CHAPTER VIII.

CRITICAL NOTES.--+Places of the paths+ "in the midst of the highways." "These ways are roads, solitary paths, not streets in the city, and the delineation proceeds in such an order as to exhibit Wisdom; first, in verse 2, as a preacher in the open country, in grove and field, on mountains and plains, and then in verse 3, to describe her public harangues in the cities, and in the tumult of the multitudes" (_Zöckler_). +3. At the entrance of its doors,+ _i.e._ "standing on the further side of the gateway" (_Zöckler_) "at the entrance of the avenues" (_Stuart_). +4.+ The Hebrew words for men are different in the two clauses, "the first signifies men of high position, the second men of the common sort" (Psa. xlix. 2) (_Fausset_). +5. Wisdom.+ This is a different word from the one used in verse 1, and may be translated "subtilty," or "prudence," and though it is here used in a good sense, may, when the context requires it, be translated "artful cunning." +6. Excellent,+ literally "princely," generally rendered "plain," "evident," "obvious." +7. Mouth,+ lit. "palate." +Speak,+ literally "meditate;" the word originally meant "mutter," and grew to mean "meditate," because what a man meditates deeply he generally mutters about (_Miller_). +8. Froward,+ literally "distorted," or "crooked." +9.+ "Right to the man of understanding, and plain to them that have attained knowledge" (_Zöckler_). "To the men of understanding they are all to the point" (_Delitzsch_). +11. Rubies,+ "pearls." +12. Dwell with+ or "inhabit." +Witty inventions,+ "skilful plans" (_Stuart_), "sagacious counsels" (_Zöckler_). +14. Sound wisdom,+ the same word as in chap. ii. 7 (see note there). Stuart reads here, "As for me, my might is understanding;" Delitzch, "Mine is counsel and promotion." +17. Early,+ _i.e._, "earnestly" (see on ch. i. 28). +18. Durable.+ Zöckler thinks this rather signifies "growing." +21. Inherit substance,+ "abundance." +22. Jehovah possessed me.+ The signification of this verb has been the subject of much discussion; ancient expositors, believing Wisdom here to be the eternal Son of God, deemed it necessary to reject the translation of the Septuagint, etc., who rendered it _created_, as the text then became an argument with Arians against the eternal co-existence of the Son. But most modern commentators, whatever view they take of the signification of "Wisdom," agree in rejecting the reading of the Authorised Version. The majority render it, "created;" Delitzch reads, "brought me forth;" Wordsworth and Miller, "got possession of," or "acquired." Wordsworth says, "The word occurs about eighty times in the Old Testament, and in only four places beside the present it is translated 'possess;' viz., Gen. xiv. 19-22; Psa. cxxxix. 13; Jer. xxxii. 15; Zech. xi. 5; in the last two it may well have the sense of getting, and in the former of creating." +23. Set up,+ Stuart, Miller, and early expositors render "anointed;" Delitzch and Zöckler prefer the Authorised rendering. +26. Earth, etc.,+ "the land and the plains, or the beginning of the dust of the earth." +27. Set a compass, etc.,+ "marked out a circle," _i.e.,_ "when He fixed the vault of heaven, which rests on the face of the ocean." +30. As one brought up,+ "as director of His work," or, "as a builder at His side." +36. Sinneth against,+ "misseth," so Stuart, Delitzsch, and Miller.

NOTES ON THE PERSONIFICATION OF WISDOM.--There has been great discussion among expositors as to who, or what, is to be understood by this personification. Many modern and all ancient expositors consider that it refers exclusively to the Divine Word, the Eternal Son of God, others understand it as relating entirely to an attribute of the Divine nature. There is a middle view, which is thus put by Dr. John Harris in his sermon on verses 30-36: "Others, again reply that it refers exclusively to neither--but partly to that wisdom which begins in the fear of the Lord, partly to the Divine attribute of wisdom, and partly to the Son of God, the second person in the Godhead." We cannot do better than give the views of a few eminent expositors and writers. Delitzsch thus comments on verse 22: "Wisdom takes now a new departure in establishing her right to be heard and to be obeyed and loved by men. As the Divine King in Psa. ii. opposes to His adversaries the self-testimony: 'I will speak concerning a decree! Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee;' so Wisdom here unfolds her Divine patent of nobility; she originates with God before all creatures, and it the object of God's love and joy, as she also has the object of her love and joy on God's earth, and especially among the sons of men. (See his translation of the verb in this verse--Critical Notes). Wisdom is not God, but is God's; she has personal existence in the Logos of the New Testament, but is not herself the Logos; she is the world idea, which, once projected, is objective to God, and not as a dead form, but as a living spiritual image; she is the archetype of the world, which originating from God, stands before God, the world of the idea which forms the medium between the Godhead and the world of actual existence, the communicated spiritual power in the origination and the completion of the world as God designed it to be. This wisdom the poet here personifies; he does not speak of the personal Logos, but the further progress of the revelation points to her actual personification in the Logos. And since to her the poet attributes an existence preceding the creation of the world, he thereby declares her to be eternal, for to be before the world is to be before time. For if he places her at the head of the creatures, as the first of them, so therewith he does not seek to make her a creature of this world having its commencement in time; he connects her origination with the origination of the creature only on this account, because that _à priori_ refers and tends to the latter; the power which was before heaven and earth were, and which operated at the creation of the earth and of the heavens, cannot certainly fall under the category of the creatures around and above us." Wordsworth, in accordance with the principle of interpretation set forth in the note at the beginning of chapter vii. says, "We should be taking a very low, unworthy, and inadequate view of the present and following magnificent and sublime chapters. . . . If we did not behold Him who is essential wisdom, the co-eternal Son of God, and recognise here a representation of His attributes and prerogative." The arguments in favour of this view are thus summed up by Fausset: "Wisdom is here personal Wisdom--the Son of God. For many personal predicates are attributed to Him: thus, _subsistence by or with God,_ in verse 30; just as John i. 1 saith, 'The Word was with God,' which cannot be said of a mere attribute. Moreover, the mode of subsistence imparted is _generation_, verse 22, 24, 25 (see CRITICAL NOTES). In verse 22 God is said to have _possessed_ or _acquired_ wisdom, not by _creation_ (Psa. civ. 24), nor by adoption, as Deut. xxxii. 6, Psa. lxxiv. 2, but by _generation._ The same verb is used by Eve of her firstborn (Gen. iv. 1). Moreover, other attributes are assigned to Wisdom, as if she were not an attribute but a person--'counsel,' 'strength,' etc. Also, she has the feelings of a person (verse 17): 'I love them that love me.' She does the acts of a person. She enables kings to rule, and invests them with authority (verses 15, 16). She takes part in creation, as one brought up, or _nursed_, in the bosom of the Father, as the only-begotten of His love (John i. 18). She cries aloud as a person (verses 1-4), and her 'lips' and 'mouth' are mentioned (verses 6, 7). She is the _delight_ of the Father, and she in turn delights in men (verses 30, 31), answering to the rapturous delight into which the Father breaks forth concerning Messiah (Isa. xliii. 1; Matt. iii. 17, xvii. 5; Eph. i. 6). She builds a house, prepares a feast, and sends forth her maidens to invite the guests (ch. ix. 1-3). All which admirably applies to Messiah, who builds the Church, as His house, upon Himself the rock (Matt. xvi. 8, etc.), and invites all to the Gospel feast (Luke xiv. 16, etc.). He is Wisdom itself absolute, and as the Archetype, from Him wisdom imparted flows to others. As such, He invites us to learn wisdom from Him who is its source, 'counsel' and 'sound wisdom' (ver. 14), are in Him as attributes are in their subject, and as effects are in their cause. The parallel (ch. i. 20, 23), 'I will pour out my spirit unto you' (see John vii. 38), conforms the personal view. The same truth is confirmed by the reproof (ch. i. 24), 'Because I have called,' etc., compared with Christ's own words (Matt. xi. 28, etc.) So Christ is called the Wisdom of God (Col. ii. 3). As Wisdom here saith 'I was set up,' or 'anointed from everlasting,' so the Father saith of Messiah, 'I have set' or 'anointed my king' etc. (Psa. ii. 6). As in verse 24, Wisdom is said to be 'brought forth' or _begotten_ by God before the world, and to have been _by Him in creating all things_ (verses 27-30), so Messiah is called the 'Son of God,' and is said to have been _with God in the beginning_, and to have _made all things_ (John. i. 1-3) and to have been begotten before every creature (Col. i. 15-17); and His _goings forth_ are said, in Mic. v. 2, _to have been from of old, from everlasting._" The argument for the opposite view is thus stated by Dr. Wardlaw: "The objections to its meaning Christ, or the Word, are, to my mind, quite insuperable. For example: (1) The passage is not so applied in any part of the New Testament. I do not adduce this consideration as any _direct objection_ to the interpretation in question. I mean no more than this, that from its not being so explained there, we are relieved from any _necessity_ of so explaining it. Such necessity, then, being thus precluded, the direct objections may be allowed to have their full force. Observe, then (2), Wisdom here is a _female personage._ All along this is the case. Now, under such a view, the Scripture nowhere else, in any of their figurative representations of 'the Christ,' ever thus describe or introduce Him. The application, on this account, appears to be exceedingly unnatural. (3) Wisdom does not appear intended as a _personal_ designation, inasmuch as it is associated with various other terms, of synonymous, at least, of corresponding import (verse 1, chap. iii. 19, 20). Were it meant for a _personal_ designation, like the _Logos_ or _Word_ in the beginning of John's Gospel, this would hardly have been admissible. (4) That the whole is bold and striking _personification_ of the attribute of Wisdom, as subsisting in the Deity, appears further from what she is represented as saying in verse 12: 'I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.' Here Wisdom is associated with prudence; and the import of the association is, that Wisdom directs to the best ends, and to the choice of the best means for their attainment; and _prudence,_ or _discretion,_ teaches to shun whatever might, in any way or degree, interfere with and impede, or mar their accomplishment. This is precisely what wisdom, as an attribute or quality, does. And it is worthy of remark, that this association of wisdom with prudence, is introduced by the Apostle as characterising the greatest of the Divine inventions and works--that of our redemption. Wisdom was associated with prudence in framing and perfecting that wonderful scheme (Ephes. i. 7, 8). (5) It is very true that there are many things here, especially in the latter part of the chapter--indeed through the whole--that are, in a very interesting and striking manner, applicable to the Divine Messiah. But this is no more than might have been anticipated, that things which are true of a _Divine attribute_ should be susceptible of application to a _Divine person._" We quote, in conclusion, the remarks of Dr. Aiken, the American editor and translator of this portion of Lange's Commentary: "The error in our English exegetical and theological literature with respect to our passage has been, we think, the attempt to force upon it more of distinctness and precision in the revelation of the mysteries of the Divine Nature than is disclosed by a fair exegesis. . . . If it be not unworthy of the Holy Spirit to employ a bold and graphic personification, many things in this chapter may be said of and by the personified Wisdom which these authors regard as triumphantly proving that we have here the pre-existent Christ, the Son of God. . . . We can, to say the least, go no farther than our author has done in discovering here the foreshadowings of the doctrine of the Logos. We are inclined to prefer the still more guarded statements, _e.g.,_ of Dr. Pye Smyth (_Scripture Testimony to the Messiah_), that this beautiful picture cannot be satisfactorily proved to be a designed description of the Saviour's person; or that of Dr. John Harris (Sermon on chap.