Proverbs 8

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:3

The expressions in the text indicate the position which she takes and its capabilities. At the hand of the gates ( 1 Samuel 19:3 ). She posts herself at the side of the city gates, under the archway pierced in the wall, where she is sure of an audience. At the mouth of the city, inside the gate, where people pass on their way to the country. At the coming in at the doors, by which persons enter the town. Thus she catches all comers, those who are entering, as well as those who are... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:4

Unto you, O men, I call. "Men," ishim ( אִישִׁים ); equivalent to ἄνδρες , viri, men in the highest sense, who have some wisdom and experience, but need further enlightenment ( Isaiah 53:3 ; Psalms 141:4 ). The sons of man; בְּנֵי אָדָם , "children of Adam;" equivalent to ἄνθρωποι , homines, the general kind of men, who are taken up with material interests. St. Gregory notes ('Moral ,' 27.6) that persons ( heroines ) of perfect life are in Scripture... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:4-11

She summons various classes of persons to attend to her, showing how trustworthy she is, and how precious her instruction. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:5

O ye simple, understand wisdom. "The simple," those not yet perverted, but easily influenced for good or evil. See on Proverbs 1:4 , where also is explained the word ormah , used here for "wisdom;" equivalent to calliditas in a good sense, or πανουργία , as sometimes employed in the Septuagint; so here: νοήσατε ἄκακοι πανουργίαν , "subtlety." Ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. For "fools" ( khesilim ) , the intellectually heavy and dull, see on Proverbs 1:22... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:5

Wisdom for the simple We may divide the simple into three classes. 1 . There are those who think themselves wise while they are but fools: there is no hope for such. 2 . There are people who make no pretence to wisdom, but who have chosen folly, and are quite indifferent to the claims and charms of wisdom. 3 . There are anxious seekers after wisdom, who feel their present ignorance and incompetence with acute distress, and long to be among the wise, but despair of reaching the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:6

I will speak of excellent things; de rebus magnis, Vulgate; σεμνὰ γὰρ ἐρῶ , Septuagint. The Hebrew nagid is elsewhere used of persons; e.g. a prince, leader ( 1 Samuel 9:16 ; 1 Chronicles 26:24 ); so it may here be best translated "princely," "noble"—an epithet which the subject matter of Wisdom's discourse fully confirms (comp. Proverbs 22:20 , though the word there is different). Hitzig and others, following the Syriac, prefer the meaning, "plain, evident truths" (comp.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:7

Another coordinate reason for attention. My mouth; chek, "palate" ( Proverbs 5:3 , where see note); the organ of speech. Shall speak truth; emeth (see on Proverbs 3:3 ). The verb הָגָה ( hagah ) properly means "to speak with one's self," "to meditate;" and so the versions translate here, meditabitur, μελετήσει ; but this idea is not appropriate to the word joined with it, "the palate," and it must be taken to signify to utter, as in Psalms 35:28 ; Psalms 37:30 ,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:8

In righteousness; i.e. joined with righteousness equivalent to "righteous." In Proverbs 3:16 the Septuagint has an addition which may perhaps be an echo of this passage: "Out of her mouth proceedeth righteousness, and she beareth upon her tongue law and mercy." But more probably it is derived partly from Isaiah 45:23 , and partly from Proverbs 31:26 . There is nothing froward or perverse in them. In the utterance of Wisdom there is nothing crooked, no distortion of the truth; all... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:9

They are all plain to him that understandeth. The man who listens to and imbibes the teaching of Wisdom finds these words intelligible, and "to the point." Opening his heart to receive Divine instruction, he is rewarded by having his understanding enlightened; for while "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God" ( 1 Corinthians 2:14 ), yet "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him" ( Psalms 25:14 ), and "mysteries are revealed unto the meek" ( Ecclesiastes... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 8:9

Plain words The words of wisdom are here described as "plain words." This expression has been so often abused that it is almost as important to see what it does not mean as to consider what it does mean. I. WHAT THE EXPRESSION DOES NOT MEAN . 1 . Lack of grace. A mistake arising from the confusion of two meanings of the term "plain" has been pointed out by Archbishop Whately, and yet it is often repeated. "Plain" means smooth, simple, easy, intelligible; "plain"... read more

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