Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 8

Verses 1-18

XXI

THE INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM (CONTINUED)

Proverbs 8:1-9:18.

The subject of Proverbs 8-9, wisdom personified and contrasted with Proverbs 7, is aptly stated by Perowne, thus:

The personification of Wisdom in this chapter is highly suggestive. Already in the opening verses of the Book (Proverbs 1:20-33) Wisdom has been personified, has "uttered her voice," as here she utters it, "in the street" and "in the chief places of concourse," and has pleaded, as here she pleads, with the sons of men. But here the fair impersonation, following closely upon the vivid picture of the immediately foregoing section, presents itself to us in striking and designed contrast to the dark form that passed before us there. Not lurking furtively at the corners of the streets, in the deepening twilight; not leading astray with swift and stealthy footsteps and beguiling with whispered subtleties, but with free and open grace, "in the top of high places by the way," in the sight of men, and with voice clear and melodious as a clarion-call does she utter forth her appeal (Proverbs 8:1-3). She speaks (Proverbs 8:4-36). While she addresses herself to every child of man, the "simple" and "fools" are specially invited to profit by her instruction (Proverbs 8:4-5). All her speech is plain and open, and needs only an intelligent ear to understand it (Proverbs 8:6-9). The treasures she offers are above all price, and such as even kings may covet (Proverbs 8:10-11). Telling us who she is and what she has to offer us (Proverbs 8:12-21), she goes on to affirm that her claim to attention is no less than that she is the eternal Possession and Fellow of Jehovah Himself, His joy and Counsellor in the creation and ordering of the universe, and that from the beginning her "delights were with the sons of men." (Proverbs 8:22-31). Therefore, on premises such as these, she pleads with us yet again, as her children, that we refuse not the blessedness which she offers (Proverbs 8:32-36).

Why, we ask ourselves, does not the wise Teacher, having in mind to draw away his sons from the seduction of vice by subjecting them to the mightier attractions of virtue, set over against the abandoned woman of his first picture the pure and faithful wife, with her charm of holy love, as the subject of his second picture. Why does he not counsel his scholars, as indeed he does elsewhere (Proverbs 8:15-19), to find in God’s holy ordinance the true remedy for the pleasures of sin which the temptress offers them? Because, in the first place, he would lead them higher, and commend to them a yet worthier object of supreme affection, an object which at once includes and surpasses all pure and lawful objects of human devotion. . . . And then also because through the Spirit of God which was his in him, the ideal of comprehensive Wisdom which his mind formed took personal shape, and stood before him as the embodiment of all human virtue and perfection, a prophecy and a promise, such as had been vouchsafed to the bodily senses of others, a "preluding of the Incarnation".

In Proverbs 8 we hear wisdom calling on top of the high places, at the crossroads and at the entrances of the city (Proverbs 8:1-3) ; she calls men, simple, and foolish, as well as the wise (Proverbs 8:4-5) ; her claim as to plainness of speech is that her sayings are excellent, righteous, and plain to him that understands (Proverbs 8:6-9); the treasures which she offers are instruction and knowledge which are more valuable than silver, gold, or rubies (Proverbs 8:10-11); what wisdom is and what she gives is found in Proverbs 8:12-21; her august claims are that she was in the beginning with Jehovah and was his great delight (Proverbs 8:22-31); her consequent appeal, then, was to heed her call, be wise and live (Proverbs 8:32-36).

Proverbs 9, with which the Introduction to the book of Proverbs concludes, consists of two parts, in which wisdom personified (w. 1-12) and folly (vv. 13-18) represented by a vicious woman are set once more in vivid contrast to each other, con-tending for the adherence of the children of men. Each has her house to receive them (Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 9:14), each her feast spread for them (Proverbs 9:2; Proverbs 9:17), each her invitation, couched, in part, at least, in identical terms (Proverbs 9:4; Proverbs 9:16), which she utters forth in the high places of the city (Proverbs 9:3; Proverbs 9:14). The balance and symmetry of these two parts are not, however, artistically preserved. Moral earnestness overpowers literary skill. The picture of wisdom (Proverbs 9:1-5) is followed by her prolonged address (Proverbs 9:7-12), for which the companion picture (Proverbs 9:13-17) has to wait, the section being closed by a single note of warning from the teacher himself (Proverbs 9:18).

The picture of wisdom in Proverbs 9:1-5 is the picture of a hostess, building her house, preparing her feast, sending out her invitations, and urging all classes to come and dine with her. This reminds us of the parable of the gospel feast as given by our Lord.

The meaning of the "seven pillars" of Proverbs 9:1 is significant. "Pillars form an important feature in Oriental Architecture, partly perhaps as a reminiscence of the tent with its supporting poles and partly also from the use of flat roofs, in consequence of which the chambers were either narrower, or divided into portions by columns." – Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, Art. "Pillar." Here, however, it is better to suppose that the great banquet hall is open all along the front, so as it were to invite entrance, the proof being supported by a row ("seven" is the usual symbol of completeness) of stately pillars. The magnificent hall in which the lords of the Philistines sat and watch-ed Samson make sport in the courtyard outside, while on its flat roof no fewer than 3,000 people were assembled, was construct-ed on this principle; the two central pillars of the colonnade forming a chief support of the roof (Judges 16:25-30).

To paraphrase Proverbs 9:6, it would read somewhat as follows: "Come to a decision; your present neutral position is not tenable. Your choice lies between wisdom and the scorner. Therefore, break altogether with the scorner and the wicked man, and become the guest of wisdom." Compare 2 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 7:1.

The thought expressed in Proverbs 9:7-9 is equal to that of Matthew 7:6, which gives the same thought exactly, thus: "Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you."

There is a principle enunciated in Proverbs 9:10, a promise in Proverbs 9:11 and a warning in Proverbs 9:12, viz: the principle of getting wisdom and understanding, the promise of long life and the warning against scorning lest he bear the penalty alone.

The description of the foolish woman is found in Proverbs 9:13. She is here described as clamorous, simple, and a know-nothing. Her methods and inducement are given in Proverbs 9:14-17. She sits at the door (or stands at the window) of her house and calls them that pass by, but only the simple heed her call, to whom she says her proverb: Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

The final warning as to the results of yielding to her is given in Proverbs 9:18. The poor, ignorant dupes do not know that under her house are the bodies of dead men whose spirits have been hurled into hell. We are here reminded of those hell holes in Paris, France, where many disappeared by means of the trapdoor, never to be seen again, of the case of one Mrs. Gunness who buried her scores, or the case of many roadhouses in modern times which are veritable traps of hell.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the subject of Proverbs 8-9, and what is the contrast here with Proverbs 7?

2. What is the deeper significance of this passage?

3. Where does wisdom call?

4. Whom does she call?

5. What is her claim as to plainness of speech?

6. What are the treasures which she offers?

7. What is wisdom and what does she give?

8. What are her august claims?

9. What, then, is her consequent appeal?

10. Of what does Proverbs 9 consist and what are the parallels between its parts?

11. What is the picture of wisdom here?

12. What is the meaning of the "seven pillars" of Proverbs 9:1?

13. What is the meaning of Proverbs 9:6?

14. What is the thought expressed in Proverbs 9:7-9?

15. What is the principle enunciated in Proverbs 9:10, what is the promise in Proverbs 9:11 and what is the warning in Proverbs 9:12?

16. What is the description of the foolish woman?

17. What are her methods and what inducement does she offer?

18. What is the final warning as to the results of yielding to her?