♦VIII. (1.) =Who is as the wise=? (the LXX., rendering _ad sensum_, translate τίς οἶδεν σοφούς, ‘who knows wise men or things?’ which E. and X. alter to σοφίαν, ‘wisdom.’ ‘Who is as _the_ wise?’ or, as ‎‏מי stands first, ‘ah, who is really wise?’ There is a double meaning here――a lamentation over his own failure, and a natural reflection on the superior wisdom of _the_ Wise One, or, as we should write, the Omniscient) =and who= (‘and who too’) =knows a solution= (פשר occurs Daniel ii. 4, 5, 6, etc., but in that prophet only, and is used to signify the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, hence LXX. λύσις) =of a reason=: (who then is so wise that he knows how to solve the matter, or give it its true interpretation? The answer follows) =that wisdom of a man enlightens= (but as חכמה follows חכם, it rises into importance, ‘that wisdom of a man which enlightens’) =his countenance= (there is a manifest allusion here to Proverbs xvi. 15, and the meaning of ‘enlightens his face’ is, ‘gives him favour or satisfaction’), =but= the =strength of his face= (which has the meaning of sternness or wilfulness, see Deuteronomy xxvii. 50) =is hated= (the Masorets propose the alteration from יְשֻׁנֶא to יְשֻׁנֶּה; but this was because they did not understand the context; the LXX. render ἀναιδὴς προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται, ‘but a man of shameless countenance will be hated,’ and also the Syriac, but strictly ישנא is impersonal, ‘one hates.’ The meaning then, read in the light of Proverbs xvi. 15, evidently is, that obstinacy is that which a king hates, and of course _a fortiori_ the Divine King). ♦ “VII.” replaced with “VIII.” ♠ “προσώπου” replaced with “προσώπῳ” 2 I _counsel thee_ to keep │ As for me, a royal word observe, the king’s commandment, and │ and upon reasoning about the _that_ in regard of the oath │ Divine decree, do not hasten. of God. │ (2.) =I= (emphatic, none of the ancient versions take any notice of this emphatic pronoun, a reason for which will appear presently) =the mouth of a king= (not the king, thus the literal meaning is, ‘I, a king’s word’) =keep= it (the explanation is to be found in the equivocal use of the word ‘king,’ which has an undertone of reference to the Great King: compare also chapter ii. 12, and observe how excellently a word of counsel suits the passage. The meaning therefore is, I will give you a royal word to keep, or guard), and =upon reasoning= (על דברת, see chapter iii. 18, and with the same meaning ‘upon the reasonings about,’ the Masorets put a strong distinctive accent on וְעַ֕ל, thus separating it from the following words, but this was because they did not see the exact meaning) =the oath of God= (see Deuteronomy vii. 8, Jeremiah xi. 5; the oath of God then is that which God has determined on, and we are especially to regard this, and take care that we use no hasty words or expressions about it).