Proverbs 9:4-14

4 "¹Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!" To him who ²lacks understanding she says,

5 "Come, ³eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 "Forsake your folly and ⁴live, And ⁵proceed in the way of understanding."

7 He who ⁶corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

8 ⁷Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, ⁸Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will ⁹increase his learning.

10 The ¹⁰fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For ¹¹by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise ¹²for yourself, And if you ¹³scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The woman of folly is ¹⁴boisterous, She is naive and ¹⁵knows nothing *.

14 She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by ¹⁶the high places of the city,

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Proverbs 9:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

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, Pr 9:1; as having made large and suitable provisions for them, Pr 9:2; and as having sent his servants to invite them to come and partake of them, and quit all other company but his, Pr 9:3-6; When it is observed who are and who are not to be reproved, with the reasons of it, Pr 9:7-9; and what is the sum and substance of true wisdom; and what the advantages of it both here and hereafter, Pr 9:10-12; And the chapter is concluded with the description of the foolish woman, the opposite of Wisdom; who is represented as clamorous, simple, and ignorant, Pr 9:13; and plying passengers that go by her door, and inviting them in to partake of her provisions, Pr 9:14-17; the consequence of which is sure and certain death and destruction to her guests, Pr 9:18.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 16

1. Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:16
2. Proverbs 6:32
3. Song of Songs 5:1; Isaiah 55:1; John 6:27
4. Proverbs 8:35; Proverbs 9:11
5. Ezekiel 11:20; Ezekiel 37:24
6. Proverbs 23:9
7. Proverbs 15:12; Matthew 7:6
8. Psalms 141:5; Proverbs 10:8
9. Proverbs 1:5
10. Job 28:28; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 1:7
11. Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 10:27
12. Job 22:2; Proverbs 14:14
13. Proverbs 19:29
14. Proverbs 7:11
15. Proverbs 5:6
16. Proverbs 9:3

Footnotes 6

[a]. Lit "simple"
[b]. Lit "heart"
[c]. Or "Forsake the simple ones"
[d]. Lit "a blemish"
[e]. Or "foolish woman"
[f]. Lit "simple"