Proverbs 1:20-22

Warning Against Disregarding Wisdom

1:20 Wisdom ¹  calls out ²  in the street,

she shouts loudly ³  in the plazas; ⁴ 

1:21 at the head of the noisy ⁵  streets she calls,

in the entrances of the gates in the city ⁶  she utters her words: ⁷ 

1:22 “How long will you simpletons ⁸  love naiveté? ⁹ 

How long ¹⁰  will mockers ¹¹  delight ¹²  in mockery ¹³ 

and fools ¹⁴  hate knowledge?

Proverbs 8:1-4

The Appeal of Wisdom ¹⁵ 

8:1 Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

8:2 At the top ¹⁶  of the elevated places along the way,

at the intersection ¹⁷  of the paths she takes her stand;

8:3 beside the gates opening into ¹⁸  the city,

at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: ¹⁹ 

8:4 “To you, O people, ²⁰  I call out,

and my voice calls ²¹  to all mankind. ²² 

Proverbs 8:34

8:34 Blessed is the one ²³  who listens to me,

watching ²⁴  at my doors day by day,

waiting ²⁵  beside my doorway. ²⁶ 

Jeremiah 6:11

6:11 I am as full of anger as you are, Lord, ²⁷ 

I am tired of trying to hold it in.”

The Lord answered, ²⁸ 

“Vent it, then, ²⁹  on the children who play in the street

and on the young men who are gathered together.

Husbands and wives are to be included, ³⁰ 

as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.

Matthew 5:1-2

The Beatitudes

5:1 When ³¹  he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. ³²  After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2 Then ³³  he began to teach ³⁴  them by saying:

Mark 16:15

16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Luke 12:3

12:3 So then ³⁵  whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered ³⁶  in private rooms ³⁷  will be proclaimed from the housetops. ³⁸ 

Luke 12:2

12:2 Nothing is hidden ³⁹  that will not be revealed, ⁴⁰  and nothing is secret that will not be made known.

Luke 3:2

3:2 during the high priesthood ⁴¹  of Annas and Caiaphas, the word ⁴²  of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ⁴³ 

Luke 3:5

3:5 Every valley will be filled, ⁴⁴ 

and every mountain and hill will be brought low,

and the crooked will be made straight,

and the rough ways will be made smooth,

[1:20]  ¹ tn The noun חָכְמָה (khokhmah, “wisdom”) is the abstract feminine plural form. It probably functions as a plural of intensity, stressing the all-embracing, elevated wisdom (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 272). As in 8:1-9:11, Wisdom is personified as a righteous woman in 1:20-33.

[1:20]  ² sn The verb רָנַן (ranan, “to cry out, give a ringing cry”) always expresses excitement, whether of joyful praise or lamentable sorrow (BDB 943 s.v.). Here it is an excited summons.

[1:20]  ³ tn Heb “she gives her voice.” The expression means to shout loudly (BDB 679 s.v. נָתַן Qal.x).

[1:20]  ⁴ sn The word רְחֹבוֹת (rÿkhovot, “plazas”) refers to the wide plazas or broad open spaces near the gate where all the people assembled. The personification of wisdom as a woman crying out in this place would be a vivid picture of the public appeal to all who pass by.

[1:21]  ⁵ tc MT reads הֹמִיּוֹת (homyyot, “noisy streets”; Qal participle feminine plural from הָמָה [hamah], “to murmur; to roar”), referring to the busy, bustling place where the street branches off from the gate complex. The LXX reads τειχέων (teicewn) which reflects חֹמוֹת (khomot), “walls” (feminine plural noun from חוֹמָה [khomah], “wall”): “She proclaims on the summits of the walls.” MT is preferred because it is the more difficult form. The LXX textual error was caused by simple omission of yod (י). In addition, the LXX expands the verse to read, “she sits at the gates of the princes, at the gates of the city she boldly says.” The shorter MT reading is preferred.

[1:21]  ⁶ sn The phrase “in the city” further defines the area of the entrance just inside the gate complex, the business area. In an ancient Near Eastern city, business dealings and judicial proceedings would both take place in this area.

[1:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “she speaks her words.”

[1:22]  ⁸ tn Wisdom addresses three types of people: simpletons (פְּתָיִם, pÿtayim), scoffers (לֵצִים, letsim) and fools (כְּסִילִים, kÿsilim). For the term “simpleton” see note on 1:4. Each of these three types of people is satisfied with the life being led and will not listen to reason. See J. A. Emerton, “A Note on the Hebrew Text of Proverbs 1:22-23,” JTS 19 (1968): 609-14.

[1:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “simplicity” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “inanity.” The noun פֶּתִי (peti) means “simplicity; lack of wisdom” (BDB 834 s.v.; HALOT 989 s.v. II פֶּתִי). It is related to the term פְּתָיִם (pÿtayim) “simpletons” and so forms a striking wordplay. This lack of wisdom and moral simplicity is inherent in the character of the naive person.

[1:22]  ¹⁰ tn The second instance of “How long?” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness and style.

[1:22]  ¹¹ sn The term לֵצִים (leysim, “scoffers; mockers”) comes from the root לִיץ (lits, “to scorn; to mock; to speak indirectly” (BDB 539 s.v. לִיץ). They are cynical and defiant freethinkers who ridicule the righteous and all for which they stand (e.g., Ps 1:1).

[1:22]  ¹² tn Heb “delight.” The verb (חָמַד, khamad) is often translated “to take pleasure; to delight” but frequently has the meaning of a selfish desire, a coveting of something. It is the term, for example, used for coveting in the Decalogue (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21) and for the covetous desire of Eve (Gen 3:6) and Achan (Josh 7:21). It is tempting to nuance it here as “illicit desire” for mockery.

[1:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “for themselves.” The ethical dative לָהֶם (lahem, “for themselves”) is normally untranslated. It is a rhetorical device emphasizing that they take delight in mockery for their own self-interests.

[1:22]  ¹⁴ sn The term “fool” (כְּסִיל, kÿsil) refers to the morally insensitive dullard (BDB 493 s.v.).

[8:1]  ¹⁵ sn In this chapter wisdom is personified. In 1:20-33 wisdom proclaims her value, and in 3:19-26 wisdom is the agent of creation. Such a personification has affinities with the wisdom literature of the ancient Near East, and may have drawn on some of that literature, albeit with appropriate safeguards (Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, 23-70). Wisdom in Proverbs 8, however, is not a deity like Egypt’s Ma`at or the Assyrian-Babylonian Ishtar. It is simply presented as if it were a self-conscious divine being distinct but subordinate to God; but in reality it is the personification of the attribute of wisdom displayed by God (R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 69-72; and R. Marcus, “On Biblical Hypostases of Wisdom,” HUCA 23 [1950-1951]: 157-71). Many have equated wisdom in this chapter with Jesus Christ. This connection works only in so far as Jesus reveals the nature of the Father, just as Proverbs presents wisdom as an attribute of God. Jesus’ claims included wisdom (Matt 12:42) and a unique knowledge of God (Matt 11:25-27). He even personified wisdom in a way that was similar to Proverbs (Matt 11:19). Paul saw the fulfillment of wisdom in Christ (Col 1:15-20; 2:3) and affirmed that Christ became our wisdom in the crucifixion (1 Cor 1:24, 30). So this personification in Proverbs provides a solid foundation for the similar revelation of wisdom in Christ. But because wisdom is a creation of God in Proverbs 8, it is unlikely that wisdom here is to be identified with Jesus Christ. The chapter unfolds in three cycles: After an introduction (1-3), wisdom makes an invitation (4, 5) and explains that she is noble, just, and true (6-9); she then makes another invitation (10) and explains that she is valuable (11-21); and finally, she tells how she preceded and delights in creation (22-31) before concluding with the third invitation (32-36).

[8:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “head.” The word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head”) refers to the highest area or most important place in the elevated area. The contrast with chapter 7 is striking. There the wayward woman lurked at the corners in the street at night; here wisdom is at the highest point in the open places in view of all.

[8:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “at the house of the paths.” The “house” is not literal here, but refers to where the paths meet (cf. ASV, NIV), that is, the “crossroads” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[8:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “at the mouth of.”

[8:3]  ¹⁹ tn The cry is a very loud ringing cry that could not be missed. The term רָנַן (ranan) means “to give a ringing cry.” It is often only a shrill sound that might come with a victory in battle, but its use in the psalms for praise shows that it also can have clear verbal content, as it does here. For wisdom to stand in the street and give such a ringing cry would mean that it could be heard by all. It was a proclamation.

[8:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “men.” Although it might be argued in light of the preceding material that males would be particularly addressed by wisdom here, the following material indicates a more universal appeal. Cf. TEV, NLT “to all of you.”

[8:4]  ²¹ tn The verb “calls” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of style.

[8:4]  ²² tn Heb “sons of man.” Cf. NAB “the children of men”; NCV, NLT “all people”; NRSV “all that live.”

[8:34]  ²³ tn Heb “the man.”

[8:34]  ²⁴ tn The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.

[8:34]  ²⁵ tn Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”

[8:34]  ²⁶ tn Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so KJV, ASV).

[6:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I am full of the wrath of the Lord.”

[6:11]  ²⁸ tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Pour it out.”

[6:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “are to be captured.”

[5:1]  ³¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[5:1]  ³² tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").

[5:2]  ³³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:2]  ³⁴ tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.

[12:3]  ³⁵ tn Or “because.” Understanding this verse as a result of v. 2 is a slightly better reading of the context. Knowing what is coming should impact our behavior now.

[12:3]  ³⁶ tn Grk “spoken in the ear,” an idiom. The contemporary expression is “whispered.”

[12:3]  ³⁷ sn The term translated private rooms refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).

[12:3]  ³⁸ tn The expression “proclaimed from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.

[12:2]  ³⁹ tn Or “concealed.”

[12:2]  ⁴⁰ sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice verbs here (“be revealed,” be made known”) see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known, though the stress with the images of darkness and what is hidden in vv. 2-3 is on the attempt to conceal.

[3:2]  ⁴¹ sn Use of the singular high priesthood to mention two figures is unusual but accurate, since Annas was the key priest from a.d. 6-15 and then his relatives were chosen for many of the next several years. After two brief tenures by others, his son-in-law Caiaphas came to power and stayed there until a.d. 36.

[3:2]  ⁴² tn The term translated “word” here is not λόγος (logos) but ῥῆμα (rJhma), and thus could refer to the call of the Lord to John to begin ministry.

[3:2]  ⁴³ tn Or “desert.”

[3:5]  ⁴⁴ sn The figurative language of this verse speaks of the whole creation preparing for the arrival of a major figure, so all obstacles to his approach are removed.