Proverbs 8:1-11

CHAPTER 8
TEXT Proverbs 8:1-11

1.

Doth not wisdom cry,

And understanding put forth her voice?

2.

On the top of high places by the way,

Where the paths meet, she standeth;

3.

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,

At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

4.

Unto you, O men, I call:

And my voice is to the sons of men.

5.

O ye simple, understand prudence;

And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

6.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things;

And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7.

For my mouth shall utter truth;

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;

There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

9.

They are all plain to him that understandeth,

And right to them that find knowledge.

10.

Receive my instruction, and not silver;

And knowledge rather than choice gold.

11.

For wisdom is better than rubies;

And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 8:1-11

1.

What is the relationship between wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 8:1)?

2.

What is meant by high places here (Proverbs 8:2)?

3.

How does wisdom cry in these high places (Proverbs 8:3)?

4.

Why do men need great wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 8:4)?

5.

Would having an understanding heart raise these from being simpletons and fools (Proverbs 8:5)?

6.

Is true wisdom ever wrong (Proverbs 8:6)?

7.

Does wisdom ever compromise with wickedness (Proverbs 8:7)?

8.

How would a student of logic designate the two statements in Proverbs 8:8?

9.

Are some things plain to one person that are not to others (Proverbs 8:9)?

10.

In what other passages is wisdom valued greater than earthly treasures (Proverbs 8:10)?

11.

How were rubies used in those days (Proverbs 8:11)?

PARAPHRASE OF 8:1-11

Proverbs 8:1-11.

Can-'t you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates and at every fork in the road, and at the door of every house. Listen to what she says: Listen, men! she calls. How foolish and naive you are! Let me give you understanding. O foolish ones, let me show you common sense! Listen to me! For I have important information for you. Everything I say is right and true, for I hate lies and every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome and good. There is nothing of evil in it. My words are plain and clear to anyone with half a mindif it is only open! My instruction is far more valuable than silver or gold. For the value of wisdom is far above rubies; nothing can be compared with it.

COMMENTS ON 8:1-11

Proverbs 8:1. Wisdom is again personified and is again feminine. Here is Hebrew parallelism in which the second line is a restatement of the first: wisdom and knowledge go together as do cry and put forth her voice. This section is very similar to Proverbs 1:20-22: Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places; She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words: How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge? In Proverbs 1:20-21 the material is set forth in the declarative mood while Proverbs 8:1 introduces the material with the interrogative mood. The interrogative form, which expects an affirmative answer, is a mode of asserting a truth (Pulpit Commentary). However, it is just the opposite in Proverbs 1:22 and Proverbs 8:5Chapter 1 being interrogative and Chapter 8 exclamatory.

Proverbs 8:2. She takes her stand...in the most open and elevated parts of the city where she may be best seen and heard by all who pass by...where many paths converge, and where people meet from different quarters (Pulpit Commentary).

Proverbs 8:3. By lifting up her voice in the gates and doors to the city, she would be heard by all who were coming in and by all who were going out. It would be for the great who entered and for the lowly who entered. Nor does wisdom speak feeblyshe crieth aloud! Most people know what is right and wrong, what is wise and foolish, what should and shouldn-'t be done. How thankful we should be that wisdom is that prominent!

Proverbs 8:4. Wisdom and understanding were being spoken about in Proverbs 8:1-3; now they themselves begin to speak, and their direct quotation runs from this verse through Proverbs 8:10.

Proverbs 8:5. More parallelism: ye simple and ye fools go together, and understand prudence and be of an understanding heart are parallels. The simple are those not yet perverted but easily influenced for good or evil. This is where each person begins. If people do not acquire wisdom later on, then they are considered fools. The interjection form (introduced by O) shows the urgency of being directed in the right way. Webster says of prudence: Ability to regulate and discipline oneself through the exercise of the reason.

Proverbs 8:6. Wisdom also claims to have imparted excellent things in Proverbs 22:20: Have I not written unto thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge? Wisdom is never wrong but

always right. Those who would excel must always exalt wisdom.

Proverbs 8:7. And truth is tied in with wisdom and excellence and righteousness. Wisdom always speaks the truth because wickedness (lying, deceit, etc.) is not only foreign to wisdom but is actually abominable to it. Oh, that each of us might be so wise that wickedness is abominable to our lips! Remember this when you find yourself involved in some church-trouble.

Proverbs 8:8. Yes, and here comes righteousness to go along with or be a stronger expression of the right things of Proverbs 8:6. And it is set over against or in contrast to wickedness in Proverbs 8:7. The all are of the first statement is what logic calls a universal positive, and the nothing is of the second statement is called a universal negative. Both of these statements are absolutes, showing that everything about wisdom is righteous, and nothing about it is wicked.

Proverbs 8:9. While wisdom may be too high for a fool (Proverbs 24:7), it is certainly obtainable to one who wishes to see and understand. Our verse describes the type of person we should all be: one who understands because he has been looking for knowledge. To all such, wisdom is plain, clear, not difficult.

Proverbs 8:10. With this verse closes the statement by wisdom and understanding that began in Proverbs 8:4. More parallelism in this verse (find it). The opportunity to learn through instruction might be said to be a silver opportunity while the actual acquisition of knowledge through that instruction may be said to be a golden possession. Notice that a knowledge of the true and the right is here said to be a higher goal and a greater possession than wealth.

Proverbs 8:11. The author of Proverbs here comments on the truthfulness of what wisdom and understanding affirmed in Proverbs 8:10. He says the possession of wisdom is greater than possessing rubiesor anything else! Similar statements of such evaluation of wisdom: How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver (Proverbs 16:16); The gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her (Proverbs 3:14-15); Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). As valuable as wisdom is, it is not something that can be acquired by money (like some commodity): It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof (Job 28:15). Euclid of Alexandria was right of long ago. Called the father of Geometry, when his king asked if there were not an easier way to learn geometry than by the study of the -Elements-' (Euclid's set of books), Euclid answered, -There is no royal road to geometry-' (World Book Encyclopedia).

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 8:1-11

1.

These first verses are very similar to what earlier section in Proverbs?

2.

Comment on Proverbs 8:2.

3.

By whom would wisdom and understanding be heard, according to Proverbs 8:3?

4.

What begins in Proverbs 8:4?

5.

Comment on ye simple (Proverbs 8:5).

6.

Comment on ye fools (Proverbs 8:5).

7.

Can you find a quartet of qualities in Proverbs 8:6-8 that go together?

8.

Comment upon those 4 qualities in their desirableness in our lives.

9.

Contrast Proverbs 8:9 with Proverbs 24:7.

10.

What great comparative value is placed upon wisdom and understanding in Proverbs 8:10-11, both by their own statement and by the writer's comment?