Bible Commentaries

These [are] also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men. — Solomon "hath his thousand out of this his vineyard of three thousand proverbs," 1 Kings 4:32 and these men of Hezekiah that kept, and yet communicated, the fruit thereof, "their two hundred." Song of Solomon 8:12 It is good for men to be doing what they are able for the glory of God and good of others, Prima sequentem honestum est in secundis tertiisque consistere. - Cic, de Orat. if it be but to copy out another man’s work, and prepare it for the press. Them that any way honour God he will honour; that is a bargain of his own making, and we may trust to it.

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[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing. — That what we conceive not, we may admire ( mirari non rimari ), and cry out with Paul, "O the depth," Romans 11:33 as the Romans dedicated to their goddess Victoria a certain lake, the depth whereof they could not dive into. God is much to be magnified for what he hath revealed unto his people in the holy Scriptures for their eternal good. But those unsearchable secrets of his - such as are the union of the three persons into one nature, and of two natures into one person, his wonderful decrees, and the no less wonderful execution thereof, … - these make exceeding much to the glory of his infinite wisdom and surpassing greatness, in speaking whereof our "safest eloquence is our silence," Aristotle since tantum recedit quantum capitur, saith Nazianzen - much like that pool spoken of by Polycritus, which in compass at the first scarce seemed to exceed the breadth of a shield; but if any went in to wash, it extended itself more and more.

But the honour of kings is to search out a matter. — As Solomon did that of the two harlots ( 1 Kings 3:16-28 Job 29:16 ). There are those who divide this book of Proverbs into three parts. In the first nine chapters things of a lower nature, and fit for instruction of youth, are set down and described. Next, from thence to this twenty-fifth chapter, the wise man discourseth of all sorts of virtues and vices, suitable to all sorts of people. Lastly, from this chapter to the end, he treateth, for the most part, higher matters, as of kings’ craft and state business.

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The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings [is] unsearchable.

The heaven for height, … — It is a wonder that we can look up to so admirable a height, and that the very eye is not tired in the way. If this ascending line could be drawn right forwards, some that have calculated curiously, have found it five hundred years’ journey to the starry sky. Other mathematicians say, that if a stone should fall from the eighth sphere, and should pass every hour a hundred miles, it would be sixty-five years or more before it would come to the ground. I suppose there is as little credit to be given to these as to Aratus the astrologer, who boasted that he had found out and set down the whole number of the stars in heaven; or as to Archimedes the mathematician, that said, that he could by his art cast up the just number of all the sands both in the habitable and inhabitable parts of the world. Sphinx Philosoph.

And the earth for depth. — From the surface to the centre, how far it is, cannot be known exactly, as neither whether hell be there: but that it is somewhere below may be gathered from Revelation 14:11 , and other places. Ubi sit sentient, qui curiosius quaerunt.

And the heart of kings is unsearchable. — Profundum sine fundo. God gave Solomon "a large heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." 1 Kings 4:29 A vast capacity, an extraordinary judgment, and wisdom to reserve himself. No bad cause was too hard for him to detect; no practices which he did not smell out; no complotter which he did not speedily entrap in their wiles, as Adonijah.

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Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

Take away the dross from the silver. — The holy prophets were not only most exactly seen in the peerless skill of divinity, but most exquisitely also furnished with the entire knowledge of all things natural. Hence their many similies wherewith they learnedly beautify their matter, and deck out their terms, words, and sentences, giving thereunto a certain kind of lively gesture, attiring the same with light, perspicuity, easiness, estimation, and dignity; stirring up thereby men’s drowsy minds to the acknowledgment of the truth, and pursuit of godliness.

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Take away the wicked [from] before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

Take away the wicked. — Who are compared elsewhere also to dross, Ezekiel 22:19 and fitly; for as dross is a kind of unprofitable earth, and hath no good metal in it; so in the wicked is no good to be found, but pride, worldliness, … Frobisher, in his voyage to discover the Straits, being tossed up and down with foul weather, snows, and unconstant winds, returned home, having gathered a great quantity of stones, which he thought to be minerals, from which, when there could be drawn neither gold nor silver, nor any other metal, we have seen them, saith Master Camden, Camden’s Elizabeth, fol. 189. cast forth to fix the highways. Evil counsellors about a prince are means of a great deal of mischief, as were Doeg, Haman, Rehoboam’s and Herod’s flatterers, Pharaoh’s sorcerers, … Of a certain prince of Germany it was said, Esset alius, si esset apud alios; He would be another man, if he were but among other men. Say they be not so drossy, but that some good ore is to be found in them; yet all is not good that hath some good in it. It is Scaliger’s note, Malum non est nisi in bono. The original nature of the devil is good, wherein all his wickedness subsisteth. When one highly commended the cardinal Julian to Sigismund, he answered, Tamen Romanus est, Yet he is a Roman, and therefore not to be trusted. Those cardinals and Popish bishops being much about princes, have greatly impoisoned them, and hindered the Reformation. Zuinglius fitly compares them to that wakeful dragon that kept the golden fleece, as the poets have feigned. They get the royalty of their ear, and then do with them whatsoever they wish. David therefore vows, as a good finer, to rid the court of such dross, Psalms 101:4 and gives order upon his death bed to his son Solomon, to take out of the way those men of blood, 1 Kings 2:5-9 that his throne might be established in righteousness.

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Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great [men]:

Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king. — Ne te ornes coram reqe. Compare not, vie not with him in apparel, furniture, house keeping, …, as the Hebrews sense it. This was the ruin of Cardinal Wolsey, and of Viscount Verulam.

And stand not in the place of great men. — Exalt not thyself, but wait till God shall reach out the hand from heaven and raise thee. Psalms 75:5-8 Adonijah is branded for this, that he exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." 1 Kings 1:5 When none else would lift Hildebrand up into Peter’s chair, he got up himself: ‘for who,’ said he, ‘can better judge of my worth than I can?’ ‘Harden thy forehead,’ said Calvus to Vatinius, ‘and say boldly, that thou deservest the praetorship better than Cato.’ Quintil., lib. ix. cap. 2. Ambition rides without reins, as Tullia did over the dead body of her own father, to be made a queen. See my Common Place of Ambition.

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For better [it is] that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

For better it is that it be said unto thee. — From this text our Saviour takes that parable of his, put forth to those that were bidden to a feast. Luke 14:10 Now, if before an earthly prince men should carry themselves thus modestly and humbly, how much more before the King of heaven! And if among guests at a feast, how much more among the saints and angels in the holy assemblies! That is an excellent saying of Bernard, Omnino oportet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestern, in qua Rex regum stellato sedet solio, circumdante innumerabili et ineffabili beatorum spirituum exercitu. Quanta ergo cum reverentia, quanto timore, quanta illuc humilitate accedere debet e palude sua procedens et repens vilis ranuncula? Bernard., De Divers. At prayer time we should enter into the court of heaven, where sitteth the King of kings with a guard of innumerable blessed spirits. With how great reverence then, with how great fear and self abasement, should we come, like so many vile vermin creeping and crawling out of some sorry pool or puddle!

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Go not forth hastily to strive, lest [thou know not] what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

Go not forth hastily to strive. — Contention is the daughter of arrogance and ambition. James 4:1 Hence Solomon, whose very name imports peace, persuades to peaceableness very oft in this book, and sets forth the mischief of strife and dissension. Stir not strife, saith he, but make haste to stint it - so the words may be rendered - you may do that in your haste that you may repent by leisure. Hasty men, we say, never want woe. If every man were a law to himself, as the Thracians are said to be, αυτονομοι . - Herodot. there would not be so much lawing, warbling, and warring as there is. There is a curse upon those "that delight in war," Psalms 68:30 as King Pyrrhus did, but a blessing for all the children of peace, Matthew 10:40-42 who shall also be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 Paul and Barnabas had a sharp, παροξυσμος . but short fit of falling out. Acts 15:39 Jerome and Augustine had their bickerings in their disputations; but it was no great matter who gained the day, for they would both win by understanding their errors.

When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. — That is, When thine adversary hath got the upper hand, and foiled thee. Those are ignoble quarrels, saith one, Ubi vincere inglorium est, atteri sordidum, wherein, whether a man get the better or the worse, he is sure to go by the worse, to sit down with loss in his name, state, or both.

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