Chapter Nine

1–11. Divine Wisdom as the establisher of the Kingdom of God on earth. 12–18. The opposite activity of wickedness, personified in the image of a wanton woman.

Proverbs 9:1. Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars, Proverbs 9:2. she has slaughtered her beasts, mixed her wine, and prepared her table; Proverbs 9:3. she has sent her servants to call from the highest places of the city: If in ch. VIII one spoke about Wisdom’s participation in God’s work of creation and providence (Prov 8:27-31), and people in general were called to obedience to Wisdom, then here in ch. IX is spoken — under the image of a house founded by Wisdom (v. 1) — about the establishment by Hypostatic Wisdom of the Kingdom of God or the Church among men for their spiritual nourishment, illumination, and sanctification, and all people are specifically invited into this house of Wisdom to the table prepared by her. Divine Wisdom — this great artist or builder (Prov 8:30) from the moment of the beginning of creation — in historical times founded on earth her great house (ibid. Prov 8:34), which is, of course, also the house of God (Ps 83:11). The house of God’s Wisdom is evidently the Kingdom of God or the Church, whose foundation was laid by Divine Providence even in paradise; this Kingdom of God, then in the multiformity of sacred biblical events and figures, theocratic institutions and ordinances, under the guidance of the Law and the prophets, unfolded throughout the entire Old Testament until the appearance of Christ the Savior, when it was replaced by the New Testament Church or the New Testament Kingdom of God (1 Tim 3:15; Heb 3:6; Rev 3:12). The house of Wisdom is founded on seven pillars (v. 1), that is, according to the general biblical significance of the number 7 in the sense of fullness, completeness, perfection (Gen 4:24; Ps 11:7; Matt 18:21-22). The Kingdom of God or the Church is furnished by Divine Wisdom with manifold gifts and graces — with everything needed for its good order, flourishing, and glory. The interpretation of the number of seven pillars in its exact sense has generally yielded unsuccessful attempts, such as the ancient Jewish interpretation — in the sense of 7 heavens from which the Torah descended and was given to men (Midr. S. 25), even less so in the sense of 7 free arts (Heidenheim) or the first 7 chapters of the Book of Proverbs (Hitzig), finally, 7 properties of the highest wisdom according to the reckoning of James (Jas 3:17). Only the Christian-ecclesiastical interpretation of the seven pillars in the sense of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit deserves attention (Isa 11:2-3, note Rev 1:4), then — seven sacraments and the like. The blessings of the Kingdom of God established by Wisdom are depicted here (v. 2) in the image of a table of meat of a peace offering (Heb.: tebah, LXX: θύματα, Vulg.: victimas) and wine mixed with water or spices (compare Isa 5:22; Prov 23:30), as in the Gospel the Lord depicted the blessings of the Kingdom of God on earth and of the Heavenly Kingdom in the image of a banquet (Matt 22:1; seq. Luke 14:16; seq. Luke 22:30). More particularly, in light of the New Testament, in this banquet of Wisdom one can understand the Eucharist or the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. To this Divine banquet Wisdom calls men through her sent servants (v. 3), as in the Gospel parables about those invited to the royal supper guests are invited through royal servants (Matt 22:1 seq.; Luke 14:16 seq.). By these servant-heralds are to be understood all those ever sent by God and his Wisdom — preachers of God’s truth for the building of the Divine theocracy among men; in the Old Testament — the prophets, in the New Testament — the apostles (Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15-18).

Proverbs 9:4. “Whoever is simple, let him turn aside here!” And to the one lacking sense she says, Proverbs 9:5. “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed; Proverbs 9:6. leave foolishness and live, and walk in the way of insight.”. The people to whom the call of Wisdom’s messengers is directed are named here (v. 4, 6) as foolish or lacking in understanding — not in an absolute sense, but in a relative sense — in the sense of being untaught in higher truths and, above all, of moral instability and weakness of character (v. 6, compare Prov 7:7). Such people, of whom there are especially many among the young, are still amenable to instruction and pedagogical influence (compare Ps 18:8). And at the time of the planting of Christianity, precisely such simple-hearted people proved to be especially receptive to the preaching of the Gospel (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21; 1 Cor 1:27). Therefore Wisdom calls them to her spiritual table (v. 5), into the light of true understanding and piety.

Proverbs 9:7. Whoever corrects a fool brings on himself abuse, and whoever reproves a wicked person gets himself hurt. Proverbs 9:8. Do not correct a fool, or he will hate you; reprove the wise, and he will love you; Proverbs 9:9. give instruction to the wise, and he will become still wiser; teach the righteous, and he will increase in learning. Here a preliminary remark is made, which aims to limit the circle of people to whom the preaching of Wisdom’s messengers is directed: it is pointless and futile to teach wisdom to people who regard the truth with contempt, who are hostile to it and its preachers (compare Matt 7:6). Instead of useless and unsafe waste of words trying to convince a fool, the preacher should better direct his attention to the wise, that is, at least to one striving for wisdom, to whom the preaching of wisdom will always bring substantial benefit (compare Matt 13:12). It is understandable, of course, that the indicated limitation itself, v. 7–8, has only a relative and conditional significance: it does not suggest an unconditional prohibition against teaching the wicked the truth, but rather circumspection in dealing with scorners of the truth. Love, the highest principle of true life, obligates all possessors of truth everywhere to spread good and truth, caring for the salvation of all, after the example of God himself, who desires the salvation of all, not excluding sinners (Ezek 18:32; 2 Pet 3:9; 2 Tim 2:4).

Proverbs 9:10. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight; Proverbs 9:11. for through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. The speech of Wisdom is concluded with an indication of the main foundation on which the serious seeking of wisdom is built (v. 10) — and the gracious fruits or saving consequences of true wisdom for the one who has obtained it (v. 11). The beginning of wisdom is fear of God (10a, note Prov 1:7) and reverential knowledge of God: “knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (10b). (This translation should be preferred, according to the law of parallelism, to the Greek LXX: Βουλὴ αγίων σύνεσίς, Slavonic: “counsel of the holy is understanding.” It would be more acceptable to adopt the Vulgate translation: scientia sanctorum prudentia); the LXX and the Slavonic at the end of v. 10 have an addition: τὸ γάρ γνῶναι νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς; Slavonic: “to know the law is a mark of good understanding.” This addition is absent in many Greek codices (23, 68, 106, 109, 248, 252, 295 in Holm., in the Aldine and Alexandrian editions, in Clement of Alexandria), and is not present in the Vulgate: apparently — a later gloss, though answering the context of the speech. V. 11 presents one of the not uncommon in the Book of Proverbs promises of longevity for keeping the lessons of wisdom (note Prov 3:2). The examined section Prov 9:1-11 is read in churches as a lesson on the Feasts of the Mother of God, inasmuch as here is foreshadowed Hypostatic Wisdom not in her preexistent being, but in the state of incarnation; and the thought of the incarnation of the Son of God is inseparable from the thought of the Mother of God, who served as the instrument of the incarnation of the Son of God (see in Bp. Vissarion, p. 103–104).

Proverbs 9:12. [My son!] if you are wise, you are wise for yourself [and for those near you]; and if you are rash, you alone will suffer. “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12a. —[Whoever is settled on falsehood tends the winds, pursues the birds flying:—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12b. —for he abandoned the paths of his vineyard and wanders along the paths of his field;—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12c. —he passes through a waterless waste and a land destined for thirst; he gathers with his hands barrenness.]” As an inducement to keep the teachings of wisdom and to avoid (described below) the temptations of foolishness and dissoluteness, the Wise One points out here that the beneficial consequences of wisdom have force properly for the one himself who maintains wisdom, not for God (a thought analogous to that expressed in Job 22:2-3), and not for neighbors. The LXX, Slavonic, however, adds: καί τοῖς πλησίον, “and for those near you.” Furthermore, the LXX and others have a three-line addition to v. 12, which is also found in the Syriac and Arabic translations, as well as in Slavonic and Russian Synodal (in the latter these additions are in brackets). Apparently, these are later glosses, though having signs of origin from a Hebrew original, transferred here from other places in the Book of Proverbs and other sacred books.

Proverbs 9:13. The foolish woman is loud; she is simple and knows nothing of shame. Proverbs 9:14. She sits at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city, Proverbs 9:15. calling to those passing by, to those who go straight on their way: Proverbs 9:16. “Whoever is simple, let him turn aside here!” And to the one lacking sense she said, Proverbs 9:17. “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant”. Proverbs 9:18. But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.— “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18a. —[But you draw back, do not delay in the place, do not fix your gaze on her;—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18b. —for thus you will pass over strange water.—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18c. —Stay far from strange water, and do not drink from a strange spring,—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18d. —so that you may live a long time, and that the years of your life may be increased.]” To strengthen the impression from the exhortations of Wisdom, here are portrayed in detail the temptations of lack of understanding coming from the wanton woman. By her outward appearance the latter’s invitation resembles the invitation of wisdom, but the traits of boldness, recklessness, and similar negative qualities that distinguish the wanton woman (v. 13–17), and especially the fatal end of those seduced by her temptations (v. 18, note Prov 7:27), should, according to the thought of the Wise One, once and for all protect his pupil from any seduction by dissoluteness and folly, however great at times may be the temptation and enticement to follow them. — At the end of v. 18 the LXX has an addition that bears the character of a later gloss (it is absent in the Complutensian edition).