CRITICAL NOTES.— PLACES OF THE PATHS “in the midst of the highways.” “These ways are roads, solitary paths, not streets in the city, and the delineation proceeds in such an order as to exhibit Wisdom; first, in Proverbs 8:2, as a preacher in the open country, in grove and field, on mountains and pl... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:5. WISDOM. This is a different word from the one used in Proverbs 8:1, and may be translated “subtilty,” or “prudence,” and though it is here used in a good sense, may, when the context requires it, be translated “artful cunning.” PROVERBS 8:6. EXCELLENT, literally “pri... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:11. RUBIES, “pearls.” _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH— Proverbs 8:10_ WISDOM BETTER THAN WEALTH I. WISDOM IS TO BE PREFERRED TO WEALTH BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO A HIGHER SPHERE. The wisdom by which men succeed in finding gold and silver reveals the superiority of mind ov... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:12. DWELL WITH or “inhabit.” WITTY INVENTIONS, “skilful plans” _(Stuart)_, “sagacious counsels” _(Zöckler)_ PROVERBS 8:14. SOUND WISDOM, the same word as in chap. Proverbs 2:7 (see note there). Stuart reads here, “As for me, my might is understanding;” Delitzsch, “Mine... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 8:14_ THE SOURCE OF TRUE POWER I. MORAL WISDOM IS THE STRENGTH OF KINGS. “I have strength; by me kings rule.” There is a kind of strength in all wisdom. The serpent’s strength is in his subtlety. The strength of the kingdom of darkness consists in a kind... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:17. EARLY, _i.e._, “earnestly” (see on ch. Proverbs 1:28). PROVERBS 8:18. DURABLE. Zöckler thinks this rather signifies “growing.” PROVERBS 8:21. INHERIT SUBSTANCE, “abundance.” _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 8:17_ THE REWARD OF EARNEST SEEKERS I. THE M... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:22. JEHOVAH POSSESSED ME. The signification of this verb has been the subject of much discussion; ancient expositors, believing Wisdom here to be the eternal Son of God, deemed it necessary to reject the translation of the Septuagint, etc., who rendered it _created_, as t... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:36. SINNETH AGAINST, “misseth,” so Stuart, Delitzsch, and Miller. _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH— Proverbs 8:32_ EXHORTATION FOUNDED ON HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO DIVINE WISDOM I. BECAUSE CHRIST, THE ETERNAL WISDOM, HAS MANIFESTED HIS SYMPATHY WITH MAN, WE ARE UNDER OBLIG... [ Continue Reading ]