commentaries, and by Ewald in his Jahrb. xi. (1861) and his commentary (2d ed. 1867). The historical importance of the Egyptian text-recension is heightened by this circumstance, that the old Syrian translator of the Solomonic writings had before him not only the original text, but also the LXX.; for the current opinion, that the Peshito, as distinguished from the Syro-Hexaplar version, sprang solely from the original text with the assistance of the Targum, is more and more shown to be erroneous. In the Book of Proverbs the relation of the Peshito and Targum is even the reverse; the Targum of the Proverbs, making use of the Peshito, restores the Masoretic text,-the points of contact with the LXX. showing themselves here and there, are brought about by the Peshito. But that Jerome, in his translation of the Vulgate according to the Hebræa veritas, sometimes follows the LXX. in opposition to the original text, is to be explained with Hitzig from the fact that he based his work on an existing Latin translation made from the LXX. Hence it comes that the two distichs added in the LXX. to iv. 27 remain in his work, and that instead of the one distich, xv. 6, we have two :—In abundanti (after the phrase instead of n' of the Masoretic text) justitia virtus maxima est, cogitationes autem impiorum eradicabuntur. Domus (3) justi plurima fortitudo, et in fructibus impii conturbatio; for Jerome has adopted the two translations of the LXX., correcting the second according to the original text.2

der Proverbien, 1863; M. Heidenheim's Zur Textkritik der Proverbien, in his Quarterly Journal for German and English Theological Criticism and Investigation, No. VIII. (1865), and 1x., XI. (1866). The text of the LXX. (cf. Angelo Mai's Classici Auctores, t. ix.) used by Procopius in his 'Epunveía eis tàs Taρoμías is peculiar, and here and there comes near to the Hebrew original. The scholion of Evagrius in the Exónix eis ràs taposμías of Origen, edited by Tischendorf in his Notitia, 1860, from a MS. of Patmos, shows how soon even the Hexaplar text became ambiguous.

1 Cf. Dathe, De ratione consensus Versionis Syriacæ el Chaldaicæ Proverbiorum Salomonis (1764), edited by Rosenmüller in his Opuscula. Maybaum, in the Treatise on the Language of the Targum to the Proverbs and its relation to the Syriac, in Merx's Archiv, ii. 66–93, labours in vain to give the priority to that of the Targum: the Targum is written from the Peshito, and here and there approaches the Hebrew text; the language is, with few differences, the Syriac of the original.

The Ethiopic translation, also, is in particular points, as well as on the whole, dependent on the LXX., for it divides the Book of Proverbs into proverbs (Taporμías), i.-xxiv., and instructions (aideiai) of Solomon, xxv.xxxi. Vid. Dillmann in Ewald's Jahrb. v. 147, 150.

VOL. I.

D

The fragments of the translations of Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, etc., contained in Greek and Syrian sources, have been recently collected, more perfectly than could have been done by Montfaucon, by Fried. Field, in his work Origenis Heraplorum quæ supersunt, etc. (Oxonii, 1867, 4). Of special interest is the more recent translation of the original text, existing only in a Ms. laid up in the Library of St. Mark [at Venice], executed in bold language, rich in rare and newly invented words, by an unknown author, and belonging to an age which has not yet been determined (Græcus Venetus): cf. d'Ansse de Villoison's nova versio Græca Proverbiorum, Ecclesiastis, Cantici Canticorum, etc., Argentorati, 1784; and also the Animadversiones thereto of Jo, Ge. Dahler, 1786.

The literature of the interpretation of the Book of Proverbs is found in Keil's Einleitung in das A. T. (1859), p. 346 f. [Manual of Historico-Critical Introduction to the Old Testament, translated by Professor Douglas, D.D., Free Church College, Glasgow. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. Vol. i. p. 468 f.]. The most important of the older linguistic works on this book is the commentary of Albert Schultens (Lugduni Batavorum, 1748, 4), whose service to the cause of Semitic philology and O. T. exegesis Mühlau has brought to remembrance in the Lutheran Zeitschrift, 1870, 1; Vogel's abstract (Hala, 1769), prefaced by Semler, does not altogether compensate for the original work. From the school of Schultens, and also from that of Schröder, originate the Anmerkungen by Alb. Jac. Arnoldi, maternal grandson of Schultens, a Latin edition of which was published (Lugduni Bat. 1783) by Henr. Alb. Schultens, the grandson of Schultens by his son. Among the commentaries of English interpreters, that in Latin by Thomas Cartwright (Amstelredami, 1663, 4), along with the Exposition of the Book of Proverbs by Charles Bridges (4th ed., London, 1859), hold an honourable place. The Critical Remarks on the Books of Job, Proverbs, etc., by D. Durell (Oxford, 1772, 4), also merit attention. Of more recent commentaries, since Keil gave his list of the literature of the subject, have been published those of Elster (1858) and of Zöckler (1867), forming a part of the theologico-homiletical Bibelwerk edited by J. P. Lange. Chaps. xxv.xxix. Rud. Stier has specially interpreted in two works entitled Der

Weise ein König ["The Wise Man a King"], and Salomonis Weisheit in Hiskiastagen ["Solomon's Wisdom in the Days of Hezekiah "], 1849; and chapters xxx. xxxi. in a work entitled Die Politik der Weisheit ["The Politics of Wisdom"], 1850. Part III. (1865) of the new exegetico-critical Aehrenlese [" Gleanings"] of Fried. Böttcher, edited by Mühlau, furnishes 39 pages of remarks on the Proverbs. Leop. Dukes, author of the Rabbinical Blumenlese ["Anthology"], 1844, and the Schrift zur rabbinischen Spruchkunde, 1851, has published (1841) a commentary to the Proverbs in Cahen's French Bibelwerk. There also is furnished a list of Jewish interpreters down to the appearance of L. H. Loewenstein's Commentary (1838), which contains valuable contributions to the critical confirmation of the Masoretic text, in which Heidenheim's Ms. remains, and also the Codex of 1294 mentioned in my preface to Baer's edition of the Psalter, and in the Specimen Lectionum of Baer's edition of Genesis, are made use of. Among Malbim's best works are, after his Commentary on Isaiah, that on the Mishle (Warsaw, 1867). [Vide Preface.]

I.

THE OLDER BOOK OF PROVERBS.

I.-XXIV.

T

SUPERSCRIPTION AND MOTTO, I. 1–7.

HE external title, i.e. the Synagogue name, of the whole collection of Proverbs is (Mishle), the word with which it commences. Origen (Euseb. H. E. vi. 25) uses the name Mode, i.e. nib, which occurs in the Talmud and Midrash as the designation of the book, from its contents. In a similar way, the names given to the Psalter, nib, are interchanged.

and

This external title is followed by one which the Book of Proverbs, viewed as to its gradual formation, and first the older portion, gives to itself. It reaches from i. 1 to ver. 6, and names not only the contents and the author of the book, but also commends it in regard to the service which it is capable of rendering. It contains "Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel." The books of the and, including the Canticles, thus give their own titles; among the historical books, that of the memoirs of Nehemiah is the only one that does so. has the accent Dechi, to separate1 it from Sp the following complex genitive which it governs, and he is made the second hemistich, because it belongs to M, 717.2 As to the fundamental idea of the word 5, we refer to the derivation given in the Gesch. der jud. Poesie, p. 196, from Sep, Aram. n, root n, Sanskr. tul (whence tulâ, balance, similarity), Lat. tollere; the comparison of the Arab. mathal leads to the same

not to ,שְׁלֹמֹה

1 Norzi has erroneously accented with the accent Munach. The is besides the Masoretic majusculum, like the 2, w, and at the commencement of the Law, the Canticles, and Chronicles.

2 If it had belonged to 77, then the sentence would have been accented

משלי שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל : thus

52

conclusion." signifies, not, as Schultens and others after him affirm, effigies ad similitudinem alius rei expressa, from up in the primary signification premere, premente manu tractare; for the corresponding Arab. verb mathal does not at all bear that meaning, but signifies to stand, to present oneself, hence to be like, properly to put oneself forth as something, to represent it; and in the Hebr. also to rule, properly with by to stand on or over something, with to hold it erect, like Arab. kam with b, rem administravit [vid. Jesaia, p. 691]. Thus e.g., Gen. xxiv. 2, it is said of Eliezer

99

Son, who ruled over all that he (Abraham) had (Luther: was a prince over all his goods). Thus, figurative discourse which represents that which is real, similitude; hence then parable or shorter apothegm, proverb, in so far as they express primarily something special, but which as a general symbol is then applied to everything else of a like kind, and in so far stands figuratively. An example is found in 1 Sam. x. 11 f. It is incorrect to conclude from this meaning of the word that such memorial sayings or proverbs usually contained comparisons, or were clothed in figurative language; for that is the case in by far the fewest number of instances: the oldest have by far the simplest and most special interpretations (Fleischer). Hence Mashal, according to its fundamental idea, is that which stands with something = makes something stand forth = representing. This something that represents may be a thing or a person; as e.g. one may say Job is a Mashal, i.e. a representant, similitude, type of Israel (vide the work entitled " ry, by Ahron b. Elia, c. 90, p. 143); and, like Arab. mathal (more commonly mithl=p, cf. Sp, Job xli. 25), is used quite as generally as is its etymological cogn. instar (instare). But in Hebr. Mashal always denotes representing discourse with the additional marks of the figurative and concise, e.g. the section which presents (Hab. ii. 6) him to whom it refers as a warning example, but particularly, as there defined, the gnome, the apothegm or maxim, in so far as this represents general truths in sharply outlined little pictures.

Ver. 2. Now follows the statement of the object which these proverbs subserve; and first, in general,

To become acquainted with wisdom and instruction,

To understand intelligent discourses.

They seek on the one side to initiate the reader in wisdom and instruction, and on the other to guide him to the understanding