Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 9:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 9:3. She hath sent forth her maidens — The wisdom of God has made use of the most proper means to communicate Divine knowledge to the inhabitants of the earth; as a good and gracious Creator wills to teach them whence they came, how they are supported, whither they are going, and for what end they were formed. It is a custom to the present day, in Asiatic countries, to send their invitations to guests by a company of females, preceded by eunuchs: they go to the doors of the invited, and deliver their message.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Invitations from ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Folly’ (9:1-18)

Wisdom is again personified in a gracious lady. This time she invites the silly and the ignorant to a great feast that she has prepared in her magnificent house. She wants them to come and enjoy the life-giving gifts of wisdom and discernment that she freely offers (9:1-6).
Whether people desire wisdom depends largely upon the character they have developed in themselves over the years. When people grow conceited in their opinions and blind to their failures, they usually react with bitterness when criticized. Those who are wise welcome criticism and so increase their wisdom (7-9). People are responsible individually for their own gain or loss of wisdom. Everything depends on whether they are willing to learn from God (10-12).
In contrast to the invitation of the gracious lady Wisdom is the invitation of the shameless prostitute Folly. She also invites the silly and the ignorant, but the only thing she can offer is stolen food to be eaten in secret - unlawful pleasures that ruin a person’s life (13-18).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE INVITATION OF WISDOM

"Wisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; She hath also furnished her table: She hath sent forth her maidens; She crieth upon the highest places of the city: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat ye of my bread. And drink of the wine that I have mingled. Leave off, ye simple ones, and live; And walk in the way of understanding."

"Wisdom hath builded her house… hewn out her seven pillars" These words stress the infinite preparation and experience that lie behind the true wisdom of God, as revealed in the Bible. "The allegorical interpretations of the seven pillars are numberless,"The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 4, p. 834. but we have not found any which we are willing to accept. "The seven pillars were an ordinary architectural feature of the times introduced here as the usual appendage of a house."International Critical Commentary, Vol. 17, p. 184. It may be assumed that a house with seven pillars was a magnificent dwelling. "In ancient Nineveh, Sennacherib's new year festival house, discovered in recent years, had seven pillars."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 558.

"She hath killed her beasts… mingled her wine… furnished her table" The RSV has mixed instead of mingled. "The parable of the Great Supper (Matthew 22; Luke 14) may perhaps be modeled on this passage."Arthur S. Peake, A Commentary on the Bible (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 402. "There is an evident connection between them."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 559.

What is meant by Wisdom having mixed her wine? The truth might not be very welcome to liquor-soaked America, but the truth is that the more enlightened ancients did not drink undiluted wine. Harris noted that, "The book of 2 Maccabees declares that wine undiluted with water was thought to be distasteful."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 565. Especially, "The Greeks used diluted wine; and that usage became general, especially among the Hebrews. Rabbi Eliezer even forbade the saying of the table-blessing over undiluted wine. The proportion of the mixture that was water was large, only about one fourth to one third of the mixture being wine. The wine of the Last Supper may be described as a sweet, red, fermented wine rather highly diluted."Burton Scott Easton in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago, Illinois: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), p. 3,087.

This does not mean that the sinners of ancient times diluted their wine. Drunkenness was a common sin, and the wine that usually caused it was not diluted. The significant thing, however, is that Wisdom diluted hers! There was also an ancient custom of mingling certain spices with wine, thus enhancing the taste of it and making it even more potent. This is thought to be mentioned in Isaiah 5:22. However, Keil insisted that even in that passage, "The reference is to mingling wine with water."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), Vol. 6, p. 198. Toy pointed out that, "What sort of mixing is here intended is uncertain."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 185. We think it is certain. Wisdom would certainly not have doctored up her wine with any kind of drugs and spices to make it more powerful. She would have diluted it with water.

"She crieth from the highest places of the city" The contrast is between the appeal of Wisdom from the most prominent places on earth and that of the clandestine, secret, under-cover-of-darkness operations of Folly, the vice described in the previous chapter.

"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither" The simple here are ALL MEN in that phase of life in which vital and permanent choices are to be made. There is no reference here to the feeble minded or the handicapped. It is the great paradox of human life that the choices and decisions that determine destiny come at quite an early time, that time which all mankind passes through, and during which, "Ye simple ones" is the proper address.

"Come, eat ye of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" Toy, who was so crassly literal in his interpretation of that firm ("solid dome") sky back in Proverbs 8:28 had no trouble seeing the figurative nature of this passage, of which he wrote, "The invitation here is figurative."International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 187. We also find here other overtones which speak to us of that Greater Wisdom who is Christ. "This passage is parallel to the higher teaching of the holy Gospels (John 6:27; Matthew 26:26)."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 Edition), Proverbs, p. 33. He who has been made "The Wisdom of God to us (1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30) also invites those who love him to "Eat of this bread… and drink of this cup."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Wisdom and the “foolish woman” Proverbs 9:13 speak from the same places and to the same class - the simple, undecided, wavering, standing at the diverging point of the two paths that lead to life or death.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 9 continues in its praise of wisdom.

Wisdom hath built her house, she has hewn out the seven pillars: She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; and she has furnished her table. And she has sent forth her maidens: and she cries upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she says to him, Come, and eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding ( Proverbs 9:1-6 ).

In other words, wisdom is inviting everybody to come and partake of her. That is why David said to Solomon, "Hey, son, wisdom's the principal thing. Get wisdom." Now Solomon's saying, "Wisdom is inviting people. I prepared a banquet. I've prepared for you. Come and partake of me." And now he says in verse Proverbs 9:7 ,

He that reproves a scorner will be mocked ( Proverbs 9:7 ):

If you have a scorner and you reprove him, what is he going to do? He's going to turn right around and mock you. He's not going to receive it.

and he that rebukes a wicked man [going to get smashed in the nose]. So reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: but if you rebuke a wise man, he will love you for it ( Proverbs 9:7-8 ).

So if you rebuke someone and he punches you in the nose, you know he's wicked. If he loves you for it, you know he's a wise man. One of the proverbs says, "A fool hateth instruction."

So give instruction to the wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom ( Proverbs 9:9-10 ):

Now this sounds very much like verse Proverbs 9:6 of chapter 1 where after Solomon introduces Proverbs and tells you what a proverb is and what the purpose of proverbs are, he begins with the first proverb declaring, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" ( Proverbs 1:6 ). Now he says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And it sounds like these are parallel statements, but there's a vast difference between the two. And the difference lies not in the difference between wisdom and knowledge, but the difference between the word beginning in the Hebrew that is translated in both places beginning. They are two different Hebrew words with two different meanings.

After telling what a proverb is and what the purpose of proverbs are, to gain understanding and to know the way of righteousness and so forth, he then declared, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." The word in verse Proverbs 9:6 of chapter 1 is a Hebrew word which means "the sum total of knowledge." All knowledge is encompassed in the fear of the Lord. In other words, if a man doesn't fear the Lord, he's dumb, stupid. The fear of the Lord is really the sum of knowledge.

The word beginning here is the Hebrew word for primary or commencement, the starting place. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," the starting place for wisdom. It's the sum total of knowledge but it's the starting place of wisdom. Now the difference between wisdom and knowledge is that knowledge will give you facts. Wisdom will direct you to the correct action in lieu of these facts.

There are a lot of people that have a lot of knowledge, but they don't have much wisdom. They may have a lot of facts. They may have a lot of knowledge stored up in their head, but they're absolutely dumb when it comes to their actions. I am constantly amazed at what dumb things smart men do. Men who have their Ph.D.s and all of this vast knowledge, and yet they don't have any wisdom. They're just off their rockers.

The government keeps a group of men that are almost humanoids. And they sit day after day at these desks in these think tanks, and these guys when they start shaving, just shave all the way, you know. Their heads are bare and big heads, and they just sit there at the desk day after day after day just sitting, and the government pays them royally for this. And they are thinking in these far out abstract concepts. And they may sit there for a month and never say a word to anybody. You can walk in, walk around. They don't even recognize that you're there. And yet, they come up with these outlandish, far out concepts. Pretty soon after several months, they'll go up the board and start writing out formulas and all these kind of stuff, designs. And then the government has other men who have to take these formulas and designs and see if they'll really work.

We have a friend who was in the second phase, and he told us about these little humanoids almost that sit there at their desks, and of these wild kind of concepts. How that they are thinking about how to transmit brainwave patterns from the outsides so that people can see without eyes. You know, just by the transmitting of brainwave patterns that go across the place so they get the illusion of sight and so forth, though they don't have eyes. Or transmit the sound in without the hearing apparatus, normal hearing apparatus; you'll be able to hear. And all these kind of things that they are actually working on and developing and trying to create. Far out kind of concepts.

Now these guys have a lot of knowledge, but they don't have much wisdom. This friend of mine was telling me that quite often they'll be stuck, because, he said, they cannot, many of them cannot add a simple column of figures. Their minds are too complex to deal with simple math. And of course, they don't have any family life. I mean, they just live an isolated kind of existence in their own sort of in their own minds, and they are just trained to get into themselves and into their own minds and concepts. Far out kind of stuff.

So knowledge is having an accumulation of facts. Wisdom is knowing what to do with them. The proper use of knowledge or the application of knowledge. So the importance of wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning," that's the starting place of wisdom.

Last chapter we read, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" ( Proverbs 8:13 ). Fear of the Lord. The word fear bugs some people because we have in our minds the concept of a phobia. But the word translated fear is not a phobia type of fear. But it is that kind of awe and reverential fear as we really think about God, His greatness, His power, who He is. Just that awe that comes over you. So that fear of the Lord, desiring to do what God would have me to do. Love what God loves. Hate what God hates. That desire recognizing who God is. To seek to please Him, that's what the fear of the Lord is about. That's the beginning of wisdom.

and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding ( Proverbs 9:10 ).

We are living in a day and age when we have so confused the issue of good and evil, right and wrong. That people really don't know what is right or what is wrong. We have the Situation Ethics. And now more recently, this value clarification where there is the denial of any kind of universal base of good or truth or right. It's all relative to the situation. But understanding the knowledge of the holy, that which is holy, that which is pure, that's what understanding is about. It's understanding God and what He has declared.

Wisdom is still speaking and it says.

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If you be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. A foolish woman is clamorous ( Proverbs 9:11-13 ):

He evidently knew much, a lot about women. He had enough wives to have quite an understanding. No doubt in the law of averages, you have a thousand wives you're going to have some really weird ones, contentious ones and everything else. And he'll get to them later on. "A foolish woman is clamorous."

she is simple, she doesn't know anything. For she sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call the passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in to her: and as for him that wants understanding, she says to him, [Hey] stolen waters are sweet, bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he doesn't know that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell ( Proverbs 9:13-18 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Wisdom’s feast 9:1-6

The parallel between wisdom’s invitation and the one Jesus Christ extended to everyone to come to His feast illustrates the connection between wisdom and responding positively to God’s Word (Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24). The "seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1) may represent a typical banquet pavilion, or they may be an allusion to the cosmos (cf. Proverbs 8:22-31) that God made in seven days. Some of the ancients envisioned the world as resting on seven pillars. Possibly the seven pillars refer to seven sections of text in chapters 2-7. [Note: Patrick W. Skehan, Studies in Israelite Poetry and Wisdom, pp. 9-14.] "Seven" to the Jews indicated perfection. Wisdom’s invitation (Proverbs 9:5) sounds like a gospel invitation (cf. John 6:51; John 6:55). The parallel between wisdom and walking in God’s ways (godliness) is again clear in this pericope.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

C. Wisdom and folly contrasted ch. 9

This chapter contrasts wisdom and folly in a very symmetrical structure. Proverbs 9:1-6 correspond to Proverbs 9:13-18 remarkably. This chiastic form of presentation sets off the central verses (Proverbs 9:7-12) as the most important in the chapter.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

She hath sent forth her maidens,.... Not moral virtues, or good works, which subserve the interest of Christ and religion, adorn the Gospel and its professors; nor the liberal arts and sciences, said to be handmaids to divinity; nor angels, ministering spirits to Christ; but the ministers of the Gospel, who being so called does not suppose or encourage women's preaching; but have the name to keep up the decency of the parable, and the propriety of the allegory: for since Wisdom is represented as a lady, a princess or queen, it is proper that her attendants should be maidens, or that she should employ such in inviting her guests; as Rebekah, Pharaoh's daughter, Esther, and others, are said to have their maidens to wait upon them: and besides, it very fitly expresses the character of Gospel ministers; as that they are the servants of Christ, followers of him, obsequious to him, humble and modest, incorrupt in doctrine, pure in conversation, and whose voice is soft, pleasant, and delightful: being not the rough voice of the law, but the still, small, musical voice of the Gospel; a voice of love, grace, and mercy; of peace, pardon, and righteousness, liberty, life, and salvation; very charming, alluring, and drawing. These Christ has a property in; he chooses and calls them, and fits them for his service; and they give up themselves to him, and willingly engage in it. And these he "sends forth": from him they have their mission and commission to preach the Gospel; to invite persons to the Gospel feast, to partake of the provisions he has made: he sends them forth publicly into the world, into all places where his people are, into the streets and lanes; yea, to the hedges and highways, to invite, and even to compel them to come in. And this supposes superiority in him, and authority given to them;

she crieth upon the high places of the city; this is to be understood of the preaching of the Gospel, both by Christ himself in person, in the city of Jerusalem, in the temple, and other public places; and by his ministers, and by him speaking in them there or elsewhere; and which is not a mere whisper, but a cry, a proclamation made aloud, and to be delivered with fervency and earnestness: the "city" may mean the church of God, and the "highest places" the ordinances thereof; and may in general denote the publicness of them; which are in the church, as the wings or pinnacles of the higher parts or buildings of a city are in that, as the word l signifies.

l על גפי "super alas"; Montanus, so Ben Melech; "super pinnis", Piscator, Amama; "in pinnnaculis": Cocceius; "super convexitatibas", Schultens.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:   2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.   3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,   4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,   5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.   6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.   7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.   8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.   9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.   10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.   11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.   12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

      Wisdom is here introduced as a magnificent and munificent queen, very great and very generous; that Word of God is this Wisdom in which God makes known his goodwill towards men; God the Word is this Wisdom, to whom the Father has committed all judgment. He who, in the chapter before, showed his grandeur and glory as the Creator of the world, here shows his grace and goodness as the Redeemer of it. The word is plural, Wisdoms; for in Christ are hid treasures of wisdom, and in his undertaking appears the manifold wisdom of God in a mystery. Now observe here,

      I. The rich provision which Wisdom has made for the reception of all those that will be her disciples. This is represented under the similitude of a sumptuous feast, whence it is probable, our Saviour borrowed those parables in which he compared the kingdom of heaven to a great supper, Matthew 22:2; Luke 14:16. And so it was prophesied of, Isaiah 25:6. It is such a feast as Ahasuerus made to show the riches of his glorious kingdom. The grace of the gospel is thus set before us in the ordinance of the Lord's supper. To bid her guests welcome, 1. Here is a stately palace provided, Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 9:1. Wisdom, not finding a house capacious enough for all her guests, has built one on purpose, and, both to strengthen it and to beautify it, she has hewn out her seven pillars, which make it to be very firm, and look very great. Heaven is the house which Wisdom has built to entertain all her guests that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb; that is her Father's house, where there are many mansions, and whither she has gone to prepare places for us. She has hanged the earth upon nothing, there in it we have no continuing city; but heaven is a city that has foundations, has pillars. The church is Wisdom's house, to which she invites her guests, supported by the power and promise of God, as by seven pillars. Probably, Solomon refers to the temple which he himself had lately built for the service of religion, and to which he would persuade people to resort, both to worship God and to receive the instructions of Wisdom. Some reckon the schools of the prophets to be here intended. 2. Here is a splendid feast got ready (Proverbs 9:2; Proverbs 9:2): She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; plenty of meat and drink are provided, and all of the best. She has killed her sacrifice (so the word is); it is a sumptuous, but a sacred feast, a feast upon a sacrifice. Christ has offered up himself a sacrifice for us, and it is his flesh that is meat indeed and his blood that is drink indeed. The Lord's supper is a feast of reconciliation and joy upon the sacrifice of atonement. The wine is mingled with something richer than itself, to give it a more than ordinary spirit and flavour. She has completely furnished her table with all the satisfactions that a soul can desire-righteousness and grace, peace and joy, the assurances of God's love, the consolations of the Spirit, and all the pledges and earnests of eternal life. Observe, It is all Wisdom's own doing; she has killed the beasts, she has mingled the wine, which denotes both the love of Christ, who makes the provision (he does not leave it to others, but takes the doing of it into his own hands), and the excellency of the preparation. That must needs be exactly fitted to answer the end which Wisdom herself has the fitting up of.

      II. The gracious invitation she has given, not to some particular friends, but to all in general, to come and take part of these provisions. 1. She employs her servants to carry the invitation round about in the country: She has sent forth her maidens,Proverbs 9:3; Proverbs 9:3. The ministers of the gospel are commissioned and commanded to give notice of the preparations which God has made, in the everlasting covenant, for all those that are willing to come up to the terms of it; and they, with maiden purity, not corrupting themselves or the word of God, and with an exact observance of their orders, are to call upon all they meet with, even in the highways and hedges, to come and feast with Wisdom, for all things are now ready,Luke 14:23. 2. She herself cries upon the highest places of the city, as one earnestly desirous of the welfare of the children of men, and grieved to see them rejecting their own mercies for lying vanities. Our Lord Jesus was himself the publisher of his own gospel; when he had sent forth his disciples he followed them to confirm what they said; nay, it began to be spoken by the Lord,Hebrews 2:3. He stood, and cried, Come unto me. We see who invited; now let us observe,

      (1.) To whom the invitation is given: Whoso is simple and wants understanding,Proverbs 9:4; Proverbs 9:4. If we were to make an entertainment, of all people we should not care for, much less court, the company of such, but rather of philosophers and learned men, that we might hear their wisdom, and whose table-talk would be improving. "Have I need of madmen?" But Wisdom invites such, because what she has to give is what they most need, and it is their welfare that she consults, and aims at, in the preparation and invitation. He that is simple is invited, that he may be made wise, and he that wants a heart (so the word is) let him come hither, and he shall have one. Her preparations are rather physic than food, designed for the most valuable and desirable cure, that of the mind. Whosoever he be, the invitation is general, and excludes none that do not exclude themselves; though they be ever so foolish, yet, [1.] They shall be welcome. [2.] They may be helped; they shall neither be despised nor despaired of. Our Saviour came, not to call the righteous, but sinners, not the wise in their own eyes, who say they see (John 9:41), but the simple, those who are sensible of their simplicity and ashamed of it, and him that is willing to become a fool, that he may be wise,1 Corinthians 3:18.

      (2.) What the invitation is. [1.] We are invited to Wisdom's house: Turn in hither. I say we are, for which of us is there that must not own the character of the invited, that are simple and want understanding? Wisdom's doors stand open to such, and she is desirous to have some conversation with them, one word for their good, nor has she any other design upon them. [2.] We are invited to her table (Proverbs 9:5; Proverbs 9:5): Come, eat of my bread, that is, taste of the true pleasures that are to be found in the knowledge and fear of God. By faith acted on the promises of the gospel, applying them to ourselves and taking the comfort of them, we feed, we feast, upon the provisions Christ has made for poor souls. What we eat and drink we make our own, we are nourished and refreshed by it, and so are our souls by the word of God; it has that in it which is meat and drink to those that have understanding.

      (3.) What is required of those that may have the benefit of this invitation, Proverbs 9:6; Proverbs 9:6. [1.] They must break off from all bad company: "Forsake the foolish, converse not with them, conform not to their ways, have no fellowship with the works of darkness, or with those that deal in such works." The first step towards virtue is to shun vice, and therefore to shun the vicious. Depart from me, you evil-doers. [2.] They must awake and arise from the dead; they must live, not in pleasure (for those that do so are dead while they live), but in the service of God; for those only that do so live indeed, live to some purpose. "Live not a mere animal-life, as brutes, but now, at length, live the life of men. Live and you shall live; live spiritually, and you shall live eternally," Ephesians 5:14. [3.] They must choose the paths of Wisdom, and keep to them: "Go in the way of understanding; govern thyself henceforward by the rules of religion and right reason." It is not enough to forsake the foolish, but we must join ourselves with those that walk in wisdom, and walk in the same spirit and steps.

      III. The instructions which Wisdom gives to the maidens she sends to invite, to the ministers and others, who in their places are endeavouring tot serve her interests and designs. She tells them,

      1. What their work must be, not only to tell in general what preparation is made for souls, and to give a general offer of it, but they must address themselves to particular persons, must tell them of their faults, reprove, rebuke,Proverbs 9:7; Proverbs 9:8. They must instruct them how to amend--teach,Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 9:9. The word of God is intended, and therefore so is the ministry of that word, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.

      2. What different sorts of persons they would meet with, and what course they must take with them, and what success they might expect.

      (1.) They would meet with some scorners and wicked men who would mock the messengers of the Lord, and misuse them, would laugh those to scorn that invite them to the feast of the Lord, as they did, 2 Chronicles 30:10, would treat them spitefully,Matthew 22:6. And, though they are not forbidden to invite those simple ones to Wisdom's house, yet they are advised not to pursue the invitation by reproving and rebuking them. Reprove not a scorner; cast not these pearls before swine,Matthew 7:6. Thus Christ said of the Pharisees, Let them alone,Matthew 15:14. "Do not reprove them." [1.] "In justice to them, for those have forfeited the favour of further means who scorn the means they have had. Those that are thus filthy, let them be filthy still; those that are joined to idols, let them alone; lo, we turn to the Gentiles." [2.] "In prudence to yourselves; because, if you reprove them," First, "You lose your labour, and so get to yourselves shame for the disappointment." Secondly, "You exasperate them; do it ever so wisely and tenderly, if you do it faithfully, they will hate you, they will load you with reproaches, and say all the ill they can of you, and so you will get a blot; therefore you had better not meddle with them, for your reproofs will be likely to do more hurt than good."

      (2.) They would meet with others, who are wise, and good, and just; thanks be to God, all are not scorners. We meet with some who are so wise for themselves, to just to themselves, as to be willing and glad to be taught; and when we meet with such, [1.] If there be occasion, we must reprove them; for wise men are not so perfectly wise but there is that in them which needs a reproof; and we must not connive at any man's faults because we have a veneration for his wisdom, nor must a wise man think that his wisdom exempts him from reproof when he says or does any thing foolishly; but the more wisdom a man has the more desirous he should be to have his weaknesses shown him, because a little folly is a great blemish to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. [2.] With our reproofs we must give them instruction, and must teach them, Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 9:9. [3.] We may expect that our doing so will be taken as a kindness, Psalms 141:5. A wise man will reckon those his friends who deal faithfully with him: "Rebuke such a one, and he will love thee for thy plain dealing, will thank thee, and desire thee to do him the same good turn another time, if there be occasion." It is as great an instance of wisdom to take a reproof well as to give it well, [4.] Being taken well, it will do good, and answer the intention. A wise man will be made wiser by the reproofs and instructions that are given him; he will increase in learning, will grow in knowledge, and so grow in grace. None must think themselves too wise to learn, nor so good that they need not be better and therefore need not be taught. We must still press forward, and follow on to know till we come to the perfect man. Give to a wise man (so it is in the original), give him advice, give him reproof, give him comfort, and he will be yet wiser; give him occasion (so the LXX.), occasion to show his wisdom, and he will show it, and the acts of wisdom will strengthen the habits.

      IV. The instructions she gives to those that are invited, which her maidens must inculcate upon them.

      1. Let them know wherein true wisdom consists, and what will be their entertainment at Wisdom's table, Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 9:10. (1.) The heart must be principled with the fear of God; that is the beginning of wisdom. A reverence of God's majesty, and a dread of his wrath, are that fear of him which is the beginning, the first step towards true religion, whence all other instances of it take rise. This fear may, at first, have torment, but love will, by degrees, cast out the torment of it. (2.) The head must be filled with the knowledge of the things of God. The knowledge of holy things (the word is plural) is understanding, the things pertaining to the service of God (those are called holy things), that pertain to our own sanctification; reproof is called that which is holy,Matthew 7:6. Or the knowledge which holy men have, which was taught by the holy prophets, of those things which holy men spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost, this is understanding; it is the best and most useful understanding, will stand us in most stead and turn to the best account.

      2. Let them know what will be advantages of this wisdom (Proverbs 9:11; Proverbs 9:11): "By me thy days shall be multiplied. It will contribute to the health of thy body, and so the years of thy life on earth shall be increased, while men's folly and intemperance shorten their days. It will bring thee to heaven, and there thy days shall be multiplied in infinitum--to infinity, and the years of thy life shall be increased without end." There is no true wisdom but in the say of religion and no true life but in the end of that way.

      3. Let them know what will be the consequence of their choosing or refusing this fair offer, Proverbs 9:12; Proverbs 9:12. Here is, (1.) The happiness of those that embrace it: "If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; thou wilt be the gainer by it, not Wisdom." A man cannot be profitable to God. It is to our own good that we are thus courted. "Thou wilt not leave the gain to others" (as we do our worldly wealth when we die, which is therefore called another man's,Luke 16:12), "but thou shalt carry it with thee into another world." Those that are wise for their souls are wise for themselves, for the soul is the man; nor do any consult their own true interest but those that are truly religious. This recommends us to God, and recovers us from that which is our folly and degeneracy; it employs us in that which is most beneficial in this world, and entitles us to that which is much more so in the world to come. (2.) The shame and ruin of those that slight it: "If thou scornest Wisdom's proffer, thou alone shalt bar it." [1.] "Thou shalt bear the blame of it." Those that are good must thank God, but those that are wicked may thank themselves; it is not owing to God (he is not the author of sin); Satan can only tempt, he cannot force; and wicked companions are but his instruments; so that all the fault must lie on the sinner himself. [2.] "Thou shalt bear the loss of that which thou scornest; it will be to thy own destruction; thy blood will be upon thy own head, and the consideration of this will aggravate thy condemnation. Son, remember, that thou hadst this fair offer made thee, and thou wouldst not accept it; thou stoodest fair for life, but didst choose death rather."