26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
In the beginning God{After "God," the Hebrew has the two letters "Aleph Tav" (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet) as a grammatical marker.} created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. There was evening and there was morning, one day. God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so. God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day. God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good. God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth," and it was so. The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day. God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth," and it was so. God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky." God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind," and it was so. God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good. God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food." And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 8
Commentary on Proverbs 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
Pr 8:1-36. Contrasted with sensual allurements are the advantages of divine wisdom, which publicly invites men, offers the best principles of life, and the most valuable benefits resulting from receiving her counsels. Her relation to the divine plans and acts is introduced, as in Pr 3:19, 20, though more fully, to commend her desirableness for men, and the whole is closed by an assurance that those finding her find God's favor, and those neglecting ruin themselves. Many regard the passage as a description of the Son of God by the title, Wisdom, which the older Jews used (and by which He is called in Lu 11:49), as Joh 1:1, &c., describes Him by that of Logos, the Word. But the passage may be taken as a personification of wisdom: for, (1) Though described as with God, wisdom is not asserted to be God. (2) The use of personal attributes is equally consistent with a personification, as with the description of a real person. (3) The personal pronouns used accord with the gender (feminine) of wisdom constantly, and are never changed to that of the person meant, as sometimes occurs in a corresponding use of spirit, which is neuter in Greek, but to which masculine pronouns are often applied (Joh 16:14), when the acts of the Holy Spirit are described. (4) Such a personification is agreeable to the style of this book (compare Pr 1:20; 3:16, 17; 4:8; 6:20-22; 9:1-4), whereas no prophetical or other allusions to the Saviour or the new dispensation are found among the quotations of this book in the New Testament, and unless this be such, none exist. (5) Nothing is lost as to the importance of this passage, which still remains a most ornate and also solemn and impressive teaching of inspiration on the value of wisdom.
1-4. The publicity and universality of the call contrast with the secrecy and intrigues of the wicked (Pr 7:8, &c.).
5. wisdom—literally, "subtilty" in a good sense, or, "prudence."
fools—as Pr 1:22.
6. excellent things—or, "plain," "manifest."
opening … things—upright words.
7. For … truth—literally, "My palate shall meditate," or (as Orientals did) "mutter," my thoughts expressed only to myself are truth.
wickedness—specially falsehood, as opposed to truth.
8. in righteousness—or, "righteous" (Ps 9:8,11:7).
froward—literally, "twisted," or contradictory, that is, to truth.
9. plain … understandeth—easily seen by those who apply their minds.
that find—implying search.
10. not silver—preferable to it, so last clause implies comparison.
11. (Compare Pr 3:14, 15).
12. prudence—as in Pr 8:5. The connection of "wisdom" and "prudence" is that of the dictates of sound wisdom and its application.
find … inventions—or, "devices," "discreet ways" (Pr 1:4).
13. For such is the effect of the fear of God, by which hatred to evil preserves from it.
froward mouth—or, "speech" (Pr 2:12; 6:14).
14. It also gives the elements of good character in counsel.
sound wisdom—(Pr 2:7).
I … strength—or, "As for me, understanding is strength to me," the source of power (Ec 9:16); good judgment gives more efficiency to actions;
15, 16. of which a wisely conducted government is an example.
17. early—or, "diligently," which may include the usual sense of early in life.
18. durable riches … righteousness—Such are the "riches," enduring sources of happiness in moral possessions (compare Pr 3:16).
19. (Compare Pr 8:11; 3:16).
20, 21. The courses in which wisdom leads conduct to a true present prosperity (Pr 23:5).
22-31. Strictly, God's attributes are part of Himself. Yet, to the poetical structure of the whole passage, this commendation of wisdom is entirely consonant. In order of time all His attributes are coincident and eternal as Himself. But to set forth the importance of wisdom as devising the products of benevolence and power, it is here assigned a precedence. As it has such in divine, so should it be desired in human, affairs (compare Pr 3:19).
possessed—or, "created"; in either sense, the idea of precedence.
in the beginning—or simply, "beginning," in apposition with "me."
before … of old—preceding the most ancient deeds.
23. I was set up—ordained, or inaugurated (Ps 2:6). The other terms carry out the idea of the earliest antiquity, and illustrate it by the details of creation [Pr 8:24-29].
24. brought forth—(Compare Ps 90:2).
abounding—or, "laden with water."
25. settled—that is, sunk in foundations.
26. fields—or, "out places," "deserts," as opposite to (habitable) "world."
highest part—or, "sum," all particles together,
27. when he set … depth—marked out the circle, according to the popular idea of the earth, as circular, surrounded by depths on which the visible concave heavens rested.
28. established … deep—that is, so as to sustain the waters above and repress those below the firmament (Ge 1:7-11; Job 26:8).
29. commandment—better, the shore, that is, of the sea.
foundations—figuratively denotes the solid structure (Job 38:4; Ps 24:2).
30, 31. one brought up—an object of special and pleasing regard. The bestowal of wisdom on men is represented by its finding a delightful residence and pleasing God.
32-36. Such an attribute men are urged to seek.
34. watching … waiting—literally, "so as to watch"; wait, denoting a most sedulous attention.
35. (Compare Lu 13:23, 24).
36. sinneth … me—or better, "missing me," as opposed to "finding" [Pr 8:35].
love death—act as if they did (compare Pr 17:9).