The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Ver. 19. The Lord by wisdom.] By his essential Wisdom, by his Eternal Word; Pro 8:30 the Lord Christ, who is "the beginning of the creation of God." Rev 3:14 See Trapp on " Joh 1:3 " "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," Gen 1:1 that is, in his Son, as some interpret it. Heb 1:2 Col 1:16 This interpretation is grounded upon the Jerusalem Targum, who translates that, Gen 1:1 bechochmatha, in sapientia. So doth Augustine and others; and for confirmation they bring John 8:25; but that is a mistake, as Beza shows in his Annotations there.
He established the heavens.] Heb., He aptly and trimly framed them in that comeliness that we now see. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Psa 19:1 Upon the third heaven he hath bestowed a great deal of curious skill and cunning workmanship. τεχνιτης , Heb 11:10 But of that no natural knowledge can be had, nor any help by human arts, geometry, optics, &c.; for it neither is aspectable nor moveable. The visible heavens are (for the many varieties therein, and the wonderful motion of the several spheres) fitly called Kοσμος. a The original word here used, ratione coniugationis plus aliquid significat quam paravit, vel stabilivit. "Conen," Mirum in modum disposuit; he hath cunningly contrived. And hence haply our ancient English word koning, and by contraction king, coming of the verb con, which signifies (as Becanus noteth) possum, scio, audeo - I can, I know, I dare do it.
a Coelum maxime eo nomine intelligunt Graeci. - Mercer.