16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
How much better - to get wisdom than gold? - Who believes this, though spoken by the wisest of men, under Divine inspiration?
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold?.... To obtain and possess Christ, the fountain of wisdom, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which treasures are infinitely preferable to thousands of gold and silver; to gain the knowledge of him, and of God in him, with which eternal life is connected, and in comparison of which all things are loss and dung; to have wisdom in the hidden part, or grace in the heart, which is much more precious than gold that perisheth; to have a spiritual experimental knowledge of the Gospel, and the truths of it, which are more to be desired than gold, yea, than fine gold; all which are to be got by diligent search and inquiry, by prayer and asking for, and to be had or bought without money and without price; and the getting of them is above all other gettings; such wisdom is more valuable in itself, has a greater intrinsic worth in it than gold; it is more profitable and useful, more solid and satisfying; it is not only better, but it is abundantly better, it is inexpressibly so; it cannot be well said how much better it is, and therefore it is put by way of question and admiration; see Proverbs 3:13;
and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver? the same thing is designed as before, expressed in different words; a spiritual understanding of Christ and the Gospel, and an experience of the grace of God; though some, as Gersom, think that wisdom is something better than understanding, as gold, to which it is preferred, is better than silver. The Septuagint render it,
"nests of wisdom, and nests of understanding;''
and the Arabic version,
"buds of wisdom, and buds of understanding.''
There is joy and satisfaction of spirit, only in getting wisdom.
Five proverbs regarding wisdom, righteousness, humility, and trust in God, forming, as it were, a succession of steps, for humility is the virtue of virtues, and trust in God the condition of all salvation. Three of these proverbs have the word טוב in common.
16 To gain wisdom, how much better is it than gold;
And to attain understanding to be preferred to silver.
Commendation of the striving after wisdom (understanding) with which all wisdom begins, for one gains an intellectual possession not by inheritance, but by acquisition, Proverbs 4:7. A similar "parallel-comparative clause" (Fl.), with the interchange of טוב and נבחר, is Proverbs 22:1, but yet more so is Proverbs 21:3, where נבחר, as here, is neut. pred. (not, as at Proverbs 8:10 and elsewhere, adj.), and עשׂה, such an anomalous form of the inf. constr. as here קנה, Gesen. 75, Anm. 2; in both instances it could also be regarded as the inf. absol. (cf. Proverbs 25:27) (Lehrgebude, 109, Anm. 2); yet the language uses, as in the case before us, the form גּלה only with the force of an abl. of the gerund, as עשׂו occurs Genesis 31:38; the inf. of verbs 'ה'ל as nom. (as here), genit. (Genesis 50:20), and accus. (Psalm 101:3), is always either גּלות or גּלה. The meaning is not that to gain wisdom is more valuable than gold, but that the gaining of wisdom exceeds the gaining of gold and silver, the common comparatio decurtata (cf. Job 28:18). Regarding חרוּץ, vid., at Proverbs 3:14.
*More commentary available at chapter level.