Commentari biblici

Proverbs 25:1. These are also proverbs of Solomon— To what has been said in the introduction to this book, may be added with great profit to the reader, Bishop Lowth's 24th Prelection. By the men of Hezekiah, most probably are meant Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, (See 2 Kings 18:26.) who copied out or selected these proverbs.

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Proverbs 25:2. To conceal a thing— That is, according to Grotius, His purposes and nature; whereas it is the honour of a king to examine into and make himself acquainted with the state, actions, and designs of his subjects. Houbigant renders it, he who conceals a thing honours God; he who honours the king will search it out; but he does not attempt to give any explanation.

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Proverbs 25:3. The heaven for height— "It is almost as impossible for the generality of minds to penetrate into the secrets of state, and understand the counsels and designs of intelligent princes, and the various ways and means whereby they consult to effect their ends, as it is to know how far it is from hence to the highest heavens; or how far to the centre of the earth upon which we tread." See Lord Bacon's Advanc. of Learn. book 8: chap. 2.

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Proverbs 25:7. Whom thine eyes have seen— Houbigant closes this verse with the words, in the presence of the prince, and reads the 8th verse thus, Be not hasty in pleading thy cause, to divulge what thine eyes have seen; lest in the end thou knowest not what to do, when thy neighbour shall have confuted thee. The Vulgate renders it somewhat similar, Do not hastily produce, in a quarrel, what thine eyes have seen: lest afterwards thou be not able to recal it, when thou hast disgraced thy friend. The two next verses seem to countenance this interpretation.

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Proverbs 25:11. A word fitly spoken, &c.— The author of the Observations seems to have proved, that not apples but citrons are here meant, which were of the colour of gold; See Song of Solomon 2:3. And he thinks that Solomon here refers to the manner of serving up these citrons in his court, when he says, A word fitly spoken is like this fruit served up in vessels of silver, curiously wrought: whether, as Maimonides supposed, wrought with open-work like baskets, or curiously chased, it no way concerns us to determine. But it may not be improper to observe, that this magnificence was not, we have reason to suppose, very common at that time, since the fruit which was presented to D'Arvieux by the grand Emir of the Arabs was brought in nothing better than a painted vessel of wood. To an antique apparatus of vessels for fruit, perhaps of this painted wooden kind, Solomon opposes the magnificence of his court. Observations, p. 202. Bishop Lowth observes, that Solomon in this sentence gives us not only an apt description of the proverb or parable, but also an example of the thing described: A word produced in its season, is like golden apple, in net-work of silver; whereby he means that weighty and hidden meanings are as much commended by a terse, concise, and well-turned speech, as apples, exquisite for their colour, appear more lovely and pleasing when they thine through the network of a silver basket, exquisitely chased. See his 24th Lecture.

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Proverbs 25:13. As the cold of snow— It was customary in the east to cool their liquors with snow; to which Solomon here most probably refers; for we cannot conceive that he could speak of a fall of snow in the time of harvest; that must have been incommoding, instead of pleasurable and refreshing, which the proverb here supposes it to be. But, though the gratefulness of liquors cooled by snow is, I apprehend, referred to; yet I very much question whether the supposition of those commentators be just, who imagine that those liquors were drank by the reapers: all that Solomon teaches us is, that the coolness given by snow to liquids was extremely grateful in the time of harvest; i.e. in the summer: but as to the reapers themselves, vinegar, mentioned in the book of Ruth as part of the provision for them, seems to be a much more suitable thing for persons heated with such strong exercise, than liquors cooled by snow. See Observations, p. 197.

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Proverbs 25:14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift— Or, pretends he will give a valuable gift, and disappoints the expectation, is like clouds and wind without rain. See 1 Kings 18:45.

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Proverbs 25:16. Hast thou found honey?— See the 27th verse which may be rendered, "As it is not good or sweet to eat much honey; so neither to hunt for glory is glory to those who hunt after it." The meaning of the verse is this, "Moderation is good in all things, especially in those which are most pleasing to us: as honey, moderately taken, strengthens the body and prolongs life but too much of it disturbs the stomach, and turns the pleasure into pain." Horace has a sentence much to the same purpose:

Sperne voluptates; nocet empta dolore voluptas.

Spurn pleasures; dear is pleasure bought with pain. After all, the genuine christian knows, by happy experience, that there is no true pleasure except in the enjoyment of God. There are some commentators who connect this verse with the next, which they think explanatory of it.

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