What does Proverbs Chapter 9 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Opening comparisons and commands retain the chapter’s wording. The speaker’s examples and future assertions remain attributed. Closing sayings are preserved without added events or universal guarantees.

Chapter breakdown

Proverbs 9 contrasts Wisdom’s feast and Folly’s call. Wisdom built a house and hewed seven pillars, slew victims, mingled wine and set table. She sent maids to invite to tower and city walls, calling little ones and unwise people to bread and mingled wine, forsaking childishness for life and prudence. A magnificent palace, permanent sanctuary and Eucharistic interpretation are not supplied.

Teaching a scorner injures the teacher; rebuking a wicked man gets a blot. Do not rebuke a scorner lest hatred follow; rebuke a wise man and he will love. Give an occasion and wisdom shall increase; teach a just man and he shall hasten to receive. Fear of the Lord begins wisdom and knowledge of the holy is prudence. By the speaker days shall multiply and years be added. If wise, wise for oneself; if a scorner, alone bearing evil. These are instructions and future assertions rather than completed results.

A clamorous foolish woman, alluring and knowing nothing, sat at her door on a seat in a high city place calling travelers. She invites little ones and fools, saying stolen waters are sweeter and hidden bread pleasanter. He did not know giants were there and guests in hell’s depths. Giants are not resolved as spirits haunting a tomb, and calling is not turned into whispering. The section title THE PARABLES OF SOLOMON follows.

The story inside

Opening: Opening comparisons and commands retain the chapter’s wording. Development: The speaker’s examples and future assertions remain attributed. Conclusion: Closing sayings are preserved without added events or universal guarantees.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Opening comparisons and commands retain the chapter’s wording.
2
The speaker’s examples and future assertions remain attributed.
3
Closing sayings are preserved without added events or universal guarantees.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 67930–67931
Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars.
Lines 67942–67943
Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you.
Lines 67945–67945
Forsake childishness, and live, and walk by the ways of prudence.
Lines 67950–67951
Rebuke not a scorner, lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Lines 67956–67957
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is prudence.
Lines 67976–67976
Stolen waters are sweeter, and hidden bread is more pleasant.
Lines 67978–67979
And he did not know that giants are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell.