Verse 1. Wisdom. Greek title, “the praise of wisdom.” Here the book of Ecclesiastes is imitated. Bible.—See also Proverbs 8 and Wisd. 7:24 and 8:1. The pagans boasted of their philosophy. But it was not to be compared with the true religion, which the Israelites possessed.—Own self. Lit. “soul.” She alone is capable of this office. Calmet.—In God. Referring all the glory to him. Menochius.—This sentence is not in Greek Bible.—The second person of the Trinity proclaims his own praises. Worthington.
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Verse 2. Power. The temple, rather than in the schools of Athens. Calmet.
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Verse 3. And. Greek (5.) “I came out of the mouth of the Highest, (6) and as,” and so forth Bible.—He alludes to the darkness which covered the earth. Genesis 1:2. Job 38:9. Many explain this of the uncreated wisdom, born in the womb of the blessed Virgin; and the Church, in her office, applies it to her in a mystical sense. But it seems literally to refer to the wisdom and grace granted to the saints, which enlightens every man, and presides over the creation.
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Verse 7. Cloud. Guiding the Israelites (Exodus 13:21) or near the throne of God. Wisd. 9:4. Calmet.
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Verse 8. Penetrated. Greek “walled in.”
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Verse 11. By. Greek “with all,” and so forth Bible.—Lord. Israel was chosen gratuitously. Calmet.—Greek of whom?
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Verse 12. Rested. Greek “gave rest to my tent.” Bible.—So Virgil says, requierun. flumina cursus. Menochius.—God offers grace, but forces none to accept of it. Worthington.
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Verse 13. And take, and so forth is not in Greek Bible.—This may be explained of the true religion, or ( Calmet.) of the word of the Father. Saint Augustine Trin. i. 12.—In the Church only is effectual grace, ( Worthington.) or none will receive it, who refuses to hear the Church. Bible.
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Verse 14. Created. Or engendered. Proverbs 8:22.—Him. As his priestess, directing all the ministers of the temple. Calmet.—Christ is begotten by the understanding, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from love. Creation is not here taken strictly. Worthington.
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Verse 16. His. Greek “of his inheritance, (17.) I,” and so forth Bible.
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Verse 17. Sion. Beyond the Jordan. Greek “Hermon.” Deuteronomy 4:48.
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Verse 18. Cades-barne. Numbers 20:1. Greek “Engaddi,” ( Calmet.) or Rom. and Alex. edit. “on the sea shore.” Bible.
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Verse 19. In the streets, in not in Greek Calmet.—Grabe inserts, by the waters. Bible.—These trees flourish most in such situations, and people delighted to walk under them in hot countries.
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Verse 20. Myrrh. Which distills through the bark, without any incision.
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Verse 21. Onyx. A shell-fish in the Indies, which feeds on the spica nardi, and hence becomes odoriferous.—Aloes, (gutta) the finest myrrh.—Not cut. Greek “in a tent.”—And my, and so forth is not in Greek Wisdom is compared to what was most esteemed. Calmet.
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Verse 22. Honour. Rich and pleasant. Bible.
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Verse 24. I, and so forth Grabe restores this verse, and, instead of the next, has, “but I am given to all my children, being born myself for ever, to those who are specified by him. (26.) Come,” and so forth Bible.—The text seems to be corrupt. Calmet.
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Verse 25. Life. Christ declares himself to be, the way, the truth, and the life.
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Verse 27. Spirit. Greek, “remembrance.” It has not the following verse.
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Verse 29. Thirst. Without being ever disgusted. John 4:13. Calmet.—Experience of carnal delights is quite the reverse. Saint Gregory hom. xxxvi. Ev.—The more grace a person has, the more he desireth and receiveth from God. Worthington.
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Verse 30. Sin. Or lose their labour. They shall be directed in the paths of life. Calmet.
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Verse 31. They. Greek “all these things are the book of the covenant of the most high God, the law which Moses gave unto us, an inheritance to the synagogues of Jacob.” Grabe puts in a different character from the Compl. “Lose not strength in the Lord, but stick to him, that he may strengthen you. The Lord Almighty is the only God, and there is no other Saviour.” Then follows, (verse 35.) “who,” and so forth Bible.—Everlasting. Provided his life correspond with his doctrine. No occupation can be more glorious. Calmet.—Let thy Scriptures be my chaste delights: let me not be deceived in them, nor deceive others by them. Saint Augustine Conf. xi. 2. Calmet. Daniel 12. Menochius.
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Verse 32. Truth. They are equally certain, and no more is required. Calmet.—He that loves has fulfilled the law. Bible.
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Verse 34. King. that is Christ, who by his gospel, like an overflowing river, hath enriched the earth with heavenly wisdom. Challoner.—Ever. The Lord ( Bible.) is a king, (Carriers) who, and so forth verse 35. Bible.—Solomon’s wisdom is also praised. Calmet.—The sceptre of David remained till the captivity, and the royal family continued in esteem till Christ. Yet David was only a figure of Christ, the eternal king. Worthington.
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Verse 35. Phison. Or Phase of Colchis, which rises in Armenia, like the Tigris and Euphrates, all which overflow their banks at the beginning of summer, on account of the snow melting.
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Verse 36. Harvest. The snow of Libanus make the Jordan swell at Pentecost. Joshua 3:15.
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Verse 37. Light. Giving to all the light of reason, and to Israel the law. Psalms 147:20.—Gehon. Or Araxes, which descends from Armenia into the Caspian sea, though some erroneously take it to be the Nile, ( Calmet.) which overflows at the same time as the Euphrates. Pliny xviii. 18. Solon xlvi.
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Verse 38. Of her. Christ was the first that had perfect knowledge of heavenly wisdom. Challoner.—This is the privilege of God. Greek “the first hath not perfect,” and so forth
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Verse 40. Rivers of saving waters, on all, but particularly ( Bible.) on Judea. verse 42. Greek “and like a ditch (dioryx. Calmet.) from a river, and as an aqueduct, I came into paradise,” ( Bible.) like the four rivers aforesaid. Genesis 2.
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Verse 44. Off. He alludes to the conversion of the Gentiles.
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Verse 45. I will. Many Fathers explain this of Christ’s descent into hell. But as it occurs not in the Greek if may be considered as the tradition of the first Christians, who gave this version, ( Calmet.) or they found it in their copies. Bible.
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Verse 46. Prophecy. Of no less authority. The prophets had ceased for some time before Christ. Calmet.—Them. Greek “to ages of ages. See,” and so forth Bible.
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Verse 47. I. Wisdom, or the author of this book. Calmet. 33:18. Wisd. 7:13. Calmet.