Proverbs 8:14

Counsel [is] mine, and sound wisdom,.... The words and sentiments in this and the following clause are the same with those in Job 12:13; and scent to be taken from thence, which are spoken of God;

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. Counsel (is) mine, and sound wisdom. It is only with me that wisdom, solid, salutary, and substantial, in all possible contingencies, is to be found.

Sound wisdom: all solid, and substantial, and useful, yea essential wisdom, is natural and essential to me, for the word properly signifies essence. I am understanding, or, my nature and essence, as was now said. Or, I am the author of understanding; as . This is life eternal, i.e. this is the cause or means of it. I have strength courage and resolution to execute all my counsels, and to conquer all difficulties.

Proverbs 8:14 Counsel [is] mine, and sound wisdom: I [am] understanding; I have strength.Ver. 14. Counsel is mine, &c.] Christ is "wise in heart, and mighty in strength," his Church’ s both counsellor and champion; and though she be but a "virgin daughter of Zion," yet she despiseth her adversary, and laughs him to scorn, because she hath one that is in love with her, and will fight her quarrel, who is Aμφοτεροςβασιλευςταγαθος, κρατεροςταιχμητης. Hostibus haud tergo sed forti pectore notus. De Achille Homerus. De Achille Catullus.

(14) Sound wisdom.—See above on Proverbs 2:7. Strength.—Comp. Ecclesiastes 7:19. For these various gifts of wisdom, comp. Isaiah 11:2.

Verse 14. Counsel is mine] Direction how to act in all circumstances and on all occasions must come from wisdom: the foolish man can give no counsel, cannot show another how he is to act in the various changes and chances of life. The wise man alone can give this counsel; and he can give it only as continually receiving instruction from God: for this Divine wisdom can say, תושיה TUSHIYAH, substance, reality, essence, all belong to me: I am the Fountain whence all are derived. Man may be wise, and good, and prudent, and ingenious; but these he derives from me, and they are dependently in him. But in me all these are independently and essentially inherent. And sound wisdom] See above. This is a totally false translation: תושיה tushiyah means essence, substance, reality; the source and substance of good. How ridiculous the support derived by certain authors from this translation in behalf of their system! See the writers on and quoters of Prov 8 (note). I have strength.] Speaking still of wisdom, as communicating rays of its light to man, it enables him to bring every thing to his aid; to construct machines by which one man can do the work of hundreds. From it comes all mathematical learning, all mechanical knowledge; from it originally came the inclined plane, the wedge, the screw, the pulley, in all its multiplications; and the lever, in all its combinations and varieties, came from this wisdom. And as all these can produce prodigies of power, far surpassing all kinds of animal energy, and all the effects of the utmost efforts of muscular force; hence the maxim of Lord Bacon, "Knowledge is power," built on the maxim of the tushiyah itself; לי גבורה li geburah, MINE IS STRENGTH.

14. sound wisdom] So the same word is rendered both by A.V. and R.V. in Proverbs 2:7. Here, however, R.V. renders sound knowledge, and in marg. offers the alternative, effectual working.

14. Counsel is mine, etc. — It is doubtful whether this rendering gives the precise idea of the original.