Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Proverbs 8:23

Wisdom is like God’s word. God’s word existed in the beginning. And God’s word created the world, when God the Father gave his command. (John 1:1)

The ‘word’ is another name for Jesus. Jesus always existed with God in heaven. Jesus is the Son of God. There is only one God, but Jesus is God. This is difficult to understand. We cannot understand everything about God. We must trust God about the things that we do not understand.

Verse 24-29

The poem described how God made the world. God worked carefully. He loves people. So he prepared a beautiful home for us. Compare this with Genesis 1.

The poem talks about the ‘birth’ of wisdom. This is poetry. The poet is not saying that one day, wisdom was born. He does not think that before this, there was no wisdom. God was wise, even before ancient times. God was wise, even before he made the world. God has always been wise.

Continues after advertising

See also Proverbs 8:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 8:23. _I WAS SET UP FROM EVERLASTING_] נסכתי _nissachti_, "I was diffused or poured out," from נסך _nasach_, "to diffuse, pour abroad, as a spirit or disposition," Isaiah 29:10. See _P...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    I WAS SET UP - Rather, “I was anointed” (compare Psalms 2:6 margin: 2 Chronicles 28:15). The image is that of Wisdom anointed, as at her birth, with “the oil of gladness.” OR EVER THE EARTH WAS - lite...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The call and appeal of wisdom (Proverbs 8:1)_ 2. What wisdom is and what wisdom gives (Proverbs 8:12) 3. Wisdom; the Person, who He is (Proverbs 8:22) 4. The renewed appeal ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 8. WISDOM SPEAKS IN HER OWN PERSON. This chapter forms at once the nucleus and the climax of this section of the book. The series of addresses on practical wisdom is fitly closed by a profoun...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SET UP. founded. Hebrew. _nasak,_ as in Psalms 2:6, "set". FROM EVERLASTINGS. from the outset of the ages. Compare Hebrews 11:3....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _set up_ Gesenius renders _anointed_here and in Psalms 2:6, where the same word occurs. But "the verb means -to pour out," and then -to pour metals in a state of fusion into a mould": hence it passes...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    I WAS SET UP FROM EVERLASTING— According to the Hebrew, _I have been anointed from all eternity;_ which is particularly applicable to Jesus Christ, the anointed of the Father....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 8:22-36 22. Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. 23. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was. 24. When there...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. I WAS SET UP - literally, 'anointed;' i:e., set apart, in the purposes of God, to be Lord and King of the world. The same H...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    8:23 up (m-4) Lit. 'anointed.' as Psalms 2:6 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WISDOM'S CRY Wisdom now reappears as a preacher, holding forth in all the places where men most do congregate. After expounding in varied ways the excellence of the gifts which she can bestow, she ass...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    OR] i.e. ere, before....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    I WAS SET UP. — An unusual word; also applied to our Lord in Psalms 2:6 when “set” as King on Zion....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מֵ֭ עֹולָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵ רֹ֗אשׁ מִ קַּדְמֵי

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 9 THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CREATOR "Doth not Wisdom cry?"- Proverbs 8:1 In the last chapter a dark and revolting picture of Vice was drawn. This chapter contains a lovely and living picture of...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    FINDING WISDOM, FINDING LIFE Proverbs 8:22-36 The world did not come into being by _chance_. It was created by an intelligent Creator. Nothing is arbitrary or by accident. Law is the expression of th...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The section containing the instructions of wisdom ends with two discourses, the first of which is the great call of wisdom. This takes up and deals more minutely with the call in the earlier part of t...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (l) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (l) He declares the eternity of the Son of God, who was before all time, and ever present with the father....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Up. Hebrew, "anointed." Septuagint, "he founded." Christ was appointed to be the foundation, on which we must be built. (St. Athanasius iii. Orat.)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; wh...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 9. There are two very distinct parts in this book. The first nine Chapter s, which give the great general principles; and the proverbs, properly so...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    I WAS SET UP FROM EVERLASTING,.... I, a person, and not a quality; a person, and not a nature; the person of Christ as the Son of God, and not the human nature of Christ, which then did not exist; thi...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. Ver. 23. _I was set up._] _Coronata sum; _ I was crowned; so some render it. _Inuncta fui,_ I was anointed - so others - for...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The Lord possessed me_ As his eternal Wisdom and Word, which was in the beginning with _him, John 1:1_, and _in him, John 14:10_, and was afterward _made flesh_, and dwelt among men, as the only bego...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    I was set up from everlasting, ordained, inaugurated, established, FROM THE BEGINNING, OR EVER THE EARTH WAS, from the primordial times of the earth, the eternity of the personal Word being asserted a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE ORIGINS AND THE BLESSINGS OF THE PERSONAL WISDOM...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    To the writerProverbs 8:1 provides one of the clearest proofs that the Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. It is certainly not the only Scripture that proves this precious and wonderful...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    22-31 The Son of God declares himself to have been engaged in the creation of the world. How able, how fit is the Son of God to be the Saviour of the world, who was the Creator of it! The Son of God w...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SET UP, Heb. _anointed_; ordained or constituted to be the person by whom the Father resolved to do all his works, first to create, and then to uphold, and govern, and judge, and afterwards to redeem...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 8:23 established H5258 (H8738) everlasting H5769 beginning H7218 ever H6924 earth H776...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    5) WISDOM WAS WITH GOD IN CREATION AND REJOICES IN THE ONGOING OF HIS CREATION (PROVERBS 8:22). Lest we have any doubt about what wisdom Solomon is speaking about he now makes it very clear (as he has...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Proverbs 8:23 Wisdom meant more to the Jews than to us, who have lost the sense of man's unity by subdividing his faculties. It embraced to the Jew the mental and material range of the spiritual life:...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Proverbs 8:22 This is a description of the original solitude of God by a witness, His only-begotten and well-beloved Son. I. This solitude was serene and happy. Even among men solitude is not always...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Praise of divine wisdom. Christ, the Wisdom of God, speaks to men. CHARACTERS: God, Wisdom (Christ). CONCLUSION: Right knowledge of the divine will concerning us is to be preferred above a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 8:1. _Doth not Wisdom cry?_ This woman is the reverse of the harlot, in the preseding chapter. She represents true religion clothed in every form of grace and glory: Christ, the Word and Wisd...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I was set up from everlasting._ CHRIST SET UP FROM EVERLASTING Doctrine: That as Christ is the everlasting God, so, from all eternity, He was foreordained and set up for the great service of man’s...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The Lord possessed us in the beginning of His way._ WISDOM THE FIRST CREATION OF GOD Here is the noble idea which overturns at a touch all mythological speculations about the origin of things--an id...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 8:22 THE FIRST OF HIS ACTS OF OLD (v. Proverbs 8:22). Wisdom was present with God when he created the world. Wisdom

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 8:22. JEHOVAH POSSESSED ME. The signification of this verb has been the subject of much discussion; ancient expositors, believing Wisdom here to be the eternal Son of God, de...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 8:1 14. _Fourteenth admonitory discourse _concerning Wisdom—her excellence, her origin, her gifts. She is contrasted with the strange woman of Proverbs 7:1; and the exceeding grea...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    In chapter 8 we have an ode to wisdom. Wisdom is personified. And because of the personification of wisdom in this chapter, some have even likened wisdom unto Jesus Christ. "For in Him are hid all of...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 John 1:1; 1 John 1:2; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 1:11; Genesis 1:26;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Set up — Heb. anointed, constituted to be the person by whom the Father resolved to do all his works, to create, to uphold and govern and judge, to redeem and save the world. From the beginning — Befo...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Who is referred to as “wisdom” in these verses? PROBLEM: Many commentators have claimed that the person identified as wisdom in Proverbs 8:22-31 is Jesus, because 1 Corinthians 1:30 states that Jesus...

Continues after advertising