[b) Jahn thinks it improbable that the author of Samuel would have introduced the Psalm, if the collection of which it was a part had existed in his time. The conclusion does not seem to be very clear; for the author of Samuel may have thought proper to add a psalm to his work from an existing collection, or he may have added it from some common source. Tr.]

[c) After all, it is certainly very probable that the use of the Psalms in the public service would give rise to such a collection, for which, perhaps, some private collections would afford a supply. Eichhorn, who examines this subject, thinks that the first part was not originally intended for divine worship,-that David may have collected the first book, but not the second,—that there were certainly private collections of David's poems made in early times by religious Hebrews, and that hence arose our present Psalter. He remarks, that in such a collection some pieces of David's would naturally be omitted, and that if the collector affixed David's name to those Psalms only, to which he found it affixed in his copy, or which he certainly knew to belong to David, it will be seen why in the first collection, which contains a large part of David's poems, his name is sometimes omitted. Such a private collection would become enriched in the course of time with other poems, either of David or of other authors. See § 624, p. 33-37. Tr.]

[d) The following table, from DE WETTE, exhibits at one view the different numerations of the Hebrew and the Alexandrine version.

Ps. i-viii. in Heb. are Ps. i-viii.

in LXX.

[e) See Germ. Introd. p. 721. ROSENM. Proleg. ad Schol. P. lix

lxii. Tr.]

& 178. The Psalms of Degrees.

-: -

Fifteen Psalms (cxx-cxxxiv.) have each the title nibyen, which is usually translated a song of degrees, but which might be rendered a song of goings up, that is to say, of journeyings to Jerusalem. It can hardly indicate the return from Babylon, not to say that the 126th Psalm was composed some time after that event. It refers to

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the customary journeys to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the festivals; for these were not performed singly, but, in the oriental manner, in companies, chanting perhaps these songs by the way. The expression is very appropriate to these journeys, for the orientals are fond of using the phraseology going up, in reference to journeys to the metropolis.[a]

[a) See Dissertatio Chorographica notiones superi et inferi, indeque ascensus et decensus in chorographiis sacris occurrentis evolvens, ab A. G. BAUMGARTEN, Hala Magd. 1735. § 36. in Commentationes Theologicæ a VELTHUSEN, KUINOEL et RUPERTI editæ, Lips. 1798. Vol. V. p. 455. Comp. also JAHN's Archæology, Upham's translation, § 229. Tr.]

§ 179.

Whether there are any Psalms composed for choirs.

It is evident from Ps. xxiv. cxviii. and cxxxvi. that in some Psalms there are two choirs that chant. But it is not probable that wherever the person speaking is varied, as in Ps. ii. xxi. lxxxix. xci. xcv. cix. cxxi. cxxvi. cxxviii., the choirs were also changed; and much less, that where no change of the person speaking is observable, different choirs may still be distinguished, as NACHTIGAL contends, in his book entitled Zion, 1796.

The penitential Psalms (vi. xxv. xxxii. xxxv. xxxviii. li. and cxxx.) in the divine service,* are collected according to their subject; although all of them do not express penitence, but some utter complaints against enemies. The alphabetical Psalms (xxv. xxxiv. xxxvii. cxi. cxii. cxix. and cxlv.) comprise a variety of subjects; yet they deserve to be compared, for the purpose of examining the Hebrew method of versification.

[The author alludes to the serviee of the Romish church. Tr.]

in the strict sense of the term, but sententious declarations, such as the book really contains, relative to virtue and vice, to the conduct of domestic and public matters, to the education of offspring, to the government of a state, to the duties of children, parents, subjects, judges, magistrates and kings, to good and evil, and to happiness and misery. These declarations are. in some respects, similar to the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, and to the Proverbs of Lockman and Meidan. [a]

[a] See EICHHORN, Einleit. 630, entitled, Of the universality of Moral Sentences among the Ancients; and HOLDEN'S Preliminary Dissertation to his Attempt towards an Improved Translation of the Proverbs of Solomon, 8vo. London, 1819; p. vi. ss. Tr.]

§ 181. Contents of the book of Proverbs.

The book consists of three principal parts.

I. The first part, i.-ix., is a commmendation of wisdom. This expression is used to denote a wise course of conduct founded on correct views, and an inquiry after such knowledge as leads to a circumspect and virtuous life. Of this the fear of God, that is, true religion, is made the principal thing, and as it were the basis. Wicked

ness is then the very contrary. This commendation is urged upon the attention of the young, accompanied by those eternal truths, which can never be uttered too frequently nor with sufficient earnestness.

II. The second part, x.-xxii. 16, to which is prefixed the title of "the Proverbs of Solomon " is complete in itself, and contains short sententious declarations generally unconnected, although sometimes a connexion with the preceding sentence may be discovered.

III The third part comprehends the remainder of the book, and con prises six small divisions.- 1) The first begins with another commendation of wisdom, and then contains moral declarations somewhat more at length, relating chiefly to rich men and nobles, xxii. 17-xxiv. 22.- -2) The second division is introduced by a remarkable title, "these also belong to the wise," or, "are from the wise," and exhibits brief unconnected sentences, v. 23-34.—3) The third division, as the title shows, contains the collection of Solomon's proverbs, which was made by the learned under the reign of Hezekiah, xxv–xxix.--4) The fourth portion is composed of sayings of an unknown person, Agur the son of Jakeh. c. xxx. Jerome mistook this proper name for an appellative, and in the Vulgate translated the expression thus without any meaning, verba congregantis filii vomentis." The style of this part differs from that of the others, [a]--5) the fifth part relates the instruction of a queen to her son, king Lemuel. Both mother and son are alike unknown, and it has been conjectured that perhaps they are parabolical persons, and that Agur before mentioned is the author of the piece. xxxi. 1— 9.6) The last contains a description of a virtuous woman, in which the initial letters of the verses follow the order of the alphabet, xxxi. 10-31.

(a) HOLDEN, Prel. Diss. p. xvii. s. conjectures that Agur and Lemuel were both real personages, and respectively the authors of the 4th and 5th parts of the Book of Proverbs, in opposition to those who suppose that they are merely different names of Solomon. For a statement of various opinions on this subject and a refutation of them, see HoLDen, pp. xvii.- -XXV. Tr.]

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§ 182.

קרת

Whether Solomon is the author of the Proverbs. These sententious sayings, with the exception of those contained in c. xxx, xxxi, which the title ascribes to Agur, are attributed in i. 1. x. 1. xxv. 1. to Solomon, who is said in I Kings, v. 12. (iv. 32.) to have composed 3000 proverbs. That they are the work of one author is proved, not only by the frequent recurrence of some particular words, as for city, in viii. 3. ix. 3, 14. xi. 11., and ¡n for the inmost parts, in xviii. 8. xx. 27 30. xxvi. 22 comp. vii. 27., but also by the sameness of the style throughout; so that the fact of Solomon's having been the author, which is implied in xxii. 20-22 and expressly declared in xxv. 1. can hardly be considered as doubtful. So large a number of sayings could not indeed have proceeded from a single author continuously and without intermission; but it involves no difficulty, to suppose as many, or even more, to have been uttered during a considerable period of time and at various intervals.

But no one would maintain that the book as we now have it was published by Solomon, for the titles show that the two last chapters are not his, and that the proverbs after xxv. 1., were collected by learned men of Hezekiah's reign. Indeed it does not seem probable, that Solomon composed the first 24 chapters in the state in which they are at present. In I Kings, v. 12. (iv. 32.) our book of Proverbs is not attributed to Solomon; it is only said that he spoke 3000 proverbs. It seems, therefore, that on various occasions he uttered viva voce these and many other sayings, and that the royal notary or chancellor,

, in discharge of his office, entered these in the annals of the kingdom, noting also the occasion on which the king had uttered any proverb. Afterwards, perhaps at the king's command, these sayings were collected from the annals by the chancellor and, omitting the occasion when they were uttered, introduced into a separate volume, to which the king wrote or dictated the exordium, i-ix. From this work, which it was troublesome to transcribe in full, different persons wrote out such portions as were particularly agreeable to them, so that the complete work itself was but seldom transcribed, and at length perished. A great part of the book therefore was lost; and, upon the loss being observed, the deficiencies were as far as pos