Proverbs — Chapter 9

Loading ESV text...

1Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

3She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city.

4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” she says to him who lacks judgment.

5“Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed.

6Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

7He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself.

8Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

9Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

12If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences.

13The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.

14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,

15calling out to those who pass by, who make their paths straight.

16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” she says to him who lacks judgment.

17“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is tasty!”

18But they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

1Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

4Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

5Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

7He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

11For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

12If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

14For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

15To call passengers who go right on their ways:

16Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

17Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

18But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

1Wisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2She hath killed her beasts; She hath mingled her wine; She hath also furnished her table:

3She hath sent forth her maidens; She crieth upon the highest places of the city:

4Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

5Come, eat ye of my bread, And drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6Leave off, ye simple ones, and live; And walk in the way of understanding.

7He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling; And he that reproveth a wicked man [getteth] himself a blot.

8Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee: Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

9Give [instruction] to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

10The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11For by me thy days shall be multiplied, And the years of thy life shall be increased.

12If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13The foolish woman is clamorous; [She is] simple, and knoweth nothing.

14And she sitteth at the door of her house, On a seat in the high places of the city,

15To call to them that pass by, Who go right on their ways:

16Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

17Stolen waters are sweet, And bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant.

18But he knoweth not that the dead are there; That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

1Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out its seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat, she has mixed her wine; she also has arranged her table.

3She has sent out her female servants; she calls out on the highest places of the city.

4“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here.” To those who lack understanding, she has said,

5“Come, eat some of my food, and drink some of the wine I have mixed.

6Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.”

7Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse.

8Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you; reprove a wise person, and he will love you.

9Give instruction to a wise person, and he will become wiser still; teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning.

10The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.

11For because of me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

12If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, but if you have mocked, you alone must bear it.

13The woman called Folly is brash; she is naive and does not know anything.

14And she has sat down at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15calling out to those who are passing by her in the way, who go straight on their way.

16“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” To those who lack understanding she has said,

17“Stolen waters are sweet, and food obtained in secret is pleasant!”

18But they do not realize that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

1Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

3She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

5“Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

6Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”

7He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

8Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

9Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

13The foolish woman is loud, undisciplined, and knows nothing.

14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

15To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.” as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

17“Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Wisdom builds a grand house with seven pillars, prepares a feast, and sends her servants to invite the simple to eat and gain understanding (vv. 1-6). Correcting a mocker only brings scorn, but a wise person welcomes correction and grows from it (vv. 7-9). True wisdom begins with reverence for the LORD and brings a longer, fuller life, while scorning it brings consequences the scorner alone must bear (vv. 10-12). Folly is pictured as a loud, undisciplined woman who sits at her door offering the same invitation, tempting the simple with stolen water and secret bread that seem sweet in the moment (vv. 13-17). Her guests never realize her house leads to death, and everyone who enters ends up among the dead (v. 18).

Authorship & Background

Author: Primarily Solomon (1:1, 10:1, 25:1), with sections by Agur (ch.30) and King Lemuel (ch.31). Compiled over several centuries. Proverbs is wisdom literature — practical instruction for godly living. Hebrew title: 'Mishlei' — 'Proverbs/Comparisons.'
Historical Context: Chapter 9 is the climax and conclusion of the discourse section (chs.1-9). It presents the final choice between two women — Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly — each hosting a banquet, each calling out to the simple. The symmetry is deliberate: both call from the high places (vv.3, 14), both address the simple (vv.4, 16), both offer food and drink (vv.5, 17). But the outcomes could not be more different: Wisdom's table leads to life; Folly's banquet seats the dead. The "seven pillars" (v.1) represent perfect completeness — Wisdom's house is fully established and secure. The central pivot (vv.7-12) distinguishes the wise from the scoffer: the wise love correction; scorners hate it. Verse 10 repeats the motto of 1:7 — framing the entire discourse section with "the fear of the LORD."
Classification: Wisdom Literature
Key Themes: two women, Wisdom and Folly, each building a house and each calling out from the highest places of the city using nearly identical words, whoso is simple, let him turn in hither, a banquet fully prepared, animals killed, wine mingled, servants sent, set against a banquet built on nothing but theft, stolen waters are sweet, an interlude on correction distinguishing not intelligence but response, reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee, the book's motto restated a second time, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and a closing detail that separates the two invitations completely, he knoweth not that the dead are there
Lady Wisdom's Banquet (vv.1-6): Wisdom builds a house with seven pillars, kills her beasts, mingles her wine, furnishes her table, and then sends out invitations by servants, which is a considerable amount of preparation before anyone is asked. The invitation itself is shouted from the highest places of the city and is addressed to the least promising audience available, whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. The terms are two imperatives, come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled, and one condition, forsake the foolish, and live.
The Wise and the Scoffer (vv.7-12): Six verses on who can be corrected, and the advice is unexpectedly practical, reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. The distinction is not intelligence but response, give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser. Then the book's motto restated with an addition, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. And a closing sentence that puts the whole matter back on the reader, if thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself, but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
Lady Folly's Banquet (vv.13-18): The mirror image, and the parallels are exact enough to be deliberate. Folly also has a house, also sits at the high places of the city, also calls to passengers, and uses the same words, whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. The differences are two. Her fare is stolen rather than prepared, stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. And she does not mention what the guests already are, but he knoweth not that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell. The first nine chapters end with two invitations that sound identical and one detail the diner is not told.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the parallel structure: both Wisdom and Folly call from the same high places to the same audience. The simple person must choose which invitation to accept. He notes that Folly's only selling point is transgression itself — "stolen waters are sweet." She has no genuine product, only the thrill of the forbidden. On v.8, Guzik states the practical test: "If you can't receive correction, you're not wise — regardless of how much you know."
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Proverbs 5-9 | Lady Wisdom and Madame Folly | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Proverbs 9 Explained - Wisdom's Feast & Folly's Funeral
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Proverbs -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Two Voices Are Always Calling (vv.3-4,14-16) — both Wisdom and Folly call out from the high places of the city to the same simple passersby. Which voice have you been listening to more this week — the one that calls openly with truth, or the one that lures quietly with what's forbidden?
  • Your Response to Correction Reveals Your Heart (v.8) — a wise person loves the one who corrects him, while a mocker only hates him for it. When someone points out a fault in you, is your first instinct gratitude or resentment?
  • Wisdom's Benefits and Folly's Costs Are Deeply Personal (v.12) — being wise benefits you, and mocking brings its consequences on you alone, with no one else bearing it for you. Are you taking ownership of your own growth in wisdom rather than assuming someone else will handle the outcome?
  • Sin's Appeal Is Often Just the Thrill of the Forbidden (v.17) — Folly's whole pitch is that stolen water tastes sweeter simply because it's stolen. When you strip away the illicit thrill of a temptation, what's actually left worth wanting?
  • Check Who Else Took the Invitation Before You Do (v.18) — those who accept Folly's invitation don't realize her past guests are already dead. Before saying yes to a tempting path, are you willing to honestly ask where it has led everyone else who's walked it?