Proverbs 1:21

21 in the main concourse ^[a] she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Proverbs 1:21 In-Context

19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

20 Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

21 in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

Footnotes

• [a] Or from the top of the wall