Verses 1-3
v1 The woman, who is called Wisdom, calls out.
The woman, who is called Intelligence, is shouting.
v2 She shouts from the hills by the road.
She stands at the cross-roads.
v3 She is at the city gate.
She shouts at the entrance to the city.
Commentary
This is the second of Solomon’s three great poems. Wisdom, like a woman, gives a speech to all the people.
In verse 1, there are not two women. Wisdom is one woman, but she has two names. Her names are Wisdom and Intelligence. This is because wisdom is the same thing as intelligence. Right decisions and accurate knowledge are also the same thing as wisdom.
All these things will be ours when we trust in God. They do not come immediately. We need to learn to be wise. This is a slow process. Each day, we should learn new lessons. God teaches us in different ways. Sometimes he teaches us from the Bible. Sometimes he uses other people to teach us. Sometimes he uses nature or other methods to teach us.
If we are teachers, then we must be patient. It takes many years to learn law or medicine. In the same way, many people are slow to learn wisdom. Even for true Christians, some lessons can take years to learn.
A church leader is a type of teacher. He teaches the people that he serves. Often, he must repeat the same lessons several times. The teacher must try to be a model for his people. He cares for them. He tries to advise them about the Bible. He prays for them. The teacher himself also needs to learn more. He knows that he is not perfect.
The evil woman (in Proverbs 7:12) went everywhere. Wisdom is also everywhere. Wherever people are, Wisdom is there. (Wisdom is like a woman.) She is waiting to advise them. She wants to help them. She will guide them to make right decisions. She will show them good ways. She will help them to trust in God.
Many people do not listen to Wisdom. They do not want her advice. She still calls out, because her message is important to everyone.
Verses 4-11
v4 ‘I am calling to you, men.
I am shouting to everybody.
v5 If you are simple, then learn to be wise.
If you are foolish, then learn to be intelligent.
v6 Listen to me! My words are good.
My words are right.
v7 I am telling the truth to you.
I hate evil words.
v8 All my words are fair.
I do not say anything that is wrong.
v9 The wise person knows that all my words are right.
The intelligent person knows that my words are perfect.
v10 My lessons are better than silver.
My knowledge is better than gold.
v11 Wisdom is more valuable than precious stones.
No valuable things compare with her.’
Commentary
This is a message to everyone. Wisdom (the woman) speaks to the people in every nation. You may be rich or poor. You may be a ruler, or an ordinary person. You may be a man or a woman. You may be young or old. Everyone needs to be wise.
Solomon uses special meanings for the words ‘simple’ and ‘foolish’.
The ‘fool’ is proud and lazy. He does not want to serve God. He hates wisdom. He prefers to do evil things. If you try to teach a fool, he will hate you. He will only learn if God changes him.
The ‘simple’ person does not know what is right or wrong. He has not learned to be wise. He chooses to do evil things, because ‘everybody does it’. But you can teach a simple person. A simple person can learn to be wise.
The woman called Wisdom speaks good words. Her words are always true (verse 6). They are fair (verse 7). She does not speak wrong words (verse 7). Everything that she says is perfect (verse 9).
God is like this. He uses the Bible to teach us. The Bible is the word of God. The Bible is always true (Psalm 119:89). The Bible is fair (Psalm 119:75). The Bible is never wrong (Psalm 119:68). It is perfect (Psalm 119:137-138).
Money is not really valuable. Silver and gold are beautiful, but they cannot give a good life to you. Wisdom is valuable. Wisdom is better than money, silver or gold.
The Bible is also better than these things. ‘I love God’s commands more than the purest gold.’ (Psalm 119:127)
Verses 10-11 are similar to Proverbs 3:14-15. In Proverbs 3, Solomon is speaking to his son about the woman called Wisdom. ‘She is worth more than silver. She is even more valuable than gold. She is more valuable than precious stones. No valuable things compare with her.’ Now, in verses 10-11, Wisdom herself agrees that this is true.
Verses 12-21
v12 ‘I am Wisdom. I am skilful.
I have knowledge. I make the right decisions.
v13 To respect God is to hate evil things.
I hate proud and greedy people. I hate lies. And I hate evil deeds.
v14 My advice is good. My decisions are right.
I am intelligent. I have power.
v15 Kings rule by my wisdom.
Rulers make fair laws by my wisdom.
v16 Princes govern by my wisdom.
Every good leader has my wisdom.
v17 I love the people who love me.
Everyone that looks for me can find me.
v18 My gifts are wealth and honor.
And my wealth will last because it is good.
v19 The results of my work are better than fine gold.
The reward that I give is better than fine silver.
v20 My actions are fair and right.
v21 I give wealth to those who love me.
I fill their rooms with valuable things.’
Commentary
If you are wise, then you will also be skillful. Your wisdom will help you to make the right decisions.
The first lesson in wisdom is that we must respect God.
Wisdom hates these things:
1. Evil deeds. When we serve God, we should not do evil actions. God will teach us to do the right things. If we do wrong things, then we must ask God to forgive us.
2. Proud people. A proud person trusts in himself. He will not listen to God. He will not listen to other people.
3. Greedy people. God wants us to be generous.
4. Lies. God loves the truth.
Solomon, who wrote the Book of Proverbs, was a king. He knew that he was responsible for many people. When he was young, he wanted to be a good king. He studied wisdom so that he would rule wisely. All rulers and leaders can learn from him.
A king should not use his power to steal money from other people. His people should not suffer so that he can have fun. He should care about the people. He should rule them fairly. His laws should be fair. He should use his power carefully. Everyone who has responsibility for other people should think about this. Employers, rulers, and judges need God’s wisdom. Church leaders also need God’s wisdom.
The best wealth is not money or gold. Rich people can lose their money. But wisdom is not like money. When we learn wisdom, it will benefit our whole lives.
The woman called Wisdom is generous. She gives true wealth. We can love many things. Some people love wine. But too much wine will kill them. Some people love money. But they can lose everything in a single day. If we love wisdom, then God will look after us. He cares about us. Jesus said, ‘Love God, with all your heart, spirit and mind! This is the first and greatest law.’ (Matthew 22:37-38).
Verses 22-31
v22 God used his wisdom when he started his work.
This was before ancient times.
v23 My name is Wisdom! I existed from the beginning.
I existed even before God created the world.
v24 I was born before he made the seas.
I was there before the waters flowed.
v25 My birth was before God made the mountains.
I was born before he made the hills.
v26 I was there, before the earth, or the soil, or the fields.
v27 I was there:
-- when God made the heavens
-- when he drew the horizons upon the seas
v28 when he put the clouds in the sky
-- when he made the deep waters
--v29 when he chose the limits of the sea (He made a law that the waters would not flood the earth.)
-- when he set the earth firmly in place.
-- v30 When he did all this, I was his worker. I worked at his side.
Day after day, I was glad to be with him.
v31 I was glad when I saw his world.
People were my delight.’
The woman called Wisdom continues her speech. She explains how God made the world.
Commentary
We all need wisdom. Even God used his wisdom to make the world. In the beginning, before ancient times, wisdom was there.
Wisdom is like God’s word. God’s word existed in the beginning. And God’s word created the world, when God the Father gave his command. (John 1:1)
The ‘word’ is another name for Jesus. Jesus always existed with God in heaven. Jesus is the Son of God. There is only one God, but Jesus is God. This is difficult to understand. We cannot understand everything about God. We must trust God about the things that we do not understand.
The poem described how God made the world. God worked carefully. He loves people. So he prepared a beautiful home for us. Compare this with Genesis 1.
The poem talks about the ‘birth’ of wisdom. This is poetry. The poet is not saying that one day, wisdom was born. He does not think that before this, there was no wisdom. God was wise, even before ancient times. God was wise, even before he made the world. God has always been wise.
God worked with Wisdom. (Solomon continues to compare wisdom with a woman.) Together, God and Wisdom were glad to see the world. Together, they were happy about God’s work. Especially, they were glad to see the people. God made people to be in his image (Genesis 1:26). This means that people should behave like him. People should use wisdom. When people make things, they should be wise. When they lead other people, they should be wise.
These verses are also sad. They describe what God wanted. God’s plan was that he would live with us. But the people refused God’s love (Genesis 3:9-13). They refused wisdom.
Jesus died to bring us back to God. We should trust in God. We should greatly desire God’s wisdom.
Verses 32-36
v32 ‘My sons, listen to me. I am called Wisdom.
I will bless you if you keep my commands.
v33 Listen to my lesson, and be wise!
Do not refuse my wisdom!
v34 I make the man happy who hears me.
Daily, he watches at my door and waits for me.
v35 The person who finds me finds life.
God will be kind to him.
v36 However, the person who does not find me hurts himself.
If you hate me, then you love death.’
Commentary
The woman, Wisdom, asks us to listen to her. She will bless us. She will teach us to be wise. We must not refuse her advice.
If a man listens to wisdom, then he will benefit. This man does not just listen to one lesson, and then walk away. Every day, he wants more wisdom. He is like a child who is waiting at his mother’s door. The child waits for mother to wake, so that she will teach him! We should always want to learn more wisdom. God will be kind to us, if we do this.
If a man refuses wisdom, then he will suffer. His punishment is severe. A man who hates wisdom will die.
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