Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 8:9
They [are] all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
9. Comp. Mat 13:11; Mat 13:16.
Pro 8:10-11 . The treasures she offers.
In place of gold and silver and precious stones and whatever else men covet, wisdom offers “durable riches,” intellectual, moral, spiritual treasures, and offers them in and with herself in responsive love to all who love and seek her.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. They are all plain] nechochim, straight forward, over against every man, level to every capacity. This is true of all that concerns the salvation of the soul.
To them that find knowledge.] When a man gets the knowledge of himself, then he sees all the threatenings of God to be right. When he obtains the knowledge of GOD in Christ, then he finds that all the promises of God are right – yea and amen.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Plain; evident and clear to their minds; or, right, just and good.
To him that understandeth; either to him who with an honest mind applies himself to the study of them in the diligent use of all the means appointed by God to that end; or to him whose mind God hath enlightened by his Spirit, though they seem otherwise to ignorant and carnal-minded men.
That find knowledge; that are truly wise and discerning persons, and taught of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. plain . . . understandetheasilyseen by those who apply their minds.
that findimplyingsearch.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They [are] all plain to him that understandeth,…. Whose understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of God; who is a spiritual man, that has a discerning, and can judge of spiritual things: as for the carnal man, let him have what natural knowledge or wisdom he will, he cannot know these things; for they are spiritually discerned, and can only be discerned by spiritual men. The Bible is a sealed book to others, learned or unlearned; the mysteries or doctrines of the Gospel are hid in parables from such; but those to whom Christ has given an understanding to know him, these know them, and they are plain unto them: for though there are some things hard to he understood in the Scriptures, as in Paul’s epistles, and some sublime truths in the Gospel; yet those which are necessary to salvation are easily understood; that faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save the chief of sinners, is a very plain one;
and right to them that find knowledge; a spiritual and experimental knowledge of Christ and his truths. The Targum is,
“to them who desire knowledge;”
and so the Syriac version; that seek for it heartily and diligently, in a right way, in the use of proper means, under the direction and by the assistance of the Spirit of God.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) They are all plain . . .Because the secret of the Lord is (only) with them that fear Him (Psa. 25:14), and God reveals such things unto them by His Spirit (1Co. 2:10), while the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him (ibid., Pro. 8:14).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Plain Rather, in front of one; hence easily seen.
To them that find knowledge Or, have found; that is, those possessing knowledge; the intelligent, the educated. However obscure these teachings may be to the untaught, gross, and sensual, they will be readily apprehended by well disposed and disciplined minds.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Wisdom Is Found by Those Whose Hearts Seek Her First Wisdom is easy to find to those who have trained their minds to know the characteristics of wisdom (Pro 8:8). If we will receive God’s Word with an open heart (Pro 8:9) and make it a priority (Pro 8:10), we will be able to find it.
The characteristics of wisdom are easy to find for those who seek them above the riches of this world. Riches are not wrong to possess. It is just wrong to pursue riches above wisdom. The pursuit of wisdom should be our priority. For when we find wisdom, we will receive the other blessings of riches. In a few verses, we will learn that when we pursue wisdom, it will bring to us substance and treasures (Pro 8:21).
Pro 8:21, “That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.”
Illustration – When I was a Seminary student, one of my friends took me out for a drive around the city of Fort Worth. To my amazement, he began to identify old Chevy cars by their year along with other details. I had never paid any attention to antique or classic automobiles. But when he began to show me I began to notice them on the roads everywhere. He had developed the eye to spot them because he was interested in old cars. For him they were easy to spot and identify, but for me it was difficult. This is the same was with wisdom. If we will look for it, we will find it all around us on a daily basis. The more we learn of the ways of God, the easier it will be to find wisdom in the world around us.
When I finally had my Bible notes typed into a computer from notebook paper, I worked hard to edit them and organize them. I found myself taking a notepad and writing down inspired ideas or insights into particular verses in the Bible. I then listened for these golden nuggets on Christian television or in the devotional books I was reading. I delighted in finding them and adding them to my Bible notes. I quickly found myself taking notes on a daily basis as I learned to recognize wisdom and insight into Scriptures all around me. I had not seen it until I began to look for it. This is what Pro 8:9-11 is saying to us.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Pro 8:9 They [are] all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
Ver. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth. ] Plain in things necessary to salvation; for as all duties, so all truths do not concern all men. God doth not expect or require that every man should be a doctor in the chair; but those points that direct to duty here, and salvation hereafter, are clear, express, and obvious to them that desire to understand them; for some there are, qui ut liberius peccent, libenter ignorant. a It was a smart answer which M. Durant, a witty and learned minister of the Reformed Church of Paris, gave to a lady of suspected chastity, and now revolted: when she pretended the hardness of the Scripture, Why, said he, madam, what can be more plain than “Thou shalt not commit adultery?” Had she not been failing in the practice of what she could not but know, she had found no cause to complain of the difficulty of that which she could not know.
a Bernard.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 14:6, Pro 15:14, Pro 15:24, Pro 17:24, Pro 18:1, Pro 18:2, Pro 18:15, Psa 19:7, Psa 19:8, Psa 25:12-14, Psa 119:98-100, Isa 35:8, Mic 2:7, Mat 13:11, Mat 13:12, Joh 6:45, Joh 7:17, 1Co 2:14, 1Co 2:15, Jam 1:5
Reciprocal: Psa 27:11 – a plain path Pro 4:11 – led Pro 15:19 – the way of the righteous Isa 8:16 – among
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8:9 They [are] all {c} plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
(c) Meaning that the word of God is easy to all that have a desire for it and are not blinded by the prince of this world.