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26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. (A)

CHAP. I.

[Wisdom continued.

CHAP. II.

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EXPOSITION.

(A) Title of the book-The Address of Wisdom.-A proverb with us, is universally understood to be "a short sententious maxim," or observation; but the original Hebrew term includes the idea of poetry; and the proverbs of the first ages were certainly in this form, and also frequently enigmatical, or "dark sayings." The object of a proverb is to convey instruction in a manner best calculated to impress the memory and the heart.

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After this short introduction, Wisdom addresses the reader as her son, and begins with laying down "the fear of God the foundation of all moral virtue, and all true wisdom. Obedience to parents is next insisted upon, and the wisdom of the ancients was, in no point probably, so decided, as in maintaining their parental character and authority.

The next point of advice is, to avoid evil company; in all ages and countries the most fatal snare of young men, who are the persons here addressed, as females were seldom liberated from the apartment of the mother till they married. The advice here given, however, presents us with a sad picture of the state of society in those early

times, since it was found necessary to caution young men, seemingly not of the lowest class, against uniting with a banditti who lived by plunder and by violence. Ver. 11 to 14 contain the enticements of these profligates, and the following verses, Wisdom's advice, not to yield to their persuasion.

In ver. 20, Wisdom assumes a higher tone, takes her stand in public ways, in the streets, in the markets, and at the gates of the city, that she may address all who pass through them; charges and commands them to turn back from the paths of sin and folly, and warns them of the consequences of persisting in their vicious.

courses.

Such appears to be the primary sense of the address; but as the Son of God has dignified the character of Wisdom by personifying it, the language here used will generally apply itself to him, and to those who speak in his name; and the awful threatenings added, should guard us all, not only against vice and violence, but against the infidelity, whether open or secret, of all who do not choose the fear of the Lord as the foundation of their know ledge, and their spring of action.

NOTES.

Ver. 32. The turning away — That is, from the paths of rectitude.- And the prosperity- Marg. **Ease" Hodgson, "Indifference;" Holden, “Carelessness," &c.

CHAP. II. Ver. 1 Hide-Holden, "Lay up."

Ver. 3. Liftest up- Heb. "Givest out"-thy

voice.

Ver. 7. Sound (or "substantial") wisdom-Literally, doubled; an allusion, perhaps, to the doubling of cloth, to form a substantial garment. See Note on Job xi. 6,

3

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8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11 Discretion shall preserve thee; understanding shall keep thee:

12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

CHAP. II.

[to various virtues.

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. (B)

CHAP. III.

MY son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my com

mandments:

2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

EXPOSITION.

(B) The address of Wisdom continued, with a special caution against lewd women. The intrinsic value and importance of sound wisdom,-its origin from above,-its salutary tendencies,-and the dreadful consequences of neglecting it;-are all urged upon the young Israelite, (and no less upon the young Christian,) in order to guard him from the consequences of sin and folly.

This wisdom is bestowed by God upon man, for the express purpose of guiding him in the way of truth; for preserving him from the paths of vice and error; for his protection from the snares of strange women, and his deliverance from the ways of death and ruin. "The study of Wisdom and the practice of piety, (says Dr. Boothroyd,) are the best securities against evil company, and all its snares.

NOTES-Chap. II. Con.

Ver. 8. He keepeth the paths of judgment.-Dr. Hodgson connects this with the preceding verse, thus: "To protect them in the paths of integrity," &c. So Boothroyd.

From the

Ver. 16 From the strange woman terin "strange (or foreign) woman" being used by the Hebrews, to designate a harlot, Mr. Holden infers, that the greater number of these unhappy women originally were foreigners. If so, this will more fully account for the propensity of Israel to idolatry, and for the earnest intreaties of Solomon to caution them against them, though unhappily he himself neglected the cautions that he gave. From the following verse it will however appear, that Israelitish women were here included,

Ver. 17. The guide of her youth.—This may mean either her mother or her husband, as she may be supposed either single or married.

Ver. 18. Her paths unto the dead-that is, the wicked dead, "the Rephaim." See Job xxvị 5,

and Note.

Ver. 22. Shall be rooted out - Marg. "Plucked up." as decayed trees; not only "cut off," but " uprooted" from the earth.

CHAP. III. Ver. 2. Long life-Heb. “Years of life."

Ver. 4. Good understanding-Marg. "Success." See Luke ii. 52.

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8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth,

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

:

16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down

the dew.

[the chief good.

not them depart

21 My son, let from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet,

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

NOTES.

Ver. 8. Health (Marg. " medicine") to thy navel. This comparison (says M. Chardin) is drawn from the plaisters, &c. made use of in the East, upon the belly and stomach, in most maladies."--Harmer, vol. ii. p. 488.

Ibid. And marrow — Heb. "Moistening;" i. e.' It shall lubricate thy joints."

Ver. 12. Even as a father, &c.-The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. xii. 6, quotes this serse very differently; " And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." This is the version of the LXX, and Mr. Holden thinks the Hebrew text will bear it, with a slight alteration in the Masoretic points, which few Christians consider of divine authority. For Keab, "as a father," he reads Kieeb, to correct, chasten;" or, as the apostle renders it, " Scourge;" for it implies to give pain, or soreness. (See Parkhurst.) For the son (in whom) he delighteth," the LXX and the apostle read, "every So whom he receiveth;" namely, into favour, which comes to the same meaning.

Ver. 13. The man that getteth-Heb." That draweth out understanding," implying, that there is labour required in the extraction.

Ver. 15. Rubies-The Heb. Peninim is variously interpreted. It is not among the precious stones in Aaron's breastplate, Exod. xxxix. 10-13. nor does there seem any good authority for rubies." Gesenius inclines to "coral;" Bochart contends for "pearls" Parkhurst for the native "magnet" Mr. Holden, satisfied with neither, reads "gems."

Ver 19. The Lord by wisdom, &c.-See chap. viii. 22, &c. Established-Marg. "Prepared." Ver. 22. A grace -That is, an ornament; as a

necklace.

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35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools. (C)

CHAP. IV.

HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

3 For 1 was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

CHAP. III.

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[and instruction.

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil

men.

15 Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.

16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is

EXPOSITION.

(C) Wisdom exhorteth to various virtues, und directeth youth to seek divine Wisdom as their chief good. St. James teaches us (chap. iii. 17.) that true Wisdom is "from above; pure and peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated; full of mercy and good fruits; without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Such is the Wisdom now before us; and the blessings that fill her hands, like those of true godliness, (which is the same thing,) include "the promises of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Tim. iv. 8.)

As respects religion, the virtues inculcated are:-To trust in God and not be wise in our own conceit; to honour God by attending to the duties which his house and worship may require, and to regard his poor with tenderness and compassion; to submit with filial duty to the chastening hand of his providence, and to rest assured in the henevolence of his design.

Wisdom is now introduced as a queen of celestial rank, holding out rewards to all who seek her. "Length of days in her

right hand; riches and honour in her left." Such are the sanctions of the Old Dispensation; those of the New are more spiritual and sublime. It is still true, however, that Religion has a natural tendency to promote our happiness, though a variety of circumstances may arise out of human frailty, and the depraved state of society, to counteract that tendency. She is a "tree of life," yielding perpetual food and pleasure to those who embrace and adhere to her. (See Rev. xxii. 2.)

The latter part of the chapter contains some wholesome precepts, not less obligatory upon us than upon the Jews of old: -Not to withhold a just debt, or even to refuse a charitable loan, when in our power to comply; not to injure an unsuspicious, harmless neighbour, nor, on the other hand, to envy the violent and froward man- the proud and scornful, "whom the Lord abhorreth." The concluding verse is beautiful and pointed. The wise, however humble in this life, shall inherit glory in the next; and fools, however exalted, shall be exhibited to the contempt and execration of posterity.

NOTES-Chap. III. Con.

the apostles Peter and Paul quote this verse from the LXX, "He resisteth the proud." James iv. 6; 1 Peter v. 5, which is to the same effect; but the

Hebrew is more spirited and poetical.

Ver. 35. Shame shall be the promotion of foolsHeb. "Exalteth fools."

art.

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[lewdness and adultery.

unless they cause some to let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil. (D)

at the bread of wickhe wine of violence. f the just is as the ineth more and

y.

vicked is as ut at what they

end to my words; inunto my sayings. nem not depart from thine Leep them in the midst of thine

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and

CHAP. IV.

CHAP. V.

MY son, attend unto my wisdom,

and bow thine ear to my under

standing:

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove thy way far from her,

EXPOSITION.

D) Solomon, in the character of a father, details the instructions that he had received from his own parents.-We learn, hence, two circumstances important in his history. 1. That he was the darling of oth his parents, and probably gave early iudications of uncommon talent. 2 That his nother, though disgraced by her first con Lexion with David, was not devoid of per sonal religion, nor deficient in parental attention to her offspring, particularly to Solomon.

We must not omit here to notice the beautiful delineation of the path, or conduct of the just, which, like the path of the sun, increases in splendour as it advances to its meridian, here called "the perfect day." (ver. 18.) This sun, however, must set; but a brighter one shall rise to set no more. (Isa. lx. 19.)

"As the ascending sun new glory gains,
Till at bright noon he shines in full perfection;
Thus let me reach the highest point of virtue,
As far as frail mortality can rise,

Then let me set in glory and in smiles."

Mrs. Rowe.

NOTES.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 3. For I was, &c.-The pointing, both of the Hebrew and English, seems here to require correction, as observed by Dr. Hodgson. The following is the version of Mr. Holden:

For I was a son very dear to my father, And well-beloved in the sight of my mother." The latter line we should rather render, "An only de," (or darling) &e.

Ver. 9. A crown of glory shall she deliver to theeMarg. "She shall compass thee with a crown of glory,"

Ver. 17. Eat the bread of wickedness-that is, live by violence and spoil. See chap. i. 13.

Ver 16. Skineth more and more-Heb. " Goeth on and shineth."

Ver. 22 Health-Heb. "Medicine." See Note, chap. iii. 8.

Ver. 23. Keep with all diligence, &c. — Heb.. "Keep thy heart above all keeping."

Ver. 24. A froward mouth-Heb. "Frowardness of mouth and perverseness of lips."

-Ver. 25. Let thine eyes look, &c.—that is, ་ pursue a straight-forward course." Compare ver. 27. Ver. 26. Established-Marg. “ Ordered aright."

CHAP. V. Ver. 3. Her mouth-Heb. "palate "is smoother than oil.-It is the property of the palate to be rough, and Mr. Parkhurst thinks it has its Hebrew name from that circumstance; a smooth palate must therefore imply a vitiated taste, which very properly applies to a woman of this character.

Ver. 5. Her steps take hold on (or " join to," connect with) hell-Heb. Sheol, which may be taken in its double sense; for it is true that debauchery leads both to the grave, and to the punishments of another world.

Ver. 6. Her ways are moveable-that continually shifting her temptations, and

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