AVOIDANCE OF WICKEDNESS.-V. 7. The fear of the Lord, the reverence of Jehovah flowing from childlike faith in Him, is the beginning of knowledge, the basis of all true wisdom, both in understanding the Word and will of the Lord and in applying this understanding in one's entire conduct, in every situation of life; but fools despise wisdom, learning and knowledge of every kind, and instruction, the moral training which follows understanding. V.8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, his discipline, his teaching, as applied to all matters and conditions of life, and forsake not the law of thy mother, setting aside her doctrine, her instructive precepts; v. 9. for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, a lovely wreath, or diadem, adorning the head, and chains about thy neck, the teachings of wisdom being like a necklace of pearls imparting grace and charm to the wearer. The general admonition is now followed by a specific warning. V. 10. My son, if sinners, habitual transgressors of the law, criminals, entice thee, literally, "open the way," making it seem inviting and alluring, consent thou not, an outright refusal being the only way to cope with such a situation. V. 11. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, without any reason for revenge, merely out of the lust for slaying; let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause, like the huntsman hidden near a game trail; v. 12. let us swallow them up alive as the grave, their murder bringing them down to the realm of the dead, and whole, while they are living in uprightness and in full possession of God's blessings, as those that go down into the pit, who descend into the grave, their plans thus contemplating a most heinous crime, cold-blooded murder; v. 13. we shall find all precious substance, rich booty of all kinds, robbery following murder; we shall fill our houses with spoil, namely, in this career of ruthless killing and robbing; v. 14. cast in thy lot among us, joining them on an equal basis, also in the division of the booty; let us all have one purse, one treasury in which they would all share. Such a proposal might place glittering prospects before the eyes of inexperienced youth, and therefore the warning is repeated with great emphasis: v. 15. My son, the tender form of address being very effective in influencing a young person for good, walk not thou in the way with them, every form of association with the wicked being dangerous; refrain thy foot from their path, the mention of a single member of the body increasing the impressiveness of the passage; v. 16. for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood, wherefore all godly people will shun the pathway of crime. V. 17. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird, literally, "in the eyes of everything possessing wings,"

that is, if even a bird will flee from the net which is openly spread in his sight, how much more should a God-fearing young person shun the allurement of crime held out with such boldness! V. 18. And they lay wait for their own blood, it is their own lives which are finally taken, either on account of treachery in their own ranks or because murder will certainly be punished at last; they lurk privily for their own lives, being caught in the net which they spread for others. V. 19. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain, that is the fate of all those who choose a career of crime in serving the vice of avarice, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof, unjust gain invariably bringing punishment upon the criminal. The love of money is the root of all evil, drawing men into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown them in destruction and perdition, 1 Tim. 6, 9. 10.

THE INVITATION OF WISDOM.-V. 20. Wisdom, the essence of divine knowledge and true understanding, as set forth throughout the Book of Proverbs, crieth without, on the street, in public places, not ashamed of her teaching, but openly seeking the welfare of all; she uttereth her voice in the streets, on the principal thoroughfares; v. 21. she crieth in the chief place of concourse, where there are crowds of people in noisy surging, in the openings of the gates, where market was held in Oriental cities, which served as their public square; in the city, on the inner side of the gates, she uttereth her words, saying, v. 22. How long, ye simple ones, inexperienced and ingenuous people, easily influenced by temptation, will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning, their open denial and rejection of the truth, and fools, who consider themselves above instruction, hate knowledge? V. 23. Turn you at my reproof, from the evil and perverse way which they were then following. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, in abundant fulness and refreshing power; I will make known my words unto you, for the Spirit of the Lord is given in and through His Word. There is a pause here, as though wisdom were waiting for the simple, the scorners, and the fools to accept her invitation. But no answer being forthcoming, a stern rebuke is added. V. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused, paying no attention to the kind invitation; I have stretched out My hand, in a gesture of eager beseeching, and no man regarded; v. 25. but ye have set at naught all My counsel, refusing to make use of it and to follow it, and would none of My reproof, absolutely declining to consider it, v. 26. I also will laugh at your calamity, in holy mockery at their distress; I will mock when your fear cometh, when terror would overwhelm them; v. 27. when your fear cometh as desolation, like a tempest sweeping every

thing before it, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you, their oppressing and cramping effect being the result of men's refusing to accept the precepts of true wisdom. V. 28. Then shall they call upon Me, praying for wisdom to meet the emergency in which they would find themselves, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, with the rising of the dawn, with great diligence, but they shall not find Me, cp. Amos 8, 11-13. V. 29. For that they hated knowledge, when it was offered to them, and did not choose the fear of the Lord, the basis and source of all true wisdom; v. 30. they would none of My counsel, did not yield to its kind insistence; they despised all My reproof, v. 31. therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, experiencing the evil consequences of their foolish and wicked

action, and be filled with their own devices, get their fill of their evil planning even to the point where it sickens them. V. 32. For the turning away of the simple, when they turned away from discipline and forsook wisdom, shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools, their carnal security, their idle, easy rest, which renders them too proud to seek understanding, shall destroy them; for a man's rejection on the part of God is the consequence either of his rejection of the Word or his indifference to its teaching. V. 33. But whoso hearkeneth unto Me, yielding a glad obedience, shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil, at ease and without fear in the midst of dangers threatening on all sides. Such is the quiet security of the believers, since it is grounded, not in their own wisdom and understanding, but in the eternal wisdom of God, the everlasting Word.

Invitation to Seek Wisdom. ADVANTAGES IN ACCEPTING WISDOM. V. 1. My son, so Wisdom, as the proper teacher of all men cries out, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee, laying them up in store, guarding them as a precious treasure, v. 2. so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, yielding a ready obedience, and apply thine heart to understanding, ready to accept it, to make use of the right discrimination in every situation in life; v. 3. yea, if thou criest after knowledge, calling and inviting it, and liftest up thy voice for understanding, in order to be able to distinguish between good and evil, between wise and foolish; v. 4. if thou seekest her as silver, with the same eagerness, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, with the avidity which avarice induces in a person digging for gold or jewels, v. 5. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, making this childlike reverence for Jehovah, the outflow of faith, one's most valuable possession, and find the knowledge of God, for the fear of God is the basis of all true wisdom, and its object is God Himself. V. 6. For the Lord giveth wisdom, granting it as a gift of His free favor; out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding, it is a matter of revelation in His Word. The ability of having the right judgment in the various situations in life and of discriminating properly in applying this knowledge is a gift of the Lord. V. 7. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous, preserving it after the manner of a treasure or a jewel; He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly, for wisdom shields all those who exercise themselves in a blameless conduct. V. 8. He keepeth the paths of judgment, protecting the

ways of justice, the conduct of those who try to behave in agreement with the demands of justice, and preserveth the way of His saints, guiding and guarding them from foolish and wicked behavior. V. 9. Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, all parts of the duty included in a godly conduct toward God and man; yea, every good path, for it is only with the wisdom gained from the Word of God, as the source of true wisdom, that a person's conduct will be in accordance with His will.

WISDOM PRESERVES FROM FOLLY. V. 10. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, not as a transient guest, but for the purpose of making it a permanent residence, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, affording the only genuine pleasure and satisfaction, v. 11. discretion shall preserve thee, that is, proper reflection, a careful consideration, will serve to keep the prudent from foolish steps, understanding shall keep thee, enabling one to judge rightly in any given situation, v. 12. to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from wicked conduct, from the man that speaketh froward things, uttering perverse and malicious speeches; v. 13. who, that is, such people in general, leave the paths of uprightness, where their conduct was in agreement with the Word and will of God, to walk in the ways of darkness, being habitually active in the pursuit of wickedness; v. 14. who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness, the maliciousness and deceitfulness, of the wicked; v. 15. whose ways are crooked, literally, "who with respect to their ways are crooked," and they froward, full of malice and deceit, in their paths; v. 16. to deliver thee from the strange woman, the unknown,

foreign, unattached, her existence and way of conduct being full of dangers to youth, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words, making use of wanton speeches, v. 17. which forsaketh the guide of her youth, her lawful husband, and forgetteth the covenant of her God, which demands purity and chastity from every woman. V. 18. For her house inclineth unto death, sinking down to destruction, and her paths unto the dead, the shadowy forms of those who dwell in the kingdom of the dead, said, in this case, of everlasting damnation. V. 19. None that go unto her return again, being swallowed up by the destruction which is her punishment, neither take they hold of the paths of life, they forfeit their chance to reach the ways of life once more. Over against the temptation from such wicked men

and wanton women is placed the companionship of godly people. V. 20. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, following their conduct, and keep the paths of the righteous, that being the object of this admonition. V. 21. For the upright shall dwell in the land, enjoying earthly prosperity, as the blessing of the Lord, and the perfect shall remain in it. V. 22. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, utterly destroyed, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it, this punishment being all the greater in the case of the Israelites because their land was the Land of Promise and a removal from it was equivalent to total rejection by the Lord. But the same facts, in substance, apply to men at this time, and therefore the warning of wisdom should be heeded most carefully.

V. 4. So

Exhortation to Various Virtues. OBEDIENCE, FAITH, AND LIBERALITY Urged. V. 1. My son, forget not my law, the teaching of wisdom; but let thine heart keep my commandments, sincerely observing all instructions of God's Word; v. 2. for length of days and long life and peace, literally, "years of life and peace," shall they add to thee, earthly prosperity and happiness following the application of knowledge gained from the divine Law. V. 3. Let not mercy and truth, both on the part of men and on the part of God, forsake thee, loving sympathy and companionship being one of the prime factors in our moral life; bind them about thy neck, like a costly chain or necklace, from which was suspended the seal-ring; write them upon the table of thine heart, the emphasis being both upon the inward motives and upon the outward expression and adornment in the way of virtues. shalt thou find favor, gracious acceptance, and good understanding, good reputation, good success, in the sight of God and man, the good opinion on the part of men responding to the favorable judgment on the part of God, and both serving for the success of the believer. This being a gracious gift on the part of God, the godly person is warned: v. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, committing oneself entirely to the grace and faithfulness of Jehovah, and lean not unto thine own understanding, in false and blameworthy self-confidence. V. 6. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, by reposing one's trust in Him and relying entirely upon His wisdom, and He shall direct thy paths, for the benefit and well-being of His child. V.7. Be not wise in thine own eyes, puffed up with an imagined superiority on account of possible greater learning, since the wisdom of this world is not essential before God; fear

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the Lord, such reverence for Jehovah serving to set aside one's own wisdom, and depart from evil, this course being natural in the case of a child of God, to whom all wickedness is undesirable and loathsome. V. 8. It shall be health to thy navel, considered as the center of the entire body, and marrow to thy bones, refreshing the entire organism with vigor and strength; for such is the effect of a good conscience and of an honest endeavor to serve the Lord in faith. V. 9. Honor the Lord with thy substance, with the riches which one enjoys as His blessing, repaying Him from the gifts granted by Him, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase, the yield of one's work and the harvest of one's land, for mere lip-service is not sufficient, the Lord demanding tangible evidence of the faith which His children profess to possess; v. 10. so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, as a reward of God's gracious favor and fatherly kindness, and thy presses, rather, the vats where the wine was stored, shall burst out with new wine, overflowing with rich abundance by the blessing of God, with which He would acknowledge the willingness of His children. But the opposite also holds true: As we should not forget the Lord in days of plenty, so we should not be estranged from Him in evil days. V. 11. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, the correction which He deals out in the school of life; neither be weary of His correction, regarding it with loathing and aversion; v. 12. for whom the Lord loveth He correcteth, and so the person subject to His discipline thereby receives a proof of His love; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth, or, "holds him dear as a father his son," in whose case the lack of discipline is rightly referred to a want of fatherly love. Cp. Job 5, 17; Heb. 12, 5. 6.

THE HAPPINESS OF POSSESSING TRUE WISDOM.-V. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, obtaining it with eagerness and holding it securely, and the man that getteth understanding, drawing or digging it out, even with much labor. V. 14. For the merchandise of it, the act of gaining or acquiring wisdom, is better than the merchandise of silver, such as men are eager to accumulate, and the gain thereof than fine gold, even though it be of the finest and purest kind. V. 15. She is more precious than rubies, or corals, gems of the greatest costliness; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her, wisdom surpassing them all by far. Cp. Job 28, 18. V. 16. Length of days is in her right hand, as a reward to those who accept and exercise true wisdom; and in her left hand riches and honor, all the blessings of true prosperity being dispensed by her. V. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, with never a disagreeable feature to mar one's enjoyment of true wisdom, and all her paths are peace, without the strife and alarm found where human wisdom is proclaimed. V. 18. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, her fruit preserving life, so that living is a blessing; and happy is every one that retaineth her, keeping a firm hold upon this wonderful species of knowledge learned from the Word of God. V. 19. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, by means of His personal, essential wisdom, which He has also revealed in His Word; by understanding hath He established the heavens, preparing them with proper discrimination and judgment. V. 20. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, the seas did divide, breaking forth from the chaotic mass of formless matter and occupying their fixed places, and the clouds drop down the dew, the rain still falling in agreement with His laws. From the majesty with which the work of creation portrays the wisdom of the Lord the author now deduces admonitions which should be heeded by all the godly. V. 21. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes, namely, these words of instruction, lest they escape in a moment when vigilance is relaxed; keep sound wisdom and discretion, or "thoughtfulness and circumspection," prudence properly applied in all affairs of life; v. 22. so shall they be life unto thy soul and grace, or charm, to thy neck, like an ornament, a fine bit of jewelry. V. 23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, free from anxiety and care, secure in the Lord's protection, and thy foot shall not stumble, on account of some obstruction with which the enemies attempt to bring the godly to fall. V. 24. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, be filled with anxious trembling; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet, untroubled by any notion of impending danger, like that of a child.

V. 25. Be not afraid of sudden fear, such an alarm as would tend to fill the heart with terror, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh, who would come sweeping along like a destructive tempest. V. 26. For the Lord shall be thy Confidence, a safe place of refuge, and shall keep thy foot from being taken, in the snares which the godless are always spreading for the feet of the unwary for which reason the believers are all the more under obligations to make use of the true wisdom in keeping their feet on the right path.

WARNING AGAINST EVIL. - V. 27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, to whom it belongs by reason of his need, whether he really deserves it or is so destitute that he can no longer help himself, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. V. 28. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, thus putting him off and discouraging him, when thou hast it by thee. Cp. Jas. 2, 15. 16. V. 29. Devise not evil against thy neighbor, by meditating upon wickedness and contriving it, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee, without suspicion. V. 30. Strive not with a man without cause, thus increasing litigation, both within the Church and without, if he have done thee no harm, both the taking of the initiative in quarreling and of seeking revenge for a supposed insult being condemned here. V. 31. Envy thou not the oppressor, the man of violence or mischief, no matter how successful his methods may seem, and choose none of his ways, in the hope of rising in the world by such methods. V. 32. For the froward, the malicious person, the deceiver, is abomination, an abhorrence, to the Lord, wherefore his lot will be that of everlasting destruction; but His secret is with the righteous, literally, "toward the upright His secret compact," they enjoy His friendship, the intimate fellowship with Him. V. 33. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, in spite of all outward semblance of prosperity and happiness; but He blesseth the habitation of the just, His blessing abiding with them. V. 34. Surely He scorneth the scorners, that is, if there is a person who believes himself entitled to scorn, He heaps scorn upon him; but He giveth grace unto the lowly, to the humble, who seek only His grace and mercy and claim no merit and worthiness for themselves. V. 35. The wise shall inherit glory, they will finally be given the honor which their attitude merits; but shame shall be the promotion of fools, that will be the reward which they will carry away with them, the portion properly pertaining to them. That is the consolation of the righteous, that in the end they will be honored by the Lord in the presence of the whole world; this thought enables them to bear many of the afflictions of this present time.

The Weight of Parental Counsel. ADMONITIONS CONCERNING WISDOM. — V. 1. Hear, ye children, the affectionate address being intended to arouse attention in his readers, the instruction of a father, one who, for that reason, had the experience needed to teach others, and attend to know understanding, to make it their property. V. 2. For I give you good doctrine, teachings which he had received from his father, the value of which had been proved, which he could therefore hand over to the younger generation with words of warm commendation; forsake ye not my law, by setting his advice aside, by neglecting it. V. 3. For I was my father's son, an object of special care and tender regard in David's eyes, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother, the one whom she surrounded with particular love. V. 4. He taught me also and said unto me, David thus proving himself a wise teacher, Let thine heart retain my words, holding them fast for the purpose of following them always; keep my commandments and live, for by observing them he would become the possessor of true life and enjoy its advantages. V. 5. Get wisdom, get understanding, that being the sum total of David's instruction; forget it not, clinging to it as a most valuable possession; neither decline

from the words of my mouth, literally, "forget not, turn not aside from, the sayings of my mouth," as they were offered in the maxims which Solomon heard time and again. V. 6. Forsake her not, the wisdom which was here so highly praised, and she shall preserve thee, serve as a protection against bad influences and uphold true life; love her, and she shall keep thee, this being the reward dispensed by wisdom. V. 7. Wisdom is the principal thing, the highest and most desirable possession; therefore get wisdom, this being suggested as the guiding rule of life; and with all thy getting, at the price of all one's possessions, no matter how much it costs, get understanding, the prudence and discretion needed for a virtuous life. V. 8. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee, this being the wonderful exchange made by wisdom in rewarding her followers; she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her, wisdom being personified here as a beloved and honored wife, queen of the home. V. 9. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace, a graceful or charming wreath, for so wisdom serves to adorn its possessor; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee, a glorious diadem, which bestows dignity. V. 10. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many, a long and happy life being one of the rewards granted to him who uses knowledge aright.

V. 11. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, in the conduct which is in agreement with the precepts of true wisdom; I have led thee in right paths, literally, "in the paths of straightness," following the standard of right always. V. 12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened, be hindered and confined by obstructions, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble, rather have ample room for a full and free stride. V. 13. Take fast hold of instruction, the moral training given by wisdom; let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life, by bestowing long life and happiness upon those who are devoted to her. That is the sum of instruction which should be given to all young people in an appropriate and effective manner. WARNING AGAINST WICKEDNESS. V. 14. Enter not into the path of the wicked, to join them in their godless conduct, and go not in the way of evil men, such behavior being incompatible with true wisdom. V. 15. Avoid it, pass not by it, not only by ignoring, but by utterly rejecting the way of evil, turn from it and pass away, if one should inadvertently have strayed into such paths. V. 16. For they, the wicked, sleep not except they have done mischief, the fact that they have not committed some trespass keeps the sleep from their eyes; and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall, by betraying others and leading them into sin. V. 17. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence, of violent deeds, they seem to derive their strength from wicked acts, their means of subsistence are obtained in that manner. V. 18. But the path of the just is as the shining light, like the growing brightness of dawn as it heralds and ushers in the day, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, growing brighter with each succeeding minute, the comparison of the moral conduct of the righteous with the light of the rising sun being most appropriate; for he goes forward to ever greater clearness and perfection, not only in his inward knowledge, but also in its outward manifestation. V. 19. The way of the wicked is as darkness, directly opposite to that of the righteous; they know not at what they stumble, they flounder around in immorality, going from bad to worse in their behavior. V. 20. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings, the admonition and warning going out once more, with a special reference to the ruinous consequences which the forgetting and ignoring of wisdom is sure to bring about. V. 21. Let them not depart from thine eyes, so that they escape when vigilance is relaxed for so much as a moment; keep them in the midst of thine heart, so that this treasure will not be lost. V. 22. For they are life