Proverbs 8:1 - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Proverbs 8:1

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The Excellence of Wisdom

1 Does not ^awisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?

2 She takes her stand on the top of the¹ high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.

3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:

4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you¹ simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 Listen, for I will speak of ^aexcellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;

11 ^aFor wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.

13 ^aThe fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
^bPride and arrogance and the evil way
And ^cthe perverse mouth I hate.

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, ^aI have strength.

15 ^aBy me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of¹ the earth.

17 ^aI love those who love me,
And ^bthose who seek me diligently will find me.

18 ^aRiches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.

20 I¹ traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

22 “The^a Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.

23 ^aI have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 ^aBefore the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;

26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the¹ fields,
Or the¹ primal dust of the world.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 ^aWhen He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When ^bHe marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 ^aThen I was beside Him as¹ a master craftsman;
^bAnd I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,

31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And ^amy delight was with the sons of men.

32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For ^ablessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.

34 ^aBlessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.

35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And ^aobtains favor from the Lord;

36 But he who sins against me ^awrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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Proverbs 8:2 >>

Proverbs 8:1-4

Contrasted with sensual allurements are the advantages of divine wisdom, which publicly invites men, offers the best principles of life, and the most valuable benefits resulting from receiving her counsels. Her relation to the divine plans and acts is introduced, as in Proverbs 3:19-20, though more fully, to commend her desirableness for men, and the whole is closed by an assurance that those finding her find God's favor, and those neglecting ruin themselves. Many regard the passage as a description of the Son of God by the title, Wisdom, which the older Jews used (and by which He is called in Luke 11:49), as John 1:1, etc., describes Him by that of Logos, the Word. But the passage may be taken as a personification of wisdom: for, (1) Though described as with God, wisdom is not asserted to be God. (2) The use of personal attributes is equally consistent with a personification, as with the description of a real person. (3) The personal pronouns used accord with the gender (feminine) of wisdom constantly, and are never changed to that of the person meant, as sometimes occurs in a corresponding use of spirit, which is neuter in Greek, but to which masculine pronouns are often applied (John 16:14), when the acts of the Holy Spirit are described. (4) Such a personification is agreeable to the style of this book (compare Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 3:16-17; Proverbs 4:8; Proverbs 6:20-22; Proverbs 9:1-4), whereas no prophetical or other allusions to the Saviour or the new dispensation are found among the quotations of this book in the New Testament, and unless this be such, none exist. (5) Nothing is lost as to the importance of this passage, which still remains a most ornate and also solemn and impressive teaching of inspiration on the value of wisdom. (Pro. 8:1-36)

The publicity and universality of the call contrast with the secrecy and intrigues of the wicked (Proverbs 7:8, etc.).

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