Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 31:26 - 31:26

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 31:26 - 31:26


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

The next verse presents one of the most beautiful features in the portrait:

26 פ She openeth her mouth with wisdom,

And amiable instruction is on her tongue.

The ב of בְּחָכְמָה is, as also at Psa 49:5; Psa 78:2, that of means: when she speaks, then it is wisdom pressing itself from her heart outward, by means of which she breaks the silence of her mouth. With עַל, in the expression 26b, elsewhere תַּהַת interchanges: under the tongue, Psa 10:7, one has that which is ready to be spoken out, and on the tongue, Psa 15:3, that which is in the act of being spoken out. תּֽוֹרַת־חֶסֶד is a genitive connection after the manner of tôrath אֱמֶת, Mal 2:6. The gen. is not, as at Lev 6:2, in tôrath הָעֹלָה, the gen. of the object (thus e.g., Fleischer's institutio ad humanitatem), but the gen. of property, but not so that חסד denotes grace (Symmachus, νόμος ἐπίχαρις; Theodotion, νόμος χάριτος), because for this meaning there is no example except Isa 40:6; and since חסד in the O.T. is the very same as in the N.T., love, which is the fulfilling of the law, Hos 6:6, cf. 1Ki 20:31,

(Note: Immanuel remarks that Tôrath חסד probably refers to the Tôra, and שׁכוהל חסד, i.e., which is wholly love, which goes forth in love, to the Gesetz = statute.)

it is supposed that the poet, since he writes תורת חֶסֶד, and not תורת חֵן, means to designate by חֶסֶד this property without which her love for her husband, her industry, her high sentiment, would be no virtues, viz., unselfish, sympathizing, gentle love. Instruction which bears on itself the stamp of such amiability, and is also gracious, i.e., awakening love, because going forth from love (according to which Luther, translating holdselige Lere = pleasing instructions, thus understands it) - such instruction she carries, as house-mother (Pro 1:8), in her mouth. Accordingly the lxx translate (vid., Lagarde regarding the mistakes of this text before us) θεσμοὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, and Jerome lex clementiae. חֶסֶד is related to אַהֲבָה as grace to love; it denotes love showing itself in kindness and gracefulness, particularly condescending love, proceeding from a compassionate sympathy with the sufferings and wants of men. Such graceful instruction she communicates now to this and now to that member of her household, for nothing that goes on in her house escapes her observation.