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Selected Verse: Proverbs 9:4 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Pr 9:4 |
King James |
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| (Compare Pro 1:4; Pro 6:32). Wisdom not only supplies right but forbids wrong principles. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Now follows the street-sermon of Wisdom inviting to her banquet:
4 Who is simple? let him come hither!"
Whoso wanteth understanding, to him she saith:
5 "Come, eat of my bread,
And drink of the wine which I have mingled!
6 Cease, ye simple, and live,
And walk straight on in the way of understanding."
The question מי פּתי (thus with Munach, not with Makkeph, it is to be written here and at Pro 9:16; vid., Baer's Torath Emeth, p. 40), quis est imperitus, is, as Psa 25:12, only a more animated expression for quisquis est. The retiring into the background of the נערות (servants), and the immediate appearance of Wisdom herself, together with the interruption, as was to be expected, of her connected discourses by the אמרה לּו, are signs that the pure execution of the allegorical representation is her at an end. Hitzig seeks, by the rejection of Pro 9:4, Pro 9:5, Pro 9:7-10, to bring in a logical sequence; but these interpolations which he cuts out are yet far more inconceivable than the proverbial discourses in the mouth of Wisdom, abandoning the figure of a banquet, which besides are wholly in the spirit of the author of this book. That Folly invites to her, Pro 9:16, in the same words as are used by Wisdom, Pro 9:4, is not strange; both address themselves to the simple (vid., on פּתי at Pro 1:4) and those devoid of understanding (as the youth, Pro 7:7), and seek to bring to their side those who are accessible to evil as to good, and do not dully distinguish between them, which the emulating devertat huc of both imports. The fourth verse points partly backwards, and partly forwards; 4a has its introduction in the תקרא of Pro 9:3; on the contrary, 4b is itself the introduction of what follows. The setting forth of the nom. absolutus חסר־לב is conditioned by the form of 4a; the מי (cf. 4a) is continued (in 4b) without its needing to be supplied: excors (= si quis est excors) dicit ei (not dixit, because syntactically subordinating itself to the תקרא). It is a nominal clause, whose virtual predicate (the devoid of understanding is thus and thus addressed by her) as in Pro 9:16.
Pro 9:5
The plur. of the address shows that the simple (inexperienced) and the devoid of understanding are regarded as essentially one and the same class of men. The בּ after לחם and שׁתה proceeds neither from the idea of eating into (hewing into) anything, nor from the eating with anything, i.e., inasmuch as one makes use of it, nor of pampering oneself with anything (as ראה ב); Michaelis at last makes a right decision (cf. Lev 22:11; Jdg 13:16; Job 21:25, and particularly לחם בּ, Psa 141:4): communicationem et participationem in re fruenda denotat; the lxx φάγετε τῶν ἐμῶν ἄρτων. The attributive מסכתּי stands with backward reference briefly for מסכתּיו. That Wisdom, Pro 9:2, offers flesh and wine, but here presents bread and wine, is no contradiction, which would lead us, with Hitzig, critically to reject Pro 9:4 and Pro 9:5 as spurious; לחם is the most common, all-comprehensive name for nourishment. Bertheau suitably compares Jahve's invitation, Isa 55:1, and that of Jesus, Joh 6:35.
Pro 9:6
That פתאים is a plur. with abstract signification (according to which the four Greek and the two Aramaean translations render it; the Graec. Venet., however, renders τοὺς νηπίους) is improbable; the author forms the abstr. Pro 9:13 otherwise, and the expression here would be doubtful. For פתאים is here to be rendered as the object-accus.: leave the simple, i.e., forsake this class of men (Ahron b. Joseph; Umbreit, Zckler); or also, which we prefer (since it is always a singular thought that the "simple" should leave the "simple"), as the vocative, and so that עזבוּ means not absolutely "leave off" (Hitzig), but so that the object to be thought of is to be taken from פתאים: give up, leave off, viz., the simple (Immanuel and others; on the contrary, Rashi, Meri, and others, as Ewald, Bertheau, decide in favour of פתאים as n. abstr.). Regarding וחיוּ, for et vivetis, vid., Pro 4:4. The lxx, paraphrasing: ἵνα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα βασιλεύσητε. אשׁר is related to אשׁוּר (אשׁוּר) is דּרך to דּרך; the Piel, not in its intrans. (vid., Pro 4:14) but in its trans. sense (Isa 1:17; Isa 3:12, etc.), shows that the idea of going straight out and forwards connects itself therewith. The peculiarity of the פתי is just the absence of character. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Simple - Ignorant, and weak. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Whoso is simple - Let the young, heedless, and giddy attend to my teaching.
Him that wanteth understanding - Literally, he that wanteth a heart; who is without couraye, is feeble and fickle, and easily drawn aside from the holy commandment. |
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.
5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,