Proverbs 8:17 - Exposition

I love them that love me. So Christ says ( John 14:21 ), "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him" Love attracts love. "Magues amoris est amor." They who love virtue and wisdom are regarded with favour by God. whoso inspiration they have obeyed, obtaining grace for grace. So Ben Sira says, "Them that love her the Lord doth love "(Ecclesiasticus 4:14); so Wis. 7:28, "God loveth none but him that dwelleth with Wisdom." The Septuagint changes the verbs in this clause, though they are parts of the same word in the Hebrew: ἐγὼ τοὺς ἐμὲ φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶ . This reminds one of the passage in the last chapter of St. John ( John 21:15-17 ). where a similar interchange is made. Those that seek me early shall find me (see the contrast in Proverbs 1:28 ). "Early" may mean from tender years; but more probably it is equivalent to "earnestly," "strenuously," as people deeply interested in any pursuit rise betimes to set about the necessary work (comp. Isaiah 26:9 ; Hosea 5:15 ). The Septuagint, "They who seek ( ζητοῦντες ) me shall find." So the Lord says ( Matthew 7:7 ), "Seek ( ζητεῖτε ), and ye shall find;" Ecclesiastes 4:12 , "He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early ( οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ) shall be filled with joy" (comp. Luke 21:38 ).