Proverbs 1:10-9:18
New Catholic Bible
Prologue: Invitation to Wisdom[a]
If Sinners Try To Entice You . . .[b]
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you,
refuse to join them.
11 They may say, “Come and join us
as we lie in ambush to shed someone’s blood;
let us waylay some innocent man;
12 like the netherworld we can swallow him alive,
in his prime like those who go down to the pit.
13 We will discover riches of every sort[c]
with which we can fill our houses;
14 so throw in your lot with us
and share in the common purse.”
15 My son, do not accompany them!
Do not allow your feet to follow their path!
16 For their feet are rushing headlong to evil;
they are hastening to shed blood.[d]
17 It is useless to spread a net
if the bird is watching.[e]
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood
and set an ambush against themselves.
19 Such is the fate of all who seek ill-gotten gain;
such greed takes away the life of those who acquire it.
Wisdom Cries Out Her Message in the Street[f]
20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She calls out on the crowded street corners;
at the city gates she proclaims her message:
22 “How long will you simple people continue to be fools?
How long will you mockers[g] delight in your mocking?
How long will you fools continue to hate knowledge?
23 If you would seriously consider my reproof,
I would pour out my thoughts to you
and make my precepts known to you.
24 “However, because you refused to listen to my call,
because no one heeded when I stretched out my hand,
25 and because you rejected all my counsel
and ignored all my warnings,
26 [h]I in my turn will laugh at your distress
and mock you when panic overwhelms you,
27 when terror suddenly strikes you like a hurricane
and your doom approaches like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will cry out to me but I will not answer;
they will search for me, but not find me.[i]
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.[j]
30 They refused to accept my advice
and spurned all my warnings.
31 “Now they must eat the fruits of their conduct
and be glutted with the results of their schemes.[k]
32 For the stubbornness of the simple kills them;
fools come to final ruin by their own complacency.
33 But whoever listens to me will be secure
and live in peace, without fear of disaster.”
Chapter 2
Wisdom Will Enter into Your Heart[l]
1 My son, if you take my words to heart
and look upon my instructions as a treasure,
2 attuning your ear to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding,
3 if you cry out for the gift of discernment[m]
and plead for understanding,
4 if you seek for it as for silver
and search for it as for buried treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord[n]
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord himself is the one who bestows wisdom;
from his mouth come forth knowledge and understanding.
7 He reserves his wisdom for the upright
and is a shield to those who lead blameless lives,
8 for he guards the paths of justice
and keeps watch over the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand equity and justice
as well as righteousness—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart
and knowledge will delight your soul.[o]
11 Prudence will protect you,
and understanding will watch over you.
12 Thus, you will be preserved from the ways of evil
and from those whose speech is perverse,[p]
13 who stray far from the straight paths[q]
to walk along roads of darkness,
14 who take pleasure in doing evil
and delight in leading perverse lives,
15 whose paths are crooked
and whose ways are devious.
16 You will be saved from the wife of another,
from the adulteress[r] with her seductive words,
17 who forsakes the partner of her youth
and forgets her sacred covenant with God.
18 For her house leads downward to death[s]
and her paths descend to the shades.
19 Anyone who goes to her never returns
or regains the paths of life.
20 Take care, then, that you follow the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,[t]
and those who are innocent will remain there.
22 However, the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and those who are faithless will be uprooted from it.
Chapter 3
Blessed Is the Person Who Has Found Wisdom[u]
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but cherish my commandments in your heart,
2 for they will bring you length of days,
more years of life,[v] and an abundance of prosperity.
3 Do not let kindness and fidelity leave you;
fasten them around your neck
and inscribe them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will gain favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust wholeheartedly in the Lord
rather than relying on your own intelligence.
6 In everything you do, acknowledge him,
and he will see that your paths are straight.
7 Do not pride yourself on your own wisdom;
fear the Lord and turn your back on evil.
8 This will provide healing for your flesh
and restore strength to your body.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your crops.[w]
10 Then your barns will be filled with plenty,[x]
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 [y]My son, do not ignore the Lord’s discipline
or refuse to accept his rebuke.
12 For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
just as a father chastises a beloved son.
13 Blessed[z] is the person who has found wisdom,
the one who has gained understanding.
14 For she is far more valuable than silver,
and her revenue is greater than that of gold.
15 She is more precious than pearls,[aa]
and nothing that you desire can compare with her.
16 In her right hand is length of days;
in her left hand, riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant to follow,
and all her paths lead to peace.
18 She is a tree of life to all who embrace her,
and blessed are all who hold her fast.
By His Wisdom the Lord Laid the Earth’s Foundations[ab]
19 By his wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations;
by his understanding he established the heavens.
20 Through his knowledge the depths broke open
and the clouds dropped down dew.
You Will Proceed on Your Way Securely[ac]
21 My son, without letting them slip out of your sight
safeguard sound wisdom and prudence.
22 They will give life to your soul
and provide adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will proceed on your way securely,
and your feet will avoid stumbling.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid,[ad]
and on your bed your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden terror
or of the destruction[ae] that overtakes the wicked.
26 For the Lord will be your assurance
and will keep your feet from the trap.
27 Do not withhold kindness from anyone to whom it is due
when it is in your power to grant it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go away and come back again; I will repay you tomorrow,”
when you can give him what is owed right then.
29 Do not plot any evil against your neighbor
who is living in peace beside you.
30 Do not quarrel with someone without cause
when that person has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a violent man
or choose to emulate any of his ways.
32 For the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord
whose friendship is bestowed only upon the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord falls on the house of the wicked,[af]
but he blesses the abode of the righteous.
34 He shows only disdain to those who are scornful,
but he showers his kindness on the humble.
35 Glory is the crown given to the wise;
fools inherit nothing but disgrace.
Chapter 4
Acquire Wisdom[ag]
1 Listen, my children, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 What I am offering to you is sound advice;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a young boy in my father’s house,
tender in years and my mother’s only child,
4 he taught me and said:
“Let your heart hold fast to my words;
follow my instructions and you will live.
5 “Acquire wisdom and gain understanding;
never forget or turn aside from my words.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom,
and no matter what the cost, acquire understanding.[ah]
8 Extol wisdom, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She will place on your head a lovely garland
and bestow on you a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son, and take my words to heart,
and the years of your life will be multiplied.
11 I have instructed you in the ways of wisdom
and led you along the paths of righteousness.
12 When you walk, your steps will be unimpeded,
and when you run, you will not stumble.[ai]
13 Hold fast to instruction and never let her go;
guard her carefully, for she is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk on the road that evildoers follow.
15 Avoid it; do not go by it;
turn aside from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they have first done wrong;[aj]
they cannot sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 The bread of wickedness is their food,
and the wine of violence is their drink.[ak]
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which increases in brightness to the fullness of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness,[al]
and they cannot even see what they have stumbled over.
20 My son, concentrate attentively on my words;
pay heed to the instructions I pass on to you.
21 Do not let them slip from your mind;
keep them forever in your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them
and provide health to their entire being.
23 Guard your heart with all possible vigilance,
for from it flow the wellsprings of life.[am]
24 Turn away from the mouth that deceives
and keep your distance from lips that mislead.[an]
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze on what lies before you.
26 Ensure that the path you tread is level,
and then your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve either to the right or to the left;
keep your foot far from evil.
Chapter 5
Keep Far Away from an Adulteress[ao]
1 My son, pay close attention to my wisdom,
and listen carefully to my discernment,
2 so that you may always act prudently
and your lips may safeguard knowledge.
3 The lips of an adulteress[ap] drip with honey
and her mouth is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood[aq]
and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;[ar]
her steps lead directly to the netherworld.
6 Far from following the path of life,
she unknowingly wanders off in different directions.
7 So now, my son, listen to me,
and do not stray from the advice that I offer.
8 Keep far away from her
and do not go anywhere near the door of her house,
9 lest you turn over your life to others
and your years to one without mercy,
10 lest strangers grow prosperous on your wealth[as]
and your arduous toil enrich another man’s house.
11 Then, at the end of your life, you will groan
when your flesh and your body are consumed.
12 You will say, “Why did I despise discipline
and allow my heart to spurn correction?
13 Why did I fail to heed the voice of my teachers
and refuse to listen to my instructors?
14 Now I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the midst of the public assembly.”[at]
Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth[au]
15 Drink the water from your own cistern,
fresh water from your own well.[av]
16 Do not allow your springs[aw] to overflow,
gushing forth water into the streets.
17 Let them be for you alone
and not be shared by strangers.
18 May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
19 a lovely deer, a graceful fawn—
let her affection fill you with delight
and ever hold you captive.[ax]
20 Why then be seduced by another man’s wife, my son,
and succumb to the embraces of an adulteress?
21 For each man’s ways are observed by the Lord,
and he examines each man’s paths.
22 The wicked man will be ensnared by his own iniquities
and held fast in the bonds of his sins.
23 He will perish for lack of discipline,
condemned by his own excessive folly.
Four Recommendations[ay]
Chapter 6
Do Not Take on Impossible Tasks[az]
1 My son, if you have guaranteed the debt of your neighbor
or the bond of a stranger,
2 you have been trapped by the utterance of your lips,
ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3 To extricate yourself from this situation,
this is what you must do, my son.
Since you have fallen into his power,
go directly to your neighbor and plead with him.
4 Give your eyes no sleep,
your eyelids no slumber.
5 Break free like a gazelle from a trap
or like a bird from the grasp of a fowler.
Contemplate the Ant, You Sluggard[ba]
6 Contemplate the ant, you sluggard;[bb]
observe its ways and gain wisdom.
7 Even though it has no chief,
no governor or ruler,
8 it stores its provisions throughout the summer
and gathers its food at the time of harvest.
9 How long do you intend to lie there, you sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,
11 and poverty will overtake you like a robber,
and scarcity like an armed man.
Portrait of a Scoundrel[bc]
12 A scoundrel,[bd] a villainous man, is he
who specializes in crooked talk.
13 He winks with his eyes,
gives signals with his feet,
and makes gestures with his fingers.
14 His perverted heart is ever bent toward devising evil
as he constantly sows discord.
15 Therefore, disaster will strike him suddenly;
in an instant he will be crushed beyond recovery.
Six Things That the Lord Hates[be]
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are abhorrent to him:
17 haughty eyes,[bf] a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,[bg]
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness[bh] who spews out lies,
and one who sows dissension among brothers.
The Wiles of a Seductress[bi]
20 Observe your father’s command, my son,
and do not reject your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them forever in your heart;
tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you awaken, they will instruct you.
23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light,[bj]
and the corrections of discipline point the way to life,
24 to preserve you from an immoral woman,
from the seductive tongue of an adulteress.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart
or allow her to entice you with her eyes.
26 For if a prostitute seeks a loaf of bread,
the adulteress endangers your very life.[bk]
27 Can a man kindle a fire in his bosom
without burning his clothes?
28 Or can a man walk on red-hot coals
without scorching his feet?
29 So it is with the man
who consorts with his neighbor’s wife;
no one who touches her will escape punishment.
30 People attach little blame to a thief
if he steals only to satisfy his hunger.
31 However, once caught, he must pay back sevenfold[bl]
and hand over all his household possessions.
32 But the one who commits adultery lacks sense;
only someone who wants to destroy himself does so.
33 He will get nothing but beatings and contempt,
and his disgrace will never be wiped away.
34 For jealousy inflames a husband’s anger,
and he will be merciless in taking revenge.
35 He will not consider any compensation,
and he will reject even the most lavish gifts.
Chapter 7
1 My son, keep my words
and make my commands your treasure.
2 Follow my precepts, and you will live;
keep my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them to your fingers;
inscribe them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom,[bm] “You are my sister,”
and regard understanding as your friend,
5 so that they may keep you from another’s wife,
from the adulteress with her seductive words.
6 While standing at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice,
7 and as I glanced at the immature youths,
I observed among the simple ones[bn]
a lad with no sense.
8 He walked along the street near her corner
and then turned in the direction near her house,
9 at twilight, as the day was fading,
at dusk when the night grows dark.
10 Then a woman came forth to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute with a scheming heart.
11 She was loud-mouthed and brazen,
one who is never content to rest at home,
12 always on the streets or the public squares,
lying in wait at every corner.
13 She caught him and kissed him,
and brazenly said to him:
14 “I had to make sacrificial peace offerings,[bo]
and I have fulfilled my vows today.
15 And so I came out to meet you,
to look for you, and now I have found you.
16 I have spread coverlets over my bed,
covered sheets of Egyptian linen.[bp]
17 “I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning,
abandoning ourselves to a feast of love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
he is away on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of money with him
and will not be back until the moon is full.”
21 With her persistent urging she persuaded him,
luring him astray with her seductive words.[bq]
22 Bemused, he followed her,
like an ox being led to the slaughter,
like a stag stepping into a noose,
23 until an arrow pierces its liver,
like a bird rushing into a snare,
not realizing its life is at stake.
24 So now, my son, listen to me
and be attentive to what I have to say.
25 Do not let your heart stray into her ways
or wander into her paths.
26 For many are those she has led to death;
her victims are beyond number.
27 Her house is the pathway to the netherworld,[br]
the descent to the chambers of death.
Chapter 8
Wisdom Reenters the Scene[bs]
1 Does Wisdom not call?
Does Understanding not lift up her voice?
2 On the heights, by the wayside,
at the crossroads—she takes her stand;
3 by the gates leading into the city,
at the roads of access she cries out:
4 “I call out to you, O men;
my appeal is to the sons of men.
5 You who are simple, acquire prudence;
you who are foolish, acquire understanding.
6 Listen, for I speak of important matters;
what I proclaim is honest and right.
7 For my mouth proclaims the truth;
wickedness is abhorrent to my lips.
8 “All the words of my mouth are upright;
not a single word is false or crooked.
9 All of them are clear to those who are intelligent[bt]
and right to those who have acquired knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction rather than silver
and knowledge instead of pure gold.
11 For Wisdom is better than pearls,
and no object of desire can compare with her.
12 “I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I possess knowledge and discretion.[bu]
13 The fear of the Lord implies hatred of evil;[bv]
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and perverse speech.
14 From me issue forth counsel and prudence;
insight and strength[bw] are mine.
15 Through me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just.
16 By me princes and nobles rule,
all those who govern rightly.
17 “I love those who love me,
and those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than the finest gold,
and what I yield surpasses pure silver.
20 I walk on the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me
and heaping up their treasuries.
By the Side of the God of the Origins[bx]
22 “The Lord created me as the firstborn of his ways,
before the oldest of his works.
23 I was established in the earliest times,
at the beginning, before the earth.
24 I was brought forth when there were no ocean depths,
when there were no springs overflowing with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 when he had not yet made the earth and the fields
or the mass of the world’s soil.
27 “When he set the heavens in place, I was there,
when he designated where the ocean and the horizon[by] meet,
28 when he fixed the canopy of the clouds above
and limited the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned the boundaries of the sea
so that the waters would not transgress his command,
and when he established the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him as a master craftsman,[bz]
and I was his delight day after day,
exulting in his presence continually,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of men.[ca]
32 “So now, my sons, listen to me;
blessed[cb] are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to instruction and gain wisdom;
do not reject it.
34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,
who keeps watch daily at my gates,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
36 But whoever sins against me harms himself,
and all who hate me love death.”
Wisdom and Folly
Chapter 9
At God’s Banquet[cc]
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slain her animals and mixed her wine,
and she has spread her table.
3 She has sent forth her maidservants
and proclaimed from the heights of the city,
4 “Let those who are simple[cd] turn in here.”
To the person without understanding she says,
5 “Come and partake of my food,
and taste the wine that I have prepared!
6 Abandon foolishness so that you may live;
walk in the way of understanding.
A Parenthesis about the Arrogant[ce]
7 “If you correct an arrogant man, you invite insults;
if you rebuke a wicked man, you incur abuse.
8 If you reprove an insolent man, he will hate you;
if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man, and he will become wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will advance in learning.
10 [cf]“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,[cg]
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, it is to your advantage;
if you are arrogant, you alone will bear the blame.”
Folly Sits at the Door of Her House[ch]
13 The woman Folly[ci] acts impulsively;
she is undisciplined and lacking in knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house,
upon a seat commanding the city,
15 calling out to the passers-by
who are hurrying on their straight way,
16 “You who are simple, turn in here.”
To the fool she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret tastes good.”
18 But little does he know that the dead are there
and that her guests are headed for the netherworld.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:10 The values dear to the heart of our author are uprightness, sincerity, docility, good behavior, and, above all, fear of God, i.e., the believer’s upright life in relation to God, to himself or herself, and to others. And the evils opposed to these are also set forth: falsehood, suffering, bad company, and violence. It is the catalogue of virtues and vices that the Book of Proverbs regulates endlessly in the history of Israel. Here, one evil is flogged more particularly: adultery, possibly because it was more prevalent than others at that time.
These first nine chapters are on the whole the work of a fairly recent author, probably in the fifth century B.C. He is not satisfied to string together widely different maxims, but seeks to think about them in a more coherent way. A clear line is drawn between the followers of wisdom and the slaves of folly; by the latter the author means the foolish or senseless persons who let themselves be duped by the appearances of the moment. The author aims, above all, to influence the decisions of the simple and the careless who have not yet made a choice.
In this fine address, Wisdom herself comes on the scene as a person who directs her invitation to men and women in the squares of the city and who calls to each in the depths of their hearts. - Proverbs 1:10 The author does not use the demanding or upsetting tone of the Prophets. He excels in counseling and putting on notice, indicative of a moralist attentive to the realism of daily life. He is keenly aware of the temptations that lie in wait for people from the moment they let themselves be drawn into participation in evil. He sets forth an appeal to resist the pressure exerted by entourages of evil.
- Proverbs 1:13 Riches of every sort: Proverbs teaches that, contrary to the belief of sinners, it is wisdom that gives people the greatest riches they could ever have (see Prov 3:14-16; 16:16; see also Job 28:12-19).
- Proverbs 1:16 This verse is the same as the first two lines of Isa 59:7, and part of it is cited in Rom 3:15. See Prov 6:17-18.
- Proverbs 1:17 When birds see a hunter spread out his net, they do not fall into it. In the same way, the young person who understands the dangers facing those who follow sinners will be able to avoid them.
- Proverbs 1:20 Here and in three other places in Proverbs (3:15-18; 8:1-36; 9:1-12), Wisdom is personified. People think of Wisdom as confined to palaces and schools, but she is present in public squares. Like the Prophets, she has a strong voice to preach, threaten, and encourage. Indeed, it is right in the middle of the daily affairs that one must listen to the call to conversion. We are called to state our views clearly; if we fail to do so, our days will slip away into meaninglessness. False securities cannot bring about the changes necessary in an existence devoid of deep attention.
- Proverbs 1:22 Mockers: i.e., those who are haughty (Prov 21:24), filled with insults, hatred, and strife (Prov 9:7-8; 22:10; 29:8), and reject correction (Prov 13:1; 15:12) that is due them (Prov 19:25; 21:11). Another name for them is “scoffers.”
- Proverbs 1:26 Wisdom laughs in reaction to the foolishness of the mockers who have rejected her warnings and brought ruin on themselves. They suffer the same fate as the scoundrel (Prov 6:12-15).
- Proverbs 1:28 When they are in trouble, the foolish will search for wisdom—but without success (e.g., see Jn 7:34; 8:21).
- Proverbs 1:29 Fear the Lord: see note on verse 7.
- Proverbs 1:31 Sinners reap the consequences of their actions (see Wis 11:16), and those who do find wisdom find life and blessing (see Prov 1:32; 3:13; 8:17, 35; 14:14). “A person will reap only what he sows” (Gal 6:7).
- Proverbs 2:1 Coming from God, wisdom serves to enlighten our lives and is indeed the best of the inspirations that guide us. Her ideal far surpasses the human passions. For the ancients, there are two modes of life, two components, and two ways. On the one side are those whose conduct is marked by respect for God and uprightness and who are destined for the Promised Land, the covenant, i.e., true success. On the other side are people full of rebellion, thievery, and injustice. To which side do we belong, and what convictions mark our daily projects and attitude? This text remains capable of posing such a question to us. (Here we also find the theme of the adulterous woman on which the author will often dwell, notably in chs. 5–7.)
- Proverbs 2:3 Wisdom . . . understanding . . . discernment: these are names for the same gift.
- Proverbs 2:5 Fear of the Lord: see note on Prov 1:7.
- Proverbs 2:10 Knowledge will delight your soul: in the same way that the words of a wise man are “sweet to the soul” (Prov 16:24; see Prov 3:17).
- Proverbs 2:12 Speech is perverse: deceitful speech is also mentioned in Prov 6:12; 8:13; 10:31-32; 17:20; 19:1, 28; see also Eph 4:29; Jas 3:6.
- Proverbs 2:13 Straight paths: see Prov 3:6; 9:15-16. Roads of darkness: humans love darkness rather than light (see Jn 3:19-21; see also Job 24:15-16; Isa 29:15; Rom 13:12).
- Proverbs 2:16 Wife of another . . . adulteress: literally, “stranger” and “foreigner” (see Prov 5:20; 7:5). The “immoral woman” (Prov 6:24) and “prostitute” (Prov 23:27) correspond to “wife of another.” The Prophets made use of the metaphor of adultery to indicate that the people had abandoned the true God to run after false gods—an apostasy that leads to the netherworld (see v. 18; 5:5-6; 7:26-27).
- Proverbs 2:18 Leads downward to death: see Prov 7:27: “Her house is the pathway to the netherworld.” Immorality leads to death (see Prov 5:5; 9:18).
- Proverbs 2:21 The upright will live in the land: i.e., in the land of Canaan that had been promised to the people by their God (see Gen 17:8; Deut 4:1). The psalmist (Ps 37:9, 11, 29) says that the upright will possess the land (see also Mt 5:5: “The meek . . . will inherit the earth”).
- Proverbs 3:1 Wisdom is religious fidelity, attentiveness to God. Those who observe this are under the eye of the Lord like a child. The author has no doubt, that even in the present, the best of rewards are coming to him. In fact, true happiness is much more than our desires to possess things and to put on appearances, and the author already experiences it. In verses 14-18, he suggests something of this profound secret of life, which Christ will call the hidden treasure or pearl of great price (Mt 13:44-46). Wisdom is a tree of life, not the fruit prohibited to human beings that sprouted on the tree in paradise (see Gen 3).
- Proverbs 3:2 Bring you length of days, more years of life: the “fear of the Lord” brings health to the body (v. 8) and “prolongs life” (Prov 10:27; see also Prov 9:10-11). Abundance of prosperity: generally speaking, the righteous are prosperous and happy while the wicked are overwhelmed with misfortune and miserable (see Prov 12:21). However, sometimes the wicked prosper and lead a carefree life (see Ps 73:3, 12)—at least for a time (see Ps 73:17-19)—while the righteous suffer (see Job 1–2).
- Proverbs 3:9 Firstfruits of all your crops: the people of God were commanded to give to the priests the first part of the crops of olive oil, wine, and grains well as other products they grew each year (see Lev 23:10; Num 18:12-13).
- Proverbs 3:10 Filled with plenty: those who bring their offerings to God will receive still greater blessings from him (see Mal 3:10; see also Deut 28:8-12; 2 Cor 9:8).
- Proverbs 3:11 As already seen (v. 2 and note), the righteous are not always prosperous. They suffer affliction as a way of learning how to live (see Prov 12:1; Job 5:17; 36:22; Ps 119:71). The author of Hebrews quotes these two verses (Heb 12:5-6) and then adds: “[God disciplines us] for our benefit” (Heb 12:10).
- Proverbs 3:13 Blessed: see note on Prov 31:28.
- Proverbs 3:15 [Wisdom] is more precious than pearls: similar to Job 28:18. A worthy wife is also “more precious than pearls” (Prov 31:10).
- Proverbs 3:19 The author has a lofty idea of the knowledge of life proposed to humans. Is it not the reflection of the thought that presides in the very projects of God (see Prov 8:22-31) and about which Job (chs. 38–40) never ceased being astounded?
- Proverbs 3:21 There is a serenity that one sometimes discovers in a person whose life is above all profound fidelity. True wisdom is found neither in beautiful ideas nor in fine sentiments but in the practice of peace, trust, self-offering, and true human relationships. Opposed to it are wickedness, vain mockery, foolishness, and the like. To call down God’s maledictions upon this folly is, for the ancients, a way of breaking away from it.
- Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid: this is one of the blessings of the covenant (see Lev 26:6; Job 11:18-19; Mic 4:4; Zep 3:13; see also Prov 1:33). Your sleep will be sweet: see Prov 6:22; Ps 4:9.
- Proverbs 3:25 Sudden terror . . . destruction: the Lord shields the righteous from harm of any kind (see Prov 10:25; Job 5:21; Ps 91:3-16). The wicked: see Prov 1:26-27.
- Proverbs 3:33 The contrasting fate of the wicked and the righteous at God’s hands indicated in this verse is also set forth in Deut 11:26-28. Curse of the Lord falls on the house of the wicked: see Jos 7:24-25; Zec 5:3-4. Blesses the abode of the righteous: see Job 42:12-14.
- Proverbs 4:1 We already know the essence that this warm (though overly loquacious) exhortation preaches. In the name of Deuteronomy, it insists on vigilance and fidelity. For in this world of traditions, wisdom is transmitted like an education, from parents to children, from masters to disciples. Nonetheless, all must experience the cost for themselves: vigilance and the guarding of one’s heart constitute, as it were, the necessary inner freedom that allows people to make progress along the way. Mastery of self merits reward even now. By contrast, in verses 16-19, a fine psychological analysis paints the picture of the wicked, the person haunted repeatedly by deadly personal projects.
- Proverbs 4:7 It is the beginning of wisdom to strive to acquire wisdom—and to do so no matter what the cost (see note on Prov 3:1-18).
- Proverbs 4:12 In the path of life, wisdom is the best companion and guide; she will remove the obstacles that we can encounter.
- Proverbs 4:16 They cannot rest until they have first done wrong: the same trait is alluded to in Ps 36:5; Mic 2:1. King David, on the other hand, refused to rest until he had first done right, i.e., found a house for the Lord (see Ps 132:3-5).
- Proverbs 4:17 Evildoers are totally committed to wickedness and violence (see Prov 13:2; Job 15:16).
- Proverbs 4:19 Deep darkness: a path that leads to destruction (see note on Prov 2:13; see also Isa 59:9-10; Jer 23:12; Jn 11:10; 12:35).
- Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart . . . wellsprings of life: those who store up good things in their hearts ensure that their words and actions will be good. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart” (Mt 12:34).
- Proverbs 4:24 See note on Prov 2:12.
- Proverbs 5:1 The tone becomes lyrical in order to restrain the man who is captivated by the charms of women other than his wife. The seductresses are enticing, but woe to the man who lets himself become entangled with them! This first part of the Book of Proverbs insists on the temptation of other women but barely speaks of prostitutes. Could it be that morals had been relaxed to the point of favoring adultery, which was so severely condemned by the law, or was it the presence of foreign women coming from other religions and nations that had become a risk to purity of faith?
- Proverbs 5:3 Adulteress: see note on Prov 2:16. The words of an adulteress are “soothing” (Ps 55:22) but laden with flattery (Prov 29:5) and treachery (Ps 5:10).
- Proverbs 5:4 Wormwood: a bitter herb (see Deut 29:17; Lam 3:15, 19; Am 6:12). Two-edged sword: a fearful weapon (see Jdg 3:16; see also Pss 55:22; 149:6; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16).
- Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death: her immorality hastens the end of the adulteress (see note on Prov 2:18).
- Proverbs 5:10 Strangers grow prosperous on your wealth: the man who has consort with an adulteress loses all (see Prov 29:3) while the man who adheres to wisdom is enriched in every way (see Prov 3:16-18).
- Proverbs 5:14 The man who gave in to an adulteress was wont to suffer financial as well as physical ruin; his action brought him “beatings and contempt” (Prov 6:33) and possibly a condemnation to death (see Deut 22:22).
- Proverbs 5:15 True fidelity knows how to rediscover the happiness of first love. Proverbs has a beautiful idea of marriage.
- Proverbs 5:15 Your own cistern . . . your own well: a reference to the wife. Wells and cisterns were privately owned and had great value (see 2 Ki 18:31; Jer 38:6).
- Proverbs 5:16 Springs: these also refer to the wife as does “fountain” in verse 18 (see Song 4:12, 15).
- Proverbs 5:19 The author alludes to the joys of marital love (which in Song 4:10 is described as better than wine).
- Proverbs 6:1 Every civilization has maxims based on observation of life. Here are some of them—very ancient morsels mislaid in this prologue that they interrupt.
- Proverbs 6:1 People are to preserve with prudence the fruit of their work and not undertake impossible tasks. This is a popular and cautious wisdom that is found under all skies. For example, a guarantor is exhorted to urge the debtor to make payment, since otherwise he, the guarantor, will have to pay.
- Proverbs 6:6 Before the French writer La Fontaine, Job too was entranced by the life of animals. Here the ant becomes a teacher of virtue.
- Proverbs 6:6 Sluggard: an idler who refuses to work (see Prov 10:26; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13-16).
- Proverbs 6:12 Moralists readily cultivate the art of portrait-making so that they may better fashion the sentiments of their hearers or readers.
- Proverbs 6:12 Scoundrel: a wicked man of little worth (see Jdg 19:22; 1 Sam 25:25; Job 34:18). Crooked talk: see Prov 2:12 and note; 19:28.
- Proverbs 6:16 This is the first “numerical proverb”; it reflects a popular way of coining incisive maxims that are easy to remember and imitate, being a kind of conundrum. Here the description of the deceitful and liars is rendered more realistic by the enumeration that evokes the different parts of the human body.
- Proverbs 6:17 Haughty eyes: they are usually the outward sign of a proud heart, and both will incur the judgment of God (see Prov 21:4; 30:13; Pss 18:28; 101:5). Lying tongue: see Prov 2:12 (and note); 12:19; 17:7; 21:6. Hands that shed innocent blood: see Prov 1:11, 16; 28:17.
- Proverbs 6:18 A heart that devises wicked schemes: see Prov 1:31; 24:2; Gen 6:5. Feet that are quick to rush into evil: see Prov 1:16.
- Proverbs 6:19 False witness: Proverbs sets forth the harm caused by the false witness (see Prov 12:17-18; 25:18); see also note on Ps 5:10. It also indicates the punishment that awaits him (see Prov 6:15; 19:5, 9; 21:28). Spews out lies: see Prov 14:5, 25. Sows dissension: by false accusations he foments distrust, which leads to alienation and strife (see Prov 18:6).
- Proverbs 6:20 The exhortation resumes and we soon rediscover the theme of the perverse woman whose frequentation is more dangerous than commerce with prostitutes. The author knows how to describe the behavior of a seductress. Like a magician, she weaves a spell over the naive man so as to catch him in her nets. In order to escape her clutches, it is not enough for a man to see clearly. He needs to be modest and humble, not presume on his strength, and take to flight rather than confronting the seductress and becoming lost in situations from which no one can emerge unscathed. It is at least good psychology in the context of the morals of that time. Nonetheless, in the background of this picture sketched by the moralist with its warnings and threats, we see the lofty idea that our author has of conjugal fidelity.
- Proverbs 6:23 Lamp . . . light: similar to the theme of the psalmist: “[The word of God] is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105; see also Ps 19:9).
- Proverbs 6:26 Both a prostitute and an adulteress hold no good for a man. However, the adulteress is more dangerous, for she can cost him his whole life (see Deut 22:22-24) while a prostitute demands only a wage.
- Proverbs 6:31 Pay back sevenfold: Exodus (Ex 22:8) provides for a double payment in restitution. The number seven is an indefinite number, signifying “much more.”
- Proverbs 7:4 Wisdom: i.e., the body of knowledge of life handed down by the sages.
- Proverbs 7:7 The simple ones: see note on Prov 1:4.
- Proverbs 7:14 Sacrificial peace offerings: in this type of offering, part of the meat was eaten by the one who brought it and by his friends or family (see Lev 7:11-18). I have fulfilled my vows today: a fellowship offering was offered as the result of a vow, and it had to be eaten on the first or second day (see Lev 7:15-16).
- Proverbs 7:16 Covered sheets of Egyptian linen: in Prov 31:22, linen is associated with wealth, and Egyptian linen was very highly regarded.
- Proverbs 7:21 Persistent urging . . . seductive words: see notes on Prov 2:16; 5:3; see also v. 5; 6:24.
- Proverbs 7:27 Pathway to the netherworld: see notes on Prov 2:18; 5:5; see also Prov 14:12; 16:25; Mt 7:13; 1 Cor 6:9-10.
- Proverbs 8:1 Once more, Wisdom challenges human beings everywhere. The art of living and the values that she proposes constitute the treasure spoken of in the Gospels. It is this true wealth that must be preferred to everything else; one must sacrifice all things to acquire this wisdom. While the Prophets (except for Jonah) were sent only to Israel, Wisdom claims to address everyone. She is not abstract speculation because she knows how to become political virtue like Greek philosophy. Those who wield authority have need, more than others, of lucidity and good judgment so as not to govern arbitrarily. For them especially, but also for all human beings, Wisdom is a force leading to a way of uprightness.
- Proverbs 8:9 Those who are intelligent: i.e., those who are wise. Those who have acquired knowledge: especially the knowledge of God (see note on Prov 2:5).
- Proverbs 8:12 Prudence . . . knowledge and discretion: see notes on Prov 1:4; 2:2-3.
- Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord implies hatred of evil: see Prov 1:7 and note; 3:7; 9:10; 16:6. I hate pride and arrogance: see Prov 16:18; 1 Sam 2:3; Ps 10:2-11; Isa 13:11. Evil ways and perverse speech: see Prov 2:12 and note; 6:12, 16-19.
- Proverbs 8:14 Counsel and prudence; insight and strength: these are all qualities of the Lord (see Prov 2:6-7; Job 12:13, 16; Isa 40:13-14; Rom 16:27) and the Spirit of the Lord (see Isa 11:2).
- Proverbs 8:22 Wisdom is a craftsman (v. 30)—or “daughter of God,” according to an old translation—in God’s plan of creation. How can we fail to listen to her who is the very echo of God’s inspiration? This passage represents a high point in the thought of the wisdom teachers: in their eyes wisdom is too sublime and too ancient to be a merely human discovery. The inspiration that gives the world its order and beauty becomes a kind of “quality” of God. Here it becomes a person, as it were, created by God after the manner of a father who gives life to his child. She lives in close intimacy with the Lord, “with God,” like the Word of whom the Gospel of John speaks at the beginning of the Prologue. She was created before anything else existed; in God’s presence, and filled with the joy she had from the beginning, she inspired the picture of the world. Is it not she who, in the name of God, joyously associates with human beings and brings them the joy of his presence?
In this song of wisdom and creation Christians may see an anticipation, as it were, of what will become a certitude of faith for John (1:1-5) and Paul (1 Cor 1:24-30; Col 1:15-17), i.e., that there exists in God the eternal Word, inseparable from him. The Catholic Liturgy has readily made use of this passage. In that context, Wisdom personified becomes an image calling to mind the mystery of the Virgin Mary, whom God had in mind from all eternity and who is the masterpiece of his creation. - Proverbs 8:27 Horizon: the vault of heaven.
- Proverbs 8:30 Craftsman: the term “wise” was sometimes applied to a craftsman, e.g., Bezalel, who designed and constructed the tabernacle (see Ex 31:3-4). In this verse, it highlights the skill required for creating the world and everything in it.
- Proverbs 8:31 Delighting in the children of men: made in God’s image, human beings constituted the culminating point of creation (see Gen 1:26-28).
- Proverbs 8:32 Blessed: the blessings that flow from gaining wisdom are also indicated in Prov 3:13-18; see note on Prov 31:28.
- Proverbs 9:1 This beautiful poem once again presents Wisdom as a person. She invites men and women to a feast in her house, the seven pillars of which symbolize perfection. The theme of the feast at which the wise are gathered was dear to antiquity; Christ, too, will speak to us of guests invited to the royal feast (see Mt 22:2; Lk 14:16). Reading this fascinating invitation, Christians will be reminded of the Eucharistic Supper where Christ offers them the word and the bread. It is the sign and foreshadowing of the royal feast to which are called all human beings, and where all will experience the joy of God.
- Proverbs 9:4 Simple: see note on Prov 1:4.
- Proverbs 9:7 This parenthesis about the arrogant continues the reflections already set forth in the preceding chapters. In the manner of certain psalms, the author attacks scoffers and abandons them to their lot. For they are those who eschew the meaning of their lives, the respect for others, and the consideration of God as if they were fleeing from their true destiny, their value as human beings. This is folly.
- Proverbs 9:10 These three verses summarize the message that is found in the first nine chapters.
- Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: see note on Prov 1:7.
- Proverbs 9:13 In contrast with Wisdom, who is God’s hostess, here is a picture full of irony. Folly holds her banquet too, but she can offer only stolen water, bread eaten in secret, and, in the end, death, the sojourn in the land of oblivion and hopelessness (i.e., the netherworld). This comparison of Wisdom and Folly, this contrast of the two banquets, recalls the opposition of the two ways: here we are called to make our choice.
- Proverbs 9:13 The description of Folly in this verse links her to the adulteress of Prov 2:16; 7:10ff.
