Proverbs 9:1-9

CHAPTER 9
TEXT Proverbs 9:1-9

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 is void of understanding, she saith to him

5.

Come, eat ye of my bread,

And drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6.

Leave off, ye simple ones, and live;

And walk in the way of understanding.

7.

He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling;

and he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

8.

Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee:

Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

9.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:

Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 9:1-9

1.

What are the seven pillars of wisdom's house (Proverbs 9:1)?

2.

Does wisdom believe in mixed wine (Proverbs 9:2)?

3.

Who are wisdom's maidens (Proverbs 9:3)?

4.

Is wisdom beckoning the simple to sin like the harlot woman (Proverbs 9:4)?

5.

What is her bread and her wine (Proverbs 9:5)?

6.

Leave off what (Proverbs 9:6)?

7.

Who gives such a righteous man a blot (Proverbs 9:7)?

8.

What are the opposite results of reproving a scoffer and a wise man (Proverbs 9:8)?

9.

Who profits from instruction (Proverbs 9:9)?

PARAPHRASE OF 9:1-9

Proverbs 9:1-6.

Wisdom hath built a palace supported on seven pillars, and has prepared a great banquet, and mixed the wines, and sent out her maidens inviting all to come. She calls from the busiest intersections in the city, Come, you simple ones without good judgment; come to wisdom's banquet and drink the wines that I have mixed. Leave behind your foolishness and begin to live; learn how to be wise.

Proverbs 9:7-9.

If you rebuke a mocker, you will only get a smart retort; yes, he will snarl at you. So don-'t bother with him; he will only hate you for trying to help him. But a wise man, when rebuked, will love you all the more. Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more.

COMMENTS ON 9:1-9

Proverbs 9:1. The same wisdom speaks here who spoke in the preceding chapter. There she represented herself as manifest in all the works of God in the natural worldall being constructed according to counsels proceeding from an infinite understanding. Here she represents herself as the great potentate who was to rule all that she had constructed; and having an immense family to provide for had made an abundant provision and calls all to partake of it. This is the continuation of the parable begun in the preceding chapter, where wisdom is represented as a venerable lady whose real beauties and solid promises are opposed to the false allurements of pleasure, who was represented in the seventh chapter under the idea of a debauched and impudent woman. This one, to draw young men into her snares, describes the perfumes, the bed, and the festival which she had prepared. Wisdom acts in the same way but instead of the debauchery, the false pleasures, and the criminal connections which pleasure had promised offers her guests a strong, well-built, magnificent palace, chaste and solid pleasures, salutary instructions, and a life crowned with blessedness (Clarke). Consider the contrast between the lady wisdom in Proverbs 9:1-12 and the foolish woman of Proverbs 9:13-18. Wisdom builds (Proverbs 9:1), but immorality tears down. Both are inviting guests to come in (Proverbs 9:3-5 and Proverbs 9:14-17). Within their invitations both used the exact words at one point: Whose is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him... (Proverbs 9:4 and Proverbs 9:16). the wicked woman offers stolen waters and bread eaten in secret (Proverbs 9:17), showing the illegitimacy of what she is offering while wisdom operates in legitimate wares and ways (in the open). The pleasure of sin is said to be sweet and pleasant (Proverbs 9:17) while wisdom may impart some of its knowledge through reproof (Proverbs 9:8). The guests of the immoral woman end in death (Proverbs 9:18) while wisdom leads to life (Proverbs 9:6). The seven pillars of wisdom may be the seven things mentioned in James 3:17 concerning heavenly wisdom: (1) pure; (2) peaceable; (3) gentle; (4) easy to be entreated; (5) full of mercy and good fruits; (6) without variance; and (7) without hypocrisy, or seven may be used here as it so often is in the book of Revelation as an ideal number.

Proverbs 9:2. In the preparation of her feast of good things, she had prepared her food and her beverage and had set the table. By mingled her wine is probably meant the mixing of the straight grape juice with the proper amount of water to make it a better tasting beverage (which the ancients among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans did). Since we are dealing with wisdom, the preceding seems more likely than that she added drugs to give it more potency.

Proverbs 9:3. With everything ready she sends forth the maidens to call the guests to the feast. There have been times when maidens were employed to beckon the guests that the hour of banqueting had come.

Proverbs 9:4. The wicked woman of Proverbs 9:16 uses the same words in her invitation. Wisdom is pleased to call those who lack it, calling them to begin a life of wisdom. In a sense we all start simple.

Proverbs 9:5. We are told in Proverbs 4:5 to get wisdom, and this verse compares the gaining of wisdom as desirable and not miserable by using the figure of dining, something that people enjoy doing. For mingled wine see comments on Proverbs 9:2.

Proverbs 9:6. Put an end to living without wisdom; cease ignorance and folly. Adopt a new way: the way of understanding. All who make this change are glad they did.

Proverbs 9:7. A triple parallel: correcteth and reproved; scoffer and Wicked man; and getteth to himself reviling and getteth himself a blot. A scoffer will neither appreciate your sincere intention to help him nor allow himself to see the correctness of what you are saying to him. Instead of straightening up as a result of your proper rebuke, he will say all manner of evil about you, and you (the innocent) end up with a blot.

Proverbs 9:8. Reprove the wise but not the scoffer. The one will love you for it; the other will hate you. In harmony with this verse the Lord reproved Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:4) and chastens His children (Hebrews 12:6), but He teaches us not to cast our pearls before swinescoffers (Matthew 7:6).

Proverbs 9:9. The same good qualities of the wise man who accepted rebuke in Proverbs 9:8 show up in this verse and justify the time and effort that it takes to instruct him. As a result of your efforts he will be yet wiser and will increase in learning. This is satisfying to any instructor. Jesus-' parabolic teaching resulted in whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance (Matthew 13:12).

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 9:1-9

1.

Cite some of the contrasts between the woman Wisdom and the wicked woman in this chapter?

2.

What three preparations are mentioned in Proverbs 9:2?

3.

What was probably involved in wisdom's mixed wine (Proverbs 9:2)?

4.

What phase of things is mentioned in Proverbs 9:3?

5.

In a sense do we all begin life simple (Proverbs 9:4)?

6.

What is gaining wisdom likened to doing in Proverbs 9:5?

7.

What important change is called for in Proverbs 9:6?

8.

Cite the triple parallel in Proverbs 9:7.

9.

How does the New Testament follow the instructions found in Proverbs 9:8?

10.

What is a teacher's joy (Proverbs 9:9)?