Thanks to Tremper Longman III's book "How to Read Proverbs" I have gained a greater appreciation for the Book of Proverbs. I struggled with this book. I suppose there are many like me. The collection of sayings seem so completely random with no unifying theme. But Tremper Longman III helped me to see Proverbs. And especially Proverbs 9.
And boy is Proverbs 9 is special.
I think once we understand this chapter, our appreciation for the book as a whole multiplies greatly. For a start, the Book of Proverbs can be summed up with these words: "Be wise, and don't be foolish." Proverbs 9 is special in the way it personifies Wisdom and Folly.
To help us have the chapter illuminate our minds, I have colour-coded the passage below into three sections and will give an explanatory note for each section:
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
13 The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
We begin first by looking at the red section which covers v1-6. In this section, Wisdom is personified. Verses 1-3 can be essentially summed as The Preparation. She is busy preparing a meal (Verse 2: "She has slaughtered the beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table."). When this is done, there is an invitation. Her servant girls are sent out and they call our from the highest places of the town. The venue for the call is important as we will see later. Then the appeal is sounded: "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here."
In other words, come and join Wisdom for a meal. Partake in her bread and wine (v5).
The blue bit however is where it gets absolutely tricky. Now instead of Wisdom, Folly is the one being personified. Unlike Wisdom, Folly is not preparing any meal at all. But here is where it gets tricky, she makes exactly the same appeal as Wisdom, at the exact same location with the exact same words. Verse 15-16 is almost identical to Verse 3-4. They use the exact same words - "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here."
This meal however is completely different. Instead of bread and wine made by the Inviter, Folly's meal consists of stolen water and bread eaten in secret (presumably stolen bread as well). Instead of "walking in the way of insight", Folly's meal leads to the depths of Sheol.
This passage is beautiful in setting up the contrast and their appeals. Now the green bit. Why is it there?
The green bit is there because it is our responses. If you correct a wise man, he will leave and follow Wisdom. He will thank you for correcting him and love you for doing so. But a scoffer will completely hate you. He will not show any appreciation for what you just did.
And herein lies us. When presented with Wisdom, we may scoff. We won't listen. We show a range of emotions of thinking we are wise on our own to thinking that we know better than the person coming to correct us.
This passage is illuminating because this is Jesus. Like Wisdom he calls us to follow Him. He invites us to have a meal with Him. His own body the bread, His blood the wine.
And when Jesus is presented, there will be only two responses - scoff or gratefulness.
And boy is Proverbs 9 is special.
I think once we understand this chapter, our appreciation for the book as a whole multiplies greatly. For a start, the Book of Proverbs can be summed up with these words: "Be wise, and don't be foolish." Proverbs 9 is special in the way it personifies Wisdom and Folly.
To help us have the chapter illuminate our minds, I have colour-coded the passage below into three sections and will give an explanatory note for each section:
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
13 The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
We begin first by looking at the red section which covers v1-6. In this section, Wisdom is personified. Verses 1-3 can be essentially summed as The Preparation. She is busy preparing a meal (Verse 2: "She has slaughtered the beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table."). When this is done, there is an invitation. Her servant girls are sent out and they call our from the highest places of the town. The venue for the call is important as we will see later. Then the appeal is sounded: "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here."
In other words, come and join Wisdom for a meal. Partake in her bread and wine (v5).
The blue bit however is where it gets absolutely tricky. Now instead of Wisdom, Folly is the one being personified. Unlike Wisdom, Folly is not preparing any meal at all. But here is where it gets tricky, she makes exactly the same appeal as Wisdom, at the exact same location with the exact same words. Verse 15-16 is almost identical to Verse 3-4. They use the exact same words - "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here."
This meal however is completely different. Instead of bread and wine made by the Inviter, Folly's meal consists of stolen water and bread eaten in secret (presumably stolen bread as well). Instead of "walking in the way of insight", Folly's meal leads to the depths of Sheol.
This passage is beautiful in setting up the contrast and their appeals. Now the green bit. Why is it there?
The green bit is there because it is our responses. If you correct a wise man, he will leave and follow Wisdom. He will thank you for correcting him and love you for doing so. But a scoffer will completely hate you. He will not show any appreciation for what you just did.
And herein lies us. When presented with Wisdom, we may scoff. We won't listen. We show a range of emotions of thinking we are wise on our own to thinking that we know better than the person coming to correct us.
This passage is illuminating because this is Jesus. Like Wisdom he calls us to follow Him. He invites us to have a meal with Him. His own body the bread, His blood the wine.
And when Jesus is presented, there will be only two responses - scoff or gratefulness.
Comments