CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>Proverbs 2 Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/commentaries/expositors/proverbs/2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/5001com.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 4800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 4800px)" href="/4801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1550px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1550px)" href="/1551.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1250px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1250px)" href="/1251.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1050px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1050px)" href="/1051.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 900px), only screen and (max-device-width: 900px)" href="/901.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 800px)" href="/801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 575px), only screen and (max-device-width: 575px)" href="/501.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-height: 450px), only screen and (max-device-height: 450px)" href="/h451.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/proverbs/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcom/proverbs/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/commentaries/">Commentary</a> > <a href="../">Ellicott</a> > <a href="../proverbs/">Proverbs</a></div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../proverbs/1.htm" title="Proverbs 1">◄</a> Proverbs 2 <a href="../proverbs/3.htm" title="Proverbs 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</div><div class="chap"> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-1.htm">Proverbs 2:1</a></div><div class="verse">My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;</div><span class= "bld">II.</span><p>(c) <span class= "ital">Third Discourse:</span>—<span class= "ital">An Exhortation to follow after Wisdom </span>(Proverbs 2).<p>(1) <span class= "bld">Hide</span>—<span class= "ital">i.e., </span>store up. (Comp. <a href="/proverbs/2-4.htm" title="If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;">Proverbs 2:4</a>.)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-4.htm">Proverbs 2:4</a></div><div class="verse">If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as <i>for</i> hid treasures;</div>(4) <span class= "bld">If thou seekest her as silver.—</span>That the process of mining was understood long before the time of Solomon, is proved by the remains of copper mines discovered in the peninsula of Sinai, and the gold mines in the Bisháree desert of Egypt. Rock inscriptions have been found near the former, dating from a great age, in the opinion of Lepsius from 4000 B.C. (See the article “Mines,” in Smith’s <span class= "ital">Dictionary of the Bible; </span>comp. also the description in <a href="/context/job/28-1.htm" title="Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.">Job 28:1-11</a>.) Silver was brought to Solomon from Arabia (<a href="/2_chronicles/9-14.htm" title="Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.">2Chronicles 9:14</a>) and Tarshish (<a href="/2_chronicles/9-21.htm" title="For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.">2Chronicles 9:21</a>), probably Tartessus, in Spain.<p><span class= "bld">Searchest for her as for hid treasures.</span>—From the great insecurity of life and property in Eastern countries, the hiding of treasures in the earth has always been of frequent occurrence. It would often, no doubt, happen that the owner would die without disclosing the place of concealment to any one else, and the treasure thus be lost. Hunting after such hoards has in consequence been always of the keenest interest to Orientals, and as such furnishes the groundwork for one of our Lord’s parables (<a href="/matthew/13-44.htm" title="Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.">Matthew 13:44</a>).<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-5.htm">Proverbs 2:5</a></div><div class="verse">Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.</div>(5) <span class= "bld">Find the knowledge of God.</span>—It is the highest of all gifts, even eternal life itself, to know God, the Giver of all good things. It was to bestow this knowledge upon man that Christ came into the world (<a href="/john/17-3.htm" title="And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.">John 17:3</a>). He promises (<a href="/proverbs/14-21.htm" title="He that despises his neighbor sins: but he that has mercy on the poor, happy is he.">Proverbs 14:21</a>) the manifestation of Himself as the reward of obedience and love. And yet our highest knowledge of God in this life must be so imperfect, in comparison with the knowledge of Him hereafter, when we shall see Him “face to face” (<a href="/1_corinthians/13-12.htm" title="For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.">1Corinthians 13:12</a>), that St. Paul. (<a href="/galatians/4-9.htm" title="But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage?">Galatians 4:9</a>) describes our relation to Him now as better expressed by <span class= "ital">“</span>being known of Him:” <span class= "ital">i.e., </span>recognised, acknowledged by Him as His children, rather than by “knowing” Him.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-6.htm">Proverbs 2:6</a></div><div class="verse">For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth <i>cometh</i> knowledge and understanding.</div>(6) <span class= "bld">For the Lord giveth wisdom.</span>—As St. James (<a href="/proverbs/1-5.htm" title="A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:">Proverbs 1:5</a>) expresses it, He gives it to every man “liberally, and upbraideth not:” <span class= "ital">i.e., </span>blames him not for asking it.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-7.htm">Proverbs 2:7</a></div><div class="verse">He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: <i>he is</i> a buckler to them that walk uprightly.</div>(7) <span class= "bld">Sound wisdom.—</span>Literally, <span class= "ital">furtherance, advancement </span>(Comp. <span class= "ital">“</span>Whosoever hath, unto him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance,” <a href="/matthew/13-12.htm" title="For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.">Matthew 13:12</a>.)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-8.htm">Proverbs 2:8</a></div><div class="verse">He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.</div>(8) <span class= "bld">He keepeth the paths of judgment</span>—i.e., protects those who walk in them.<p><span class= "bld">His saints.—</span>Or rather, <span class= "ital">His ardent worshippers </span>(<span class= "ital">chasîdîm</span>)<span class= "ital">, </span>a term used in the Pentateuch (<a href="/deuteronomy/33-8.htm" title="And of Levi he said, Let your Thummim and your Urim be with your holy one, whom you did prove at Massah, and with whom you did strive at the waters of Meribah;">Deuteronomy 33:8</a>) of the tribe of Levi, for their zeal in God’s service (Exodus 32), and of very frequent occurrence in the Psalter. The word “saint” rather implies dedication to God, as Israel was a “holy nation (<a href="/exodus/19-6.htm" title="And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.">Exodus 19:6</a>) to God, and Christians (<a href="/philippians/1-1.htm" title="Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:">Philippians 1:1</a>) are now in the same position. The term <span class= "ital">chāsîd, </span>at the time of the Maccabees, was assumed by such “as were voluntarily devoted to the law” (<a href="//apocrypha.org/1_maccabees/2-42.htm" title="Then came there unto him a company of Assideans who were mighty men of Israel, even all such as were voluntarily devoted unto the law.">1 Maccabees 2:42</a>), in opposition to those who favoured the Greek religion and culture.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-10.htm">Proverbs 2:10</a></div><div class="verse">When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;</div>(10) <span class= "bld">When wisdom </span>. . .—Rather to be taken as an explanation of the preceding, <span class= "ital">For wisdom will enter, </span>&c<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-12.htm">Proverbs 2:12</a></div><div class="verse">To deliver thee from the way of the evil <i>man</i>, from the man that speaketh froward things;</div>(12) <span class= "bld">Froward things.</span>—(Heb., <span class= "ital">tahpûkhôth</span>)<span class= "ital">, i.e., </span>misrepresentations, distortions of the truth.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-14.htm">Proverbs 2:14</a></div><div class="verse">Who rejoice to do evil, <i>and</i> delight in the frowardness of the wicked;</div>(14) <span class= "bld">Delight in the frowardness of the wicked.—</span>This positive taking pleasure in evil is mentioned by St. Paul (<a href="/romans/1-32.htm" title="Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.">Romans 1:32</a>) as the last stage of degradation.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-16.htm">Proverbs 2:16</a></div><div class="verse">To deliver thee from the strange woman, <i>even</i> from the stranger <i>which</i> flattereth with her words;</div>(16) <span class= "bld">To deliver thee from the strange woman.—</span>Another work of wisdom, to save from profligacy. Of the two epithets here used, <span class= "ital">“</span>strange” (<span class= "ital">zārah</span>) and “stranger” (<span class= "ital">nokhrîyyah</span>)<span class= "ital">, </span>the first implies that she belonged to another family, the second to another nation. It would seem as if the evil example of Solomon (<a href="/1_kings/11-1.htm" title="But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:">1Kings 11:1</a>), in marrying foreign women, had become common in Israel, and that they, by their vicious lives, had become a deadly source of corruption. Brought up in the lax views of morality which prevailed among heathen nations at this time, they would not consider themselves bound by the high standard of purity which was enjoined upon Hebrew women by the Law.<p>(16-19) Besides the literal sense of this passage, as given above, commentators have very generally found in it a spiritual meaning, a warning against idolatry and apostasy. The union of Israel to God is so frequently spoken of in the prophets under the figure of a marriage, and their rejection of Him for idols as adultery, that the passage may well bear this further sense, especially as Jeremiah (<a href="/jeremiah/3-4.htm" title="Will you not from this time cry to me, My father, you are the guide of my youth?">Jeremiah 3:4</a>) has borrowed this very phrase, “guide of her youth,” for a passage in which he is reproving the Jews for their faithlessness. The figure is also very common in the New Testament, as descriptive of the union of Christ and the Church.<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-17.htm">Proverbs 2:17</a></div><div class="verse">Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.</div>(17) <span class= "bld">The guide of her youth.—</span>Or rather, <span class= "ital">friend with whom she has lived in intimacy</span>: that is, the husband of her youth; in other words, her first love. Jeremiah uses the same phrase (<a href="/proverbs/3-4.htm" title="So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.">Proverbs 3:4</a>). (Comp. “wife of thy youth,” <a href="/proverbs/5-18.htm" title="Let your fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of your youth.">Proverbs 5:18</a>; <a href="/malachi/2-14.htm" title="Yet you say, Why? Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously: yet is she your companion, and the wife of your covenant.">Malachi 2:14</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">Forgetteth the covenant of her God—</span>i.e., the marriage covenant, made in the presence of God. (Comp. “wife of thy covenant,” Mal. <span class= "ital">l.c.</span>)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-18.htm">Proverbs 2:18</a></div><div class="verse">For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.</div>(18) <span class= "bld">For her house inclineth </span>. . .—Rather, <span class= "ital">she sinks down with her house: </span>house and all, like Dathan and Abiram.<p><span class= "bld">Unto the dead.—</span>In Hebrew <span class= "ital">the Rephāîm. </span>The word may signify those “at rest” (comp. <a href="/job/3-17.htm" title="There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.">Job 3:17</a> : “There the weary are at rest”); or the “weak.” (Comp. <a href="/isaiah/14-10.htm" title="All they shall speak and say to you, Are you also become weak as we? are you become like to us?">Isaiah 14:10</a> : “Art thou also become weak as we?”)<p> <div class="versenum"><a href="/proverbs/2-21.htm">Proverbs 2:21</a></div><div class="verse">For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.</div>(21) <span class= "bld">The upright shall dwell in the land—</span>i.e., of Canaan, according to the old promise made to Abraham, renewed in the fifth commandment, and constantly repeated in the prophets.<p> <div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers<br /><br />Text Courtesy of <a href="//biblesupport.com" target="_top">BibleSupport.com</a>. Used by Permission. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../proverbs/1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Proverbs 1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Proverbs 1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../proverbs/3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Proverbs 3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Proverbs 3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/proverbs/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="/commentaries/ellicott/sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><br /><br /><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></body></html>