John Trapp on Proverbs 1:7

Verſ. 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning] Or the chief and principal pointThe head or firſt-fruits; the head and heigh. of wiſdome (as the word here ſignifieth) yea, wiſdome it ſelf, Job 28.28. This Solomon had learned by the inſtruction of his Father (as it is in the next verſe) who had taught it him of a childe. Prov. 4.4. with Pſal. 111.10. and therefore ſets it here in the beginning of his works, as the beginning of all:Hoc eſt enim totus homo. As in the end hee makes it the end of all, Eccleſ. 12.13. yea, the All of man, without which hee counts him not a compleat man, though never ſo wiſe to the world-ward. Heathen Sages, as Seneca, Socrates, &c. were wiſe in their Generation, and had many excellent gifts, but they miſſed of the main; there was no fear of God before their eyes: Being herein as Alchimiſts, who miſs of their end, but yet finde many excellent things by the way. Theſe Merchants found goodly pearls, but the pearl of price they failed of, Mat. 13.45, 46. The Prophet calls the fear of God our treaſure, Iſa. 33.6.

But fools deſpiſe] Fools; ſo are all ſuch as fear not God, being abominable, diſobedient, and to every good work reprobate, or injudicious, Tit. 1.16. Evil is Hebrew for a fool; Nebul[illegible: 1 letter] of Nabal, Fool of [non-Latin text not transcribed]. When one highly commended the Cardinal Julian to Sigiſmund, hee anſwered, Tamen Romanus eſt, Yet hee is a Popeling; So, yet hee is a Fool, becauſe void of Gods true fear. Behold they have rejected the word of the Lord, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Ariſt. Rhe[illegible: 1 letter]. and what wiſdome is in them? Jer. 8.9.