| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice? |
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| 2 On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand. |
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| 3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud. |
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| 4 Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man: |
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| 5 O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense. |
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| 6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. |
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| 7 For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. |
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| 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them. |
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| 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. |
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| 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold: |
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| 11 for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it. |
Better than rubies – If the Queen of Sheba traveled such a long distance to know about the wisdom of God which Solomon possessed, how much more should the "greater than Solomon" be sought. (Matt. 12:42) R5722:5
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| 12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find the knowledge which cometh of reflection. |
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| 13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate. |
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| 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength. |
Counsel is mine – Christ's, as the personification of wisdom. D637
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| 15 By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees; |
By me kings reign – Israel's government was that of a republic under divine autocracy and law supervision. R4192:3
Decree justice – The prospect of a righteous, just, unshakable Kingdom. R3053:4
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| 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth. |
All the judges – The earthly phase of the Kingdom. D637
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| 17 I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me. |
I love them – This is said of wisdom, but God is the personification of wisdom; and also Christ is wisdom-- "he is made unto us wisdom." (1Cor. 1:30) R4269:6
That seek me early – "Train up a child in the way he should go." (Prov. 22:6) R3711:5
The child-mind is peculiarly susceptible to the truth and its spirit-- the spirit of consecration. R4270:1
A child, reasonably well-born and raised under the influences of a Christian home, would very generally, at the age of 12, be ready to make a consecration of himself to the Lord. R3711:5, R 4270:4
Every home should have its Sunday School class and every Sunday its quiet, sacred hour of fellowship, communion and praise--for parents and children. R4270:1
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| 18 Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness. |
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| 19 My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver. |
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| 20 I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: |
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| 21 that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries. |
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| 22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. |
LORD possessed me – Jehovah possessed the Logos--wisdom personified. E93; R1059:6, R446:1; SM491:3
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| 23 I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was. |
From everlasting – As one of the divine attributes, wisdom existed even before our Lord Jesus; though it is not strange that some infer that wisdom here personifies Christ. R1518:2
Ever the earth was – Was formed. E93
This passage, to verse 25, may be viewed as a prophecy of what our Lord understood of his previous condition. R5065:3
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| 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. |
Were no depths – No seas. E93
Brought forth – Had Jesus been on an equality with God before, how could he have been highly exalted after. R803:1*
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| 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; |
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| 26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. |
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| 27 When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep; |
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| 28 when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong; |
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| 29 when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth: |
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| 30 then I was by him his nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; |
Brought up with him – For centuries before coming to earth the Son had seen the Father's mighty works, marked his wondrous wisdom and experienced his tender love, having the plan revealed to him step by step. R3160:3
While he joyfully worked out the great plan of creation, Jesus probably knew nothing of God's purpose for the subsequent permission of evil. R3160:3
Showing not only his intimate acquaintance with Jehovah and knowledge of his plans, but exhibiting him as the honored agent in their accomplishment. R1059:6, R446:2*
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| 31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men. |
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| 32 And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways: |
Blessed are they – God is "a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6) R4072:5
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| 33 hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. |
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| 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. |
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| 35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah; |
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| 36 but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death. |
Love death Let them make "a covenant with death" (Isa. 28:25) who hate wisdom; but we abhor death and seek for life through the life-giver, the Lord Jesus Christ. R625:6*
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