Exegeting Proverbs

Part 2a
Proverbs 9:1-6

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She
has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her
table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest
point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to
those that lack judgement. “Come and eat my food and drink the
wine that I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.”

Step 1. List the units of thought:

Wisdom has built her house;
 she has hewn out its seven pillars.
 She has prepared her meat
 and mixed her wine;
 she has also set her table.
 She has sent out her maids,
 and she calls from the highest point of the city.
 “Let all who are simple come in here!”
 she says to those that lack judgement.
 “Come and eat my food
 and drink the wine
 that I have mixed.
 Leave your simple ways
 and you will live;
 walk in the way of understanding.”

Step 2. Shape the structure:

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn out its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat
and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her maids,
and she calls from the highest point of the city.
“Let all who are simple
come in here!”
she says to those
that lack judgement.
“Come
and eat my food
and drink the wine
that I have mixed.
 Leave your simple ways she has also set her table. Why has Wisdom done
and you will live; everything herself
walk in the way of understanding.” She has sent out her maids, in preparation for
2 her guests?
and she calls from the highest point of the city. Why does W.
Step 3. Observe the different parts: call from the highest point?
OBSERVATIONS “Let all who are simple
come in here!”
Wisdom has built her house; Who? she says to those that lack judgement. Who are the
she has hewn out its seven pillars. Wisdom (= ?) simple that lack judgement?
She has prepared her meat W’s maids “Come
and mixed her wine; The simple / lack and eat my food
judgement and drink the wine What is the
she has also set her table. What? choice presented?
She has sent out her maids, W’s house & its 7 pillars that I have mixed.
and she calls from the highest point of the city. W’s meat & Leave your simple ways What are the simple
wine ways they must leave?
“Let all who are simple W’s table and you will live; What kind of life is
come in here!” Simple ways promised?
she says to those that lack judgement. The way of walk in the way of understanding” What is the
understanding difference between.
“Come Where? [When? – • eating & drinking
(implied) come now!] and
and eat my food The city’s highest point • walking?
and drink the wine “Here” (W’s 7
house)
that I have mixed. Why? THE CANONICAL CONTEXT
Leave your simple ways So you will live Observe the ultimate (canonical) context: the canon of the whole
and you will live; How? Bible:
walk in the way of understanding.” By eating &
drinking W’s fare
OT setting: choosing between God and idols, life and death
By leaving simple ways
Gospels: Jesus is God’s wisdom and source of life
By walking in the way of
Epistles: Jesus (like Wisdom in Proverbs) is the agent of creation and
understanding
bringer of life
Step 4. Question the meaning & significance of the parts
QUESTIONS Wisdom and Jesus In the NT
• Jesus associates himself with Wisdom Mat 11:18-19
Wisdom has built her house; Who / what is
• Paul also identified Him with Wisdom 1 Cor 1:30
“Wisdom”?
When Jesus associates himself with Woman Wisdom, He is using
she has hewn out its seven pillars. What are the
a powerful (metaphorical) way of saying that
seven pillars?
She has prepared her meat Why are they hewn out • “I, Jesus, am the embodiment of God’s wisdom”
(of stone)?
and mixed her wine; Why is the wine mixed? When we read the NT and are introduced to Jesus as the Wisdom of
God,
we realise that, 6
• not only is the fear of God the beginning of all wisdom (OT
theology), B. Dame (Woman) Folly
but also that
Q: What characterises Folly? (9:13-18) Folly is:
• to embrace Wisdom is to enter into a close personal • Brash (loud), rather than bold
relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Sticks her nose in where it should not be
Similarly regarding Madam Folly, the choice now for us post-NT • Ignorant and doesn’t realise it!
Christians s: • The complete opposite of Wisdom
• Do we dine with Jesus,
• or with the devil? Understanding the messages of the two women

Message understood by interpreting the developing metaphor)

• Both desire relationship – come in with me!
• Both have prepared a meal: to eat with someone is to form an
intimate relationship (Ancient Near Eastern culture)
• Both compete with each other (the young man cannot have
both!)

Discovering their Identity

A clue: the location of their houses:

• The highest point of the city
• Temples built at the top of a mount (highest point)
Conclusion:
• Lady Wisdom a metaphor for God
• Dame Folly a metaphor for any false god

What is Involved in the Invitation of a woman inviting a young man to

dinner?

A. Wisdom
• Wisdom stands to invite everyone
• Wisdom’s banquet brings life
• She is like the tree of life to those who embrace her.
• Happy are those who hold her tightly!

B. Folly
• sits to hook a client individually
• Folly’s meal is enticing – but
• Previous guests are all dead!
• She does not deliver what she promises!
The Lesson • the central point or core message of that passage
It should be
Embrace God’s Wisdom and make her an integral part of your
life! • An ACCUATE statement in one sentence of the HEART of the
passage that faithfully REPRESENTS its EMPHASIS (not a
3 statement of a secondary theme or idea within the passage)
• A CONCISE statement of this central point
Step 5. Suggest some Answers (not a precis of the total passage)
(either by reflection or by referring to commentaries) • A MEMORABLE statement in contemporary language
ANSWERS (not simply a repetition of part of the text)
 Wisdom: the wisdom of God the Creator of a wisely ordered
universe THE HEART-BEAT of Proverbs 9:1-6
 Seven: suggests perfection or simply a mark of a
Suggestion 1.
prosperous home God calls us to
 Hewn out pillars: suggests effort, craftsmanship • leave our foolish ways and
 Mixed wine: enjoyment, richness, complexity, subtlety of • b) come & feed on his rich wisdom, which he has gone to
wisdom great trouble to provide for us so that we may truly live, and
 Wisdom’s involvement in every preparation: God’s
• c) follow his wise ways
personal care for us
4
 The highest point: the place of worship (e.g. where the
Temple was built)
Suggestion 2.
 The simple: the naïve, ignorant and even foolish
Embrace Wisdom
 The choice: the way leading to life and the foolish ways
Which is better? Suggestion 1 or suggestion 2?
(leading to death)
What are the strengths and weaknesses of
 Life: authentic, lasting life, as opposed to deadness and
 Suggestion 1?
eventual death
 Suggestion 2?
 Eating: feeding on what is provided; walking: obeying
Can you make any other Suggestion?
wisdom

Step 6. What is the over-all Subject of the passage?

The Wisdom of God the Creator of His wisely ordered Exegeting Proverbs
universe Part 2b
Proverbs 9:1-6
Step 6. What does the passage say about this over-all Bringing in
Subject? THE LITERARY CONTEXT
Wisdom
 Has gone to great trouble to prepare for her guests
 Invites to her house all who lack her insight THE LITERARY CONTEXTS
 Invites the simple to feed at her rich table
 Exhorts them to obey her instruction Five significant literary contexts:
 Promises them life  The immediate context (chapter 9)
 The sectional context (chapters 1 -9)
Step 7. What is the heart-beat of the passage?  The larger (book) context
 The context within the Hebrew Scriptures (OT)
The Heart-Beat of a passage is  The ultimate context (the whole Bible)
 The men they beckon are immature, still in the process of
A. THE SECTIONAL CONTEXT development,
and therefore at a critical stage of making up their mind.
The Literary Dynamics of Chapters 1- 9 Some are showing signs of resistance to Wisdom: a simpleton, a
mocker, a fool
Observe: The literary device of a familiar family situation:
• A father speaking to his son about life Observe: The situation and metaphor combined:
o two paths open to his son… The implied reader of Proverbs 9 is a male, choosing between two
The Choice: two Kinds of Paths (2:13) women
• The straight paths inviting him to enter an intimate relationship!
o Warning: Not to leave!
o Lead to life (8:35) The Literary Dynamics The ultimate significance of this disturbing
metaphor:
• The dark paths
o where dangers lurk: The invitation to him to enter an intimate relationship
o crooked men and enticing women! points to the ultimate encounter on the path of life
o warning: Not to walk down! involving the choice between life and death!
o Lead to death (8:36) The Choice

A. Lady (Woman) Wisdom

5 People can be known by the company they keep and the people
they avoid!
B. THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT (Chapter 9): Q: With whom is Wisdom associated? Whom does she avoid? (8:6-
15)
 Section 1 – vv 1-6 Lady (Woman) Wisdom Wisdom’s company
 Section 2 - 7-12 Miscellaneous wisdom sayings • Includes righteousness (8:6) – truth (8:7) –wholesome
 Section 3 – vv 13-18 Dame (Woman) Folly behaviour (8:8) – good
The Literary Dynamics of Chapter 9 judgement (8:12) – common sense – success – insight –
strength (8:14.15)
Observe: The (disturbing?) use of the over-all metaphor: • Excludes deception, evil, pride and arrogance (8:7-8,13)
• The (female) figure of Wisdom soliciting the choice of the Note: Wisdom is not merely intellectual, but also entwined with
(male) Youth ethical behaviour.
• in competition with another female figure – Folly
• The Young Men that are Invited described as:
• Simpletons (9:4)
• Mockers (1:22)
• Lacking judgement (9:4)
• Fools (8:5)
• Her sons (8:32)
• On the path of life (8:2)
• The crowds (8:3)