Proverbs Chapter 1

Commonplace –

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

As noted by Matthew Henry, “the first nine chapters of [Proverbs] are reckoned as a preface, by way of exhortation to the study and practice of wisdom’s rules, and caution against those things that would hinder therein” (648).

Chapter 1 begins with Solomon introducing himself, “the son of David, king of Israel” (v.1). He then offers the following objectives of the text:

1. “To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding” (v.2);
2. “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;” (v.3);
3. “To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion (v.4)”.

The profit to those who heed the wise counsel offered is safe dwelling and “quiet from fear of evil” (v.33).

Also within Proverbs 1, Solomon compares the call of wisdom vs. folly, which echoes the opening of David’s Psalm 1, which compares the path of good vs. evil. The call of folly sounds like sinners conspiring with you to join them as they hide and lay in wait for an innocent victim, who has not caused them any harm, intent on destroying their victims by, essentially, burying them alive. These are people who run toward evil and are in a hurry to harm others. The fate of the evildoer is fear, destruction, distress, and anguish.

The call of wisdom is very different from the call of evil. Unlike evil who hides and lurks, wisdom is out in the open, spreading her message loudly in the streets. She asks thought provoking questions to the crowds around her. How long will you remain simple? How long will you delight in scorning? How long will you hate knowledge? Wisdom offers to pour herself into her listener, allowing the hearer to understand all she reveals. The fate of those who seek wisdom is safe dwelling and a quiet spirit, free “from fear of evil” (v.33).

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 1.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

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