Solomon exhorteth to chastity.

Before CHRIST

about 1000. reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the

streets.

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed : and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts + satisfy thee at all times; and be thou t ravished always with her. love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

C

21 For the ways of man are bechap. 15. 3. fore the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Jer. 16. 17.

& 32. 19.

22 His own iniquities shall take

how I hated the timely cautions and just reproofs which were given me. Bp. Patrick.

14. I was almost in all evil &c.] Better, perhaps, "I was in almost all evil." I have plunged myself into all sort of evil, in the midst of my people, being too well known for my vices, and obtaining no compassion. Calmet.

15. Drink waters &c.] The wise man, having thus represented the dangers and wasting miseries of incontinence, gives the seasonable and necessary advice, that every man should strictly abstain from wandering lusts, and remain in the society of his own wife. Dr. Hammond.

16. Let thy fountains be dispersed &c.] Besides many other blessings, thou wilt hence derive the comforts of a numerous flourishing offspring, which, as streams or rivers from a fountain, will flow from a chaste conjugal bed. Dr. Hammond.

17. Let them be only thine own,] Thou wilt thus have the assurance, that the children thou ownest are truly thine. Dr. Hammond.

MY son, if thou be surety for thy

"friend, if thou hast stricken thy

hand with a stranger,

2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Before CHRIST about 1000.

+ Heb. sin.

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, || and make sure thy friend. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor with thy slumber to thine eyelids.

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Or, so shalt thou prevail

friend.

when he has contracted the habit, he will not have the power to quit it. Calmet. 23. He shall die without instruction;] He shall die for want of instruction. Dr. Waterland.

Chap. VI. ver. 1. if thou be surety for thy friend,] My son, be advised by me not to pass thy word rashly for the money which thy neighbour or friend borroweth of another, much less stand bound to a stranger, of whose honesty or ability thou art not assured; for if thou hast been so incautious as to be drawn into such engagements, "thou art snared with the words of thy mouth," look upon thyself no longer as a free man, but hampered and enslaved by dangerous obligations. Bp. Patrick.

if thou hast stricken thy hand &c.] To strike hands with another person was a general emblem of agreement, bargaining, or suretiship. Thus the ancient poets often represent it. Burder. Solomon frequently exhorts to the avoiding of suretiship, as a most dangerous indiscretion; by which he seems to mean, that we should never be bound in behalf of another for more than we can afford to lose, without any considerable detriment to our fortunes or families. Dr. Jortin.

3.

go, humble thyself, &c.] These words may rather be rendered " Go, stir up thyself, and prevail with thy companion;" "give not sleep to thine eyes," ver. 4; that is, without the least delay take this course to disentangle thyself. Dr. Hammond.

6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; &c.] As in the matter just mentioned, the least delay is pernicious, so, in all things else, sluggishness or negligence of those things which concern us most nearly, should ever be avoided; and if we need any instructor on this head, we may go to one of the least and meanest of creatures. Dr. Ham

9 a How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

b Chap. 13. 4. 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

+ Heb. casteth forth.

+ Heb. of his

soul.

+ Heb.

12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination + unto him:

17+ A proud look, a lying tongue, Haughty eyes. and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked e Rom. 3. 15. imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

C

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

8. Provideth her meat in the summer,] The industry of the ant has been frequently noticed by the ancient poets. It has been generally believed that these animals lay up stores of corn for their winter's provision, and that they gnaw off the buds of the grains so as to prevent their growing in the earth. This fact is asserted by Pliny; Bochart produces many writers asserting the same. La Pluche says, "A prevailing passion in these little animals is to amass stores of grain; and, lest the humidity of the cells should make the corn shoot up, we are told for a certainty that they gnaw off the buds which grow at the point of the grain." Parkhurst.

10. Yet a little sleeep, a little slumber,] By the repetition of the words here seems to be implied, sleep and slumber often repeated at different intervals. The change of the person speaking, from the preceptor to the sluggard, in this verse, is extremely beautiful.

11.- as one that travelleth, as an armed man.] "As one that travelleth,” that is, by surprise : as an armed man," with irresistible violence. Bp. Patrick, Calmet. 12. A naughty person,] In the Hebrew, a man of Belial;" denoting probably an idle, foolish, wicked man, who cares not for God's directions of his tongue or life. "With a froward mouth;" in the Hebrew, "with perverseness of mouth," in the sense of detracting from the actions of other men, and so perverting all to the worst sense that is possible. Dr. Hammond.

13. He winketh with his eyes, &c.] Such a person when he has nothing of weight to say against a man, will, by significant gestures of all sorts, intimate matters to his

The mischiefs of whoredom.

Before CHRIST

20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the about 1000. law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

d Chap. 1. 8.

& 119. 105.

23 For the commandment is a e Ps. 19. 8. || lamp; and the law is light; and Or, candle. reproofs of instruction are the way of

disadvantage, and so persuade others, without laying any particular thing to his charge. Dr. Hammond. Such a person composes all his parts to deceit; every gesture of his tends to fraud; the very motion of his eyes, of his feet, of his fingers, is significant, and expresses some secret intimation of guile. Bp. Hall.

15. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;] Such a person shall be brought to utter ruin, when he fancies he has carried his matters so cunningly, that no one discerns his villany. Bp. Patrick. "He shall be broken without remedy;" alluding, it appears, to an earthen vessel, which, when broken into pieces, cannot be made whole again. Dr. Wells.

16. These six things &c.] These six things, which are commonly found in such profligate persons, "doth the Lord hate:" yea, there is one more, and so in all there are seven things commonly found in such persons, which are an abomination to Him. Dr. Wells. The seven things are these: pride or haughtiness; lying or fraudulence; guilt of blood; malice or projecting of evil; a pleasure in doing mischief; false witness or calumny; a causing of discord or ill-will among those who live friendly together. Dr. Hammond.

22. —it shall talk with thee.] Shall suggest good thoughts to thee. Dr. Wells.

25.- with her eyelids.] See note at 2 Kings ix. 30. 26.—will hunt for the precious life.] Will bring the adulterer to his grave. See Ezek. xiii. 18. Dr. Isham. 30. Men do not despise a thief, &c.] The general meaning of this verse and the following is, However

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of

The fame and evidency of wisdom.

CHAP. VIII.

The fame, 6 and evidency of wisdom. 10 The excellency, 12 the nature, 15 the power, 18 the riches, 22 and the eternity of wisdom. 32 Wisdom is to be desired for the blessedness it bringeth.

ourselves with loves.

19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at | the day appointed.

21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the

stocks:

23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24¶Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

levity in making the payment of vows a prelude to sin, and of her shameless falsehood, ver. 15.

16.—with carved works,] Meaning probably figured tapestry or carpeting, from its resemblance to carved work. Parkhurst.

17.— aloes,] See note at Cant. iv. 14.

cinnamon.] It is remarkable that the name of this tree in Hebrew is the same as in English. Parkhurst.

19.- the goodman] Literally in Hebrew "the man," meaning her husband. In the earlier English writers, "goodman" was a common appellation for the master of a family.

20.

at the day appointed.] Some interpreters prefer the reading of our margin, " at the new moon," or, "at the day of assembly," which the time of the new moon was amongst the Jews. The Greek translators render it, "after many days." Dr. Hammond.

23. Till a dart strike through his liver; &c.] Thus he yields to his lust, until the revenging husband, actuated by jealousy, give a deadly stroke to the adulterer, or till the just judgment of God seize upon body and soul, being thus heedlessly drawn in as a bird is into the snare, not considering that its life is brought into danger. Bp. Hall.

26. For she hath cast down &c.] For many have been the examples of no mean persons, who have fallen in their reputation, their estates, their healths, and com

Ꭰ

Before CHRIST about 1000.

OTH not a wisdom cry? and a Chap. 1. 20. understanding put forth her

voice?

2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

5 O ye simple, understand wisdom : and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination + Heb. the to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

abomination of my lips.

+ Heb. wreathed.

;

forts of life, and in truth have utterly perished by her innumerable are the mighty men, both for valour and wisdom, whom she has brought to ruin. Solomon himself, as well as Samson, became an example of the "mighty men" here mentioned, who were ruined by bad women. Bp. Patrick.

27.the chambers of death.] The Jewish sepulchres consisted of large vaults and caves, in the sides of which were cut out distinct niches for receiving each a dead body. Parkhurst.

Chap. VIII. ver. 1. Doth not wisdom cry?] We may consider this chapter as connected with the preceding, and forming with it a continued discourse. The wise man had before been representing the dangerous seductions of false pleasure. He now describes to us wisdom, who invites us to love her by a noble, grand, elevated discourse, and by magnificent promises of substantial good. Calmet.

A sublime allegory is here introduced, of wisdom standing in the most conspicuous and frequented places of the city, and proclaiming aloud to men those great precepts of truth, religion, and virtue, by which they may rise from the vanities of the world to life and immortality. Schultens.

10. Receive my instruction, and not silver;] That is, receive it in preference to silver. Calmet. Make no comparison of my instruction with silver and gold, for

and find out knowledge of witty inventions.] Implying, that no advice or subtile contrivances can be good, or can have a happy event, which are not agreeable to true piety. Dr. Wells.

14.- I have strength.] I inspire men with true and rational courage to persist in good resolutions which are neither rashly taken up, nor wrongly pursued. Dr. Wells.

15, 16. By me kings reign, &c.] Meaning, that all lawful authority, the power of all kings and magistrates, are most surely founded in wisdom.

17.—those that seek me early shall find me.] This holds true in every useful acquisition: youth is the time when the foundation of knowledge, either secular or religious, is to be laid; and they who begin any useful study or pursuit late in life, seldom become great proficients. Dr. Jortin.

19. and my revenue] Rather, " my produce," which answers better to "my fruit," in the preceding clause. Dr. Durell.

21. That I may cause &c.] That I may confer on all

and eternity of wisdom.

Before CHRIST

22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his about 1000 works of old.

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

places.

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the || fields, nor || the Or, open highest part of the dust of the world. Or, the chief 27 When he prepared the heavens, part. I was there: when he set || a compass || Or, a circle. upon the face of the depth:

28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

e

10.

11.

29 When he gave to the sea his e Gen. 1. 9, decree, that the waters should not Job 38. 10, pass his commandment : when he Ps. 104. 9. appointed the foundations of the earth:

30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

those who sincerely love and adhere to me a happy settlement in a state of eternal peace and substantial satisfaction. Bp. Patrick.

22. The Lord possessed me &c.] The passage which follows is expressed in such magnificent language, that the ancient Christians thought the application of the words was to the wisdom revealed to us in the Gospel by the Son of God, nay to the Son of God Himself, the Eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father. Bp. Pa

trick.

The wisdom, he says, which directs us to all this, is but a ray of that Eternal Wisdom of the Father, the Word and Son of God, which, in the fulness of time, was to be incarnate, but before all time was present with God, before any part of this world, earth, sea, fountains, hills, mountains, or valleys, were created. Dr. Hammond. God has possessed the Son from all eternity, since "the Word was with God," from the beginning, John i. 1. Calmet.

"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way;" rather, "The Lord possessed me when He first went forth," that is, when He first exerted Himself in the work of creation. Dr. Durell.

30. Then I was by him,] Then I was very near to Him, contriving all things; nor had He greater delight in any thing than in me, who day by day, during the creation of the world, produced some lovely work or other, in which He rejoiced, to see how good and agreeable they were, Gen. i. 4, &c. Bp. Patrick.

31.—my delights were with the sons of men.] Be