Proverbs 1:20

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: WISDOM CRIETH WITHOUT - literally, wisdoms; i:e., consummate wisdom. Maurer makes the Hebrew not plural, but a form in the singular, as the English version. The plural form for a singular is a similar usage to that whereby God is called "the praises of Israel" - i:e., Israel's perfect object of praise; and Ecclesiastes has "vanities" for utter vanity. Wisdom is again personified and introduced as appealing to all (, etc.): wisdom is what Christ is made unto us by God (); "In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom" (). What was in the views of godly me...

20-33 Solomon, having showed how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three sorts of persons are here called by Him: 1. Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness. 2. Scorners. Proud, jovial people, that make a jest of every thing. Scoffers at religion, that run down every thing sacred and serious. 3. Fools. Those are the worst of fools that hate to be taught, and have a rooted dislike to serious godliness. The precept is plain; Turn you at my reproof. We do not make a right use of reproofs, if we do not turn from evil to that which is good. The promises are very encouraging. Men cannot turn by any power of their own; but God answers, Behold,...

Verse Proverbs 1:20. _WISDOM CRIETH_] Here wisdom is again _personified_, as it is frequently, throughout this book; where nothing is meant but the _teachings_ given to man, either by _Divine revelation_ or the voice of the Holy Spirit in the heart. And this voice of _wisdom_ is opposed to the _seducing language_ of the wicked mentioned above. This voice is everywhere heard, in public, in private, in the streets, and in the house. Common sense, universal experience, and the law of justice written on the heart, as well as the law of God, testify against rapine and wrong of every kind....

Wisdom is personified. In the Hebrew the noun is a feminine plural, as though this Wisdom were the queen of all wisdoms, uniting in herself all their excellences. She lifts up her voice, not in solitude, but in the haunts of men “without,” i. e., outside the walls, in the streets, at the highest point of all places of concourse, in the open space of the gates where the elders meet and the king sits in judgment, in the heart of the city itself Proverbs 1:21; through sages, lawgivers, teachers, and yet more through life and its experiences, she preaches to mankind. Socrates said that the fields and the trees taught him nothing, but that he found the wisdom he was seeking in his converse with the men whom he met as he walked in the streets and _agora_ of Athens....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 1:1 PART I. THE TITLE AND SUPERSCRIPTION. The superscription of the Proverbs, which extends from verse 1 to verse 6, furnishes us with an epitome in short and concise language of the general scope and bearing of the book, and points out its specific utility, both to the inexperienced and to those already wise. Thus (1) in Proverbs 1:1 it gives the name of the author to whom the proverbs are attributed; (2) in Proverbs 1:2 it declares the aim, object, or design of the collection, which is to lead to the acquirement of wisdom genera

WISDOM CRIETH WITHOUT,.... Here the person instructing throughout this whole book is represented under the name of "Wisdom"; by which we are to understand not the attribute of divine wisdom displayed in the works of creation; nor the light of nature in man; nor the law of Moses given to the Israelites; nor the revelation of the divine will in general, as it is delivered out in the sacred Scriptures; nor the Gospel, and the ministry of it, in particular; but our Lord Jesus Christ; for the things spoken of Wisdom, and ascribed to it in this book, especially in the eighth and ninth Chapter s, show that a divine Person is intended, and most properly belong to Christ; who may be called "Wisdoms" b, in the plural number, as in the Hebrew text, because of the consummate and perfect wisdom that is in him; as he is a divine Person, he is "the Logos", the Word and Wisdom of God; as Mediator, "all...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS A detailed analysis, as we have made it in other books, cannot be fully made in this collection of proverbs. Most of them are detached and each has a message by itself. To interpret each separately, to point out the many spiritual lessons, as well as prophetic application, to show their relation to other portions of the Word of God and to explain them by incidents taken from the Bible, would require volumes; and even then the spiritual meaning would not be exhausted. All we can do is to hint at their meaning and give some annotations which, under God, may be helpful in the closer study of this book I. INSTRUCTIONS OF WISDOM GIVEN TO SOLOMON CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction (Proverbs 1:1)_ 2. Warning against evil companions and covetousness (Pro

PROVERBS 1-9. FIRST SECTION. THE PRAISE OF WISDOM. Proverbs 1:1. Title, either of the whole book, or of this particular collection. The word for PROVERB, _mâ shâ l,_ has a wide significance _in Heb. (see BDB)._ Probably it originally expressed a comparison or allusion, drawn from history or nature, and employed to convey a taunt or satire, hence the rendering taunt-song. For different meanings _cf._ Numbers 21:27; Deuteronomy 28:37; Job 13:12; Isaiah 14:4;...

(20-33) (Note the _Extended Alternation_ in these verses). 21. The Call made. Expostulation of Wisdom with the simple. Promise to hearers. 25. The Call made. Expostulation of Wisdom with refusers. Promise to hearers. WISDOM. Hebrew. _chokmah._ See note on Proverbs 1:2. WITHOUT. The emphasis is on the publicity of her call. STREETS. open or broad places, especially about the city gates (Deuteronomy 13:16), or open squares. Genesis 19:2.Judges 19:15, Jdg 19:20. 2 Chronicles 29:4, &c....

Second Address. Warning against Neglecting the Appeal of Wisdom. Chap. 1. Proverbs 1:20 20. _crieth_ Rather, CRIETH ALOUD, R.V. _without_ Rather, IN THE STREET, R.V. The expression is sometimes used adverbially, _without_or _abroad_; but the parallelism here, _in the broad places_, points to the literal rendering. There is perhaps a designed contrast between the secret enticing of sinners (Proverbs 1:10) and the open call of Wisdom. _the streets_ Rather, THE BROAD PLACES, R.V....