नीतिवचन 9:2 टीका

Christ and sin are rivals for the soul of man, and here we are told how they both make their court to it, to have the innermost and uppermost place in it. The design of this representation is to set before us life and death, good and evil; and there needs no more than a fair stating of the case to determine us which of those to choose, and surrender our hearts to. They are both brought in making entertainment for the soul, and inviting it to accept of the entertainment; concerning both we are told what the issue will be; and, the matter being thus laid before us, let us consider, take advice, and speak our minds. And we are therefore concerned to put a value upon our own souls, because we see there is such striving for them. I. Christ, under the name of Wisdom, invites us to accept of his entertainment, and so to enter into acquaintance and communion with him (Pro 9:1-6). And having foretold the different success of his invitation (Pro 9:7-9) he shows, in short, what he requires from us (Pro 9:10). and what he designs for us (Pro 9:11), and then leaves it to our choice what we will do (Pro 9:12). II. Sin, under the character of a foolish woman, courts us to accept of her entertainment, and (Pro 9:13-16) pretends it is very charming (Pro 9:17). But Solomon tells us what the reckoning will be (Pro 9:18). And now choose you, this day, whom you will close with.

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 9 In this chapter, Wisdom, or Christ, is represented as having built a stately house or palace for the entertainment of his guests, Pro 9:1; as having made large and suitable provisions for them, Pro 9:2; and as having sent his servants to invite them to come and partake of them, and quit all other company but his, Pro 9:3; When it is observed who are and who are not to be reproved, with the reasons of it, Pro 9:7; and what is the sum and substance of true wisdom; and what the advantages of it both here and hereafter, Pro 9:10; And the chapter is concluded with the description of the foolish woman, the opposite of Wisdom; who is represented as clamorous, simple, and ignorant, Pro 9:13; and plying passengers that go by her door, and inviting them in to partake of her provisions, Pro 9:14; the consequence of which is sure and certain death and destruction to her guests, Pro 9:18.

She hath killed her beasts,.... Or, "her sacrifice" (d): a crucified Christ, the principal of the provisions in Wisdom's house, or the church of Christ. The death of Christ was prefigured by the slaying of beasts for sacrifice under the old law; was foretold in prophecy, and is expressed by "killing" him in the New Testament; and which shows his death not to be natural, but violent. It is commonly ascribed to the Jews as a wicked action of theirs; but was not without the counsel and determination of God, and the will and consent of Christ; and this death was as a victim to justice, by way of sacrifice and satisfaction for sin, and was vicarious; was offered up in the room and stead of his people, to make atonement for their sins; and which is no other than himself, his soul and body, as in union with his divine person; a sacrifice voluntarily offered up by himself, exceeding acceptable, and well pleasing to God; effectual to the purposes for which it was offered, and so never to be repeated: and his death, being a sacrifice, becomes a feast; a crucified Christ is suitable food for faith, as he is the Lamb in the midst of the throne, as though he had been slain; he is evidently set forth in the Gospel as crucified, and as such is spiritual and savoury food to his people, nourishing and strengthening, quickening and comforting, and extremely satisfying: thus the Gospel feast, in which the slain Lamb of God makes the chiefest part, is expressed in the same language as here, "my oxen and my fatlings are killed", Mat 22:4; she hath mingled her wine; which also makes a considerable part in a banquet or feast, Est 5:6; and the church is called a banqueting house, or a house of wine, Sol 2:4. The love of Christ is compared to wine, Sol 1:2; to old wine for the antiquity of it, being more ancient than ours to him, or than ourselves, even as old as eternity; to wine, on the lees well refined, for the purity of it, being free from all motives and conditions in the creature; to strong generous wine, which exhilarates and refreshes the weak, the weary, and distressed. The Gospel of Christ is also compared to wine, Sol 7:9; to old wine, for the ancient doctrines of it; and to neat wine, for the purity of it; and to generous wine, for the pleasure, joy, and comfort it gives: the blessings of grace which it exhibits may be so called from their comforting and refreshing nature, which are had freely, Isa 55:1; and so are the joys of heaven, Mat 26:29. Now the "mingling" of this wine is in allusion to the mixture of wine, either with something richer, as spice, Sol 8:2; or rather with water, as Jarchi observes, which was usual in those hot countries, to make it fit and suitable drink for the bodies of men: the mixture was no doubt according to the strength of the wine; the wine of Sharon, being strong wine, was mixed two parts water and one wine (e); which, with the ancients (f), before three parts water and two wine; though, according to Plutarch (g), they had three ways of mixing, which they called by three different names; the one was three parts water and two wine, the other three parts water and one wine, the third was one wine and two water; the first of them was reckoned the best mixture (h): one Cerassus is said to be the inventor of mixing wine with water (i); others ascribe it to Melampus (k), and others to Amphictyon. And this, spiritually understood, does not design any impurity or degeneracy, such as is complained of, Isa 1:22; for the love of Christ is pure and sovereign; the Gospel of Christ is free of all mixtures of human doctrines; the blessings of grace are all of free grace, without the mixture of men's works, and so is eternal life; salvation is all of free grace, and not by works of righteousness done by men mixed with it. But this may design the various displays of the love of Christ in the several acts of it, before time, in time, and now in heaven; or the joint display of the love of Father, Son, and Spirit, in the salvation of men, and the harmony and agreement of the divine perfections therein; and the publication of the Gospel, and the accommodation of the truths of it to the capacities of men: and perhaps some respect may be had to the blood and water that issued from the side of the slain Lamb of God, here prophetically and figuratively held forth; she hath also furnished her table; which seems to design the ministration of the word, and the administration of ordinances in Gospel times; especially the ordinance of the supper, called the table of the Lord, Co1 10:21; a well-furnished table has a variety of excellent provision upon it: and such is the ministry of the Gospel, which is signified by various sorts of food, as bread, meat, milk, honey, and delicious fruits; and Christ, who is the sum and substance of it, is expressed by several things that are eatable, as by a slain lamb, a fatted calf, the hidden manna, the bread of God and of life, whose flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed; and so is he held forth in the ordinances, particularly in the ordinance of the supper; the tame he sits at, and welcomes his guests; encourages them to eat and drink, and sups with them himself. Here his broken body, and his blood shed, are presented to the faith of his people, to be eaten and drank in a spiritual manner; a table richly furnished indeed! (d) "victimam suam", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Baynus, Mercerus, so Ben Melech. (e) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 77. 1. & Nidda, fol. 19. 1. (f) Suidas in voce (g) Apud Philander. in Vitruv. de Architect. l. 16. c. 5. p. 281. (h) Aristoph. Equi, Act. 3. Sc. 1. p. 355. & Scholia in ib. (i) Hygin Fab. 274. (k) Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 2. c. 6. p. 45. & l. 4. c. 27. p. 179.

And the phrase, "She hath killed her beasts," denotes the prophets and martyrs who in every city and country are slain like sheep every day by the unbelieving, in behalf of the truth, and cry aloud, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we were counted as sheep for the slaughter." And again, "She hath mingled her wine" in the bowl, by which is meant, that the Saviour, uniting his Godhead, like pure wine, with the flesh in the Virgin, was born of her at once God and man without confusion of the one in the other. "And she hath furnished her table: "that denotes the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity; it also refers to His honoured and undefiled body and blood, which day by day are administered and offered sacrificially at the spiritual divine table, as a memorial of that first and ever-memorable table of the spiritual divine supper.

“Wisdom has prepared her table, she has slain her victims, she has mingled her wine in the bowl and cries with a loud voice, Turn in to me and eat the bread which I have prepared for you, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you.” The mind, when nourished by this food of wisdom to a whole and perfect state, as man was made in the beginning, will be restored to the “image and likeness” of God. [Thus], even though a man may have departed out of this life insufficiently instructed but with a record of acceptable works, he can be instructed in that Jerusalem, the city of the saints. That is, he can be taught and informed and fashioned into a “living stone,” a “stone precious and elect,” because he has borne with courage and endurance the trials of life and the struggles after piety. There, too, he will come to a truer and clearer knowledge of the saying already uttered here, that “man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

She has slaughtered her beasts. She consecrated the Church with her sufferings, or she allowed the lives of the preachers to be martyred in persecution. And indeed, these beasts are opposed to the beasts of the harlot, to which she invites fools, as it was read above, saying: I owed victims for salvation, today I have paid my vows.

She has mixed her wine, etc. For those unable to grasp the mysteries of her divinity, she revealed the sacraments of the assumed humanity and prepared for us the nourishment of the sacred Scriptures by revealing them.

The commendation of wisdom is continued, under the figure of a liberal host, and its provisions under that of a feast (compare Luk 14:16-24). The character of those who are invited is followed by a contrasted description of the rejectors of good counsel; and with the invitations of wisdom are contrasted the allurement of the wicked woman. (Pro. 9:1-18) house--(compare Pro 8:34). her--or, "its" (the house). seven pillars--the number seven for many, or a sufficiency (Pro 6:31).

mingled--to enhance the flavor (Pro 23:30; Isa 5:22). furnished--literally, "set out," "arranged."