Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 22:20
Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
20. excellent things ] The word has been thought to denote the chief of the three persons who formed the complement of an ancient war-chariot, and so to mean principal or excellent. In Pro 8:6 “excellent things” are literally princely things or words. The LXX. and Vulg., however, render the word literally, “thrice,” or “in threefold form,” , tripliciter, possibly with the idea of reiteration to impress the lesson. Comp. Act 10:16.
Another reading is heretofore, or long ago. If this be adopted, the reference may be either to the earlier sections of this Book, or to the fact that what is now promulgated had been committed to writing long ago, and was therefore no hasty utterance.
This passage has borne a prominent part in the history of Biblical exegesis. By it, understood (with the LXX. and Vulg. quoted above) of “threefold” teaching, or teaching “in triple form,” Origen supported his doctrine of the threefold meaning of Holy Scripture. “By Solomon in the Proverbs,” he writes, “we find some such rule as this enjoined respecting the divine doctrines of Scripture: ‘And do thou portray them in a threefold manner, in counsel and knowledge, to answer words of truth to them who propose them to thee.’ ” And so, he adds, comparing the threefold sense of Scripture to the tripartite division of man into body, soul and spirit, the simple will be edified, “by the flesh,” or obvious sense of Scripture, and the more advanced by its “soul,” while the perfect (1Co 2:6-7) may attain to the spiritual law itself, De Princip. Bk. iv. ch. 1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Excellent things – A meaning of the word derived from the third, i. e., the chief of three warriors in a chariot (compare Exo 14:7 note). Another reading of the Hebrew text gives Have I not written to thee long ago? and this would form a natural antithesis to this day of Pro 22:19. The rendering of the Septuagint is: write them for thyself three times; that of the Vulgate, I have written it (i. e., my counsel) In threefold form; the three times or threefold form being referred either to the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, or to the division of the Old Testament into the Law, the prophets, and the Hagiographa.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Excellent things; or, princely things, as they are called, Pro 8:6, the great things of Gods law, as Hos 8:12.
In counsels and knowledge; consisting of counsels to direct thy practice, and knowledge to inform and enrich thy mind. Or by that known figure hendiadis, in counsels of knowledge, i.e. in good counsels, which proceed from sound knowledge, and make a man knowing and wise, which are opposed to the counsels of the wicked, Pro 12:5, which are without knowledge.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. excellent thingsorprobably of former times.
counsels and knowledgebothadvice and instruction.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Have not I written to thee excellent things,…. In the Scriptures. Some render it, “three things” c; and think that Solomon refers to the three divisions of the Scriptures among the Jews, the law, the prophets, and holy writings; so Jarchi; but some of those writings then were not: or to the three books wrote by him; the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Others render it, “in a threefold way” d, as the Targum and several versions; that is, in various ways, in different forms and styles, in order the better to inform and instruct. But it is best, with Kimchi, Gersom, and Ben Melech, to render it, “excellent things”, as we do; such are the truths of the Gospel; they are more excellent than those that are only known by the light of nature, or by the law of Moses: such as suspect the love and grace of God; the person and offices of Christ; peace, pardon, righteousness, atonement, life and salvation, by him. And these are said to lie
in counsels and knowledge; in disclosing the counsels of God, according to which they are; in giving the best of counsels to men; to perishing sinners, to look to Christ for salvation; to naked ones, to buy of him white raiment, or the robe of his righteousness; to guilty and filthy ones, to apply to his blood for pardon and cleansing; to hungry and thirsty ones, to come unto him for food, the bread of life, and water of life; and to weary ones, to him for rest; and all to do their duty both to God and men: and they also respect knowledge; the knowledge of divine and heavenly things; the knowledge of God in Christ, and of his perfections, as displayed in his salvation; the knowledge of Christ, what he is in himself, what he has done for his people, and is unto them; and especially the knowledge of salvation by him; all which the Gospel is a means of.
c “terna”, Montanus, Vatablus, so Jarchi. d , Sept. “tripticiter”, V. L. and Arabic version; “tribus vicibus”, Baynus, Targum and Syriac version; “triplici filo et nexa”, Schultens; “triplicata”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
v. 20. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 22:20. Have not I written to thee excellent things Many of the ancient versions read threefold things, in which they are followed by Schultens and Grotius. The Jews distinguished philosophy under three branches; morality, physics, and divinity. Solomon wrote in all these branches, as appears from 1 Kings 4 but most of his writings are lost. This and the book of Ecclesiastes contain what he wrote in morality or ethics. His discourses on plants and animals relate to physics, and the Canticles belong to allegorical divinity. I should rather, however, understand the word according to our version; or, more properly, “Words fit for a prince to speak, and the best men in the world to hear, and therefore truly excellent.” See Patrick and Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 22:20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
Ver. 20. Have not I written to thee excellent things? ] Heb., Princely things; principles for princes, rare and royal sentences. The word signifies, say some, the third man in the kingdom for authority and dignity. Others read the words thus: Have not I three times written for thee concerning counsels and knowledge, – meaning his three books, proverbial, penitential, nuptial. The Canticles were penned perhaps in his younger years, saith one, a when his affections were more warm, active, and lively in spirituals; the Proverbs in his manly, ripe age, when his prudence and parts were at highest, most grave, solid, settled; Ecclesiastes in his old age, &c.
a Key of the Bible, by Mr Roberts.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
to thee = for thee. See the Structure (p. 891).
excellent things. Hebrew margin reads “formerly”, or “before”.
In = With.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 22:20-21
Pro 22:20-21
“Have not I written unto the excellent things of counsels and knowledge, To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, That thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?”
This concludes the introduction to the words of the wise men, the first of the “thirty words” beginning in Pro 22:22.
Pro 22:20. The father here refers to the quality of his instructions. Compare Pro 4:1-2; Pro 8:6-8.
Pro 22:21. As a young man grows up, he is going to be subjected to many ideas of people, some being diametrically opposed to others. It is easy for a youth in the state of immaturity to be tossed to and fro by such (Eph 4:14). This is why it is so necessary that the truth that the father teaches be taught in such a way that his son is well grounded in that truth, for only as he knows the truth will he be able to detect the counterfeit. On the latter statement of the verse, if a son has been brought up to know truth, to respect it, and to tell it, when being sent by others on a responsible mission, he will be able to know what truth is, to evaluate the situation, and to bring back a true report.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 8:6, Psa 12:6, Hos 8:12, 2Ti 3:15-17, 2Pe 1:19-21
Reciprocal: Deu 4:5 – General Job 36:4 – in Psa 49:3 – mouth Pro 4:2 – good Pro 16:20 – whoso
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:20 Have not I written to thee {n} excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
(n) That is, various times.