Proverbs 8:3

She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. SHE CRIETH AT THE GATES (HEBREW, AT THE HAND OF THE GATES), AT THE ENTRY OF THE CITY, AT THE COMING IN AT THE DOORS. As "the gates" refer to the city; so "the doors" to the private house. Messiah preached alike on the mount, and then in the plain-in the country, where many roads met; then in the city gates, the usual place of mercantile traffic and of judicial proceedings; then in the main street, at every private door (; cf. ; ). Those who will go astray and be lost, do so in the face of the plainest warnings and invitations of love....

1-11 The will of God is made known by the works of creation, and by the consciences of men, but more clearly by Moses and the prophets. The chief difficulty is to get men to attend to instruction. Yet attention to the words of Christ, will guide the most ignorant into saving knowledge of the truth. Where there is an understanding heart, and willingness to receive the truth in love, wisdom is valued above silver and gold....

Verse Proverbs 8:3. _SHE CRIETH AT THE GATES_] This might be well applied to the preaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and their faithful successors in the Christian ministry. He went to the _temple_, and proclaimed the righteousness of the Most High: he did the same in the _synagogues_, on the _mountains_, by the _sea-side_, in the _villages_, in the _streets_ of the _cities_, and in _private houses._ His disciples followed his track: in the _same way_, and in the _same_ _spirit_, they proclaimed the unsearchable riches of Christ. God's _wisdom_ in the hearts of his true ministers directs them to go and to seek sinners. There are, it is true, temples, synagogues, churches, chapels, c. but hundreds of thousands never frequent them, and therefore do not hear the voice of truth: _wisdom_, therefore, must go to them...

The full enumeration of localities points to the publicity and openness of Wisdom’s teaching (see Proverbs 1:20 note), as contrasted with the stealth and secrecy and darkness which shroud the harlot’s enticements Proverbs 7:9....

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 greatness of the blessings which she offers exhibits in the most marked manner the nothingness of the deceiver's gifts. One is reminded of the celebrated episode of the choice of Hercules, delineated by Xenophon, 'Memorab.,' 2.1. 21, etc. The chapter divides itself into four sections. (1) Introductory (Proverbs 7:1); Wisdom calls on all to listen, and gives reasons for trusting to her ...

SHE CRIETH AT THE GATES,.... Of the temple, or of the city, where the courts of judicature were, and persons met on civil accounts; and where people were continually passing and repassing; AT THE ENTRY OF THE CITY; meeting those that came out of the country to the city upon trade and business; AT THE COMING IN AT THE DOORS; of the temple, or city, or private houses; all these expressions denote the publicness of the Gospel ministry, both by Christ himself, who spake openly to the world, always taught in the synagogues and temple, and in secret said nothing; and who ordered his disciples to preach what they heard and received from him upon the house tops, John 18:20; so did the Apostle Paul, Acts 20:20....

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 (Proverbs 8:32) Proverbs 8:1. This is one of the most interesting Chapter s in the entire book. It begins with a call and appeal of wisdom, much like the call and appeal of the first chapter. If wisdom calls, has a voice, then wisdom must also be a person. Who personified wisdom is we learn most blessedly in this chapt

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 profounder presentation of wisdom as the moving principle in the ways of God. It reinforces the practical maxims of Proverbs 8:1 with the fundamental principle that the wise man is in harmony with God. Its date probably fixes the date of the whole section (see Introduction, and for a fuller discussion especially Cheyne, _Job and Solomon,_ pp. 156f.). The relation of the conception of Wisdom personified to the Stoic Logos and to Greek philosophy in general cannot be discussed here. (See _Wisdom Literature_ in HDB, and especially the excellent introduction by Holmes to the Book of Wisdom in Charles-' _Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha._) The two main lines of development of this conception in H

DOORS. entrances....

Proverbs 8:1. _The call of Wisdom_. Comp. Proverbs 1:20-21....