XXII. of an Ænigma

    IN a continued trope, if there be a singular obscurity it is called ainigma, enigma, which signifies an obscure question, a knotty or dark speech; it is derived of ainisqesqai, which signifies to hint obscurely, and, as it were, to speak in the dark. And that comes from ainov, which amongst other things denotes not only praise, but a saying worthy of praise and admiration, because it is a symbolical and sinewy way of expression. It is said of the queen of Sheba, 1Ki 10:1, that "she came to try Solomon with hard questions," that is, enigmas, such as we now treat of. See Eze 17:2; Ps 78:2, with Ps 99:4.

    Jg 14:14, Sampson says to his guests, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness," this is a continued synecdoche, with the addition of a metonymy. By the eater and strong is meant a lion, by a synecdoche of the genus; by sweetness, honey, by a metonorny of the adjunct, as verse 18. Vossius after he had called this an enigma, Lib. iv. Instit. Orat. c. 11, thinks it was not really so, because it was unknown to the Philistines, that Sampson had killed a lion, or got honey out of his carcass, being a thing he had told to no person, as Jg 14:7,10,17. Ps 49:5, "I will fear in the evil day, the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about," the question is, what this evil day is, and what is the sin of iniquity of the heels? As to the first R. Aben Ezra, by "evil day," understands "old age," compared with Ec 12:1. In this sense, "Why should I trouble myself with the cares of this world, for the solicitude of old age?" R. Kimchi would have it in this sense, "why should I be solicitous for the riches of this world, which are its glory?" R. Solomon joining this with the next verse, thus expounds it. If the sins, which I do, as it were, trample upon my heels, and esteem light transgressions, yet in the judgment of God condemn me, how much more do riches condemn such as trust in them? See Ec 9:10, (&c.)

    Pr 26:10. It is a very perplexed text, and rendered variously by interpreters, which we leave to the inquiry of the learned. Erasmus calls that parabolical passage, Mt 12:43-45; Lu 11:14,25-26, an enigma, upon which see his paraphrase. See Glass. Rhet. Sacra, p. 508.

    To conclude, Franciscus Junius[1] says, that an enigma, is an obscure parable or allegory, which is more difficultly understood. Hence every parable or allegory is not to be reputed an enigma; but every enigma is an allegory, &c.

    184[1] Lib. 1. Paral. 8.