Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

actor, as the counsellor of Jehovah and his co-worker. According to one interpretation of the word (ver. 30) this is directly affirmed. But however we may understand that term, we necessarily infer from the very idea of Wisdom and the attributes ascribed to her, that her presence at the creation of the world was that of an active power, not of an inactive spectator. When she dwells with kings, it is to endow them with the power of reigning: "By me kings reign and princes decree justice. By me princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth" (vs. 15, 16). So when she is at Jehovah's side in the work of creation, it is as a co-worker: "The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens." 1 Not one of all God's works is made without her. We ought not to expect here a full development of the idea of Wisdom's activity in the work of creation, such as we have in the New Testament of the activity of the Logos: things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made."2 "By him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth." " It is sufficient that we have in the present passage the germ of the idea contained in the following words of the apostle: "But to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him," where the Father is represented as the source of creation, and the Son as the producing agent.

“All

When he set a circuit (p) upon the face of the deep. By the circuit () we are to understand the circular vault of heaven. The deep is the primeval abyss that covered the face of the earth (Gen. i. 2). When he established (s, literally, when he made strong or firm) the clouds above. The clouds are established not individually, but as an order or system. The establishment of the clouds is then, for sub

- –

Prov. 3: 19, in a passage where Wisdom is also set forth in a personal form, and which cannot be separated from the present personification, and that in the first chapter.

2 John 1: 3.

* Col. 1: 16.

4 1 Cor. 8: 6

stance, equivalent to the establishment of the firmament in which they move. When the fountains of the deep were made strong. The verb is to be taken here, as elsewhere in Kal, intransitively. To be made strong may mean either to be firmly established in their places, or to be made strong in respect to the quantity and force of their waters. The latter is the preferable interpretation. Compare above

i fountains heavy with waters (v. 24). The fountains here spoken of are those of "the great deep" (Gen. vii. 11) by which, according to the idea of the Hebrews, the ocean is supplied with its waters. Compare Job xxxviii. 8.— That the waters should not pass its border, viz., that of the sea (border, Ps. cxxxiii. 2). But we may, with Cocceius, refer the suffix in to, and render: that the waters should not transgress his command. Compare for this use of Ex. xvii. 1; Josh. ix. 14, etc.; especially Eccl. viii. 2. The Scriptures frequently represent the setting of bounds to the sea as a high exercise of divine power. See Job xxxviii. 8-11; Ps. civ. 9; Jer. v. 22. The at the beginning of this clause is that used to introduce final and consecutive sentences. See in Gesenius's Lexicon, No. 6.

Vs. 30, 31. And I was at his side, as one brought up by him [or, as an artificer]; and I was daily a delight [to him], exulting always before him; exulting in the habitable abode of his earth, and my delight was with the sons of men.

The most important word in this beautiful description is

, concerning which very different opinions have been held. The only two that deserve attention are alumna, nursling, foster-child; and artifex, artificer. On these we offer the following remarks:

1. According to either view is to be regarded as a word of common gender.

2. As to form, it may be either active, as p, fowler, or passive, as 7, hidden region, i. e. North.

3. In favor of the signification artificer, is first, the Hebrew ***, workman;1 secondly, the Chaldee 778, and Syriac

[ocr errors]

'Cant. 7; 1. Gusset's arguments to show that it signifies here a faithful man, are very inconclusive.

workman, artificer. All these words differ indeed in form from, but this is not decisive against its relationship with them.

4. In favor of the signification alumna, foster-child, is first the active form 728, one who carries a child, attends to it and brings it up. (Num. xi. 12; Isa. xlix. 23; Esth. ii. 7, etc.). With this is would naturally correspond, as passive to active. That no other example of the word occurs cannot be considered a decisive objection; for, as Gusset remarks: "There are other words occurring but once, which, nevertheless, are explained with certainty and correctness from their roots." Secondly, in favor of the meaning alumna is

the who are borne, or הָאֶמְנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע אֶמְנִים the kindred form

brought up, on scarlet; the seventy well: oi rinvoúμevoi èπì κόκκων). 1

5. The ancient translators and expositors differ so much among themselves that we cannot regard their authority as of much account. See a review of their interpretations in Geier.

6. Though the signification opifex, artificer, is not against the context, that of alumna, nursling, foster-child, is in most perfect harmony with it; and this, where the arguments from philology are so nearly balanced, may well turn the scale in favor of this latter meaning.

Wisdom immediately adds: "I was a delight [to him] exulting (Hebrew, literally, sporting, playing, as a child in the presence of its father) before him all the time." She represents herself as the darling child of Jehovah, exulting from eternity in his presence. One cannot but think of the New Testament expressions: o povoyevns viòs ó av eis tòv κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός ; and οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.

3

Exulting in the habitable abode of his earth (Hebrew in the world of his earth). is a species of the genitive of material, as much as to say: the world which consists of his earth.4 78 denotes the earth generally, or

1 Lam. 4: 5.

2 John 1: 18.

3 Matt. 3: 17.

4 The suffix belongs only to the latter noun. The rendering of the English

in respect to its mass alone. It is therefore equivalent to the Greek . ban (from brain, to produce, bring forth) denotes the earth as a producer, as stored with men and animals, and the means of nourishing them. It answers, therefore, though by another mode of conception, to the Greek οἰκουμένη.

And my delight was with the sons of men. This final clause of the description gives us the crowning idea of the whole. Wisdom, that dwelt from eternity in the presence of God before the foundation of the earth, and that was present at its formation as the counsellor and co-worker of Jehovah, now makes it her favorite abode, because there man, the object of her deepest love, is found. The interest

that she feels in God's world all centres in the sons of men. To their good she has from the beginning devoted herself, and her labors to recall them to the paths of truth and blessedness have been unwearied. This her delight in the children of men she makes the ground of a new appeal to them.

Vs. 32-36. Now therefore, children, hearken to me; for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise; and let it not go. Blessed is the man that hearkeneth to me, watching daily at my doors, watching at the posts of my gates. For whosoever findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favor from the Lord. But he that wrongs me hurts his own soul: all that hate me love death.

Let any one, now, who has attained to the only true conception of revelation as an indivisible whole, having from first to last the same eternal Spirit for its author; and, moreover, as a progressive work, in which the earlier parts continually shadow forth some higher "good things to come "

- let any man, with this true idea of revelation, compare this noble description of heavenly Wisdom with what is said in the New Testament of the divine Logos, and he cannot, as it seems to us, fail to discern in it the morning dawn of the approaching Sun of righteousness. How far Solomon

version in the habitable part of his earth, though substantially correct, brings in an idea that does not exist in the original, that of contrast between the habitable and uninhabitable portions of the earth.

3

himself understood the full import of what he wrote, is a question of secondary importance. Though we cannot adopt that view of inspiration which would make the sacred penmen nothing more than amanuenses of the Holy Spirit, we must still hold that the form of a divine communication is often an essential part of it. In the present instance we must believe that the full personality here ascribed to Wisdom, as well as her several relations to God and man, is something more than poetic drapery; that it has for its author not the luxuriant imagination of the sacred writer alone, but the prescient mind of the Holy Ghost, who moulds and controls the thoughts of inspired men as he pleases. Is Wisdom set forth as a person, dwelling from eternity with God? The divine Word, also, "was in the beginning with God," as a true personality. He dwelt in glory, with God, before the foundation of the world.2 Is Wisdom before all things? So also is Christ. Is Wisdom the eldest child of God, brought forth before the existence of all created things? So also Christ is "the only begotten of the Father," and "the first-born of the whole creation." 5 Was Wisdom present at the formation of the earth and heavens, as God's counsellor and co-worker? The New Testament develops the idea, here contained in the germ, in all its fulness, teaching us that by the Word "all things were made, and without him was not any thing made that was made;"6 that "by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Is Wisdom the delight of God, dwelling always with him, and exulting always before him? Christ is his well-beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, and who dwells in his bosom.9 Did God associate with himself Wisdom as his darling child in the work of creation, so that she was present at the whole, saw

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »