Proverbs 1:21

21 On a {busy corner}[a] she cries out, at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:

Proverbs 1:21 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 1:21

She crieth in the chief place of concourse
Where a multitude of people meet together; the Targum is,

``on the top of palaces;''
but rather it is to be understood of the synagogues of the Jews, where Christ frequently preached; and which, from hence, they build in the highest part of the city F3; and best of all the temple, whither the tribes of Israel went up to worship in great bodies, and to which the Jews daily resorted; here Christ taught publicly, as he himself says, ( John 18:20 ) ; in the opening of the gates;
either of the city, at which people went in and out in great numbers; or of the temple, where they passed and repassed continually on account of worship; see ( John 10:23 ) ( Acts 3:10 Acts 3:11 ) ; in allusion hereunto the public worship of God's house is signified by the gates of Zion, and also of Wisdom, ( Psalms 87:2 ) ( Proverbs 8:34 ) ; in the city she uttereth her words;
the doctrines of the Gospel; even in the city of Jerusalem literally, and in other cities of Judea and Galilee, the singular being put for the plural; and figuratively in the church of God, often compared to a city; and so all these expressions of "without", in the "streets", in the "chief place of concourse", "the opening of the gates", and "the city", may denote in general the openness and publicness of the Gospel ministry, both by Christ in his apostles, in Judea, and in the Gentile world; more especially the former; [saying],
as follows.
FOOTNOTES:

F3 Maimon. Hilchot Tephillah, c. 11. s. 2.

Proverbs 1:21 In-Context

19 Thus are the ways of all who are greedy [for] gain-- it will take the life of its possessors.
20 Wisdom calls out in the streets, in the squares she raises her voice.
21 On a {busy corner} she cries out, at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:
22 "{How long}, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? And [how long] will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?
23 May you turn to my argument! Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you; I will make my words known to you.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally "head of commotion," or "head of stirring, bustling"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.