14 He also exalteth the horn oft in their mouth, and a twoedged Heb his people, the praise of all his saints; sword in their hand; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.

PSALMS.

5 Praise him upon the loud cym- 6 Let every thing that hath breath bals: praise him upon the high praise the LORD. Praise ye the sounding cymbals. LORD.

THE Proverbs, as we are informed at the beginning, and in other parts of the Book, were written, for the most part, by Solomon, the son of David; a man, as the Sacred Writings assure us, peculiarly endued with Divine wisdom. Whatever ideas of his superiour understanding we may be led to form by the particulars recorded of his judgment and attainments, we shall find them amply justified on perusing the works which remain, and give testimony of his abilities. This enlightened monarch, being desirous of employing the wisdom which he had received to the advantage of mankind, produced several works for their instruction. Of these, however, three only were admitted into the canon of Sacred Writ by Ezra; the others being either not designed for religious instruction, or so mutilated by time and accident, as to have been judged imperfect. The Book of Proverbs, that of Ecclesiastes, and that of the Song of Solomon, are all that remain of the writings of him, who is related to have spoken "three thousand proverbs," whose "songs were a thousand and five," and who spake of trees from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall;" who spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes." If however, many valuable compositions of Solomon have perished, we have reason to be grateful for what still remains. Of his Proverbs and Songs the most excellent have been providentially preserved; and as we possess his doctrinal and moral works, we have no right to murmur at the loss of his physical and philosophical productions.

This Book of Proverbs contains the maxims of long experience, framed by one who was well calculated, by his rare qualities and endowments, to draw just lessons from a comprehensive survey of human life. Solomon judiciously sums up his precepts in brief energetick sentences, which are well contrived for popular instruction. The wisdom, indeed, of all ages, from the highest antiquity, hath chosen to compress its lessons into compendious sentences, which were peculiarly adapted to the simplicity of earlier times; which are readily conceived and easily retained; and which circulate in society as useful principles, to be unfolded and applied as occasion may require. The inspired son of David had the power of giving peculiar energy and weight to this style of writing, and his works have been as it were the storehouse from which posterity hath drawn its best maxims. His Proverbs are so justly founded on principles of human nature, and so adapted to the permanent interests of man, that they agree with the manners of every age, and may be assumed as rules for the direction of our conduct in every condition and rank of life, however varied in its complexion, or diversified by circumstances; they embrace not only the concerns of private morality, but the great objects of political importance. The Book may be considered under five divisions. The first part, which is a kind of preface, extends to the tenth chapter. This contains general cautions and exhortations from a teacher to his pupil, delivered in very various and elegant language; duly connected in its parts, illustrated with beautiful descriptions, decorated with all the ornaments of poetical composition, and well contrived as an engaging introduction to awaken and interest the attention. The second part extends from the beginning of the tenth chapter to the seventeenth verse of the twenty-second chapter, and contains what may strictly and properly be called Proverbs, given in unconnected general sentences, with much neatness and simplicity; adapted to the instruction of youth, and probably more immediately designed by Solomon for the improvement of his son. In the third part, which contains what is included between the sixteenth verse of the twenty-second chapter and the twentyfifth chapter, the tutor is supposed, for a more lively effect, to address his pupil as present; he drops the sententious style of Proverbs, and communicates exhortations in a more continued and connected strain.

The Proverbs which are included between the twenty-fifth and thirtieth chapters, and which constitute the fourth part, are supposed to have been selected from a much greater number by the "men of Hezekiah;" that is, by the Prophets whom he employed to restore the service and the writings of the Church, as Eliakim, and Joah, and Shebna, and probably Hosea, Micah, and even Isaiah, who all flourished in the reign of that monarch, and doubtless co-operated with his endeavours to re-establish true religion among the Jews. These Proverbs, indeed, appear to have been selected by some collectors after the time of Solomon, as they repeat some which he had previously introduced in the former part of the Book. The fifth part contains the prudent admonitions which Agur the son of Jakeh delivered to his pupils Ithiel and Ucal; these are included in the thirtieth chapter. It contains also the precepts which the mother of Lemuel delivered to her son, as described in the thirty-first chapter. Concerning these persons, whose works are annexed to those of Solomon, commentators have entertained various opinions. The original words which describe Agur as the author of the thirtieth chapter, might be differently translated; but admitting the present construction as most natural and just, we may observe, that the generality of the Fathers and ancient commentators have supposed that under the name of Agur, Solomon describes himself, though no satisfactory reason can be assigned for his assuming this name. Others, upon very insufficient grounds, conjecture that Agur and Lemuel were interlocutors with Solomon. The Book has no appearance of dialogue, nor is there any interchange of person; it is more probable, that though

PROVERBS.

the Book was designed principally to contain the sayings of Solomon, others might be added by the "men of Hezekiah:" and Agur might have been an inspired writer, whose moral and proverbial sentences (for such is the import of the word Massa, rendered Prophecy) were joined with those of the Wise Man, because of the conformity of their matter. So likewise the dignity of the Book is not affected, if we suppose the last chapter to have been written by a different hand, and admit the mother of Lemuel to have been a Jewish woman, married to some neighbouring prince; or Abijah, the daughter of the high priest Zechariah, and mother of king Hezekiah; since in any case it must be considered as the production of an inspired writer, or it would not have been received into the canon of Scripture. But it was perhaps meant that by Lemuel we should understand Solomon; for the name which signifies, one belonging to God, might have been given unto him as descriptive of his character, since to Solomon God had expressly declared that He would be a Father. Dr. Gray.

This Book is frequently quoted by the Apostles, who considered it as a treasure of revealed morality, from which Christians were to derive their rules of conduct; and the canonical authority of no part of the Old Testament is so ratified by the evidence of quotations as that of the Proverbs. But it is remarkable, that the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, which has so striking an affinity to the Book of Proverbs, is not quoted in a single instance by the Apostles and Evangelists; and the difference between Canonical and Apocryphal, is no where so strongly marked as in this example. Michaelis.

This Book is entitled "the Proverbs;" but what we call Proverbs, properly and strictly speaking, are of a different nature; and most of Solomon's Proverbs are rather to be called Maxims or Sentences. A proverb is a short moral sentence, which means something else than what the words naturally and literally imply; that is to say, it must be expressed in a figurative manner. When Solomon says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding;" this is no proverb, but a moral sentence. When he says, "Drink waters out of thine own cistern;" this is a proverb: and it means, "Meddle not with that which belongs to another." These Proverbs of Solomon are a collection of wise and moral sayings, usually plain and concise; they are also of the poetical kind, and fall into metre, and therefore were the more easily learned and remembered by those in whose language they were written. They have not that air of smartness and vivacity and wit which modern writers have usually affected in their maxims and sentences; but they have what is better, truth and solid good sense. No one subject is long pursued in this treatise of Solomon, nor is there any coherence or connexion between its parts. The nature of this sort of writing does not admit it. But, though the composition be of the disjointed kind, yet there is a general design running through the whole, which the author keeps always in view; and that is, to instruct the people, and particularly young people, at their entrance into public and active life; to give them an early love and earnest desire of real wisdom, and to lay down such clear rules for their behaviour, as shall carry them through the world with peace and credit.

Solomon is the first author that we know of who may be called a moralist; and as such he appears in this book, as well as in that of Ecclesiastes. He says nothing, or very little, concerning the Law of Moses; he leaves the explaining or enforcing of it to the Prophets, the Priests, and the Levites. He says nothing about revealed religion, but rather confines himself to natural religion or morality. He wrote under the assistance of the Divine Spirit, but has no claim, that we perceive, to the title of a Prophet; for he does not discourse in the prophetical style and manner: he says not, The word of the Lord came to me; and, Thus saith the Lord; he foretold no future events and wrought no miracles. Dr. Jortin.

THE

HE proverbs of Solomon the son increase learning; and a man of un-
derstanding shall attain unto wise
counsels:

of David, king of Israel;

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3 To receive the instruction of

Chap. I. ver. 2. To know wisdom &c.] The use of these proverbs is, to give true moral and spiritual wisdom and instruction to those that carefully hear of, and read them. Bp. Hall.

4. To give subtilty to the simple,] Meaning, that the reading of this book will strengthen and shield all easy, flexible, seducible persons, especially the young, who want experience in affairs, and so are subject to be misled and ensnared. Dr. Hammond.

6. To understand a proverb, &c.] To understand a

6 To understand a proverb, and

| Or,

advisement.

|| the interpretation; the words of the Or, an wise, and their dark sayings.

eloquent speech. proverb, and its mysterious sense. This study was much in vogue in the time of Solomon, as appears from the instance of the queen of Sheba, who came to prove Solomon "with hard questions." Calmet.

A wise writer requires a wise reader; and therefore it is that Solomon, in his introduction to the Book of Proverbs, represents that person a considerable proficient in knowledge, who is able to understand a proverb and the interpretation of it; the words of the wise and their dark sayings. Dr. Jortin.

CHAP. I. Wisdom complaineth of her contempt.

7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the blood; they lurk privily for their own beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.