
 (28) Even a fool, keeping silence, is wise : and lie who closeth his 
 lips is intelligent. 
 
 Is wise, i. e. is reputed or regarded as wise ; for, so far as 
 this goes, he acts wisely. The second clause is a more 
 general proposition, extending the remark to all who act in 
 the like way. 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 124. 
 
 ( 1 ) One who separateth himself will seek for what he desireth ; 
 against all sound discretion will he rush on. 
 
 ^nss , Part. Niph. in a reflexive sense. ttixfr) , I have 
 translated what he desireth, more literally it means desire, 
 which here means object of desire. He who separates him 
 self from a communion of interest with others, and seeks only 
 his own selfish ends, such an one will rush on, (like the rolling 
 on of the current, see 17 : 14), in spite of all prudent advice 
 to the contrary. Sentiment : Selfishness is apt to become 
 exclusive and supreme, and to break through all bounds to 
 gratify itself. 
 
 (2) A fool taketh no pleasure in understanding; but truly in the 
 disclosure of his own heart. 
 
 See DX 13 in Lex., but truly or surely, or much more. Here 
 ysrp comes in by implication, being carried forward from the 
 preceding clause. Thus we have this meaning : but truly 
 [he will take pleasure ] in the disclosure, etc. That is, since 
 his own heart is foolish, he will take pleasure in manifesting 
 his own folly. 
 
 (3) "When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt; and 
 shame will be joined witli reproach. 
 
PART II CHAP. XVIII. 4-6. 307 
 
 That is, wherever the wicked comes, he meets with con 
 tempt ; and shameful doings will be connected with reproach. 
 By implication it follows, that the good and worthy are the 
 only persons who can secure honorable regard. 
 
 (4) Deep waters are the words of a man s mouth ; a gushing stream 
 is the fountain of wisdom. 
 
 The words, in the first clause, are those of a wise and pru 
 dent man. They are like deep waters, because they consist 
 of thoughts not easily sounded to the bottom, and still less 
 capable of exhaustion ; see 20 : 5. Ecc. 7 : 24. The second 
 image is still more lively : A fountain of wisdom is a stream 
 gushing forth, i. e. it is like a stream, which, gushing forth 
 from the earth, is always full and refreshing. Or the last 
 clause may be thus rendered : They [the words, etc.] are a 
 gushing stream a fountain of wisdom. This method of 
 
 arrangement puts the two last short clauses in apposition. 
 
 i 
 
 (5) To take part with the wicked is not good; to turn aside the 
 righteous in judgment [is not good]. 
 
 135 msia , is used to designate the acceptance of any person, 
 who offers presents or bribes ; lit. it means to lift up the face; 
 and therefore it comes to mean to show partiality for, to take 
 part with; see Lex. no. 3. b. nxb is the Inf. of Xb3, but 
 instead of the ordinary and later Seghol fern, form, nxiu , it 
 takes (by usage) the form of the older Segholates, viz., nsto . 
 Most plainly the last clause demands the supply of SlU X b, 
 carried forward from the first, else the sense would be 
 incomplete, or even contradictory. 
 
 (G) The lips of a fool enter into strife; and his mouth calleth for 
 stripes. 
 
 That is, his words are mingled with the spirit of strife, 
 and he commits follies with his mouth, i. e. in his words, 
 which deserve stripes. 
 
308 PART H-CHAP. XVIII. 710. 
 
 (7) The mouth of a fool is destruction to him ; and his lips are a 
 snare of his life. 
 
 In other words: What he says is ruinous to him, and 
 proves to be a snare of his life, i. e. his language is that by 
 which he comes into danger of his life. 
 
 (8) The words of the tale-bearer are like sportive ones; yet they 
 go down into the innermost parts of the body. 
 
 It is difficult to settle with certainty the meaning of 
 trsrtbnri . Schultens, Ges., and others, derive the meaning 
 from the corresponding Arabic (csib), which means, to 
 swallow greedily. In this way, they bring out the meaning 
 of sweet morsels or cakes. I prefer the explanation of 
 Bertheau, who compares with it frbKbrra in 26 : 18, which, 
 as the context shows, there means sporting. Compare irxy 
 and BSS , both of the same meaning. This is the more com 
 mended by its greater congruity, and the antithesis implied 
 in dirvi, yet they, etc. That is, although his words seem to 
 be jocose, or sportive, they are in reality malignant, and 
 they therefore inflict deep wounds. Comp. 20 : 27, 30, for 
 the imagery. 
 
 (9) Moreover, he who is slack in his work, he is brother to a prodi 
 gal. 
 
 n^nd-2 b?3 , lit. possessor or master of wasting = a waster, 
 i. e. a prodigal; as in the version. Comp. rPrv^a U^X, in 
 28 : 24. By the phrase a brother, is meant one very like. 
 
 (10) The name of Jehovah is a tower of strength; the righteous 
 runneth into it, and is protected. 
 
 The name of Jehovah, is a periphrasis (but a very signifi 
 cant one), which designates Jehovah himself. To call on the 
 name of the Lord, is to invoke him by calling his name. 
 The word name, in such a connection, designates all that 
 we include under the appellation of the being addressed. -* 
 aa : JS3 , lit. is elevated. But the elevation of a fort or tower, 
 
PART II CHAP. XVIII. 1117. 309 
 
 in ancient times, was that which rendered it safe or inac 
 cessible, so that protection was the consequence of repairing 
 to it, 
 
 (11) The wealth of the rich is his strong city; and like a high wall, 
 iu his own conceit. 
 
 The rich, instead of looking to Jehovah for protection, 
 trust in their riches which are a high wall, in their own 
 imagination, but not so in reality. In 10 : 15, the like 
 words are employed, but in a different relation, and there 
 fore with a different meaning. 
 
 (12) Before destruction, the heart of man is haughty ; and before 
 honor, is humility. (13) lie who answereth a matter before lie hear- 
 eth it, it is folly to him, and a shame. 
 
 For v. 12, comp. 16 : 18. 15 : 33, where the same may be 
 found. V. 13 shows the folly of a hasty anticipative answer, 
 before the examination of a question. 
 
 (14) The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity ; but a dejected 
 spirit who can endure it ? 
 
 Spirit, in the first clause, means a firm and resolute 
 temper of mind. A dejected spirit is a mind made sad. 
 Infirmity relates to pains of body ; a dejected spirit to a mind 
 sad and cast down. The first can be endured, by firmness 
 and resolution ; but the last who can endure it, when 
 resolution for endurance is gone ? n=n is masc. in the first 
 clause, and fern, in the second. 
 
 (15) An understanding heart will acquire knowledge ; and the ear 
 of the wise will seek after knowledge. (16) The gift of a man will 
 make room for him : and will conduct him before the mighty. 
 
 For v. 15, see 15: 14. V. 16 means, that the presents 
 which a man may proffer, will make room for his reception, 
 and bring him into the presence of the great or noble. 
 
 (17) He who is first in his own cause is righteous : then cometh his 
 neighbor and searcheth him. 
 
310 PART 11 CHAP. XVIII. 1821. 
 
 Not with Sept. and Vulg. : the righteous is the first in his 
 own cause; for then \ve should have p-HSft . Is righteous, 
 i. e. in his own estimation. XS1 , so the Kethibh, and 
 rightly, for then *i is consequential. The Qeri, X2" 1 is less 
 significant. The searching neighbor shifts the asserted right 
 to the other side. 
 
 (18) The lot maketh strife to cease, and separateth between the 
 mighty. 
 
 An agreement to cast lots, in order to decide a disputed 
 matter, prevents a quarrel, and separates those who were 
 about to mingle in contest. This seems to indicate appro 
 bation of the practice of casting lots in such cases. 
 
 (19) A brother is more refractory than a strong city, and strifes 
 are like the bars of a tower. 
 
 A brother who is in a state of strife, is meant in the first 
 clause. Such strifes, viz., those between brethren, are the 
 most difficult of all to be appeased. The attempt to appease, 
 is like an endeavor to enter barred gates. 
 
 (20) From the fruit of a man s mouth, shall one s belly be satisfied ; 
 [from] the produce of bis lips shall one satisfy himself. 
 
 Lit. I SBS "2bPi means what the version has expressed ; 
 the real idea is, satisfy himself, jija being figuratively taken 
 for the whole man. Produce of his lips, means what his 
 lips utter, i. e. his words. If the verb satisfy is taken here 
 in the good sense of the word, then the words fruit of the 
 mouth, must be regarded as meaning good fruit. But the 
 verse may be ironical, and the meaning then would be, that 
 false or malignant words will find an ample retribution. 
 The next verse will, perhaps, help to decide which of these 
 is meant. 
 
 (21) Death and life arc in the power of the tongue; and as to those 
 who love it, each one shall eat tbe fruit thereof. 
 
PART II CHAP. XVIII. 2224. 311 
 
 That is, a man may speak what will destroy life, or what 
 will preserve it. irnnx is plur. with suff., denoting a 
 whole class. The suff. fern, fi refers to tongue ; and loving 
 it means expending one s care and efforts upon the employ 
 ment of it, i. e. the making of it a special object of gratifi 
 cation. ^rx" 1 , each one (d^X is implied as its Nom.) shall 
 eat,, etc., 134.3. 143. 4. This is an example of what 
 the grammarians call particularizing or merismus. In fact, 
 each means, in such a case, any one, or every one, and there 
 fore all. The predominant cast of the verse is, that the 
 evil use of the tongue comes more specially into view. This 
 may incline the scale in favor of the ironical meaning of 
 satisfy, in the preceding verse. As to n^is , the suff. relates 
 to tongue. 
 
 (22) He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing; and obtaineth 
 favor from Jehovah. 
 
 Of course a good wife is meant. This is a blessing which 
 God gives; see 19: 14. 31: 10. 
 
 (23) The poor speaketh in a supplicating manner; and the rich 
 answercth rough!} . 
 
 Such is the usual fact ; specially is the first part of the 
 verse usually true, because the necessities of the poor force 
 them to beg. The second also is by far too often true. 
 e^:nn may be rendered adverbially, as above, or translated 
 by the phrase with supplications. And so of ni-t3> . 
 
 (24) A man of friends will show himself as base ; but there is a 
 friend, who sticketh closer than a brother. 
 
 A man of friends seems to mean: a man who professes 
 to regard everybody as his friend. In so doing he involves 
 himself in trouble; for he cannot serve them all, or be 
 intimate with all ; and then exceptions will be taken by 
 those who are neglected, and they will accuse him of base 
 desertion. Our English version, and many of the critics, 
 
312 PART H-CHAP. XIX. 13. 
 
 translate the verb here by show himself friendly. But in 
 order to do this, we must derive the verb ssvir.n from sn , 
 friend. But this last word comes from the root n""i ; and 
 from such a root we cannot obtain the Hith. form of the 
 text. It milst therefore come from """i , and this has the 
 meaning given above in the version. Ges. renders : periit, 
 which is stronger than the verb will bear. As explained 
 above, the matter appears sufficiently clear. The man who 
 professes to regard every body as a special friend, must 
 bring on himself the imputation of false profession and base 
 designs. Yet there is another and a real kind of friend 
 ship, the opposite of this ; and it sometimes rises higher 
 than that which even a brother ordinarily exhibits. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 129. 
 
 ( 1 ) The poor man, who walketh in his integrity, is better than he 
 who is perverse with his lips, and also is a fool. 
 
 The perverse and foolish man, being here contrasted with 
 the poor man, shows that the fool here spoken of is supposed 
 to be rich. A rich fool of perverse lips is of course inferior, 
 in point of character, to the poor man who exhibits integrity 
 of conduct. Compare 28 : 6, which substitutes rich for fool 
 here. aMirn, and also is, 119. 2. 
 
 (2) Moreover, in the soul s lack of knowledge, there is no good; 
 and he who hasteneth with his feet, goeth astray. 
 
 a , lit. in the not knowing of the soul; the mean 
 ing of which is given in the version -- si a 5<b is used as in 
 the neuter impersonal = there is no good. Haste indicafes 
 the lack of proper knowledge ; and this of course is apt tc 
 lead astray. 
 
 (3) The folly of a man will make his way headlong ; and his heart 
 will fret against Jehovah. 
 
PART II CHAP. XIX. 47. 318 
 
 The ruin which the man brings on himself by his own 
 folly, he will angrily charge upon his Maker. This occurs, 
 every day even now, too often for us to call in question the 
 truthfulness of the proverb. 
 
 (4) Wealth will make many friends ; but the poor is separated from 
 4is friend. 
 
 That is, as wealth makes many professed friends, so pov 
 erty separates the poor man from even his best friend, or, in 
 other words, the poor man is often neglected by those who 
 ought to be his best friends. 
 
 (5) A false witness shall not be guiltless; and lie who breatheth 
 out lies, shall not escape. 
 
 Not be guiltless = shall be guilty, (meiosis). Shall not 
 escape = shall be punished, (meiosis again) ; for in v. 9, 
 (exactly of the same tenor as this verse), we have, as the 
 equivalent of the last expression, "nx" 1 , shall perish. 
 
 (6) Many pay court to a prince, and every one is a friend to the 
 man of gifts. 
 
 That is, a prince becomes popular, or obtains many 
 friends, by virtue of liberal gifts. But instead of yyi , the 
 ancient Versions show that they read the text as snfjrbs , 
 every bad man, viz., flatters the liberal giver. The sense 
 given in the version seems to be preferable. 
 
 (7) All the brethren of the poor hate him ; how much more do his 
 friends withdraw from him ; seeking earnestly for words they are 
 not. 
 
 brethren of the poor designates his relatives here. Even 
 they hate him, i. e. do not love him so as to show him com 
 passion. If this be so, still less can be expected from mere 
 friends or acquaintance. They hold themselves aloof, siprn , 
 plur., because the noun ins na , lit. his friendship, (abstr. for 
 concrete = his friends) is a noun generic. 
 27 
 
314 PART II CHAP. XIX. 8. 
 
 The last clause is a problem. (1) It is out of proportion, 
 the other verses of the context being bi-membral. (2) It is 
 very difficult to make out any congruous meaning from it. 
 (3) The Masorites bid us to read 1? (to him) instead of & 
 (not). If we follow them, then we must render the clause 
 thus : He who hunts after words, to him they are, i. e. he easily 
 finds them. But what is this to do with the preceding con- 
 text? And what is the kind of words that he pursues? All 
 claro-obscure. Possibly this may be the meaning : He 
 who catches at mere words or empty professions of friendship, 
 will easily obtain them. So Bertheau, for substance. Um- 
 breit proposes the following solution : He who earnestly 
 seeks for the former words of friendship and kindness, will 
 now find them no more. Of course he renders xb as a 
 negative. We might venture, perhaps, on another conject 
 ure, like to that of Schultens : He who seeks for former 
 friendly words, i. e. conversation-circles of friends, will no 
 more find them. He is deserted, and left in solitude. This 
 is doubtless significant ; but whether the text is of the same 
 significance, may be doubted. A conversazione can hardly 
 be found in ai TCX . On the whole, I rather prefer Umbreit s 
 solution, because it is most congruous. The Sept. has three 
 whole clauses here, which are omitted in the Hebrew text ; 
 but they are neither very congruous or significant. The facb 
 of such an addition, however, and the superadded third 
 clause here, which does not seem to match well with the 
 other verses, raises a suspicion that something has been 
 dropped out of the Hebrew text. The Chaldee and Syriac 
 are obscure. The Vulg. has come nearest to the present 
 text : Qui tantum verbis sectatur, nihil habebit. All these 
 take xb here as a negative ; and so, in the version above. 
 
 (8) He who acquireth understanding-, loveth his own soul, he who 
 watcheth for intelligence, will find good. 
 
 Loves his own soul, i. e, does that for it which love would 
 
PART II CHAP. XIX. 914. 315 
 
 prompt him to do. Will fold good, where xbrsb , the Inf., is 
 rendered as a definite mood. See on 2 : 2, in respect to this 
 idiom ; see also 129. 3. n. 1. 
 
 (9) A- false witness shall not be guiltless, and he who breatheth 
 forth lies, shall perish. (10) Luxurious living is not comely for a 
 fool ; much less for a servant to rule over princes. 
 
 For v. 9, see above on v. 5. V. 10, luxury belongs to the 
 rich and noble only, and not to fools. More unseemly still 
 is it, to see servants lording it over princes. Comp. Ecc. 
 10:7. 
 
 (11) The discretion of a man will make him slow to anger; and it 
 is a glory to him to pass over a transgression. 
 
 A discreet man will forbear, when provoked. Such an 
 one will deem it praiseworthy to pass over an insult. The 
 Sermon on the Mount has well commented on this sentiment, 
 Matt. 5 : 3844. 
 
 (12) Like the roaring of a lion is the wrath of a king: but as dew 
 on the tender herbage is his good will. 
 
 The roaring of a lion threatens destruction, and the wrath 
 of a king does the same. The effects of his good will are 
 described by beautiful imagery, which needs no explanation. 
 Comp. the like in 20 : 2, and see 28 : 15. 16 : 14. 
 
 (13) A sore calamity to his father is a foolish son ; and a continual 
 dropping are the contentions of a woman. 
 
 *rp , lit. driving or urging on, i. e. one drop urges on 
 another, and in this way the dropping becomes continual. 
 The image is vivid. A continual dropping of water, e. g. 
 on one s head, becomes, after a time, a means of the most 
 exquisite suffering. 
 
 (14) A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers; but a 
 discreet wife is from Jehovah. 
 
316 PART II CHAP. XIX. 1517. 
 
 Comp. 18 : 22. nisx rfcqs , lit. an inheritance of fathers, 
 might mean a heritage ivhich fathers possessed. But as it 
 actually means here one which they convey to their children, 
 I have framed the version so as to avoid ambiguity. A 
 wife from Jehovah is a wife, the gift of whom is a proof of 
 his benevolent regard, i. e. a good wife. But a mere heritage 
 may come to a bad man, as well as to a good one. 
 
 (15) Sloth causeth a deep sleep to fall on one; and an idle person 
 must go hungry. 
 
 There is no object expressed after the verb ^Bn , in order 
 to show who is affected by the sleep. The indefinite one, or 
 a man, is therefore implied ; which is expressed in the ver 
 sion. i"!; 1 ^ ttJB3 , lit. deceitful soul ; but as soul in very many 
 cases means person or man, I have so rendered it here. As 
 to ftvsn , it is used, in this book, for idle, slothful, because it 
 is sloth which deceives, or disappoints, the expectations of 
 the employer. The man that is slothful, is of course the 
 man who disappoints expectations. See in 10 : 4. 12 : 24. 
 20: 13. 
 
 (16) He who keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul; 
 but he who disregardeth his ways shall die. 
 
 The commandment is that of Jehovah. jitia , lit. despis- 
 eth, but here in the sense of disregard, i. e. neglect to pay 
 any attention to his conduct. The Qeri bids us read nra^ , 
 shall die ; but the Kethibh exhibits nn*ii in Hophal, which 
 is stronger than the other form, since it = shall be put to 
 death. In a gnome, this energic form is the most probable 
 one. 
 
 (17) He who hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord; and his 
 work will he reward to him. 
 
 a , Part. Hiph., makes a loan to, here in the const, state, 
 132. 1. b, ftai, here in its original sense, opus (either 
 good or bad), i. e. anything done. The ft only serves to 
 
PART II CHAP. XIX. 1821. 317 
 
 designate with intensity the person who will be rewarded. 
 The Nom. to tibizp. is of course Jehovah. Seghol here, because 
 of the Maqqeph. 
 
 (18) Chasten thy son, because there is hope ; but indulge not thy 
 desire to slay him. 
 
 A saying adapted to angry and passionate fathers, who 
 may be in danger of wreaking vengeance on an offending 
 child. Sentiment : Merely chasten, and not kill ; because 
 there is hope, specially of a young person, that he may 
 reform under suitable chastisement. Therefore go not 
 beyond this, in such a case. 
 
 (19) A man of violent anger must suffer punishment; for if thou 
 shalt deliver him, thou must again repeat it. 
 
 The Kethibh, b^S , makes no tolerable sense, even if we 
 take the liberty, (as some have done), to make it = Vvto, 
 lot, and so point it b nh . Plainly, with all the ancient Ver 
 sions and the Masora (Qeri), we should read "Via, const, of 
 bna . The sense is given in the version. Comp. as to dic 
 tion, Dan. 11: 44. 2 Kings 22 : 13. Another turn has been 
 given to this verse by the older interpreters : * If thou shalt 
 deliver him from death (in reference to v. 18), yet thou 
 must repeat thy chastisement, in order to restrain him. 
 This is more tame, and does not agree well with the first part 
 of the verse. Meaning : * An irascible man will not be held 
 in, even by kindness in his behalf; he must therefore be 
 given up to chastisement. 
 
 (20) Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be 
 wise in after-life. 
 
 The word r^nx signifies lit. the latter part, the after part. 
 Meaning : < Get instruction and counsel when young, that 
 you may be wise when you grow old. 
 
 (21) Many are the devices of a man s heart; but the counsel of 
 Jehovah that shall stand. 
 
 27* 
 
318 PART II CHAP. XIX. 2224. 
 
 Counsel of Jehovah is Nom. absolute ; Kin resumes the 
 subject of the sentence, and specifies with emphasis. So in 
 the version. 
 
 (22) The desire of a man is his kindness ; and better is a poor man 
 than a liar. 
 
 To wish well, or to desire one s good, is a proof of kindness, 
 in cases where only the wish can be indulged. We have a 
 like proverb : " One must take the will for the deed." A 
 poor man who wishes well, but needs kindness or charity, is 
 better than a man who can show it and promises to show it, 
 but still falsifies his promise. 
 
 (23) The fear of Jehovah is unto life; he shall abide satisfied he 
 shall not be visited by evil. 
 
 Jehovah, who gives life to those who fear him, will cause 
 them to possess an abundance of what they need, and to 
 remain unharmed by evil. The tropical sense of "pb^ is, to 
 abide, permanere ; which meets the demand of the present 
 case. 3>5b = satisfied, i. e. supplied with all that one 
 needs. s^, second Ace. retained by the passive which 
 precedes it, 140. 1. 
 
 (24) The sluggard hidcth his hand in the dish ; even to his mouth 
 he will not return it. 
 
 This refers to the Oriental custom of eating, where knives, 
 forks, and spoons, are dispensed with, and the guests help 
 themselves by dipping their hand into the dish, and taking 
 what they like ; see John 13 : 26. Mark 14 : 20. Matt. 26 : 3. 
 Hiding the hand is plunging it into the food, (which usually 
 was, as to a part, in a semi-liquid state), until it is buried in it, 
 so that the hand might come out filled with food. But the 
 sluggard, who has thus filled his hand, will not make effort 
 enough to bring it back to his mouth, choosing rather to go 
 without the food, than to make the effort or exertion to feed 
 himself. Lit. this need not be urged ; nor is it said with 
 
PART II CHAP. XIX. 2527. 319 
 
 the design of being literally understood. It is a vivid and 
 powerful, and also sarcastic reproof of the sluggard, by 
 making his sloth ridiculous. The irony is plainly very 
 severe and cutting, and will be read with satisfaction by all 
 who love to be active and industrious. 
 
 (25) Smite the scorncr. and the simple will become wary ; reprove 
 an intelligent man, and he will understand knowledge. 
 
 Smite is here voluntative ; lit. rssn (Hiph. Imperf. of 
 fDi) means : thou shall smite. But the sense is as given in 
 the version, viz., the conditional future or Imperative. 
 rp3ln , may be a Hiph. Inf. absolute, used as an Imper. hor 
 tative, 128. 4. b. c; although this form is not common 
 here, but one with ( ) as final vowel, 52. 2. n. 2. More 
 probably it is Imper. hortative, which sometimes takes such 
 a form, 92. 2. n. 3, Ps. 94: 1. Is. 43 : 8. Sentiment: 
 
 * Even a simpleton will grow wary by seeing scorners chas 
 tised ; much more will the intelligent profit by reproof. 
 
 (26) He that doeth violence to his father, or chaseth away his 
 mother, is a son who acteth shamefully and putteth to the blush. 
 
 Strong precepts does the Old Testament everywhere ex 
 hibit against cruel and severe treatment of parents by their 
 children. Even one out of the ten commandments is occu 
 pied with this subject. Chaseth away implies such abuse, 
 as causes the mother to fly from her home. 
 
 (27) Cease, mv son, to hear the words of instruction, in order that 
 you may wander from the words of knowledge. 
 
 Ironically said, perhaps. The meaning would then seem 
 to be thus : Cease from listening to instruction, and the 
 consequence will be, that you will wander, etc. The sec 
 ond Inf., zvis rb , is equivalent here to an Imperf. ; see 911 
 2:2, 8. Or we may resolve it thus, without irony : 
 
 * Cease to hear such instruction as leads to wander from 
 
320 PAKT II CHAP. XX. 1, 2. 
 
 the words of truth. This is more simple, and therefore 
 more probable. 
 
 (28) A vile witness scorns justice ; and the mouth of the wicked 
 will greedily swallow mischief. 
 
 A vile witness will utter that which will defeat justice, 
 i. e. he will give false testimony. The wicked greedily swal- 
 loiv injustice or wrong, as if it were a sweet morsel. But 
 the implication of the latter clause seems to be, that still, 
 what they devour will become noisome or poisonous to the 
 system. In other words : "flx , mischief, swallowed down, 
 will be apt to breed mischief. 
 
 (29) Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back 
 of fools. 
 
 This verse seems to complete the preceding one. There, 
 we have scorners of justice ; and here we have the punish 
 ment of scorners. They who swallow down JJK , must expect 
 the consequences here threatened. 
 
 CHAP. XX. 129. 
 
 (1) Wine is a scorner, strong drink is boisterous; and everyone 
 who reels therewith is not wise. 
 
 15113 , intoxicating drink ; rarely employed alone, but gen 
 erally associated with wine, as here. y^fi , with the article, 
 107. Rem. 2. b. Boisterous is characteristically said of 
 most men who are drunk. The common idea, that strong 
 drink in the Scriptures, means something stronger than wine, 
 is destitute of any good foundation. Wine was the strongest 
 drink among the Hebrews, if the drinks that were drugged 
 be excepted. None of the Palestine fruits yielded a juice 
 so intoxicating as that of the grape. 
 
 (2) Like the roaring of a lion is the terror of a king ; he who pro- 
 voketh him sinneth against himself. 
 
PART II CHAP. XX. 3, 4. 321 
 
 Lit. thus : A roaring as of the lion is the terror, etc. Here, 
 the terror of a king is that which he inspires in others. Such 
 a dread of him gives an apprehension of approaching 
 danger, like that which the roaring of the lion imparts. 
 The same in the first clause of 19:12 above, with some 
 slight variation of one particular. hasrra, is a Part, in 
 Hith., which here has an active sense, like Kal ( 53. 3), 
 and takes the Ace. pronoun after it. rasa KMi n, one is 
 tempted to render : maketh himself a sinner ; but as the verb 
 X^n is intrans. we can hardly give the active Part, a 
 Hiphilic meaning. Yet ^xah (in 8 : 36) might justify this, 
 for the Ace. is there governed by the word. At least we 
 must make idsi to be a secondary Ace., indicating manner 
 of sinning, etc. ; and translating accordingly, we have : he 
 sinneth as to himself. The sense is good ; but our idiom 
 prefers the phraseology of the version above, since it is 
 more direct. 
 
 (3) To dwell away from strife is glory to a man ; but every fool 
 will involve himself in it. 
 
 naia , the usual fern. Inf. of aiii; , to dwell, (not a Seghol. 
 ro r of the root nn^ , to cease, which nowhere occurs). The 
 meaning of the first is more significant than that of the 
 second ; for it imports not merely ceasing from strife, but 
 habitually keeping aloof from it. 3&arn, of the same 
 meaning for substance as in 17 : 14. 18:1; the fool rolls 
 on impetuously into strife, and glories in being engaged in it. 
 
 (4) Because of winter, the sluggard will not plough ; and then he 
 shall make inquiry in harvest time, and there is nothing. 
 
 The Kethibh would read bx tr, in Piel; but the Qeri 
 bids us read bxTZJi.. Either is good; but the Qeri is the 
 more forcible, = and then he shall inquire. Make inquiry, 
 viz., for produce. -pso (Qamets in pause) is absolute, = 
 there is not ; which is energic here. For Qamets under 1, 
 see 102. 2. d. 
 
322 PART II CHAP. XX. 59. 
 
 (5) Deep waters is a purpose in the heart of a man ; but a man of 
 intelligence will draw it out. 
 
 Deep waters are difficult to be sounded. So a man s 
 secret purpose or counsel it may be difficult to sound. Yet 
 a man of skill will draw it out from its depths. Drawing 
 out is a metaphorical expression occasioned by the pre 
 ceding image deep waters. 
 
 (6) The mass of men will proclaim each his own goodness; but 
 the trusty man, who can find 1 
 
 "S n , the multitude, the many, and so the mass. When men 
 are fond of boasting of their own virtues, it is ground of 
 suspicion, and increases the difficulty of finding those who 
 are really trust- worthy. t^s^x , lit. faithfulnesses = very 
 faithful. 
 
 (7) He who walketh in his integrity is a just man ; blessed are his 
 children after him ! 
 
 Not every one who boasts is to be trusted, but he who 
 habitually discloses (walketh in) integrity of character, he is 
 a true p"^2 . "^s again as an exclamation. 
 
 (8) A king sitteth on the throne of judgment ; he scattereth by his 
 eyes all the evil. 
 
 Not simply a declaration of fact, (for there are many 
 kings who do not scatter the wicked), but a declaration of 
 what a king thus elevated ought to do. A king who sits on 
 a throne of true and proper judgment or equity, will drive 
 away the wicked by keeping his eye on their conduct. 
 
 (9) Who can say : I have purified my heart ; I have become pure 
 from my sin. 
 
 Purified as to this or that particular sin, or sins ? Or, 
 purified from sinful desires and inclinations ? The latter 
 seems to be the most significant. Meaning : < No one can 
 
PART Il-CHAP. XX. 1013. 323 
 
 say, that he is perfectly free from sinful propensities. 
 " There is not a just man on earth, that doeth good and 
 sinneth not." 
 
 (10) A double weight and a double ephah are, even both of them, 
 on abomination of Jehovah. 
 
 Lit. stone and stone; where a % as here, comes before the 
 repeated noun, it denotes severally or diversity, and not 
 plurality, 106. 4. I have translated double, because this 
 corresponds to the words repeated, and also indicates a 
 diversity. Two stones of the same weight would be useless ; 
 at least, regarded in this way, the repetition would indicate 
 nothing more than mere plurality ; which, however, is not 
 here to the purpose. See Deut. 25 : 13. 
 
 (11) Moreover, by his doings a child will make himself known, 
 whether his work is pure and whether upright. 
 
 That is, a child s doings will be inconsiderate and rash, 
 and thus they will show that he is but a child. His work 
 will indicate, however, whether he is well or ill inclined ; 
 for early in life is the disposition disclosed. 
 
 (12) The ear which hearotii, and the eye which seeth, even both of 
 them hath Jehovah made. 
 
 The implication is, of course, that he who made the ear 
 and the eye, both hears and sees all things. See the striking 
 passage, in Ps. 94 : 9. 
 
 (13) Love not sleep, lest thou become poor; open thine eyes, and 
 be satisfied with bread. 
 
 tii^Pi, Niph. of a^ to inherit, but here possessing & priva 
 tive meaning, viz., dispossess. It is t:n. Open thine eyes, 
 that is, as we say familiarly : Be wide awake, or, in other 
 words, be active and diligent. 5>ab is Imp. ; but being a 
 second Imp., it denotes consequence, 127. 2. a. Lit. be 
 satisfied with bread, but as verbs of fulness govern the Ace. 
 
324 PART II-CnAP. XX. 1416. 
 
 of the noun which indicates the wherewith, the Heb. needs 
 no preposition before DpJ) , (Qamets in pause). 
 
 (14) Bad! Had! saith the buyer: and then goeth away and 
 maketh his boast. 
 
 Heb. lit. and going away for himself, then he boasts. This 
 would hardly be facile English ; but in Hebrew, a pronoun 
 with b prefix is not unfrequent, specially after verbs of 
 motion; see r^-rjb, Gen. 12:1. Cant. 2:11. Job 6:19. 
 Amos 2 : 13. Ewald, 305. a. I have therefore slightly 
 changed the form of the expression in the version. For 
 the rest ; every day bears witness to such conduct on the 
 part of purchasers. They underrate the things they wish 
 to purchase, in order to obtain them cheaper. 
 
 (15) There is gold, and an abundance of pearls; but a precious 
 vessel are the lips of knowledge. 
 
 That is, gold and pearls are comparatively plenty ; but 
 the lips of true knowledge are of rarer occurrence. They 
 are like a precious and highly wrought vessel. *i^ is a 
 noun in the Gen. (= of preciousness), but it is here used as 
 an adjective. 
 
 (16) Take his garment, when he has pledged himself to a stranger ; 
 and because of strangers, distrain him. 
 
 The law obliged the creditor to leave untouched the 
 necessary clothing of a debtor ; but he might take all super 
 fluous vestments. But in case of taking these, there was an 
 apparent severity on the part of the creditor. The object 
 of our text is to show, that in a case where a man becomes 
 surety for others, his creditor will have to deal severely 
 with him, in order to get his dues ; and such a man is not 
 deserving of lenity. ta^Da , strangers, is the reading of the 
 Kethibh, and a good one, for it is generic. The Masorites, 
 however, bid us read JT^sa , and have so pointed the word. 
 This would mean strange woman, and this same word is 
 
PART II CHAP. XX. 1720. 325 
 
 employed in 27 : 13. Compare, however, 6 : 1. The sense 
 of this would be good ; but so is that of the other reading. 
 
 The last clause is plainly elliptical : Distrain (i. e. force 
 by seizure) him [who has pledged himself] on account of 
 strangers. *it is like the Latin hostis, and means both 
 stranger and enemy ; "^35 (root ^D3) means a foreigner. 
 Sentiment : * Take the utmost precaution to secure a debt 
 against a man, who becomes sponsor for every body and any 
 body/ 
 
 (17) Bread of deceit is sweet to a man: but afterwards, his mouth 
 will be filled with gravel. 
 
 Bread obtained by fraud is eaten with a high relish by 
 some men ; but in the sequel, their mouth is filled with gravel ; 
 
 no very pleasant thing either to masticate or to swallow. 
 
 is adverbial here. 
 
 (18) Devices will be established by counsel; and with skilful 
 manaement make war. 
 
 iurra plur. fem. Nom. to "pari verb, sing., see 143. 3. 
 xvfiegviiaiG, pilotage, steering, management. It 
 indicates here a wary control ; and being the plur. of inten 
 sity, it of course indicates skilful management. If this be 
 lacking, success cannot well be expected. 
 
 (19) He who goeth about as a slanderer, revealeth secrets; and 
 therefore associate not with him who openeth his lips. 
 
 He who openeth his lips, is the same as the b^ ; for he 
 speaks much and often. n^nn , Hith., lit. mingle thyself, 
 here used as =.join thyself, and so it has b after it in nrjbb . 
 
 (20) He who treateth with contempt his father and his mother, his 
 lamp shall be quenched in the midst of darkness. 
 
 is the Kethibh, and is right. The Qeri substitutes 
 jsittSx for it, which is a Syr. word, meaning darkness. But 
 this is designated by TjuJn . Still, both words might be used 
 28 
 
326 PART 11-CiiAi*. XX. 2123. 
 
 to heighten the intensity. The Kethibh, however, is well 
 for "piriK means midst, central point; and hence (usually) 
 the pupil of the eye, because of its central position. The 
 meaning is, that his lamp will be extinguished, when he 
 needs it most, viz., when he is plunged in darkness. 
 
 (21) Wealth maybe suddenly acquired in the beginning, but the 
 end thereof will not be blessed. 
 
 Wealth suddenly acquired, is usually acquired by unjust 
 and deceitful dealings. But to make out such a sense, we 
 must read (with the Qeri) nbrpri , Pual Part. (Ti for n). 
 The Kethibh must come from bnin , which means to despise ; 
 and this will give no tolerable sense. Ges. therefore proposes 
 the same root in Arabic as our guide, which there means 
 to be avaricious ; and then he translates our text by opes 
 avaritia partae. But to say nothing of the change of mean 
 ing from he was avaricious (Arabic), to wealth acquired by 
 avarice, we may ask : How does such an interpretation agree 
 with at the beginning? In the common course of things, 
 avarice is a passion which nearly always increases by time. 
 But in this case, we are called on to suppose, that the wealthy 
 man was avaricious only at the outset ; and this is more than 
 we ought to believe, unless we are forced to do so. The other 
 meaning is much better, hastened, got hastily. Will not be 
 blessed, which is usually verified, in regard to large fortunes 
 acquired by improper means. The heirs commonly dissipate 
 the whole, and that within a moderate length of time. God s 
 blessing rests not on such wealth. 
 
 (22) Say not : I will repay evil; wait on Jehovah, and he will assist 
 thee. 
 
 This accords well with the tenor of the Sermon on the 
 Mount. Assist thee, ^b SIIPI ; so we may translate, for this 
 verb often means opem tulit. 
 
 (23) An abomination of Jehovah is a double weight ; and balances 
 
PART II CHAP. XX. 2427. 327 
 
 of deceit are not good. (24) From Jehovah are the steps of a man ; 
 how then can a man understand his way ? 
 
 For v. 23, see v. 10 above. V. 24, God guides the steps 
 of man, i. e. he chooses and arranges for him his path. rra 
 is interrogative here, and equivalent to a negative. Meaning : 
 Man cannot know or determine with certainty his own way, 
 since all is dependent on God. 
 
 (25) A rash utterance of consecration is a snare to a man ; and then, 
 afterwards, to inquire into his vows. 
 
 A verse of some difficulty. bs , if a verb here, seems = 
 fis ? , to speak rashly or hastily. With Ewald and Bertheau, 
 I should prefer the noun sb^ ; and so, in the version, have I 
 rendered it. The accent is here upon the first syllable ; and 
 this is its natural place, if the word is a noun. But if it be a 
 verb, how can we account for the accent on the first syllable ? 
 
 izKp , consecration, abstr. for concrete, and so = something 
 consecrated or vowed to God. Here, ta^a of the next clause 
 shows the meaning to be of such a tenor. Sentiment : 
 * Make no rash vows ; keep those which thou hast made, and 
 not reconsider so as to change them. Comp. Ecc. 5 : 3 (2) 
 
 a striking parallel. 
 
 (26) A wise king scattereth the wicked, and maketh the wheel to 
 turn upon them. 
 
 :*l, Hiph. of s*ita, with accent retracted, and final Tseri 
 shortened. *^x , wheel ; and in this connection, a wheel 
 employed to crush criminals. See the like in 2 Sam. 12 : 31. 
 1 Chron. 20 : 3. Amos 1 : 3. Perhaps the imagery stands 
 thus : * As the grain which is scattered, is rolled in ; so trans 
 gressors are scattered and crushed beneath the earth. As 
 we have no direct intimation elsewhere of punishing by the 
 wheel, we are left in some doubt here as to the modus in quo. 
 
 (27) A light of Jehovah is the soul of man; which searcheth his 
 innermost parts. 
 
328 PART H-CHAP. XX. 2830. 
 
 In other words : A light given by Jehovah, is the soul, 
 etc. naia? = daa , see Lex. It is the soul, which takes 
 cognizance of man s most secret thoughts. 
 
 (28) Mercy and truth will preserve the king ; and his throne will he 
 support by mercy. 
 
 Such qualities as are here mentioned, will make his throne 
 stable and secure, since they will call forth the love of the 
 people. 
 
 (29) The ornament of youth is their strength ; but the glory of old 
 men is their gray hairs. 
 
 Each season of life has its appropriate ornament and 
 excellence. ""irpb , lit. grayness. The version follows our 
 own idiom. 
 
 (30) Wounding stripes arc the remedy for the base ; and strokes 
 of the inner parts of the body. 
 
 Ironically said, p frap), as the Qeri has it, means the 
 rubbing of precious ointments over the body in the way of 
 cleansing and decoration. Tropically, the word may mean 
 remedy, in reference to the rubbing in of remedial ointments. 
 The base man requires a different application. His ointment 
 is a covering over with wounding stripes. Strokes of the 
 inner parts, are, of course, those which go down deep into the 
 body. The bad man s remedial applications, then, are not 
 fragrant salves or ointments, but the application of stripes 
 over the whole person, so severe that they penetrate deep 
 into the body. 
 
PART II CHAP. XXI. 14. 329 
 
 CHAP. XXL 131. 
 
 ( 1 ) As rivers of water, the heart of the king is in the hand of Jeho 
 vah ; he will incline it whithersoever he pleaseth. 
 
 The Heb. omits as ; and so oftentimes when the comparison 
 intended is very obvious. The image of turning, etc., is 
 derived from directing water-sluices, in the irrigation of land, 
 in whatever manner the husbandman wishes. As irrigation 
 is practised for the purpose of refreshing and rendering fruit 
 ful, so the implication seems here to be, that Jehovah will 
 direct the heart of the king to purposes of good. J|2E , Hiph. 
 Imperf. of nui , with suffix it, viz., the heart. 
 
 (2) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but Jehovah 
 pondereth hearts. (3) To do justice and judgment, is chosen by 
 Jehovah rather than sacrifice. 
 
 For v. 2, see 16 : 2, and comp. 16 : 25. 14 : 2. V. 3 com 
 pares well with the thorough spiritual views of Is. 1: 11 17. 
 Ps. 50 : 7 15. The b in nisr^b , coming after a passive, may 
 indicate the agent ( 140. 2. 151. e), i. e. it is Jehovah who 
 chooses. 
 
 (4) Loftiness of looks and pride of heart the light of the wicked, 
 is sin. 
 
 n*n and nrn are both of the Inf. const., and are here used 
 as abstracts. High looks, every one understands. But the 
 Heb. srn , lit. means being broad or wide = expansion. We 
 say : The heart swells or dilates with pride ; and this is the 
 Hebrew mode of expression. Hence the cause of dilation 
 (pride), is here designated by the effects which it produces. 
 . a = ia is properly light ; but this has a tropical meaning, 
 light being the symbol of joy. The word light is in apposition 
 with the preceding loftiness and pride, and is a further 
 description of the state of the wicked. It means here, their 
 joy, or that which is matter of joy. So that not only loftiness 
 28* 
 
330 PART II CHAP. XXI. 5, 6. 
 
 and pride are here said to be sin, but whatever is the object of 
 the rejoicing of the wicked, is also reckoned a sin ; plainly 
 because they delight in sinful objects. Light is here chosen to 
 express this, because loftiness and pride beam forth from the 
 eye, thus expressing the joy which they occasion. Sentiment : 
 The haughtiness of sinners, although a matter of joy to them, 
 is sin in the sight of God. Possibly rx^n may here mean 
 calamity, as it sometimes does (see Lex.) ; and then the 
 contrast is prominent: That in which the wicked rejoice, 
 will prove to be their calamity. This makes a facile sense. 
 I am aware that the word -rix is the one commonly employed, 
 for the tropical signification given above ; but light and lamp 
 are often employed as nearly synonymous in poetry. 
 
 (5) The plans of the diligent tend only to abundance; but every 
 one who is hasty, is tending only to poverty. 
 
 The diligent labors constantly, and in a prudent manner, 
 with a well-concerted plan ; but he who urges on (yx) with 
 haste to acquire a fortune, becomes poor. I have supplied 
 the word tends, in the version, because, in our tongue, the 
 manner of the verse would appear too abrupt, without some 
 appropriate supplement. Before j r x~b3, the noun m T^rra 
 (from the preceding clause) may be supplied. This done, 
 it will read thus : The thoughts of the diligent tend only 
 to abundance ; but [the thoughts] of every one who is hasty, 
 tend only to poverty. Comp. 28 : 20. 20 : 21. 
 
 (6) By a lying tongue is thei-e a winning of treasures; a fleeting 
 breath, are they who seek death. 
 
 bsb , not only work, but the reward of it, viz., the winning, 
 the revenue. v)^3 , chased, dispelled, referring to the manner 
 in which one breath succeeds another ; consequently, fleeting. 
 rvra-iiajsaB , usually translated as a Gen., viz., of those 
 who seek death. But if this were the meaning, then ffna 
 could not stand between the const, noun and the Gen. which 
 
PART II CHAP. XXI. 7, 8, 331 
 
 follows it. Grammar demands, therefore, another solution. 
 Rashi read, in his exemplar, ^lapiE , snares ; and this Ewald 
 and Bertheau prefer. The objections are, (a) This word 
 stands in no known text, (b) In this way, it is in apposi 
 tion with bnn , and certainly an unexpected epexegesis of it. 
 The breath chased away, would hardly match well with 
 deadly snares, which are laid down and fastened in their place. 
 More simple seems to me the version which I have given 
 above ; not however very confidently, for the passage is 
 obscure. I understand the sentiment to be, that * they who 
 use a lying tongue in order to acquire riches, are such as 
 seek their own death, for they shall be as a fleeting breath, 
 i. e. suddenly pass away. The particle of comparison is 
 indeed omitted ; but this is a matter of very frequent occur 
 rence. Those who seek death is fully explained by 8:36. 
 17: 19 ; on which see the remarks. The meaning is, that they 
 act like men bent upon their own destruction. The two 
 clauses of the verse do not directly correspond, in the way 
 either of antithesis or of parallelism ; but there is a remoter 
 correspondence, the first clause showing the evil committed, 
 the second the sudden and fatal consequences of it. 
 
 (7) Destruction shall sweep away the wicked; for they refuse to 
 do justice. 
 
 ifej has the sense here given to it, in Is. 13 : 6. Job 5 : 22 ; 
 and its root, Trr , often means to destroy. tni :p , Imperf. 
 Kal, of *na . The i is a mere fulcrum, and is very rarely 
 written in the Imperf. of verbs $3>, 66. n. 2. D is the 
 suffix. si2&w , Piel with Tseri, because X cannot take a 
 Daghesh. 
 
 (8) He who is altogether perverted as to his way, is a guilty man ; 
 hut as to the pure, his work is upright. 
 
 ^SsSrt , Pealal form from r^ , adj. in reg. with the noun 
 that follows, and intensive in its meaning, as is exhibited in 
 he version. *TM , unique, and of an unusual form. It is 
 
332 PART II CHAP. XXI. 911. 
 
 plainly an adjective, (comp. ^t which follows). The Arabic 
 gives us light here, inasmuch as the corresponding noun 
 there means crime, guilt. The older interpreters re 
 ferred the word to "it , stranger ; but without good reason. 
 "ftsB Berth, refers to the same meaning as in v. 6, viz., 
 winning, gain. But the consequences of actions are not here 
 compared ; it is the actions themselves, for these are signified 
 by Tff* in the first clause. Therefore work is the proper 
 translation. 
 
 (9) Better is it to dwell on the pinnacle of the roof, than with a 
 woman of strife and a house in common. 
 
 n|B , the turret at the corner of the roof, elevated above 
 the roof, and so the highest and most exposed part of the 
 house. Better is such a habitation, exposed to tempest and 
 cold, than a house in common with a brawling woman. 
 *on rva , lit. a house of association or companionship. Be 
 fore woman we may supply nn^j , and render thus : than 
 [dwelling with] a woman of strife, in one common house. 
 Comp. v. 19 below, where is the same sentiment, but with 
 variations of the diction. Comp. also 25 : 24. 
 
 (10) The soul of the wicked greedily desireth evil ; his friend will 
 not find compassion in his eyes. 
 
 That is, the wicked is so greedy for evil, that even his 
 friend will not be spared from being wronged. fini.X , in 
 Piel, and intensive. "jn^ = in^n , Hoph. of "jan . In the 
 text, the si is omitted in the writing, and of course Qibbuts 
 vicarious comes in its place. Lit. it means : be compassion 
 ated. 
 
 (11) By the punishment of the scorner, the simple will become 
 wise ; and hy admonition of the wise, he will acquire knowledge. 
 
 Bertheau : And when the wise man prospers, he [the simple 
 one] will acquire knowledge. Sine Minerva. The contrast 
 lies between the different ways and consequences of instruc- 
 
PART II-CnAP. XXI. 1216. 333 
 
 tion. A simpleton learns only by being impressed with a 
 fear of punishment; the wise man needs no more than 
 admonition. 
 
 (12) The Righteous One taketh cognizance of the house of the 
 wicked ; he will cast the wicked headlong into evil. 
 
 As what is here said cannot be attributed to a mere 
 righteous man, so the meaning must be as given in the ver 
 sion. C]Voia , to precipitate, to cast down headlong a very 
 strong word. 
 
 (13) He who stoppeth his ear from the cry of the poor, even he 
 shall cr aloud, and shall not be answered. 
 
 a , emphatic, even the very same. What he has done 
 to others, shall be done to him, in the way of retribution. 
 
 (14) A gift in secret averteth anger; and a bribe in the bosom 
 strong indignation. 
 
 The word fiB3 appears only here. The corresponding 
 Arabic (KSn) means to avert or divert. As this sense is a 
 good one here, we may accept it. A bribe in the bosom is 
 one clandestinely given, as in 17: 23. Before the last two 
 words, the verb of the preceding clause is of course implied. 
 
 (15) The doing of justice shall be a joy to the righteous; but 
 destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 
 
 The meaning is, that the righteous shall have joy and 
 peace because of doing justice ; while the contrary is true 
 of the wicked. His work brings destruction. 
 
 (16) A man who wandcreth from the way of discretion, shall dwell 
 among the assembly of the shades. 
 
 Assembly means those who are congregated in the world 
 of the dead. fi^KB n means the ghosts or shades which dwell 
 there ; comp. 2 : 18. 9 : 18. The wanderer from discretion 
 will speedily be with them, i. e. sudden death hangs over him. 
 
334 PART II CHAP. XXL 1721. 
 
 (17) A poor man who loveth pleasure, lie who loveth v;ine and oil, 
 shall not be rich. 
 
 The reason of this is obvious. He expends his property 
 on his objects of pleasure, and therefore lays up nothing. 
 
 (18) The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous; and in the 
 room of the upright shall be the treacherous. 
 
 That is, the wicked and treacherous shall bring on them 
 selves the evil which they intended to do to the righteous, 
 and thus their own destruction shall ransom the righteous 
 from the doom to which they had assigned him; comp. 11: 8. 
 
 (19) Better is dwelling in a desert-land, than [dwelling with] a 
 brawling and morose woman. 
 
 See v. 9. Here the diction only is varied ; but still it is 
 equally strong. The latter clause runs thus lit. : A woman 
 of strifes and of moroseness. Here again, as in v. 9, Pi5t 
 seems to be implied before ridx . 
 
 (20) Treasure to be desired and oil are in the habitation of the 
 wise but the foolish man devours it. 
 
 The treasure here seems to be an abundance of provision, 
 for treasure here spoken of is joined with oil. The word 
 extends to stores of all kinds, as well as to money laid up. 
 That is, the wise man will secure ample provision for 
 his household; the foolish man, (six ^ps? the foolish of 
 men, i. e. the most foolish}, will devour all he has, instead of 
 laying up some part of it in store. For phraseology, comp. 
 15 : 20. The suff. *$- refers to treasure, since it is in the 
 sing, number. 
 
 (21) He who pursueth after justice and mercy, shall find life, pros 
 perity, and honor. 
 
 To find life, is very significant ; but other words are 
 joined with it, in order to increase the intensity of the bless 
 ing promised. The second n^a I have translated by pros- 
 
PART II CHAP. XXI. 2226. 335 
 
 perity, because this is appropriate to the nature of the prom 
 ise. There is no doubt that n^7^f sometimes means salus 
 = prosperity ; and indeed it does so in many cases ; see 
 Lex. In this way we have a kind of paranomasia : * He 
 who practices njD is (as a matter of duty), shall receive 
 "i i: (as a matter of reward). 
 
 (22) A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty; and he bringeth 
 down its strong asylum. 
 
 Comp. the striking passage in Ecc. 9 : 13 16. City of 
 the mighty, is that which is defended by valiant men. Ti^> 
 (for ^n^ j , apoc. Hiph. of fc T^) 5 with accent retracted and 
 shortened final vowel, while * is written for > . In irniarra , 
 the n suff. should regularly have a Mappiq (fn), being a fern, 
 suff. relating to "P:? . The Masora notes the anomaly, but 
 does not explain it. First the walls of the city are scaled ; 
 and then comes the prostration of the strong citadel within, 
 the asylum of the inhabitants in a time of danger. 
 
 (23) He who guardetR. well his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his 
 soul from distresses. (24) A proud man puffed up scorner is his 
 name; he acteth with the arrogance of pride. 
 
 For v. 23, see 13 : 2. The inflated proud man, well de 
 serves the name of scorner, for he looks down on others 
 with scorn. So the last clause : he acts, or demeans himself, 
 with haughty arrogance. 
 
 (25) The sluggard s desire will destroy him ; for his hands refuse 
 to work. 
 
 That is, the sluggard s desire to enjoy slothful repose will 
 destroy him ; for in consequence of such an inclination his 
 hands refuse to labor, in order that he might obtain some 
 thing for his support. "r^sn , Hiph. of r.-l^a , with a suffix, 
 Gramm. p. 280, first col. B. 
 
 (26) Continually does he strongly desire ; but the righteous will 
 give, and will not withhold. 
 
836 PART II CHAP. XXI. 2729. 
 
 The sluggard (who is here in view) has a keen desire to 
 obtain possession of something, but he cannot obtain it. The 
 righteous, however, has laid up in store the fruit of his 
 labors, so that he can give, and even be liberal. 
 
 (27) The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much 
 more when he brings it with an evil design ! 
 
 The offering of the wicked is in itself unacceptable, be 
 cause he cherishes neither love nor reverence for God. But 
 when he brings it for the direct purpose of fraud, it becomes 
 still more odious. 
 
 (28) A lying witness shall perish ; but a man who hearkeneth, shall 
 speak forever. 
 
 Comp. 19 : 5, 9. Whosoever hearkcneth, viz., to wise and 
 good counsel, and so becomes instructed and steadfast the 
 same may speak always, and find confidence put in what he 
 says. In Ps. 63 : 7 it is said : " The mouth of him that 
 speaketh lies shall be stopped." The sincere listener to 
 divine commands, on the other hand, will ever be at liberty 
 to speak. 
 
 (29) A wicked man maketh up an impudent face ; but as to the 
 upright he will establish his ways. 
 
 I prefer the Kethibh in the last clause, which must be 
 pointed thus : Ta^n T^ The Masorites (in Qeri) read : 
 I S^n 1*1^ , he will understand his way. Either gives a good 
 sense ; but I prefer the Kethibh as most significant. The 
 first clause says, that a wicked man will act impudently, 
 meaning that he will utter impudent and bitter language 
 without consideration ; the second (if we take the Kethibh) 
 says, that the upright man will choose a stable and consid 
 erate course. The Qeri, on the other hand, would solve the 
 matter thus : The impudent man acts without consideration ; 
 the upright one understands and considers what he is about 
 to utter. 
 
PART II CHAP. XXII. 1, 2. 337 
 
 (30) There is no wisdom nor intelligence, nor is there any counsel, 
 like to Jehovah. 
 
 I|j3b may mean against. But this does not seem to be the 
 design of the verse. The writer means to say, that com 
 pared with the divine wisdom, etc., there is no other to be 
 mentioned. Probably T.%3 is to be mentally supplied before 
 Jehovah ; for this will make the whole run smoothly. Many 
 take iwb as = 133? , in the view of. But the other sense is 
 more significant. 
 
 (31 ) The horse is prepared for the day of battle ; but unto Jehovah 
 belongeth deliverance. 
 
 All the boasted preparations of man for victory in battle, 
 are vain without the help of God, to whom belongeth victory 
 or deliverance. This expands the sentiment of the pre 
 ceding verse. "J3^> Part. Hoph. of "3. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 116. 
 
 [It will be seen, that the series, beginning with X., ends here with v. 
 16. There is an admonition, in v. 17, of a transition to another cate 
 gory, viz., to the WORDS or THE WISE. This last, as it appears, 
 actually comprises several subordinate collections of Proverbs. See 
 Introduction, 7.] 
 
 (1) A good name is better than much wealth, and kind favor than 
 silver and gold. 
 
 In Hebrew, cd of itself sometimes means good name; 
 just as when we say in English : He has made for himself 
 a name. Comp. Ecc. 7:1. Job 30 : 8. nrj ",ri , lit. means 
 good or kind favor. 
 
 (2) The rich and the poor meet together : the Maker of them all is 
 Jehovah. 
 
 aBS, Niph. designating reciprocal action, like lanbs, 
 50. 2. b. For the Qamets in a, see 29. 4. b. For senti 
 ment, compare 14:31. 17:5. Meaning: Men, whether 
 29 
 
338 PART II CHAP. XXII. 36. 
 
 rich or poor, have in common the same Creator, and stand 
 in the same relation to him. 
 
 (3) The wary seeth the evil and hideth himself: but the simple 
 rush on, and are punished. 
 
 The vowels in "WD y] belong to the Qeri, "inori. The 
 Kethibh should be pointed thus : IPS*! , which is the prefer 
 able reading, since 1 is then consequential, as it should be 
 here, and the verb is reciprocal. Sentiment : The wary 
 shun evil ; the unwary rush into it, and are compelled to 
 suffer the consequences. 
 
 (4) On account of humility the fear of Jehovah are riches, and 
 honor, and long life. 
 
 The fear of Jehovah, is in apposition with humility, arid the 
 absence of the conjunc. 1 between them, is indicative of this, 
 for it shows that not accession, but further description, is 
 designed. True humility comes only with the fear of God; 
 they are inseparably connected ; and such is the view of the 
 writer, in the passage before us. 
 
 (5) Thorns snares are in the way of the perverse man ; he who 
 regardeth his life will remove far from them. 
 
 He keeps far away, who avoids the path of the perverse ; 
 for in that path he will certainly encounter them. 
 
 (6) Train up a child according to his way; even when he is old, he 
 will not depart from it. 
 
 1 "! 1 ! is very significant here. It means the bent of his 
 mind or inclinations, the capacity which he has to pursue 
 this occupation or that. Our English version : In the way 
 he should go. Many a good sermon, and much excellent 
 advice, have been founded on the text thus translated, and 
 one feels a kind of regret to part with a precept so excellent. 
 Yet the Hebrew can be made to mean no :.iore, than that 
 the child should be educated or trained up I .u- usefulness, in 
 
PART II CHAP. XXII. 7, 8. 339 
 
 such a way as the bent of his genius ("S^n, his own way, or 
 the way which he chooses) indicates that he ought to be 
 trained. In other words : Caique suiun. As ^"fl can 
 mean only the way of the child, the morale couched under 
 the phrase he should go, finds in reality no proper place 
 here, although the sentiment in itself is excellent, and 
 agreeable to the tenor of the Scriptures. An interpreter s 
 business is rather to inquire what is said, than to conjecture, 
 however ingeniously or piously, what ought to be said. 
 FiSEra , with a fern. suff. relating to rp ri , which is here fem 
 inine, and is in fact of the common gender. The last clause 
 shows the strong hold education has upon the young, when 
 it is suited to their capacities. 
 
 (7) The rich shall rule over the poor, and the borrower shall be a 
 servant to the lender. 
 
 This has no respect to civil rule, but to predominating 
 and superior influence. The lender has power to reduce 
 the borrower to servitude, in case he delays to repay the 
 loan which is due. 
 
 (8) He who soweth mischief, shall reap calamity; and the rod of 
 
 his insolence shall perish. 
 
 The rod of his insolence, is the rod which he has employed 
 in his insolent treatment of others. Or the more usual inter 
 pretation of irra:?, viz., his indignation, may be received; 
 in which case, the rod is that which, when angry, he em 
 ployed to chastise others. Compare Is. 14: 6. n^, con 
 sume away, perish ; but Ges. (in Lex.) : the rod . . . is 
 prepared for him. But nbs , to be complete, to come to an 
 end, can hardly be turned into the shape of preparing any 
 thing. The rod of the insolent shall perish, and leave him 
 destitute of means to inflict farther injury. J. H. Michaelis 
 states the sentiment thus : u tandem consumetur, nt vicissim 
 caedatur," i. e. his rod shall perish, that in his turn he may 
 
340 PART II CHAP. XXII. 911. 
 
 be scourged. It is doubtful whether this last clause is 
 implied here. ^p 1 ? , before Maqqeph, with short o, and 
 a 1 redundant, being retained here, because it was so written 
 in the ground-form without the vowels. 
 
 (9) He who hath a kindly eye he shall be blessed; for he hath 
 given of his bread to the poor. 
 
 p2 sia, is said of him who looks on others (as we also 
 say) with an eye of compassion. He will give charities, and 
 then he will be blessed for his beneficence by those who 
 receive it. So the latter part of the verse explains the first 
 clause. 
 
 (10) Expel the scorner and strife will depart; yea, contention and 
 shame will cease. 
 
 As the scorner is the cause of strife, so his departure will 
 make it to cease. "pb^ doubtless refers to the shameful and 
 reproachful words and doings which contention provokes. 
 
 (11) He who loveth purity of heart is gentle of speech, his friend 
 is the king. 
 
 Bertheau says of this verse, that it is sehr schwer, very diffi 
 cult. So it would seem, if we look at the diversity among 
 commentators. Yet the sentiment does not appear to be 
 obscure. It runs thus : He that cherishes pure intentions, 
 and uses gentle and decorous language, will be regarded 
 with a friendly eye by the king. *nn:i (i redundant) in 
 the const, state, from ^sirtB = purity, whether we regard it 
 as a noun, or as a neuter adjective, which amounts to the 
 same thing. There is no 1 before "jn, and it is probably 
 because of apposition that it is omitted. The words of the 
 apposition, in this case, however, are not merely explana 
 tory, but constitute an accession. The 1 might be employed 
 here, but for brevity s sake, it can also be omitted. Lips 
 = language. Michaelis : l Whoever loves purity, grace [i. e. 
 gracious or acceptable] will be his lips* and the king will be 
 
PART II CHAP. XXII. 1215. 341 
 
 his friend Not badly; but the version above is perhaps 
 more significant. In it, gentleness (abst.) is made = gentle 
 (concrete). It is not a certain consequence, as a matter of 
 course, that purity of heart will make gracious lips, i. e. 
 gentle and persuasive language, as the version of Michaelis 
 would seem to imply. These are sometimes separated. 
 
 (12) The eyes of Jehovah guard knowledge ; but he will make the 
 words of the treacherous to rush headlong. 
 
 Knowledge must here be the abstract for concrete = the 
 knowing, the intelligent. A comparison with the second 
 clause leads to the idea, that it is what the intelligent say or 
 teach, which will be guarded and defended; while that 
 which is uttered by the treacherous, will be frustrated or 
 brought to ruin. 
 
 (13) The sluggard saith : There is a lion in the streets; in the 
 midst of the broad ways shall I be slain. 
 
 Meaning : The sluggard will make all possible objections 
 to exertion, and even invent ridiculous excuses for not 
 betaking himself to active duties. 
 
 (14) A deep pit is the mouth of strange women; he who is 
 abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein. 
 
 The idea is, that what the mouth of such women utters, 
 is destructive as a deep pit to the unwary youth. wst, 
 Part. pass, in reg., the abhorred, or object of indignation. 
 -?15" ; , Imperf. of ^23 , with short o, and 1 redundant again. 
 The 1 belongs only to the form of bis 1 ? ; and even here, it is 
 no more than a mere fulcrum. 
 
 (15) Tolly is bound up in the heart of a child ; the rod of chastise 
 ment Avill remove it from him. 
 
 A general truth, which shows the extent of human cor 
 ruption a corruption which can be curbed only by chas 
 tisement. The pronoun suff. it refers to folly ; him to the 
 
 child. 
 
 29* 
 
342 PART III CHAP. XXII. 17. 
 
 (16) He who oppresscth the poor to make increase for himself, 
 giveth to the rich surely to his own want. 
 
 Wealth obtained by oppression, will in the end bring 
 poverty. God blesses not such wealth, and therefore it 
 cannot endure. Giveth to the rich, i. e. to himself, who is 
 made rich by oppression ; and because it is given to such a 
 rich person, whose evil doings will bring calamity on him, 
 such wealth as is thus acquired, will tend only to impover 
 ishment in the end. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 [Thus endeth the SECOND DIVISION of the book of Proverbs, con 
 taining chaps, x xxii. 16. What follows in Part III., is miscella 
 neous down to chap. xxv. It is collected from different sources, and 
 might have the title which is proffered to us in v. 17, viz., THE 
 WORDS OF THE WISE. The divisions under this category are some 
 what peculiar, and are thus distinguished : (a) 22 : 17 21, exhortation 
 to hearken to the words of the wise, with reasons for so doing, and 
 with a reference to what has already been said, (b) 22 : 22 23 : 11, 
 containing ten warnings, mostly comprised in two verses for each, 
 (c) 23 : 12 24: 2, ten more warnings of the like form, (d) 24 : 3 
 22, consists of twenty verses, among which are seven couplets ; three 
 single verses; and three more together as one, viz., vs. 10 12. 
 (e) 24 : 23 34, a small supplement, with a separate title, and probably 
 derived from a different source. These are not marked by any special 
 ity of arrangement. See a more particular account of these divisions, 
 in the Introduction, 7.] 
 
 (a) 22: 17 21. (Introduction.) 
 
 (17) Incline thine ear and hear the WORDS OF THE WISE; and 
 apply thy mind unto my knowledge. 
 
 ran , apoc. Imp. Hiph. of n^3 . rodn , Hipk Imperf. 
 second pers. used for the Imper. My knowledge, means 
 that which I possess and communicate. This knowledge is 
 
PART III CHAP. XXII. 1820. 343 
 
 derived from the words of the wise, and it is worthy of, and 
 demands, earnest attention. 
 
 (18) For it is comely when tliou dost keep them in thine inner 
 part ; [when] they are altogether fixed upon thy lips. 
 
 Keep them, viz., the words of the wise. Thine inner part, 
 i. e. the innermost recesses of the mind. Fixed altogether 
 upon thy lips, means that the words of the wise should be so 
 thoroughly considered and learned, that the learner will 
 have them then all as it were upon his lips, that is, be 
 always ready to speak of them, or to recite them. We 
 express the like idea by saying : Learn by heart, i. e. make 
 them quite familiar. i^rn , unitedly, altogether, i. e. the 
 whole of them, each and every one of them. 
 
 (19) That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [themj 
 known to thee, this day, even to thee. (20) Have I not written to 
 thee heretofore, concerning counsel and knowledge ? 
 
 V. 19, Even to thee, fins da, in the same case as 5j the 
 suff. of the verb, and in apposition with it, being a case of 
 the pronoun repeated for the sake of intensity ; see 119. 3. 
 I have translated to thee, in accordance with our English 
 idiom. Even to thee means, that his present communication 
 is designed specially for the person addressed, and not pri 
 marily for another. To-day = now, that is, at the time 
 when he was writing. V. 20, the Kethibh reads diizsbiB, 
 which, in other cases, is accompanied by Visin , the latter 
 meaning yesterday, and the former lit. the day before yester 
 day. But diiabd is not confined to this specific meaning, 
 but has also a more general meaning, viz,., formerly, in time 
 past, ante hac. That such a sense is here needed, the anti 
 thesis in di*fi shows. The former writing probably means 
 the previous portions of this book. In this way, all is facile 
 and plain. But when, with many others, we write d^bis 
 (so the Qeri), and translate it three times or threefold = often- 
 
344 PART III CHAP. XXII. 2123. 
 
 times ; or three things = the Law, the Prophets, and the 
 Hagiography ; it looks strange the last looks passing 
 strange. Nor is it mended, by Deriving the word from 
 ^itHp iJ, third, which is sometimes equivalent to leader or 
 prince, and in this way the plur. in our text comes to mean 
 princely things [?]. All these are unnecessary, and in fact 
 are incongruous. The first verb rprn^in , rendered as Perf., 
 means that he has already determined on the communication 
 to be made. If the simple Present were intended here, we 
 should have 
 
 (21) To make thec know the truth of faithful words ; that thou 
 mightest make answer with words which are truth, to those who sent 
 thee. 
 
 BX, in the second clause, are the Ace. of instru 
 mentality or of manner, and are in apposition, as exhibited 
 in the version. rvax is inserted merely in order to define 
 and qualify the preceding word DI IEX . We might render 
 it simply true, faithful. The version above gives more ex 
 actly the shape of the original. ^pnbiub is regarded by 
 Berth, as plur. of excellence, as in ijnx . It seems to refer 
 to the king, or to some superior, to whom answer or report 
 is to be made ; see 10 : 26. 
 
 [Next follow, in (b), ten warnings, the major part of which is com 
 prised in two verses each. But vs. 23 : 9, and 28, 29, each contains 
 a complete gnome in itself; and 23: 1 3 and 6 8, each comprises 
 three verses linked together by the sense. These artistic combina 
 tions are manifestly the effect of design and arrangement. One half 
 of the ten consists of couplets, two are triplets, and three are single. 
 They seem to be intermingled for the purpose of variety in manner.] 
 
 (22) Rob not the poor, because he is poor ; and oppress not the 
 afflicted in the gate ; (23) For Jehovah will plead their cause ; and he 
 will despoil those, who rob them of life. 
 
 V. 22, Because he is poor, and therefore cannot resort to 
 the courts of justice for retribution. In the gate, i. e. in the 
 
PART III CHAP. XXII. 2428. 345 
 
 place where courts are held, and causes decided. V. 23, If 
 thou shalt oppress, Jehovah will be their advocate and vin 
 dicator. tni"i, the plur. suff. refers to b n, but this is 
 generic, i. e. a noun of multitude. law , Ace. of limitation, 
 116. 3. 
 
 (24) Associate not with him who is prone to anger ; and have no 
 intercourse with the man who is hastily provoked ; (25) Lest thou 
 learn his ways, and get a snare for thy soul. 
 
 V. 24, rnrn , apoc. Hithp. of rt:n ; the full form would be 
 ^7^ ^ ^55 > master of anger is said of one prone to 
 anger. So nrcn ^N; , its counterpart, is very significant, lit. 
 : a man of indignations, the plur. being plainly intensive, 
 which is virtually expressed in the version. nisn J& , is 
 rendered by Bertheau : come not [together] with the man, etc. 
 But N13, followed by with (as here), means: consuetudinem 
 inire ; Ges. Lex. 1. e. The version is not literal, but ad 
 sensum. It is hardly necessary to insert the word together. 
 tnn^b , thou take, obtain, get. But what is the snare ? It 
 is the example of passionate demeanor, which, if copied, will 
 prove dangerous to a man s life. 
 
 (26) Be not with those who strike hands ; with those who pledge 
 themselves for debts ; (27) If thou hast nothing to pay, why should 
 he take th bed from under thee ? 
 
 Comp. 6 : 1 4. nisOBia , tribute, but here debts, quasi 
 tribute to the creditor. Why should he (i. e. the creditor) 
 take thy bed? i. e. for debt. All but necessary clothing could 
 be taken for debt. We should count a bed as a part of this ; 
 but in Palestine, a bed was merely a cushion or piece of 
 carpet, for the most part, and it could be replaced by other 
 substances, which would make a comfortable layer, in that 
 warm country. 
 
 (28) Move not back the ancient boundary, which thy fathers made. 
 If the literal sense be intended, then its parallel may be 
 
346 PART III CHAP. XXIII. 13. 
 
 found in Dent. 19: 14. 27 : 17. But I take the leading 
 sense to be tropical here = Change not the ancient and 
 approved usages of the fathers. labte , ancient time. The 
 verse here makes a sense complete in itself, and it needs no 
 supplement. itBn , Hiph. of Sii , with shorter form, and 
 hortative, 52. 2. n. 4. 
 
 (29) Seest thou a man dexterous in his work, he shall take his 
 stand before kings, and not before obscure men. 
 
 A verse of triplex form ; which is unusual here. In 
 taxbri, the K is otiant. The word is contracted from 
 taxbE , by throwing the vowel of the X , in this last word, 
 back on the preceding letter. In other words : The skil 
 fully industrious, or dexterous, will become rich, so as to 
 attract the notice and friendship of kings. t3">3rn Part, 
 adj. of the Pulal form, and intensive. This verse also is 
 complete in itself and independent. 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 110. 
 
 (1) When thou sittcst down to dine with a ruler, consider well what 
 is before thee; (2) For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, if thou 
 hast a keen appetite. (3) Do not crave his choice viands, for they 
 will be bread of deceit. 
 
 V. 1, "pin "ps, 128.3. Umbreit renders *\vx, whom, 
 i. e. consider that you are before a superior a possible 
 sense, but not the most appropriate. V. 2, For thou wilt 
 put a knife to thy throat, etc., that is, thou wilt incur great 
 danger, etc. The ground of danger is disclosed, which is, 
 that the individual who has a keen appetite, will not be 
 likely to restrain it. 3 bs 2 , possessor of appetite, indi 
 cates such an individual. The danger from a keen appetite, 
 with attractive viands set before it, is obvious. A man will 
 almost of course feed gluttonously ; and so doing, he will 
 
PART 111 CHAP. XXIII. 48. 347 
 
 degrade himself, for he will appear like a starveling, in the 
 eyes of the ruler. 
 
 V. 3, ixrri , apoc. Hithp. of riix , the ix- at the end is an 
 unusual form, employed instead of ix- , the latter conform 
 ing to rule, 74. n. 9, Kttv \,for it what ? The preced 
 ing noun is plural, and the anomaly seems to have escaped 
 the commentators. I see no other solution, than by supply 
 ing mentally a word which comprises the generic sense of 
 food; and the context naturally supplies bri< esca = viands. 
 Bread of deceit, because the delicacies are so appetizing 
 as to mislead and deceive. Here three verses are closely 
 connected, in one admonition. 
 
 (4) Do not weary thyself in order to become rich ; cease from thine 
 own understanding. (5) AVilt thou suffer thine eyes to fly toward 
 it ? It is indeed no more ; for it will surely make to itself wings, and 
 like an eagle fly away toward heaven. 
 
 V. 4, Cease from reliance on thine own sagacity ; for it 
 cannot secure the object in view. V. 5, in rjisrti the Ji is 
 interrogative ; and the verb, in conformity to the Qeri, 
 should be written ~"C n, in Hiph. Wilt thou suffer thine 
 eyes to fly to it ? viz., riches, TI> implied, or the "i^Sft of v. 
 4 ; and to fly to it, means, to look at it eagerly and often, with 
 animated or swfft glances, For lil !~!b2, see 128. 3. 
 -rras , without the article ; which more usually stands after 
 3. Fto^ , Bertheau converts into Cps 1 ], = and a bird; but 
 the Qeri is better, viz., r^ , will fly. His method of con 
 struction leaves the clause destitute of any verb of motion, 
 which should precede E^ i n , i. e. toward heaven. The 
 word D^BiSft is here used adverbially, as designating place. 
 
 (6) Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye; aud desire not 
 his choice viands; (7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he; eat 
 and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart it not with thee. (8) Thy 
 morsel which thou hast ea^en thou shalt vomit it up, and then thou 
 shalt lose thy sweet words. 
 
348 PART III CHAP. XXIIL 9 1L 
 
 V. 6, l^S 1 S n , lit. evil of eye, i. e. one who has a malignant 
 design in view. ixriFi , as in v. 3 above. V. 7, ^15123 , not 
 elsewhere in Heb. as a verb, which has occasioned some 
 trouble among critics. The Sept. read "is-to , hair ; the Chald. 
 1515 , yafe ; and others have given other meanings, none of 
 which suit the passage. The meaning given above is 
 vouched for by the Chald. "isd , to think. Sentiment : The 
 true character of the host is indicated, not by his language, 
 which is all comity, but by his designs. V. 8, fisSoptn , 
 Hiph. of xip, with a suff. fern, relating to ^fi5 , which is fern. 
 WTj3i , Piel of r.hia , with n radical written by Daghesh 
 in the suff. formative n . The sweet words are those, which 
 invited and which caress the guest at the feast. They are 
 lost to the guest, since he vomits up his food, through dis 
 gust, and loses all pleasure in the entertainment. Senti 
 ment : Beware of flattering and deceitful men, who show 
 you special civility only to mislead you, and to put you off 
 your guard. Their courtesies will be loathed, when their 
 real design comes to be known. Here are three connected 
 verses again. 
 
 (9) Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom 
 of thy words. 
 
 That is, waste not your time in addressing him, who 
 despises all you have to say. " Cast not your pearls before 
 swine." 
 
 (10) Bemove not the ancient boundary; nor go into the fields of 
 orphans ; ( 1 1 ) For their Redeemer is mighty ; he will plead their 
 cause with thee. 
 
 V. 10, Take not possession of the orphan s field by en 
 larging the bounds of thine own, so as to encroach upon 
 him. Think not that he has no vindicator ; for an Almighty 
 One will plead his cause. With thee, i. e. in contest with 
 thee. Here again is the couplet, i. e. two connected verses ; 
 and this completes the first series of ten admonitions, 
 
PART III CHAP. XXIII. 1218. 349 
 
 (c) Ten more admonitions, of unequal length, 23 : 12 24 : 2. 
 
 (12) Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ear to the words of 
 knowledge. 
 
 This is merely an exhortation to attend diligently to the 
 instruction which he is about to communicate, and does not 
 belong properly to the ten admonitions. "iDlsb , with the 
 article, because the specific instruction of the teacher who 
 warns, is here meant. 
 
 (13) Withhold not chastisement from the child, for shouldest thou 
 smite him with the rod, he will not die. (14) Do thou smite him 
 with the rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from the world beneath. 
 
 The child, with the article, which refers .to the child of the 
 person addressed ; and so with the rod, i. e. the appropriate 
 rod of a teacher. "now has the sense of chastisement here, 
 as the sequel shows ; in v. 12, the meaning is different. 
 133n , 2d pers. Imperf. Hiph. of nsa , with a suffix. Deliver 
 his soul, etc., i. e. save him (by amending his life) from 
 sudden and unexpected death. ( Two verses in admonition 
 first.) 
 
 (15) My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine. 
 (16) And my reins shall exult, when thy lips shall utter things 
 upright. 
 
 qx ca, a repetition of the suff. *- in *sb , see 119. 3, 
 and comp. Prov. 22 : 19. Reins, is only a variation of the 
 diction, the meaning being equivalent to that of heart. 
 Things upright, can be spoken only by the truly wise. 
 (Admon. 2, in two verses.) 
 
 (17) Let not thy heart envy sinners ; much rather, be in the fear 
 of Jehovah continually. (18) For if there is a hereafter, thine expec 
 tation shall not be cut off. 
 
 Umbreit renders iXSiff} by being zealous for ; but this would 
 demand \> after it, while here we have a , which gives the 
 
 30 
 
S50 PART III CHAP. XXIII. 1922. 
 
 verb the sense disclosed in the version ; see in 3 : 31. 24: 
 19. The ex 13, in v. 17, there meaning much rather, differs 
 from the same in v. 18, where ^3 is causal, and CK means if 
 conditional, not dubitative. Suppose we say: If God 
 lives, we will do so and so, we mean not to express a doubt 
 of his existence, but a conditionally which we regard as a 
 certainty. So here, if there is a hereafter, implies that the 
 writer regards it as certain that there is one. But what is 
 n-nn.x ? A hereafter is the literal sense. But is it the hour 
 of death? Or that which comes after that hour? The end, 
 or hereafter, must at least mean here, the end of trials and 
 of sins. But this comes only with the end of life. The 
 hereafter, then, seems to be that of the future world. If not, 
 what is that hope which will not be disappointed ? All 
 hope of stable peace and joy in this world, is surely falla 
 cious ; but the hope now in question is not so ; see and 
 comp. 24: 14, 20. (Two verses again in division 3.) 
 
 (19) Do thou hear, my son, and be wise, and make thy heart go 
 onward in the way. (20) Be not among those who greedily swallow 
 down wine, among those who are prodigal of flesh for their gratifica 
 tion. (21) For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to want ; 
 and slumbering shall clothe with rags. 
 
 V. 19, The way, with article, i. e. the way which he is 
 marking out. V. 20, ^Vt , prodigal, i. e. consuming large 
 quantities. "i~b , lit. for them, i. e. for their own gratifica 
 tion, Dat. commodi. c^p , second Ace. after i^abrn , 135. 
 3. a. The direct Ace. of the main object is omitted in the 
 Hebrew, but is easily supplied, viz., one, man. Our idiom 
 obliges us to supply a with, in such cases of second Ace. 
 We may, however, imitate the Hebrew here, by translating 
 thus : shall put on rags. (Three verses.) 
 
 (22) Hearken to thy father who begat thee ; and despise not thj 
 mother when she is old. 
 
 fit , who, a relative here, which is unusual ; see Lex. No 
 2. Who begat thee, describes the relation, and implies the 
 
PART III CHAP. XXIII. 23-28. 351 
 
 consequent obligation to hearken. This is implied, too, in 
 the case of the mother. Despise not is meiosis, i. e. a neg 
 ative for a positive precept. It means therefore the same 
 as, Pay her all the deference which is due. (No. 4, one.) 
 
 (23) Buy the truth, and sell it not ; wisdom, and instruction, and 
 understanding. 
 
 Buy, means acquire, obtain, nap . Sell it not, i. e. prize 
 it so highly, that no consideration will induce you to part 
 with it. The last three nouns have nap implied before 
 them ; and the description thus becomes cumulative, in order 
 to include every species of wisdom and instruction. (No. 6, 
 one verse.) 
 
 (24) The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice ; and he who 
 begetteth one that is wise, shall verily have joy in him. (25) Thy 
 father and thy mother shall rejoice ; yea, she who bore thee shall have 
 
 joy- 
 
 V. 24, ^iP b^j, is the Qeri, and also in several Mss. The 
 Kethibh must be pointed thus : blip bia . Both forms are 
 normal, that of the Qeri is more common. The intensity 
 which this phraseology designates, is expressed in the ver 
 sion. The nb h here reads in the Qeri, iVli 1 ]; hence the 
 Sheva in the text, which now stands without any consonant, 
 is designed for the marginal word. That consonant, ("i), the - 
 Qeri supplies ; and rightly. Hence, in the Qeri, the 1 be 
 fore n^b"; (now written in the Kethibh) is dropped. The 
 sentiment of v. 24 seems to be repeated in v. 25, for the sake 
 of emphasis on intensity. (No. 7, two verses.) 
 
 (26) My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes take pleasure in 
 my ways. (27) For a deep ditch is a harlot ; and the strange woman 
 a narrow pit. (28) Yea, she like a robber will lie in wait; and the 
 treacherous amon men will she increase. 
 
 V. 26, the Kethibh would be pointed nas^n = 
 from n^ . But the Qeri has naiszn (from law), which means : 
 
352 PART III-CHAP. XXIII. 29, 30. 
 
 shall watch over, or observe. The last is more congruous ; 
 the first more intense. V. 27, a narrow pit, into which if 
 one falls, he cannot get out. V. 28, cirn , lit. robbery, but 
 here the abstract is put for the concrete = robber. Or we 
 may suppose that it stands for ^rn d">x . The treacherous 
 will she increase, i. e. by her wily arts of allurement, she 
 brings her wooers within her influence, and subjects them to 
 her demands ; so that they betake themselves to fraud and 
 treachery, in order to procure wherewith to pay the price of 
 their unlawful pleasures. (No. 8, three verses.) 
 
 (29) Who hath wo ? Who hath sorrow ? Who hath strifes ? Who 
 hath solicitude ? Who hath wounds without cause ? Who hath 
 blurred ees ? 
 
 The designed assonance in "<ix and ^ias is very palpable. 
 ills is our exclamation Oh ! in the way of expressing an 
 guish. lins is first poverty (root -"iSX, No. 2), then misery 
 or sorrow. rpto is deep and earnest thought or reflection, 
 when the mind is agitated ; and so, solicitude. Wounds 
 without cause, are such as a man in any way inflicts on him 
 self, by his own folly. Blurred eyes, are the unfailing ac 
 companiment of drunkenness. rfib^Dr] , lit. means obscurity, 
 darkness. The repetition of ^xb , to whom? gives energy 
 and vivacity to the questions. 
 
 (30) Those who tarry long over the wine; those who enter in to 
 make trial of mingled drink. 
 
 For the first clause, comp. Is. 5: 11, where the same 
 expression occurs. Long sessions for compotation, is the 
 usual custom of drunkards. D^Jta , enter in, i. e. into the 
 house where wine is kept. "&"? 1 ? wine mingled, viz., with 
 intoxicating spices or drugs a common resort of drunk 
 ards. This is wholly different from the mingled wine of 
 Wisdom in 9 : 2. The mixture there is with water or milk, 
 or with both of them. In Heb., the ^ is prefixed to both 
 
PART III CHAP. XXIII. 3134. 353 
 
 of the participles, in order to answer the previous question, 
 *Bb ? But we need not follow out this as to the form of 
 the answer, since we have not adopted it in translating the 
 questions ; for these are rendered by : iv/to hath ? 
 
 (31) Look not on the wine, when it scenieth beautifully red. when 
 it sparkleth in the cup, when it goeth down smoothly. 
 
 son , apoc. Imperf. Kal of nx"n ; see 74. n. 3. b. t^xn- ; , 
 shows itself as ruddy. In the version, an additional shade is 
 given to the meaning, which seems here to be indicated by 
 the verb. Sparkleth, Heb. gives its eye, which tropically 
 designates what we call sparHing. The sparkles resemble 
 the pupils of little eyes. The Kethibh 0^2 , purse, would 
 make no tolerable sense here. The Qeri D"i3 is the true 
 reading. Ti -rjrH 9 oes along, i. e. goes down the throat. 
 Smoothly, lit. evenly, i. e. with no roughnesses ; Vulg. Uande. 
 The smoothness here spoken of, is highly appreciated by 
 wine-drinkers, and is called by them mellowness. 
 
 (32) In its sequel, it will bite like a serpent, and sting like a viper. 
 
 ^tth (in pause), Imperf. Kal of "^ In this verse, the 
 article is twice omitted after the 3 of comparison ; which 
 seems to be poetic or gnomic license. The images of the 
 sequel of drunkenness, are vivid and impressive. 
 
 (33) Thine eyes shall see strange women : and thy heart shall utter 
 perverse things. 
 
 Intoxicating drink excites to lust. Hence strange women 
 will be sought after. Of course, the heart of an intoxicated 
 person utters he knows not what, and usually all manner of 
 perverse things. 
 
 (34) And thou shalt be as one who lieth down in the midst of the 
 sea ; as one who licth on the mast-head. 
 
 The lying down, means sleeping, or endeavoring to sleep. 
 Midst of the sea, implies the midst of a rolling sea, which is 
 30* 
 
354 PART III CHAP. XXIV. 1, 2. 
 
 agitated by the wind. In such a condition, a stupid, careless 
 sleeper may easily be rolled overboard. More exposed still 
 is he, if he sleep at mast-head, where the rocking or reeling is 
 much more violent. The imagery here is more impressive 
 and terrible, than that of the preceding verse. 
 
 (35) " They have smitten me, [saith he], but I am not sick; they 
 have beaten me, and I have not known it ; when I shall wake up, I 
 will seek it yet again ! " 
 
 Words put into the mouth of the inebriate. He does not 
 apprehend any danger. His friends warn him of sickness 
 and blows and wounds ; but he derides them in the language 
 of the text. They have smitten me, (you say), but I am 
 not made sick ; they have beaten me, (you say), but I have 
 felt no bruises. No ; I will not hear your advice ; but as soon 
 as I have slept, I will again seek the cup. This seems to 
 import, that what he utters, is said under the influence of 
 much wine ; for he calculates on a sleep, before he shall be 
 able again to seek his T^"? What he says, is in contempt or 
 ridicule of the admonitions of friends ; and the resolve to 
 seek the cup again, shows in a striking manner the indomitable 
 appetite of the inebriate. rp&i x here simply makes the 
 sense of again, or repetition, being put before another verb, 
 139. 3. 1). Tis, farther, strengthens this assertion, in 
 respect to renewing his potations. A vivid picture of the 
 dangers and progress of the drunkard. (No. 9 has seven 
 verses.) 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 1, 2. 
 
 (1) Be not envious of evil men ; desii e not to be with them. (2) 
 For their heart meditateth violence : and mischief do their lips speak. 
 
 V. 1, for the first clause, comp. 23: 17. ixrfa, see on 
 23 : 3. V. 2, for mi-n , comp. 15 : 28. (No. 10, two verses.) 
 
PART III CHAP. XXIV. 3-7. 355 
 
 (d) Chap. XXIV. 322. 
 
 [This division is separated from the preceding one, by no definitive 
 mark, excepting that it begins anew the subject of wisdom, and 
 continues it more or less directly through seven verses. The rest is 
 miscellaneous ; but there are here fewer of simple parallelisms in which 
 the sense is completed, than is usual elsewhere in this book : see the 
 composite sentences in vs. ,3 9; 11, 12; 13, 14; 15 18. With v. 23, 
 another addition, a new one, evidently commences.] 
 
 (3) By wisdom shall a house be built up; and by understanding 
 shall it be established. (4) And by knowledge shall the chambers be 
 filled with all wealth precious and pleasant. 
 
 V. 3, house, not the edifice merely, but its tenants also 
 included. Discretion will establish a family. V. 4, precious, 
 i. e. of great value. Pleasant, i. e. such things as administer 
 to the pleasure of the indwellers. "pfi"^? > Ace. after a verb 
 of filing, 135.3. b. 
 
 (5) A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makcth firm 
 his strength. 
 
 ttea , lit. in strength = strong. "pax^ , renders firm or 
 robust. 
 
 (6) For with skilful management must thou make war for thyself; 
 and there is discretion in much counsel. 
 
 aritn , not simply xvfisQVijGig of some kind or other, in 
 this case, but in the sense exhibited in the version ; comp. 
 20: 18. rfc, Dot. commodi, i. e. for thine own benefit. 
 ys n D -i = many a counsellor. I have given the substantial 
 idea in the version, and turned the concrete into the abstract, 
 in conformity to our idiom. In other words : Success in 
 war depends on well digested plans, made by the advice of 
 much counsel. 
 
 (7) Wisdom is very high to a fool ; he openeth not his mouth in the 
 e-ate. 
 
 i&fn , elevations, plur. of intensity. The K is a mere 
 
356 PART III CHAP. XXIV. 811. 
 
 fulcrum; root e*n. riYcsn, see on 1 : 20. It is here a 
 plur. abstract, and of course with the meaning of a singular, 
 It also comprises an idea of intensity, quasi sound ivisdom. 
 Wisdom being very high, the fool cannot attain to it. 
 Therefore he must not open Ms mouth in the gate, for there 
 causes are tried and decided ; and, consequently, much 
 wisdom is needed there. 
 
 (8) lie who contriveth to do evil men shall call him master- 
 schemer. 
 
 ib, although it stands first, for the sake of emphasis, in 
 reality is constructed with the verb of calling, which takes b 
 before the person or thing named. The name itself is in 
 the Ace. ; and so it is here, as to rr.it^-b^s . The exact 
 idea of this phrase is given in the version, with the excep 
 tion, that here m sara is taken in the bad sense, so that the 
 phrase is equivalent to trickis h, crafty. Before ix ij^, the 
 indef. Nom. they, or men, is of course to be supplied. 
 
 (9) The device of folly is sin : and a scorner is an abomination to 
 a man. 
 
 A fool devises something in accordance with his own 
 views and feelings, and therefore something sinful. In Q^i<b 
 we have an example of? after the const, form, 114. 1. 
 
 (10) If thou hast become relaxed in the day of distress, thy strength 
 is straitened. 
 
 Relaxation is the opposite of strenuous exertion ; and for 
 the latter, the day of distress calls. In such a state, viz., 
 one in which a man feels but little power to make effort at a 
 time when much is needed, that small power is of course 
 reduced to straits. ^ , third Kal Perf. from *nz . 
 
 (11) Deliver thou those who are drawn away to death ; and those 
 who are tottering to the slaughter, O do thou keep back ! 
 
 n Tijsl? , taken off, dragged away. The death . . . the slaugh- 
 
PART III-CnAP. XXIV. 1214. 357 
 
 ter, with the article in Hebrew, i. e. death by the execu 
 tioner, which is specific. ex, here a particle of wishing; 
 like si ydo in the New Test. I have so translated it ; see 
 Lex. as, C. 3. This particle demands the Imperf. after it, 
 which accordingly here makes its appearance. This refers, 
 of course, to an interference on the part of the humane, in 
 order to deliver those who are unjustly accused and sen 
 tenced to death. 
 
 (12) Although thou shouldcst say : : Behold! we know not this ;" 
 he that pondereth hearts doth not he know ? Yea, he that guardeth 
 thy soul, doth know ; and he will reward every man according to his 
 work. 
 
 &Mn, he above all, or he knows, although there be no other 
 one who knows, ijh "isai. , Bertheau renders interrogatively. 
 But then we have to bring forward xbti . This may be done ; 
 but I prefer the affirmative sense as given above. He who 
 guards the soul, must of course know all the deeds of man. 
 
 (13) My son, cat thou honey, for it is good ; and honey-comb upon 
 thy palate is sweet ; (14) So do thou obtain knowledge of wisdom for 
 thy soul : if thou hast found it, and there is a hereafter, then thine 
 expectation shall not be cut off . 
 
 V. 13. Of course, the literal sense of this, as a command, 
 would not at all comport with the ultimate design of the 
 writer. It is merely the first member of a comparison ; the 
 second of which is introduced by *3 , so, in the next verse. 
 
 V. 14. So, i. e. in like manner as honey is good and 
 sweet, let a knowledge of wisdom be pleasant and precious. 
 
 nr n , with H- paragogic, instead of fr- , Imp. of rTi ; 
 (which in a few instances takes place, see 1 Sam. 28 : 15. 
 Ps. 30 : 4. 48. 3. remarks). And [if] there is a hereafter ; 
 see 23 : 18 above, where the same phrase occurs, and with 
 the same meaning, and also 24 : 20. Here, as there, the 
 apparent conditionally is not one of doubt, but a case 
 supposed, the reality of which is taken for granted as 
 surely as there is a hereafter. 
 
358 PART III CHAP. XXIV. 1520. 
 
 (15) Lie not in wait, O wicked man, for the dwelling of the right 
 eous; destroy not his resting-place; (16) For should the righteous 
 fall seven times, yet will he rise ; but the wicked shall be made to 
 stumble upon evil. 
 
 V. 15. l^i^i, lit. his layer, couch, or as in the version. 
 V. 1C. fij?i, Kal Perf., then will he rise, with 1 consequential. 
 As to seven times, it of course means a good many times. 
 The sense here does not point us to moral lapses, but to mis 
 fortunes. Still, it seems to be true of moral lapses also, if 
 we may credit the apostle Paul, Phil. 1: 6. Rom. 5 5 10. 
 8:3539. 
 
 (17) When thine enemy falleth, rejoice not ; and when he stumbleth, 
 let not thy heart exult ; (18) Lest Jehovah should see, and it should 
 be evil in his eyes ; and he should then turn away his anger from 
 him. 
 
 The Kethibh reads enemies, plur. ; the Qeri, with more 
 concinnity, enemy, sing. ^ai , Hiph. Imperf. of V^a . Be 
 evil in his eyes, i. e. displeasing in his view. -^m > with 1 
 consequential, which is expressed in the version. Senti 
 ment : If evils come upon a man who is your enemy, and 
 you feel that he deserves them, do not exult in his suffer 
 ings. If thou displayest such a temper of mind, the Lord 
 will rebuke thee by removing the cause of thine exultation, 
 i. e. by ceasing to inflict chastisement upon thine enemy. 
 A noble sentiment, and indicative of high moral views on 
 the subject of kind feeling toward our fellow-men ! " Love 
 your enemies." 
 
 (19) Be not enraged against evil doers ; be not envious in respect 
 to the wicked. 
 
 Comp. v. 1 ^nr.n , apoc. Hith. of rnn . 
 
 (20) For there shall be no hereafter to the evil ; the lamp of the 
 wicked shall be quenched. 
 
 That is, there shall be no hereafter of reward, such as is 
 
PART III-CnAP. XXIV. 2123. 359 
 
 described in v. 14, and in 23 : 18. The question here is not 
 about a future existence, but about a future retribution or 
 reward. This is a good reason why we should not envy the 
 wicked, or be angry with them, since they, in view of their 
 doom, are objects of compassion rather than of vengeance. 
 
 (21) My son, fear Jehovah and the King; with rcvoltcrs do not 
 mingle. 
 
 iid means those who change, viz., their dutiful and loyal 
 opinions and feelings, and make revolt. In l "i 2r.fi , the 
 first Qamets comes by reason of Dagh. being excluded from 
 the 1 ; the second, because the word is in pause. 
 
 (22) For their calamity shall suddenly rise up ; and the destruction 
 of them both, who knoweth ? 
 
 Here the idiom is very Hebraistic. Their calamity means 
 the calamity which they (God and the king) inflict or send. 
 This is made clear by the latter clause : The destruction of 
 them both, that is, the destruction which both Jehovah and 
 the king will bring on the wicked. This, who knoweth ? 
 i. e. no one can tell when or how it will come it will come 
 suddenly and unexpectedly, for s n n ^ = cxra in the first 
 clause. 
 
 [Tims end the twenty verses which constitute this fourth portion 
 of Part III. of the book. Another addition is still to be made, by 
 subjoining some other firings which wise men have composed or uttered. 
 So the title to the next, and fifth, portion of Part III. informs us. 
 This distinguishes the last portion from the other four.] 
 
 (e) Chap. XXIV. 2334. 
 
 (23) TIIKSK ALSO AKI; _OF THE wisii: Partiality in judgment is 
 not good. 
 
 In DiE^ro , we have, apparently, the so called b auctoris 
 like 1"^ ^7 See In trod. 7. ai3B crt . verb Hiph. 
 
360 PART III CHAP. XXIV. 24-28. 
 
 Inf. from "ci , with Tseri shortened because of the Maqqeph, 
 lit. to consider persons or faces ; which expression the Hebrews 
 used to designate partiality. ^B/rES , without the article 
 here, because the sense is generic. 2rj-?2 might be 212 aft, 
 or vice versa. But ^2 is poetic, and not employed in prose. 
 
 (24) He who saith to the wicked : Thou art righteous ; the people 
 shall curse him, nations shall abhor him. (25) But to those who ad 
 monish, there shall he pleasure : blessings of good shall come upon 
 them. 
 
 sirn? , Imperf. third plur. of 2i , with suff., and 2 for 12 . 
 V. 25, blessing of good, i. e. the thanks and kind wishes 
 of those who have been benefited by their admonitions ; or 
 it may mean an excellent blessing, i. e. a good reward. 
 
 (26) One will kiss the lips of him, who ansv,ereth with upright 
 words. 
 
 This verse also has a relation to what is said respecting 
 the sentence given in judgment, v. 1, seq. When the judge 
 speaks upright words, every one is ready, as it were, to salute 
 him with affection and respect. 
 
 (27) Prepare thy work without, and get it ready in thy field ; then 
 afterwards thou shalt build thine house. 
 
 Y W2 , lit. in the without, i. e. abroad in the field. 
 with the article, because it is here a specific field. ^"321 , 
 with 1 consecutive. Sentiment : Prepare, first of all, for 
 your necessary sustenance ; accommodations follow. With 
 us, in our climate, a house comes early into the list of our 
 necessaries ; much less so in Palestine. The proverb : 
 " First bread, then family," applies well there. 
 
 (28) Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; for wilt 
 thou deceive with thy lips ? 
 
 D|n may mean inconsiderately or rasldy ; bin the version 
 gives a more extended sense. In rnsisrr tlse-. ^ is an in- 
 
PART III CHAP. XXIV. 29-34. 361 
 
 terrogative ; which, however, nowhere else has a 1 before it. 
 Yet the i plainly adds to the significance here, as the version 
 shows. The question implies, that the speaker takes it for 
 granted, that the witness in question may have honest inten 
 tions, but needs caution as to what he is about to do. Wilt 
 thou ? = thou sliali not, in such a connection, and after a pre 
 ceding negative. In Greek, y.ai often adds to the intensity 
 of a brief question. So here. 
 
 (29) Say not : As he hath done to me, so will I do to him ; I will 
 reward the man according to his work, 
 
 An admirable principle, and one which comports entirely 
 with the Sermon on the Mount. 
 
 (30) I passed over the field of the sluggard, and over the vineyard 
 of the man who lacketh understanding ; (31) And behold ! it had all 
 of it shot up with nettles ; and its surface was covered with thistles ; 
 and the stone-wall was broken down. 
 
 A vivid picture of the effects of sloth ! Both corn-field 
 and vineyard all overgrown with noxious weeds ! Jibs? , lit. 
 ascended ; but here as in the version. The field mounted up 
 by the growth upon it. ^53, Pual of ftes, 61. 2. n. 4. 
 Nettles and thistles are the secondary Ace. of means ; we 
 must supply the prep. with. fi&^Slji , fern, in Niph., and of 
 course its Nom. "rta is here fern. ; so Ewald, 174. d. y. 
 
 (32) Then I looked, I considered ; I beheld, I received admonition. 
 (33) A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding 
 of the hands for sleep ; (34) So shall thy poverty come as a traveller, 
 and thy pressing want as an armed man. 
 
 V. 32, / considered, Heb. lit. 1 set my mind upon it. 
 V. 33, rvirr, lit. of sleeps; and so r i-^n, of slumberings. 
 To avoid this plural in English, (for it would be bad usage 
 here), I have inserted the word more ; as our Eng. version has 
 done. The Heb. plurals have an intensive meaning in them 
 selves, indicating a succession of sleep and slumber. pan , 
 31 
 
362 PART IV CHAP. XXV. 
 
 a noun, is also of an intensive Piel form. V. 34, 
 implies a 3 before it, at least it needs the particle as, in an 
 English version. The real shape of the Heb. is thus : So 
 shall thy poverty a traveller come, etc. But here our 
 word traveller hardly does justice to the meaning. A high 
 wayman, seems to be here plainly meant, of which the Heb. 
 is very expressive, viz., one who goes hither and thither. 
 Then the concinnity with an armed man, (which follows, and 
 which lit. is man of the shield}, is very plain. Highwaymen 
 come suddenly and unexpectedly ; they come to rob and to 
 kill, and of course they come armed ; and sloth and slum 
 bering will do the like for the sluggard, by reason of the 
 consequences which they bring upon him. The word sp-iorra 
 is a plural of intensity ; and is so translated, viz., pressing 
 want. 
 
 Thus ends the fifth and last subdivision of PART III. 
 We come next to, 
 
 PART IV. CHAPS. XXV XXIX. 
 
 [Again we have a specific title or introduction to the piece which 
 follows; comp. 10: 1. As this consists of Solomon s compositions, -we 
 might expect, that it would accord, as to manner, with Part II. of the 
 hook, which clearly belongs to him. And such is the case. But the 
 discussion of these matters would hardly be appropriate here, and the 
 reader is therefore remitted to Introd. 8. The larger portion of 
 what is now before us. has only two members in each gnome ; and 
 these are commonly either in contrast, or else they exhibit compari 
 sons of similitude. Commonly, also, each member has eight or else 
 seven words : more rarely six. Even the parallelism is not always 
 kept up : but in general it is somewhat equable. This composition 
 has so many traits of resemblance to Part II., as already intimated, 
 that they seem enough to persuade an attentive and discerning 
 reader, that Parts II. and IV. came originally from the same hand.] 
 
PATIT IV CHAP. XXV. 1. 363 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 128. 
 
 (1) These, moreover, are the PKOVERBS OF SOLOMON; which the 
 men of Ilezekiah kinjx of Judah collected. 
 
 ca , moreover, besides, seems to look back to 10:1, seq., 
 which has the like title with v. 1 here. MpT"!"!, lit. trans 
 ferred. Itis hardly to he supposed, that the proverbs which 
 follow were already embodied in some little book by itself, 
 which came into possession of Hezekiah s friends; for what 
 can transferred mean, in such a case ? The probability is, 
 then, that these regal cobperators found the following 
 gnomes in this collection and in that ; and that they copied 
 them out, or transferred, i. e. collected, them into one little 
 volume. The Sept., therefore, have well translated by EE- 
 /QaU Gavro, copied out. By wha.t indicia they determined 
 the question of authorship, we have no information. The 
 probability however is, that some title, bearing the author s 
 name, was connected with them, whenever they were found ; 
 or tradition, it may be, had brought down a report of the 
 authorship. By the men of Hezekiah, we are doubtless to 
 understand his friends, who were literary courtiers. It 
 matters not, whether the service was performed at the 
 king s suggestion, or at theirs. It was an important, and 
 doubtless a very acceptable, service ; and it is no wonder 
 that such an excellent king as Hezekiah, should forward 
 such a compilation. 
 
 The fact that there are repetitions of the same proverb in 
 Part IV. itself, and a great many repetitions of the proverbs 
 in Part II., either exact, or with slight variations, seems to 
 be a good voucher for the fact, that Part IV. was made up 
 from different sources, which seems to have embodied, here 
 and there, portions of Part II. When the transfer was 
 made, they were taken as they stood in their original 
 sources. One and the same continuous writer, or a mere 
 
364 PART IV CHAP. XXV. 24. 
 
 selector of choice portions, would hardly have introduced 
 repetitions so numerous as are found here. His memory 
 would have guarded him against them. 
 
 For the critical discussion of the subject, the reader is 
 referred to the Introduction, 8. 
 
 (2) The glory of God is to conceal a matter ; but the glory of kings 
 is to search out a matter. 
 
 That " God s ways are unsearchable" is one of his high 
 and awful prerogatives. " Verily he is a God who conceal- 
 eth himself," says Is. 45: 15. This deep mystery serves to 
 make a solemn impression, and to silence all impertinent 
 inquiry. On the other hand, kings should never proceed 
 in a hidden way, but do all by inquiry and counsel, respect 
 ing what they are called to decide. Without searching out 
 a matter, in this sense, they can never decide properly. It 
 is a king s glory to get all the light he can. 
 
 (3) The heavens for height, and the earth for depth ; even so is the 
 heart of kings there is no searching it out. 
 
 That is, the heavens are so high, and the earth so deep, 
 that we cannot explore them thoroughly. So is it, too, with 
 the heart of kings. When they keep their own secrets, no 
 one can venture to draw them out, or no one is able to do it. 
 
 It is one thing for kings to search out a matter before they 
 judge of it ; and quite another to keep their own secrets. 
 Kings are introduced here, because of the difficulty that lies 
 in the way of probing them. Their rank and their relation 
 to the community exempt them from ordinary injury. 
 
 (4) Remove dross from the silver, and there will come forth for the 
 founder a vessel. 
 
 fort is Inf. abs. of rrttt , No. II., and is used for the Imp 
 hortative ; for form, see 74. n. 2 ; for syntax, 128. 4. b 
 A vessel, i. e. a silver vessel, which can be shaped as may 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXV. 58. 365 
 
 be required, the purification having rendered the inetal 
 malleable and ductile. Of course this is not said for its 
 own sake, it being an ordinary and familiar fact, but for the 
 sake of what follows, and in such a way, that a comparison 
 may be tacitly made. The sequel runs thus : 
 
 (5) Remove the wicked from the presence of the king, and his 
 throne shall be established by righteousness. 
 
 That is, remove wicked counsellors and companions from 
 the king s presence, and the dross will be taken away. The 
 consequences will then be, the establishment of his kingdom 
 by justice and equity, since evil advisers are rejected. 
 
 (6) Do not make display of thyself before the king; stand not in 
 the place of the great. 
 
 The presence of a king is not an appropriate place for 
 one of his humbler subjects to display splendor and pomp, 
 which belong only to his courtiers. Great = nobility or 
 courtiers. Meaning : l Be not emulous of taking thy place 
 among those who are above thee in rank ; for this seems to 
 be the admonition contained in the verse. 
 
 (7) For it is better for thee, that one should say unto thee : Come 
 up hither, than that one should degrade thee in the presence of a 
 prince, whom thine eyes behold. 
 
 That is, it is better to be invited to a place of honor, than 
 to thrust thyself into it without invitation. For if thou 
 doest thus, thou wilt be degraded, i. e. sent down to a lower 
 place by the officer of arrangements, and thus put to shame 
 before the very king, to see whom thou hast officiously 
 thrust thyself in. Comp. Luke 14 : 810. Matt. 23 : 12. 
 
 (8) Go not forth to strive hastily ; lest thou shouldest do something 
 in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame. 
 
 The consequence of entering hastily into strife, is to enter 
 into it unprepared, and so the way is open and easy. 
 
366 PART IV CHAP. XXV. 9, 10. 
 
 There is an emphatic use of the rra here, for it indicates 
 something very bad, or something very dangerous. A man 
 hasty in strife, or easily provoked, and who readily enters 
 into a quarrel, if he gets luorsted in any respect, i. e. put to 
 shame, becomes so enraged, that he is apt to do some 
 thing desperate, either Avhat is very wicked, or is fraught 
 with danger. For the latitude of meaning in frs , compare 
 Prov. 9 : 13. 2 Sam. 18 : 22. Job 13 : 13. 
 
 My first impression, on reading this verse attentively, 
 was, that the tenor of its meaning in the latter part runs 
 thus : Lest thou mayest not be able to do anything at the end 
 of the strife, when thy neighbor hath worsted thee. In other 
 words : A hasty contest may end so much to thy disadvan 
 tage, that thou mayest be quite crippled in thy power to 
 make any farther resistance. For this, we must make rra 
 = anything, quidquid, and "jB must be taken as a simple 
 negative. Neither of these are impossible ; see Lex. rra , 
 and for "JB comp. Prov. 5 : 6, where seemingly (but not 
 really) it is = ^>X, not. The first view is the more simple 
 and certain. The latter would make a good sense, but not 
 so true to Hebrew as the other. 
 
 (9) Contend earnestly with thy neighbor ; but still reveal not the 
 secret of another. 
 
 Not a command to enter into contention, but the hypo 
 thetical supposition of such a case = Let us suppose that 
 thou art even earnestly contending with thy neighbor, still, 
 be not so dishonorable as to reveal a secret which he has 
 confided to thee, and the disclosure of which might be hurt 
 ful to him, The word another here means the friend with 
 whom one is contending. ^rn, in pause, for bsrn , which is 
 apoc. Piel Imperf. of r&a . Some good editions exhibit 
 ^an ; but the other is normal in pause. 
 
 (10) Lest lie who heareth should reproach thee; and so thine ill 
 fame shall not depart. 
 
PART IV-CnAP. XXV. 11. 367 
 
 That is : : Do not reveal secrets ; for lie who hears the 
 revelation will reproach thee for making it ; and ill fame 
 will follow thee, yea, even such as will not depart from thee. 
 nrrn , lit. return, and then, turn away, desistere, recedere. 
 Meaning : By the disclosure of secrets, an ill name will be 
 given to thee, which will continually cleave to thee. 
 
 (11) Apples of gold among picture-work of silver, is a word spoken 
 in proper season. 
 
 In the first clause, the idea is that of a garment of precious 
 stuff, on which is embroidered golden apples among picture- 
 work of silver. Costly and precious was such a garment 
 held to be ; for besides the ornaments upon it, the material 
 itself was of high value. "Q n , Part. pass. Kal is found 
 nowhere else. I^SJN "by , has received many interpreta 
 tions. Kimchi, Schultens, Bertheau, and others, have made 
 it the plur. of "Six, wheel, and so construed it as conveying 
 the idea of haste, alertness, readiness, because wheels run 
 swiftly. It seems to be a conclusive objection against this, 
 that "SIX, wheel, has a long immutable Hholem, which is 
 nearly always written i in the sing., and always in the plur., 
 whether absolute or const. Besides this, the plur. always 
 doubles the radical *, e. g. c^SSl x, showing that the word is 
 a Pilel form. A word on its wheels, moreover, at least 
 sounds strange to our ears. We must resort to another 
 root, which is h ,sx , prob. = n2B , to turn ; and hence, with 
 reference to the revolutions or vicissitudes of time, it comes 
 to mean time, i. e. period of revolution. From the Segholate 
 jB/X, we here obtain T^sst, instead of Y^sx; but this is 
 nothing strange, for the shortened plurals here, like the first, 
 of these two words, are not uncommon ; see 91. 6. 2, plur. 
 abs. and const. Ges. Lehrgeb. s. 575, (which has a fuller 
 exhibition of the shortened plural forms). A word in its 
 time, is a word in the time appropriate to it. It seems 
 plain, that this last signification is wellgrounded ; for in 
 
368 PART IV CHAP. XXV. 1214. 
 
 Arabic, the same word (written *5x) means time. The ex 
 igency of the case, and the testimony of the Arabic, seem 
 sufficient to guide us in this controverted passage. 
 
 (12) Aringof trold.and an ornament of pure gold, is a wise reprover 
 to a hearing car. 
 
 CT3 lit. means, a nose-ring, or an ear-ring. The less specific 
 sense sounds better to us. So ^q properly means a necklace 
 or collar ; but sometimes it designates an ornament for any 
 part of the body. Here, too, the generic sense is preferable. 
 That the listening ear is better than the ear adorned with 
 gold rings, seems to be the gist of the proverb. In other 
 words : Knowledge is better than ornaments. 
 
 (13) Like the cold of snow in harvest time, is a faithful messenger 
 to those who send him ; for the soul of his masters will he revive. 
 
 nss , const., from "jis , a word of very peculiar and diverse 
 significations. The custom of mixing snow with drinks, during 
 the hot season, is here alluded to ; and it is a vivid image of 
 refreshment. A faithful messenger refreshes in like manner. 
 The two words iirfcfcj and l^Hx may both be considered as 
 cases of the pluralis eccellentiae, and therefore can be trans 
 lated by the singular. The case supposed, is that of a faithful 
 emissary on important business, which he transacts with 
 success, to the gratification of his employer. 
 
 (14) Clouds and wind without rain, is he who boasts himself of a 
 deceitful gift. 
 
 "px t3 J?p. > lit. and yet no rain ; the version gives the sense 
 truly. Boasts himself of an intended gift, and consequently 
 of his liberality, and yet the gift is a deception, being never 
 actually made. The comparison is very striking, and the 
 sentiment pungent. Clouds and wind sometimes promise 
 rain, and do not give it ; so the boasting man promises, and 
 perhaps parades, his so-called gifts ; but he does not bestow 
 them. 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXV. 1517. 369 
 
 (15) By delay of anger a prince is persuaded; and a soft tongue 
 breaketh the bone. 
 
 When any one restrains his indignation at a wrong done 
 him, even a prince, who is very likely to persist in his own 
 way, becomes softened, and persuaded to do justice. A soft 
 tongue, is one which speaks mild and gentle language. 
 Breaketh the hone, is a vivid image of the power which soft 
 ness and mildness have in overcoming obstinacy. The lone 
 is a hard substance ; but hard as it is, the soft tongue has 
 power to break it. Meaning : Forbearance and gentleness 
 have great power in subduing self-will and obstinate persist 
 ence in wrong-doing. 
 
 (16) Hast thou found honey, eat [only] what sufficeth thee ; lest thou 
 become satiated with it, and vomit it up. 
 
 ^ , "I H in the suff. state takes this form ; in the const, it 
 is ^ , from ^ . The idea is : Eat only so much as will be 
 innocent and useful. Beyond this, satiety and loathing follow, 
 even to vomiting. The two suffixes to the two last verbs refer 
 to 1 - : 3 ? , and are in the Ace. As to the first, it is governed 
 by the verb of filling, 135. 3. h. We are obliged to employ, 
 in English, a preposition after such verbs, (e. g. with), but 
 not so the Hebrews. irjtprv, Hiph. Praet. 2 pers., with 
 suff., from JOp . The final n of the verb loses its own vowel 
 ( T ), because it must be joined to the vowel-suffix. Sentiment : 
 Ne quid nimis. Moderation in luxuries is essential to 
 comfort and health. 
 
 (17) Keep back thy foot from the house of thy friend, lest lie should 
 become satiated with thee. and hate thee. 
 
 ^iph = np in , lit. make scarce (see Is. 13 : 12), from "ij^ . 
 Here again, we have a Ne quid, nimis, in another form. 
 Sentiment : Do not pay too frequent visits to thy neighbor. 
 Satiety, and at last disgust, will ensue. Here again is the 
 Ace. pron. suff., after a verb of filling, as in v. 1 6. 
 
370 PART IV CHAP. XXV. 1820. 
 
 (18) A maul, a sword,- and a sharp arrow, is the man who answereth 
 against his friend as a false witness. 
 
 That is, such a man is like to those destructive weapons, 
 3 , as, being omitted, as often elsewhere. Answereth, e. g. 
 the questions put to him by a magistrate, acting as a judge. 
 -ifta *TJ is in apposition with d^x , and is designed to 
 characterize or farther describe. 
 
 (19) A broken tooth, and a foot which is a-wry, is confidence in a 
 treacherous man, in a season of distress. 
 
 nsn , fern. Inf. as a noun, from ran , Inf. an , lit. a tooth of 
 breaking. rvi.STa (in pause), Part. Pual of *i:n . Gesenius, 
 and many others, make the word a pres. Part, of 12E , and 
 suppose rvij^ra to be a shortened form here of rni"i . But 
 the Hholein, in such a case, is immutable, and this solution, 
 therefore, cannot be accepted. No analogy is even appealed 
 to, in defence of this latter opinion. The other solution is an 
 obvious one, as to the form ; and as to the meaning, see 
 Ezek. 21: 21, where the word plainly means turned aside ; 
 which in the version I have expressed by a-wry. In the 
 next clause, the Heb. lit. taken, stands thus : confidence of a 
 treacherous man, which we express by confidence in him. 
 Meaning : A treacherous man will not only fail you in a 
 time of distress, but will annoy you like a broken tooth or a 
 sprained foot. 
 
 (20) [As] he that taketh away a garment in a cold day [as] 
 vinegar upon nitre even so is he that singeth with songs to a sad 
 heart. 
 
 The two first clauses are designed as the basis of compar 
 ison ; the last shows that with which they are compared. 
 The second clause, vinegar upon nitre, is a constructio praey- 
 nans, the verb pouring, or some equivalent word, being im 
 plied before \>" . To expose incongruities of action, is the 
 object here. It would be mal apropos to strip off clothing 
 on a cold day ; vinegar and nitre are opposite to each other, 
 
PART IV-CHAP. XXV. 21-24. 371 
 
 and combination spoils them botli ; and equally incongruous 
 as this, is the making merry to a heart which is saddened. 
 
 (21) If thine enemy hunger, feed him with bread; if he thirst, give 
 him witer to drink ; (22) For coals of fire wilt thou heap on his head, 
 and Jehovah will reward thee. 
 
 V. 21, comp. Rom. 12 : 20. Matt. 5 : 43, 44. Bread . . . 
 water, are in the second Ace., i. e. the Ace. of means. V. 
 22, nnh . lit. to take or to gather ; but here it seems to convey 
 a sense appropriate to the br that follows, as in the version. 
 As to the sentiment ; some of the ancients construed the coals 
 of fire as indicative of vengeance, destruction. But this is not 
 congruous with the sequel : Jehovah will reward thee. Re 
 ward for vengeance, inflicted by man, is surely not a matter 
 of promise in the Bible. The meaning then must be, that 
 the coals will melt his enmity ; or else, perhaps, that they 
 will enkindle his shame. It seems to be as much as to say : 
 4 The reception of undeserved kindness must make him blush 
 deeply for his enmity ; for this is plainly the general senti 
 ment aimed at. The whole two verses are worthy of " Him 
 who spake as never-man did speak." 
 
 (23} The north wind bringeth forth a shower: arid a concealed 
 tongue a rueful countenance. 
 
 It is a matter of fact, that a north-west wind, from the 
 Mediterranean Sea, brings rain in Palestine. In the language 
 of Scripture, this is a north ivind, inasmuch as the Hebrews 
 have only four cardinal points. In the second clause, the 
 verb bb rn Is implied, where the dash is inserted. c-^sta, 
 Part. Niph., affected with anger ^ or with abhorrence or disgust 
 = rueful. Meaning : * Concealed or private slander excites 
 anger and disgust-, 
 
 (24) Better 1 it ;o dwell on the pinnacle of a roof ; than with a 
 brawling woman who i.-- a house-companion. 
 
 See 21: 9, 19, where stands, verbatim, the same proverb. 
 
372 PAKT IV CHAP. XXV. 25-27. 
 
 (25) [As] cold water to a weary soul, even so is a goodly report from 
 a distant countr. 
 
 The ti before rt|sra$, is that of comparison, 152. B. 3. 
 The meaning is, that both of them are quickening and refresh 
 ing. Ttie report from a distant country, doubtless refers to 
 good news from a friend, absent in a foreign country. 
 
 (26) A disturbed fountain and a spoiled well, is a righteous man 
 tottering before the wicked. 
 
 iaEHa , lit. trodden with the feet, and so disturbed or roiled. 
 A spoiled well, finiL : Part. Hoph., is one into which impure 
 substances are thrown, which destroy the quality of the water. 
 These are disagreeable objects ; and so is it revolting to our 
 minds, when we see a good man succumbing to a bad one. 
 
 (27) To eat much honey is not good ; and searching after one s own 
 glory is burdensome. 
 
 There is a great variety of sentiment in regard to the ex 
 position of the last clause, Tins nrths . Eng. Version : " To 
 search after their own glory is not glory ;" i. e. the liberty of 
 supplying is not, is taken in order to avoid an absurd sentiment. 
 The verb is, we know well, is implied some twenty times 
 where it is inserted once ; but as to supplying is not, unless a 
 previous parallelism contains a negative expressed, I know of 
 no authority for it, and no grammatical precedent. Arnoldi, 
 Ewald, and others, appeal to the Arabic "ipn , which means 
 to despise, and so they render thus : To despise their glory 
 [that of men], is glory. The sense is well ; but the resort 
 to the Arabic for the meaning of a word so frequent as "i^ri 
 and its derivates in Hebrew, (it is used some forty times), is 
 aside from sound philology. That the second Th3 differs in 
 meaning here from the first, seems quite plain. I would refer 
 the second to the original sense of 133 , viz., to be weighty, 
 grievous, troublesome or burdensome, which last word preserves 
 the exact shade of the original ; see in 27 : 3. The examples 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 1. 373 
 
 of this sense arc abundant ; see Lex. s. v. No. 4. We have 
 then here a paronomasia ; exactly like that of rVix in 14: 
 24. The search after Tins (in one sense), is ^I as (in another 
 sense). So the version above. The only seeming difficulty 
 is the suff. in d lhs . But this I take to be a pronoun indefi 
 nite, and as it were impersonal. If the plur. be insisted on, 
 then the implied antecedent is CI^DX . In impersonal verbs, 
 the third sing, and plur. are both used indifferently. So here 
 their glory is the glory of those who make the search 
 in question. I have translated in the sing, by one s glory, 
 which gives for substance the same sense, and runs smoother 
 in English than the plural. Thus we obtain the sentiment 
 in substance, of our English version, without trespassing, as 
 that does, upon the integrity of the text. We see, moreover, 
 in this way, the force of the comparison. The first clause 
 declares, that we may have too much of a good thing, so that 
 it becomes virtually an evil to us. As for the second ; glory t 
 i. e. an honorable name, is a good thing ; but to seek after 
 this as an object, and with solicitude, becomes a burden. 
 
 (28) A city with breaches without a wall is a man who has no 
 control over his own spirit. 
 
 Fix^Q , lit. broken, cast down. Without a wall, is an 
 epexegetical clause, in apposition with the other, defining 
 still more particularly. Such a city is liable to be attacked 
 and plundered ; and so the man, who has no control over him 
 self, is always exposed to doing or saying something which 
 will be injurious to himself. 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 128. 
 
 (1) As snow in summer, and rain in harvest-time, so honor is not 
 comely to a fool. 
 
 Snow in summer, and showers in harvest-time, are very 
 incongruous with the season, i. e. they are untimely. So is 
 it with honor bestowed on a fool. It does not fit him. 
 
374 PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 25. 
 
 (2) As a sparrow in respect to flitting away, as a swallow in regard 
 to flight, so a curse without cause will not take effect. 
 
 The sparrow and the swallow are remarkable for rapid 
 flight. They not only fly swiftly away, but one cannot make 
 them abiding or stationary. So shall the curse, which is 
 causelessly uttered, be dissipated. It will not hit the mark, 
 will not enter into (sinn xb) the object aimed at ; or, it will 
 not arrive, happen., take effect ; for xia sometimes has this 
 meaning. This is much better than the Qeri ib (for x b), 
 which runs thus : will come upon him, viz., on the fool who 
 utters it. The comparison is lost by this. * The birds swiftly 
 vanish ; and so does the causeless curse, i. e. it will not light. 
 I take this to be the gist of the comparison ; and after this 
 tenor is the version above. 
 
 (3) A scourge for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the 
 back of fools. 
 
 That is, a rod is as appropriate for fools, as a whip for the 
 horse, or a bridle for the ass. Comp. 10 : 13. 19 : 29. 
 
 (4) Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like unto 
 him, even thou. (5) Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be 
 wise in his own view. 
 
 Both true or correct, with appropriate limitations. In the 
 first case, one is not to answer a fool in a way that accords 
 with his folly, i. e. by saying silly things as he does ; for this 
 would make one turn fool himself. In the second place, one 
 should answer him as his folly deserves, i. e. with reproof, or 
 (it may be) with a wise moderation ; for otherwise he will 
 indulge the conceit, that he himself is as wise as others. 
 The play of words here, consists in giving to 3 in the two 
 cases a meaning somewhat diverse, although both come within 
 the range of the particle. The first 3 means in accordance 
 with, i. e. after the tenor of ; the second, according to the desert 
 of, i. e. in such a way as one ought, as a matter of justice, to 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 68. 375 
 
 answer folly. There can be no doubt that these seemingly 
 discrepant gnomes are here put together, for the sake of 
 point or paronomasia. 
 
 (6) He cuttcth oft 1 feet, lie drinketh in wrong, who scndeth a mes 
 sage by the aid of a fool. 
 
 Cutting off the feet of a messenger, would of course de 
 prive a man of any advantage from his service. He who 
 sends a fool, does the like, as to getting any good from his 
 service. Nor is this all ; he drinketh in wrong, who sends 
 such a messenger, because he will do or say something, 
 which will bring mischief upon him who sent him, so that he 
 will be the sufferer. 
 
 (7) Take away the legs of a lame man : and so a proverb which 
 is in the mouth of fools. 
 
 pb n can be made only in the Piel of fib^ ; not = iVb n (so 
 Ges. in Lex. and others) are weak ; for how would this 
 meaning suitably compare with the next clause ? The Dagh. 
 in }> is omitted, because the b is virtually repeated by insert 
 ing the Todh; as in French, where in mouiller (moul-ye), 
 etc., the second I is pronounced as an i. The legs of the 
 lame are useless, is the meaning ; and so they may as well 
 be taken away, as it respects any good from them. So a 
 proverb in the mouth of fools is useless ; for they know not 
 how and when to use it. It is a lame proverb. i&2 , which 
 is in the mouth, not *&% , from the mouth ; i. e. take away that 
 which is in the fool s mouth, and which he is about to utter. 
 In other words : Lay restraint upon a fool s uttering what 
 he has made ready to speak, for it will be useless. 
 
 (8) As the binding of a stone in a sling, so is he who giveth honor 
 to a fool. 
 
 It would be absurd to bind a stone to a sling, and then 
 expect it to do execution. Equally so is it, to bestow honor 
 upon a fool, and then expect any good consequence from it. 
 
376 PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 9-13. 
 
 (9) As a thorn-bush which is elevated in the hand of a drunkard, 
 so is a proverh in the mouth of a fool. 
 
 As a drunken man, who holds a high thorn-bush in his 
 hand, will be very apt to injure others or himself; so a fool s 
 words will injure himself or others. 
 
 (10) An arrow which woundeth every one, is he who hireth a fool, 
 and he who hireth vagrants. 
 
 :n from rn 1 } , No. 2. Lex., an arroiv. The man who em 
 ploys fools and vagrants to do his work, and pays them 
 wages, will injure himself. Such hiring is like an arrow, 
 which, if poisoned, may wound those who handle it, as well 
 as those against whom it is sent. In other words, the em 
 ployment of fools and vagrants is very mischievous, in its 
 consequences, to him who needs to have work well done. 
 D^W , passers by, vagrants, or if not these, at least it implies 
 persons who are mere passers by, i. e. not well known. 
 
 (11) As a dog- rctumeth to his vomit, a fool will repeat his folly. 
 
 The Heb. shape of the last clause is thus : A fool will make 
 repetition with his folly, i. e. will repeat his nonsense. ixj3 , 
 his vomit, (not the act of vomiting}, is the filthy food on which 
 the dog feeds, even the sight of which produces loathing and 
 abhorrence. The dog eats such a nauseous morsel greedily ; 
 and the fool repeats his nonsense in a like manner. 
 
 (12) Scest thon a man wise in his own view, there is more hope for 
 a fool than for him. 
 
 Self-conceit and vain-glory are more hopeless (in their 
 tendencies) than folly. 
 
 (13) The sluggard saith : There is a lion in the way ; a lion in the 
 midst of the broad streets. 
 
 Almost an exact repetition of 22 : 13. Sentiment : Sloth 
 invents even the most absurd things, as an apology for in 
 action. 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 1419. 377 
 
 (14) The door turneth upon its hinge, and so the sluggard upon 
 his bed. 
 
 Comp. G: 10. 24: 33. The point of comparison is not 
 very obvious at first, and opinions differ. The matter, how 
 ever, seems to be thus : The door is turned upon its hinges 
 by others ; it does not turn itself. Even so the sluggard. 
 He will not so much as turn himself in bed, but needs others 
 to help him. A biting sarcasm indeed ; but there are many 
 such, respecting sluggards, in this book ; see the next verse. 
 For the Chaldaizing form m &Pi, from SSO, see G6. 5. E. g. 
 
 (15) The sluggard plungeth his hand into the dish ; it is wearisome 
 to bring it back to his mouth. 
 
 With slight variations, this verse is the same as 19 : 24. 
 q. v. Jixba may be rendered, lie is wearied. The sense is 
 the same, for substance, as in the version. 
 
 (16) The sluggard is more wise in his own view, than seven men 
 who can render a reason. 
 
 That is, he is, in his own view, wise in forging excuses 
 for his sloth; even more wise than those who can give 
 intelligent answers. Seven is of course the perfect number ; 
 and here it is merely an indefinite number. ^^a , Part, 
 plur. const, in Hiphil. 
 
 (17) [As] one who graspeth hold on a dog s ears, [so] is he who, 
 passing along, rusheth into strife which belongeth not to him. 
 
 I have supplied the particles of comparison, which are 
 plainly implied, in order to render the passage more explicit. 
 He who grasps strongly a dog by the ears, provokes him to 
 an attack. Like to this, is intermeddling with a quarrel 
 which does not belong to us. 
 
 (18) Like a silly jester, who shooteth forth darts, arrows, and 
 death; (19) So is the man who decciveth his neighbor, and saith: 
 Am I not sporting ? 
 
 32* 
 
378 PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 2023. 
 
 V. 18, rPfibra, in Hithpalpel, from ftrte, verb $y , and 
 found only here. The account of the word in Ges. Lex. is 
 hardly satisfactory. Bertheau compares it with the Arabic 
 Kfib, which means to joke ; and in its intensive form (as in 
 our text), it means : to be always employed in silly joking. 
 This agrees well with the exposition of the meaning, as 
 made in the next verse, by the well-known word pry^w , 
 sporting. Madman is a meaning, that seems not capable of 
 satisfactory proof. n^t comes from pst , and has the 2 
 assimilated. But the verb means to cast, to throw far, and 
 so the noun comes to mean a dart, (not firebrands, as in our 
 Version). Death, tropically used as here, means deadly 
 weapons. V. 19, the man who deceives, and calls it sport 
 ing, gives deadly wounds, like the weapons before men 
 tioned. 
 
 (20) Where there is no wood, the fire goeth out : and where there 
 is no tattler, strife is silent. (21) As charcoal for glowing coals, and 
 wood for fire, so is the man of strife for kindling contention. 
 
 V. 20, Strife goes out, without tattling and slander ; even 
 as fire goes out, without wood. V. 21, On the other hand, 
 a man who loves strife will excite a heated contest ; just as 
 charcoal makes glowing coals, and wood . makes the fire to 
 burn. ^n^inb , Inf. Pilpal of Tin, to inflame. 
 
 (22) The words of a slanderer are like sportive ones, yet they go 
 down into the deep recesses of the belly. 
 
 See on 18:8, where are the same words, which are there 
 explained at length. 
 
 (23) Drossy silver spread over an earthen vessel, are burning lips 
 and an evil heart. 
 
 That is, metal of little worth is used to cover a mean 
 vessel, although it appears splendid like silver. Even so, 
 burning lips, (i. e. lips which give warm kisses that seem to 
 indicate much affection), if connected with an evil disposi- 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVI. 2428. 379 
 
 tion, are no better than the splendid dross. Meaning: 
 4 Pretension of friendship, where real malice is harbored, is 
 utterly worthless. 
 
 (24) By his lips doth he who hatcth make himself known : and iu 
 his inner-part doth lie lay up deceit. 
 
 Internal hatred will disclose itself by words. When bitter 
 feeling is prepared or laid up in the heart ; then it will dis 
 close itself by the lips. 
 
 (25j When he maketh his voice pleasant, trust him not ; for seven 
 abominations are in his heart. 
 
 "jilj 11 , utters siveet or lovely tones. Seven = many. 
 Abominations, things abominable to be done. 
 
 (26) Hatred concealeth deceit; the malice thereof will be revealed 
 in the great assembly. 
 
 I do not find the word ^XWv either in Ges. or in Fuerst s 
 Concord. Heb. But there can be no doubt, that it is a 
 derivate of Kbi , to deceive, and so means deceit. ins? 1 } , 
 with a masc. suff. referring to the masc. noun "p sosa . The 
 meaning seems to be, that although hatred may conceal 
 deceit while it is privately indulged, yet by intercourse with 
 men a development of it will be made, so that the malignity 
 of the hater will become known. 
 
 (27) He who diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; he who rolleth a 
 stone, it shall turn back upon him. 
 
 Comp. Ecc. 10:8. The last clause runs lit. thus: It 
 sJiall return to Jam, But the real idea is given in the ver 
 sion. Meaning : He who devises mischief to others, it 
 shall come upon himself. Not perhaps the same identical 
 mischief, but at least an equivalent. 
 
 (28) A lying tongue will hate those who are crushed by it; and a 
 flattering mouth will bring about ruin. 
 
380 PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 13. 
 
 pEJlp is /em., while the verb that follows is masc. ; but as 
 a lying tongue here = liar, so there is a concord ad sensum. 
 The case may be solved in another way ; most names of the 
 members of the body are employed in both genders. 
 Nothing is more common than to hate those whom we injure. 
 TIM , plur. of f^ , with suff. masc., for the same reason 
 that the verb is masc. A Smooth tongue may be employed, 
 while efforts are made, at the same time, in order to over 
 throw or bring to ruin. 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 127. 
 
 ( 1 ) Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a 
 day may bring forth. 
 
 Rely not confidently on plans for the future, however well 
 they may be concocted ; for God only knows what may 
 happen. y^ , Qamets because of the smaller Distinctive 
 Rebhia. ^V> for ^ , because the accent is thrown back by 
 reason of the tone-syllable which immediately follows, 29. 
 3.b. 
 
 (2) Let another praise thec. and not thine own mouth ; a stranger, 
 and not thine own lip.s. 
 
 "IT I have rendered another, because stranger must other 
 wise be repeated. Indeed, the actual idea is not that of a 
 foreigner, but only of another and different person from 
 one s self. Meaning : Indulge not in self-gratulation and 
 applause. 
 
 (3) A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty; but vexation by a fool 
 is more burdensome than both of them. 
 
 Hebrew lit. a stone is heaviness, and sand is iveightiness, 
 abstr. for concrete. Vexation of a fool, is the shape of the 
 Heb., but the meaning is : The vexation which he occa 
 sions. This idea is expressed in the version. It would 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 47. 381 
 
 seem as if the writer s store of characteristics applicable to 
 the description of fools, had been already exhausted ; but 
 this is a new development, expressing strongly the disgust 
 which a fool s demeanor occasions. This verse throws light 
 
 on ^23 in 25 : 27. 
 
 (4) Cruel is wrath, and anger is overwhelming; who then can 
 stand before envy ? 
 
 Heb. cruelty . . . inundation, which I have made concretes 
 in the version. Both wrath and anger are fraught with 
 evil, which is hard to be borne ; but much worse still is the 
 passion of envy, or (perhaps) jealousy. Either of these 
 excites to deeds the most atrocious. 
 
 (5) Open admonition is better than secret love. (6) Faithful are 
 the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are multiplied. 
 
 V. 5, Love, kept entirely secret, profits not the object of 
 it. Admonition shows the better kind of friendship. 
 V. 6, the wounds of a friendly monitor are salutary ; they 
 make us see and feel our faults. The many kisses of an 
 enemy, however much of love they may seem to promise, 
 are of course deceitful, and the multiplication of them only 
 aggravates the wrong. I see no way to get the meaning 
 of deceitful from rvhrira, root -IPS ; compare Ezek. 35 : 13. 
 The point of comparison here, is that of wounds on the 
 one hand by a friend, and kisses on the other by a secret 
 enemy. A friend, open and ingenuous, admonishes and 
 wounds, or reproves for our good ; but nothing of this do 
 we get from a crafty enemy. Instead of wounding for salu 
 tary purposes, he bestows nothing but kisses often repeated, 
 i. e. multiplied. And all this that he may render his 
 victim unsuspicious and unguarded; and so strike the surer 
 blow. 
 
 (7) An appetite satiated loathes the honey-comb; but [to] the 
 craving appetite every bitter thing is sweet. 
 
382 PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 810. 
 
 That is : * The pampered glutton loathes even luxurious 
 food ; but he who is really hungry, will eat even indifferent 
 food with a high relish. I have supplied the prep, to, 
 where our idiom demands it. In the Hebrew, the craving 
 appetite is Nom. absolute. We might translate thus : as to 
 a craving appetite. 
 
 (8) Asa bird which hath wandered from her nest, so is the man 
 who wandereth from his place. 
 
 His place = his home. Such a wandering bird is restless 
 and unsatisfied ; and so is a man, while absent from home, 
 specially if he has a good home. 
 
 (9) Oil and perfume exhilarate the heart: so the comity of one s 
 friend, which springs from set purpose of the soul. 
 
 Oil here doubtless means scented or perfumed oil. pn^ , 
 sweetness, applies either to words or demeanor, or it may 
 include both = comity. The suff. in sirtsn is altogether 
 indefinite, having no antecedent, and therefore 1 have ren 
 dered the word one s friend. Which springs from the set 
 purpose of the. soul, lit. is from the counsel of the soul; but 
 the literal version hardly makes an intelligible sense, and 
 therefore I have translated ad sensum. The word fiss may 
 imply set purpose, for the root has the meaning to decree. 
 Comity makes glad when it proceeds from the real design 
 and intention of him who manifests it, or when it is what 
 his soul counsels him to exhibit, and not mere conventional 
 politeness. We say : k When it comes from the bottom of 
 the heart," when we mean to convey such an idea as the 
 Hebrew here comprises. 
 
 (10) Thine own friend, and thy father s friend, forsake not; into 
 the house of thv brother enter not, in the day of thy calamity; better 
 is one that dwelleth near, than a brother afar off. 
 
 That is : Go to well and long-tried friends in the day of 
 calamity ; for " there is a friend, that sticketh closer than n 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 1114. 383 
 
 brother," Prov. 18 : 24. The last clause in our text, makes 
 all plain. Sentiment : Only long-tried friends are to be 
 trusted, above all in a calamitous time. Even the ties of 
 consanguinity are not always to be relied on. ma may be 
 an Ace. of place ; or we may consider xlan here as a kind 
 of transitive verb, 135. 3. d ; as in fact it sometimes is by 
 usage. 
 
 (11) Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart : that I may have 
 somewhat to answer him Avho rcproacheth me. 
 
 This maybe interpreted in two ways : (1) If a child is 
 wise, through the instruction and example of a father, this 
 gives good testimony against any slanderer of the father s char 
 acter. (2) If the son is actually wise, then he may aid and 
 counsel his father, and defend him against unjust reproaches. 
 Bertheau prefers the latter ; the former strikes me as more 
 obvious and natural. ^:n, thing (as often); and here it 
 means something, or = our English somewhat. 
 
 (1:2) The wary secth tlu evil he hideth himself: the simple pass 
 on the are unished. 
 
 "intpa (in pause), in a reflexive sense, 50. 2. a. In both 
 clauses, the second verb is asyndic, i. c. i t is wanting. I 
 have made the dashes to perform a part in imitating the 
 Hebrew mode of expression. In our idiom, we should say : 
 The wary man, seeing the evil, hideth himself; the simple, 
 passing on, are punished. But the Hebrews seldom employ 
 participles, in such a case. They prefer the verb ; and 
 doubtless their mode of construction has more life and 
 energy. In 22 : 3, we have the same text, with i inserted 
 in each clause. 
 
 (1.3) Take his garment, when he hath become surety for a stranger; 
 and on account of a strange woman, do thou distrain him. 
 
 See 20: 16, where are the same words, fully explained. 
 
 (14) Pie who hlesseth his friend with a loud voice, early in the 
 morning, it shall he counted fto him us a curse. 
 
384 PART IV-CHAP. XXVII. 15. 
 
 ^ha , great, when applied to voice, of course means loud. 
 S^S iin , Inf. Hiph. as a noun or adverb, in apposition 
 with ih , and the Ace. of time ; compare "i2ri!ii , as an 
 adverb. The reason why it will be counted as a curse, 
 rather than a blessing (which it would seem to be), is, that 
 such unusual or extraordinary developments of gratuitous 
 zeal, of course excite suspicion of fraudulent design, They 
 are not natural, but assumed. 
 
 (15) A continual dropping in a rainy day, and a brawling woman, 
 arc much alike. 
 
 For the first clause, see 19:3. ^to occurs in Hebrew 
 only here, but it occurs in the Syriac and Chaldee, in the 
 sense here given to it. The root "lib (in Arabic) means : 
 to Jill with ivater. WHW? ? a difficult word as to its form ; 
 at least we must think so, if we look at the criticisms upon 
 it. Yet the solution is attended, as I apprehend the matter, 
 with but little difficulty, in case we allow (with Ewald, 
 132. c), that the Hebrews had a Nithpael conjugation. 
 Examples of this are ^5S5 = P3, Deut. 21 : 8; law = ro, 
 Ezek. 23 : 48 ; also the word now before us. This word 
 seems then to be a fern. Part, of Nithpael, root rviirj , masc. 
 Part. rvirvi, fern, rn-, referring to woman, its nearest ante 
 cedent. The is of the root is transposed, as usual, in 
 Hithpael. The only trouble here is, that we should expect 
 !"i*lTi2 instead of FTiri . But is not the Dagh. here resolved 
 into the long vowel, Qamets, and so the reduplication 
 omitted ? See 20. 3. a. b. See also iia!b3 , tra^s , and comp. 
 20. 3. c. Note. Bertheau does not here recognize the 
 participial form in question, and so he has made it in the 
 Imperf. first pers. plur. voluntative ; in other words, accord 
 ing to him, it should be ttwsa , i. e. accented on the penult, 
 and it has a paragogic rt_ , which may reject the accent from 
 the ultimate. (But only a portion of the copies so accent 
 it.) He confesses that the meaning thus brought out, is 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 1C, 17. 385 
 
 strange, viz., let us compare. Truly it is so, for there is no 
 analogon in the whole book. Moreover, it seems to be 
 unnecessary. Compare Ewald, 132. c. 
 
 (16) He who restrained! her, restrained! the wind; and his right 
 hand cometh upon oil. 
 
 The wind or air is incapable of such restraint by any 
 ordinary means, as will prevent its escape ; and like to this 
 is the brawling woman, who cannot be restrained. Right 
 hand cometh upon oil, is explained by considering, that oil 
 makes a thing so slippery that it cannot be held fast in one s 
 grasp. So she cannot be held fast or restrained. K^, 
 see the root No. II., occurrit, obviam venit, meets with. 
 That is : A brawling woman is incapable of being tamed/ 
 
 (17) Iron may sharpen iron : and so a man may sharpen the coun 
 tenance of his friend. 
 
 IJtj (Qamets in pause) is Hiph. Imperf. apoc. of rnn = 
 Tin . Ges. makes it from the verb sy , but with much diffi 
 culty. Much better is it, with C. B. Michaelis, Bertheau, 
 and others, to suppose a root rnn . For irn, Imperf., 
 abridged, see 74. IV. note 14. We can easily understand 
 how a knife can be sharpened by a steel ; but what means 
 the other clause ? To sharpen the countenance, is hardly sus 
 ceptible of any other meaning than that of making the visage 
 look stern or severe, i. e. to be angry. We say of a frown 
 ing man : He looked sharp at his enemy. But then comes 
 the question : Why should one man provoke another ? 
 This, however, is not the real meaning. It is not a command 
 to excite or provoke, but a supposed case ; and when this 
 occurs, then let a man enter the list of controversy (if he 
 must do so) with a man like himself, and not with a child, 
 or an inferior; see Judg. 8 : 21. In other words : k If men 
 must enter into contest, let the antagonists be worthy of the 
 strife. Or it may be taken passively ; viz.. let not a man be 
 33 
 
386 PART IV CHAP. XXVJI. 1821. 
 
 angry at the mischief done him by a child, and not by a man. 
 Should he so do, then he would act childishly. So Bertheau. 
 I prefer the preceding exegesis ; but the verse is somewhat 
 obscure. 
 
 (18) He who kcepcth the %-tree. shall eat the fruit thereof; lie who 
 giiiirdctli his master shall be honored. 
 
 That is, the master will reward the keeping or guarding, 
 by suitable retribution ; just as the fig-tree feeds him who 
 keeps it, and thus makes him a retribution for his labor. 
 
 (19) As in water (ace answevcth to face, so doth the heart of man 
 to man. 
 
 C"E3 , art. before the name of a substance ; the Ace. of 
 place = in water , and designating the where. Face to face, 
 i. e. water reflects back the image of the face. The heart of 
 man is reflected back (so to speak) by the heart of another 
 man ; i. e. each has corresponding views and sympathies, so 
 that one can reason from his own heart to that of others, at 
 least in many respects ; for the properties of human nature 
 are common. 
 
 (20) The under-world and destruction are never satisfied; and so 
 the eyes of man are never satisfied. 
 
 The grave swallows up all, and yet remains ever unsatis 
 fied, for it is always craving more ; and so the eye is never 
 satiated with seeing. The Qeri "pTQX is the more usual 
 form ; but this may be abridged, as in the Kethibh ri nax , 
 the n being merely a fulcrum. 
 
 (21) A finin<r-pot for silver, and a furnace for t;old ; so is a man in 
 respect to his praise. 
 
 A fining-pot will disclose the true silver, and the furnace 
 the true gold ; and so a man s praise will disclose his true 
 character. Praise is apt to puff up men. :md make them 
 self-conceited. If it does, or does not, produce this effect, it 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVII. 2225. 387 
 
 will, in either alternative, make their true character known. 
 " It is a fining-pot." 
 
 (22) If thou sliouldo.st beat :i fool in ;i mortar, in the midst of 
 crushed grain. \viih a pestle, his foolishness will not depart from him. 
 
 Another of those stringent sarcasms with which fools are 
 assailed, in this book above all others in the Bible. Sen 
 timent : No chastisement, however severe, will cure a fool 
 of his folly. Such is the obstinacy of the men, who are 
 here characterized by the appellation of fools. 
 
 (23) Look well to thy flock; attend carefully to thy herds ; (24) 
 For abundance will not he perpetual ; not even a diadem [will be] 
 for generation after generation. 
 
 Precepts economical, addressed to husbandmen. STJ, 
 not unfrequently, as here, means to take knowledge of in the 
 sense of caring for, looking to. The Inf. abs. here, joined 
 with the definite mode, gives intensity to the expression. 
 Hence the version, look well. ^b rv":3 , means to fix one s 
 mind or attention on a thing. Take good care of your prop 
 erty, for although there now is an abundance of wealth, it 
 will not last always, not even a diadem, i. e. regal domain or 
 authority, will be permanent. nx is a strong negative, 
 when it follows xb in a preceding clause ; see Lex. s. v. C. c. 
 After diadem, the verb of existence or continuance is 
 plainly implied, as inserted in the version. In plain words : 
 Not even regal wealth is secure and lasting. 
 
 (ic 5) The <rra-s passeth away, the tender herbage showcth itself, 
 and the herb-; of tlie mountains are gathered. 
 
 nsr, sometimes designates going away into exile ; here, it 
 denotes the passing away of the grass from its location, when 
 the time to harvest it is come. Then spring up the tender 
 shoots (X r n) from its roots, supplying pasture. Fodder, 
 moreover, is laid up in stock, which comes from the moun 
 tain-bushes and grass, rin*^". Such is the provision to be 
 made for flocks and herds. Then follows their thrift. 
 
388 PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 1, 2. 
 
 (26) Lambs arc for thy clothing, and the price of a field is bucks. 
 
 That is, lambs, when sold, purchase thy clothing ; and 
 bucks will fetch a sufficient price to purchase land. Bucks 
 are the males of either sheep or goats ; so the German : 
 Bocken. In this way, permanent property may be acquired, 
 
 (27) Moreover, there will be a sufficiency of goat s milk for thy 
 nourishment, for the nourishment of thy household, and means of 
 living for thy maidens. 
 
 D^n , lit. life, here, means of life or of living. In other 
 words : If you look well to your farm, it will yield whatever 
 you may want for food, or clothing, or even for the purchase 
 of more land. It will, in a word, make you truly rich. 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. 128. 
 
 ( 1 ) The wicked flee, when no one pursueth ; but the righteous are 
 bold as a lion. 
 
 *!W , plur. of &w , because the Nom. y^ (sing.) is generic. 
 Are bold, lit. are confident ; but here the verb na:r; is sing. 
 with a Nom. in the plural a case, therefore, of specializing 
 or individualizing, where the idea is, that each one of the 
 collective (plur.) body is, or does, so and so, 143. 4. Comp. 
 Gen. 49 : 9, as to the simile. Meaning : The wicked are 
 full of fears ; while the righteous repose in quiet safety, not 
 being apprehensive of any danger. 
 
 (2) Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; 
 but because of a man of understanding, he who regardeth what is right 
 shall prolong [his days]. 
 
 When a nation transgresses, God gives them up to the 
 conquest of invaders, and to a partition of territory, or to 
 internal factions which divide and distract the country. 
 The last clause is difficult. Berth. : " So soon as men [the 
 people] become intelligent and knowing, then he [the prince] 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 35. 389 
 
 lives long," i. e. the one and only prince of the country reigns 
 long and undisturbed. I doubt this exegesis. It is plain 
 that 5~ ; ss and "prr; c^xa are two opposites, which are con 
 trasted ; the one leads to division and partition, and conse 
 quently to uncertainty of life and happiness ; the other 
 governs the country in such a way, that all who know and 
 practise what is right, have a prolonged season of quiet under 
 him. *3 I take to be a noun-adjective here ; and yr-* as 
 designating another person (i. e. a citizen or subject) than 
 the intelligent man, who seems plainly to be the ruler. The 
 two clauses are partially, but not fully and directly, antithetic. 
 Many princes occasion a state of things, where all is unsafe. 
 But a sole and intelligent ruler will prolong the life and safety 
 of those who cleave to rectitude. Tp"^. 1 > prolong == live long, 
 for days are implied after it, which are elsewhere expressed. 
 See Lex. under Hiphil, and Prov. 29 : 16. 
 
 (3) A poor man. and yet an oppressor of the poor, is a shower 
 sweeping so that there is no bread. 
 
 Probably an indigent ruler of a subordinate class is here 
 meant, who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself; a 
 thing very common in the East and also the West. But he 
 can no more become rich by such means, than a violent 
 shower, which sweeps away the surface of the ground, can 
 bring forward prosperously a crop of grain which has been 
 sown. In other words : Overdoing, in both cases, prevents 
 a crop from being gathered. 
 
 (4) Those who forsake the law, praise the wicked; but they Avho 
 keep the law. rouse up themselves against them. 
 
 The word y&^ is used generically here. Hence the plur. 
 suff. in QS. Meaning: The impious eulogize the wicked; 
 the pious oppose them. 
 
 (5) Evil men do not understand justice ; but those who seek Jehovah 
 understand everything. 
 
 33* 
 
3^0 PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. G 10. 
 
 Do not understand, i. e. have no adequate and proper sense 
 of it. Understand everything, viz., everything that relates 
 to right and duty. 
 
 (()) Better is the poor man, who walkctli in his integrity, than lie 
 who is perverse by double dealing, although he is rich. 
 
 O p "! ? , dual, two ways, because such a man now pursues 
 this course, and then that, in order that he may deceive. The 
 version gives the sense aimed at, although not literal. x JitTi , 
 and yet he is, here = although he is. Sentiment : An upright 
 poor man, is better than a perverse rich one. 
 
 (7) He thatkeepeth the law, is a discreet son ; but he who delightcth 
 in prodigals, will bring his father to shame. 
 
 nan , delighteth in = ns n , Lex. s. v. No. 3. He will behave 
 in such a manner as to put his father to shame. 
 
 (8) He who augmenteth his wealth by usurious increase, he shall 
 gather it for giving alms to the poor. 
 
 The two words ^5 and r^S^tt are both applied to the 
 interest of money. United, as here, they are either intensive 
 == excessive interest, or else a Hendiadys in which one acts 
 the part of an adjective, as in the version. Gather it, viz., 
 his wealth. "S inb , lit. for compassionating, i. e. in the way 
 of administering to their wants. The usurer meant not so, 
 in amassing his property ; but Providence orders things in 
 such a manner, that this wealth will come into the hands of 
 some liberal and compassionate person, who, by means of it, 
 relieves the wants of the poor. 
 
 (9) He who turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his 
 prayer shall be an abomination. 
 
 The impious cannot be sincere in their prayers; and 
 consequently, they are rejected because they are hypocritical. 
 
 (10) He who leadeth astray the upright in an evil wav, into his own 
 pit shall he fall; but the upright shall inherit good. 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 1115. 891 
 
 That is, he who leads the good astray, in order to do them 
 mischief, shall himself fall into mischief. Instead of perish 
 ing in the pit which was dug for them, the upright shall 
 become possessors of good. 
 
 (11) A rich mail is wise in his own view; but the poor man. po>- 
 sessed of understanding, will search him out. 
 
 A conceited wise man is easily understood by an intelligent 
 poor man, and easily exposed. His riches will not save him 
 from such disgrace. 
 
 (12) When the righteous rejoice, great is the glorying; but when 
 the wicked rise up, a man hideth himself. 
 
 rnxsn , (in pause), not only glory, but glorying. 
 lit. is made to be sought after, that is, he withdraws himself 
 so that one cannot easily find him = hideth himself. So Ges. 
 in Lex. 
 
 (13) He who co\ereth his sins, shall not prosper; but he wlio con- 
 fesseth and forsaketh [them], shall find mercy. 
 
 See a striking exposition of this, in Ps. xxxii. Conceal 
 ment jf sin exempts not men from punishment by a Being 
 who knows all things ; confession and repentance are indis 
 pensable to the obtaining of mercy. crrn, (Qamets in 
 pause), in Pual, shall be the subject of mercy. 
 
 (14) Blessed is the man who fearcth always; but he who hardeneth 
 his heart shall fall into evil. 
 
 Feareth, viz., to offend God. Hardeneth his heart, means : 
 1 Renders it insensible to admonition or reproof. 
 
 (15) A roaring lion, and a ranging bear, is a wicked ruler over a 
 poor people, 
 
 That is, by his rapacity he crushes and devours them, even 
 as those wild beasts do their prey. 
 
392 PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 1620. 
 
 (16) As to a prince who lackcth understanding, and multiplieth 
 oppression he who hatcth covctousness sliall prolong his days. 
 
 In other words : As to a foolish and greedy oppressor 
 I have only to say, that the man of an opposite character 
 shall obtain the blessing of long life. Of course, he (the 
 oppressor) cannot obtain it. The Kethibh reads : iswto , 
 const, plur. ; the Qeri, Xib , in the sing, const. The latter is 
 rather preferable, because the verb which follows is singular. 
 
 (17) A man oppressed with life s blood, let him lice to the pit, let 
 no man stay him. 
 
 Murder demands suitable retribution. No one should 
 interfere to prevent it. The precept is older than Solomon, 
 or even Moses ; see Gen. 9:6. In the older editions, fix 
 is, by Rabbinic conceit, printed thus : D^x , i. e. with a minute 
 X See Mich. Bib. 
 
 (18) He who walketh uprightly shall be safe; but he who is perverse 
 in double ways, shall fall in one [of them]. 
 
 Integrity is safety ; double-dealing will end in a fall. 
 nnxs in pause, in one, fern., as 7^ (to which it refers) occa 
 sionally is. The Seghol (instead of Pattah) in rnx , comes 
 by reason of the Qamets after it under a Guttural, 27. n. 
 2. b ; the Qamets (for _ ) because of the pause. 
 
 (19) He who tilleth his field, shall be satisfied Avith bread; and he 
 who folio weth after vain persons, shall have plenty of poverty. 
 
 Industry makes adequate provision for our wants ; but an 
 idle and profligate man will suffer much from want. 
 
 (20) A man of great faithfulness is rich in blessings; but he \vho 
 hasteneth to become rich, shall not be innocent. 
 
 , plur. intens., and so translated. n^ , an adjective 
 here, as the Maqqeph indicates, = abundant, rich. Hasten 
 eth to become rich, that is, by fraud, or violence, or oppression, 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 2124. 393 
 
 instead of faithful and steady industry. Cupidity always 
 tempts to fraud or oppression. 
 
 (21) To respect persons is not good ; for because of a piece of bread 
 a man will become a transgressor. 
 
 Q15Q 1311 , lit. to know in the sense of favoring ; root 133 , 
 and it is here in the Inf. Hiph. "12^1 , with the Tseri shortened 
 because of the Maqqeph. By this phrase, (as we have seen 
 above, 24 : 23, q. v.), is meant to show partiality for. Be 
 cause of a piece of bread, (spoken ironically, and it means as 
 much as to say, for an insignificant bribe), a man will show 
 partiality in judging. That (partiality) cannot be good, i. e. 
 it must be very evil, when even a small bribe will purchase 
 it, and thus occasion much mischief. 
 
 (22) A man of an evil eye hasteth for wealth ; and he knoweth not 
 that want shall come upon him. 
 
 The man of an evil eye, is the envious and covetous man. 
 Vj?3 Part. Niph., lit. is urgent or hastening. In Piel this 
 ~ense is more clearly developed ; but we find it also in Niph. 
 No. 3, in the Lex. "pnb, with the art, either because it is 
 abstract, or else because it is the specific name of a thing. 
 
 (23) A man who reproveth shall afterwards find favor, more than 
 
 he who iiattercth with his tongue. 
 
 nnx = inx , an adverb. Ges. thus : " after me, i. e. fol 
 lowing my precepts ;" for he regards it as the plur. with suff. 
 "i , my. To say the least, this is a doubtful solution cer 
 tainly a very unusual one, in Hebrew. Sentiment : Those 
 who are reformed by admonition, will afterwards feel grateful 
 to their monitor. 
 
 (24) He who robheth his father and his mother, and saith : No harm ! 
 he is a companion to a destroyer. 
 
 No harm ! because, forsooth, the property is going to be 
 his own, ere long. Such a man is to be ranked with destroyers 
 
394 PART IV CHAP. XXVIII. 2528. 
 
 or wasters, i. e. with men who desperately do every kind of 
 violence and wrong, Compare Matt. 15 : 4 6, which is 
 quite analogous. 
 
 (25) He who is of a haughty spirit will stir up strife : but he who 
 trusteth in Jehovah shall have an abundance. 
 
 Stt*! , lit. ample., expanded. The imagery is borrowed from 
 inflation ; just as we say, puffed up, in a tropical way. 
 Hence haughty. "j^" 1 ., Pual, lit. shall be made fat. 
 
 (26) Whosoever trusteth in his own heart, he is a fool ; but who 
 ever walkcth wisely, he shall be delivered. 
 
 The at sin , in both cases, makes intensity of specification. 
 Be delivered, viz., from the evils which self-confidence 
 occasions. Walketh wisely, here seems to mean as much as 
 puts his trust in God, and not in himself ; for this is true 
 wisdom. 
 
 (27) As to him who giveth to the poor there shall be no lack; 
 but as to him who hideth his eyes there will be plenty of curses. 
 
 The version discloses the form of the original, as to the 
 Nom. independent. The liberal giver shall not come to 
 want, because God will bless him. Hideth his eyes, viz., 
 from noticing the wants of the poor. S*] , with a Maqqeph 
 following, shows itself to be an adj. here. But an adj., taken 
 as neuter, makes the abstract noun, as in the version. 
 
 (28) When the wicked rise up a man hideth himself, and when 
 they perish the righteous increase. 
 
 , Inf. Kal. with suff. The wicked, by their op 
 pression and violence, strike such terror into the good, as to 
 make them withdraw, in order to seek a place of refuge. 
 When such oppressors are removed, then the righteous are 
 multiplied. 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXIX. 15. 395 
 
 CHAP. XXIX, 127. 
 
 (1) A man who is often reproved and hardcncth his neck, shall bo 
 ouddenly destroyed, and there shall be no remedy. 
 
 nins in, develops strikingly the plur. intens. The mean 
 ing is not that of a man who has been only once reproved, 
 but plainly that of a man often reproved, i. e. one to whom 
 many reproofs have been directed. Hardening his neck, 
 means pertinaciously going on in his evil ways. His neck 
 does not feel the yoke of reproof to be galling ; for it is so 
 hard that he heeds not the yoke. "i~h is intense = shall 
 be shivered in pieces. 
 
 (2) When the righteous increase, the people rejoice: but when the 
 wicked bear rule, the people bemoan themselves. 
 
 The righteous are a blessing to any community, and the 
 people have reason to rejoice in their increase: but the 
 domination of the wicked will make them grieve, naso , 
 Niph. Imperf. reflexive, bemoan themselves. 
 
 (3) The man \vho loveth wisdom, shall make his father glad; but 
 he who hath pleasure in harlots, will waste wealth. 
 
 nsp , Part, of siri ns n , see in Lex. It is so far transi 
 tive as to put the object of pleasure in the Ace. after it. 
 Waste wealth, viz., his father s wealth, and so make the latter 
 sorrowful, instead of making him glad. 
 
 (4) A kin- by justice vail establish the land : but a man of presents 
 will destroy it. 
 
 Man of presents, is one who loves them and gladly accepts 
 them, as bribes for partiality. Such a ruler will ruin his 
 country. The last verb, with suff. ns_ . 
 
 (5) A man who speaketh smoothly against his neighbor., *p 
 a net over his steps. 
 
396 PART IV-CHAP. XXIX. 69. 
 
 That the smooth speaking, in this case, is in malam partem, 
 is made clear by \>y , against. The basis of the idea is that 
 of smoothing (p ^n) a thing by rubbing it against another. 
 A net over, etc., means a net so spread, as to entangle him 
 and arrest his steps, or make him fall. 
 
 (6) In the transgression of a bad man there is a snare; but the 
 righteous shall sing and be glad. 
 
 By transgressing, a man brings on himself a snare, in 
 which he may be caught and made to stumble ; but the 
 righteous shall go on and prosper, and so they shall sing 
 aloud for joy. Not that they rejoice because the wicked 
 are ensnared, but because God gives them safety and pros 
 perity. p vi (from S n) is an uncommon form ; but there is 
 a number of such in the Hebrew Bible ; see 66. n. 9. 
 
 (7) The righteous takcth knowledge of the cause of the poor; the 
 wicked will not understand knowledge. 
 
 The righteous design to aid the poor, by taking cogni 
 zance of their cause, when they claim their just dues ; the 
 wicked will never take proper pains to gain a knowledge 
 of it. 
 
 (8) Men of scorn blow up a tlamc in the city ; but the wise cause 
 anger to abate. 
 
 "rnsn, from rpQ, to blow, puff, to blow up, e. g. a fire, that 
 is, to enkindle it. Hence the tropical meaning, to inflame, 
 i. e. to blow upon or enkindle the passions or prejudices of a 
 city, for the sake of leading the people to rash proceedings. 
 W ir , cause to return, to turn back, and consequently it is 
 equivalent to abating. 
 
 (9) Doth a wise man contend in a cause with a fool ? He will be 
 angry, and will laugh, but there is no pacification. 
 
 That is, he will at one time be agitated with rage, at 
 another with scornful laughter ; a quiet and considerate 
 state of mind he will not come to. 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXIX. 1014. 397 
 
 (10) Men of blood will hate the man of integrity; but the upright 
 will seek anxiousl for his life. 
 
 ^ , Piel, with Dagh. in p omitted, because this would 
 require a movable Sheva, 20. 3. b. It is a very common 
 method of abridging words. Lit. seek his life ; which usually 
 means : seek it in order to take it away. Here, in bonam 
 partem, in order to preserve it ; but to avoid the equivoque, 
 I have slightly changed the manner of expression, while the 
 sense is retained. 
 
 (11) A fool will pour out all his indignation; but a wise man will 
 afterwards try to appease it. 
 
 I rrti , as in our English phrase : " He showed much 
 spirit" The wise man will deal gently with such an one, 
 and try to soften and appease him. The Piel form of the 
 last verb gives room for the version, try to appease ; for to 
 appease is the primary sense of 
 
 (12) Doth a ruler listen to a false report^ all his servants are 
 wicked. 
 
 That is, if the ruler loves to deal in slander and falsehood 
 then all his underlings will learn to imitate him in his 
 vices, and thus become wicked. 
 
 (13) The poor and the man of exactions meet together; the eyes 
 >f them both Jehovah cnlighteneth. 
 
 Meet together in a hostile way, or in conflict, seems to be 
 the idea. The hardly exacting man is resisted by the 
 oppressed poor man. Jehovah has given to both the light 
 of life, here designated by enlightening the eyes, i. e. making 
 them to sparkle with living power. Of course, both are 
 equally dependent on him, and both under his supervision ; 
 and therefore the one can have no right to bear hard on 
 the other, and the oppressed may hope for vindication. 
 
 (14) As to the king who judgeth the poor with faithfulness- his 
 throne shall be established forever. 
 
 34 
 
398 PART IV CHAP. XXIX. 1519. 
 
 A faithful discharge of duties toward the poor and op 
 pressed, will result in the firm establishment of a throne. 
 
 (15) The rod and reproof will give wisdom ; and the lad who is 
 freed [from them], will cause shame to his mother. 
 
 Compare 23 : 13, and also 13 : 24, where the same senti 
 ment is found, with some little variation of phraseology. 
 
 (16) When the wicked increase, transgression increaseth; but the 
 righteous shall look on when they f.ill. 
 
 Be the wicked ever so flourishing, to appearance, yet the 
 time of their fall will come, which the good will witness. 
 a nx n has usually the meaning of looking on anything with 
 satisfaction. But we should not associate with this the idea, 
 that the good have any delight in the plagues of the wicked, 
 in themselves considered, but that they rejoice because the 
 time of their deliverance has come. Comp. Rev. 11: 17, 18. 
 18:20. 
 
 (17) Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall 
 give delight to thy soul. 
 
 *!&;;, Piel, Pattah in the ultimate, because of the 1. 
 fc^?^ , of an intensive form and meaning ; which is ex 
 pressed in the version. 
 
 (18) Where there is no vision, the people become dissolute : but he 
 who keepeth the law blessed is he ! 
 
 Vision means here prophetic vision or revelation. Dis 
 solute, i. e. loosed from restraint in a moral sense ; compare 
 Ex. 32 : 25, which fully confirms this sense of V~te* . In 
 such a case, when deprived of prophetic teachers, the only 
 recourse is to the Law ; the which, if a man will diligently 
 attend to it, will render him happy. 
 
 (19) By words a servant will not be corrected ; although he under 
 stands, yet will he not make answer. 
 
 Something more than mere words must be employed, to 
 
PART IV CHAP. XXIX. 20-22. 399 
 
 secure the ready obedience of some servants. The words 
 they may understand ; but they will regard them as mere 
 words and nothing more, unless some more effectual cor 
 rective be applied. The answering does not here mean a 
 reply only in ivords, but also in doing the things which are 
 correspondent with the commands given, i. e. making a 
 practical answer. 
 
 (20) Sccst thou a man hasty in his word.-, there is more hope for a 
 fool than for him. 
 
 See the proverb in 26 : 12. It seems to be the same gnome 
 in all, but still it was a little modified when it was inserted 
 in the different sources of selection, which "the men of 
 Hezekiah" had before them. 
 
 (21) As to him who bringeth up delicately hid servant from child 
 hood, at last he will surely be a son. 
 
 pSBE , not elsewhere in Hebrew, but frequent in Aramaean, 
 in the sense here given by the version. ""Z o , the abstract 
 form, i. e. childhood ; *,r5 means lad. "irvnnx , lit. in the 
 end, or sequel of it ; for I take i here as relating generally 
 to the whole affair. It is the Ace. of time. If the pronoun 
 suff. must be made more definite, then it must relate to 
 servant, and mean the after-part of his life. The sense is 
 virtually the same in both cases. "pra , is unique, being 
 found nowhere else in the Bible. It is probably made 
 from "*:, offspring^ by prefixing a formative a. So the 
 Rabbins ; and the sense is good. The ancient versions 
 seem to have read a different word here. The Vulgate 
 only approaches our text. This renders "^ by contuma- 
 cem ; and so Ewald, and others, who compare the Arabic 
 "(15^2, which means ungrateful. The sense of this is not bad ; 
 but the other meaning given above, has more point. 
 
 (22) An angry man will stir up strife ; and a man enraged abounds 
 in transgression. 
 
400 PART IV CHAP. XXIX. 2327. 
 
 sa , means an irascible man, one who easily and 
 often becomes enraged. Anger, of course, prompts to do 
 wrong. 
 
 (23) The haughtiness of a man will bring him low; but humble 
 ness of spirit will obtain honor. 
 
 Compare 25 : 6, seq. 16 : 19. For rparn , compare 11: 16. 
 Lit. this means to grasp, to lay fast hold of. 
 
 (24) He who maketh a division with a thief, hateth his own life ; 
 he heareth the curse, and yet will not reveal. 
 
 Hateth his own life, see remarks on 8 : 36, respecting such 
 meiosis. He acts as though he hated it, by thus wickedly 
 exposing it to danger. The curse, namely, that which is 
 pronounced on him who concealeth a theft; see Lev. 5:1, 
 and comp. Judges 17:2. But although he is brought 
 under this curse, in case of concealment, still he will not 
 reveal the thief, with whom he has become a partaker. 
 
 (25) The fear of man will lay a snare ; but he who trustcth in 
 Jehovah shall be protected. 
 
 Men will through fear do that which they disapprove ; 
 and so they are ensnared. Trusteth in Jehovah, viz., trusts 
 that he will protect those who do right, and fears not the 
 consequences. Be protected, lit. be elevated to a high place, 
 and therefore safe from attack. 
 
 (26) Many seek the face of a ruler; but from Jehovah cometh the 
 right of a man. 
 
 Many repair to rulers, in order to obtain their favor by 
 flattery ; but it is God only who will and can do perfect 
 justice to all. That is : ( Look more to heaven, and less to 
 rulers. 
 
 (27) An abomination of the righteous, is the man of misehief ; but 
 the abomination of the wicked, is he who is upright in his wav. 
 
 The righteous abhor wrong-doers ; but the wicked abhor 
 the upright. 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 
 
 PART V. CHAP. XXX. 133. 
 
 (1) THE WORDS or AGUII, t/te son of Jn-r u-ho mis obeyed in Mnssa. 
 Thus spake the man : I have toiled for Gojl. I have toiled tor God, 
 and have ceased. 
 
 So far as I know, Hitzig (in Zeller, Theol. in Jahrb. 1844, 
 s. 283) was the first to propose this new modification of the 
 verse before us. It is adopted and finely commented on, in 
 Bertheau. There can be no doubt, that n^ , bxT^xb , and 
 b3X, were regarded by the punctators, by the Chald. and 
 Syr. translators, and by nearly all of the modern commenta 
 tors, as proper names. Not so the Sept. and Vulg. " quae 
 in omnia alia abeunt." Nothing can be learned from them 
 about the true original here. Is the version above correct ? 
 Will the words fairly admit of a different and more intelligi 
 ble construction than that which has been the usual one? 
 are questions fairly before us, since the critics of other times 
 are not agreed. 
 
 The reasons for doubting the correctness of the present 
 vowel-points are several. As they stand, we must translate 
 thus : The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, the oracular mes 
 sage, the declaration of the man for Ithiel for Ithiel and UkaL 
 Here then, (a) We have conveyed to us the idea of words 
 (a part of the title) virtually repeated three times, viz., first 
 in ^^\ , then in x^ten , and lastly by dio ; the like of which 
 can nowhere else be found, and which seems to be not only 
 altogether unnecessary, but in a measure even unmeaning. 
 This awakens suspicion. (&) The names Jakeh and Ukal 
 occur nowhere else, as proper names ; that of Ithiel only 
 once, viz., in Neh. 11: 7. This would not indeed be proof 
 of itself, that they might not be used as proper names here ; 
 but if the consideration of them as proper names, would 
 make the passage appear very singular and tame ; and spe 
 cially, if the interpretation of them as usual words, and not 
 
402 PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 
 
 proper names, makes a good and congruous sense ; then all 
 this is proper to be thrown into the balance of adjustment. 
 (c) If Ithiel and Ukal are both proper names intimately as 
 sociated, why is it that the first is repeated, and the last not 
 repeated ? Both appear, from our present point of view, to 
 stand on the same level, (d) It seems singular, that the 
 oracular message and the declaration should both be addressed 
 to one person twice ; to another person once ; and moreover 
 to two persons, who are elsewhere (if in fact they are per 
 sons) wholly unknown, and who, so far as the sequel is con 
 cerned, are never addressed or recognized in that sequel. 
 At least, we can discern nothing specially appropriate to 
 them, in what follows, (e) Quite strange is it, in case the 
 whole of verse first is title merely, to find **2 , in verse second, 
 at the very beginning of a discourse, (f) In the usual 
 mode of interpretation, x&sn and nxs are both in apposition, 
 and therefore both are in the const, before "Dan . But this 
 cannot be, for the article before the first would be ^admis 
 sible, at least by any of the ordinary laws of grammar, (y) 
 After Bio , in all other places, comes merely the person 
 whose word it is (i. e. the subject or agent who speaks), but 
 not the one to whom the address is made (the indirect object). 
 At least this is the case universally in the Heb. Scriptures. 
 Therefore " the word (2X3) of the man to Ithiel" is without 
 any parallel. (/<) x tS s is not congruous in its meaning, with 
 the matter which follows ; for this is not, (like what follows 
 fct ttJEtt in other cases), one connected oracle, or one connected 
 and judicial sentence, but many sayings on different topics. 
 Nor does the matter of the sequel, i. e. the tenor of it, at all 
 agree with the proper meaning of yfti q . These are serious 
 difficulties indeed ; and if they can be well avoided, it seems 
 desirable to shun them. Let us see whether this can be 
 fairly done. 
 
 (1) X&TS is probably here the name of a place. This may 
 be argued, from its necessary meaning in 31: 1, a passage 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 403 
 
 altogether parallel with the one before us, as every one will 
 see. There we have the following: " The words of Lemuel 
 ^2 T|3^ , i. e. (as usually rendered) the words of Lemuel the 
 king, an oracle, etc. But this is an impossible construction. 
 The Hebrews could say : bx^b T^tt , or T|bjsrT bx^b ; but 
 they did not and could not say : Tj?^ bx*rab . Of course, then, 
 ^yq without the article is necessarily here in the const, state ; 
 and if so, then x&a is the name of the country over which 
 Lemuel was king. This follows by a grammatical necessity. 
 But where is such a place or country ? In Gen. 25 : 14 
 and 1 Chron. 1: 30, Massa is mentioned, and is coupled in 
 each case with srcsn ; and this latter name occurs again in 
 Is. 21: 11. In Arabian geography, we find two Dumahs, 
 viz., the Syrian one called Dumah el G ondol, and the Ara 
 bic one named Dumah of Iraq ; but there is also another 
 one, on the western slope of the highlands of Arabia, about 
 some fifty to sixty geographical miles from Akaba, which is 
 at the head of the eastern fork of the Red Sea. Near this 
 latter Dumah, (in all probability, as it would seem, because 
 of the junction of the two names elsewhere), was Massa. 
 Moreover, both Dumah and Massa were probably inhabited 
 by a colony of Jews, i. e. Simeonites ; about five hundred of 
 whom marched into that country, and expelled the former 
 inhabitants, in the time of Hezekiah, as we are informed in 
 1 Chron. 4: 41 43. After possessing themselves of Mount 
 Seir, in Edom, they extended their conquests over all the 
 remainder of the Amalekites, who are reckoned among the 
 ancient Arabians by their own geographers. In view of 
 these facts, it is easy to account for it, that a messenger was 
 sent to consult Isaiah the prophet, out of the land of Dumah, 
 Is. 21: 11. Doubtless, the messenger and those who sent 
 him were Hebrews. 
 
 (2) Taking the above historical events into view, it will 
 be easy to see how it comes about, that a writer in Massa 
 should develop an acquaintance with the Heb. Scriptures, 
 
404 PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 
 
 and a high reverence for them ; which is plainly shown in 
 30 : 5, 6, and also in the word Jehovah in 30 : 9. Whatever 
 might be the difficulties we should meet with, in case Massa 
 was inhabited by heathenish Amalekites, we are now freed 
 from them by the historic notice above referred to, in 1 Chron. 
 4:41 43. Dumah, and Massa its neighbor, in all proba 
 bility were a portion of the Amalekitish country, if we 
 may judge from their localities ; and after the conquest of 
 them by the Simeonites, we never hear any more about 
 Amalek as an existing nation. It is plain, then, that chaps. 
 xxx. xxxi. might have been written at Massa ; and this not 
 very long after the Hebrew conquest of it. Thus far our 
 path seems to be open. 
 
 (3) The main difficulty respects Massa; and this being 
 now removed, we come to the word which precedes it, and 
 which, if we are in the right, should (with Massa) be pointed 
 and read thus : x &- rTFipi . By this mode of writing, the 
 !"!, which appears in our text as an article before KtSE , is 
 attached to the preceding word as a suff. pronoun. That 
 this n does not belong to Massa as an article, has already 
 been shown, (see (f) above, and comp. Massa in 31:1, 
 which has no article). Written in this way, the meaning 
 stand s thus : Agur, the son of her whose domain is Massa. 
 The ground-form of nnp^ is ~!ni , and this appears in Gen. 
 49 : 10, in the const, state, and there means domain, or 
 dominion; in a like sense it occurs in v. 17 of this present 
 chapter ; or, if we follow the Arabic root npi, lit. it means 
 obedience, i. e. (in the concrete) those who obey. Domain is 
 therefore a good word to convey the idea intended to be 
 conveyed. We might expect, that fifi]^ would, in the suff. 
 state, make ttr^PI ; and so it would in its full form, but 
 Hitzig (loc. cit.) has shown, that the form of nouns that 
 have a double n, drops one of them before a suff. which 
 consists of another ft- , so as to prevent the occurrence of 
 three He s together; and consequently, that the abridged 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 405 
 
 form here, ftfip^, is within the rules of Hebrew normal 
 usage. Only one question remains, then, in regard to such 
 a phraseology, as here follows the const, noun *s (from p , 
 see in Lex.), viz., Can the const, state precede not only 
 nouns in the Gen., but also a whole clause, as in this case ? 
 Ewald has fully answered this question in 323, b, with 
 many examples of such a construction. Our way then 
 seems clear. *2 is often employed for "2 in the const. ; see 
 Fuerst, Concord. Heb. We have then the following idea : 
 The words of Agur, the son of her whose domain is Massa. 
 So much is the proper title or inscription of the book ; and 
 here that title ends, as we shall soon see. 
 
 The same queen of Massa seems to reappear, in 31 : 1. 
 Lemuel, the king of Massa, is going to utter things which his 
 mother taught him. It seems probable, then, that he was a 
 successor to his mother in her domain ; and also that Agur 
 (in 30: 1) was a brother of his, being the progeny of the 
 same queen. A person of remarkable endowments this 
 mother would seem to have been, thus to instruct her sons ; 
 and fortunate, as the world say, in having such sons. 
 
 (4) We come now to the latter part of the verse. This 
 I should write and render thus : b::xi ^ "Tsi&tb bx ^rHxb , 
 I have toiled for God, I have toiled for God, and. have failed. 
 The Ace. bx is hardly governed by Ty^b , a verb intrans. 
 It is rather that kind of Ace. which indicates in respect to, 
 in reference to, 117. 3; of which there is a multitude of 
 like examples. The sequel shows, that the toil in this case 
 consisted in endeavors to find out God. After toiling in 
 vain to accomplish this, he desisted, or failed, as to making 
 more efforts. So stands it in our text, as pointed above, 
 bsxi . This is the apoc. Imperf. of H53 , which does not 
 simply imply the fact of desisting, but desisting because of a 
 failure of strength and resolution to pursue the matter. 
 The sequel will show why he failed, i. e. it develops the 
 impossibility of accomplishing such an object. That this 
 
406 PART V CHAP. XXX. 1. 
 
 % 
 
 is not a forced or improbable construction, when we point 
 the word brxi , is plain from the fact, that anciently the 
 Sept., the Syr., and the Vulgate, all treat it as a verb in the 
 Imperf. ; although some of them derived it from bb^ , to be 
 able, and read it brjo = the full form "ts iJO . So Cocceius, 
 who translates thus : Laboravi propter Deum, ct obtinui. 
 But the verb bb^ elsewhere always makes its Imperf. in the 
 full form, brttx. We must go then to n ^3 as the stem, or to 
 Vss = n?3 in respect to meaning. 3. D. Michaelis came 
 near the tru"e sense, in his translation : Concerning God 1 
 have toiled, and given up the investigation. He must have 
 pointed the word as proposed at the beginning of this para 
 graph. Forms like brxn we have in "2X1 in Deut. 9 : 15. 
 10: 5, see 74. n. 3. b. 
 
 If it be objected to the pointing in ^x ^n\N& , that the 
 name of God in the form bx or D^n sx never appears else 
 where in the book of Proverbs ; the fact is conceded, with 
 the exception of tLirfbx in 2 : 5, 17. We always have 
 Jehovah, through the whole book elsewhere ; and just the 
 contrary of this is the usage in Ecc., where Jehovah is never 
 employed. This is a strong circumstance against identity 
 of authorship in respect to the two books. But in the 
 present case, it is of no weight as an objection against the 
 use of bx here, because the ground taken is, that the author 
 ship belongs to a man out of Palestine, and one who cannot 
 be regarded as bound by Solomonic usage. 
 
 Thus we obtain a facile and congruous sense for the 
 clause under examination ; as we shall more fully see in the 
 sequel. If the Ace. ?x , after rPXP , be a matter of diffi 
 culty to any one, (which surely it cannot be, if he well 
 understands the Hebrew idiom), let him consider what 
 license the Greeks take, with this same tense, after intrans. 
 verbs; -e.g. Baivziv odop dtyf.lv tovg noSas xu^siv 
 tovg ocp&akftovG and even %QQWWV <boipov, dancing Apollo, 
 i. e. in honor of him &{<t(>iv "S/QTSIIIV, to dance Diana, 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 2. 407 
 
 oid many more of the same tenor. But the Ileb. employs 
 the Ace. even more extensively than the Greek. Most of 
 the adverbs of manner, are made by nouns in the Ace. case. 
 
 The version above, viz. : / have toiled for God, must of 
 course be here understood, (if we retain the word for in the 
 translation), as meaning, that he had toiled for the acquisi 
 tion of a knowledge of God ; but yet, not in the ordinary 
 sense of acquiring a saving knowledge of him, but in order 
 to obtain a speculative knowledge, either ontological or 
 physiological. That he failed in this toil, is not a matter of 
 wonder; compare the striking passages in Job 11 : 7. 36 : 5, 
 26. 37: 23. Rom. 11 : 33. 
 
 If our conclusion above is correct, then the two chapters, 
 Prov. xxx. xxxi., came from the hand of a Jewish Arabian 
 writer. The manner in which his composition begins, 
 reminds one of the usual manner of commencing any com 
 position in Arabic. Here we have "iSyfj CJO ; in Arabic, 
 
 J\3 (dixit) is the preface to any piece, with the name of the 
 author following this verb ; and this is exactly = CJO , with 
 the speaker s name after it. 
 
 No apology, I trust, is needed for the length of a dis 
 cussion, which proposes so much of a change in the ordinary 
 version of the passage before us. Not a single consonant, 
 let it be noted, has been changed or omitted, in making out 
 this alteration, but merely a different vocalization is em 
 ployed. The difficulty of the passage doubtless occasioned 
 the punctators to make proper names of those words, which 
 they did not well understand. 
 
 (2) For s; i ,]ii<i ma I more than any man : and I have not the 
 understanding of men. 
 
 Here we see the full force and propriety of ^3 . He 
 failed, because God cannot be searched out to perfection ; 
 and then he desisted, because he found himself altogether 
 unable to comprehend God. He was even made to feel, 
 
408 PART V CHAP. XXX. 3, 4. 
 
 that he was stupid beyond the common measure, yea, more 
 than any other man. The phraseology need not, however, 
 be urged to rigid exactness of statement, for it is poetical, 
 and specially is it the language of feeling, rather than that 
 of exact philosophizing or logic. 
 
 (3) For I did not learn wisdom ; nor did I become acquainted with 
 a knowledge of the Most Holy. 
 
 The 1 at the outset is causal in a measure. Because he 
 did not learn, etc., is the reason why he has said, that he 
 was uncommonly stupid. The second 1 , following a nega 
 tive, means nor. n^lp , lit. the holy ones, plainly a plural 
 intensive, and it is so rendered in the version. 
 
 (4) Who ascendeth to heaven, and then descendeth ? Who hath 
 gathered the wind in his fists ? Who hath bound up the waters as in 
 a garment 1 Who hath established the ends of the earth 1 What is 
 his name, and what is his son s name, that thou shouldest know him ? 
 
 That is, God ascends and descends, and is everywhere. 
 He holds the winds in his grasp, and restrains them or 
 causes them to blow at his pleasure. Bound up the waters, 
 i. e. the waters above the firmament (Gen. 1 : 7), which of 
 course, according to Hebrew views, needed to be bound, in 
 order to keep them in place. "^-a , as with a garment, 
 the a being omitted because of the s , that is, as a man 
 girds a garment around him so as to make a complete cover 
 ing, so are the waters above confined. The ;p;:n seems to 
 be the covering in question here, which, being regarded by 
 the Hebrews as a solid expanse, affords a check upon the 
 descent of the waters. Hence the opening of the windows 
 of heaven," at the time of the deluge, Gen. 7: 11, 12. 
 What is his name ? etc., are questions which imply, that no 
 one knows him, or his family, (so to speak). That thou 
 shouldest know him, i. e. so that thou, etc. In other words : 
 Not even his name, or that of anything which pertains to 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 59. 409 
 
 him, is such that thou canst know it. To think of the Logos 
 here, under the name of "a , would be u travelling very far 
 out of the record." The sentiment plainly is : < We cannot 
 know him or his, so as to satisfy speculative inquiry. 
 
 (5) Every word of God is pure ; a shield is lie to those who trust in 
 him. 
 
 Compare the original of this, in Ps. 119 : 140. 12: 7 (6). 
 All which God has said is free from dross or imperfection ; 
 and he will protect all who trust in him. 
 
 (6) Thou shalt not add to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou 
 become a liar. 
 
 Compare Deut. 4:2. 13 : 1, (Eng. Vers. 12: 32). The 
 quotation here is so plain, that one cannot doubt the famil 
 iarity of the writer with the Jewish Scripture. For the 
 form S)Oin, from C,o^ , see 74. n. 3. c. A liar is any one 
 who falsifies God s truth, either by addition or diminution. 
 
 (7) Two things have I asked of thee ; withhold them not from me 
 before I die. (8) Falsehood and lying words remove far from me; 
 give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with the bread of my 
 allotted portion. 
 
 n^B demands the Imperf. after it, as here in n*rax . Give 
 me neither, etc., the Heb. runs thus : Poverty and riches give 
 not to me ! iSl ilJB na!! , lit. pluck food for me the bread 
 of my portion. ^n , is his ration, so to speak, i. e. what is 
 allotted or suffices to satisfy his wants. There appears, at 
 first view, to be three things instead of two. But the last two 
 clauses combine in the following way : Let me be neither 
 rich nor poor, but merely one who has a sufficiency. 
 
 (9) Lest I be satiated and deny [thee], and say: Who is Jehovah ? 
 and lest I be poor, and steal, and violate the name of God. 
 
 Great plenty usually produces pride and sensuality, and, 
 of course, forgetfulness of God, and of our dependence on 
 him. Poverty tempts men to steal what they want, and 
 35 
 
410 PART V CHAP. XXX. 1014. 
 
 which they cannot otherwise obtain. Moreover, in conse 
 quence of this condition, some men often assail the divine 
 Being with charges of partiality, severity, and injustice. 
 Assail or violate the name ; the verb ; c ri lit. means to take 
 hold of, to grasp, to seize rudely for the sake of treating any 
 one roughly. It is difficult to find an adequate English word. 
 Assail has of course a bad sense, (which is required here), 
 as commonly employed ; but the idiom is unusual. Violate, 
 seems to come as near to the original, as we can well manage 
 to come. Name of God is = God himself ; as often elsewhere. 
 
 (10) Thou shalt not cause a servant to slander his master; lest he 
 should curse thee, and thou shouldest be guilty. 
 
 jttfen is in Hiph., and so has the meaning given to it in the 
 version. Should curse thee, viz., because he has incurred 
 punishment for his crime of slandering, to which thou didst 
 move him. And since thou hast done a wrong, and made 
 thyself guilty, the curse will light on thee, for thou hast 
 deserved it. It will not be a d|n ir&bp , but a curse with a 
 good reason for it. 
 
 [Next follows a specification of four classes of people, each one 
 independent of the other ; and what is remarkable in the case is. that 
 nothing is predicated of them, as to what they are to do or will do, 
 (except in one case), or even as to any retribution which awaits them. 
 They stand in no connection with the context ; and they apparently 
 represent prevailing vices, inasmuch as whole classes are specified. It 
 seems to be taken for granted, that each of these classes will be looked 
 upon by the reader with high disapprobation.] 
 
 (11) There is a generation, which curseth its father, and blesseth not 
 its mother ; (12) A generation pure in its own eyes, and which is not 
 washed from its filthiness ; (13) A generation O how lofty are their 
 eyes, and their eyebrows lifted up! (14) A generation whose teeth 
 are swords, and their grinders knives, to consume the wretched of the 
 land, and the needy among men. 
 
 V. 11, blesseth not curseth ; a case of nieiosis. V. 12, 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 15, 16. 411 
 
 pure in its own eyes, although still unclean, yrr? , Part. Pual, 
 with a omitted, 51. n. 5. V. 13, Lofty eyes and eyebrows 
 elevated are the usual marks or signs of pride or haughtiness. 
 V. 14, swords and knives are instruments of destruction. 
 Here the image is that of wild beasts, which are ready to 
 devour, and so we have ^bx\j . f~i^ , out of the land, it 
 might be rendered, i. e. to clear the land of them ; but I take 
 "ip to denote a part of, or belonging to. So also in 3"iX*3 . 
 But, what of all these ? and what is to become of them ? the 
 writer does not say. He merely proffers them to our notice, 
 doubtless anticipating our disapprobation of them. 
 
 (15) The vampire hath two daughters, give, give ; three there are, 
 which are never satisfied, four which never say: Enough! (16) The 
 under- world, the barren womb, the ground never saturated with water, 
 and fire which never says : Enough ! 
 
 The vampire., njr^b:? , is perhaps a somewhat doubtful 
 translation. The ancients render leech or blood-sucker ; our 
 English version, the horse-leech. In one respect this is con 
 gruous; for these creatures are in a measure insatiable; 
 which makes the gist of the comparison. But they do not 
 seem to be sufficiently significant, or of importance enough, 
 to constitute the basis of comparison here. Vampire comes 
 much nearer, in this respect. This is an imaginary spectre 
 or ghost, in the popular mythology, which sucks human blood, 
 specially that of children, and is insatiable for it. The word 
 nplbs; is found nowhere else in Heb. ; but the Arabians have 
 the same word, and in the Kamus^ their standard dictionary, 
 it is defined by another Arabic word, viz., J^. ^ Ghool. 
 This latter word, the Kamus again defines, as meaning, (1) 
 Calamity. (2) Forest-devil. (3) A demon anthropophagous or 
 man-eating and insatiable. The Arabians, down to the present 
 hour, maintain that it is often met with in the forests of 
 Arabia ; and they stand in great terror of it, when entering 
 a thick forest. The Syrians had a like tradition : but, like the 
 
412 PART V CHAP. XXX. 15. 
 
 Hebrews, they more generally named the Sprite rvM . In 
 Is. 34: 14, this last word occurs, and it is amply and finely 
 illustrated by Gesenius, in his Comm. on the passage. In 
 fact, the popular mythologies of hither Asia correspond very 
 near with those of the West. We have, or have had, spec 
 tres, sprites, hobgoblins, elves, imps, vampires, and what 
 not ? Of all these, the last named, i. e. an insatiable blood 
 sucking spectre, comes the nearest to the Arabic Ghool, and 
 probably the Heb. n^^sr . Such a creature is of sufficient 
 magnitude to correspond with the exigency of the passage. 
 Insatiability in its highest development is required ; and the 
 vampire or Ghool furnishes an example in point. Bertheau 
 does not translate, but transfers, and writes & Aluqa. I should 
 do so likewise, if I were not satisfied that vampire comes 
 sufficiently near to the original. Whether the being in 
 question be real or imaginary, is of no importance to the 
 writer. The simple object is, to get a good basis of compar 
 ison in respect to insatiability. The popular notion of the 
 vampire s insatiability afforded him one ; like to the popular 
 notions which Isaiah assumes as the basis of his represen 
 tation, in chaps, xiv. and xxxiv. 
 
 Has two daughters, not in the way of descent or generation, 
 but (in conformity with the Heb. idiom), daughters so called 
 from similitude. Thus Jesus said to the Jews : Ye are of 
 your father the devil (John 8 : 44), i. e. his children, because 
 they were like him in malicious intentions. The vampire, 
 then, has daughters in this sense, and in this way. There 
 are two in number who are preeminent for insatiability, and 
 so, on this account, are called the daughters of the vampire. 
 These are named nn nri , i. e. give, give. These names are 
 in apposition with n"i32 , and partly exegetical of it. The 
 names indicate the qualities, i. e. insatiable desire and the lack 
 of any adequate satisfacti-on of it. To the two daughters, 
 Srt , art , is added another thing of like character ; and of all 
 these three in common it is said : They are never satisfied. 
 
PART V-CHAP. XXX. 16. 413 
 
 Then, finally, comes another thing which makes four ; and 
 none of these ever say : Enough ! Thus one common trait, 
 i. e. insatiability, belongs to the whole ; although the first 
 two are preeminent above the rest, and so are called daughters 
 of the vampire. The apparently masc. numerals have of 
 course a fern, meaning in both cases, 95. 1. The first clause 
 in the verse seems to preclude the idea, that the third and 
 fourth are reckoned as daughters of the vampire. 
 
 Next comes the specification of the four. (1) The under 
 world or grave ; which is always receiving, and never satisfied, 
 but continually says : Give ! (2) T/ie barren womb, or restraint 
 ofwomb,v\z., restraint from child-bearing. It is a generally 
 acknowledged physiological fact, that barren women are the 
 most vehement in their passion for offspring 4 see Gen. 30: 
 1, seq., which illustrates the subject. (3) Ground not to be 
 saturated with water, i. e. a sandy or gravelly soil, which 
 speedily drinks up all the rain, and is ever needing more. 
 (4) The fire, which is ever consuming, and ever needing to 
 be replenished. 
 
 Thus it appears, that the iij^bs , the mother-monster, is 
 not herself reckoned as one of the number here produced, 
 but only as a specimen to which the four are compared. It 
 farther appears, that the two first are regarded as the most 
 insatiable ; for give ! give ! applies specially to them, since 
 they are so named. But what is the object of producing 
 these similitudes ? On this the commentators have generally 
 shown a prudent silence. It is clear, that not one of these 
 insatidbilities is in itself of a moral or criminal nature. They 
 either belong to things not moral, or they are involuntary. 
 If the context developed a miser, all would be plain. His 
 appetite resembles the insatiability here described. But no 
 miser makes his appearance in the context. One, therefore, 
 can hardly help supposing, that this passage contains an 
 extract from some other book, where, as it stood, it had 
 proximate objects in view, and furnished similitudes to 
 35* 
 
414 PART V CHAP. XXX. 1719. 
 
 illustrate them. As the objects are here presented, the 
 passage seems designed rather to be classed with striking 
 descriptions, or similes, than with gnomes of a moral or 
 prudential character. This constitutes a striking particular 
 of difference, between this and the preceding parts of the 
 book. All heretofore has some practical bearing. Here, 
 the object seems rather to gratify the love of similitudes, 
 than directly to inculcate prudence or morals. We must 
 suppose, however, at least, that the writer left it to his readers 
 to apply these illustrations of an insatiable appetite to some 
 thing within his own knowledge ; for example, it was easy 
 to apply them to the miser, the glutton, the drunkard, and 
 the debauchee ; although the writer has not himself expressly 
 made such an application. On the whole, there is good 
 reason for reckoning this passage among the triTn (enigmas) 
 of the book, mentioned in 1: 6 as a part of the contents of 
 the book. 
 
 (17) The eye that derideth a father, and despiseth the control of a 
 mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles 
 shall devour it. 
 
 That eye here represents the person who sees, is plain. 
 Yet the image of the eye is carried out, in the closing part of 
 the verse. m^b , is the same word which stands in the title 
 of the chapter, and there means domain. The Dagh. in p> is 
 a mere compensation for the Yodh which is made otiant here, 
 for the sake of a more rapid pronunciation. Regularly written 
 it would read, rn^b ; comp. examples in 20. 2, which are 
 of the like kind. This eye, the ravens will pick out, the 
 young eagles will devour it vivid images are these of severe 
 punishment. 
 
 (18) Three things are too wonderful for me; and four things 1 do 
 not understand ; (19) The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a 
 serpent on a rock ; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea ; and the 
 way of a man with a maid. 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 20. 415 
 
 V. 18, What is it which is matter of wonder? The things 
 themselves, or the impossibility of tracing the way once gone 
 over ? Certainly not the things themselves, for they are 
 familiar and every-day matters. But that all these transi 
 tions can be made, without leaving any marks or signs of 
 their having taken place that seems to be the nucleus of 
 the thing. For examples of the phraseology, by which three 
 are designated, and then a fourth is added, see Amos 1: 3, 6, 
 9, 11, 13. 2: 1, 4, 6,= eight examples in succession. As 
 to the last clause, lit. it runs thus: As to four, I know them 
 not. V. 19, tr^s , in the air, see Lex. The eagle leaves 
 no trace of his lofty flight in the air ; the serpent, no trace 
 of his passage over a rock ; a ship, no trace of its division of 
 the waters. But the main thing is yet to come, because it 
 has a special bearing on v. 20. The way of a man with a 
 maid; so our Eng. version, and I have followed it causa 
 verecundiae. The Heb. Srsbsa means in puella, i. e. " homo 
 vaginam pertransiens." Of this no traces are left upon the 
 man ; for it is the way of the man, in this case, and not of the 
 woman. Whether irdby- here means virgin, or maid, i. e. 
 young woman, is not what the writer is here concerned with, 
 although virgin is the more probable sense. In either case, 
 the thing asserted is equally true. No traces of intercourse 
 are left upon the man. The case of the maiden may be 
 physically different from this, and must in fact be so, although 
 it may not be apparent. But this is not what the writer 
 intends to assert. The woman, who makes pretences to 
 incolumity, comes before us not here, but in the next verse. 
 - The three first, then, are mere similars ; the fourth is not 
 merely so, but it also prepares the way for what is said of 
 the adulteress. 
 
 (20) So is the way of the adulterous woman : she eateth, and wipeth 
 her mouth, and saith : I have done nothing wrong. 
 
 She eateth, means that she indulges her passion or appetite 
 
416 PART V CHAP. XXX. 2123. 
 
 for venery. Wipeth her mouth, is a continuation of the 
 imagery of eating. The ancient (and indeed the present) 
 Orientals fed themselves merely with their hands ; they 
 were of course obliged to wash or wipe after eating, for the 
 sake of cleanliness. When this was done, no visible sign of 
 having eaten was left. So the adulteress takes all possible 
 precaution to remove any indicia of her criminal intercourse ; 
 and when this is done, she claims to be guiltless. She would 
 fain have others believe that she is innocent, and challenges 
 any one to point out the least index of crime. But the 
 manner in which she comes to make the claim, seems to 
 imply, that pains-taking was necessary in order to render it 
 credible. Were it not for that pains-taking, it would s eem 
 to be implied, that the thing done might be traced or sus 
 pected. The whole taken together serves to show, that 
 although nothing palpable in the way of proof remains in the 
 case of the man, by which his doings might be ascertained, 
 it is different with the woman, unless special pains be taken 
 to remove or conceal every trace of crime. 
 
 The moral of the whole seems to be, that not all guilt can 
 be discovered, in consequence of its leaving palpable evi 
 dence behind it. The writer would seem to say : Trust 
 not mere appearances too much. Remember, that neither 
 professions of innocence, nor even appearances of it, do 
 always prove the existence itself of innocence. The 
 passage thus considered, however, is not designed to incul 
 cate a proneness to suspicion, but merely to throw in a 
 caution against unlimited credulity in first appearances. 
 It may well be reckoned as one of the ni rn . 
 
 (21) Under three things the land trembleth, and because of four, it 
 cannot lift itself up ; (22) Under a servant, when he hath rule ; and a 
 fool, when he aboundeth in bread ; (23) Under a hateful woman, when 
 she getteth married ; and a servant-maid, when she becometh heir to 
 her mistress. 
 
 Three and four again perform the same part here as 
 
PART V CHAP. XXX. 2426. 417 
 
 above. The numbers being to appearance masc., are in 
 fact fern., agreeing with things implied. rxr , contracted 
 from nx : r , fern. Inf. of xba . The idea is that of bearing up, 
 under the weight of what presses it. V. 22, baa 1 ] implies 
 the nnn of the preceding clause before it ; and so of nnBiri f 
 in the next verse. c!rb (in pause), Ace. after a verb of 
 fulness. Our idiom supplies a preposition. V. 23, nxwJ, 
 fern. part, noun, under her who is hated = a hateful or ugly 
 woman. Wrn?? , sun , form of rrna . To inherit her mistress, 
 means to come in her place, i. e. to become the wife of her 
 master. The writer plainly deems such things as are here 
 mentioned, to be odious incongruities. 
 
 (24) There tire four small things in the world : and yet they are 
 very wise. 
 
 The sequel shows, that the four small things are animals 
 of the smaller kind. Heb. lit. small things of the earth, i. e. 
 belonging to it. Very wise, lit. wise made wise, the last 
 word being Part. Pual ; of course if the wise are made still 
 wiser, then they become very ivise, quasi be-ivised;. so in the 
 version. 
 
 (25) The ants are not a strong folk; and yet they prepare their 
 food in summer. (26) The mountain-mice are a folk not mighty; 
 and yet they fix their habitation in the rock. 
 
 V. 25, The ants are a conspicuous example of activity and 
 diligence ; comp. 6 : G 8. V. 26, tnrsd , not conies, for 
 they do not build among the rocks ; and it is doubtful, 
 moreover, whether they are indigenous in Palestine. But 
 the proper mountain-mice have some resemblance to them, 
 although they are smaller. In Arabia, and other places, 
 they are gregarious, and very abundant among the rocky 
 hills ; and withal, they are remarkably swift, and dexterous 
 in escaping danger, by retreating into the crevices of the 
 rocks where they live. J b&a , with the article, as being 
 the name of a substance. 
 
418 PART V CHAP. XXX. 2729. 
 
 (27) The locusts have no king ; and yet they march on, all of them 
 divided into bands. 
 
 In the Heb. fO%x is sing, generic ; and of course the suffix 
 in IPS is the same. Our idiom demands the plural. ^^ 
 is often used in reference to the orderly marching forth of 
 an army. psh, dividing, sundering, i. e. into regular 
 bodies of march, like soldiers under their leaders. This 
 they do spontaneously, without any king ; which shows 
 their instinctive sagacity. 
 
 (28) The lizard layeth hold Avith both hands, and she is even in 
 the palaces of the king. 
 
 aBir, not spider (as in our version), as Bochart has 
 fully shown, but the lizard, i. e. the house-lizard, which is 
 very frequent in Palestine, and gets into every kind of 
 dwelling. Its principal food is flies ; and these it springs 
 upon, and grasps with both its prehensiles, as if they were 
 hands. They are tolerated in palaces even, because they 
 help to clear them of vermin. 
 
 The activity and dexterity of these four classes of insig 
 nificant animals, gave occasion to the gnomic sayings before 
 us. The hue of the whole chapter is very remarkable. In 
 the present case, there is no moral suggested. To the mind 
 of the reader is left the application. In the present case, 
 the moral seems to be, that however insignificant a man may 
 be in the eyes of the world, who have much regard to birth 
 and outward circumstances, there is after all abundance of 
 room for him to be active and sagacious, and to accomplish 
 important ends thereby. 
 
 (29) There arc three things which excel in step; yea, four which 
 excel in gait. 
 
 , Part. Hiph., lit. make good the step, or make 
 goodly steps ; which means what the version expresses. The 
 last clause repeats the same idea, in another form, viz., 
 
p ART V CHAP. XXX. 30, 31, 419 
 
 tnaketh goodly the gait or going. rpb (in pause), fern. Inf. 
 of r&. 
 
 (30) The lion is mighty among the beast?, and he will turn back 
 from the face of no one. (31) The greyhound, and the he-goat, and 
 a king who cannot be withstood. 
 
 V. 30, The majestic and fearless gait of the lion has been 
 often remarked. V. 31, n^rra "nnT , lit. compressed (root IT) 
 of loins. Probably it is the greyhound, which is here char 
 acteristically so called, whose gaunt loins are conspicuous. 
 Then the gait of this animal answers well to the writer s 
 object, for it is at once graceful and rapid. To translate 
 war-horse, with Gesenius, and others, seems incongruous. 
 Of himself, he is not compressed of loins ; nor are his belts, to 
 which they appeal, bound on his loins, but on the fore-part 
 of his body. Others translate Zebra, but this is not a 
 Palestine animal. *x is a particle which seems hardly in 
 place here. To translate or (the usual sense) makes no 
 tolerable meaning, for this would be merely to say, that "i^nT 
 and vi^n are two names of one and the same animal. In that 
 case we should have only three of the whole, and not/owr as 
 v. 29 demands. With J. H. Michaelis, then, we must here 
 translate i x as = and ; and -so, all the ancient Versions. 
 With Michaelis we may refer to Num. 15: 6. Mai. 2: 17, as 
 supporting such a translation. \S";n means the he-goat who 
 is the head of the flock, and leads and controls its movements. 
 The ordinary gait of goats among us certainly has little of 
 the 2 "is in it ; but the larger Oriental he-goats, at the head of 
 a flock, march along with much affected dignity and stateli- 
 ness. S ipbx, see on r-ns-btf , in 12: 28. In the book of 
 Psalms, fi p is often used in the sense of a hostile rising up ; 
 and here s ipsx appears to be u compound word, viz., d" p and 
 the negative btt . Hence it means no withstanding, i. e. there 
 is nothing of opposition which avails with him. So the Jewish 
 interpreters. The usual stately movement of such a heroic 
 sovereign, is here the point of allusion. 
 
420 PART V CHAP. XXX, 32, 33. 
 
 And now for the moral. What is it ? These stately gaits 
 are surely not proposed as objects of imitation ; nor yet, of 
 repugnance. I see no more in them, than the presentation 
 of remarkable things, to witness which impresses the mind 
 in a pleasing manner. They seem to be made prominent 
 here, principally as mirabilia. 
 
 (32) Ifthouhast played the fooi in exalting thyself ; if thou hast 
 craftily devised, with thy hand to thy mouth. 
 
 For NttJsrin , see 1 K. 1:5. nsb *n , with hand to mouth, 
 (Ace. of manner), denotes the action of a man in deep think 
 ing, who often spontaneously puts his hand to his mouth 
 while making mental effort. In other words : If thou hast, 
 with much pains-taking, devised evil. 
 
 Thus far is protasis, in both clauses introduced by if, but 
 without any apodosis expressed to either of them. We must 
 therefore suppose one ; which would be as follows : Thou 
 hast acted wickedly or foolishly. Or, we may take ox in a 
 negative way, implying that one ought not to engage in such 
 things. In accordance with this last implied idea, is the 
 tenor of the next verse. 
 
 (33) For the pressing of milk produceth cheese ; and the pressure 
 of the nose produceth blood ; so doth the pressure of anger produce 
 contention. 
 
 That is : Indulge not evil devices, because (^3) this will 
 bring you into contention and mischief. Milk pressed be 
 comes another substance, viz., cheese, which is harder and 
 more solid ; the nose pressed in anger, (our vulgar idiom is, 
 pulling one s nose}, produces blood ; and then comes the main 
 point aimed at, viz., the occasion of strife. 2?QX (lit. nos 
 trils] has here its secondary sense, viz., that of anger. If one 
 urges and presses hard on an angry man, the consequence 
 of such a course is a quarrel. If we look back, we may 
 now see a connection. Mischievous devices, which bear hard 
 
PART VI CHAP. XXXI. l, 2. 421 
 
 or press on others, will be certain to produce strife and do 
 mischief. In the two >ast clauses, the paronomasia in t|X 
 and D"]fix is very conspicuous. 
 
 [Thus end the words of Agur. The difference between the style 
 and manner of sentiment here, and in the preceding part of the book, 
 must be obvious, at once, to every discerning reader. In the latter, 
 Ave have no such continued and multiplied similes : and besides this, 
 we are scarcely, if ever, at a loss to see the moral, that is, the pruden 
 tial principle or sentiment aimed at. It usually lies on the surface. 
 But in the present chapter, in several cases, we have no small diffi 
 culty to find any moral ; and in some, we cannot, as we have seen, find 
 it at all. In some cases, we have O n ViJE) of mere similitudes, adapted 
 more to surprise or to please, than to impart ethical instruction. See 
 Introd. 1.] 
 
 PART VI. CHAP. XXXI. 19. 
 
 [These nine verses contain the instructions of Lemuel s mother ; 
 (1) Caution against incontinence. (2) Against drunkenness. (3) 
 Monitions in respect to doing justice, and vindicating the oppressed.] 
 
 (1) THE WORDS or LEMUEL, KING OF MASSA ; which his mother 
 taught him. 
 
 See on 30 : 1, where the first part of this verse is fully 
 discussed. ^btt , (without the article) must be in the const, 
 state ; and if so, then Massa is the name of the king s do 
 main. As Agur is called the son of the queen of Massa 
 (30 : 1), and here the king of Massa is represented as being 
 taught by his mother ; so it seems quite probable, that this 
 mother of the king of Massa, is the queen referred to in 
 30 : 1 ; and consequently, that Agur and Lemuel were 
 brothers. The two compositions are probably contempora 
 neous, or nearly so. inns ] , Piel fern. Perf. with suffix ; 
 see Parad. Suff. p. 292. 
 
 (2) What, my son ? and what, the son of my womb? yea what, the 
 son of my vows ? 
 
 36 
 
422 PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 35. 
 
 That is : < What shall I say to thee ? Or : What ought- 
 est thou to do ? The repetition denotes earnestness in 
 demanding attention. The son of my vows, probably refers 
 to vows uttered before his birth, that she would do so and 
 so, in case she should bear a son ; comp. 1 Sam. 1: 11. Per 
 haps the name of that son, bxrab (in v. 4), for him is God, 
 or he belongs to God, may indicate a consecration of him to 
 God as his. - 12 in Ps. ii., and in other places, shows that 
 the word is not merely Aramaean, but belongs to the older 
 Hebrew. 
 
 (3) Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to the destruc 
 tion of kings. 
 
 S^n may mean wealth ; but here this meaning is less 
 probable. The destruction of kings seems to refer to the 
 enervating power of excessive venery, and the premature 
 death which it usually brings. The destruction of kings 
 that which destroys kings, nirrab , Inf. Hiph. n prefix being 
 elided, and its vowel thrown back under the b, 52. 2. n. 7. 
 Strength, therefore, i. e. physical vigor, seems to be the true 
 idea of b^n . The plur. b p- , in "pa^a , is not alone. Other 
 like cases are found in Hebrew, 86. 1. a. 
 
 (4) Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings, is the drinking of wine 
 nor for princes, the desire of strong drink. 
 
 inir , the apoc. form of nirvj , Inf. of nnitf , 74. n. 2. 
 Before the second clause, 1 means nor, because it follows a 
 negative. IX , Qeri ^x , which would be an interrogative ; 
 and then we must translate : where is strong drink ? A pos 
 sible, but not a probable sense. Ges. (Lex.) reads IX , which 
 he makes the const, of ix , just as rria is const, of n;ra . I 
 prefer this solution to the Qeri. The root then is ITix , to 
 desire, and "ix is const, of IX = desire. 
 
 (5) Lest he drink, and forget that which is decreed, and pervert the 
 judgment of all the afflicted. 
 
PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 69. 423 
 
 , Pual Part, form, used as a neuter noun here. 
 Heb. all the sons of the afflicted, means merely what is ex 
 pressed in the version. It is a king s business to sit as a 
 court of ultimate appeal for the oppressed. But how can he 
 judge rightly, under the influence of intoxicating drink ? It 
 is assumed that he cannot. 
 
 (6) Give strong (kink to him who is ready to perish 5 and wine to 
 those who are in bitterness of spirit. (7) Let him drink, and forget 
 his poverty, and no more remember his toil. 
 
 I roy, plur. const, of TB adj. Y. 7, d"^, also written d"n 
 and i JO , root w T"! . It has an unusually fluctuating orthog 
 raphy. The bitterness of spirit seems to be regarded here 
 as brought on by poverty and excessive toil. 
 
 (8) Open thy mouth for the dumb ; for the cause of every orphan. 
 
 That is, plead for those who cannot plead for themselves. 
 Advocate the cause of the orphan, lit. of all the sons of be 
 reavement. 
 
 (9) Open thy mouth, to judge righteously : yea, vindicate the 
 afflicted and the poor. 
 
 p-ts , Acc. adverbial. p n may be a noun judgment ; 
 but the verb makes a more energetic sense. To judge is 
 generic, and may mean to acquit or to condemn. Here it 
 means to acquit, and thus to vindicate the cause of the 
 afflicted, that is, of the oppressed. 
 
 [These precepts are brief, but very expressive. The cautions are 
 directed against those A r ices, into which kings are most apt to fall. Wine, 
 women, and oppression in order to collect much money from the peo 
 ple, are things about which kings usually need very impressive in 
 struction. The excellent mother, who seems to have understood 
 these matters well, has here given salutary advice, with great kind 
 ness and much earnestness. How different would the conduct of most 
 kings be, should they hearken to the admonitions originally addressed 
 to the young king of Massa !] 
 
424 PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 1012. 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 931. Eulogy of the prudent and 
 
 industrious housewife. , 
 
 [This is one of the alphabetical songs. The style differs strikingly 
 from that of chap. xxx. ; for here, all the verses are nearly of the 
 same length. The parallelisms have a close resemblance to those in 
 the book of Psalms ; and especially to those in the alphabetical Psalms. 
 It results from the texture of an alphabetic song, that the connection 
 of the thoughts should be somewhat looser than in free song, because 
 such words must be introduced as will chime with the order of the 
 alphabet. This is strictly observed in the present case. But the 
 second parallelism in such verse is free, and is not bound by any order 
 of the alphabet at all. Whoever was the author of the piece, (it pur 
 ports to have come from the queen-mother), an extensive acquaint 
 ance with the laws and nature of the more artificial Heb. poetry is 
 manifested. It is a song which is at the same time both beautiful and 
 noble. The picture is certainly very attractive, and shows the hand 
 of a skilful artist. It is a striking specimen of the simplex munditiis.] 
 
 (10) A woman of energy who shall find? For her value is far 
 removed from pearls. 
 
 Who shall find ? i. e. such a woman is rare, but well 
 worth searching after. Far removed from pearls, because 
 she is worth much more than pearls. Thus we say : Such 
 a person distanced another/ when we mean that he far ex 
 ceeded him. 
 
 (11) The heart of her husband trusteth in her ; and gain will not 
 be lacking. (12) She rcndereth him good, and not evil, all the days 
 of her life. 
 
 bbd , usually spoil, but here tropically, that which is equiv 
 alent to it in value, viz., gain, profit. In other words, she 
 brings him that which takes the place of spoil, and super 
 sedes it. After rbra comes two Accusatives, viz., that of 
 the object given, and of the person to whom the gift is made 
 $ 136. 2. 
 
PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 1318. 425 
 
 (13) She seekcth wool and flax, and manufactureth them with 
 willing hands. (14) She is like to the ships of the merchant; she 
 bringeth from afar her sustenance. 
 
 ^.V. 13, rpB3 "fBna, lit. with the desire or good pleasure of 
 her hands. The real meaning is given in the version, i. e. 
 she labors readily and cheerfully. She bringeth from afar, 
 etc., that is, she sells her manufactures, and purchases with 
 the price of them that food which is imported from abroad, 
 whether necessaries or luxuries. The implication is, that 
 she sends the products of her labor to a foreign country, and 
 thence brings, in the way of exchange, what she needs for 
 her household. 
 
 (15) She riseth up, moreover, while it is yet night, and giveth food 
 to her household, and a due portion to her maidens. 
 
 The meaning of ?pa (food) here is derived from the Hiph. 
 of Spa , which means cibum discerperc. P.^S here prob 
 ably means her own family ; while p n , (lit. statute, law, de 
 cree), designates the determined portion of food allotted to 
 her maidens ; comp. 30 : 8, where is a like instance of ph 
 employed in this way. Were it not for this, I should be 
 inclined to refer ph to the allotted task of the servant-maids. 
 
 (16) She setteth her mind upon a field, and procureth it : from the 
 fruit of her hands is the planting of the vineyard. 
 
 "raE| , thinks upon, revolves in her mind, i. e. she thinks out 
 a plan of purchasing the field. The fruit of her hands, 
 means the products of her labor. With these, she, by selling 
 them, procures money to purchase a vineyard. The Kethibh 
 should be written sraa , const, of SBJJ (see Is. 5: 7), which 
 makes a better sense than the verb fiSES , which is proffered 
 by the Qeri. 
 
 (17) She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh "Strong her 
 arms. (18) She well understandeth that her merchandize is goodj 
 her lamp goeth not out. through the night. 
 86* 
 
426 PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 1921. 
 
 V. 17, She is active and energetic. V. 18, She knows 
 how to appreciate and to relish the good or comforts which 
 her merchandize procures. Heb. lit., She tasteth that her mer 
 chandize is good. I have endeavored to preserve the idea, 
 while expressing it in our current idiom. As to ?r=, the 
 Masorites bid us to turn it into J^b, which last is the usual 
 form. But the other is good, and is elsewhere employed. 
 The idea here is, that she works through the night, in order 
 to accomplish some favorite task of her industry, and so needs 
 a lamp during that period. 
 
 (19) Her hands she putteth to the distaff: her fingers grasp the 
 spindle-wheel. 
 
 THa-a is found only here. Ges. refers it to the root TiJS , 
 and so it would seem that it must be referred, as to its form. 
 But there is nothing in the meaning of this verb, (to be right, 
 prosperous), which indicates any relation to the subject. We 
 depend on Jewish tradition for its meaning ; which, however, 
 is uniform. "rjr.? ^ s , rendered spindle by most. But if her 
 hands took hold of that, it must be something very different 
 from our spindles. As the word means a little wheel or pul 
 ley, orUculus, I take it as here designating the wheel which 
 the hands turn, and which is connected with the motion of 
 the spindle. 
 
 (20) She openeth wide her hand to the afflicted ; she putteth forth 
 her hands to the needy. (21) She feareth not for her household he- 
 cause of the snow; for all her hou.se are clothed with purple. 
 
 V. 20, Opens wide her hand, i. e. dispenses liberally. 
 Putteth forth, etc., i. e. she stretches out her hand for the sake 
 of succoring. V. 21, Because of the snow, i. e. because of the 
 wintry cold. c^:;r , purple, is probably to be understood 
 tropically here ; for the mere color of a garment would not 
 defend from the cold ; nor was the color in question limited 
 merely to garments of woollen cloth. The meaning, there 
 fore, seems to be, that she furnishes handsome and warm 
 
PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 2226. 427 
 
 clothing for her family. Purple garments were of course of 
 the better sort, and also the highest in price ; hence the 
 tropical meaning here. 
 
 (22) Coverlets doth she make for herself ; fine linen and scarlet is 
 her clothing. (23) Her husband is known in the gates, because he 
 sits with the eiders of the land. 
 
 V. 22, CI WE seems to be confined to the clothing of beds. 
 We cannot well give it the generic sense of covering, although 
 it would fit well here. The literal meaning of scarlet here, 
 need not be urged. The general idea is, that she furnishes 
 the best kinds of clothing. V. 23, By thrift, her husband 
 attains to a place among the magistracy, who sit by the gates 
 in order to decide causes. Accordingly, he is said to sit with 
 the elders. 
 
 (24) Linen vestments doth she make and sell ; and girdles doth she 
 present to the merchant-man. 
 
 p lb is the inner linen vestment = shirt. The girdle is a 
 necessary part of oriental costume, because of the loose outer 
 vestments, which it is employed to draw close to the person. 
 
 (25) Strong and beautiful is her clothing; and she laugheth at the 
 time to come. 
 
 Lit. strength and beauty, abstract for concrete. Laughs at 
 the time to come, because she has abundant provision for it, 
 i. e. clothing and stores of every kind ; and therefore she is 
 cheerful (laughs), not having any solicitude. 
 
 (26) Her mouth she openeth with wisdom ; and the law of kind 
 ness is on her tongue. 
 
 She speaks discreetly, and her speech is kindly. 
 
 (27) She watcheth the ways of her household; and the bread of 
 sloth she eateth not. 
 
 , fern. Part. Kal of MBS, 74. n. 5. The Kethibh 
 makes no sense, in the next word, without another vowel- 
 
428 PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 2831. 
 
 pointing ; but rrir^n , would be a fern. Plur. Part., and then 
 the meaning would be : she watcheth over the goers of her 
 house, i. e. over her servants a possible, but rather im 
 probable sense, as no example of the like kind anywhere 
 occurs. We must (with the Qeri) read nia^brt , goings, i. e. 
 ways or demeanor. Will not eat the bread of idleness, means 
 that she will not sit down inactive, and be fed merely by 
 others who are active, while she is idle herself. 
 
 (28) Her children rise up and call her blessed; as to her husband 
 he will praise her : (29) Many daughters have done virtuously, but 
 thou hast excelled them all ! 
 
 ttbss is put first for emphasis sake, and stands here as 
 Nom. independent. V. 29 is the eulogy which the husband 
 utters. Virtuously, in the older sense of the word, i. e. 
 efficaciously = b^na . We say still : " This herb has no vir 
 tue in it," i. e. no potency or efficacy. nx , thou fern. ; the 
 Dagh. stands for 3 ; and the reason of the Sheva at the close 
 will be seen at once, by writing out the full word wx, 10. 
 3. b. n^S , second fern., hast risen up. Then follows by , 
 above ; so, thou hast excelled. J-I323 , b 3 with plur. suflf. fern. 
 
 (30) Loveliness is deception, and beauty is vanity ; but a woman 
 who fears God shall be praised. 
 
 That is, loveliness and beauty of person merely are fleet 
 ing, evanescent, and unsatisfying. Piety is everything. 
 run^, Part. fern, in the const, state, masc. anj , fern, nx^ , 
 const, nsn^, 132. 1. b. 
 
 (31) Praise ye her according to the fruit of her hands ; yea. men 
 shall praise her in the gates for her deeds. 
 
 *DPi most make from "jna , in the Imper., and so, they trans 
 late by give. But another way is open. fiSFi , in Piel, means 
 to praise, and perhaps the same in Kal. If not, then the 
 vowel-points may be changed to ^n , Piel Imper. That 
 this is the more probable sense, seems to be indicated by the 
 
PART VI CHAP. XXXI. 31. 429 
 
 corresponding ibbi"} 11 . , in the next clause. In Judg. 11: 40, 
 b is inserted after nissn , as it is in fib here. In nQ s , ^ 
 has the sense of according to, secundum ; see Lex. s. v. A. 2. 
 f. i^is?^ , Ace. of in respect to, in regard to. 
 
 It may not be amiss to suggest here, that the verb !t:n 
 originally means extend, porrigere, spread out, (the root of 
 the Greek verb vsw-co), and that the much controverted 
 Fi*F) of Ps. 8 : 2, may be easily explained by pointing it Jis n, 
 which makes the passage read thus : Who spreadest out thy 
 glory c^^n b" , over the heavens. In this way, all is easy 
 and natural ; for b> (over) is altogether appropriate after 
 such a verb or participle, but not at all after n:n as derived 
 from "ro . Hence the perplexity of commentators, who de 
 rived it in this way. If the sense proposed be altogether 
 congruous, (as it plainly is), and at the same time we are 
 liberated from all grammatical straits, I know of no good 
 reason why we should not adopt it. 
 
 One must go back to the simplicity of ancient times, in 
 order to enter fully into the spirit of this eulogy ; and every 
 one who does this, cannot fail to perceive the admirable 
 beauty, congruity, and simplicity of the whole. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 I. INTRODUCTION. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Preface 3 
 
 1. Name of the Book 11 
 
 2. Leading Divisions 13 
 
 3. Why is one common name given to the whole ? 17 
 
 4. Arrangement and characteristics of Part 1 19 
 
 5. Authorship of Part 1 23 
 
 6. Characteristics of Part II 30 
 
 7. Characteristics of Part III 39 
 
 8. Characteristics of Part IV 44 
 
 9. Characteristics of Part V 47 
 
 10. Characteristics of Part VI 51 
 
 11. Plan of the Book 54 
 
 12. Idioms and Peculiarities 59 
 
 1 3. Practical importance 61 
 
 14. Ancient Versions 64 
 
 (1 ) Septna^-int 64 
 
 (2) Pcshito, or Old Syriac 75 
 
 (3) The Chaldce Targums 81 
 
 (4) The Vulgate 90 
 
 15. Apocryphal Imitations of Proverbs 92 
 
 (1) Sirach 92 
 
 (2) Whdom of Solomon 101 
 
 16. General remarks on the Proverbs of the Hebrews ... .111 
 
 17. Specimens of Arabic Proverbs 114 
 
CONTENTS. 431 
 
 18. Specimens of Greek Proverbs 120 
 
 19. Use of the Book of Proverbs 126 
 
 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis , 128 
 
 II. SPECIAL REMARKS ON PECULIAR FORMS, SYNTAX, AND 
 MEANING OF WORDS, ETC., IN REFERENCE TO GRAM 
 MATICAL DIFFICULTIES AND EXEGESIS. 
 
 [The design of the following notices is to guide the reader, in any 
 particular researches after specialities in Hebrew Grammar or exege 
 sis. They may assist him in finding examples for the illustration of 
 peculiar idioms and meanings of words and phrases, and also peculiar 
 constructions.] 
 
 (1) Infinitives with b instead of a definite Verb, 1: 2. (Variety 
 
 in the construction), 2 : 2, 8. 8 : 21. 
 
 (2) Gender of Infinitive Nouns of fern, form may be masculine, 
 
 14 : G, (cases quoted). 
 
 (3) Inf. construct admits a qualifying or object-noun, between 
 
 its subject and itself, 1: 26. 
 
 (4) Inf. Mode continued by a definite Mode and Tense, 1: 26. 
 
 2: 2, 8. 19 : 8. 
 
 (5) Speciality of ^2 , Prov. 1: 17, (initial), 2: 3. 
 
 (6) i-i2- added to third person fern, of the Imperfect, to distin 
 
 guish it from second pers. masculine. 
 
 (7) Use of Perf. and Imperf. distinct, 1: 22, comp. 1: 24. 
 
 (8) Difference between ",?,- ;- and US- f2- in the Imperf. forms, 
 
 1: 28. 
 
 (9) Preposition q meaning without, 1: 30, fortified by examples. 
 
 (10) Discrepancy of. Gender between a Verb and its subject, 
 
 Introd., 11. chap. 2 : 10. 1: 20. 9:1. 12 : 25. 14 : 1. 
 1C: 33, (Exc.). 
 
 (11) Plural Nom. having a & /?</. predicate, i. e. case of indi 
 
 vidualizing, 3 : 18, (cases cited), 4 : 22. 28 : 1. 
 
 (12) 3 essentiae, 3 : 2G, (with references), 8 : 8. 
 
 (13) b after verbs of Motion, 20 : 14. 
 
432 CONTENTS. 
 
 (14) Case of Daghesh dirimens, 4:13, (with references). 
 
 (15) Common Gender of the members of the body, 5 : 2, with 
 
 references. 
 
 (16) Omission and insertion of the article before a noun with 3 , 
 
 5: 4. 
 
 (17) Omission of Daghesh forte in verbs $y , 7 : 13. 
 
 (18) Omission of Daghesh lene in 7 : 16, (an extra case). 
 
 (19) Vav conversive, before a Norn, which precedes the verb, 
 
 still has the same influence on the verb itself, 12 : 21. 
 
 (20) Compounds with bx , see 12 : 28. 30 : 31. 
 
 (21) Is F.X used before a Nom. Case ? Ans. neg. ; (see 16 : 33, 
 
 with Exc.). 
 
 (22) Conjugation Nithpael, 27: 15. 
 
 (23) Plural intensive, 6 : 10, 14, 16. 7 : 18, 27. 8 : 13. 9:1, 6, 
 
 10. 10 : 6, 31, 32. 14 : 1, 11, 17, 30. 17 : 4. 18 : 23. 20 : 
 18. 22 : 24. 24 : 7, 32. 28 : 20. 29 : 1. 
 
 (24) Alleged predestination of the wicked, 16 : 4. 
 
 (25) Reward in a Future State, 14 : 32. 15:10. 
 
 (26) Special Disquisition on Agur and Lemuel, 30 : 1. 31: 1. 
 
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