Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Preface 3 – Biblical commentary 4
The Preface to the Proverbs.
THis Booke is called, Hebr. foreign by Sept. translat. foreign by Cald. Nithloi, by Aquila, whom the vulgar Latine followeth, Parabolae, yet the title of the Book in vulgar Latine is Proverbs, the word foreign, it commeth of foreign dominari, to rule; and the wise sayings here delivered are so called, because they came from a great Ruler, K. Salomon, and have the dominion and pre-eminence, for the wisdome lying herein, above all other writings of the wisest men, for which they are with all diligence to be attended to by all men that desire to be wise. Of these Mysteries or principall sayings there be divers sorts; 1. Comparisons made betweene two, the one being the more illustrated by the other, of which sort are the Parables of our Lord taken from divers things. 2. Riddles or darke sayings, one thing being spoken, of which at the first there seemeth to be no sence, but being opened, notably setteth forth the matter intended, as that Riddle of Sampson; Out of the eater came meate, Judg.and out of the stronge sweetnesse. 3. Figures, as it is said in Sept. transl. touching Isaac that should have been offered, but was spared, and a Ram offered in his stead; Abraham, saith Theophilact, received him in Teophylact.a Parable, that is, in his being spared, and the Ram sacrificed, there being a figure of that, which should afterwards be done touching Christ, his Divinity not suffering, but his Humane Nature. 4. It is put, saith Chrysost. for a reproach, as Psal. 44. 13. Thou hast made us foreign a reproach, Chrysost.or by word, yea a Parable; and the like doth David say of himselfe, I am made to them a Parable, they spake against me. 5. It is put for a Proverb, a saying commonly used, as Ezek. 18. What meane ye by this Proverb, The fathers have eaten soure grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge. Where againe the same word is againe used in Hebrew. The Latine word Proverb is by one derived from Procul a verbo, farre from a word, either because it is certaine, and grounded upon long experience, as words commonly spoken are not; or is Tostatus.farre from the words of one particular man or other, because so said commonly by all men. But from Chrysost. who calleth Proverbs, Cana Chrysost.verba, hoarie-headed words, as being most ancient, we may better make this derivation, from Verba a procul, words fetcht from a farre off, because they have been used time out of minde. 6. For Apophthegms or acute sayings, for the exercise of the wit, as Numb. 21. 27. Therefore they say in Proverbs, Hebr. Moshlin, come into Heshbon, and let the City of Sihon be built; for the understanding whereof, it is required. And hitherto of the title, now for the kinde of writing. Herein are set forth many excellent sayings fit for the exercise of mens wits at feasts, for Ch. 9. Wisdom is said to have killed her fat beasts, and to have mingled her wine, and furnished her table; and what are her dainties with which it is furnished, but many excellent sayings, which went before, and followed after. And from Salomon it may be conceived, that Plutarch writ his Synposia, or Coloquies at feastings, and Plato and Xenophon likewise.
The Proverbs, or wise sayings of this Book, are either Ethicall, Oeconomicall, or Politicall; Ethicall, concerning good manners, Oeconomicall, concerning Family matters, Politicall, concerning the Commonwealth. For the Authour of this Book, it is doubted by some, whether it were Salomon onelyonly, or both he, and Agur, and Lemuel, of the two last Chapters; but as Plato hath divers speakers in his foresaid book, Socrates, Aristedemus, Phaedrus, &c. So Salomon in his Book brings in Agur as one of the speakers, and Lemuel as another; but all was compiled by him alone, out of that excellent wisdome wherewith God had indued him, and these are but names, the one setting forth gathering, and the other God with him, as being invented to set forth the Dialogue. And some there are, who thinke that those two Chapters were not placed last as now they be, but after the 24. at the first, because chap. 25. 1. it is said, These also were the Proverbs of Salomon, which the men of Hezekiah copied out. But no such thing can be proved thence, and therefore let us hold the order here used. For any coherence of these Proverbs there is none, except sometime of three or foure together, and therefore to seek to make them cohere together, is but lost labour: for the word Parable in Greek, it signifieth a casting about, and is, as Donatus defineth it, a Proverb accommodated to things and Donatus. A Parable.times; as some others, a word or speech conducible to the reason of life, containing much profit in it, in a moderate kinde of obscurity, or a speech rendring a thing manifest with obscurity. Some, saith Arboreus, think, that Arboreus.Salomon wrote not this Book of Proverbs, but dictated them onelyonly a… sundry times, and that they were written by others, and by some wise ma… gathered together into one, as they had been taken by divers; and they b…ing a reason of this conjecture from chap. 25. 1. where the men of Hezekiah are said to have written those from thence to the end of the Book. But it may rather be conceived, that they onelyonly copied them out, being written before by the Authour. Jerome in his Preface to the Proverbs saith, That Hieron.Salomon wrote three Books, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. And it is noted by some, that he had three names, Salomon August. de civit. l. 17. c. 20.King of Israel, as here, Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher, and Jedidiah, according to which he writeth in each of them. In this, are all manner of wise sayings, and common proverbs for the instruction of all his subjects both learned and unlearned: In Eccles. select sayings to raise up mens mindes from worldly things, as most vaine and transitory; and in his Song of love, matters betwixt Christ and his Church, according to the signification of his name Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord. It is said that he spake three thousand Proverbs, but these are all that were written, and received for Canonicall 1 King. 4.Scripture, the rest perished. Salomon both in his name from Peace and Parables, was a notable type of Christ the true Salomon, or pacifick Prince, and one that taught all things by Parables or Similitudes: