Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 9:4
Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Verse 4. 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 courage, is feeble and fickle, and easily drawn aside from the holy commandment.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Simple; ignorant, and weak, and subject to delusion, and willing to learn; to show that wisdom rejects those scholars who are proud and self-conceited.
Understanding, Heb. heart, which signifies understanding, Jer 5:21; Hos 7:11.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-6. (Compare Pro 1:4;Pro 6:32). Wisdom not onlysupplies right but forbids wrong principles.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither,…. Into Wisdom’s house, so well built and furnished; the church of Christ, as a house of instruction; a school, where such who are “simple”, weak, and foolish, may learn. Here are many instructors; saints instruct one another; ministers of the word are teachers; yea, Father, Son, and Spirit, here teach and instruct, and none teach like them. Here many lessons are to be learned concerning themselves, concerning Christ, and concerning their duty to God and men; all sorts of persons may learn here, such who know ever so much or ever so little. Or let him turn in here, as into an inn, into which passengers or travellers turn for accommodations; see Pr 9:15. The saints are travellers here, at a distance from their Father’s house, and need refreshment by the way; the church of God is an inn of good accommodations; here is room enough to entertain them; here are good lodgings for rest and safety, and good provisions, and all of free cost. And now these are the words of Wisdom, or Christ, either in person, or by his maidens, his ministers, inviting such who are “simple” to turn in hither, and partake of the provisions in it; that is, not such who are quite stupid and insensible, sottish, incorrigible, and irreclaimable; but who are sensible of their folly and simplicity; who are but of weak capacities, apt to be credulous, and so easily imposed upon and deceived;
[as for] him that wanteth understanding; not the natural faculty of the understanding, nor an understanding of things natural and civil; but of things spiritual and evangelical, as of the grace of God; of salvation by Christ; of the work of the Spirit; of themselves and their state; of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it; and who are sensible of their ignorance and want of understanding; which is the first thing the Spirit of God convinces men of; or who are so in comparison of others, are weak in knowledge and experience. Now these Christ does not despise, but invites them into his house for instruction; and where can they be better? and who so fit and proper to be here, and be with Wisdom, than such as these?
she saith to him: as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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 (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 (servants), and the immediate appearance of Wisdom herself, together with the interruption, as was to be expected, of her connected discourses by the , 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 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 of Pro 9:3; on the contrary, 4b is itself the introduction of what follows. The setting forth of the nom. absolutus is conditioned by the form of 4a; the (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 ). 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 after and 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 ); Michaelis at last makes a right decision (cf. Lev 22:11; Jdg 13:16; Job 21:25, and particularly , Psa 141:4): communicationem et participationem in re fruenda denotat ; the lxx . The attributive stands with backward reference briefly for . 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; 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 is a plur. with abstract signification (according to which the four Greek and the two Aramaean translations render it; the Graec. Venet., however, renders ) is improbable; the author forms the abstr. Pro 9:13 otherwise, and the expression here would be doubtful. For 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 means not absolutely “leave off” (Hitzig), but so that the object to be thought of is to be taken from : give up, leave off, viz., the simple (Immanuel and others; on the contrary, Rashi, Meri, and others, as Ewald, Bertheau, decide in favour of as n. abstr.). Regarding , for et vivetis, vid., Pro 4:4. The lxx, paraphrasing: . is related to ( ) is to ; 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 is just the absence of character.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(4) Whoso is simple . . . as for him that wanteth understanding.So God does not call many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble (1Co. 1:26); but chooses the foolish, weak, and base, whom man might overlook; not being willing that any should perish (2Pe. 3:9), especially His little ones (Mat. 18:14). who are liable to fall through their inexperience and want of judgment.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Simple Uninstructed, a novice. (See on Pro 1:4.)
Wanteth understanding Hebrew, lacketh heart, intelligence, sense. (See note on Pro 7:7.) Compare Pro 9:16.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 9:4. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither Wisdom invites the simple, the ignorant, those who have the innocence and simplicity of children. See 1Co 14:20.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 9:4 Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Ver. 4. Whoso is simple. ] And with it persuadable; that have not yet contracted that callum obductum, corneas fibras, brawny breasts, horny heart strings.
She saith to him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
simple. See note on Pro 1:4.
understanding. Hebrew “heart”. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), App-6, for understanding.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 9:16, Pro 1:22, Pro 6:32, Pro 8:5, Psa 19:7, Psa 119:130, Mat 11:25, Rev 3:17, Rev 3:18, Rev 22:17
Reciprocal: Job 36:10 – commandeth Psa 14:2 – any Psa 25:8 – teach Pro 1:4 – subtlety Pro 7:7 – void Pro 17:16 – a price Mat 22:9 – General Joh 6:54 – eateth Jam 1:5 – any
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 9:4-6. Whoso is simple Ignorant, weak, and liable to be deceived, but willing to learn; let him turn in hither For there is no man so ignorant but he is welcome to come and receive instruction. By this manner of speaking, Wisdom shows that she rejects those scholars who are proud and self-conceited. As for him that wanteth understanding Hebrew, that wanteth a heart, which is put for understanding, Jer 5:21; Hos 7:11, and elsewhere. She saith to him, Come, eat of my bread Partake of the provision which I have made; my nourishing and strengthening instructions; and drink of the wine which I have mingled Receive my refreshing and invigorating comforts. Forsake the foolish The ignorant and wicked; shun their company and their practices; converse not with them; conform not to their ways; have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, or with those that do such works. The first step toward virtue is to shun vice, and therefore to avoid the company of the vicious. And live Arise from the dead and live indeed; not a mere animal life, such as brutes live, but now at length live the life of men, the life of Christians. Live a spiritual life, in union with God, and you shall live an eternal life in the enjoyment of him. And go in the way of understanding Govern thyself by the rules of religion and right reason. It is not enough to forsake the foolish, but we must unite ourselves with those that walk in wisdom, and walk in the same spirit, and the same steps.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9:4 Whoever [is] {e} simple, let him turn in here: [as for] him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him,
(e) He who knows his own ignorance, and is void of malice.