A great many of Solomon’s proverbs may be regarded in two lights, and I think a comparison between some of them will show that he was aware of the fact, and if so he could scarcely have avoided feeling some sense of the ludicrous, and even of having a slight idea of humour in its higher phases.  I shall allude in illustration of this to a proverb often quoted ironically at the present day.  “In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom,” and which we have combated and answered by a common domestic adage.

Again Solomon is rather hard upon the failings of the ladies, “The contentions of a wife,” he says, “are a continual dropping.”  “It is better to dwell in the corner of a housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house.”  “It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman.”  The meaning of all these sayings must be that women are of a very irritable and vexatious character.  But did Solomon really believe in the strong terms he used towards them.  We should say not to judge by his life, for he had “seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines;” and although he says that, “as a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman that is without discretion”—­a very strong comparison—­we may be sure that he had a great many of these despicable creatures domiciled in his own palace.

Solomon’s strictures with regard to money may also be regarded as of somewhat uncertain value:—­“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold,” sounds very well, although Solomon must have known that many men would prefer the latter, and history seems to say that he was not averse from it himself.  “He that is despised and hath a servant is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread,” shows at least some appreciation of the usefulness of wealth.  Ecclesiastes makes a more decided statement.  “Money answereth all things.”  I should imagine Solomon was as much alive to the two sides of the question, as was the Greek who on being asked scoffingly “why philosophers followed rich men, but rich men never followed philosophers,” replied, “Because philosophers know what they want, but rich men do not.”

In one place Solomon shows his consciousness that his proverbs may be viewed as true or false.  He gives two opposite propositions—­“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him,” and, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”  Shortly afterwards, he observes, as if the idea of perverting and turning proverbs was in his mind, “The legs of a lame man are not equal, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.”