Prov. 2 Solomon exhorteth his son to get Wisdom, Prov. 2:1–4; telleth him the benefit he shall receive thereby, Prov. 2:5–10, and the evils which he should avoid, Prov. 2:11–12. The wicked man’s ways are described, Prov. 2:13–20. A habitation promised the righteous, Prov. 2:21.

These words are spoken by Solomon, either, 1. In the name of wisdom, as before; or rather, 2. In his own name. Hide my commandments with thee; lay them up in thy mind and heart with care, as men do their choicest treasures.

Give thyself to the study of it with affection and diligence.

If thou criest, to wit, unto God, the only giver of it, Prov. 2:5, Heb. if thou callest; invitest it to come unto thee; earnestly desirest its conduct.

With the same unwearied diligence, and earnest desire, and patient expectation under all delays, disappointments, and difficulties, which worldlings use in the purchase of riches, or in digging in mines of silver.

Understand more perfectly and profitably; for that very seeking and searching after it, Prov. 2:4, supposed some understanding. The fear of the Lord; which is the beginning of this wisdom, Prov. 1:7.

Giveth wisdom, Heb. will give; hath promised to give it, to wit, to those that so seek it; whereby he also teacheth them not to ascribe any wisdom which they may obtain unto their own wit and industry, but only unto God’s favour and blessing.

Sound wisdom, Heb. essence or substance; either, 1. Solid and true felicity, opposed to the vain enjoyments of this world, which are said to have no substance or being, Prov. 23:5. Or, 2.

He keepeth the paths of judgment; he guardeth and guideth the paths or ways, i.e. the counsels and actions, of good men, as the next clause explains this, which are called paths of judgment, or righteous paths; judgment being here put for righteousness, as it is in Ps. 99:4, and oft elsewhere.

Then; when thou hast done thy part, expressed Prov. 2:1–3;c., and God in answer to thy desires hath given thee wisdom, Prov. 2:6; or when it is with thee, as it follows, Prov. 2:10. Righteousness, and judgment, and equity; all the parts of thy duty to man, as well as the fear of God, Prov.

When wisdom entereth into thine heart; when thou dost truly love it, and passionately desire it, and hide its precepts in thy heart, according to Ps. 119:11.

From wicked courses, and the mischiefs which attend upon them; as is particularly expressed in the following verses.

From the way of the evil man; from following his counsel or example, which others for want of wisdom commonly do. That speaketh froward things; with design to corrupt thy mind, and entice thee to evil principles or practices.

The paths of uprightness; the way of God’s precepts. Of darkness, i.e. of sin, which is oft called darkness, as Rom. 13:12;c. Eph. 5:11, because it comes from darkness, ignorance, and error, and loves darkness and hates light, and leads to utter darkness.

Who rejoice to do evil; seeking and embracing occasions of sin with diligence and greediness, and pleasing themselves both in the practice and remembrance of sin; whereas upright men abhor and watch against all occasions of sin beforehand, and mourn bitterly for it afterwards.

Whose ways are crooked, or, who make their ways crooked, i.e. whose course of life swerves from the right and straight way of God’s law.

From the strange woman; from the adulteress or whore; called strange, partly because such persons were commonly heathens, or are supposed to be such by reason of that severe law against these practices in Israelitish women, Deut.

The guide of her youth, to wit, her husband, whom she took to be her guide and governor, and that in her youth: which circumstance is added to aggravate her sin and shame, because love is commonly most sincere and fervent between a husband and wife of youth, as they are for that reason emphatically…

Her house inclineth unto death, conversation with her (which was most free and usual in her own house) is the ready and certain way to death, which it brings many ways; by wasting a man’s vital spirits, and shortening his life; by exposing him to many and dangerous diseases, which physicians have…

None; few or none; an hyperbolical expression, used Isa. 64:7. That go unto her; that go to her house, or that lie with her, as this phrase is used, Gen. 16:4, Gen. 30:4, Josh. 2:13. Return again, from her and from this wickedness, unto God.

This depends upon Prov. 2:11, and is mentioned as another happy fruit of wisdom, the former being declared from Prov. 2:12 to this verse. Walk in the way of good men; follow the counsels and examples of the godly; whereby he intimates that it is not sufficient to abstain from evil company and…

Shall have a peaceable and comfortable abode in the land of Canaan, which also is a type of their everlasting felicity. See Ps. 37:3, Ps. 37:9, Ps. 37:18, Ps. 37:29.