Proverbs 1:20

20 Wisdom^[a] crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

Proverbs 1:20 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 1:20

Wisdom crieth without
Here the person instructing throughout this whole book is represented under the name of "Wisdom"; by which we are to understand not the attribute of divine wisdom displayed in the works of creation; nor the light of nature in man; nor the law of Moses given to the Israelites; nor the revelation of the divine will in general, as it is delivered out in the sacred Scriptures; nor the Gospel, and the ministry of it, in particular; but our Lord Jesus Christ; for the things spoken of Wisdom, and ascribed to it in this book, especially in the eighth and ninth chapters, show that a divine Person is intended, and most properly belong to Christ; who may be called "Wisdoms" ^F2, in the plural number, as in the Hebrew text, because of the consummate and perfect wisdom that is in him; as he is a divine Person, he is "the Logos", the Word and Wisdom of God; as Mediator, "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [are] hid" in him, ( Colossians 2:3 ) ; and, as man, "the Spirit of Wisdom" rests upon him without measure, ( Isaiah 11:2 ) . This, with what follows to the end of the chapter, is a prophecy of the ministry of Christ in the days of his flesh, and of the success of it; and of the calamities that should come upon the Jews for the rejection of him: and Wisdom is here said to "cry", as Christ did, ( John 7:28 John 7:37 ) ; the word signifies to cry both in a sorrowful way, as Jesus did when he cried to Jerusalem, weeping over it, ( Matthew 23:37 ) ( Luke 19:41 ) ; and in a joyful one, which well suits with the Gospel, as preached by him; a joyful sound expressed by piping, in opposition to John's ministry, which was a mournful one, ( Matthew 11:17 ) ; for crying here means no other than the preaching of the word; which is such a cry as that of heralds, when they publicly proclaim peace or war; so Wisdom or Christ, is said to "proclaim liberty to the captives", and "the acceptable year of the Lord", ( Isaiah 61:1 Isaiah 61:2 ) . This cry was made "without" the city of Jerusalem, and without that part of the country which was properly called Jewry; Christ first preached in the land of Galilee; or this may mean the Gentile world, where Christ preached, though not in person, yet by his apostles, whom he sent into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
of the city of Jerusalem, and other places; nor is this contrary to ( Matthew 12:19 ) ; which is to be understood of crying in a bawling and litigious way, of lifting up the voice in self-commendation, neither of which Christ did; and yet might cry and utter his voice in the streets, that is, publicly preach his Gospel there, as he did; and he also sent his servants into the streets and lanes of the city to call in sinners by the ministry of the word, ( Luke 14:21 ) ; which perhaps may be meant of places in the Gentile world; nor is this sense to be excluded here; it may be figuratively understood of the public ministration of the word and ordinances in the church called the streets and broad ways of it, ( Song of Solomon 3:2 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (twmkx) "sapientiae", Montanus, Vatablus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Michaelis.

Proverbs 1:20 In-Context

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

Footnotes

• [a]. Wisdom: Heb. Wisdoms, that is, Excellent wisdom