Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1 sets the tone for the entire book by introducing its purpose: to provide wisdom, understanding, and instruction. The chapter highlights the benefits of wisdom and the dangers of ignoring it. Solomon emphasizes the importance of fearing the Lord as the foundation of knowledge and contrasts the path of the wise with the destruction that comes to those who reject wisdom.
Proverbs 1:1-4 (NKJV)
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—
These opening verses lay out the purpose of the proverbs. They are meant to teach wisdom and understanding, focusing on practical and moral principles. The proverbs offer guidance in justice and equity, ensuring fair treatment. Wisdom is extended not only to the learned but also to the simple and young, helping them to develop good judgment and discretion as they navigate life.
Proverbs 1:5-7 (NKJV)
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
A wise person listens and continually seeks to grow in understanding. Wisdom is presented as something that requires attentiveness and humility. The key to true knowledge is fearing the Lord—honoring Him with reverence and awe. In contrast, fools reject wisdom and instruction, preferring their ignorance over the discipline that wisdom brings.
Proverbs 1:8-10 (NKJV)
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
Solomon encourages listening to parental wisdom. The instructions of parents are likened to ornaments, which bring honor and beauty to one's life. In verse 10, there is a warning against being enticed by sinners, urging the listener to stand firm and not give in to peer pressure or temptation. Rejecting sinful enticement is essential for living a righteous life.
Proverbs 1:11-14 (NKJV)
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse”—
These verses describe the way of the wicked, who entice others to join them in violence and greed. Their plan involves harming the innocent for personal gain, luring people with the promise of quick wealth through unjust means. However, the appeal of wealth and shared gain should be resisted, as it leads to destruction.
Proverbs 1:15-19 (NKJV)
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.
Solomon urges his son to avoid the path of the wicked. Those who rush into evil and seek to harm others are on a self-destructive course. Like birds who recognize a trap when it’s set, the wise avoid the traps set by the wicked. Ultimately, those driven by greed are harming themselves, as their pursuit of unjust gain leads to their own downfall.
Proverbs 1:20-23 (NKJV)
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you."
In this passage, hokhmah, the Hebrew word for wisdom, is inherently a feminine noun, which naturally lends itself to being personified as a woman. Lady Wisdom stands in public places, calling out to people to listen and abandon foolishness. She represents wisdom as accessible to all, yet often ignored, giving both an invitation to learn and a stern warning against neglecting wise guidance. This feminine personification aligns with cultural norms of the time, where wisdom was seen as a nurturing, guiding force, much like the role of wise women in Hebrew society.
Proverbs 1:24-27 (NKJV)
24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Here, wisdom warns of the consequences of rejecting her call. Those who refuse to listen and scorn her counsel will face calamity. When distress and destruction come, wisdom will no longer be available to them. The imagery of terror arriving like a storm highlights the sudden and overwhelming nature of the consequences for ignoring wisdom’s voice.
Proverbs 1:28-31 (NKJV)
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies.
Those who rejected wisdom will later seek her in desperation, but it will be too late. Their rejection of knowledge and the fear of the Lord leads to a tragic outcome: they will face the consequences of their own choices. This emphasizes the need to embrace wisdom when it is offered, as the opportunity may not last forever.
Proverbs 1:32-33 (NKJV)
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.
The final verses contrast the fate of the foolish with the security of the wise. Those who remain simple and complacent will face destruction, but those who listen to wisdom will live in safety and peace. This underscores the chapter’s central message: embracing wisdom leads to life, while rejecting it leads to destruction.