Commentari biblici

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Hear, ye children. — Audite senem, iuvenes, quem iuvenem senes audierunt: Hear me, now an old man, O ye youths, whom old men once gladly heard, when I was but a youth. With this speech Augustus pacified his mutinous army: -

“ Aspice, vultus

Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectore posses

Inserere, et patrias intus deprendere curas.” a

“Behold my looks; and oh that thou couldst see

Mine anxious thoughts and careful heart for thee!”

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For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

For I give you good doctrine. — The common cry is, "Who will show us any good?" and every man will lend both ears to a good bargain. The doctrine here delivered is good every way, whether you look to the author, matter, or effect of it, and is therefore worthy of all men to be received, as the Hebrew word ì÷ç a verbo ø÷ç quod est accipere. here used for doctrine importeth. The Vulgate renders it, Donum bonurn tribuam vobis: I will give you a good gift, even that good part that shall never be taken from you.

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For I was my father’s son, tender and only [beloved] in the sight of my mother.

For I was my father’s son, — q.d., I that am now so famous for wisdom, was once as wise as a wild ass’s colt. But I had the happiness to be taught and tutored by the best and wisest man in his generation, and therefore you should the rather regard my doctrine. Plato praised God that he was pupil to Socrates, Bucholcerus that he was bred under Melanchthon, Mr Whately under Mr Dod’s ministry, and I under Mr Ballam’s, at Evesham. Holy David was far beyond any of these, as being divinely inspired, and rarely qualified. Such a heart so well headed, and such a head better hearted, was not to be found among the sons of men, for he was "a man after God’s own heart." His counsel to his son therefore must needs be very precious and ponderous. See some of it, for a taste, in 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 .

Tender and only beloved. — Filius a φιλος . The Greeks commonly called their children φιλτατα , the Latin chari, darlings, as he in Plautus, Domi domitus fui usque cum charis meis. Plaut. Menech., Acts 1:1-26 , scene 1. I was hardly handled at home, together with my dear children.

In the sight of my mother. — Who had other children; 1 Chronicles 3:5 but Solomon she loved best, because he had most grace. And as a special fruit of her love, she gave him excellent counsel in her "Lemuel’s lesson." Proverbs 31:1-31 His fall was therefore the more blameworthy, because he had been so piously educated.

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He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

He taught me also. — As Cato taught his own children, and took it for no disgrace, though so great a man. "Nurture" is as necessary for children as nourishment, Ephesians 6:4 which they that neglect to bestow upon them. are peremptores potius quam parentes - not parents, but parricides. One cause of Julian’s apostasy was his two heathenish tutors, Libanius and Jamblicus, from whom he drank in great profaneness. Doubtless David had Nathan the prophet, and the best he could get, to breed up his son in the best things, but yet so as himself had a main stroke in the business.

And said unto me. — Jacobus Valentinus, Praefat. in Cant. Cantic. and some others, grounded an opinion from these words, that Solomon received this whole book of Proverbs following from his father David; but that is no way likely. The substance of his father’s doctrine he briefly sets forth in this and the five following verses, and then proceeds in his own words.

Retain my words. — As the good stomach doth food; as the good earth doth seed; that is, bene occatum, et occultatum, saith one.

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Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding. — Compara sapientiam, compara intelligentiam - so Chrysostom. Comparate saeculares, comparate vobis biblia, animae pharmaca. Get you Bibles by all means, whatever they cost you. You may better want bread, light, …, than the knowledge of the Scriptures. Augustine makes mention of some that neglected the means of knowledge, because knowledge puffeth up; and so would be ignorant, that they might be humble, and want knowledge, that they might want pride. This was to do as that foolish philosopher that plucked out his eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness; or as the silly friar, to whom Sir Thomas Moore wrote thus, -

“ Tu bene cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit

Litera: Nam nota est litera nulla tibi. ”

But men must get knowledge, and lest it puff them up, swelling them beyond measure, they must get humility laid on as a weight to keep them down.

Forget it not. — For so much a man learns as he remembers. The promise also of salvation is limited to the condition of "keeping in memory what we have received." 1 Corinthians 15:2

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Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Forsake her not, … — Wisdom is her own reward. If she forsake us, it is because the desertion is first on our part. But she cannot but be "justified of her own true children." Matthew 11:19 Falling stars were never but meteors; temporaries were never Christians indeed. What wonder though some hold falling from grace, since they mistake common grace for true grace? Hence Bellarmine saith, That which is true grace, veritate essentiae, only may be lost, not that that is true veritate firmae soliditatis: which latter being rightly understood, may be called special, as the other common grace.

Love her, and she shall keep thee, — viz., From recidivation and utter apostasy, caused by the overflow of iniquity. Matthew 24:12 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 This to prevent, let knowledge and affection, like two individual twins, grow up together, and mutually transfuse spiritual vigour into each other.

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Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing. — Say the world what it will, a drachma of this wisdom is worth a pound of wit. Let others censure with the scribes, let me wonder with the multitude. And for wealth he is rich, not that hath the world, but that can contemn it. As for honour, virtue is a thousand escutcheons. And that is the true nobility, whereof God is the top of the kin, religion the root. For without this, well may a man be notable or notorious, but truly noble he can never be. Magnus homines virtute metiuntur non fortuna prudentes. - Nepos. Lastly, for learning, the Greeks express learned and good by one word, σπουδαιος . as if they were not learned that are not good; and the Scripture calls a wicked man generally a fool.

With all thy getting get. — With any pains; for any price. This gold cannot be bought too dear. Make religion thy business, other things do by the by; as Aristotle studied philosophy in the morning, that was his εργον ; but eloquence in the afternoon, that was his παρεργον . Or as Caesar, swimming through the waters to escape his enemies, carried his books in his hand above the waters, but lost his robe. Maior fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae.

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Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Exalt her, and she shall. — Have a high and honourable esteem of her and her children. Rabbi Solomon, out of the Talmudists, renders it, Search for her, minutatim in ea singula consectans, do it diligently, as holding every parcel of her precious, as men do the very filings of gold.

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