Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 9:2

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

2. mingled ] i.e. with spices. Comp. Pro 23:30; Isa 5:22.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Mingled her wine – i. e., with myrrh and other spices, to give flavor and strength.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 2. She hath killed her beasts] God has made the most ample provision for the innumerable tribes of animal and intellectual beings, which people the whole vortex of created nature.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Hath killed her beasts, i.e. made provision for the guests; which is meant of the ordinances, gifts, graces, comforts, and eternal felicities which God doth offer and give to men in and by the church.

Hath mingled her wine; either,

1. With spices, to make it strong and delightful, this mixed wine being mentioned as the best, Pro 23:29,30. Or,

2. With water, as they used to do in those hot countries, partly for refreshment, and partly for wholesomeness; whereby also may be intimated that wisdom teacheth us temperance in the use of our comforts. Hath also furnished her table with all necessaries, and now waits for the guests.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. mingledto enhance theflavor (Pro 23:30; Isa 5:22).

furnishedliterally,”set out,” “arranged.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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”, Mt 22:4;

she hath mingled her wine; which also makes a considerable part in a banquet or feast, Es 5:6; and the church is called a banqueting house, or a house of wine, So 2:4. The love of Christ is compared to wine, So 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, So 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, Mt 26:29. Now the “mingling” of this wine is in allusion to the mixture of wine, either with something richer, as spice, So 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, 1Co 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.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(2) She hath killed her beasts.Comp. Mat. 22:4.

She hath mingled her winei.e., probably, flavoured it with spices, to improve the flavour. (Comp. Pro. 23:30.) But the wine used at the Passover (Mat. 26:29, &c.) was mingled with water to decrease its strength.

She hath also furnished her table.Christ hath furnished His own Table, exhibiting His precious and spotless Body and Blood, which are daily celebrated at that mystic and divine board, being sacrificed in commemoration of that ever-to-be-remembered original table of that mystic and divine supper.S. Hippolytus (ed. Lagarde, p. 199), quoted by Wordsworth.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2. Killed her beasts Slaughtered her slaughterings, that is, animals to be slaughtered. “Killed her victailes.” Geneva Bible. The terms used indicate slaughtering for food rather than for sacrifice.

Mingled her wine Wine was an essential part of every entertainment. Sometimes it was mixed with water, sometimes with milk, and was sometimes flavoured with spices, (spiced wine, mixed wine,) or other ingredients. The object of the first kind of mingling or mixing was to reduce its strength; of the second, to make it more palatable, or to increase its strength and exhilarating power. The light wines of that vine-bearing country were, we suppose, generally used diluted, (about as we use tea and coffee,) as the usual beverage for their meals, especially at their feasts. (Comp. Pro 23:30; Isa 5:22.) But Fausset says: “Not mixed with water, which is the emblem of degeneracy.” Isa 1:22. The sentiment expressed by the woman is, that she has thoroughly prepared a rich feast.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Pro 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

Ver. 2. She hath killed her beasts. ] Christ provideth for his the best of the best, “fat things full of marrow, wines on the lees,” Isa 25:6 his own “flesh, which is meat indeed, his own blood, which is drink indeed,” Joh 6:55 besides that continual feast of a good conscience, whereat the holy angels, saith Luther, are as cooks and butlers, and the blessed Trinity joyful guests.

She hath mingled her wine. ] That it may not inflame or distemper. Christ spake “as the people were able to hear,” lisping to them in their own low language. So must all his ministers, accommodating themselves to the meanest capacities. Mercer’s note here is, Cam sobrietate tractandae Scriptnrae, The Scriptures are to be handled with sobriety.

She hath also furnished her table. ] So that it even sweats with variety of precious provisions wherewith her guests are daily and daintily fed. Mr Latimer says, that the assurance of salvation is the desert of this stately feast. But what a dolt was Cardinal Bobba, who, speaking in commendation of the library of Bonony – which being in an upper room, hath under it a victualling house, and under that a wine cellar – had thought he had hit it in applying thereunto this text, Wisdom hath built her a house, hath mingled her wine, and furnished her table! a

a Angel. Roccha in Vatican, p. 395.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

mingled. Compare Isa 5:22. Not with water but with spices.

wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

killed: Isa 25:6, Mat 22:3, Mat 22:4-14, 1Co 5:7, 1Co 5:8

beasts: Heb. killing, Gen 43:16

mingled: Pro 9:5, Pro 23:30, Luk 14:17

Reciprocal: Son 8:2 – spiced Eze 41:22 – This is Luk 14:16 – A certain Luk 15:23 – the fatted

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Pro 9:2. She hath killed her beasts That is, made provision for her guests: namely, instruction in things the most important, satisfying, improving, and consolatory truths, declarations, and promises; refreshing, cheering, and exhilarating discoveries and communications. If applied to the church of Christ, it signifies the ordinances and means of edification appointed therein, with the gifts, graces, and comforts, and the spiritual and eternal blessings which God hath prepared for his true people, and which he offers to all mankind, to be accepted in the way of repentance, faith, and new obedience. Reader, they are free for thee. She hath mingled her wine With spices, to make it cheering, invigorating, and delightful, this mixed wine being represented as the best, Pro 23:29-30; or, with water, as they used to do in those hot countries, both for refreshment and wholesomeness: whereby may be intimated to us, that wisdom teaches us temperance in the use of our comforts. She hath also furnished her table With all necessaries, and now waits for guests.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mixed her wine; she hath also {c} furnished her table.

(c) He compares wisdom with great princes who keep open house for all who come.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes