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My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
Verse 1. My son. God speaks, or the master instructs his disciple. verse 21. Calmet.—We must remember and love instruction, and reduce it to practice. Worthington.
for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
Verse 2. Peace. These prefigured more substantial blessings. Calmet.
Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Verse 3. Truth. Be kind and faithful to all. Genesis 24:27. Psalms 24:10.
So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Verse 4. Good. Septuagint “forecast good before the Lord and men.” Saint Paul seems to allude to this version, Romans 12:17 and 2 Corinthians 8:22. Bible.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
Verse 5. All. God will have nothing by halves.—Lean not. By pride. 2 Corinthians 12:13. All must be referred to God. Calmet.—In him we may safely trust. Worthington.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
Verse 8. Bones. Thou shalt enjoy perfect health.
Honor the LORD with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
Verse 9. Fruits. Septuagint add, “of justice;” to intimate that no presents will be acceptable, which have been unjustly acquired.
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
My son, don’t despise the LORD’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
Verse 11. Him. Correction is rather a proof of love than of anger. Psalms 3:9. Calmet.—God thus shews that he approves of his servants; and therefore his other promises, which seem of a temporal nature, must be understood with reference to the next life. Worthington.
for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
Verse 12. And as. Septuagint “but he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,” as Saint Paul quotes this passage. Hebrews 12:6. The verb is now wanting in Hebrew or ceab; “as a father” may signify “scourgeth, in piel, ( Menochius.) with i prefixed. Calmet.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
Verse 15. Riches. Hebrew peninim, ( Bible.) “pearls.” Job 28:18. Calmet.
Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
Verse 16. Glory. Her hands are full, and she grants favours with profusion, ( Bible.) as with both hands, promising eternal life. Worthington.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
Verse 18. Life. Like that planted in paradise. Genesis 2:9.
By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
Verse 19. Wisdom. Hitherto he had spoken of that virtue. Now he treats of the uncreated wisdom, ( Calmet.) which is God the Son. Menochius. Jans. Saint Gregory Mor. xii. 4.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
Verse 20. Out. The higher and lower waters being divided, ( Calmet.) or the channels formed to receive the waters. Piscat.—It may also speak of the deluge. Ven. Bede.—With. Hebrew “have distilled dew.” This is so copious, as to resemble rain in Palestine. Judges 6:37 and 2 Kennicott. 17:12.
My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
Verse 22. Mouth. There have been wise and virtuous men afflicted, verse 11. But they have borne all with patience, and have merited a more glorious reward than what this earth could afford. Calmet.
Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Verse 27. Able. Prot. “withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” Relieve the distressed. Bible.—They have a title to that wealth, since those who possess it are bound to relieve the indigent. Calmet.—Septuagint “refrain not from doing good,” and so forth Bible.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
Verse 28. Present. Alms in season are doubly valuable. Worthington.—Antigonus acquired the title of Δωσων, “about to give,” as he never gave, (Plutarch) but only promised.
Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
Verse 30. Cause. We may defend ourselves; but herein great discretion is necessary. Calmet.—Cum pari contendere anceps est: cum superiore furiosum; cum inferiore sordidum. Senec. Prov.
Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
Verse 31. Ways. Of injustice. Seek not to attain his prosperity by the same means. Calmet.
For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, but his friendship is with the upright.
The LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
Verse 33. Want. Hebrew “a curse.”—Shall be. Hebrew “he blesseth.” Bible.
Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
Verse 34. Scorners. Lit. “he will delude the scorners.” Bible.—He will treat them as they would treat others. Psalms 17:27. Calmet.—Septuagint “the Lord resisteth the proud,” and so forth So the apostles quote this passage. 1 Peter 5:5. Jam. 4:6. Bible.
The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
Verse 35. Disgrace. They are seen by more, and their fall is more dangerous. Calmet.—“A fool extols what is ignominious.” Pagn. Bible.