INTRODUCTION.

§ 1. NAMES.

1. The Masoretic title is Proverbs of Solomon (naby bwa, Mishle Shelōmo, by the later Jews usually abridged to Mishle). That this is old appears to be shown by the Grk. (B) title παροιμίαι (the subscription is simply π. in Cod. Β, π. Σαλομωντος in 8, π. Σoλ. in A and C). The name might naturally have been suggested by 1 K. 432 (512), but would originally have been given to the collection 10-2216, whence it would have been extended to the whole book as additions were made to it from time to time. That this was the common Talmudic title is shown by Bertheau.* On the meaning of mashal and its synonyms see notes on 11.6 within.

2. By early Christian writers the book was commonly called Wisdom or All-virtuous Wisdom,† † naváρeтos σodía, names which were also given to Ben-Sira (Ecclesiasticus) and Wisdom of Solomon. Other designations were σoon Bißλos (Dionys. of Alex.) and αidaywуikỳ σopía (Greg. Naz. Orat. 11). Whether this σodía represents an ancient Heb. title man is uncertain. Fritzsche (Die Weisheit Jesus-Sirach's, Einl. p. xx) holds that the name σopía given to Ben-Sira bears witness to a similar name for our Proverbs; but this is not certain. It is possible that the title Wisdom was common in Jewish circles, and thence passed to the Christians; so Hegesippus (quoted by Euseb. ubi sup.) refers the

* Einleitung to his Comm'y on Sprüche.

+ Clem. Rom. Cor. 157, Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 4, 22.

The expres

Cf. Fritzsche, Weish. Jes.-Sirach; Nowack, Sprüche Salomo's. sions σopia and ǹ rav. σop. sometimes, however, designate Wisdom simply (as the speaker), and are not titles of books. Cf. Frankenberg, Die Sprüche, Einl., § I.