THIS work is appropriately dedicated to the memory of the late MRS. H. C. CONANT, the translation and notes in both parts having passed under her revision in the proofs, as far as the twenty-sixth chapter. The preparation of the work was interrupted at that point, and was not resumed till after her decease.

Six and thirty years we had prosecuted our studies and literary tasks at the same table. She was a proficient in several of the modern languages, and the German, with its world of literary wealth, was as her mother tongue. Of the ancient languages, the Latin was familiar to her, and of Greek and Hebrew she had sufficient knowledge to be helpful in tracing and verifying references. From childhood, the best English authors were her familiar companions, and her judgment of English expression was almost infallible.

She was a ready and versatile writer; and though burdened with the care of a large family she was a regular and frequent contributor to the literary and religious periodicals, and was equally at home in the discussion of the gravest themes, and in the lighter essays of fancy and humor. Her mental organization was of peculiar feminine delicacy. But she had disciplined her mind to severe study, and found her chief pleasure in difficult and laborious investigation, seeking only recreation in her lighter studies and the more playful productions of her pen. Her correspondence, which was extensive and fills several volumes, was dis tinguished by the same traits; and her most familiar letters exhibit the rich and cultured thought with which her mind was stored.

She first became known to the public as editor of the Mother's Journal. Of the volumes published by her the most important are: History of the Translation of the Bible into the English Tongue; The Earnest Man, a Sketch of the Life and Labors of Adoniram Judson; The

New England Theocracy, a translation of Uhden's History of Congregationalism in New England; Translations of Neander's Commentaries, on the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, on the Epistle of James, and on the First Epistle of John. For other publications, showing the same love of earnest work, she had made collections and partial preparation; namely, The Mythic Age of the Nibelungenlied, illustrated from the poem and from contemporaneous legends ; The Influences and Agencies in the Revival of Literature; Erasmus and his Times.

of instruction, viz., in prudence, in righteousness, etc.*-ben, These are all the examples of this stock, out of the book of from biz to view attentively, to consider well, expresses the habit Proverbs. In all of them, with the exception of 1 Sam. 23 : 22, of reflection and consideration, and then, as a practical virtue, it expresses a moral perversion of natural acuteness to an evil prudence. Second member:-In righteousness, etc., the nouns in end, in the sense of cunning, craft. In Proverbs, it occurs in this member standing in the same relation to 1% as the one thirteen passages; in all of them denoting sagacity, shrewdness, immediately following it.† Bertheau's objection, that the paral-directed to just and worthy ends; and in some, that habitual lelism is incomplete, ‡ is not valid; for there are many instances exercise of it which becomes a practical virtue, in the sense of of this and the like freedom in the relation of the two members. prudence, discretion. I have expressed it in some instances by Nor is this construction, as he alleges, in itself the most direct shrewd, shrewdness, in the sense recognized in the Dictionaries This is true only of the external relation; in sense, the of Worcester and Webster, and authorized by good English connection is more immediate with 70 than with pnp.|| usage. It rarely happens, however, that words expressing comV. 4. The simple (Expl. Notes; comp. ch. 14 : 15).—, plex ideas have exact synonyms, in all their comprehension, in Gesenius, craftiness, guile (Ex. 21:14, Josh. 9: 4); and in a another language. good sense, prudence (Prov. 1:4; 8: 5, 12).¶ So Lee, Heb. Lex., (a) craftiness, cunning; (b) prudence.

one.

This word, belonging to a stock in which the idea of craft, ounning, shrewilness, predominates in the usage of the language, is to be carefully distinguished from those expressing the more generic idea of wisdom, prudence. Of this stock, the earliest application is to the serpent (Gen. 3:1) as subtile, crafty. It is used also of the cunning craft of the murderer, in effecting the destruction of his victim (Ex. 21:14); of the wily stratagem of the Gibeonites, for obtaining an advantageous peace on false pretenses (Josh. 9 : 4); of the adroit shifts, by which a fugitive evades his pursuers (1 Sam. 23: 22); of the crafty counsel of embittered enemies (Ps. 83 : 4 [3]); of those who contrive evil devices (Job 5:12), and of the craft of the worldly-wise (Job 5:13); of one whose words are skillfully chosen to deceive (Job 15:5).

* So Bertheau: damit man annehme Unterweisung der Besonnenheit; das kann nur sein zur Besonnenheit. So Ewald: Zucht zu Besonnenheit.

+ So Ewald: die Zucht zu Besonnenheit, zu Recht, Billigkeit und Redlichkeit (so hängen die Worte des 2ten Gliedes v. 3 noch von 0 ab). Maurer: disciplinam prudentiæ, Justi et legitimi et recti.

Erst durch Ergänzung des Verbs bei dem zweiten Gliede tritt der Parallelismus der zwei Glieder hier ganz so wie v. 4 und 6 deutlich hervor.

? Diese Auffassung liegt an und für sich am nächsten. || So these words are construed by Maurer:

Second member:-, meditation, thought, reflection, consideration (comp. the verb in 31: 16); here, the habit of reficction. *

V. 5. The wise will hear, and shall increase knowledge; the Jussive() indicating the subjective view of the writer. The first clause expresses what the truly wise will do; the second the writer's assurance, that in so doing they shall not' fail of the object sought. Or, the general sense may be the wise, by hearing, shall increase knowledge; but more probably, the first clause is an independent proposition, declaring what may be expected of the truly wise.

Some suppose a transition here, from the Infin. construction to that of the finite verb (8132, Rem. 2), that the wise may hear, etc.; † others, that the first verb also () has the sense of the Jussive, let the wise hear, etc. But neither supposition is necessary; for the ordinary use of the form, as expressed above, gives a more pertinent and effective sense. The writer, more over, by changing his construction after four successive clauses, would seem to intend a change of relation in this clause.—It is not necessary to understand by the wise, the discerning, those who are already far advanced in wisdom and intelligence; rather

v. 3

in

Sunt vero לקחת non ex מוסר pendent ex השכל pariter atque

bon et rel. Genitivi non Subjecti sed Objecti.

¶ Hebr. u. chald. Hdwbch. (5te Aufl. 1857), 2) listig, auch nur klug sein, . . . eig. abgerieben, abgefeint sein, wie περιτριβής, τριβακός, τρίβων, im guten und übeln Sinne.

* Ewald: Ueberlegung; De Wette: Besonnenheit.

† Ewald (in loc.): die imperf. var u. s. w. v. 5 hängen von v. 4 ab, nach 2 621 [6te Ausg. 350, b]. De Wette: dass der Weise höre. Maurer: ut audiat qui sapit. Latet ea conjunctio particula præmissa rnb v. 4.... cf. non 2 : 2. Bertheau: Das Imperf. als Voluntativ, wie aus dem folgenden wo Voluntativ-Bedeutung auch durch die Form ausgedrückt werden konnte, hervorgeht (?), hören möge; in der unmittelbaren Fortsetzung des Vorhergehenden würden wir den Infinit. vb erwarten, damit höre; statt dessen der Voluntativ, weil nach vorläufigem Abschluss die Rede von neuem anhebt.