Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 8:34
Blessed [is] the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
The image is suggested probably by the Levites who guarded the doors of the sanctuary Psa 134:1; Psa 135:2. Not less blessed than theirs is the lot of those who wait upon Wisdom in the temple not made with hands.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 8:34
Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.
Attending public instruction recommended
I. The reasonableness of attending all the instituted means of our instruction. If God had never vouchsafed to men a positive revelation, we should have been obliged to feel after virtue if haply we might find it. And it is surprising to what lengths some have arrived without the help of that grace which bringeth salvation. But when it hath pleased God to erect a kingdom in the world, it is great ingratitude, a heinous contempt of Gods authority, an affront to His love, and so must be inexcusable folly so to neglect our own true interest.
II. What is imported in hearing. Scripture represents this as the sum of that duty and respect which God demandeth for Christ who is His Wisdom, and the great revealer of His will to mankind. Whatever is meant by hearing Christ, the Wisdom of the Father, it is enjoined and enforced with all the authority and obligatory power with which any Divine precept can be enforced. Hearing importeth a serious and attentive consideration, and a diligent application of the mind, to understand the important contents of the Divine message. We are to understand by hearing–
1. An attentive regard to instruction. The Wisdom of God hath the first right to be heard, and what He prescribeth, to be attended to.
2. Hearing signifies a submissive disposition. To hear is to turn at the reproofs of Wisdom, to tremble at the threatenings of God, to hope in His promises, and practise what He enjoineth.
3. Hearing Wisdom importeth an absolute unreserved obedience.
III. The proper dispositions of mind, and the manner of hearing and using all means.
1. It importeth a sense of our constant need of instruction, that we may be still making further progress in knowledge and in grace. If this be the temper of our minds, it will incline us to a daily attendance at the gates of Wisdom; that is, a daily use of the appointed means for our increase in knowledge and virtue.
2. A constant care and solicitude that the benefit of them may not be lost; and particularly a strict vigilance over our own spirits and our whole behaviour.
3. Patience, which is signified by waiting, is also needed. Our progress to religious knowledge and virtue is gradual. Patience is the character of a continuance in well-doing, as well as of enduring afflictions. Always endeavour with alacrity and vigour to use the means of our religious instruction and improvement. (J. Abernethy, M. A.)
Watchful diligence
I. The way to happiness is to hearken diligently to wisdoms words.
1. We cannot of ourselves find out the way to true happiness.
2. No man can show it to us.
II. We must not only hear, but watch for wisdom. Omit no occasion of learning, and make the best possible use of every occasion.
III. We must not only watch for a while, we must wait long, if we would get wisdom. Give no place to idleness and slothfulness, lest ye become unteachable, and incapable of wisdom. (Francis Taylor, B. D.)
Waiting upon God
Profession without principle is worthless. He who is not an every-day Christian is no Christian at all.
I. The characteristics of an every-day Christian. They are–
1. Hearers. Many hear, and do not hear. Hearing implies profitable hearing. Many do not profit. They come to hear, but not to learn, or to practise. Some come fresh from the cares of the world. Others come with unclean hearts. If you would receive good by attending at the house of God, there must be a desire to profit; and with a lively faith.
2. They are watchers. This implies frequency, perseverance, self-denial, self-abasement, and a certain degree of anxiety.
3. They wait at the posts of His doors. That is, attend those places, and frequently attend them, where Christ is expected.
II. Such a man will never lose his reward.
1. He finds life. St. John says, He that hath the Son hath life. Finding Christ is finding life. Finding Iris implies pardon. With pardon we have peace.
2. The reward consists in the favour of God. This favour is enduring. It supports the sinner in the time of his trouble.
Lessons:
1. Though you may be a hearer, a watcher, a waiter upon Christ, you must expect your trials. Do not be surprised either at the number or the degree of your trials.
2. See that you come in the spirit of prayer and of faith. (H. Montagu Villiers, M. A.)
Waiting at Wisdoms gates
The Bible seldom speaks, and certainly never its deepest, sweetest words, to those who always read it in a hurry. Nature can only tell her secrets to such as will sit still in her sacred temple, till their eyes lose the glare of earthly glory, and their ears are attuned to her voice. And shall revelation do what nature cannot? Never. The man who shall win the blessedness of hearing her must watch daily at her gates, and wait at the posts of her doors. (F. B. Meyer.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 34. Watching daily at my gates] Wisdom is represented as having a school for the instruction of men; and seems to point out some of the most forward of her scholars coming, through their intense desire to learn, even before the gates were opened, and waiting there for admission, that they might hear every word that was uttered, and not lose one accent of the heavenly teaching. Blessed are such.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As servants, and clients, and others wait at the doors of princes or persons of eminency for place, or power, or wisdom, that they may be admitted to speak or converse with them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34. watching . . .waitingliterally, “so as to watch”; wait, denoting amost sedulous attention.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Blessed [is] the man that heareth me,…. Christ in his Gospel, as speaking by his ministers; for hearing them is hearing him,
Lu 10:16; they have their commission from him; are his ambassadors, and represent him; receive their gifts from him; speak according to his mind and will, revealed in his word, and preach him himself. This shows with what attention and reverence the Gospel should be heard; what credit should be given unto it; how it ought to be put in practice; this accounts for the efficacy of it on the souls of men, it being no other than the word of Christ, or Christ himself speaking; and from hence it appears how sad and dreadful will be the case of such that despise it: to hear it is the way to have the knowledge of Christ, and an increase of it; faith in Christ, and a growth therein; the joy of faith, and a furtherance of it; love to Christ, and aboundings in it; and to have spiritual food and nourishment; wherefore it is both the duty and privilege of persons to hear the Gospel of Christ, since these things come by it;
watching daily at my gates; the gates of Wisdom’s house, the church of Christ, which are the public ordinances thereof; called in Scripture the gates of Zion, Ps 87:2; in allusion to the gates of cities, where Wisdom cries, or the ministers of Christ preach, Pr 1:21; see
Isa 26:1; or to the gates of kings, palaces, where courtiers watch to be admitted and received as favourites, or to give in their petitions for themselves or others, Es 6:10. The church is the palace of the great King; it is an honour to be admitted here, to have a name and a place here, and to sit with the King at his table. Or to the door of the tabernacle, where the people of Israel assembled for worship; or to the gates of the temple, where the priests and Levites watched,
Ex 29:42. “Watching” is opposed to sleep, both to bodily sleep and to sleepy frames of soul; and to intemperance, not only by eating and drinking, but with the cares of this life; and it denotes circumspection, diligence, and attention. Here sensible sinners watch in the ministry of the word and ordinances, if anything drops that they can catch at, suitable to their case and circumstances; as Benhadad’s servants did, 1Ki 20:33; and here souls, under darkness and desertion, watch for spiritual light and comfort, as they that watch for the morning; and here every believer watches for his spiritual edification and establishment in the truth; and which should be “daily” or “day after day”, one Lord’s day after another; taking all opportunities, in season and out of season, consistent with the duties of their calling, to hear the word; and so they are to continue to the end of life; for happy is he that shall be found thus watching when his Lord cometh, Lu 12:37;
waiting at the posts of my doors; either in allusion to scholars, who wait the opening of the school doors to go in first, as Jarchi observes: Christ is a teacher; sensible souls are his disciples or scholars; the church is the school where they learn of him, and learn him; and waiting at the door posts of it shows early seeking to Christ, and eagerness for instruction from him, Lu 21:38. Or the allusion may be to clients, waiting at the doors of counsellors y, for counsel, and for patronage and protection, to plead their cause for them; Christ is the wonderful Counsellor, the Advocate with the Father, the Redeemer, mighty and strong, to plead the cause of his people; and therefore it is right to wait at his doors, with whom are counsel and sound wisdom: or else to beggars, that wait at the door for alms; who knock, and wait until the door is opened; tell their case, and wait for relief; receive repulses, and wait still; and will not depart till something is given. So saints should wait at the throne of grace, and upon the word and ordinances, for answers of prayer, performance of promises, and the presence of God and Christ: and so should sinners wait on the outward ministry of the word, remembering the ease of the poor man at the pool, who waited long, and at last had a cure, Joh 5:5; since faith comes hereby; the Spirit and his graces, Christ and the knowledge of him, are had by such means, as follows.
y “Sub galls cantum consultor ubi ostia pulsat”, Horat. Sat. l. 1. Sat. 1. v. 10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(34) Watching daily at my gates.A figure taken from an ardent scholar waiting till the doors of the school are opened, and he can begin his studies. Or it represents a courtier expecting the appearance of his sovereign, or a lover that of his mistress. (Comp. Wis. 8:2.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
34. My gates Wisdom is now represented as in her temple, while her votaries, on whom she pronounces blessings, wait and watch for the opening of her gates, that they may meet her and secure her instructions.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 8:34 Blessed [is] the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Ver. 34. Waiting at the posts of my doors. ] At the schools and synagogues, say the Hebrews, where men should come in with the first, and go forth with the last, as doorkeepers do, which was the office that David desired. Psa 84:10
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
watching: Pro 1:21, Pro 2:3, Pro 2:4, Psa 27:4, Psa 84:10, Psa 92:13, Mat 7:24, Luk 1:6, Luk 10:39, Luk 11:28, Joh 8:31, Joh 8:32, Act 2:42, Act 17:11, Act 17:12, Jam 1:22-25
Reciprocal: Exo 38:8 – assembling 1Ki 10:8 – happy are these 2Ki 4:38 – were sitting 2Ch 9:7 – General Neh 8:13 – the second Neh 12:44 – Judah rejoiced Psa 25:5 – on thee Pro 13:4 – but Pro 19:20 – receive Pro 22:17 – and hear Son 1:8 – go Son 3:2 – the streets Luk 8:40 – waiting Joh 1:38 – where Joh 5:3 – waiting Joh 5:39 – Search Act 8:28 – and sitting Act 17:17 – daily Act 19:9 – daily Rev 1:3 – Blessed