1 Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city: 4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, 5 "Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed! 6 Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding." 7 He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. 8 Don't reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it. 13 The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 15 To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways, 16 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, 17 "Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant." 18 But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Wisdom builds her house, makes her provision for a great feast, calls her guests, and exhorts them to partake of her entertainment, Proverbs 9:1-6. Different admonitions relative to the acquisition of wisdom, Proverbs 9:7-12. The character and conduct of a bad woman, Proverbs 9:13-18.
The same Wisdom speaks here who spoke in the preceding chapter. There she represented herself as manifest in all the works of God in the natural world; all being constructed according to counsels proceeding from an infinite understanding. Here, she represents herself as the great potentate, who was to rule all that she had constructed, and having an immense family to provide for, had made an abundant provision, and calls all to partake of it. This, says Calmet, is the continuation of the parable begun in the preceding chapter, where wisdom is represented as a venerable lady, whose real beauties and solid promises are opposed to the false allurements of Pleasure, who was represented in the seventh chapter under the idea of a debauched and impudent woman. This one, to draw young people into her snares, describes the perfumes, the bed, and the festival which she has prepared. Wisdom acts in the same way: but, instead of the debauchery, the false pleasures, and the criminal connections which pleasure had promised, offers her guests a strong, well-built, magnificent palace, chaste and solid pleasures, salutary instructions, and a life crowned with blessedness. This is the sum and the substance of the parable; but as in the preceding part, so in this, men have produced strange creatures of their own brain by way of explanation. One specimen of this mode of interpretation may suffice.
The house built by wisdom is the holy humanity of Jesus Christ; the seven pillars are the seven sacraments, or the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, or the whole of the apostles, preachers, and ministers of the Church; the slain beasts are the sacrifice of Christ's body upon the cross; and the bread and mingled wine are the bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper! - Fathers and Doctors.
If we have recourse to any other particulars than those given above in the summary of the chapter, let us follow the first part of the parable, where wisdom is represented as laying the plan of the creation; and then perhaps we may say with safety, that wisdom, having produced the grand ichnopraph or ground plot of the whole, with all the requisite elevations and specifications of materials, comes to show us, in this part, that the whole has been constructed on this plan; and specifies the end for which this august building has been raised.
INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 9
In this chapter, Wisdom, or Christ, is represented as having built a stately house or palace for the entertainment of his guests, Proverbs 9:1; as having made large and suitable provisions for them, Proverbs 9:2; and as having sent his servants to invite them to come and partake of them, and quit all other company but his, Proverbs 9:3; When it is observed who are and who are not to be reproved, with the reasons of it, Proverbs 9:7; and what is the sum and substance of true wisdom; and what the advantages of it both here and hereafter, Proverbs 9:10; And the chapter is concluded with the description of the foolish woman, the opposite of Wisdom; who is represented as clamorous, simple, and ignorant, Proverbs 9:13; and plying passengers that go by her door, and inviting them in to partake of her provisions, Proverbs 9:14; the consequence of which is sure and certain death and destruction to her guests, Proverbs 9:18.
(Proverbs 9:1-12) The invitations of Wisdom.
(Proverbs 9:13-18) The invitations of folly.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.